Chapter 1360: Professional Scoundrel [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang was certain that she had never dug up the other party's ancestral grave.
It wasn't that her morals had improved; rather, her branch office in the central mainland had a sufficient budget, and the territories she currently managed didn't have many wealthy, large tombs. Digging up graves before they were fully developed was simply too unprofitable. It wouldn't generate much profit, and it could easily offend the descendants of the deceased, adding further difficulty to her entrepreneurial journey. Rejecting the theory of digging up ancestral graves, the remaining answer was obvious.
"It's probably related to Gong Xichou."
Half a day later, Shen Tang silently deleted the words "mostly".
She captured an enemy scout and obtained an important piece of information from the intelligence carried by the scout—the capital of Qi had fallen, the king was in dire straits, and his life hung in the balance. She hoped that those with wisdom would go to the king's aid, and perhaps one day they could be granted land and made kings. Shen Tang read the intercepted message over and over again, but one question remained: "You Rong, didn't you say that the king of Qi wasn't doing a very good job?"
Gong Xichou indeed went straight to the two points to forcefully push the crystal.
Shen Tang remained silent for a long time, only able to sigh.
Sometimes, she didn't want to understand Gong Xichou's thought process so well; it made her seem unlike a normal person. But what's done is done, and she'd have to wait until they met up before she could try to strangle Gong Xichou again. Getting angry now would only make her angry; it was pointless.
Putting aside Gong Xichou's forceful push for the crystal, Shen Tang forced herself to shift her attention and noticed a strange detail.
"These days, destroying and establishing a country is as easy as sleeping. The ruler of Qi is an unpopular and incompetent monarch. Why did the whole of Qi react like a boiling pot when he was captured, risking their lives to protect him? Was it because of the temptation of 'being granted land and made a king'? That doesn't make sense." If Zheng Qiao knew this in the afterlife, he would shed tears of envy. Why did the ruler of Qi receive this treatment while he didn't?
Qi Kingdom's territory is nothing compared to Geng Kingdom's back then.
Zheng Qiao kept his promise without fail back then—if it weren't for He Yin County, Shen Tang might not have had those two years of peaceful development—on the other hand, Qi Kingdom, if it were divided into more than a dozen smaller fiefdoms, would be incredibly fragmented. This small amount of temptation held no appeal for these self-reliant forces who held sway over various regions like local emperors, and it wasn't worth risking their lives for a little bit of profit.
Gu De also frowned and guessed, "...Perhaps General Gongxi did something out of line in the capital of Qi?"
Shen Tang retorted, "Digging up someone's ancestral graves?"
The probability of this is almost zero.
Gong Xi Chou was indeed capable of desecrating ancestral graves, but there weren't many large clan ancestral graves in the capital region. Their ancestral graves were usually located in their respective ancestral homes and clan territories. Even if someone died in the capital, their body would be escorted back by clan members for burial, a return to their roots. At most, a worthless cenotaph would be built in the capital. Even warlords with vested interests wouldn't go to such lengths to empty all these graves.
Shen Tang and the others were completely baffled.
But one thing is certain: Gong Xichou did something even bigger!
He unleashed martial energy from his palm, shattering the intelligence report into dust: "Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore, it's giving me a headache. Whatever Gong Xichou did, one thing is certain: these enemies are after him, they are enemies! Whoever attacks Gong Xichou, we'll attack them!"
We have to fight either way, so why bother figuring out why we're fighting?
"You Rong, order the entire army to rest for half an hour. Eat, drink, and relax as needed, and make sure they are in top condition! Now we'll focus on the capital region and see who comes to attack!"
Gu De bowed and accepted the order: "I accept!"
"Instead of taking the opportunity to join forces with the main force, you want to block enemy reinforcements?" Luo San said he hadn't seen such a reckless warrior in many years.
Gongxi Chou commanded the main force of the three armies. Even when the capital was besieged by various loyalist troops, the capital still had its high walls and deep moats to rely on.
Who can make him suffer a loss?
On the contrary, Lady Xiahou's forces, far smaller than the main force, had been constantly rushing to reinforce and catch up with the main force, without rest for several days. Even the most elite soldiers under her command were not invincible. Now, were they preparing to intercept the increasingly agitated warlord forces?
Are they not afraid of getting bogged down in a war of attrition and losing their elite troops?
Shen Tang: "Isn't this a kind of encirclement and suppression tactic?"
Luo San's face darkened slightly as he recalled some unpleasant memories.
Shen Tang, well-versed in human relationships, said: "Isn't there still Lord Luo in charge? What's there to fear if there are several times more of this rabble?"
"I fear my help to Your Majesty is limited."
His peak strength wasn't something he could use at will. Otherwise, Shen Tang wouldn't have needed to return that night. He had originally been operating with the various logistics battalions, and on the night of the ambush, he had intervened to buy some time until Shen Tang led his troops to arrive in time to avert the crisis.
"Didn't Luo Hou ever consider fixing the match?"
"Match-fixing?"
"For example, I am your enemy right now."
Luo San: "..."
This is an angle I never thought of.
Shen Tang asked curiously, "Didn't Luo Hou ever think of doing this?"
Theoretically, if Luo San were paired with a skilled opponent, the restrictions should be lifted at any time; after all, there's no rule against opponents being teammates. She was just surprised that Luo San hadn't thought of that.
Luo San said calmly, "I don't care about those with lower strength, and those with slightly higher strength won't willingly stay in the small Sugeng County. As for those with even higher strength... do you think they'll help me or kill me? In chaotic times, how can you avoid making enemies?"
Even those on the right side of the eleventh month can live quite well.
He has no reason to seek death.
Shen Tang: "...So, this method can be used?"
Luo San nodded: "I'll try it later."
"Get Marquis Wei to help you?"
"It can't be him."
His situation is very special.
He can only maintain his peak condition for ten days. After that, he will be reduced to half his previous level, and after another ten days, he will regress to his current level. During this period, he cannot activate it a second time. In other words, he can only use this ability once a month, and the period of decline is when he is at his weakest.
As long as it doesn't return to its full strength, the side effects won't be that severe.
Luo San had just recovered from his previous period of weakness.
Shen Tang volunteered, "Then I'll do it?"
Luo San said, "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
Different warlords wouldn't unite to fight; unless they all swarmed at once, there was no need for such a drastic measure. For two Grand Generals of the Eighteenth Rank to exert themselves was a waste of their talents and an insult to these warlords. Hearing this, Shen Tang didn't press Luo San any further.
She knew perfectly well that Old Deng wasn't telling the truth.
After studying the terrain around the capital with Gu De and the others, Shen Tang chose a pass to lie in wait. Judging from the terrain, as long as these warlords didn't follow the same point-to-point marching route as Gong Xi Chou, most of them would pass by this place: "We've got work!"
In just a few days, the Qi Kingdom underwent a complete transformation.
The troops in the capital region were almost driven mad.
Who would understand? One day I woke up to find out that the capital had been taken over.
[What crime should be committed for spreading rumors and misleading the public, and for providing false military intelligence?]
Upon receiving the news, the general kicked the soldier who had spread the false information a considerable distance away, still seething with anger and cursing. Had he not held back, that kick would have killed the soldier. What does it mean for the capital to fall? For the capital to fall, there must be an enemy.
Who is the enemy?
How did the enemy bypass us and head straight for the capital?
If something happens in the capital, how could the beacon fires not make a sound?
I slept soundly last night and didn't hear a thing.
But then, something even more embarrassing happened.
The messenger who had rushed from the capital to fetch reinforcements was in a sorry state, practically tumbling off his horse. Upon seeing the general, he burst into tears. The general and the messenger were the same age and knew each other fairly well. The messenger's appearance filled him with unease.
Get up quickly, what are you doing?
[General, please remember our friendship from the same year, and remember His Majesty's past favor in promoting and employing you, and swiftly send troops to relieve the siege of the capital.]
The general was momentarily stunned: [Wait, what's going on?]
That same year, he sped along the road, losing his scholar's hair ornament somewhere, his neatly trimmed beard was half-burned off, his clothes were burned with more than a dozen holes, and his entire face was smeared with smoke and fire, making it impossible to see his usual refined demeanor.
When has the general ever seen the enemy in such a disheveled state?
The messenger nearly overbreathed.
It took him a long time to recover somewhat from the intense palpitations. He wiped away his sweat and recounted his ordeal in a hoarse voice. A band of thieves stormed the capital and stormed the inner court. No one, not even members of the royal family or nobles of the capital, escaped capture. The thieves also slaughtered all the palace guards, captured the king alive, and used the king's banner as a battle flag, openly humiliating the Qi Kingdom.
The messenger couldn't help but blush when he mentioned it.
His teeth trembled as he said, "A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated."
This is even worse than digging up ancestral graves!
Upon hearing that the king had been captured alive and that none of the royal family had survived, he knew that Qi Kingdom was doomed. He feigned righteous indignation, but inwardly remained calm. He was used to the destruction of his kingdom. However, when he heard that the traitors had not only ordered the king to be hung on the great banner but also openly provoked him to send troops to the capital, his anger surged, and he roared: "Really?"
[Absolutely true, not a single word is false.]
Okay, okay, okay—
The general said "good" three times in a row.
He slammed his hand down on the stone table, shattering it into dust. His furious roar was deafening, even startling the birds on the eaves, who fluttered to the ground in terror. His face flushed crimson with rage: "I'll see what this scoundrel's guts are! How dare he provoke a hero like this!"
This battle is one we have to fight, whether we want to or not!
However, there are some details that need to be clarified before the procedure.
[Which side is the enemy from? And from which route are they heading straight for the capital? To be honest, there's been absolutely no movement here...] Lately, the king's desire to consolidate military power in the capital region and his whimsical plan to transfer border troops into the imperial guards have met with widespread opposition, drawing criticism from many noble families, including generals. However, he can honestly say that while there are opinions, he has no intention of changing the king and would never secretly grant favors to the rebels.
If it wasn't him, then it must have been someone else?
I just don't know which company it belongs to.
"At first, I didn't know his identity, but then I saw the banner's patterns..." the envoy said confidently, "It's that Xiahou Li!"
The general exclaimed, "Xiahou Li? It's him?!"
As everyone knows, he was a peasant from humble beginnings.
Years ago, someone intercepted and killed a good-for-nothing playboy, impersonated him, and used the playboy's official credentials to take up a post in a local government. The playboy's family, hearing that their son was working diligently and seemingly transformed, sent people to visit and offer their condolences. This unexpectedly exposed the impersonator's evil deed.
This person not only disregarded national laws, but also brazenly occupied land and acted as a king.
The royal court launched several military campaigns to suppress the bandits, but instead of completely eliminating them, the bandits grew stronger. Coupled with numerous internal problems within the Qi Kingdom, including rampant corruption within the military, the cost of suppressing the bandits was too high, and the matter was ultimately abandoned. Afterwards, the bandits gradually calmed down, but recently they have become active again. Unexpectedly, this very band of bandits infiltrated the capital and usurped the throne…
A peasant with no direct interests with any of the various factions...
Who exactly helped this person?
The general was completely baffled.
He felt uneasy until this problem was resolved.
If there is a traitor in the ranks, how can he raise an army to rescue the emperor without finding out who is the traitor who is colluding with outsiders?
The messenger added: "It seems the thieves didn't use the passes around the capital region, but rather appeared out of thin air, descending directly from the sky."
General: [Drove from the sky? Appeared out of thin air?]
Why not say that these bandit soldiers were all transformed from beans?
The messenger couldn't explain it either.
The enemy's marching route remains shrouded in mystery.
The general, after careful consideration, still chose to send troops to the capital. The sky when they set off mirrored his current expression; he said grimly, "...If His Majesty had been willing to commit suicide for his country, none of this would have happened."
It's shameful to not die when you should.
Similar scenes are happening everywhere.
The entire Qi Kingdom was in an uproar, like water splattering in a frying pan. Everyone was determined to storm the capital, slap the traitor Xiahou Li, and then deliver eighteen blows to the disgraced king—to twist their heads off and ensure neither of them lived!
Before reaching Gongxi Chou, the army was in high spirits and full of confidence.
A lucky few with quick footsteps arrived at the foot of the royal city first, looking up to see flags fluttering on the city walls. Above that, a turquoise dragon, comparable to a prehistoric behemoth, coiled atop the city tower, its golden snake eyes coldly watching everyone. Atop the dragon's head, between two enormous bull horns, stood a man clad in half-armor, arms crossed, his eyes looking down upon all living beings with disdain.
"Here come the ants."
With just four casually mentioned words, the reinforcements below the city were thrown into an uproar.
On the city wall, several generals felt a tingling sensation shoot from their tailbone straight to their brains, and they wanted nothing more than to pound on the battlements to release their overflowing excitement. Their eyes brightened, and they exclaimed with delight, "Damn it, it's all thanks to Gongxi Chou's mouth! I never knew it could be this satisfying!"
Before, they were the ones being verbally attacked by Gongxi Chou, but now, watching Gongxi Chou verbally attack others, energizing the entire army like they'd been injected with chicken blood even before the battle began—who wouldn't envy such a skill? Even more so, like that rope-dart general, she couldn't help but mutter to herself, "If only I could be like General Gongxi in this life, one day crossing my arms and calling everyone 'ants'..."
I can't even imagine how happy I'll be!
Xiahou Yu closed his eyes, not daring to imagine how many military officers associated with Quqing Academy would defect to Gong Xichou after this incident, or whether they would defect out of genuine admiration: "My lord, when will you come?"
If they don't come soon, Gong Xichou is really going to tear the house down.
He can't be controlled, he simply can't be controlled!
"You brat, who are you calling an ant?"
A burly and fierce general charged out from the ranks of the reinforcements sent to aid the emperor.
This man was terrifying, and the weapon in his hand weighed a thousand pounds.
He leaped explosively from beneath the city wall, soaring a hundred feet into the air, and hurtled towards Gong Xichou atop the city tower like a falling meteor. The phantom of a hawk transformed into a pair of gigantic wings behind him. Their cries echoed through the clouds, and the warhorses on both sides seemed to grow uneasy.
Gongxi, a professional troublemaker, blocked it with just two fingers.
With a flick of the finger, the metal and stone clanged.
The challenger's expression changed drastically!
|ω`)
I've already applied for the monthly pass event post, and then Mushroom has enabled the restriction that only those with 500 fan points can comment on chapters. I'll change it after the post ends (speaking of which, for those who have followed this chapter to this point, 500 fan points shouldn't be a big deal...).
P.S.: I almost forgot about the monthly pass lottery on the 25th. Sigh, it's another guaranteed 100 yuan prize, boohoo.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
