nyslfriends Chapter 14 What kind of person is Sister-in-law 2?
Chapter 14 What kind of person is Sister-in-law 2?
Hulu Valley, in the Northern Rong army.
Shigeru slammed his fist on the table, splitting the wooden board in the middle, and the teacups and map on it all rolled to the ground.
"Three thousand people!"
His voice seemed to be squeezed out of his chest, rough and violent, and the several Northern Rong generals in the tent all lowered their heads.
"Three thousand men guarding a single pass, and they were completely wiped out, not even a messenger managed to escape?"
No one responded.
Inside the tent, it was so quiet that only the sound of the wind outside and the distant snorting of warhorses could be heard.
Shigeru Inuya stood before the broken table, his chest heaving violently.
He was in his early thirties, with a robust build, towering over any of the generals in the tent by more than half a head.
A deep scar running from his brow bone to his jaw on his left cheek was a remnant of the Battle of Calabash Valley—the third son of the Wei family's spear had narrowly missed killing him.
He won that battle, and won decisively.
All nine members of the Wei family died at the bottom of the valley, and the corpses of hundreds of thousands of Wei family soldiers covered the mountain road.
But now, at Luoyingkou, three thousand people have been wiped out in an instant.
Shigeru's anger came quickly, but his mind didn't stop.
This is why he was able to command 500,000 Northern Rong cavalry in his early thirties—no matter how angry he was, he couldn't burn away the tightest string he had been holding back.
Luoyingkou.
He bent down and picked up the half-wet map from the ground, unfolded it, and stared intently at the narrow valley in the northwest.
This position is too tricky.
Why did the Wei family army choose to attack this place?
If it was just to retaliate against his letter, they could have targeted any patrol team; why bother going forty miles to attack a narrow pass?
There is only one explanation—they are testing the waters.
Or worse, they're clearing the way for that damned heavy armored army.
Fifty thousand heavily armored infantry.
Shigeru Inuya had been unable to find any trace of this unit, like a fishbone stuck in his throat, unable to swallow or spit it out.
Luoyingkou is one of the routes that leads to the rear of the Northern Rong.
What does it mean that the Wei family army attacked this place?
Is this a feint?
Or should we really let the heavily armored troops pass through here?
he does not know.
Ignorance is the biggest threat.
"Pass on the order."
Shigeru slammed the map onto the chest of the general beside him, his voice deepening:
"Send out all the scouts and turn the entire area within a hundred miles of Calabash Valley upside down."
The general took the map with both hands, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed his head.
"Investigate the traces at Luoyingkou thoroughly—whether a large group of people passed through, how many hoofprints there were, how deep the cart tracks were, whether the manure was fresh or old, and even report if a single blade of grass was trampled!"
"yes!"
Several generals filed out of the tent, their footsteps fading into the distance.
Dogtooth Shigeru stood alone in the tent, staring at the location of Yanmen Pass on the map.
Of course he wants to fight. Five hundred thousand against three hundred thousand, he can just crush them head-on and that's it.
But Yanmen Pass was such a terrible place that it blocked the cavalry's advance, and a direct assault would only result in casualties.
We need to find a way to lure the Wei family army out.
Alternatively, find that heavily armored army and take it out first.
Without those 50,000 cans of tin cans, the Wei family army's confidence collapsed by half.
As he was making his plans, a corner of the tent flap was lifted from the outside.
A figure walked in, bending over.
He had the face of a man from the Central Plains, dressed in a drab gray scholar's robe, his hair casually held back with a wooden hairpin, and a fawning smile on his face.
That smile seemed to be permanently etched on his face, always there, making anyone who saw it uncomfortable.
"Why must Your Highness be angry?"
The man cupped his hands in greeting, his voice neither loud nor soft, carrying the effeminate tone characteristic of scholars.
"A mere three thousand stragglers, if they die, they die; it's not worth letting such a trivial matter spoil my mood."
Shigeru Inuya didn't turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the map.
"Get out. I didn't tell you to come in."
The scholar wasn't annoyed; his smile remained unchanged, and he took two steps forward on his own.
"I have some news that might cheer up the young prince."
Shigeru Inuya then turned his head and looked at him sideways.
"explain."
The scholar tucked his hands into his sleeves, bowed slightly, and lowered his voice even further.
"I have learned from reliable sources that the Wei family army's food and fodder reserves inside Yanmen Pass are now almost depleted."
Shigeru Inuya's eyebrows twitched.
"In as little as seven days, or as long as half a month, the 300,000-strong army will inevitably run out of food."
The scholar's smile deepened, a calculating glint in his eyes:
"At that time, morale will be low and the army will be in turmoil. If the young prince then leads a large army to attack the pass, wouldn't it be as easy as taking candy from a baby?"
A few breaths passed in silence within the tent.
Muncha Shigeru turned around and looked the scholar up and down.
There was no gratitude or appreciation in his eyes, only a pure and undisguised disgust.
Like watching a worm crawl out of a gutter.
"You Wei people—"
He spoke, his tone mocking:
"This is truly baffling to me."
The scholar's smile stiffened slightly.
"We share the same language and culture, and are descendants of the same ancestors, so why are we so eager to kill each other?"
Shigeru Inuyasha shook his head, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.
"But it's fine this way."
"Last time at Calabash Valley, if it weren't for your dog prime minister cutting off the Wei family army's supply lines and revealing their marching route to me—"
He paused, thinking of the great victory and the image of the nine Wei family members' corpses lying at the bottom of the valley, and his smile deepened.
"I'm not necessarily sure I'll win so easily."
The scholar's smile had completely frozen, but it still lingered like a mask.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Quan Ya Mao threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the felt tent and making the cowhide on the tent roof tremble.
After laughing, he waved.
"Go down."
The scholar bowed and withdrew from the tent. The moment the tent flap fell, the smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by a face as gloomy as a venomous snake.
……
Yanmen Pass. Garrison Command.
it's dark.
Although it was said to be dark, the sky had actually been overcast since the afternoon, with leaden-gray clouds pressing down on the gate, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.
An oil lamp was lit inside the stone house, its flame flickering in the wind.
Wei Zhao sat back on the bed, his back against the cold stone wall.
Liu Jingshuang sat down beside him, her armor removed, leaving her only in a plain-colored undergarment.
Neither of them spoke.
Wei Zhao reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Liu Jingshuang's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed, her forehead resting against his shoulder.
Without making any unnecessary movements, they just leaned against each other quietly.
This quiet is different from the daytime.
The quiet of the daytime is a cold, businesslike atmosphere, a sense of distance that reflects the absolute authority of military orders.
The quiet of the night is perfect for two exhausted people to lean on each other, without having to think or say anything.
The matter of provisions weighed heavily on Wei Zhao's mind.
Seven days.
Three hundred thousand mouths.
But he remembered what the old lady had said before—"There's no need to wait for the court regarding the provisions; I have already made arrangements."
The old lady is not one to make empty promises.
Since she said there was a plan, then there must be a schedule.
All Wei Zhao can do now is trust her and do what he's supposed to do.
He lowered his head and brushed his chin against the top of Liu Jingshuang's head.
"Shuang Jing".
"Um."
The sound was muffled, coming from the hollow of his shoulder.
"What kind of person is my second sister-in-law?"
Liu Jingshuang moved slightly and looked up at him.
The dim light shone on her face, and there was no murderous intent in her phoenix eyes, only a slight displeasure at being interrupted.
"Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"I'd like to know more."
Wei Zhao spoke casually, but he was calculating in his mind.
Nine elder brothers died in battle, and nine sisters-in-law each had their own strengths.
Liu Jingshuang is the soul of the army, but what about the others?
Since the old lady said she had made arrangements for the provisions, could it be related to one of her sisters-in-law?
Second sister-in-law Su Qingyun, who manages the money.
As soon as the thought popped into Wei Zhao's head, he felt it was almost certainly true.
Liu Jingshuang leaned her head back on his shoulder, thought for a moment, and then slowly spoke.
"I'm usually in the military camp, so I don't have much contact with Qingyun."
Her tone was no longer the stiff, military one; it had a casual, relaxed quality, like a couple chatting idly in bed.
All we know is that she came from a merchant family in Jiangnan.
"The Su family is very influential in the salt trade along the Jiangnan route. I heard that half of the salt shops in Suzhou are related to the Su family."
Wei Zhao silently noted it down.
Salt merchants.
A very wealthy man from Jiangnan.
This person's background is quite remarkable.
"After Qingyun married into the family, my mother entrusted her with managing all the Wei family's accounts."
"Over the years, all the money in and out of the Wei family has passed through her hands."
Liu Jingshuang paused for a moment.
"Quite shrewd."
The way Liu Jingshuang said those four words was very complicated.
It's not meant as a derogatory term, but it's not exactly a compliment either. It's more like a martial artist's assessment of someone skilled in mundane affairs—admiration, but not quite understanding.