Eternal Sword

Chapter 115 Favor
Li Junqing said: "Dad, is there no other way? If we seize control of Wu'an County, defend this place, and wait for the emperor to rescue us, maybe we still have a chance."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "The Huo family has been in business for many years, and almost all the leaders of the Wu'an County garrison are his men. What's more, he has many guards in his mansion."

"With the Blackwater Gang's help, our chances of winning are slim."

Li Boxiong suddenly said, "What about the Qinglong Division? If we can get the help of the Qinglong Division, we may have a chance to fight the Huo family and the Black Water Gang."

"Qinglongsi..."

Li Yan pondered in silence.

Li Boxiong frowned and said, "Could it be that the Qinglong Division still dares to help the Huo family and the Black Water Gang rebel?"

"They don't need to help."

Li Yan said: "Just pretend that you don't know anything and wait for Wu'an County to fall into the hands of the Huo family."

Li Boxiong asked: "But what is the significance of doing this for Qinglong Division?"

"This may involve a power struggle in the capital."

Li Zhongmou said softly.

Li Yan said: "To put it another way, even if we take Wu'an County, we can't hold it. The Black Water Gang is just the vanguard. Once the governor of Pingzhou starts a rebellion, the Black Water Kingdom will definitely send a large army to support it. At that time, Wu'an County will face the impact of the Black Water Kingdom's army. By then, we won't even have a way to retreat."

Li Boxiong and the other two fell silent.

If Pingzhou rebels and the Black Water Kingdom's army attacks, Wu'an County will be an isolated city with no defenses.

We will definitely not be able to defend the city with the soldiers we have in hand.

At this moment, a guard outside the door reported.

"Your Excellency the County Magistrate, Qinglong Guard Chen Tang requests to see you."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Bring him over here."

"I guess I'm here to see you."

Li Yan looked at Li Junqing and smiled slightly.

Li Jun lowered his head slightly and asked softly, "Dad, do you know everything?"

"It's rare to meet someone you like, how could Dad not know. It's a pity that between you two, alas."

Li Yan sighed, "You are about to leave this place, and we may not have the chance to see each other again in the future. Say goodbye to him and stay a little longer."

"Why don't you ask him if he's willing to go with you?"

Li Boxiong said.

Li Zhongmou shook his head and said, "Chen Tang has now joined the Qinglong Division and is highly regarded by Cai Yin. Why would he follow us to Longxi?"

"Jun Qing, don't let some things slip out."

Li Yan gave another reminder.

"understood."

Li Jun nodded slightly.

At this moment, Chen Tang arrived here under the guidance of the guards.

Just then, he saw the county magistrate Li Yan, Li Boxiong, Li Zhongmou and Li Junqing walking towards him.

"Master Chen is here."

Li Yan looked at Chen Tang, nodded slightly, greeted him, and said, "You guys chat, I have to go to the county governor's mansion."

"My Lord, I came here to talk to you."

Chen Tang hurriedly called Li Yan.

"Oh?"

Li Yan smiled and said, "Jun Qing is going back to his hometown soon, why don't you two chat for a while?"

"go back home?"

Chen Tang asked: "Where is your hometown?"

Li Jun replied lightly: "Longxi, Liangzhou."

"Oh?"

Chen Tang was stunned for a moment, a little dazed.

Longxi Li family.

It seems that there was such a family in the previous life.

But soon, Chen Tang came back to his senses and suddenly asked, "Is the county governor leaving too?"

"Of course I won't leave."

Li Yan smiled and shook his head.

Chen Tang looked at Li Boxiong and Li Zhongmou and asked, "What about the two elder brothers? Are you going back to Longxi too?"

The two looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

Chen Tang's questions were a bit abrupt, as if he knew something!
Li Yan smiled and asked, "Master Chen, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Chen Tang said: "Regarding the rebellion of the governor of Pingzhou!"

Li Boxiong's two siblings' faces changed.

Li Yan looked normal, still smiling, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I believe that the county governor should already know about this."

Chen Tang said: "Otherwise, Jun Qing would not have been arranged to leave Wu'an County. Moreover, I believe that the county governor has some power under his command that can compete with the Huo family and the Black Water Gang."

Now that things have come to this, there's no point in playing guessing games any further.

Li Yan asked, "Are you representing the Qinglong Division?"

"No, it's just me."

Chen Tang shook his head and said, "I don't know the position of Qinglong Division."

Li Yan asked: "What do you want to say about this matter?"

Chen Tang asked, "From what the county governor said, does he want his family to evacuate Wu'an County and stay here alone?"

"As the governor of Wu'an County, I am an official appointed by the imperial court and have the duty to stay in Wu'an County."

Li Yan said: "But the three of them are not. The safety of Wu'an County has nothing to do with them. There is no need to lose their lives in vain."

"If you stay in Wu'an County, you may not die."

Chen Tang said in a deep voice: "As long as the county governor can control Wu'an County and wait for the support of Qian State, I believe that Emperor Qian will come to rescue as quickly as possible."

"How to control it?"

Li Zhongmou asked: "With our current strength, we are still unable to fight the Huo family and the Black Water Gang." Chen Tang asked: "Excuse me, how many people does the Li family have available now?"

Li Boxiong and his sister didn't say anything.

Li Yan said calmly, "About 500 people. But the four gates in the city have 500 guards each, a total of 2,000 people, the government has more than 100 people, the Black Water Gang has 500 people or more, and the Huo family has at least a few hundred people."

"The Huo family and the Blackwater Gang can mobilize at least three thousand people in Wu'an County! My five hundred people are of no use at all."

Three thousand people!
Chen Tang frowned secretly.

This number is a bit too much.

Normally, the garrison of a county town would not have so many people.

However, Qian Kingdom had just ended decades of war, and Pingzhou was adjacent to Heishui Kingdom, separated only by a 3,000-meter-high snow-capped mountain range. Therefore, in addition to garrison troops, that is, border troops, and the imperial guards in the capital, Qian Kingdom also had soldiers from prefectures and counties.

The control of the Qian Kingdom over the states and counties is not as great as imagined.

Li Yan suddenly asked: "Was Huo San killed by your people?"

"That's it."

Chen Tang didn't want to expose Qing Mu's identity, so he said something ambiguous.

Li Yan asked again: "So, you can mobilize the Suzaku Guards?"

Chen Tang said: "The Suzaku Guards of Wu'an County are no problem."

"Dad, if we have the help of the Suzaku Guard, we have a chance to take over Wu'an County."

Li Boxiong said in a deep voice: "Most of the leaders of the city's garrison are from the Huo family, but most of the soldiers under them do not want to follow the Huo family in rebellion. As long as we capture Wu'an Hou, Huo Zinan, Han Lang and others, we will have a chance to take over the city's garrison!"

What Li Boxiong said was correct. Among the three thousand soldiers, only more than a thousand from the Huo family and the Blackwater Gang would wholeheartedly follow them in rebellion.

The defenders in the city were unwilling to take such a big risk.

Li Yan did not answer, staring at Chen Tang and asked: "Even if we take Wu'an County, we can't stop the support of the Black Water Kingdom."

"Don't worry about that. I have my own way to cut off the support from the Blackwater Nation."

Chen Tang said with a firm tone.

In fact, he had no idea at all.

I just had to say it out of trust in the mountain guest.

If he showed even the slightest hesitation, Li Yan would definitely not trust him.

"any solution?"

Li Yan didn't intend to let Chen Tang get away with it, and asked another question.

Chen Tang said calmly: "I can't tell you yet, otherwise it will be useless."

I can only make up stories to scare Li Yan first.

Li Yan was silent for a while, then shook his head and said, "I can stay, but Bo Xiong and the other two still have to leave."

Chen Tang said: "It's fine for them to leave, but the guards that the Li family has trained over the years can stay behind."

Li Yan shook his head and said, "Those people are the last assets left to them. We cannot stay in Wu'an County and take risks. Once the city is breached, the whole army will be wiped out."

Over the past few years, the Li family did train a group of guards, but Li Yan would never leave their safety to Chen Tang's ambiguous words.

Chen Tang fell silent.

Given Li Yan's character, he certainly wouldn't accompany him to take such a big risk just because of a few words from him.

He just analyzed a lot of things, but in fact many of them are uncertain factors.

"Dad, let's stay with you and fight this time!"

Li Boxiong suddenly said.

Li Zhongmou also nodded and said, "If we can hold on to Wu'an County and Pingzhou this time, our Li family will surely be valued by the emperor and become the new nobles of the Qian Kingdom. Although there are risks, it's worth a try."

Li Junqing said: "Yes, even if we all die here, there is still Third Brother outside, and the Li family bloodline will not be cut off."

"That's not OK!"

Li Yan still flatly refused.

Li Zhongmou coughed lightly and said, "Dad, there is actually another reason. You owe Chen Tang a favor."

"What favor?"

Li Yan frowned.

Li Zhongmou said: "The top-quality ginseng that was previously owned by Brother Chen Tang..."

"you……"

Li Yan stared at Li Zhongmou and asked, "Didn't you say that Jun Qing found it in the Three Thousand Snow Ridge?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Li Zhongmou said: "She found Brother Chen Tang in the Three Thousand Snow Ridges, and Brother Chen Tang gave her the top-grade ginseng. Isn't this equivalent to what she found in the Three Thousand Snow Ridges?"

Li Yan: “…”

Li Boxiong said: "Dad, you ate all the top-quality ginseng, so you won't be able to return it for a while."

"You three have finally figured out how to team up and cheat me!"

Li Yan glared at the three of them unhappily, then a look of determination flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly: "In this case, let's fight the Huo family and the Black Water Gang to see who has the final say in Wu'an County!"

"The county magistrate is wise."

Chen Tang quickly praised.

Li Yan glanced at Chen Tang and said, "Nephew Chen, are you still calling me the County Governor? I am willing to stay, partly because of Jun Qing's face."

"Dad, you are talking nonsense again."

Li Jun murmured softly.

Chen Tang smiled and changed his words: "Uncle Li."

The few of them talked for a while and finalized some details before Chen Tang said goodbye and left.

Li Yan looked at Chen Tang's back, nodded secretly, and said: "You three brothers and sisters really have good vision. This boy is not an ordinary person. He actually has a way to cut off the support of the Black Water Kingdom? I don't know if he is talking nonsense."

"Could he be someone from the palace?"

Li Zhongmou asked, "Suzaku Guard, ordinary people can't command it."

"Humph!"

Li Yan snorted and said, "It has nothing to do with him. The one in his family is the one in the palace!"

(End of this chapter)