La vida perfecta en la dinastía Song

Capítulo 87

Although Zhu Yu had grown accustomed to the infighting among his father's wives and concubines in the Prime Minister's mansion, he had never dared to openly fight like this. This made him both happy and excited, suddenly realizing that life actually had many pleasures. At that moment, he stood there motionless, watching the fight, wanting to see who was stronger. A thought struck him: why not establish a rule when rewarding his wives and concubines with spoils of war? Whoever won would receive the most and the best. However, the thought of the princess, skilled in riding and archery, being so formidable, made the fight predictable and uninteresting, as she would likely win every time.

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Chapter 316: The War Between Wives and Concubines 2

Thinking of that scene, Zhu Yu couldn't help but laugh: "Zhenmutier has long been wary of me, transferring most of the elite Red Gold Clan troops from my army to Wutu. Now, the main force of my army is almost entirely composed of the alien armies I conquered myself. Junyu has been planning this great battle for a long time. Although Zhenmutier still has four generals rushing back from afar to defend the king, his chances of winning are still not very high. It all depends on the extent of his defeat. After this battle, it's hard to say whether the princess can still maintain her princess status. It doesn't matter if she fights against the concubines in turn, as long as no one is killed and I can't explain it."

"That's excellent. The daughter of the Little Hui King is even more delicate and timid than Lady Nan Zhao. If she fights like this, she'll probably be killed in a few days. In that case, we won't be able to rely on that side's power, but instead we'll become enemies. Wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?"

Zhu Yu recalled the shy and delicate appearance of the young Hui king's daughter and smiled with satisfaction. He had met the young Hui king's daughter when he went to propose marriage last time, and she truly lived up to her reputation. She was known as the most beautiful woman in Xinjiang, gentle and compliant, proficient in all the arts, and her gentle and graceful demeanor surpassed even that of women from Jiangnan. Zhu Yu considered his current wives and concubines: the princess was jealous, fierce, and uncouth, lacking in manners; Lady Nanzhao was too alluring, and the Nanzhao king had many daughters and didn't seem to care much for her. However, the young Hui king only had one daughter whom he cherished dearly. Considering everything, her character, appearance, and family background far surpassed those of the other two wives. Therefore, Zhu Yu had already made up his mind to marry her as his principal wife.

"I will marry her with the respect due to a principal wife. Who would dare to hit her? If the princess dares to go too far and ruin my grand plan, I will simply kick her out."

Zhu Sihuai nodded, then said cautiously, "Second Young Master, you are almost thirty years old, and it's time for you to have children. Otherwise, if the Master knew this in the afterlife, he wouldn't be at peace."

When Prime Minister Zhu was alive, he had argued with Zhu Yu about this matter countless times, and the Zhu brothers had also tried to persuade him indirectly. Now that Prime Minister Zhu was dead, Zhu Sihuai, who was even more worried about the Zhu family line dying out, immediately brought it up again when he saw this opportunity.

Zhu Yu thought of his father, paused for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Uncle Zhu, don't worry. After this battle, I will take more wives and concubines to ensure the Zhu family continues to grow."

Hearing him agree so readily for the first time made Zhu Sihuai even more delighted than seeing the Little Hui King's pledge. He immediately turned around, put his palms together in a gesture of respect towards the distance, and said, "Master, your wish is about to be fulfilled."

Zhu Yu glanced at Zhu Sihuai's delighted expression. In the distance, another rider galloped up: "Prince Consort, we have received news that two great generals have returned from the west to provide reinforcements. They are currently advancing from the Great Grassland..."

Zhu Sihuai's expression changed: "They came so fast!"

These two were two of the four most famous generals in Zhenmutier's army, the most capable and loyal to Zhenmutier. If these two were to arrive, the outcome of the battle would be unpredictable.

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Chapter 317: Tuosang VS Zhu Yu: The Final Battle

Zhu Yu calculated that his best opportunity now was to head north to the grasslands and keep Zhenmutier out of the pass. However, the road north was blocked by the fleeing Second Prince and the two obstacles. If he risked advancing now, Zhenmutier would immediately discover his intentions. Zhu Yu weighed the pros and cons. Although Zhenmutier couldn't leave immediately, those two generals commanded 100,000 of the fiercest Cossack cavalry. If they met head-on, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?

He looked at the map. After passing the pass guarded by Zhang Yuan, the Northwest Army's rear was behind. Although he would have to take a detour, he could completely avoid the main forces of both sides and easily head north. With the support of the allied Little Hui King, it was the safest plan. He could even take the opportunity to plunder and cut off the Northwest Army's important supply lines for his own use.

Now, Zhu Yu is relying entirely on the large, integrated army under his command, and he cannot afford any mistakes. He thought that going north through the pass was the option with the least cost, so he immediately made a decision: he must take the pass within a day, no matter what.

At the pass, almost every inch of land was soaked in blood. From dawn, this brutal battle never ceased for a moment. By dusk, the pass and its surroundings were littered with corpses. Zhu Yu stood on a high ground and looked out, watching Zhang Yuan personally lead his soldiers in charges back and forth, his body covered in wounds yet still commanding with unwavering composure.

After the initial engagement, it became close-quarters combat. Although Zhu Yu's large group of archers were ready to attack, they hesitated to act for the time being, fearing the consequences.

"Second Young Master, this small group of Northwest Army soldiers can fight ten against one. Zhang Yuan is truly a talent."

Zhu Yu laughed: "Bring me a bow and arrows, I want to see just how strong Zhang Yuan is..."

A guard immediately handed him a bow and arrow. Zhu Yu drew his bow, aimed, and with a "whoosh," fired two arrows in quick succession, one at Zhang Yuan and the other at his mount. Zhang Yuan was fighting fiercely when he heard the sound of the arrows piercing the air. He couldn't dodge in time, and his mount let out a miserable whinny and fell to the ground. Another arrow was already at his chest. Even though he was skilled and dodged in time, the arrow still struck his side, and he immediately fell to the ground.

Before the soldiers, who were fighting desperately, had even seen their commander fall, Zhang Yuan gritted his teeth, ignoring the blood gushing from his chest, and swiftly leaped onto a guard's warhorse. His formation remained perfectly composed, and he shouted, "Everyone, hold on! The reinforcements sent by the marshal will arrive soon..."

Seeing Zhang Yuan's composure and desperate resistance in the face of danger, Zhu Yu couldn't help but secretly praise him as a true hero. What was even more terrifying was that the ordinary soldiers showed no signs of panic or defeat. In such a desperate situation, they linked up with each other, rescued one another, and fought together in a strong and united manner, making the squad that held on to the end like a wall of flesh and blood.

Zhu Yu stepped back and decisively said, "Archers, step forward and listen to my command. After we break through the pass, not a single one of these Northwest Army soldiers shall be left alive. All the soldiers who sacrifice their lives as a result will receive a compensation of 500 taels of silver to their families. Anyone who dares to disobey orders and flee will be executed on the spot."

He thought for a moment and then said, "Leave Zhang Yuan with a whole corpse."

The archers received the order, and instantly, arrows rained down like locusts, indiscriminately striking the soldiers on both sides of the battle. Most of them were instantly riddled with arrows.

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Chapter 318: The Showdown Between Rivals 1

The sky was filled with dark clouds, and thunder rumbled suddenly; it looked like rain was about to fall on this summer evening.

Amidst the rumbling thunder, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly broke out, causing a commotion among the army outside. A force had already fought its way through and was charging towards the pass from the flank.

The leader rode a magnificent white steed, one in a million, and aimed at the pair of archers, firing in rapid succession with a very special large bow.

Some of the Crimson Gold Clan soldiers in the army were terrified. This rare, massive bow was the unique bow of the Crimson Gold Clan's second prince. The second prince, possessing superhuman strength, was renowned for his archery prowess in battle. Now, his unique bow was in the hands of this ethereal man, and the power he unleashed was hundreds of times greater than that of the second prince. He fired three arrows in quick succession, each piercing the chest before striking those behind him. Therefore, after several such bursts, the archers who were desperately firing were thrown into chaos, frantically rushing and fleeing for their lives, no longer caring about anything else.

The more men fell, the more chaotic the army became. Zhu Sihuai, who was at the front, took a closer look and recognized the man as Tuosang. He immediately turned his horse around and galloped back, shouting, "Second Young Master, Tuosang is back so fast! After annihilating the Second Prince's army, he has returned to defend with lightning speed..."

Zhu Yu had already recognized the invincible man as Tuosang. A chill ran through him; Tuosang hadn't used a "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" tactic, but rather calculated that Zhu Yu would never aid the second prince. Therefore, he calmly dealt with this greatest threat and then calmly returned to his camp. Judging from the famous large bow in his hand, the second prince had clearly been utterly defeated.

"Tuo Sang, you damned wicked monk, you actually managed to completely foresee my disloyal intentions!"

This opponent was Tuosang, someone he hated to the core. He had been invincible in battle; was he to be utterly defeated by Tuosang in love, and now, in their very first encounter on the battlefield, he too would be defeated?

By this time, a heavy rain had begun to fall. Amidst the chaotic clashes, this large army, a fusion of several tribes, was individually formidable and skilled in battle, but in such harsh weather, it struggled to maintain its formation. While not exactly routed, it grew increasingly disorganized. Zhu Yu looked over and saw Tuosang leap onto the pass, and behind him, the elite troops, remained perfectly disciplined even in the downpour—the 3,000 elite Phoenix Army soldiers that Jun Yu had transferred from Phoenix City as training models!

Large raindrops splashed into his eyes, stinging him. He gritted his teeth: "Junyu, you actually sent Tuosang to deal with me! You really consider me a formidable enemy! Everyone in the world can see me as an enemy, but how can you? Fine, in your mind, Tuosang is perfect and omnipotent. Don't you know that only legendary gods are perfect in this world? But I've never believed in any omnipotent god. False perfection is just a facade. I'll shatter your idol first, so you'll understand that so-called perfection is utterly fragile!"

With the last barrier in his heart broken, Zhu Yu suddenly felt relaxed and said calmly, "Pass down the order to change the plan immediately. I want to see just how powerful that monster who has lived for several lifetimes really is!"

A torrential downpour began, and Zhu Yu's army had temporarily retreated. Zhang Yuan swayed on his horse a few times, unable to maintain his balance, and fell forward. A soldier with a missing arm tried to help him, but one hand was not enough, and both of them fell to the ground.

The two men, covered in mud, were suddenly pulled up by two hands. Zhang Yuan's chest was covered in blood and mud so mixed that its color was indistinguishable. Upon seeing the newcomers, he managed only a weak cry: "Young Master Jun..."

Tuosang had no time to say more. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers helped up the wounded and disabled soldiers who had fought to the bitter end.

Corpses lay strewn everywhere, both inside and outside the pass. The air in the barracks reeked of blood, even in the pouring rain. Of Zhang Yuan's 10,000 men and the main force originally stationed at the pass, after a fierce ambush and several days of fighting, fewer than 50 remained. These 50 survivors were riddled with wounds—swords, arrows, broken limbs—almost none were unharmed.

Although Zhang Yuan was seriously injured, fortunately it was not fatal. Tuosang bandaged his wounds and secretly praised him for his courage, resourcefulness, loyalty and bravery: "Zhang Yuan, you still managed to protect the pass!"

"I have requested orders from the Marshal, and I must not betray his trust! However, young master Jun, this time we are entirely dependent on your timely arrival to rescue us. If we had been even a step later, I would have truly become a sinner."

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Chapter 319: Showdown with Love Rivals 2

Although Zhang Yuan was seriously injured, fortunately it was not fatal. Tuosang bandaged his wounds and secretly praised him for his courage, resourcefulness, loyalty and bravery: "Zhang Yuan, you still managed to protect the pass!"

"I have requested orders from the Marshal, and I must not betray his trust! However, young master Jun, this time we are entirely dependent on your timely arrival to rescue us. If we had been even a step later, I would have truly become a sinner."

Tuosang nodded. Zhu Yu should have rushed to cooperate with Zhenmutier in the decisive battle, but instead he was stubbornly pursuing this pass, which meant he truly had a major plan. He pondered that he had only managed to lead his most elite 3,000 Phoenix Army soldiers to the pass in time, while the main force was still 50 miles away. Today's surprise attack made it impossible for Zhu Yu to judge the army's movements. Moreover, the heavy rain forced Zhu Yu to temporarily withdraw his troops. However, he still stationed himself at the pass, forming an encirclement. In addition, he had an absolute advantage in troop strength, and he feared that the attack would be launched again as soon as the rain stopped.

The rain has gradually subsided.

Despite his serious injuries, Zhang Yuan couldn't lie still and tried to sit up: "Young Master Jun, what should we do next?"

Tuosang glanced at the dark, rainy night outside and pondered for a moment: "Zhu Yu should have already sent troops to intercept our main force, so that this place becomes an isolated pass. He is also in a hurry, and I estimate that he will launch a major attack on the pass tomorrow."

By this time, the rain had completely stopped, and the large, round moon of the fifteenth day of the lunar month, not entirely driven away by the heavy rain, had risen back into the sky. Zhang Yuan said anxiously, "Even though it's summer, we can't expect it to rain every day. Tomorrow..."

"Pass down the order: conserve energy for defense during the day tomorrow, and launch a surprise counterattack at night."

Zhang Yuan looked at Tuosang with a puzzled expression, thinking to himself, "Tomorrow night is the sixteenth, and the moon will still be full. It will be as bright as day. How can we launch a surprise counterattack?" But seeing Tuosang's confident demeanor, and having witnessed Tuosang's ability to "besiege Wei to rescue Zhao" and launch a long-range attack, which had completely eliminated the danger of Zhenmutier's second son advancing towards Qilian Mountain to reinforce him, Zhang Yuan, though still somewhat doubtful, did not ask any further questions.

As expected, at dawn the next day, Zhu Yu's army launched a fierce attack. Three thousand elite Phoenix soldiers defended the pass, and although Zhu Yu's troops were well-trained and his generals were fierce, he could not break through for a short time. In addition, although the main force of the Northwest Army was intercepted, a small part of it still withdrew to reinforce the pass. By dusk, Zhu Yu saw that the Phoenix army defending the pass had suffered more than half casualties, and with no more doubts, he immediately ordered a forced crossing of the pass that night.

Night falls.

A bright moon had already risen in the sky, and the moon on the sixteenth was rounder and brighter than the one on the fifteenth.

Under the moonlight, however, came the sounds of fighting, men roaring and horses neighing. Zhang Yuan watched anxiously as his elite Phoenix Army suffered increasingly heavy casualties. Looking up at the moon, he suddenly heard the sound of a drum; it was Tuosang himself beating the war drum. Looking up again, he saw the full moon on the horizon disappear, gradually becoming a crescent shape. He was overjoyed: "Young Master Jun is indeed a master strategist! This phase of the moon has indeed come..."

The fierce battle suddenly stopped, and some soldiers from the alien tribes in Zhu Yu's army suddenly shouted in terror: "The heavenly dog has eaten the moon..."

At this moment, Zhu Yu also noticed this phenomenon. He had some knowledge of the calendar and knew that this phenomenon would only last for two hours. However, the minority soldiers in his army were ignorant and knew nothing of this. Gradually, the crescent moon disappeared, and the sky fell into complete darkness. The soldiers were terrified and retreated in panic in the darkness.

A chill ran down his spine. He had barely given the order to "withdraw" when a well-prepared Phoenix Army, personally led by Tuosang, burst through the pass and charged into the chaotic ranks…

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Chapter 320: The Showdown Between Rivals 3

By the time the moon rose again, the chaotic army had already retreated. Although there was this phase of the moon, Zhu Yu had given the order early and did not suffer much loss.

The sound of galloping hooves followed, the main force of the Northwest Army arriving. The leading general looked dejected: "Young Master Jun, Zhu Yu's army has changed direction and has not encountered us."

Tuosang nodded. He was well-versed in calendars and even in his early years of secluded meditation, he could accurately judge the phases of the moon simply by breathing exercises. He had already calculated the phases of the moon for the next two days and deliberately left his main force behind, splitting it in two. One part pretended to be intercepted by Zhu Yu, while the other rushed back to launch a pincer attack, hoping to wipe out Zhu Yu's army by surprise. However, he paid the price of most of his troops in the feigned attack, and even with such a good opportunity, he failed to severely damage Zhu Yu, allowing him to preserve most of his forces. For the time being, he had no other options.

The moon rose again, and in the camp dozens of miles away, the chaotic army had already formed a solemn array.

A fast horse galloped in, and a soldier dismounted. "Reporting to the Prince Consort, one of the generals leading reinforcements towards Qilian Mountain has encountered Liu Zhiyuan's army..."

Zhu Sihuai's face lit up with joy, and he suddenly said, "Second Young Master, now that they have gone far away in their pursuit, most of the road down to the grasslands has been cleared, and the people are too busy to pay attention to us. Why don't we change our route..."

Zhu Yu resolutely said, "No, immediately regroup and fight Tuosang again. Our forces far outnumber his, and damned Heaven won't always be on his side! We must take the pass and cut off Tuosang's dog's head within a day!"

"Second Young Master!" Zhu Sihuai raised his voice slightly, "Even if we win by continuing the fight, we will suffer heavy losses! Preserving our strength is of utmost importance. Now, heading straight for the grasslands is the best option with the least cost. Since you have already given up and completely let go of the past, why act impulsively and miss this golden opportunity?"

Zhu Yu was startled, and after a long while, he burst into laughter: "Fine, why should I argue with Tuosang! Immediately order a change of course and head towards the grasslands at full speed!"

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Tuosang stood on the high ground at the pass, watching the general direction of Zhu Yu's withdrawal.

Everyone was quite surprised. Zhang Yuan asked in confusion, "Zhu Yu had a huge advantage, so why did he hastily withdraw his troops?"

At this point, Tuosang was almost certain of Zhu Yu's disloyalty, and he indeed seized the opportunity to make the best choice. Fortunately, his retreat greatly reduced the pressure on the Northwest Army. He thought to himself: Zhu Yu, you are truly a ruthless and ambitious leader. You seized the opportunity and did not act rashly. This retreat will surely lead to great achievements.

Tuosang thought this to himself, but showed no sign of it on his face. He gazed towards the direction of the vast grassland and said, "This is a great thing for us!"

He remembered that Junyu was stationed in the central army to fight against Zhenmutier, and he didn't know what the situation was now. Although he had full confidence in her, he was still very worried about her. He immediately redeployed the defenses of the pass and led the remaining thousand or so Phoenix Army soldiers to the Qilian Mountains at high speed.

For the past six months, he and Junyu had been together every moment. Now, these days apart felt like an eternity, and he longed to rush back and see her immediately. As his white horse galloped across the sky, he recalled Junyu's radiant smile, as if it were right before his eyes, and he couldn't help but smile: "Junyu, I'm back!"

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Chapter 321: The Final Battle of Love Rivals 4

Dawn at the border.

Men roared and horses neighed, galloping across the battlefield, arrows rained down, and blood and flesh splattered everywhere. Occasionally, the booming of cannons could be heard, as the firearms designed by Young Master Nongying finally came in handy.