Chapter 466 – The Demonic Infant from the Sky, Military Disasters Descend Upon the World (1)
After a long while, Li Yun stopped in front of a courtyard and signaled to Dian Yin, who understood and handed him the key.
With a twist, it opened.
“This is what the Lord arranged for Scholar Wei. Since you’re with him, you can temporarily stay here.”
Li Yun returned the key to Dian Yin.
The courtyard was a three-entry residence; although it lacked luxurious decoration, it had everything one would need.
Zhang Ping was almost dazzled.
“So… where’s Zixiao?” Zhang Ping didn’t forget about his little buddy.
Li Yun briefly replied, “Still at the county government. The Lord is taking care of him; once he recovers, he’ll move here.”
Zhang Ping secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed that the Lord greatly appreciated Zixiao’s talents, hence the meticulous arrangements.
Li Yun was a thoughtful person; he found clothes suitable for Dian Yin and Zhang Ping, so they could change after washing up.
However, there were no servants in the courtyard, so chopping wood and starting a fire would be solely their responsibility.
Before leaving, Li Yun also left a few silver taels, just in case they felt hungry and needed to go look for food in the street.
“This is hard to believe…”
Zhang Ping watched Li Yun leave and surveyed the courtyard, still feeling like he was in a dream.
After a while, he and Dian Yin huddled around a charcoal basin for warmth.
“Now I understand why Zixiao was so eager to come to Xiangyang. To turn a dilapidated county into what it is today in just half a year must take remarkable talent. Perhaps that county magistrate is the wise leader Zixiao has his eyes on…”
Dian Yin nodded in agreement.
After a while, Dian Yin said, “Scholar Xiheng, I’ve heard that the county is recruiting soldiers. I want to give it a try.”
Zhang Ping looked at Dian Yin and said, “A true man should achieve great things in this world. Now it seems this Xiangyang is a land of hidden talents. Brother Dian, with your skills, it would be good for you to give it a shot.”
The world had descended into chaos; if one didn’t find a way to grow strong, who knew when they might end up as bones by the roadside?
Dian Yin asked, “So, Scholar Xiheng, what are your plans?”
Zhang Ping paused; he was not at ease about Wei Ci traveling north all this way. Now that their mission was complete, he didn’t know what to plan next. He said, “I’m not sure yet… perhaps find a way to return home or look for a serene place in the mountains to live a secluded life, becoming a carefree wanderer…”
Dian Yin persuaded, “Scholar Xiheng, with the world being so chaotic, it’s dangerous for you to travel alone. Why not settle here for now?”
Zhang Ping smiled lightly, nonchalantly saying, “I’m not as talented as Zixiao; I’m just a craftsman at best, usually idling away.”
He wasn’t a qualified Mo family scholar; he enjoyed tinkering with gadgets and hadn’t done in-depth research into Mo philosophy.
Thus, he joked about being a “craftsman.”
He had few true friends; his connection with Wei Ci was purely by chance.
Dian Yin didn’t understand this more deeply and didn’t know how to comfort Zhang Ping.
Whether it was Scholar Zixiao or Scholar Xiheng, to Dian Yin, they were both good people, and good people deserve good fortune.
This winter would undoubtedly become a significant turning point in the history of the future.
In November, the four nations—Dongqing, Zhong Zhao, Beiyuan, and Xichang—failed to provide aid, and the four tribes of Nanman launched a fierce attack on the capital of Nansheng. After two months of bloody battles, the iron cavalry of the four tribes utterly flattened the capital of Nansheng. Nansheng was destroyed!
The king of the four tribes of Nanman issued orders for a massacre, allowing soldiers to rampage through the imperial city for a day and a night.
The next day, every male member of the Nansheng royal family had their heads displayed at the city gate, unseeing in death, while all the female members were sold into slavery, to be trampled and humiliated. The land of Nansheng was filled with cries of anguish, no longer at peace, as the smoke of war spread.
The four tribes of Nanman might be strong in battle but weak in defense, oppressing the people with excessive taxation and greed. In such dire circumstances, flames of rebellion ignited across the land of Nansheng, signaling the arrival of chaos.
Among the five nations of the world, one had already fallen.
At the same time, the lands of Dongqing and the southern countries fell into chaotic warfare.
To the north, the Green Garment Army and the Red Lotus Sect turned the area into a battlefield.
To the south, Changshou Wang faced off against the Dongqing royal family across the river, with tensions mounting, ready to explode at any moment.
Due to the harsh winter cold, neither side deemed it appropriate to engage in battle, resulting in a temporary ceasefire.
At the end of December, just three days before the New Year, two letters arrived in Dongqing’s capital and Changshou Wang’s military tent.
Changshou Wang was a few years younger than the Emperor, and he kept his private life relatively restrained, appearing much younger than his actual age.
“What is this?”
Changshou Wang was enjoying a feast with his advisors and soldiers when a messenger rushed in, holding a letter.
The messenger said, “This letter was shot into the military tent along with an arrow.”
Someone reported to him secretly?
Or perhaps there were gentry in Chenzhou wanting to ally with him, using this method to send a message?
Changshou Wang thought through a dozen scenarios in his mind, raised his hand, and signaled for the messenger to present the letter.
He tore open the envelope and took out the neatly folded bamboo paper.
Using bamboo paper as a means of conveying a message?
How extravagant.
Changshou Wang let out a soft hum, glancing at the letter while beckoning his advisors and soldiers to enjoy their food and drink.
He read the letter with a smile; many in the room watched his expression, speculating about the contents, but…
Once he saw what was written, the smile on Changshou Wang’s lips dropped lower, eventually turning into wide, furious eyes. In a fit of rage, he slammed his hand on the table, and the palm turned visibly red at an alarming rate, making the sound alone almost painful to hear.
“My Lord, what happened?” the chief strategist stepped forward to inquire.
In the past, Changshou Wang would have treated him with respect, playing the harmonious lord and minister act to perfection.
But this time, he had no mind for such pleasantries. He jumped up, not sparing the strategist a glance, and, gripping the letter, ordered the messenger, “Go find out who sent this letter to me!”
Everyone in the tent exchanged glances.
Some secretly mocked the strategist for getting publicly slapped in the face, while others were curious about the letter’s contents that made Changshou Wang lose his composure… It was known that, in the past, no matter how serious the matter, Changshou Wang would maintain his “sage lord” demeanor, treating the strategist with great respect. But now? He blatantly humiliated him publicly, giving everyone a sense of satisfaction in witnessing this.
The strategist felt the heat rising in his cheeks, utterly humiliated, and clenched his fists tightly.
He pretended everything was fine as he sat back down, but the teasing and disdainful gazes around him didn’t lessen.
Changshou Wang steadied his thoughts and regained his composure, realizing that his previous outburst insulted the strategist.
However, he had no mood to apologize or soothe the strategist now.
He was the lord; if he had to condescend to pacify every little annoyance from those below, that would be absurd.
Changshou Wang, having lost his usual rationality, couldn’t help but pull out the letter again to take another look.
There was nothing written inside, just a string of birthdates, along with the words “Liu Zhi’s illegitimate daughter.”
This string of birthdates was something Changshou Wang would never forget, even if he died.
In the end, the messenger failed to find the sender of the letter.
Changshou Wang’s memory drifted back to the past—when the apricot blossoms danced in the rain, he believed he could be with his lover for a lifetime, even if this woman had once been his sister-in-law. But what did it matter?
This woman had been with his elder brother, then with his second brother, and now with him—why was that not allowed?
