Who said this nemesis is bad?
Tang Qi caught a thug, a man wearing fake military license plates who was causing trouble everywhere. After tracking him for nearly a week, he finally caught him today—
He slapped the man across the way, knocking him off his horse, and then shook his arm, saying, "Wow, you've got a thick skin. Catching you is going to be a hassle."
The man who was slapped off his horse lay trembling on the ground in terror, not daring to raise his head even slightly.
Tang Qi looked at him, deliberately tilted her head, and chuckled, saying, "Have you decided how you want to die?"
The man on the ground gasped for breath, then suddenly pulled a gold bar from his sleeve, raised it with both hands, and pleaded with Tang Qi, "Please...please, General, spare my life!"
Upon seeing the gold bars, Tang Qi's eyes lit up instantly. He slowly raised the corners of his lips and said, "It's not impossible to spare your life, but—" He deliberately paused, forcing the person on the ground to look up at him. After a moment of eye contact, Tang Qi chuckled and continued, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"If you had told me earlier, you would have suffered less," he dismounted and squatted down in front of the man, whispering, "The army has its own rules. I can't just let you go in front of so many people because you violated military orders. The proper procedures still need to be followed."
He slipped the gold bar from the man's hand into his own pocket, then whispered to him, "Don't worry, I know the Ministry of Justice well. Just give them my name when you get there. I'm an old acquaintance of the newly appointed Junior Supervisor, we graduated from the same school." With that, he pulled out the token from his waist and stuffed it into the man's hand, half-winking and half-smiling, making him feel incredibly grateful.
Finally, as the man was weeping uncontrollably, Tang Qi raised his hand, stood up, and said to the people behind him, "Alright, take him away."
He then leaped onto his horse, tightened the reins, and prepared to escort the people into the city to the Ministry of Justice. However, Lin Jiacuo took the opportunity to ride up behind him. Tang Qi calmly tossed him the gold bars in his arms and said, "Take them and confiscate them for military expenses."
"Wow!" Lin Jiacuo took the gold bar, twirled it in his hands, and said with delight, "The Wolf Army has really improved; anyone can just casually pull out such a big gold bar."
Tang Qi couldn't help but laugh out loud at his teasing.
"Is he a spy?" Lin Gyatso asked.
Tang Qi shook his head: "Someone like him wouldn't have the brains to be a spy."
"So they really are soldiers? Is discipline in the Wolf Strategy barracks really that lax?"
Tang Qi suddenly pulled the horse to a stop, turned around and stared at Lin Jiacuo. The latter was taken aback by the stare, and the next moment Tang Qi showed a big smile: "Well said."
Lin Jiacuo was a little confused. Tang Qi turned around again, his horse's hooves lightly pounding the road, and his voice slowly drifted behind him: "See, even you think so."
There were many pedestrians on Dongling Street, and Tang Qi and Lin Jiacuo strolled along this long street.
“His actions will inevitably affect the reputation of the Wolf Strategy Army. No matter how muddled my father is, he could not possibly let someone leave the military camp so many times without being noticed. Otherwise, he could remain firmly in the position of general. The emperor is truly magnanimous.”
Lin Jiacuo hurriedly moved closer to him and said, "Zhong Le, be careful what you say."
Tang Qi glanced at him, nodded nonchalantly, and continued, "Unless, he's not a member of the Wolf Strategy Army at all."
"If he's not a member of the military, where did he get the token?" Lin Jiacuo frowned in thought.
Tang Qi paused for a moment, then said, "This is the work of someone with ulterior motives."
Why?
Tang Qi didn't answer, but changed the subject: "Has the Wolf Strategy Army been active recently?"
Lin Jiacuo nodded, and after a moment said, "You mean General Tang's southern expedition? Someone wants to make a fuss about this?"
"With war at hand, disturbing the people's hearts at this time will only put pressure on the Wolf Army. If the southern expedition is successful, my father, as the commander-in-chief, will certainly deserve credit. Some people in the court will probably be so envious that they will weep blood."
"So their goal is to sabotage the Wolf Strategy Army's southern expedition?"
Tang Qi shook his head again: "The Wolf Army's southern expedition is the Emperor's decree. They would never dare to obstruct it even if they had ten times the courage. The decree is uncontrollable, but what can be controlled is the will of the people."
"Are they trying to incite public opinion against the Wolf Army?"
“My father has been in his position for a long time, so naturally some people are envious. But to think that they can undermine the Wolf Strategy Army with these underhanded methods is just wishful thinking.”
Tang Qi rode his horse along the road, his tone full of disdain.
“Zhong Le, I fear their intentions go beyond that; I fear even more—”
Lin Gyatso suddenly paused, and after a moment he spoke, "It is the Holy Heart."
The Wolf Army has been a sharp sword of the Great Shuo since the time of the late emperor. After Tang Mian took over as the general commander, he led his troops in bloody battles. Twelve years ago, he conquered the northern border and thoroughly established the Wolf Army's reputation. Now, Tang Qi has become the general of the southern Wolf Army. He has captured three cities and earned the nickname "Blood Army". The glory of the Wolf Army has been forged more and more, but the blood stain has also been deeply rooted.
No one is unafraid of a bloodstained sword.
Tang Qi paused, then asked in surprise, "You mean?"
"It's just a guess; I hope I'm just overthinking it."
Lin Jiacuo then asked him as if he had just thought of something, "But Zhongle, who is the newly appointed Junior Supervisor? There are actually some of your old acquaintances from the academy that I don't recognize?"
Tang Qi chuckled, tightened the reins, and pulled the horse to a stop. He raised his eyes and stared at the gate of the Ministry of Justice, saying slowly, "You'll find out soon enough."
Lin Jiacuo was puzzled when a figure suddenly appeared at the door and walked calmly toward them. When the person got closer, he could see the face clearly. He opened his mouth and stammered, "Zhui...Zhuifeng?"
Zhuifeng exchanged a quick glance with Lin Jiacuo, who then turned to Tang Qi with an incredulous expression and asked in a low voice, "Zhuifeng is here. Wait, the newly appointed Junior Supervisor you mentioned wouldn't happen to be...?"
After receiving an approving look from Tang Qi, Lin Jiacuo slowly swallowed.
The Criminal Law Department's prison.
The man was tightly bound to a wooden stake with iron chains, and his face already bore scars.
"Reporting to the Junior Supervisor, this is the person who wants to see you."
Cheng Junshi leisurely fiddled with the instruments in the torture chamber. He didn't look up when he heard his subordinate's words, but simply hummed in acknowledgment. It was the man who couldn't hold back any longer and spoke first: "Sir, sir! I... I have something important to tell you!"
Cheng Junshi raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, then moved the tinder to the burning charcoal beside him without much reaction. The man panicked at his actions and raised his voice, "Sir, it's true, I really have something to tell you!"
"explain."
Cheng Junshi's voice was indifferent, even somewhat icy.
"This matter can only be discussed with you."
The man's smile was somewhat obsequious.
Cheng Junshi glanced at Zhui Feng beside him and simply said, "Speak freely."
The man then spoke: "Sir, we are all on the same side."
"I'm curious, what kind of people are we?"
Cheng Junshi chuckled softly, and the man continued, "Tang Qi, the southern general of the Wolf Strategy Army, sent me to find you! This is the token he gave me. The general said I should give it to you as soon as I see you, and that you know what it means!"
Cheng Junshi lowered his eyes to look at the token tucked into his waistband: "Is that so?"
He had Zhui Feng present the token on the man's body to him, and after confirming its authenticity, he put it into his waistband, saying, "What did he tell you?"
The man was quite pleased to see this and quickly said, "The general said that the newly appointed Junior Supervisor is an old acquaintance of his from the school, and told me to just mention his name when I see him."
He seemed a little shy after he finished speaking, and chuckled a few times, waiting for Cheng Junshi to speak.
Cheng Junshi nodded, then handed the now-cooled tinder back to the charcoal fire. He raised his eyes slightly, stared at the man, and gave a meaningful smile: "Did he ever tell you what our relationship was like back in school?"
Upon hearing Cheng Junshi's question, the man swallowed hard, smiled at him, and then cautiously continued, "Uh... friend?"
“It’s a pity,” Cheng Junshi smiled at him, bringing the torch closer to the embers, “it’s an enemy.”
Like a muffled thunderbolt, the man felt a chill run down his spine. He suddenly understood the look in Tang Qi's eyes and that strangely odd smile she had given him earlier.
Cheng Junshi was still smiling in front of him, but the chill seeped into the man's bones, making him feel cold from head to toe.
"Tang Qi! I'll %# you %*!"
Tang Qi, sitting on his horse, suddenly sneezed. Lin Jiacuo laughed and teased, "Zhong Le, your retribution has come." Tang Qi shuddered and then said quietly, "Don't you feel a faint chill in this place?"
Lin Jiacuo continued to mock him, saying, "Isn't it just that you're feeling guilty?" Tang Qi shook his head, pouting and looking nervous, "When I was little, my parents had someone tell my fortune. That person said I was destined for disaster and had to stay away from swords, axes, and halberds, as far away from places of bloodshed as possible. My fate clashes with this place, so I can't stay here for long—"
Lin Jiacuo was pondering his words when Tang Qi suddenly spurred his horse and galloped away, the last half of his sentence, mixed with laughter, fading into the distance on the wind: "I'll leave this place to you~ See you at Baibu Tower tonight!"
Lin Jiacuo was left alone, bewildered in the wind. He clenched his fists, about to unleash a torrent of curses, when a voice suddenly came from behind him:
Where are the others?
Lin Jiacuo was taken aback, and when he turned his head to meet Cheng Junshi's gaze, he instantly became nervous—as if he had been caught red-handed by the teacher for doing something wrong in school.
Even so, it didn't make a difference. Back in school, whenever he and Tang Qi did something naughty, Cheng Junshi would always catch them red-handed, and the result, of course, would be that they were taken back and made to sweep the schoolyard. Over time, he developed a strange, ingrained fear of Cheng Junshi.
"Just...just left."
Cheng Junshi followed his gaze and saw only a speck of dust; Tang Qi had long since run off. Cheng Junshi's eyes suddenly lowered, and he let out a muffled "Oh."
For some reason, Lin Jiacuo felt a hint of melancholy in Cheng Junshi's eyes. Before he could even ponder Cheng Junshi's next words, he was utterly stunned and thunderstruck:
“I’ll go to Baibu Tower with you.”
Meanwhile, Tang Qi, completely unaware of what was happening, was dismounting and heading home. In the center of the courtyard of the Marquis of Jianbei's residence stood a huge ginkgo tree. When he was a child, he had often skipped school and been beaten by his father, and for a long time, he liked to stay on it.
As soon as Tang Qi entered the courtyard, he was hit by a fruit. He didn't look up, but just frowned and said with suppressed anger, "Tang Yan, I'll count to three, and you get down here right now."
I heard a "tsk" above my head and then saw a pink ball of fluff leap down from the tree.
The girl's face was full of defiance. Tang Qi stepped forward, pinched her cheek and shook it back and forth, saying, "It's only been a few days, and you've already grown bold, haven't you?"
Tang Yan seemed to be in some pain from the pulling, and angrily slapped his hand away, correcting him in a huff, "It's four months and two weeks!"
"Wow, you remember so clearly. Is someone counting down the days until I come home every day?"
"It's Mother who misses you, not me." Tang Yan deliberately turned her head away.
"Oh, you really don't miss your brother at all? He's so sad~"
Tang Qi squatted down in front of Tang Yan, looking aggrieved, and stared into her eyes as she asked.
"I only think about it a little bit!"
Tang Yan pushed away Tang Qi, who was leaning towards her, with all her might. Her face gradually flushed. Tang Qi, however, laughed and picked up Tang Yan, saying, "Brother missed our Ayan more than just a little bit—by the way, where's Mother?"
"He's inside. Why hasn't Father come back yet?"
Tang Qi carried Tang Yan into the inner room, where Qin Jianzhi was sending people to tidy up Tang Qi's room.
"mother!"
Qin Jianzhi immediately went to greet the brother and sister. Tang Qi smiled at her and said, "Father is still at the front line and hasn't returned yet, but he sent someone to deliver a letter, which I brought back from Jingzhou. The messenger was too slow; he couldn't be as fast as my horse."
Tang Qi smiled and took out another letter from his pocket. The envelope was stained with dirt from the front lines and was crumpled up a bit, but the familiar handwriting on the paper made Qin Jianzhi feel unusually at ease.
With the war raging, Tang Mian often didn't return home for a whole year. Qin Jianzhi was worried, but never dared to tell him easily. Whenever Tang Mian had free time, she would write him a letter. It wasn't long, but every word was sincere, letting him know she was safe and sound, which put Qin Jianzhi at ease.
"Go and wash up quickly. I've had someone prepare a meal for you. We'll have a welcome feast for you in a bit."
Qin Jianzhi brushed the dirt off Tang Qi's body from riding the horse, but saw that he looked troubled.
"What? Not eating at home?"
Tang Qi frowned, looking troubled. "Yeah, I just made plans with a friend."
Qin Jianzhi didn't say anything, let her go if she wanted to, but Tang Yan was unhappy. She nestled in his arms and wouldn't move. No matter how Tang Qi called her, she angrily propped her cheeks up and buried her face in her clothes, ignoring him.
Tang Yan was still angry. After thinking carefully for a while, she raised her head again, puffed out her cheeks, and said to Tang Qi, "The roast chicken in the west of the city, the crispy cakes on the north street, and the sweet fermented rice balls in Qifangpu."
"Okay, I'll buy them all tonight."
Two servings, please!
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