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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 147: The Pursuit of Denial
"The public's achievements are for oneself; how can one risk their life and act with reckless bravery?"
"Brother, it's not worth it to clash with him head-on."
Yang Xuangan nodded, his gaze once again falling on Qin Shubao. If he had such a fierce general, there would be no need for him to take matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, he did not.
Of course, a general like Qin Shubao was rare, but the Yang Family still had fierce generals like Dan Xiongxin and Luo Yi to compare with; however, they were only those two.
Yang Xuangan found it strange that although the Li Family had revived because of Li Jian Cheng, their foundation should not be comparable to his own family. How could they have so many heroes under their command?
On Li Jian Cheng's side, after carefully observing Qin Shubao, he remarked, "Yang Xuangan is merely a decayed corpse in the grave; there is truly no need to take such risks."
Upon hearing this, Qin Shubao felt a sense of relief. He had been worried that Li Jian Cheng would blame him for not being willing to fight fiercely. Gratefully, he said, "It is the duty of a general to fight in battle. If I cannot strike down the enemy leader, I would feel unworthy of my title."
Li Jian Cheng did not say much more; he simply offered wine and meat for Qin Shubao to rest. After receiving a glance from Li Jian Cheng, Dan Xiongxin understood and followed him out.
After all, Qin Shubao was not completely bound to them, so it was necessary to influence him at all times. Currently, it seemed there were no issues.
Back in the tent, the two sat down and drank three cups together. Qin Shubao wasted no time tearing into the meat; fighting in battle required a tremendous amount of physical strength and energy.
Having traveled together through various regions, there was no need for excessive pleasantries. Seeing Qin Shubao's complexion regain its rosy glow, Dan Xiongxin raised his cup and said, "Brother Qin, the Lord has shown great kindness and righteousness towards us brothers."
Qin Shubao was no fool; he could naturally discern the underlying meaning. However, just as he had served under Zhang Suduo in Come to Protect the Child while being able to withdraw at any time, it was clear that he was not someone who could be easily swayed by mere flattery or gifts.
He knew very well that with his strength and talent, he could go anywhere and be treated as an honored guest.
"I naturally understand and have the intention to repay, so as soon as you summoned me, I hurried day and night to serve you."
Dan Xiongxin did not want to hear this. After a long silence, he said, "I am just afraid that we, as brothers, will meet on the battlefield in the future."
Qin Shubao exclaimed, "How could it come to this! Your kindness means that even if I am fortunate enough to hold a high position, I should still treat you with respect as I do today. How could I dare to show any disrespect..."
"You know that is not what I mean."
Qin Shubao also fell silent for a moment before saying, "Aren't you the Loyal Minister of His Majesty?"
"Indeed, I am a Loyal Minister, but what about Yang Xuangan on the other side? This current emperor, we followed him to conquer Goguryeo, and for him, we helped Zhang Suduo quell the bandits. Now we must also suppress Yang Xuangan for him. When will this end?
I am a simple man, but I can see that chaos has already begun in the world. What good will it do to suppress Yang Xuangan?
In just these two months, Ji Yin Meng Hai Gong has risen as a bandit, holding Zhouqiao Department with tens of thousands of people. Yu Hang Liu Yuanjin has also gathered tens of thousands in just a short time. Wu County Zhu Xie Jinling Guan Chong has amassed crowds to plunder Jiangzuo."
Dan Xiongxin shook his head. "One by one we suppress them, yet another one pops up. If this nation can still remain stable, then there must be something wrong."
Qin Shubao knew that Dan Xiongxin's words were not unfounded. They had discovered while following Zhang Suduo to quell the bandits that it was indeed impossible to kill them all.
"Brother, we both want to gain much from you, but can you see what you think about most?"
Before Qin Shubao could respond, Dan Xiongxin shook his head and said, "I cannot see through it, but from my limited perspective, you have reached this position at such a young age. Unless you advance further, sooner or later you will follow in Yang Su's footsteps.
"I believe you are not the type who would willingly go to your death out of foolish loyalty!"
Naturally unwillingness leads to rebellion. Qin Shubao stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth without even spitting out the bones; he simply chewed it down and swallowed it whole.
"Great achievements can only come from the dragon. I, Dan Xiongxin, also wish to have a noble title and wealth to pass down to my descendants. Therefore, if Brother Qin is unwilling to join me, we shall meet on the battlefield in the future!"
Qin Shubao exhaled sharply. "Has the Lord spoken to you about this matter?"
"Never."
"Then is Brother Dan a confidant of the Lord?"
"I consider myself one, but I have not served under the Lord for long."
"It seems it was not the Lord who sent you to persuade me. Brother Dan, knowing your recklessness, the Lord will surely want to teach you a lesson."
"Haha, I'm no strategist. You and I have been brothers through thick and thin for quite some time. If there are achievements to be made, I naturally want to pull you along; there's no need for any probing like a timid woman."
Qin Shubao pondered for a moment. "Tonight, we will visit the Lord together."
Dan Xiongxin was overjoyed and immediately sat beside Qin Shubao, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "I see that Luo Yi is indeed a capable person."
Qin Shubao nodded. "The soldiers he brought are even more elite than those in Chang'an. This shows that he is not only brave himself but also skilled in training and leading troops."
"Such a person should not be overlooked; we should get closer to him."
Li Jian Cheng was still unaware that Dan Xiongxin had given Qin Shubao a set of direct punches. At this moment, he was reviewing intelligence from various regions, especially regarding where the rebels were rising up.
There were simply too many to count. The court was aware and had communicated both internally and externally about those with over ten thousand followers; those with fewer than ten thousand—hundreds or thousands—were almost present in every county.
As long as there were figures capable of resonating within a few counties, gathering over ten thousand people would be effortless. It was evident that the world had truly reached the brink of collapse.
However, these were common folk, not officials or noble families. Their attitudes remained hesitant, which is why although Yang Xuangan had taken Luoyang, no prefecture dared to openly support him.
Even with Li Jian Cheng's special assistance, Yang Xuangan's power was much stronger than in history; he had even occupied Luoyang. Yet, the situation was not as Li Mi and others had anticipated.
The timing still wasn't right. With the people's livelihoods so difficult, Li Jian Cheng naturally wished for them to recover soon. However, the opportune moment had not yet arrived, and hastily raising an army would still lead to inevitable defeat.
It was necessary for all the noble families to be thoroughly disappointed in Yang Guang; this task wasn't too difficult but required some time.
Li Jian Cheng began to write letters, as many relationships still needed to be maintained. Anyone with influence could not be overlooked; the so-called will of the people was built upon these small accumulations.
At night, just after Li Jian Cheng set down his pen and rubbed his wrist, he saw Dan Xiongxin and Qin Shubao arrive. He initially thought the two generals were there to offer strategies against the enemy, but instead found them speaking in circles, their words muddled and unclear.
It took Li Jian Cheng a while to grasp their meaning and learned that it was Dan Xiongxin acting on his own initiative. Just as he intended to say something diplomatic to appease the two generals, he heard Dan Xiongxin strike directly.
"My Lord, if Sui loses its deer, would you pursue it?"
……………
(End of Chapter)
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