The sun was high in the sky and the wind was howling.
Sun Lang and the other two left the city and headed north. They were soon discovered by the scouts of the Ming Province army. After traveling about seven or eight li, they ran head-on into the welcoming party led by Wang Rulong.
Wang Rulong was Qi Guanyan's favorite general and one of the top figures in Ming Province's military. Hu Shouxin was a retired general of Heaven's Origin, and Lu Shouyan was the Prefecture Overseer. They were all reputable figures in society. Although they didn't have a deep relationship due to various reasons, they were still acquaintances.
— Eh, it's one thing to be close friends, but what's with nodding at each other?
… In short, everyone could be considered acquaintances. After exchanging greetings, there was some awkwardness. After all, the relationship and position of both sides were very delicate after such an incident.
— The little invisible Sun Lang was naturally ignored.
Wang Rulong invited everyone to go with him. The cavalry under his command silently dispersed and gathered behind the three of them. They were all well-trained elite soldiers who followed the rules and discipline. Although they looked at the three of them with hostility, they did not say anything unfriendly.
Hu Shouxin sighed softly.
Wang Rulong pulled back the reins and walked side by side with Old Hu. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "General Hu, why are you sighing?
We're all soldiers of the empire and officials of the same court. You're part of the Tianyuan war, and I'm part of it too.
We've all heard of your great name and deeds. The Great General also admires you very much. He often sighs and says that he's not fated to be friends with you … I know that General Hu is an indomitable man. He just needs a word from you. "
Hu Shouxin lowered his eyes and said calmly, "The general is very safe right now. I can only tell you this. This matter is of great importance and extremely complicated. Let's wait for Qi Guanyan to explain it to you in person."
Wang Rulong hesitated for a moment and seemed to want to say something. But in the end, he sighed and shook his head dispiritedly. "A Lowly General is content to hear this. I believe that Brother Hu will keep his word. Please don't let me down."
Hu Shouxin nodded lightly. Having said this much, it was enough to stop at a certain point. At present, everyone had their own misgivings and some things could not be said aloud. He was like this, and so was Wang Rulong.
"Since that's the case, the three of you should head to the main camp for a chat."
Wang Rulong said indifferently, "The army is here, and so are many officials in Mingzhou. They all need an explanation, and I hope Brother Hu can get through this … After all, we admire General Hu a lot, and we really don't want to fight you."
Hu Shouxin smiled. "I've been in the military for half my life. The reason why I'm able to achieve what I have today is all because of the Sky Demon. I don't want to use my blade against humans, let alone my fellow soldiers. I'm the same as you guys."
Wang Rulong and Hu Shouxin looked at each other and smiled.
Sun Lang looked on coldly from the sidelines. He snickered in his heart and acted as if nothing had happened.
Wang Rulong chatted with Lu Shouyan for a while more. He was very humble and did not give off the feeling of being overbearing. After all, this General Wang was not stupid. The arrival of an army in Ming Province was equivalent to a mutiny. To a large extent, how this matter would be determined by the imperial court depended on how the Prefecture Overseer wrote his memorial.
Naturally, the precondition was that the grand general returned safely and this matter could be resolved peacefully.
After the small talk, the group spurred their horses on and sped toward the camp. After traveling for some time, they encountered several groups of mounted scouts along the way. Then, they saw the magnificent camp.
Hu Shouxin was an expert in the army. With just a few glances, he could roughly judge the size of the army and their military discipline. As expected, they were Qi Guanyan's men. The camp was well set up as well.
He praised inwardly. At this moment, he heard Sun Lang exclaim in surprise.
Wang Rulong heard the exclamation as well. He turned to look at Sun Lang. He did not know Sun Lang's background. The Wang family was not kind enough to tell him that this was a monster who could easily withstand Qi Guanyan's raging halberd strike. He thought Sun Lang was Lu Zhou's attendant, servant, or bodyguard. However, he still asked politely, "What's wrong?"
Sun Lang flashed a flawless smile. He blushed and said, "I'm young and inexperienced. This is my first time seeing such a magnificent camp. I was shocked and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Please excuse me."
Wang Rulong smiled and said, "It's just a small trick, not worth mentioning. It's all thanks to the Grand General's guidance … I see that your hands are steady, your eyes are calm, your horsemanship is very good, and your martial arts must be very good. Young people like you should try your luck and join the army to serve the country. You should immediately get a scholarly title, and in the future, when you perform meritorious deeds, you will be able to become a Lieutenant-General.
Sun Lang exclaimed in surprise, "Really?
Can someone like me also be a general?! "
Wang Rulong smiled and said, "Young man, don't belittle yourself …"
One side was ignorant, the other side was shameless. One side was sincere, the other side harbored ill intentions. These two fellows actually started chatting happily.
Old Hu and Lu Zhou looked at each other. For a moment, their expressions were strange, and their emotions were complicated. Sun Lang always liked to do things that were annoying in the most boring of places, and he even felt happy about it. It was difficult for them to understand his train of thought.
Hu Shouxin listened for a moment and could not bear to listen anymore. He interrupted, "Let's get down to business …"
Wang Rulong reacted as well. He smiled apologetically at Old Hu. Then, he said to Sun Lang, "After this is over, if you're interested, you can look for me at the inner city's main camp. Just tell them my name."
General Wang was a warm-hearted man. He asked again, "Brother, do you know how to get to the inner city's main camp?"
"Yes, I do."
Sun Lang said with a smile, "Not only do I know, but I've also left a secret passage on your inner city wall. You didn't notice it, right? Hahaha!"
After they finished chatting, they galloped toward the camp's entrance. On the way, Hu Shouxin's lips moved slightly as he sent a secret voice transmission to Sun Lang, "What were you thinking just now?
Don't tell me you were just teasing General Wang … Is it interesting? "
A smile appeared on Sun Lang's face as he replied with a secret voice transmission, "Of course it's interesting … Old Hu, didn't you notice?
The design of this camp is very particular. "
Old Hu asked curiously, "What's so particular about it?
Why can't I see it? "
Sun Lang said, "Wheel formation … Bah, I mean, the design of this camp seems to emphasize on air defense and defense. Look, the distribution of the watchtowers, arrow towers, and shooting platforms, the layout of the camp, and even the width of the camp roads, the number of rapid response passages, all of these are used to monitor and defend against enemies from the sky. Heh, among the generals of the empire, only Qi Guanyan's military philosophy is the most advanced. Therefore, only the generals under his command have this awareness and ability …"
Hu Shouxin asked, "Enemies from the sky?"
Sun Lang smiled disdainfully. "It must be Courrier and Long Wande. Wang, this bitch, is still stupid. Does she think that we'll attack and leave on a Blazing Angel?
Do you think this is a special force? You're too naive. What Blazing Angel? I can go out the same way I came in. "
Realization dawned on Old Hu. Then, he sneered and said, "This woman is so wary of us. As expected, she's up to no good … I wonder what kind of formation is waiting for us later."
Sun Lang laughed heartily. "If I were Wang, I'd secretly bury hundreds of thousands of kilograms of explosives in the meeting hall. When the time comes, I'll ask her Blazing Angel companion to bring her to a higher altitude at lightning speed. Then, I'll detonate this big mushroom. At that time, the upper class of Ming Province, from civil and military officials to famous people, will all die. If we're lucky, we'll even get the heads of you and Lu Zhou. I'm afraid it'll be an earth-shattering event. The situation will be chaotic, and it'll be more explosive than Qi Guanyan's death."
Hu Shouxin exclaimed in shock, "F * ck … That's a vicious idea!
And it seems to be effective! "
Sun Lang said, "That's right. After eating this big mushroom, I reckon Ming Province won't be able to recover for a long time. Even if Ming Province falls into my hands, it'll be useless for a few years. This is in line with the interests of Tensei Province and the Emperor. Wonderful!"
The more Old Hu thought about it, the more shocked he became. A drop of cold sweat slid down the side of his face. "Hey, that woman isn't really going to do that, is she?"
Sun Lang said indifferently, "I don't know. However, there are no explosives underground. Even if there are, they won't be able to detonate it."
Hu Shouxin sighed in relief. "That's good …"
However, the next moment, Sun Lang pondered and said, "Speaking of which, this seems like a good idea. If these people are all dead, it means that the noble families in Ming Province will lose their patriarchs, and there will be a lot of vacancies. These important positions that symbolize power and wealth will be empty, and there will definitely be a lot of people who will break their heads trying to squeeze in. At this time, we can examine the strong competitors for these positions and find someone with potential to support. At the same time, we can also let Miss Zhao control their minds and help them get what they want …"
He turned to look at Hu Shouxin and said seriously, "In this way, the ruling class of the entire Ming Province will naturally undergo a major change. They will become unprecedentedly honest and efficient, and they will unite around us … By the way, the deaths of those officials and gentry can be blamed on the Tensei Province. After all, the Wang family is indeed from Tensei Province, and they didn't wrongly accuse her …"
Hu Shouxin said angrily, "That's enough!"
He was so agitated that he forgot to use Secret Voice-sending and shouted directly. In an instant, he attracted everyone's attention. Old Hu glared fiercely at Sun Lang, then smiled awkwardly and politely at Wang Rulong. "It's fine, it's fine …"
General Wang looked suspicious, but they were already close to the gate of the camp. The guards were already standing behind the barricade with spears in their hands according to military regulations. They shouted, "Stop!"
Everyone reined in their horses and gradually came to a stop. Wang Rulong rode on his horse and looked at the guards. He said loudly, "I'm General Wang Rulong, and I'm here to welcome the distinguished guests!"
"It's General Wang. There's no mistake!" The guards shouted. "Let them pass!"
The cavalrymen under Wang Rulong's command dismounted and waited by the road. There were many rules in the camp, and they were not qualified to ride horses in the camp. They could only lead their horses and walk to the barracks to be dismissed.
General Wang's rank was high enough, and Sun Lang and the other two had special identities, so they did not need to dismount. Under the watchful, curious, and hostile gazes of the guards, the four of them rode into the camp.
Wang Rulong turned his head and said, "Please forgive me … Originally, the three of you could have visited Madam first, but after such a thing happened, Madam felt that there was nothing to say to you in private. If there's something to say, you should say it clearly in front of everyone. So, she ordered me to bring you directly to the military field that has been set up. She and the officials of Mingzhou will be waiting there."
The three of them sneered in their hearts. Of course, Madam Wang did not dare to meet them in private. Even if she had 500 executioners lying in ambush, it would be useless in front of Sun Lang.
This kind of thing was expected. Hu Shouxin smiled and said, "It's fine. We also have nothing to say to Madam Wang. Let's talk openly."
Wang Rulong seemed to have understood the meaning behind Old Hu's words. He frowned and asked, "What do you mean, Brother Hu?"
Old Hu shook his head and said with a smile, "If I tell you now, you won't believe me and will blame me for speaking without thinking. So, it's better to wait until the truth comes out and let General Qi explain it to you personally."
Wang Rulong was shocked. He gave Hu Shouxin a deep look and said nothing.
The four of them walked through the wide path of the camp. The soldiers along the way made way for them. Based on the soldiers' eyes, it was clear that they were aware of the trio's identity. This meant that the whole camp would soon know that the culprits who imprisoned the Great General had delivered themselves to their doorstep.
The stares made Old Hu and Lu Zhou feel gloomy. They did not know if they should blame Sun Lang or Madam Wang for this situation. Only Sun Lang was thick-skinned. He did not care about the stares at all. He looked around as though he was checking out the layout of the camp and the division of the soldiers.
After all, he would have to run after showing off in a while. He had to check out the situation beforehand.
Hu Shouxin did not have such a strong mental fortitude. After all, he was not Sun Lang. He was not that reckless. Running away after showing off was too much for him.
When he thought about Sun Lang's plan, he felt a little weak. Perhaps, the three of them would soon have to face the wrath of the entire camp. With that thought in mind, he sent a secret voice transmission to Lu Zhou. "Hey, when are we making our move?"
Sun Lang replied, "That depends on the situation … Let's see what Madam Wang can say first. Don't worry. Even if she has thousands of vicious schemes, we have Qi Guanyan in our hands. Everything is stable. As long as Qi Guanyan shows up, these Qiu Ba will keep quiet no matter how fierce they make a fuss."
"… The premise is that after we capture Madam Wang, we have to rush back to Ming Province under their furious pursuit and drag Qi Guanyan out."
"What's the big deal with this?"
Sun Lang said disdainfully, "Back then, we even let go of the Sky Demon's kite. It was much more powerful than this."
"That's different!
We can kill the Sky Demon at will, but we can't kill this one! "
"So troublesome."
Sun Lang said impatiently, "When the time comes, I'll protect Lu Shouyan while you lead Madam Wang. The main thing is to guard against sneak attacks. You take the other side and put Madam Wang behind you as a shield …"
"… Why do I feel like I'm becoming more and more like a bad guy after I got on your pirate ship?"
"Don't worry, this is only the worst-case scenario … I'll see if I can use my powerful charisma and persuasive skills to bring Madam Wang back to Ming Province peacefully." Sun Lang grinned at Old Hu. "Just wait and see."
For some reason, Old Hu suddenly had a bad feeling.
At that moment, he heard Wang Rulong say, "We're here."
A drill ground had been specially set up in the camp.
It was located at the northwest side of the camp and occupied a vast area. Many awnings had been set up, and most of them were filled with people. Everyone's style was completely different from the people outside. One could tell at a glance that they were successful people.
Ming Province's officials and gentry were here. The people gathered here were like a drop in the ocean compared to the large population of Ming Province. However, they controlled most of Ming Province's wealth, social resources, land, and power. They even had the power to kill most of the ordinary people.
Madam Wang sat in the largest awning and waited for the three of them to arrive.
"Are you ready?" Sun Lang said calmly, "Help these honest people vent their anger … Let's go."