Chapter 232: The Stubborn One - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 232: The Stubborn One

Shan Yan noticed his curiosity and explained, “This girl is the eldest granddaughter of Old Master Chen of Ganzhou. She is here today to represent the Chen family in welcoming Your Highness.”

The Chen family of Ganzhou, like the Feng family, is an esteemed family with a history of over a hundred years. The current head of the family is Chen Zifang, a well-respected scholar in the Great Jin. Emperor Qi had once ordered all scholars in the land to use the Chen family as a model. Not only are the Chen family’s descendants all accomplished, but they are also loyal and righteous.

For example, the reason the entire Chen family is not at home today and only sent a maid is because they are all in Liangzhou helping out!

As dusk fell, Ganzhou city was shrouded in a hazy atmosphere, with a hint of decadence, but no one knew that less than a hundred miles away in Liangzhou, everything was in a state of readiness.

The army was stationed outside the city, and the Ninth Prince had only brought five hundred personal guards into the city.

The scent of perfume mingled with the aroma of meat and wine, pervading the streets and distracting everyone.

As they arrived at the Governor’s residence, Xiao Mu Qian’s disdain for the governor was evident.

As a high-ranking official, he should be focused on preserving the people and defending the city in the face of war, but instead, he was trying to curry favor with the prince. This behavior alone was enough to reveal his true nature.

No wonder his uncle had prohibited him from associating too closely with Ganzhou’s officials; it seemed his uncle also looked down on them.

Ahead, Shan Yan and the other officials respectfully led the Ninth Prince inside, while those loyal to the prince followed. Only he and General Su were unsure which foot to step forward with!

“Alright, the overall situation is the priority.”

General Su patted his shoulder and went ahead into the governor’s residence.

They were called 'vanguards' in name, but in reality, they were merely the tools used by Emperor Qi to protect the Ninth Prince.

Despite their dislike for the Ninth Prince’s actions, they were responsible for his safety.

Throughout the journey, General Su had never provoked the Ninth Prince, intending not to let personal grudges affect military decisions. Thus, even if they were reluctant, they had to attend this welcoming feast.

Understanding this, Xiao Mu Qian took a deep breath and followed inside.

As expected, the feast was lavish, with rich food and lively performances.

He chose an inconspicuous spot to sit and looked at the array of dishes with distaste. The beautiful maid who came to pour him wine was intimidated by his glance and stepped back.

“General…” The delicate voice was endearing to many, but Xiao Mu Qian, a 'wooden lump,' disliked such trivialities.

Seeing the situation cooling down, the Ninth Prince spoke up.

“Cousin, what are you doing? The Governor has specially prepared this welcoming feast. You should drink a few cups.”

“Your Highness, please forgive me. I have never drunk alcohol while in the army for over a decade, and I have never broken this rule. Please do not be offended.”

“No drinking? A person from the military saying this, could it be that you are trying to deceive me?”

There was a hint of impatience in his words. Although drinking was not mandatory, denying it in front of so many people could not be tolerated. Such behavior needed to be curbed.

Determined to dampen his arrogance, the Ninth Prince coldly said, “What if I ask you to accompany me for a few drinks today?” Saying this, he finished the wine in his hand in one gulp. The maid immediately refilled his glass and sweetly praised him, “Your Highness has a great capacity for alcohol! Please drink this cup again!”

The Ninth Prince had drunk, so if Xiao Mu Qian refused, it would be seen as disrespectful, and he would likely face difficulties in the future.

However, he couldn’t break the rule; he couldn’t soften his stance. Just as he was thinking of an excuse to avoid drinking, an urgent report came from outside.

“Report! The Northern Di army has suddenly moved south and is fiercely attacking Liangzhou. General Xiao Ji has sent someone to request reinforcements!”

His uncle!

The Northern Di were being extremely cunning, attacking suddenly when they were least expected, aiming to catch his uncle off guard.

He immediately stood up and said to the Ninth Prince, “Your Highness, I request permission to lead my men to reinforce them!”

At this moment, he was really pressing the Ninth Prince hard.

The feast had just begun, and excitement was in the air, but now a battle had started!

He slammed the wine cup on the table and snorted coldly, “The Northern Di are indeed cunning. How is the situation in Liangzhou now?”

“General Xiao Ji is leading the city’s defense. Before I came, the city had not yet been breached.”

Upon hearing this, the officials and Governor Shan Yan, who had been somewhat nervous, breathed a sigh of relief. Shan Yan said, “From Liangzhou to Ganzhou, it would take at least half a day. With General Xiao Ji’s capabilities, he should be able to hold out. Perhaps His Highness could rest here first, and let General Xiao go reinforce them?”

They had been drinking, and if something went wrong on the march, it would be a problem.

It seemed that the safety of the Ninth Prince was considered more important than the fall of Liangzhou.

Xiao Mu Qian felt a chill at this point and realized that these people were unreliable. He pressed on, “Your Highness, the situation is urgent. I earnestly request that you allow me to lead the troops there first. Otherwise, if Liangzhou falls, how long can Ganzhou hold out?”

The Ninth Prince nodded, though he was somewhat tipsy and reluctant to admit it. He feigned indignation and said, “General Xiao, lead fifty thousand troops ahead. I will follow with the main force.”

He would indeed come, but how many days it would take was uncertain.

Anyway, with fifty thousand troops under General Xiao Ji and fifty thousand under Xiao Mu Qian, they had over a hundred thousand troops combined. If they still couldn’t hold Liangzhou, then there was no need for the two of them to talk about defending the country. They might as well sacrifice themselves for it.

With the troops secured, Xiao Mu Qian had no interest in continuing the pretense. He quickly rose and headed towards the outside of the residence, mounted his horse, and spurred it towards the city’s exterior.

Assembling his troops, a grand procession set out towards Liangzhou.

Outside Liangzhou, the ground was covered with corpses, blood, and scattered weapons. All were from the Northern Di.

The city had been fiercely attacked for almost a day, and even as night fell, it had not been breached, infuriating the Northern Di’s Keda Wang.

He turned to his strategist, Luo Hong, and reproached him, “Look at the plan you gave me! Not attacking the city has not only demoralized our troops, but now that the Great Jin’s reinforcements are coming, you have me order an assault? After a whole day, Liangzhou still stands firm! How many of our soldiers have died? It’s maddening!”

If not for the people around him holding him back, Luo Hong might have been executed by Keda Wang.

“Your Majesty, rest assured. We are waiting for the reinforcements. If they do not come, Liangzhou might cost us many more brave soldiers.”

Seeing Luo Hong’s confidence, Keda Wang’s anger subsided somewhat.