Three Kingdoms: The Guan Family's Rebellious Son, Long Blessing Jing Xiang

"Whoosh-"

"Boom-"

At the foot of Luofengpo Mountain, a gunpowder whip arrow was suddenly shot out and exploded in the sky.

This familiar, weakened version of the explosion sound made everyone in the barbarian army shudder.

The same was true for Meng Huo, Zhu Rong, Cheng Yu and others in the military tent.

At this time, Zhuge Liang slowly stepped into the room and explained to them, "Don't panic, my servant will fire a gunpowder whip arrow every half an hour to signal the Shu army that I am safe here..."

The tone remains the same as always.

The same calmness as always.

But the difference is that now, this light sentence is already full of deterrence.

All the barbarians couldn't help but wonder, what Zhuge Liang meant was that if this gunpowder whip arrow was not fired within half an hour.

Then, the explosion just now would not be at the outskirts of Luofengpo, but would all be caused from under the feet of their barbarian army, and then here - no one and no animal would be left alive!
This…

This…

Zhuge Liang did not say a word in response to this blatant threat, but everyone was filled with inexplicable fear.

As an envoy, this Zhuge Kongming has good means——

Cheng Yu was the most upset. He had already secured victory, but who could have thought that he would capsize in this ditch and encounter an inhuman ambush at Luofengpo.

It was obvious that the explosive packs and the explosions around them made Cheng Yu, who could eat human flesh without blinking an eye, feel nervous and uneasy.

Zhuge Kongming is already invincible——

"Barbarian King, look at these..."

Zhuge Liang spoke again at this time, and at the same time, a guard laid out some jewelry, weapons, and ornaments made of animal bones, as well as several bloody daggers, the blood on the daggers had already dried in the wind.

Zhuge Liang continued to explain, "These are the clues we found. Jewelry, weapons, and accessories. The Barbarian King should be familiar with them, right?"

Meng Huo looked at these relics and frowned, saying, "They belong to my daughter!"

"That's right!" Zhuge Liang continued, "These are the things that the Barbarian Princess carried with her, and this dagger was used by the assassin who assassinated the Barbarian Princess... They were all holding them, and these... The princess's followers also saw them and can testify!"

Having said this, Zhuge Liang paused.

Meng Huo raised his hand without asking his followers, "Go on..."

It seems that the dagger mentioned by Zhuge Liang had been reported by the barbarian subordinates, and even one had been handed to Meng Huo before.

But before, he didn't think much about it.

Zhuge Liang went on to say, "The forging of weapons in the Central Plains is extensive and profound, and each place produces different weapons. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were knives from Zheng, scales from Song, daggers from Lu, and swords from Wu and Yue... These were all produced in famous places, and this dagger used to assassinate the princess... Its forging process is exactly the same as the dagger from Lu! It cannot be imitated by other places? It cannot be forged in Shu! As for the Lu State where this forging was done, it is in Lu County in Wei Yuzhou. In this way, the assassin's weapon came from Wei Yuzhou!"

Without waiting for Zhuge Liang to finish his words.

Cheng Yu was already cursing: "What nonsense! What nonsense you are talking about——"

As he spoke, Cheng Yu stepped out and said, "That's right. Zheng's knives, Song's scales, Lu's daggers, Wu and Yue's swords are all produced in abundance in their respective places and are renowned. But what do you mean? Zheng's knives can only be used by Zheng, and Lu's daggers cannot be traded? Haha, this is simply ridiculous!"

In stark contrast to Cheng Yu's raised, arrogant tone, Zhuge Liang's voice was always light, but his breath was exceptionally steady.

"It is true that they can be sold and traded, but... weapons such as these, especially such a sharp dagger from the State of Lu? The quantity is already very small. How could the King of Wei not keep a close eye on it? Shuzhong wants to buy some, but it is as difficult as ascending to heaven! The Barbarian King can send someone to inquire. As far as I know, this dagger from the State of Lu has only appeared in the hands of the Wei army. There has never been any rumor or record of it in other places!"

"Smooth-tongued...talking nonsense—"

Cheng Yu's words had just been recited.

Zhuge Liang's voice however suppressed his words.

"Besides, Chengdu never had any motive to assassinate the Barbarian Princess!"

"Why not?" Cheng Yu denied directly, "The Barbarian King sent the princess to find out the truth about Chengdu. You were afraid that the fact that Chengdu was empty would be exposed, so you took the risk of sending someone to assassinate the princess. You wanted to shut her up and... hide the fact that Chengdu was empty! This is your motive!"

"Haha, Mr. Cheng, what you said is not true." Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, and then... directly refuted Cheng Yu: "First, why should I hide the fact that Chengdu is empty? You just saw that I can make the ground crack and the mountains collapse overnight, and I can also make the surroundings explode in an instant!"

"Oh, I almost forgot. In the recent days, more than 100,000 Wei soldiers died in the explosion in Hanzhong battlefield. The number will be even higher in Luoyang battlefield! In this case, let alone 100,000 or 200,000 barbarian troops, even if a million barbarian troops rush to Chengdu? What should I be afraid of? What should Chengdu be afraid of? If the fact that Chengdu is empty spreads to the barbarian land, wouldn't it just make the barbarian army careless and underestimate the enemy? Chengdu and I are already invincible!"

This…

Cheng Yu wanted to refute every word and every sentence that Zhuge Liang said.

But he found that he couldn't refute every word or sentence...

"Second..." Zhuge Liang's voice continued, "If I ordered the assassination of the Barbarian Princess, how could I let go of the Barbarian Princess's attendants? Would I be so negligent as to let them leave and leak the news to the Barbarian King? And thus arouse the hatred of the entire Barbarian tribe? Even if I really want to arouse this hatred, then why do I need to come here now? I can directly blow up the Barbarian army in this valley and solve this hidden danger once and for all. Isn't it the best solution? Why do I have to explain it here?"

"You..." Cheng Yu opened his mouth as wide as possible. He wanted to say thousands of words, but in the end... only the word "you" remained.

Zhuge Liang glanced at him and said, "Mr. Cheng, if you have something to say, why don't you just speak frankly? Why are you hesitating?"

"Your words are just one person's words... There are flaws and loopholes everywhere!" Cheng Yu responded sharply, but his tone was always a little hollow...

Zhuge Liang smiled, waving his feather fan gently as he smiled, "Where are my loopholes? Where are my flaws? Mr. Cheng, why don't you point them out directly?"

"Haha... How cunning are you, Zhuge Kongming? How are you good at flattering others? Everyone in the world knows it! Your clever words can make the scholars of Dongwu feel ashamed, and now... you are just trying to make the Barbarian King withdraw his troops? To save Chengdu from danger! Do you think the Barbarian King will believe your lies based on your empty words, and believe that there is another hidden story behind the assassination of the Barbarian Princess?"

As soon as Cheng Yu finished speaking, Zhuge Liang looked up and said, "So, Chengdu needs time. Chengdu will definitely be able to find out the truth about the assassination of the Barbarian Princess..."

At this point, Zhuge Liang's piercing eyes met Meng Huo's, "Barbarian King, I have a suggestion. Please give us some time to investigate the truth. During this time, the barbarians will withdraw their troops. I, Zhuge Liang, will retreat to Nanzhong with you and wait for the final truth to surface."

Well…

Meng Huo was somewhat surprised by Zhuge Liang's proposal.

He repeated, "What do you mean? If I withdraw my troops, you will follow me?"

"Yes!" Zhuge Liang nodded heavily. "Only in this way can we save the lives of the barbarian soldiers and buy time for Chengdu to investigate! It is also the most likely way to make peace between the two sides—"

For some reason, Meng Huo felt a sense of admiration for Zhuge Liang's words.

Although he didn't say it, in his heart, he already had great respect for Zhuge Liang...

But, this matter...

Meng Huo did not make a decision immediately.

He waved his hand and said, "I am tired. Everyone, please withdraw!"

Then, all the cave masters and leaders bowed and left. Cheng Yu and Zhuge Liang also bowed solemnly. They knew that the Barbarian King Meng Huo had not made a decision yet and was still weighing and thinking.

But just as the two men turned around and were about to step out of the military tent.

"Mr. Cheng, please stay——"

Meng Huo shouted one last time, and Cheng Yu paused and turned around.

Facing Meng Huo's gaze, he felt an extremely strong feeling.

Today...may not be the decisive battle between Wei and Han, but between him and Zhuge Liang, one of them will surely die here.

This feeling is getting stronger.

...

...

Cheng Yu stood solemnly in the big tent. Meng Huo winked at King Duosi beside him, and King Duosi spoke, "You Han people have a saying that goes 'others are the butchers and I am the meat!' Now, we, more than 100,000 barbarians, are like fish here, being slaughtered by Zhuge Liang? Mr. Cheng, do you have a way to break the impasse?"

Cheng Yu paused for a moment, then looked up, "Yes! But it's a little bit sinister!"

His frankness surprised and impressed Meng Huo. Meng Huo said seriously, "Can you tell me more?"

Cheng Yu cupped his hands and said: "All is fair in war, Your Majesty can temporarily agree to Zhuge Liang..."

"Promise him?"

"That's right!" Cheng Yu nodded heavily. He stood up straight. He knew that the purpose, mission, achievement, and merit of his trip would all be at stake here. He looked at Meng Huo with a firm and confident look. "Promise him, then hold him hostage in the army, and let the army withdraw from the foot of Luofeng Slope and escape from this dangerous place. By then, Zhuge Liang will be in the hands of the Barbarian King, and the Barbarian army will also be out of danger. Then, use Zhuge Kongming as a hostage to force Chengdu to surrender! This is a foolproof plan!"

Well…

Meng Huo and King Duosi both gasped when they heard this. The method Cheng Yu mentioned did surprise them, but also made them alert.

Meng Huo said "Oh", and then asked, "What if Chengdu really found out the cause of my daughter's death, and what if we really wronged Zhuge Liang?"

"Barbarian King..." Cheng Yu strode forward, his eyes becoming serious. "Now that the Barbarian King has mobilized all the barbarian soldiers, this is not just a matter of revenge for the princess. If such a powerful army fails to take Shuzhong this time, Liu Bei will definitely regard it as a great threat when he returns. If Wei loses Hanzhong again, the Barbarian King will be alone in Yunnan... Moreover, in my opinion, Zhuge Liang is just a delaying tactic. The princess died in Chengdu? No matter what, can Zhuge Liang get away with it?"

Cheng Yu's goal was to be able to settle for the second best, even if he failed to capture Chengdu.

But as long as the fact of the invasion of the Southern Barbarians remains unchanged and the Southern Barbarians have not retreated to Yunnan, then... Liu Bei will definitely not be able to sit still on the battlefield in Hanzhong. Once he cannot sit still, there will be a flaw and there will be an opportunity!

Cheng Yu tried to calm Meng Huo down——

And following Cheng Yu's words.

Meng Huo was indeed lost in thought.

He squinted his eyes, looked at the high wall of Chengdu that was already visible from here, thought about his situation as a barbarian, and remained silent for a long time.

...

...

Just after finishing the conversation with Cheng Yu, Zhuge Liang was led into the military tent by the barbarians. At this time, Cheng Yu was just walking out the door.

Cheng Yu also saw Zhuge Liang. He deliberately became arrogant, then turned around and strode away.

Entering the military tent, Zhuge Liang asked Meng Huo, "What does the Barbarian King want me to do?"

However, Meng Huo did not respond to Zhuge Liang's words. Instead, he asked Zhuge Liang, "Haha, come back to Nanzhong with us, haha, Zhuge Liang, are you really not afraid of death?"

Having said this, Meng Huo added another sentence.

"That's not your legacy, Zhuge Liang. Is it worth it for you to die in our barbarian territory?"

"Foundation? Death?" Zhuge Liang stopped fanning himself, and he sighed, "I am just a scholar, but my lord, Uncle Liu, did not abandon me. He visited me three times in Nanyang and consulted me on world affairs. He regarded me as a teacher, and I regarded him as a friend... Such an encounter and such feelings are incomparable to outsiders! As for... death? How can I not be afraid of death? Anyone would bleed and feel unbearable pain if a knife cuts into their body. Being alive is better than anything else..."

At this point, Zhuge Liang paused, "To be honest with the Barbarian King, when I was on a diplomatic mission to the Barbarian Army, he had already noticed that my wife Huang's belly was slightly bulging, and thought she was pregnant with my child. I never pointed it out... I was afraid that if he knew this, and cared about this, he would no longer be so brave... So, I am more afraid of death, afraid that my wife will not be able to see her husband, and I am also afraid that my unborn child will not be able to see his father when he opens his eyes!"

Zhuge Liang knows everything...

However, in his mind, the fact that Huang Yueying was pregnant was not as important...even less important than the endless internal affairs and the endless trivial military affairs!

When Meng Huo heard what Zhuge Liang said, he was also shocked and his eyes widened.

"You didn't have any children before?"

"My brother adopted a child, but in the end the child had to go back." Zhuge Liang shook his head. This was perhaps the only thing that made him feel lost.

"So, this is your first child!" Meng Huo asked again.

Zhuge Liang nodded. "Yes!"

Meng Huo narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes full of sadness, "Man'er is also my first child..."

At this moment, it seemed as if the atmosphere in the big tent had frozen.

Zhuge Liang did not speak, and Meng Huo also stopped talking. It was quiet... so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. It lasted for a long, long time...

Until the end, Meng Huo slowly opened his mouth, "That is your first child, you must cherish it very much, but today, I want you to make a choice! I can agree to your conditions and wait for you to slowly find out the truth about my daughter's assassination, but I also have a condition, not only you have to go back to the barbarian land with us, but your wife and the unborn child must also go back with us! Until the truth is revealed-"

This…

Suddenly, the request made by Meng Huo reached Zhuge Liang's ears. For a moment, he felt thunder rolling in the sky and five thunders roaring.

But in just a moment, Zhuge Liang's emotions were under control. Except for the slight movement of his lips before he opened his mouth, his expression was the same as usual and his tone was calm and normal.

"That's great. I have to thank the Barbarian King for allowing Liang's family to reunite in Nanzhong."

"I will write the letter now, and have my wife sent to me tomorrow morning."

As for Meng Huo, he didn't expect that Zhuge Liang agreed so readily.

He stared at Zhuge Liang solemnly, "Aren't you afraid? In the barbarian land, we will eat you and your whole family out of anger?"

"What am I afraid of?" Zhuge Liang smiled faintly. "I am upright and have nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, how can a righteous person be afraid of a crooked shadow?"

Shocked…

Undoubtedly, the Barbarian King Meng Huo was shocked by Zhuge Liang's behavior, Zhuge Liang's aura, Zhuge Liang's language... everything about Zhuge Liang.

He...he could clearly slaughter these hundreds of thousands of barbarians?

But in the end, he... in order to put an end to the war, for the sake of hundreds of thousands of lives, and for... the justice and truth in his heart, he fearlessly chose to return to that wild land with his wife and children!

Such feelings...

Such courage...

Such momentum moved Meng Huo... and made him stand in awe. He bowed to Zhuge Liang with his hands clasped, and bowed solemnly... Then he turned around and walked out of the central military tent.

Outside the door, King Wutugu of the Wuguo Kingdom, King Duosi, the wisest man in the Southern Barbarians, King Mulu, the Three Jies of the Golden Ring, Dongdana, and Ahuinan were all guarding here... It was obvious that they were also shocked by Zhuge Liang's words.

"My king? You..."

Wutugu noticed that Meng Huo had a strange expression on his face and asked quickly.

Meng Huo paused, pointed at Zhuge Liang in the tent, and said, "What kind of person is Zhuge Liang——"

That's right...

At this moment, Meng Huo was in great respect for Zhuge Liang.

At this moment, he had already believed Zhuge Liang more.

Yes…

A person who dares to put himself in danger and face the risk of death at any time in order to save millions of people;
A person who has only the big family in his heart and no small family, only the big self and no small self;

A person who can clearly hold the butcher knife, but gives it to others without hesitation.

Zhuge Liang is such a person!
For such a person, it would be hard for Meng Huo and all the barbarian soldiers not to believe what he said!

The personal charm emanating from such a person moved him so much.

...

…(End of chapter)