Chapter 1183 – Striking Xu Pei, A Noble’s First Kill (53)
“Medical supplies for the Military Doctor? What do these threads have to do with it? And what’s this water in the bottle for?”
Everyone was clueless about medicine, but they were familiar enough with the general process of medical treatment. No one had heard of needing embroidery thread when healing.
Cheng Jing said, “According to the report from the spy, this is suturing thread, used to stitch up wounds, supposedly it helps them heal faster? This water is said to be extremely precious pure water; it won’t be used lightly unless for serious patients, as for the rest, I have no clue.”
He didn’t understand the intricacies of the healing arts and couldn’t explain the specifics any further.
But one thing was certain: Jiang Pengji used these items to save countless injured lives, and the soldier mortality rate among the current nobles was the lowest. They didn’t know the secret behind it yet, but with these things, there would come a day they’d figure it out.
“Use this to stitch wounds? Like sewing up a woman’s torn dress?”
A group of military generals turned pale at the thought. They weren’t afraid of swords slicing into them, but the idea of thin needles threading through their flesh made them shiver—was this treatment or making their injuries worse?
That’d hurt like hell!
Such bizarre medical practices, they had never heard of or seen.
Cheng Jing said, “The spy mentioned this, but how it’s done has to be checked with the Military Doctor.”
Though this medical practice sounded horrifying and absurd, Jiang Pengji had been using it for years, and the results were clearly visible.
However, their respect for this medical technique was still lukewarm.
After consulting with Huang Song and getting his approval, Cheng Jing handed over the medical supplies for the Military Doctor to research.
“Given the current situation on the battlefield, Xu Pei is at quite a disadvantage…”
Huang Song had been frowning for days; his relationship with Xu Pei was one of mutual reliance, and Xu Pei’s downfall wouldn’t benefit him at all.
“Friend Mo, do you have a clever strategy to break the situation?”
Huang Song looked at Cheng Jing with hopeful eyes.
Breaking down the logistics behind Jiang Pengji’s supply line wasn’t without effect, but it fell far short of the major victory he’d anticipated.
It could impact localized battles, but when it came to the entire war, these petty skirmishes had little influence.
Cheng Jing had been pondering this issue and finally had an idea.
Just as he was about to speak, a shout of “Report—” interrupted as a Messenger arrived.
Huang Song frowned and asked, “Come in, what’s the latest from the front?”
The Messenger reported, “My Lord, we’ve suffered losses at the East Gate of Zhangzhou, it has fallen into enemy hands.”
Zhangzhou East Gate?
Huang Song took a moment to process it then exclaimed in shock, “Isn’t the East Gate under Xu Pei’s control?”
Cheng Jing confirmed, “The East Gate indeed belongs to Lord Xin Zhao.”
This area was previously snatched from Yang Tao by Xu Pei; had Yang Tao not focused on the South, he would have been crushed ages ago.
Huang Song pressed, “Who captured the East Gate?”
Jiang Pengji had ordered Cheng Yuan to lead newly promoted generals to attack Zhejun, but Zhejun wasn’t paper-thin either; no significant victories had been extended thus far.
How could Cheng Yuan have broken through Zhejun’s defenses to capture half of Zhangzhou?
Clearly, the one who took Zhangzhou couldn’t be Cheng Yuan.
Then who could it be?
The Messenger replied, “It’s said that the banner read ‘Yang,’ it must be Yang Tao without doubt.”
Yang Tao?
Huang Song raised an eyebrow, seemingly caught off guard by this possibility.
When half of Zhangzhou was lost, Yang Tao didn’t react much; now that the dust had settled, why was he suddenly seeking revenge?
The three noble families of Dongqing were already in enough disarray; why was Yang Tao wading into the fray?
For the time being, Huang Song hadn’t considered that Yang Tao could be Jiang Pengji’s unexpected reinforcement, but Cheng Jing had.
He relayed this suspicion to Huang Song, whose expression grew grave and serious.
After a long pause, he said, “This has the hallmark of Liu Xi’s style, never willing to let an opportunity pass.”
Jiang Pengji could handle two foes at once, but pulling in an ally to share the firepower and pressure was a win-win situation.
Cheng Jing remarked, “I can’t be certain, it all depends on Yang Tao’s next move. If he’s satisfied reclaiming half of Zhangzhou, he should be looking to profit from the chaos, aiming to reclaim his family’s legacy. But if he’s not content and sends troops to cooperate with Cheng Yuan in a pincer assault on Zhejun…”
Needless to say, this was obviously a premeditated military operation, not just taking advantage of the chaos for quick gains.
Regardless of which outcome occurred, Huang Song couldn’t afford to continue playing support.
Almost simultaneously, Xu Pei received this news as well.
With a bang, Xu Pei slammed his palm on the table, leaving it reddened from the impact.
“Yang Tao you little brat—so brazenly cruel—”
For Xu Pei, having the enemy take advantage and strike at this moment was like pouring salt on a wound. He had been kept tightly restrained by Jiang Pengji’s main forces, feeling trapped, and his previous engagements had mostly ended in losses, devastating morale among his men.
Xu Pei thought Yang Tao merely wanted to take advantage of the disorder, but Han Yu wasn’t that naive.
“My Lord, this is not a time for anger.” He said, “We must consider what to do if Liu Xi and Yang Tao form an alliance.”
Xu Pei’s heart gave a sudden lurch.
Could these two indeed join forces?
The ministers in the tent all frowned; if Han Yu’s words turned out to be true, their pressure would undoubtedly intensify.
“Are you perhaps being overly alarmist, Military Adviser? I have not heard of any relations between these two—”
With half of his father’s legacy gone, Yang Tao didn’t even send troops back from the South to reinforce; how could he just come back as he pleases?
The ministers were all against Yang Tao stepping in.
Han Yu said calmly, “All alliances are born of mutual benefit, why bother with past friendships?”
“My Lord, it might be wise to send envoys to probe and persuade?” Cheng Xun suggested after some thought, choosing a roundabout strategy, “Yang Tao and Liu Xi have little deep friendship. If there’s truly an alliance, it must be based on some benefits. If we can uncover the reasons, we can target their weaknesses.”
If Yang Tao got involved, whether Zhejun could hold its ground was up for debate.
Xu Pei appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was burning with anxiety; if Zhejun fell, he would have no face to present to his ancestors.
Han Yu said nothing, but he silently supported Cheng Xun’s advice.
If they could dissolve their alliance without losing even a single soldier, that would be even better.
If only…
Things could progress that smoothly?
Thinking of the recent battle conditions, Han Yu furrowed his brows deeply.
Despite Liu Xi being rather impatient on a normal day, her battlefield endurance surpassed his expectations.
Han Yu had tried several times to lure them into traps, but Jiang Pengji always withdrew at the right moment, refusing to fall into the snare.
He had a feeling, deep down, that Jiang Pengji had been biding her time, perhaps waiting for Yang Tao’s news from the South?
Han Yu didn’t guess fully right, but he was on the mark by about eighty percent.
“Report—enemy troops have formed battle lines outside the pass—”
The distant sound of horns wafted into everyone’s ears.
Jiang Pengji shed her usual detached demeanor and revealed a uniquely fierce expression.
