Chapter 1010: Chapter 1010: Fate Skyrockets Chapter 1010: Chapter 1010: Fate Skyrockets Under the escort of Sun Zhengheng and dozens of Feathered Forest Guards, Princess Qingyun arrived atop the Guan Wall.

She was very surprised, not understanding why Wang Chen had asked her to come here.

But seeing the massed armies of the Yan State outside, Princess Qingyun faintly understood.

This was a showdown!

The Princess Qingyun of today was no longer the naive young girl of before. Although the daunting military might of the armies from the Yan State inevitably made an impact on her, she still forced herself to maintain the dignity befitting of the Royal Family.

She did not lose her composure on the spot.

“Your Highness.”

Wang Chen spoke in a deep voice: “General Shangguan understands the greater good, unwilling to submit to the traitorous King Jing, intending to pledge loyalty to Your Highness and reclaim the rightful line of succession for Great Liang!”

Princess Qingyun immediately widened her eyes and looked at Shangguan Wuji beside her.

She had not expected Wang Chen to subdue the other party so quickly!

Shangguan Wuji inwardly sighed and immediately kneeled on one knee: “Your humble servant Shangguan Wuji hereby swears loyalty to Princess Qingyun, to honor the emperor and oppose the traitor until death without regret, and should I break this oath, may heaven and earth annihilate me!”

His voice instantly spread inside and outside the Guan Wall, clearly heard by most of Hanhai City, and even reached the Yan Army.

As Shangguan Wuji held high prestige within the Hanhai Army, the moment his words finished, all the soldiers kneeled in unison, shouting in chorus: “We are willing to die for the Princess!”

“My loyal subjects, rise.”

Princess Qingyun suppressed the excitement in her heart, returning the gesture gracefully: “Great General’s profound favor, this palace will never forget in this lifetime. Upon ascending to the throne, there shall be repayment!”

“Many thanks, Your Highness!”

Shangguan Wuji bowed deeply on the ground before standing up again.

With this single act, he was thoroughly committed to Princess Qingyun’s cause, with no possibility of turning back.

And with him, fifty thousand elite troops of the Hanhai Army!

Princess Qingyun turned her head to look at Wang Chen, the joy and gratitude in her eyes indescribable.

[Fate +500]
A conspicuous message instantly popped up in Wang Chen’s vision.

He couldn’t help but smile slightly.

At this very moment, several miles away within the Yan Army, within a tent with a golden top, a purple-robed elder, a Silver Armored Warrior, and a cultured middle-aged man exchanged glances, all revealing a hint of surprise.

Any one of these three was a formidable existence whose actions could shake the Yan State, and they had gathered here today with the objective of conquering Hanhai Pass!

To the Yan State, Hanhai Pass had always been a thorn in the heart, which they wished to remove swiftly.

However, with Great Qi’s former strength surpassing that of the Yan State, and the Hanhai Army occupying a significant strategic advantage at Hanhai Pass, even if the Yan State could pull out this thorn, it would do so at a terribly heavy cost.

Hence, they had always bided their time.

Until now, with the news of King Jing’s usurpation, the Yan State had made up its mind to take Hanhai Pass at any cost.

Because if they didn’t act now, the Yan State might be in danger of collapsing!

Since this battle was crucial to the nation’s fate, the three Martial Venerables had come together, demonstrating their determination to win at all costs.

They had just heard Shangguan Wuji’s oath, and their expressions grew somewhat peculiar.

The purple-robed elder, frowning, said, “Has Shangguan Wuji gone mad? At a time like this, he swears allegiance to Princess Qingyun, is he still of sound mind?”

Who is Princess Qingyun?

She was a tool used by Great Liang for a political marriage with the Yan State. Even if there was a slight chance for her to become the queen of the Yan State in the future, she was not worth the loyalty of a tier-six Cultivation Level Martial Venerable.

Furthermore, Shangguan Wuji controlled a powerful army!

The Silver Armored Warrior pondered and said, “Could he be intending to use Princess Qingyun’s name to lay hands on the cauldron of Great Liang?”

Such speculation made sense. Given Shangguan Wuji’s own strength and the armed forces of the Hanhai Army he controlled, using Princess Qingyun presented an opportunity to vie for the world of Great Liang.

“Impossible!”

The refined gentleman flatly rejected the idea: “Shangguan Wuji isn’t foolish enough to stake his life and fortune on a princess.”

The elder in purple robes stroked his beard and asked, “What shall we do now then?”

“Wait for the army to assemble.”

The Silver Armored Warrior spoke gravely, “The quantity of siege towers and catapults is still too few. We need at least ten days to make preparations, and then we can determine the fate of the world in one battle!”

Assaulting a stronghold like Hanhai City without ten times the troop strength and sufficient machinery would be impossible to conquer in one fell swoop.

The most crucial point was that the distant Yan Army couldn’t sustain a prolonged war of attrition.

“Then we wait ten days.”

The refined gentleman made a decision: “First, we send a joint letter of surrender to Shangguan Wuji to persuade him to capitulate. Even if it doesn’t succeed, it doesn’t matter.”

The elder in purple robes and the Silver Armored Warrior exchanged a smile.

Both were confident of taking Hanhai Pass; the important question was the cost.

If they could convince Shangguan Wuji, that would be for the best!

Before long, a letter of surrender co-signed by three Martial Venerables from Great Yan was shot by Yan Army archers onto the wall of Hanhai Pass, and then, via Shangguan Wuji, it ended up in Wang Chen’s hands.

After reading this heartfelt letter of surrender, Wang Chen couldn’t help but laugh: “The terms are quite favorable.”

The conditions presented by Great Yan to Shangguan Wuji were exceedingly generous, promising the titles of Pillar Nation General and Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, the position of a Duke, and a fiefdom as a hereditary estate, unaltered for generations.

It was treatment on the level of a Prince!

If it weren’t for Wang Chen, facing hundreds of thousands of Yan troops and three Martial Venerables, Shangguan Wuji might very well have succumbed.

“All are illusions.”

Shangguan Wuji, on the other hand, scoffed at this: “Without the Hanhai Army, titles like Pillar Nation General and Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor are nothing but hot air!”

Shangguan Wuji was acutely aware that his most vital bargaining chip was not his own cultivation level.

It was the fifty thousand elite troops of the Hanhai Army!

If Shangguan Wuji surrendered to Great Yan, could he still control this border army?

Wishful thinking!

Without the Hanhai Army, Shangguan Wuji would be like a tiger without claws, still appearing mighty but with his deterrent power greatly diminished, and he could forget about having a comfortable life hereafter.

Wang Chen nodded– he could hear the genuine disdain in his voice.

Shangguan Wuji’s attention returned to the blueprint in Wang Chen’s hands, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Is this the Divine Weapon to be used against the Yan Army you spoke of?”

“Exactly.”

Wang Chen said with a slight smile, “Its name is the ‘cannon’!”

Originally, Wang Chen had not planned to utilize this mighty weapon so soon, but the current opportunity was too good to pass up.

Firstly, the Yan State’s forces were arriving continuously, and the Hanhai Army needed such a sharp weapon for defense.

Most importantly, Hanhai City had excellent conditions for casting cannons.

In this border city of Great Liang, there were dozens of ironworks of various sizes, with many skilled craftsmen.

In addition, the Military Manufacturing Camp was full of talent, providing the Hanhai Army with a large number of quality military equipment each year, and the iron mines nearby, producing tens of thousands of jin of iron daily, were sufficient to meet the needs for casting cannons!

——
The second update is here.