nucmednet Chapter 251: Conquering Langya
Chapter 251: Conquering Langya
Outside the window, snowflakes dance lightly, like feathers falling from the sky, accompanied by gusts of whistling cold wind, weaving a prelude to winter.
The outlines of the distant mountains are even softer and more solemn under the outline of the white snow. The trees on the mountain tops are gently bent down by the thick snow, as if nature has personally covered the sleeping earth with a layer of pure and flawless white gauze.
The vast fields are like an endless ocean of white, with only a few strands of withered yellow swaying stubbornly in the cold wind. They are the cold-resistant withered grasses, which still show the tenacity and indomitable spirit of life under the majesty of winter.
The atmosphere of the first month of the year, like the aroma of mellow wine, quietly permeates the air, adding a touch of festive warmth to this season.
Yet, Zhao Sheng's heart found it difficult to resonate with this tranquil and peaceful winter scene. His mind was entangled in a swirling stream of thoughts, leaving him no time to immerse himself in the unique tranquility and beauty of winter.
Zhao Sheng stood in front of the window for a long time with a frown on his face and a deep and worried look in his eyes.
Zhao Hui in Yanjing City had a bad year. The Murong family recently sent many spies to operate in Yanjing.
"This Pharmacist Guo is a complete loser. He was bribed by old man Wei Rong and ended up suffering a crushing defeat in the Battle of Luancheng."
"Humph! His son chased her all the way to Bingzhou for a woman and even mobilized the Bingzhou garrison. Your Majesty actually ignored this misuse of public resources for personal gain, and the Eighth Prince was not even allowed to join the vassal state."
The ones who were speaking were Si Shitong and Sun Bing. General Qin Lian watched them complain without saying a word.
This time, Xing Shuren was recalled to the capital by the King of Yan. He went to Dingzhou and got a prosthetic limb. Now riding a horse to fight is no longer a problem.
"General Xing, what's going on in Langya?"
Zhao Hui ignored the verbal battle between the governor and the chief secretary, and turned to ask Xing Shuren who had returned from Yizhou.
"Your Highness, Prince Yan, it seems that Chen Da of Langya betrayed the Prince Consort of Dingzhou. However, I heard that this Prince Consort of Dingzhou is the surviving Sixth Prince."
"What?" Zhao Hui was startled when he heard this, but he quickly calmed down and said, "This is unfounded. Let's not speculate. It's important for you to stabilize Yizhou."
Xing Shuren knew that the Lu family had made a mistake this time. By using Dingzhou to seize Yizhou, they were essentially giving Yanzhou an extra granary.
Even so, a strange thought began to arise in Zhao Hui's mind: why did Zhao Sheng's death become an illusion? What on earth had happened here?
But it’s no longer important to worry about these things now. What he is worried about now is that the Murong Xianbei family will go south to capture Yanjing.
Zhao Sheng of Luancheng made careful preparations for two days. During these two days, he repeatedly considered every detail of the operation and discussed countermeasures with his generals.
Finally, when the time came to leave, he said goodbye to Li Shuya affectionately.
Li Shuya's eyes were filled with worry and reluctance, but she knew Zhao Sheng's mission very well. She just quietly tidied his clothes and said softly, "Husband, you must return safely."
Zhao Sheng nodded heavily, turned around and resolutely led his men towards Langya.
When Chen Da heard that Zhao Sheng was the one leading the team this time, a thousand emotions suddenly surged in his heart, as if a bottle of five flavors had been overturned.
All his past interactions with Zhao Sheng flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. He knew full well that he had owed Zhao Sheng many things, and the guilt and regret woven into an impenetrable web within him, making it difficult for him to let go.
After a fierce ideological confrontation, he finally made up his mind to personally lead people to apologize, hoping to gain a little forgiveness from Zhao Sheng.
"My lord, what should we do? I'm afraid that Mr. Chen is unreliable." A confidant said anxiously with a worried look on his face.
Although Zhang Xiaosi has restrained his edge recently, his mind is like an undercurrent that never stops for a moment, and he is always planning to seize the guns of Chen Da's army.
At present, although they have learned how to make explosives, the power is really poor, but it is better than nothing.
"General Zhang, if that doesn't work, take the army and reunite with your brother," the confidant suggested.
Zhang Xiaosi's brows were furrowed, as if they could contain all the worries in the world. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded, "Well, that makes sense."
He had already made up his mind and was ready to evacuate quietly under the cover of night.
However, time waits for no one. Zhao Sheng's team approached silently like shadows under the night sky, and every step stepped on Zhang Xiaosi's tense nerves.
Chen Da, once a man of steel, now felt a surge of turmoil within him, unable to calm down. Beads of sweat shone on his forehead, reflecting the struggle and pain within him.
On one side is the past of fighting side by side with Zhao Sheng for many years and their deep friendship; on the other side is the abyss of mistakes that he had created with his own hands and which cannot be erased.
His hand unconsciously increased the strength of his grip on the sword until his knuckles turned white, and the slippery sweat on the hilt was a testimony to his inner conflict and fear.
This sword is both a guardian and a judge, and he is standing at the crossroads of fate, hesitating.
Zhao Sheng sat atop his towering warhorse, his expression stern, like a god of war. His gaze was firm and sharp, fixed on the road ahead, while he pondered how to respond to various possible situations.
Suddenly, a strong wind swept in without warning, stirring up a cloud of dust. The dust blurred the vision, making the whole scene even more tense and depressing.
"Stop!" Zhao Sheng waved his hand decisively to signal the team to stop moving forward, his eyes still fixed on the dust-covered camp ahead.
At this time, Chen Da finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth, walked out of the camp with a small group of confidants, and walked towards Zhao Sheng with heavy steps.
"My Lord, I, Chen Da, am sorry for you!" Chen Da shouted as loudly as he could, his voice trembling with guilt.
Zhao Sheng looked at Chen Da in silence for a long time, a silence that seemed to freeze time. After a moment, he said coldly, "Chen Da, do you admit your mistake?"
Chen Da's legs softened, and he fell to his knees with a plop, his voice filled with tears: "I know my crime, and I will let you deal with it."
……
On the other side, Zhang Xiaosi saw that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable. After weighing the pros and cons, he quietly led a team of people and took advantage of the chaos at the scene to silently evacuate the battlefield.
Not far away, Zhang Xiaofeng's team was on full alert. The two quickly joined forces, and the two brothers stood side by side. Taking advantage of the terrain, they quickly built a solid line of defense at the throat of the valley.
"Fourth brother, what are these black things of yours?" Zhang Xiaofeng asked curiously, looking at the novel things in Zhang Xiaosi's hands. It was obvious that he knew nothing about gunpowder.
"This is a good thing. They call it dynamite." Zhang Xiaosi smiled mysteriously, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "I plan to bury these dynamite here, and then you can see how powerful it is."
Looking at the explosives he had secretly brought out, Zhang Xiaosi felt very proud, as if he had already foreseen the shocking scene.