Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 297 We All Want to Improve
Before he even spoke, Bautu had anticipated that this would happen.

He paid no heed to the criticisms of the other commanders.

Bautu's gaze swept over the angry faces of the crowd, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He pretended not to hear the sarcastic remarks and calmly explained, "I wonder if you generals have noticed that before the southern barbarians at Xueyuan Pass lit the golden liquid, my soldiers had already stormed the city walls."

The other commanders were all angry and wouldn't listen to anything Bautu said.

Some snorted and turned their faces away, while others deliberately struck the ground with their scabbards to make a sound. The heavy footsteps of patrolling soldiers came from outside the tent, their hurried tones adding to the tension of the standoff.

The other nine commanders felt that Bautu was just showing off.

The commander of ten thousand men with a scar on his face, who already disliked Batu, immediately sneered, "We have witnessed General Batu's prowess clearly. We are humbled by his achievements in such a great battle."

He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his movements exaggerated to the point of being comical. The scar running across his left cheek looked particularly grotesque in the firelight, twisting and writhing as he spoke.

Not only those who already disliked Ba Wutu, but even the two commanders of ten thousand who flattered Tuoba Lie and ostracized Murong Dayu with him, now had equally unpleasant expressions.

The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly plummeted to freezing point. The charcoal fire in the brazier crackled slightly, casting flickering light and shadows on the somber faces of the men.

"Bautu, we admit you're powerful, okay?" one of them sneered disdainfully.

"That's really impressive. General Ba's strength has truly impressed us." Another commander chimed in sarcastically.

If it weren't for his status, Tuoba Lie would have wanted to give this guy a good scolding.

I thought to myself, "You don't actually think you're anything special, do you?"

Tuoba Lie narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across Ba Wutu's face like a knife. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew in from outside the tent, causing the hanging weapons to clink together with a crisp metallic sound.

Given the current fighting strength of the Northern Barbarian cavalry, with two thousand men, they should be able to capture a city with a single charge.

You only managed to get onto the city wall, but you couldn't even hold onto that small victory before retreating.

It's only because of the situation that they're saying you won a great victory. Do you really think you've won a great victory?
Otherwise, someone like you who was sent back in disgrace, even if you don't face military law, you'll still be demoted, okay?
Bautu remained unperturbed, his smile unchanged.

Of course, it's only in appearance that she doesn't seem angry.

His gaze swept over the angry faces of the crowd, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

In fact, Bautu almost hated these people to death.

When I first took on this unfortunate task of siege, no one said a word to me.

Now that the battle is over, when Tuoba Lie sent others to attack the city, no one spoke up.

When it comes to mocking themselves, these guys have a whole repertoire of tricks up their sleeves.

Although he was furious, Bawutu decided not to stoop to their level.

"Generals, please calm down..." The thought that these people might be in trouble later made Bautu feel a strange sense of satisfaction.

The feeling of scheming against others is simply wonderful.

A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Bautu's eyes, like a wolf lurking on the grassland. Suddenly, a string of sparks burst from the charcoal fire in the brazier, casting dancing shadows on everyone's faces.

Batu said humbly, "My humble skills are certainly no match for those of you generals. Any one of you, in terms of both strength and seniority, is far superior to me."

His voice was deliberately lowered, carrying just the right amount of humility. As he bowed slightly, the armor made a slight scraping sound, and the curved sword at his waist swayed gently with the movement.

Such blatant flattery made even those who were most dissatisfied with Bautu feel embarrassed to continue attacking him, and the atmosphere in the tent eased considerably.

The commanders fell silent, waiting to see what he was up to.

Seeing this, Ba Wutu dared not be negligent, lest any further complications arise. So he hurriedly said, "Don't you generals find it strange? Even I, the weakest among you, was able to easily breach the city walls, forcing the southern barbarians of Xueyuan Pass to resort to boiling in molten gold to defend themselves. What does this mean?"

Bautu didn't continue speaking, but everyone understood what he meant.

The tent suddenly became eerily quiet, with only the crackling of the embers in the brazier.

Someone unconsciously licked their dry lips, a look of realization flashing in their eyes.

The nine commanders of ten thousand men, and even Tuoba Lie himself, all felt a sudden urge.

Bautu is right.

In the corner, a centurion suddenly straightened up, his armor clanging crisply. His rough fingers stroked the stubble on his chin, a calculating glint in his eyes.

Even a sycophant like Bawutu could put Xueyuan Pass in such a sorry state. What else does that prove?
This indicates that after a series of bloody battles, the strength of Xueyuan Pass has been greatly reduced.

The commanders exchanged glances, and some of them quietly moved closer to the map.

Their Northern Di warriors numbered a staggering 100,000.

Moreover, they were Northern Di warriors with unparalleled strength, trained by the Dark Night Cult.

Since the start of the war against the Great Zhou, they have attacked at least a dozen cities. However, very few cities have been able to withstand a single charge from the Northern Di cavalry.

Those who can hold out for more than two hours can be considered elite soldiers.

They are indeed remarkable for being able to hold Xueyuan Pass for so long.

But what good is being good at it?
Those garrison troops were just ordinary people who were slightly stronger than them; they were no match for the Northern Di cavalry.

Although they couldn't take Xueyuan Pass, the Northern Di people didn't think it was because the soldiers at Xueyuan Pass were particularly skilled; they were simply adept at using despicable tactics.

The embers in the brazier dimmed for a moment, plunging the tent into brief darkness. When the firelight returned, everyone's eyes gleamed with eager anticipation.

The troops at Xueyuan Pass suffered heavy losses and no reinforcements arrived for a long time.

The supplies for defending the city should be almost completely used up.

This can be seen from the frequency of the catapults and ballistae firing when Bautu attacked the city.

From the moment the vanguard entered Xueyuan Pass, they continued to press Xueyuan Pass.

In reality, almost all the commanders of ten thousand men were traumatized by the defenders of Xueyuan Pass.

They mobilized a full army of 100,000.

How many people are there at Xueyuan Pass?
Although this is an important pass on the border, it is not located on the border line. In addition, Xueyuan Pass is a tall and easy-to-defend city, so there are not many troops stationed here.

According to the intelligence provided by the Dark Night Cult, Xueyuan Pass originally only had a little over 5,000 people.

Furthermore, before the siege, assassins from the Dark Night Cult had wreaked havoc on Xueyuan Pass. This not only resulted in heavy losses for the pass's troops, but also led to the assassination of almost all of its key generals before the siege could begin.

Therefore, the actual defending force should have numbered less than four thousand. Yet, these fewer than four thousand men managed to withstand the fierce attack of one hundred thousand men.

They naturally knew something about the fourth prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Although he appears to be a spoiled brat, his literary and martial talents are truly terrifying.

However, no one took this intelligence seriously.

There was no other reason than that everyone felt the information was completely untrue and far too exaggerated.

There simply can't be anyone that amazing in this world.

Now, they have personally experienced how terrifying the Fourth Prince, Chu Shizhao, is.

With only one hundred men, they dared to launch an attack on the camp of thirty thousand Northern Di soldiers.

If that were all, it would be fine; at most, this guy would just be an arrogant fool who doesn't know his own limitations.

However, the enemy not only moved freely among the 30,000 Northern Di cavalry, but also burned down the artisan camp, preventing them from manufacturing siege equipment.

After that, every attack they launched was easily thwarted by this guy.

With just this small force, they managed to firmly halt the advance of the Northern Di army.

Oh, and there's also a formidable force of about a hundred men, whose strength is even greater than that of the current Northern Di cavalry. However, that force ultimately only numbers a hundred.

In a battle involving 100,000 people, these 100 people would normally have little effect.

However, the reality was that they had only a small number of elite troops, plus the Zhou soldiers they completely disregarded.

And Chu Shizhao's unpredictable and elusive methods.

They were so impressed that they were unable to advance and could not capture Xueyuan Pass no matter what they tried.

Although these Northern Di generals didn't say it aloud, they had already developed a deep fear of Chu Shizhao.

Even Murong Dayu, a seasoned and shrewd general who had dominated the battlefield for many years, fell into their traps time and time again.

Even with such a powerful army at their disposal, they were completely uncertain about whether they could defeat Chu Shizhao on the battlefield.

That is why, when Tuoba Lie wanted them to take the initiative to attack Xueyuan Pass, not a single person dared to step forward.

However, after listening to Ba Wutu's explanation, he discovered that Xueyuan Pass seemed to be all show and no substance.

Everyone's mindset has changed.

Tuoba Lie's gaze swept over the crowd, noticing that some people were already unable to contain their excitement.

Even if the legendary fourth prince possessed extraordinary abilities, there was one thing he couldn't change.

That's military strength.

A sudden gust of cold wind swept in from outside the tent, making the hanging maps rustle. Several captains instinctively shrank their necks, as if the wind carried an invisible killing intent.

There are no reinforcements at Xueyuan Pass, and it seems unlikely that any will arrive anytime soon.

No matter how resilient the southern barbarians holding Xueyuan Pass were, their casualties were undeniable. After fighting for so long, even a conservative estimate would suggest they had suffered more than half their number dead or wounded.

Even for a city like Xueyuan Pass with its strong and tall walls, the difference between having four thousand men and having two thousand men is completely different.

Apart from Bautu, everyone present felt a burning desire for battle.

If they can breach Xueyuan Pass, the prosperous Central Plains will be completely exposed to their iron hooves.

Tuoba Lie narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the marching routes marked on the map. Those winding lines seemed to transform into a road paved with gold, leading straight to the heart of the Great Zhou.

The entire route to the capital of the southern barbarians was smooth sailing, with almost no places that were difficult to conquer.

A centurion licked his chapped lips, his eyes gleaming with greed.

To break through here would mean opening the gates of the Great Zhou Dynasty, an absolutely tremendous achievement.

"General, I am willing to lead my troops to attack Xueyuan Pass!" A commander who had defected to Tuoba Lie was the first to react and said urgently.

His armor clattered as he spoke, and the movement of kneeling on one knee stirred up a gust of wind, as if he were afraid that if he was even a little slow, someone else would beat him to it.

"General, why don't you let me lead the men?" This time, it was the person who had been personally promoted by Tuoba Lie to replace him in his original position. This was Tuoba Lie's true confidant and loyal subordinate.

He took a step forward, his armor gleaming in the firelight. His gaze was fixed intently on the commander-in-chief as he spoke, clearly hoping that Tuoba Lie would entrust the task to him.

The previously neutral commanders, now disregarding their composure, eagerly volunteered for battle.

The tent suddenly became noisy, filled with the clanging of armor and the thud of boots. The flames in the brazier flickered violently, casting countless shimmering shadows on the tent walls.

"This humble general is willing to help the commander-in-chief solve his problems. Please give this humble general this opportunity." The speaker's voice was loud and clear. As he patted his chest to make his promise, the copper studs on his armor made a crisp clanging sound.

"Qu Xueyuan Pass, I only need three thousand men, and I will definitely be able to take it within two hours."

A tall, thin commander stood with his head held high and chest puffed out. In his excitement, the quiver hanging from his waist swayed with his movements, and the arrows clattered together, making a rustling sound.

"Why would it take two hours? Your Highness, I guarantee that I will hand over Xueyuan Pass to you within an hour and a half."

The last general to speak had a hoarse voice, yet it exuded an undeniable confidence. His teeth, gleaming white in the firelight, shone like a hungry wolf about to pounce.

Those who remained silent and dared not speak easily seemed to have nothing to do with them.

Not only them, but even the generals who were originally loyal to Murong Dayu were extremely anxious.

It is true that they were extremely loyal to Murong Dayu.

But now, Murong Dayu is no longer a marshal, and they have to think about their own future.

What could be more reliable than the achievement of expanding territory?

"General Tuoba, I am also willing to lead the army to conquer Xueyuan Pass and contribute to the southern expedition."

A man nearby chimed in, "That's right, Commander, you can't forget us veterans!"

The young commanders who had joined Tuoba Lie were furious when they saw these people trying to steal the credit.

"General, you've all made so many contributions, one more won't make a difference. Why don't you give this task to us?"

“You’re right. The old generals have worked hard for half their lives. It’s time for us young people to share the burden for the king.”

(End of this chapter)