As the dog came closer, Yuanxiang barked twice in succession. This dog was probably inexperienced and eager to make friends, because its steps were already cheerful as it approached, and it was just about to wag its tail.
Yuan Xiang, who was hiding behind a rock, rushed out quickly before his true identity was discovered. He knocked the big dog, which had let down its guard, to the ground, pressed his knee against the dog's neck, and at the same time covered the dog's mouth and nose with a cotton towel he had prepared in advance.
There was a sufficient amount of knockout drug on the cotton towel. The big dog struggled and kicked a few times, then soon passed out with its eyes rolled back.
Yuanxiang, who was covered in mud, breathed a sigh of relief and dragged the dog behind a rock and hid it.
At first, the dog barking reached the ears of the guards, but since it only barked once and nothing more, they did not pay much attention to it. Only one person came over with a torch. It was too cold at night, so he complained and cursed, "Why are you barking?"
The next moment, the man suddenly felt a gust of cold wind passing by behind him. He immediately became alert, but before he could make any sound, he fell down.
Yuan Xiang flew forward, kicked the torch before it hit the ground, reached out to catch it, and with his other hand made a "follow me" gesture to his subordinates behind him.
Soon, the granary suddenly caught fire, and the guards shouted: "Fire! Fire!"
However, as soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and saw strange flames in other directions behind him.
A guarding soldier suddenly reacted, drew his sword and shouted, "There's an assassin!"
The surroundings were immediately on alert, and a deafening gong sounded. The guards hurriedly stood up, picked up their weapons and rushed over. In their sight, they saw countless rockets, as dense as a rain of fire from falling rocks from the sky, coming towards them.
Rockets arrived with the wind, destroying their plans to put out the fire.
The sparks connected closely, and with the help of the night wind, they soon turned into a sea of fire.
In the chaos, some people shouted to put out the fire, some shouted to defend against the enemy, and some issued orders: "Quick! Report this to Jizhou and inform the envoy! Send troops to help as soon as possible!"
The group of soldiers who went to deliver the message were shot off their horses one after another shortly after they mounted their horses.
However, as the fire grew bigger, it soon alerted the patrol troops outside. They quickly split into two groups, one came here to check, and the other went to Jizhou to report the news.
After the rocket attack, Yuan Xiang and others fought head-on with the guards.
Killing is not the purpose, the purpose is to escape and to delay as much as possible the time for these people to put out the fire. Whether it is a granary or an armory, there are corresponding fire prevention and firefighting measures. It will take a while to burn it all down. If you set a fire and leave, it will be tantamount to failing.
The guards of Tieshibao had the advantage of on-site defense, but Yuanxiang and others had learned all the intelligence and troop deployment of the place from Hong Chen, so they were able to seize the initiative and achieve a precise defeat.
With the death of the commander of the Tieshibao guards at the hands of Lieutenant General Yu, and the fire being completely out of control, the defense of this place completely collapsed.
Yuan Xiang and Deputy General Yu led two thousand men, fighting and retreating, and finally successfully withdrew from Tieshi Fort at dawn.
There were pursuers along the way, but they were no match for them. The two thousand Xuan Ce troops who came here were all elite cavalry who could defeat ten enemies with one, and they were best at rapid surprise attacks and breakouts.
They rode their horses rapidly through the ice and snow in the dim morning light, and soon left the Iron Stone Fortress with its billowing smoke and flames behind them.
"Reporting to the Grand Commander, Deputy General Yu and his men are back!"
Yuan Xiang and his companions galloped for a day and a half, and returned safely to the military camp outside Youzhou City on the afternoon of the seventh day.
After Lieutenant General Yu dismounted, he immediately went to see Cui Jing. His face, cracked by the wind, was full of high-spirited smiles, and his salute was also particularly powerful: "Your Excellency the Grand Commander, I am glad that I have fulfilled your mission!"
He explained the results, and Cui Jing's advisers and generals felt relieved and excited.
This trip destroyed the weapons and granary in Kangding Mountain in one fell swoop. This first step was a success! The top counselor named Jiao subconsciously said, "We should tell the governor Chang about this good news as soon as possible!"
"That's right!" A general stood up and said, "I will go to the ordinary governor now!"
They were so "diligent" not just to show off in front of their own commander-in-chief. Although they had not been with Chang Suining for a long time, as the beneficiaries of help, they had gradually developed trust and respect for the young girl who was in charge of the situation.
Especially those older generals, sometimes they themselves feel very strange. At their age, they have fought for so long and have seen everything. It is difficult for them to believe in others, not to mention that the other party is just a girl of 17 or 18 years old...
But in fact, they developed an indescribable trust and closeness to the girl. Without fear of being laughed at, they even felt a sense of déjà vu when looking at the girl.
This feeling of "déjà vu" is different from the way they look at Chang Sui'an, who is very similar to Chang Kuo when he was young.
And for some reason, when they were absent-minded, they even felt that when the other party sat in the tent and discussed matters with them, it seemed that they were not guests, but originally belonged here...
Perhaps, they were too eager for the Grand Commander to become a family with Governor Chang? Seeing that many people wanted to report to Governor Chang, Deputy General Yu said, "Yuan Xiang has already gone!"
As soon as Yuanxiang got off his horse, he carried the sack and ran straight to the camp of Governor Chang. That scene made Deputy General Yu wonder for a moment - does Cui Yuanxiang still know who his master is? But it doesn't matter. After all, the Grand Commander-in-Chief has given his dowry... cough, even his family property to Governor Chang, so Cui Yuanxiang is not a big deal.
At this moment, Yuanxiang was presenting treasures to Chang Suining.
Chang Suian, She Cai, He Wuhu and others were all there, and they were all looking at the "treasure" that was poured out of the sack.
"What kind of dog is this? It has a big head and big paws. It looks like a tiger." Chang Sui'an looked curious.
The big dog's hands and feet were tied, and its mouth was tied with a cloth strip. Its brown and black hair was tangled, and its drooping eyes were full of vigilance. Perhaps it was hungry and thirsty, and it made pitiful groans from its throat.
Yuanxiang felt somewhat guilty for having deceived someone's feelings, and seeing that it was a rare good dog, he decided to go all out and steal the dog back.
Chang Suining took a look and said, "It should be a mastiff."
Yuan Xiang was a little surprised: "Mrs. Chang actually recognized the mastiff?"
Chang Suining nodded: "But it looks like a cross between a mastiff and other common dog breeds. Its body shape and fur color are slightly different, and its temperament is much gentler."
Chang Suining said as he squatted down, raised his hand and tried to pry open one of its canine teeth, and said, "It's still young, probably not even an adult yet."
"That would be great!" Yuan Xiang grinned and said, "It's just right for you to raise it, Madam Chang. It's young and you can raise it well!"
Chang Suining: "You brought it back, why don't you keep it for yourself?"
Mastiffs are hard to find nowadays because of their fierce temperament and the fact that they are said to be able to fight with tigers and wolves. Those of high quality and pure bloodline were once fetched a high price of thousands of gold by the powerful families in Beijing.
Yuan Xiang scratched his head and smiled: "I tricked it, I'm afraid it will bear a grudge in its heart."
While he was speaking, the big dog raised its eyelids and glanced at him weakly.
"It probably thinks you are some kind of dog immortal and wants to ask you for advice on how to transform into a human."
As Chang Suining spoke, she tried to untie the cloth on the dog's mouth. The big dog subconsciously opened its mouth to bite her, but she stepped back in time to avoid it.
After a while, Chang Suining took out a chestnut and asked it, "Will you eat this?"
The day before yesterday, Cui Jing found a basket of chestnuts from somewhere, cooked them, dried them, and had them delivered to her tent.
Chang Suining threw the chestnut into the big dog's mouth. The big dog sniffed it cautiously with its nose, and was so hungry that it opened its mouth and bit it.
It tilted its head and chewed a little, then spat out a few pieces of chestnut shells covered in saliva, without any chestnut meat left.
After the big dog finished eating, it peeled the cricket pupae with great effort, raised its head towards Chang Suining, and stuck out its tongue to indicate that it wanted more food.
As soon as Chang Sui'an untied it, it sat up and assumed a proper and well-behaved posture to beg for food.
"This dog is very human!" He Wuhu said curiously, "General, please keep it. I will help you raise it!"
What man can resist having a majestic dog by his side? Chang Sui'an urged, "Ningning, give it a name!"
Chang Suining, who had a hard time coming up with a name, looked at the chestnut shells on the ground and saw that they looked very similar to the brown and black fur on the big dog, so he said, "How about calling it Black Chestnut?"
“Nice name.”
The one who answered was Cui Jing.
The curtain here was opened. Chang Suining looked up and saw Cui Jing walking in.
Yuanxiang and others hurriedly saluted.
Cui Jing glanced at Yuan Xiang, then looked at the big dog lying on the ground eating chestnuts, and said, "You are a thief who never leaves empty-handed."
Yuan Xiang laughed and said, "I thought it was New Year's Day and it was my first time going out. If I came back empty-handed, it would not be a good sign."
Chang Suining smiled and asked Cui Jing, "What do you think of this dog, General Cui?"
Cui Jing nodded: "Well, the chestnuts are peeled well."
Chang Suining looked at him suspiciously: "...Are you trying to say it's better than me?"
Cui Jing coughed lightly: "How dare I."
After they had teased the dog and made some jokes, Chang Suining stood up and talked about business: "Tieshi Fort was attacked. There should have been some action in Jizhou City."
Cui Jing followed her and sat down beside the table. He nodded and said, "Everything has been arranged in Jizhou City. We are just waiting for news."
Chang Suining looked outside the tent and said, "No matter what Kang Cong chooses in the end, the granary in Tieshibao has been destroyed, which is equivalent to a heavy blow to Kangdingshan. This plan will definitely pay off."
Nothing in the world is absolute. In the final analysis, military strategies and tactics are all about human hearts, but human hearts are the most fickle.
But even if Kang Dingshan could mobilize his troops alive, without the support of the granary in the rear, it would be like being strangled. Even if they had to fight, Xuan Ce's army could complete the battle at a lower cost.
But compared to "smaller", Chang Suining still hopes to end this unrest at the "smallest" cost.
Whether her wish can be fulfilled depends on Kang Cong's choice and luck.
…
Today is the sixth day since Kang Cong woke up from his coma.
During these six days, he developed a high fever, became restless, and had constant nightmares.
He dreamed of many things from his childhood. Once, no, more than once... his father rushed in drunk, whipped him with a whip, and called him a bastard.
He woke up in horror and subconsciously touched his shoulder, where the old scar was still there.
His father not only beat him, but also often punched and kicked his mother. His mother never resisted. Her every move told him that his father was God and that only by pleasing his father could he survive.
So he never thought about hating his father, perhaps because he knew that the word hate was too heavy and he could not afford the price of hating his father. His father was always vigilant and cautious and never allowed him to have the ability to hate. If he allowed himself to hate, he would only destroy himself.
So he tried his best to please his father, and it almost became a self-disciplined habit.
On the day he and Hong Chen set off, he put on the fox fur coat, which was his most impressive outer garment. The fox fur on it was hunted by his sister.
He put it on, rode on the horse, and felt full of strength. He wanted to prove himself to his father and make his father look at him with new eyes, but the result was the opposite of what he wanted...
However, even if the mission was successful, would his father really show him kindness and appreciation?
When he was young, he always looked forward to growing up, thinking that when he grew up, he would have more power and would no longer be bullied. However, as he grew up, he found that many powers could not be achieved by himself, but required external forces. However, his father was always reluctant to share those external forces with him...
In his dream, he saw his brothers standing beside his father from the perspective of a bystander, and he was like a homeless dog, crawling far away and waiting for the food crumbs they would throw at him with laughter.
He suddenly felt extremely angry. For the first time in his life, he felt such clear anger—why? Why?!
He had always hated his brother, but all these sufferings and injustices were clearly caused by his father! His father would never change his mind about him. Even if he really became stronger, what would be waiting for him would only be his father's suspicion and vigilance, not respect and appreciation!
This sudden clarity of realization caused the fortress of self-deception he had built since childhood to collapse.
In another dream, he saw the horse that brought him back. The horse became his incarnation. He witnessed with his own eyes his fate of being cooked and eaten, and then he suddenly woke up.
After waking up, what was waiting for him was another nightmare.
Kang Cong, who was soaked in cold sweat, sat on the bed and gasped for breath when Yue Shi and a maid ran over in a hurry.
Kang Cong learned from his mother's extremely panicked words that his father wanted to see him.
In other words, he was to be held accountable.
This sudden accusation obviously meant something had gone wrong.
"The carriage is waiting outside..." Yueshi and her maid hurriedly dressed her son, saying in a trembling voice, "Remember to explain to your father when you see him..."
"It's useless..." Kang Cong stood weakly beside the couch and murmured, "He will definitely kill me."
Yueshi's face turned pale: "No, your father won't..."
At this time, hurried footsteps came in, accompanied by the girl's shouting: "Everyone get out!" (End of this chapter)
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