Meng Yao had her own matters to attend to.
In her previous life, the army of the State of Wei launched an assault on the Changshan Military Camp half a month later.
Her grandfather, Meng Liangping, was bedridden with illness and powerless to take the field.
It was she who put on her grandfather’s armor, donned a mask, and marched out to meet the enemy under his identity.
Leading five thousand vanguard troops, she utterly crushed the fifty-thousand-strong army of the State of Wei.
When news reached the capital, the Emperor was greatly pleased, heaping praise upon Meng Liangping.
Moreover, because of the Meng family’s merit in rescuing the Eldest Imperial Prince, imperial titles and lands were conferred upon the entire Meng clan.
The Emperor even stated frankly in the imperial court, “In the past, We failed to recognize the Meng clan’s talent; it was an oversight on Our part.”
She had earned imperial favor and glory for her grandfather, yet how did he repay her?
He never breathed a word about the Emperor’s rewards.
He concealed all news from the capital from her.
Under the pretense that she would bring misfortune to her grandmother before turning seventeen, he forcibly trapped her at the frontier for two whole years.
By the time she returned to the capital at age seventeen, she was completely powerless to reverse the situation.
Looking at it now, wouldn’t it be better to keep the credit of defeating the enemy army for herself?
Although there was no precedent for women enlisting in the army in the State of Chu, and she would hardly receive military ranks or rewards even with meritorious service…
Then… no one would receive them!
Let those fifty thousand troops of the State of Wei serve as a celebratory omen for her rebirth.
…
For the past few days, Meng Liangping’s right eyelid had been twitching incessantly.
He counted recent events on his fingers:
Yesterday, he received a letter from home saying all was well in the capital—that was a good thing;
There had been no fighting at the border for half a year—also a good thing;
His granddaughter had rescued the Eldest Imperial Prince—an even better thing.
Then why was his eyelid twitching?
That night, the answer presented itself.
He had diarrhea.
His stomach ached as if sliced by knives. He ran to the latrine more than a dozen times in a single night. As dawn approached, his legs were limp, and he was so exhausted he could barely lift his eyelids.
Just as he was about to lie down, an urgent dispatch from a scout burst directly into the tent:
“Commander-in-Chief! An army of fifty thousand from the State of Wei is charging toward the Changshan Military Camp, arriving in less than two hours!”
Meng Liangping was dumbfounded.
Right now, there were only ten thousand garrison troops in the Changshan Military Camp, half of whom were vanguard cavalry…
Though the nearest city, Xingyang City, had fifty thousand troops, it would take at least two days for reinforcements to arrive after receiving the news.
By the time they arrived, he feared the Changshan Military Camp would have long been reduced to ruins, and perhaps not even his bones would remain.
What should he do?
What could he do?!
Meng Liangping burned with anxiety, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.
The camp’s generals had already assembled outside the tent, awaiting his orders.
Yet at this moment, all he wanted was to visit the latrine.
Clutching his stomach, he turned his head to look at the young woman in red standing in the corner of the tent—
His good granddaughter, Meng Yao!
She was slightly taller than ordinary women. Wearing combat boots, donning his armor, and putting on that ferocious mask, she could easily project the imposing presence of a Commander-in-Chief.
Moreover, over the past two years, Meng Yao had taken the field under his identity multiple times, winning nearly every single battle.
Although this battle was perilous beyond measure, if Meng Yao took the field, the odds of victory might be somewhat higher.
Besides, if the battle were lost, he could simply pretend ignorance, claiming she was merely an ignorant young girl who had disguised herself in his armor and taken the field without authorization… The blame for defeat could also be shifted onto her.
Thinking it through, it was quite the perfect solution.
Thus, he probed hesitantly, “Yao’er… your grandfather is unwell. Could you, as before, take your grandfather’s place to meet—”
“Yao’er is willing to share Grandfather’s burdens!” Before Meng Liangping could finish, Meng Yao cut in and answered first.
Seeing her so decisive, a pang of guilt flickered in Meng Liangping’s heart—
Yesterday, he received a letter from home. The family already knew that Meng Yao had saved the Eldest Imperial Prince and intended to let Meng Rou replace Meng Yao to claim the credit falsely. After all, the Eldest Imperial Prince was simple-minded; as long as he intercepted the news from the capital and kept Meng Yao in the dark… substituting one for another would not be difficult to pull off.
After hesitating for a long time, Meng Liangping had written back in agreement.
After all, Meng Yao’s birth mother had passed away more than a decade ago, and her maternal Song family were merely merchants.
Meng Rou’s mother, Lady Wu, was different. Her elder sister was the Principal Consort of Prince Duan, backed by a powerful maternal clan.
Elevating Meng Rou would be of immense benefit not only to himself, but to the entire Meng clan.
Though such a choice was dishonorable, it was for the sake of the Meng family; at worst, he would simply treat Meng Yao better in the future.
Yet today…
Meng Yao’s utter devotion actually stirred a trace of guilt within him.
However—
Forget it!
Everything could wait until the immediate crisis was resolved.
“All the troops of the Changshan Military Camp are at Yao’er’s disposal,” he said.
“No need. Yao’er only wants the five thousand vanguard cavalry. Let the other five thousand remain with the central army to protect Grandfather’s safety!”
Meng Liangping… was once again somewhat moved.
Naturally, he had no way of knowing that Meng Yao already had the military forces down to a science:
The five thousand vanguard cavalry were trained by her own hand, and she knew their prowess better than anyone—though mere cavalry, each could take on ten foes, fearing no type of troop.
As for the remaining five thousand… never mind, they were virtually useless!
…
When Meng Yao donned the general’s armor, put on the ferocious mask, and stepped out of the command tent, rows of battle banners were fluttering fiercely in the wind before her eyes.
She felt all the blood in her body boil!
In her past life, her martial arts prowess had been crippled, and she was trapped in the inner quarters for thirteen years.
She had watched the Meng family plot and scheme, scurry like mice and flies, and commit every evil deed imaginable, while she was utterly powerless to fight back.
How could that compare to the exhilaration of this moment!
Even if what lay ahead was a battle of life and death with her life hanging by a thread at any second, it was an open and grand path that set one’s blood surging with broad-minded pride!
Holding a spear in her hand, she mounted her steed in a flash of cold light.
Then, deliberately lowering her voice, she rallied the troops, formed the ranks, and led the five thousand vanguard cavalry, charging out of the Changshan Military Camp like a raging tsunami.
…
This battle lasted for a day and a night.
The fifty-thousand-strong Wei army had arrived with ferocious momentum for a surprise assault, only to be cut down row after row.
Meanwhile, the Chu troops fought with growing valor. In particular, that masked Commander-in-Chief seemed like the God of Slaughter descending upon the mortal realm.
Mounted on a black warhorse with robes of red billowing, the commander led the cavalry like ghosts, tearing through the Wei army’s formations. Every sweep of the spear sent several severed heads flying into the sky.
In the end, only three thousand remnants were left of the fifty-thousand-strong army, and the Wei soldiers had no choice but to kneel and surrender.
As the Chu army’s Commander-in-Chief rode forth to inspect the field, a captive lunged from an angle, whipped out a dagger from his robes, and hurled it viciously at the commander.
Clang—!
Although the Commander-in-Chief leaned aside to dodge, the dagger struck the mask, knocking it off.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze.
The defeated remnants of the State of Wei stared with wide eyes, unable to believe that such a brutal, crushing defeat had been handed to them by a woman.
The soldiers of the State of Chu, however, beamed with sheer joy: The Eldest Miss! It was the Eldest Miss who had led them to victory!
Only Meng Yao sighed rather helplessly:
Oh dear, it seems I won’t be able to cover for Grandfather this time.