We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 684 After the War

The morning light caresses the earth and the sun rises as usual.

The smell of blood on the Xiaguan beach had not yet been completely blown away by the sea breeze, but the fierce fighting had already stopped.

The Japanese army retreated hastily to Xiaguan City, leaving the camp in ruins.

The Fengtian Army pursued the enemy for several miles, but the number of troops that landed was small and there was no cavalry to cover them, so they did not dare to pursue further.

At this moment, on this land that had just been soaked in blood, flags with the word "Feng" written on a black background and red ink were planted everywhere, fluttering in the sea breeze.

In the center of the camp, next to a pile of abandoned supply carts, Li Che sat on an overturned cart with his horse and sword.

After the battle, his adrenaline levels had plummeted, and now he was too tired to even move.

The goose feather armor on his body no longer had the luster it had before the battle. The armor plates were twisted and deformed, and stained with dark red blood.

There were many cracks at the joints of the armor, and half of the armor plates were crumbling. The shape was barely maintained by the leather ropes lining the inside.

Qiu Bai and Qu Jinshan were carefully helping Li Che remove his armor, and their movements inevitably affected his injuries.

Even though Li Che wanted to maintain his dignity, he couldn't help but frown and breathe in cold air through his teeth.

A military doctor with a sad face stood awkwardly by, holding a small clay pot filled with black medicinal wine for traumatic injuries.

The military doctor glanced at Li Che's exposed skin from time to time. As the armor was peeled off, large areas of shocking purple bruises were revealed.

Li Che saw the military doctor still there and frowned: "Didn't I ask you to take care of the other wounded soldiers? What are you standing here for?!"

The military doctor trembled and subconsciously looked at Qiu Bai, his lips trembling, not knowing how to answer.

"Look at what he's doing. Is he serving the king, or am I serving the king?" Li Che glared, "Didn't you hear what I said?!"

"Retreat immediately! If any wounded soldier dies due to your delay, I will take your head!"

The military doctor was so frightened that his face turned pale. He no longer dared to hesitate and hurriedly stuffed the medicine bottle in his hand to Qiu Bai.

Then he bowed deeply to Li Che and almost crawled towards the wounded camp.

Qiu Bai had no choice but to hold the medicine bottle himself and prepare to apply the medicine to Li Che later.

After half a quarter of an hour, the armor was finally completely removed.

The heavy armor leaves fell to the ground with a muffled sound. Li Che let out a long sigh and stretched his stiff and sore muscles.

Even though he was physically strong and had to endure countless blows from swords and spears, it was not a pleasant experience.

Fortunately, this goose feather armor is a treasure collected by the former prince. It was forged by skilled craftsmen through repeated hammering and tempering, and has amazing defensive power.

The crude swords and spears and soft arrows of the Japanese foot soldiers could only leave dents and scratches of varying depths on the armor plates, but failed to truly penetrate the armor and injure the flesh.

However, the impact force was transmitted to the body through the armor, causing bruises and concussions all over the chest, arms and ribs.

The purple and swollen patches make one's scalp tingle just by looking at them.

Qiu Bai rubbed the bruise on Li Che's shoulder blade with the icy medicinal wine.

"hiss......"

The intense pain finally made the dignified King Feng unable to help but grimace and gasp.

"Your Highness, please bear with it." Qiu Bai whispered, "If the blood clots are not rubbed out, your arm will be paralyzed tomorrow, and the pain will be even worse."

Li Che nodded, looked down at the pile of almost scrapped goose feather armor on the ground, and a look of heartache flashed in his eyes.

This armor is not only a rare treasure, but also carries my past. I went on many expeditions in the past, and I always wore this armor. I have developed feelings for it.

Now, because of this battle, it is completely ruined.

Seven or eight out of ten nail plates are broken, deformed, or falling off, and the linings are often damaged. Repairing them is probably more difficult than casting a new set of nails.

While Qiu Bai and Qu Jinshan were carefully applying medicine to Li Che, they couldn't help but sneak a peek at their prince's back.

In stark contrast to the bruises in front of him, Li Che's back was smooth, with flowing and firm muscle lines.

Not to mention bruises, there wasn't even a tiny scar.

This sharp contrast made several people feel respect.

His Highness charged ahead, fighting bloody battles, but he never thought of retreating, nor did he ever give the enemy a chance to hurt him from behind.

"How's it going? Am I brave?" Li Che still had the energy to joke with a few people. "Back injuries are a soldier's shame!"

"Your Highness is truly valiant!" Qu Jinshan quickly chimed in, "Especially these words, they are truly inspiring. I wonder who said them?"

Li Che was stunned and stopped talking.

Uh...you can't say that this was said by a Japanese painter.

The medicinal wine had just been applied halfway and before he had time to bandage the wound, a burst of hurried footsteps came from a distance.

Li Che's ears moved slightly, he looked up, and said in his heart, "Not good."

He saw seven or eight civilian officials accompanying the army, led by the old minister Wen Zaiyin, all with stern faces, striding towards him with great momentum.

The old civil official in the lead had white hair and beard, and he stared at Li Che, who was in dishevel and covered in bruises, but his gaze was more chilling than the Japanese cannon.

Li Che subconsciously wanted to turn around and slip away, but as soon as he moved, the severe pain in his body made him stop.

At this moment, Wen Zaiyin's powerful voice sounded:

"Your Highness!"

Li Che's body froze, and he had no choice but to bite the bullet, squeeze out a somewhat guilty smile, and turned his head:

"Ah! Wen Qing is here too? But has the military situation at the front changed? Or has there been a problem with the food and supplies?"

Wen Zaiyin took two steps at a time and almost ran to Li Che.

When he saw the large patches of hideous bruises on Li Che's body, his pupils suddenly shrank and a strong sense of fear instantly surged in his heart.

He pointed at the scars on Li Che's body, his fingers trembling slightly:

"Your Highness! You...you are planning to abandon the millions of people of our country and abandon this glorious cause halfway?!"

Li Che was a little confused by his sudden question, and subconsciously smiled and said:

"Why do you say that, Wenqing? I am fine now. How could these Japanese pirates harm me?"

"Alright? How can I be alright?!"

Wen Zai Yin was so angry that his beard stood on end. "I just heard that Your Highness personally braved the arrows and stones, leading the troops, and rushed into the midst of the enemy army as if there was no one there. He broke through several lines of defense, and even though he was wounded several times, he still fought fiercely!"

"When I first heard this news, I simply thought the soldiers were overwhelmed by the admiration and excitement they felt after witnessing Your Highness personally appear before the battlefield, and so they spread rumors and exaggerated the story."

"I never expected this! I never expected this!"

The old man stamped his feet in frustration and said anxiously:

"Your Highness, you are the ruler of a nation, yet you are so fearless, personally taking up your weapons and fighting with those barbarians in the mud and blood!"

"You...you want me to say something!"