Chapter 848 The Three Strongest Bosses (Two Updates)
Mangshan was where the imperial army was stationed.
The heavy rain lasted for three days and three nights, washing away the roads ahead. The soldiers braved the rain to repair the roads for two days, but they were still unable to completely clear them.
In a tent lit by candlelight, a young palace maid named Huan'er, dressed as a servant, entered carrying a plate of fresh wild fruit: "Your Highness, these are fruits I just picked. Please try some."
Shangguan Yan said indifferently, "I have no appetite. You can eat by yourself."
“But these were specially prepared for Your Highness, and my hands are all scratched up.” Huan’er said, showing the wounds on her hands.
Having spent time together, Huan'er had long since figured out the Crown Princess's temperament. The Crown Princess wasn't someone who would only respond to gentleness and not to force, but as long as Huan'er played the victim to her, it usually wouldn't be too difficult.
Shangguan Yan looked at her swollen hand and sighed, "Put it on the table."
Huan'er happily placed the fruit on the small table.
Shangguan Yan picked up a bright red fruit and thought of her three children who were scattered in different places, wondering how they were doing.
"Your Highness, General Wang requests an audience."
The sound of a guard announcing something came from outside the tent.
"Come in," Shangguan Yan said.
Huan'er tactfully pushed behind the screen and began to tidy Shangguan Yan's clothes.
"Your Highness, Ye Qing requests an audience."
Ye Qing's voice could also be heard outside the tent.
"Come in, everyone," Shangguan Yan said.
Wang Man and Ye Qing entered the camp together.
Ye Qing did not go on the expedition with the main army. He was ordered by the Grand Preceptor to transport medicinal materials to the front line. He set off a few days late, but the imperial army was delayed by the heavy rain in Mangshan, which allowed him to catch up with them.
Wang Man had always looked down on the charlatans of the Imperial Preceptor's Hall and never gave Ye Qing a second glance.
Ye Qing didn't mind at all and respectfully bowed to Shangguan Yan: "Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Shangguan Yan looked at the two of them and asked, "What brings you here to see me?"
As a junior, Ye Qing adhered to his duty and demonstrated the etiquette of the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, regardless of Wang Man's attitude.
He gestured for Wang Man to speak first.
Wang Man didn't stand on ceremony with him, straightening his broad back and thick waist as he said, "Your Highness, I've come to report that the road has been cleared and we can set off early tomorrow morning."
Shangguan Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally, we can set off. The soldiers have worked hard. We've lingered here for several days, delaying our journey to Quyang. I wonder how the Black Wind Cavalry is doing in defending the city?"
Before the heavy rain destroyed the roads, the scouts brought back news of the Black Wind Cavalry's victory in recapturing Quyang City, but this was followed by news that the Liang army was about to attack Quyang City.
Wang Man sneered, "The Black Wind Cavalry is not good at defending cities, let alone guarding against tens of thousands of rebel troops inside. In my humble opinion, Quyang City is probably not going to hold! Hmph, a child is a child, so soft-hearted! When we captured the rebels, we should have killed them all to prevent future troubles! What use is it to take them? If the Nangong family raises their arms, the rebels in the city will surely cooperate with the Liang army from the inside and outside. It's such a waste of the Black Wind Cavalry's excellent troops! They will all be lost at that brat's hands!"
Ye Qing glanced at Wang Man coldly: "General Wang, did you go to Quyang City in person or go to the battlefield? You speak so eloquently. If Quyang City had been defended, would you have knelt down and called the Black Wind Cavalry Commander 'Big Brother'?"
Ye Qing has always been the gentle and refined senior brother, treating people with kindness and politeness, and rarely showing such a prickly side.
To paraphrase Shangguan Qing, "I can give you face, but you can't be completely oblivious to your own limitations."
Wang Man spread his arms wide: "Hmph! If he can hold the line, what harm is there in giving him my position as the General Who Conquers the West!"
Normally, the Crown Princess would have stepped in to stop him upon hearing this: "General Wang, what are you saying? You are the most senior veteran, and your experience in leading troops is unmatched. The position of Grand General is rightfully yours. How could you give it to a greenhorn?"
The reality is—
The Crown Princess looked at Wang Man with surprise, and said helplessly, "Since the General has said so, then I will be a witness."
Wang Man: "...!!"
Shangguan Yan then looked at Ye Qing: "Ye Qing, what do you want with me?"
Ye Qing cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I was originally thinking that if the road was still blocked tomorrow, I would take a detour first, but now it's fine."
"Hmm." Shangguan Yan nodded, looking out at the rainy night outside the tent. "I really want to get to Quyang soon."
...
Quyang City.
The area outside the North Gate, which had just experienced a major battle, was devastated. The city's garrison was cleaning up the mess, and medical officers and soldiers were evacuating the wounded from the scene.
At the city gate, a medical officer and a city garrison soldier were carrying a blood-covered wounded soldier on a stretcher. Suddenly, the medical officer stepped on the corpse on the ground, stumbled, and the stretcher tilted to one side.
"Ah—" The physician was shocked.
This is a patient with a severe fracture. He cannot afford to fall again, or he will die!
A strong, large hand firmly supported the stretcher!
The garrison soldier looked up and respectfully said, "General Ji!"
Ji Pingchuan, the garrison commander of the northern city.
"Thank you, General Ji." The physician from Shengdu, hearing the garrison call him that, also addressed him as General Ji.
General Ji nodded slightly: "Are you alright?"
"It's alright now." The physician rearranged the stretcher and entered the north gate with the soldiers.
Before long, another group of people arrived at the scene.
Ji Pingchuan turned around and bowed to the leader, saying, "Lord Chang."
Although both were generals, their ranks were different.
Chang Wei was the head of all the garrison troops and the commander-in-chief of the border.
Chang Wei dismounted, looked at the blood-soaked scene, frowned, and asked, "What exactly happened? How did the Liang Kingdom withdraw its troops?"
Ji Pingchuan said, "The imperial court has sent four reinforcements."
Four?
Chang Wei was very surprised, not because of the small number of people, but because with so few people, they still managed to make the 80,000-strong Liang army retreat.
Ji Pingchuan explained, "They assisted Commander Xiao in disrupting the rear of the Liang army, beheading Chu Feipeng, and even sounded the retreat horn without authorization. The Liang army was in a state of panic after their commander was killed, and their morale plummeted. They actually believed that the Liang generals were sounding the retreat and all withdrew. The Black Wind Cavalry pursued them and killed many more of their soldiers."
Is it even possible to do it this way?
What kind of shameless tactics are these?
Chang Wei was at a loss for words.
It's true what they say: the timid starve while the bold thrive. This is what it means to turn a war into a spectacular display.
The chances of this plan succeeding are less than 10%, and if it were Chang Wei, it would be absolutely impossible for him to pull it off.
First, he couldn't kill Chu Feipeng; second... how did he come up with the idea of sounding the enemy's bugle to signal a retreat from the rear?
"How is Commander Xiao doing?" Chang Wei asked.
Ji Pingchuan said, "He was injured and went back to the camp for treatment."
...
In the commander's tent, Gu Jiao lay unconscious on the cold, hard bed.
Also in the tent were the old Marquis and a physician.
The physician did not recognize the old marquis; he only heard the soldiers say that he was a reinforcement sent by the imperial court.
The physician began to remove Gu Jiao's armor.
The old marquis frowned: "Wait!"
The physician was startled by the authoritative voice, quickly withdrew his hand, and asked blankly, "Sir, what's wrong?"
The old marquis glanced at Gu Jiao on the bed and asked in a deep voice, "Is there a female physician?"
The physician replied, "Yes."
The old lord said in an unyielding tone, "Summon the female physician to apply the medicine to her."
"Huh?" The physician was taken aback. Why would a grown man be treated by a female physician?
The old marquis's face was frighteningly cold. The physician, unaware that he was not an official of the court, assumed he was a confidant of the crown princess and dared not offend him easily, so he hurriedly went to summon a female physician.
The female doctor was also puzzled as to why she was asked to take care of the young commander. Her medical skills were not bad, but she was inexperienced and, being a woman, it was difficult for her to have the opportunity to be given important responsibilities.
After she entered the tent, the old Marquis came out.
The female healer made a terrible assumption in her mind, but when she saw that the young commander was indeed unconscious and could not possibly have done anything indecent to any woman, she became even more puzzled.
"So why are you calling me?"
The female healer, puzzled, removed the young commander's armor. When she used scissors to cut open his blood-soaked clothes, she froze.
...
Gu Jiao slept soundly until the evening of the third day.
When she opened her eyes, the female doctor was changing the dressing on her arm wound.
A cold, wary glint flashed in her eyes, startling the female healer so much that she dropped the wound medicine.
“I’ve seen you before. You’re the female physician who accompanied us.” The wariness in Gu Jiao’s eyes faded, and she sat up, asking, “How long have I been asleep?”
The female healer picked up the wound medicine and said, still shaken, "Three days."
Gu Jiao asked, "How's the battle going after all this time?"
"The Liang army has retreated. They suffered heavy casualties and shouldn't be attacking the city anytime soon," the female physician said, glancing at Gu Jiao's clothes. "Little...Little Commander, you..."
Gu Jiao followed her gaze and looked down. Oh, her clothes were open, and the wound on her chest had been treated and wrapped with thick gauze.
It seems her true identity as a woman has been revealed.
As if guessing Gu Jiao's thoughts, the female doctor hurriedly said, "I...I didn't tell anyone!"
The dignified old general forbade her from spreading the word, saying that if she dared to utter a single word, he would kill her with a knife.
Thinking of that person, the female healer's eyes lit up: "By the way, young commander, while you were unconscious these past few days, that old general has been guarding the camp entrance, not allowing anyone to come in to visit. I'll go tell him you've woken up!"
As she spoke, she walked around the screen to the tent entrance, lifted the thickened curtain that the old general had asked her to lift, but she did not see the old general.
The female doctor scratched her head: "Strange, she's been here these past few days."
...
"Hey? Old Gu, are you going out?"
Tang Yueshan had just returned from a ride on his Black Wind Horse when he saw the old Marquis dressed as a merchant, looking like he was about to go out.
The old lord said, "I'll go to Pucheng to gather some information."
Pucheng, a city of the Great Yan state that was captured by the Jin state, is less than 100 li away from Quyang City, a two-day journey by fast horse.
Tang Yueshan raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Oh? You've finally decided to make a move? Didn't you want to stay out of this mess? You even blamed me and Lao Xiao for dragging you over here."
The old Marquis took a few steps forward, looked at the bright moon against the gray sky, and said solemnly, "Let me make this clear first, it wasn't for the sake of Yan, nor for that girl. It was you two who acted on your own initiative, dragging Zhao into a battle between two powerful states. It's impossible to protect ourselves now. Jin and Liang are like brothers, they're in cahoots, and Jin won't let Zhao go. Right now, we have no choice but to fight with our backs to the wall."
After he finished speaking, he did not receive a response from Tang Yueshan, so he turned around to look.
Tang Yueshan had already led his horse to the front!
The old marquis's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
So all that talk was for nothing? How come these two have all become so infuriating!
...
Gu Jiao was seriously injured, but her recovery speed was amazing. After lying in bed for three days, she was fine.
When everyone heard that the young commander had woken up, they were overjoyed and wished they could all come to her tent to visit her, but the physicians stopped them.
Gu Jiao summoned Master Hu and inquired about the casualties of the Black Wind Camp.
Master Hu sighed, "Everyone was prepared to sacrifice themselves, but thanks to your father and the others..."
"Me... my father?"
Gu Jiao stood there in a daze for a long time before she remembered that she had seen Marquis Xuanping and the others before she fainted.
The "her father" mentioned by Master Hu should be the Marquis of Xuanping.
This was a fierce and bloody battle, and sacrifices were inevitable, but compared to the complete annihilation of the Black Wind Battalion, most of its forces were preserved.
Master Hu said regretfully, "Cheng Fugui, Li Jin, and Tong Zhong are seriously injured and may not be able to participate in the later battles."
"Where is Mu Qingchen?" Gu Jiao asked.
Mentioning this, Master Hu's expression became more solemn: "Young Master Mu's performance was quite unexpected."
He grew up quickly and was no longer the pampered young master from a noble family who would vomit after killing someone. He was brave and decisive on the battlefield, killing countless Liang soldiers and saving many of his Black Wind Rider comrades.
He also saved Cheng Fugui.
He also suffered a minor injury, but it was nothing serious.
Gu Jiao nodded secretly.
Mu Qingchen has become stronger too, that's great.
In that dream, Mu Qingchen did not encounter the Liang Kingdom. Instead, he faced the Jin Kingdom's army directly. Because he could not bear to kill, he missed his chance to escape, which led to him being surrounded by the Jin army and ultimately shot and killed by Gongsun Yu.
Mu Qingchen shouldn't be so soft-hearted now, right?
If he were to encounter such a predicament again, he would surely be able to carve out a bloody path for himself, and Gongsun Yu's arrow would not have a chance to hit him then.
His fate will also be rewritten, won't it?
...
After washing up and getting dressed, Gu Jiao went to see the Black Wind King. He had been guarding outside her tent for the past few days and had not left.
The Black Wind King's injuries had been treated by the horse trainer; its head was wrapped in white gauze, making it look rather pitiful.
Gu Jiao touched its neck.
Black Wind King sniffed Gu Jiao's scent. Horses are very sensitive and can judge the severity of a person's injuries by their scent.
"I'm fine," Gu Jiao said.
Black Wind King seemed relieved and slowly lay down on the ground.
It was exhausted too.
But Gu Jiao remained unconscious, so it dared not rest.
Just as it dares not grow old until the war is over.
Gu Jiao stayed by its side, gently stroking its mane, and only went to the next tent after it fell asleep.
Her "old father," Marquis Xuanping, lived in this tent.
When she lifted the curtain and went in, both Marquis Xuanping and Tang Yueshan were there. Tang Yueshan was wiping his precious Tang family bow, while Marquis Xuanping sat on a long bench with an air of banditry... uh, no, domineering.
A disheveled and wretched man was chained to a pillar in front of him.
The man, Jin Gang, glared angrily at the Marquis of Xuanping before him, as if he wanted to pounce on him and bite him: "If you have the guts, then kill me!"
Marquis Xuanping smiled casually and said, "Why would I kill you? Am I such a bloodthirsty person? I am kind-hearted, I can't even bear to step on an ant on the roadside, so how could I bear to kill you?"
An insect crawled by.
Marquis Xuanping didn't even lift his eyelids before stomping it to death.
man:"……"
Marquis Xuanping smiled and said, "Everyone outside thinks you are dead. Your troops have been routed, and the morale of the Liang Kingdom has been extinguished. It is impossible for them to rise again."
Chu Feipeng gritted his teeth and roared, "What exactly do you want!"
Marquis Xuanping rubbed his hands together: "I'm a little short on cash lately. I wonder what price your King of Liang will offer to redeem you? If the price is too low, it's not too late for me to kill you."
Chu Feipeng: "..."
Marquis Xuanping looked up and saw Gu Jiao at the door. He smiled and said, "Oh, my son has arrived?"
Gu Jiao stepped inside and greeted Marquis Xuanping and Tang Yueshan.
"Awake?" Tang Yueshan carefully put down his precious child, walked over and looked her up and down. "Just like that kid Chang Jing, you recovered pretty quickly."
"Chang Jing is injured too?" Gu Jiao asked.
She had already fainted when Chang Jing fought Chu Feipeng.
Marquis Xuanping glanced at Chu Feipeng and said indifferently, "His meridians were shattered by this guy, it's a minor injury."
Uh... can shattered meridians be considered a minor injury?
What kind of weirdo is Chang Jing?
Gu Jiao's gaze fell on Chu Feipeng, and she pinched his pulse. It turned out that this guy hadn't been beheaded, but it didn't matter. His dantian was destroyed, so he would be a cripple when he went back.
Gu Jiao asked, "Besides him, have any other people been arrested?"
Marquis Xuanping said slowly, "You mean those swordsmen? They're dead."
So what if he's dead? Anyway, she already knows that Long Yi's sect is that Sword Pavilion. She can just investigate in that direction later.
Gu Jiao released her grip and asked Marquis Xuanping, "Are you going to use him to negotiate with the Liang Kingdom?"
Marquis Xuanping: "Hmm."
Gu Jiao offered a frank suggestion: "Then you'd better hide him first."
Marquis Xuanping: "Why?"
Gu Jiao said, "The imperial army is arriving soon. Chu Feipeng is also their bargaining chip in negotiating with Liang. Be careful that they don't snatch Chu Feipeng away."
"Heh." Marquis Xuanping laughed arrogantly, "In this world, no one has ever been able to snatch anything from me!"
Outside the East Gate, the imperial army was at the city gates.
Chang Wei led his subordinate generals out of the city to greet her. The group knelt on one knee, cupped their hands, and bowed, saying, "Welcome, Your Highness the Crown Princess!"
The dusty carriage curtain was lifted.
Wearing the imperial princess's python robe, Shangguan Yan stepped down from the carriage with a dignified expression.
Shangguan Yan: I heard that no one can take anything from you?
Marquis Xuanping: What is Chu Feipeng anyway!
(This short skit is for entertainment purposes only and does not represent the actual plot. Go for it, little chick! Don't be a coward!)
(End of this chapter)
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