"The Empress Dowager has been helping us resist the enemy these days and has suffered many injuries herself. Yet she refuses to use any medicine and insists on leaving all the supplies to the common people. And the deceased common people never complained. General Xu is being a bit too aggressive," an official said.
Xu Qun glared directly at the official. How dare this ordinary official confront him!
But the official was not the least bit afraid. This was his territory, and Xu Qun was clearly in the wrong. Was he not allowed to refute?
When the official glared back, Xu Qun was so angry that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
However, when facing them, he still tried his best to stay calm.
"Even if the common people were willing, the Empress Dowager is still negligent in her duties. Am I wrong?"
"Hehe, then according to General Xu's logic, you arrived late with your troops and didn't bring any supplies. Shouldn't we charge you with deceiving the emperor?" the national teacher said.
"National teacher, your words are a bit too much. I've already explained before. It's not that I didn't want to bring supplies. I was worried about your safety, so I rushed here with my troops in advance," Xu Qun replied.
Cui Qizhou slightly curled his lips, not taking Xu Qun seriously at all.
"The Empress Dowager has been doing her duty and fulfilled her promise. General Xu is being a bit too aggressive. If you came here just to pick a fight, you'd better go back early. I'll write to the emperor and ask him to send someone else."
Seeing that Cui Qizhou was about to get angry, Xu Qun knew that continuing to entangle would lead to no good result. But they had embarrassed him today, and he would never let it go so easily.
...
At night.
Xu Qun sat in his room, his eyes full of anger as he recalled what had happened during the day.
"Bitch! She's just a lowly woman who got to where she is because of her family. If it weren't for her face, the late emperor wouldn't have kept her around for so long. Now that the late emperor has been dead for many years, she really thinks she's someone important."
He gulped down glass after glass of wine, but the more he drank, the clearer he became.
Just as he was about to pour the tenth glass, he suddenly found that the wine bottle was empty. Almost instinctively, he threw the bottle out, and it shattered into pieces.
"Even you're bullying me. It seems you really don't take me seriously at all."
After saying that, he got up and wanted someone to refill his wine, but his hand was suddenly grabbed.
"Why bother? Hurting your own body for someone unworthy. General Xu, you possess peerless martial arts and could have dominated the Great Liang. But now you've been outshone by others. I feel sorry for you."
His thoughts had been read by someone, and Xu Qun was on guard.
"Who?"
He turned around, and a familiar face slowly emerged.
Xu Qun was stunned. He and this person had fought on the front line before, but he had always been the loser. He had heard that Qin Feng had been captured and had come here to watch the show, but when he arrived, he found that the person had escaped.
At first, he was annoyed that he hadn't come earlier, but now that he was really facing him, he suddenly felt a bit scared.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword and put it on the other person's neck. Unexpectedly, the person in front of him didn't resist.
"What do you want here? Aren't you afraid that I'll capture you and hand you over to the Empress Dowager and the national teacher? They'll surely reward me handsomely."
Qin Feng was unhurried. He sat down at the table, took out the wine he had brought, and poured a glass for Xu Qun.
"I just feel sorry for General Xu. You've worked hard for so many years but haven't reaped any benefits. You finally thought you could claim credit here, but they've been so disdainful of you."
Xu Qun's fingertips holding the sword turned white, but he still maintained a shred of sobriety. He knew that this person coming to him couldn't be up to any good.
"Just say what you want. Beating around the bush isn't like General Qin, whom I know."
"You're still as straightforward as ever. Then I'll just say it. As a general, I know what you want in your heart. Not being valued by those people, you surely don't want to go on like this forever, right?"
Xu Qun remained silent, and Qin Feng continued.
"I can give you what you want. As long as you work for me, our country has always been in need of a General Who Guards the Nation, which is a much higher position than the Minister of War. Then I can also recommend you to the emperor and make you a member of the royal family. This is a treatment you'll never enjoy in the Great Liang."
He had to admit that Qin Feng's words were really tempting. The Great Liang would at most promote him in rank. It was impossible to offer him such good treatment.
Xu Qun gritted his teeth and stared closely at the person in front of him.
"The thing you want me to do mustn't be a good thing, right?"
"Of course. Since I can offer you such good conditions, I'll surely ask you to do something unforgivable to the Great Liang. Wu Lin is actually my man. His rebellion is also the key reason for your coming here, right? The emperor should have wanted you to solve the problem here and ensure the safe return of the Empress Dowager."
Xu Qun pursed his lips. "But that bitch and the national teacher embarrassed me in front of everyone today. They even let a low - level official refute my words. I don't want to keep swallowing this humiliation."
"I came here today to help you find a way. There's nothing worth your staying here anyway. Once you come to our country, a bright future awaits you. Even if you want to marry our princess, it won't be a problem."
This time, Xu Qun was completely tempted.
He swallowed hard. In fact, he had taken a fancy to the princess even before the battle.
"Is what you said true? As long as I help you, you can help me marry the princess?"
Qin Feng was surprised. He hadn't expected that after saying so much, it was the princess who finally moved Xu Qun.
But it was okay. The process didn't matter; the result was the most important. As long as Xu Qun could help him from the inside, he was sure to take Jiangnan.
The two made an agreement and detailed their plan, and this plan was aimed at Shi Muyuan.
Shi Muyuan didn't know that she had been targeted again.
The next day.
As usual, she walked through the streets, checking on the injuries of the common people and caring about their well - being. After making sure that everything was okay, she returned along the same route.
Since Jiangnan still needed to be patrolled from time to time, she had sent all her people out.
Just as she passed by a narrow alley, she suddenly heard a roar coming from inside.
Shi Muyuan frowned. Could there be something wrong inside?
She tightly grasped the dagger in her sleeve and slowly approached the alley. But just as she took one step in, a dark shadow suddenly attacked from behind.