Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 344 Princess Hu Ji's Purpose

What a blessing this is for the people on the border! This is what a general should do.

The army returned to Langya Pass in triumph, and all the generals gathered at the governor's mansion. Li Yuanhua sat at the head of the table and asked after everyone was seated, "General Xiao, I heard that you detained an envoy. What was the envoy's purpose in coming to our army?"

"Issue a challenge." Xiao Qi was not good with words, so he simply ordered his men to bring up a parchment scroll.

Xu Sheng snorted: "These Rong and Di people are truly ignorant of their own limitations, daring to issue a challenge."

Li Yuanhua had doubts in his heart. There were too many flaws in this matter, but he was unwilling to point them out. After all, this great victory would not have been possible if it had not been for the challenge.

If he hadn't won a great victory to make amends, he would have lost 150,000 of his main force, and after the war, he would have been beheaded.

"This is outrageous!" Li Yuanhua also appeared quite indignant. After putting on a good show, he said to Shen Li and another censor present, "My lords, please take a look. It is indeed a declaration of war."

Even a marquis like Li Yuanhua treated Shen Li and her companion with utmost respect. After all, this was an imperial mission, and if these two didn't speak well, the battle wouldn't have gone well.

So this official position wasn't high-ranking, but his power was incredibly vast.

“Your Excellency, I happened to be in the camp when the envoy Tuotuo’er delivered the challenge. I saw the challenge and heard Tuotuo’er’s insolent words.” Shen Li said, shaking his head and sighing, “It was truly unbearable to hear.”

Lin Wan'er and Xiao Qi exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that civil officials are indeed better at acting.

Li Yuanhua felt a little relieved. It seemed that this person was one of their own, which made things easier.

The other, older official, was a seasoned censor. He had been sitting there without uttering a sound. After taking the parchment scroll, he glanced at it from top to bottom and then frowned: "Where is that envoy?"

"My lord, I released the man back to Rongdi that very night. I know the principle of not killing envoys in war." Xiao Qi replied as Shen Li had instructed.

"If that's the case, why did the general detain the envoy? Doesn't he know that diplomatic etiquette dictates such behavior?" Old Geng continued to ask, his sharp eyes seeming to try and see something.

Faced with such a gaze, Xiao Qi secretly rejoiced that Shen Li had already thought of an answer for him, and replied:

"My lord, you are unaware of the fact that the Japanese general had already devised a plan for a surprise attack, and the army was making preparations when the messenger discovered some clues. Therefore, I had no choice but to detain him."

"Aren't those Rong and Di people anxious to return without seeing the envoy? Why are they sleeping so soundly?" Old Man Geng was not easily fooled.

"I don't know about that," Xiao Qi said, his eyes clear, shaking his head repeatedly.

My cousin once said that she only asks questions because she's worried about leaking military secrets, and she doesn't reply to anything that doesn't concern her.

His reply surprised Censor Geng. It seemed wrong, but it also seemed to make sense. Xiao Qi naturally didn't know how the enemy would react.

But that shouldn't be the case.

"Lord Geng is truly dedicated and responsible. With a lord like you in the court, how can our Great Zhao not prosper?" Li Yuanhua stepped in to smooth things over.

He was a little nervous when the old man started questioning Xiao Qi, after all, Xiao Qi was young and might be careless, but he didn't expect him to be so thorough.

The extent to which this was not overlooked made him suspect that Xiao Qi was not the one who carried out the act, but rather a well-trained accomplice.

Shen Li simply lowered her head and drank her tea, not saying a word she shouldn't have.

"It is unbecoming to trap the enemy's envoy no matter what. I hope General Xiao will not do it again next time. If you accidentally kill someone, you will have no way to explain it," Old Man Geng lectured.

Xiao Qi readily agreed, showing no guilt about the matter, because Shen Li had indeed released the person.

This person cannot die in the Da Zhao army camp, otherwise the neighboring dynasty will lose the trust of Da Zhao, and there will be no more negotiations in the future.

There was no need to seal the man's mouth; the Rong and Di people all knew that what was being sent was a letter of surrender, but it was useless.

If they insist it's a declaration of war, then it is a declaration of war.

As for Emperor Cheng, it goes without saying that rulers turn a blind eye and only care about the result, not how to achieve it.

This battle marked a victory that had been won for over a decade or even longer, and he was overjoyed.

The scene was made to look harmonious by Li Yuanhua. Shen Li put down her teacup and suddenly wanted to get a good night's sleep. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

Once she has eaten and rested well, she can go back to see her parents and Gu Chang'an.

Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on her face, but she never expected to hear during the banquet that the Japanese had invaded the border a month earlier, causing trouble and massacring civilians along the coast, making the east coast no longer peaceful.

"Why are they all gathered together?" Shen Li frowned slightly.

"His Majesty has already dispatched 50,000 troops from the capital to fight. They should have arrived by now, and their rampage will soon be over," Li Yuanhua said.

Japan was not as powerful as the Rong and Di tribes. The island nation was small and had a small population. It only gained the upper hand by relying on its sharp weapons and elusiveness.

They almost always run away as soon as they are sent to suppress the rebellion, waiting until the main force has left before taking action.

"Another 50,000 men have been sent? That means the capital has already sent out 300,000 men in total. Won't the capital be empty?" Lin Wan'er calculated.

As the deputy commander of the three major battalions, she knew the military strength of the capital better than anyone else.

"How many people are left?" Shen Li asked.

"Less than 50,000."

Shen Li was startled. She had never imagined how the Great Liang would benefit from these events, but now she realized that the surrounding area was just a smokescreen, and the Great Liang's real purpose was the capital.

Princess Hu Ji is currently in Kyoto.