Chapter 1359: Oh, you're awake! Going to change your nationality? [Seeking monthly votes]
"Who are you?"
The King of Qi rubbed his temples.
His palace was heavily guarded, with skilled guards lurking in the shadows; not even a fly could get in. He hadn't heard any unusual noises before waking, so he must still be dreaming. The stunningly beautiful woman merely glanced at him, her hands continuing their work. The King of Qi murmured, "Last night I dreamt of someone sharpening a knife beside my bed. Fame and fortune are all within reach, seemingly attainable, yet fraught with hardship. Those who seek wealth will lose it, those who seek fame will lose it… Is this dream perhaps a reminder to me of something?"
It may seem like an ominous sign, but if you can avoid it, it will bring you great fortune.
He is indeed facing a problem right now.
The King of Qi sat up, frowning as he pondered how to break the deadlock.
At this moment, a soft laugh escaped the lips of the stunningly beautiful woman, drawing the attention of the King of Qi. One glance was enough to captivate him, his gaze glued to her face. He wasn't picky about a male concubine's looks, valuing more the security that strength provided, but if a male concubine possessed such a face, perfectly matching his tastes, he was tempted: "What's your name?"
The stunning beauty's appearance bore traces of foreign origin.
His hairstyle was different from that of the central mainland. A portion of his long hair was braided into thin braids and tied together with the rest of his hair inside a pearl hair crown. A snake-shaped silver ornament held two pearls and hung on a green hair tie... At first glance, it looked somewhat incongruous. If you didn't know him, you might think he was some eccentric and dissolute young master.
His eyes were deep-set and had a touch of unruly charm.
Its appearance is exceptionally superior and exquisitely refined.
Dangerous, but alluring.
She's beautiful, and her figure is impeccable.
With the discerning eye of the King of Qi, who had seen countless people, he knew without this stunning beauty even if she didn't get up what kind of well-built physique she possessed beneath her tight-fitting clothes. Indeed, it was a dream; and thankfully, it was just a dream.
"You think you're qualified to know?"
The stunningly beautiful woman's voice was deep and arrogant.
The King of Qi smiled without saying a word, but under the gaze of those eyes that would bewitch even a dog, he reached out his hand toward that face: "Since the divine child refuses to speak, I will call you Qingqing."
Gongxi, the peerless beauty, Qingqing, Qiu: "???"
Xiahou Yu couldn't hold back any longer.
The anger he had been building up over the past few days with Gong Xichou was ignited by those two words, and his rage was released in a flash—he had witnessed Gong Xichou's spectacle firsthand, and he felt that it wasn't impossible for him to tolerate the latter's temper.
"Qingqing? Pfft, hahaha, Qingqing?" Xiahou Yu could only chuckle even when he lost his composure, but Wei Cheng burst into unrestrained laughter.
Xiahou Yu couldn't help but look up at the sound.
Surprisingly, Weicheng could be seen from the roof beam.
No, it was seeing two life-giving flames flickering in Wei Cheng's eyes from the roof beam. Xiahou Yu's lips twitched. Wei Cheng was always elusive, and since his lord had told him not to worry about him, he hadn't paid much attention. He'd assumed Wei Cheng had left, but it turned out he'd been lurking nearby all along: "Wei Hou is here too?"
Wei Cheng's voice came from the two will-o'-the-wisps.
He said, "I am just passing by."
Xiahou Yu: "..."
Silence speaks louder than words here; his silence was deafening.
Gongxi, the peerless beauty, Qingqing, upon hearing this, merely clicked her tongue in satisfaction, looking at the sharpened knife with satisfaction, and gently pressing her fingertips against the blade to feel its texture. How could she not know Wei Cheng's thoughts?
Heh, Wei Cheng wasn't just being stubborn this time; he genuinely was just passing by. Shen Tang wanted to promote the Qi Kingdom, and the Qi Kingdom's roots were somewhat connected to Wei Cheng. Back when the Wu Kingdom was destroyed, the most capable members of the old group were tricked by the Gongxi clan, and the remaining core members of the Wu Kingdom were scattered. Without the former ruler as their pillar of support, all the suspicions, doubts, and conflicts surfaced.
Don't ask how there could be so many conflicts between people who served in the same court.
In chaotic times, forces are scattered and disorganized; who hasn't made enemies with whom?
Is everything harmonious in the Kang Kingdom's court?
When the late lord was alive, everyone trusted him wholeheartedly and was willing to work under his command to achieve great things, setting aside personal grudges for the time being. After the late lord passed away, everyone suspected that his death was orchestrated by the other side, and even more worried that they would be next.
Strike first and you'll have the upper hand; strike later and you'll suffer the consequences.
Everyone wants to take the initiative and stabilize the situation in the Wu Kingdom.
With the late emperor's death and the absence of an heir, the veteran ministers would naturally prioritize supporting the heir who would be most advantageous to them, and then place that heir on the throne. With so many potential heirs, choosing one became a problem. The result of this open and covert struggle was the disintegration of the Wu Kingdom, with everyone claiming to be the legitimate successor of the Wu Kingdom and using this banner to recruit the old guard.
The consequence of being torn apart is being wiped out by other forces.
As time goes by and power shifts, so do the changes in the world.
The once numerous filial sons and virtuous descendants of the Wu Kingdom have all been wiped out. The Qi Kingdom's royal family has always claimed descent from the Wu Kingdom, merely to bind that 20th-rank Marquis to their side and gain his protection. As a former official of the Wu Kingdom, Wei Cheng naturally had to come and see for himself, at least to prevent the Qi Kingdom's royal family, bearing the title of "descendants of the Wu Kingdom," from dying too tragically, to leave them with some dignity. This could be seen as repaying his ancestors and old comrades for the years of offerings they had received from the Qi Kingdom's royal family.
Two strange flames floated down from the roof beams.
Wei Cheng said with dissatisfaction, "What are you twitching about? Young people these days have no manners at all, don't they know how to respect the elderly and care for the young?"
The face of the King of Qi turned ashen.
The movement of the three people made him realize that this was not a dream!
He regained full consciousness.
His first instinct was to flee, and he practically tumbled off the bed. The next instant, he saw the bedroom floor littered with corpses, a powerful electric current shooting through his body as if struck by lightning, leaving his legs weak and trembling!
These corpses were all his bodyguards, protecting him, and at his feet lay a familiar head. Just hours before, he had slept with the head's owner. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his most trusted eunuch confidant pinned to a corner pillar of the palace, blood trickling down the pillar and pooling on the ground in a dark, dried red puddle. The pungent stench of blood, long absent from the bed, now rushed into his nostrils. The imminent death made his legs tremble, and a suspicious pool of liquid formed at his feet.
The two flames remained eerily silent in mid-air for a long while.
He seemed to regret getting involved in other people's business.
Gong Xichou raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it embarrassing?"
Wei Cheng: "..."
This is so embarrassing!
Even if the ancestors of Qi were merely adopted sons of Wu, shouldn't their descendants possess some of their ancestor's integrity? How could they be so disgraceful? If they had any backbone, Wei Cheng could have found an excuse to protect them. Whether they became country bumpkins or local thugs in the future, he wouldn't interfere—the Qi royal family went to great lengths to maintain their facade, not only claiming to be descendants of Wu but also enshrining their ancestral tablets in honor of their late ruler. As a former official of Wu and a chivalrous man, how could Wei Cheng remain unmoved upon seeing the ancestral tablets?
As a result, we didn't see any integrity, but we were embarrassed by everything.
Wei Cheng was completely unable to swallow his pride.
Gongxi Chou then retorted, "What descendants of the Wu Kingdom, what kinship? Old Deng, are you mistaken? Your ancestor came from the Gongxi clan. If you pull out the genealogy, I and he share the same ancestor. The legitimate line of the Wu Kingdom is with me! Does your ancestor care about the incense offerings of the Qi Kingdom? His extinguished life lamp is still in the clan's territory."
The Gongxi clan typically uses extinguished life lamps as memorial tablets.
Is placing offerings under a deity's statue less effective than the so-called "incense burning"?
They don't believe in the same god; Old Deng has worshipped the wrong grave.
Wei Cheng: "..."
I understand the reasoning, but our ancestor betrayed his people and abandoned the gods eight hundred years ago.
Gong Xichou understood what the two flames were silently conveying.
Could the former ruler of Weicheng be as rebellious as Ji Mo Can?
If it weren't for God's leniency, given Ji Mo Can's long history of betraying God, even if he kowtowed until his head bled, no amount of prayer from his clansmen's spirits would have been answered. Gong Xi Chou's survival is proof of God's leniency; no one is allowed to speak ill of God!
Mama is the best!
His Highness is not that petty!
Gong Xichou tilted his head, raised his knife, and pointed it at the two flames as a threat.
"Old man, are you going to move aside or not?"
Wei Cheng: "..."
His sigh echoed in the air.
Under the terrified and desperate gaze of the King of Qi, the peerless beauty stepped forward with a knife in hand: "No, don't kill me! I can give you high office and great wealth, I can give you luxury cars and beautiful women... I can share the Qi kingdom with you... No, I'll give you everything!"
Gong Xichou took a step forward, and he pushed off backward with both legs.
The suspicious, chilled liquid was absorbed by his own pajamas, leaving a long wet trail on the floor as he moved.
Gong Xichou did not cut off his head.
She grabbed his neck with one hand, lifted him up, and shook him.
Hehehe, Qingqing, right?
A faint phantom of snake eyes appeared in Gong Xichou's eyes.
"Someone, hang up the great banner as a flag!"
He kicked open the palace door, and the clamor that had been shut out rushed in, whipped by the biting night wind, all assaulting the ears of the King of Qi. As far as the eye could see, flames blazed across half the sky. The magnificent royal palace groaned and wailed in the inferno…
Corpses lay scattered across the ground in pools of blood.
The King of Qi tried to struggle, but he was immobilized by Gongxi Chou's overwhelming power, unable to move even a finger. He wondered if he was still dreaming, trapped in a terrifying dream within a dream from which he couldn't wake. The traitor Xiahou Li was still far away, and there were no forces threatening the capital region near the city. Before he went to bed, the palace and the inner city were peaceful, all within just a few hours…
How did the enemy manage to breach the high walls and deep moats of the capital?
Where did these enemies come from?
It was a dream!
Yes, it was a dream!
Even as his hands were bound and he was raised onto the great banner as a "flag," his vision gradually rising and the things beneath his feet slowly shrinking, he still clung to this thought. The night wind blurred his vision, and he was horrified to see corpses stretching from outside the palace into the palace, the palace roads strewn with bodies.
This is impossible, this is impossible!
From below came the voice of that peerless beauty, dripping with venom: "Pass down the order, the banner is right here! If any fearless reinforcements from the capital region of Qi come for the banner, I, Gongxi Chou, will be waiting for them! The banner is still vacant; we can hang a few more!"
Then came a burst of rough laughter.
The laughter was contemptuous and arrogant, like countless slaps to his face.
The King of Qi stared blankly at the crescent moon overhead. The intense humiliation made him want to bite his tongue and end it all, but the will to live forced him to stop. He didn't want to die; he wanted to live… or perhaps, if he could just hold on a little longer, his loyal ministers and generals would surely save him from this dire situation and prevent the kingdom from collapsing. If he died, what would happen to them?
What will happen to the royal family if they lose their leader?
He found an excuse to live on.
Two flames floated up to him and circled around.
She sighed softly, "Oh, you're no good."
She had secretly helped him by allowing him to move his teeth and tongue without Gong Xichou's knowledge. If he had just hardened his heart and bit off his tongue to commit suicide, all his foolish and wicked deeds in life could have been reduced by one degree.
Perhaps you'll get the evaluation that you're not very capable but have good courage.
As a result, this piece of trash actually convinced itself and shamelessly chose to live? With his hands tied by Gong Xichou and suspended from the banner, exposed to the wind, he was like the moon in the night sky or fireflies in the dark, attracting reinforcements to continue dying?
Don't ask why people would die for this thing.
This plate of snacks, bearing the title of the ruler of Qi, representing the face of Qi, then did something utterly shameful that disgraced his ancestors for eighteen generations. Any Qi general with a shred of spirit would be cursing and crawling on the ground trying to regain some dignity.
Even if they don't come to save people, they'll still come and stab this person to death.
If Wei Cheng put himself in the shoes of these Qi Kingdom generals, he would want to smash his head against a wall and die: "Ugh, you're useless, you're going to kill people."
He decided to write down what happened tonight in his notebook and send it to his uncle later so that he could also see the excitement.
After all, the ruler of a country was used as bait by being draped in a grand banner...
The uncle and nephew had been living in turbulent times for many years and had never met.
The King of Qi watched the will-o'-the-wisp whistling incessantly, wondering what he was asking for.
He realized that the stunning beauty hadn't killed him while he slept, but instead had calmed her murderous intent by sharpening her knife—most likely related to the two strange flames. These two flames were the only ones still showing him kindness; he clung to them like a lifeline!
Wei Cheng: "Still calling me 'Qingqing'? Gongxi Chou is really furious."
Gong Xichou's initial goal was merely to stage a decapitation strike, leading over ten thousand heroes to storm the palace gates at night and give the entire Qi Kingdom a shock. Once the elite imperial guards of the capital region reacted, he would lead his troops in a chaotic retreat, effectively kiting the enemy. This was to buy time for him to rendezvous with Shen Tang.
I'm not after any military achievements, I just want to infuriate someone!
In other words, he did not intend to stay in the capital for long.
As a result, the ruler of Qi was captivated by her beauty and even gave her the nickname "Qingqing." At that moment, Wei Cheng almost couldn't contain Gongxi Chou's imposing presence. He was truly enraged and was now prepared to guard the great banner, killing anyone who came, and killing two in a row! This was exactly what the generals who had lost the calf-nosed trousers wanted!
He truly deserves to be called a real man who can win their trousers!
That's how bold and domineering it should be!
This isn't just a single dose of adrenaline; it's tons of adrenaline!
Didn't you see that Xiahou Yu was completely silent?
Fearing the enemy wouldn't come, Gongxi Chou ordered his soldiers, regardless of gender, to capture the entire royal family of Qi Kingdom according to their family genealogy, and then wipe out the unsuspecting noble families of the capital. He then spread the word: "They're here!"
The grand stage of Qiguo awaits you – come if you dare!
Shen Tang and Gu De led their troops in pursuit without even having time to eat.
They didn't encounter Gong Xichou's main force, but instead ran into two groups of Qi Kingdom troops on the road, who attacked without a word. Even though Shen Tang was a skilled fighter, she was shocked by the madness of these people.
"No... I was attacked just for passing by?"
"You Rong, did we accidentally dig up their ancestral graves?"
|ω`)
Yesterday I was cursing the person who punctured my tire in the residents' group chat, and then my neighbor across the hall messaged me privately asking if the sentry mode had caught the culprit. He says he gets his tires punctured at least eight times a year, and each time he discovers the tire pressure problem after driving out of the underground parking garage...
The author of this article speculates that the problem was more likely caused by human error than accident, because the nails on both tires were the same type. It's unlikely that there would be one nail on each tire, and that the nails would be the same model, right?
Now I'm just waiting for Sentry Mode to catch it, but I don't know when I'll be able to. Sentry Mode drains the battery quickly; if I don't drive and it's parked, it'll run out of power in about eight or nine days and I'll have to charge it. It's a headache.
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