L'hibiscus comme peinture

Chapitre 19

After a long while, Jin Xuan finally snapped out of his daze, his mind in turmoil as he stared in the direction Ao Jun had gone. That smile had shattered his pride and clarity of mind, leaving him completely blank, as if his soul had left his body. If she wanted to kill him now, it would be as easy as turning her hand. And that one sentence she just uttered—she could see through his thoughts so easily, her insight so sharp that even he, who thought nothing could escape her notice, admitted his inferiority. It was terrifying! Wouldn't she regret it? Would she really not let him regret his decision today? Had he really entrusted such a heavy responsibility to someone he couldn't understand?

He couldn't see clearly, he couldn't understand... Ever since he met Mo Jun, his heart had been clouded, his mind in turmoil. When would he be able to dispel the fog, see Mo Jun clearly, and see himself clearly? Perhaps after Ao Jun's first true battle...

With light steps, Ao Jun walked forward contentedly. She didn't know why, but seeing Ouyang Jinxuan's stunned expression, his face still cold, filled her with a sense of joy and accomplishment. She had deliberately smiled like that, intending to see him freeze in surprise; the effect was even more satisfying than she had imagined. Actually, Ouyang Jinxuan wasn't so bad; he could be quite cute sometimes!

Cute? She actually used that word to describe the aloof Prince Jin. She must be too happy and her mind isn't quite working. Ao Jun shook her head and continued walking forward.

"Stop right there!" A sudden shout halted Ao Jun's advance.

Zhao Zhiyang, along with several generals who had just been discussing matters in the main tent, except for Wei Ziqi, stood blocking her way, looking as if they wanted to devour her alive.

"Is there something you need?" Ao Jun asked the general who had made great contributions on the battlefield, his expression unchanged.

"Mo Jun, I don't care who you are or what your purpose is. In short, as long as we are here, you can forget about harming the Prince or any of the soldiers in the camp," Zhao Zhiyang said viciously.

"So what if they hurt you?" Ao Jun said with a wicked smile, suddenly wanting to tease them. She didn't actually dislike these generals at all; in fact, she admired them a little, especially Zhao Zhiyang. His straightforward personality made her feel quite fond of him, even though he was always causing her trouble.

"What? I'm warning you, if you dare to hurt anyone, I guarantee you'll wish you were dead. Also, stay away from Brother Wei. Don't think you can take advantage of him just because he's kind. Remember my words, hmph..." After saying that, everyone glared at Ao Jun and turned to leave.

At this moment, Ao Jun's languid voice came from behind: "Mo Jun will definitely remember General Zhao's words. We still need General Zhao to win this battle."

The words, seemingly entrusting him with an important task, caused Zhao Zhiyang's expression to change drastically, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He turned around and saw Ao Jun looking at him with an unfathomable smile, a smile that sent chills down his spine.

The Strategist and the Princess: Battlefield Chapter 19 - A Battle That Cannot Be Lost?

On the wide, flat ground, two armies faced each other under the blazing sun, their armor gleaming brightly in the sunlight. Although it was afternoon, the cold of this desolate land still made the Longxuan soldiers feel a biting chill. The disparity in numbers between the two sides further demoralized the Longxuan soldiers, making the outcome of the battle predictable.

"Haha... Who do we have here? It's just a defeated opponent!" A deafening laugh rang out amidst the standoff between the two sides. At the forefront of the Cangliao army, a bearded general looked down with disdain at the Longxuan soldiers in front of him.

Zhao Zhiyang stood at the forefront of the Longxuan soldiers, facing off against Tuoba Lucheng. The anger in his eyes burned fiercely. If looks could kill, Tuoba Lucheng would have been dead hundreds of times over.

"You, humph, Tuoba Lu, if it weren't for your trickery last time, I, Zhao, would have already cut you down. This time, I'm determined to avenge you. You'd better wait to die today!" Zhao Zhiyang pointed at Tuoba Lu with great momentum. Coupled with his rugged face and wide-open eyes, he really intimidated the enemy army. However, only he knew that he was just putting on a brave face.

Looking at the densely packed Cangliao army of 50,000 men, Zhao Zhiyang felt a surge of rage. What angered him more than Tuoba Lu's contempt was that Mo Jun, who clearly wanted him dead.

Inside the main tent before the battle:

"Your Highness, according to our scouts, 50,000 troops from Cangliao, led by General Tuoba Lu, are marching towards our army with great force," General Bai reported to Jinxuan, who was seated on the main seat, with a worried expression.

"Fifty thousand? Tuoba Lu? It seems that Cangliao Kingdom is serious this time, haha... Good, Old Zhao has been waiting for this day. Last time, Tuoba Lu made me suffer a great loss. This time I must avenge my humiliation. Your Highness, this humble general requests to lead the battle." Upon hearing that the enemy had mobilized a quarter of their army, and that it was Tuoba Lu, whom he hated so much, leading the battle, Zhao Zhiyang was so excited that he immediately stepped forward to request to lead the battle.

"This humble general also requests to go into battle."

"This humble general also requests to go into battle."

...

Having held back for so long, everyone was eager to avenge their previous defeats and eagerly requested to participate in the battle.

"What do you think, Military Advisor Mo?" Jin Xuan ignored the generals' requests to fight and instead glanced at Ao Jun, who was curled up in his seat, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

"Hmm? Oh, Your Highness, please speak!" Ao Jun, who seemed about to drift off to sleep, pushed the question back to Jin Xuan.

"What I said? It seems the strategist's memory isn't very good. I've already entrusted the strategist with an important task, and this time it will be the strategist in charge." Jin Xuan pushed the question back to Ao Jun, and reminded her that he had entrusted her with an important task in the last meeting.

"I remember, of course I remember." She rose from the rolled-up chair, flicking her white sleeves, exuding an aura of leadership that intimidated the indignant generals standing nearby. She had been waiting for Ouyang Jinxuan to say this!

"General Zhao, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself." Ao Jun looked directly at Zhao Zhiyang with his wise eyes and said softly.

"Really?" Upon hearing Ao Jun's words, Zhao Zhiyang's eyes widened with joy, and he asked incredulously. He had originally thought that since Mo Jun was in charge this time, she would definitely not let him fight, after all, he had always been against her. Unexpectedly, she actually gave him a chance. It seems that she is not so hateful after all.

"Yes, General Zhao, obey my command," Ao Jun said to Zhao Zhiyang with a cold face. Actually, she really wanted to laugh. Seeing Zhao Zhiyang, a burly man, so happy like a child, she really wanted to laugh, but now was not the time to laugh, so she could only hide her amusement with a cold face.

"This subordinate obeys your command!" Zhao Zhiyang stood up abruptly, his voice booming like a bell.

"I hereby order you to lead five thousand infantrymen to meet the Cangliao Kingdom in battle."

"What? Five thousand? Infantry?" Zhao Zhiyang's initially excited heart turned to disbelief as he listened to Ao Jun's order. He stared wide-eyed and repeated the command, wondering if he had misheard or if she had misspoken.

“You heard me right, and I didn’t misspoke either.” Ao Jun pointed out Zhao Zhiyang’s thoughts directly, and his reaction was exactly what she expected.

"You... Strategist Mo, did you not hear clearly just now? The Cangliao Kingdom sent 50,000 troops, and they were led by the renowned Tuoba Lu."

“I heard it very clearly just now, and I know very well who Tuoba Lu is. That’s why I’m sending you, General Zhao, into battle,” Ao Jun said to Zhao Zhiyang, his voice slightly slurred.

"You... so you were just getting revenge, you did it on purpose." Hearing Ao Jun's words, Zhao Zhiyang stared at Ao Jun with a look of 'I see'.

Seeing that Ao Jun remained noncommittal to Zhao Zhiyang's words, another general present could no longer tolerate it. He clasped his hands in a fist salute and addressed the prince, who was staring at Ao Jun in silence, saying, "Your Highness, you have heard it yourself. Military Advisor Mo is simply seeking revenge out of personal grudge. Using five thousand infantry against the five elite armies of the Cangliao Army is tantamount to sending General Zhao and his five thousand soldiers to their deaths. I beg Your Highness to rescind your order, dismiss Military Advisor Mo from her post, and have her arrested and interrogated."

Before Jinxuan could speak, Aojun raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "This so-called general, military orders are as solid as mountains. The prince has already authorized this military advisor and promised not to have any objection to this military advisor's decision. The prince 'always' keeps his word. You don't want the prince to contradict himself so soon, do you?" As he spoke, he glanced at Jinxuan sideways.

"You..." General Wang pointed at Ao Jun, unable to refute him. This man was going too far. He was a general who had fought countless battles, yet he dared to call him a general! But he couldn't let the prince be a man of his word, so he had no choice but to sit down and sulk.

"Military Advisor Mo is right, military orders are absolute, but I have also said that I will not knowingly send soldiers to their deaths," Jin Xuan said coldly. Such a disparity in troop strength had never occurred since he began leading troops. Although he had fought battles where he was outnumbered, with five thousand men against fifty thousand, a full tenfold, how could he not be defeated? Could it be that she truly harbored ill intentions and wanted to harm General Zhao?

"Does Your Highness mean that Mo Jun is deliberately sending five thousand soldiers to their deaths?" Ao Jun turned to face Jin Xuan, staring directly at him in a tone that was below freezing. Before Jin Xuan could speak, Ao Jun mocked, "Since Your Highness has already taken the gamble, you can't just walk away halfway through. You, the dignified Prince Jin, wouldn't be a deserter in the face of battle, would you?"

Jinxuan was speechless, never expecting that Mo Jun, who was usually not very talkative, could always find his weakness and force him into the trap she set.

Seeing Jin Xuan's handsome face grow increasingly cold as he stared intently at her, unable to utter a single word, Ao Jun strangely felt a desire to soothe his uneasy heart. She slowly suppressed her mockery and instead spoke softly with a serious expression: "Your Highness, Mo Jun said you wouldn't regret making this bet."

The gentle tone startled Jinxuan, who suddenly looked up. The fearlessness, righteousness, and confidence in Aojun's eyes captivated him, causing him to nod involuntarily.

Turning around abruptly, everyone looked at the two of them with bewildered expressions. Taking advantage of the moment, Ao Jun said, "General Zhao, why don't you accept the order?"

"I have accepted the order." The prince had already nodded; what else could he do? Military orders are not to be disobeyed!

“Alright, then General Zhao, go and muster your troops! Remember, my orders are as law as the prince’s.” Ao Jun added meaningfully.