Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Dong Cheng raised his hand and slapped Doctor Xia. It was truly remarkable that such a delicate hand, which could only hold sacred texts, could produce such a loud sound.
With that slap, Doctor Xia's face became swollen.
He glared angrily and shouted, "A gentleman can be killed but cannot be humiliated. Dong Cheng, you are too despicable."
Dong Cheng smiled, "Who has humiliated you? I just hit you."
Doctor Xia, furious, flicked his sleeve and left, not forgetting to instruct others to take away all the gifts he had brought.
Zhong Xue had not paid much attention to Pang Wan at first, but when he spoke up, Zhong Xue couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, secretly sneering. This Pang Wan was provoking him with good intentions, fearing that the State of Chu and Wei Kingdom would negotiate peace and leave his Yan Kingdom in a difficult position.
Although he had no intention of negotiating peace with the State of Chu, Yan Ping had sent someone this time not only to present gifts but also to probe for information. If what he sought could be satisfied by the State of Chu, it would indeed be a good thing to turn hostility into friendship. However, what he wanted was far more than what they could offer; he would never be swayed by mere benefits. But on the surface, he still had to put on a show of being open to negotiation and test the limits of the State of Chu. They truly could not go to war or were they deliberately trying to confuse him into thinking that the State of Chu was weak and easily bullied, thus fostering contempt in him?
Pang Wan's words had completely disrupted his plans; Doctor Xia had been driven away before he could say anything. However, it also helped him reject the State of Chu without needing to waste his breath. The only problem was that Pang Wan was someone to be wary of! And Dong Cheng, that troublemaker—how old was he yet still acted like a child? What kind of trouble would he stir up next?
He smiled and said to Pang Wan, "General Pang, when did you arrive?"
"Just arrived. I heard Lord Jun is getting married and specially brought a congratulatory gift," Pang Wan replied as he presented a brocade box.
Zhong Xue opened it to find a beautifully shaped jade pendant inside, carved with a Jade Rabbit. The jade was exceptionally warm and smooth; it was clearly exquisite jade.
He couldn't help but praise, "Good jade." He belonged to the tiger zodiac while San Chun belonged to the rabbit; this gift was just right for her.
Among all the gifts he received, this one pleased him the most. A smile appeared on his face as he said, "Thank you very much, General."
"Pang Wan" said, "I dare not, as long as 'Lord Jun' is pleased. I just wonder who the new wife is?"
"Mr. Fu" smiled and said, "Get up. This person 'General Pang' should also know her; she is from the 'Yan People' and has served in the military."
"Zhong Xue" was afraid he would mention "San Chun's" name. Last night, when he was intimate with her, that "Girl" refused to agree no matter what. In the end, he helped her keep it a secret and told her to return to the "Yan Army," which she reluctantly accepted. He was worried that if that "Girl" blamed him later and refused to let him sleep with her, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Uncle, your carriage is ready. When do you plan to set off?"
"Mr. Fu" also knew they could not stay long. He was currently in charge of domestic affairs in the "Wei Kingdom," and with the army outside, he feared unexpected complications would arise, so he needed to return home early to ensure everything was well.
"Let's leave now," he stood up and ordered his attendants to load the luggage onto the carriage, taking along the woman he had brought.
However, halfway there, he threw that woman out of the carriage, indifferent to whether she lived or died. In his eyes, useless people were never treated with respect. That woman was originally from the "Qi State," picked up by "Fu Ling" on the way. She stumbled home and thereafter devoted herself to studying hard and becoming a strong individual, ultimately becoming a prominent female thinker. This was all thanks to "San Chun's" provocation, which made her realize how meaningful it was to live and see those less attractive than herself.
Once "Mr. Fu" left, "Zhong Xue" also breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered the army to march towards "Yancheng."
After a period of rest, the soldiers recovered their energy and awaited the next battle.
Scouts reported that "Chancellor Yan Ping" had rushed to "Yancheng" overnight. This battle was a matter of life and death for the Chu Kingdom; if "Yancheng" fell, the "Wei Army" would advance straight into the capital, leading to national disaster.
The army arrived at "Yancheng," with the "Wei Army" in front and the "Yan Army" behind, setting up camp before "Yancheng."
"Chengyang Jun," feeling uneasy about "Pang Wan," specifically transferred him to command in the center army, inviting him to discuss military matters together for convenience. In reality, it was more about keeping him under close watch.
"Pang Wan" was not foolish; he understood this well. However, with Yan being weak and Wei strong, even if there were grievances, there was nowhere to express them. They were constantly under others' control; even if "Chengyang Jun" did not have them as shields in front, he should feel grateful for that.
Of course, this was self-deprecating talk; in his heart, he was always thinking about when to take revenge for this grievance and felt increasingly at odds with "Zhong Xue."
Zhong Xue has been able to rise from a mere proton to his current status not only because of his cleverness and cunning but also due to his great advantage of being able to foresee opportunities. He has always been accurate in reading people, and he understands Pang Wan's thoughts all too well. A general leading troops is most unwilling to be manipulated; having someone like him behind feels like having a knife at one's throat at all times.
However, Pang Wan is the commander of the Yan Army. As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a leader for a day, and an army cannot be without a commander for a day. It wouldn’t do to leave several Yan Soldiers without anyone to manage them, would it? For this reason, San Chun has discussed this matter with Zhong Xue twice, warning him that treating Yan Ren this way would alienate their allies.
Zhong Xue sneered, "Do you really trust Pang Wan that much?"
San Chun retorted, "Pang Wan is loyal to the country. His dedication to the nation is not wrong; we have different positions and serve our own masters, which naturally creates a gap."
"Gap?" Zhong Xue was so angry her nose crinkled. She married him but did not support him; every night she went against him over various matters. They are husband and wife yet still talk about gaps? It’s not as if they were separated by mountains and rivers like a sister-in-law and her brother-in-law.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Do you really think he is loyal? Or perhaps he is loyal, but not necessarily to you."
San Chun was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Back in the day when Pang Wan went into battle with you, Jing Linjun dealt with everyone around you but did not touch him. What do you make of that?"
She was startled. "Could it be that he still has ties with that old scoundrel Jing Lin?"
"Pang Wan is treacherous and adept at adapting to circumstances; it’s not surprising for him to engage in underhanded dealings. Otherwise, how could he have not accompanied you when you led troops out back then?"
"He was ill."
"That illness might not have been genuine."
San Chun did not believe it. "Don’t try to sow discord between us."
Zhong Xue lightly snorted, "It's strange that you have any feelings at all."
She had taken power at a young age. Although she had won a few battles, it did not necessarily earn her the respect of the military; many were insincere, paying lip service while harboring doubts. Feelings? That was something even ghosts wouldn't believe in. Only he truly cared for her, but she treated his feelings as if they were worthless.
Her heart was too kind and too easily Xin Ren, making her unsuitable to be a ruler. Looking back now, it was perhaps for the best that she did not become Yan Wang, sparing her from bringing disaster to the common people.
She coldly said, "I don't want to waste my breath on you. You need not concern yourself with Pang Wan. Whether he is loyal or treacherous is irrelevant to me and Wei Kingdom. I only care that he doesn't cause any trouble during this time that would affect the war."
Given his current state, San Chun could not do much either. Aside from Pang Wan being a guest in the Wei Army's central command, Zhong Xue had not done anything particularly outrageous. If she continued to dwell on this matter and annoyed him, who knew what he might do.
But were his words really true?
People are like that; once the seed of doubt is sown, everything seems off. It reminded her of when Pang Wan fell ill so suddenly—one moment he was fine, and then he was bedridden without warning. She had never considered whether this incident was related to her later assassination attempt, but now it seemed as if it had all been planned from the start.
Later on, Qi's rise to power in the Yan Kingdom and ascension to the throne was somewhat aided by Zhong Xue.
He also hated Jing Linjun. That old scoundrel ended up dead, and he played a part in that too. Zhong Xue did not like to take credit publicly; she had heard about this during their time in Handan from Ji Xun.
Ji Xun had also sent people after Jing Linjun, but clearly, he arrived too late; that old scoundrel was chopped into meat paste and thrown into the river to feed the fish. The chopping was so thorough that a bit of cabbage and salt could wrap fifty pounds of dumplings. What a waste of meat.
At that time, Uncle Qi was still young and likely incapable of such deeds, so Ji Xun suspected it was Zhong Xue's doing.
After hearing about it back then, she felt grateful towards Zhong Xue. Qi had always been her greatest concern. Back at Proton Manor, she had jokingly told Ji Xun and Zhong Xue that if one day she were no longer around, she hoped they would take care of Qi. Little did she expect that Zhong Xue would actually do so later on.
Thinking of these past events made her sigh softly; there was no point in dwelling on what had happened before. Regardless of whether Pang Wan had wronged her in the past, as long as he was now wholeheartedly devoted to Yan Kingdom, all previous matters could be set aside.
The Wei Army was fighting in the front, while the Yan Army was idly growing lice in the rear. San Chun had nothing to do, spending her time eating and sleeping. When bored, she would stand outside to observe the battle situation and marvel at how impressive Zhong Xue truly was.
Her cavalry was known as the best in the Seven Kingdoms. Several charges had left the Chu Army in disarray, and eventually, they were too afraid to come out and fight, retreating entirely into their city.
Zhong Xue ordered an assault on the city, and the battle quickly became extremely fierce; even from a distance, one could hear the sounds of shouting and killing. Unfortunately, for her, she could only be an outsider to this conflict. In some ways, without the Yan Army, the Wei Army would still be able to achieve victory.
After wandering around the camp gate for a while, she turned back inside, intending to check what was being served in the kitchen today.
With the army outside, each soldier's rations consumed a considerable amount of supplies. This cost could not be placed on the Wei Kingdom. The idle Yan Army was left with little to do but eat, and rice from the granary was depleting rapidly. If this continued, they might starve before the battle even ended.
Pang Wan was absent; without a commander, the army felt like a scattered bunch of sand, and military discipline was subtly loosening.
As she pondered how to rein in the current atmosphere, she suddenly heard a woman's voice say, "Miss."
Startled, she turned around and saw a woman standing at the kitchen door.
Comment 0 Comment Count