The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 468 Let's see who the hero is today (Part 9)
The wind from the northern desert, carrying the lingering chill of early spring and an overwhelming stench of blood, swept across the ravaged camp.

The setting sun, like blood, pressed heavily on the western horizon, dyeing everything in the world a crimson hue.

The camps beneath the city of Dading stretched out in a continuous line, with Hu soldiers standing on the thickest walls possible. However, their morale was very low, and most of them looked quite dejected, frightened, and worried.

Inside the stockade walls, broken spear shafts, scattered arrows, and charred fragments of felt were mixed in with the mud, and the groans of wounded soldiers and the weary snorting of warhorses blended together.

Li Siyuan sat on a millstone half-buried in the ground. His brocade robe was filthy and torn in several places.

He kept his head down, slowly and meticulously wiping the ribs of the fine steel folding fan in his hand with a fairly clean cloth, his movements slow as if he wanted to wipe away every trace of blood. Only occasionally, when he raised his eyelids and glanced around, would a hint of mockery flash across his deep-set eyes.

Li Cunli stood beside him, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his brows furrowed, and he remained silent.

A muffled cough came from afar. Li Sizhao was placed in a hastily cobbled-together wrecked cart, wrapped in a thick blanket, his face ashen and his breath weak. The fierce battle at the Tu River had left him severely wounded; if he hadn't been fortunate enough to be treated by the shaman in Yelü Lage's army, he probably wouldn't be alive today.

Covered in wounds, Li Cunxiao crouched beside the wrecked cart, scratching his head and looking at Li Sizhao with a worried expression, but there was nothing he could do. Li Cunhui, with his eyes covered by a cloth, sat beside the wrecked cart, a half-smile on his face, lost in thought.

In the camp, the remaining two thousand or so elite Shatuo soldiers of the Jin army were mixed together with the equally disheveled remnants of the Yishi and Diela tribes under Yelü Lage. Everyone's face showed numbness and exhaustion after a long march and days of fierce fighting.

Yelü Lige paced anxiously back and forth in the center of the camp like a wolf driven to the brink of despair, his heavy leather boots splashing mud everywhere. His leather armor was stained with blood and grime, his helmet was nowhere to be found, and his muddy, disheveled hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat.

He would stop every now and then, and after questioning his men and women without getting any good news, he would spit in the direction of the royal court in a fit of anger, repeating the same few words over and over again.

"Li Maozhen, you treacherous dog! And that bitch Shuliduo, Yuan Xingqin, and Zhao Siwen! May they all die a horrible death!"

Each time he cursed, it caused the leaders and clan chiefs of the Yishi and Diela tribes, who were also looking apprehensive, to exchange even more uneasy glances.

Panic gripped the entire encircling camp, and although the royal court was right in front of the camp, the inner city walls, which looked unfinished, remained unconquered. The series of bad news had driven Yelü Lage, who had personally led the attack, to utter madness.

As for the Jin generals who led the troops to join Li Siyuan and Li Cunli, although they severely damaged Yelü Helu, the commander of the royal army, on the banks of the Tu River, his troops were ambushed on the banks of the Tu River and lost nearly 70% of their strength. He had only two thousand exhausted Shatuo cavalry under his command, and they were unwilling to attack the city. They were simply ignored by Yelü Lage, who was in a fit of anger.

Just as Yelü Lige's incessant cursing was irritating everyone, a short, sharp whistle suddenly came from the sentry post on the west side of the camp, followed by the clanging of weapons and a series of galloping hooves.

"Enemy attack?!" Yelü Lage's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. The soldiers in the camp, like startled birds, grabbed their weapons, their faces drained of color.

However, the whistles quickly subsided, replaced by a few warning cries indicating that it was safe. As soon as the camp gates opened, more than twenty equally exhausted warhorses, carrying a dozen or so wounded figures, broke through the outer defenses of the Hu soldiers and rushed straight into the camp.

The two leaders were a man with a hunched back and a monkey-like appearance, and a blind man holding a large bow. They were Li Cunzhong, the ninth master of the Tongwen Academy, and Li Cunyong, the twelfth master.

The former had his left arm hastily bandaged with a torn piece of clothing, blood seeping through, his face covered in dust and sweat, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

Li Cunli and Li Siyuan, along with other Jin soldiers, were all taken aback. The two men exchanged a glance and hurriedly stepped forward to receive the group.

"Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, the King, the King is here!" Li Cunzhong almost rolled off his horse. His voice was hoarse but carried a sense of relief that the dust had settled. He staggered a few steps and rushed to Li Siyuan and Li Cunli. He then shouted a few more words in the direction of Yelü Lage.

"Where is Yelü Lage, the King of the Northern Desert? My king has issued a decree..."

“Ninth Brother,” Li Cunli grabbed him and said, “explain yourself.”

Compared to the blind Li Cunyong, Li Cunzhong was in a much worse state, only able to catch his breath for a short time.

Impatient, Li Siyuan and the others immediately looked at Li Cunyong: "Twelfth Brother!"

Li Cunyong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Grand Commandant, Marquis Xue, the Prince of Jin is a brilliant strategist who devised a plan to besiege Wang Yanzhang. Although Zhu Youwen, Li Maozhen, and Yuan Xingqin launched a surprise attack to rescue him, the victory was not complete, allowing Wang Yanzhang to escape by chance. However, the battle severely damaged Wang Yanzhang's main force, killing his deputy general Shan Keji and many other Liang generals. Almost all of his elite troops from Youzhou were wiped out, and he fled with the remnants of Yuan Xingqin's forces."

Upon hearing this, not only were the tribal leaders and generals, such as Yelü Lage, who were walking quickly toward them, stunned, but even Li Siyuan was overjoyed.

But the good news wasn't over yet. Li Cunzhong, having caught his breath, hurriedly added, "The Prince of Jin is now aided by unpredictable supernatural forces, fighting against Zhu Youwen and Li Maozhen without defeat, striking fear into the enemy's heart! Our Jin army's royal banner is now to the west, not far from here. The Prince of Jin is personally leading the main force, rushing to meet us day and night."

Dead silence.

The camp fell into a brief silence as everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to Li Cunzhong's face, which was contorted with excitement.

But the next moment, the entire camp exploded as if boiling oil had been poured into cold water.

"Your Majesty is mighty!!"

"The Prince of Jin is here! We're saved!!"

"May the Eternal Heaven protect us! May the Eternal Heaven protect us!!"

The previously listless and exhausted Shatuo soldiers erupted in a thunderous roar, many of them moved to tears, pounding each other's shoulders in excitement. The leaders of the Yishi and Diela tribes let out long, long sighs, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders, their ashen faces regaining color. They bowed with their hands on their chests toward Li Siyuan and Li Cunli, expressing their gratitude in a mixture of Mongolian and broken Chinese.

"The might of King Jin!" "The benevolence of the State of Jin! They have saved our lives!" "We are deeply grateful!"

Yelü Lage stood there dumbfounded, then suddenly slapped his thigh and burst into wild laughter: "Good, good! Prince Jin has indeed not disappointed me! Heaven has not forsaken me! Heaven has not forsaken me!"

The anxiety on his face vanished, replaced by the ecstatic joy of surviving a disaster. He couldn't contain himself and patted Li Siyuan's shoulder hard, as if they were brothers who had been together for many years.

Amidst his embarrassment and frustration, Li Siyuan also breathed a sigh of relief, then suppressed the contempt in his eyes and engaged in a round of flattery with Yelü Lage. Li Cunli, on the other hand, let out a long sigh of relief, inquired about some details, and then pondered carefully.

As for Li Cunxiao and Li Cunhui, the former greeted Li Cunzhong with a simple smile, while the latter tapped his knees, which were resting on the broken cart, and looked down at Li Sizhao beside him.

However, this euphoria did not last long.

As he spoke, Yelü Lage looked around, his gaze sweeping over the cheering soldiers and the tribal leaders with expressions of relief, before finally fixing on the blurry outline of Dading Prefecture in the distance under the setting sun. Suddenly, he drew the scimitar from his waist.

"We can't just leave like this!"

He let out a loud shout, startling everyone. After everyone looked on in astonishment, he simply pointed his knife at the city wall. The blade reflected a blinding red light in the setting sun, reflecting on his face, and the bloodlust in his eyes could not be concealed.

"That bitch Shuliduo, and her little brat Yelü Yaoguang, are in the city. Zhao Siwen is being held back by my men, so he can't attack anytime soon. Once Prince Jin's army arrives, our tens of thousands of troops will converge and we will surely break through the royal court!"

He glared menacingly around and said in a deep voice, "Kill them. As long as we kill Shuliduo and that brat, the Northern Desert will be ours. Then, the grasslands, cattle, sheep, and slaves will be at your disposal. From now on, the position of King of the Northern Desert will be elected by each tribe in turn. I mean what I say! Let those tribes that have betrayed me see who the true ruler of the Northern Desert is!"

He brandished his scimitar, trying his best to incite the steppe nobles and generals around him who had just breathed a sigh of relief, attempting to reignite their greed and ferocity.

His words abruptly silenced the cheers in the camp. The hope that had just risen on the faces of many soldiers was instantly replaced by astonishment and fear, while the tribal chiefs looked at each other, hesitant and uncertain.

However, it was clear that most people were considering giving up. After all, they couldn't take down the royal court in ten days or half a month, and there was no point in delaying any longer, not to mention that there were Zhao Siwen's troops in the north and Sun He's troops in the south in Youzhou.

Yelü Lage was furious and hurriedly tried to persuade Li Siyuan and Li Cunli again, making promises one after another, saying that as long as Shuliduo was killed, the northern desert would be in chaos, and Xiao Yan would no longer be able to control the grassland with Shuliduo. Moreover, the army would not need to defend the royal court, and could simply withdraw after killing Shuliduo, and so on...

A few days ago, Li Siyuan would have definitely agreed with his opinion, but now he could only feel helpless.

"idiot."

At this moment, a mocking and contemptuous shout rang out, landing in the silent crowd. Yelü Lage was startled at first, then instantly flew into a rage. He turned around and saw that it was the fake Li who had rushed over after hearing the news, leading Quinn and his personal guards. He pushed aside the group of Mobei chieftains and generals blocking his way and strode up to Yelü Lage.

The fake Li's face no longer showed the usual submissive and even somewhat humble expression; his gaze toward Yelü Lage was now filled with nothing but naked disgust and contempt.

"Open your dog eyes and look around." Fake Li sneered, pointing around. "With the situation like this, you still want to continue attacking the royal court? What do you have to break through the city and kill Shuliduo? Zhao Siwen's troops are stationed in the north, and Sun He's several thousand elite troops from Youzhou are stationed in the south. Not only are we attacked from both sides, but tens of thousands of soldiers are almost starving by killing horses. What do you have to fight with? The Prince of Jin came to help us break through and escape, not to die with you and let you snatch chestnuts from the fire!"

He took a step closer, his gaze fixed on Yelü Lage's incredulous and furious face.

"Look at yourself! Back then, you commanded nearly 100,000 troops in Xilouyi, only to be routed like a stray dog ​​by Xiao Yan's mere 10,000 cavalry. If he hadn't kindly spared you, would you have had the chance to rally all sides and dream your way out of this mess? Now that you have some troops and reinforcements, you think you're all that? How many days have you been gnawing at that crumbling city wall of the royal court? How many bricks have tens of thousands of men managed to break through? You should be most grateful that Xiao Yan only released 10,000 of Wang Yanzhang's troops beyond the border, focusing instead on defending against the Jin Kingdom, not being so arrogant as the Lord of the Northern Desert! Even in this situation, you still want to drag the King of Jin and everyone here down with you for your delusional fantasies? What a load of bull, Lord of the Northern Desert! Keep dreaming!"

The fake Li's sudden outburst of anger was like a thunderbolt, silencing the camp to a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Hu soldiers who had just been cheering for the reinforcements from the King of Jin froze instantly, their joy turning into bewilderment and fear, and they subconsciously looked at their respective leaders.

The tribal leaders' expressions changed drastically. Some swallowed hard, their Adam's apple bobbing; others avoided meeting Yelü Lage's furious gaze; the clan leaders of the Diela tribe exchanged glances, each reading deep regret and wavering in the other's eyes.

Li Siyuan lowered his eyelids slightly, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly before he regained his composure, as if it were none of his business. Li Cunli nodded slightly, a hint of understanding and agreement flashing in his eyes.

"shut up!"

Yelü Lage's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, veins bulging on his forehead. "You stray dog, living under someone else's roof, dare to lecture me? You and Li Maozhen fled to the grasslands after your defeat in Fengxiang. If it weren't for my taking you in, how could you be where you are today? If it weren't for you instigating me to have Li Maozhen stop Yuan Xingqin, how could I be where I am today..."

Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of the silent and shifty-eyed chieftains and leaders, which fueled his anger. He swung his scimitar sharply, the blade pointing directly at the fake Li's nose, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"If you dare to spout nonsense again, I will chop you down right now and use you as a sacrifice to my flag!"

Several of Yelü Lage's trusted guards also drew their swords at the same time, glaring fiercely at the fake Li and Quinn and his men behind him. The men behind Quinn also drew their swords in response, and the atmosphere instantly turned icy.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Young Master Li, would you also like to back down?"

Just as a fierce battle was about to erupt, Li Cunli finally sighed, then smiled and stepped between the two, spreading his arms to deflect Yelü Lage's blade and stopping the two sides from drawing their swords.

He first bowed respectfully to the enraged Yelü Lage, his posture humble, but his tone carried a hint of pressure: "Honest advice is hard to swallow, Your Majesty, please do not be angry. Prince Li is also deeply worried, fearing that he might miss the best opportunity to reunite with the Prince of Jin and escape danger. His words were too harsh, and I beg Your Majesty's understanding. At present, Zhao Siwen and Sun He have their troops stationed in the north and south, and it is no longer possible to capture the royal court. Your Majesty, please do not make a mistake."

Although the Jin Prince's army will arrive in an instant, how can Zhao, Sun, and even Yuan Xingqin and Li Maozhen sit idly by? Now is the time for everyone to work together and preserve their strength. If internal strife allows the pursuers to take advantage of the situation, wouldn't that allow Xiao Yan and Shuliduo to reap the benefits? Shuliduo, that wicked queen, certainly deserves to be killed, but we should leave her for another day. With His Highness the Jin Prince's strong support, we can regroup and launch another attack. That would be the safest course of action." But Yelü Lage had lost face, and the other party was the usually respectful fake Li. How could Li Cunli possibly appease him with a few words? The latter naturally understood this, and immediately turned to the other side, the fake Li with a sneer on his face, and earnestly said:

"Young Master Li, please prioritize the overall situation. Khan Yelü is an important ally of ours. In this time of crisis, we should value peace above all else! We will discuss everything after we reunite with His Highness Prince Jin. Furthermore, Khan Yelü's statement about breaking Xiao Yan's plan also reflects his concerns. This is just one person's opinion, Young Master Li."

Li Cunli's timely intervention and watertight words ultimately gave both sides a way out.

Yelü Lage's chest heaved violently as he stared intently at the fake Li. Finally, he let out a heavy snort through his nose, flicked his wrist, and shoved the scimitar back into its sheath.

The fake Li also glanced coldly at Yelü Lage, a hint of undisguised sarcasm playing on his lips. He then abruptly turned and walked away. Quinn and the others, expressionless, glanced warily at Li Cunli and even Li Siyuan and his group before escorting him away.

The atmosphere in the camp remained tense, but the palpable tension had been temporarily suppressed. The grassland chieftains breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to appease Yelü Lage, agreeing with Li Cunli's words, but the glances they exchanged clearly indicated that they were deliberately avoiding Yelü Lage's gaze.

Yelü Lage was momentarily enraged, but his face quickly turned ashen, and he ultimately did not mention attacking the royal court again, even though he knew that leaving the northern desert this time might mean never returning for the rest of his life.

In the midst of this oppressive calm, on the inner city wall in the direction of Dading Prefecture, which appeared even more majestic and sturdy in the twilight, countless torches suddenly lit up, startling the sirens of the camps into continuous blaring.

The flickering firelight on the city wall dispelled the shadows at its base, illuminating the tower as bright as day.

Surrounded by the bright firelight, a figure appeared behind the city walls. Shiri Kika stood to his left with her hand on her sword, scanning the camp below; Shiri Yukyu stood to his right rear with a longbow in her arms, silent as a mountain; Xiao Dilu and other palace army generals stood on the left and right, steadily guarding the rear.

At their center, Shuliduo stood with one hand behind her back, holding a Tang sword.

The firelight on the city wall was bright, and Shuliduo's figure was clearly visible. Even in the camp hundreds of steps away, everyone could see her.

Yelü Lage's eyes were filled with boundless hatred. He suddenly turned his head and roared to his men, "Quickly, bring me my great bow! I want to shoot that vile woman!"

The guards received the order and quickly left to make arrangements.

At the same time, Yelü Lage suppressed his almost bursting chest, forcefully pulled out the curved sword he had just sheathed, and slammed it into the ground, the blade humming. Ignoring the terrified looks from the tribal chiefs behind him and Li Cunli's hesitant expression, he mounted his horse, led a dozen or so trusted guards, and galloped out of the camp gate, heading towards the city wall until he was within the range of powerful bows, where he could see the city tower more clearly.

Helpless, the people in the camp could only narrow their eyes and ponder for a moment before leading Li Cunli, Li Cunzhong, and others to follow on horseback. The imposter, Li, with a cold face, slowly rode out of the camp under the protection of Quinn and others, stopping slightly behind to observe. A large number of soldiers and tribal chiefs poured out of the camp gates, nervously watching the two sides confronting each other on the city walls and below.

But Yelü Lagelema, having steadied himself, simply raised his head and roared with all his might toward the city wall: "Shuliduo! I am right here! Let's see what other high-sounding words you, you wretched woman, have to say!"

The flickering firelight on the city wall illuminated Shuliduo's serene face. With one hand behind her back, her Tang sword and military attire complemented each other, her figure remained upright, seemingly oblivious to Yelü Lage's roars below and the thousands of soldiers surging in the camp.

She gave a dismissive and mocking smile without any attempt to hide it, and then spoke. Although she did not raise her voice, her clear and crisp voice strangely and clearly overwhelmed the clamor below the city and reached the ears of everyone who pricked up their ears.

"Yelü Lage. For your own selfish desires, you led the Jin invaders to trample our grasslands, slaughter our own people, and besiege the royal court, causing countless yurts to collapse and women and children to weep blood in the wilderness. Do you not know that such acts of defying the Eternal Heaven and disrupting the foundation of our ancestors are abhorrent to Heaven and Earth and punishable by gods and men?"

Yelü Lage was not angry upon hearing this, but merely chuckled and said, "Back then, you led Xiao Yantu..."

But before he could finish speaking, Shuliduo's voice suddenly turned fierce, instantly interrupting his sophistry. She raised her voice and said, "Zhao Siwen has cut off your path to return. Your destruction is imminent. The heads of you rebel leaders will soon hang above the gates of the royal court! You have the nerve to ask me what profound words I have to say? I would like to ask you, with your death approaching, can you leave any last words?"

Upon hearing this, Yelü Lage was filled with rage and anger. He suddenly raised his voice and roared, "Death?! Shuliduo! Stop spreading these alarmist rumors! The Prince of Jin's tens of thousands of troops will arrive immediately! Once I join forces with the Prince of Jin, I will surely make you..."

"Tens of thousands of troops?" Shuliduo laughed loudly, then interrupted him without any politeness, "Are they here to collect your corpse? Yelü Lage, the reinforcements you brought are probably not even able to protect themselves. This northern grassland has been managed by me and Prince Xiao for many years. How can it be a place where outsiders can come and go as they please? Are you still dreaming of conquering the royal court? Open your eyes and see that you are already at the end of your rope!"

Yelü Lage's face turned pale, his lips trembled as he tried to refute, but he was even more shocked by the implied meaning in Shuliduo's words. Not only him, but also Li Siyuan, Li Cunli, the fake Li and others who were watching from the sidelines, felt their hearts skip a beat.

“Pretentious…” Li Siyuan flung open the folding fan in his hand and fanned himself twice, trying to remain calm.

Shuliduo completely ignored Yelü Lage and Li Siyuan, her gaze sweeping across the tribal chiefs below the city who dared not meet her eyes and whose eyes darted around, as well as the bewildered soldiers at the camp gate further away, and continued to shout:
"Warriors of the Diela and Yishi tribes, haven't you seen through Yelü Lage's ambition? His talk of electing the King of the Northern Desert is nothing but a lie to lure you to your deaths. Look at your fallen kinsmen, listen to the cries of your loved ones in the wind, think of your pastures destroyed by war, and your cattle and sheep stolen. Lay down your weapons, realize your mistakes, and it's not too late."

"I swear in the name of the Eternal Heaven and the spirits of all the Khans of the past that I will only punish the chief villain Yelü Lage and his loyal followers. All those who are willing to defect on the battlefield and abandon darkness for light are my people of the northern desert. The royal court will not pursue their past transgressions and will do its utmost to help you rebuild your homes and recuperate."

Li Siyuan's eyes narrowed, and he glanced to his left and right, only to see many grassland chieftains looking at each other, seemingly quite interested. Some even secretly looked at Yelü Lage, subconsciously taking a half-step back.

"Do you believe what the Demon Queen says?" Li Siyuan finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted in a deep voice, "The Demon Queen is ruthless. Back then, she led Xiao Yan to slaughter hundreds of tribes on the grasslands, leaving you with almost no place to stand in the royal court. You betrayed her once, do you still expect the Demon Queen and Xiao Yan to treat you sincerely?"

"My bow! Bring me my bow!" Enraged, Yelü Lige reached out and roared, disregarding everything else.

His personal guards finally came running up, panting, carrying his large bow. Yelü Lige seemed to have grasped at the last straw. His eyes flashed with ferocity. He snatched the bow and hurriedly tried to nock an arrow, aiming directly at the proud figure standing on the city wall.

He must shoot this woman who has humiliated him and turned him into a homeless dog!

However, Shuliduo merely glanced at his desperate struggle, as if looking at an ant struggling in vain. Her voice was flat, and her gaze turned to Li Siyuan and Li Cunli, looking down at them.

"As for you soldiers of Jin... the affairs of the Northern Desert are an internal matter of our people. You brazenly raised an army, invaded our territory, and slaughtered our people. The countless blood debts owed will never be forgotten by the people of the Northern Desert. However, considering that you were acting under orders, if you withdraw your troops now, I may temporarily forgive your past grievances. But if you remain obstinate and insist on becoming enemies of the Northern Desert..."

She paused slightly, then looked down at them from her high position. The Tang sword she had been holding in her right hand suddenly became horizontal, and with a flick of her wrist, the gleaming blade was half-drawn from its sheath, displayed before hundreds of people.

"The wrath of King Xiao is something you may not be able to withstand. When that time comes, do not say you were not warned!"

The sound of the sword being drawn, accompanied by the words "Xiao Wang," was like an invisible thunderbolt, startling everyone and filling them with inexplicable horror.

Yelü Lage's bow-drawing motion suddenly froze. The bowstring, which had been drawn open, snapped suddenly, whether from excessive force or from the dampness caused by the previous rainy day march. Surprisingly, none of his guards reacted in time to replace the bow for him.

At that moment, both the Jin soldiers and the rebel soldiers from the grasslands felt a chill rise from their spines. In the dead silence, they suddenly heard the bowstring snap, and they instinctively gasped in unison, their hair standing on end.

Li Siyuan's grip on the folding fan tightened suddenly, his knuckles cracking under the immense force, almost crushing the fan ribs.

Li Cunli looked around and was suddenly horrified. He knew that once these words were spoken, all his strong arguments, reinforcements, and righteousness would become empty talk!

This is not just a simple title; on this grassland, it represents the supreme will to sweep across the Central Plains, subdue the various vassal states, and make even the most powerful figures in the land, including Li Yazi of Hedong, bow down!
I had never felt this clearly before. It wasn't until I saw the hundreds of people in front of me who were completely silent because of just two words that I truly realized that Shuliduo represented the projection of that man in the northern desert.

The goddess bows down, and all tribes prostrate themselves.

The might of King Xiao was no less than this.

In that deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere that was almost unbearable, on the city wall, Shuliduo's gaze did not leave Li Cunli. With a flick of her wrist, the Tang sword, which had just been drawn and was gleaming with cold light, slowly lowered its tip, pointing down at the city, its tassel remaining motionless in the night wind.

Her voice regained its previous clarity, and she spoke only to Li Cunli: "Lord Xue, casting pearls before swine is not the act of a wise man. The fate of the Jin state is waning. My King Xiao is thirsting for talent and has vacant seats to await the heroes of the world. With Lord Xue's talent, to condescend to this desperate situation, is it not a pity?"

A blatant recruitment!

On the battlefield between these two armies, and with Yelü Lage already on the verge of killing again with a bow and arrow drawn in shame and anger, the Empress Dowager of the Northern Desert so directly and boldly extended an olive branch.

This is not just sowing discord, it shows a disregard for the rebel army and even the Jin army outside the city, and it is a blatant insult to the likes of Li Siyuan and Li Cunxu!

Li Cunli trembled violently. He looked up abruptly, staring incredulously at the city wall.

"You vixen, how dare you disrupt the morale of my army!!" Li Siyuan was the first to react, shouting angrily in a mixture of shock and fury.

At the same time, Yelü Lage shouted "You scoundrel!" and the wolf-tooth heavy arrow on his bow, with a shrill whistling sound, was released from the bowstring and turned into a black lightning bolt, rushing straight towards the city wall.

Everyone who hadn't yet reacted was on tenterhooks.

On the city wall, Shiri Kika's eyes flashed with a sharp look, and her hand on the hilt of her sword suddenly clenched.

However, just as the arrow was about to strike...

"clang--"

A faster and more accurate feathered arrow appeared out of thin air, striking Yelü Lage's heavy arrow with perfect precision from the flank, sending sparks flying.

Yelü Lage's heavy arrow was struck by the enormous force and instantly deviated from its course, grazing the battlement a few feet away from Shuliduo before embedding itself deeply into the hard blue bricks with a "thud," the arrow tail still trembling violently.

Shiri Yukari, who shot the life-saving arrow, simply lowered his longbow slowly, his expression as cold and stern as ever, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

Shuliduo remained completely still, not even the hem of her clothes fluttering in the strong wind. It was as if she had anticipated all of this, or perhaps she simply didn't care. She merely uttered a final, light-hearted remark to the still-shaken Li Cunli below, and to all the stunned onlookers who were dumbfounded by the dramatic scene.

That's all I have to say. Lord Xue... take care of yourself.

With that, she flipped her wrist, and the Tang sword was neatly and cleanly sheathed with a "clang".

Immediately, amidst Yelü Lage's furious roar and Li Siyuan's shocked and angry gaze, and under the watchful eyes of countless complex and unfathomable gazes, Shuliduo turned around, and her tall, military-clad figure calmly disappeared behind the city walls in the firelight.

On the city wall, only the cold and murderous figures of Shiri Kika, Shiri Yukyu, and others remained, along with the wolf-tooth arrow deeply embedded in the wall, trembling on its own.

Below the city walls, there was a deathly silence.

Yelü Lage's arm, which had been holding the empty bow, fell limply to his side, his face ashen.

Li Cunli stood frozen on his horse, but for some reason, Shuliduo's words "casting pearls before swine" and "take care of yourself" kept echoing in his mind, and he couldn't shake them off.

Li Siyuan gripped his folding fan tightly, secretly glancing at Li Cunli. He felt not only shocked and indignant, but also incredibly frustrated.

Why?
(End of this chapter)