Chapter 1247: My Prisoner [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Mei Meng blinked and regained her composure.
With a charming and alluring smile: "Who do we have here? It's you."
Seeing Ning Yan's face reminded Mei Meng of their unpleasant previous conflict. She complained coquettishly, "Lord Ning is so magnanimous, why bother arguing with a weak woman like me?"
Ning Yan's response was a direct and forceful strike.
Mei Meng's smile froze in mid-air before she dodged away.
Her voice gained a touch of seductive sweetness that could melt bones, and she became even bolder, her slender fingers brushing against Ning Yan's chin along the edge of her sword, catching a strand of her hair. Ning Yan was startled at first, then realized that she had been teased and provoked... no, challenged! Her eyes suddenly sharpened, her killing intent intense and menacing, and she aimed her sword straight for her vitals.
Mei Meng was not skilled in martial arts, and her knowledge of the Six Arts of a Gentleman was only passable. Naturally, she was no match for Ning Yan's relentless advance, and a sword struck her right in the heart. Her eyes showed surprise and fear as she turned her gaze from her chest to Ning Yan's face, who was now inches away, seemingly not expecting this scene. But in the next instant, she sneered, "Minister Ning, what a cruel heart you have, you don't even know how to cherish a beautiful woman."
As soon as the sword was thrust out, Ning Yan knew something was wrong.
As expected, Mei Meng dipped her index finger in a drop of blood from her body, gently rubbed it between her two fingers, and said calmly with a captivating smile, "This time, I have no guards by my side, but—I still understand the principle of having three burrows."
How could she possibly allow the real person to meet with the military officers of Cui Zhi's faction?
Unexpectedly, this backup plan failed to work on the military generals, but saved Ning Yan's life once again. As the embodiment of literary energy dissipated, Mei Meng smiled and left behind her last words: "Minister Ning, we'll meet again someday."
Ning Yan looked unwillingly in the direction where Mei Meng disappeared.
While she was distracted, enemy soldiers swept by the river suddenly sprang up from the water, as if to take Ning Yan down with them.
"You dare to challenge me?"
She couldn't pinpoint the location of the sword, letting the blood trickle down its blade as a corpse floated past her feet. The body struggled in the water, half a head still attached to the other half by a small patch of scalp, its face contorted in a horrifying grimace…
Ning Yan sheathed her sword.
It's a bit of a pity, but not discouraging.
As Mei Meng said, "There's plenty of time ahead."
As long as Mei Meng doesn't retreat to the mountains, she'll have plenty of opportunities to take her opponent's head. Right now, the most important thing is to quickly eliminate this group of troops! Beat them while they're down! "Ning Yan" used [Chasing the Wind and Slipping Through the Scenery], treading on the rushing water, a few light leaps and bounds, the sounds of battle growing clearer in her ears. The ambient sounds completely masked the incantation she uttered: "Lying awake at night, listening to the wind and rain..."
The already terrifying downpour was further amplified.
"Iron horses and icy rivers come to me in my dreams!"
As seventy percent of the spiritual energy in the Danfu was drained away, the wind and rain seemed to linger in the air for a moment, as if someone had pressed a pause button. The subtle sound of raindrops freezing into ice filled the air. As countless ice crystals sank into the water, a warhorse's neigh broke the surface!
Horse hooves pounded out surging white waves, icy horses bathed in the river!
Their goals are all the same!
Each warhorse was sculpted from white frost, its back clad in full armor, its breath scattering white mist. The nearest Kang soldiers, with perfect coordination, leaped onto their horses, letting them carry them across the chaotic battlefield, charging straight towards the enemy's encirclement!
"kill!"
Shouts of battle and the sound of war drums mingled together.
Neither heaven nor earth, wind nor rain could conceal it.
As "Ning Yan" cast this spell, the air temperature plummeted. Although the turbulent water surface didn't freeze, the river was icy cold. Dipping your hands in the water for even a moment would cause your knuckles to turn red quickly, let alone the fact that most of the Southwest Allied forces were submerged in the water.
As the heavy armor became soaked in water, the biting cold seeped into the body, and before long, the limbs felt like they didn't belong to the body. Martial arts masters, protected by their martial energy, could endure it, but ordinary soldiers, without the protection of high morale, were the first to be affected by the temperature. Their reactions were noticeably slower, and some even suffered cramps and lost their balance, being swept away by the river water that was over their necks.
In contrast, Kangguo was almost unaffected.
Firstly, the winters in the Northwest are long, and they are already used to the cold; secondly, most of them are on rafts and have not gone into the water; and thirdly, with the benefits at hand, their desire for military merit makes their blood boil, and this little bit of temperature is nothing to them.
Qian Yong: "..."
These scholars in Kangguo are indeed unreliable.
Each one of them was more arrogant than the last, treating the "Five Virtues of a General" as if it were their life. It's true he had foresight, consistently funding his own scholars; otherwise, he'd be fighting naked on the battlefield, unable to obtain any magical enhancements.
"What a chilling display of camaraderie."
In any case, they've worked together for so many years.
Not even one of the Five Virtues of a General!
On second thought, he realized he wasn't the only general receiving this treatment; other generals had to fend for themselves on the battlefield, which made Qian Yong feel much better. When he killed one of the twin generals and saw the other, his eyes red with grief and anger, lose all composure and roar like a wild beast, ready to fight him to the death, his pleasure reached its peak.
He smiled and said, "You were born and died in the same year. It's my goodness to display your two heads on an antique shelf as collectibles!"
It would be a shame to separate such a rare item.
As soon as he finished speaking, the other head also fell into the water with a splash.
Before it could drift far, the spear tip pierced through the top of its head. The spear tip rose, and its head flew out of the water, leaving a trail of blood in mid-air before being caught firmly by a hand.
Uncle Qian accepted this spoils with a smile.
At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the ice horse that had crashed into the enemy's heavy shield shatter into pieces under the enormous impact. Qian Yong was just about to say that this thing wasn't very sturdy and could only be used as a disposable item when he saw the ice shards instantly freeze the target into a human stick!
The human stick fell into the water with a splash and was swept away in the blink of an eye.
Some soldiers broke through the ice, but the balance had already been lost. Faced with wave after wave of stray arrows, they were powerless to dodge them. Some were wounded and riddled with arrows, while others were overwhelmed and unable to continue. The scales of the war had clearly tipped in Qian Yong's favor.
Not to mention there's a super gambler right above him.
While fighting the enemy, Qian Yong glanced at the cards in the sky out of the corner of his eye. Upon seeing the image on one card, he couldn't help but twitch his lips violently. How so? In other countries, military commanders only had to compete with other military commanders, but in Kangguo, they also had to compete with scholars for their positions. One wrong move and someone could steal their military merits—
When it comes to being ruthless, it has to be the scholar with a literary heart!
Kang Jishou used his words of power to turn the surrounding area into a swamp!
The Southwestern Allied forces, already caught off guard by the intensified floodwaters released from the sluice gates, managed to barely maintain their position using flood control measures. Their attempts to relocate to shore using warships and rafts were thwarted by the Kangxi soldiers who surged out, forcing them to remain in the water, braving the river's current to form a defensive formation. Despite these unfavorable conditions, the Allied forces still managed to produce dozens of small warships. Once aboard, they could gain an advantageous position for either attack or retreat downstream, but Kangxi then resorted to treachery.
Beneath the water's surface lies the Juze Marsh.
Even a slightly larger movement will cause you to sink.
The most happiest and most arduous area of this battlefield is undoubtedly the downstream section. The water here is filled with special magical nets, so even a low-ranking nobleman trapped there cannot easily escape. Every now and then, bursts of excited cheers can be heard.
The elite troops lying in wait here were bloodthirsty.
"Big fish! Another big fish!"
Elsewhere, military merits are difficult to redeem, but in Kangguo, military merits equal future prospects and resources. Whether used for personal cultivation or to improve one's family's life, it's a good choice. Every time Kangguo recruits soldiers, it fills the quota within a few days, and every few days people near the Zhechong Prefecture inquire about the next recruitment date. No one expected that such a lucrative post would fall to them.
The Allied soldiers, dizzy and waterlogged from the river's current, barely managed to stop their downward momentum. Before they could even rejoice at their escape, they were met with a hail of knives. Not everyone was killed, but those who were still conscious were spared!
In just one hour, the river was dyed red.
The Southwestern Allied forces also realized the predicament was dire, and after several unsuccessful counterattacks, they had no choice but to cut their losses and seek survival. Qian Yong, on the other hand, disregarded the principle of not pursuing a desperate enemy, and skillfully maneuvered his raft, occasionally using his palms to slap the water's surface to accelerate it, engaging the Southwestern Allied forces in a chase and exchange of blows on the river.
They fought until the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn.
With limited water released from the sluice gates, the water level had already receded to normal. The rudimentary wooden rafts were clearly no match for the smaller warships, so Qian Yong had no choice but to release the remaining forces. He waved his hand and ordered, "Turn around! Swallow the rest!"
Last night's situation was so chaotic that the allied forces in the southwest had long been scattered by the flood, and Qian Yong was only pursuing the largest group. Since they couldn't catch up, they had to settle for second best; even a small piece of meat is still meat. The battle didn't end until noon the next day.
Back on the main battlefield, Qian Yong was dumbfounded.
The river, with its normal water level, was covered with floating corpses.
A small number were their own people, but the vast majority were dressed in southwestern attire. Their own soldiers were rescuing people from the water, prioritizing their own. Those still breathing were immediately stopped from bleeding and transferred for treatment. The already cold bodies were placed on the raft, and their identities would be verified before a proper burial. Only then were they rescuing the enemy. If the enemy was sensible, they would be taken prisoner; if they were not, they would injure people, and the soldiers wouldn't mind giving them a final blow for more military merit.
The large number of floating corpses was not the main reason that shocked him.
He was shocked to find that the river channel was blocked.
So many corpses, densely packed across the river, even made a ruthless character like Qian Yong's scalp tingle. His first thought was that so many people had been killed last night, and his second was how to explain this to Shen Youli…
The value of a prisoner is far greater than that of a corpse.
Military rule dictates that if possible, people should avoid killing.
The prisoners could be sold to the Southwest Allied forces in exchange for their own soldiers, or they could be kept as slaves and exploited for ten or twenty years before being relocated to remote areas to cultivate wasteland and multiply. Thinking of this, Qian Yong's head began to throb…
When his temper flared, he slapped the obsequious soldier on the head: "Kill! Kill! Kill! Who gave you permission to start a massacre?"
The soldier shrank back.
"If I don't kill, people will kill me..."
Qian Yong scratched his damp hair, put his hands behind his back, paced back and forth, and muttered to himself, "The emperor will definitely hold me accountable."
The deaths of so many valuable prisoners not only resulted in economic losses, but also damaged their reputation in future historical records. Rivers drying up and the Red River flowing endlessly—this was hardly a good reputation. Both the ruler and he would inevitably be condemned as cruel.
Qian Yong felt increasingly aggrieved.
He also held back last night.
So many people died, so many prisoners were lost—it can't all be blamed on him. Lost in a whirlwind of emotions, Qian Yong, with a sharp eye, spotted Luan Xin standing on the riverbank, deep in thought. He strode over to him, wanting to take the blame. But after he rattled off a long tale, Luan Gongyi remained engrossed in his own little world, ignoring him completely.
Just as he was about to lose patience, Luan Xin slowly said, "Just report the truth, and the emperor will not blame you."
Qian Yong poured out beans in a flurry.
"You don't understand the Lord." Even a passing dog would pull Shen Tang around the millstone several times, let alone tens of thousands of prisoners.
This loss will definitely be attributed to me.
Luan Xin continued to work slowly.
"Then put it on Kang Jishou's name."
This perfectly aligned with Qian Yong's idea.
but--
"Kang Jishou's back is not strong enough to carry such a big burden."
In his opinion, another name should be added: "Ning Yan".
Luan Yong rolled his eyes at Qian Yong with an even slower pace and a longer time, and asked, "What do you think of me, General?"
Doesn't this seem like someone who can take the blame?
Qian Yong's smile was forced.
It's not appropriate for anyone to take the blame.
Ultimately, the message Shen Tang received was misleading, deliberately misleading Qin Li into believing that the 70% annihilation of the enemy was due to an internal traitor nearly causing a major disaster. Qian Yong, enraged, acted with exceptional ruthlessness. Although this massacre was excessive, it was not entirely without reason.
Shen Tang was more concerned about whether the floods would affect the downstream areas.
Near the border of Kangguo, there were also common people who made a living by water.
If there is any impact, Qian Yong should send people to relocate and settle them as soon as possible, and make amends after the war ends. Qin Li saw through Shen Tang's worries at a glance and specifically mentioned, "On the day the battlefield was cleared, General Qian sent scouts to investigate along the coast."
Minimize the impact as much as possible.
Further afield, we couldn't afford to worry about that.
Shen Tang said, "That's excellent."
She soon had no energy left to worry about these trivial matters; the main force of the Southwest Allied Army would be arriving soon, and it would be a tough battle.
Favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious relationships—this unfamiliar place beneath her feet lacks the foundation of the Kang Kingdom, and the geographical advantages that Shen Tang can utilize are few and far between. All she can do is work on the timing and the harmony of the people.
And the right timing—
Shen Tang looked up at the gloomy sky.
"After several battles, the southwestern states have probably figured out our weaknesses. It won't be so easy for them to take advantage of us by surprise anymore." Kangguo is not good at naval warfare, which can be seen from the fact that the tools conjured by the words of Kangguo scribes during the battles are mostly simple wooden rafts rather than magnificent warships. The creation of objects by words of magic is not created out of thin air; the caster must at least have some understanding of the objects being created.
In other words, understanding warships is essential for having a chance to generate them.
This includes, but is not limited to, the exterior and internal structure.
Compared to complex warships, rafts were much simpler.
It's simple, but you can't have a thousand troops riding rafts and ramming head-on into a super warship, can you? That would be suicide.
Fortunately, as long as one's mindset doesn't falter, there are always more solutions than problems. Shen Tang led his troops to flank and destroy the country, not only to force the main forces of the southwestern countries to turn back, but also because of the warship blueprints.
If you can't find the blueprints, you can always find a shipbuilding family.
Whether it's coercion, bribery, or something else, they can always get something out of you!
(灬)
I can't take it anymore, I feel like September is really, really, really badly retrograde.
I thought we'd gotten through two days without incident, and that the offering of lamps and prayers to Buddha had been a successful bribe. But today, my little one took my phone and somehow lost it. To make matters worse, he kept pressing buttons and muted it. I tried calling him, but I couldn't find my phone anywhere. Oh no, oh no!
If I can't find it again, I'll have to buy my mom a new phone! *slams the floor*
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
