"It was Old General Lu. What a pity." Prince of Wu recognized the identity of the old general's corpse at a glance when he saw Lu Xingshi dragging it back.
He quickly turned to Lu Xingshi. "Young Hero Lu possesses extraordinary martial skill. You slew the enemy general and seized the banner amid the ranks. If you do not disdain the post, you may serve as Cavalry Commandant."
As he spoke, he promoted Lu Xingshi.
Lu Xingshi, however, did not care much for the position. It was of little use to him.
There were superiors above him, and all manner of matters to manage below him. Where would he find the energy for all that?
"Your Highness, Prince of Wu, I came at my master's request to help you break into the Capital. There is no need for an official post. I speak too bluntly and easily offend people; I would not do well in officialdom." Lu Xingshi refused outright.
Since he did not care for it, he did not want it.
Prince of Wu's expression turned awkward upon hearing this. It was the first time someone had rejected him.
Yet Lu Xingshi was simply too fierce, and Prince of Wu truly needed him under his command.
The enemy had just fought their way into his camp. Under normal circumstances, defeat had been inevitable. Yet once Lu Xingshi stepped in, not only had he driven back the enemy, but he had also killed their commander and dragged the body back. Not a single general under Prince of Wu's command dared claim he could accomplish such a feat.
Lu Xingshi had not only done it, but he was not even wounded, proving that he had handled it with ease.
Still, Lu Xingshi's refusal of promotion put Prince of Wu more at ease. It meant there was little chance that he was a spy or an infiltrator.
After all, it showed that Lu Xingshi was voluntarily keeping his distance from the center of power.
"Young Hero Lu truly lives like an idle cloud and a wild crane. Since you are unwilling, then take a nominal post for now. When I one day sweep clean the world, you will have a name that is fully justified." Prince of Wu gave Lu Xingshi a way out.
This time, Lu Xingshi did not refuse. He could see that Prince of Wu was offering him a step down, and he could not reject him again and again. He still had to help him fight their way to the Capital.
Kunlun was already in hand, so it was time for him to officially get to work rather than continue slacking off.
As for breaking his promise, he was not shameless enough to do that.
Seeing Lu Xingshi accept, Prince of Wu let out a sigh of relief. He had feared that Lu Xingshi, young and ignorant of worldly etiquette, would stubbornly refuse again and leave everyone looking bad.
Next came the matter of winning him over. As long as Lu Xingshi could be recruited as one of his fierce generals, everything else would be easy.
They then began restoring the camp and reestablishing order. Prince of Wu personally supervised these matters, but after reviewing the losses, his expression turned exceedingly ugly.
More than half their warhorses had been lost, while nearly a thousand of the three thousand Cangwu Army soldiers had died in the surprise attack.
Their provisions, baggage, auxiliary troops, weapons, and equipment had all suffered varying losses as well. It could only be said that they had been grievously weakened this time.
Cavalry without warhorses was nothing but a joke.
Lu Xingshi remained as steady as an old god, wearing an expression that said he understood absolutely nothing.
As the saying went, one did not deliberate over the affairs of an office one did not hold. Lu Xingshi was no longer a Principal Secretary; he was a Cavalry Commandant, and a nominal one at that, with no affairs to manage.
"Report!"
A meeting was being held in the command tent. Apart from Lu Xingshi, none of the higher-ranking officers looked particularly well, and now they had been interrupted.
"Enemy traces have been spotted twenty li outside the camp. They bear the imperial banner, and the fleeing remnants of the Lu Family Army have already been taken in."
"Their forces now total roughly one hundred and fifty thousand, and they are advancing toward our army."
After the scout delivered his report, everyone in the command tent aside from Lu Xingshi was dumbfounded.
"I understand. Withdraw." Prince of Wu waved his hand, swallowed, and wore a complicated expression.
"Gentlemen, the enemy's main force has arrived."
One hundred and fifty thousand men was a number they simply could not resist.
Had they not suffered the surprise attack, and still possessed their full strength in men and horses, they might have had a chance. They could have relied on cavalry mobility to wage guerrilla warfare. Every soldier of the Cangwu Army knew mounted archery, and they might have been able to seize upon the enemy's weakness for a desperate counterattack.
But now, there was no possibility of victory.
As for Lu Xingshi, Prince of Wu did not believe even he could handle it.
Of course, Lu Xingshi himself thought the same. One hundred and fifty thousand men were not fifteen men. How could he possibly have that kind of ability?
Even if they stood still and let him kill them, he might not be able to finish them all.
Perhaps when he possessed a Major Divine Ability capable of moving mountains and filling seas would he be able to do such a thing.
Otherwise, he would kill until his strength ran dry and still not finish them.
What? Charge through them? How was he supposed to charge? There were one hundred and fifty thousand men, and they had horses. They were packed so densely that there was no end in sight.
It was only four words when spoken aloud, but one look at it would reveal something like a torrential flood stretching beyond the horizon.
"Retreat!" Lu Xingshi was the first to state his position.
If some fool had said they should fight to the death, Lu Xingshi would have had to charge into battle.
Fortunately, everyone remained calm. No one questioned Lu Xingshi's idea, nor did anyone make snide remarks or deliberately oppose him because he had gone directly from Principal Secretary to Cavalry Commandant.
They only had one life. Whether facing an army of one hundred and fifty thousand or facing Lu Xingshi's fists, neither was a good idea.
"Good. Notify every camp: bring only three days' worth of provisions. Abandon all other food, supplies, and baggage!" Prince of Wu had been given a way out and immediately chose to flee.
"Your Highness, Prince of Wu, what about the other reinforcements preparing to rendezvous with us..." the Deputy General asked quietly.
It did not matter if they fled, but the other units did not know. If those forces came to rendezvous, they would run straight into the main army.
"Send men to inform them to withdraw. They are to..." Prince of Wu glanced at the map before saying, "Rendezvous at Eagle Stream Gulch."
Though Prince of Wu said so, he did not hold much hope. He had not received contact from those units for three days, and he feared they had been wiped out to the last man.
If the enemy could intercept him, they could certainly intercept his other forces as well.
Having received their orders, everyone dispersed, leaving Lu Xingshi with the feeling that they were about to lose.
"Your Highness, Prince of Wu, only members of the imperial family can fly a banner bearing the imperial character, correct? Then which one has come here?" Lu Xingshi asked.
The possibility of the emperor personally leading the expedition was unlikely. Lu Xingshi suspected it was the Crown Prince.
The person whose interests had been most threatened by Prince of Wu was none other than him. Furthermore, the Crown Prince had no autonomy; it was entirely possible that he had been propped up and brought here as a puppet of righteous legitimacy.
Prince of Wu had his own suspicions, but he shook his head. "I do not know. It is highly likely that those rebels have falsely raised the imperial banner."
He certainly could not say it aloud. It would easily affect morale.
"They truly are hateful... However, Your Highness, Prince of Wu, this is also a good opportunity." Lu Xingshi suddenly said.
Prince of Wu was somewhat puzzled. What good opportunity?
"One hundred and fifty thousand troops have gone southbound, leaving the Capital empty. If Your Highness leads the remaining forces in a feigned retreat before taking a detour to strike straight at the Capital, you could settle the realm in a single stroke." Lu Xingshi offered a suggestion to strike straight for the Yellow Dragon.
Prince of Wu was greatly tempted, but he rejected Lu Xingshi. His reason was that it was too dangerous; one misstep, and he would lose everything.
Lu Xingshi's plan to raid their home was indeed effective. If the Prince of Liao encountered this situation, he would agree without hesitation, but Prince of Wu could not. He sought stability.
Unfortunately, no matter how steady he was, could he truly keep the Imperial Court steady?