diskusbooks Chapter 239 Mountaineering
Chapter 239 Mountaineering
After the ship docked, Xu Sheng led Nian Yao and Qin Jiu on foot up Yanshan Mountain.
Nianyao asked, "Your Highness, is it just the three of us?"
Xu Sheng remained calm, saying as he walked, "Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Besides, there are at least ten thousand soldiers on Yanshan Mountain, and I only brought two thousand five hundred men. I can't just throw them away to die, can I?"
Nianyao said, "If you keep bluffing like this and get caught, we'll just be throwing our lives away."
Xu Sheng said, "If I take all my brothers up with me, we'll definitely be exposed and die in vain. If only the three of us go up, we might not be exposed, but we might still die in vain. Choosing between certainty and uncertainty, between certainty and possibility, Chief Xue, you're a smart man."
Why not choose a sure-win strategy? With Furong City besieged, the upper reaches of the Jingjiang River under control, and Yanshan entrenched without reinforcements, if Xu Sheng really brought 20,000 to 30,000 troops, wouldn't everything be solved?
Nianyao only wanted to kill Ji Kongming; Jin Hu was involved in a national conflict, and she didn't want to get involved. But when Xu Sheng arrived, she naturally followed him up Yanshan.
Yuezhou only had a few hundred people in total, so of course they couldn't possibly defeat the rumored tens of thousands of soldiers. When Xu Sheng spread the word, he knew that Ji Kongming definitely wouldn't be waiting for him in Yuezhou.
Xue Yunting must have gone to Yanshan first, and his disappearance there was to give Xu Sheng a legitimate reason to go there.
So, all of this, which seemed so natural, was actually deliberately arranged by Xu Sheng, including her going to Yanshan with him. But why did Xu Sheng send her to Yanshan?
Nianyao's mind raced, her thoughts becoming clearer and clearer. Suddenly, she slowed her pace and fell behind Xu Sheng.
Xu Sheng tilted his head slightly: "Chief Xue, are you afraid?"
Nianyao didn't try to be brave: "Your Highness, look at the woods on both sides of the road. There are so many eyes and bows and arrows. Of course I, a weak woman, am afraid."
Qin Jiu followed a step behind, walking side by side with Nian Yao.
Xu Sheng asked, "Is Ninth Brother afraid too?"
Nianyao interjected, "Your Highness, Ninth Brother has only been married for a short time, with a beautiful wife and young children. Of course, he must take good care of himself."
Xu Sheng strode forward with his head held high: "Then I have no choice but to lead by example."
Leading by example? When did she and Qin Jiu become Xu Sheng's soldiers?
Nianyao asked Qin Jiu, "Ninth Brother, they actually know everything that's happening on Chongming Island. Yunting will definitely be more concerned about Duan Mingzhu giving birth, so he'll probably be counting down the days to return to Chongming Island?"
Qin Jiu didn't quite understand why Nian Yao suddenly brought up Xue Yunting, and replied cautiously, "That depends on the prince's arrangements, right? After all, for the young general, war is more important than family matters."
Nianyao said, "If it were someone else, of course it wouldn't matter. But with Duan Mingzhu like this, Yunting should be more concerned. I think Yunting is usually quite... considerate towards Duan Mingzhu."
Nianyao wanted to say "be wary," but changed her mind before she could finish.
Qin Jiu said, "Everyone knows about the young mistress's health condition. Whether the young general returns or not, the outcome will not change."
Nianyao said, "Ninth Brother, you're a man, so of course you wouldn't understand. Even if the outcome doesn't change, the process is different. What woman doesn't want her husband by her side when she's pregnant and giving birth?"
Qin Jiu remained silent. Xu Sheng then asked, "Does Chief Xue wish for Yun Ting to return?"
Nianyao said, "I think he should go back."
Xu Sheng said, "The news of Yun Ting's disappearance in Yanshan has already spread. If Yun Ting goes back, what's the difference between him and a zombie?"
Nianyao said, "Missing doesn't mean dead. A lie is still a lie. Didn't the prince also say that Yunting is in Furong City?"
Xu Sheng suddenly stopped, and Nian Yao almost bumped into him. She glared at Xu Sheng, her eyes saying: Are you crazy?!
Xu Sheng said, "Duan Mingzhu is going to die eventually. Let's wait until she's dead before we go back, so we don't have to be heartbroken when we meet. A man can't grow without experiencing life and death."
Xu Sheng's tone was so indifferent that Nian Yao felt a little sad. She looked at Qin Jiu, who also had no expression, and asked, "Brother Jiu, is that what you think too?"
Qin Jiu said, "Chief, you should trust the Prince. He is meticulous and thorough in his work. You can't assume he's unreliable just because he sounds unreliable."
Instead of refuting what the two expected, Nianyao began to think about it seriously.
Xu Sheng didn't hold back his praise: "Chief Xue listens to advice, so he can be considered half a wise ruler."
"Why half?" Nianyao regretted asking as soon as she finished: "Alright, you don't need to answer."
Xu Sheng wasn't so obedient: "Your ears work, but your brain doesn't."
Nianyao didn't jump up, but seemed to be struggling: "But I told Duan Mingzhu that I came to find Yunting and go back."
Qin Jiu advised, "I don't think Your Highness is being unreasonable. The young general can wait until the child is born before returning. The young general and his wife are not like ordinary couples. They were originally enemies. Their family's downfall and the deaths of their relatives all stemmed from the young general."
Nianyao was puzzled: "Isn't this obvious? Duan Mingzhu herself knew it. Besides, even if we're going to assign blame, Duan Mingzhu is an accomplice. We can't blame Yun Ting alone, can we?"
Qin Jiu said, "Yes, both of them are responsible. If Duan Mingzhu wants revenge, the young general will naturally be the first to bear the brunt."
Nianyao asked, "Ninth Brother, why do you think that?"
Qin Jiu said, "I hadn't thought about it that way before, but after the prince reminded me, I realized something was wrong. The young mistress also said in public that some children are born without a father or mother and are orphans."
During our time on Chongming Island, I could sense that the young mistress harbored resentment towards the young general. At the time, I simply assumed that she was emotionally unstable due to her pregnancy and the absence of her husband.
Looking back now, these resentments were also related to what the young general had done to the Duan family. It's just that when the young general was by her side, these emotions were masked and not readily apparent.
How did Xu Sheng know that Duan Mingzhu was not familiar with her?
Nianyao pressed on, "Then how did Your Highness deduce that?"
“It’s only human nature.” Xu Sheng explained patiently, “Put yourself in his shoes. If your whole family died at Luo An’s hands, no matter how much you loved him, wouldn’t you be unable to tolerate him? If you were to die, wouldn’t you have to take him with you?”
Makes sense!
Nianyao said, "Is Your Highness deliberately spreading the news that the young general has disappeared in Yanshan in an attempt to mislead Duan Mingzhu?"
Xu Sheng said, "After all, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever."
Given enough time, if just one person knows this kind of news, the rest of the world will know.
Nianyao asked in confusion, "But Ninth Brother said at the beginning that Yunting was in Furong City?"
Xu Sheng said, "After all, facts are facts."
The facts cannot be distorted.
Nianyao said, "Anyway, you're entirely in the right. The question is, which one will Duan Mingzhu believe?"
Xu Sheng said, "She will only believe what she wants to believe. As for the truth, she probably won't care."
Nianyao said, "Judging from the prince's tone, he seems to know her very well."
Xu Sheng said, "As Chief Xue just said, we know everything about Chongming Island. And coincidentally, I'm naturally insightful and have an excellent eye for people."