A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 735: Chapter 735: Cunning Plan

Actually, the soldiers of the Great Chu Dynasty had neither lost nor won. General Xiao and General Liang, among others, had resorted to delaying tactics, deliberately winning some rounds and losing others. The opposing sides were thus engaged in a seesaw battle along the coast. For a time, neither side could gain an advantage. However, this was their limit. No matter how skilled General Xiao was, without sufficient troops, it was impossible to defeat the enemy.

As for the military strength of the Great Chu Dynasty, it was all lying in ambush around the Emperor’s grand tent. On the Southern Ocean side, those sent to the grand tent to assassinate the Emperor were also a group of elites. So, this could be considered an evenly matched situation.

One day, Zhao Junyao sat in his tent, personally awaiting Min Tu’s arrival.

Indeed, not long after General Xiao and his men had set out for the coast, someone in the main camp shouted in a panicked voice, ”This is bad, the enemy is here for a sneak attack! This is bad, the enemy has come!”

Zhao Junyao suddenly stood up and exited the tent, a cold smirk playing on the corner of his lips. Run? Of course, he wouldn’t run. He still had to properly meet his ’dear brother’!

This shout was actually a signal. After the cry, Xia Tingfeng, Ye Tang, Little Seventh, and Yang Chenyi—these four young men—all arrived. Although they were young, each of them possessed extraordinary martial arts skills. Zhao Junyao himself was also a martial arts expert and certainly not incompetent. Thus, his safety was absolutely not an issue. If they truly couldn’t win, even if they had to act as human shields on all four sides, they would never let anything happen to the Emperor!

Moreover, the soldiers outside who seemed to be running around in panic were not actually doing so. Their troop deployment had been predetermined. It was precise down to the exact weapon each person held and the position they took. The entire troop, in layers three deep both inside and out, swiftly surrounded Zhao Junyao’s command tent. It was so tightly secured and airtight that not even a fly could hope to enter.

And at that moment, Min Tu had indeed arrived with his troops. Min Tu was different from Min Zhuo. He wasn’t very tall and wore the exotic attire of a foreign tribe. The dense hair on his head was meticulously combed into braids and tied up, giving him a certain noble air. He was thin, with prominent cheekbones and a full beard framing his jaw. His eyes were sharp and spirited like a tiger’s, his eyebrows resembled swords, and his thin lips were pressed firmly together. If one were to overlook his rough exterior and the ambition blazing in his eyes, and consider only his facial features, he might indeed be considered a handsome man!

At this moment, Min Tu, riding a horse he had seized from who-knows-where, stood on a hillside half a mile away. Looking through the triple layers of soldiers, he gazed at Zhao Junyao. ”HAHAHA! Emperor of Great Chu, you are surrounded!” he boomed. ”If you surrender now, I, Min Tu, guarantee your life will be spared! But if you’re captured later in battle... this Young Prince can’t guarantee your dog’s life will be spared!”

His attitude was extremely arrogant, his voice full of conceit. After a pause, he continued, ”Maybe we’ll kill you, or maybe... we’ll bring you to our Southern Country’s military camp for everyone to have some fun! After all, you are a handsome man; it would be quite a pity if you died! HAHAHA!”

Min Tu laughed arrogantly, seated on his tall horse. The Soldiers of the Southern Country laughed along with him.

On the Great Chu Dynasty’s side, everyone was trembling with anger. Of course, internally, they couldn’t help but feel a subconscious sympathy for Min Tu. After all, from the moment Min Tu uttered those words, they could all pretty much guess his fate. They didn’t know exactly how tragic it would be, but it would definitely be terrible.

Zhao Junyao’s expression remained unchanged. He took a step forward, drawing closer to Min Tu, and then chuckled, ”Oh? So, Prince Min Tu, these are your opening words? You must have been looking forward to this for a long time! This is the first time I’ve seen a prisoner come to my door and suggest his own punishment! HAHAHA!”

After saying that, Zhao Junyao also laughed. He had actually experienced this kind of thing quite often. Every time he introduced new policies at the Imperial Court, he would see the utterly disgusted faces of those old officials. He even knew how terribly they cursed him behind his back. But it was all about vested interests, wasn’t it? A few curses were nothing. As long as it was for the good of the common people, he was willing to endure it. He couldn’t just dismiss all these old fellows; otherwise, who would do the work for him? Moreover, if he really dismissed them all, he feared he wouldn’t be able to face his ancestors or the people of the realm. This was probably what they called, ”the barefoot are not afraid of those with shoes,” right?

In short, Zhao Junyao could take a scolding. This surprised Min Tu greatly. He had thought the high and mighty Emperor would immediately fly into a rage. In reality, he didn’t, which deeply disappointed Min Tu.

At that moment, he couldn’t be bothered to say more and directly pulled a gleaming knife from his waist. ”Enough babbling! Brothers, charge! Whoever takes the Emperor’s head, this Young Prince will grant him a hereditary Prince’s Peerage!”

Under the promise of a heavy reward, there will always be brave men. The Soldiers of the Southern Ocean Kingdom, upon hearing the offer of a hereditary Prince’s Peerage, went into a frenzy. They rushed over like madmen. ”AH!”

Waving their flags and shouting, they were upon them in an instant.

The soldiers of the Great Chu Dynasty were no cowards. Without shouting, they maintained strict military discipline and held their positions in the pre-arranged formation, ready for battle. No matter how numerous the Soldiers of the Southern Ocean Kingdom were, the moment they made contact with the formation and faced the uniformly gleaming sword blades thrusting at them, they were left dazed and unsure how to proceed. When they did occasionally engage, large numbers of them would fall after the clash!

Their inner world:

My God, what is this?!

Exactly, there’s no way to start!

Damn it, I’ve never seen this kind of fighting before!

Damn it all! There’s no breakthrough point; the enemy is like a hedgehog, spiky everywhere!

After everyone was bewildered, a massive question mark appeared in their minds.

What do we do?!ŸŸŸ

All eyes turned in unison toward Min Tu. Min Tu was also becoming furious. ”You despicable Emperor! What treacherous trick are you using?”

Zhao Junyao’s lips curled faintly. With a light tap of his toes, he performed a graceful somersault, stepping on the shoulders of his soldiers to reach the very front of the troops. He was dressed in a white, everyday Dragon Robe, embroidered with complex dragon patterns in golden thread. He stood tall and distinguished, his head adorned with a white jade dragon crown. He had sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, a smile playing in them. His entire demeanor was noble, and his every move exuded an innate grace.

One was hysterical; the other, calm and composed. Who was superior and who was inferior was immediately clear.

Zhao Junyao’s handsome features lifted slightly, a smile touching his lips as he spoke, the words seeming to gleam between his teeth. ”Oh? A treacherous trick?”

Zhao Junyao chuckled. ”I never resort to treacherous tricks. In the art of warfare, leading with sincerity and care for one’s men is paramount! I treat the soldiers under me as brothers, so naturally, they are willing to risk their lives to protect me. That’s not a treacherous trick!”

This statement served two purposes. First, it reassured his soldiers: he considered them brothers. Second, it implied that Min Tu clearly did not treat his men as brothers, serving as a taunt.

Min Tu flew into a rage. ”You...”

Zhao Junyao laughed again. ”What? Am I wrong?”