Chapter 53 Must Go Too

Li Xuantian did not give an immediate answer, turning his gaze toward Li Ye.

"Li Ye, do you have no desire to lead troops into battle?"

Indeed, Li Ye had no intention of commanding troops in combat.

If any other general were to lead the campaign, Li Ye would undoubtedly offer his full assistance, mobilizing provisions from all directions to support the army. However, with Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang eagerly petitioning to fight, Li Ye was quite content to enjoy his leisure.

Regardless of whether this matter was part of Shi Wushuang's scheme, the Emperor had only allocated fifty thousand troops to them. Even if they suffered a crushing defeat and were entirely wiped out by the enemy, it would not shake the foundations of the Dayuan Dynasty. It served as a timely opportunity to suppress both Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang.

Li Ye guessed that this was most likely a calculated plan by the Emperor. Of course, it was also largely related to the fact that the Dayuan Dynasty had recently undergone a massive war, leaving the national treasury empty. The greatest threats to the Dayuan Dynasty came from the northern and western frontiers. A large military force had to be retained to defend against them, leaving very few troops available for deployment.

At the same time, Li Ye found it extremely peculiar. The Kingdom of Annan was not a particularly formidable power; yet, for them to mobilize an army of two hundred thousand seemed somewhat exaggerated. If the conflict dragged on for too long, it would inevitably drain their own national strength. That was practically courting death.

Everything about this affair reeked of strangeness, and Li Ye needed to investigate the truth first. Moreover, if Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang managed to defeat the enemy forces, it would be a joyous outcome for everyone.

Yet, against all expectations, just as others had already volunteered to lead the expedition, the question was thrown back at him.

Left with no choice, Li Ye braced himself and replied, "This son lacks any experience in commanding troops, let alone conducting long-distance raiding campaigns. Since General Changying and Young Master Wushuang have requested to fight, this son naturally dare not step forward to steal their thunder."

"Good-for-nothing! To be so utterly blind to My intentions! Instructing you to lead troops was naturally done in the hope that you might achieve some personal growth. As an imperial prince, you spend your days scheming about commerce and making money, reeking of vulgar copper coins, and failing to mend your ways despite repeated reprimands. To have a son like you is truly an embarrassment to Us!"

Li Xuantian flared up in sudden rage.

Such reprimands were hardly unfamiliar to Li Ye. Over the past few years, he had been scolded every single time they met, to the point where he had long since built up an immunity to it.

He hurriedly put on a look of profound terror. "This son is incompetent and unable to share the burdens of Your Majesty. This son deserves death."

"Rest assured, I have no intention of killing you, but neither will I allow you to remain idle! You shall lead five thousand troops and set out shortly afterward. If General Changying achieves victory in this campaign, you may treat it as a trial by fire. Should she fail, you shall step in to succeed her as the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition and continue leading the troops in combat."

Li Ye was dumbfounded on the spot, utterly unable to comprehend why the Emperor insisted on dispatching him to the borderlands to fight. Could it be that the Emperor had truly seen through him, believing he possessed the talent to defeat a hostile nation?

"Your Majesty, this son genuinely does not know how to lead troops! Furthermore, those five thousand soldiers are nothing more than old and feeble remnants; once they reach the southern regions, more than half of them will likely fall ill, rendering them entirely incapable of forming any combat strength."

Li Ye pleaded bitterly.

Li Xuantian refused to fall for it, saying calmly, "Rest assured, I will not send you to your death. Zhao Wudi will lead ten thousand elite soldiers to set out on the expedition with you. He will ensure your safety!"

All the military officials in the imperial court felt a profound sense of perplexity. Could the Emperor possibly intend for Li Ye to suffer a heavy financial bleeding, using wealth to bribe the Kingdom of Annan into submission?

Most likely, the Kingdom of Annan would never swallow such a trick. Furthermore, if several million taels of silver were truly squandered in this manner, would it not merely subsidize the Kingdom of Annan, enabling them to grow even stronger with such vast sums of money? In the future, they would undoubtedly resume their attacks on Dayuan. That would simply be nurturing a tiger to devour its master!

"This minister objects! His Highness the Sixth Prince's military methods are unsuited for dealing with the Kingdom of Annan. We must absolutely not resort to bribery to force them to withdraw."

The Prince of Equal Rank stepped forward, his expression exceptionally stern.

"Rest assured, Prince of Equal Rank, I know what I am doing! Even if Li Ye leads troops into battle, he is forbidden from resolving this with money. He must defeat the enemy forces and annihilate them utterly."

Li Xuantian declared immediately.

Only then did the Prince of Equal Rank retreat back to his position.

Wearing a bitter, distressed expression, Li Ye muttered, "This son obeys the imperial decree!"

"Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang, hear my decree: Qin Qingxue is appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition, and Shi Wushuang as the Deputy General. You are to mobilize the troops within two days."

"Understood!" the two acknowledged in unison.

"Very well, you have only two days. Hurry and make your preparations!"

Upon exiting the Imperial Study, Zhao Wudi immediately sought out Li Ye.

"Your Highness the Sixth, we must discuss in advance how to resolve the issue of provisions!"

Suddenly, a vital matter crossed Li Ye's mind. "Does General Zhao intend to command cavalry or infantry?"

"Cavalry, of course! The troops under my command are all elites, every last one of them cavalrymen."

"Two horses per man, or one horse per man?" Li Ye continued to inquire.

"This time, His Majesty ordered me to lead the expedition primarily to ensure Your Highness's safety and to coordinate with Your Highness in combat. Besides, the army led by General Changying constitutes the main force. To minimize consumption along the march, I have decided on one horse per man."

Li Ye nodded slightly. "That is not a bad plan. Our forces must not race ahead of the main army!"

"Since I am leading troops to accompany Your Highness, the provisions and medicinal supplies must be resolved by Your Highness."

Zhao Wudi knew very well that the most thorny problem of this expedition would be the supply of provisions. And these matters happened to be Li Ye's greatest strengths. Therefore, without the slightest hesitation, he shifted all responsibilities onto Li Ye to handle.

Li Ye did not refuse, saying with a smile, "Naturally! Since General Zhao is leading ten thousand troops to protect my safety, how could I possibly expect you to provide your own provisions?"

"Splendid! Then I shall go to the military camp and await Your Highness's departure."

"Very well!" Li Ye nodded in assent.

Upon arriving at the gates of the imperial palace, Xiaocui and Linyue hurried forward to greet him.

Xiaocui asked with utmost concern, "What instructions did His Majesty have when he summoned Your Highness?"

Li Ye answered with a wry smile, "His Father Emperor wants me to lead troops into battle. It looks like you two will have to follow me down to the southern regions."

"Wherever Your Highness goes, I go!" Linyue stated plainly.

"Ah? His Majesty is making Your Highness lead troops again? I've heard the southern lands have terrible conditions, and mere poisonous miasma is enough to take a person's life. How could His Majesty make such a decision?"

"How can we criticize the decisions of His Father Emperor? However, Father Emperor is having Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang lead the initial combat. My troops are merely there as a precaution, and might not even be needed. Consider it a military exercise." Li Ye replied.

"How boring. How could Your Highness let others snatch the primary credit?" Linyue expressed her displeasure.

"I have no craving for this credit whatsoever! If Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang manage to win the battle, I shall be the happiest of all."

Li Ye sighed, then waved a hand. "Let us go to the military camp!"

Arriving at the camp, Li Ye observed that his five thousand troops were still persisting in their training. Their spirit and vitality were vastly superior to before, and the entire army radiated a formidable murderous aura. If not for the fact that they were originally remnants of defeated troops, they would undoubtedly be a force of elite soldiers.

Li Ye was immensely satisfied with the officers' training. He immediately assembled the troops and informed them of the impending expedition.

Upon hearing that they were to campaign in the south, quite a few complex expressions appeared on the soldiers' faces.

Li Ye smiled and said, "I see that some of you are feeling afraid. Anyone who does not wish to go on this campaign may step forward; this prince will grant your discharge."

"No, following Your Highness into battle, we are not afraid of death! We only fear being unable to withstand the southern miasma and climate, falling ill and dying before we can even fight, thus dragging Your Highness down," one soldier shouted loudly.

"Indeed!" the others echoed in unison.