Accidentally Having a Baby with the Future Emperor - Chapter 125

Everyone knew that Prince Yan invented the Fish-Scale Formation, a formation that not only defeated the large and small northern tribes but was also tailor-made to break the Silver Dragon Cavalry’s Long-Serpent Formation.

Back in the battle at Xiangzhou Prefecture, the Silver Dragon Cavalry crushed the Northern Yan Army and seized garrison rights over Xiangzhou Prefecture. The two princes who had once joined forces to put the current Emperor on the throne became mortal enemies from that moment.

Prince Yan took that defeat as a lifelong humiliation. Not long after, the Fish-Scale Formation appeared.

Scales are the hardest armor of a beast. The Fish-Scale Formation was ever-changing, layer upon layer, and its most famous killing move was known as ‘Severing the Tail.’

It was said that when drunk, Prince Yan once boasted before a tent full of generals that ‘Severing the Tail’ existed specifically to sever the tail of the Silver Dragon.

A northern official had passed the remark to Prince Xiao. Prince Xiao merely smiled and brushed it aside.

He said, “If this formation truly brings stability to the northern frontier, then I suppose it counts as a merit to my name.”

Prince Xiao himself did not take it seriously, but the spectators, especially officials aligned with the Cui clan, couldn’t wait to see whether this formation that terrified the northern tribes truly could counter the Silver Dragon Cavalry’s Long-Serpent Formation.

Most people in the stands had only heard of the Fish-Scale Formation’s power but very few had seen it with their own eyes. Now, watching row upon row of black-armored riders on the training field like layers of dark scales spread wide, ready to swallow prey, the audience felt their blood run cold even from afar. Some timid officials could not stop their knees from shaking. Without seats, they would hardly be able to stand.

And this was only a small formation of a thousand riders. On the northern battlefield, when tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand formed such a killing array, its terror would be unimaginable.

Minister Cui Daohuan, whose mood had soured after the Imperial Guards’ loss, felt his displeasure vanish at once. Stroking his beard, he laughed. “I have long heard of the Fish-Scale Formation’s fame. Seeing it today, its reputation is well deserved. Prince Xiao, what formation will the Silver Dragon Cavalry use to respond today?”

Prince Xiao was not in court dress today. Instead, he wore only a simple silver robe and sat calmly in the stands.

Hearing the question, he answered with a relaxed smile, “I have handed all matters of the martial arts tournament to them. If you are curious, Minister Cui, you may watch carefully in a moment.”

Cui Daohuan’s smile deepened. “Then I shall truly look forward to it.”

All the other officials were stunned. With Prince Yan watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, Prince Xiao had not personally arranged the battle formation at all. Was he completely confident or did he simply not care about the outcome?

However, these two princes had clashed for many years. It was either the east wind prevailing over the west or the west over the east; never had Prince Xiao genuinely backed down. Had he ever been indifferent, the Silver Dragon Cavalry would not have publicly declared war on the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry back then. For matters as crucial to the Silver Dragon Cavalry’s honor as the martial arts tournament, how could he possibly not care?

Xiao Rong sat calmly beside Grand Chancellor Qi.

Grand Chancellor Qi Ru looked at his youngest disciple. “You seem quite composed today.”

Xiao Rong replied solemnly, “This disciple has already left the Xiao clan. Whether the Silver Dragon Cavalry wins or loses has nothing to do with me. Like Master, I’m only here to watch the spectacle.”

Qi Ru nodded. “To be so clear-minded is rare indeed.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Jingcheng deliberately set down his wine cup, sitting proudly.

For the earlier bouts, this Third Master Xiao had spent his time drinking and chatting. But never in all his years as the Xiao clan’s Third Master had he been so buoyant, being so flattered by so many officials.

“I hear that this year’s martial arts tournament was entrusted entirely to Young Master Yulin, with even the fine details approved by him. It proves Prince Xiao’s. Third Master, allow me to congratulate you in advance.”

An official from the Ministry of Works sitting at the next table quietly flattered him. Although he left the implication unsaid, both men understood.

The words filled Xiao Jingcheng with pure delight. For his son to preside over the martial arts tournament on behalf of Prince Xiao was an incomparable honor, whether within or outside the clan. If the Silver Dragon Cavalry won today, then Yulin becoming the new heir of the Xiao clan would be guaranteed beyond challenge.

The more he thought about it, the happier he grew. Outwardly reserved, Xiao Jingcheng said, “The bout is about to begin. Let us watch carefully. Do not be noisy and disturb the order.”

The official quickly acknowledged and set down his cup.

From afar, Matriarch Wang saw that the Prince of Jin and his personal guards had been reassigned closer to the Silver Dragon Cavalry’s tail end, and she gave a satisfied smile.

“Regarding Mother’s arrangement, the Prince of Jin did not seem pleased. Perhaps he felt that changing position at the last moment was humiliating,” Wang Yanshou said.

Matriarch Wang spoke bluntly, “Losing face is better than losing life. If he truly injures an arm or a leg and ends up crippled, he can forget that position for the rest of his life.”

On this point, Wang Yanshou agreed wholeheartedly. “Mother is right. Thankfully, the Prince of Jin listened to your advice and agreed.”

Matriarch Wang lifted her brows proudly. “He is not foolish. How could he not understand that without my years of planning for him, he would never have been ennobled as a prince or gained the Xiao clan’s support to stand equal with the Prince of Wei and the Crown Prince?”

***

Dust rose within the training ground.

Xiao Yuke, clad in silver armor and helmet, led a team of soldiers through layer after layer of formation lines to the formation core.

In recent years, aside from the northern frontier, the court had seen no large-scale wars. Prince Xiao encouraged young officers to participate in the martial arts tournament as training. So aside from the veteran generals Mo Qing and Zhang Liao who led the main forces, most of the officers responsible for holding positions were young. Xiao Yuke’s duty today was the most crucial, namely defending the formation core, anchoring the formation, and directing its movements.

For safety, a seasoned old general assisted beside him. But the old generals understood Prince Xiao’s intention, so they only supervised key points. The actual execution was left entirely to the young.

Although they had rehearsed countless times beforehand, facing the ferocious Northern Yan Iron Cavalry and the imposing Fish-Scale Formation for real, Xiao Yuke still felt the crushing weight of pressure.

Upon reaching the formation core, he began checking each direction’s officer positions according to protocol, ensuring no mistakes. When his gaze fell upon the southwestern flank, he noticed two officers standing out of alignment, their subordinates lazily bunched together.

Anger surged within him, and he spurred his horse toward them. Fixing his gaze on one of the men, he ordered, “Xiao Wenyao, the match is about to begin. Take your position at once!”

The young officer, addressed as Xiao Wenyao, came from another collateral branch of the Xiao clan. Known for his outstanding martial skill and with solid military merit, he turned his head unhurriedly at the reprimand, loosely holding his reins. A lazy grin appeared on his face. “Got it, Second Young Master Xiao.” Although he replied, Xiao Wenyao’s movements remained sluggish.

Xiao Yuke’s anger only grew. “If you act like this during the match, don’t blame me for being harsh!”

Xiao Wenyao just kept grinning. “Oh? Xiao Yulin hasn’t even become heir yet and your Third Branch already throws its weight around like this. Quite frightening.”

Xiao Yuke had long known that Xiao Wenyao, bolstered by his military achievements, harbored ambitions toward the heir position. During recent formation drills, he had repeatedly tried to trip up Xiao Yulin with his words. Xiao Yuke disliked him immensely, but had endured it at Xiao Yulin’s behest. Now, hearing this again, he could only let out a cold laugh.

“My brother is better than you. If you don’t like it, swallow it.”

Xiao Wenyao was a ruthless sort. In earlier years, to impress Prince Xiao, he had once charged alone into a bandit den, taking three knife wounds. During a previous martial arts tournament, he had even bested the Imperial Guard’s then general, Cui Cheng. Hearing Xiao Yuke’s retort, a trace of menace flickered in his eyes.

At that moment, Mo Qing galloped over. Sweeping his gaze across the group and seeing the tension between the two, he frowned.

“What’s going on?”

Xiao Wenyao immediately lowered his head respectfully and saluted. “This subordinate exchanged a few jokes with Captain Xiao, but unexpectedly, he took them seriously. My apologies for letting the General see such impropriety.”

With Xiao Wenyao pretending so well, Xiao Yuke could only swallow his anger and salute as well.

Mo Qing ordered in a deep voice, “Take your positions. Now!”

Both men answered in unison.

In an instant, dust flew and silver armor flashed like the coils of a roaming silver dragon.

Nearly a thousand cavalrymen clad in silver-white armor swiftly folded into a long, seamless formation. But this formation was markedly different from the Long-Serpent Formation that the Silver Dragon Cavalry previously used. Not only was it much longer, but on each side of the ‘serpent’ extended two enormous ‘wings.’ Behind these wings, at the mid-section of the ‘serpent,’ stood two units of soldiers holding gleaming long spears, shaped like razor claws. If one looked closely, they would notice these spears were significantly longer than the usual wooden kind.

Seen from afar, the formation resembled a snow-white giant eagle crouched on the earth, head lifted proudly, overlooking the dark-scaled fish opposite.

“What is that…?”

The Northern Yan generals, mounted and watching from the other side, were stunned.

Zhang Ran stared in disbelief. “This formation looks like the Flying Eagle Formation Qin Zhong used to drill in camp. But it’s not the same. Qin Zhong’s Flying Eagle had only two wings without the ‘claws.’ But those claws… why do they look familiar?”

“Like ‘Silver Strokes, Iron Hooks,’” Gongsun Yu answered.

Silver Strokes, Iron Hooks originally referred to a calligraphic style known for its strength and grace, ‘strong like iron strokes, graceful like silver hooks.’ It was also Prince Yan’s favorite to practice. When Prince Yan was still the heir apparent, he had used this as inspiration to create a special formation for countering barbarian cavalry, adding iron hooks to the silver spears to trip horse legs. He had named the formation elegantly: Silver Strokes, Iron Hooks.

Realization dawned on Zhang Ran. “Yes, it really does look like it!”

However, why would the Silver Dragon Cavalry’s completely new formation integrate so many elements from Northern Yan’s formations?

If it were only one or two similarities, that would be one thing. But the shaping of the claws beneath the eagle’s head and serpent’s body clearly captured the essence of Silver Strokes, Iron Hooks.

The only difference was that the Silver Dragon Cavalry’s spears were simply lengthened, without the hooked iron attachments.

In military formations, borrowing ideas was not shameful. Armies from both sides routinely sent spies to study their enemy’s troop deployment. But the Northern Yan Iron Cavalry’s signature formations had only ever appeared on the northern frontier, never in the capital. How could the Silver Dragon Cavalry know them?

Even if Prince Xiao had sent people to spy on them, they had never deployed the Flying Eagle Formation or Silver Strokes, Iron Hooks.

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Ran and Gongsun Yu almost simultaneously turned to look in one direction.

At the banquet, Prince Xiao, who had been observing the field with a calm gaze, paused when he saw the new formation. He asked Xiao Yulin beside him, “Who came up with this formation?”

Xiao Yulin answered respectfully, “I dare not hide it, Fourth Uncle. This was not my idea, nor that of any Silver Dragon general. It was described in a strategy manual the Young Prince gave me previously. After discussing it with the generals, we found the formation extraordinary and decided to try it.”

On the field, Zhang Ran and Gongsun Yu also realized the truth.

Even if no one in the Silver Dragon Cavalry had seen Northern Yan formations, someone in the Xiao clan certainly had.

Hadn’t the young heir of the Xiao clan once hidden his identity and stayed in the Northern Yan army for half a year?

That heir was famed for encyclopedic knowledge and a sharp memory. In six months, let alone formations, he had certainly memorized the Northern Yan camp’s defense maps and marching routes. They had only been shocked by his daring attempt to assassinate Prince Yan and had forgotten this detail entirely.

The Fish-Scale Formation was created by Prince Yan specifically to counter the Long-Serpent Formation.

Now, this grand and imposing Eagle Formation seemed like a long-winged raptor swooping down to devour a small fish, created precisely to counter the Fish-Scale Formation.

With the drumbeats falling like rain, the match officially began. Unlike the previous bout, where the Imperial Guards and the Southwestern garrison used attack vs. defense formations, both Northern Yan’s Fish-Scale Formation and the Silver Dragon’s Eagle Formation were purely offensive. As soon as the signal sounded, both sides surged forward like lightning.

The Fish-Scale Formation was unstoppable, slaying everything before it. It emphasized one thing: speed. As unstoppable as a breaking bamboo stalk, it crushed all obstacles, killing gods and Buddhas alike, aiming directly for the Silver Dragon’s tail.

Against the original Long-Serpent Formation, this tactic might have worked. But this time, the razor-sharp scales were blocked by equally powerful eagle wings. For a moment, they could not advance smoothly.

During the brief stalemate, the talons beneath the wings revealed their cold glint. Under the wings’ cover, one long spear after another shot forward with brutal precision, flipping the frontmost Northern Yan riders from their saddles.

Such a sudden shift didn’t fluster the battle-hardened Northern Yan Iron Cavalry. Gongsun Yu signaled with his command flag and the rear cavalry immediately filled the gaps.

This time, the soldiers bore iron spears equipped with hooks, designed to snare horses’ legs.

These hooks, naturally, could also latch onto enemy spears.

The surprising scene came next. The moment the hooks caught the long Silver Dragon spears, the spearheads suddenly retracted halfway, slipping right out of the hooks’ grasp.

Before the Northern Yan soldiers could react, the shortened spearheads abruptly extended again, thrusting another row of riders off their mounts.

Gongsun Yu’s heart sank. Only now did he realize that those modified silver spears contained hidden mechanisms.

“This child is truly gifted and devilishly clever,” Zhang Ran sighed, then personally led the flank troops to assault the Eagle Formation’s wings.

Here, the Long-Serpent Formation’s flexibility showed its strength. Troops originally forming the tail swiftly merged with the flank to block Zhang Ran’s assault.

The clash between the two sides intensified. On the viewing platform, ministers watched without blinking, tension stretched tight; even the wine cups before them were forgotten. They clenched their fists, sweating for both sides.

Even the Emperor looked grave as if fearing the soldiers, carried away by bloodlust, might forget this was only a martial demonstration.

Amid the rising crash of weapons, neighing horses, and thunderous charges, the Eagle Formation was the first to break into the Fish-Scale Formation’s belly, ripping open an entry. At the same time, Zhang Ran’s forces severed a short section of the Silver Dragon’s tail.

The Prince of Jin was positioned in that very tail.

Caught mid-charge, unable to dodge, he was struck squarely by an oncoming spear. Although the soldier clearly held back and didn’t seriously injure him, the Prince of Jin was knocked clean off his horse. His personal guards paled and scrambled to pull him up.

On the viewing platform, Matriarch Wang’s face darkened sharply.

She had painstakingly arranged for the Prince of Jin to stay in the supposedly safe rear tail, yet such a disaster still occurred.

The Prince of Jin was out of the match almost immediately and his entire area was lost.

By the rules, any soldier unhorsed was considered a dead piece and could not reenter.

Thinking of how much glory Xi Rong had claimed in the previous round, Matriarch Wang’s expression grew even uglier.

The battle raged on. Although the Silver Dragon Cavalry had lost a short section of its tail, the overall formation remained intact. The flexible serpent body swiftly re-formed a ring, trapping Zhang Ran’s unit entirely.

Meanwhile, the eagle head pressed forward again under the wings’ protection, moving toward Northern Yan’s formation core. If they broke through and took the flag, Northern Yan would have no chance to recover.

Xiao Jingcheng on the platform was nearly ready to cheer aloud.

However, the reversal came in an instant.

The supposedly trapped Zhang Ran suddenly tore open a gap at the flank, taking down three Silver Dragon generals and severing one of the Eagle Formation’s wings.

In such a tightly matched battle, even a tiny shift could overturn everything. Although the serpent formation was flexible, regrowing a wing instantly was impossible. Gongsun Yu seized the moment, signaled sharply, and the previously blocked Northern Yan cavalry surged forward, shattered the remaining wing, broke through the formation’s core, and Zhang Ran seized the banner.

Victory was decided instantly.

The field fell silent until Cui Daohuan burst into booming laughter.

“Marvelous! Truly marvelous! I congratulate Prince Yan and the Northern Yan army for taking first place in this year’s martial arts tournament!”

Officials aligned with the Cui clan immediately rose to offer congratulations.

Prince Yan himself did not appear outwardly jubilant. Instead, as he twirled his wine cup, he quietly glanced sideways.

Xiao Rong sat with a blank expression, lowering his eyes, sipping his tea, silently cursing the useless fools.

The Emperor let out a visible breath of relief and laughed. “That truly made Us sweat. Such a spectacular duel of formations, unmatched in the ages! Ministry of Rites, are you here?”

The Minister of Rites immediately stood and bowed.

The Emperor declared, “This event must be recorded in full and inscribed on a commemorative stele.”

Xiao Jingcheng sat dazed, staring at the triumphant Northern Yan Iron Cavalry and the silent Silver Dragon Cavalry. “Lost. They had lost. How?!”

Even Xiao Yulin seemed stunned. After a long moment, he rose and apologized to Prince Xiao. “It is this nephew’s incompetence. I have disappointed you, Fourth Uncle.”

However, Prince Xiao didn’t mind. “Victory and defeat are common in war. Think nothing of it.”

On the field, Xiao Yuke dismounted and stormed toward Xiao Wenyao, who had also just dismounted. With one kick, he knocked him to the ground. “Did you deliberately move to the wrong position and let Zhang Ran break out?!”

Two other officers rushed to help Xiao Wenyao up.

Wiping the corner of his mouth, Xiao Wenyao lazily dusted off the dirt. “Captain Xiao, you can’t slander me without evidence. I followed your commands exactly. If you gave the wrong orders, how is that my fault?”

Xiao Yuke had always been hot-tempered. Hearing those words, his eyes nearly split with fury and without another word, he lunged at Xiao Wenyao.

Xiao Wenyao also had many supporters in the army and the moment the two started fighting, the soldiers and officers on both sides, faces flushed red, began brawling as well.

The scene dissolved into utter chaos and in the end, it was Mo Qing, who rushed over upon hearing the commotion, who finally separated them, cracking his whip in anger as he forced the crowd apart.