Chapter 1143 – Attack on Xu Pei, First Kill of the Lords (13)
Qi Guanrang felt uneasy about Wei Ci’s charms and seemed quite displeased. When did this become a thing?
“Does the Lord have any doubts at all?”
Jiang Pengji knew exactly what doubts he was referring to. She smiled and said, “Zixiao is hiding a secret, and that secret involves me. It’s precisely because of this secret that he journeyed from afar to assist me wholeheartedly. However, since the secret hasn’t been revealed, it’s normal for Wen Zheng to harbor some skepticism about him. If you wish to know, I can tell you, as long as you’re willing to believe—”
Qi Guanrang showed a moment of astonishment before quickly regaining his composure.
“No need—it’s enough that the Lord knows.” He shook his head. Though his underlying discomfort hadn’t vanished, it felt lighter than before. “If the Lord trusts Zixiao this much and he dares to harbor any second thoughts, he won’t be the first to suffer. I will surely eliminate him.”
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “Wen Zheng underestimates me.”
Qi Guanrang insisted seriously, “It’s not that I don’t trust the Lord, but—”
He paused, unable to voice the remaining thoughts.
Love between men and women is notorious for clouding judgment. Otherwise, how could pillow talk be so effective?
The audience was enjoying the drama, watching Qi Guanrang boldly state “eliminate Wei Ci” right in front of the streamer. What a brave warrior he was!
Even just displaying loyalty, didn’t he fear getting on someone’s bad side later?
Considering Qi Guanrang’s usually low-profile and cautious demeanor, the viewers unanimously concluded he wasn’t someone who enjoyed taking unnecessary risks.
He wouldn’t have said that without a certain level of confidence.
For instance—
Jiang Pengji’s trust in him was certainly no less than her trust in Wei Ci.
Once the troops were assembled, Jiang Pengji didn’t dare to delay and set off immediately.
Yang Si unwittingly dug a pit for himself and nearly buried himself alive.
Han Yu used the beacon fire to send messages to the troops stationed at Qichuan Plain. Before Yang Si and the others even reached the borders of the Qichuan Plain, the stationed troops had already gathered forces and prepared to intercept them. With an enemy blockade ahead and pursuers behind, Yang Si abandoned his plans for a breakout. At this point, breaking through was akin to seeking death.
The enemy was already prepared, and the surprise attack had far less impact than anticipated.
Even if they could manage to break free, the time lost would suffice for Han Yu to rally his men to catch up, leaving them to face the embarrassing dilemma of being surrounded from both sides.
Rather than that, it would be better to play hide-and-seek and buy some time.
Yang Si’s rogue tactics could be described with a gaming term—”kite.”
Qin Gong supported the idea of breaking through, as did Cheng Yuan; no one wanted to sit and wait idly.
With two against one, Yang Si’s decision seemed odd.
Because of the “Wu Wei” persona, Qin Gong was quite respectful toward Yang Si. Even though their opinions differed, he would still ask earnestly for advice.
Yang Si gave Qin Gong a look that said “This kid can be taught.”
He said, “The beacon fire at Qichuan Plain isn’t something only Xu Pei’s army can see; our Lord can see it too.”
Qin Gong replied in surprise, “But Military Adviser… it seems we haven’t received any messages from the Lord recently…”
To see the beacon fire means the Lord’s army cannot be too far from Hu Jun.
However, Qin Gong couldn’t recall receiving any information regarding the Lord’s movements.
Yang Si smiled, “Could it be that you’ve forgotten the edict? Considering the travel time of the edict from the Lord’s side, they shouldn’t be too far off.”
Qin Gong’s eyes lit up as if a new world had opened up.
Cheng Yuan asked, “Are you saying the Lord will send troops to support us?”
Yang Si responded, “Yes, at least there’s over a 60% chance. The people under the Lord are quite clever; upon seeing the beacon fire within Qichuan Plain, how could they remain indifferent? They’ll surely guess our predicament and will send troops to aid us—”
Before the reinforcements arrive, Yang Si aimed to preserve as much combat power as possible.
Who knows, they might even counterattack!
Yang Si’s courage exceeded even the heavens. Despite being in a desperate situation, he remained optimistic about turning the tables on the enemy.
Qin Gong hesitated, “But the terrain of Qichuan Plain is flat, making it hard to hide.”
Yang Si replied, “Don’t worry about that; I have my own clever plan.”
Thus—
Xie Ze, halfway through a chase, lost track of the enemy. The scouts searched repeatedly but found no traces of their movements.
“With over ten thousand people, how could they possibly disappear into thin air? Did they sprout wings and take off collectively?”
The scouts cursed inwardly and grit their teeth as they relayed this news back to Han Yu and Xie Ze.
They were clearly close to catching up, yet those little critters vanished in a puff of smoke.
After hearing this, Han Yu pondered for a while before asking hoarsely, “Are there any rivers nearby?”
The scout thought for a moment and said, “Indeed, there is one.”
“How deep is the river? How wide?”
The scout hadn’t checked the depth but knew the width.
“It’s over two zhang wide, but I don’t know how deep it is.”
Han Yu suppressed the throbbing veins on his forehead and forced a smile that looked rather unpleasant.
“Go check it out.”
Xie Ze connected the dots, “Is the Military Adviser suspecting they crossed the river to hide their movements?”
Soon, the scout returned with news.
Due to the terrain, the riverbed had accumulated little sand, and the deepest point was only to an adult’s chest.
Han Yu rubbed his temples, “Using the water to escape? Yang Jingrong is capable of anything.”
It wasn’t winter or late autumn, the river water was cool; swimming would be quite refreshing.
“Follow the current, keep a close eye on the beacon’s movements, and report immediately if you catch any signs of the enemy.”
Little did they know, Yang Si hadn’t chosen to break out; instead, he avoided the troops at Qichuan Plain and decided to play hide-and-seek.
If it weren’t for Han Yu’s excellent upbringing, a regular person would probably have cursed and vented about this utterly shameless act.
Damn it, do they have any shame!
Xie Ze said, “Don’t be angry, Military Adviser. With both marching and swimming, they won’t be able to last long.”
At this rate, they wouldn’t even need to intervene; they’d exhaust themselves to death.
Han Yu’s expression was serious. He felt that Yang Si would dare to act this way only due to some sort of backing.
“Qin Xiaowei, are you alright?”
Yang Si was a “frail” scholar who wasn’t very skilled in swimming; he relied on the soldiers to carry him across.
Aside from his clothes being wet, he didn’t look too disheveled.
In contrast, Qin Gong, the typical military general, looked somewhat ragged, panting heavily, his face flushed, and beads of sweat lined his forehead. His wet clothes clung uncomfortably, but he couldn’t take off his armor to avoid being caught off guard by the enemy.
“I’m fine.”
Qin Gong adjusted his breathing, stealing a glance at the other soldiers.
They quickly regained their composure after a short rest, seemingly quite used to this kind of action, and no one complained.
Yang Si saw through his thoughts and laughed, “The Lord said he’d give you ten thousand elite troops, and I assure you, there won’t be any water mixed in.”
After just a brief rest, the army set out again.
They swam along the river, moving swiftly, and for the time being, the enemy wouldn’t catch up. Yang Si contemplated their next move. It would take time for the Lord’s reinforcements to arrive, so he needed to delay as much as possible, hiding by day and resting in the mountains at night to regain strength.
With a rough idea in mind, Yang Si’s mood lightened once more.
Someone with his temperament would surely be executed if captured by the enemy.
What a relief!
