Chapter 757: A Blind Cat Catches a Dead Mouse (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang looked at the middle-aged scholar: "Until this matter is settled, I'm afraid you won't be able to go south to avoid disaster. But you can rest assured, I will definitely not let you fall into a desperate situation."
The middle-aged scholar said, "That's alright. I've heard of Mr. Shen's reputation, so I trust him."
Shen Tang then asked Qian Yong if he needed any help.
Qian Yong slapped the ground and said, "What's going on? You took my most precious thing, and now you think you can just walk away?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Jiang Sheng and Ning Yan's expressions twisted for a moment.
Shen Tang poked Qian Yong's wound with her finger and said irritably, "You old man in your thirties or forties, are you making dirty jokes at me?"
Qian Yong slapped Shen Tang's finger away: "You're the one who's at a disadvantage?"
Shen Tang said, "What a huge loss!"
Didn't you see Jiang Sheng's murderous glare?
Qian Yong was the most powerful and the most seriously injured among the wounded. However, with the help of several scholars, he was able to recover his martial energy. He only needed to meditate and circulate his energy for most of the night. When he was slightly drunk, he exhaled a breath of turbid air and most of his wounds had healed.
The longest wound on his abdomen is now just a light pink scar.
Qian Yong's complexion was much better than before. He clenched his fists and stretched his limbs, his bones making a teeth-grinding sound from the inside out. On the surface, he seemed to be fine, but in reality, his internal organs were still sluggish: "The internal injuries will take more than half a month to heal."
It's not advisable to use force for the next two weeks. If you force it, the wound might rupture, which is a minor issue. The real danger is that it could aggravate the internal injuries.
The remaining subordinates also caught their breath.
Qian Yong said to Shen Tang, who was guarding outside, "Thank you."
I tried to take a couple of steps, but I stumbled and almost fell.
The subordinate officer quickly helped him up, and was surprised to find that Qian Yong's face was flushed, his lips were dry and pale, and his exposed skin was burning hot. He exclaimed in panic, "General, you have a fever—"
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Qian Yong waved his hand, suppressing the rising feeling of dizziness.
"It's just a fever, no need to make a fuss. With the injuries he sustained last night, an ordinary person would have been dead long ago." A large section of intestine was protruding, exposed but not necrotic, and he was still lively and energetic after midnight, which is nothing short of a medical miracle.
“Zhang Yongqing’s troops won’t let this go easily. They must have sent a large force to search. You all need to disguise yourselves as refugees and blend in. Without the State Seal’s sensing power, it won’t be easy for him to catch us.” With Qian Yong and his group as a burden, Shen Tang and the others could walk even slower. “There are so many State Seals in Ganzhou. If we delay, Zhang Yongqing will naturally shift his attention.”
Qian Yong had no objection to Shen Tang's arrangements.
but--
He asked Shen Tang, "When did this happen?"
It was a seemingly random question, but Shen Tang understood what he wanted to ask: when she had obtained the Imperial Seal. If it weren't for the existence of that Imperial Seal, Shen Tang should have been able to absorb Qian Yong's Imperial Seal without any obstacles: "Well, it's been a long time."
Qian Yong asked, "After the Xiaocheng Alliance back then?"
Now that things have come to this, there's no point in hiding it anymore.
Shen Tang nodded and said, "Mm."
Qian Yong's facial muscles twitched violently for a while before he finally managed to utter, "I didn't lose unjustly! You're more cunning than that Zheng guy. Not to mention those idiots outside, even Zheng Qiao probably doesn't know you've been hiding this trick, right?"
If Zheng Qiao knew, how could he have allowed Shen Tang to manage things so peacefully for so many years? Just how well did this guy manage things? Back then, Qian Yong led his troops, full of confidence, to attack Nanyu County in Longwu Prefecture, but he encountered formidable enemies one after another and suffered a crushing defeat.
To outsiders, Shen Tang is seen as delicate and easily bullied.
In reality, Shen Tang was tyrannical and domineering.
Shen Tang said irritably, "You say I'm cunning, I admit it. How can a person survive in this world without a little cunning? But comparing me to Zheng Qiao is really insulting! No matter how cunning I am, I wouldn't do something so crazy. You might as well praise me for being incredibly clever and insightful; that would sound better, wouldn't it?"
The various counties and prefectures within Ganzhou were engulfed in chaos, and the number of refugees fled skyrocketed. A few tall, strong men mixed in went unnoticed. Because of the imposing physique of General Qian Yong, the frequency with which Shen Tang and his companions were extorted and exploited decreased dramatically.
During this period, they also gradually gathered together more than a hundred of Qian Yong's remaining troops.
Their departure went smoothly, but Zhang Yongqing was almost furious.
"Reporting—to my lord!"
Zhang He personally led his troops in pursuit of Qian Yong's remaining forces.
Qian Yong's troops were few in number, but having spent years serving as henchmen in various campaigns, they had accumulated rich combat experience far exceeding that of hastily recruited militia. Their morale soared with each battle, and even when cornered, they displayed terrifying fighting spirit, effectively delaying Zhang He's forces for a considerable time. Zhang He initially showed no urgency, as the spoils were already within his grasp.
Unexpectedly—
Just as they were about to encircle and kill Qian Yong, trapping him like a turtle in a jar, the connection between the imperial seals suddenly disappeared.
It disappeared very abruptly!
Zhang He nearly had a mental breakdown.
But he didn't give up hope and chased all the way to the last known location. He sent troops to search, but found only a large pool of blood and fragments of armor by the stream. No one was there, neither alive nor dead. Zhang He's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
"Search! Search every single place thoroughly!"
I don't believe Qian Yong just sprouted wings and flew away like that!
In reality, Zhang He didn't really want to harm Qian Yong.
If Qian Yong had simply submitted obediently, Zhang He wouldn't have minded having another right-hand man—the two were classmates and natural allies. However, Qian Yong had his own ambitions and was unwilling to remain confined to a small area. Every time he led troops for Zhang He, he would demand more money, provisions, and benefits, and he harbored many complaints about Zhang He's treatment over the years, gradually developing a rift between them.
Zhang He could no longer tolerate Qian Yong.
Qian Yong also harbored murderous intent towards Zhang He.
Zhang He took the initiative and thought he had it in the bag, but he didn't expect to make a mistake at the last minute. It wasn't just that the duck that was about to be eaten flew away, it was that the roasted duck flew away!
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
Shen Tang and his group of four found one scholar, one wounded general and his remaining troops, and one imperial seal. Chu Yao's troops also made a considerable haul. Zheng Qiao had placed the granary in an extremely well-hidden location to ensure the safety of the rear supply lines, which benefited Chu Yao.
Empty it out, empty it out, empty it all out!
We will retreat via the route through Cunshan City.
The main force of the Allied Army was operating in another location, while Cunshan City, which Shen Tang had conquered, was implicitly considered part of the Allied Army's sphere of influence. When Zheng Qiao flew the kite, she avoided Shen Tang's territory, and the Allied Army wasn't drawn to it...
By a twist of fate, this created excellent conditions for Chu Yao's transport of supplies! Their force of scholars and intellectuals was impressive, but they lacked capable military commanders. If they were to encounter a formidable enemy, they would be at a significant disadvantage in a large-scale battle.
Most of the grain was moved into Cunshan City.
"Cunshan City is heavily fortified, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and safe. We will use this as a base to quietly transport the grain across the Miao River." Chu Yao and his group held a meeting to determine the grain transport route. Everything was to be carried out discreetly, without drawing attention to themselves.
"After the grain transfer is completed, troops will be withdrawn in batches."
While the Allied forces' attention is focused on Ganzhou, they will transport the grain away and then concentrate their forces to attack Yanzhou. If all else fails, they can use Chaoli Pass as a defensive line and take advantage of the weakened defenses of some of the Allied forces' smaller factions to annex half of Yanzhou.
As for Lingzhou...
The local power structure is too strong.
None of them are easy to defeat.
They could wait until their forces were nearly exhausted before making their move. Chu Yao and his men were calculating so loudly that even Kang Shi could hear them. Looking at the severed limbs and remains scattered on the ground, the lingering smell of blood still in his nose, he sneezed loudly. Before he could even rub his nose to relieve the itch, a shadow flew over from a distance, and he instinctively raised his hand to catch it.
This thing is bloody.
However, you'll know what it is as soon as you get your hands on it.
Gong Xichou said, "We chased them for dozens of miles before catching up with them."
Kang Shi carefully held the national seal, took out a handkerchief to wipe the bloodstains off the surface, and said, "You're too rough. What if you break it?"
Gong Xichou curled his lip: "Isn't it just a broken seal?"
"Hmph, a 'broken seal'? How many people throughout history have fought tooth and nail for such a 'broken seal'?" Kang Shi gave him a look that said, "You, Gongxi Chou, are blind; you can't recognize gold inlaid with jade." If it weren't for this thing, where would all these corpses have come from?
Oh, Gong Xichou's eyesight is indeed not good now.
Gong Xichou: "What are your plans for dealing with this imperial seal?"
As far as he knew, the fusion between two different imperial seals was extremely slow. Kang Shi carried two seals, and other imperial seals within range would also sense two seals. Who knew how many unwanted suitors this would attract… Gong Xi Chou found the thought alone annoying.
For a time, Kang Shi had no good solutions.
However, he was aware of his own shortcomings.
If you're unlucky anyway, what's the difference between being unlucky and being unlucky?
He could only sigh and say, "What else can we do? We must speed up the march, cross the river, and get back to Chaoli Pass as quickly and safely as possible."
As they were talking, Gongxi Chou seemed to be deep in thought and turned to Kang Shi.
More accurately, look at what Kang Shi is holding.
Kang Shi lowered his head, not understanding why.
Then, he saw a horrifying scene.
A small golden dragon appeared, emerging from his dantian, traveling along his meridians, and finally crawling out from his palm. With a single swipe of its claw, it knocked the imperial seal from Kang Shi's hand. The seal rolled twice on the ground, and as soon as it left his grasp, he nearly suffered a cardiac arrest!
Kang Shi retrieved the imperial seal.
The little golden dragon's whiskers trembled, and it swatted the dragon away with another claw.
When Kang Shi retrieved it a second time, the little golden dragon's whiskers stood on end in anger, as if it were about to explode. Just as Kang Shi was wondering what to do, the imperial seal transformed into clouds and mist, and then from the clouds and mist into a thin, weak, and mottled little dragon.
Little Dragon pitifully wrapped itself around Kang Shi's finger.
It timidly peeked out from behind its fingers.
The two dragons faced off for several breaths, separated by two hands.
The little golden dragon swung its tail, while another little dragon watched it with great envy, its eyes practically glued to its pure, golden scales. Finally, the little dragon with mottled colors slowly flew to the little golden dragon's side, extending two short whiskers.
It's unclear what the two exchanged, but the little golden dragon nodded its noble dragon head, and the two dragons transformed into two clouds and merged into one.
The little golden dragon transformed again, this time a size larger than before.
belch--
It let out a burp and lazily crawled back to Kangshidan Mansion.
Kang Shi: "..."
Gong Xichou: "...There's only one aura left."
Kang Shi's expression instantly turned serious.
The two national seals had merged into one, meaning they were completely indistinguishable, something entirely beyond his comprehension. Normally, the fusion of national seals was incredibly slow. Gongxi Chou had also considered this possibility.
"This only shows that Mama's royal seal is very special."
Kang Shi let out a sigh of relief: "It's a good thing after all."
Gong Xichou said, "Mama was also very special to begin with."
Only a special national seal is worthy of a sacred object.
Despite Kang Shi's bad luck and the small number of troops he had, he had two high-level combatants, Gong Xichou and Chu Jie, to back him up. Even if Wen Xin and Wen Shi were a bit weak in soft power, they didn't need to worry about ordinary opponents. Kang Shi, filled with trepidation, finally heard the surging sound of the Miao River before dusk that day.
Kang Shi carefully sensed it for a while.
There was no trace of the Imperial Seal on the other side of the Miao River.
Chu Jie, however, was not optimistic: "Better safe than sorry."
If we were ambushed while crossing the river, we would be completely caught off guard.
Kang Shi: "..."
He stared intently at the river, his heart filled with growing unease.
"How about... we find another place to cross the river?"
Chu Jie: "..."
He finally understood why Lao Jiang said not to travel with Military Advisor Kang, because the other party's bad luck would make you question life itself!
Chu Jie rubbed his temples: "Let's see what the scouts have to say."
The scouts' reply indicated a suspicious shadow over the other side.
Kang Shi: "..."
He took a deep breath and directed the army to sail down the river.
After only half a day of rapid travel, the scouts reported that there were many refugees ahead. When these refugees saw them, they either scattered in fear, knelt down and begged for mercy, or even offered to hand over their belongings. The scouts dared not accept them.
Military discipline is strict; anyone caught extorting civilians will be punished, and the whistleblower will receive a triple reward. Bribing everyone or covering for each other is even less feasible, as patrols are always random and the personnel are not fixed.
The scouts also learned the truth about the refugees' escape from the refugees: they were not fleeing because of the chaos in Ganzhou, but because of the floods.
Kang Shi's heart skipped a beat: "Flood?"
Scout: "Within the territory of Yanzhou, nine out of ten prefectures are flooded."
In some higher areas, the water level barely reached ankle-deep. In other lower-lying areas, where there were unrepaired river embankments, the tributaries of the Miao River suddenly swelled, causing some to breach. Even days after the disaster, the water level in some areas has not receded. The severely affected refugees are homeless and have been forced to flee their homes to seek a living, a situation that is extremely dire.
Upon hearing this, Kang Shi opened his mouth, but remained silent for a long time.
How did the floods come about...?
He knew that, of course.
Yu Zi asked anxiously, "Could the flood affect Longwu County?"
Kang Shi quickly composed himself and said, "It shouldn't be the case. Longwu County will not only avoid disaster, but may even benefit."
Her mistress's favorite things to do were building bridges, repairing roads, digging irrigation canals, opening waterways, and constructing river embankments. If it weren't for the shortage of manpower and tight finances, she would have liked to dig a reservoir to store water. She would have built two more so that they wouldn't have to rely on the weather for water every year.
There is absolutely no need to worry about flooding.
There are simply too many refugees, and there may be a large influx of them.
However, this is something that will give my cousin a huge headache.
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
Longwu County Daily:
On [Date], the new drama premiered.
On [Month] [Day] + 1, a new batch of agricultural tools arrived at the government office.
On [Date] + 2, pre-orders for premium plus-quality cotton seeds will begin.
……………………
(End of this chapter)
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