Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

"You son of a bitch!" Mo Wentian gritted his teeth.

The previous prefect, Fan Qingya, was a man of Deng Lin, the prefectural commandant.

When Qin Yan instructed him to raise an army to seize the county, after taking Tianmu County, 80% of the spoils of war were sent to Qin Yan's residence.

Now, the situation has changed drastically. With the prefect putting pressure on him, Qin Yan casually said "I can't protect him" and was about to throw him away like a used rag.

Qin Yan can't be relied on anymore; from now on, he has to rely on himself.

Tianmu County was conquered by him with his own sword and spear, and no one can take it away easily.

The prefect wanted to maintain a balance of power, Qin Yan wanted to protect himself, and Geng Xiangming wanted to make a name for himself; they all had their own agendas.

But Mo Wentian also has his own way of living.

……

After leaving the Geng residence, Hou Zhen headed straight for Lingchuan County.

Lingchuan County is adjacent to Tianmu County, and its governor, Gongsun Qi, is one of the three governors under Geng Xiangming.

The two sat in the council chamber, a map spread out on the table.

Gongsun Qi said, "Prefect Geng said that this matter should be discussed between you and me, and how to proceed is up to Military Commander Hou to devise a plan."

Hou Zhen's gaze fell on the map, and his finger slowly moved along the mountains and rivers, finally stopping at one spot.

"Tianmu County governs sixteen counties. Mo Wentian is stationed in Tianmu City. If we attack directly, even if we win, we will suffer heavy losses on both sides, killing a thousand enemies. It is unwise."

Gongsun Qi followed Hou Zhen's finger and looked in that direction.

Hou Zhen's finger continued to move, landing on a county town in the southeast corner of Tianmu County: "This place, Hengjiang County, is located at the junction of Tianmu County and Lingchuan County, and is the southeastern gateway of Tianmu County."

If we can capture this county, it will be like driving a nail into the heart of Tianmu County, allowing us to advance or retreat as needed.

Gongsun Qi seemed to be deep in thought: "Hengjiang County..."

Hou Zhen turned around, a sinister smile on his face: "The magistrate of Hengjiang County is none other than Mo Wentian's daughter, Mo Qiushui."

A glint flashed in Gongsun Qi's eyes, and he suddenly looked up: "What does the Marquis of Bingma mean...?"

"Take Hengjiang County and capture Mo Qiushui. Mo Wentian only has this one daughter, whom he cherishes dearly. We can use Mo Qiushui as a hostage to force Mo Wentian to come to his rescue. How could he possibly refuse?"

Gongsun Qi took a deep breath, feeling that the plan was brilliant, yet also vaguely aware that it had gone too smoothly, and couldn't help but ask:

"What if Mo Wentian doesn't come? This man was able to rise from a minor county magistrate in Longxiang County to seize Tianmu Prefecture. His decisiveness is extraordinary. What if he is determined to abandon his daughter and defend Tianmu City?"

Hou Zhen smiled slightly, clearly having already considered this: "If Mo Wentian doesn't come, that would be even easier. With the loss of Hengjiang County and the capture of his daughter, the news would spread throughout the sixteen counties of Tianmu Prefecture. How would the county magistrates view this prefect?"

If he can abandon even his own daughter, who among his men would dare to risk their lives for him? When morale collapses and the people turn against him, even if Mo Wentian doesn't want to act, he won't be able to sit still.

"If he really comes to the rescue, Brother Gongsun, you should lead your troops to ambush him halfway, waiting in comfort and outnumbering him. How could you possibly lose?"

Gongsun Qi pondered carefully, realizing that the plan was intricately linked, and whether Mo Wentian came or not, they would fall into his trap. He couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration: "Commander Hou is indeed far-sighted! But..."

He paused, his expression turning serious: "I've heard that Mo Wentian possesses an extraordinary weapon, a mid-grade weapon borrowed from the Black Wind Sect. Its power is considerable; if we were to clash head-on, I'm afraid I wouldn't be his match."

Hou Zhen laughed and said, "Brother Gongsun, you can rest assured. I have received reliable information that the Black Wind Sect has retrieved the treasured weapon."

Gongsun Qi breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Commander Hou is truly a master strategist."

Hou Zhen waved his hand humbly and said, "I just made some preparations in advance. After the matter is accomplished, I will give all six counties of Tianmu County to Brother Gongsun."

He changed the subject abruptly, saying seriously, "This matter cannot be rushed. Mo Wentian is shrewd; after returning to the city, he will surely send people to monitor the actions of the surrounding counties. We must not act rashly. We can send a small force in ten days to launch a surprise attack on Hengjiang County, lure Mo Qiushui out of the city, and capture her alive!"

Gongsun Qi clapped his hands and exclaimed in admiration.

Ten days later, Gongsun Qi ordered Huo Qingbai, the magistrate of Yufeng County under his jurisdiction, to gather thirty warriors from Yufeng County and Linzhi County and head straight for Hengjiang County under the cover of night.

It is worth mentioning that among these thirty martial artists, three were old acquaintances of Hong Lang: Luo Heng, the former magistrate of Hengjiang County; Wang Ye, the former county lieutenant; and Niu Ba, the former head constable.

After Fan Qingya was killed, these three men escaped death amidst the chaos of war and are now all serving in Yufeng County.

……

Inside Tianmu City.

Mo Wentian stood by the window, with lotus flowers drooping behind him.

"Has anything happened in Lingchuan County lately?"

Lotus raised her head slightly: "Reporting to my lord, there is no unusual activity in any of the passes and cities in Lingchuan County. The scouts report daily that Gongsun Qi has been staying at home and has not shown any signs of troop movements."

"Living a secluded life... A prefect who lives a secluded life when there is no trouble, do you think that's normal?"

Lotus was taken aback, but immediately said, "I will send more men to monitor the movements of Lingchuan County day and night."

Mo Wentian's gaze fell on the map on the table.

The sixteen county towns were scattered like sixteen chess pieces, and his gaze stopped at the southeast corner, Hengjiang County.

Mo Qiushui was right there.

His daughter is strong-willed and decisive, somewhat like him.

However, he was too rough in his actions and often lacked experience. He handed Hengjiang County over to her with the intention of letting her gain experience in a remote place for a few years, and then transfer her to the county seat once her foundation was solid.

In retrospect, this move may not have been a wise one.

……

Within Hengjiang County.

Mo Qiushui's leg injury has healed. She is sitting in a chair, holding a roll of official documents in her hands, her brows furrowed.

The personal maid, Huang Li, came over with tea and said softly, "My lord, your leg has just healed, so please don't overexert yourself."

"It's alright." Mo Qiushui took the tea. "How many days has it been since Magistrate Hong went to White Bone Plain?"

After a moment's thought, the oriole replied, "It has been more than two months, my lord."

Mo Qiushui gazed into the distance: "More than two months... The situation in White Bone Plain is extremely complicated. If he doesn't come back..."

Huang Li laughed and said, "County Commandant Hong is no ordinary man. Your Excellency need not worry. Perhaps the situation over there is complicated, which has caused some delays."

"I hope so. The prefect sent someone a few days ago to say that there was some trouble on the prefect's side, and told me to be careful in Hengjiang County, especially to pay attention to the movements in Lingchuan County."

"Is the master worried that someone will target Hengjiang County as a scapegoat?"

Mo Qiushui stood up, her face solemn: "Hengjiang County is located at the southeastern gateway of Tianmu County, separated from Lingchuan County by a mountain. If someone raises an army to seize the county, this is the best breakthrough point."

These past few days, you've increased manpower to closely monitor the situation in Lingchuan County. Report any changes to me immediately!

Huang Li composed herself and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and relay the order immediately!"