Chapter 1106: Chapter 266: Qu Lang’s Brilliant Plan Brings Peace, Losing Both the Bride and the Army (Part 5)
"Ha, indeed."
"Did the General guess it in advance?"
Nian Yao nodded and said, "I guessed it, but didn’t dare to bet. Besides, I’m tired of this battle; it’s better to seize the opportunity to withdraw the troops."
General Nian didn’t feel the slightest bit of humiliation for being "outwitted."
"Hehe, for the past two months, I’ve sensed something amiss. I couldn’t fathom what this Yan people’s Southern Marquis was plotting. It didn’t seem like he was really planning to siege the city, nor did he seem intent on bypassing the city directly. It was as if he was maneuvering his troops to put on a show with us.
Later,
I learned that the Yan people’s Lord Pingye snatched the princess on the Qu Clan’s wedding day,
then as a general, I understood a bit."
As he spoke,
General Nian tossed the whole bulb of garlic into his mouth and said to Jing Renli with a burst of flavor:
"I think the ten-plus movements of over a hundred thousand Yan cavalry beneath our Town South Pass over these two months were actually to assist that Lord Pingye in snatching the princess within my great Chu territory!"
Jing Renli was stunned for a moment, and suddenly the words of the Yan people’s Southern Marquis came to mind:
If he has returned, then there’s no need to fight.
It seemed,
to be true.
But it was really too hard to believe; how could such a thing happen?
Military and state affairs were mobilized just to assist in snatching a bride?
"Alright, alright, you’ve worked hard this time, young lad. You’ve got guts, resembling my past self. Remember, to stand out, you must dare to do what others don’t dare to do.
The feat of risking your life to meet that Yan people’s Southern Marquis, oh, and meeting Lord Pingye, I will write it in a memorandum and present it to His Majesty."
Jing Renli immediately felt as if he had been completely seen through and quickly knelt down to salute:
"Thank you, General, for your guidance!"
"It’s nothing; the opportunity was earned by you. You, young lad, are different from me. You know, I’m from a slave background, even though I’m the Emperor’s slave, it is still something unpresentable.
Being in this position has cost His Majesty a lot of pressure too.
You are different,
even if you’re not currently valued by your family, but once you slowly rise, you will find that those family relatives who once saw you as insignificant will treat you as the core of the family in the future. They will treat you with utmost respect and the family resources will flow to you.
At that time,
let’s put it this way,
if the General ever falls into trouble, it might be you who lends me a helping hand."
"General, I dare not."
"Dare not, my foot! Young lad, your background is better than mine; even if I tried my best, I can’t catch up!
I’m a slave, and my son is a slave too. Even if I were granted a title, for three generations, the shadow of being a slave remains.
You, young lad, have potential; I have faith in you.
By the way, since Lord Pingye has returned, our Fourth Princess?"
"Presumably safe and sound."
"That’s good, that’s good. Our Majesty is still sentimental."
"It’s said that on the wedding day, the Fourth Princess claimed that she chose Lord Pingye and wanted to leave with him?"
"Hehe, indeed. A grown daughter can’t be kept. This time, the Qu Clan really lost face, but how to say, for us, it might not be a bad thing.
Consider this,
in the future, that Lord Pingye will be our Majesty’s brother-in-law, and count as family.
If the Yan people were to head south, they’d first have to deal with the Qian State. It would be best if we remain at peace here. I once thought I was a promising young general of the age, but dealing with that Southern Marquis these past two months, what a "Direct Thief," I haven’t had a solid night’s sleep!"
Being opponents with Lord Jingnan, especially in battle, the mental pressure is enormous and leaves no room for relaxation.
Indeed, Lord Jingnan said he mobilized the army to assist Zheng Fan, but if possible, he wouldn’t miss the chance to breach the pass.
However, it was Nian Yao’s caution and the current unreadiness of the Yan Army that left Lord Jingnan unable to find a true opportunity.
"General, why do I feel that if they became one’s own, family would hit family even harder? After all, only in doing so can one prove their excellence and outstandingness."
"Hiss..." Nian Yao took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "There is some truth to that."
After thinking for a while,
Nian Yao said:
"Anyhow, this old man doesn’t want to stay at Town South Pass playing chess with that Southern Marquis any longer. Besides, as a person from a slave background, I’m always sitting at Town South Pass, there’s no way those big nobility are satisfied.
Afterwards, I’ll submit a memorandum to our Majesty, suggesting that it seems there won’t be a major battle here. I’d be freer heading south of Chu to fight the Shanyue.
This Town South Pass,
hehe,
The newly trained Blue Luan army of the Qu Clan can come and test it out, let the Qu Clan people guard this Town South Pass, anyway, they are true family."
"The General is wise."
"How is this strategy? Sounds interesting just thinking about it. But hold on, calculating the route, if that Lord Pingye took the princess over Qi Mountain or Mong Mountain, they shouldn’t appear outside the military camp at this time, unless they flew.
So, they shouldn’t have gone the Mong Mountain or Qi Mountain route; they likely passed through the mountains on the west side of our Town South Pass.
The Qu Clan folk really are a bunch of fools, now they’re probably still searching the mountains around Mong Mountain and Qi Mountain."
Nian Yao, due to his background, had a natural aversion towards the Chu region nobility, he wanted to be part of their games, but even after reaching the position of General, they still despised his origins.
Jing Renli felt the same; although he came from nobility, he had no liking for those true noble scions.
At this moment, the two of them actually felt a sense of camaraderie.
Just then,
a messenger came to report that Yan cavalry had been spotted on the outskirts of Town South Pass.
"Direct Thief, didn’t they say both sides withdrew? Why come again?"
...
On the outskirts of Town South Pass, more than three hundred Yan cavalry, holding torches, didn’t attempt to approach the city walls or the Chu army’s camps below but kept at a safe distance where they wouldn’t be hit by arrows.
The three hundred horsemen waved their torches and spread out,
forming a formation, "
They shouted in unison:
"Qu Lang’s brilliant strategy to pacify the nation, lost his wife and soldier too!!!"
————
Good night.
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