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"Have you seen Lord Yang?" A red-clad warrior, seemingly the leader, stepped forward.
"Commander Fang, please inform His Highness the Crown Prince that I have invited Kaiyang Sect Top Ten Disciples to assist." Yang Shiqi bowed.
Commander Fang glanced at Wang Yi and the others, nodded, and suddenly heard a gentle voice from within the tent say, "Is Lord Yang back?" The voice was warm, like a spring breeze, making one feel at ease.
"Reporting to His Highness the Crown Prince, Lord Yang has returned from Kaiyang Sect," Commander Fang replied.
"Then hurry and invite Lord Yang and the heroes of Kaiyang Sect inside."
Commander Fang nodded in agreement.
Wang Yi and the others entered in turn, only to find the tent illuminated by numerous candles. On either side were more than ten military chairs. At the head sat a young man around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, dressed in a purple-black robe with a purple-gold belt. His hair was styled high, giving him an extraordinary appearance. His bright eyes seemed to contain wisdom, as if he could devise a clever plan at any moment. He looked at everyone with a smile. This man was none other than the current Crown Prince, Zhao Xuan.
Beside him stood an elderly man in his sixties, clad in gray. He was hunched over, his face covered in deep wrinkles resembling terrifying ravines. His complexion was waxy yellow, standing there as if he were asleep yet giving off an impression that he could wake at any moment. His hands were hidden in his sleeves, leaning on a cane that seemed neither wood nor gold nor ink. At first glance, he appeared to be an unremarkable old man, but upon closer inspection, one could sense that he was extraordinary.
"I pay my respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince," Yang Shiqi bowed deeply.
"We pay our respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince," Wang Yi and the others echoed in unison.
"Please rise, everyone. Be seated," Zhao Xuan gestured.
"The Crown Prince is easygoing; you may sit down," Yang Shiqi smiled as he noticed that Wang Yi and the others remained standing.
Everyone expressed their gratitude and then took their seats one by one.
Wang Yi sat in the prominent position on the left side, his expression calm, but a ripple of unease stirred within him. It was not just the mysterious Gray-Robed Elder; Zhao Xuan gave him a sense of danger, yet he was indeed a genuine Seventh Layer of Yuan Realm martial artist. He thought, "It seems that Zhao Xuan has cultivated a high-grade Martial Art; otherwise, I wouldn't feel this way."
"I am Zhao Xuan, pleased to meet the talented individuals of Kaiyang Sect," Zhao Xuan said with a serene expression, clasping his hands as he sat in his chair.
"Too humble," Wang Yi and the others exchanged glances and quickly stood up to respond.
"Please, everyone, take a seat," Zhao Xuan waved his hand and said, "I invited you all here at my own request; please do not take offense."
"Tie Brother, could you introduce me to them?" Zhao Xuan smiled at the respectful Iron Curtain.
"Of course..." Iron Curtain then proceeded to introduce Zhao Xuan to each person in turn.
"Oh, so the eldest disciple of Kaiyang Sect is Brother Wang," Zhao Xuan remarked as he looked Wang Yi up and down, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes.
"Your Highness overpraises me; Wang Yi does not deserve such honor," Wang Yi replied as he stood and bowed.
"There is no need for such formality, Brother Wang," Zhao Xuan waved his hand and then changed his expression to one of seriousness. "The Mountain Bandits have been harassing the common people recklessly. As the Crown Prince, I feel ashamed before the people. I wish to eliminate these bandits from the mountains and hope for your assistance."
"Your Highness is wise. With such benevolence, it is indeed a blessing for Your Majesty, for the Song Dynasty, and for the common people," Yang Shiqi quickly stood up with a respectful expression.
"Lord Yang, please take a seat first," Zhao Xuan waved his hand with a smile.
Yang Shiqi was momentarily taken aback but saw that Wang Yi and the others remained seated without any change in expression. His face turned red with embarrassment as he waved his sleeve and finally sat down.
Wang Yi felt amused, not expecting that Yang Shiqi, who appeared to be upright, was actually a flatterer.
"Your Highness, there are many bandits on Mang Mountain. I wonder if you have any plans?" Wang Yi stood up and bowed.
"Boldly speaking, Wang Yi, the Prince is wise and powerful, so he must already have a plan in mind. How dare you ask him here? Quickly withdraw," Yang Shiqi coldly snorted and saluted Zhao Xuan, then spoke to Wang Yi without courtesy.
"Lord Yang, my brother Wang is a distinguished member of the Kaiyang Sect and should not be treated disrespectfully," Zhao Xuan said expressionlessly to Wang Yi. "Since my brother has mentioned this, he must have a strategy in mind. May I hear it?"
Wang Yi was taken aback for a moment. In his previous life, he was just a nine-to-five wage slave and knew nothing of governance. Initially, he asked because everyone else was silent, and the terrain of Mang Mountain was treacherous. He didn't expect to bring trouble upon himself. However, he was also a person of clever schemes, quick-witted, and already had a plan in mind. He calmly said, "I observe that Mang Mountain is surrounded by cliffs on three sides, making it difficult to approach. There is only one mountain path available. The Flying Swallow has long occupied Mang Mountain and must have set up hidden sentries with strict defenses. If we attack head-on, the losses will be severe."
"My brother makes a valid point. What advice do you have?" Zhao Xuan nodded, his gaze towards Wang Yi showing a slight change.
Yang Shiqi was taken aback for a moment, looking at Wang Yi in surprise. He snorted and fell silent, staring at him to see what else he could come up with. He did not expect that this nineteen-year-old youth could come up with such insights; even seasoned generals would find it difficult to articulate such thoughts.
Iron Curtain and the others were also somewhat astonished; after all, Wang Yi was just a commoner from the countryside—how could he know about military matters?
"Is there any food supply in the mountain?" Wang Yi asked.
Zhao Xuan gestured with his eyes, and Yang Shiqi quickly replied, "The Flying Swallow has dominated Mang Mountain for ten years and has stored quite a bit of food. According to reports from the hidden sentries, there is enough food stored for the Mountain Bandits to last a year." Yang Shiqi paused before continuing, "Moreover, the Flying Swallow learned military training methods during his early years in the army and is quite knowledgeable about military law. He has trained an elite Flying Swallow army that can take on ten men each; thus my subordinates have attempted multiple times to eliminate them but have been unable to succeed." He glanced at Wang Yi, thinking that it was foolish for someone as inexperienced as him to think he could eliminate the cunning Flying Swallow.
"I came to Xiangzhou specifically to capture this Flying Swallow; however, one year is too long," Zhao Xuan said.
Upon hearing this, Wang Yi furrowed his brows tightly. He initially thought that if there were no food in the mountain, they could surround it without attacking and wait for the Flying Swallow to come down after some time. But since there was still enough food for a year inside the mountain, the Flying Swallow could easily engage in a war of attrition; thus this plan would no longer work.
"Water." Wang Yi suddenly looked up. Generally speaking, water sources in the mountains are not abundant. With thousands of Flying Swallows gathered, if their water source were cut off, chaos would surely ensue in the mountains.
"Hmph, this Mang Mountain is unusual. There is a peculiar type of tree that grows here; simply cutting it down will cause water to flow. Therefore, even if we cut off the Flying Swallows' water source, we cannot break through." Yang Shiqi coldly snorted, standing up respectfully and saying, "Your Highness, Wang Yi is clearly mocking you. According to military discipline, please punish him severely with a hundred strokes of the military staff." After glancing at Wang Yi, his eyes were filled with pride.
Wang Yi was stunned for a moment, and his face immediately turned extremely ugly. He had no grievances with this Yang Prefecture, yet he was being so difficult; it was truly detestable.
Iron Curtain and the others were shocked. Chu Yixuan hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness, Brother Wang is only acting out of duty. Moreover, Brother Wang is not a military person; please retract your command."
"Please retract your command." Iron Curtain and the others bowed in unison.
"Your Highness, since Wang Yi and the others were appointed by Liu Zongzhu to assist you in dealing with the bandits, they are considered part of the military; how can they be exempt from military regulations?" Yang Shiqi spoke as if he had a personal grudge against Wang Yi, once again stating his case with righteous indignation.
"This..." Zhao Xuan found it difficult to decide.
"You old scoundrel are actually trying to frame me. No, I must endure. This Yang Shiqi is a high-ranking official in the Court; if I act against him, wouldn't that be opposing the Court?" Wang Yi was furious, his thoughts racing like lightning. "I report to Your Highness that I have a plan to defeat the Flying Swallows." His voice was low but filled with confidence and authority.
"Brother Wang." Chu Yixuan stepped forward and urged him anxiously.
Iron Curtain and the others also showed some concern.
"Boldly speaking, you want to deceive His Highness again? If you cannot defeat the enemy, it would be a grave crime against the emperor; you would deserve execution." Yang Shiqi said sternly.
"Hmph, Lord Yang, do you dare to bet with me?" Wang Yi was already genuinely angry, his gaze growing cold as he snorted.
"Bet... bet on it." Yang Shiqi, a scholar who was not versed in martial arts, trembled at the overwhelming aura released by Wang Yi and gritted his teeth.
"If I help His Royal Highness defeat Flying Swallow, you will shout three times to the old man that I am a bastard turtle..." Wang Yi said coldly.
"You brat, you brat, how dare you! Wang Yi, you are truly going too far, too far!" Yang Shiqi was so angry that he trembled all over, his lean face twisted in rage, and his breathing became heavy. Clearly, he was infuriated by Wang Yi. After all, he was a high-ranking official of the court, older in years; how could he endure such humiliation?
"What? Lord Yang doesn't dare?" Wang Yi said with a hint of provocation at the corner of his mouth.
"What? I don't dare?" Yang Shiqi's face turned ashen as he shouted angrily, "Wang Yi, I recognized characters at one year old, composed poetry at three, read through numerous books at five, became a scholar at thirteen, topped the imperial examination at nineteen, and now at sixty years old have served as an official for over forty years. I report to Your Majesty above and to the common people below. How dare you say I don't dare?" By the end of his statement, Yang Shiqi was so enraged that he could hardly contain himself.
"Brother Wang, Lord Yang, please calm down for now." Zhao Xuan did not expect things to escalate to this point and was surprised that Yang Shiqi, despite his age, was so unyielding towards Wang Yi.
"Your Highness, I have served as an official for over forty years and have never been subjected to such humiliation. Today I will bet on this matter and see how he will break Flying Swallow." Ultimately, being an experienced official for over forty years and having seen many battles, Yang Shiqi quickly calmed his anger and clasped his hands.
"Very well then. Brother Wang, what method do you have to break Flying Swallow?" Zhao Xuan felt helpless. Yang Shiqi had been an official for many years; even his own father sometimes found it difficult to deal with him. At the same time, seeing the glint in Wang Yi's eyes made him curious about what clever plan he might have.
"Hmph! Wang Yi, listen carefully. If you cannot break Flying Swallow, according to military regulations, you will receive three hundred strokes of the rod." Yang Shiqi glared at Wang Yi.
"Three hundred strokes." Zhao Xuan's expression changed drastically; this undoubtedly meant death for Wang Yi. Even seasoned warriors would need to lie down for three months after receiving a hundred strokes; three hundred strokes would surely mean certain death for Wang Yi.
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