Chapter 1283 – Slaying Huang Song, Uniting Dongqing (25)
The two Vice Generals were overjoyed to agree, but when they actually faced Yuan Xin, they realized that Nie Xun’s favors were not so easily owed.
Yuan Xin was a heavy drinker and easily flew into a rage, his temper as terrible as a storm.
Sometimes, when he lashed out too hard, a life might just slip away.
One day, a soldier delivering food lagged a couple of steps behind, and because the meal was slightly cooler than usual, Yuan Xin exploded, flipping over the food table.
“How dare a mere lowly soldier be negligent towards this General! It truly enrages me!”
Yuan Xin, completely intoxicated, was filled with wrath like a raging fire. The soldier had missed the mealtime due to a stomachache, but in Yuan Xin’s eyes, it translated to the soldier bullying him and provoking his displeasure. With this thought, Yuan Xin’s murderous intent surged even higher as he drew his horse whip from his waist and brutally killed the soldier. By the time the two Vice Generals heard the commotion and rushed over, the soldier was already lifeless, his body unrecognizable from the beating.
Recalling Nie Xun’s promise, the two Vice Generals let their greed for the future override their fears. They approached Yuan Xin, one on the left and one on the right, trying to restrain him.
Little did they know, after drinking, Yuan Xin’s strength only increased. With a surge of energy, he broke their grasp in one swift motion.
“How dare you—oh! So you two also wish to rebel against me?”
Yuan Xin was overly self-proud, intolerant of anyone challenging his authority. His already volatile dark emotions were unleashed to the fullest due to intoxication. Instead of aiding him, the two Vice Generals were helping that lowly soldier against him—wasn’t that a sign of betrayal?
Yuan Xin, with glazed eyes, recalled Hua Yuan’s mockery and the lost rations, and his furious emotions overflowed.
“Even you two… haha, you lowly beasts dare to defy me?” Yuan Xin hiccupped and grimaced with malevolence as he twisted the whip, “You think you can save your necks? Come here, seize them!”
The two Vice Generals understood Yuan Xin’s bad temper when intoxicated, but surely he wouldn’t sink this low?
Upon hearing Yuan Xin’s slanderous insults directed at them, their expressions changed in unison.
Yuan Xin’s earlier words could be dismissed as drunken nonsense, but those recent remarks revealed his true feelings, something he usually concealed well. Now that he was drunk, the most vicious and authentic beast within him unleashed—
The two Vice Generals turned pale, knowing Yuan Xin disliked military officers from lower-class backgrounds and seldom promoted them. He preferred to surround himself with cronies he had helped rise through the ranks, but they never imagined he harbored such thoughts—it was chillingly disappointing.
There couldn’t be anything more disheartening; they could never predict what Yuan Xin would do in his drunken state.
While they were at a loss for the outcome, Nie Xun was already aware; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen them.
Yuan Xin loathed warriors from common backgrounds, and while sober, he could put on a façade. But once drunk, all reason vanished.
He inherently disliked these two Vice Generals, and since they were backed by Huang Song, Yuan Xin couldn’t openly suppress them.
Now, with Huang Song absent, there was no one to rein in the drunken, violent Yuan Xin, allowing his negative emotions to explode to their fullest.
The two Vice Generals had done something Yuan Xin despised; a stern scolding was inevitable, if not a beating.
Nie Xun understood not only Yuan Xin but also the two Vice Generals.
These two were the most hard-working among the commoners’ military officers, their lowly origins fueling their ambition to climb higher. They could not endure others belittling their backgrounds. Their extreme inferiority bred an equal measure of pride, and with Yuan Xin repeatedly provoking their limits, mutual destruction seemed imminent. What had Nie Xun done? He merely gathered three individuals likely to ignite like a powder keg.
However, even though Nie Xun had calculated the entire situation, Yuan Xin’s “cooperation” still shocked him.
“Hiss—this brute is so violent—”
As the two Vice Generals attempted to thwart Yuan Xin, they unexpectedly found themselves “killed in action.” They could have subdued him, but due to their status, they were forced into a passive beating, and that hooked whip would carve deep lines on their skin.
They sought the Military Doctor for some medicated ointment, applying it to their wounds, every sting sending their muscles into spasms, their facial nerves twitching uncontrollably.
“We owe our loyalty to the Lord as brothers; Yuan Xin is nothing! Why should we endure his rage?”
One, less injured, felt luckier, merely scratched and looked much better than his partner.
Vice General A furrowed his brow, sighing helplessly, “Alas, don’t say that. Yuan Xin isn’t superior to us; it’s just because he has a better eye and was born into better circumstances—becoming our Lord’s uncle. If this stirs up trouble, we’re the ones at a disadvantage—no point!”
If they could endure, they had to lower their heads.
They wanted to eat this meal; offending Yuan Xin, a connected individual, was too risky. Who knew when he might throw them under the bus?
“Yuan Xin is the type who holds a grudge. Offending him today, who knows what humiliations we’ll face down the line?”
Vice General B recalled how Yuan Xin had insulted them in broad daylight, his face turning green with anger, wishing he could chop off Yuan Xin’s tongue into tiny pieces.
Vice General A lay on the couch, pondering, “We aren’t the only ones who’ve crossed Yuan Xin; why not seek the Military Adviser for a solution?”
From Yuan Xin’s perspective, the two Vice Generals were natural allies of Nie Xun.
The enemy’s enemy is a friend, right?
Vice General B frowned, hesitant, “Do you think the Military Adviser would help us?”
Vice General A sneered, “Yuan Xin almost killed him! If not for the Military Adviser’s luck, he would have reported to King Yama a long time ago.”
If they could use this opportunity to grow closer to Nie Xun, their chances of rising in the future would increase.
Upon seeing the two miserable Vice Generals, Nie Xun showed just the right amount of shock and concern.
“How did you two end up in this state?”
The Vice Generals took turns venting their frustrations to Nie Xun, almost clinging to his legs in their desperation.
They expected Nie Xun to lend them a hand against Yuan Xin’s fixation.
Nie Xun hesitated, “This matter… I am also powerless to help. There are strong enemies lurking outside; we cannot afford chaos at this time.”
The Vice Generals felt a chill in their hearts, as Nie Xun backed away—were they not going to be crushed by Yuan Xin?
Seeing them with long faces, Nie Xun hinted, “You don’t need to worry. Yuan Xin has repeatedly delayed military affairs and committed serious mistakes, allowing petty individuals to lead to substantial food thefts. Each incident is a death penalty. He won’t enjoy the glory for long.”
After Nie Xun spoke, their hearts brightened, only to feel another chill.
They were currently at war; accountability for Yuan Xin’s actions would surely be delayed until the battle ended.
As lowly-born military officers, Yuan Xin had countless opportunities to crush them.
With Huang Song not yet managing Yuan Xin, they’d already been dealt with by him.
