Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 265 Internal strife among the defenders
"Hmph!" The person hiding in the shadows snorted with disdain.

The wide black cloak swayed slightly with his movements, revealing a wrist that was so pale that it was almost sickly.

The candlelight in the tent suddenly flickered, stretching and twisting his shadow like a dormant beast.

"Before, Zhao Wenguang was just a small character that no one paid attention to. Naturally, the Holy Church would not take someone like him seriously." The voice of the Dark Night Cult messenger was hoarse and low, as harsh as the friction of sandpaper.

"He was originally on the assassination list, but he was probably just lucky enough to survive."

Murong Dayu glanced at the other person in surprise, his thick eyebrows almost twisted into a ball.

His rough fingers unconsciously stroked the scimitar at his waist, and the armor made a slight metal collision sound with his breathing.

Outside the tent, the footsteps of patrolling Beidi soldiers came closer and closer, then gradually faded away.

In his impression, this Dark Night Cult messenger had always been taciturn. In the past three months, they had met no less than ten times, but the other party had said no more than twenty sentences in total.

He actually talked so much this time.

At this moment, a strange atmosphere permeated the tent, and even the air seemed to freeze. Murong Dayu narrowed his eyes, and his sharp gaze was like that of a hawk on the grassland, trying to see through this guy hiding in the darkness.

It was only with the help of the Dark Night Cult that the combat effectiveness of the Northern Di Iron Cavalry was able to be greatly improved.

Murong Dayu didn't have any good feelings towards the Dark Night Cult.

"I'm not interested in listening to your excuses. Even if we rule out the accident of Zhao Wenguang, your plan at Xueyuan Pass has also failed." Murong Dayu slammed the table and stood up. The teacup on the table jumped up and the tea splashed on the map, leaving a dark stain.

"I don't want this kind of thing to happen again. Not only me, but the king also doesn't want to know that your Dark Night Cult is so incompetent."

His voice was like thunder, echoing in the tent. The guards outside the tent took a half step back at the same time, exchanging uneasy glances.

"You..." The messenger wanted to refute angrily, but his skinny fingers suddenly tightened, and his knuckles made a teeth-grinding crackling sound.

Murong Dayu interrupted him bluntly: "The most important thing is that your information about the defending general Zhu Mingyuan is completely wrong." He strode to the military map, and poked his tea-soaked fingers heavily on the position of "Xueyuan Pass", leaving a dent in the parchment.

"This guy is not only not an incompetent second-generation rich kid, but also an extremely cunning guy." Murong Dayu said gritting his teeth, and the scar on his face looked particularly hideous under the candlelight.

He would always remember the description of this guy in the intelligence.

Murong Ze was deceived by Zhu Mingyuan's pretend surrender and eventually died tragically under a hail of arrows.

"If Murong Ze had not believed your intelligence, such a serious misjudgment would not have occurred. You, the Dark Night Sect, must bear full responsibility for this defeat at Xueyuan Pass." His voice became louder and louder, and in the end it was almost a roar.

The war horses outside the tent neighed anxiously, and the sound of trumpets in the distance came one after another.

The Dark Night Cult messenger was silent for a moment, then let out a strange laugh. The laugh sounded like the cry of a night owl, and it was creepy.

He slowly raised his hand, and the extinguished candle suddenly rekindled on its own, the flame emitting a strange green color.

"So that's how it is. You said so much just to shirk responsibility." The messenger's voice suddenly became gentle, but with a chilling threat. He took a step forward, and his black cloak fluttered without wind.

"Don't worry. We in the Dark Night Sect are not like you who only think about how to shirk responsibility. The failure at Xueyuan Pass this time was indeed our Dark Night Sect's mistake. We admit this."

“But now that the army is approaching, if any accidents occur again, don’t blame us, the Dark Night Cult.” After the messenger said this, the entire tent suddenly fell into darkness.

This was the sentence Murong Dayu was waiting for. The candlelight in the tent flickered, illuminating his gloomy face.

Although the main reason for this failure was Murong Ze, the vanguard general underestimated the enemy and fell into the enemy's trap.

But as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he is definitely not free from responsibility. Once the news of the defeat is passed back to the royal court, it will surely cause an uproar.

Although the Beidi people are rough in character, they always advocate the use of force to solve problems.

But how could someone who could sit in Murong Dayu's position not know the pros and cons? Power struggles are always undercurrents.

Any slight mistake could lead to his downfall. He knew the king's temper very well, and what he could not tolerate most was a defeated general.

In particular, the king's personality and temper have become increasingly strange in recent years.

Being in such a sensitive position as his, he has to be extremely cautious and careful in every step.

With the Dark Night Cult taking the blame, Murong Dayu finally felt relieved. He breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed.

Finally, he had the energy to study the current battle situation. He turned and walked towards the sand table in the center of the tent, examining the terrain of Xueyuan Pass with a serious look.

The strength of Xueyuan Pass's defense was beyond Murong Dayu's expectations.

They attacked several cities of the Great Zhou, but not every one of them was captured without bloodshed.

But they had never encountered such a stubborn resistance. Although the defenders of those cities fought desperately, they were ultimately outnumbered.

In front of the powerful Northern Di cavalry, their resistance seemed so futile. They would often be defeated within half a day.

As long as a few Beidi cavalry rushed up the city wall, the defenders would be defeated almost immediately. This was their tried and tested tactic.

Xueyuan Pass was different. The defenders here were not only well-trained, but also had high morale.

The soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty were able to fight the Northern Di cavalry on equal terms. This had never happened before in previous siege battles.

One of them was particularly strong, holding a saber, and was invincible. No Northern Di cavalry could stop him.

The attack lasted only half an hour.

Murong Dayu gave the order: "Sound the horn to withdraw the troops!"

Soon, the attacking Northern Di cavalry retreated like a tide and quickly left the battle.

"They retreated so quickly?" Zhao Wenguang's face was full of disbelief. He stood on the city wall, looking at the enemy troops retreating like a tide.

Li Batian sat on the city wall, wiping his broken saber. His armor was stained with the blood of the enemy.

"I thought we could have a good fight this time, but how come the Northern Di army is even less capable than the vanguard troops?" He curled his lips, "It's boring."

The defenders on the city wall looked at each other, not understanding why the enemy suddenly retreated.

"Who is that strong man with the saber?" a general asked. "None of our warriors can resist him."

Murong Dayu's face was gloomy. "There are major omissions in the intelligence about the Dark Night Cult. Pass the order down, the entire army should rest and send out more scouts for investigation."

At the same time, inside Xueyuan Pass, the defenders were rushing to repair the city wall. Zhao Wenguang inspected the defense line and continuously issued orders to strengthen the defense.

"Get your crossbows ready," he told his soldiers. "The next attack will be even more intense."

Zhao Wenguang looked back in the direction of Xueyuan Pass City, his rough fingers unconsciously stroking the arrow marks on the city wall.

His face was full of worry, his brows were furrowed into a shape of a "川" character: "Your Highness, what are you doing?"

There has been no movement since Chu Shizhao left.

An inexplicable anxiety lingered in Zhao Wenguang's heart like an annoying fly.

If I hadn't been fighting alongside Chu Shizhao.

Moreover, at the most critical moment of Xueyuan Pass, Chu Shizhao did not hesitate to risk his life and personally led hundreds of Ice Wolf Riders to launch a surprise attack on the Beidi camp.

Give them time to rest and recuperate. Zhao Wenguang couldn't help but wonder if this prince was...

As soon as this thought came to his mind, he pinched himself hard.

Although he had confidence in Chu Shizhao, he still felt a little nervous.

Moreover, Zhao Wenguang could sense that many soldiers at Xueyuan Pass actually had the same concerns.

The reason why they were so high in morale was that they dared to fight to the death with the Northern Di cavalry.

Isn’t the most important reason that Chu Shizhao, as a prince, is also fighting with them?

Your Highness never hides behind and always goes to the most dangerous places in person.

Even a prince picked up a knife and fought to the death.

As soldiers like them, there is no reason for them not to fight to the death.

It can be said that it was because of Chu Shizhao that the defenders of Xueyuan Pass were able to use their flesh and blood to block the frenzied attack of the Northern Di.

But now, since Chu Shizhao, the backbone of the team, has not shown up, it is inevitable that people will think too much.

The morale of the army was in turmoil for a while. Zhao Wenguang had to raise his voice and issue orders in a more severe tone to try to suppress the uneasy mood.

Although all the soldiers were under the command of Zhao Wenguang, he deliberately arranged heavy defense tasks to keep the soldiers busy.

But the human heart is like a leaky bag. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop suspicion from seeping in.

Many soldiers couldn't help but whisper to each other.

"It's strange, why can't I see His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince?" said a hoarse voice, its tone full of doubt.

"He just left the city wall and never came back. Do you think the Fourth Prince could be..." He didn't finish his words, but his meaning was clear.

"Did you run away because you saw the enemy was too powerful?" another voice asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Nonsense!" A young voice retorted excitedly, "His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince is definitely not that kind of person!"

"Tsk, what do you know? He is a prince, his life is precious." The man sneered.

“If His Royal Highness wanted to run away, why didn’t he leave before but now?” the young soldier argued unconvinced.

“Maybe it’s because the enemy arrived too quickly and we didn’t have time to escape,” the older soldier analyzed, with sophistication in his voice.

"That's why they pretended to fight alongside us. As soon as the enemy retreated just now, they immediately followed those old soldiers and ran away."

"He's the prince, how can he just die here?" This was said as a matter of course, but it made people angry.

"Since the prince has escaped, why are we still fighting here?" The most terrifying question was finally thrown out.

"Should we take advantage of this opportunity..." Before he could finish his words, the iron boots made a dull sound as they stepped on the bricks.

This proposal really made many people feel a little moved.

However, before they could make any move, a cold light flashed in the eyes of the Ice Wolf Riders who were patrolling here from a distance.

The next moment, a knife flashed.

The speed was so fast that even these soldiers who had experienced fighting on the battlefield could not react.

The soldier who encouraged the other soldiers to escape subconsciously reached behind his waist, but missed something.

He covered his throat and fell down with a look of reluctance on his face.

After a moment's silence, the surrounding soldiers suddenly became furious.

"Why do you kill people so casually?"

"Feng Laosan was just complaining a few words. He is also a meritorious soldier who fought to the death to protect Xueyuan Pass. Why do you kill people at will?"

"Kill this guy and avenge Feng Laosan."

Dozens of soldiers from Xueyuan Pass nearby picked up their spears and pointed the sharp tips of their spears at the murderous Ice Wolf Riders.

Although they have been fighting side by side with the Ice Wolf Riders.

But many people don’t know each other.

In the eyes of the soldiers at Xueyuan Pass, they were just gathering together to complain and had no real intention of escaping.

As a result, this Ice Wolf Rider guy started killing people as soon as he came up. This was too much.

There is only this small space on the city wall.

What happened here spread quickly.

"What? The Ice Wolf Riders are killing our people at Xueyuan Pass at will? Are these guys crazy?"

"Is there any misunderstanding here?" There were also more rational soldiers who reminded their comrades around them.

"Misunderstanding, no matter what the misunderstanding is, they can't just kill people casually, right?"

"Haha, I'm trying my best to defend the city here, and the next moment I'm going to die at the hands of my own people. Could it be that someone is going to make me stupid in a moment?"

In a very short time, the incident developed into a confrontation between the soldiers of Xueyuan Pass and the Ice Wolf Riders.

The comrades who had fought side by side not long ago were now holding their swords tightly and being wary of each other.

When Zhao Wenguang heard the news, his head almost exploded.

He knew very well that if this matter could not be handled properly.

The Xueyuan Pass doesn't even need the Northern Di cavalry to attack, they can kill each other among themselves.

So he quickly asked someone to take him to the place where the incident happened.

"Are you all crazy? How can you point your weapons at your comrades? Put your weapons down!" Zhao Wenguang shouted angrily.

Unfortunately, no one listened to him.

Even if it's a waste like Zhu Mingyuan, if he really gets angry, the soldiers will still listen to him.

It’s a pity that Zhao Wenguang was promoted temporarily.

Although he had the power to command the army, his reputation in the military was not particularly high.

"Fuck you." Seeing that no one moved, Zhao Wenguang cursed inwardly, but he could only suppress his temper and patiently asked, "What on earth happened?"

(End of this chapter)