The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: The Protagonist Must Die

The grandiose declaration of the ruler of the small nation resounded in the ears of the generals, evoking both laughter and a hint of shame among the onlookers. Defending the city of Kaisen alone was already a strenuous task, let alone engaging in a battle between two armies, pressing against the Qi forces—a mere wishful thinking.

If the God of War, Sikong, were still here, one could daydream a bit... With this thought, a renewed hatred flared up in some hearts, casting hostile glares at the ruler before them, who only knew how to give orders from behind layers of protective armor. If he hadn't killed General Sikong, Kaisen City wouldn't be in such a dire situation!

"Go and bring Princess Jiarong here," commanded Nie Jia, intertwining his fingers. Ji Zhengyu, taking the order, immediately set out to find his own daughter.

As Ji Jiarong was escorted to the main hall, her father, Ji Zhengyu, sweated profusely, instructing her on how to voluntarily offer herself for marriage in front of the king. The fate of Kaisen City rested entirely on her shoulders.

Ji Jiarong had long known that these people intended to send her off for marriage. She had cried for three days and nights, her tears dried up, leaving only despair and resentment in her heart. Now, forcibly dragged by her father, she faced the king with no pleasant expression. Kneeling down and lowering her head, she uttered, "Your Majesty, I, Ji Jiarong, pay my respects."

Nie Jia said, "Take a seat."

The people in the room, including Ji Jiarong, were momentarily stunned. Even though she was a princess, her father, the King of the Northwest, held no real power. Not to mention these generals, even a mere military inspector, she had offended before.

When a soldier in armor brought a chair for her, Ji Jiarong snapped back to reality and quickly expressed her thanks. As she raised her head, she saw the arrogant and indifferent demeanor of the ruler, sparking a faint sense of anticipation in her heart.

"I ask you, are you willing to marry the Qi nation?" Nie Jia turned around, sitting confidently before everyone.

Ji Jiarong's heart tightened. Under the scrutiny of her father and the generals, she knelt down with determination, gritting her teeth, her eyes reddened. "Your daughter is unwilling! The shameless villains of the Qi nation have invaded the territory of Yan, slaughtering countless civilians. If I have to submit to the Qi scoundrels, I would rather be granted death! I only regret not being a man; otherwise, I would have taken Qi Jinyu's dog head!"

The generals looked embarrassed, and Ji Zhengyu, anxious, was about to say something when Nie Jia kicked him aside, making him kneel down. Nie Jia then spoke, "Very well." He smiled, sweeping his gaze around. "If the princess is unwilling, do any of you have anything else to say?"

Sikong Han didn't step forward, standing at the back, coldly smiling. "Must the king sacrifice the lives of hundreds or thousands of soldiers for a matter that can be resolved with a woman?"

Ji Jiarong shot a sharp look at Sikong Han, firmly remembering the appearance of this left vanguard. Having grown up on the border, she had witnessed armies killing women for food when short on supplies, and sending women for marriage when unable to win a battle. To them, no matter how many women, they were nothing.

She hated these people! Despite having fought alongside the generals, contributing to Kaisen City's defense, she felt her achievements were no less than those of men. Why should they be allowed to treat her like a commodity, deciding to whom she would be given? Just because she was a woman?

"Defending the country's survival is the joint responsibility of soldiers and civilians. If women are not as good as men on the battlefield, then they can contribute elsewhere. What's there to hesitate about? If I were the princess, I'd consider it an honor to sacrifice myself for the safety of a city," argued a robust deputy, his face flushed.

"Do you look down on women? How do you know that women can't skin you alive on the battlefield?" The female soldier in armor angrily retorted, glaring at the muscular deputy provocatively.

Nie Jia chuckled, amused, and waved his hand. "Go have some fun, Ninth."

The Xuanjia soldier immediately dashed to the front of the deputy general, not even drawing her knife. With a bare-handed punch, she struck the deputy general's stomach, causing him to choke instantly. Then, with a crisp sound, she delivered two slaps to his face, followed by a sweeping kick that sent the deputy general sprawling. The Xuanjia soldier stepped on the deputy general's face and coldly sneered, "Your muscles are not bad; they would make a good dish when paired with wine, I'm sure."

From the small monarch's words to the subduing of the deputy general, it took just a blink of an eye. The other military leaders reacted, quickly retreating in a circle centered around the two. Fear painted their faces pale. These seasoned warriors, accustomed to the battlefield, couldn't fathom how a woman, let alone the former General Sikong, could incapacitate Meng Gan in the blink of an eye.

Watching this scene from outside the door, Jun Changyue couldn't help but inhale sharply, experiencing the overwhelming absolute strength of the Xuanjia firsthand for the first time.

The other Xuanjia soldiers remained expressionless. If not for the fact that the king did not explicitly order life or death, the ninth among them could have easily torn out the deputy general's trachea with a single encounter.

"Do you surrender?" Nie Jia asked coldly, smiling.

The Xuanjia soldier immediately increased the pressure on her foot, almost crushing the deputy general's jawbone.

Meng Gan deputy general desperately begged for mercy, and only then did the Xuanjia soldier step back behind Nie Jia.

"Your Majesty, this is a different matter. You need to think it through!" Duke Qingguo's nose wrinkled.

"In the battle to capture Danyang County, Princess also joined the fight, and she personally took down the enemy's left vanguard with a single arrow. Why did only the two of you return to Zhuolu City?" Nie Jia asked expressionlessly.

Duke Qingguo and General Yunhui were momentarily silenced. What else could it be? Naturally, it was because she was a girl; did she have to trek back to Zhuolu City with them, a group of men? Although it was appropriate to mention the princess's contributions upon entering the royal palace, neither of them spoke.

Thinking of this, General Yunhui couldn't help but feel embarrassed. It wasn't intentional; he just forgot. Subconsciously, he thought the princess wouldn't care much about military achievements.

"It's my negligence." General Yunhui knelt down to apologize.

Duke Qingguo also dismissed the matter. Now that the small monarch had brought it up, they had no choice but to kneel down and apologize, "We considered the inconvenience for the princess, being a young lady traveling with the army..."

"It wasn't inconvenient during the battle, but claiming military achievements has become inconvenient now." Nie Jia didn't look at Duke Qingguo's embarrassed expression, coldly sneering, "Ji Jiarong, step forward."

Ji Jiarong's heart pounded, and she quickly knelt down, "Chen Nu hears the decree."

"You have merit in defending Kaisen City. In recognition of your service, I appoint you as the General of Guide, commanding the Northwest Army under Song Yuwei. In the future, if you achieve more military merits, I may grant you the title of the Northwest King, currently held by your father, Ji Zhengyu. It depends on whether you have the ability." Nie Jia stood up, a trace of youthful arrogance on his face.

Ji Jiarong and the generals in the room were almost certain they had misheard.

"Wei Chen... gratefully acknowledges the king's favor." Ji Jiarong trembled all over. She never expected that the king, who personally came to Kaisen City, would acknowledge her military achievements, appointing her as the first female general of Yan Country, and even granting her military authority!

With this appointment, Nie Jia elevated Ji Jiarong's status to the pinnacle of Kaisen City. In this room full of people who wanted to send her to marry and form political alliances, everyone, except General Yunhui, had to respectfully bow and make way for her.

Everyone's faces were filled with shock and embarrassment, especially General Yunhui and Jun Changyue outside the door. Ji Jiarong, a mere woman who assisted in the battle, was appointed as the General of Guide, while General Yunhui, who had made significant contributions on the battlefield, was punished and whipped!

The two were caught in a storm of emotions. Nie Jia ignored them and turned to Ji Jiarong, saying, "Your father, Ji Zhengyu, is useless. I'll temporarily reserve the title of the Northwest King for you. Don't disappoint me."

"I will never disappoint the king's expectations. I will definitely help the king take Lutai and conquer Qi Country!" Ji Jiarong stabilized her emotions, kneeling on one knee and speaking resolutely.

Northwest King Ji Zhengyu knelt down without daring to lift his head, his neck bright red.

With the king's command issued, no one dared to object.

Nie Jia said, "Jun Changyue, come in!"

His tone was unfriendly, causing Jun Changyue outside the door to be surprised. Holding his robe, he entered and knelt, "Brother King, what orders do you have for your brother?"

He could never forget the fear of almost being shot through the throat by an arrow on the city wall. Returning to Nie Jia's side, he dared not act spoiled as he used to.

"The epidemic in Danyang County has been controlled, but it's too close to Kaisen City, and there's no guarantee it won't spread. You must quickly find a way to deal with it. You can use manpower and resources as you see fit. You have two months." Nie Jia ordered.

Jun Changyue looked up in surprise, "Brother King, such plagues are hard to survive for one in a hundred people. There has never been a precedent for cure throughout history. Even if you give me two years, I'm afraid I still won't have a solution!"

"You won't know until you try. Throughout history, there has never been a physician like you." Nie Jia raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery in his smile.

Jun Changyue felt like there was a mountain on top of his head, making it hard for him to breathe. He could only accept the order.

After giving the instructions, Nie Jia put his hands behind his back, his robe fluttering, and walked away briskly. "Song Yuwei, Ji Jiarong, wait in my camp tomorrow."

"Wei Chen obeys!" the two generals replied in unison.

The king left, and by the meaning in his words, he apparently had no intention of resting in the royal palace tonight. After traveling thousands of miles to Kaisen City and inspecting the epidemic in Danyang County all day, he had only feigned sleep for a while in the evening before rushing to the frontline military camp.

The generals exchanged glances, feeling they had underestimated the small monarch.

Ji Jiarong stood up, casting a cold glance at everyone in the room, including her father, and especially lingering on the left vanguard for a long time before leaving with a flick of her sleeves.

General Yunhui panted heavily, his heart filled with anger that was hard to quell, and he even spewed a mouthful of blood.

The author has something to say: Your old general's flag has fallen again...

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