Chapter 775: A Close Call [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Qian Yong secretly observed his surroundings, preparing to break through the encirclement.
With their strength, breaking through the encirclement by concentrating their forces should not be a problem.
Shen Tang silently prepared to pull her sleeve back, but Qian Yong misunderstood and instead grabbed her arm instead of her sleeve.
He frowned and said, "Don't try to pull me like that."
Formal occasions require a more formal approach.
Qian Yong was so angry at her words that he almost fell over backwards. He glared at her with his big, tiger-like eyes and said, "Shen Youli, what do you take me for?"
He had kindly reminded her, and she had instead uttered malicious words. Wasn't she afraid of being caught off guard and suffering a setback someday? Qian Yong snorted coldly to himself, preparing himself to stand by and watch.
Good advice is useless against a suicidal ghost!
Shen Tang was almost speechless: "Keep your distance."
Qian Yong said, "I never said I would give in to you!"
Are you going to start putting on airs of superior and subordinate to him right now?
He wasn't spoiled even when he was under Zhang Yongqing's protection!
Shen Tang: "???"
They seemed to be talking on different wavelengths.
Shen Tang whispered, "Although I don't believe in the traditional separation of men and women, you're an old man in your thirties or forties, and you're so big and burly, you're really not my type. You're too old and your flesh is too stale, I prefer something fresh and young..."
Her aesthetic sense is quite consistent.
Liking powerful, beautiful muscles doesn't mean you don't care about body shape, and you can't ignore the face on your neck. Qian Yong's reaction lately has been a bit off; she's showing disdain.
Just as they were contemplating whether to teach Qian Yong a lesson, Kang Shi and the others received the message and stepped forward: "My lord!"
Qian Yong then released his grip.
The doubts in my heart remained unresolved.
His intuition told him that something was wrong at Chaoli Pass!
What's even more amiss is that Kang Shi and the others, while genuinely happy for Shen Tang's return, seemed to be avoiding the topic in their words and expressions.
Even Qian Yong, an "outsider," noticed this, let alone Shen Tang. She sat in the main seat and looked around at everyone.
Her return was rather sudden, and the news hadn't spread completely yet. Others were also busy with their own things, and some didn't have time to come.
As soon as Shen Tang sat down, Kang Shi offered the imperial seal.
"I have not failed my lord's trust! Now the item is returned to its rightful owner!"
Qian Yong stared wide-eyed at the gleaming national seal.
He had briefly held the Imperial Seal before, so he naturally knew what the Imperial Seal distributed by Zheng Qiao looked like, but the one in Shen Tang's hand was different. The moment it appeared, the surrounding天地气 (heaven and earth energy) became several times denser, even affecting the Danfu Martial Courage.
Shen Tang reached out and took it, holding the national seal in one hand.
"It's different?"
Kang Shi smiled and said, "I added two more."
"Two? Besides the one with Zheng Qiao's broken sword, are there any others?" Given Kang Shi's unpredictable luck, Shen Tang didn't place any hope in him. As long as Kang Shi's army remained safe and sound, and he didn't lose the national seal, then the mission would be accomplished.
For some reason, Kang Shi's smile seemed somewhat forced.
He reluctantly revealed the origins of the two national seals.
One piece was obtained by Kang Shi when he led his troops to retreat towards Miaojiang and was ambushed by the enemy halfway. The other piece was obtained when he led his troops to attack Chaoli Pass. Shen Tang asked, "What about the one Zheng Qiao gave us?"
Kang Shi stared, unable to utter a word.
Shen Tang mistakenly thought that Chu Yao's troops had encountered a powerful enemy and had to abandon the national seal in exchange for a chance to break through, so she smiled and comforted him, "The national seal is something you only need one of. The most important thing is that people are safe and your troops are preserved."
She has no use for having so many imperial seals.
Once we've established a firm foothold, we can gradually reclaim our share piece by piece.
Kang Shi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Shen Tang had already clenched her fist, gripping the Imperial Seal tightly. Drawn by the aura, the Imperial Seal transformed into a dazzling stream of light, seeping into her palm and flowing back along her meridians to her familiar dantian. Almost simultaneously, the corners of Shen Tang's lips, which had been curled into a smile, froze.
Kang Shi's heart skipped a beat.
Shen Tang asked him, "Where is Wu Hui?"
With the Imperial Seal in hand, she could clearly sense the location of her subordinates whose lives were tied to hers. Ning Yan was right beside her, while Chu Yao, who should have been nearby, was far away in another place.
He's not at Chaoli Pass!
Normally, Shen Tang would have assumed he was out on business, since the mess in Yanzhou was difficult to clean up, and once you took over, you'd be busy non-stop. But now, it was clear that Kang Shi and the others were hiding something from her, so she couldn't help but be suspicious.
Shen Tang then asked, "What about Wu Hui?"
Xun Zhen and his son, who were with Chu Yao's army, were all there!
Chu Yao couldn't possibly be absent!
Shen Tang composed herself and said calmly, "Don't hide anything from me. I don't like any form of deception, not even well-intentioned ones!"
Kang Shi and others did not intend to hide anything.
They were simply worried that Shen Tang would desperately search for people upon learning the news, because the situation within Yanzhou was not under their control, and they wanted to eliminate any potential danger. Chu Yao was not even a fraction as capable as their lord.
Even Chu Yao himself would think so.
Led by Kang Shi, the group recounted in detail how Chu Yao's troops had been divided to transport supplies. They explained that Chu Yao's team had not arrived at the agreed time, which must have meant they had encountered trouble on the way. Upon receiving the news, they immediately dispatched troops to search for and assist them.
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.
She made a decisive decision: "Integrate the troops."
Kang Shi and the others turned pale: "My lord—"
They thought of Gu Ziyi from Shangnan.
Shen Tang appeared calm, even managing a smile to reassure everyone, saying, "Don't worry, I don't intend to do anything. Right now, only I know where Wu Hui's troops are. He's still alive, I just want to lead my troops to meet them."
Of course, if anything were to happen to Chu Yao—
Hmph, well, that's another story.
Upon hearing that Chu Yao was missing, Wei Shou volunteered, muttering, "...It's not that I'm worried about him. You know, this guy ran around in the heart of the Northern Desert back then and nothing happened to him. It was Arui who was concerned about this younger brother, so I had to make a trip."
It wasn't his own choice; he was forced by his wife.
Shen Tang quickly assembled two thousand elite troops.
Everyone: "My lord, no, we don't have enough men!"
Shen Tang said, "We have enough manpower. You guard Chaoli Pass well. In three to five days, I will be able to bring Wu Hui back."
Before setting off, Gong Xichou was added to the team.
Shen Tang said, "I won't trouble you with this matter."
If it weren't for Gong Xichou's unexpected intervention, which deterred the Allied forces, Kang Shi and his men would likely have faced certain death. Since the other party had done enough, Shen Tang felt embarrassed to trouble him further.
Gongxi Chou refused to accept the offer: "You are a sacred object."
He has to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't bump or fall.
In fact, if you ask him, the safest thing would be for Mama to just go back to her clan's territory with him, lie in a coffin, and be buried in the ground!
Shen Tang was taken aback: "You found evidence?"
Gong Xichou said confidently and proudly, "I went to ask Zhang Yongqing for confirmation before. There are not many people in this world who have actually seen the appearance of the sacred object. Even I only know what the sacred object looks like from the few words recorded in the clan. I didn't expect it to be Mama."
It was a joy to meet Mama.
Finding the sacred object brings joy.
Mama = sacred object, double the joy!
Even if only a few members of the Gongxi tribe remain, he will abide by the tribe's precepts and protect the sacred object until his benefactor returns to fulfill his promise.
Shen Tang: "..."
If it were any other time, Shen Tang might have happily plotted to exploit Gong Xi Chou's labor by using the identity of the sacred object. But with Chu Yao missing, she had no such inclination.
She sensed the location of Chu Yao's aura, then compared it with the map of Yanzhou to find the approximate location, and led her troops to attack.
Before long, only smoke and dust remained, and no one was in sight.
Kang Shi gazed longingly in the direction the army had departed, until it was completely out of sight before turning his gaze to an unfamiliar face. The middle-aged scholar noticed his gaze, turned his head to look at him, and, holding his fan, gave a distant bow.
"Old Cui, let's go together."
Qian Yong did not join Shen Tang in sending troops.
However, as a newcomer who had just arrived and had a grudge against Shen Tang's forces, he wisely refrained from chatting with others, especially avoiding Kang Shi—he still couldn't forget Kang Shi, that refined scholar who went even crazier than a warrior on the battlefield—but he was also a restless person, so he looked around and greeted someone he was relatively familiar with.
Old Cui nodded.
The crowd descended the city wall one after another.
Qian Yong and his companion fell behind the group.
After distancing himself completely from the others, Qian Yong whispered, "Tsk, with Gu Ziyi's example still fresh in our minds, Shen Youli is already rushing to go crazy. What does Mr. Cui think of such a temperament?"
Old Cui: "It's always better to be kind and righteous than to be heartless and ungrateful."
If it were Gong Su who was in trouble, Wu Zhaode wouldn't be able to do this. He would be nervous and worried, but he would never risk his life alone.
Shen Jun is indeed a person who values loyalty and righteousness.
Qian Yong nodded in deep agreement: "That's true. If you encounter someone like Zhang Yongqing, you'll be angry enough to wake up even after you die."
He was about to ask Old Cui if he had time for a drink when Old Cui stopped and a tall figure came running towards him.
"Uncle Cui, what are you doing here?"
The newcomer's face showed undisguised astonishment and curiosity.
Qian Yong asked, "Your nephew?"
The two don't look very alike.
Old Cui said, "It's my niece, Zhao Dawei."
Zhao Wei's facial features almost contorted: "..."
Qian Yong: "???"
Besides his full beard, he also had a face full of question marks, his gaze fixed on Zhao Wei's waist. Although the latter wasn't wearing the Martial Tiger Talisman, the martial aura emanating from him was genuine. He said with a stern face, "Old Cui, are you sure your eyes aren't playing tricks on you?"
What a handsome young man, how could he be a niece?
Zhao Wei, her face dark, tried to stomp her feet and act spoiled like she did when she was little, but she didn't control her strength well, and the paving stone beneath her feet cracked with a loud crack. Qian Yong, who was nearby, clearly felt the ground tremble. He looked down and saw that the crack had spread for at least half a meter.
He gave a sarcastic thumbs-up.
"My niece has amazing leg strength!"
Zhao Wei's face flushed red and then turned black.
I wish I could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Old Cui, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and, with a half-smile, revealed a huge piece of news: "Dawei's skills are like a grain of rice compared to the bright moon when compared to Shen Jun."
Qian Yong asked, puzzled, "What does this have to do with the man surnamed Shen?"
Why bring up Shen Youli all of a sudden?
After taking two steps, Qian Yong's steps froze.
Old Cui smiled and said, "Uncle He, you're only realizing this now?"
What did you find?
Naturally, it was because Qian Yong, that rough man, had no self-control and made lewd jokes every day. Jiang Xiandeng and Ning Tunan looked at him with daggers in their eyes!
Qian Yong stared at the direction Shen Tang had left, a sinister look flashing across his face.
"The one surnamed Chen is a woman?"
Old Cui said, "Ning Yan, who is by Shen Jun's side, is also one."
It took Qian Yong a long time to avoid choking on his own saliva.
He asked, "When was it discovered?"
Old Cui said, "You wouldn't mistake that face, would you?"
Qian Yong forced himself to say, "...If Shen Youli were a girl, I could get pregnant and have two children in three years!"
——
As they sped along, the strong wind blowing in their faces made Shen Tang's nose itch. She sneezed one after another, and the subtle tingling sensation spread from her nose to her whole body, making her shudder and her hair stand on end.
They traveled day and night towards their destination.
Chu Yao's position was moving slowly. Looking at the map, the terrain there was concealed, and there should be no danger in the short term.
However, Shen Tang was still worried.
She pressed on with all her might, and after a day and a night, Chu Yao's presence became increasingly obvious, and the straight-line distance between them shortened to fifty miles!
"My lord, there are signs of marching nearby."
Judging from the tracks, they were left three or four days ago.
As Shen Tang rode on the back of the motorcycle, he looked around at the surrounding mountains. The mountains in Yanzhou were not high, making it easy for scouts to conduct reconnaissance.
She asked, "Have you been able to detect any signals left by our side?"
The scout shook his head: "No."
Shen Tang wiped the sweat from her forehead, her heart burning with anxiety, but she had to remain calm. The closer they got to Chu Yao's direction, the more enemy traces they discovered. Analysis showed their numbers exceeded ten thousand; encountering them would be troublesome.
Gong Xichou said, "It's not like we can't beat them."
"Being able to defeat them is one thing, but there's more than one faction nearby. I'm not going to do something stupid like doing someone else's work for me." What I fear most is that while I'm having a good fight with the enemy, a knife will suddenly appear from behind.
Shen Tang only has so much wealth, so he has to be frugal.
She carefully kept her distance from the enemy forces.
Trying to find an opportunity.
result--
She calmly examined the map. If the route were drawn, it would clearly be a circuitous, "snail's pace" approach to Chaoli Pass.
what does that mean?
This means that Chu Yao's troops, who were being hunted down, still had some strength left, and were not as pitiful and desperate as she had previously imagined.
Gong Xichou said, "How about I sneak in and take a look?"
Snakes are adept at lying in wait and hiding, and Gong Xichou's strength was enough to allow him to cross the enemy's defenses undetected.
Shen Tang nodded: "Thank you for your help."
If we can make contact, we might be able to attack the enemy from both sides.
——
Chu Yao's troops were indeed in a much better situation than Shen Tang had imagined. Unfortunately, they were spotted as soon as they entered Yanzhou territory. With a large amount of baggage delaying their march, Chu Yao decisively ordered his men to abandon the food supplies.
Throw it as you run to hinder the enemy's pursuit.
The predetermined route cannot be followed; we can only proceed step by step and see how things unfold.
The rescued former officials of the Xin Kingdom looked even more distressed upon seeing this. They had barely escaped one danger, only to be plunged into another?
One person couldn't help but say, "Why not abandon the imperial seal?"
"Yes, Shen Jun won't miss out on this one thing anyway."
Compared to something dispensable, soldiers and horses are definitely more important. If we cling to them and refuse to let go, we will lose both people and wealth!
Chu Yao also began to waver. The enemy was getting closer and closer, and would catch up in half a day. Their troops were simply not enough to resist.
He could only discuss it with Luan Xin.
Given the current situation, preserving our military strength should be our top priority.
If there were only one imperial seal, Luan Xin would definitely suggest holding on a little longer, but there's more than one, so it's not worth sacrificing over two thousand elite troops for it. How many men does our lord actually have?
Chu Yao made a difficult decision.
[...we had no choice but to abandon it...]
【etc! 】
Just as he was about to speak, Luan Xin finally remembered something.
Suddenly I remembered, there's still hope.
(_)
This is ridiculous! I caught a cold! I quickly dug out the medicine I hadn't finished at the beginning of the month and started chugging it down.
(End of this chapter)
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