"General, the soldiers of Da Qi have crossed the border line."
Lang Qing had just finished killing a deputy general. The successive betrayals had somewhat unhinged the usually arrogant Lang Qing. By his count, he had already killed nearly a third of his deputy generals.
The subordinates of these slain deputies within the army were all living in fear.
And right at this moment, Da Qi made its move.
Lang Qing wiped the blood from his longsword, his expression grave. "Is it an attack formation?"
Hearing Lang Qing's question, the officer shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it. They only crossed by one meter, then retreated. Also, judging by the troop deployments, Da Qi hasn't sent any additional forces to the northern frontier."
Hearing this, Lang Qing felt a slight relief in his heart. Clashing with Da Qi at this time would not be a good thing.
It was then that Prince Qi raised his hand. "I... I know Gu Mingning's military tactics, General Lang Qing. Allow me to serve you!"
"Then tell me, what is the meaning of Da Qi's action?"
"The Crown Prince has arrived at the northern frontier. He must do something to demonstrate his capability. Pay it no mind."
Lang Qing nodded.
It made perfect sense.
"Alright, you are now one of the new deputy generals. You have a clever mind. Go with the others to guard the border line."
Upon hearing this, Prince Qi scurried off eagerly.
Behind him, Lang Qing's eyes were inscrutable. An attendant nearby spoke up, "General, he is an outsider after all. He cannot be trusted."
"This general knows. That is why I did not send him to guard the border line alone. Once battle commences, we will use him as a sacrifice. I wonder what Da Qi will think when they see an outsider guarding their border line?"
In truth, Da Qi was overjoyed.
Prince Qi's mind had never been so sharp. Why only cross the border by one meter... Song Yu might be a fool, but his daughter was not.
After much deliberation, Prince Qi felt that the one-meter distance they had crossed was of crucial importance.
He had to cooperate with Da Qi!
Several days later, Da Qi crossed the border line again. This time, it was two meters.
Prince Qi was ordered to personally inspect that two-meter area to prevent Da Qi from setting any traps that could cause losses for the Northern Di.
Prince Qi examined it meticulously. At the same time, Song Yu and Song Shihuan were watching Prince Qi through a telescope.
"Father, do you think Prince Qi will find what we left?"
It was only after discovering that Prince Qi had been inexplicably sent to guard the border line that they initiated this second crossing action, leaving behind a... minuscule clue.
Da Qi was certain the Northern Di would assign dangerous tasks to Prince Qi.
"That's hard to say. His eyesight has always been poor."
Song Yu pursed his lips. Nothing was surprising when it came to Prince Qi.
Prince Qi had never been so focused, not even when Emperor Yuanyou quizzed him on his studies as a child.
Just then, Prince Qi's eyes narrowed. He spotted a tiny, almost negligible patch of white—lime powder, unique to Da Qi.
Prince Qi was ecstatic!
He stepped on it, and the white instantly mixed with the soil, disappearing.
He could state with the authority of a prince: Da Qi intended to annihilate the Northern Di!
And these few meters crossed each time would be the site of a trap on the final occasion.
He was bursting to tell Song Yu that the Northern Di's internal affairs were in chaos, but he had no way to do so. He could only argue with the other deputy generals near the border line every day.
Hoping Song Yu would understand his hints.
Song Yu: ...
...
"Is he still arguing today?" Song Yu asked expressionlessly.
"Yes. The arguments are all about suspecting the deputy generals of disloyalty to Lang Qing." Gu Mingning's mouth twitched. A prince, acting like a gossip, criticizing the deputy generals' families inside and out.
"Cross the line again in three days, by three meters this time."
Song Shihuan's voice rang out. Gu Mingning promptly scurried over to Song Shihuan's side, leaving Song Yu standing alone.
It looked quite desolate.
"This time, Lang Qing will not let it go no matter what."
"When Lang Qing leads his troops to attack, we will proceed with the original plan: face the Northern Di head-on!"
Everyone stood straight. This time, they hadn't devised many complex formations for fighting the Northern Di. What Song Shihuan chose for the frontier soldiers was a direct assault.
"The soldiers have been guarding the northern frontier for too long, separated from their families. They must be holding in a lot of pent-up frustration. Fight directly, let that frustration out! After the fight, go home and reunite with your parents!"
Even Gu Mingning, upon hearing Song Shihuan's words, felt an urge to immediately go kill a few hundred enemies.
Their soldiers stationed at the northern frontier... had suffered too much.
Just as Song Shihuan predicted, after this three-meter crossing, Lang Qing began mobilizing his troops.
"Da Qi insults us too gravely! We must take the initiative and strike once ourselves!"
Hearing Lang Qing's words, Prince Qi's heart skipped a beat.
Finally, the wait was over.
Even though the areas crossed in the first two instances had proven safe, Lang Qing, ever cautious, still ordered Prince Qi to investigate again.
Three meters. Prince Qi looked tense.
Two meters. Prince Qi's palms were already sweating. Could he have been wrong? Was there no ambush here? Did Da Qi not plan to destroy the Northern Di?
One meter...
A sharp pain shot through the sole of his foot, but Prince Qi broke into a grin.
Prince Qi took many more steps across the two- and three-meter distances before returning to the command tent. "General, it's the same as the previous two times—no issues. Da Qi probably just wants to bolster their Crown Prince's reputation. When you lead the troops tonight and catch them by surprise, Da Qi will surely regret it deeply."
Lang Qing laughed heartily upon hearing this.
"Well done, my little lark."
Prince Qi's lips moved slightly, but he ultimately said nothing. Leaving Lang Qing's tent, Prince Qi's face remained as pale as paper.
The sole of his foot hurt so much...
And he was no lark...
That night.
Lang Qing led all the Northern Di troops, intending to cross the border line and teach Da Qi a lesson.
But as they approached the border line, they found themselves face-to-face with the Da Qi soldiers on the other side.
"It seems we had the same idea."
A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Gu Mingning's face. "In that case, Lang Qing, let us have a satisfying, all-out battle."
"Fine. I've long wanted to fight you as well."
Now with the two armies confronting each other, although Lang Qing sensed something amiss, he had no retreat.
The battle flags of both sides fluttered in the wind. As the war drums sounded, Lang Qing curled the corner of his mouth and raised his longsword high:
"Before the armies engage, I, Lang Qing, will kill someone to consecrate our banners."
As soon as Lang Qing finished speaking, Prince Qi, bound tightly, was brought to the front of the formation.
"Fine by us. That man is just an ordinary soldier to us. On the contrary, your Northern Di soldiers seem quite fond of him, even calling him 'the lark'." Gu Mingning's eyes were dark. "But haven't you, Lang Qing, killed enough people already? Your banners must be inauspicious from all that consecration."
This single sentence made the Northern Di soldiers stiffen, reminding them of the many slain deputy generals.
The lark... had indeed brought them much joy.
Lang Qing realized something. The sword that should have fallen on Prince Qi's head instead struck the ropes binding him.
"This general is not one who mistreats his men. Capture Gu Mingning alive to consecrate our banners, and I will personally reward you."
With a formidable enemy before them, morale could not afford the slightest damage.
Prince Qi's face was deathly pale, clearly frightened nearly to death...
I almost thought I was going to meet a heroic end just like Song Yanzheng.
