It doesn't matter what the lord is.

Three hundred thousand disaster victims died in Tianyue Mountain, and Bai Huang still feels resentful about this incident.

As for not letting him interfere in the affairs of Yunhai, Li De just listened and didn't take it to heart. Before heading north, he had made up his mind to go to Yunhai again. Bai Huang's wish was that Bai Ye and Bai Feng could both survive, but from the current situation, it was impossible. Li De didn't have a heart of a bodhisattva, but Bai Huang had silently done a lot for Yuxi City, and Li De didn't want to see her sad.

Lid grabbed Bai Huang's hand on his head, looked at her, and said with a smile:

"Wait until Yunyang is done with this matter. I'll help you see if there is any other solution to Yunhai's deadlock."

Bai Huang's hand trembled slightly, and she quickly pulled it back. She looked away and said nonchalantly:

"Humph, it's no wonder that I treat you as my friend."

It is a scorching summer with the sun blazing in the day and stars filling the sky at night.

In an era when pollution does not exist for the time being, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the sun and the moon are always shining brightly.

On a starry night, fires quietly lit up in a city, followed by shouts of killing.

Karpas of the Eastern Frontier Army cut off a soldier's head with a sword and gasped for breath. His armor was stained with blood, his withered hair was scattered behind him, and his haggard face looked exhausted. But he still did not put down the sword in his hand and continued to charge with his soldiers.

Another city governed by Master Yunyang was conquered. At dawn, Kalpas was one step closer to the territory of Yuxi City.

I don't know if it was because Li Yi was deliberately seeking revenge, but he only ordered Kalpas to take a long detour, while clearing out the rebellious Prince Yunyang and sending a message to the Jinfa of Yuxi City, but he did not give any supplies to the Eastern Border Army. They fought their way through the siege, and their weapons were on the verge of being broken. The 50,000 Border Army was reduced to about 35,000 people.

At dawn, Kalpas looked at the soldiers behind him, opened his mouth, and said in a hoarse voice, suppressing the pain in his heart:

"We are almost at the city where Fang Shisan is. Everyone, Yunyang has been nurturing scholars for hundreds of years, and they will die for their loyalty... today."

--------------------------

I had a slight fever these two days, and my physical condition has not been very good. I started typing when the temperature dropped, but sometimes it fluctuates. I was really sorry for last night's guffaw. I got much better after taking some new medicine today. Now, except for being a little weak, there is basically no problem. It should be more stable later.

46. ​​The Last Glory

When a building collapses, someone has to step forward to help it along.

Kalpas felt that he was that person, or rather, he was the only one who was qualified to be that person. With the current situation in Yunyang, it was not difficult to guess where it would go in the future. Li Yi did not believe him, and Takis of the southern border army was not on the same page with him. It was impossible for the various princes in Yunyang to reach a consensus, so it was meaningless for him to support or oppose anyone.

If there was no Yuxi City, Kalpas might have supported his favorite eighth son, Liren, to fight against Liyi, who was plotting to usurp the throne. Liren was one of the few Yunyang sons with real talent and learning that he had seen when he was still in Lingyun City. Although the child was dull, he was diligent and studious. Sometimes he had a slightly quick temper, but he was not arrogant.

Later, Li Yi raped Kalpas's wife, and Kalpas left Lingyun City, but he still corresponded with the Eighth Prince Li Ren, and occasionally taught Li Ren some strategies for managing the army and government. During the chaos in Yunyang, the reason why Li Ren was the first to rebel was that he believed that Kalpas would stand on his side.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t have so many ifs.

Soon after Yuxi City's expedition to the east, the news spread throughout Yunyang. The continuous defeat of the Yunyang princes made Kalpas realize that Lid was not at the same level as the other Yunyang princes. Yuxi City's goal was obviously not to simply control the entire Yunyang, but to be more brutal, to break all the existing rules of this territory and launch an unprecedented reform from bottom to top.

Even then, the so-called Yunyang orthodoxy will no longer exist.

After all, the Lord of Yunyang has already removed this son from the family tree. If Li De comes to power in the future, he will probably set up a new clan and establish a new territory. Although the royal family will most likely not agree to his request, he can still clean up Yunyang and replace it with his followers, and then Yunyang will exist in name only.

Kalpas clearly remembered the night when Li Yi insulted his wife. He clenched his fists outside the manor. No matter how he comforted his wife, the conservative woman still chose to jump into the river soon after. This kind of hatred was simply impossible to let go. He wanted to strangle Li Yi to death with his own hands and skin the evil bastard.

But Kalpas also clearly remembered that his ancestors were all nobles of Yunyang for generations. When he was very young, his father took him to see the Lord of Yunyang, who laughed and touched his head. The reason why he was promoted to the general of the Eastern Frontier Army was not only because of his personal ability, but also because of the promotion of the Lord of Yunyang, including the connections and reputation accumulated by his father, grandfather, and ancestors.

He could be disloyal to Li Yi, but he could not be disloyal to Yun Yang.

When Lid and his forces swept across the land like a storm, Kalpas sat in the tent and stared at the lonely moon in the sky for a long time. After struggling for several days and nights, gnashing his teeth countless times, and clenching his fists until they made a creaking sound, he finally stood up, wiped the blood and tears from his face, and announced to the world that he had joined Liyi's forces and tried his best to ensure that the Yunyang territory could continue.

This was his final decision as the general of Yunyang.

Even though Li Yi didn't trust him, even though Li Ren, the Eighth Prince of Yunyang, would resent him, even though his soldiers wouldn't understand him, even though he couldn't get any supplies for this war, even though he would feel guilty towards his wife for the rest of his life, he still chose this path. The most ordinary yet most extraordinary path, the most fierce and most tragic counterattack.

Fang Shisan just quietly waited for his arrival, and the troops were deployed in a posture to wait for the arrival of the enemy. The actions of tens of thousands of people could not be concealed from the dark organization of Yuxi City. Scouts kept sending reports from the front line, and Kalpas's marching route had been figured out long ago.

He defeated countless Yunyang princes along the way, temporarily suppressed the rebellion in various places in Yunyang, defeated the arrogance of the Yunyang princes, and opened up the traffic routes to help Li Yi manage the overall situation. Under normal circumstances, he would be considered to have made great contributions. But even such an army, when it came to Fang Shisan, it no longer had the glory of the past. Everyone from top to bottom looked exhausted, only those pairs of eyes were still full of cold murderous intent, and the blood on their bodies was thick, looking like ghost soldiers crawling back from hell.

When he saw Fang Shisan in the army, Kalpas opened his mouth and said in a hoarse voice:

"Tenth in the world... heh."

A mocking smile appeared on his lips, and the sword in his hand was stuck in the ground. Even though it was a precious sword, it had several small cracks in the fight. Kalpas stood with his sword, took a deep breath, widened his eyes and shouted:

"Eastern Army, form a battle array—"

Yunyang's border troops quickly recovered their formation. Kalpas could also arrange many kinds of military formations, but unfortunately, because the core of the army was only about 30,000 people, and the defeated troops he recruited had no time to train, the military formations he could arrange were not particularly strong. Basically, he could only rely on the core members to break a path through the enemy with their bravery, and then let others gradually tear the wound bigger to disintegrate the enemy's formation.

Fang Shisan didn't even need to look, he had already guessed the trend based on the scouts' reports.

Seeing that his team was ready to go, Kalpas looked at the city behind Fang Shisan. Lid was sitting leisurely on the wall, with the blonde guard Alayya protecting him, and Heji was also protecting Miss Bai Huang, who was sitting with him. Lid didn't seem to be panicking at all, and looked at Kalpas with a smile, but Kalpas was furious.

Lid raised the corner of his mouth and said with a smile:

"Your wife makes you kneel on the washboard when you're not afraid of going to hell?"

Kalpas replied in a low voice:

"Family feuds and national hatred should be avenged first. If my wife were here, she would agree with my judgment."

Lid looked down at him, sneered, and said playfully:

"Whether Yunyang will perish or not, it is not something you, Kalpas, can save. People have to pay for their past sins. Some people are rich, while others are penniless. Yunyang has reached a point where it must be broken before it can be rebuilt. Yuxi City is loyal to its people, but what are you loyal to? Are you unwilling to even provide supplies to your Lord Prince?"

Kalpas raised his head, frowned slightly, and growled:

"Shut up! When will it be your turn as an outsider to interfere with the legitimacy of Yunyang? Yunyang can be given to anyone, but not to you!"

He pulled out the sword from the ground, pointed it at Lid, and said coldly:

"Yun Yang spared you a chance to live, why do you have to kill all of us now? Killing your father and brother is intolerable! I, Kalpas, have received Yun Yang's kindness for generations, so I should die for Yun Yang. Even if I have to sacrifice this broken body, I want you to know that Yun Yang's glory still exists and Yun Yang has not perished!"

47. The Last Gasp

After what sounded like an impassioned speech, Kalpas ordered the attack.

He led the charge, and the soldiers behind him naturally risked their lives to accompany him in the final fight. No one retreated, but no one cheered either. The silent army rolled in, the footsteps were a little messy, and the weapons were already uneven. No one shot an arrow, because the archers' quivers were almost empty, and they had not received any replenishment along the way. Now they only had combat experience and a desire to kill.

Fang Shisan closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of all things. The joys, sorrows, anger and happiness of the world formed a colorful picture in her mind. She raised her hand gently and gave the order to fight back without making a sound.

Lid looked coldly at Kalpas who was at the forefront. He was close to a state of madness. He desperately broke through the defense line set up by Fang Shisan at the moment of the battle. He was probably in the middle of the eighth level. He did have some influence in the early stage of the war. The soldiers of Yuxi City also had a little more awe in their eyes. After all, it was their first time to fight against such an opponent, so they were inevitably a little scared. Fortunately, no one chose to retreat, and everyone went forward together.

Fang Shisan once told them that there are many different armies in the world, and their fighting styles are also different. But no matter what kind of fighting style is adopted, the bloodiness of the soldiers is the most basic guarantee. There is no shortcut in this regard. War is not only about the ability of generals, but also about the ability of soldiers.

Let’s touch it.

Let’s have a fair fight!

The soldiers of Yuxi City tensed their muscles and looked at their opponents warily, like a young lion sizing up a group of experienced hyenas. What Kalpas had to do was to tear down their defenses, which Fang Shisan had already explained, and everyone from top to bottom understood this; so what they had to do was to defend against the attack of the Yunyang Border Army, do everything they could to delay their morale until the peak period, and then launch a counterattack.

The soldiers of Yuxi City have the genes of defense and counterattack in their bones. Although the army has not been established for a long time, this can be regarded as a kind of inheritance. The shield soldiers in the front of the formation continued to withstand the opponent's attacks, gritting their teeth and persisting until the shield was broken. And Kalpas calmed down more or less after making a fuss alone. He found a serious problem——

Only he can kill his way in.

With his higher realm, he could indeed break into the enemy's army at the beginning of the war, but the problem was that the army of Yuxi City would not collapse because of this, they would quickly surround and fill the gap. This resulted in the Yunyang border army not being able to follow up in time, and Kalpas went deep into a very dangerous place alone.

Kalpas turned around and saw soldiers from Yuxi City approaching with bayonets in hand and vigilant eyes.

The border troops of Yunyang were like wooden pestles striking bells. They made a great noise when they hit the defense line of Yuxi City, but they could not make any further breakthroughs except to shake the army of Yuxi City for a short period of time. Although the soldiers of Yuxi City were inexperienced, each of them knew what they should do, and they also knew that the people around them would make the same choice as themselves, so they would do the right thing without hesitation. Every time someone sacrificed, someone around them would make up for it, just like a ball of slime that was constantly getting hurt and healing.

Kalpas's eyes flickered and a wry smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Yunyang's Eastern Border Army rushed forward with the determination to die. If they still couldn't defeat the enemy, it meant that the enemy was fighting with the same level of determination. He expected that the army of Yuxi City would be difficult to deal with, but he didn't expect them to be so foolproof. The Eastern Border Army had already put a lot of pressure on them, but they had no intention of fleeing at all, and they still held their weapons tightly and fought to the death.

Kalpas drew his sword and held it across his chest, blocking the attack launched by the soldiers of Yuxi City. He no longer tried to disrupt the Yuxi City army formation, but rushed out to join his own army while he was still in a safe position. This was a helpless choice, but it was also a wise move under the current circumstances.

If the Yunyang East Route Army was still at its peak, this battle could be fought. Fifty thousand people against fifty thousand people, no matter how strong Fang Shisan was and how high his formation was, these soldiers had only been trained for a short time. The East Route Border Army had plenty of experience and physical strength to launch a charge, and they would definitely be able to tear open the defense line set up by Fang Shisan.

But now, I really have nothing left except the courage of a trapped beast to fight...

A weak crossbow cannot pierce a thin silk cloth; a weak wind cannot lift up feathers.

Fang Shisan sat calmly in the wheelchair, her expression much calmer. She could sense the flow of power within the army, and naturally knew that the defense line was still solid. She believed that Kalpas had understood the situation, so she opened her mouth and gently persuaded:

"Surrender. Even for the sake of the soldiers who have followed you all the way here."

Kalpas looked at Fang Shisan. He did not hate the thirteenth lady of the Zhaochen family as much as he did Li De, but he still had no good feelings towards her. Perhaps in his eyes, it was precisely because of Fang Shisan's inability to judge people and his complicity that Li De was able to threaten Yunyang's rule.

The soldiers around were still fighting, only the two generals seemed to be still. Kalpas sneered, pointed his cracked sword at Fang Shisan, and said loudly:

"Do you think everyone is as despicable as you? Even if I die here today, future generations will definitely remember my reputation for loyalty. You are just villains who have achieved success, how long can you be so rampant? Yunyang has been passed down from generation to generation until now, and naturally there are countless people who love this land. Not everyone will choose to bow to you!"

Fang Shisan stopped trying to persuade them to surrender, as she knew that they were not on the same side.

Reed on the city wall frowned slightly and said nothing.

The battle lasted a long time, from dawn to dusk, and even the well-rested soldiers of Yuxi City began to tire. The casualties on both sides were very high, and there were limbs and blood everywhere. Kalpas held the broken sword, with countless wounds on his body, and several spears still stabbed in his body. He was covered in blood, raised his proud head, looked at Lid on the city wall, and said hoarsely:

“You will go to hell, you will go to hell! The heroic spirits of the lords of Yunyang from generation to generation will not let you go if they are still here… I, Kalpas, know that I am outnumbered, but I will not surrender to you despicable villains. Even if I die, I will bite off a piece of flesh from you! Eastern Route Army, Eastern Route Army—cough cough…”

Kalpas began to cough violently, and after swaying a few times, he fell forward.

The exhausted survivors of the Eastern Frontier Army numbered about 20,000. They instinctively grabbed their weapons upon hearing this, but Kalpas fell too quickly and there was no time to give them the order to charge.

Reed on the city wall looked at Kalpas's body coldly and smiled slightly.

In what should have been a tragic, solemn, and awe-inspiring scene, Reed's calm and powerful voice rang out:

"What the hell."

48. Psychological warfare

Bai Huang looked at Lid at the closest distance. Although Lid was still smiling, Bai Huang could clearly feel his anger.

His sleeves fluttered in the wind and his eyes were cold and sharp.

The border troops of Yunyang were furious at the humiliation of their general, but before a large-scale commotion could form, they heard Lid shout:

"What? Was it wrong to curse? Open your eyes and look carefully. What else does the man who just fell down have except seeking fame? Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty to his grandmother's heart! He is hypnotizing himself, and you are proud of following him?"

Lid raised his finger and pointed at Kalpas's body, saying bluntly:

"Yunyang is rotten to the core. Even if you have been staying in the border for years, you should have seen this hellish world along the way. You have seen how many people have been displaced, how many families have been separated, and how many people are living a life worse than death. Now that you have seen it, you should do something, because every penny of your military pay will go to them! The one who pays you is not the Lord of Yunyang but the people of Yunyang. Don't you understand this?!"

In the silence, Lid sneered and continued:

"Now let me ask you. What are you, including Kalpas, doing? You are trumpeting your own loyalty while serving the extravagant and dissolute Li Yi, risking your life to protect their rule, and then letting them continue to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the people! Of course, Kalpas can scold me and die bravely, because he knows that his name of loyalty and righteousness will be recorded in history books. When others talk about today's war in the future, they will definitely give a thumbs up and praise Kalpas's determination to fight against the evil forces to the end without fear of power."

At this point, Lid's voice suddenly rose, the smile on his face completely faded, and he growled angrily:

"Will it work?! Shouldn't all the people in Yunyang die? Shouldn't all the soldiers who followed him die?! There are only 20,000 of you left out of the 50,000 Eastern Frontier Army. How many more innocent people in Yunyang will die! So many people died just to fulfill his reputation of loyalty and let him be remembered by future generations. Check your conscience and ask yourself, is it all worth it!"

The Yunyang soldiers did not launch another charge.

They were originally fearless and followed their leader to fight to the last moment, but now they began to hesitate. They clenched the broken weapons in their hands tightly, until their knuckles turned white; countless people gathered together, but they could not organize an effective charge no matter what, and their eyes looking at Karpas began to become complicated.

Lid let out a breath, as if the depression in his chest had finally dissipated, and said to his own army, his own generals, and Bai Huang, Alayya and others standing on the city wall:

"It's the same with you. You follow me because I am worthy of your following. If one day I become someone like Li Yi, you will have to make your own choice. Take a good look at the person in front of you. I don't need that kind of loyalty. You must be loyal to Yuxi City first, and then to me. Love your family first, and then love our territory."

Lid turned around and calmly walked down the city wall. Alayya followed him and left. Bai Huang looked at the thoughtful army below, laughed "Hey", and called Heji to chase after them. The armies of both sides were still in a stalemate. After a while, Fang Shisan sighed and said:

"You are the Eastern Frontier Army of Yunyang, and most of you have settled down in Yunyang. You all know more or less what Yunyang has been like over the years. Whether it is worth being loyal to such a Yunyang is your business. If you choose to fight, Yuxi City will accompany you to the end; if you don't want to fight, it is up to you to choose whether to leave or stay."

Fang Shisan's voice was very gentle, without any of the fierceness that she had when she was commanding the soldiers to fight for their lives on the battlefield. She spoke softly like a neighbor's sister, yet everyone could hear clearly:

"I know that many of you are unwilling to surrender, and many want to surrender but are afraid of bringing trouble to their families. Up to now, the outcome is clear, and Yuxi City can let you go. We also hope that you will spend time with your families after you go back and not go to the battlefield again. You are a group of good soldiers, don't die in vain."

As soon as he finished speaking, many people on the Yunyang side loosened their hands and their weapons fell to the ground.

Many people fell to the ground one after another. The tense strings were slightly relaxed, and their exhausted bodies could not control and fainted. They had fought too many battles during this period, and they were only supported by a breath of air. Now that the breath was gone, they naturally couldn't hold on any longer.

Fang Shisan did not command his soldiers to launch a surprise attack, because it did not matter whether the 20,000 people in front of him lived or died. After what happened today, even if they would not betray Yunyang, they would not be loyal to Yunyang. People are not plants. Lingyun City did not provide any support along the way. It is impossible for the border soldiers to have no complaints in their hearts. It's just that Kalpas' influence in the army was too great in the past, which covered up these negative emotions.

Some people stayed and some people left.

About 5,000 people chose to join Yuxi City. Although their families were also in Yunyang, some areas had been occupied by Yuxi City, and some areas were not under the control of Liyi, so they did not have to worry about Liyi's revenge. The rest of the people picked up the broken weapons and equipment, carried the seriously injured comrades on their backs, and began to return.

On the way back, I don't know who bowed to Fang Shisan first, and then every soldier did the same thing before leaving. Even if they were stupid, they knew that if Fang Shisan really wanted to kill them all today, most of them would have to die here.

In any battlefield, taking the heads of enemy soldiers is a record. If they are really wiped out, Fang Shisan will definitely get a lot of credit, and her ranking on the list of famous generals is likely to be improved, and her status in Yuxi City will also be further improved. But she did not do so, and took the initiative to take a step back. These soldiers will remember this friendship wherever they go in the future.

Only Fang Shisan and the high-ranking officials of Yuxi City knew that this was not mercy, but just to reduce losses and disintegrate the resistance will of the remaining forces in Yunyang. Lid's speech today fundamentally cut off the justice of the Yunyang generals' resistance to Yuxi City and pushed them to the opposite side of the people; and Fang Shisan's leniency today set a precedent, giving more Yunyang troops a reason to surrender in the future.

Although bloody battles can help improve the combat effectiveness of the army, they are also a loss to combat effectiveness. If there is a way to defeat the enemy without fighting, it would naturally be better.

After most of the people had left, Fang Shisan closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and gave the order:

"Retrieve Kalpas's body... and bury him."

49. Endgame moves

As the wheel of history rolls on, the victors are in high spirits while the losers die in depression.