After the victory, morale within Qingliang Valley soared. Although the war had cost them significant manpower and resources, at least they had gotten what they had hoped for. This good start inevitably lifted the gloom that had been lingering over Qingliang Valley.
The fading dark clouds were now floating, and finally gathered again over the small town outside Zhiyoulin.
Xie Zhuangshui had noticeably lost a lot of weight these days. Although they held daily meetings to discuss how to resolve future issues, the soldiers essentially just listened with their heads bowed.
Just like the previous few days, Xie Zhuangshui had just said a few words when he couldn't help but smash a table: "Damn it!"
Everyone raised their eyes slightly and saw Ou Yezi sitting there silently, then they all lowered their heads and said nothing.
What Xie Zhuangshui despised most was the silence of these people. They all relied entirely on their family's influence to sit in their current positions. They were all talented people who followed him to Liang State and took the lead.
When they were in South Vietnam, weren't they all full of ambition? How come they have become mute now that they have suffered a defeat? "Weren't you all very talkative before? How come you are all mute now? Ah!"
After the teacup in Xie Zhuangshui's hand shattered into several pieces, Xiao Liang stood up and said, "General, please calm down."
Xie Zhuangshui stood up suddenly, wanting to punch each of these people. "Calm down! How do you expect me to calm down? Why did the sudden attack on Qingliang Valley end up being the attacked party? Who can tell me?"
Xiao Liang quickly replied, "General, we're already investigating, but it will take some time."
Initially, according to the plan devised by Xie Zhuangshui and Xiao Liang, they would ambush the Qingliang Valley troops when they reached the valley entrance. The placement of the three artillery pieces was carefully considered, finding a location that was both suitable for concealment and for observing the enemy.
But when the time came, they did not wait for the army from Qingliang Valley to come out. Instead, the soldiers guarding the three cannons were knocked down one by one. In the end, the cannons hit their own people.
"Hehe, I'll give you some time, will Wang Yanzhou give it to you?" After saying that, Xie Zhuangshui turned around and fixed his gaze on Ou Yezi.
His trust in Ou Yezi was now dwindling. According to Ou Yezi's previous claims, the three cannons were indeed secretly protected by experts. So, why, at such a crucial moment, did those elusive experts actually watch the people of Qingliang Valley obtain the cannons? They even knew that the three cannons could only be used once due to the material they were made of?
Xie Zhuangshui and Ou Yezi stared at each other for a moment before Xie Zhuangshui asked, "Sir, can those three cannons be repaired?"
Ou Yezi shook his head slightly and replied calmly, "It's basically just a pile of scrap metal, useless."
Xie Zhuangshui's eyes darkened, and he couldn't help but hold his forehead and said, "Without the artillery, this battle with Qingliang Valley will be very difficult..."
Ou Yezi slowly stood up from his seat, bowed his head and said, "General, before I came here, the Grand Tutor instructed that if there was any accident with the artillery, you should contact Lord Xiahou first."
Xie Zhuangshui frowned slightly. Xiahou Qing was indeed in control of the Liang government, but he didn't dare to reveal his ultimate goal openly. "Xiahou Qing? What can he do?"
Ou Yezi then added, "I don't know the details of this matter. I believe the Grand Tutor must have already made all the arrangements for the general. But once the general contacts Lord Xiahou, we will know."
After Xie Zhuangshui pondered for a moment, he waved his hand and said, "...Xie Miao, I'll leave this matter to you."
"I obey your orders!"
Just as Xie Miao turned around and prepared to flee this heavy and depressing meeting room, Ou Yezi suddenly called him and reminded him, "Deputy General Xie, Lord Xiahou should be in Qinghe County right now."
"Thank you for the reminder, sir."
Xie Zhuangshui saw something indescribably strange about Ou Yezi's actions and words. He couldn't seem to find any evidence that he was a Daliang spy. Furthermore, his artillery had clearly given South Vietnam a significant boost. So, what was wrong?
Half a month later, the letter sent back from Qingliang Valley via the Central Plains Road did not go all the way north to Beimo or the capital, but instead reached the hands of Lin Feng in Qinghe County.
After receiving the letter, Lin Feng's subordinates immediately reported the situation: "Sir, I have spread the word. Although the letter was returned intact, the Qingliang Valley should have known about Su Zhirou's situation."
The letter was indeed written by Shangguan Bing'er, but they had intercepted it halfway. "What about Tang Chen? Did she have any other reaction?"
The subordinate replied, "There is no movement from Princess Qingliang for the time being."
Tang Chen must have had some suspicions about the letter's origins, otherwise he wouldn't have sent it back the same way. Since Shangguan Bing'er couldn't be shaken, it seemed like it was time to put these people from Qinghe County to use. "...You go down first and call Su Zhirou over to me."
"Yes, sir."
After a while, Su Zhirou hurried over: "I wonder why the master summoned me? What do you want me to do?"
Lin Feng walked around Su Zhirou with a cup of tea in his hand and asked, "What do you think of Tang Chen's attitude towards you?"
Su Zhirou's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Lin Feng and the others had already begun planning to secretly attack the Qingliang Palace? "Why do you ask this suddenly, sir?"
Lin Feng smiled and said, "It's just a momentary curiosity. You don't need to be too nervous."
After thinking for a moment, Su Zhirou replied very pertinently, "In the past, I believed I could have a place in her heart, but now, I can't guarantee it."
Lin Feng, however, disagreed. Tang Chen was a simple person, and he knew her temper somewhat. She looked lively, but in reality, she was a bit dull in her interactions. But once she identified someone as a friend, and as long as that person needed her, she would rush over without hesitation.
"Just because you saved Lian Xin twice, even if Tang Chen didn't make a move, if something happened to you, do you think Princess Qinghe would take action?"
When Lin Feng's hand slowly brushed across Su Zhirou's face, she felt a wave of nausea. If Lin Feng hadn't known what happened in the Su Mansion, she wouldn't have stayed here and let him insult her like that.
Seeing that Su Zhirou had remained silent, Lin Feng thought she was worried that he would break his promise and kill her right away, so he added, "Don't worry, it's just a show. I won't let you suffer too much."
Su Zhirou lowered her head and said, "...but Master You has the final say."
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