Chapter 1291 – Attack on Huang Song, Unifying Dongqing (Thirty-Three)
Liu Xi has returned, healthy again!
This news exploded like thunder on a clear day.
Huang Song hadn’t even shown any reaction when those with ulterior motives could no longer sit still, squirming like they had ants in their pants.
Especially the forces from Zhuheng County of Hujun. They secretly colluded with Huang Song and betrayed the valiant soldiers fighting on the front lines of Hujun, leading to a catastrophic collapse with over six thousand casualties. Zhuheng County was lost as a result. This was under the condition that Cheng Yuan, Meng Heng, and Luo Yue had already made sufficient preparations. Had they not noticed, the death toll could have been much higher—perhaps an entire army wiped out!
A group of people was burning with anxiety, fearing that Jiang Pengji would settle scores after the fact.
They sent someone to test Huang Song’s resolve, terrified that he might suddenly turn against them.
Because they had betrayed Jiang Pengji, they also feared being forsaken by Huang Song; this was a kind of karmic retribution.
Huang Song said, “As long as you all come under my protection, I’ll ensure your safety. As long as I am not defeated, Lan Ting cannot do anything to you.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as long as Huang Song wouldn’t expose them, they were safe for now.
However, they overlooked the fact that Huang Song’s protection hinged on his premise of “not being defeated.”
If he were to suffer a “defeat,” would Jiang Pengji let them off the hook?
Naturally, that was impossible!
They felt safe for the moment under Huang Song’s protection, but those flirting with him, perched on the walls ready to jump, were the ones who were truly panicking.
“Liu Xi actually recovered? How did she get well? Didn’t we hear she was at death’s door, and she didn’t even show up during the recent defeats?” There were more than a few local tyrants in Hujun, some had already sided with Huang Song while others hadn’t jumped ship yet.
In other words, they were still within Jiang Pengji’s territory, where their lives were grasped in her hands.
Someone sarcastically remarked, “What luck she has!”
They all hoped Jiang Pengji would die soon since there had been no news for a while, and many had already accepted that she was marked for the afterlife.
Little did they know, after a few months of silence, Jiang Pengji made a grand return, shocking them to their core.
“Didn’t you spend a fortune hiring high monks and Taoists to curse her? It turns out, not only did she not die, but she’s also bouncing back to life—”
As they talked about this, some felt frustrated, tricked by those bald-headed priests, as if cursing an unseen death would somehow work.
“What’s the point of discussing it now? We’re all in the same boat here; since Liu Xi is back, I can’t expect any favors for myself, nor can you!”
They remained silent for a long time, tacitly exchanging glances.
After a while—
“After all—since we haven’t acted yet, let’s collect evidence first, and we’ll decide what to do next.”
They all believed Jiang Pengji was gravely ill and without heirs; once she died, her power would inevitably fall to Huang Song.
So they eagerly sought to cozy up to Huang Song, currying favor and ensuring a lifeline—gilding the lily couldn’t compare to lending a helping hand in snow.
Failing to show their stance at this moment would mean waiting until Huang Song fully absorbed Jiang Pengji’s power, becoming the number one lord of Dongqing, then it would be too late to align with him.
Little did they expect—
Oh no, after all their scheming, they hadn’t accounted for the sickly one’s sudden recovery!
Thankfully, there was still a chance to salvage things. As long as they burned the letters of treason to Huang Song, even if Jiang Pengji accused them of betrayal, they could firmly deny that anything had happened—play dumb and refuse to admit it. How could she drag Huang Song in to confront them?
With that thought, their anxious hearts settled back down.
Yet, before they could relish their moment of calm, they turned pale as they discovered all the carefully hidden letters had vanished!
They had been stolen!
Who could have taken the letters?
They all thought of one person simultaneously, their faces drained of color.
Fortune doesn’t come in pairs, and misfortune doesn’t walk alone. With the disappearance of the treason letters, something even worse transpired.
The elegantly dressed noblewoman could no longer maintain her composure, hurriedly exclaiming, “My lord, it’s terrible! Outside, a lot of soldiers have surrounded the estate!”
The guarding house servants tried to intervene but ended up falling victim to the blades, the thick stench of blood assaulted the noblewoman’s senses, leaving her aghast.
“What are you doing?”
Seeing that everyone in the household—the family, house maids, and guards—all had sharp blades threatening their necks, her heart sank in horror.
“What’s happening? Can’t you see with your own eyes? Arrest them all!”
A similar scene unfolded in various households, some were wailing, others were in shock, and many appeared dead inside… Numerous family members cried out their innocence, begging for mercy, while some haughtily scolded the soldiers as if they had no sense of the predicament they were in.
“Military gentlemen… they… they are innocent…”
Some stood their ground, refusing to back down, but others, faced with the fear of death, bowed to the rough men they typically scorned, calling them “military gentlemen.”
“Innocent?” The soldier leading the arrest coldly chuckled, saying bluntly, “No one is innocent.”
“One person does the deed, one person takes the blame! Women and children are indeed innocent!”
“Based on you? Can you bear that?” the soldier sneered, “You want to take responsibility? Let’s see if the six thousand comrades who died unjustly would agree!”
In this world, it’s only the noble who are innocent; what about the parents and wives of ordinary soldiers—did they deserve what happened to them?
Dying at the hands of an enemy is not shameful, but dying from betrayal by one’s own is an insult!
“There’s punishment and distinction between principal offenders and accomplices; can’t you sweep them all away with one stroke?”
The soldier stated, “Handing out punishment is the leader’s job; we simple folks just handle the arrests.”
Fearing that the culprits would flee, Meng Heng had specially dispatched soldiers to capture those with clear evidence, awaiting Jiang Pengji’s judgment.
Jiang Pengji made her way to meet with Han Yu and it just so happened that Wei Ci was also at the front lines.
Seeing Wei Ci would lift her spirits a little.
Everyone knew Jiang Pengji was in a foul mood and tactfully avoided bringing up Hujun, inquiring instead about her spoils from Chenzhou.
Jiang Pengji casually mentioned Yuan Xin, hoping everyone would learn from his fate and not repeat the same foolish mistakes.
Wei Ci said, “A day ago, I received news that Yuan Xin has died.”
Jiang Pengji responded with an “Oh,” asking flatly, “How did he die?”
She had hurriedly come from the front lines and guessed she missed the messenger, so she didn’t yet know that Yuan Xin had already fallen.
“Yuan Xin was killed after getting drunk by two vice generals.” Wei Ci explained, “The vice generals had forcefully taken a noble girl, leading to her death. Fearing Yuan Xin would bring military law down on them, they seized the chance to kill him—”
Jiang Pengji commented, “The victim just showed up? How convenient.”
She did not believe in coincidences; too many coincidences felt like a setup.
Wei Ci nodded, “I think the same.”
Jiang Pengji continued, “Yuan Xin was our good friend. I feel quite sorry about his death.”
Wei Ci: “…”
If Huang Song heard this, he’d probably feel a sharp stab of heartbreak.
Wei Ci said, “I’m worried about Cangzhou. With Yuan Xin gone, control of Chenzhou falls to Nie Xun, and he’s not easy to deal with.”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Cangzhou’s grain has mostly been tricked away by a man named Hua Yuan. Nie Xun, even with great talent, will find it hard to cook without rice.”
A good hand was wasted by Yuan Xin, and once Nie Xun took over, it would just be a matter of scraping by.
Hearing the familiar name, Wei Ci said in surprise, “Hua Yuan?”
Jiang Pengji asked, “Yes, he’s quite crafty; he’s good at cheating people of their food and drink.”
Robbing Cangzhou’s granary—wasn’t that just a matter of swindling food?
