"… You're saying that Li Zexuan gathered the generals of the A, C, D and E battalions for a secret meeting?"
In a corner of the Black Armored Army drill ground, Qiu Xinggong was inspecting the drill ground. Sun Tao, the lieutenant of the B Battalion, hesitated for a moment before telling Qiu Xinggong what he knew. Hearing this, Qiu Xinggong frowned. At the same time, a sense of vigilance rose in his heart.
After a moment of silence, he frowned and asked, "Do you know why Li Zexuan gathered them?"
Sun Tao shook his head and said, "Li Zexuan's men are guarding outside his tent. Our men can't get close, so we have no way of knowing what they are discussing!"
Zhang Kangnian had been beheaded, and now Sun Tao had become Qiu Xinggong's' number one general ', as well as the only general. Even so, Sun Tao did not feel any joy. Instead, he felt a kind of sadness at the end of his road. Right now, he was reporting this to Qiu Xinggong, but it was just a routine matter. It was not that he wanted to target Li Zexuan!
"Hmph! The day after tomorrow is the competition between the B and E battalions. He gathered the generals of the other battalions at this time. Could it be that he wants to ask for help from the other battalions? "
Qiu Xinggong rolled his eyes and quickly thought of a possibility. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was close to the truth. Thus, he said to Qiu Xinggong, "Send more men to watch over the E Battalion. If you discover any experts from the other battalions sneaking into the E Battalion, report to me immediately!"
From Qiu Xinggong's point of view, Li Zexuan's sudden abnormal action on the eve of the final battle was definitely to "cheat" in the competition with the B Battalion. As for the method of cheating, it was very simple. It was to ask for "help" from the A Battalion, C Battalion and D Battalion. The Black Armored Army had a thousand men in each battalion. Among these thousand men, it wasn't that eye-catching to have a dozen experts mixed in. However, in the competition, it was very likely that the addition of these ten experts could change the outcome of the battle!
"… Li Zexuan is an upright person. He wouldn't use such a despicable method, right? Furthermore, during the competition, His Majesty and the officials of the court will be sitting in the celestial lantern to observe the battle. If someone from the other battalions sneaked into the E Battalion, it should be easy to find out? Why would Li Canjun take such a big risk? "
Hearing Qiu Xinggong's guess, Sun Tao did not take it to heart. He did not believe that Li Zexuan was such a person.
Qiu Xinggong was instantly enraged when he heard that. "What do you know? There are so many people in each battalion. If a dozen or so people from the other battalions were to sneak in, who would notice? Li Zexuan definitely did not have the confidence to win against the Second Battalion, so he decided to take the risk out of desperation! As long as we can get hold of his weakness, our Second Battalion will be able to win this competition without having to fight! Follow my instructions and keep an eye on the Wu Battalion for the next two days! "
After Li Er's warning yesterday, Qiu Xinggong indeed didn't dare to secretly cause trouble for Li Zexuan anymore. This was because if Li Er were to find out, he would very likely be expelled from the royal court, or even lose his life!
However, Qiu Xinggong thought that if he couldn't use underhanded tactics, it didn't mean that he couldn't use overt tactics! Once he found evidence that Li Zexuan had secretly asked for "external help" to cheat, and exposed it, Li Zexuan would no longer have a foothold in the Black Armored Army. By then, even Li Er wouldn't be able to say anything. Li Zexuan could only leave the Black Armored Army with his tail between his legs!
However, what he didn't know was that Li Zexuan wasn't even worried that the Wu Battalion would lose to the Second Battalion. He had even completely ignored this matter and was planning for something more long-term — the Special Forces and the signallers!
On the other hand, the soldiers of the Fifth Battalion didn't care about the competition the day after tomorrow. Everyone was eating and training as usual. It was as though everyone had forgotten about the competition with the Second Battalion the day after tomorrow. Or it could be said that they didn't care about this small matter anymore!
"… Yes!"
Sun Tao clenched his teeth and wanted to say something. However, in the end, he didn't say anything. He just responded and turned to leave.
He knew that even if he said something, the obstinate and self-opinionated Qiu Xinggong wouldn't listen to him. Since that was the case, he might as well not say anything.
Actually, even though he didn't say anything, he didn't really care about Qiu Xinggong's guess! As the lieutenant of the Second Battalion, he knew his own situation. In the past, Sun Tao was very confident that the Second Battalion would win against the Wu Battalion. However, now … after experiencing the martial arts competition the day before, he didn't dare to underestimate the Wu Battalion. Even though he didn't understand how the Wu Battalion could improve so quickly, it was an indisputable fact that the Wu Battalion and the A Battalion were equally matched in the arena!
This meant that the Wu Battalion now had the ability to challenge the A Battalion!
As for the Second Battalion?
Even if the Second Battalion was at its peak, it wouldn't have the chance to win against the A Battalion. Not to mention the Second Battalion that had already lost all morale after the martial arts competition the day before!
On one side, the morale was high and their abilities had increased tremendously. On the other side, the morale was low and their abilities didn't improve at all. When these two sides fought, it was obvious who would win and who would lose!
Hence, Sun Tao didn't think that Li Zexuan would 'invite reinforcements' from other battalions. It was completely unnecessary and superfluous. It might even be risky!
However, Qiu Xinggong insisted that he send people to keep an eye on the Wu Battalion. What else could he do as a 'tool'? He could only do as he was told!
Actually, Sun Tao didn't like Qiu Xinggong's way of doing things. Previously, there was Zhang Kangnian who was a bootlicker. The 'dirty and tiring jobs' that Qiu Xinggong had assigned to him were all done by Zhang Kangnian. Sun Tao didn't actually participate much in it. However, Zhang Kangnian was beheaded for inciting the soldiers to mutiny. Hence, the 'dirty and tiring jobs' that he had done could only be taken over by Sun Tao!
This was something that he had no choice but to do!
Sun Tao had also thought of leaving Qiu Xinggong and joining Li Zexuan or Duan Zhixuan. However, Qiu Xinggong was the founding general of the country and had great power. Furthermore, he was indebted to Qiu Xinggong. Even if he joined Li Zexuan or Duan Zhixuan, the other party wouldn't dare to accept him!
Hence, he could only join Qiu Xinggong for good or for ill. Cough cough, no, it should be that he could only fall and not be honored! From Sun Tao's point of view, in the battle between Qiu Xinggong and Li Zexuan, Qiu Xinggong had already fallen into a disadvantageous position. There was no way he could turn the tables around. The battle between the Second and Wu Battalions the day after tomorrow would most likely be Qiu Xinggong's final battle. After this battle, Qiu Xinggong would most likely have to leave the Black Armored Army for good. As for him, Qiu Xinggong's' little brother ', he could only follow Qiu Xinggong's battered ship and sink to the bottom of the sea!
… … …
"Little Ke, did something happen in Taiyuan?"
The Academy, Yan Silu's office.
Li Ke had thought that Yan Silu had called him back to the Academy because he had something for him to do. He didn't expect Yan Silu to throw such a 'deep water bomb' at him the moment they met. He didn't even have time to salute and greet Yan Silu.
Li Ke's forehead was instantly covered in a layer of cold sweat.
Li Tai had been kidnapped by a Turkic spy in Taiyuan. Not many people knew about this, and certainly no one in the Academy knew about it. Although the Academy had a telegraph and could contact the Yanhuang College teachers and students in Taiyuan at any time, Taiyuan had never reported this matter to the Academy. Every time the Academy sent a telegram to ask about the situation in Taiyuan, Iron Egg would always reply to the Academy with 'everything is fine' and 'everything is going well'.
This wasn't because they didn't trust the Academy, but because Iron Egg, Mo Chui, and the other teachers of the Academy had considered the matter thoroughly.
Some of the old teachers in the Academy, such as Li Gang, Yan Silu, Mo Huai, and the others, were too old. Previously, when Wu Jie broke into Yunshan Mountain alone, Mr. Li Gang was so shocked that he almost died. Fortunately, Li Zexuan and Xuan Qing rushed back from thousands of miles away and together with Sun Simiao, they pulled Li Gang back from the gates of hell.
Although Li Gang was saved in the end, after this incident, the old teacher's health was much worse than before. This matter had become an eternal pain in the hearts of the teachers and students of the Academy.
So this time, something happened in Taiyuan. After several discussions, Iron Egg, Mo Chui, and the others finally decided not to disclose the news to the Academy, even when the news was passed back to the Imperial Palace. Of course, this decision was also approved by Li Zexuan. They even vaguely asked Li Er not to spread the news (In fact, there was no need for them to remind him, Li Er had no intention of spreading the news anyway, because if too many people knew about this matter, it wouldn't be of any help to the rescue of Li Tai. On the contrary, it would only attract more variables!). They were worried that after the old teachers of the Academy heard the news, they wouldn't be able to bear it psychologically and would have an accident!
It was said that having an old teacher at home was like having a treasure, and the old teachers of the Academy were all highly respected people. They were all treasures of the Academy. They used their profound knowledge, noble character, and rich life experiences to "nurture" the students. Losing any one of them would be a great loss to the Academy!
Was it finally impossible to hide it? Or did Mr. Yan and the others know something?
Li Ke smiled bitterly in his heart and couldn't help but frown slightly. He didn't expect that after hiding it for so long, it would finally come to a point where he couldn't hide it anymore. However, he didn't understand where Yan Silu got the news from.
Of course, this was not important. The question now was whether he should tell the truth to Yan Silu!
No! No! He couldn't take this risk!
Thinking about how Li Gang was in a critical condition and almost died, Li Ke shook his head inwardly and made a decision in his heart. Even if he had to lie and deceive people, he had to first stabilize Yan Silu!
"Mr. Kong Gui, everything is fine in Taiyuan. There hasn't been any accident!"
After a moment of hesitation and conflict, Li Ke calmed down and his expression returned to normal. He saluted Yan Silu and said.
Yan Silu shook his head. He had caught the hesitation and conflict on Li Ke's face just now. This further confirmed his guess. After a moment of silence, he said, "I heard that this morning you met with the nine Hu merchants in Chang 'an City. Immediately after, the Yanhuang Bank cut off all financial transactions with the merchants of the An Kingdom and the Kang Kingdom. Could it be that the nine Hu merchants were also involved in the crisis of Taiyuan City?"
It was said that the older one was, the wiser one became. Yan Silu had been in court all his life. What kind of people had he not seen? What kind of things had he not encountered? Although Li Ke was far more shrewd than his peers, he was still incomparably immature in front of Yan Silu. Although Li Ke didn't admit it personally and even flatly denied it, Yan Silu still concluded that something had happened in Taiyuan City. He didn't give Li Ke a chance to refute.
Li Ke's little face was pale. He didn't expect Yan Silu to deduce so much from this little information. He also didn't expect things to develop to this point. For a moment, he didn't know how to answer Yan Silu's question.
"Ah! Something really did happen! "
In an instant, Yan Silu seemed to have aged a few years. If he had only been guessing before, now that he saw Li Ke's appearance, he could basically conclude that something had happened in Taiyuan City. Seeing this, Li Ke couldn't help but feel grief in his heart. "Mister Kong Gui …"
But before he could say anything to comfort him, Yan Silu waved his hand and interrupted him. With a calm expression, he asked, "Can you … tell me, who exactly is in trouble in Taiyuan City? Is there a way to save them? Don't worry, this old man's body is still strong. I can hold on! "
Although Yan Silu's expression was very calm, the attentive Li Ke still noticed that the old man's fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails were embedded in his flesh. Because he was using too much force, his fists were also trembling slightly. Li Ke knew that the old man was forcibly suppressing his inner emotions. He also knew that he couldn't continue to be "passive" like this. Otherwise, if the old man were to make wild guesses on his own, it would probably be even more exhausting and unbearable!
Li Ke took a deep breath. His bright eyes met Yan Silu's somewhat cloudy and moist eyes. At this moment, his childish face was far more mature than his peers. After meeting Yan Silu's gaze, Li Ke first cupped his hands and then said with a serious expression, "Mister Kong Gui, something has happened in Taiyuan City.
"Mr. Kong Gui, something did happen in Taiyuan. The reason why I didn't tell you and Mr. Wen Ji was because I didn't want you to worry about everything! Although you have guessed some things now, I'm afraid this student can't tell you the specific situation over there. However, this student can assure you that the crisis in Taiyuan City will soon be resolved. The imperial court and Yamachō have both taken action. I believe that the teachers and students of the Academy will definitely return safely! "
Hearing this, Yan Silu's tightly clenched fists finally relaxed. He asked with a nervous expression, "You're not lying to me this time?"
Li Ke said with a look of shame, "I had no choice but to lie to you before. However, what I said just now is all true. The crisis in Taiyuan City is really going to be resolved soon!"
Yan Silu nodded. His body was finally able to lean back and lean against the back of the chair. He was also able to exhale lightly. After a long silence, Yan Silu regained his senses and asked, "Mountain Head, do you know about this matter?"
Li Ke nodded and said, "Yamachō has always known! Moreover, Yamachō has also made some arrangements in Taiyuan City, so Mister Kong Gui doesn't have to worry too much. Yamachō can still sit firmly in the army at this moment because the situation in Taiyuan City is still under his control. Otherwise, Yamachō would have already gone to Taiyuan City! Also, didn't Mister Kong Gui notice that one person is missing from Yunshan City recently? "
"One person is missing ~?"
Yan Silu was startled when he heard this. After thinking for a while, he finally came back to his senses and said, "It's him? Yamachō is really making the best use of people. With him in Taiyuan, this old man can more or less rest assured! "
After muttering to himself for a while, Yan Silu came back to his senses and looked at Li Ke.
"Alright! Since you don't want to talk about the situation in Taiyuan City, this old man won't force you. I'm sure there are still many things to do in the bank. Little Ke, you can go back to work! "
His tone was no longer as heavy as before. It even had a hint of relaxation.
"Then this student will take his leave!"
Li Ke cupped his hands and then said worriedly, "I hope Mister Kong Gui can keep this matter a secret, especially from Teacher Wenji!"
Yan Silu nodded and said, "Don't worry, this old man knows the importance of this matter!"
Li Ke cupped his hands and left.
After walking out of the office, Li Ke realized that his back was covered in a layer of cold sweat. He thought to himself that he didn't mess things up. Things were still under control.
… … …
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