Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 112

Xiao Yi

2008.1.18 16:55

Chapter 4: Watching from Across the River (End)

Next update: Sunday, January 20th.

Um, I know you're all tired of reading this, all the intrigue and warfare, and I worked really hard writing it myself! But that's essential to this story. I swear, the war will only last eight chapters, and then the romance will begin...

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Chapter 5 The Cicada Awaits

Chapter 5 The Cicada Awaits

As the warm sunlight gently fell on my face, I reluctantly pulled myself out of my sweet dream and forced my eyelids open. The first thing I saw was Feifei's sleeping face. His body was curled up slightly against me, his cheeks puffed out like dough, white and tender, incredibly cute.

I couldn't help but laugh and pinch his nose. He opened his eyes slightly, saw me, smiled groggily, took a deep sniff, and fell asleep again, his consciousness probably still wandering in some other world.

I tiptoed out of bed. My clothes were a little wrinkled from lying in bed all night, and I was too tired to even take a shower after playing so late yesterday. So I called out softly to the door, "Yihan."

The door opened almost silently, and a figure in green robes swiftly slipped in. Yi Han stood before me with a detached and clear-headed expression, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the large bulge on the bed, a hint of weak pain flashing deep in his eyes.

"I don't know what Feifei was thinking. When I asked him to make a wish, he actually said he wanted to sleep with me... Luckily... it was only for one night... My clothes are all wrinkled from sleeping together..." Come to think of it, what am I even rambling about!

Yi Han stared at me intently, interrupting me in a very soft voice: "Young Master, you... don't need to explain to me."

My voice trailed off in a hoarse whisper at the end, and my smile was forced: "Yeah... it's not necessary anymore!" Trying to compose myself, I regained my usual relaxed tone, "Yihan, I'm going to take a shower in the inner room. Keep watch for me."

Yi Han lowered his head: "Yes, young master."

When Feifei came out of the shower, she had just woken up from her daze. She probably opened her eyes and found that the bed next to her was empty. She jumped up from the bed with a bang and hit her head hard on the bed rail.

"Feifei!" I was startled and rushed over to support him, rubbing his red forehead and asking with concern, "How could you be so careless? Does it hurt?"

Feifei, kneeling on the bed, pouted aggrievedly. Her moist, dark eyes glanced at me, then she tugged at my sleeve and snuggled into my arms, still carrying the sweet fragrance of osmanthus cake that had been spilled all over her yesterday.

I patted his back helplessly and laughed, "Sweetie, go take a bath. The maids will bring breakfast later. You can tell them if you need anything, okay?"

Feifei was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Will Yu be very busy today?"

I gently hummed in agreement, stroking his silky long hair: "Yes! It'll be very busy! After casting the net for so long, it's time to start reeling it in. I'll be very busy lately."

Feifei looked up at me in confusion, but still nodded obediently and gently. Her fair skin seemed transparent in the sunlight, and her voice became muffled: "I will wait for Yu to come back."

I smiled, vigorously ruffled his long hair, smoothed it out, and then turned and left.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Now that the cicada is inside the mantis's belly, the predatory oriole must move too!

Only the wise and sagacious can employ spies; only the benevolent and righteous can manipulate them; only the subtle and ingenious can reveal the true nature of spies. How subtle and ingenious! They employ spies in every way imaginable. Mu Shuangshuang, it's not that I'm heartless in my attempts to sow discord, but the battlefield is simply not a place where I can show mercy!

After the Battle of Woyang, the situation became unpredictable.

Having fled in disarray and sustaining severe injuries, Yang Qian was safely escorted back to the capital, Luonan, by members of the Li tribe. With two-thirds of Fengyin's territory already captured, the expeditionary force was reduced to only me as commander, with approximately 100,000 soldiers after incorporating the remnants. It seemed impossible to conquer Fengyin by any means. Yang Yi was unwilling to relinquish the majority of military power to me, yet he was also reluctant to give up the gains he had already secured. After weighing the options, he ultimately appointed Han Ning as the Grand Counselor and Supervisor, leading 70,000 elite troops to support me.

On the other hand, Mu Shuangshuang quickly reorganized and strengthened the border defenses of Woyang, but did not rush to recover lost territories such as Xinyang and Pyongyang. Instead, she mobilized 30,000 troops from Qingyuan, 40,000 from Woyang, and 20,000 elite troops from Zidu to support Fangling City, and personally led an army of 140,000 to fight against me.

Such a mobilization was undeniably alarming. The Fengyin Kingdom had deployed all its elite troops, already at their limit; a defeat would have unimaginable consequences. Moreover, there were concerns about the weak defenses in Qingyuan and Woyang. However, those with true foresight could not help but admire Mu Shuangshuang's decisive action.

Sun Tzu said: "The essence of war is victory, not protracted conflict." Yang Yi wasn't the only one afraid of a protracted war. After this battle, several major cities, including Xinyang and Pyongyang, were reduced to ruins. Just recuperating and restoring our fighting strength would likely take more than ten years. Therefore, Mu Shuangshuang was more eager than anyone else to expel us from the country as soon as possible.

The best course of action is to engage me in a decisive battle and achieve a complete victory. Jin Yao suffered heavy losses in their attack on Feng Yin; their three generals, Yang Qian, Hu Yang, and Ling Chu, were all defeated, some even killed, while I achieved a smooth victory. At such times, morale is inevitably at a delicate juncture. If I win, Jin Yao will advance unimpeded, and Feng Yin will have no chance of recovery; if I lose, Jin Yao's morale will be completely shattered, and they will likely be unable to launch an eastward attack for several years.

Two years have passed, and I have always kept in mind the last plan Zi Mo spoke of before he disappeared: To capture Feng Yin, strategy is primary, war secondary; strategy is primarily about winning hearts and minds, secondary to conquering cities. The strategy of winning hearts and minds is mainly used against three people: Crown Princess Feng Yin, the Izumo Island Kingdom, and Yang Yi.

I spent two years gradually making Yang Yi aware of my treasonous intentions, but he couldn't find any evidence. So he began to get anxious and impatient, and started to lose patience in his actions to weaken his fear of me. He even went so far as to use a cruel general like Yang Qian, who would tarnish his reputation for benevolence. In addition, with the halo of being the "Son of God" above my head, public opinion was increasingly leaning towards me.

However, this is still not enough, far from enough! The people of Jinyao will not switch their support for me as emperor because of this little bit of sympathy; they will only hate and despise the rebels who disrupt their peaceful lives. Therefore, I need a starting point, a country that I can rightfully control—Fengyin—as the starting point, and then sweep across the entire continent of Yixiu. And the key to controlling this starting point is Mu Shuangshuang.

I have been waiting for this day to come. I had arranged for Qin Gui in Fengyin Kingdom, Chen Sheng who was poisoned by Yunyan Danxin Begonia, and Yang Qian's brutal killings. I had also made long-term repairs after conquering each town, and even used the festival to celebrate Feifei. All of this was to wait for the day when Mu Shuangshuang would fall into the trap.

The day Mu Shuangshuang led her troops into Fangling City, the siege of Fangling, which had been accompanied by deafening war drums for more than half a month but had never seen any real confrontation, finally began.

Xiao Yi

2008.1.20 16:34

Chapter 5: The Cicada in the Crow's Nest (End)

Next update: Tuesday, January 22nd

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Chapter 6: The Flames of War (Part 1)

Chapter 6: The Flames of War (Part 1)

Mu Shuangshuang heard the rumbling of war drums in her hazy sleep. Something in her heart skipped a beat, and she sat up abruptly. Because the movement was so fast and abrupt, her vision blurred and her ears were filled with a buzzing sound.

A maid in white rushed over, stood in front of the bed and bowed to her: "Palace Mistress, shall you get up?"

Mu Shuangshuang rubbed her aching forehead with her slender, jade-like fingers and asked, "What happened outside?"

The maid in white frowned slightly and said in a disgusted tone, "It's still that Prime Minister Jin Yao. He doesn't dare to confront us head-on, so he only resorts to these despicable sneak attacks. He runs away when he can't win. What kind of famous general is he!"

Mu Shuangshuang laughed at the childish comment, but only for a moment. Her expression turned solemn, and her clear and gentle voice carried a hint of worry: "Chun'er, don't forget how Jianye City's defender Wang Yun was defeated. Qin Luo is not someone to be underestimated."

With a soft sigh, Mu Shuangshuang looked out the window at the barely bright dawn and said, "His little harassment tactic has already exhausted our troops. If... alas! Those who launched the attack must not be Jin Yao soldiers, but elites who are loyal to him. That's why they are so unstoppable."