I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

"How much longer?"

On this day, the wind and rain were heavy on the grasslands of Northern Mang, forcing the group to halt their advance and take a temporary break.

Their clothes were soaked through by the rain and clung uncomfortably to their bodies. A gust of wind made them shiver with cold.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that everyone had very little dry rations left.

If they can't find supplies soon, they'll starve to death on the road before they even reach the Northern Mang royal court.

Moreover, you can't just bump into people anywhere on this vast grassland.

It's common to not see a single household for several days in a row.

The Empress's fingers were trembling from the cold. She took out a map from her bosom, looked at it, and said:

"At our current pace, it will take at least another half month."

Upon hearing that it would take another half month, everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.

At this moment, feelings of doubt and resentment spread rapidly in everyone's hearts and were difficult to suppress.

Shouldn't they have listened to the Empress and come up with this so-called surprise attack and flanking plan?

If they don't listen to the Empress, they should now follow General Wang Hu, chasing after the Northern Mang army, relentlessly attacking and advancing step by step.

Although doing so resulted in receiving fewer military merits, no unexpected incidents occurred.

Unlike now, we haven't seen any military merits, and instead, we're going to starve and freeze to death first.

"Are you scared?"

It was Wei Hongying who spoke.

Wei Hongying's cold gaze swept over each of them, showing her indignation on behalf of the Empress.

When they were asked to carry out this plan, everyone agreed.

Are they going to give up now that they've encountered some difficulties on the road?

The soldiers all lowered their heads, not daring to look Wei Hongying in the eye.

Wei Hongying said, "Even if you're scared, we have no way out. If we turn back now, you'll still freeze and starve to death on the road, and no one will even collect your corpses."

Just when everyone was in despair, someone suddenly came to report:

"Report!"

"Report to General Wei and General Changsheng, our reinforcements have arrived."

support?

Everyone looked at the soldier and were all stunned.

They were essentially operating alone, without informing anyone beforehand. Where would they get any support?

Tatata!

Mud and water splashed as several people, wearing raincoats, approached.

"General Li, General Song, how could it be you?"

Everyone was pleasantly surprised, wondering why the two generals had come here.

After paying their respects to Wei Hongying and the Empress, Generals Li and Song spoke frankly and without reservation:

"His Majesty sent us. He is aware of the two generals' plans and specifically dispatched us to assist them!"

To be honest, both of them felt a little embarrassed when they heard this.

If Qin Li hadn't sent people over, they probably would have died on the way.

"Very good."

One of the soldiers asked impatiently, "Generals, how much rations did you bring with you on this trip?"

How much dry rations?

Both Generals Li and Song were taken aback.

Why did you suddenly ask them how much dry food they brought?

Logically, shouldn't we ask them how many troops they have?

After all, soldiers can kill people, but dry rations cannot.

"What's wrong, General Changsheng and General Wei? Are you short of food?" General Li asked, puzzled.

The plan was a long-distance raid, heading straight for the royal court.

You can leave everything else behind, but you must bring enough dry food.

They brought enough; didn't the two of them bring enough?

Wei Hongying was too embarrassed to speak, so she nudged the Empress lightly with her elbow to let her speak.

The Empress, without batting an eye, said, "Plans can't keep up with changes. We originally had enough rations, but the wind and rain along the way severely slowed down our progress, and now we don't have enough."

Nodding, General Li said, "I see. There's no need to panic. We brought enough dry rations, and we can even share some with others."

Upon hearing this, everyone was overjoyed; nothing could be better.

After the dry rations were distributed, everyone ate them to replenish their strength while talking in hushed tones.

"Where has Murong Qingcang's army gone?"

The Empress asked.

This is her biggest concern right now.

They care about them even more than they care about their lack of food.

The general surnamed Song took out a detailed map from his pocket, pointed to a river on it, and said, "We're almost at the Baigu River."

"How come we're only at Baigu River now?"

Wei Hongying couldn't help but ask.

According to her estimation, Murong Qingcang's army should have crossed the Baigu River long ago.

Baigu River should have become a supply point for their Great Zhou army.

The general surnamed Song replied, "General Wei, you may not know this, but when His Majesty sent us to support the two generals, he also issued an order, commanding General Wang Hu to lead his troops to slow down the pursuit."

"The Northern Mang army has been chased by us for so long. Seeing that the pursuers behind them have slowed down, how can they not slow down their retreat? They can't wait to sit down and catch their breath."

……

At this very moment, the Baigu River.

The Northern Mang army, which had fled to this place from the riverbank, was in a state of utter disarray.

Everyone collapsed onto the north bank of the river, panting heavily.

After catching their breath, they ignored the discomfort of their clothes being completely soaked from crossing the waist-deep Baigu River and wolfed down their dry rations.

Some soldiers lacked rations, and serious fights broke out.

Murong Qingcang, the emperor of Northern Mang, was no better off.

The black leather boots were already soaked through and had several blisters.

However, he ate dry rations in a rather refined manner, as his aristocratic upbringing instilled in him the importance of maintaining decorum at all times.

Of course, if things get worse than they are now, it's hard to say whether we'll still be able to maintain our dignity.

"Someone come here!"

At a command, a general stepped forward.

Looking at the general before him, Murong Qingcang felt a mix of emotions.

When he set out, he had so many generals under his command that he couldn't count them all.

But now, there are only a few generals left who are barely usable.

If he hadn't been in command the entire time, the army would have been wiped out long ago.

"What's the situation at the rear?"

"Murong Qingcang asked."

Now that they have already entered the heart of Northern Mang, does Great Zhou still intend to relentlessly pursue them and destroy their country?

Once upon a time, their grasslands had saved the Central Plains dynasties on several occasions.

Why can't we give them a break this time?

Must we chase them all the way to the gates of the royal city before we'll give up?

The general clasped his hands in greeting and replied, "Your Majesty, the pursuing troops from Great Zhou have clearly slowed their pace and show signs of retreating!"

Upon hearing this, the other generals were overjoyed.

They've withdrawn, they've withdrawn, they've finally withdrawn.

They've been chased for so long, they're terrified of being chased.

They had no idea where Da Zhou got the patience to chase them for so long.

"really?"

Murong Qingcang was somewhat incredulous.

With the victory within reach, how could the Great Zhou possibly give it up?

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely true. Scouts have reported that the Great Zhou army is facing a severe food shortage, and most of the Great Zhou soldiers are suffering from vomiting and diarrhea due to the unfamiliar climate and water conditions upon entering our grasslands."

"The sound of the Great Zhou army returning in triumph was very loud!"