Chapter 23
At that moment, Lin Beifan returned with the grand army of the Xia Kingdom.
Looking at the grief-stricken Mo Kingdom Emperor on the other side of the rift and then at the Mo Kingdom troops within the chasm, he burst into laughter: “I’ve always said that our Xia army is the army of righteousness, executing the will of heaven, and with divine assistance, we were destined to win this battle!”
“Look, haven’t we won now? With just a turn of the earth dragon, the Mo Kingdom’s army was overturned. We won effortlessly and with ease—this is the will of Heaven, haha!”
The soldiers of the Xia Kingdom were all dumbfounded!
Doubts inevitably arose in their hearts; were they truly a righteous army, blessed by the heavens to win this battle?
But the moment they saw the smug Lin Beifan, that thought was instantly cast out of their minds far beyond the highest clouds.
How could the heavens bless such a foolish emperor?
That would truly be blindness!
It could only be said that this foolish emperor’s luck was incredibly good!
No sooner had he fled then an earthquake struck, leaving him unscathed while the great army of the Mo Kingdom perished!Dogshit luck!!!
But, such words could not be spoken aloud.
Faced with the exceedingly proud Lin Beifan, they unanimously began to flatter him.
First was An Lushan.
With a big belly, he spoke obsequiously, “Your Majesty’s words are most true! Our expedition is to carry out Heaven’s will, we are the army of justice, and that’s why Heaven lends us its aid! However, I believe that all of this is inseparable from Your Majesty’s wise leadership! Without Your Majesty’s guidance, we would not have achieved this glorious victory! Your Majesty is wise and sagacious!”
Then came Heshen.
This fellow was more experienced in the ways of the world and said, “I have always thought that it must be because Your Majesty is a man of good fortune that Heaven aids him, thus turning misfortune into blessings and disaster into prosperity! Only a true Son of Heaven could enjoy such blessings!”
Following that were the other generals and officials, each one more sycophantic than the last, each one more shameless.
Flattery came rolling in, and Lin Beifan couldn’t help but be amused: “Haha! My ministers speak sensibly, all very pragmatic. I am greatly comforted. Upon your return, you will all be richly rewarded!”
“Thank you for your imperial grace!” the crowd said in unison.
At that moment, Lin Beifan drew his sword and bellowed, “Warriors of the Xia Kingdom! The Mo Kingdom’s forces have been vanquished and the danger has passed. Now is the time for us to lead our armies northward! All troops, follow me… Charge!”
“Charge!!!” The morale of the Xia Kingdom’s soldiers soared.
With the Mo Kingdom’s forces decimated, only a few stragglers and defeated generals remained. Could they not win this battle?
This is a gift of military exploits, not to be missed for free!
Instantly, the 200,000-strong army of the Xia Kingdom surged forward with great excitement, attacking the opposite shore.
The Emperor of the Mo Kingdom and the remaining generals, upon witnessing this scene, turned pale with fright.
“Quick! We must escape!”
Leading the remnants of their defeated troops, they fled towards the Mo Kingdom.
Lin Beifan, on the other hand, led the 200,000-strong army in hot pursuit, once again incorporating the territory of the Mo Kingdom into the map of the Xia Kingdom.
The outcome of this battle, as if it had grown wings, spread rapidly throughout the land.
Everyone was stunned.
“Xia Kingdom… actually won?”
“Wow! Totally unexpected. There was an earthquake in Xia Kingdom, the ground split open, and a fissure appeared right on the battlefield between the two nations, swallowing up Mo Kingdom’s army of 400,000, while Xia Kingdom’s troops remained unharmed!”
“Fate cannot be overcome by supernatural powers. Who could have predicted such an event?”
“Mo Kingdom’s luck is just too bad, isn’t it? First, the collapse of the iron mine cost them 200,000 troops! Now, an earthquake has taken another 400,000, crippling the nation, it’s pitiful!”
“Should we say that this foolish emperor is incredibly lucky instead? To be able to turn the tables against all odds?”
“This foolish emperor, whose life should not have ended, what a pity!”
Everyone shook their heads; the battle was too bizarre!
Those who should have won did not win, and those who shouldn’t have won took all the victories!
Those who should have died did not die, and those who shouldn’t have died were all gone!
Just how much virtue did this foolish emperor accumulate in his past life, and how much fortune did he cultivate to have such heaven-defying luck?
At this moment, Lin Beifan was still leading the great army to attack the Mo Kingdom.
As the military forces of the Mo Kingdom had almost been entirely wiped out, with the remaining troops having lost the will to resist and no desire to continue fighting, Lin Beifan encountered no obstacles as he conquered city after city.
In less than a week, he had managed to capture all territories except for the Mo Kingdom’s Capital City.
At this point, Lin Beifan was leading his grand army right to the gates of the city.
Although the Mo Kingdom’s Capital City still had nearly 200,000 soldiers, fully capable of standing their ground against the Xia Kingdom, they had been thoroughly intimidated by Lin Beifan and were now firmly defending the Capital City, with the city gates firmly shut.
Lin Beifan bellowed, “Old man Long Yu (the revered name of the Mo Kingdom’s Emperor), I know you’re hiding in the city! You’re no good at fighting but quite good at running, eh? From now on, you shouldn’t be called Long Yu; ‘Long Paopao’ would suit you better!” (TLN: “跑” (Pǎo)=Run)
The Emperor of the Mo Kingdom felt an immense humiliation!
Taking personal command of the battle, not only did he fail to achieve victory, but he was also embarrassingly defeated and forced to flee by the enemy, losing all face!
Moreover, this is already the second time that territory has been lost!
To think that he has been defeated twice in a row by a foolish emperor—does this not imply that he is even worse than that foolish emperor?
The shame is unbearable, so much so that he is contemplating suicide!
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