Chapter 182: Chaos in Xiaocheng (Twenty-Two) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

It's not that I'm prejudiced.

But Zheng Qiao and his two brothers are both filthy dregs; none of them are any better than the other. When they fight, the common people suffer.

Brother Shen's help to those two brothers is also aiding and abetting evil!

"What are you standing there for? Let's go, let's go!"

The soldiers urged Zhai Le on, implying they'd kick him if he hesitated any longer. Zhai Le grinned sheepishly and said repeatedly, "Don't be angry, sir, don't be angry, sir, I'm coming!"

With a flick of his wrist, the whip he used to drive the cattle swayed slightly, and the cattle and sheep that had stopped obediently followed his command.

Zhai Le had always been a nimble-fingered person who loved to learn everything. He had learned many tricks of herding cattle and sheep, and he could even pass for a cowherd convincingly. The soldiers didn't suspect anything and treated them like ordinary civilians, ordering them around and allowing them to easily infiltrate the rebel camp.

They drove the cattle and sheep to their destination.

The soldiers then instructed them to take good care of the cattle and sheep.

These are all "rations," to be slaughtered later to supplement the soldiers' meals. As for the rules about oxen being too precious to slaughter?

Hehe, it's not like it's their cow.

They don't know how to cultivate the land either.

If we kill them, we can eat them; if we don't kill them, who knows who will benefit?

Once they were out of sight, Zhai Le pretended to feed the cattle while whispering to his cousin.

“Brother, I just saw Brother Chen.”

Zhai Huan hummed in agreement, indicating that she understood.

Zhai Le: "Brother, why do you think Brother Shen came?"

Zhai Huan said, "Perhaps everyone has their own ambitions."

These words directly implied that Shen Tang was colluding with the rebels, and Zhai Le immediately retorted: "I believe Brother Shen is not that kind of person!"

"Why would someone who isn't like that intercept tax revenue?"

Zhai Huan countered with a question.

Zhai Le was speechless when asked the question, unsure how to respond. He said, "But Brother Chen... he didn't expose us..."

Zhai Huan asked, "Did he recognize you?"

Zhai Le said confidently, "Yes, I definitely recognized him."

That look in his eyes definitely didn't make him wrong!

If Brother Shen really is on the same side as the rebels, there's no reason why he wouldn't say anything when he recognizes the two of them. In other words, Brother Shen either has some unspeakable difficulties or is in a situation where he has no choice but to act, or he, like them, is approaching the rebel camp with some kind of purpose, waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble!

Thinking about it this way, I feel even more strongly that my guess is the truth.

Zhai Huan, however, was not so optimistic.

He solemnly warned, "Don't let your guard down."

Zhai Ledao: "Hmm."

Since it concerned the lives and fortunes of his brothers, he naturally wouldn't be careless. Thinking about the experiences along the way, even the naturally optimistic Zhai Le couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He knew that things could change, but he never expected them to change to such an unrecognizable degree.

Upon receiving the signal fire that day, the brothers retreated with Commandant Yang and took a day to fully recover.

This is only possible for a high-level martial artist; an ordinary person would take seven or eight days to recover. The sights and sounds along the way were truly shocking.

Although Yang Duwei's troops did not suffer many losses in the battle of tax silver and their strength was still relatively intact, a critical problem was facing them - insufficient water and food!

To be precise, they didn't have enough food to last them a day!

The rest were all on the tax cart.

They could neither turn back to get rations nor continue their rapid march—that would be too exhausting! If they encountered rebel forces, the enemy would be strong and well-equipped, while their own troops would be exhausted. The former would have a numerical advantage, while the latter would only be sending themselves to their deaths!

These concerns led to a loss of morale. During the rest periods on the way back to reinforce, soldiers began to desert one after another, totaling over a hundred. Even though Commander Yang used ruthless methods to stop them, he could only temporarily suppress the wavering morale, but could not reverse the decline in morale.

Seeing this, Zhai Huan seized the opportunity to make a suggestion.

Simply put, it involves raiding small groups of rebels and scavenging usable military supplies from them to sustain their own operations.

This proposal was initially rejected outright by Commandant Yang!

He wasn't unaware that the suggestion was good and could allow them to hold out longer, but what he needed now was a quick reinforcement!

If they arrive too late, and Xiaocheng falls...

Commandant Yang's face turned ashen; he dared not even think about it. Back then, Zheng Qiao led his troops to conquer Sibao County, burning, killing, and looting, turning the once prosperous county into a desolate wasteland littered with starving corpses, only beginning to recover after two or three years…

His family is still in Xiaocheng!

If the siege is followed by a massacre...

Just thinking about it made Commandant Yang so angry he wanted to kill someone.

He wished he could capture Prefect Yan Cheng and tear him to pieces!

Zhai Huan coldly retorted, "According to Commandant Yang's plan, are we going back to provide reinforcements, or are we going back to our deaths?"

They rushed to deliver grain and fodder, changed routes halfway and encountered heavy rain, fought a fierce battle with bandits who robbed tax silver in the middle of the night, and then rushed back to provide reinforcements... They didn't even have a proper chance to catch their breath throughout the whole process.

Courageous warriors can hold their own, but what about ordinary soldiers?

Should we abandon these soldiers' lives?

If they give up, what's wrong with them running away because they're afraid of death?

Commandant Yang said coldly, "This is different! It's not your homeland and family that are threatened! So many people in Xiaocheng are still waiting... Perhaps if we delay for another quarter of an hour, it will be those who die..."

Zhai Huan interrupted him without any politeness, saying, "Yes, we brothers are indeed not locals, so there's no need to rush."

Commander Yang's large, round eyes widened in anger, his nose turning red and his facial muscles trembling. Zhai Huan continued, "But which of the soldiers present wasn't from Xiaocheng? Even if they weren't locals, judging by their age, most of them are probably married... Commander Yang might as well ask them, who isn't anxious and frustrated?"

It wasn't just Commander Yang who was anxious.

No matter how anxious you are, you must not rashly go and throw your life away!

Commander Yang clenched his fists: "But..."

“There are no buts!” Zhai Huan said in a commanding tone, his words carrying an unyielding and undeniable force.

Unfazed by Commandant Yang's angry glare, he said, "Commander Yang's 'reinforcements' are just delaying the enemy's forces and relieving our pressure, aren't they? Anyway, we're killing rebels, so it doesn't matter which one we kill!"

Only by preserving one's life can one kill the enemy.

If you lose your life, then there is no meaning to anything.

Commandant Yang's face flushed red and then turned pale.

The fist clenched and then relaxed, relaxed and then clenched again.

Zhai Huan knew his indecisiveness had resurfaced, so he secretly gave his cousin a wink. Zhai Le understood and used his imposing aura to intimidate the soldiers. The soldiers looked troubled, but the aura of a high-ranking martial artist was not so easy to resist.

They would be unable to resist the urge to submit, and if their reason was not strong, they would simply obey until the martial artist withdrew his aura and they were no longer affected.

Seeing this, Commandant Yang had no choice but to close his eyes and accept Zhai Huan's suggestion.

Perhaps it was good luck, but the rebel groups they encountered along the way were all small, and they reaped considerable gains, which helped them recover their low morale. Until they encountered a group of soldiers who called themselves "recruited soldiers" but were actually thieves, Zhai Huan suddenly had a plan.

He's planning something big!

|ω)

Hehe, there will be another chapter at midnight, which is to make up for the previous one, but I'm still writing it, so everyone should go to sleep early.

(End of this chapter)