Chapter 526 – Three-Way Battle (10)
Many members of the Green Garment Army were cut down or smashed to death in their sleep. Some were lucky enough not to be killed, only to find themselves bound with ropes and having their mouths stuffed with rags to silence them and prevent them from waking the other sleeping Green Garment soldiers.
At first, the Common People were anxious and uneasy, only having the courage to move alongside those they knew.
However, after witnessing the beasts that had once oppressed them fall lifeless, their internal fear began to fade.
As they saw, the soldiers of the Green Garment Army were not made of iron; a severed head would indeed lead to death.
This “rebellion scheme” lasted a full hour, with the heavy night sky gradually lightening, revealing a hint of blue-gray.
Jiang Pengji sat in the grass with her arms crossed, her back perfectly straight, head slightly bowed, eyes shut tight.
Others might have thought she was napping, but in reality, she was sound asleep.
Yes, she was sleeping.
Qi Guanrang looked at his lord with amazement; she had maintained this position for over an hour!
“What’s surprising?” Jiang Pengji suddenly opened her eyes and said flatly, “As a qualified warrior, one should cultivate the habit of quickly falling asleep in any environment, recharging one’s strength… What’s the big deal?”
Wake up just like that, back to sleep just like that.
Jiang Pengji glanced at the sky, her eyebrows lightly furrowed. “Any news from Jiao County?”
Qi Guanrang replied, “We’ve sent scouts to gather information; they should be back soon.”
At that moment, Jiang Pengji looked at the distant city wall and noticed that the guards who were supposed to be stationed there had vanished.
She said, “It should be about time… Let’s perform this act in full. We’ll retreat a bit first before coming back.”
Qi Guanrang was taken aback.
Jiang Pengji continued logically, “Otherwise, if they see us all here sharpening our knives the moment they exit the city, it’ll be obvious something’s off, won’t it? They’re handing over the city, and we’re ‘passively’ taking it over. We didn’t snatch Jiao County from them, understand?”
There’s a huge difference between something being snatched and something being willingly handed over, right?
Qi Guanrang almost choked. How did he not know his lord had such shamelessness?
Realizing something, Qi Guanrang said, “If that’s the case, there’s no opportunity for our lord to showcase her skills.”
Taking over Jiao County without bloodshed meant Jiang Pengji wouldn’t need to charge into battle.
She responded, “Look at what you’re saying, as if I’m all about blood and gore. War causes death; even with overwhelming victory, you can’t guarantee no one gets injured or dies. Securing Jiao County peacefully is the best outcome. Why fight? It disturbs the natural order.”
Jiang Pengji spoke with righteous fervor, making not only Qi Guanrang feel she was shameless but also the audience watching the live stream quite sarcastic.
【Round Express】：Hehe, the biggest joke of the year—our host is a pacifist.
【Zhongtong Express】：I think what the host said isn’t wrong; the enemy’s life isn’t worth that much, but our people’s lives are different.
【Shentong Express】：Sigh, the host probably forgot how much she wanted to battle before; I could feel her resentment through the screen. Now she turns around claiming to be a pacifist—doesn’t she think her face feels swollen?
In reality, Jiang Pengji was indeed a “pacifist,” but her peace came through killing to stop killing.
She didn’t care how many enemies died; what mattered was minimizing unnecessary injuries to her own side.
Before Qi Guanrang could respond, Jiang Pengji added, “Based on the time and distance, once we take over Jiao County, if we hurry through a shortcut, we could return to Xiangyang and surprise the Green Garment Army’s rear… I’m worried about whether Xiangyang can hold.”
With taking Jiao County without bloodshed, the casualties for Jiang Pengji’s forces were nearly zero.
The greatest benefit of this peaceful consolidation was that she wouldn’t need time to pacify the people’s hearts. She could even temporarily recruit some locals to help defend Jiao County, and she could bring a thousand troops to reinforce Xiangyang; this was the quickest solution she could think of.
Qi Guanrang furrowed his brows and asked, “How could that be? The four thousand troops are indeed tight, but Huan Yu and Luo Yue aren’t pushovers. The city’s defenses are solid; the ragtag Green Garment Army won’t be able to take Xiangyang from them.”
“You did say ‘almost’ instead of ‘absolutely,’” Jiang Pengji replied calmly. “Do you remember when I left Hejian with my father to head to the capital? Why did I entrust the troops to you?”
Qi Guanrang was puzzled, trying to recall that memory when suddenly he realized something, his expression changing slightly.
“Lord, you mean… Ta Xue…?” Qi Guanrang was taken aback.
Back then, Jiang Pengji had stealthily entered Wei Yuan’s residence at night, entrusting her troops’ mundane tasks to Qi Guanrang while implying there was something amiss around her.
At that time, Qi Guanrang didn’t know who the person was until she left Xun Mei behind and took Ta Xue away.
From what he knew of Jiang Pengji, the more dangerous things were, the closer she liked to keep an eye on them.
Later, as Xu Ke married Xun Mei, Qi Guanrang was even more convinced of his assumptions.
“Lord, you really should be careful. Since you believe Ta Xue has unusual aspects, why not…?” Qi Guanrang’s expression turned anxious.
Ta Xue’s identity hadn’t been revealed yet; if she did something while in Xiangyang, it would be truly unpredictable.
Jiang Pengji lazily lifted her gaze and said, “Rest assured, I may act recklessly sometimes, but I’m not foolish. Ta Xue has problems, and they’re significant ones. She has more than one master backing her, you understand? Over the years, I’ve identified one, but I still have no leads on the other. Having trouble close rather than hidden schemes lurking in the dark is preferable.”
“But what if she seizes this crisis to let the Green Garment Army in?”
“She won’t do that.” Jiang Pengji snorted, stating confidently, “Until she achieves certain goals, she won’t take any harm against me. Perhaps she hopes more than anyone else for me to establish myself in the north.”
Qi Guanrang fell silent, feeling his clever mind wasn’t enough.
Suddenly, he grew anxious and said, “Ta Xue isn’t the personal maid your father arranged for you; how could she let people exploit the gaps?”
Jiang Pengji’s tone turned meaningful, “Yes, she was arranged by my father, but she can’t help it if she’s too crafty…”
If he told Qi Guanrang that Xun Mei also had issues, he would probably go crazy.
What was up with her father’s luck? Both arranged individuals had problems. Tsk!
Just then, the tightly shut gates of Jiao County opened, and a group of over a hundred Common People stealthily emerged before dawn.
After about half an hour, the two parties met halfway.
The Common People were trembling in fear. Jiang Pengji straightened her face and spoke in a deep voice to reveal her identity.
“I am Liu Xi, the Deputy Magistrate of Xiangyang. Who are you, and where do you come from?”
Liu Xi? The Deputy Magistrate of Xiangyang?
The Common People erupted in chatter, discussing among themselves.
At this moment, an older leading man stepped forward, cupping his hands in a bow. “We are the Common People of Jiao County.”
“Common People of Jiao County? What are you doing here?”
The old man suddenly dropped to the ground, weeping, “Please, Deputy Magistrate, save the Common People of Jiao County! If the Deputy Magistrate doesn’t agree, the entire city’s folk will be slaughtered by the beasts of the Green Garment Army!”
