Chapter 1689 – Capture of Nan Sheng, Kill An Huan (Ninety-Seven)
“Lord, someone is coming.”
The security team leader’s nerves were on edge as he ordered the soldiers to stand at the ready.
Just as they finished packing An Huan and the others into boxes, they noticed a troop charging toward them.
The security team leader was worried it was An Huan’s reinforcements; their numbers were already few, and if a fight broke out, they might be at a disadvantage. However, Jiang Pengji wasn’t concerned because this troop was none other than the pursuing team that had recently lost An Huan, now reunited with Fu Wang.
Fu Wang, upon hearing that the deputy general lost track of An Huan, was furious and felt like catching someone to vent his anger on.
How could such a big fish be lost so easily? It was downright infuriating.
Fortunately, the enemy had fled in such a hurry that they had no time to cover their tracks, allowing them to follow the clues all the way.
Halfway there, the vanguard noticed someone blocking their path.
Immediately reporting back to Fu Wang, he said, “General Fu, there’s someone up ahead, but it doesn’t look like an ambush—”
Hearing this, Fu Wang pulled on the reins, exhaling sharply; his battle-trained war horse quickly came to a stop.
“Doesn’t look like an ambush? Then go ask who they are and from which unit they hail.”
With millions of troops involved, although the units were linked, the battlefield was chaotic, and news traveled slowly. Fu Wang couldn’t keep track of every detail. If the unit ahead wasn’t An Huan, it could be other military personnel. With the night deepening, they couldn’t easily distinguish friend from foe; it was wiser to gather information before deciding their next move.
It could be that Xie Ze had also discovered An Huan’s fleeing troops and had sent someone to catch them.
Following Fu Wang’s orders, the vanguard rode ahead and called out loudly, “I am Fu Wang, commanded by the general. Who are you?”
Upon hearing this, the security team leader relaxed, a hint of joy appearing on his face.
“Lord, it turns out to be General Fu’s men.”
Jiang Pengji, however, did not smile, but instead showed a hint of embarrassment.
It seemed she had unintentionally interrupted Fu Wang’s plans, causing the credit that should have come to him to sprout wings and fly away.
“You go tell them—it’s me here.”
“I obey.” The security team leader didn’t realize the situation was one of stealing glory. “The Lord is here; General Fu, hurry and pay your respects!”
In charge of Jiang Pengji’s security, the team leader naturally had dealings with Fu Wang, and both were familiar with each other’s voices.
Upon hearing that voice, Fu Wang realized the person ahead was their lord, and a considerable part of his tension eased.
The other part, of course, was due to the unknown whereabouts of An Huan.
If their lord found out that they had lost track of the enemy leader, let alone rewards, it would be lucky if they weren’t punished.
Steeling himself, Fu Wang approached, dismounting two to three zhang from Jiang Pengji and striding forward on foot.
Both parties lit torches, and with the fire scattering the darkness, they finally saw each other clearly.
“Your humble servant Fu Wang pays respects to the Lord.”
Fu Wang sheathed his weapon, stepping forward to bow, feeling somewhat anxious.
Jiang Pengji raised her hand to help him up, sporting a somewhat awkward yet polite smile.
“No need for excessive formalities; you came after An Huan, right?”
Fu Wang was stunned, unsure how the lord knew this, but he quickly read the deep meaning behind Jiang Pengji’s expression.
“Lord… You’re being a bit too ruthless!”
Fu Wang felt wronged and wished to voice his complaints.
Jiang Pengji lightly coughed, “The grain depot erupted in flames, and seeing it worried me, I brought people to check it out, only to run into you halfway…”
The security team leader quietly listened, silently rebutting in his heart.
This was no mere whim; it was clearly a setup to intercept An Huan.
Fu Wang couldn’t criticize their lord, as bringing up the fact that he let An Huan slip away would not end well for him.
Thus, the pitiful Fu Wang could only silently accept the reality of being robbed of credit by his lord, stifling all his grievances.
This anger couldn’t be vented on the lord, but it could be aimed at An Huan.
If it weren’t for this old fool being so slippery, Fu Wang would have captured him long ago—why should the lord take away his chances?
“My lord, where is An Huan?”
Jiang Pengji pointed her thumb behind her and pouted, “Half-dead lying over there; we’ll deal with him later.”
Fu Wang asked, “Does An Huan wish to surrender?”
If he surrendered, Fu Wang feared he’d choke on his own blood from frustration, as he didn’t want to see An Huan hopping around any longer.
Jiang Pengji spoke with her usual sharp tongue, “Him? He won’t turn back even when he runs into a wall; his pride is as high as a kite.”
Fu Wang caught on; his lord wasn’t keen on An Huan either. Unless An Huan came crawling back, there was no chance of him being subdued.
“This location is too close to the front line; it would be wise to not risk injury. Please allow me to send you back to camp.”
Jiang Pengji didn’t refuse Fu Wang’s suggestion; after all, An Huan had already been captured, and she wasn’t interested in small fry.
“Alright, let’s return to camp.”
With An Huan captured, it was the perfect opportunity to strike at the heart of the enemy’s nest; she didn’t want to miss out.
Jiang Pengji brought back An Huan along with several key subordinates, causing quite the stir. Yang Si nearly jumped out of his bed in shock.
“Wait—who did you say you caught?”
Yang Si was dumbfounded, wondering if he was still asleep from some drunken dream.
The people had to repeat themselves.
“The enemy leader An Huan has been captured, and the lord is waiting in the main tent for the military adviser to discuss matters.”
Yang Si wiped his face hard, shaking off any remaining drowsiness.
An Huan captured…
This was way too exciting.
It felt like waking up from a drunken stupor, only to find everything over.
Others, including Feng Zhen, shared similar thoughts, faces a mix of bewilderment and frantic urgency as they hurriedly dressed, rushing to the main tent.
When Wei Ci heard the news, he was still awake and not shocked; instead, he felt a sense of “finally, it’s here.”
“Please wait a moment; let me tidy myself up, so I don’t appear rude in front of others.”
He took his time getting ready, his calm gaze hiding a hint of relieved acceptance.
Since his rebirth, he had known that this day would eventually come.
Years ago, when An Huan was defeated and killed, Wei Ci was still imprisoned; by the time he saw daylight again, his old master’s corpse had long since been reduced to a skeleton, cold and lifeless.
In remembrance of the past, he should go see the last remnants of what was once.
Because the main tent was relatively close, it didn’t take long for Wei Ci to arrive after tidying up; half of the people were still not present inside.
After a quarter of an hour, people gradually filled the tent. Fu Wang and Xie Ze, two great contributors covered in blood, pushed open the tent flaps and took their seats. Just as they settled, someone approached them with a bow of congratulations. This battle was a great victory, and military merit could not be overlooked.
Xie Ze turned to chat with Li Yun, appearing quite disheveled, but his eyes sparkled with brightness; people feel energized when faced with joyous events.
Only Fu Wang silently smiled bitterly.
He was feeling immensely wronged today!
Just as he pondered this, their lord emerged from behind the screen, taking her seat with a composed demeanor, causing everyone to straighten their backs instinctively.
The meeting commenced, and those who had been daydreaming, picking at their skin, snacking, or laughing were all suddenly serious!
“An Huan has been captured but refuses to surrender; does anyone have any suggestions?”
