Chapter 48: Decisive Battle (1)
(Maybe there will be another chapter at midnight, can't confirm, haha, everyone see you tomorrow)
"Sir, these are the heads of Li Jizong's eight bodyguards." Du Shantiger walked into the big tent with eight bloody heads in his hands, exuding a strong smell of blood.
Li Jinhua furrowed her brow, waved her hand and said, "Take them down, give their corpses a proper burial, don't let them suffer the humiliation of being left unburied..." She was now killing more and more people, but as a woman, she still couldn't bear to see these bloody and mutilated bodies, feeling a wave of nausea in her heart, she quickly had Du Shantiger take them away.
In the grand tent, three generals from Qingyang Town sat at the top, while she sat at the bottom to accompany them. Everyone had a gloomy face, looking dull and listless. This winter in Qingyang had been full of twists and turns, with everyone working hard and showing signs of fatigue on their faces. Now that reinforcements had arrived, they thought things would get easier, but this was not the case. A small, stubborn woman had once again put them in a difficult position. Li Jizong and Zhang Wenguang were both dead, and she and her people were now under the control of the other side. They knew very well that even if Li Jizong's crimes were real, this woman, Guo Yu, could not have killed him on the spot without hesitation. The fact that she had done so was a clear indication of her intentions - this was blatant intimidation. It seemed that every generation produced talented people, but when did the military produce such a ruthless and cunning woman? She was probably no worse than Lu Wenxiang in her heyday.
At this moment, their hearts were filled with a mix of emotions. On the one hand, they didn't want to lower themselves and beg for mercy, which would make them the laughing stock of the others. On the other hand, they even more didn't want to offend the woman in front of them, who was ruthless when it came to killing people. That would be purely asking for trouble. The woman's status was not as high as theirs, so the methods she used must have been extremely severe. They understood this logic, so although the three men had a burning desire to speak up, no one dared to open their mouth first.
Standing behind Li Jinhua, Zhao Shi looked at their faces and understood a bit of their current mood. He poked the woman's back with his hand, feeling quite comfortable as a backstage advisor these days. Several plans had been successfully implemented, and this kind of strategic manipulation was something that no man wouldn't enjoy - a sense of having everything under control had already begun to take root in his heart. If he were still the inexperienced young man who hadn't gone through any great storms, he might have already become complacent and arrogant by now. But he was a seasoned warrior who had matured on the battlefield. At this moment, standing behind Li Jinhua, his eyes swept over the several generals in front of him. He could easily see the anger and resentment hidden deep within them from their subtle expressions, as well as the fear and panic that seeped out from every glance, every tiny movement. Inwardly, he smiled silently.
He has never underestimated anyone, let alone these ancient people. Take the few generals in front of him as an example. After experiencing great changes, it is still a matter of life and death, but they can be so calm and composed, and have a good temper. They are not simple characters, but now with heart or without heart, after all, they have the upper hand, it's time to throw out the bait.
Li Jinhua, who had been stabbed, did not show any unexpected expression. This kind of ambiguous relationship seemed to have already become accustomed to her. Following his way of doing things would definitely be no mistake. At this time, worrying about what crime she would be charged with in the future was already unnecessary. A smile floated onto Li Jinhua's face, looking very pleased, and formed a stark contrast with the gloomy faces of several generals.
"The three generals are all veteran generals in the army, and they are seniors of Jin Hua. If it's not necessary, I hope you can forgive me for any offense today..."
"But within the city of Qingyang, there are still 100,000 strong troops. These brave warriors wear armor and hold spears, fearless of swords and knives. They are all pillars of my Western Qin. Now, they lack clothes and food, besieged in this lonely city for a long time, which truly pains my heart. Today's fault is entirely due to Li Jizong's selfishness, and has nothing to do with others. To quickly stabilize the situation in Qingyang, I still need to rely on the prestige of several generals. I humbly request that you generals issue military orders, comfort the soldiers, and calm their minds. When we achieve victory, I am willing to apologize to you generals and accept your punishment."
Zhao Shi nodded to himself, this little girl's words were well-structured and not arrogant or servile. In this aspect, she was much stronger than him. He didn't envy those who spoke cleverly and eloquently, because such people often lacked firm determination. However, it couldn't be denied that at certain times, appropriate expressions and words could have unexpected effects, which was also what he lacked the most.
It was still the round-faced general, Li Renquan, who flashed his eyes and said: "We are now all guilty, the Qingyang rebellion is inseparable from us, where can we still be considered old generals in the army? It's true that General Li is of this age, but he has such means, turning over his hand to make clouds, covering his hand to make rain, it really makes me admire him."
This guy isn't a good opponent, speaking in a soft but firm tone, appearing weak on the surface, but everyone present is clever and can hear the questioning meaning behind his words, appropriately expressing his dissatisfaction, making it impossible for others to grasp the conversation, unable to counterattack, truly possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities, not inferior to his military leadership skills.
But after hearing this, and observing the expressions of the three men, Zhao Shi felt a sense of relief in his heart. From now on, it was just a matter of haggling over prices. As he had expected, these generals were somewhat resistant to Li Jizong's death, after all, the one who killed him was just a minor officer. It was only natural that they would feel some sympathy for their fellow general, but at this point, it seemed that was all there was to it. They would complain a bit and make excuses for themselves, without any intention of seeking justice for Li Jizong. The key issue from now on was still about interests; as long as they were given sufficient benefits that moved their hearts, they would act according to their own wishes.
Just as he was thinking, Li Jinhua said: "Jinhua is ashamed and dare not accept the general's praise. Jinhua originally led a grain transport team to Qingyang, but was ambushed 100 miles away from Qingyang. Although the 1,000 Western Xia iron falcons were defeated, Jinhua's 3,000-strong grain protection army also suffered heavy losses. Originally, I had received an order from the general's camp to have the grain protection army stay in place, but if this order had come earlier, it would be fine. Gentlemen, please think about it, we are less than 100 miles away from Qingyang, and our army has a lot of grain and military equipment, with heavy losses, it is really a dilemma. Fortunately, I was able to contain some of the Xuanfeng Army officers, plus two grain teams that arrived later, so I dared to take a risk. As for the reinforcements, not even a shadow can be seen... ... To say, Jinhua disobeyed orders first and killed imperial generals afterwards, I'm afraid the crime is more serious than the three generals."
"So, quickly stabilizing the chaotic situation in Qingyang is not only related to the personal interests of several generals, but also a matter of life and death for Jinhua. It's absolutely unacceptable to be slow. At that time, Jinhua will report to the general about the merits of several generals, but I also hope that the three generals will make an effort to clear Jinhua's name. Originally, it was Jinhua's duty to devote herself to the country, and she should put aside her personal honor and life, but Jinhua is still... ...still afraid of death, which would make several generals laugh."
A book friend raised some questions about the chapter "Hunting Bears", and I'll answer them here. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, it's early spring, a time when all things are revived, and everyone should know that hibernating animals don't remain still for an entire winter, but rather their activity depends on their fat consumption. After heavy snowfall, the cold weather will naturally prompt them to come out in search of food to replenish their energy.
Besides, getting things down the mountain is not easy, but it's not impossible either. A special forces soldier should be able to make a sled or something, right? The text didn't mention that it was Ah Cao's negligence...
Alright, I have a question that I don't understand. Why are there so few recommendations? And the clicks are in a ratio of 2:1 or 3:1, why is that? Frustrating...
