n this matter; none had any interest in drinking fine wine or watching dances.The next morning, Prince Dingwang's declaration from the previous evening was quickly spread through various channels by a...385 The Wei city fell, and Prince Ding returned.

385. The Wei city was lost

After another bitter battle, when they finally managed to repel the Xi Ling army at dusk, even Mu Songshen had sustained minor injuries. Standing on the city wall, as they watched the retreating Xi Ling troops, both of them finally revealed a tired yet joyful smile.

The moment passed, and Nan Hou couldn't help but frown again, saying in a serious tone, "General Mu, rest well tonight. All matters will be handled by this old man." Mu Songshen had been overworked for days, injured as he was. If he didn't rest now, he might collapse. Mu Songshen frowned and looked towards the distant Xi Ling camp, saying, "I fear that the Xi Ling army may launch a sneak attack tonight." In recent days, the Xi Ling army's offensive had become increasingly fierce and hasty. The defending troops of Wei city, after several days of bitter fighting, could hardly bear more pressure. If the Xi Ling army made another strong assault, Wei city might not hold.

Nan Hou smiled calmly and said, "Rest assured. There is still this old man guarding here. General Mu can rest easy."

Mu Songshen understood Nan Hou's good intentions and nodded, saying, "In that case, I'll trouble the Marquis."

Nan Hou nodded but didn't say anything else.

In the main tent of the Xi Ling army, Lei Tengfeng was inspecting his injured arm while frowning. He said, "I never expected Nan Hou and Mu Songshen to be so formidable." Today's fierce battle had not only injured Mu Songshen but also inflicted a minor wound on Lei Tengfeng in the chaos of battle. However, it wasn't a serious injury.

Lei Zhengting was unsurprised and said calmly, "Nan Hou was once a renowned general of the Great Chu, ennobled for his military achievements. Mu Songshen was also one of General Mo Liufang's top warriors in his youth. With their combined strength, it wouldn't be easy for you to breach Wei city in the short term."

Hearing Lei Zhengting speak thus, a trace of unease appeared on Lei Tengfeng's face as he said, "Please instruct me, Father."

Looking at Lei Tengfeng, Lei Zhengting sighed helplessly. Although he only had one son in Lei Tengfeng, compared to Mo Liufang, he was clearly worse at teaching his son. Lei Tengfeng wasn't mediocre; it's just that compared with Mo Xiuyao, he fell short. And precisely because of this, it made people feel even more resentful and depressed. Lei Tengfeng himself also felt uncomfortable. His age was comparable to Mo Xiuyao's, but few in the world would compare him to Mo Xiuyao—simply because he didn't have that right.

Lei Zhengting said, "Nan Hou and Mu Songshen are now at their limits as well. As long as you intensify your siege efforts, you can certainly take Wei city before Mo Xiuyao returns. Don’t worry about this. But… do you intend to bring Nan Hou and Mu Songshen under your control"

Lei Tengfeng's heart jumped at the question. He lowered his head and said, "Son... son just thinks these two are rare talents..."

Lei Zhengting gave a helpless smile and waved his hand, saying, "Your Majesty is not against you bringing capable people under your wing to serve you. It's just that… we need to see what kind of people you want to bring in. Nan Hou and Mu Songshen are beyond your control."

Lei Tengfeng raised his eyebrows, showing a hint of dissatisfaction on his face. Lei Zhen霆 calmly said: "Both these individuals can be considered renowned generals with extensive battle experience. Mu Sheng is proud and arrogant; to subdue him requires that you have the absolute strength over him. He was also once under Mo Liufang’s command, naturally having a favorable inclination towards the Mo Family Army. Rejoining the Mo Family Army now would only strengthen his loyalty. Furthermore, Mu Sheng's only daughter is married to Leng Huaoyu, the second son of Southern Duke Leng. And Leng Huaoyu is next in line after Feng Zhirao as a close confidant of Mo Xiuyao. Under these circumstances, do you really think that Mu Sheng would pledge his allegiance to you As for the Southern Duke, he's even more difficult to deal with than Mu Sheng; though he has been rather quiet over the past few years and no longer enjoys fame or recognition. However, in his younger days, his pride was not inferior to Mu Sheng’s. Therefore, it is inconceivable that these two would defect during a battle."

Lei Tengfeng clenched his uninjured hand tightly; he wasn't ignorant of what his father had said, but the implied meaning in his words made him feel like he was inadequate and thus unable to subdue Mu Sheng and the Southern Duke. Hearing these words from his father felt as though his inadequacy was being openly proclaimed by his father.

“Son is unworthy; please forgive me, Your Highness.” Lei Tengfeng lowered his eyes and said solemnly.

Seeing him like this, Lei Zhen霆 could only sigh. After a long moment, he said: "This isn't your fault; don’t think too much about it. The most important thing right now is to capture Weicheng." Lei Tengfeng adjusted his expression and nodded respectfully, saying: “Your Highness can rest assured, son knows what needs to be done.”

In the dead of night, Weicheng stood solitary on an open plain. Below the dark sky, soldiers from the Mo Family Army were firmly stationed atop the city walls, steadfastly defending this small town. Amidst the darkness, a group of horsemen silently approached near the walls. A black-clad figure stealthily climbed up towards the battlements.

"Zing!" An arrow shot out from the shadows; the black-robed climber let out a stifled groan and fell down in defeat. Suddenly, a beam of light ignited atop the wall, causing what had been a quiet little town to immediately come alive once more. In moments, cries of battle and the smell of blood filled the entire plain.

This night raid continued until dawn approached. Soldiers from the Mo Family Army, who had fought for several days already, were starting to struggle. A heavy wooden ram broke through Weicheng’s gates. After a fierce and prolonged fight that saw substantial losses on both sides, it was finally at daybreak when the Southern Duke ordered his troops to retreat from Weicheng.

Lei Tengfeng, leading an army into the city, watched as the Mo Family Army galloped away. A cold glint flashed in his eyes; he sternly commanded: "Pursue! Capture the heads of the Southern Duke and Mu Sheng, and award ten thousand taels of gold."

"Young Master, the King has instructed…" The general who was following Lei Tengfeng hesitated for a moment before softly advising. Lei Tengfeng’s gaze was like a sharp blade; he said coldly: "Right now, I lead the army! Later on, I will explain to Father himself. The Mo Family Army fled in disarray; we should take advantage of our high morale and pursue them."

“But…”

Lei Tengfeng’s voice was stern: "Silence! This is my order!"

The general, unable to do anything else, nodded in agreement, saying: “This subordinate accepts the mission.”

Leading his troops through Weicheng, Lei Tengfeng pursued the retreating Mo Family Army. Shortly after, when Lei Zhen霆 arrived at Weicheng with his own forces but saw no sign of Lei Tengfeng, his expression darkened as he asked: "Where is the Young Master"

The generals below exchanged glances before one stepped forward to report: “Your Highness, the Young Master has led troops in pursuit of the Southern Duke and Mu Sheng.”

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhen霆's expression changed dramatically. He slammed his palm heavily on the desk and angrily said: "Reckless! I specifically told him not to act rashly!" The general, feeling conflicted, replied: "But Crown Prince... ."

Seeing the somewhat helpless expressions of the generals below, Lei Zhen霆 sighed in exasperation. Lei Teng風 was the Crown Prince of the Southern Town King and also the only heir to the Southern Town王府. Naturally, these generals would not dare disobey his orders; if he insisted on doing something, they wouldn't dare stop him either. Originally a prodigy of his generation, Lei Zhen霆 could easily understand why Lei Teng風 had suddenly acted rashly, due to the advice he previously gave him. It was likely that Lei Teng風 hadn't taken his advice seriously and instead believed that as his father, he undervalued his capabilities.

"Your Highness, what should we do now" One of the generals below asked softly.

Lei Zhen霆 thought for a moment and said: "Right General, take five thousand troops to support the Crown Prince." After some consideration, Lei Zhen霆 added: "If the Crown Prince wins, you don't need to worry. But if he falls into a trap, rescue him."

The Right General stepped forward and solemnly replied: "Your subordinate will follow your orders!"

At this moment, Lei Teng風 was truly caught in a trap. On the narrow mountain path leading to Feihong Pass, his tens of thousands of troops were besieged and stuck between advancing and retreating. Mu Cheng慎 and Nan Hou stood on a nearby hillside, side by side. Mu Cheng慎 coldly smiled as he looked down at Lei Teng風's indignant rage below. Mu Cheng慎 took an arrow from a soldier beside him, pointed it at Lei Teng風, and said with a smile: "Having lost Weicheng but killed the Crown Prince of the Western Capital’s Southern Town王府—this is quite a gain!" The Southern Town King Lei Zhen霆 only had one son, Lei Teng風. Moreover, most of Lei Teng風's children were killed by Dingwang more than a year ago. If Lei Teng風 died, it would be an irreparable blow to Lei Zhen霆.

Nan Hou stopped him from shooting his arrow and shook his head: "No, if we kill Lei Teng風 now, Lei Zhen霆 will surely go mad."

"So what" Mu Cheng慎 asked with a raised eyebrow.

Nan Hou helplessly smiled bitterly and said: "Don't forget that there are still over ten thousand ordinary citizens in Weicheng. Although Lei Zhen霆 doesn’t massacre civilians like the Northern Rong, it doesn’t mean he won’t do so." The grief of losing a son could drive Lei Zhen霆 to any form of madness. Furthermore, killing Lei Teng風 now might force them to confront Lei Zhen霆 directly, leading to quicker defeat.

"What is Lord Nan suggesting" Mu Cheng慎, who was skilled in battlefields, quickly understood the reasoning behind Nan Hou's suggestion and smiled: "This mountain path is easy to defend but hard to attack. We can keep Lei Teng風 trapped here and force Lei Zhen霆 into hesitation, buying us more time." Nan Hou stroked his beard and nodded with a smile: "Exactly."

"Lord Nan, Mu Cheng慎! Come out and speak!" Lei Teng風 shouted loudly from the mountain path where he was besieged. He had never expected that when Lord Nan and Mu Cheng慎 withdrew from Weicheng, they still had strength left; rashly leading less than ten thousand troops to pursue them only led him into their trap. In fact, such a narrow mountain path should have already been a mistake in his hasty move. Upon regaining composure, Lei Teng風 deeply regretted his impulsiveness.

Mu Cheng慎 laughed loudly: "Crown Prince of the Southern Town王府, didn't expect to meet you so soon."

Lei Teng風 looked up at Mu Cheng慎 and Lord Nan on the nearby hilltop and said sternly: "Whether to shave my head or kill me is entirely your decision!"

Mu Cheng慎 snorted disdainfully, smiling as he looked at Lei Teng風: "Interesting. The Southern Town King is usually shrewd and calm; didn't expect him to have such a passionate son. Yesterday, weren't you still urging our surrender to the Western Capital Now... Crown Prince, should we consider your own surrender to my Dingwang王府"

LeiTengfeng's face turned from pale to red several times before he finally gritted his teeth and said, "MengS hen, dare you辱罵本王！"

The Marquis of Nan smiled warmly and lightly replied, "Young Master Lei, your words yesterday were also a form of humiliation to this marquis and General Meng. Since everyone knows it's an impossible thing, why speak it out" LeiTengfeng remained silent as MengShen laughed and said, "Is it not because the Crown Prince of Zhen Nan believes he is so confident that he can surely defeat us Yet unexpectedly, circumstances have changed and now it's him who finds himself surrounded. It's a pity... West Ling's Crown Prince, an esteemed hero in his time, has such a useless son."

MengShen's words caused LeiTengfeng's face to pale. Actually, based on LeiTengfeng’s capabilities, he couldn’t be considered useless. It was just that the world is full of unexpected things and people who surpass expectations. LeiTengfeng had grown up under his father’s shadow since childhood, overshadowed by his brilliance. Thus, MengShen's unintentional mockery became too much for him to bear.

LeiTengfeng laughed bitterly and said, "General Meng is right. My esteemed father was wise all his life... yet only has such a useless son as me. Truly disgracing my father's reputation… How can I face the soldiers of West Ling with this defeat…" As he spoke, he raised the sword in his hand towards his neck.

"This..." MengShen was taken aback; he didn't expect that one careless remark could make LeiTengfeng think about death. Was Prince Zhen Nan's son so fragile Cold Hao Yu had been called a wastrel, useless fool, and a good-for-nothing countless times but still lived a lively life.

A thud sounded as the guards beside LeiTengfeng were startled and quickly drew their swords to block his. One of them cried out, "Young Master, Meng Shen is just talking nonsense; why should you take it to heart How could you so easily give up your life How can you face His Royal Highness You are the only heir to Prince Zhen Nan's house!"

LeiTengfeng was stunned for a moment, staring at the sword in his hand absentmindedly. He had indeed been impulsive and overcome with grief when he first drew the sword, but now that he came to his senses, looking at it made him feel cold.

MengShen saw LeiTengfeng was alright and sighed with relief before saying coldly, "I only realize now that this Crown Prince of Zhen Nan is a coward who runs away from failure" Hearing this, LeiTengfeng immediately calmed down and said solemnly, "Thank you for your guidance, General Meng. I was momentarily blinded by my emotions. This time I lost, but... I will never let it go like that. If I survive this place, I will definitely seek revenge!"

MengShen looked at LeiTengfeng who had a determined expression and smiled, "This young man is interesting."

The Marquis of Nan laughed and said, "Protected so well by Prince Zhen Nan, after this event if he survives, he will surely have made some progress."

Soon after, the Western Ling Right Route General arrived with reinforcements. The two sides engaged in fierce battle again. Although the Mo family's troops were exhausted, they relied on their advantageous terrain and fought evenly with Western Ling’s army for another day and night. On the second morning, LeiTengfeng finally broke through the encirclement of Mo family forces battered and bruised and met up with the reinforcements from Western Ling; just as he was about to counterattack, the reinforcements from the Mo family arrived.

The Mo family's reinforcements were not many, only a few people. Leading them were Mo Xiuyao in white clothes and Ye Li beside him. Even Mo Xiaobao sat half-asleep on Mo Xiuyao’s horse. Following closely behind were Feng Zhiyao, Yun Ting, and Zhuo Jing. Although LeiTengfeng didn't see any reinforcements, he no longer dared to make a move.

Seeing Mo Xiuyao and others arrive, the Marquis of Nan and MengShen also breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Royal Highness, we were unable to defend the city properly; please forgive us!"

Moh Xiuyao brushed his sleeve and used an appropriate force to support them so they wouldn't kneel down to apologize. "You have done your best, no need to feel guilty." Mo Xiuyao smiled at LeiTengfeng who was glaring across the battlefield and said, "Young Master Lei, do you want to leave on your own or stay and chat with me

Raiden Feng's eyes flashed as his mind was in turmoil. The Western Army had a decisive advantage in terms of troop numbers, and if they launched a full-scale attack, they would surely annihilate the troops under Southern Duke and Murong Shen. But... Could Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li not have brought reinforcements Raiden Feng did not believe that to be true, but even if Mo Xiuyao had really come without backup, he would miss out on this perfect opportunity for revenge.

His mind in agony, Raiden Feng stared at Mo Xiuyao with a difficult decision. After a long while, he decided against risking it and sighed heavily, saying solemnly: "This Prince greets the Duke of Ding. I didn't expect Your Highness to arrive so timely."

Mo Xiuyao smiled politely and said, "Prince Rai is too kind. It just happened that way. If this king had arrived before your capture of Wei City, then it would have been on time. Prince Rai, are you going to fight with me now" Raiden Feng forced a smile and replied, "This prince knows I'm no match for Your Highness. Moreover, both sides are too exhausted for battle now, so why not try another day"

Mo Xiuyao pondered briefly before nodding finally, saying, "Very well then, Prince Rai please."

Raiden Feng's face darkened slightly as he replied with a nod: "This prince bids farewell."

Murong Shen raised his eyebrows after watching Raiden Feng leading the troops back. "How many reinforcements did the king bring" The current situation was clear, their forces were not enough to surpass those of Raiden Feng's, yet Raiden Feng chose to retreat at this moment. Obviously he feared the reinforcements brought by Duke Ding.

Mo Xiuyao said calmly: "The reinforcements are still a hundred miles away, and this king only brought these few people."

"Then... Raiden Feng..."

"He thinks that I've brought many troops but actually deceived him into thinking so." However, he really hadn't brought any troops. Thus, being too rash or overly cautious as a general was not good either. Nonetheless, it was still a wise decision of Raiden Feng to retreat at this moment. Although Mo Xiuyao didn't bring troops, killing Raiden Feng in the chaos would be rather simple.

In the temporary study where King Zhennan resided within Wei City,

Raiden Feng knelt on the floor alone, silent and still. Rai Zhiteng focused intently on the documents in his hand as if he didn't see the person kneeling before him at all. After a long while, after Rai Zhiteng had finished reading through a thick pile of documents, he finally looked up with a glance to Raiden Feng and said coldly: "Get up."

Raiden Feng lowered his eyes and replied meekly, "Son rashly acted out of greed for glory and almost fell into the hands of Duke Ding. Please punish son."

"Punish you" Rai Zhiteng sneered coldly: "You rushed off to commit suicide after I scolded you a couple of times. How dare this king punish you then" Hearing his father's words, Raiden Feng felt even more ashamed and replied in humiliation, "Son knows my mistake."

"Bang!" Rai Zhiteng slammed his palm heavily on the desk, his anger boiling over as he said furiously: "Know your mistakes Is your way of knowing it to commit suicide by sword Truly heroic indeed! This king is ashamed to have such a son. Since you're so fearless in death, why come back" Rai Zhiteng was beyond furious and waved his hand; the precious sword hanging on the wall flew out of its scabbard and dropped before Raiden Feng's feet. He heard Rai Zhiteng say coldly: "Aren't you wanting to commit suicide as a sign of apology This king gives you your chance!"

"Father, I know that I have been wrong. Son was blinded by his own folly and begs for your forgiveness," Le Tengfeng felt both ashamed and guilty, tears welling up in his eyes. He crawled on his knees to where Lei Zhen霆 was kneeling and held onto his leg as he cried.

Seeing his son over thirty years old still acting this way, Lei Zhen霆's heart softened a bit. Sighing helplessly, he said: "Alright then, get up." Le Tengfeng looked at Lei Zhen霆 for the first time and stood up, saying with a bow: "Thank you, Father."

Seeing how dejected his son appeared, Lei Zhen霆 felt guilty as well. He knew that his son was already quite accomplished; someone like Mo Xiuyao is incredibly rare and hard to find. But Le Tengfeng had been pushed by him since he was a child, and he could never receive the praise he deserved. If he did something right, it was because he should have done so as the son of the Prince of Zhen南; how could a tiger's cub be anything but brave But if he made any mistakes, it would be seen as tarnishing his father’s name. Le Tengfeng wasn’t naturally impulsive by nature, and it had only been because of the pressure his father put on him that he had ended up being so reckless.

"Tengfeng… It is I who should apologize to you for all these years," Lei Zhen霆 sighed heavily and said. Le Tengfeng was stunned; looking at Lei Zhen霆’s guilty expression, he struggled to find words and could only stammer: "Father… Son…"

Le Tengfeng waved his hand and said: "For all these years, people have been saying this or that about the son of Prince of Zhen南, but they’ve forgotten that you’re already over thirty. It’s my mistake; I thought that those pressures would push you to work hard and do your best, but never thought it’d be such a burden for you."

"Father, I’m just not good enough," Le Tengfeng said in a low voice: "Although we’re around the same age as Duke Ding, I haven’t achieved anything comparable. Son has made Father look bad."

Lei Zhen霆 smiled bitterly and said: "Mo Xiuyao… Your father never compared you to him."

Le Tengfeng’s face paled as he responded: "Son is simply not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Duke Ding."

Lei Zhen霆 sighed and said: "Tengfeng, I admit that at one point, I did envy Mo Liufang for having a son like Mo Xiuyao who was so talented. But you must understand that Duke Ding’s success is not only because he was blessed with exceptional talent; it's also due to the hardships he went through that are beyond ordinary people’s experiences. If there hadn’t been those misfortunes nineteen years ago, perhaps today’s Mo Xiuyao would be a famous general in Great Chu and just spend his days carefree. But your father never wished for you to experience such hardship; do you understand"

Le Tengfeng nodded: "I understand. Father… has always protected me." Before he was twenty, he had lived an easy life with no worries, even more so than the princes of Western Liang. Mo Xiuyao fought on battlefields when he was fourteen and fifteen; at seventeen or eighteen, he suffered severe injuries and barely survived, struggling to keep Ding王府 afloat. Le Tengfeng hadn't gone through any of that. So he couldn’t feel envious of Mo Xiuyao’s achievements and abilities—only ashamed for his own lack of ability.

Lei Zhen霆 sighed: "Perhaps it was my protection that harmed you. But even so, I’ve never wished for you to experience such suffering and torment. Moreover… Tengfeng, your father has never been disappointed in you."

"Father…" Le Tengfeng was stunned.

Lei Zhen霆 smiled: "You are my son; I think that what you’ve done is already very good."

"Father, Son understands," Le Tengfeng lowered his head to hide the moisture in his eyes and said solemnly: "Son will not let Father down."... He had always known that Feng Zhiyao was a close confidant of the Prince of Ding. And his younger son often had dealings with Feng San...Cold Hao Yu naturally noticed his father’s thoughtful gaze,...