From cute to empress

Military Advisor Guo's letter was like a thunderclap, waking Youcai and I from our brief respite. Fighting had broken out again on the border, and this time, the target was directly targeting the enemy general—General Hu.

"This man is very cunning and always cautious. It will be difficult to capture him alive!" Youcai checked the map again and again, his brows furrowed, his tone solemn.

I put down the memorial in my hand, walked over to his side, and pointed to a valley on the map. "Right here, Hulu Valley."

Youcai raised his eyebrows, "You want to..."

I nodded and detailed my plan. Youcai couldn't help but applaud, "What a clever trick! But..." He looked worried. "While this plan is brilliant, it requires you and me to split up. I'm really worried about you taking this risk alone."

"Don't worry, I'm protected by secret guards, so I'll be fine." I held his hand, my tone firm. "Besides, we must capture the leader first. As long as we eliminate the enemy generals, peace will be restored to the border."

The next morning, before daybreak, Youcai mustered his troops and feigned defeat against the Hu enemy generals, fighting and retreating until they reached Hulu Valley. I, along with my secret guards, ambushed them on the hillsides on either side of the valley entrance, quietly waiting for our prey to be captured.

Time ticked by, I clutched my clairvoyance tightly, my heart pounding with the distant sounds of fighting. Finally, a group appeared on the horizon. It was none other than General Hu and his entourage, lured here by Youcai.

They had been chasing us all the way, exhausted, and with victory in sight, they had let down their guard and entered Hulu Valley without any preparation. Seeing that they had entered the encirclement, I took a deep breath and gestured to the secret guards behind me.

"Fire arrows!"

At once, thousands of arrows were fired, pouring down from both sides of the valley, and the enemy general's troops were immediately thrown into chaos. Youcai also took the opportunity to lead his troops out of the valley entrance, attacking from both sides, and the sound of killing shook the sky.

"Your Majesty, we've fallen into a trap! Retreat!"

I lowered my clairvoyance, a cold smile curling up at the corner of my mouth. "General Hu, you can't escape today!" I drew the long whip from my waist, leaped down, and headed straight for General Hu...

I held my breath, crouching behind a bush on the hillside, my guards equally poised beside me. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, casting dappled spots of light on the ground. The distant cries of killing grew clearer, and I knew my prey was about to be caught.

I gripped my clairvoyance tightly and re-examined my surroundings. This valley, called Hulu Valley, had a wide entrance, making it easy to enter but difficult to exit. The mountains on either side were steep, making it a perfect location for an ambush. Youcai and I had rehearsed this numerous times beforehand, ensuring every step was flawless.

"Your Majesty, the enemy's vanguard has entered Hulu Valley." The secret guard beside him reported in a low voice.

I nodded and trained my clairvoyance toward the valley's entrance. Sure enough, a mighty force was pouring into the valley, led by none other than the enemy general, atop a towering horse. He was clad in military uniform, his expression arrogant, and completely oblivious to the approaching danger.

"Pass the order down, no one is allowed to act rashly without my order." I lowered my voice, but my tone was unquestionable and majestic.

"Yes, sir!" The secret guard took the order and left.

I continued to observe the situation in the valley and saw that General Hu's troops had already entered the depths of the valley, while the army led by Youcai followed slowly behind, always keeping a safe distance from them.

"Your Majesty, the main force of the enemy has entered Hulu Valley. Can we take action now?" the secret guard asked again.

I smiled slightly, and a cold gleam flashed in my eyes.

"No rush, let's wait a little longer." I pointed to the end of the team, where there was a smaller group escorting food and supplies. "It won't be too late to close the net after they all enter the valley."

Time passed minute by minute, and finally, the last grain cart entered Hulu Valley. I took a deep breath and slowly stood up, the long whip in my hand gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"Pass the order and prepare for action!"

At my command, the archers who had been lying in ambush on the hillsides on both sides fired thousands of arrows at once. The dense rain of arrows covered the sky like locusts and poured down towards the enemy troops at the bottom of the valley.

"Kill!" Deafening cries of killing echoed through the valley. Like a tiger descending from the mountain, the troops led by Youcai charged from the rear, scattering the unprepared enemy troops. General Hu, who had been confident of victory, was thrown into disarray by this sudden turn of events. He commanded his troops to resist while attempting to organize a breakout. However, Hulu Valley was long and narrow, flanked by steep cliffs, making it difficult to defend. Despite his struggles, he could not break through the encirclement.

I rode calmly, observing the battle unfolding in the valley, whip in hand, commanding my troops to methodically encircle and crush the enemy. This battle was doomed from the outset. Our army possessed the advantage of time, place, and people; the enemy had no chance of victory.

As time went on, the enemy's resistance weakened until only General Hu Di and a small group of his personal guards remained. I rode up to the front, looked down at him, and said in a cold voice, "General Hu Di, you are surrounded. Lay down your weapons and surrender, and I will spare your life."

General Hu looked at the corpses scattered around him and knew the situation was hopeless. However, he still refused to surrender. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Who are you? Why are you my enemy?"

"I am the Empress of the Great Zhou, Niu Mengmeng," I said calmly. "You led your army to invade the borders of the Great Zhou, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil. Today is the day you die!"

Upon hearing this, General Hu Di finally showed a hint of fear on his face, but he quickly regained his composure and sneered, "So you are the Empress of the Great Zhou. I've heard of your great name for a long time, but seeing you today, you're nothing special!"

"Hmph, you're about to die, yet you still dare to be stubborn!" I snorted coldly, not wasting time talking to him anymore, and gave the order directly, "Capture the enemy general alive, and kill the rest without mercy!"

At my command, the surrounding soldiers rushed forward and surrounded General Hu. After a fierce battle, General Hu was finally captured. The enemy's morale was greatly crushed, and they threw away their weapons and armor and knelt in surrender.

I ordered General Hu to be brought before me. Seeing his miserable state, I felt no pity at all. I coldly asked, "Tell me, what is your purpose? Who sent you?"

Hu Dijiang remained silent, only looking at me with a venomous look. I knew he wouldn't speak easily, so I ordered him to be taken away and kept under strict guard.

Late at night, I came alone to the tent where the enemy general Hu was imprisoned. He was tied to a pillar, his body covered with scars, but his eyes were still stubborn.

"Who are you?" I asked directly, "Why are you attacking the Great Zhou?"

General Hu Di sneered and said, "Want to know? Dream on!"

I didn't get angry. Instead, I walked up to him, squatted down, looked at him, and said word by word, "Do you think I can't know if you don't tell me?"

I pulled a letter from my sleeve, waved it in front of him, and said, "This is what we found on you. Do you want to see what's written on it?"

General Hu Di's face changed, he suddenly raised his head and stared at the letter in my hand.

"It seems you're eager to know the contents of this letter." I smiled faintly and put the letter away. "As long as you're willing to answer my questions honestly, I might consider letting you die more peacefully."

General Hu was silent for a moment, but he finally spoke, and told a shocking secret in fragments...

"So, your real target is not the Greater Zhouyuan City, but..." I stood up suddenly, and the letter paper in my hand was crumpled into a ball.

"So, your real goal isn't to capture the surrounding cities, but to go straight to Huanglong and capture the capital!" I stood up abruptly, crumpling the letter in my hand. General Hu said nothing, only lowering his head. A subtle sneer played at the corner of his mouth, which made me even more uneasy.

"Someone come!" I shouted outside the tent, and Lieutenant General Ma immediately opened the curtain and came in. "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"Pass the order down, break up the camp and return to the capital overnight!" I said in a firm tone, leaving no room for doubt.

"Your Majesty, but the enemy general is Hu..." Deputy General Ma looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak.

"Don't worry about him," I waved my hand, my tone cold, "Keep him under strict supervision and deal with him when we return to the capital."

"Yes!" Lieutenant General Ma took the order and left. I took one last look at General Hu, who was slumped on the ground, and turned to leave the tent.

The night deepened as the army marched rapidly under the light of torches, each face etched with solemnity. What had been thought to be a simple border skirmish, unexpectedly, lurked a vast conspiracy. The enemy's feint to the east and attacking in the west clearly showed they were well prepared, and we were completely unaware of their plans and capabilities. The safety of the capital hung in the balance.

"Your Majesty, the scouts ahead are reporting," Lieutenant General Ma rode up to my side and spoke in a hurried voice, "The main force of the enemy has arrived at the border town and is launching a fierce attack on it!"

My heart sank. It seemed we were still a step too late. The enemy's speed far exceeded our imagination. Without giving it time to think, I immediately ordered the entire army to speed up and reach the border town before it fell.

However, fate always seemed to like playing tricks on us. When we were less than fifty miles from the border town, we suddenly heard the sound of hurried horse hooves from the front, and a soldier covered in blood stumbled towards us.

"Report... Report to His Majesty..." The soldier panted, his voice trembling, "The border town... The border town has been lost..."

My eyes went dark and I almost fell off the horse, but fortunately Zhen Youcai who was standing beside me caught me in time.

"Your Majesty!" Zhen Youcai's face was solemn, his eyes full of worry.

"No, it's impossible..." I shook my head, unwilling to believe this cruel fact. "The border town has high walls, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. How could it fall so quickly?"

"Your Majesty," the soldier struggled to raise his head, his face filled with fear. "The enemy... the enemy used some kind of sorcery to actually... actually..."

"What is it?" I grabbed the soldier's collar and asked sternly.

"They actually summoned countless monsters to attack the city..."