From cute to empress

Chapter 66: Breaking the Enemy's Formation with Wisdom

I could still hear the cries of battle and the clashing of metal. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my rapid breathing, forcing myself to withdraw from the battle.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Zhen Youcai's concerned voice brought me back to reality.

I shook my head, indicating I was fine. "How's the battle going?"

"Prime Minister Li's rebels have been repelled, but the border is in danger. The enemy general Hu is leading a 100,000-strong army, and the governor of Wu County can hardly hold on." Zhen Youcai's tone was heavy, his brows furrowed.

"A hundred thousand troops..." I muttered to myself, feeling even more anxious. Internal and external troubles, these are truly troubled times!

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to fight, repel the enemy and protect our territory!" Zhen Youcai knelt on one knee with a firm tone.

I helped him up, my eyes firm. "You have talent. I believe in you. The journey is long, so be careful. I and the people await your triumphant return."

"The minister obeys the order!"

On the eve of the army's departure, Zhen Youcai, I and a group of generals gathered in the military tent to discuss the battle plan.

"Your Majesty, Hu Di knows that this general is brave and good at fighting, but he is suspicious and self-willed. Perhaps we can take advantage of this..." Inside the tent, Military Advisor Guo held a feather fan, pointed to a place on the map, and talked freely.

Zhen Youcai and I exchanged glances and said in unison, "A plot to sow discord?"

Military Advisor Guo nodded and continued, "I suggest we spread rumors that General Hu is plotting a rebellion, and forge letters in which he is plotting with the enemy nation. This will create a rift between him and his deputy, the horse bandit. Ideally, we could get them to kill each other, and then we could seize the opportunity to take him down in one fell swoop!"

I pondered for a moment. This is indeed a good plan, but how can I make the enemy general Hu believe it and make him suspicious of the horse thieves?

"Your Majesty, I have a plan..." Deputy General Ma, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke with a gleam in his eyes.

"Tell me about it." I motioned for him to continue.

"We can..." Deputy General Ma came closer, lowered his voice, and explained his plan...

Lieutenant General Ma leaned in closer, lowering his voice with a hint of sternness in his tone: "We can send out an elite squad, disguise them as our deserters, deliberately allow them to be captured by the enemy, and then spread rumors in the enemy camp, saying that the enemy general Hu has long had second thoughts and wants to use this battle to wear down our strength so that we can reap the benefits!"

After hearing this, I couldn't help but be enlightened. Deputy General Ma's trick of "throwing a brick to attract jade" was really brilliant! General Hu was suspicious by nature. If he heard such a rumor, he would definitely be suspicious. If I could provide other evidence at that time, I wouldn't be afraid that he would not believe it.

"This is a brilliant plan!" I glanced at Lieutenant General Ma approvingly. "I'll leave this matter entirely to you. Remember, select smart and reliable people, and don't let the news leak out."

"I obey your command!" Lieutenant General Ma accepted the order, his eyes flashing with excitement, and turned around to arrange the tasks.

A few days later, Lieutenant General Ma sent a message saying that he had arranged a team of elite soldiers, led by him personally, who had successfully infiltrated the enemy army and spread rumors as planned.

As expected, upon hearing the news, General Hu flew into a rage and immediately ordered a thorough investigation. But the more he investigated, the more alarmed he became, because the "deserters" were so convincing, their claims sounding as if they were true. He also noticed that his deputy, the horse thief, had been acting strangely recently...

Once the seeds of doubt are planted, they grow like weeds. General Hu Di began to doubt everyone around him, including his brothers who had fought side by side through thick and thin. He became moody and easily angered his fellow soldiers, and the atmosphere in the army became extremely tense and oppressive.

When I learned about this, I was secretly delighted. It seemed our plan was already halfway successful. Next, we just had to wait for their internal conflicts to erupt completely...

"Report--" At this moment, an urgent report suddenly came from outside the tent. A scout ran in quickly, knelt on one knee, and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened! General Hu Di and his deputy general are horse thieves... They are in the camp..." "Your Majesty, something bad has happened! General Hu Di and his deputy general are horse thieves... They are in the camp..." The scout spoke in a hurried tone, but did not dare to say the next word.

"Speak boldly!" I shouted softly, and an imperial aura emanated unconsciously, which frightened the scout.

"Yes! They were fighting... in the camp! Apparently, the bandit accidentally let slip that he was our spy. General Hu was furious, and the two men engaged in swordfighting on the spot!"

My heart was struck with excitement. This was a godsend! "Pass the order! All troops muster immediately and prepare for attack!"

"Your Majesty, should we wait a little longer? Although the enemy army is in internal strife, they still have strength..." Military Advisor Guo looked worried and reminded.

"No need to wait! The opportunity for battle is fleeting. If we don't attack now, when will we?" I said firmly, my eyes gleaming with determination. "Pass the order down. General Zhen will lead the cavalry ahead. They must disrupt the enemy's formation with lightning speed! The rest of the troops will follow closely. We must defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!"

"According to the order!"

Suddenly, the sound of trumpets resounded through the sky, and the long-silent military camp was instantly in an uproar. I stood on the high platform, looking out at the vast army, my heart filled with pride.

Soon, scouts arrived to report that General Zhen had already led his cavalry in a fierce engagement with the enemy, throwing them into disarray and suffering heavy casualties. I was secretly delighted; it seemed our plan was going smoothly.

"Pass the order down, the entire army will attack!" With my order, the soldiers who had been unable to contain themselves for a long time rushed towards the enemy camp like a tiger descending from the mountain, and their momentum was unstoppable.

The enemy army was already demoralized by internal strife, and now, after being attacked by our army, it was thrown into even greater chaos. Our soldiers fought bravely and with unstoppable force, the enemy was defeated step by step.

"Your Majesty! The enemy general and the horse bandit were both badly wounded and have been captured alive by our army!"

The victory news finally brought a huge sense of relief to my heart. We won this battle beautifully!

"Pass the order down. Bury the fallen soldiers with honor and comfort the wounded. As for those two..." I paused, my eyes swept over the two people who were being escorted in from a distance, bound and tied up. A sneer curled up at the corner of my mouth. "Bring them up here. I want to interrogate them personally!"

However, I know in my heart that victory in this war is only the beginning...

The enemy general and the bandit were brought before me in a panic, both covered in wounds and glaring. I sneered and looked down at them condescendingly: "What? Weren't you good fighters? Why are you so weak now?"

"The victor is the king, the loser is the bandit. I will kill you or chop you up as you please!" General Hu stiffened his neck, looking as if he would rather die than surrender. The horse thief, on the other hand, looked evasive, as if he was secretly plotting something.

"I'm in a good mood today and don't want to kill anyone." I waved my hand, signaling the guards to untie them. "Tell me, do you have any last words?"

"Your Majesty, please be merciful!" Upon hearing this, the horse thief immediately knelt and kowtowed. "I have something to tell you. I only beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"

I raised an eyebrow with interest: "Oh? Tell me about it."

"It's about... about the enemy..." The bandit lowered his voice deliberately, his eyes flickering, "They... they..."

I waited patiently, but saw him hesitating and unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"Your Majesty, there's no need to waste time with such traitors." Zhen Youcai stepped forward and said in a cold voice, "In my opinion, we should simply behead them and set an example for others!"

"No hurry." I raised my hand to stop him, my eyes once again fixed on the horse thief. "I'll give you one last chance. Will you tell me or not?"

The horse thief trembled all over, as if he had finally made up his mind: "Your Majesty! I say! Actually... Actually..."

His voice became softer and softer, but my heart grew heavier and heavier. Could something else have happened?

"Actually..." He took a deep breath, "The enemy has sufficient food and supplies, and..."

"And what?" I demanded.

"And..." He looked up at me, then at Zhen Youcai standing beside him, and finally gritted his teeth, "And they also have an... elite force stationed in..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a loud shout: "Shut up!"

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw the Wu Jun prefect rushing out from the crowd with an anxious look on his face. He pointed at the horse thief and cursed him, "What nonsense! You traitor, stop misleading the people with your lies!"

I was even more confused and was about to ask when Zhen Youcai's face suddenly changed. He suddenly grabbed my hand and said, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! We..."