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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 180
Zhang Suduo, covered in wounds yet still filled with disdain, cast a glance at Li Mi and spat, "So it was your cunning plan, you rodent! Without father or lord, even heaven cannot tolerate you."
Li Mi maintained his composure and continued to sincerely advise, "Yang Guang is no wise ruler. Look at the legacy left by the Predecessor Emperor; in just over a decade under his rule, he has brought about the wrath of heaven and the hatred of the people. He shows no signs of repentance and continues to act as a tyrant. We are merely following the will of heaven and the hearts of the people..."
Zhang Suduo interrupted him with a thrust of his spear, pointing its blade at the surrounding Wagang Army soldiers. "They may rebel, but you cannot. You have long enjoyed Imperial Favor; at such a young age, you inherited the title of Duke of Longxi and live in unimaginable wealth. How much do you truly understand the suffering of the common people? Clearly, you do not act for the world but for your own ambition!"
Bing Yuanzhen, clutching his shoulder where Roshan had stabbed him, burst into laughter, nearly falling off his horse. Though he said nothing, his meaning was clear.
Zhang Suduo's contempt deepened. "You once followed Yang Xuangan; back then, you could be considered a figure of note. Now you have stooped to serving a band of thieves. To be defeated by you is truly a disgrace for me after all my achievements."
He then looked skyward and declared, "How can I repay the Emperor's kindness? I shall fight to the death!"
With that, he charged at Li Mi. But with his already battered body, how could he withstand the onslaught? Soon, several spears pierced him under his ribs. He let out one final roar before tumbling from his horse, eyes wide open in death.
Zhang Suduo's words had some impact, but they paled in comparison to his death's significance. The Wagang forces looked up to Li Mi with admiration; Zhang Suduo was their nemesis—Wang Bo, Sun Xuanya, Shizha, Hao Xiaode, Pei Changcai, Shizi River, Guo Fangyu, Zuo Xiaoyou—each had once commanded tens of thousands of troops to seize cities and establish dominance but had all met defeat at Zhang Suduo's hands—either dead or fled without exception.
Now such a figure had fallen at their hands!
Not only had they triumphed over a formidable foe, but Wagang also made its mark before all the heroes of the realm. More directly, Luo Kou Warehouse now belonged to them; Wagang would no longer have to worry about provisions for some time.
All this was thanks to Li Mi; truly worthy of being called Duke of Longxi—he was different from them.
After the battle, Li Mi undoubtedly received the largest share of glory. Through his military achievements, he became the second-in-command of Wagang. Wang Bodang and others along with their troops formally came under Li Mi’s command, along with a portion of surrendered Sui Army soldiers.
Zhai Rang allowed him to establish Pushan Public Camp; had he not permitted it, Li Mi might have led Wang Bodang and others away from Wagang.
Then during discussions among everyone present, Li Mi sat at Zhai Rang's lower seat while facing Xu Shijie. The three now held sway over all matters concerning Wagang.
Li Mi was full of vigor. "Duke Zhai, the people are suffering from famine, and the Luo Kou Warehouse is stocked with grain. If we lead our troops in a swift raid, we can surely seize it!"
This had been decided long ago, as Li Jian Cheng had instructed, and Zhai Rang nodded without hesitation.
Seeing this, Li Mi quickly added, "After we take the granary, we will distribute the grain to relieve the poor. Who wouldn't rally to us? With a million strong, we can gather them in a day. Then we can issue proclamations far and wide, attracting talented individuals to strategize with us, selecting the brave to lead our troops. Wouldn't that be splendid for overthrowing the Sui State and establishing military governance?"
Zhai Rang felt a surge of excitement but quickly regained his composure. He knew he couldn't compete with the Lord or Li Mi; this world would never be ruled by someone as foolish as him.
Li Mi was not familiar with Zhai Rang and thus did not notice anything amiss. However, Xu Shijie felt relieved; while it was easy to kill Zhai Rang, without him, keeping Li Mi in check would be difficult.
Feigning concern, Zhai Rang said, "Grain is the foundation of an army. Recklessly giving it to the people may earn us a good name but could easily undermine the morale of our troops. Allow me to consider this."
Li Mi's lips twitched involuntarily; he desperately wanted to eliminate this shortsighted fool. What good was grain without troops? By showing kindness to the people, he could win their hearts and recruit more soldiers.
While claiming a million was an exaggeration, expanding their forces by several tens of thousands over a few months was absolutely feasible. They could become the most powerful force in the land overnight—who wouldn't want that?
Yet Li Mi held back. Zhai Rang had high prestige within Wagang; after all, he had come seeking refuge. Before Zhai Rang had done anything significant, Li Mi couldn't afford to bear the infamy of murdering his lord and seizing power.
Thus, he refrained from discussing this matter further and instead shifted the conversation to the plan for taking Luo Kou Warehouse. Soon enough, they successfully mobilized their forces; no one wanted to miss out on occupying the largest granary in the realm.
...
Li Jian Cheng lowered his bow and observed the fleeing cavalry in the distance, realizing that it was time for negotiations. Sure enough, within two days, leaders from various Tiele factions dismounted and brought two tightly bound Turkic princes before Shibi Khan's horse.
In the main tent, these leaders solemnly apologized to Shibi Khan once more. He scolded them harshly but commanded them to rise and take their seats while ordering fine wine to be served.
Faced with Khan's goodwill, the leaders pledged their loyalty by drinking excessively and feigning drunkenness while uttering insincere flattery.
Meanwhile, kneeling below were Ashina Silifu and Ashina Tuo Bi, who were continuously weeping and begging for forgiveness.
Shibi Khan looked at everything with satisfaction. Good, his prestige had not been damaged, and the various tribes would hand over the youngest son of their leader. These children had grown up beside him and would learn to revere Khan as if he were a deity.
As for his two younger brothers, he could justifiably diminish their power and Troops, keeping them in Dali City until they completely settled down.
Thus, he generously stated that as long as they remembered their lesson, this matter could be considered resolved. We are family and should strive for greater achievements together.
Shibi Khan revealed his ambitions for the Central Plains. Many people learned about the situation in the Central Plains for the first time and expressed their desire to follow Khan southward to occupy the best lands, raise more horses, cattle, and sheep, marry more women, and have more children!
After the tribal leaders returned home inebriated, Shibi Khan ordered someone to untie his two younger brothers. Yes, in order to establish authority, Shibi Khan treated the tribal leaders with respect but kept his two brothers bound and kneeling in the center of the main tent.
Although he had said he would forgive them, he did not allow them to stand up and enjoy the treatment befitting the eldest son of the former Khan. Instead, they were forced to kneel like slaves while watching him drink.
Ashina Silifu looked on in humiliation as a slave was sent to him. The tall figure knelt before him, clumsily untying the ropes around him. The relief in his body could not suppress the anger within or the fear of what lay ahead.
He understood his older brother all too well; for the rest of his life, unless Ashina Tuoji died first, he would have to live like a dog by his side, subject to whips or rewarded with scraps based on his brother's whims.
Suddenly, he felt something hard and sharp being stuffed into his bosom—too familiar; it was a knife, a short knife used for cutting meat at meals. He had not been without it since he grew teeth.
……………
(End of Chapter)
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