Chapter 149: The Young General and the Handsome Emperor (2)

It is the twentieth year of the Yan Kingdom.

The Fourth Prince has been held captive in enemy territory for eight years. Eight years ago, he was but a ten-year-old child; now, he is eighteen.

Not long ago, the Nunu Kingdom tore up the treaty signed with Yan, launching a midnight raid that slaughtered everyone in a border town, leaving not a single soul alive. Innocent commoners perished just like that. Now, the Nunu Kingdom is using the Fourth Prince as leverage, threatening to execute him unless ten cities are ceded to them.

However, the imperial court is mired in controversy. The civil officials, far removed from the front lines, are cowardly in the extreme. One after another, they have been urging the Emperor to concede, arguing that ten cities are a small price to pay given the vastness of the Yan Kingdom.

When news of this reached the Northwest, it nearly drove the soldiers stationed there to fury. The enemy has murdered their innocent countrymen, and now they are being asked to hand over their own land with their own hands. How could these men ever be reconciled to such a fate?

Wei Jingyu serves under the Northwest Grand General, Sima Shan. At this moment, they are gathered in the military camp to deliberate. Sima Shan’s dark brows are knitted in deep, boiling rage.

"Those bastards! They’ve pissed on our heads, and yet they still want to back down?" Sima Shan slammed his hand heavily against the table and stood up, breathing hard. "Are the people of my Yan Kingdom just meant to be slaughtered like this? And that damn Emperor—he doesn't even care about his own son!"

Sima Shan blurted this out, his eyes wide as copper bells. He was clearly incensed by the people in the capital.

Wei Jingyu, standing beside him, immediately reached out to cover Sima Shan’s mouth. "General! You cannot say such things!" Wei Jingyu glanced around, signaling that there were too many people present. If those words were overheard by the wrong person, it would cost them their heads.

Sima Shan swatted Wei Jingyu’s hand away, still panting heavily.

Asi sat below them. Though she is Wei Jingyu’s younger sister and everyone present knows she is a woman, it is no secret in the camp that the Wei girl possesses innate, god-given strength. She is a formidable fighter on the battlefield and highly regarded by Grand General Sima, who often lamented that such brave siblings were not his own children.

"General, rest assured, we all stand with you!"
"Indeed, the Emperor’s actions are truly heartless!"
"When we clashed with the Nunu Kingdom the year before last, those spineless civil officials even submitted petitions to cut off our grain supplies. If it hadn't been for Wei Jingyu’s quick thinking, we would have starved to death long ago! How else were we to defend our home and country?"

The crowd below began to grumble. In truth, what the current Emperor is doing is anything but human.

Wei Jingyu frowned slightly and whispered, "I suspect the imperial decree will arrive within three days. Once it does, it will be difficult for us to fight even if we want to."

Once the decree arrives, ten border cities will belong to the Nunu Kingdom, and the Yan Kingdom will be left with no choice but to wait for slaughter.

Asi sat below, dressed in black combat gear, her hair tied back with a black ribbon, save for a few stray locks across her forehead. Her brow was smooth and her features delicate, yet years of war had tempered them with a sharp, heroic edge.

She suddenly stood up and said, "Grand General, I am willing to lead the troops in a night raid against the Nunu Kingdom."

With that, Asi knelt on the ground.

Sima Shan frowned, his expression, like Wei Jingyu’s, one of profound shock. They had also considered launching a decisive strike against the Nunu Kingdom before the decree could arrive. With their current strength, while victory was not guaranteed, they could certainly deal the enemy a crushing blow.

They wanted no part of any damn imperial decree. They had spent most of their lives protecting Yan; they would not let it be destroyed by the Emperor and those ignorant, cowardly bureaucrats.

Young General Asi is incredibly cool!