Martial God Development Plan

"From the overall situation, even if we can forcibly detain my eldest brother for a few days, he can easily send someone to sneak out of the city to inform the Black Knights, making our words in vain. So we must lure him out and kill him. If we keep him, it will only cause greater disasters in the future. You must know that a thief can steal for a thousand days, but you can never be on guard against thieves for a thousand days."

"But if you're not just referring to this matter... then, I don't know why we have to make things so complicated. It would be better if we could just kill him. If we can look back on this idea, there seems to be an answer, which is... we still want to continue our lives, that is, we still want to be human beings."

Ji Zhao was silent for a moment, but did not respond to Han Shou.

"...Let's go and meet my eldest sister."

Volume 2: A Way Out of Poverty: Chapter 19 Great minds think alike

The process of persuading Ji Bei was much simpler than expected. She was not as stubborn as Ji Zhao and Han Shou expected.

"Today and tomorrow, keep an eye on the South Gate, but don't let anyone else see you. If you see anyone trying to seize the gate, take them down. If you see the Black Knights attacking, sound the alarm quickly... I understand."

If there is anyone in Anchun County whom Han Shou feels he can trust, then Ji Bei is definitely one of them. She is from a famous family and is a county magistrate from Wu'an. She is selfless and dedicated to her work. In addition, with her indispensable fighting power, Han Shou has no reason to hide anything from her - except the fact that he made a misjudgment and was going to kill Han Yi alone, which he could not tell anyone else.

Ji Zhao and Han Shou had prepared long speeches to convince Ji Bei, but unexpectedly things went surprisingly smoothly. After listening to their words, Ji Bei immediately agreed to the deal.

"Sister...you agreed so soon?" Ji Zhao was a little surprised. He knew in his heart that he and Han Shou's judgment was correct, but he didn't expect Ji Bei to be so decisive.

"I agreed, shouldn't you be excited?" Ji Bei said calmly, "Why do you look like you can't accept it?"

Han Shou said leisurely: "He felt that you agreed too easily and didn't feel real. Or, he felt that you made the decision too casually."

"Too casual... maybe a little." Ji Bei did not deny it. "When I was practicing, the master in the pavilion once warned me that in this world, until the end, no one can be sure what is the right way to do it. There is no point in worrying about this and that, thinking about what is the best way to do it. People's energy and judgment are limited. At this juncture, you should try to abandon unnecessary thoughts and focus all your attention on one thing. As long as the direction of progress is roughly correct, the final result will not be too bad."

Han Shou clapped his hands slightly and said, "That's right, it is a taboo to make plans without decision."

"...It seems that your brother's incident really chilled your heart." Ji Bei glanced at Han Shou, "But, if I find out in the end that you really collaborated with the enemy, I will kill you even if I chase you to the ends of the earth."

"Haha..." Han Shou gave another of his signature provocative smiles, "That day will never come."

Ji Bei said indifferently: "I hope so."

Han Shou shrugged and was about to leave, but suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, there are two places you need to pay special attention to. First, you have to be careful of a man named Han Jie. He is my eldest brother's confidant, but he is different from my eldest brother who is ambitious but incompetent and likes to talk big and empty words to attract attention. He is meticulous and ruthless. You must be careful. The second is a place."

Ji Zhao said: "I was just about to say this."

"Oh?" Han Shou became interested. "Well, why don't we write down the answers on paper together and see if we are thinking about the same thing."

"Redundant...but, okay."

Ji Bei, who was sitting at the other end, was stunned, not understanding what these two were up to... until they each put down their pens, revealing two pieces of paper with the same content written on them.

"Heh... great minds think alike."

......

Han family.

It is now the Frost Descent solar term, and the weather is getting colder. Han Yi put on a thick coat and stood in the yard in silence.

The rain was drizzling down, and the city and the surrounding areas were extremely cold and damp. In such an environment, not only the Black Knights camping outside, but even the people inside were not feeling well.

Dirty rain, muddy land, biting cold wind, these things seem to be symbols that together constitute this desperate and lifeless spring.

"Master." A young man in his twenties came over and held an umbrella for Han Yi. He was Han Yi's butler, Han Jie.

The word "steward" seems to be associated with "old age". A steward in his twenties is rare, but Han Jie is Han Yi's most trusted person. He was born in a humble family and did not even have a surname in his early years. He got a surname after following Han Yi. In the past few years, he has studied both literature and martial arts. If he were in a larger place, he would be a half-baked person, but in a small county like Anchun, it is not an exaggeration to say that he is both civil and martial.

"Have you thought it through?" Han Jie asked, "We will start tomorrow night, but the situation with the Second Young Master has not been resolved. We can only command a small number of people. If we fail to take down the South City Gate, I'm afraid..."④

"A man should not be afraid of his own death when he is doing great things." Han Yi shook his head, his eyes fierce, "Besides, I have no way out now!"⑧

"Master, we still have a way out." Han Jie persuaded in a low voice, "No one has evidence of collaborating with the enemy. As long as we don't do it and defend this city, everything will be the same as before."

Han Yi sneered: "Han Jie, do you think that I am really seeking fame and wealth, so I am collaborating with the enemy and betraying my country?"

Han Jie said: "Han Jie is stupid, please explain clearly, young master."

"Anchun will definitely be taken." Han Yi said confidently, "The reason why the city was not taken a few days ago was entirely because Liu Wei did not use his full strength."

Han Jie said: "That day, Ji Wuan, the second young master, Master Lu, and the eldest son of the Liu family surrounded him... In that situation, Liu Wei actually didn't try his best?"

"This is not the same as that. If we talk about fighting with all his strength, he did try his best, otherwise he wouldn't have fought one against four. What I mean is that he didn't use all his strength to attack the city." Han Yi's eyes were dim. "If I were him, I wouldn't have fought with those four people at all. I would have just accelerated and ran around the city wall to disperse those soldiers, and An Chun would have fallen without a fight... But Liu Wei is a warlike person. He came from the outlaws and is warlike as hell. So he didn't use all his strength to attack the city that day. Instead, he stayed and fought one against four."

Han Jie was stunned and said: "Is it like this...?"

Han Yi glanced at him and sneered, "I know what you're thinking... You're wondering why other people can't see this, right? It's very simple. Most people have no idea of ​​the speed and flexibility of a master like Liu Wei, because they have never encountered such a martial arts master before, so naturally they can't imagine their powerful ability to break the formation. Looking at Anchun, the only ones who have this insight are me, Han Shou, and Ji Bei."

"I don't need to talk about it. My second brother, huh, God knows what's going on in his head. As for Ji Bei, a woman, she got the Wu'an Order and really thinks she is the Duke of Wu'an. She came from Luohe Pavilion and has seen countless masters. She is the one who knows best that Anchun cannot be defended. But she said nothing and insisted that the people in this city die with her to build a good reputation... People like her seem to be selfless and selfless, but in fact they are the most hateful and shameless!"

Han Yi seemed to be still angry when he said this, and cursed in a low voice: "And the county magistrate surnamed Li, he was thinking of surrendering to the enemy before the black cavalry bandits came, but when the time came, he heard that the Holy Martial Duke Tang Cheng had no intention of surrendering, and would kill officials and clerks wherever he went. He immediately became a resolute resistance faction, swearing to live and die with An Chun. This stupid man knew clearly in his heart that if he surrendered to the enemy, the black cavalry bandits would at most rob property and women, and would not kill people as long as they cooperated well. But now that the battle has lasted for so long, how can the black cavalry bandits bear it?!"

"These people! They all pretend to be righteous, but in fact they are all villains who don't care about the lives of the people and only care about their own reputations! I opened the city to surrender to the enemy in order to protect the people in the city to the greatest extent. When people know about this, they just scold and blame me. Who knows that I, Han Yi, have a sincere heart and do it all for the people?!"

Volume 2: A Poor Life, a Way Out: Chapter 20: There is Always a First Time for Everything

Han Jie said: "The young master has lofty ambitions. It is their loss that ordinary people cannot comprehend them."

"Hmph... It's too late now!" Han Yi snorted coldly, "The Black Knights have been waiting outside for many days, and their patience has long been exhausted. I don't know how many more people An Chun has killed... It's a pity that I have the desire to save the world, but I am always blocked by those villains who value reputation. Well, I can't save An Chun, I can only save our Han family."

Han Jie whispered, "But Master, if we seize the city gate, but Liu Wei doesn't bring anyone with him, what should we do?"

"...That's because Liu Wei is blind." Han Yi said coldly, "It's also my fate... God wants to kill me!"

Seeing that persuasion was ineffective, Han Jie wanted to break through from other angles.

"But, is there any future in working under Liu Wei?"

"Haha..." Han Yi sneered again, "Working under Liu Wei may not have a future, but working under this official now has even less future!"

These words were truly heart-piercing. Even though he had said so many outrageous words before, Han Jie was still frightened and broke out in a cold sweat, and subconsciously looked around.

Seeing his expression, Han Yi shook his head gently: "Han Jie, Han Jie... don't show this expression. A real man should remain calm when a mountain collapses in front of him, and keep his eyes fixed when a deer appears on his left. Only when he is as still as a wooden chicken can he be a great general!"

Han Jie whispered: "Han Jie is ashamed."

Han Yi raised his head slightly, with a hint of pride in his tone: "Do you want to know what I meant by what I said just now?"

"...Please explain clearly, Master."

"Then I will tell you." Han Yi said, "Everyone says that the current emperor is a man of courage. He personally went to the front line to supervise the war against Ning. But in my opinion, the Yan State is in such a crisis now because this dictator is trying to save face, causing the people to suffer!"

After he finished speaking, Han Yi continued without waiting for Han Jie to speak: "Our Emperor Wude, or the Emperor Emeritus, who suffered in Wudu City, lost the six states of Cangyun and was captured by the Ning people. As for this new emperor, he has some backbone and moved north to Fenglin... But it's just backbone. The three cities of Fenglin, Wangbei and Yangu did block the Ning people, but how long is the battle line? How much blood is sucked from the people every year in order to organize this battle line?"

"In my opinion, it is better to give all the four states in Jinzhong to the Ning people and withdraw the army to the south of Fenghe River, facing the Ning people across the river. On the one hand, it can relieve the military pressure. On the other hand, the four states in Jinzhong are also a piece of poison wrapped in honey... Han Jie, do you know why the Ning people are so good at fighting that 10,000 Ning people can defeat 100,000 Yan people?"

“Han Jie doesn’t know.”

"Oh, I told you to read more, but you didn't listen... There are countless reasons. For example, the Ning people have strict discipline and enforce it well. They also have the law of collective responsibility, which forces the grassroots officers to fight bloody battles. Another example is that the Ning people have strong cohesion. After all, decades ago, they were still a savage tribe. Soldiers know their generals, and generals know their soldiers. It can be said that they are both an army and relatives... But no matter what, it's because they are poor and were born in such a difficult place where no one lives, so they have developed strong resilience and endurance!"

Han Yi raised his head slightly: "The four states in Jinzhong are rich places, and they are the accumulation of Great Yan for hundreds of years. In my opinion, we might as well give them all to the Ning people and let them live a good life like the Yan people. In less than ten years, the Ning people will be like the Yan people and will not be able to fight! At that time, taking Ningguo will be as easy as taking something out of a bag!"

Han Yi said, shaking his head, with a rather disappointed tone: "There are so many smart people in the court, can't anyone have thought of this, but they didn't say anything, no one dared to say it. Once this plan is put forward, the success will not be achieved by this person, but the eternal infamy of the four states in Jinzhong will be lost. That group of civil and military officials are afraid that they will become the eternal sinners. This official is also, in order to preserve his reputation and the foundation of his ancestors, he doesn't care about the lives of the people at all, and keeps squeezing the people's fat to support those hungry soldiers. This kind of reckless consumption of national strength, there is no guarantee that the country will be destroyed by the Ning people in a battle at any time! What future can there be in such a position? If it were me, even if I had to bear this eternal infamy, I would still take this risky move, survive from death, and try to recover the country... Stupid! In this world, except for me, either a fool or a villain!"

When Han Yi said this, he felt a little angry for some reason.

"My father is also a fool. He was deceived by Han Shou's little cleverness and didn't know what true wisdom is!"

"Tomorrow... I will join the Black Cavalry and start all over again from here with Duke Shengwu! I will teach these people what I, Han Yi, am really capable of!"

Han Yi's emotions stabilized a little, and he muttered to himself.

"No doubt about it... I have great talent and I will achieve the achievements of Duke Wu'an. I will never die in a place like this!"

--------

The night of September 30th was very peaceful. Ji Bei went to patrol the South City Gate as agreed. Her cultivation was so amazing that ordinary people could not find her.

Ji Zhaoze was practicing martial arts in the yard. He knew the exact time... the Black Knights would come tomorrow night.

Victory, defeat, life and death all depend on that one battle.

"I say, you really won't give me that dagger?"

With a creak, the door opened, and the elegant and refined Ji Tan stood there, like a statue illustrating beauty... Unfortunately, as soon as she opened her mouth, she completely destroyed the artistic conception of the beauty under the moon.

"It's too painful to commit suicide by other means. I really can't bear it, your second sister..." Ji Tan said lazily.

Ji Zhao stopped and said, "We won't die. We will protect Anchun."

"No...I predicted that we three siblings will face a disaster." Ji Tan sighed, "I wish I was a third-rate fortune teller, but————"

Ji Zhao interrupted her before she could finish her words.

"Without buts, you are third-rate."

"What...?!" Ji Tan was startled, and then a little annoyed, "You've really become more courageous recently!"

"It's just that what you said was too irritating, second sister." Ji Zhao shook his head, "You keep yelling that you want to die. If you were a man, I would definitely beat you up."

"So that's what I mean!" Ji Tan's eyes widened. "That was the divination I made! I don't want to die either!"

"So I also said that you are third-rate." Ji Zhao said, "Let's make a bet. Bet on whether An Chun can hold on. If he can, it proves that you are a third-rate fortune-teller. Don't waste your time studying these things in the future. My elder sister and I are tired of listening to you."

"What a mess." Ji Tan sighed, crossed his arms, and leaned lazily against the door frame. "Anyway, if I win, everyone will die, and you don't have to pay the price even if you lose the bet... But, it doesn't matter. I'll bet with you, but don't blame me for not reminding you. So far, my divination has not been wrong."

“There’s always a first time for everything.”

The Shura demon, who was born to seize all victories in the world, responded calmly to the former.

Volume 2: A Poor Life and a Way Out: Chapter 21: Storm is Coming

The camp of the Black Cavalry on October 1, the fifth year of Jianwu.

Liu Wei sat on a clean boulder, quietly waiting for the sun to set. He was very patient. His job requires patience, but many people do not understand this.

"The boss!"

A short and stocky man walked up to Liu Wei and said, "This weather is unbearable. The brothers can't stand it anymore. Boss, I work under you and I shouldn't complain like a woman. But I just think that we shouldn't have believed that letter. We should have attacked two days earlier. With your strength, it wouldn't take much effort to conquer this tiny place."

The weather in the south is damp and cold, and it has been raining for the past few days. The Black Cavalry bandits outside have set up camp very poorly, and coupled with the lack of logistics, these few days have been very difficult to endure. Eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, and sleeping are all problems. All of these things are unimaginable for those who have never led troops.

Liu Wei said indifferently: "We have waited for so many days, so what if we wait one more day?"

"Alas..." the man sighed and said in a low voice, "Boss, I have never been to school and I can't read a few words, but I have heard the storyteller in the tavern talk about these things. Could this be a trick? What... is it a false surrender, or is it to lure the enemy deeper into our territory?"

Liu Wei shook his head: "You worry too much..."

Due to his lack of education, Liu Wei could only pretend to be literary and say this. If he had studied for a few more years, he would probably respond to the man like this.

"Given the military quality and morale of the people in Anchun County, once the city gate is breached, everything will be over. The militiamen will be frightened and unable to organize an effective defense. Not everyone is qualified to use this strategy."

Since ancient times, there have been many examples of false surrenders that were too real and turned into disastrous defeats.

Of course, Liu Wei only vaguely felt that the people in Anchun County were not qualified to play these little tricks. As for why, he could not explain it clearly with his limited language organization ability, so he could only act as a riddler here.

The man sighed, "Brothers really can't stand it, they would rather attack the city quickly."

Liu Wei shook his head but didn't say much.

A gust of wind blew by, bringing with it a woman's moan.

Liu Wei narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Are there any women in the army?"

The issue of military prostitutes has been nothing new since the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. However, the women of the Black Cavalry bandits are probably not even military prostitutes. They were just robbed along the way and brought into the army for the soldiers to entertain themselves and relieve stress.

However, Liu Wei had a rule when commanding troops. Before launching a decisive battle, he would require the soldiers to kill all the camp prostitutes.

Firstly, women consume men's yang energy and affect the performance of the army.

Secondly, it is to intimidate soldiers and enforce military discipline through killing.

Thirdly, now that the woman is gone, there will naturally be a new one once we capture the city in front of us. This can be considered a kind of motivation, a low-end version of burning the boats.

The man's cultivation was not as good as Liu Wei's, so he could not hear the sound, but after hearing what Liu Wei said, he could naturally guess what happened. He was very angry and cursed: "There must be some kid who was reluctant to let go. Damn it, I'll catch them and beat them up right now."

"no."

Liu Wei looked gloomy and stood up calmly.

The man's expression changed: "The boss?!"

Liu Wei, holding a whip and mace, turned a deaf ear to the sound and walked towards the source of the sound.

The man stood there, stunned for a moment, then sighed with some anger and some resentment.

A moment later, Liu Wei dragged out a man and a woman from a tent.

At the same time, the Black Knights were alarmed by the noise and gathered around one by one, until they formed a huge circle that surrounded Liu Wei and the two men.

It was hard to tell how old the woman was. She looked very haggard and had bruises all over her body. She was dragged out by Liu Wei and lay on the ground without saying a word, like a dead fish.

The man was a young man, who looked only about 18 or 19 years old. He was so scared that his legs went weak and his whole body was shaking. He cried and said in pieces: "Liu... Commander Liu, I won't dare to do it again. I won't dare to do it again. Please let me go this time, just this time... I really know I was wrong."

The surrounding black knights were so frightened that they dared not breathe. The short and stocky man squeezed in and shouted, "Boss..."