Chapter 1225: Come on, you little brat (Part 2) [Requesting monthly votes]
Qi Cang said with a half-smile, "Never seen it before?"
Shen Wuyou Tang looked up and met the other person's scrutiny directly, his whole body, down to the last strand of hair, exuding an air of self-righteousness!
She repeated firmly, "Never seen it!"
Qi Cang stared at Shen Wuyoutang like a hawk poised to pounce on its prey entering its hunting range. Every glance he gave was a weighing of the pros and cons, a determination to see if he could actually devour his prey. After a long while, the dangerous hawk averted its gaze.
He unconsciously stroked one of the stone carvings.
He chuckled and said, "General Zhongli is quite similar to an old friend of mine. It's not that we're talking about appearance or temperament, but rather that we feel a connection."
Even if the sky falls, this stubborn mouth will hold it up.
Qi Cang hadn't paid attention to Zhongli Fu at first, but upon reviewing the events, he realized the man was quite interesting. He didn't know if Mei Jinghe had noticed him, nor how the King of Qi dared to give him such an important position. He only knew one thing—a hidden dragon lurks in the abyss!
Some of their tactics are strikingly similar to those of Shen Youli back then! At first glance, both of them seem to be content to be good local officials, neither competing nor fighting, neither angry nor upset, as if their lifelong dream is to be a candle, burning themselves to light up others.
It turns out that the surname Chen doesn't refer to a candle, but to a volcano!
Zheng Qiao and the others were all burned to death by her!
Given this precedent, will Zhong Lifu be an exception?
Who knows if everything she's doing now isn't just a period of preparation, waiting for a chance to change the world? Just like Shen Tang back then!
Qi Cang, with a desire to watch the show, came specifically to find Zhong Lifu. He wanted to know if she was just a simpleton or a second Shen Tang, hiding her true ambition beneath her harmless appearance.
You won't believe it until you see it; it's a pleasant surprise.
The more I looked, the more suspicious I became; the more familiar it seemed.
An old friend I'd only met once uncontrollably popped into my mind.
Qi Cang, relying on his superior strength, had always gotten whatever he wanted over the years. Over time, he lost all sense of subtlety and became straightforward. Suspecting that Zhongli Fu was up to something, he probed him directly, and the other party's answer was quite surprising.
He only asked if Zhong Lifu looked familiar, without specifying what he recognized. Without hesitation, she replied, "Never seen him before." Never seen him before? Ha! What had she never seen before?
Only she herself probably knows the answer to this.
He hummed a little tune happily and strode away.
They ran into Cui Zhi again halfway there.
Qi Cang, unusually, did not give the other party a cold shoulder and even went up to greet him, which made Cui Zhi feel flattered.
Everyone in Qi Kingdom knows that while Qi Cang's strength isn't top-tier, when it comes to temper, no one dares to claim first place. He usually looks down on everyone, treating everyone except himself with disdain. Only Mei Meng and the King command any respect from him. When his temper flares, he might even beat ministers, harass palace maids, humiliate eunuchs, and smash wine cups at palace banquets. He not only hurls vulgar insults but also attacks people's entire family lineage, incurring the wrath of both heaven and man.
Arrogant and domineering, overbearing and unrestrained.
He even killed several officials who spoke out against injustice.
Digging into Qi Cang's past, everyone learned that Qi Cang not only had a grudge against the previous ruler of Qi State, but had also served as a lackey of Zheng Qiao, a notorious tyrant in the Northwest. He wouldn't do anything a human would do. Going head-on against him would be too disadvantageous.
Cui Zhi wasn't afraid of Qi Cang, but he didn't want to offend him too much, so he returned the greeting politely, just enough to save face.
Unexpectedly, Qi Cang looked at him with a strange expression.
After scrutinizing him for a long time, the other party grinned and revealed a meaningful, strange smile: "Master Cui, Master Cui, I admire you the most!"
Cui Zhi remained standing there, completely bewildered.
I just can't understand why someone with the surname Qi is being so sarcastic.
He sent someone to inquire about Qi Cang's itinerary, and upon seeing the result, his brow furrowed so deeply he could have killed a swarm of flies: "When did Qi Yanqing become so close to Prefect Zhongli? The two of them can even talk so happily together?"
The trusted advisors were optimistic: "Qi Yanqing supports the king, and Zhongli Fu is a rising star promoted and cultivated by the king, so it is only natural that the two are close. In any case, Zhongli Fu was recommended by the Cui family, so this matter is beneficial to us."
Cui Zhi's thoughts were not that simple.
Qi Cang is unruly and neither the king nor Mei Meng can control him. Otherwise, why would the king of Qi be in such a hurry to find someone to replace Qi Cang and gradually sideline him? An unruly and highly skilled general is a potential threat that could kill at any time.
Whom would he favor specifically for the sake of the king's interests?
That's a joke.
A trusted aide: "Master, should we send someone to keep an eye on things?"
Cui Zhi raised his hand to stop him, dispelling the other party's idea: "With war imminent, we should work together and unite against the common enemy. Focusing on our own side will only create unnecessary misunderstandings..."
Both Zhongli Fu and Qi Cang are masters.
Staring at them would be too easy to expose yourself.
This grand "Dragon-Slaying Game Plus," spearheaded by the State of Qi, has commenced, with troops from various states arriving one after another. Their numbers range from tens of thousands to thirty or forty thousand. The State of Qi, in particular, has mobilized its entire resources, with troops being urgently recruited across the land, and the final scale of this dragon-slaying operation is expected to reach two hundred thousand!
They say there are 200,000, but only 100,000 can actually form a fighting force.
The alliance of nations was not entirely united. The King of Qi not only had to guard against the Kingdom of Kang, but also be wary of these allies turning against him and taking advantage of the situation. His eyes were dark and swollen, clearly indicating he hadn't slept well for days. Miao Ne, dressed in a fine horse armor, looked at him with concern, understanding and skilled in the art of tea: "Your Majesty, I only regret that my abilities are limited and I cannot share your burdens."
The ruler of Qi said, "You have done your best."
Many things I have cannot be entrusted to others.
"I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should..." She gently bit her full, red lower lip, hesitating as she spoke, carefully observing the expression of the King of Qi several times, perfectly portraying the apprehension and humility of a subject in fear of his ruler. "Perhaps..."
Before he could finish speaking, the King of Qi rejected his request.
"You want to plead for Jinghe?"
"yes."
The King of Qi looked dazed and lost in thought. After regaining his composure, he firmly shook his head: "Not now. I know Jinghe's personality best. If she comes and sees my decision, there will inevitably be several more endless arguments. She is strong-willed, and strength is easily broken. I don't want to add another layer of discord between us..."
As the ruler, she wouldn't easily back down, and Mei Meng, as a subject, also upheld her principles. If they were aligned, things would be fine, but if they clashed, one of them would inevitably have to yield. Refusing to yield would result in mutual destruction. She had yielded too many times before, and now she didn't want to.
Having said that, Youbao decided not to spoil the mood any longer.
A woman who understands words doesn't spoil the fun, but others might not have the same eye for humor.
The southwestern states are far from harmonious; their long-standing feuds date back generations, and friction has intensified in recent years. Since they have led their troops to this alliance to attack Shen Tang, they naturally need the Qi state to provide territory for them to station and settle their troops.
Different terrains have different advantages and disadvantages.
I don't know which idiot made this arrangement, but they actually stationed the troops of the two sides, who have deep-seated conflicts, in the upstream and midstream sections respectively.
The original intention was to give them the best location for the water source, but the effect was the opposite. The family upstream was extremely unethical, secretly allowing their soldiers to urinate and defecate anywhere upstream. Not only did they urinate and defecate, they also deliberately chose to do so when the enemy camp was cooking.
They throw all sorts of trash into the water.
Because the river was wide and the current was not very calm, the family in the middle reaches did not discover it immediately. It wasn't until the scouts went out to investigate that the scout totem hovering high in the sky accidentally discovered the problem, and the soldiers cooking their meals also found human excrement in the bellies of several fish.
The two pieces of evidence corroborate each other—
Good heavens, the faces of the group in the middle of the pack turned ashen.
How could they have unknowingly eaten excrement and swill for several days? New and old grudges surged up, and a military officer, enraged, immediately led witnesses (scouts) and physical evidence (fish intestines) to confront them. The military officer from the upstream faction, of course, denied it.
Not only did they deny it, they also acted like scoundrels.
"Who doesn't rely on water sources for food, drink, and relieving themselves?"
Their troops were stationed near the water, drawing water for daily use and discharging waste into it. This was far more convenient than digging a large pit and burying it, and it was also less likely to leave traces for enemy scouts to find their location. Was there anything wrong with this approach?
Absolutely no problem.
The other party is simply making a mountain out of a molehill.
The player in the middle of the group laughed in anger: "That's just sophistry!"
"How is this sophistry? Haven't any of your soldiers urinated or defecated in the river?" Confucian generals are a minority; most military generals in this world lack literary cultivation and constantly spout nonsense and insults about the other side's family history. "Even if you didn't, which of these fish, shrimp, and crabs in the river doesn't urinate or defecate directly in the water?"
What's the difference between human excrement and that of fish, shrimp, and crabs?
He immediately launched into a sarcastic remark: "It's not easy to march and fight in the field, where are the good conditions? General, you're so delicate, in my opinion you'd be better off nestled in your wife's soft belly and enjoying the gentle embrace, instead of coming out here and making a fool of yourself."
His words immediately ignited the firecrackers.
Cui Zhi had just stopped to rest and had a couple of sips of water when soldiers rushed over from outside the tent, saying that something terrible had happened outside!
"Cough cough cough—where did things go wrong this time?"
The visitor, with a strange expression, recounted the whole story.
Cui Zhi felt nauseous, his stomach churning, and he vomited up the tea he had just drunk. His face ashen, he rose and rushed off to deal with the situation. He was joking; if he arrived too late, and the two sides were already locked in a fierce battle, these "own people" might start fighting before they even faced Shen Tang's troops—it would be a complete joke.
As the head of the Southwest Branch of the Pantheon, and with the added advantage of being the patriarch of a powerful clan, Cui Zhi quickly quelled the situation, rearranged the garrison camp, and sent people to appease the crowd. Even if he flew over on his Wind and Fire Wheels, his speed would not be able to keep up with the sharpness of the blades on both sides. This conflict directly resulted in the immediate deaths of more than ten people!
After handling the matter, Cui Zhi sent people to conduct an in-depth investigation.
As Allied members arrived one after another, daily life became chaotic, with all sorts of expected and unexpected accidents occurring frequently, making it virtually impossible to guard against them. The frequency was so high that he suspected someone was sabotaging things, but upon closer investigation, it turned out to be just a coincidence.
Ultimately, the problem can only be attributed to human diversity.
A large forest has all kinds of birds.
Only Shen Wuyou Tang bit her lip, trying to suppress her laughter, finding it difficult to hold it in.
For the southwestern nations, this was their first time participating in the Dragon-Slaying Bureau; for Shen Tang, it was like a second time. The Dragon-Slaying Bureau that fought against Zheng Qiao had also gone through a period of adjustment before they could work together harmoniously, at least not hindering each other in battle. Shen Tang joined that Dragon-Slaying Bureau relatively late; the adjustment period was long over, and he only heard about those jokes later…
Do you really think it's easy to organize a team battle?
Before the battle begins, who knows if your teammates are gods or pigs?
If there's a leader who can keep things under control, even a bunch of pigs can pull off amazing feats. Speaking of which, Shen Tang wanted to say something fair for Huang Lie—this guy may not be good at anything else, but he's excellent at eloquence and manipulating people, and he's a master of moral blackmail.
The fact that he managed to mold those monsters and demons into their later forms during the first Dragon Slaying Battle, while maintaining a facade of calm despite their ulterior motives, is quite an achievement.
Shen Tang basically followed the same old routine: she was in the open, while Liao Jia was in the shadows, with the two of them acting as troublemakers everywhere.
Sowing discord is incredibly effective.
She rubbed her sore facial muscles, leisurely eating fruit and fanning herself with a small fan. Her carefree demeanor made her seem more like she was at home than in a military camp. Liao Qian cut fruit and arranged it on a plate for her, while Cui Mi occasionally stole bites with a skewer.
Liao Qian wanted to eat two pieces but couldn't get any.
He said angrily, "I've heard that the Cui family has been having some bad luck lately. As a son, why don't you go and share some of the burden with your family?"
Cui Mi savored the sweet and sour taste of the grapes bursting on his taste buds and exclaimed, "My lord, this bunch of Shine Muscat grapes is truly exquisite!"
Each fruit is glistening and plump, with crisp and juicy flesh.
Such a rare delicacy is something even the king rarely gets to taste.
Cui Mi didn't ask where the so-called Sunshine Rose grapes came from; he just ate them. Liao Qian was even more exasperated. How many grapes were in a bunch? Even if the master shared some with them, each person wouldn't get many. Since Cui Mi liked them, he ate his share too.
Liao Qian was displeased, and his words were tinged with resentment.
Cui Mi chewed slowly, holding a piece in his mouth.
"Though I am a son, I am also a subject. Between loyalty and filial piety, loyalty always comes first." As a smile crept onto his brow and the corners of his eyes, his eyes also took on a strange hue. Unlike the clear and unambiguous look of two years ago, they now held a hint of Cui Zhi's deep and complex emotions. "Father's troubles are because he's stuck in a rut, unable to find a way out of this dead end. Once he understands, the world will be vast and boundless."
Going to face your father at this critical moment is just asking for a beating.
Others may not know, but he is well aware that half of the unpleasant things his father Cui Zhi has recently encountered are related to Shen Tang.
Just as he knew Qi Cang had roughly pinpointed the master's identity, Qi Cang knew, the master knew Qi Cang knew, but neither of them cared. Qi Cang was a man who thrived on chaos and loved to watch mischief. As long as it was entertaining, he didn't care whose it was.
Qi Cang will not only not expose the evidence, but he will also cover it up.
Liao Qian: "..."
I don't really understand your father-son relationship.
Liao Qian didn't understand, and the Dragon Slayer Bureau plus the Allied Forces understood even less—where did the enemy come from to launch a night raid on the camp right away?
|ω`)
I made a mistake in the author's note in the previous chapter. The top combat power is not from the Northwest, but from the Southwest _(:з」∠)_ I mentioned in the previous chapter that there are two reclusive people in the Southwest, one of whom is Gongyang Yongye.
P.S.: Today, while crossing the street, a driver of an electric scooter suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking to the side and heading straight for me... I was terrified.
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