Niu Youdao gestured at Black Peony and pointed at his hair. "I also want to change my hairstyle to avoid people's eyes and ears. Help me tie my hair up." He walked to the side and sat down on a rock.
Black Peony couldn't help but laugh. She found her own comb and walked behind him. As she helped him comb his hair, she teased, "Daoye, we're so intimate like a couple. Aren't you afraid that others will misunderstand?"
"Misunderstand?" Niu Youdao snorted. "You want to announce that I saw you bathing. Is there a bigger misunderstanding than this?"
Black Peony giggled. Her laughter was like a silver bell, causing everyone to look at her strangely. It was hard not to suspect that there was something fishy going on between the two of them.
Niu Youdao closed his eyes and thought of the ugly woman who often combed his hair. She was really meticulous. He could feel the gentleness and care of every strand of hair. Her touch was much better than this woman's …
Qingshan County.
In the wilderness, the army had set up camp. The horses were lined up and the banners were fluttering. The 'Shang' flag fluttered in the wind.
At the mountain pass that blocked the way was a heavily fortified stronghold. The garrison on the wall kept a close watch on the wilderness. The patrolling personnel looked exhausted.
The army of Zhao's Jin Province was pressing down on the border. The Yan South Province was heavily fortified. Shang Chaozong took advantage of the situation and attacked the entire Qingshan County. Most of the defeated troops were now defending the pass. If this pass was breached, the rear would be a piece of flat land. It would pose a great threat to Zhou Shouxian, the Provincial Governor of South Province.
Shang Chaozong's actions made the feudal lords who had their own armies restless. The entire Yan Country could fall into the flames of war at any time. With internal and external troubles, the imperial court urgently sent someone to negotiate.
After several rounds of negotiation, Shang Chaozong stopped his attack. In reality, relying on the borrowed troops of Guang Guang County, they wouldn't be able to occupy it even if they continued fighting.
From afar, a group of cavalry came rumbling over, the 'Feng' flag fluttering in the wind. Feng Ruo Nan, who was dressed in battle armor, rode a white horse and a silver spear. She led the way, with a dozen cultivators carrying swords on their backs following behind her.
A bugle horn sounded from the sentry tower, and the camp gates opened wide. The barricades were moved to the sides, and a group of people walked out from the central tent. The one leading them was Shang Chaozong, while Shang Shuqing also donned his armor and followed closely behind his brother. His face was not covered by a veil, but no one cared about that at this moment.
Feng Ruonan charged her horse into the camp and hurriedly reined in the reins. The troops behind her split up to the left and right.
She jumped off her horse and threw the spear in her hand to her subordinate. She walked with large strides towards Shang Chaozong who came to welcome her. She pulled out the arrow of command from her waist and knelt down on one knee. Holding the arrow of command, she said, "This lowly officer was fortunate enough to not fail you. The rebels in Si An District have all been eliminated, and I'm here to report to Marshal!"
Shang Chaozong received the arrow of command and handed it over to Lan Ruoting. He then used both hands to help Feng Ruonan up. Looking at the dusty woman in front of him, he sighed, "Madam must have had a tough journey!"
The official procedure had already been completed, and the flirting between husband and wife in front of everyone made Feng Ruonan feel uncomfortable. She was a little embarrassed, and her body swayed a little as she broke away from Shang Chaozong's support. "If Marshal doesn't have any other instructions, this lowly officer will take his leave."
Shang Chaozong laughed dryly, and his hands were a little stiff as he put them down.
Lan Ruoting hurriedly said to the side, "Princess, bring the princess to rest."
Shang Shuqing walked out and bowed, "Sister-in-law has had a hard time. Go and wash up."
Seeing Shang Shuqing, Feng Ruonan immediately revealed a smile and took the initiative to hold her hand. She left with Shang Shuqing while chatting and laughing.
Actually, being ugly also had its benefits. It wasn't without reason that ugly people were blessed. At the very least, it wasn't easy for women to be jealous.
At the very least, Feng Ruonan had always been good to Shang Shuqing. Sometimes, she would even flatter Shang Shuqing a little, expressing that she didn't care about beauty at all times, afraid that she would accidentally hurt her.
The more she interacted with Shang Shuqing, the more Feng Ruonan felt pity for her. Her character, talent, temperament, figure, and so on, which one of them wasn't a top-notch woman? Yet, she was forcefully ruined by a face. The heavens were so unfair!
Every time she saw Shang Shuqing, she would feel that the heavens were actually quite good to her.
Not long after they had settled down, there was movement in the valley.
The mountain pass gate opened with a silent whimper. The barricades outside were quickly moved away by the soldiers. A group of more than ten riders charged out, running down the rugged mountain road towards the army camp in the wilderness.
The leader wore a black cloak that fluttered in the wind. His temples were white, his face was white, and his eyes were gloomy. It was Gamiao Shui.
Not only was he the Yan Emperor's personal eunuch, but he was also the commander of the Central Carriage Prefecture. At the same time, he was also the negotiator sent by Yan Capital.
The group rushed to the entrance of the camp and stopped. After being notified, everyone dismounted and was allowed to enter.
As soon as they entered the camp, their meridians were sealed and restrictions were placed on them before they were allowed to continue. They were led straight to the Central Army Tent.
Inside the Central Army Tent, the battle map hanging on the wall had been lowered, and Shang Chaozong was sitting on it.
Bai Yao hugged his sword and stood guard beside him. There were also a few Heavenly Jade School disciples eyeing the guests covetously.
No matter what, Shang Chaozong's status as a member of the royal family was still there. He had not been banned. After Gamiao Shui and the others entered, they cupped their fists and saluted, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Shang Chaozong said in a low voice, "There is no point in discussing further. These are the conditions. If you agree, then so be it. If not, then we will meet on the battlefield!"
Gamiao Shui straightened up, "Prince, it is impossible for me to agree to everything. If I do as you say, all the feudal vassals will follow suit. Yan will immediately be in trouble!"
Shang Chaozong, "If you don't agree, then what else is there to discuss?"
Gamiao Shui, "The capital has given me the last line. It is impossible to punish Zhou Shouxian for his crimes. Qingshan County can be transferred to the Prince's rule, and the imperial court can also issue a decree. But publicly announcing it to the world is impossible! Apart from these two conditions, the imperial court has no choice but to concede to this. If the Prince insists on making the imperial court lose face, then the imperial court will have no choice but to meet the Prince on the battlefield. When the time comes, I want to see how long the Prince's troops can hold out! "
Whoosh! Shang Chaozong suddenly stood up and glared at him.
Lan Ruoting quickly stepped forward to dissuade him. He cupped his fists and said, "Prince, His Majesty is the Prince's uncle after all. Since His Majesty has already taken a step back, why don't the Prince take a step back in consideration of our kinship?"
Thus, after a round of persuasion, the war seemed to have ended. Both sides signed an agreement, each holding a copy.
Witnessing this scene, the Heavenly Jade School cultivators were overjoyed. The Heavenly Jade School's sphere of influence had expanded once again. They now had the power to swallow an entire county!
Gamiao Shui, who was slowly keeping the agreement, had an ugly expression on his face. He stared at Shang Chaozong and said, "It's best to stop before going too far in some matters. If this goes on, it won't do the Prince any good if the Yan clan collapses. An innocent man's wealth becomes his own ruin. If there's a next time, I won't be tolerating it forever. The Prince should weigh the consequences yourself. The Prince should know what I mean! "
Lan Ruoting smiled and asked, "Are you referring to the hundred thousand Crow Generals?"
As soon as he said this, Gamiao Shui and Bai Yao's expressions changed at the same time. They didn't expect Lan Ruoting to reveal this secret in front of everyone. This was not something that could be spoken of carelessly.
On the other hand, Shang Chaozong's expression remained calm.
Lan Ruoting burst into laughter again and said, "Grandpa, now that things have come to this, there's no harm in making some things clear. Back then, when the Prince was framed and sent to the imperial prison, I'm sure you know better than me what the consequences were. Someone wanted the Prince dead! I had no choice but to operate in the capital and come up with the 'hundred thousand Crow Generals' cover. If it wasn't for that, the Prince wouldn't have been able to leave the imperial prison alive! "
Gamiao Shui suddenly narrowed his eyes. His cheeks twitched violently. With a flick of his cloak, he turned around and left with large strides.
Just as he was about to step out of the tent, he stopped and suddenly looked back. His sharp gaze was fixed on Shang Chaozong. He recalled what Song Jiuming had said at the top of the city gate. 'Release the tiger back to the mountain!'
After watching Gamiao Shui leave, Bai Yao, who was hugging his sword, said, "Mister Lan, what did you mean by that? I don't quite understand what you said."
Lan Ruoting slowly turned around and looked at him. "It's very simple. The hundred thousand Crow Generals is just a cover. It doesn't exist! The Prince was in danger in the capital and had no choice but to think of a way to escape. Even if he left the capital, he wouldn't be able to escape the murderous hands of the imperial court. In order to obtain the support of your esteemed sect, he had no choice but to borrow troops. All the way until today, when he took down Green Mountain County, it was all part of his plan! "
Bai Yao's expression turned ugly. The Heavenly Jade Sect had been fooled!
He slowly walked up to Shang Chaozong and said, "Prince, some jokes shouldn't be made so casually!"
Shang Chaozong remained expressionless and silent.
Lan Ruoting stepped forward and said, "Venerable One! Did the Heavenly Jade Sect suffer any losses? Not only did they not suffer any losses, they even gained great benefits. What's so bad about having the Prince guard this county for the Heavenly Jade Sect? "
"In terms of ability, the Prince isn't any worse than Feng Lingbo. After so many years, does Feng Lingbo have the ability to help the Heavenly Jade Sect expand its territory? The Prince has only been in Cang Lu County for a few months, and he's already offered a county. If the Heavenly Jade Sect doesn't want such a talent, there are plenty of sects in the world who would fight for him! "
"In terms of kinship, Feng Lingbo is Sect Master Peng's son-in-law, and the Prince is Sect Master Peng's grandson-in-law. We're all one family, so why should we separate ourselves? There's still something that Feng Lingbo can't compare to. The Prince is a member of the Yan imperial family, so some things are justified! Taking a step back, Venerable One also knows the conditions in Jinzhou. Without the Prince, no one can control Green Mountain County! The Prince is willing to serve the Heavenly Jade Sect. Venerable One, why don't you ask your sect if they're willing to give the Prince this opportunity? "
Bai Yao didn't know if they were willing to give the Prince this opportunity, and he couldn't make the decision. Without his sect's permission, he wouldn't dare to do anything to Shang Chaozong.
However, he could see one thing. The reason why Shang Chaozong dared to lay his cards on the table so brazenly today was because he had nothing to fear!
Bai Yao slowly turned around and left with a taut face.
The other disciples of the Heavenly Jade Sect looked at each other in dismay and left with bewildered expressions.
Not long after, Shang Shuqing walked in. Feng Ruonan was bathing when she returned.
"I saw that Venerable One didn't look too good just now. Could it be that you haven't reached an agreement with the imperial court?" Shang Shuqing asked with concern. His eyes were filled with anxiety.
Shang Chaozong sighed. "It's settled … We've already laid our cards on the table regarding the matter of Crow General to the Heavenly Jade Sect."
Shang Shuqing was silent. He understood why Bai Yao's expression was so unsightly.
Lan Ruoting suddenly smiled. "No matter what, the general situation has been set. There shouldn't be any more unforeseen events! Once we take down Green Mountain County, Feng Lingbo will no longer be able to restrict the Prince. The Prince will finally have a foothold for himself. A new beginning is worth celebrating! "
"The plan to marry sister-in-law, borrow troops from Guangyi County, establish a foothold in Canglu County, and brave the dangers in Jinzhou to turn the tide and forge an alliance. That's how we've successfully taken down Green Mountain County today!" Shang Shuqing reminded softly.
Both of them nodded in silence. Shang Chaozong sighed. "Daoye deserves the most credit!"
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