Gu Yuye froze at the words, his pupils contracting, eyes filled with disbelief.
Either there was, or there wasn't.
What did that mean, "Was there truly none?"
As Emperor of Great Wei, and as Xiao Yinghao's father, how could Xiao Ding possibly not know that his daughter never had any so-called consort!
The Eldest Princess, famed as the "Goddess of War," wielded great military authority, possessed unfathomable cultivation, and unmatched beauty. She was admired by countless talented men.
If she truly had a fiancé promised from birth, the entire court, from the imperial ministers to the immortal sects, would have been in an uproar long ago!
Gu Yuye was not the sort of man to doubt his own memory.
For decades on this court, he had tread carefully, ever wary, especially of Xiao Yinghao, who commanded an army as he did.
If she had a consort from a great immortal sect, she would be even more formidable, then she would truly pose a threat to him.
But Xiao Yinghao had devoted herself wholly to guarding the borders, her mind set only on the Martial Path. Emperor Yong'an had proposed arranging a marriage for her many times, yet it never bore fruit.
The Eldest Princess's temperament was cold and proud, her heart lofty and without dust, this was well known.
Many men who prided themselves on their cultivation and pedigree were judged by Xiao Yinghao with only two words: "parasitic worms."
In her eyes, the young nobles of Huangtian City were merely useless wastrels running rampant under the shelter of their families' power, and the disciples of great sects were nothing but fancy pillows stuffed with straw, empty-headed weaklings who bullied the weak and idled away their days like spoiled playboys.
There were only two kinds of men who could catch Xiao Yinghao's eye.
First, those who had rendered great service to the nation.
Second, those who had reached the pinnacle of their own path.
Whichever the case, it certainly did not include some "consort" who had appeared out of nowhere.
Given her character, if there truly existed someone so brilliant that she would willingly submit to him, she would never have hidden it until now.
Therefore, this "consort" was undoubtedly a fraud.
When Gu Yuye saw the line in the battle report declaring the reversal of the war, he knew he was in for a disastrous fall this time.
With Emperor Yong'an's temperament, since he had already sensed Gu Yuye's intentions, he would never play such a meaningless act of pretense.
Though Emperor Yong'an enjoyed playing politics, he was not a fool blinded by pride.
If, faced with the fall of Autumn Peace Road, a key strategic stronghold, he tried to gloss over it, he would only corner himself completely, handing Gu Yuye a perfect opening.
Thus, the battle report had to be true.
But Gu Yuye was still Gu Yuye, he quickly spotted the flaw within.
That flaw was the identity of this "consort."
According to his own plan, Xiao Yinghao should still be trapped within the Blood River Repentance Formation, unable to escape, leaving the White Dragon Army leaderless and bound for defeat.
To turn defeat into victory, no matter what method was used, the key lay in reorganizing the White Dragon Army.
Therefore, whoever this person was, he must have impersonated the Eldest Princess's consort for one reason only, to gain the White Dragon Army's trust and command their obedience.
Though Gu Yuye didn't know what trick the man used to convince them, a lie was still a lie.
To openly claim to be royal consort and to command troops privately, either crime was punishable by death!
With his sharp instincts, Gu Yuye immediately recognized a point of attack.
He didn't expect this to disprove the reality of the battle report but to use it to delay time.
Gu Yuye was confident.
This so-called "victory" must only be temporary.
Even if the White Dragon Army had recovered morale, without Xiao Yinghao, the Martial Saint of the Path of War, there was no way they could withstand the full Qingman offensive.
As for the so-called White Dragon Army Formation?
That was pure nonsense...
Gu Yuye leaned toward believing it was a contingency Xiao Yinghao had left behind, perhaps a method to simulate the White Dragon Army Formation, but it couldn't possibly last long.
For Emperor Yong'an to slam this report in his face, it must be an attempt to make him hesitate and delay until Xiao Yinghao broke free from the formation.
In that case, he too would stall.
As long as he waited for the second report to arrive, the truth of defeat would reveal itself!
Had Gu Fangchen known of Gu Yuye's reasoning, he would surely sigh, "The Saint of War is indeed the Saint of War."
His grasp of the overall situation was truly precise.
But unfortunately...
Gu Fangchen was a cheat.
No matter how hard Gu Yuye racked his brain, he would never imagine someone capable of instantly doubling the White Dragon Army's strength!
Even without Xiao Yinghao, victory was certain.
Gu Yuye kept his composure, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty, forgive this minister's ignorance. I have served in the court and on the battlefield for forty-six years. I have fought alongside the Eldest Princess, yet never once have I heard she has a consort!"
"If Your Majesty wishes to choose a husband for her, such matters should wait until she returns from the frontier."
"To disregard her wishes so abruptly would only chill her heart."
"Moreover, this person's name and identity are not mentioned anywhere in the report. I fear this is a deliberate impersonation meant to delay the army, a crime worthy of execution!"
His face was solemn.
"I beg Your Majesty not to be deceived."
Gu Yuye clung firmly to his claim that the consort was a fake, his tone stern and resolute.
Emperor Yong'an looked unhurried, smiling faintly as he said:
"Minister Gu, are you truly unaware?"
"Come now, of all people, you should be the most familiar with who the consort is."
Gu Yuye was stunned.
For some reason, a foreboding sense rose within him.
A feeling he knew all too well...
Emperor Yong'an sighed, stood within the curtain's shadow with his hands clasped behind his back, and paced slowly.
"This matter, indeed, is somewhat my fault. My Eldest Princess has always been thin-skinned. Having rejected so many suitors before, she found herself on too high a pedestal, and now she feels embarrassed to make this public."
"I, pitying my daughter's reserved nature, simply wrote an imperial decree for her and left it at that, never announcing it to the world."
"I did not expect that this would lead Minister Gu to so many doubts today."
Gu Yuye's face remained expressionless, but in his heart, he sneered.
So Emperor Yong'an had truly hardened his heart, determined to pair his daughter with this mysterious newcomer.
But Xiao Yinghao, what kind of person was she? Would she ever bow her head?
This was tantamount to casting his own daughter into the fire!
Emperor Yong'an said:
"Since Minister Gu fears delay in the campaign, let us wait a little longer. The second battle report should soon arrive, from Goldscale City."
"Then, surely, you will be convinced."
Gu Yuye's goal achieved, he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and remained silently waiting in the hall.
Goldscale City was where his Xuanhuang Army was stationed.
Less than three hours later, the second battle report arrived.
Gu Yuye opened it, and his face turned ashen.
"Victory from the front! The White Dragon Army has triumphed. The Qingman forces have retreated beyond the borders of Autumn Peace Road!"
Today, having entered the hall in full armor and sword, Gu Yuye had become the punchline of a grand joke.
...
Above the battlefield, the fiery dragon clashed with the clouds. Endless mist and rain cascaded from the sky, yet even the torrential downpour could not extinguish the raging flames of war below.
The crimson battle lines had advanced a hundred li forward.
The Qingman army, utterly defeated!
Gu Fangchen opened his eyes. The cracks on his body sealed completely as the light in his gaze withdrew, his every movement now radiating an aura that made hearts tremble.
Sixth Rank, Martial Courage Realm!