As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 339 Don't Underestimate My Emperor

In winter, the wind is biting cold.

Snowflakes drifted in the wind, landing on the surging sea, melting into the water and disappearing.

The surging sea roared and crashed against the beach, producing a series of soothing white noises.

The wide beach was deserted, with yellow sand and white snow contrasting beautifully.

The cloud-patterned shoes crunched and creaked on the snowy sand.

Mingchen walked over slowly, looking at the scene before him with great interest; it was rare to see the sea in winter.

Suddenly,
"Woooooo~~"

A clear and melodious flute melody drifted from not far away, ethereal and lingering.

The snowflakes in the sky seemed to have come to life, swaying and fluttering in the wind, like a dream.

The captivating melody reached my ears, like a delicate hand gently touching my cheek, or a beautiful woman breathing softly in my ear, her breath a mixture of longing and yearning, pouring out her heart. It was so enchanting that I couldn't help but want to linger in it, completely captivated.

Mingchen was momentarily stunned, when suddenly, a graceful figure walked slowly through the flying snow.

Behind her, the sea roared, its waves crashing and surging.

She is clearly a gentle and beautiful woman, yet she possesses a wondrous contrast like the ocean, sometimes calm and serene, embracing all things, and at other times raging with storms, passionate and unrestrained.

Hong Ling Shuang, the leader of the Jing Lan Alliance and a troublemaker who stirs up trouble across the land.

Unlike her summer days, she wasn't dressed in a cool and elegant style. This time, she was wearing a cloak and a cotton coat, covering herself up very tightly.

In the past, I always saw her tumbling in the sea.

Now that it's cold, she doesn't swim anymore.

However, a beautiful woman is always beautiful.

The fur of her cloak adorned her neck, making her a tall, proud woman exuding an air of dominance and freedom.

The female gangster queen characters in the novels I've read seem to have come to life.

Holding a jade flute that seemed out of place with her temperament, she played music and slowly walked towards Mingchen.

Few people could fathom what was truly in her heart.

When the music ended, everything returned to calm.

Her red lips left the jade flute, and her bright eyes reflected the face of the person before her.

Time flies, and the Marquis became the esteemed Duke.

But this libertine seemed unchanged, still waving at her with a grin: "Hey, Ling Shuang, long time no see!"

"Mingchen, it's been a long time!"

They really hadn't seen each other for a long time.

Mingchen returned to Jiqu, rested for a while, then went to war against Xu Zhongling to resolve the Blood-Clad Army issue, then returned to Yueyang to offer sacrifices to Heaven, and now he is heading north to seize the pass... Time really flies.

All things considered, Hong Ling Shuang and Ming Chen have only met a handful of times.

But Hong Ling Shuang felt that this carefree guy was the person who understood her best in the world.

Hong Ling Shuang smiled at him casually and said, "Happy New Year!"

"Hey, do you islands celebrate the Lunar New Year at the same time as the mainland?"

"The time is the same, but we don't call it the New Year, we call it the Sea Worship Ceremony."

If we really have to trace it back to blood ties, it's nothing more than that thousands of years ago, some mainlanders used rafts to sail across the ocean, settled down on those uninhabited islands, and developed civilization.

In essence, we all share the same ancestor.

"Yeah~"

"I wonder what the archipelago is like; I've never seen it before!"

"What, do you want to go and see the islands?"

Mingchen, with the air of a playboy, laughed and said, "I would certainly like to visit a place that could nurture a beauty like Ling Shuang."

Hong Ling Shuang wasn't annoyed or ashamed at all; instead, she proudly puffed out her chest as if it were perfectly natural: "Hmph, just you wait and see~"

She has always been that confident fish, so confident that she is arrogant and proud.

The two had been apart for a long time and seemed to have no intention of getting down to business.

Standing side by side in the wind and snow, looking at the sea together.

"Mingchen, it's been so long, have you missed me?"

"That's what I wanted to do."

"How much do you want it?"

"Chen will never be able to listen to music again. Whenever he hears someone playing the piano or singing, he thinks of Ling Shuang. No matter how well they sing, Chen will find it tasteless and cannot appreciate it. Going to a brothel to listen to music is also tasteless. How can Ling Shuang make up for this?"

"What will I compensate you for?"

Hong Ling Shuang, however, showed no sign of being flattered. Instead, she rolled her eyes at him and said, "Hmph! I am the leader of the alliance, and you compare me to a courtesan?!"

Mingchen retorted, "Status is status, and skill is skill. This is how artists make a living, so naturally their skills are the best. Naturally, we should compare the most skilled with the Alliance Leader. How is that unfair? Should I drag out our tone-deaf Emperor and compare him with the Alliance Leader? That would be the Alliance Leader bullying our Emperor!"

Xiao Xinyue: ?

"Humph!"

Hong Ling Shuang merely snorted, then said to him threateningly, "I'll remember those words and tell them to you, Emperor Qian, another day! Let's hear how the Duke of Anguo speaks ill of her behind her back."

"Forehead……"

Mingchen smirked, "Our alliance leader is an upright and honorable hero; he certainly wouldn't do something like spreading rumors behind someone's back, would he?"

Hong Ling Shuang looked at him mischievously: "Our Duke Anguo is a hero of integrity, surely he wouldn't gossip about his own monarch behind his back."

Mingchen: ...

Sharp teeth!

One is the leader of the Jinglan Alliance, who aspires to dominate the world; the other is a Duke, a pillar of the nation.

The two top leaders, who were not from the same camp, stood on the beach like ordinary friends, chatting and laughing, but never getting to the point.

Mingchen and Hong Lingshuang talked for a long time.

He will talk about what he saw and heard after leaving Hong Ling Shuang, while Hong Ling Shuang will explain the changes that have occurred here since Ming Chen left the Jing Lan Alliance...

Time flies by so quickly.

The two sat together beside the snowman on the beach, quietly watching the sun set.

Suddenly, Hong Ling Shuang spoke up: "I sold the Qian Yuan Three Passes to Bei Lie, do you hate me?"

"Ling Shuang has really left me with quite a problem!"

The three passes in the northern border of Qianyuan were in extremely strategic locations.

Despite all his scheming, Mingchen has only managed to barely retrieve two passes.

The final pass, Zhenling Pass, is like an iron tortoise; if we only use conventional military tactics to fight it, we would probably have to pay a huge price to take it back.

However... from the perspective of the Jinglan Alliance, this is perfectly reasonable and in their own interests, so there's nothing to criticize.

Hong Ling Shuang is not love-struck.

Having reached her current position, she cannot be someone who prioritizes personal matters over public duty.

If Mingchen were Hong Ling Shuang, he would make the same choice.

Personal matters are personal matters, and business matters are business matters.

Hong Ling Shuang also needs to take responsibility for the Jing Lan Alliance.

Hong Ling Shuang rolled her eyes upon hearing this.

A considerable challenge: within half a month, they miraculously captured two strategically important passes with a low casualty ratio, resulting in the death of one of their renowned generals and the surrender of the other.

Ming Chen smiled, then turned to Hong Ling Shuang and asked, "If I lead troops to occupy Bai Ling City, drive out the Jing Lan Alliance, and shatter your ambitions, will you hate me?"

Hong Ling Shuang was taken aback by his words, lowered her eyes, and did not answer the question.

Ultimately, there is only one world.

In a world of great competition, only one winner will ultimately have the last laugh.

The Jinglan Alliance is the least likely to be the one.

"The Duke of Anguo of Qianyuan and the leader of the Jinglan Alliance are rivals. Ten years have passed, and the situation in the world has changed. In the end, only one of these two identities may exist."

"However, the names Mingchen and Hong Lingshuang can continue to exist."

"Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters."

Mingchen has always kept these matters separate.

"Chen likes beauties blessed by the sea, as vast and boundless as the sea, as free and unrestrained as the sea, as quirky and unpredictable as the sea, as free and unrestrained as the sea, wild and unbridled... It's just Hong Ling Shuang, and has nothing to do with the others."

Mingchen arrived in the blink of an eye, his gaze almost tangible, sketching the beauty's face, which was both beautiful and aggressive.

Hong Ling Shuang felt that the man's gaze was somewhat intense.

She has always been unrestrained and wild, unconventional and willful, and doesn't care about other people's opinions or views.

But at this moment, hearing this person's unrestrained praise made him feel inexplicably stinging.

Through scheming and maneuvering, she rose to prominence amidst the fierce battles of the island's heroes, becoming the revered leader of the alliance. Due to her ruthless methods and fickle mind, even with her beautiful face, it seems that no one has regarded her as a woman for a long time.

When they parted last time, Mingchen said some ambiguous things to her.

When the world is unified...

Now, this philandering man is being even more blatant and direct in his words.

"if……"

As her thoughts drifted, she seemed to remember something and unconsciously touched her ear.

"what?"

"nothing!"

Hong Ling Shuang rolled her eyes at him: "Hmph, you womanizer, I wonder how many people you've said that to?!"

"Ling Shuang, you've wronged me!"

"I only said this to you!"

Mingchen is so creative!
If it's the same, then say it once.

It would be too embarrassing to say it several times!

He doesn't use templates; he speaks spontaneously. What Sister Dai and the others are talking about is something else entirely.

"Humph!"

Hong Ling Shuang snorted. But undeniably, she couldn't help feeling a little happy.

She is straightforward and easygoing by nature, and she has never denied her feelings of affection and curiosity towards Mingchen.

She was arrogant and conceited to the core, and felt that only Mingchen was worthy of her.

The relationship between the two is quite special, involving both mutual appreciation and admiration, as well as mutual rivalry and scheming.

There is affection, there is liking.

There has already been competition and covert struggle.

But Hong Ling Shuang is like a fish swimming freely in the sea; she cannot be caught or trapped.

She was destined not to be like ordinary women, willing to depend on Mingchen.

The conversation gradually shifted from lighthearted banter and trivial matters to real business.

Hong Ling Shuang then said to Ming Chen, "Seven days ago, my scouts told me that they had seen a large number of Northern Lie ships heading south."

“A messenger from the Northern Lie also came to discuss with me the matter of not sending troops to intercept them.”

This was her main purpose in arranging this meeting with Mingchen.

If Bei Lie really takes Yueyang City so quickly, it will basically mean that the entire northern border of Qian Yuan has fallen, and Xiao Xinyue's reputation will be greatly damaged.

Qian Yuan was practically half-dead from the beating by Bei Lie.

The Bei Lie family held absolute power.

This is detrimental to the strategic planning of the Jinglan Alliance.

However, the Jinglan Alliance cannot openly participate at this time.

Now that the Northern Border is being manipulated by Mingchen and can't retaliate, she supports Beilie in taking some actions, but not expecting them to achieve significant results. So she summoned Mingchen for a talk and revealed intelligence to him. What she wanted was for the two countries to be evenly matched, locked in a war of attrition.

However, to my own eyes, I have indeed missed them after not seeing each other for so long.

She doesn't deny that.

Mingchen was taken aback upon hearing this: "Huh?"

"The commander is Tian Hong, who leads an army of 30,000."

"They were very lucky; the sea has been calm these past few days, so there shouldn't have been any accidents."

Hong Ling Shuang looked at the surging waves of the sea, but her eyes were fixed on Ming Chen's expression out of the corner of her eye: "Judging from the time, they should have landed in the south by now."

"Guess what Bei Lie's purpose is?"

Mingchen did not reply to Hong Ling Shuang, but only frowned slightly.

What is Bei Lie's purpose?

Let's raid their home across the sea!
Qian Yuan devoted a large portion of his military strength to defending the three passes in the north and suppressing rebellions and recovering lost territories in various places. The eastern coastal areas were basically undefended. Let alone 30,000 troops, even 3,000 troops would be enough for a general like Tian Hong to reach Yueyang City.

Historically, the Northern Lie had never traveled by water before, so they pulled off this incredible feat of sending troops across the sea to strike Yueyang.

Nobody had this concept.

Excellent! A brilliant tactic!

Bei Lie's actions were indeed beyond his expectations.

Humans are not omniscient or omnipotent gods; they cannot possibly foresee everything.

The heroes of the world are not fools; Mingchen cannot always win.

He couldn't always send birds flying around to gather intelligence about the house.

He had already suspected the mysterious and elusive 'Tian Hong', but he never expected the old general to be so reckless.

Even if it meant a lifetime of merit and riches, he dared to lead a lone army across the vast ocean to strike deep into enemy territory.

The Northern Emperor always said that the South is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, and that it always produces talented individuals.

Aren't they the same in the Northern Lie?
There are always people of exceptional talent and intelligence, and there are always people who are brave, loyal, and courageous.
He just used this trick to deceive everyone and steal the essence.

Before long, the enemy also learned it and used a knock-off version in a very convincing way.

In Beilie, the name Tian Hong is just like, or even surpasses, Ling Yu in Qianyuan.

This veteran general, who had spent his life on the battlefield, was the pillar of the Northern Fierce Army, deeply versed in military strategy.

First make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable.

This person is unlikely to make mistakes, giving others an opportunity to seize upon it. Qian Yuan is likely to suffer a trial.

Seeing that Mingchen remained silent, Hong Lingshuang asked again, "What do you intend to do?"

Should we lead our troops back to reinforce them?

Even under these circumstances, Mingchen remained calm and composed.

This pleased her greatly.

Only by remaining calm and composed at all times can one achieve success.

To Hong Ling Shuang's surprise, after a brief moment of thought and accepting the information, Ming Chen gently shook his head: "No reply."

If we send troops back to reinforce, we will be at their mercy.

Once the initiative is lost, everything falls into the enemy's hands.

The time it took for the northern army to march south was also enough for reinforcements from the surrounding areas to reach the capital.

If Yueyang City was destined to fall, the Northern Army would have lost it anyway.

We shouldn't have lost it; even if the Northern Army hadn't gone down, we wouldn't have lost it.

It would be better to stay in the north to prevent the enemy from attacking the two passes.

Trying to consider both the beginning and the end can lead to failure in both.

Even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't mobilize troops; he could only leave alone.

"Aren't you afraid that Yueyang will fall?"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen raised his head, showing no sign of worry. Instead, he smiled at her and said, "Ling Shuang, don't underestimate my Emperor."

"Qian Yuan is destined to suffer this hardship, but he may not necessarily lose!"

The enemy seemed to be advancing fiercely, heading straight for Yueyang.

However, this move carries enormous risks. Being isolated and without support, the slightest misstep could lead to total defeat, and morale could easily collapse.

Therefore, only a person like Tian Hong, who is like a pillar of strength, can lead the country.

Qian Yuan did not necessarily lack room for maneuver.

As long as we hold on and drag this out, Tian Hong will eventually break down.

"Oh?"

It's not that Hong Ling Shuang looks down on Xiao Xin Yue.

However, from her perspective, Qian Yuan was still more important to Ming Chen.

Or rather, from most people's perspective, Xiao Xinyue was a monarch who was helped up by Mingchen.

Compared to Qin Lou, Hong Ling Shuang, and Wang Huai, she seemed somewhat low-key and lacked independence. Apart from her reputation for virtue, she didn't seem to have any other notable characteristics.

The military strength in Yueyang City is depleted, and the military strength within Qianyuan is scattered.

Faced with a general like Tian Hong leading an army of 30,000 to the city gates, Xiao Xinyue had no choice but to abandon the city and flee. Yueyang City could be easily captured.

In that case, all efforts would be in vain, and Bei Lie's goal would be achieved.

But Mingchen knew that his emperor was not a fledgling bird under his wing.

His Majesty is a phoenix, a falcon.

Intelligent, brave, bold, and courageous.

It's just that because he did so much, Xiao Xinyue didn't have a chance to show herself, so he overshadowed her.

But the sun is there, and one day it will shine its light down on the sky.

Go and take on the responsibility, go and show your brilliance.

"How about we make a bet?"

"I bet my emperor will stay and defend Yueyang City. It may be a very difficult battle, but he will eventually win."

"Even if we don't defeat Bei Lie, we certainly won't let them gain much advantage."

Mingchen had full confidence in Xiao Xinyue and said to Hong Ling Shuang with a smile.

They've come this far hand in hand, with complete trust between them.

"Ha! Then you're definitely going to lose!"

Hong Ling Shuang chuckled softly upon hearing this: "You can bet anything?"

Ultimately, it had nothing to do with her; she was just an observer.

"can!"

Hong Ling Shuang made no attempt to hide her ambition towards Ming Chen: "Then I want you!"

If Xiao Xinyue collapses and escapes.

The Qian Yuan dynasty's momentum has waned.

Mingchen will probably be disappointed and will look for another place to go, right?

Hong Ling Shuang is an extremely confident person, which is her strength.

However, with confidence comes the involuntary underestimation of one's opponents, which is only natural for a king.

Without the mentality that labor and capital are the most important thing in the world, what kind of king are you?

If she were in Xiao Xinyue's position, she wouldn't be very confident and would have a headache.

Can Xiao Xinyue, the monarch whom Ming Chen has protected all the way up, really create a miracle?

Mingchen: ...

"What if I win?"

Hong Ling Shuang patted her heaving chest with a rather generous expression: "You won, so be it!"

She's a gambler too; she can afford to gamble and she can afford to lose.

"I only represent myself. I can do whatever I want, but I don't represent the Jinglan Alliance."

"Row!"

Although it's a bit impolite to put His Majesty at the gambling table.

but……

Here comes the chance to lure the mermaid home and sing her a song!
(End of this chapter)