Chapter 53: I Must Go Too:
Li Xuantian didn’t agree right away. Instead, he looked toward Li Ye.
“Li Ye, do you not wish to lead the troops into battle?”
Li Ye hadn’t planned on going to war at all. If another general was in charge, he would have fully supported them by gathering provisions and supplies. But since Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang were so eager to volunteer, he was more than happy to sit back and relax.
Whether this was Shi Wushuang’s scheme or not, the Emperor had only granted them fifty thousand troops. Even if they failed and were completely wiped out, it wouldn’t shake the foundation of the Great Yuan Empire. This was the perfect opportunity to suppress Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang.
Li Ye suspected this might even be part of the Emperor’s plan.
Of course, it was also closely related to the empire’s current state. The Great Yuan Empire had just gone through a massive war, and the treasury was nearly empty.
The Empire’s greatest threats were to the north and west, and a large number of troops had to remain stationed there. The available troops were indeed very limited.
At the same time, Li Ye found it strange—Annan wasn’t particularly powerful. Yet, they suddenly raised two hundred thousand troops? That was far too exaggerated.
If the war dragged on, it would drain Annan’s national strength. This was nothing short of suicide.
The whole matter felt suspicious. Li Ye wanted to investigate thoroughly before making any move.
Besides, if Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang managed to defeat the enemy, it would be a win for everyone.
But just when someone had already volunteered to lead the army, the Emperor still turned to ask him.
Li Ye had no choice but to respond reluctantly, “Your son has no experience commanding troops, let alone conducting long-distance operations. Since General Changying and Young Master Wushuang have already volunteered, your son wouldn’t dare to steal the spotlight.”
“Useless! You truly don’t understand my intentions. Assigning you this mission is meant to help you grow. Yet, as a prince, all you do is obsess over making money, reeking of greed. Even after multiple scoldings, you remain unrepentant. Having a son like you is utterly shameful!”
Li Xuantian was furious.
Li Ye wasn’t bothered—he was already used to this kind of scolding. For years, every meeting with his father involved some form of berating. He had developed full immunity.
He quickly acted frightened and said, “Your son is incompetent and unworthy of easing Father’s burden. I deserve to die.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you—but I won’t let you slack off either! You’ll lead five thousand troops and depart shortly after. If General Changying wins, take it as your training. If she fails, you’ll replace her as the Southern Expedition’s commander and continue the war.”
Li Ye was completely dumbfounded. He couldn’t understand why the Emperor insisted on sending him to the front lines. Did he really see through him and believe he could command troops to victory?
“Your Majesty, I truly don’t know how to lead troops! And this five-thousand-man force is made up of the old, weak, and injured. Once we reach the south, half of them might fall ill before we even fight. They’ll be useless in combat,” Li Ye pleaded bitterly.
But Li Xuantian didn’t budge. He said calmly, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die. Zhao Wudi will lead ten thousand elite soldiers and go with you. He’ll ensure your safety.”
All the generals were extremely puzzled.
Could it be the Emperor wanted Li Ye to use money to buy off Annan?
But Annan wouldn’t fall for that.
And if Li Ye really threw hundreds of thousands of silver taels at them, wouldn’t that just help Annan grow stronger?
That would only make them more aggressive and continue attacking the Great Yuan.
Feeding the tiger only to be devoured later!
“I object! His Highness the Sixth Prince’s approach to warfare isn’t suited for dealing with Annan. We absolutely cannot use bribery to make them retreat,” said Prince Bingjian sternly as he stepped forward.
“Rest assured, Prince Bingjian. I know exactly what I’m doing. Even if Li Ye leads the army, he will not use money to win. The enemy must be defeated and eliminated,” Li Xuantian replied.
Only then did Prince Bingjian return to his seat.
Li Ye had a look of despair. “Your son accepts the decree…”
“Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang, listen to the decree. Qin Qingxue is appointed Supreme Commander of the Southern Expedition. Shi Wushuang will serve as Deputy General. You are to depart within two days.”
“Yes!” both of them answered.
“That’s enough. You only have two days. Go prepare immediately.”
After leaving the imperial study, Zhao Wudi quickly approached Li Ye.
“Your Highness, we need to plan ahead on how to handle supplies and provisions.”
Li Ye suddenly thought of something important. “General Zhao, will you be leading cavalry or infantry?”
“Cavalry, of course! My forces are all elite cavalry.”
“One man with two horses, or one man one horse?” Li Ye continued.
“This time, His Majesty wants me to protect Your Highness and coordinate in battle. Since General Changying’s forces are the main army, to reduce the burden along the route, I’ve decided on one man, one horse.”
Li Ye nodded slightly. “That’s good. Our forces shouldn’t move ahead of the main army.”
“I’ll be following you, Your Highness, so all food and medicine must be arranged by you.”
Zhao Wudi knew the greatest challenge of this expedition would be logistics, and that was Li Ye’s specialty. So without hesitation, he pushed all those tasks onto him.
Li Ye didn’t refuse and smiled, “Of course! General Zhao is leading ten thousand troops to ensure my safety—how could I let you worry about supplies?”
“Excellent. I’ll wait for Your Highness at the camp.”
“Good.”
Li Ye nodded in agreement.
At the palace gate, Xiao Cui and Lin Yue rushed up to him.
Xiao Cui asked anxiously, “Your Highness, what did the Emperor summon you for?”
Li Ye replied with a bitter smile, “Father wants me to lead troops into battle. Looks like you’ll be coming with me to the south.”
“I’ll go wherever you go,” Lin Yue said calmly.
“Huh? The Emperor’s sending you to war again? I heard the south has terrible conditions—just the poisonous miasma alone can kill. How could he make such a decision?”
“We can’t question the Emperor’s orders. Besides, he’s letting Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang lead the main army. My troops are just backup. They might not even be needed. Think of it as a practice run,” Li Ye replied.
“How boring. How could you let others steal the credit?” Lin Yue said angrily.
“I’m not jealous of that credit at all. If Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang win the battle, I’ll be thrilled,” Li Ye sighed.
He waved his hand. “Come on, let’s head to the barracks!”
When Li Ye arrived at the military camp, he found his five thousand troops still diligently training. Their energy and spirit had improved dramatically. The whole unit radiated a powerful killing aura.
If not for the fact that they were injured veterans, they would be elite soldiers.
Li Ye was very pleased with the officers’ training. He immediately gathered the troops and announced that they would soon be going to war.
As soon as they heard they were heading south, many of their expressions changed.
Li Ye smiled and said, “I can see some of you are scared. If you don’t want to go, you’re free to withdraw. I’ll discharge you from service.”
“No! We’re not afraid to fight alongside Your Highness! We’re only worried the southern miasma and climate will cripple us before the battle even begins. We might become a burden to you,” one soldier shouted boldly.
“He’s right!” the others echoed in unison.