Chapter 1254 – The Rise of War (15)
Qi Guanrang, of course, hadn’t noticed her faking unconsciousness; neither did anyone else, all of them shocked into a stupefied silence.
Before long, news spread that Jiang Pengji was gravely ill due to the death of her grandmother, triggering widespread panic.
As the head and backbone of the entire faction, her sudden illness threw many into a flurry.
After the military doctor’s diagnosis, it was determined that Jiang Pengji’s extreme grief had exacerbated a chronic illness. If she weren’t so young, she might not have awakened at all!
For the sake of her health and life, it was advisable for her to avoid hasty movements and mental stress, allowing her to rest for three to five months.
Three to five months?
The flowers would have wilted by then!
Upon hearing this, the soldiers felt a chilling dread in their hearts.
Their lord falling ill before their military operations had even begun and throwing the morale into disarray was anything but a good omen.
The atmosphere in the camp quickly became despondent as they worried over Jiang Pengji’s condition.
At this moment, several generals stepped up to restore order to the military camp. Fu Wang took command of the troops, rallying the others, and the overall morale actually improved.
With their lord unwell, it was even more crucial for them to come together, defend their territory, and prevent any enemy incursions!
“Is the morale outside stable?”
In what was rumored to be a grave state, Jiang Pengji leaned against a table, her spirit high and her complexion rosy—she didn’t look sick at all!
Fu Wang’s expression was solemn as he replied, “It’s stable. The soldiers are in high spirits and training harder than ever.”
Jiang Pengji nodded.
Her thoughts drifted back to that day when everyone thought she had truly fallen ill, one by one frantic with worry.
But the clever ones quickly noticed the oddities.
Their lord, strong as a wild bear, surely wouldn’t faint so easily even from extreme grief, right?
Eventually, they dismissed the curious onlookers and sat waiting for Jiang Pengji to wake up.
Here Jiang Pengji lay on her sickbed, quietly opening one eye to find her trusted confidants gathered, each wearing a grim expression staring right at her.
She had crashed—
It was a catastrophic scene.
With the ruthless mockery from the live stream audience, the situation was utterly chaotic.
【Stowaway Non-Money】: Have you heard the story of the boy who cried wolf?
【Old Driver Alliance】: Worth a year’s worth of instant noodles, this streamer absolutely pulled that excuse out of thin air!
【Black-Clad Sword Saint】: Didn’t expect you to be this kind of streamer! When did you master the art of pretending to faint?
【One Palm Superman】: Shocked! A famous streamer crashed live, multiple innocent young boys deceived yet remained infatuated!
Jiang Pengji’s face remained sturdy and unyielding, impervious to the outside world.
She chuckled as she got up, “Aren’t you all leaving yet—”
The crowd fell silent: “…”
Wei Ci sighed in exasperation, “What is our lord doing?”
Jiang Pengji felt a stir within but couldn’t share the true reason, then an idea sparked in her mind.
Feigning nonchalance, she stated, “My grandmother has passed. As her granddaughter, I must attend her funeral, but Hejian County is already the territory of Lord Boge. If I truly go, who knows if it’s for my grandmother’s funeral or my own… Boge won’t let this opportunity slip away…”
Qi Guanrang looked unconvinced, his thin lips pressed into a straight line.
Their lord using a ruse of feigning illness to avoid attending the funeral would undoubtedly leave an impression of being unfilial and fearful of Huang Song in the public eye.
“This matter can be easily resolved. The lord can send someone in her stead. Though the person may not be present, the sentiment still counts.”
Their lord was always as clever as a fox; how could she be dizzy and use such a trick?
“I know that, but since Boge has taken Hejian County, we cannot simply forget the grudge of my grandmother’s death.” Jiang Pengji’s eyes glimmered with some calculation and cold light as she smiled, “What if news spreads that I am deeply grieved and that I’m bedridden due to a chronic illness? Over there, Boge would surely become suspicious, and once the news is confirmed, they will let their guard down. Our troops can then take the opportunity to maneuver around and launch a surprise attack.”
Everyone was taken aback; they hadn’t anticipated Jiang Pengji’s act of feigning unconsciousness was part of her strategy.
Continuing, Jiang Pengji added, “Hejian County has always been a battleground of great contention. With Boge stationed here, he has the advantage of timing and geography. He occupies both Haozhou and Chenzhou, able to exploit the terrain to divide his forces to attack Wanzhou and Cangzhou, leaving us to respond passively. Moreover, as Boge has allied with me against the Cangzhou Meng Clan, he plans to invade Cangzhou through the Xiajiang Passage downstream of Songhua River, with old familiarity.”
Though Huang Song only controlled two counties, his position was a sore point for Jiang Pengji.
Once Boge seized Hejian County, Wanzhou would become his easy target to strike!
Having managed Wanzhou for so many years, there was no way she would allow it to be a battlefield!
Even if they won, Wanzhou would be devastated, as the saying goes—
“After toiling for years, you may find yourself back where you started.”
Right now, she was caught in a dilemma while Huang Song felt utterly secure.
To protect Wanzhou, Jiang Pengji had to strike first, pushing the front lines onto Huang Song’s territory.
Upon hearing this, the group displayed thoughtful expressions.
What their lord said was exactly what they had feared for the past few days; losing Wanzhou was absolutely unacceptable!
They hadn’t imagined their lord would think so carefully, risking all to push forward with this plan.
The audience in the live stream sat frozen in surprise.
【Stowaway Non-Money】: I really believed the streamer’s madness!
【Old Driver Alliance】: Betting a year’s worth of instant noodles, the streamer just randomly came up with this excuse!
【Musician Zhuge Qin Demon】: Hehe—this streamer truly excels at pulling nonsense, believing her words are just blind!
Having followed the streamer for so many years, they had figured out Jiang Pengji’s character well!
Alas, their complaints remained unseen by anyone but Jiang Pengji.
Yang Si fetched the military doctor to diagnose Jiang Pengji, concluding that she had overgrieved, leading to a reoccurrence of her old illness, and could only rest without exhausting herself.
Notably, this military doctor was none other than Dian Yin’s wife.
Dian Yin, Meng Hunyun, and Feng Jin were dispatched by Jiang Pengji to Cangzhou to prevent Huang Song from launching a sneak attack from the Songhua River via the Xiajiang Passage.
Han Yu, Xie Ze, and Qin Gong were assigned to Zhejun and Hu County, working in tandem with the main forces to subdue Huang Song’s faction.
Jiang Pengji remained in control of the main force, with Wei Ci, Yang Si, and Qi Guanrang as strategists, Fu Wang as the commander, with Li Yun and Jiang Nongqin as deputies, directly contending with Huang Song’s military forces. Sun Wen would secure the northern border to prevent any rebellious thoughts from the northern herdsmen during this chaos, while Xu Ke and Feng Zhen fortified Wanzhou and Chongzhou. Bai Ning would lead troops stationed in the rear for the first time, and Cheng Yuan was dispatched to Hujun. Although the forces seemed dispersed, they all aimed their weapons at Huang Song.
After discussing a comprehensive plan, Jiang Pengji would continue to act as if she were unwell, focusing solely on her charade.
Wei Ci would take on the responsibility of representing Jiang Pengji at the funeral, racing against time toward Hejian County.
Regarding this arrangement, Qi Guanrang stated he could handle it.
However, Wei Ci was not from Hejian County and was unfamiliar with the route, while Qi Guanrang, well, he had spent years in the area as half a son-in-law of Hejian, hadn’t he? Jiang Pengji shot him a sidelong glance with a smirk, turning her gaze to Wei Ci, after which Qi Guanrang fell silent.
How did he forget again?
Wei Ci was her lord’s focal interest; having him represent her at the funeral would, in effect, indicate their status.
Tsk—
The scent of romance was in the air!
Qi Guanrang grasped Jiang Pengji’s hint and understood her implication, feigning even more indifference on the surface.
