Jiaohua

Chapter 1494: The most vulnerable people are the easiest to control

The mountain is filled with moonlight, the pines are swaying in the wind, the ancient temple is quiet and peaceful under the moon, the monk is returning with scriptures in his hands, the birds are chirping all over the mountain, and all things are falling asleep.

A woman in her thirties walked very quickly into the elegant courtyard and went straight to the main room.

The lights in the wing room were dim. Yan Qinglin was wearing a plain green robe with his eyes closed. He held a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, twisting them one by one with his fingertips.

After Lian Yin entered the room, she knelt down behind Yan Qinglin and said softly, "Madam, someone has come to the temple with an urgent message."

Yan Qinglin opened his eyes: "War?"

"Ah."

"Oh." Yan Qinglin closed her eyes and the Buddhist beads continued to slide in her hands.

After a moment of silence, Lian Yin stood up and placed the envelope in her hand on the long table in front of Yan Qinglin: "Madam, A Li led the Xia family army across Ningzhou and raided Jinle Town. In less than half a day, they destroyed the military deployment of Jinle Town. From officers to soldiers, no one in Jinle Town was spared and the entire army was annihilated. The county magistrate, county magistrate, and county lieutenant of Jinle Town were also beheaded by her."

Yan Qinglin turned his head slowly and asked: "Did she send troops from Hengxiang?"

"Correct."

"There are no more survivors in the military and political affairs of Jinle Town?"

Lian Yin shook her head: "No, she only killed the county magistrate and his men. The other officials are all alive."

Yan Qinglin spoke faster: "So, what did those petty officials say? Did they see Xia Zhaoxue in the Xia family army?!"

Lian Yin pursed her lips and said carefully: "Madam, if you want to know the details, you'd better go to the palace to ask the emperor..."

Yan Qinglin frowned and paused, then she sat back up and said, "Send someone to tell Pei Huirao to find a way to get the whole story out of Tian Wu."

Lian Yin sighed, "Madam, it's not appropriate for you and the emperor to continue to be in a stalemate."

"Does it matter to me whether it's okay or not?" Yan Qinglin smiled coldly, "If I go back and ask for peace, will it be okay? He will only neglect me and look down on me even more! But it's good now. The Xia family army has raided Jinle Town. The Xia family army... I think he can't sit still anymore. He will definitely come to find me!"

Lian Yin lowered her head: "Madam, there is one more thing."

"what?"

"Guo Wanwan beat another concubine to death with a stick. General Sun was very unhappy this time. Guo Wanwan sent a letter to the mountain, hoping that the lady would help her again."

"Help her again," Yan Qinglin looked up at the Buddha statue and said slowly, "Then who will help me? You?"

Lian Yin was startled, and then realized that these words were not spoken to her.

Yan Qinglin's eyes were fixed on the pair of kind and compassionate eyes on the Buddha statue.

"Guo Wanwan killed all of Sun Ziyi's concubines one after another. And now, I am being bullied by Cao Yuxiang."

Lian Yin whispered: "Madam, this matter..."

Yan Qinglin suddenly clenched the Buddhist beads in his hand, feeling indescribable sadness and anger.

She really doesn't want to deal with those trivial matters!

She has been busy for Song Zhiyi for half her life and is already tired of revolving around a man!

But Sun Ziyi is very important. He is one of the military generals who has offered many suggestions and won many battles beside Song Zhiyi in recent years. Guo Wanwan is his wife, so he cannot let go of Guo Wanwan.

Putting the Buddhist beads heavily on the long table, Yan Qinglin turned around and looked at Lian Yin, his voice unusually calm: "Who has Sun Ziyi been at odds with recently?"

Lian Yin thought for a moment and said, "There is only one thing. The emperor is preparing to build a camp and form a new Dechang Army to suppress the rebels. The position of the commander of the Dechang Army is still vacant. Sun Ziyi, Mu Hengxiong, Wen Lang and others want to compete for it."

Yan Qinglin shook his head: "No, Sun Ziyi already controls the Zhongyong Army and the Dadong Army. If I give him military power, I won't have anything to hold him hostage in the future." "Then..."

Yan Qinglin slowly looked at the urgent letter sent by Yinlian.

"I'm confused," Yan Qinglin said, "Who said that I have to give him benefits? Back then, Xia Zhaoxue was a descendant of a famous family, a prince who was about to inherit the throne. What benefits could I afford to give him? I couldn't. But in the end, didn't I still control him?"

Lian Yin was confused: "Madam?"

Yan Qinglin suddenly smiled and looked at Lianyin: "Xia Zhaoxue had a bad fate. He offended Li Ju and was eventually confiscated and exterminated. He has nothing. As for Sun Ziyi, I can take what he already has and make him lose everything."

Lian Yin also smiled: "Then, return them to him one by one."

"That's right," Yan Qinglin's voice became meaningful, and his eyes became far-reaching, "In this world, only the down-and-out people are the easiest to control."

The moon became fainter and fainter, and suddenly a wind blew in the sky, and large patches of clouds drifted towards the west.

The lights in Yan Qinglin's room stayed on until dawn. His bright eyes, which had just woken up, stared quietly at the lights on the cliff top in the dim light of morning.

Just now, Zhan Ning told her that Xia Zhi and his friends pretended to be passers-by and went around to ask around, but they were treated as distinguished people by the villagers.

They are the subordinates of the distinguished guest who lives in the Pingyuan Temple on the mountain.

Yan Qinglin was right in front of him.

This place is indeed not far from Yong'an, only half a day's ride on horseback. It was because she led the Xia family army all the way north that they attacked too fast.

"Second Miss, do you want to go up the mountain?" Zhan Ning suddenly said.

Xia Zhaoyi looked at the mountain top in the distance and shook his head.

"If we go up the mountain now, we can definitely capture Yan Qinglin immediately... Yan Qinglin is a very important person beside Song Zhiyi. Yan Qinglin has made an indispensable contribution to Song Zhiyi's current status." Zhan Ning couldn't help but continued.

"I know." Xia Zhaoyi said softly.

She also knew that many of Song Zhiyi's subordinates were actually on Yan Qinglin's side.

She is good at getting along with everyone, and she can mediate between the upper and lower levels. She helps those who Song Zhiyi dislikes, and she recruits those who Song Zhiyi wants to win over.

She also hired many assassins, and Chu Zheng was one of her subordinates.

Without Yan Qinglin, Song Zhiyi's life would be much more difficult.

Zhan Ning said: "Then why doesn't the second young lady take advantage of now..."

"My share of the gift has not arrived yet," Xia Zhaoyi smiled faintly, "If he kills Yan Qinglin, Song Zhiyi will only suffer pain for a few months. After he recovers, he will eat the people and treasures left by Yan Qinglin, and he will become stronger. As for keeping Yan Qinglin, she will protect herself well, and Song Zhiyi cannot take away what belongs to her."

Zhan Ning nodded: "Second Miss, our journey is too fast. It will take another seven days for Chu Zheng's body to reach Yong'an."

"No hurry," Xia Zhaoyi retracted his gaze from the top of the mountain, turned and walked to the left, "Let's go."

Xia Xingming and the others should be getting up, so she still has to continue practicing shooting.

Three hours later, the Xia family army set out again.

After leaving Jinle Town a few days ago, they played disappearing games along the way and disappeared quietly in Song Zhiyi's territory.

Today, Xia Zhaoyi's target was set on the banks of the Shushui River, which was the Zhu family army that Song Zhiyi had recruited just three months ago.

The Recruiting Envoy and the Commander-in-Chief of the Field Camp sent out at that time was none other than Wen Lang, the man who flooded Wei Ping's Mansion.