knife

Chapter 49 Getting what you want

Luo Hua was also shocked when he saw the map that Xiao Changche had spread out on the table.

"They even marked where the river was deep and where it was shallow!" Luo Hua pointed to the dense annotations at the bottom of the map, feeling a chill run down his spine. "A map like this is priceless. Did that Li Dachui just watch you pocket it?"

"You think he only has this one map?" Xiao Changche said. "But to be fair, he is indeed generous. If this map were mine, I would never show it to an outsider."

"This man has always been very generous to you!" Luo Hua laughed. "Every year when you're down on your luck, you ask him for money or food, and he never refuses. Speaking of which, you still owe him a lot of money, right? It's only right that you invite him to stay for a meal!"

Xiao Changche's face hardened: "This guy is always quick to take advantage of others. If you invite him to stay for lunch, he'll start thinking about dinner, and after dinner, he'll want to stay the night. So you can't give him even the slightest chance. Besides, it's not that I'm not going to pay back what I owe him, I just owe him!"

Luo Hua smiled as he looked at Xiao Changche. Whenever Li Dachui was mentioned, he always looked extremely annoyed.

"If Li Dachui has a map like this that covers the entire area outside the Great Wall, that would be truly remarkable!"

Xiao Chang shook his head vigorously, saying, "That's unlikely. Drawing such a detailed map requires a lot of manpower and resources, and most importantly, a lot of time."

“What if he has it?” Luo Hua pressed.

Xiao Changche was stunned: "If he has it, he will have the upper hand in every aspect of the battlefield."

Luo Hua carefully put the map away: "I'll go back and redraw it. This copy needs to be kept safe."

Xiao Changche nodded: "Next time I see him, it's really necessary to sound him out and see if he still has such maps, especially those from the Northern Yuan!"

"Are you really prepared to cooperate with him to fight Yan Sheng?"

"Why not?" Xiao Changdao said, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether there is Tiele or not. If I really get Baoping Prefecture, my strength will be on another level, and Linghu Ye won't be able to strangle me anymore."

"Yan Sheng is very powerful."

“In other seasons, Yan Sheng’s strength is indeed formidable, but now?” Xiao Changche sneered, “The Qingshui River and the Juma River are both frozen over, and his naval fleet is unable to move within the harbor. He has lost most of his strength.”

"I'm afraid the commander-in-chief is unwilling!"

“The deed is done, what can he do?” Xiao Changche laughed. “Besides, Yan Sheng’s collusion with Bei Yuan is irrefutable. If he tries to cause me trouble, I can use these things to embarrass him. I’m not Wan Feng, he can’t just kill me whenever he wants.”

“We still need to be careful. Linghu Ye is a very difficult person to understand sometimes. You might think he wouldn’t dare to do something, but he might actually do it. Like before, could we have imagined that he would so brazenly kill Wan Feng?” Luo Hua said. “He has less and less to do with the court. For every step the court takes back, he takes a big step forward.”

"Therefore, I not only need to become stronger, but I also need to have sufficiently strong allies!"

"Tai'an City!" Luo Hua said with a smile.

“Yes!” Xiao Changdao said, “Tai’an City’s intention is also very clear: to stand with the weak to resist the strong. Currently, I am the weakest of the three, but if I obtain Baoping Prefecture, my strength will be enhanced, and I will have more say.”

"Even if we acquire Baoping Prefecture, we'll still need talented people to govern it!" Luo Hua sighed. "Look at Yan Sheng, who possesses such a rich territory, yet his strength is still no match for Tai'an City, which only has a single city. Where will you find talented people, General?"

"General Linghu, you'll probably send Zhang Ruo here with me, won't you?" Xiao Changche chuckled. "Once we get Zhang Ruo, we'll send him to Baoping Prefecture as a prefect, to manage this land for me and be a people-friendly official. Let this guy who wants to give up on the area outside the Great Wall get to know the people there better."

"What about Aquarius City and the docks?"

“Naturally, we’ll have Li Dachui find someone to manage it!” Xiao Changche said casually. “Baoping City should become another trading center, just like Tai’an City. I might not be good at it, but Li Dachui certainly will.”

"Then who will be responsible?"

"Isn't that simple?" Xiao Changche said. "If it really works out, whoever has the strongest fist gets it. If everyone's fists are about the same strength, then it's just a matter of dividing the spoils. As for how to divide them..."

Luo Hua laughed and said, "Let's see whose fist is harder! The one with the harder fist gets more, and the one with the softer fist gets less."

"You're a promising young man!" Xiao Changche laughed.

Outside the camp, Zhang Ruo had transformed into a snowman once again.

The weather was getting colder and colder every day, and the snow was getting heavier and heavier. Even though I was wrapped up tightly, ice crystals still formed on my eyelashes that were sticking out.

Every half hour or so, Zhang Ru would stretch his neck and shout, "The sinner Zhang Ru requests an audience with Commander Linghu!"

However, within the headquarters, no one paid him any attention.

Wu De has learned his lesson these past two days. He no longer stands with Zhang Ruo in the open air and suffers the cold. Instead, he huddles under the eaves. Although it's still cold, it's much better than standing outside.

I accompanied Zhang Ruo here in the morning and accompanied her back in the evening.

He couldn't leave without handing Zhang Ruo over. Seeing that it was getting dark again, Wu De came out from under the eaves, intending to persuade Zhang Ruo to return to the inn; it was definitely hopeless again today.

Just as Wu De was brushing the snow off Zhang Ruo and rubbing his frozen body to warm him up, a civil official came out of the camp.

Who is Zhang Ruo?

Wu De looked up and shouted, "Scholar Zhang is here. Does the Commander-in-Chief wish to see him?"

The clerk stared at the two men with a look of disdain and said, "I'm asking about Zhang Ruo, the criminal who was sent to serve in the army before his exile. Who is Scholar Zhang?"

Zhang Ruo straightened up and took a step forward, but she stumbled and almost fell.

"I am Zhang Ruo. Does the commander-in-chief wish to see me?"

The clerk sneered, "The commander-in-chief is busy with countless affairs of state. How could he have time to see a criminal like you? Here, this is your document. Take this document and get out of here immediately. Don't keep barking outside the headquarters every day!"

Zhang Ruo reached out and took the document, glanced at it, and asked in astonishment, "Go to Yuan'an? To serve under the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

"What? Not satisfied? Still want to nitpick?" The clerk said, "Let's be clear, this is beyond the Great Wall, this is Zhenwu City, and you're no longer that high-ranking official who wanted to abandon our territory. Hmph, luckily the emperor is a wise man and wasn't bewitched by you treacherous officials, otherwise the country we've protected for generations would have been ruined by you pretty boys!"

"I wish to pay my respects to the Commander-in-Chief. I have something to say to him!" Zhang Ruo shouted.

"Keep dreaming!" The clerk spat in Zhang Ruo's face, turned and left, abandoning Zhang Ruo in the freezing snow.

Wu De accepted the document, a look of joy on his face. The fact that Zhang Ruo had been settled in the Guanwai Xingyuan meant that his mission was completely over and he could finally return to the capital.

"Go to Yuan'an? Go to serve under General Xiao?" Yuan Rong and Yuan Tong were overjoyed to hear this news in the inn. "Scholar, didn't you tell us to join General Xiao's army? Now that's great, you're going there too, so we can be together again."

“Xiao Changche will certainly welcome you, but if I go, I’m afraid it will be disliked,” Zhang Ruo said with a wry smile. “But it doesn’t matter. No matter where I am outside the pass, it’s all the same to me. Besides, Li Dachui said that Xiao Changche is a pure general. If I go to serve under him, I might be able to do something.”

“Scholar, General Xiao is currently in Zhenwu City. Since you intend to serve under him, shall we go and pay him a visit?” Yuan Rong suggested.

Zhang Ru shook his head: "He is now a third-rank charioteer, while I am merely a criminal serving in the army. What right do I have to pay my respects? Naturally, I should go directly to his garrison in Yuan'an City. If Xiao Changche wants to see me, he will naturally summon me in Yuan'an!"

Yuan Rong pondered for a moment and agreed that it made sense.

"Then when shall we set off?"

"Let's do it first thing tomorrow morning!" Zhang Ruo said. "Everyone, pack your things. Wu, are you going back to Chang'an already?"

Wu De nodded: "Yes, but Scholar, since I've come all this way to the border, I'm also planning to visit the famous city of Tai'an. It's not like I'm going anywhere by detour."

"Yes, if you go to Tai'an City, go see Qingyun and give me a message that I'm doing well!"

"Aren't you going to write a letter?" Wu De asked.

"No need," Zhang Ruo said with a smile. "You've had a tough journey, and you even lost several brothers. If I, Zhang Ruo, have a future, I will definitely repay the Chief Justice."

"Scholar, you flatter me. My brothers died in the line of duty. This is our livelihood. If we live, we're lucky; if we die, we're just out of luck. There's nothing more to say. When we return to Chang'an, the government will take care of our families and provide for them. As long as I live, I will not let the families of my brothers suffer from cold and hunger."

Zhang Ru nodded: "Okay, okay, then everyone should get some rest, we have to travel tomorrow!"

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Wu De, who was fast asleep, was suddenly awakened by the sound of horses neighing. He jumped up, wrapped himself in his blanket, and opened the window a crack to look down. He was startled.

He saw Xiao Dongwei.

The vicious one-eyed general under Xiao Changche.

At this moment, Xiao Dongwei sat on his horse with great poise, behind him were a dozen or so cavalrymen who looked equally fierce.

"Zhang Ruo?" Xiao Dongwei gave a forced smile.

“That is me!” Zhang Ruo said.

"The General of Chariots and Cavalry has received the official document from the headquarters, saying that you have been exiled to Yuan'an City. Hehe, the general told me to come and take you there today, so that you don't get your head chopped off by bandits on the way. Pack your things and let's go!"

"There's nothing to pack, let's go!" Zhang Ruo said. "Could I have a horse?"

"General Chariot and Cavalry is kind-hearted. He was afraid that the wind outside the pass would blow you to your death, so he asked me to prepare a carriage so that you could travel to Yuan'an comfortably. Haha, hahaha!" Xiao Dongwei's laughter was full of evil intent. Coupled with the cavalrymen behind him also laughing, Wu De upstairs couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

(End of this chapter)