Jiang Ling looked at the people beside him and said calmly, "Leng Feng, Marshal Father is here. You can tell me about the situation in Longhu Village and what happened to the military rations."
Jiang Sheng silently stepped back. It would be easier for people to believe Leng Feng's story than if he told it himself.
Leng Feng's eyes turned red, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, his voice trembling: "Marshal, Major General, this is what happened..."
After he finished explaining the whole story, the tent fell into a deathly silence. An unknown amount of time passed before Jiang Baichuan flatly denied it.
"Impossible, Your Majesty would not treat his soldiers like this. Even if he was afraid of the Jiang family, he would not do such a thing. If the southern border is lost, how many people will be killed and injured."
Jiang Ling chuckled, his eyes full of sarcasm: "Dad, have you forgotten one thing? If the food and grass are transported normally, Southern Xinjiang will be pacified within two years."
"Southern Xinjiang has settled down, and there won't be any more wars for the next ten years. We'll select new generals during these ten years. They'll have to be more obedient than the Jiang family, right? Even if we all die on the battlefield, it won't matter."
"Your Majesty, it's perfectly fine. You can push the grain delivery officer out to take the blame and appease the public anger, and then give the Jiang family's battlefield glory to my third brother. If that's the case, it's fine. I'm afraid you won't tolerate my third brother and will find a reason to punish him."
Jiang Baichuan remained silent, frowning as he still felt that it was wrong. His Majesty should not treat the Jiang family like this.
"But Southern Xinjiang is still not stable. Your Majesty, why are you doing this? Aren't you afraid that Southern Xinjiang will fall and all your plans will be in vain?"
Jiang Ling seemed to have thought of something, and stood up, dug out a letter and handed it over: "Dad, take a look at the letter from the capital."
Jiang Baichuan opened it and looked carefully. His hands trembled slightly, his eyes reddened, and he took a deep breath: "The news is true. His Majesty has decided to choose the general from the Huo family."
"Yes, they have sent people for secret training. I think they are here to replace me and my second brother."
"Dad is the commander-in-chief and won't leave the camp easily. If there's a battle, my second brother and I will most likely go. If we run out of food and fodder, we'll naturally be trapped and die."
Jiang Ling said quietly, "If my second brother and I die and Dad lives, we can just pick up the Huo family members sent by the emperor. By then, the military power will be taken away, and maybe Dad... won't be able to survive."
"The Huo family and the Jiang family are sworn enemies. Your Majesty is now promoting the Huo family, which means you have made a choice and are giving up the Jiang family."
Jiang Baichuan sat on the stool and clenched his fists: "According to you, how can the Jiang family break the deadlock and return to Beijing?"
"Of course, we should keep the Xiongnu alive and try to save the lives of our soldiers. If the enemy comes, we will flee. If the enemy flees, we will chase them. We can just fight them twice."
“……!!”
They all looked over, their eyes showing a hint of surprise.
Leng Feng's mouth twitched, and he said in disbelief, "Master, you weren't like this before. I thought you would say, 'Win the battle and return to the capital as soon as possible.'"
Jiang Ling sneered, "Tsk, winning the war and pacifying Southern Xinjiang will make the Jiang family lose their usefulness faster and make room for the Huo family."
"Dad, I'm seriously injured this time and need to be healed properly. Why don't you submit a petition to His Majesty to send someone, preferably someone from the Huo family."
"You, you want to..."
"Oh, I didn't think much of anything. I just felt that it was inappropriate for the Huo family to take advantage. Since they think fighting is so easy, I naturally have to give them a chance."
After Jiang Baichuan thought about it again and again, he nodded in agreement: "Okay, then let the Huo family come, and by the way, let's use the Huo family to find out what His Majesty means."
Jiang Ling hummed and added, "If His Majesty is determined to destroy the Jiang family, then we must prepare as soon as possible and not let others bully us."
Jiang Sheng was very excited when he heard this. It turned out that his brother was not so loyal to that person. It was better for him not to be loyal. The emperor was incompetent and not worthy of their risking their lives to protect him.
In this life, they have the upper hand, let's see who will be the final winner.
Jiang Ling sensed the burning gaze, turned his head and looked over, meeting the pair of shining eyes, and was inexplicably dazed.
"Little boy, you've done a great deed this time. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid we would have been kept in the dark and would have been thinking about suppressing the bandits and recovering the military rations."
"Is there anything you want?"
Jiang Sheng rolled his eyes and said bluntly, "Major General, can you assign some people to help me open up wasteland? I want to open up wasteland and store food. It's not pleasant to be hungry."
Jiang Ling looked at him in surprise. She didn't expect him to make such a request. A normal person wouldn't ask for money, beauties, or promotions.
"You are a doctor, so why are you farming?"
"...Um, a little bit. I know a little bit of everything."
Leng Feng turned his head to look at him with a strange look in his eyes.
Jiang Sheng blinked and said seriously, "Leng Feng, why are you looking at me like that? I'm not some pretty girl."
"Nothing, I'm just curious. Where do you get all that energy? You learn a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and you can even make hidden weapons."
"Hmm? Little boy, you can also make hidden weapons."
Jiang Ling looked at him curiously, as if getting to know him all over again.
Jiang Sheng felt a little uneasy, and hurriedly took out his hidden arrow and handed it over, as well as a small crossbow: "This is for you, General. It happens to be that you are injured now, so you can use it to protect yourself."
His face showed pain, he glared at Leng Feng with his head down, and stretched out his hand: "Give me back my hidden weapon. I gave it to you temporarily because I wanted to go to the mountain stronghold."
"……mean!"
Leng Feng threw the package over and said in a cold voice, "I'll give you some money, and you make a few for me. This one is really good, but the poison needle on it is a bit fierce."
Jiang Sheng took it and whispered, "It's not venomous, just a little bit of paralyzing poison, not fatal."
"If you want, you can. A crossbow is 100 taels, a sleeve arrow is 50 taels, and 100 needles of each are free."
"How much? This is too expensive."
"Well, handmade ones are very expensive, so forget it."
Jiang Baichuan thought of the spies around him, so he took out a silver note and handed it over: "I'll give you 150 taels, and help me make one each."
Jiang Sheng didn't reach out to take it, and said seriously: "Leng Feng wants 150 taels, and the Marshal wants 200 taels. No bargaining, if you don't want to do it, forget it."
The three of them were silent: "......?"
"Puchi, why didn't the little boy give it to me without silver? Leng Feng wants 150 taels, and my father wants 200 taels."
Jiang Sheng pursed his lips and refused to give in. Why? Of course he disliked his father. Why had he been so unkind to him since he was a child? If he wanted him to make hidden weapons, then he had to pay him more money.
If it weren't for the fact that he was his biological father, he wouldn't do it even for two hundred taels.
The two were in a stalemate, and finally Jiang Baichuan was defeated.
"Never mind, you young man have some backbone. Two hundred taels is two hundred taels. Can you also give me some poison as a backup?"
Jiang Sheng hummed and didn't argue any further this time.
After the two of them went out, Jiang Sheng lifted the quilt and wanted to take a look at his brother's wound. The smell of blood was so strong, the wound must have been torn.
"Major General, let me help you take a look at your wound."
Jiang Ling hummed and said softly, "Okay, thank you for your hard work, little boy."
"You want people to open up wasteland and stockpile land. I'll arrange for them tomorrow. You should have a good rest today. You've looked quite thinner these past few days."
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