Chapter 1194 – Take Down Xu Pei, The Lords’ First Kill (64)
“Xu Pei’s skin is too thick; after cursing him for so many days, why hasn’t there been a peep from him?”
Even though Li Yun had a good temper, encountering an enemy who was completely impervious and only wanted to survive had him a bit riled up, leading him to vent his frustrations.
“Maybe it’s because Li Xiaowei is too refined; perhaps the curses weren’t harsh enough—”
Nong Qin casually leaned against the railing, one foot propped up, the other swinging in the air, as she scraped at the soft wood with her silver knife.
With the recent battle stalemate, she spent her days either patrolling or training, leaving her with little else to do, so out of boredom, she learned a bit about woodworking.
Yang Si even said she was quite perceptive, learning rapidly; when peace reigns again, if she doesn’t become a general, she could open a carpentry shop to support her family.
Ha—
If it weren’t for Yang Si being the beloved strategist of the lord, Nong Qin would really like to use her little knife to cut his mouth off and make a heavenly lantern out of human fat.
In times of prosperity or chaos, she was willing to make her way through thorns for her lord; retiring to become a carpenter was a disgrace.
Li Yun awkwardly said, “There are many women in the army; if the curses are too harsh, it won’t be good for morale.”
Didn’t they hear the political commissar brainwashing the soldiers daily that they should be refined, acting dignified in front of women?
Cursing the enemy on the battlefield was a traditional practice—some shouted fierce insults, while others offered elegantly phrased curses, and the lowly prattled about ancestral lines.
Throughout history, the lexicon of human curses has always revolved around each other’s female kin.
But their own lord was a woman, so some taboos needed to be avoided.
Nong Qin scoffed, saying that cursing the enemy was meant to lift their morale; being rough was also a way to vent pressure.
Li Yun repeated himself a few times, from the enemy’s initial anger to their current indifference, all because the insults were too light.
If they had started with heavier curses right off the bat, it could have enraged the enemy to the point that their souls would flee, which would truly be juicy.
Cursing should hit where it hurts the most.
“Wait here, I’ll find you some help.”
Nong Qin spun her little knife in her hand a couple of times, then sheathed it with a whoosh, tucking it into her waist.
Li Yun was surprised, “Who?”
“A free spirit,” Nong Qin said, “anyway, he’s been free lately; helping out won’t take long.”
And so—
Yang Si was speechless upon hearing Nong Qin’s intentions.
Regarding cursing skills, this was not someone to consult—
“Qi Guanrang is better suited for this task.”
This guy, Yang Si, held grudges; Qi Guanrang’s scroll of proclamations had almost sent him to the afterlife, and he still remembered that.
Though he wouldn’t seek revenge, he would occasionally drag out Qi Guanrang’s past mistakes to “black” him.
Nong Qin replied, “Military Advisor Qi isn’t at the camp right now; he’s holding down the back defense. How could he have time to write this?”
Yang Si: “…”
So Qi Guanrang was a busy man, and he was just a layabout?
Yang Si still wanted to argue—he was a scholar; how could he rudely shoot the breeze with someone?
He said, “Right now, the lord is attacking by encirclement, slowly eroding Xu Pei’s morale. According to the scouts, their deserters are increasing and their spirits weakening. Stimulating them at this time might push them to a desperate fight.”
Nong Qin coldly replied, “The army’s siege adds a day’s worth of food consumption; all these supplies were painstakingly saved by the common people. How could Xu Pei’s worthless life compare to the precious food? If they truly had the courage to break out and face us head-on, our army would not shy away! We’d naturally crush the enemy to pieces! This way, we save effort and gain more time for our soldiers to rest.”
Whoa—
After a few days, his tongue certainly has become slippery.
Yang Si’s expression turned awkward, his eyes dodging, not daring to look directly at Nong Qin.
He wanted to ignore Nong Qin; if he left her alone long enough, she would eventually shy away… after all, a lady’s skin isn’t as thick as a man’s, especially compared to a standout like him… Yet, Yang Si still underestimated Nong Qin’s patience and perseverance.
Like Feng Zhen, his swordsmanship was on a beginner level; how could he compare to Nong Qin?
This warrior held the lives of thousands!
“Write it out; Lady Nong, it’s best if you don’t linger in my tent too long; it sets a bad precedent.”
Nong Qin let out a cold laugh, as if mocking his overconfidence.
What could Yang Si do to her with his pitiful frame?
If there was truly a bad influence, it would mostly be rumors about what she thought of Yang Si.
Well—
She was indeed mocking him.
Reluctantly, Yang Si began to write on the bamboo slips, flowing with over two thousand characters, cursing away with relish.
Qi Guanrang came from Chongzhou and the northern border, where the customs were robust yet straightforward; proclamations represented the official stance, so even if cursing, he had to consider the wording carefully. Yang Si was different; he came from the market and had seen all kinds of raucous arguments from street vendors; whether subtle and elegant, blunt and free, or vulgar and crude… he mastered the essence of all arguing styles, utilizing them seamlessly!
Now, he was being driven like a duck to water by Nong Qin, with a fire in his heart; once he started cursing, he couldn’t stop.
“Done.” Yang Si set down his brush, rubbing his sore wrist, “Are you satisfied, Lady Nong?”
Nong Qin glanced at his work, then looked back at Yang Si.
“If Xu Xinzhao dies of anger from this, I won’t contest this merit with you.”
Yang Si choked on his words.
Was Nong Qin’s comment a compliment or an insult?
“These ladies nowadays are truly not to be trifled with—”
Once Nong Qin left, Yang Si couldn’t help but murmur complaints.
Since following a lord with a different flair, Yang Si had refrained from his former seductive lifestyle considerably, and these past two years, he had lived as frugally as a mendicant. No choice; their lord was either preparing for war or on the way to war, spending all year holed up in the military camp.
What kind of place is a military camp?
Aside from bare-chested men, it was all brawny women—he couldn’t lay a finger on either.
Even if he could, he doubted the positions would end up as he pictured them.
“Bah, bah—”
As if recalling some awkward images, Yang Si turned his face and spat a couple of times, trying to expel the thoughts of the seasoned driver from his mind.
Nong Qin handed over the fruits of her labor to the little angel Li Yun.
“Recite this; let’s see if Xu Xinzhao can still hold on.”
Li Yun opened it and took a glance.
“Is this Yang Junshi’s handwriting?”
Hadn’t heard that Lady Nong and that Yang Junshi were acquainted.
Though it seemed like there was a good rapport among the lord’s scholars and warriors, they belonged to different circles, and their interactions weren’t extensive.
Nong Qin was a breath of fresh air among the military generals; she couldn’t blend in with any circle—her heart was set on the lord, always preferring to walk her own path.
She said, “Yep, written by Yang Junshi. He was indeed taught by Mr. Yuanjing; his vocabulary is definitely richer than your messenger troops.”
Ever since she learned about Yang Si’s past, their private interactions had increased, and they would often share a few more words during encounters.
If this were before, she would at most give him a cold face.
Li Yun chuckled, “Lady Nong, you’ve got some guts.”
Though the military advisors seemed amicable, each had their distinctive temperaments.
Usually, Li Yun seldom disrupted them.
“Yang Junshi is skilled in all manners, except for integrity; using him against that timid turtle Xu Pei is simply perfect.”
