Chapter 481: Recruiting Old Servants at the Underworld (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"Yue ago?"
It was indeed the day that Longwu County suffered.
He had previously asked his father to keep an eye on things over there, also wanting to know how his confidant was doing. A true friend is hard to find in life; what a pity if he died so young! Although he didn't know the specifics of what had happened, he knew the final outcome was auspicious.
Mama is blessed with good fortune and will turn misfortune into good luck.
Hearing this story now doesn't feel so heartbreaking.
"Is it really that bizarre?"
They even felt a bit like gossiping on the sidelines.
Gong Xichou moved his small wooden stool closer to the merchants, but the crowd, eager to hear gossip, paid him no attention. He not only blended in smoothly, but also asked the shopkeeper for a plate of beans. With his left arm bent at the elbow, he tucked his father's urn between his legs and popped the beans into his mouth with his right.
He said excitedly, "Stop keeping me in suspense!"
Other listeners joined in the jeering.
"That's right!"
"Any happy thing should be shared."
Some impatient individuals even threatened: "If you keep hiding things and won't tell us, we're breaking up!"
The merchant, his face darkening from the crowd's taunts, feigned annoyance and waved them away, saying, "Get out! Take it or leave it! This matter can't be explained in just a few words. We only heard it from others on the road; shouldn't we refine and embellish it?"
A story should naturally be told with twists and turns.
The crowd immediately stopped urging them.
——————
A month ago, in Longwu County, late at night.
Soft rustling sounds.
"We've got him!"
"Boss, we've caught a scout!"
With a beautiful arc, the lasso slipped over the target's head, and the group swarmed in to subdue him!
"Hahaha—a big fish! We're giving the brothers a treat today, take it!" The squad leader in the night patrol waved his hand.
Everyone else, upon hearing about the extra meal, put in their best effort.
The border regions are harsh and cold, so extra meals are a luxury.
"Behave yourself, or you'll be in big trouble!" Lured by the food, they didn't care whether they were comfortable being captured or not, and tied him up tightly, ensuring that even the King of Heaven couldn't escape. But the man "resisted stubbornly" and "struggled desperately."
He yelled at the top of his lungs, "How dare you!"
He twisted and turned, trying to break free of his restraints: "Don't grab me! I'm a messenger sent by the Prefect of Longwu!" His struggles were futile; he couldn't free his hands from his back, and sweat poured down his forehead in frustration. A night patrol soldier sneered: "A messenger, you think?"
Not a single word from these foreign tribes is true.
"Look up at your lord's face. Does he look like a fool who's easy to fool?" He spat and said viciously, "Behave yourself, and I'll leave you a whole corpse! If you don't, your lord won't mind killing you on the spot!"
Those stationed at Yonggu Pass, which one didn't hate these heartless and insane Ten Crows? Which family didn't have relatives who had perished at the hands of these ferocious beasts? In war between two nations, victory, defeat, life, and death are commonplace. Killing is one thing, but the Ten Crows seem to prefer cruel and brutal methods.
They only feel satisfied when they've tortured someone so badly they're unrecognizable.
"You're the fools—you've arrested the wrong person!"
The night patrol soldier chuckled and asked his comrades, "You believe me?"
"Hahaha, we don't believe it!"
Years ago, a group of refugees from Shiwu, who brought their elderly and children with them, flocked to Yonggu Pass. They claimed to have suffered oppression and humiliation in Shiwu and, in order to make a living, had no choice but to sell themselves to those inside the pass. At that time, diplomatic relations were still good, and the newly appointed garrison commander, being soft-hearted, believed them.
Send someone to make arrangements for them.
Things were peaceful for a few days.
One night, these ungrateful foreign tribes suddenly launched an attack, causing the deaths of many unsuspecting soldiers and bringing utter devastation to nearby villages. They would fabricate any excuse to infiltrate the interior and commit atrocities.
In Longwu County, they would recruit impoverished Shiwu people, training them to act as informants and relay information about certain tribes' spring hunting activities. Similarly, the Shiwu would secretly plant spies in Yonggu Pass to leak military intelligence, creating a coordinated attack from within.
There are so many methods that it's impossible to guard against them all!
The night patrol soldiers were all tired of hearing it.
Do you have any of the prefect's tokens?
"A token? Of course I have one!" the messenger said defiantly, his neck stiff. "Take me to see the commander guarding the pass at once! I'll produce it when I see him. If you don't trust me, I won't trust you either! Who among you can bear the responsibility for delaying military intelligence?"
The night patrol soldiers exchanged glances.
If they were truly just scouts from the Ten Crows outpost, they probably wouldn't have the confidence to demand an audience with their general. The squad leader pondered for a moment, then made up his mind: "Search them, then take them to see the general!"
"You, you lot! You'll see what happens to you later!"
The captured messenger was so angry that his face turned pale.
In the end, they only found a piece of paper in the inner layer of the clothes, with a seal on it, which was clearly Shen Tang's Wenxin Huayan seal!
The squad leader, who recognized some characters, changed his expression drastically.
"Really? Take him away! To the general!"
Since the relationship between Yonggu Pass and Shen Tang improved, the garrison commander Chu Jie intentionally indulged him, and the registrar Yu did not stop him because of his granddaughter Yu Zi. Chu Yao successfully led his men to intervene in the internal affairs of Yonggu Pass, gradually becoming familiar with the local military affairs, laying the foundation for taking over in the future.
There was no politeness whatsoever.
The soldiers occasionally complained and hoped the two men would step in to support them, but they either pretended not to hear or tried to smooth things over. Furthermore, Chu Yao was generous with the supplies, so no unrest occurred. Chu Jie even welcomed Chu Yao's "power grab."
Don't be fooled by Chu Yao's constant claims of disliking internal affairs; disliking and being bad at them are two different things. Entrusting military affairs to him is a sure thing, with no worries about problems arising. If it weren't for the need to consider Chief Clerk Yu's feelings, Chu Jie would have even considered pushing the rest aside.
Chu Yao could only work 997 as usual.
It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that I finally managed to sort out the trivial matters at hand.
Remembering the scout's report of unusual activity at the border around noon, Chu Yao planned to investigate under cover of darkness. Halfway there, he saw a line of soldiers escorting someone towards the main tent, and he paused, following them. Chu Jie was forced to leave his warm bed.
The messenger knelt down and presented the token with both hands.
He turned to Chu Jie, who was yawning, and said, "Greetings, General Chu. I was sent by the Prefect of Longwu County. According to reliable sources, the Ten Crows Royal Court intends to consolidate its forces and launch a major offensive against the border soon. The Prefect sent me to deliver this message so that you may make preparations as soon as possible."
Coincidentally, Chu Yao arrived.
Chu Jie casually handed over the paper.
"Your master's, check if it's real or fake."
Chu Yao took it but hadn't even looked at it yet, and asked, "Why aren't you in a hurry?"
Chu Jie laughed and said, "I am anxious, but I also knew that this day would come sooner or later! I have been prepared for it for a long time."
The messenger's message was indeed serious, but Chu Jie had dealt with Shi Wu for many years and had seen all sorts of tricks and schemes, weathering countless storms. The veracity of the message was secondary; his concern was that Shen Tang had been captured and the token was fake.
Chu Yao made his judgment at a glance.
"real."
Chu Jie asked, "Is it true or false that Shiwu sent troops?"
Chu Yao looked toward the border barrier, his brows furrowed, and said meaningfully, "In the past few days, scouts have reported several unusual movements at the border barrier, much more frequently and violently than in previous years. I have checked it several times, and the border barrier is as fragile as paper. There's no way the Ten Crows wouldn't know."
In other words—
The intelligence is reliable.
If he were Shiwu's strategist, he wouldn't easily let go of this invaluable opportunity. The previous large-scale harassment of Yonggu Pass, which covered the infiltration of a portion of the troops into the county, where they engaged in widespread killing and looting, was perhaps a test for this battle.
Chu Jie's brows were furrowed, his expression extremely grave.
He knew this day would come.
But I didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
"Should we petition the imperial court for reinforcements?"
Chu Yao made the suggestion, but Chu Jie rejected it.
He gave a cold, mocking laugh: "That tyrant Zheng Qiao won't care. Longwu County suffered such heavy losses before, and he didn't even bother to send reinforcements, let alone embezzle military supplies. The tyrant is foolish and arrogant, and those scholar-officials qualified to participate in court discussions are just sitting idly by..."
In conclusion.
"They're all birds of a feather!"
"Hope they'll have a change of heart? My good men won't have died in vain, bah!"
Chu Yao remained silent, his heart filled with worry for Longwu County and for his lord and his party who had ventured deep behind enemy lines.
He asked, "You want war?"
Regardless of the situation, he must safeguard this foundation for his lord and cannot afford any further mishaps.
Longwu County, where people live, the county exists!
Chu Jie snorted and retorted, "Do I look like a coward to you?"
For a warrior, dying on the battlefield is an honor. After the fall of the Chu Kingdom, Longwu County became his second homeland. How could anyone with a strong will allow their homeland to be trampled upon? Not only would they fight, but they would fight to the death!
Chu Yao rolled up the note: "I'll send a letter back."
There is a severe shortage of manpower in Longwu County.
Sending someone back would be too slow.
He directly conjured a letter, condensed the message, and wrote it down. Watching the letter solidify into a bluebird, which, like an arrow released from a bow, flapped its wings and flew into the sky, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye, Chu Jie clapped his hands and praised, "Wu Hui, your strength has improved again!"
Many spirit words possess the ability to transmit messages, but most have limited range. The Azure Bird's message transmission is one of the more distant ones. However, even the greatest distances are limited; exceeding the limit will increase the consumption of spiritual energy!
The capital of Longwu County is more than a day's journey from Yonggu Pass, and the literary energy it consumes can drain an ordinary scholar!
Chu Yao, however, handled the matter with ease.
But how long has it been since he reunited with Wenxin? If he hadn't suffered that misfortune back then, how amazing would he be now? Thinking of this, Chu Jie's smile became unnatural, and the curve gradually disappeared.
Chu Yao knew immediately that he was thinking about the past, but he didn't say anything and made an excuse to leave. He didn't have the energy to dredge up old grievances or relive the pain of the past. Wouldn't it be more meaningful to kill a few more members of the Ten Crows alien race?
"General Zhao, what brings you here?"
Chu Yao sent a message back, and reinforcements arrived on the morning of the third day. However, the leader was Zhao Feng and his troops.
Zhao Feng dismounted and stepped forward, fully armored: "What are you saying, sir? Guarding the border is a matter of life and death for countless people within the pass! It is our duty! How can this be a time to worry about personal gains or losses? I came as soon as I heard about this!"
Chu Yao shrugged and bowed deeply: "General, you are truly righteous!"
Zhao Feng laughed heartily: "Absolutely! They say there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names, and it's so true!"
Chu Yao couldn't help but chuckle at the man's cheerful optimism, while Kang Shi, who had come with the army, teased him with a half-smile.
"It's not that I shouldn't advise you now, it's that I simply can't stop you!"
"Our fervent spirit cannot be stopped by you, sir! Our soldiers are not afraid of death! Besides, we have been biding our time for the past few years. If we don't make a move soon, not only will our armor become rusty, but our skills in killing enemies will also become rusty... Since these ten scoundrels are so blind, then we will not be polite. Let's use their heads to sharpen our blades! Sharpen them! Then we will kill them so that they dare not come again!"
Chu Jie rushed over upon hearing the news.
Hearing this was like meeting a kindred spirit.
"The general is right!"
"I dare not accept such praise!"
Zhao Feng and Chu Jie clasped their hands in greeting, looked at each other for a few moments, and then suddenly burst into laughter, putting their arms around each other's shoulders and saying they wanted to have a drink.
It somewhat dispelled the dark clouds that had been hanging over my heart.
Kang Shi looked at the two of them and sighed.
“These brutes…”
Friendship comes unexpectedly.
Chu Yao: "I really didn't expect General Zhao to come."
Zhao Feng had already repaid his lord's kindness enough by saving his life, and was now willing to come and help without regard for personal gain.
We are deeply indebted to this person!
I hope Oh Hyun won't mind _(:з」∠)_
"Has the border barrier always been like this?"
Kang Shi shielded his eyes with his hand; the weather was nice today, and he could see clearly from where he stood: "Quite weak."
No wonder Shiwu took the opportunity to make a move.
Chu Yao shook his head: "Not really. Although it was unstable before, its energy was still okay, but... Yao is worried about the palace..."
"I'm worried something might have happened to Zheng Qiao."
Kang Shi used a confident tone.
He scoffed, “Anyone who holds the imperial seal yet weakens the border defenses to this extent is destined to destroy their country and their race. It’s good that the Geng Kingdom is destroyed; we can take advantage of the chaos to reshape the world.”
"To reshape the world... but before that, we must overcome this hurdle. Yao only has a 20% chance of success!"
Chu Yao smiled bitterly. He had conducted countless simulations in the past two days, and his chances of winning were at most 20%, which was still a narrow victory.
It's just that our own forces are pitifully weak.
Even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice.
Upon hearing this, Kang Shi lowered his hand, his gaze confident.
"I have achieved it perfectly!"
"Just take a huge gamble!"
He can win every gamble by sacrificing one of his lords!
Tang Mei: (っ°Д°;)っ
P.S.: Please vote for me with your monthly tickets, my darlings.
If we can take the top spot on the monthly ticket rankings this month, we'll take a solid step closer to five stars! Let's go!
P.S.: I wish I could finish the entire story mode on the 31st in one go.
(End of this chapter)
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