Chapter 523 – Three-Way Battle (7)
When General Ping Tian led his troops away from Jiao Ping County, intending to launch a surprise attack on Xiang Yang County, Jiang Pengji, with a sharp troop of fifteen hundred elite soldiers, stealthily approached his lair, equipped with plenty of siege machinery.
Watching Jiang Pengji, who was rubbing her fists in excitement, Qi Guanrang could only smile bitterly and say, “My Lord, I really don’t want to go back and be lectured by Xiaoyu and Zixiao… If you get hurt, how am I supposed to explain…”
In other words, if Jiang Pengji could assure her safety, then by all means, go wild.
Jiang Pengji chuckled at his words, replying, “What you say is amusing, making it sound like I’m about to do something illegal.”
Qi Guanrang raised an eyebrow and shot her a questioning look, as if to say, isn’t that what she’s doing?
If she were with Xu Ke or Wei Ci, they would undoubtedly advise against it; but with Qi Guanrang, he wouldn’t stop her.
“Alright, alright, I guess I could be considered up to no good,” Jiang Pengji whispered with a laugh, saying to Qi Guanrang, “Based on your logic, me charging ahead is mischief; does that make you my little lookout?”
As she spoke, a dark shadow appeared within view.
Jiao Ping County lay flat against the horizon, like a slumbering, fierce beast, stirring an inexplicable tension.
The soldiers were mostly seasoned veterans with ample battlefield experience, well-versed in stealthily approaching their targets.
After about an hour, they finally crept closer to Jiao Ping County, noting the sparse guards on the city walls, one by one yawning incessantly.
Qi Guanrang, a scholar, didn’t care about the dirt on the ground anymore and hid in the shadows.
After observing for a long while, he realized the figures on the city walls were pitifully few—an obvious sign of lax security.
Jiang Pengji crouched in the grass, her eyesight and night vision far superior to an average person’s, and asked Qi Guanrang, “Do you think there might be a trap up there?”
Qi Guanrang rolled his eyes internally; if he claimed there was a trap, would his Lord stay safely behind?
“Definitely not. The Green Garment Army has at least five thousand troops exiting the city. According to reports, the Green Garment Army in Jiao Ping County numbers at most seven thousand, meaning there are only about one to two thousand remaining inside. That small a force isn’t even enough to take a bite.”
Considering his words, Jiang Pengji’s expression remained unchanged.
“The head of the Green Garment Army in Jiao Ping County is quite the free spirit, willing to take such a large group out without a bit of skill. Doesn’t he fear his lair getting wiped clean?” Jiang Pengji mused, mocking, “Wenzheng, don’t you think so?”
Qi Guanrang found himself unable to respond to that.
If anyone had the most free spirit, it was this very Lord by his side.
If not for the block from Xu Ke and a few others, she might have left behind a handful of guards at the city gate and taken all her belongings with her.
Thinking of Feng Jin, who had left four thousand soldiers stationed at Xiang Yang County, Qi Guanrang sighed longingly, feeling immense sympathy for the guy.
When Jiang Pengji first took control of Xiang Yang County, Qi Guanrang had been in charge then, and back then, there weren’t as many siege tools. It was purely tactics, ruthless schemes, and the brave soldiers charging forth that had driven the Green Garment Army back.
Of course, if that Green Garment Army had enough supplies back then, Xiang Yang County probably wouldn’t have been able to hold out.
So, as someone who had been through it, Qi Guanrang fully understood that frustrating yet infuriating feeling.
And he wasn’t the only one; over a hundred thousand viewers shared his thoughts.
【Mind Explosion】: Crummy streamer, a crow laughing at a pig being black? When pointing out others’ freedom, reconsider your own!
【Don’t Know Today】: This streamer is a classic case of allowing only the officials to play with fire while forbidding commoners from lighting lamps. So tyrannical!
【How Many More】: Bros upstairs, you must realize that the outcomes for the main character and cannon fodder dying are utterly different.
Clearly, Jiang Pengji was the main character. She not only had the protagonist halo surrounding her, but she also had formidable strength.
When she risked death, it was others who suffered.
When the cannon fodder died, only the cannon fodder perished.
General Ping Tian was evidently such a cannon fodder. He was too preoccupied with the delicious food in someone else’s pot, completely forgetting that his own pot still held porridge.
“My Lord speaks well.” Qi Guanrang tossed his integrity aside, choosing to echo Jiang Demon King’s words.
“I have a curious idea; I wonder if we can give it a try.”
Hiding in the grass, Jiang Pengji held a meeting with her strategist while the soldiers silently awaited further orders.
Upon hearing this, Qi Guanrang’s heart jolted; he feared his Lord would pull yet another stunt.
If anything happened to her, he genuinely feared getting scolded to death by Xu Ke and Wei Ci upon returning.
Xu Ke was relatively easy-going, but Wei Ci, frail yet cunning, Qi Guanrang truly didn’t want to offend.
“What kind of idea?” Qi Guanrang asked.
Jiang Pengji beckoned him closer, saying, “Lean in; listen carefully.”
After hearing her out, Qi Guanrang felt like he had opened the door to a new world; who knew sieging could be played like this?
How devious was his Lord’s mind?
Not even the Mother River of Dongqing could cleanse it!
Meanwhile, Li Yun and Xu Ke led the remaining two thousand-plus soldiers hurrying towards Mao Lin County.
At a brisk pace, no one dared to chat or joke around.
With short-distance, weight-bearing marches, most of the soldiers were trained. Aside from literary types like Xu Ke, who struggled a bit, overall expressions looked fine. Surprisingly, the hundreds of female soldiers they thought might fall behind kept up tightly, albeit with pale faces.
In contrast, the only one heavily winded was Xu Ke, who was riding a horse.
After intentionally rerouting to avoid the Green Garment troops in Mao Lin County, over two thousand soldiers took a brief break in a mountain dip, ready to quickly assault Mao Lin County once the Green Garment Army fully vacated. Xu Ke shifted his feet uncomfortably, his face pale.
Li Yun, a straightforward lad, noticed Xu Ke’s strange movements and asked outright.
“Is the inner thigh chafing? It’ll sting while walking, but a bit of medicine will help. I have some; would you like it, sir?”
Xu Ke’s expression darkened, and upon noticing curious gazes around him, he awkwardly declined, “No need, I’m fine.”
Li Yun, adjusting his breath, expressed concern for Xu Ke, “Your complexion looks a bit off, sir.”
Xu Ke’s lips twitched; silence was golden.
With such a straightforward boy around, could a normal person’s complexion stay good?
“I’m just worried about my Lord… what if something goes wrong over there…” Xu Ke randomly started a conversation.
Due to her capriciousness, Jiang Pengji had only brought fifteen hundred elite troops and a limited amount of siege equipment, so it was impossible for Xu Ke to not feel uneasy.
However, recalling how his Lord had previously led her men to conquer Xiang Yang County, he figured he was overthinking it.
As demonstrated, his Lord’s way of thinking was beyond regular comprehension.
Even in battle, her style was unlike that of ordinary people.
