Chapter 1474 – Attacking Nie Liang and Yang Tao, Aiming for the World (Fourteen)
“No, perhaps Sun Wen should worry more about whether his grandson working under the Lord will lead him astray.”
“Sending women’s clothing… this behavior… will definitely be criticized in the future…” Sun Wen, as a rather conservative elder, opposed the Lord’s methods of dealing with enemies. It wasn’t that he was against other strategies, but the historical records of the future wouldn’t look kindly upon it.
Jiang Pengji smiled and said, “So what? People who are too conventional, no matter how well they do, will never be as captivating as those with mixed reputations. People, after all, should have a bit of mystery or something that sparks gossip, so that later generations will remember them.”
Sun Wen bit his lip, finally muttering two rather outrageous words.
“Fallacy.”
Sun Wen adhered to orthodox knowledge and was a staunch conservative, yet his Lord was an avant-garde figure with lively and unconventional ideas.
For instance, regarding this incident, he believed a gentleman should cherish his reputation and that it didn’t matter what means were used to hit the enemy; what mattered was the reputation itself.
But Jiang Pengji didn’t care about reputation at all; she could come up with childish provocation methods like sending women’s clothing.
Nie Liang must have been so enraged he could hardly hold himself together. What would history say about her later?
Critics love to ignore strengths and blow weaknesses and stains out of proportion. Compared to the achievements of predecessors, later generations prefer to magnify their flaws. They modestly state it’s a lesson from the past, using history as a mirror for rise and fall, and people as a guide for gain and loss.
Jiang Pengji thought differently. She said, “Oh, I know you’re worried, but—no one is without faults. Someone as unprecedented as me, what if I’m too brilliant, outstanding, noble, and mighty… that would put too much pressure on future generations. Leaving behind some harmless little flaws and stains, documented in both official and unofficial records, could entertain later readers.”
The dried fish nodded vigorously, eagerly agreeing.
“The host speaks truly!”
Crazy support for their host!
Sun Wen: “…”
This self-adoring demeanor really is unprecedented and unrivaled throughout history.
He suddenly didn’t want to think about how the historical records would describe his Lord.
Most likely, she would be distorted into a monstrous figure with three heads and six arms, looking fearsome, right?
After all, the Lord is so formidable, plus she tells lewd jokes, wielding a knife and horse to dominate the battlefield.
With all these attributes combined, the first impression most people would have is of a rough-and-tumble warrior with the voice of thunder and broad shoulders.
Thinking of this, Sun Wen turned to glance at the Lord’s profile.
Perhaps her demeanor doesn’t resemble that of a traditional woman, as most would be struck by her aura upon first glance, overlooking her looks.
To be fair, his Lord has quite striking features; in men’s clothing, she’s dashing and charming, while in women’s attire, she’s equally appealing.
If only a few portraits could be preserved, it might help salvage her image as a fearsome woman in the eyes of future generations.
Therefore, he sincerely suggested, “Lord, could you leave some portraits after you return?”
Jiang Pengji looked at him blankly, not understanding how the topic shifted from rulers and ministers disagreeing to painting?
While they exchanged ideas, the battlefield was still a cacophony of battle cries.
Qin Gong and the other military generals carefully ordered the entire army, ensuring that soldiers wouldn’t be tempted by fleeting victories and fall into the enemy’s clutches.
Jiang Pengji might not excel in other areas, but on the battlefield, she was exceptionally decisive, and the enemy could not bait her into traps with small profits.
When she said they would seize an opportunity and then leave, it meant absolutely no room for her soldiers to get carried away.
Qin Gong and the others were well aware of this, being especially cautious in their commands, not daring to provoke her.
“Report—reinforcements are about to reach Nie Liang’s camp!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Pengji and Sun Wen turned their gazes towards the battlefield.
According to the current situation, our forces still held the upper hand; if they pressed on, just grit their teeth, they could definitely take a piece from the enemy.
But Sun Wen asked, “Does the Lord wish to withdraw the troops?”
Jiang Pengji casually replied, “Why would we withdraw? Wait for Nie Liang’s reinforcements to bring about a reversal?”
Sun Wen understood immediately, while marveling at his Lord’s decisiveness.
Not to mention the feudal lords; even ordinary soldiers on the battlefield, seeing our side in a favorable position, would hesitate to make the decision to retreat.
That their Lord could resist temptations from short-term benefits was commendable.
After deliberating, Sun Wen sent orders to sound the retreat while issuing several mandatory military commands.
The original vanguard troops were transitioned to the rear, slowly covering the army’s retreat in an orderly fashion.
The quality of Jiang Pengji’s troops was already high, but there were still soldiers who, driven by greed, hesitated to retreat, getting trampled into mush by the rushing enemy. Fortunately, such individuals were few; the elite vanguard retreated in an orderly fashion, soon shaking off Nie Liang’s leading forces and sprinting away. When Nie Liang’s reinforcements arrived at the front lines, they could only watch the enemy retreat, raising clouds of dust.
The Nie military general’s complexion, already a grim shade, grew darker upon witnessing this.
“Are these thieves part rabbit? They sure run fast—General, should we pursue?”
The subordinate deputy general was also extremely furious; they had just been beaten by the enemy, feeling quite humiliated.
When reinforcements arrived, they finally had a chance to redeem their honor, but the enemy chose this moment to retreat.
Prompted by the deputy general, the Nie military general felt a swell of frustration.
If he didn’t chase, the enemy would swoop in and beat his men mercilessly, and his pride would take a hit.
But if he chased, it might just be a trap. Charging ahead could lead to stepping into a pitfall. When the enemy retreats, amidst the chaos, if they turn back to strike, that would be a great loss!
Whether to pursue or not was a tough decision.
Grinding his teeth in silence, the Nie military general finally resolved to chase, but didn’t dare unleash his full force, allowing Jiang Pengji’s side to easily widen the gap. By the time Jiang Pengji’s army withdrew to Zhanjiang Pass and shut the gates again, the Nie forces arrived late, taking a rain of arrows from the battlements.
Amidst the torrential downpour of arrows, the Nie army was not there to break the gates.
To minimize their losses, they could only retreat out of range.
The Nie military general: “…”
I have one thing to say, but should I say it or not!
You are quite the arrogant one; does your father know?
A certain deputy general mumbled, “Isn’t this just letting them run?”
Inadvertently, he had uncovered the truth; Jiang Pengji was indeed just toying with them!
Seeing the bewildered glares of the Nie army outside the gates, Jiang Pengji stroked her chin and snapped her fingers.
She called over the deputy general guarding the gate, whispering a few words.
The deputy general, grinning, took their orders and soon ten or so towering muscular men climbed up onto the wall, carrying makeshift copper trumpets. The hulking figures lowered their stance and shouted together, their voices booming like thunder.
“We have arrived at the main camp; the General need not see us off with such urgency!”
