Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

The two squatted in the corner, glancing at the main hall every now and then.

Wu Li, bored out of his mind, plucked a blade of grass and wove it into a grass centipede around his fingertip: "Mimi, since you can tell fortunes, have you predicted whether Song Yueyao got what she wanted?"

Chai Xiaomi was about to answer when she saw what he was holding, so she slapped it away and replied, "Of course I got it."

"Sister Yao used that iridescent stone to successfully rescue her mother from the Cold Palace, and also retrieved the Nie family army's military token that belonged to her." She said this with a hint of pride, "By the way, I stole that iridescent stone."

At this moment, Liangya Prefecture was at its wits' end. If it were a peaceful and prosperous era, Song Hu would certainly not have given in so easily. Even if the Nie family army was reduced to remnants, they were still elite troops. Handing the military tally over to Song Yueyao would be like a thorn in his side.

But right now, in the imperial court, no one is capable of shouldering the responsibility, and no one dares to accept the military command.

Whoever takes on this task will have to go to the battlefield and deliver their head to the barbarians.

This military tally is highly sought after during times of peace, but becomes a hot potato during times of war.

*

above the hall.

The officials watched as Song Yueyao accepted the imperial edict of pardon that she had requested for her mother, as well as the tiger-striped military tally.

The gazes directed at her were filled with pity, ridicule, or mockery.

No one believed that such an arrogant young woman could take up the Nie family's banner again.

However, a very small number of people harbored a hidden admiration in their eyes, but dared not show it at all due to the covert pressure from Grand Tutor Yin.

Grand Tutor Yin took the iridescent stone presented by Song Yueyao and examined it carefully. After a moment, a smile appeared in his eyes before he turned and presented it to Song Hu.

Song Hu raised an eyebrow and suddenly asked, "Where are your friends? Why didn't you bring them to meet me?"

Song Yueyao was slightly taken aback.

She knew the message must have been brought back by Grand Tutor Yin's assassins, but she hadn't expected him to take an interest in someone close to her. She lowered her eyelashes and calmly replied, "Reporting to Father, I am returning to the capital alone this time."

Grand Tutor Yin: "That's a real pity. Swords and spears have no eyes on the battlefield. Princess, please take good care of yourself on your journey to Lucheng. Don't miss your friends' last moments."

Grand Tutor Yin raised his eyes, his gaze passing over her and looking towards the entrance of the main hall. He clearly sensed something unusual.

Song Yueyao gave him a cold look: "Grand Tutor, you're overthinking it. You'd better pray that I come back alive."

If she has the chance to come back alive, she will definitely purge the court of corrupt officials.

No, it is Qing Jun.

A person who can surrender the country to the enemy is not worthy of sitting on the dragon throne.

The situation is urgent. The only course of action now is to first eliminate external threats and then address internal problems.

*

The days spent in the cold palace were nothing compared to the pain of losing a daughter.

When Nie Qing saw Song Yueyao again, he felt as if he had found a lost treasure and hugged her, crying bitterly.

"It's all my fault, I couldn't protect the Nie family, let alone you! You finally came back, but you have to rush to the battlefield again. The Nie family only has you left!"

Song Yueyao looked at her mother, who had lost weight from being confined in the cold palace, and wiped away her tears.

She didn't have time for any more intimate words.

At the palace gates, the former subordinates of the Nie family were already fully prepared to go to Lucheng to rescue Xiao Yan, who was once a trusted confidant of their maternal grandfather.

"Mother, I've arranged for a matron to escort you out of the palace. If I return, I will surely tear down this imperial city and bring you back." She paused, "But if I don't return... then you should leave Liangya Prefecture, find a quiet place, and enjoy your remaining years in peace."

That battle more than ten years ago.

The Nie family army suffered countless casualties, with only 10,000 soldiers who were stranded in the capital surviving.

Therefore, Song Yueyao's military tally only allows her to mobilize about 10,000 men. In the previous battle at Lucheng, she lost a full 20,000, making this battle seem incredibly difficult.

However, when it came time to take a headcount before departure, they found that the number of people kept increasing.

"What's going on?" Upon hearing the news, Song Yueyao quickly came over from the front of the line.

She froze when she saw the last group of people.

Those people didn't even have armor, they were only wearing coarse linen clothes, some had a limp, some had a missing arm, and their bodies were covered in scars, which were revealed in a gust of wind.

The moment those people saw her, their eyes instantly reddened.

The one-armed man at the head of the group knelt down first, his voice choked with emotion: "Princess...we are all soldiers of the Nie family army. In that battle back then, we were seriously wounded and unable to fight to the end with the old general. We were sent back to our hometowns to retire and return to our fields."

As he spoke, he pounded his chest heavily with his only remaining arm: "Don't let our missing limbs fool you, our martial arts skills haven't deteriorated! For over ten years, we haven't missed a single day!"

"Yes, Princess!" A lame old soldier beside her took a step forward with his cane and grinned, "If we can't mount a horse, we can still fight on foot; if we can't use a gun, we can still use a sword! On the battlefield, we can still take the enemy's head!"

"Yes! Take the enemy's head!"

"We've held a grudge against the Nie family army for over ten years!"

"Now that the princess is leading the Nie family's military command to fight, we old bones will crawl, if we have to, to reach Lucheng!"

A cacophony of voices erupted from the ranks.

Some people lifted their shirts to reveal gleaming short knives at their waists; some took out their treasured Nie Family Army tokens from their bosoms and held them tremblingly above their heads; some stood straight with canes, their cloudy eyes filled with both tears and fire.

Song Yueyao stood there, her throat feeling like it was blocked by something.

She looked at those weathered faces, at their mutilated bodies, and at the unquenched fire in their eyes.

That was the fire of the Nie family army.

"it is good."

Song Yueyao spoke, clasped her hands together, and bowed deeply.

"My lords," she said, mounting her horse in gleaming silver armor, a dark cloak draped over her shoulders, and a fiery red tassel on her helmet, "follow me to slay the barbarians and welcome Vice General Xiao home!"

"Slay the barbarians and welcome Vice General Xiao!"

"Kill the barbarians! Kill the barbarians!"

The shouts were deafening, startling a flock of crows outside the palace walls.

*

At the same time.

On the official road leading from Kyoto to Lucheng, a black steed galloped like lightning.

Two people were sitting on the horse.

Wu Li glanced down at the girl in his arms. Her eyes were red like a little rabbit's as she stared blankly at the receding city of Kyoto. He said sourly, "These past few days, you've been shedding tears for others all the time."

Chai Xiaomi could still hear the deafening cheers echoing in her ears. "Didn't you think that scene was incredibly exciting?"

Wu Li: "What is 'burning'?"

Chai Xiaomi: "It's like the inner universe is boiling."

Wu Li: "What is a microcosm?"

"Oh well, never mind." Chai Xiaomi paused, then continued, "Anyway, Sister Yao is having a really tough time; we have to help her. Can you rescue that Deputy General Xiao without anyone noticing?"

"Of course I can," Wu Li replied readily, as it was a piece of cake for him.

However, Chai Xiaomi was not in a particularly cheerful mood.

The book only mentions this battle in a few words.

Until I saw Song Yueyao standing before the army, and saw the resolute light in her eyes...

Only then did Chai Xiaomi truly understand her current state of mind.

That's not going to war.

That was going to one's death.

Ten thousand against fifty thousand, what a disparity!

If she hadn't known the outcome beforehand, she wouldn't have dared to even watch the battle, let alone participate herself.

While he was lost in thought, Wu Li's confident voice came from above: "What are you worried about? Don't worry, we won't lose this battle."

Chai Xiaomi blinked and thought for a moment. She didn't seem to have told him about the outcome of this battle. How did he get spoiled in advance?

and many more.

Could he have other plans?

"What do you want to do?" She whirled around, grabbed his ear, and said sternly, "Old Ji took the last sin for you, preventing you from suffering the backlash of evil energy. Now you can't kill indiscriminately!"

Wu Li obediently lowered her head, as if offering her ear for her to pinch, but she complained playfully, "Be gentle, I've discovered that there's no fiercer woman in this world than you."

"I'm not just fierce, I can bite! Stop interrupting, are you going to start a killing spree?"

"I almost hurt you when I went berserk with my evil energy before, so I certainly won't repeat the same mistake." He looked down at her. "Mimi, have you noticed? Those people aren't afraid of death at all. There's a will in their eyes that's stronger than death itself. Willpower is the most powerful weapon in the world; it can drive everything and crush everything."

"Therefore, I predict that we will win this battle."