Chapter 1081

Hu Zhongyang said: "Sir, do you want to buy?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "I'll buy!"

Hu Zhongyang, however, chuckled and said: "I originally wanted to give all these things to you, Sir."

Hu Xiaotian reckoned in his mind: how could there be such a good thing in the world? Hu Zhongyang is a businessman! Moreover, this fellow isn't that close to me, so why would he give me a freebie?

Hu Zhongyang said: "If you can hold Dongliang Jun, Sir, just treat me to a drink."

Hu Xiaotian pressed his lips, then said softly: "Today's matter, I will forever keep it in my heart."

Hu Zhongyang laughed and said: "Sir Hu must doubt my motives; I can only tell Sir Hu that Dongliang Jun's interests are closely tied to mine."

If Hu Xiaotian had previously doubted Hu Zhongyang's motives, there is now no doubt whatsoever, as Hu Zhongyang has given all his hidden weapons to him, which proves they are on the same side; these powerful weapons are clearly his token of allegiance.

Hu Xiaotian had begun to gain confidence in the impending war; at the outset, he had prepared for failure and resolved that, if defeated, he would spare no expense to kill Tang Boxi; as time progressed, he came to understand a truth: war cannot be solved by personal bravery alone; although he is now the lord of a city, he is merely nominal and lacks substance; most of Dongliang Jun's populace leans toward Da Yong, and the refugees have little confidence in him; to truly establish a foothold, he must first win popular support; reality dictates that he cannot prove his ability and virtue through administrative achievements; to quickly establish prestige, the swiftest way is to win a resounding victory to prove himself, in an era where the strong are revered. No one pities the weak, and almost everyone is accustomed to looking up to the strong.

Zhuge Guanqi had moved away several days ago; today is the day his wife Hong Lingxue has her stitches removed; Hu Xiaotian, accompanied by Weisa, arrived early at his residence; Zhuge Guanqi was sweeping leaves in the courtyard when he saw Hu Xiaotian coming so early. He hurriedly went up, smiling and saying: "Commoner I did not know Sir Hu was coming; I failed to greet you properly, please forgive me, please forgive me!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "We agreed today I would remove Sister-in-law's stitches; I originally planned to come at noon, but I also need to inspect Xia Sha Port later, so I came early. I hope it didn't disturb Brother Guanqi's rest."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "I have always risen at cockcrow; I've been up for half an hour already."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Has Sister-in-law woken up?"

Zhuge Guanqi said: "She has woken up, and her wound has completely healed."

Hu Xiaotian had Weisa go in to remove Hong Lingxue's stitches, after all, in this era men and women avoid physical contact; such skin-to-skin contact should be avoided if possible.

Zhuge Guanqi led Weisa inside. Not long after, he came out and stood beside Hu Xiaotian, saying: "Sir Hu, even amidst your busy schedule you still attend to my wife's condition; commoner I am truly grateful to the point of tears."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother Guanqi, there's no need for such formality; I feel we are old friends at first sight. I feel a natural closeness from the bottom of my heart."

Zhuge Guanqi secretly felt ashamed; he indeed owed Hu Xiaotian a great favor. He knows what Hu Xiaotian wants, but if he leaves the mountains to help Hu Xiaotian, it would conflict with his former oath; Zhuge Guanqi is truly torn.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Are the stitches removed?"

Zhuge Guanqi nodded and said: "Very well, Miss Weisa is keeping my wife company."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "Now that Sister-in-law has recovered, one of my worries is lifted. Brother Guanqi, if you have nothing else, would you like to accompany me to Xia Sha Port for a walk?"

Zhuge Guanqi naturally could not refuse; at once he accompanied Hu Xiaotian out of the city to Xia Sha Port.

Two li west of Xia Sha Port, a floating bridge has been erected; a second floating bridge is under intense construction; refugees have begun to evacuate onto the floating bridge; according to Yu Tianxing's plan, the refugees' evacuation is merely a feint.

Zhuge Guanqi accompanied Hu Xiaotian to the riverside and they stopped; Hu Xiaotian said: "If all goes well, the three floating bridges can be completed within five days."

Zhuge Guanqi whispered: "Why must Sir insist on holding Dongliang Jun?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I don't know either!"

His answer left Zhuge Guanqi astonished; Zhuge Guanqi had expected Hu Xiaotian to have a noble and righteous reason, either for the country or for the people, yet he gave such an answer.

Hu Xiaotian took a deep breath and said: "The Emperor sent me to Dongliang Jun, but his true intention is exile; Dongliang Jun is seen by everyone in Dakang as a rib of little value—edible it's tasteless, to discard it is a pity; even the naval commander of Wuxing Jun, Zhao Dengyun, Sir Zhao, refuses to send troops to assist, although he and I have old grudges, he would not dare be so selfish in a major matter; surely it is the Emperor's will, leaving me to live or die in Dongliang Jun; if I leave, I will henceforth be a criminal of Dakang; if I stay and lose, I will still be a criminal of Dakang, and the Emperor will likewise pursue my responsibility; thus I have only one path: not only must I fight, but I must win this battle."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "If the Emperor's original intention is to disadvantage you, then even if you win this battle, Sir, he will still charge you with contempt of the court, instigating war, and breaking the peace between the two nations."

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "So what? A general abroad is not bound by the sovereign's orders; this time the enemy I face is not only Da Yong."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, you are a prince consort of Dakang; how did you end up in such a situation?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Dakang has fallen to this state because the Emperor no longer cares about Dakang's rise or fall, survival or demise; he can even disregard the state, so how could he care about a mere prince consort?" He smiled at Zhuge Guanqi, the smile full of bitterness.

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, have you considered what to do after winning this battle?"

Hu Xiaotian's gaze turned to the opposite bank of Yongjiang: "Surrounded by enemies on three sides and facing water on one, Dongliang Jun is an isolated city, but with reinforcements it would be completely different."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Commoner I do not understand."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If I can win this battle, I will march straight on Wuxing, seize control of Wuxing Jun, command the Yongjiang navy, and lock Dakang's northern gateway; even if the Emperor harbors further ill will toward me, he will have to think twice." Before Zhuge Guanqi, Hu Xiaotian did not conceal his ambition; in fact, regardless of victory or defeat, he has already prepared to take Wuxing Jun; without Wuxing Jun, Dongliang Jun is merely an isolated city, strategically meaningless; even if he can defeat Tang Boxi's current assault, next time he may face a combined land-and-water attack, and even if he possessed heavenly abilities, he could not prevail against enemies many times his number.

Zhuge Guanqi's eyes lit up, and he whispered: "Commoner I did not mishear; Sir, are you intending to establish your own domain?" He said it tactfully; in fact, he had already perceived that Hu Xiaotian harbored rebellious intentions.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "In the current situation, who would care about your life or death if you don't look after yourself?"

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Sir, your vision is far-reaching; Wuxing Jun is indeed a foothold." For some reason, upon hearing that Hu Xiaotian wanted to carve out a domain and become independent, Zhuge Guanqi's heart suddenly felt enlightened; what once troubled him most was that repaying Hu Xiaotian meant serving Dakang, but now, because of Hu Xiaotian's rebellious intent, that is no longer the case.

The two stepped onto the floating bridge; Zhuge Guanqi's gaze fell on the iron chains linking the fishing boats; he immediately guessed Yu Tianxing's plan and whispered: "Iron chains stretched across the river—can three lines of iron chains stop Da Yong's warships?"

Hu Xiaotian's brow twitched; realizing Zhuge Guanqi had guessed their plan, he said: "Let's just give it a try."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Da Yong's navy possesses multiple breach-armor ships; these warships are specially built, their hulls covered with planking, and at the prow they bear a giant blade five zhang long; using the downward thrust, they split wind and cleave waves, even mid-river reefs can be easily broken."

Hu Xiaotian sucked in a breath of cold air; if what Zhuge Guanqi said is true, then the three defensive lines he meticulously arranged would be meaningless.

Zhuge Guanqi said: "The moon-facing days usually bring the strongest west winds, but exceptions exist; having observed the night sky, I expect the wind direction five days from now to be northwest."

Hu Xiaotian and Yu Tianxing's earlier plans were all made based on ideal conditions; although they considered various factors, they also lacked good contingency measures. Hu Xiaotian said: "Man proposes, heaven disposes; the specifics depend on fate."

Zhuge Guanqi said: "Tang Boxi is stubborn and self-willed, overly self-confident, so he is prone to underestimating the enemy; they believe that with the great army pressing the border, Sir has no choice but to defend the city; yet Sir's preparations to meet the attack have already exceeded his expectations. If I am not mistaken, Sir should be using the three floating bridges to create obstacles, waiting for the Yong army to enter the attack range, then from the rear employing light boats and burning rafts to conduct a downstream fire attack, disrupting Da Yong's naval formation and trapping them within the encirclement of the three floating bridges. Beneath the floating bridges should lie iron anchors; if the enemy's warships, in their collision, inadvertently strike an anchor, they will suffer severe damage, and some vessels may even sink in the river."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; although Zhuge Guanqi did not participate in their scheming, he has already guessed both his and Yu Tianxing's plans, which shows his high wisdom.

Zhuge Guanqi said: "The plan itself has no flaw, but in its execution there may be deviations: first, if Tang Boxi sends out breach-armor ships as the vanguard, then these three floating bridges will not serve as obstacles; breach-armor ships can tear them apart as easily as pulling up weeds; the wind direction that day can affect the ships' speed, and your light boats and rafts may not be able to keep up with their warships. Third, do not overlook Tang Boxi's side's combat ability; any navy will drill tactics against this kind of waterborne fire attack, and each warship will be equipped with lime stones and long poles; using the lime stones one can sink light boats and rafts, and using the long poles one can keep approaching light boats at bay. If that happens, Sir, most of your attacks will come to naught; once the Yong troops land ashore, Sir will have nothing left but to defend the city."

Hu Xiaotian said: "This city cannot be held!" The people's hearts are not with him; how can he defend the city?

It seems you all only care about chapters, not word count; Zhangyu said this month needs adjustment, not for stockpiling, because many miscellaneous matters have piled up, leaving me unable to calm down; I hope everyone will be more understanding; the Monthly Ticket Ranking—this month I truly haven't prepared to compete; it's time to settle down. (To be continued~^~)