The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 83

Chapter 83: The Protagonist Must Die

On the triumphant city, cheers and jubilation echoed as the king conquered Lu Tai, except for Jun Changyue, who remained under house arrest.

Several days passed without any message from the king regarding Jun Changyue's fate. Anxious and restless, he paced around his room, torn between the uncertainty of his own predicament and concerns for Sikong Han back in Zhuolu City. He wondered about Sikong Han's well-being, whether the information flowed smoothly, and how the people around him treated him.

Jun Changyue, powerless and confined in the Northwestern Royal Mansion, couldn't even climb the walls due to Ji Jiarong's elite guards. His desperation grew as he had no means of escape. Finally, half a month later, a Xuanjia officer personally came and took him to Lu Tai.

Expecting a meeting with the king, Jun Changyue was surprised when the Xuanjia officer tossed him into the ranks of General Yunhui to serve as a military doctor. There was no sight of the king.

"I want to see the king!" Jun Changyue anxiously approached General Yunhui. He believed the general, being loyal to the royal authority, might be more reasonable.

Busy with military preparations, General Yunhui paid little attention to Jun Changyue and said, "The king is extremely busy. Even I rarely get to see him. Your Highness, it's better not to disturb the king. He called you back to be by his side. The army will soon march north, and with many casualties, you must perform well and not disappoint the king."

Frustrated, Jun Changyue returned to the soldiers' tent. The pervasive smell of blood everywhere contrasted sharply with the Northwest Royal Mansion. Jun Changyue was filled with frustration.

Days passed, and Jun Changyue, monitored closely, assisted the military doctors in attending to the wounded soldiers. Once beloved as the Crown Prince, he now received little attention. Though not mistreated, no one acknowledged him as the Crown Prince. The Chief Medical Officer even sent him on errands, disregarding his former status.

Having been detained for too long, Jun Changyue, faced with obstacles at every turn in the military camp, keenly felt the despair of falling from grace.

In a matter of days, the Yan army engaged the Qi army again, thundering war drums echoing beneath the city walls of Baiya Valley.

Qi Wang (King Qi) never expected the tyrant of Yan to be such a madman. After capturing Lu Tai, he swiftly regrouped and advanced towards Baiya Valley within a month. The relentless attacks raised questions about the strength of his forces and the confidence that fueled his ceaseless aggression.

The deaths of the Crown Prince and Zhao Wushang in Lu Tai had already greatly weakened Qi Wang's morale. As the war in Baiya Valley unfolded, he issued eleven imperial orders, instructing frontline generals to hold Baiya Valley at all costs.

The devastation left by the Yan army in Lu Tai had spread widely. When the Yan army approached, the people of Baiya Valley panicked, fearing the tyrant's conquest would lead to more bloodshed.

As before, Nie Jia attempted to surrender, only to be met with insults from the Qi army. The war commenced, and despite Baiya Valley's challenging terrain, coupled with the elite archers equipped with crossbows from the Iron Cavalry and trained directly by Shi Chen during the Southern Expedition, the Yan army swept through the battlefield.

In less than two days, Baiya Valley fell to the Yan army. While some Qi generals knelt to surrender after their defeat, the only response they received from the tyrant was the command to "slaughter the city."

The tyrant of Yan, having conquered two cities in succession, shocked the five nations. The people of Qi lived in constant fear, dreading that the tyrant would besiege their city the next morning.

With Baiya Valley lost, Qi Wang, enraged, found himself helpless in the court. Various strategies proposed by his ministers proved futile against the tyrant, who rejected negotiations and executed messengers. This lack of adherence to principles, coupled with the tyrant's unwavering aggression, left Qi Wang in a state of despair.

Unable to personally lead an expedition and unwilling to risk it, Qi Wang redirected forces from the southern front, which guarded against the Southern Barbarians, to reinforce the defense of Youmen City. He hoped to seize any opportunity to halt the tyrant's relentless advance. This decision brought a smile to Nie Jia's face; with a breach in the southern defense, he couldn't pass up the chance. That night, he ordered the Southern Barbarians to mobilize and captured Youmen City effortlessly.

Before deploying, Nie Jia sent Princess Jiarong and General Yunhui back to Kaisen City. Both were alarmed, kneeling to request permission to continue serving by the king's side in the war against Qi.

"With internal unrest in Yan yet to be quelled, it's not suitable for anyone to leave," Nie Jia rejected their pleas, insisting that they lead their troops back to Kaisen City.

Princess Jiarong understood immediately and, that night, both she and General Yunhui hurriedly returned to Kaisen City.

Amidst the hot weather, Nie Jia took a sip of the sour plum soup crafted by Shi Chen. Tears welled up in his eyes after the first taste. After dismissing Princess Jiarong, he went to find Shi Chen.

Shi Chen had been elusive these past days; Jun Changyue had seen him by the window just moments ago, but now he was nowhere to be found.

"Darling!" As Nie Jia walked along the corridor, a clear voice descended from the eaves. Looking up, he saw Shi Chen hanging upside down, holding a warm egg which he handed to Nie Jia.

"What's this?" Nie Jia was puzzled, the egg still too hot to handle.

Still hanging upside down, Shi Chen took the egg back and knocked it against his own forehead. After peeling it in two or three movements, he handed it to Nie Jia's lips. "It's a snow mountain chicken raised by Zhang Xiaokang. I stole it. It just finished cooking. There's nothing good to eat during the war; let me nourish you."

"You stole someone's egg!" Nie Jia didn't know who Zhang Xiaokang was, probably a chef, but he hadn't expected Shi Chen to spend his days spying on chickens laying eggs!

He simply didn't know what to say; every time he opened his mouth, he felt like shoving eggs inside it.

"Left him a piece of gold," Shi Chen chuckled, ruffling Nie Jia's hair. "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Nie Jia's cheeks were rosy, eyes sparkling, unable to speak as he looked at him.

Ji Jiarong and General Yunhui had just returned to Lu Tai City when they received news of the Zhoulù forces mobilizing from Qingyao Pass. They passed through checkpoints effortlessly, without even changing their appearances. Both were drenched in sweat, fortunate that the king had anticipated and sent them back; otherwise, their retreat would have been cut off.

The fierce war between Yan and Qi had just begun, leaving everyone astonished. The top general, Zhao Wushang, met a hasty end, and the Qi prince lost two cities, retreating step by step.

The cruelty of the Yan King shook all nations. As the Yan army approached the walls of Youmen City, even before the battle began, the gates swung open, soldiers and civilians pouring out, offering the heads of the Qi prince's designated commanders as a sign of surrender. The entire city knelt before the Yan King, praying that he spare Youmen City and refrain from a massacre.

Nie Jia rode on his horse, watching the burned royal flags on the city walls and the row of bloody commander heads on the ground. He smiled slowly, leading his troops into the city to formally occupy Youmen City.

This time, he indeed refrained from massacring the city. Such a submissive city didn't warrant such actions.

With Youmen City lost, the Qi capital was now in imminent danger.

"Jun Changsheng intentionally slaughtered two cities before; this time, he's intimidating. Lu Tai and Baiya Valley resisted fiercely and were ruthlessly wiped out by him. Youmen City surrendered without a fight and escaped calamity... Your Majesty, situations like Youmen City might happen again!"

"If we don't let that tyrant taste defeat and boost the morale, when he arrives at the capital, it will take no more than a month."

"The southern border is also becoming restless; where do we have the strength to resist the Yan King?"

In the court, the officials argued incessantly, and the Qi prince's head was spinning. He slammed the royal table in frustration, "Should I, like those weaklings in the south, bow down to that inexperienced kid and make our mighty nation a vassal of that fallen kingdom?!"

"Do you still remember how my crown prince and General Zhao died? They were butchered like animals by that brat!"

"I can't swallow this humiliation; if I don't kill Jun Changsheng, my son's soul won't rest!"

The Qi prince raged, his face turning red, and the officials fell silent.

"Your Majesty, Zhoulù has already launched an attack on Qingyao Pass. If Du Yuxian can take down Lu Tai City, that tyrant will surely panic. Although the Yan King has captured three cities, he only preserved the forces of one city, with limited troops. When the time comes, we and Du Yuxian can encircle Youmen City. Even if that tyrant is powerful, he will undoubtedly be defeated."

"If Du Yuxian really has the ability and can kill Jun Changsheng, I am willing to fulfill his wish and assist him in ascending the throne, and both nations can cease fire." The Qi prince spoke through gritted teeth, sitting on the imperial throne like an old wolf who had lost all its fangs.

In Youmen City, Nie Jia, the invader, had refrained from widespread killing this time. Thanks to the alertness of the garrison and the civilians, he had forcefully placed the entire city under his control without much bloodshed. As the army passed through the city, leaving it untouched, the people of Youmen City knelt excitedly.

At night, Nie Jia stood on the city wall, looking at the prosperous city lights, devoid of any emotions.

A pigeon flapped its wings and landed in front of Nie Jia. It carried a letter from Ji Jiarong in Lu Tai City, with only a brief message:

Du Yuxian's army has reached Qingyao Pass.

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