Xie Huanni gave him a glance. “Do you have the audacity to bully a girl? Am I supposed to join you in bullying her?”
Xie Chi had never felt so aggrieved. “I kindly saved her, and she bit me, even spat on Zuiyun. I just asked her to clean Zuiyun, nothing more.
How does that count as bullying? I even got punished by the old man with a military cane! Isn’t it obvious that I’m the one being wronged here?”
He looked at Xie Huanni. “Are you my brother or her brother?”
Xie Huanni shook her head. “If her elder brother were here, I doubt you could even stand here.”
Xie Chi touched his nose. “Why are you making it sound like I’ve committed a heinous crime? I haven’t done anything to her.”
Xie Huanni pushed another intact letter towards him. “This is a letter from the Crown Princess to her sister.
Deliver it and apologize on behalf of yourself.
Otherwise, if there’s any lingering resentment when she returns to the Southern Capital, the Crown Prince and Princess might think we mistreated Miss Qin.”
Xie Chi rubbed the back of his head against Xie Huanni. “I’m not going! If she goes back and exaggerates that I bullied her, then she’s either stupid or malicious.
Such a woman, neither dumb nor good, doesn’t deserve an apology from me!”
Xie Huanni directly slapped him on the head. “You still have the nerve? The girl has a sense of propriety.
If she doesn’t mention how you forced her to groom the horse and got injured afterward, does that mean she deserves your mistreatment?”
Xie Chi, known as the Little Wolf King of the Desert, was rarely managed by anyone except for Lian Qinhou and his elder brother.
Covering his head, Xie Chi grumbled, “Alright, alright, I’ll go apologize to that lady.
Brother, couldn’t you be a bit gentler? If you damage my head, how will it affect my strategic arrangements in the future?”
Xie Huanni was almost amused by this rascal.
The Little Wolf King was formidable outside but played pitiful at home.
He said, “Alright, Mother isn’t here. Even if you act pitiful, no one will pity you.”
Xie Chi picked up another unopened letter from the table, took a few steps, then turned back. “Brother, come with me.”
It was humiliating for him to apologize dryly, and Xie Huanni was eloquent enough to smooth things over.
If Xie Huanni spoke, it would be as if Xie Chi himself had gone to apologize.
“You...” Xie Huanni couldn’t help but understand what his brother was planning.
He pointed at him, worried he might cause trouble again, and reluctantly agreed to go with him.
Since the incident of being injured while grooming the horse, Qin Sheng had been placed in a courtyard in the west wing of the Marquis’s mansion.
Although she was well cared for by maids, during this time in the Northern Court, she was visibly thinner and worried about her mother and brother in Bianjing.
The last time Xie Chi saw Qin Sheng, she was dressed in red finery.
Now, she looked wilted, and Xie Chi was taken aback.
If she returned to the Southern Capital like this, even if she claimed she hadn’t been wronged in the Northern Court, probably no one would believe her.
Xie Chi couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
Xie Huanni was afraid that Xie Chi would provoke resentment, so she asked him to wait outside.
With only one door slightly ajar, Xie Chi stood outside with his arms crossed, able to see clearly the weak figure of the girl in white gracefully bowing to his brother, both wearing rare smiles on their faces as they conversed.
After a while, his brother waved him in.
He went in, and Xie Chi was brewing the words he was going to say in his heart, feeling uneasy as he entered the courtyard.
The smile on Qin Sheng’s face disappeared the moment she saw Xie Chi, leaving only a forced calmness that couldn’t hide her nervousness.
Xie Chi’s face immediately darkened.
Was he really that frightening?
Xie Huanni said, “Second Brother, why don’t you quickly apologize to Miss Qin?”
Xie Chi made a bow, but there was a sense of awkwardness, as if someone was holding a knife to his throat and forcing him. “Earlier, when I made Miss Qin groom the horse, it was impolite of me. Today, I’ve come to apologize.
The cane has already been prepared, and Miss Qin can have someone beat me until she’s satisfied.”
Immediately, a servant brought in a bundle of canes.
Seeing Xie Chi starting to unbutton his shirt to expose his back, Qin Sheng was so scared she covered her eyes and turned away. “Young Lord, your words are too heavy.
I am deeply grateful for the kindness of saving my life, and the hospitality of the Marquis’s mansion is unforgettable.
Your apology is something I cannot accept.”
Xie Chi stopped unbuttoning his shirt halfway and looked at Xie Huanni with his eyes, asking whether he should continue or not.
Xie Huanni glanced at the pale-faced Qin Sheng and reluctantly waved for Xie Chi to step back.
Xie Chi buttoned up his shirt again and, as if a knife were still at his throat, bowed to Qin Sheng. “Thank you, Miss Qin, for not holding my faults against me.”
When Xie Chi, holding the bundle of canes, left the courtyard, Xie Huanni turned to Qin Sheng and said, “We intended to bring my younger brother to apologize to you, but unexpectedly, it frightened you again. I apologize on his behalf.”
Qin Sheng waved her hands repeatedly. “It was my clumsiness that offended the Young Lord. How could I let the Young Lord apologize to me?”
Xie Huanni sighed. “My younger brother has a proud temperament, but he is not malicious. Miss Qin, please don’t take it to heart.”
Qin Sheng shook her head. “Of course not.”
Seeing her timid appearance, Xie Huanni couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her. “While you stay here, treat it as your own home. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, just tell the steward.”
“Master is considerate, everything in the mansion is thoughtful,” Qin Sheng replied.
If the girls of the Desert were openly bold, like the strongest liquor in the cellar, then Qin Sheng let Xie Huanni see a new side of the girls from the Southern Capital.
The Southern Capital’s girls might seem gentle, but they were full of thorns, not piercing others but tightly wrapped around themselves, unwilling to let anyone approach.
When Xie Huanni handed over the letter from Qingzhou, Qin Sheng’s eyes lit up with a different light.
Clutching the envelope tightly, as if finding new support, tears welled up in her eyes, but she smiled sincerely and said, “Thank you, Young Master.”
Her lips curved upwards, genuine and sincere, without pretense or ulterior motives, but very pleasing to the eye.
That was her true smile.
The sunlight filtered through the trees, and Xie Huanni squinted his eyes slightly.
Qin Sheng took the letter back to her room.
Upon opening it, she discovered it was written by her elder brother.
In the letter, her brother informed her that he and their mother had arrived safely in Qingzhou and were doing well.
However, her mother was worried about her, and the letter also mentioned Qin Zheng’s illness and memory loss during their escape.
Unable to hold back her tears, Qin Sheng immediately wrote back to report her safety upon learning about her family’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Qin Zheng in Qingzhou also received a letter from Chu Chengji.
Their ambush on the grain transport army in Meng County went smoothly, and now
They had disguised themselves as remnants of the defeated army from Meng County and were heading towards Meng County.
They left only a small group of people to guard the seized provisions, instructing Qin Zheng’s side to send someone to transport the provisions back to Qingzhou.
Lin Yao decided to stay behind in Qingzhou just in case other prefectures took advantage of this opportunity to attack Qingzhou.
Qin Zheng, along with Song Heqing and Lin Yao, discussed who should be sent to retrieve the provisions, and Lin Yao recommended Yang Yi.
Qin Zheng couldn’t recall him at first, but Lin Yao explained, “He used to be from my Qi Yun Fort in the eastern fort. Like Wang Biao, he’s one of my sworn brothers.
Before the eastern and western forts were merged, he was sent by Your Highness to sell silk in Wu County.”
With Lin Yao’s explanation, Qin Zheng remembered.
The shipload of grain brought back with silk was transported by Yang Yi and Lu Ze.
As a person whom Chu Chengji could trust, Qin Zheng no longer doubted.
He immediately summoned Yang Yi and ordered him to lead a thousand men to transport the seized provisions back to Qingzhou.
“If you encounter imperial troops blocking the way and can’t win, burn the provisions and retreat. Avoid getting into unnecessary battles,” Qin Zheng instructed.
Yang Yi clasped his fist, “I will obey the command!”
As the counselor started to listen in on political affairs, Cen Daoxi suddenly spoke up, “I have a plan that will make General Yang’s journey safer and also benefit Your Highness in capturing Meng County.”
Qin Zheng immediately said, “Please, go on.”
Cen Daoxi smiled, “Your Highness is secretly marching to Meng County.
If General Yang conspicuously escorts the provisions, claiming to have ten thousand troops, it will make it difficult for the court to confront you easily.
It will also help disguise the whereabouts of His Highness, making Meng County think that the troops brought by His Highness are busy transporting provisions.”
Song Heqing applauded, “This plan is excellent!”
Qin Zheng also showed joy, “Indeed, Your wisdom is exceptional! Let’s follow your plan!”
That night, she wrote a letter informing Chu Chengji of this matter.
For the next two days, due to the deliberate rumors they spread, news of Qingzhou hijacking the imperial army’s provisions for Meng County spread like wildfire across the Jianghuai region.
Wang Biao’s Xu Province army also arrived in Hu Prefecture at this time and, with morale high, began to attack the city rampantly.
Externally, it was believed that they hijacked the imperial provisions to supply the troops in Hu Prefecture.
Since the previous siege of Qingzhou was scattered, leaving only a few thousand scattered soldiers and adventurers, they had not recovered their strength.
After being besieged for two days, they were already unable to hold on.
The governor of Hu Prefecture sought reinforcements everywhere, but unfortunately, the reinforcements had not arrived.
Meng County had naturally received the plea for help from Hu Prefecture.
Previously, the former governor of Xu Province, Dong Da, had been living in Hu Prefecture after losing Xu Province.
Now that Hu Prefecture was in trouble, he stationed troops in Meng County. On one hand, he was responsible for guarding the granary, and on the other hand, Hu Prefecture was in danger.
Dong Da was truly caught in a dilemma.
Knowing that the next target of the former prince was definitely himself, the governor of Meng County dared not let Dong Da lead troops to support Hu Prefecture.
He earnestly persuaded him, “Brother Yuan Da, Hu Prefecture is far from Meng County. If you lead troops to Hu Prefecture, and the former prince turns around to attack Meng County, what will we do? Don’t forget the carelessness of losing Xu Province back then!”
Yuan Da was Dong Da’s courtesy name.
At the mention of the loss of Xu Province, Dong Da was so angry that his liver hurt.
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Knowing that what the governor of Meng County said made sense, he didn’t mention going to support Hu Prefecture in advance.
But he still felt troubled, feeling sorry for the governor of Hu Prefecture.
The fate of the governor of Hu Prefecture became uncertain once the city fell.
One night, the few hundred remnants responsible for escorting the provisions fled back to Meng County, waving banners and flags.
The commanding officer on the city tower had already received reports from scouts, informing him that a group of remnants would arrive in Meng County within the next two days.
Seeing the remnants below wearing uniforms similar to those of the Meng County soldiers, carrying Meng County banners, and with the leader holding a pass to enter the city, the officer immediately ordered the gates to be opened.
The massive iron gates, built to withstand any siege, were slowly pulled open by about a hundred soldiers, resembling a giant beast awakening from slumber, its jaws gaping wide.
Meng County’s walls were built from solid mountain rocks, incredibly sturdy.
Even with siege weapons hurling stones, they barely made a dent.
This city, situated in the most dangerous terrain in the Jianghuai region, was both strategically offensive and defensively secure.
It was known as the most fortified city in the area.
Legend has it that building the walls took two years and cost the lives of countless laborers.
At the entrance of the city gates, large pots were mounted on tripods, filled with firewood, flames flickering brightly, resembling the glowing eyes of a beast in the night, eerie and ominous.
The remnants dressed in Meng County uniforms trickled into the city gates.
When the soldiers guarding the gates were about to close them, the remnants suddenly attacked, drawing swords and rushing towards the soldiers.
At the same time, a signal flare shot straight up into the night sky.
The defending officers finally realized they had been deceived.
Frantically, they shouted, “Kill them! Close the gates!”
Soldiers poured out from the passageways like swarms of locusts.
These remnants were actually Chu Chengji’s men disguised as Meng County soldiers.
They had intercepted Meng County’s scouts along the way, hiding the traces of their main force.
They only let the few scouts who had discovered the remnants’ whereabouts go, all for this moment.
Chu Chengji led hundreds of elite soldiers in a fierce battle.
Their blades struck without hesitation, leaving behind only corpses and blood.
However, the incoming soldiers from the city tower seemed endless.
They had planned to deceive Meng County by posing as remnants, tricking them into opening the gates, and then breaking through the gates.
As long as they held the gates until their main army arrived, Meng County would essentially be halfway captured.
These hundreds of elites had emerged from a pile of corpses, each a skilled warrior capable of fighting ten opponents.
For a while, it seemed impossible to close the gates of Meng County.
In the distance, the night echoed with the deep sound of horns, one after another, like the surging waves of the sea crashing incessantly, converging to create a chilling atmosphere.
Stones began to fall from the city walls, the ground trembling beneath their feet.
Warhorses galloped, dust billowing, amidst the clamor of battle and the eerie sound of horns, like a tsunami engulfing a hurricane, threatening to swallow the night whole.
“The enemy is attacking the city! The enemy has begun the siege!” The soldiers on the city tower were terrified, hastily preparing bows, arrows, and rolling stones.
The commanding officer on the tower was equally frantic, directing the soldiers in a chaotic frenzy, “Prepare the catapults five hundred paces away! Archers within two hundred paces, ready your bows!”
“Get ready!”
Seven or eight soldiers pushed the catapults onto the city tower, hastily adjusting their range.
The siege came too suddenly; they hadn’t received any warnings.
Just a few days ago, urgent pleas for help came from Hu Prefecture, and the attackers were the Xu Province army.
They thought the prince’s side had hijacked the provisions and would need to spend some effort transporting them back to Qingzhou.
But unexpectedly, they kept coming towards Meng County without a moment’s pause!
Seeing that the gates couldn’t be closed yet, the defending officer had no choice but to order the soldiers on the arrow tower, “Fire!”
There were still many soldiers below rushing to close the gates.
With this order, it meant indiscriminate arrow fire.
Chu Chengji was skilled in martial arts and could fend off the flying arrows, but the other soldiers fighting alongside him at the city gate kept falling.
Outside the city, the thunderous sound of hooves drew closer.
They could even hear the enemy’s catapults hurling stones onto the Meng County tower.
Just hold on a little longer, and the reinforcements would reach the gates!
Chu Chengji swiftly cut down an attacking soldier and calmly commanded the remaining soldiers, “Build a wall with the bodies!”
The relentless rain of arrows from the arrow tower was too dense.
The soldiers inside the city dared not rush to the gate and become live targets.
They piled up bodies at the gate, partly to block some arrows and partly to hinder the soldiers from closing the gate.