Princess and the General

An Arrow Through the Throat (Part One)

Sponsored Content

Yu Fu wrote about the situation in court in a letter and sent it to the border.
At the same time, the first proper battle on the border was beginning.

Smoke rose from Zhu Guan, and the people around the city were in a panic.
At the nearby Lesser Zhu Pass, General Xu and General Lu were standing by, ready to join in at any time.

“General, aren’t you a little too nervous? When the Gu family’s army fights, when have they ever needed our help?”

A subordinate quietly said this, and General Xu thought for a moment.
Turning around, he descended from the top of the city wall.

“You’re right.
It’s just that I have been stationed at Lesser Zhu Pass for five years, and I see the smoke rising every year, but this is the first time that I have ever been able to hear the cannons from this far away…”

Listening to the fighting, just how fierce was the fighting from both sides!

If not for him being tasked with being stationed at Lesser Zhu Pass, he really would have wanted to go to the frontlines to see this once-in-a-lifetime fight.

The soldiers followed his gaze and looked off into the distance.
Aside from the billowing smoke, they could not see anything.

“At this time, I wonder if Weizhou’s reserve troops have been dispatched to reinforce them.”

General Xu suddenly remembered something, “If orders for reinforcements come from the frontlines, immediately contact this general!”

Sponsored Content

Even into the afternoon, an order for reinforcements never came to Lesser Zhu Pass.
All that did arrive was a report of victory, and the citizens in the city rejoiced.

“Head General Gu personally took to the battlefield.
It’s natural that we would be victorious! With head general present, we residents of Lesser Zhu Pass can live peacefully for decades!”

The citizens rejoiced, and the soldiers also discussed it, “Only with the Gu family’s army fighting on the frontline can we enjoy a peaceful life at Lesser Zhu Pass.
If the situation on the frontlines was not so stable, we… would also see some achievements at the costs of thousands of lives.”

Achievements obtained at the cost of thousands of lives.

General Xu contemplated this saying and thought to himself that if the cost of obtaining achievements on the battlefield was thousands of lives, he would rather spend the rest of his life guarding Lesser Zhu Pass as a normal general with no military accomplishments.

…

Western Kun’s general was chased away from Zhu Guan and away from the area near Zhu Mountain.
As part of the vanguard, Gu ShuBai raised his arm and was about to order a victorious pursuit when he heard an order shouted out by a communications officer.

“An order from the head general, do not pursue the defeated enemy.
The vanguard is to retreat back to the camp!”

“Stop.”

The cavalry at the very front of the group pulled on their horses’ reins, and the horses reared up, as sand was kicked up by their hooves.

Sponsored Content

The soldiers’ morale was low.
In all of these years, they have never seen Western Kun’s border cities.
They would just chase them away, but who knew that it would be the same this time around too.

They looked over at Gu ShuBai, and Gu ShuBai looked over at the communications officer.

This was not right.
This was not what Gu HuaiJiang had told them before.

He had said that they would be on the offensive more than on the defensive.
They would leave Western Kun too afraid to invade ever again.
Why would he have them retreat again?

Gu ShuBai’s eyes were like nails, fiercely glaring at the retreating Western Kun army.

The communications officer repeated himself again, “Young general, these are orders from the head general!”

Gu ShuBai cast an unreconciled look at Western Kun’s army.
At a distance of roughly 100 paces away, they would be able to chase down and kill half of their soldiers if they did give chase.

It was because the border between the two countries lay in that 100-pace gap that they could not cross over the small line of rocks.
They could only watch the people from Western Kun escape.

The feelings of resentment were ones that members of the Gu family army were quite familiar with.

This was what happened every year.
This was even more the case after the two countries established diplomatic relations this year.
The court always talked about peace being the priority.

Sponsored Content

Shit!

Gu ShuBai resolutely retracted his gaze and turned his horse around, “Vanguard, turn around and return to the camp!”

Seeing the Gu family’s army turn back, one of Western Kun’s fleeing generals was a little delighted and slowed their horse down.

“Do you see that? Even if they gained the advantage in this battle, so what? Eastern Ling’s people are cowardly little rabbits who don’t dare to attack us.
As long as we pass by Zhu Mountain and return to Western Kun’s borders, they don’t dare to attack at all!”

Whoosh-

A long arrow soared through the air, and before anyone could react, it pierced through the throat of the general that had been acting delighted just a moment earlier.

Turning back to take a look, they saw Gu ShuBai standing at the border and slowly lowering his bow.

His handsome eyes were like stars, solemn and determined, “Even without crossing the border, I can claim your lives.
Do you believe it?”

Western Kun’s soldiers did not think that he would disobey Gu HuaiJiang’s orders.
In the past, they only knew of Gu HuaiJiang as Eastern Ling’s god of war.
Who knew that this handsome and young general would also have such a bearing.

Now was not the time to anger him.
What would they do if he became infuriated and charged over with his troops?

Sponsored Content

Western Kun’s soldiers threw down their helmets and armor then fled in all directions after a moment of hesitation.

The communications officer was at the back of the group and did not say anything.
He just continued to direct the army on its way back.
Yan Zheng rode over to Gu ShuBai’s side.

“Young general, will this be considered going against the head general’s orders?”

The head general’s orders were to not pursue the enemy and return to the camp; however, Gu ShuBai stopped and shot an arrow at the enemy.

He even shot an arrow through a person’s neck, which was a sight that even frightened him.

Gu ShuBai turned his horse around with a relaxed demeanor, “Think about it, why did the head general tell us to turn back?”

“Hah! What other reason could there possibly be?!”

Yan Zheng acted like a learned person, reciting all of the reasons, “Because the border is just ahead, and our Eastern Ling is a reasonable country that does not invade its neighbors.
We must not cross that border.
As long as we can drive back Western Kun’s army, that’s good…”

“You can scarcely be blamed.
When you were eavesdropping outside the tent that night, you were chased away by uncle Yan halfway through the meeting, so you wouldn’t understand father’s intentions.”

He rode back, and Yan Zheng curiously followed along behind him, “What did the head general say after I was chased away? Young general, tell me!”

“Father said that we will counterattack this time and hand Western Kun a crushing defeat.
We will make them too afraid to ever attack us ever again.
Think about it.
Since father has already said this, why did he still tell us to not pursue?”