Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 84 Southern Chu Knocks on the Border!

"The murderer needs to be caught, and preventative measures need to be taken in advance in Southern Chu."

Emperor Liang looked at the beautiful and spirited Princess Nihuang and asked in a deep voice, "The Mu Prince's Mansion has always been on the front line of resisting the Southern Chu. Do you think it is necessary to mobilize troops to deploy on the border in advance?"

"Your Majesty, it is best to prepare as soon as possible, just in case. If Southern Chu is the main culprit in the attack on the delegation, then their army is probably already marching towards the border. Even if they are not, if some pro-war factions find out, war will break out on the border again."

Princess Nihuang frowned. Every time a war broke out with Southern Chu, the Mu Royal Palace would lose a lot of manpower and resources.

The number of military and civilian casualties is countless. It is only because of the long period of peace in the last 10 years or so that countries have become complacent.

Emperor Liang hesitated slightly upon hearing Nihuang's words. He had arranged for Mu Qing to be stationed in Yunnan, while deliberately leaving Nihuang in Jinling, precisely to counterbalance the powerful and unruly Mu Prince's Mansion in Yunnan.

If Nihuang is released again due to the war, the Mu family will be even stronger.

Prince Yu seemed to have guessed his thoughts and quickly said, "Father, the princess is right. We must make preparations as soon as possible. However, if the war against Southern Chu is stagnant, relying solely on Prince Mu's Mansion to resist it will inevitably create opportunities for Northern Yan and Dayu."

I propose that the Liang dynasty personally dispatch an army to Yunnan to defend the border together with the Mu Prince's residence.

Emperor Liang pondered for a moment, then asked, "This suggestion is good. Who do you think would be suitable?"

"To lead a large army to Yunnan, one must have sufficient prestige. Only those with outstanding military achievements can be appointed as commanders-in-chief. Moreover, a long and arduous expedition will also tire the soldiers. If a prince leads the army, he will surely boost morale and let the soldiers on the frontier know that the court has not forgotten them, the soldiers guarding the border."

Prince Yu spoke eloquently, listing all the benefits.

The only ones present who had both military merits and were princes were Prince Jing and Prince Ling, and all eyes turned to them immediately.

Prince Jing was the first to speak, saying in a deep voice, "Father, I am willing to lead an army and Princess Nihuang to Yunnan to resist Southern Chu."

Su Li, naturally, wouldn't be outdone, and also spoke up, saying, "Your subject agrees—"

Emperor Liang looked pleased and hesitated between the two men, wondering who should be sent.

Jinglin is sensible and knows how to be filial to his father, the emperor; he is a good child.

Although Jing Dan was as stubborn as ever, his relationship with his father had improved recently, especially after he moved to Zhiluo Palace several times.

Both women held equally important places in his heart, making it difficult for him to choose between them.

After all, taking an army to the frontier is not a good thing for anyone, especially since they would have to fight against the Southern Chu army. One wrong move and they would be wiped out.

"We'll decide tomorrow who to send to Southern Chu. Next, let's talk about the movements of Dayu and Northern Yan, and how they will react upon learning of this."

Everyone shared their opinions, and Prince Yu secretly pondered that he had to get his father to send Xiao Jinglin to Yunnan no matter what. He hadn't taken Mei Changsu's previous suggestion to heart, but he had actually been secretly on guard for a long time.

Compared to the simple-minded Xiao Jingdan, the usually unassuming Su Li is clearly more difficult to deal with.

Sending him to the Yunnan border would take at least six months round trip, and if war breaks out, it could take even longer.

Having been away from the central government for a long time, even though Prince Ling holds military power, he has no chance of ascending to the throne.

Three days later, Su Li received an imperial edict from Emperor Liang, ordering him to lead an army of 20,000 to Yunnan with Princess Nihuang to jointly resist Southern Chu.

Holding the imperial edict in her hand, and watching the eunuch deliver the decree leave, Gong Yu and the Xin Yang and Xin Liu sisters immediately surrounded her.

"Your Highness, are you going to lead the army to Yunnan?"

Gong Yu's beautiful eyes showed worry. The frontier battlefield is always the most dangerous place. Right now, most of her heart is tied to the man in front of her, and she doesn't want him to be in any danger.

"The war is urgent, you will all be coming with me tomorrow," Su Li said with a smile.

"Me—we're going too?"

"Nonsense! I'll be gone for at least six months. How will I survive without the company of beauties like you?"

Su Li patted their shapely buttocks, signaling them to pack their luggage.

"Hmph, Prince Yu—"

He learned from his spies at Qingyi Tower that his ability to lead troops to Yunnan was entirely due to Prince Yu's secret planning and his words to Emperor Liang.

In his view, the Great Liang had been at peace for a long time, and even if a prince held military power, he would not be able to start a rebellion. The central government was still the most important.

And since he and Prince Jing are the latter, they are easier to deal with.

Little did he know that he was falling into Su Li's trap. If he stayed in Jinling, he would be at odds with Prince Yu, while if he left Xiao Jingdan behind, they would continue their struggle along the original path.

Prince Yu will likely suffer the same fate as in the original story, being directly struck down by a trap set by Mei Changsu and becoming despondent.

This was exactly what he hoped for. Only if this kid was spurred into rebellion by Qin Banruo using his mother's last words, just like in the original story, would he have a chance to ascend the throne ahead of schedule.

"Just wait, I will be back in Daliang."

The next day, Su Li, along with the palace guards and a group of women, arrived outside Jinling City to meet with Nihuang.

Su Li smiled at the beautiful, spirited woman in military uniform and said, "Princess, let's go to Xishan Camp to mobilize troops first, and then head straight to Yunnan along the way."

"As Your Highness would like to hear, the war is urgent, and we cannot afford to waste time on the road."

As Nihuang spoke, her gaze turned to Su Li with a slightly complicated expression, even though she and this guy had lost contact since that day.

But any woman will care about the man who took her virginity; sometimes she'll have erotic dreams at night, and the protagonist is none other than him.

"Then let's set off." Su Li raised the riding whip in her hand and announced the departure.

Having lived in ancient times for so many years, he learned a lot, and horsemanship was one of them.

Back in modern times, I could easily be a horse riding instructor, and I'd also be good at archery.

Nihuang glanced at the several carriages behind her and could hear the clear, cheerful voices of the girls inside.

"Your Highness, did you bring your concubines from your palace along as well?" she asked, her brows furrowing.

"Yes, it will take at least half a year to go to Yunnan and back. I can't be alone, can I? I can't stand having no one to take care of me." Su Li said bluntly. Nihuang snorted coldly and didn't say anything more. She rode her horse and headed away into the distance.

Su Li smiled and rode close behind.

Next came the journey and troop deployment, a long distance that would take at least half a month to reach.

Princess Nihuang was in a hurry, and every day she would lead the army to set off first, not setting up camp to rest until dark.

The soldiers were exhausted, and at night the entire camp was filled with the sound of snoring.

But Su Li seemed rather dissolute, spending his days drinking and making merry with his concubines or leading the palace guards to hunt wild animals in the forest.

Seeing all this, Nihuang was furious. She went to the other party's tent and could hear their sweet, nauseating voice even before she got close.

"Your Highness, please drink!"

"What do you think of Your Highness's dance?"

"Big and white, I like it. Let me give you a kiss."

Nihuang was so angry that she was about to rush in, but was stopped by a guard from the Prince's mansion: "Princess, please wait a moment. I will go in and report."

""

Nihuang's handsome and beautiful face was not attractive. After the announcement, she strode in, wearing her battle boots.

What one sees is Su Li sitting behind a desk, with two sisters who look very similar on either side of her, watching Gong Yu dance in the middle.

She didn't know why this courtesan from Miaoyin Pavilion was at the Ling Prince's residence, nor did she ask any further questions.

But today, Nihuang decided she couldn't tolerate it any longer. She went to the desk and slammed her fist on the table, shaking the wine, fruit, and fish on it, spilling half a bottle of wine onto the table.

"Is Your Highness going to Yunnan to fight a war, or is it for tourism? If you spend your days drinking and making merry, how can you expect the army to respect you?"

Although Princess Nihuang was a high-ranking princess, she always shared weal and woe with the soldiers in the army.

That's why she won the hearts of the army. But when she encountered Su Li, she simply couldn't tolerate his character and behavior.

Su Li looked at the angry woman, but didn't care that she was holding her sister's slender waist and not letting them leave.

Instead, she smiled and said, "Victory is all that matters in war. As for what I do, Your Highness need not say more. I am the commander-in-chief of this army. You see, none of the generals have said anything, so Your Highness should refrain from interfering."

Princess Nihuang gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Your Highness knows perfectly well that they are silent because they dare not speak."

"You're right."

Su Li pretended to think for a moment, making Nihuang think he would reflect on his behavior and not do it again, but who knew what he would say next.

"But I still won't listen to you."

Princess Nihuang's beautiful face immediately darkened: "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

"Because only the result matters, and the generals and commanders have only one goal: to win. As long as the battle is won, everything else is not a problem."

Su Li reached out and straightened the glass, then picked up the bottle and poured in the last bit of wine.

"What's the use of sharing weal and woe with the soldiers if we can't win the battle? You only see me drinking and having fun, but—have you seen how I'm figuring out how to deal with the Chu army?"

Nihuang's face turned pale as she bit her lip and looked at the other person.

She felt as if she were meeting this man for the first time; he was unusually radiant and full of vigor when he spoke these words.

Gong Yu and the Xin Yang and Xin Liu sisters exchanged glances and secretly thought to themselves, "Your Highness is really good at deceiving people. When have you ever been busy these past few nights? You've only been busy taking care of your sisters!"

Nihuang took a deep breath and clasped her hands in a fist salute: "I misspoke. Since Your Highness has already considered this, I'll wait and see how Your Highness will gallop across the battlefield and defeat the Chu army."

"Aren't you going to stay and enjoy the song and dance with us?" Su Li asked with a smile, watching her tall and graceful figure disappear into the distance.

"No, I have other important matters to attend to." Nihuang paused, then replied coldly.

Gong Yulian walked over slowly and asked softly, "Is Your Highness really alright?"

"What's the problem? Keep going—keep the music playing and keep dancing."

Su Li said nonchalantly that the modern weapons he brought were not just for show; forming a special squad to carry out a decapitation strike amidst a massive army at night would be a piece of cake.

If the storage space gets bigger in the future, we can add some cannons and tanks, wouldn't that be even more awesome?

Or perhaps they could go to a magical or mythological world to learn magic and divine skills—any of these are possible.

After traveling for almost a month, we finally arrived in Yunnan. At this time, Yunnan was not yet the beautiful Dali we know today. Because it was still undeveloped, it was full of wild forests and countless pristine ecological resources.

After the army arrived at Prince Mu's residence, they first rested and prepared.

Su Li and Ni Huang then discussed the recent developments in the Chu Kingdom with Prince Mu Qing.

"Your Highness, Sister, according to the reports from our spies in Chu, Southern Chu has indeed mobilized 5 troops and is heading towards the border. They are expected to arrive within 7 days."

Mu Qing glanced at the two of them and frowned as she spoke.

Nihuang nodded slightly: "During our journey, the Suspended Mirror Bureau has already captured the murderer of the delegation, but the Chu Kingdom is not satisfied. It is clear that this battle is inevitable."

Moreover, the attack must be swift and decisive, leaving no opportunity for other countries to react.

Su Li asked, "My 2 troops are ready for battle after a period of rest. How are your preparations at the Mu Royal Palace?"

Mu Qing said in a deep voice, "3000 iron cavalry and 2 infantry are ready and can fight at any time."

The Mu Prince's Palace had a standing army of 50,000. As for the 100,000 Yunnan cavalry depicted in TV dramas, that's just a joke.

Even nomadic tribes could not achieve such military strength, let alone a small local lord.

If there really were 10 iron cavalry, then Emperor Liang's first target would not be the Chiyan Army, but the Mu Prince's Mansion.

"Then let's gather intelligence and wait for the right opportunity—"

The siblings nodded in agreement.

After discussing the battle plan, Su Li left the Mu Prince's Mansion. In the following days, he dispatched guards from the manor with modern equipment to infiltrate the border of Southern Chu and secretly gather intelligence.

On the other hand, it involves collecting valuable items from Yunnan, including various precious Chinese medicinal herbs, jade, and recipes.

During the trip, it was also a must to visit the local brothels; the ancient beauties were absolutely gorgeous!

She was born with natural beauty, pure and pretty, with fair skin and a beautiful face – all genuine.

Su Li was having a great time, and some officials and businessmen, knowing his lewdness, even brought their daughters to see him, hoping to climb the social ladder by marrying him.

Zurich is just a simple, ordinary person; he'd rather take advantage of any opportunity that comes his way.

Managing tens of thousands of concubines daily, working tirelessly day and night—

Having witnessed everything, Princess Nihuang would curse Su Li every day at home, calling him a bastard, lewd, and unworthy of the Liang royal family.

Mu Qing was so frightened that she dared not say another word. She secretly admired this Prince Ling, whom she didn't know very well, for he could actually make her older sister helpless.

But war was inevitable, and in just over ten days, the Southern Chu army raided the border.

"How did you know that the commander-in-chief of the Southern Chu army was in this place?"

Nihuang looked at the red dot Su Li had marked on the map and asked with a frown.

"I know this through my own intelligence sources. You just need to follow the plan and listen to me—this battle will be won with minimal losses."

Su Li arranged for his men to use drones, binoculars, and covert infiltration to deploy the obtained Southern Chu military map.

O

It can be said that he has complete control over the opponent's entire schedule. If he still can't win, he might as well just slit his own throat.

Princess Nihuang gave him a deep look: "War is not child's play. I hope everything will turn out as Your Highness says."