Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 88 Battle of Jiu'an Mountain

During this period before the spring hunt began, Zurich was unusually calm.

Aside from putting on a show of arguing with Prince Jing in the imperial court for the sake of outsiders, he spent his days drinking, making merry, singing, and dancing in the palace, or going on dates with Xia Dong.

In the blink of an eye, the spring hunt in March arrived.

Emperor Liang ordered all his court officials and princes to accompany him on the spring hunt, but Su Li caught a cold on the eve of departure and requested permission to stay at the palace to rest.

Emperor Liang didn't pay much attention to this and agreed directly.

In order to make a comeback, Prince Yu also found an excuse not to go on the spring hunt. Instead, after the large group left Jinling, he secretly contacted the military generals he had befriended over the past few months.

Once the spring hunt begins, he will wipe out all the imperial guards in one fell swoop, capture Emperor Liang and Prince Jing, and then decide for himself whether to kill or imprison them.

"However, could Xiao Jinglin really have caught a cold?"

Prince Yu sat in the main seat, dressed in military attire, looking at Xia Jiang with a puzzled expression.

Xia Jiang's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness need not worry about him. As long as you lead the Qingli Army to take action, I will also follow the Empress's decree to seal off the palace. Even if Prince Ling has great abilities, he will not be able to escape."

"Alright, I'll leave things in Jinling to Chief Xia. Once things are settled, I will certainly live up to your expectations after I board the plane."

Xia Jiang's words dispelled Prince Yu's idea of ​​arranging for Qin Banruo to visit Su Li. He clenched his fist tightly, his eyes full of excitement.

With a plan in mind but no one else around, as long as he eliminates everyone in Jiu'an Mountain in a short time and works with the Empress from the inside, he will soon be able to ascend to the supreme throne.

Meanwhile, at the Ling Prince's residence, Su Li, also clad in armor, instructed the generals of the residence to act secretly, and at the same time, arranged for someone to inform Mei Changsu at a critical moment, so that they could hold out when Prince Yu attacked Jiu'an Mountain.

Time passed day by day, and intelligence reports came from the shadows one after another: Prince Yu and the Qingli Army were plotting to rush to Jiu'an Mountain, and there were constant reports about the situation at the Hunting Palace, etc.

When the time was almost up, Su Li secretly led his generals and Gong Yu, Yuwen Nian and other women out of the city and came to Ji City.

The Jicheng army was one of the pawns he had secretly infiltrated and deployed over many years. All the generals and officers in the army were connected to him, and a large portion of them were transferred from the Northern Army to Jicheng.

As the saying goes, these people were all his comrades-in-arms, either brothers or subordinates, and their relationship was very close.

Moreover, with years of cultivation, there's absolutely no problem with them pledging their utmost loyalty.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Led by the commander and deputy commander of the Jicheng Army, the five commanders knelt on one knee before Su Li.

"Everyone, rise. You all know why I have come here. Those who obey my orders will enjoy endless wealth and glory after the mission is accomplished."

Su Li spoke lightly, her eyes sweeping over the crowd. The guards of the Prince's mansion had their hands on their sword hilts; if anyone dared to misbehave, they would take care of them without any prompting.

Clearly, none of the generals present were fools; they had all fought alongside Su Li on the frontier.

They exchanged a glance, then knelt and coldly declared, "We swear to serve Your Highness to the death—"

"Very good. Now listen to my order, the entire army will set off for Jiu'an Mountain. Also, bring those heavy crossbows and siege engines with you."

""

"Yes"

Jiuan Mountain.

In March, white clouds drift by, the grasslands are lush and green, and a large number of horses gallop across the plains. In the distance, many noble children gather and play, creating a scene of tranquility.

Just then, a sharp cry erupted from the entrance to the hunting lodge.

"Prince Yu is plotting a rebellion! Inform His Majesty immediately! Prince Yu is plotting a rebellion—"

A knight covered in blood rode his steed madly to the hunting lodge and reported this earth-shattering event to all the princes and nobles.

Upon seeing the rider fall to the ground, several guards rushed over to help him up and escort him to the hunting lodge.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang's face showed shock. He immediately stood up and roared, "What did you say? Say it again!"

Covered in blood and severely wounded, the knight gritted his teeth and said, "Prince Yu, leading the Qingli Army, is attacking the Imperial Guards and sentries along the way, and is heading straight for the Hunting Palace—"

Emperor Liang trembled and collapsed onto the couch. His first thought was not how to save himself, but rather how similar this scene was to the circumstances of his ascension to the throne.

"How could Prince Yu possibly plot a rebellion?"

"Is he crazy? Where did he get an army from?!"

"The most important thing now is to figure out what to do. The Qingli Army has a full 5 men, while the Hunting Palace only has 3000. Can we really hold it?"

At the urging of the eunuch Gao Zhan, Emperor Liang roared furiously, "Someone, bring Prince Jing here!"

Not long after, Prince Jing, who had just discussed countermeasures with Mei Changsu, entered the hunting palace in full military attire.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Upon seeing him, Emperor Liang eagerly asked, "No need for formalities, Jingyan. What is your plan to counter Prince Yu's rebellion?"

Prince Jing, who had anticipated this, remained composed and confident, saying, "Father, Jiu'an Mountain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it has 30..."

00 elite imperial guards for defense.

If the plan is properly arranged, the Qingli army will not be able to break through in a short time. Furthermore, a messenger with a military tally can be sent to mobilize the nearest Jicheng army, thus relieving the siege of Jiu'an Mountain.

Emperor Liang's eyes narrowed as he looked intently at Prince Jing, asking with a puzzled expression, "Why mobilize the Jicheng Army? Jinling is clearly the closest; if anyone should be mobilized, it should be the Imperial Guards."

Prince Jing said calmly, "Father, the Qingli army is coming from the direction of Jinling. There's already a problem in the capital."

.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Liang's expression darkened further. He gritted his teeth, took out the military tally from the brocade box, and handed it over: "Jing Dan, I entrust everything to you. Father, rest assured, your son will return as soon as possible."

Prince Jing looked at Consort Jing with a solemn expression, gave her a graceful bow, and strode out of the hunting palace.

He led his personal guards, Lie Zhanying, and a group of knights to secretly leave Jiu'an Mountain via a back mountain path, and quickly headed towards the nearest city, Jicheng.

The Jiu'an Mountain in front of them was greeted by an endless Qingli army. At first, Prince Yu was full of confidence, thinking that he could pacify Jiu'an Mountain in a short time.

Little did he know that his vanguard battalion, before it could even catch its breath, was ambushed by the iron cavalry led by Meng Zhi.

With this top expert of the Great Liang charging into the army formation alone and slaying several generals, the Imperial Guards, despite their numerical disadvantage, were greatly encouraged, and their morale soared.

The entire vanguard battalion of 5000 was routed and scattered.

Enraged, Prince Yu gritted his teeth and beheaded several adjutant generals before the situation stabilized.

That night, he sent troops to raid the Imperial Guard's camp, but they were outmaneuvered and fell into a trap, suffering heavy casualties.

Prince Yu had lived in Jinling for a long time and had never led troops into battle. Every move he made was within Mei Changsu's calculations, and he was tricked twice in a row, resulting in a stalemate between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Prince Jing traveled day and night to Jicheng, without taking any rest along the way, riding two horses and traveling non-stop.

"Your Highness, we are about to enter the territory of Ji City."

Lie Zhanying took out a water bottle and handed it over.

The sky in the distance was beginning to lighten. They had been traveling day and night since yesterday afternoon in order to gain time to lead their troops to relieve the siege of Jiu'an Mountain as soon as possible.

Prince Jing took a big gulp of water, his face covered in dust from the journey, and glanced worriedly in the direction of Jiu'an Mountain.

"I wonder how things are at the Hunting Palace. I just hope they can hold out until reinforcements arrive."

"There won't be any problems. With Commander Meng and Mr. Su here, we'll definitely be able to hold out until we arrive with our troops," Lie Zhanying reassured him.

After a short rest, everyone set off immediately.

But after traveling only a few dozen miles, they were surprised to see a large army marching along, with banners bearing the words "Jicheng".

The scouts on the outskirts of Jicheng immediately spotted Prince Jing and his entourage.

Upon seeing this, Lie Zhanying immediately called out, "His Highness Prince Jing is here. Are you the Jicheng Army?"

After hesitating for two seconds, the scouts immediately rushed toward the distant army.

Prince Jing's expression changed. His keen senses, honed by years of warfare, made him realize something was amiss, and he quickly turned his horse around.

"There's a problem, let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, sure enough, hundreds of elite cavalrymen rushed out from the distant army, charging toward them with murderous intent.

Prince Jing's side, having traveled for a long time, was exhausted and could not compare to the cavalry.

In just a few breaths, the distance between the two sides visibly closed, and the cavalry immediately drew their bows and began shooting arrows at the horses of Prince Jing and his entourage.

"Your Highness, run! I'll cover you!"

"Brothers, kill them all!"

Lie Zhanying, wielding a longsword, led his men in a roaring charge towards the oncoming cavalry.

"Are you able to leave?"

Prince Jing gave a wry smile. His steed was struck by an arrow, and with a pained neigh, it fell to the ground.

Although he dismounted beforehand, how could he possibly outrun these cavalrymen on two legs?

The interception by Lie Zhanying and others was so swift that they were either killed or shot by arrows and fell to the ground. In just a few breaths, Prince Jing was surrounded by hundreds of cavalry.

"Is it His Highness Prince Jing?"

The lead cavalryman, fully armored, shouted coldly.

"Exactly—"

Prince Jing glanced at Lie Zhanying, who was bound in the distance, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. He then asked, "Did your Jicheng army also participate in the treason?"

The lead cavalryman made no attempt to answer, simply pointing his longsword.

Immediately, cavalrymen dismounted, searched Prince Jing, took his military tally, and tied him up.

"Back to camp—"

Prince Jing looked at the guard who was receiving the same treatment and asked, "Zhan Ying, how are you?"

Lie Zhanying clutched the arrow in his chest and smiled bitterly, "Thank goodness, I won't die."

After saying that, he whispered, "Your Highness, I know that knight who is leading the troops. He is Yang Ming from the Ling Prince's Mansion. I saw him once before outside the Ningguo Marquis's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Prince Jing's expression changed, and he instantly guessed what it meant.

As expected, when they were led into the commander's tent, all the generals of the Jicheng Army were there, and Su Li was sitting in the main seat.

"Seventh Brother, it's been a long time. If you're not surprised to see me, you probably already know what it is."

The smile on Su Li's face was quite irritating to Prince Jing, who asked incredulously, "Father is trapped in Jiu'an Mountain. What are you trying to do with the Jicheng Army? Do you want to do the same thing as Prince Yu?"

"Where there are rebellions, there are also those who quell them; I, of course, am the latter."

Su Li took the military tally from Yang Ming and smiled slightly: "Look, the military tally is right here. Right now, the cause is on our side."

Prince Jing took a deep breath, his face grim: "Jiu'an Mountain is currently in dire straits, and the Hunting Palace could be breached at any moment. If you are in charge of quelling the rebellion, you should head to Jiu'an Mountain at full speed—"

"No rush. The Hunting Palace is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It won't be breached anytime soon," Su Li said nonchalantly.

Prince Jing's eyes turned cold: "Do you intend to send reinforcements only after the hunting palace has been breached?"

Suddenly, all sorts of rebellious thoughts flooded his mind, and he felt even colder in body and mind.

"Generals, His Majesty is trapped in Jiu'an Mountain and his life hangs in the balance. Are you all going to remain indifferent?"

Upon hearing this, the generals on both sides had their eyes flashing and their faces remained cold, showing no intention of speaking.

Upon seeing this scene, Prince Jing's heart sank to the bottom. He had never imagined that the Jicheng army would be in this state.

Prince Jing trembled, took a deep breath, and looked at the smiling Su Li.

"Eighth brother, I know you also want to ascend the throne, but don't you care about Father? If the hunting palace is really breached and something happens to Father, even if you ascend the throne, you will be left with a bad reputation and be infamous for eternity."

Su Li's eyes flickered, but her smile remained unchanged.

"Seventh Brother, don't worry, Father will be fine, and so will Consort Jing."

Su Li waved his hand, and immediately his personal guards came in. He ordered, "Take Prince Jing away and keep a close watch on him. He must be exhausted from his long journey to seek help. Give him some food and let him rest."

"It is one"

Seeing Prince Jing being taken away, Su Li signaled to the others to continue discussing the battle report sent from Jiu'an Mountain.

He never intended for Emperor Liang and his entourage to die at the hands of Prince Yu. Just as Prince Jing said, if everyone in the hunting palace died, he would certainly be infamous after ascending the throne.

As a time traveler, I may not care, but it's best to avoid it if possible.

All you need to do is rescue everyone just as the hunting palace is about to be breached.

By then, the Imperial Guards will be almost wiped out, and the martial arts masters will also be either dead or wounded. Emperor Liang will be nothing more than fish on a chopping board, and we can simply make him abdicate and become the retired emperor.

He could also skip the process of becoming the crown prince in one step.

After a day and a half of marching, the army finally arrived at Jiu'an Mountain.

At this point, the hunting palace was in imminent danger. Only the last line of defense was left to be breached, at which point Prince Yu would be able to seize Emperor Liang and his entourage.

However, the Qingli army also suffered heavy casualties, with corpses scattered everywhere and countless burning flags in sight.

"Your Highness, shall we begin the attack now?" a general asked.

Su Li nodded, put away her binoculars, and said, "Let's begin according to the plan. Remember to block all the roads. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my order."

Anyone who disobeys, no matter who they are, will be killed.

The generals immediately accepted the order with excited expressions, knowing that they would all rise to prominence after this battle.

"Your Highness, Princess Nihuang of the Mu Royal Palace is requesting an audience outside the camp."

Su Li thought for a moment, then said, "Let her in."

Not long after, Nihuang, dressed in a dashing military uniform and wearing a white cloak, strode into the commander's tent. She was taken aback when she saw Su Li sitting on the commander's seat.

"Why is it you? Where is Prince Jing?"

"He's resting. I'm leading the army this time." Su Li looked at her: "And you, aren't you in Weiling?"

"I heard that Prince Yu was plotting a rebellion, so I specially led the Weiling armored soldiers here to provide support—unfortunately, my mere 1000 men can only support the hunting palace on this battlefield and cannot decide the outcome of the battle. Fortunately, you have arrived."

Nihuang looked relieved. In the original story, she led 1000 men to kill Xu Anmo, the commander of the Qingli Army, amidst a vast army, thus lifting the siege of Jiu'an Mountain. However, in a real battlefield, this would be impossible.

"That's right, I'm here. You can relax and watch my performance." Su Li gestured for her to sit down and talk.

Clearly, due to a lack of information, Princess Nihuang was unaware of what had happened.

Princess Nihuang nodded slightly, sat down to one side, and asked in confusion, "Weren't you recuperating in the capital? What are you doing here?"

Su Li smiled meaningfully: "You'll find out soon enough—"

Nihuang glanced at the man's expression, frowned slightly, and keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Moreover, the message sent by the Hunting Palace was that Prince Jing, holding the military tally, went to find the Jicheng army, but now it's this guy—

Nihuang bit her lip, her eyes flickering, not daring to think any further.