Chapter 161 This Qin San is really annoying
All eyes turned to look, and Feng Feng and his companions' expressions changed repeatedly, a mixture of fear and surprise, their emotions complex and hard to describe.
Dai Li's expression remained unchanged. When she saw Qin Shaozong looking at her, she even calmly said, "Why are you looking at me?"
His tone was very flat, revealing no emotion.
Her attitude only made Qin Shaozong's eyes darken. "Madam, I have not given any instructions to Nangong. Bai Jianping and others can all testify to this. Don't listen to this scoundrel's nonsense."
The village chiefs who were named echoed this sentiment.
"That's right! After you found out what happened, you immediately kicked the man out. We were all there during the questioning, and it was over in less than a quarter of an hour."
"I was the one who led Du Ji there. How come I don't remember saying anything about the Lord's instructions? Could it be that Nangong Qingzhou spent a night in fear and anxiety in the mountains, which has disturbed his memory?"
...
Dai Li didn't speak.
Qin Shaozong looked at Nangong Xiong with a cold, sharp, and dark gaze that made the latter tense up, but the latter did not try to dodge.
Nangong Xiong was deliberately looking for trouble.
Last night they said they'd retreat together, but in the end, his precious daughter was abducted to the northern army camp. Some things are best left unsaid to the younger generation; we're all seasoned veterans, and we know the truth in many ways.
They're taking his precious daughter hostage!
If he were an idle person unrelated to this incident, he would quite admire the Lady of the Marquis's decisive and efficient style; but since he is the father of the "hostage," how could he be happy? Ah!
Now that the alliance between Qingzhou and the Northern Lands is established, we must act with restraint. Therefore, we can only say a few unpleasant things.
The generals' voices of agreement gradually faded, and the surroundings fell silent, the atmosphere becoming tense and frozen.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Mingdian, the strategist from Qingzhou who had come to the northern military camp with his lord, was about to speak up to smooth things over when a cook came and said that lunch was ready.
Nangong Xiong laughed heartily, as if he had completely forgotten his previous unpleasantness. "Wu'an, Quan Shu and I came in a hurry and haven't had a meal yet. It seems we'll have to eat a meal from you today."
They weren't asking if they could stay; they were directly asking if they could stay for dinner.
Qin Shaozong gave a forced smile: "It's just lunch, I'm not going to be stingy."
Nangong Xiong's eyelids suddenly twitched violently, a sudden unease creeping over him. But then he thought, he'd heard that Qin Changgeng was a magnanimous man; after successively conquering Bing and Ji provinces, he treated surrendered generals with courtesy and was never stingy with money for his subordinates. Surely such a person wouldn't mind a few sarcastic remarks from an ally…
He looked at his advisor Zhang Mingdian, who shook his head almost imperceptibly.
The worries in his heart were not to be told to outsiders. Nangong Xiong smiled and sat down with Qin Shaozong.
The food and wine were served, but Nangong Xiong only took a small sip and ate a few bites before becoming worried and unable to eat. "Now that we have fallen out with Dong Zhou, the gates of Chang'an are tightly closed, and the only way to enter the city is by force. But if we really do that, we will be branded as traitors. However, staying in the suburbs for a long time is also not advisable. The suburbs are flat and easy to attack but difficult to defend, and food is also a big problem."
Dong Zhou certainly wouldn't provide food for these uninvited powerful figures; they would eat their own food.
In warfare, the worst thing is having your supply lines cut off. If an army runs out of food, the enemy can win without losing a single soldier.
Chang'an is located in Yongzhou, which borders Sizhou to the east, Yizhou and Jingzhou to the south, and the former northern kingdom to the north. Geographically speaking, Qingzhou is the furthest from the main base.
Nangong Xiong sighed deeply: "After the Changle Garden incident, Dong Zhou will need the support of the three prefectures of Si, Yu, and Xu, and will surely grant their requests. Li Lishen and his people will certainly not lack food, and Xie Yuanyue's death will most likely be pinned on you, which is equivalent to having the title of a righteous army. This is not good!"
Qin Shaozong and Dai Li sat at the same table. While his ally was sighing, he picked up his wooden chopsticks and placed a piece of dried meat into Dai Li's small bowl. He said calmly, "Every cloud has a silver lining. It's good to break the deadlock sooner rather than later."
Nangong Xiong couldn't think of a good place.
"I sent men to occupy Wugang County this morning, and we will break camp and head north this afternoon. Then we will meet force with force and water with earth," Qin Shaozong said calmly.
Wugang County is located north of Chang'an. It is a small county with relatively high terrain. The road leading south to Chang'an is wide and flat, but to the north, it faces a high peak.
The main road ahead splits into two, one going east and the other west, winding around the mountain.
Zhang Mingdian immediately smiled and replied, "Wugang County is indeed a good place, my lord. Why don't we travel with Lord Qin?"
The strategist offered a convenient way out, exactly what Nangong Xiong had been waiting for. Wugang County was a good place; it wasn't that he hadn't considered it, but…
We were a step too late.
After he had settled his troops and thought about making plans for the future, he sent a team to occupy the "hilltop," only to find that someone had already taken it first.
The northerners entered the city faster than they did and closed the city gates. No matter how they shouted and tried to prove their identities below the city walls, the soldiers on the city towers did not respond, as if their ears had been snatched away by wolves.
Nangong Xiong laughed again and said, "Perfect timing! Once Li Lishen and the others have recovered, they might launch a surprise attack. Let's finish this quickly. Wu'an, how about we go to Wugang together? If we join forces, we can counter-encircle and annihilate them if we are attacked."
Qin Shaozong grunted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, his attitude remaining ambiguous.
Nangong Xiong's heart skipped a beat, and he pressed on, "What do you mean by this? Last night, Xie Yuanyue died, and Dong Zhou suddenly attacked you. At that time, with arrows on the bowstring, when you fled into the room and used it as cover to escape, I didn't hesitate to chase after you. Now, I just want to borrow Wugang County, which you occupied first. Is that not allowed?"
Actually, there was still some hesitation, but it was very brief, and Nangong Xiong ignored it.
Since Qin Shaozong's return, Dai Li has not yet had a chance to ask about last night. Now, Nangong Xiong is talking about last night in just a few words. Although she did not experience it herself, she feels that it was quite dangerous.
No wonder he brought back several knife wounds.
Dai Li looked at the man beside her, but he tapped the small bowl of meat in front of her with his chopsticks, indicating that she should finish eating.
"I can let you in Wugang, but I have a condition." Qin Shaozong remained calm and unhurried.
"you say."
Qin Shaozong said in a deep voice, "As long as Qingzhou remains allied with my northern lands, how the subsequent battles are fought and how the army moves will all be under my command."
Nangong Xiong and Zhang Mingdian's expressions changed slightly.
The other party is trying to prioritize.
Qin Shaozong stopped looking at them and poured himself a drink. "I only have this one condition, nothing else. This matter is based on mutual consent. Nangong, you can consider it carefully. I will only break camp at the beginning of the afternoon."
Nangong Xiong sneered inwardly.
That sounds nice, but they "only" broke camp at the beginning of Wei Shi (1-3 PM), but it's already noon now, less than an hour before the beginning of Wei Shi.
...
With limited space in the main tent, and after the military generals from the north were seated, people from Qingzhou were added, so Qin Shaozong simply had the younger generation eat in the adjacent tent.
After the meal, Nangong Xiong lifted the curtain and went out of the tent, where he saw his daughter waiting outside, having finished her meal first.
Seeing her father's displeasure, Nangong Zijin asked in a low voice, "Father, is it because I came here last night that I caused you trouble?"
Last night, Chang'an was in complete chaos, with everyone rushing out of the city. The situation was chaotic before leaving the city, and it didn't improve much afterward. One reason was that the Chang'an military patrols were in hot pursuit, and another reason was that some people had malicious intentions and tried to take advantage of the chaos under the cover of darkness.
Nangong Zijin, who had initially been traveling with the Northern forces, realized after leaving the city that she was surrounded by Northern soldiers, while the Qingzhou troops were either intentionally separated or had gotten lost, leaving only a handful of them.
Nangong Xiong's expression softened, and he said it had nothing to do with her; he was just worried about the future situation.
The father and daughter walked out of the northern military camp together. Nangong Xiong changed the subject and asked, "Nannan, you have met the two sons of Marquis Wu'an. What do you think of them?"
Nangong Zijin was slightly taken aback, "The second young master has a cold and aloof personality and acts with composure; the third young master..."
She paused noticeably, and although the person wasn't beside her, she felt as if she heard a torrent of words again.
Time seemed to instantly rewind to last night.
Amidst the flickering torches and the glint of swords, the young man in a black and red color-blocked outfit sized her up.
"Your outfit is terrible. You look like a golden pheasant. Everyone will stare at you when you go out. Who will even look at other people? You'll just become a sitting duck."
"You also need to smear some ash on your face. Look, just smear it on the charcoal. It's best to make it so that even Nangong Qingzhou won't recognize you. That way, you'll be on the safe side."
...
A long arrow came straight at her, but he deflected it with a clang.
She was still in shock, and a sense of gratitude had just begun to rise in her heart when she saw the young man in front of her turn around and look at her. After glancing at her twice, he muttered, "You're all gray and look like a little sparrow. And yet, someone is shooting arrows at you. It seems that Nangong Xiaoliu, your luck is not good today."
Gratitude vanished into thin air, replaced by a surge of anger that made her head buzz.
As the legitimate daughter of the governor, Nangong Zijin had always maintained her dignity and considered herself quite capable of self-control, but at this moment she truly couldn't hold back.
She couldn't help but step forward and stomp hard on his foot. As the boy screamed in surprise, she delivered a sharp rebuke of "Shut up!"
"Nannan?"
Nangong Zijin snapped out of her reverie and met her father's probing gaze. She turned her head away and said, "That Qin San is utterly detestable!"
Nangong Xiong raised his thick eyebrows. "How am I annoying?"
Nangong Zijin remained silent.
*
Qin Shaozong declared that the camp would be broken up at noon, and he was not trying to fool Nangong Xiong. After the meal, the generals swiftly left the main tent and took charge of their respective areas.
Dai Li also left the tent and slowly walked to digest her food. After a while, she noticed that soldiers were looking at her with awe. She turned around and saw that Qin Shaozong was indeed following her.
Seeing that he had been exposed, the man quickened his pace to walk alongside her, "Madam..."
"What is it?" Dai Li still had that indifferent expression.
Qin Shaozong coughed lightly, “Given the circumstances, Nangong will most likely have to humble himself to gain a foothold in Wugang City. But this man is a liar and no good person. Madam, do not get too close to him.”
"Qin Changgeng, if Nangong Qingzhou hadn't exposed your affair, would you have told me?" Dai Li suddenly asked.
"Of course..."
"to be honest."
Qin Shaozong stopped, gazing into those ink-like pearly eyes. He suddenly chuckled, the arrogance he had just suppressed returning. "No. Just an insignificant person. Why waste your time, Madam? Just like if I encounter an ordinary oil seller or a mediocre butcher's wife when I go out, I won't mention them to you when I return, because there's nothing to say."
As soldiers came and went, Qin Shaozong did not make any intimate gestures such as putting his arm around their shoulders or waists, but his brown eyes seemed to hold a fire that could engulf a person.
Dai Li avoided his gaze.
...
The once-vast camp was quickly packed up, horses neighed, and the entire army headed north.
This place was not far from Wugang County, and Dai Li and her party arrived at the small county before sunset. As scouts had already sent word ahead, the city gates were opened to welcome the northern army.
As soon as Fang Daili entered the city, the thunder of horses' hooves echoed from the other side, and in the distance, billowing dust rose, with the military banner bearing the character "Qing" fluttering in the wind.
Qin Shaozong stood atop the city wall, gazing at the approaching Qingzhou army as the sun set in the west. His eyesight was exceptional; he spotted Nangong Xiong, clad in golden armor, among the crowd.
When the enemy troops were at the city gates, Qin Shaozong placed his hands on the solid, uneven city wall, peeked out slightly, looked down at Nangong Xiong who was standing in front of the tightly closed city gate, and said with a smile, "Nangong Qingzhou, how have you been?"
Less than half a day had passed since they parted, yet the other party spoke as if they hadn't seen each other for half a lifetime, and wouldn't even open the door on his own initiative, causing the veins on Nangong Xiong's forehead to bulge.
This guy did it on purpose; he's waiting for him to speak first!
“I agree to what you said before,” Nangong Xiong said through gritted teeth.
It wasn't that he lacked backbone, but rather that the circumstances didn't allow it. Now that Dong Zhou and the three states were united, if he were too far from the North, it was hard to guarantee that the enemy wouldn't adopt a strategy of defeating them one by one.
In terms of family wealth, he was inferior to Qin Changgeng.
Qin Shaozong raised his voice and said, "Are you saying that you, Nangong Xiong, have agreed to obey my orders throughout this journey south?"
The military officer's voice was loud and clear, and Qin Shaozong's shout carried far.
Nangong Xiong nearly choked on a mouthful of blood, strongly suspecting that this man surnamed Qin was retaliating against him for exposing the dancer.
Seeing that he was about to fly into a rage, Zhang Mingdian quickly advised, "My lord, a true man should act like a dragon or a snake, able to bend and stretch. Even the Marquis of Huaiyin could endure the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs. What harm is there in us enduring it for a while?"
Nangong Xiong took a deep breath. "Quan Shu is right. I'll tolerate him for now." He then raised his voice and said, "I don't make promises lightly. I have already agreed, and I have no intention of going back on my word. Wu'an, you can rest assured."
With just a few words, he barely managed to regain some ground.
Having achieved his goal, Qin Shaozong didn't mind Qin Shaozong's attempt to save face. "Open the city gates!"
The heavy city gate slowly opened.
...
As Sun Tzu's Art of War states: "Victory is the most valuable tactic in war, not prolonged campaigns."
Therefore, much as Qin Shaozong had anticipated, on the second day after he arrived in Wugang, a proclamation issued by Prime Minister Dong Zhou was published throughout the land:
I have observed that Qin Changgeng was originally a marquis stationed on the border of Yuyang. However, he was cruel and ruthless, blinded by greed and ungrateful. Instead of serving his country, he harbored the heart of a tyrant. This man committed numerous unjust acts, including the murder of Xie Yuanyue, the governor of Sili Province. He was utterly devoid of benevolence and righteousness, and is intolerable to Heaven and Earth.
...His actions are despicable, and his crimes deserve to be punished. May heroes from all corners of the world rise up in righteousness, sweep away the treacherous and wicked, and restore order to the world!
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Author's Note: Here I am! [dog head with rose in hand]
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