Chapter 1358: The Demise of Qi Kingdom (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang really wanted to slap Gong Xi Chou across the face right now.
But considering his personality, Shen Tang held back.
She was afraid that the other party would pester her to determine a winner.
"Gong-Xi-Chou-"
Shen Tang's previous concerns were justified.
She led her troops to encircle and annihilate the enemy forces who had betrayed them, relieving their logistical difficulties. Then, she rushed back day and night to catch up with the main force of the three armies. Guess what? Heh heh, not only did she not see Gong Xichou's shadow, she didn't even catch a glimpse of him. He still had a conscience, though, and left behind a piece of intelligence.
The messenger soldier nervously presented the letter, which wasn't even sealed with sealing wax, fearing that his lord might question its authenticity.
In all honesty, this is how this letter ended up in my hands.
It never left sight, nor was it ever touched by a third person.
Shen Tang mustered all her strength to keep going, her breathing becoming unsteady as she relied on small gasps to regulate her rhythm. The strenuous activity had left her cheeks flushed and her forehead beaded with sweat. If she was like this, one could only imagine the relatively frail Wenxin scholar's condition. Gu De, disregarding etiquette and decorum, supported his lower back with one hand to ease the burden, while the other pulled out a folding fan from his waist, opened it, and leaned closer to his lord, the two of them enjoying the breeze together: "Why is there no sealing wax on this letter?"
“Gong Xi Chou is always like this; if it's not important, he'll forget it nine times out of ten.” He doesn't care about leaks at all. It's better if he doesn't know; if he finds out someone other than the recipient opened his letter first, he'd twist the necks off that person's entire family and make them into cold human neck salad. Shen Tang only glanced at this letter before her face immediately turned bright red. “Damn it!”
That sound almost startled Gu De.
"What's wrong, my lord?"
"You'll see for yourself."
Shen Tang put one hand to her forehead and closed her eyes, then handed the letter to Gu De with the other.
Gu De took it and examined it closely.
Gong Xichou's handwriting wasn't exactly beautiful; it was even somewhat messy and unrestrained, and the content was even more arrogant beyond measure. In short, after much deliberation, he concluded that speed was the ultimate weapon in martial arts, and the same applied to military tactics. As long as the speed of action was fast enough, giving the enemy no time to quietly plan, and the enemy's base was destroyed before they could react, all schemes and plots were utterly meaningless!
Our losses are minimal, and morale is high.
Why not strike while the iron is hot?
Shen Tang's original plan was to focus on the capital of Qi Kingdom and eliminate the key locations protecting it one by one. The overall marching route was shaped like a large arc. If he didn't do this, the successive arrival of troops from nearby areas would cause Shen Tang some trouble.
In layman's terms, it means dismantling the towers first, then pushing the crystal.
Gong Xichou took over temporary command from Shen Tang, watching her demolish a tower only to have the defenders surrender and then betray them, nearly wiping out their logistics. He felt he had been too lenient with the enemy. So, he followed their instructions first, then deviated slightly, and finally, in his third and fourth steps, he switched to his own rhythm!
Gongxi Chou's style of leading troops was unique, not only in Kang State but also across the entire continent. In a word, it was "brave"!
Eliminate enemies within sight.
Find and eliminate enemies outside your line of sight.
Wherever there are enemies, rush there and take them out.
Complete the above three points with the fastest speed, shortest distance, shortest time, and highest efficiency. Eliminating all witnesses will complete a perfect assassination—eliminating all enemies will grant him an undisputed victory!
Previous conditions did not support him in doing this.
Back when he was under Tang Guo's command, even if he led his troops to conquer all the enemy cities in a straight line, it would be all for naught if the supply of provisions and provisions couldn't be delivered. Once the enemy realized what was happening, they could gather their forces and surround and kill the vanguard elites who were far from the main force.
Things are different now.
Gong Xichou flicked his braid.
Our own logistics are fully capable of keeping up!
There's no need to worry about supplies, and our own fighting strength is in no way inferior. Even if we penetrate deep behind enemy lines, we can still break through from the left and right. So what's there to be afraid of? Gong Xichou slapped his thigh and, without waiting for Shen Tang to arrive, he got straight to work, focusing on two points and getting things done!
Gu De said after a long pause, "Even Zikuan can't control him..."
Xiahou Yu definitely wanted to slow down the march and siege to rejoin his lord, so his absence now meant he was being dragged along by Gongxi Chou. Shen Tang wasn't surprised at all; not only could Xiahou Yu not control Gongxi Chou, but even Chu Yao wouldn't be able to.
If it were Qi Shan, he could have a heated exchange with Gong Xi Chou.
It's also possible that these two were in cahoots.
Shen Tang said, "How can he control a runaway horse?"
She was careless for not taking Lin Feng with her!
How wonderful it would be to not have to worry about logistics and food supplies! Shen Tang knew all too well. Gong Xi Chou was just like her back when she ventured deep into the heart of Shi Wu, completely unrestrained. Even deep in enemy territory, she didn't have to worry about getting into a dead end; she might even be able to weave in and out of the enemy's encirclement, showing off her agility and needlework skills.
Gu De opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shut up.
On the surface, Gongxi Chou was a newly appointed commander, temporarily taking over the command of the troops from his lord. The civil and military officials, unfamiliar with him, wouldn't blindly follow his orders. At least, when Gongxi Chou and Xiahou Yu disagreed, Zikuan would receive more support. However, the actual situation was different. Xiahou Yu had the authority to mobilize troops, but Gongxi Chou had single-handedly subdued most of the generals!
Before the recruitment of military officers by Dubikun, the branch office had few officers, with a serious imbalance between civil and military skills. After expanding its workforce, the quantity and quality of its officers improved dramatically. However, because the methods used to recruit them were not entirely ethical, some officers became somewhat uncooperative.
Fight when it's time to fight, and perform meritorious service when it's time to perform meritorious service.
It just lacks a bit of the passion of a martial artist.
Gongxi Chou's addition ignited a frenzy among these military generals, with some declaring they would tear the sky apart and others eager to fight, life and death secondary to their ambitions. It's easy to see that most of them favored Gongxi Chou over Zikuan.
The former actually held more military power than Zikuan.
It's no wonder that Zikuan was dragged into it.
Zikuan couldn't fight Gongxi Chou head-on, so naturally he had to follow Gongxi Chou wherever he went. Gu De carefully considered his options and said, "Judging from the map, General Gongxi should be at the Three Kingdoms..."
Sansho County is likely the next target.
If our team is faster, we should be able to catch up with the main force.
Then, he saw his lord point his finger on the map to the location of Gongxi Chou, and with a whoosh, the two points were drawn in a straight line to the capital of Qi. Gu De was a little confused: "What's this?"
Shen Tang's expression was strange: "His marching route."
Gu De: "..."
The first reaction was absurdity, the second was impossibility, and the third was horror. Gu De blurted out, "How can we fight this?"
Xiahou Yu was also forced to lose all composure by Gongxi Chou.
They no longer cared about maintaining a scholarly demeanor.
He almost cracked his voice: "Gong Xichou, just tell me, how do we fight this?"
Does he treat the mountains and rivers along the way as if they don't exist? Does he completely disregard the rugged terrain?
Gong Xichou hurriedly stuffed two mouthfuls of rice into his mouth: "Inflexible."
Xiahou Yu nearly smashed the table in front of him.
Breaking through his defenses, he said, "Me, rigid?"
Gong Xichou swallowed before speaking to him: "You couldn't have imagined we'd run like this, could the enemy have? These elites aren't really made of flesh and blood. How many martial artists would obediently walk? Have you even calculated how high their morale is?"
He argued vehemently: "Roads are for people to walk on."
At times, his thought process was exactly the same as Shen Tang's.
Shen Tang also said to Gu De, "And we, are we not human?"
Naturally, they don't need to walk the same path as ordinary people.
“Gong Xichou’s previous aggressive attack on the city was intended to boost morale with multiple victories in a short period of time. Morale breaking through its limits can lead to a qualitative change. This qualitative change might actually allow the main force of the army to move from here—” She pointed to the symbol representing the capital of Qi Kingdom, “to here! To catch them off guard and attack them when they are unprepared… but the tactics were a bit too brutal.”
Word of power has many uses; as long as one's literary, martial, and morale are sufficient, any imaginative tactic can emerge, without necessarily having to resort to the conventional method of destroying towers and pushing the crystal. Gong Xi Chou, confident in his strength, naturally dared to think of what others dared not, and he chose to demolish by force.
Gu De's expression turned slightly bitter: "I've seen many who were the vanguard and killed many generals, but I'm afraid no one has ever seen anyone take the head of a country's ruler."
Just as Gongxi Chou said.
No one expected that he would dare to launch a strong attack on the capital at this stage.
What his own people couldn't have imagined, and the King of Qi, who was anxiously awaiting good news from the front lines, certainly couldn't have imagined it. No matter how bad the war was, no matter how powerful the treacherous officials were, a sharp blade couldn't possibly be pressed against his throat.
His confidence wasn't unfounded; he truly had the confidence to back it up!
The terrain surrounding the capital of Qi Kingdom was personally modified by the 20th-rank Marquis, which is far more convincing than the legendary "man-made fortress"—Chaoli Pass—created by the 20th-rank Marquis. Chaoli Pass is a legend, but the terrain protecting the capital is not.
The royal family has accurate and reliable records of this.
Qi Kingdom also relied on this powerful backer to be destroyed and restored several times. It even formed a small alliance with neighboring countries to open the Mountain and Sea Holy Land. Qi Kingdom also had more slots than other countries.
That Marquis Che is the pillar of Qi Kingdom!
Unfortunately, this stabilizing pillar disappeared without a trace many years ago, and no matter how the royal family searched for it privately, they could not find its whereabouts.
The king could only watch helplessly as other countries probed and provoked him, as various regions within his own borders stirred with restless energy, and as Xiahou Li grew stronger step by step. Did he not want to eliminate the local warlords of Qi once and for all? Clearly, he was overwhelmed by internal and external troubles, leaving him unable to attend to everything.
The sound of bamboo slips falling to the ground came from inside the hall.
Then the King of Qi flew into a rage, shouting and cursing.
"Outrageous! They all boast of their extraordinary talent and wisdom, but when it's time to use them, they all run away faster than the last, and they even put on airs. Do they really think that without them, the Qi Kingdom will be ruled by a different person?" Looking at the mess on the ground, his eyes were fierce, as if he wished that the fragments on the ground were those old bastards, and he could burn them all with his eyes.
Venting his emotions left him mentally exhausted and served no practical purpose.
He lowered his voice and said, "They are all traitors and rebels!"
Xiahou Li, who was currently jumping around in a frenzy, was a traitor, and nearly half of the court officials were also rebellious ministers. They all came from powerful and influential families throughout Qi State, and the local garrisons were either their relatives, former protégés or former subordinates, or had connections through blood relations. The words of the King of Qi were not as effective as theirs in these areas. Seeing the bandit army's menacing advance, he was genuinely afraid and wanted to withdraw troops to protect the capital.
Nine out of ten civil and military officials in North Korea oppose it.
The frontline forces are already struggling to resist the enemy; if we were to transfer some troops from the rear and border garrisons to the capital at this time, what if neighboring countries took advantage of the situation and launched an attack? Those areas would be sparsely defended, which would be exactly what the enemy wanted. This is absolutely unacceptable!
The ministers objected, and the king was helpless.
Previously, because the "Sea-Stabilizing Needle" lived in seclusion not far from the capital, the ruler of Qi Kingdom was not worried about his personal safety. He even neglected the imperial guards protecting the capital, preferring to have fewer guards than to have them all outsiders!
After the "Sea-Stabilizing Needle" disappeared, the king dared not make a fuss and tried to find an opportunity to regain military power, but was repeatedly obstructed by various factions. He didn't even dare to show too much concern for the capital's imperial guards, for fear that sharp-eyed observers would see through his bluff.
This is why they have intensified their efforts to amass wealth in recent years.
He needs to secretly build up a trustworthy army.
Unfortunately, time waits for no one, and man proposes, God disposes.
He is extremely insecure right now.
"If miracles truly exist..."
Why can't it befall oneself?
The King of Qi sat on the steps before his table, his arm shielding his eyes from the candlelight. As he regulated his breathing, he gradually regained his composure. Seeing this, his personal attendant secretly waved for his apprentice, who was serving outside the hall, to come in and clean up the mess. He leaned forward, his high-pitched, effeminate voice carrying a soothing power, and asked meekly, "Your Majesty, which lady would you like to favor today?"
"Not interested."
The inner court made him feel insecure.
As he spoke, he glanced at the eunuch who was bending over and cleaning.
"Looking up, it seems to be an unfamiliar face?"
“He is my godson, whom I took in half a year ago. I was afraid he wouldn’t know the rules, so I left him at the palace residence to properly train him before bringing him in.”
"Oh, he does seem to have good manners. You've taught him well."
He only needed to give him a glance.
His trusted confidants, who had served him for years, would immediately understand his intentions and make the necessary arrangements. Ever since the Marquis of Che left without saying goodbye, he had developed a strange quirk. At first, he simply increased the number of men on the night watch, but as time went on, this tactic also became ineffective. He had become "terminally ill," insisting that someone sleep next to him. Furthermore, he gradually found a unique and comforting pleasure in these men.
He doesn't choose his male concubines based on their looks, but on their abilities.
He would only feel at ease if a martial artist with great courage slept next to him.
The inner court was not a place that normal men could freely enter, but eunuchs had no such concerns. If the ruler had a need, someone would naturally devise a plan for him. Initially, they selected naturally castrated warriors from the common people, then sought out eunuchs with cultivation talent within the inner court, and later artificially created them.
Some people even actively try to curry favor with him to advance their careers.
The young eunuch wasn't particularly handsome, but he was quite robust, which gave him a reassuring presence. With a formidable enemy at hand, he had no interest in escaping and, feeling slightly sleepy, closed his eyes to conserve his energy; he had many trivial matters to attend to tomorrow. Before falling asleep, he still worried about how effective his plan to lure the enemy would be, and whether it could dampen the enemy's morale…
What you think about during the day, you dream about at night.
That night, he had a wonderful dream!
In his dream, he sat high on the throne, while the traitor Xiahou Li was bound hand and foot and brought to kneel before the palace. Seeing that all was lost, the latter begged for mercy, pleading only to survive. The King of Qi did not grant his request, but instead ordered his men to drag the man into the silkworm-rearing chamber.
They announced it as a beheading.
In reality, he was used as a male concubine.
The dream was so beautiful that even though he didn't see Xiahou Li's face, it didn't stop him from smiling. He smiled and then woke up.
To be precise, I was woken up by a strange friction sound.
The moment he opened his eyes, a stunningly beautiful woman suddenly appeared before him. She was sitting with her legs propped up beside his bed.
Oh, it was just a dream after all.
His gaze gradually focused, and he saw clearly the object in the other person's hand.
He holds a knife in his right hand and a whetstone in his left.
The friction sound is produced by the friction between the whetstone and the blade.
(へ╬)
I'm so angry, so angry, my head is throbbing.
On October 15th, my tire got punctured by a nail, and today it got punctured again. I was just about to drive out of the parking garage when I got a warning that my tire pressure was abnormal. A nail as long as half a palm wouldn't even stand upright normally, let alone drive right over it and puncture so deeply into the tire.
If you get a flat tire on the road, the tire pressure warning will be activated immediately.
The car was parked in the underground garage for four days, and the app did not notify me during that time.
In other words, it's highly likely that someone deliberately punctured the tires with nails, or placed the nails under the tires. My car has a low chassis, so I wouldn't specifically check under the tires when I drive around it. And yet, it got punctured again.
Even if we check the surveillance footage, we might not be able to find it; the time span is too long. I'm so angry!
Pound the ground! Pound the ground! Pound the ground!
The surveillance cameras are always on, so what if they waste electricity? Who knows what kind of trouble might happen in the underground parking garage! If they catch someone, I'll just call the police and make them pay for my tire repair!
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