Chapter 207: Incurring Public Wrath!
After leaving the tent, Xiao Xun had a face full of fury. "Duan Ling Tian, that Gu Xuan went too far!"
Duan Ling Tian's eyes flashed with a trace of a bright light as he smiled and said, "Xiao Xun, some people want to bring disgrace on themselves, so there's no need for you to get angry at him."
Xiao Xun and Xiao Yu were both stunned when they heard what Duan Ling Tian said, and they didn't understand what Duan Ling Tian meant.
"Do you two think that taking Southern Barbaric City will be so simple? Just wait for that Gu Xuan to make a fool of himself...Humph!" A trace of disdain appeared on the corners of Duan Ling Tian's mouth.
Earlier, although he had only glanced at the layout of the Southern Barbaric City, he'd already comprehended it within his heart...And he understood in his heart that even if with the Crimson Wyrm Army as reinforcements, it was still going to be extremely difficult to breach the Southern Barbaric City.
Not only that, but the Southern Barbaric City was located within a natural barrier of defense, and if the army was unable to breach it at the first try, they would suffer enormous losses.
Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun didn't quite understand what Duan Ling Tian said.
Half a month later.
The Crimson Sky Kingdom's forces prepared to dispatch their soldiers to attack the Southern Barbaric City, and Gu Xuan became the strategist of this battle, as expected.
"Duan Ling Tian, that Gu Xuan is about to go out to battle with the army and direct the battle...How can you still sleep?" Xiao Xun looked at Duan Ling Tian, who was lying on his bed during the day, with an anxious expression.
"What are you anxious about?" Duan Ling Tian shook his head and laughed.
Xiao Xun and Xiao Yu were slightly speechless towards Duan Ling Tian's reaction.
Only after three days did the army that went out 30 miles to attack Southern Barbaric City return, and only then did they understand the meaning of what Duan Ling Tian had said that day.
The Crimson Sky Kingdom attacked the Southern Champion Kingdom...
Southern Barbaric Kingdom was steady like Mt. Tai, whereas the Crimson Sky Kingdom's army suffered tremendous losses.
Luckily, the 10,000 Crimson Wyrm Army soldiers retreated in time under the command of Nie Fen, and only a portion of them suffered light injuries. There were no casualties among them.
Moreover, the 300 Star General Department students from Paladin Academy followed the Crimson Wyrm Army, and thus returned alive.
The border army, however, suffered over 10,000 casualties!
After Xiao Xun heard of the news, he was extremely shocked as well, and he looked at Duan Ling Tian as he asked, "Duan Ling Tian, you were so confident half a month ago. Could it be that you knew that it would be impossible for that Gu Xuan to direct that battle to breach the Southern Barbaric City?"
"Humph! It isn't that easy to breach Southern Barbaric City," Duan Ling Tian said indifferently.
That day when he saw the layout of Southern Barbaric City, he knew that unless the strategy of 'removing the firewood from under the pot, sneaking along an unknown path' of the 36 stratagems was used in combination with the strategy of 'to borrow arrows with thatched boats' from the romance of the three kingdoms, it would be impossible to breach Southern Barbaric City. [1] [2]
Moreover, these were strategies that Gu Xuan would probably never even dream of.
"If it was you instead, do you have a way?" Xiao Xun's gaze shone as he asked.
"What do you think?" The corners of Duan Ling Tian's mouth held a smile as he answered with a question.
At this moment, Xiao Xun could clearly feel the strong confidence that Duan Ling Tian revealed, and he knew that Duan Ling Tian surely had a way.
"Duan Ling Tian, isn't it slightly inappropriate for you to do this? Since you have a way, why didn't you say so at that day?" Xiao Yu, who hadn't opened his mouth all this time, frowned as he spoke.
After all, the border army had lost more than 10,000 people this time!
These were all very real lives!
Duan Ling Tian shrugged. "Xiao Yu, you were there during the incident the other day, so you saw it clearly. Leaving Gu Xian disparaging us aside, in the end, General He actually believed what he said and asked us to leave...Do you think that at that time, General He would believe me if I said I had a way to breach Southern Barbaric City? Would those two strategists believe me?"
"So the death of those 10,000 plus officers...If it were to be blamed on someone, then it could only be blamed on that General He and Gu Xuan!" As Duan Ling Tian finished speaking, he had a face full of a cold smile.
Of course, there was some things that Duan Ling Tian didn't say.
Before the Crimson Sky Kingdom's army went out to battle this time, Nie Fen had come to see him and told him about the stratagem Gu Xuan devised.
At that time, Duan Ling Tian noticed two obvious flaws within the stratagem.
However, an average person was completely incapable of noticing those two flaws, and even if he were to warn them, others wouldn't believe him...But as long a critical juncture arrived, those two flaws would surely be exposed.
So he warned Nie Fen.
As long Nie Fen noticed that things weren't going well, he was to immediately command the Crimson Wyrm Army to retreat from the battlefield without a shred of hesitance!
If it wasn't for him warning Nie Fen, it would impossible for the 10,000 officers of the Crimson Wyrm Army to return intact.
Xiao Yu pondered for a moment when he heard what Duan Ling Tian said, and he knew that what Duan Ling Tian said made sense. He smiled apologetically to Duan Ling Tian. "Duan Ling Tian, I shouldn't have blamed you, I was too rash."
"No harm's done. It's over 10,000 lives after all." Duan Ling Tian shook his head and made nothing of it.
"Humph! That Gu Xuan, how arrogant and conceited he was that day. Let's see if he dares to be that complacent now...Allegedly, after they returned today, they'd all remained within the tent at the center, and that Gu Xuan's expression probably is as unsightly as unsightly can be right now." Xiao Xun grunted coldly, and the corners of his mouth curled into a mocking smile,."The defeat in battle this time can be said to be all his responsibility, as it was entirely his strategy that went wrong!"
Xiao Yu's eyes flashed with a trace of coldness as well. "That Gu Xuan has completely lost face for the Prime Minister's Estate this time...If Prince Minister Gu were to find out, he'd probably be angered to the point of spitting blood! In a few words and a lousy strategy, he led over 10,000 officers to their deaths... I'm afraid it's a feat only that Gu Xuan is capable of."
"I still remember the flattering appearance of that General He and those two strategists before Gu Xuan that day...And they even said that Gu Xuan inherited Prime Minister Gu's wisdom. I'm really curious, what will their expressions look like when they face Gu Xuan once again." As he finished speaking, although Xiao Xun had no intention of being disrespectful to those 10,000 plus dead soldiers, he was still slightly delighted in the misfortunes of Gu Xuan.
Presently, He Wei An and the two strategists under his command had unsightly appearances.
"11,352 brothers have died...." Within the spacious tent, He Wei An's expression was extremely unsightly as he gazed at Gu Xuan, who had an equally unsightly expression and a face full of shame and resentment. As if he'd forgotten Gu Xuan's distinguished identity, he said, "Gu Xuan, don't you owe me an explanation? Our border army fully cooperated with your strategy, but over 10,000 people were entrapped and killed by the Southern Champion Kingdom!"
"Didn't you say that your strategy was foolproof?" He Wei An's face was crimson as he burst into rage.
The status Hu Wei An had today and the ability to make an army of 10,000 follow him, he earned all of this by going through tremendous hardships and slowly working his way up step by step. Normally, he was even famous for valuing his subordinate troops.
Once, a Centurion under his command was assassinated by people of the Southern Champion Kingdom that had snuck into Relentless Thriving City. He headed to the Southern Champion Kingdom alone, snuck into Southern Barbaric City, and killed two Captains of the enemy!
After that time, he was called Madman He by the people of the Southern Champion Kingdom! And since then, the Southern Champion Kingdom didn't dare conduct an assassination anymore.
"He Wei An, this Young Master has already told you that those Southern Champion Kingdom people are too crafty." Gu Xuan's face sank as he once again repeated himself.
The Southern Champion Kingdom people are too crafty?
What excuse is this?
Pu!
He Wei An was angered to the point that his face flushed and he actually spat out a mouthful of blood. He extended his hand to point at Gu Xuan and howled, in lament and resentment, "Gu Xuan, if it wasn't for you being the son of the Lord Prime Minister...Just for the crime of leading over 10,000 of my brothers to death, you would undoubtedly die today!"
This time, if it was a strategist under his command that had led over 10,000 officers to death, he would have long since directly blasted him to death!
But he was utterly helpless, as this Gu Xuan's background was too prominent; otherwise, he would absolutely not allow Gu Xuan to live for even a second longer.
"What? You want to kill me for that?" Gu Xuan's face sank as he sneered. "It's only 10,000 or so lowly lives. Do you think they can compare to this Young Master's distinguished life?"
Being pressured from various sources caused Gu Xuan to be on the verge of collapse, and he almost lost all reason.
If it was him in normal times, he would definitely not say such a thing in this sort of situation.
"What did you say?!" He Wei An's face went gloomy. He was once again angered to the point that he spat out a mouthful of blood, and the killing intent within his body was difficult to suppress any longer, so it gushed out.
Nie Fen, who hadn't spoken all this time, kicked out and his eyes went cold. He kicked Gu Xuan flying as he coldly shouted, "Gu Xuan, after leading so many brothers to death, not only did you not apologize, you actually said such words that were utterly devoid of conscience...Today, I'll properly teach you a lesson in Prime Minister Gu's stead!"
"Nie Fen, you dare to touch me?!" Gu Xuan stood up, and his eyes went cold with towering hatred.
"Brother Gu Xuan." The two Paladin Academy Star Mastermind Department students that had always followed beside Gu Xuan hurriedly stopped Gu Xuan with faces full of bitter smiles.
"What? You two think I'm wrong as well?" Gu Xuan's face sank.
"Brother Gu Xuan, what you said earlier was indeed going too far."
"Yeah, those were 10,000 actual lives."
Both of them smiled bitterly.
Meanwhile, Gu Xuan took a deep breath and calmed down as well, and he realized that he was indeed too rash earlier.
However, asking him to apologize and admit his mistakes was impossible!
He was the extremely lofty son of the Prime Minister; how could he easily apologize to another?
"Kill Gu Xuan!"
"Make him pay with his life for the lives of over 10,000 brothers!"
"Kill Gu Xuan!"
"A life for a life!"
...
Right at this moment, deafening roars sounded throughout the entire campsite with immense force.
Gu Xuan's face went deathly pale.
Nie Fen frowned and walked out with large strides.
With a glance, Nie Fen noticed that besides the 10,000 plus officers of the Crimson Wyrm Army under his command, the nearly 90,000 remaining officers of the border army had all gathered around this tent, and all of their faces were filled with fury....
They were here to take revenge for their 10,000 plus dead brothers!
What son of the Prime Minister? They didn't care!
They only wanted to use Gu Xuan's fresh blood to comfort the souls of their 10,000 plus brothers in heaven!
"If you don't want to die, then you better not go out." He Wei An's icy cold gaze swept Gu Xuan, who'd long since been terrified to the point that his face went deathly pale and his legs trembled, as he took a deep breath and walked out of the tent with a pair of crimson eyes.
"General!" At the moment that He Wei An walked out of the tent, the nearly 90,000 officers outside the tent directly knelt down on the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
...
It was as if the ground quaked and the hills swayed, the mountains fell and the earth split!
"It's I who have wronged our dead brothers!" The tears within He Wei An's eyes couldn't be held back any longer when he saw this scene....
A man does not shed tears if he hasn't been deeply hurt!
"General, it has nothing to do with you, it's all that Gu Xuan's fault!"
"Exactly, if it wasn't for him asking our brothers to go deep into the enemy forces, those brothers of ours wouldn't have died!"
"He sent our brothers to their deaths!"
"We suspect he's a spy from the Southern Champion Kingdom!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
...
Public sentiment was roused within the crowd of officers from the border army.
Gu Xuan had incurred public wrath!
[1] TL Note: Removing the firewood from under the pot (釜底抽薪), sneaking along an unknown path (暗度陈仓) can both be searched for using the Chinese text within the wiki page for the 36 Stratagems (https,//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Stratagems). To borrow arrows with thatched boats (草船借箭) can be googled by using the English translation (http,//www.theepochtimes.com/n3/309040-chinese-idioms-borrowing-arrows-with-thatched-boats-%E8%8D%89%E8%88%B9%E5%80%9F%E7%AE%AD/).
[2] TL Note: If anyone who has read the raw or sees a discrepancy in the raw to my translation from this paragraph and onwards, please know that I slightly altered what the author wrote regarding the 36 Stratagems only because I wanted to make the story more accurate. Please don't roast me for that.