Chapter 1094

Zhuge Guanqi looks ordinary, yet Hu Xiaotian finds a unique flavor in the ordinary; the Zhu Guanqi before him seems satisfied with his present life, and Hu Xiaotian cannot help but think of himself, recalling when he first came to this era, he too had once wished to live a plain, comfortable life, but reality gradually made him realize life's cruelty— to survive he must exert all his strength, muster twelve parts of spirit and energy; a moment's carelessness is not merely going with the flow, but being swept into the bottomless hell of raging waves and terrifying torrents, perhaps in this life and the next there will be no day of rising above.

Some people's brilliance can never be concealed; even if jade is covered in dust, wiping away the surface grime leaves its radiance unchanged. In Hu Xiaotian's eyes, Zhu Guanqi is a gentleman warm and smooth like jade. Hu Xiaotian said, "Sister-in-law treats you very well."

Zhuge Guanqi never expected their conversation to start here; he couldn't help smiling: "With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for? I am very content."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Brother Guanqi, didn't you sleep well last night?"

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and said, "Many things have happened recently; naturally I feel a bit uneasy."

Hu Xiaotian said, "It seems Brother Guanqi still cannot achieve a mind as still as water; you are still affected by outside events."

Zhuge Guanqi said, "Living in the world, one cannot avoid being burdened by worldly affairs; unless one dies, faces them head-on, or retreats three lodgings to escape, I am a lazy person who cannot muster the spirit to confront life directly. Actually, thinking about it, being able to grow old with Lingxue, husband tilling and wife weaving, is already great happiness."

Hu Xiaotian said, "That really makes people envious."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and said, "Miss Weisa is also quite good to you."

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "Right, I also need to thank Brother Guanqi."

Zhuge Guanqi said, "Thank me for what?"

If it weren't for Brother Guanqi's reminder, we wouldn't have won this battle so smoothly.

Zhuge Guanqi said, "You don't need to thank me; helping you is also helping myself. If Dongliang Jun city falls, the situation will be far from what the townspeople imagine as beautiful; any circumstance could occur, and war will arouse the most ferocious side of people's hearts."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I also need to thank Brother Guanqi for those four words!"

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and said, "Sir, how did your trip go this time?"

Hu Xiaotian shook his head and said softly, "The result is still ideal." The result is already ideal; what does it matter if the journey had some setbacks?

Zhuge Guanqi's brow twitched, the smile in his eyes grew deeper. Since Hu Xiaotian could return smoothly, it proves he has already succeeded this time with ten out of **.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Tang Boxi is dead!" After a pause he added, "Zhao Dengyun is also dead!"

Zhuge Guanqi said meaningfully, "Sir, the burden on your shoulders has grown heavier!"

Hu Xiaotian said, "To be frank, the pressure is almost making me unable to breathe, so I wanted to find someone to share the load."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and said, "If Sir cannot bear it, others certainly cannot either."

Hu Xiaotian said, "I don't fear hardship or fatigue; I fear the long road ahead. If I lose my way by mistake, I need a guiding lamp." He reached out to grab Zhuge Guanqi's hand and said, "Brother Guanqi, would you be willing to be that guiding lamp for me?"

The two locked eyes, and each other's gaze became unusually bright.

Just then a sudden 'ya' cry came from behind; it was Hong Lingxue walking out with a tray, seeing the two men holding hands and locking eyes, she nearly dropped the tray.

Hu Xiaotian felt a bit guilty, like a thief. He quickly pulled his hand back, stood up and laughed, "Sister-in-law has arrived! I was just reading Brother Guanqi's palm."

Hong Lingxue couldn't help laughing. "Who reads palms like that?"

Zhuge Guanqi also laughed and stood up: "Let's eat, let's eat."

Although it was clear soup noodles, the taste was quite good; Hu Xiaotian finished a big bowl, Hong Lingxue added another half bowl for him. After they finished, they cleared the bowls and chopsticks and went back to the kitchen. Seeing them just now holding hands, she seemed reluctant to disturb them—giving them some space would do no harm.

Zhuge Guanqi poured Hu Xiaotian a cup of tea; Hu Xiaotian lifted the Chazan, blew on the floating tea leaves on the surface, and said softly, "Brother Guanqi, what do you think?"

Zhuge Guanqi said, "I don't know where Sir wishes to go, so how could I point the way blindly?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Jiangnan is Dakang, Jiangbei is Da Yong; both sides are impassable for me, so it seems I can only walk my own path." He effectively told Zhu Guanqi that he cares neither for Da Yong nor Dakang; from now on he will occupy a territory and carve out his own domain.

Zhuge Guanqi said, "The state takes the people as its foundation, the people take food as heaven. After Dongliang Jun took in thirty thousand refugees, its stored grain can barely sustain this severe winter. Now Sir also has to attend to Wuxing Jun; grain supplies are likely the biggest problem. Moreover, there are over ten thousand captives—how does Sir plan to deal with them?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Our own people don't have enough to eat; how could we support them?"

Zhuge Guanqi gazed steadily at Hu Xiaotian; he had raised this question on purpose to see how Hu Xiaotian would handle it.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Killing them would settle the matter and even weaken Da Yong's naval strength, but if we really did that, it might further provoke Da Yong, forcing them to launch an early attack against us."

Zhuge Guanqi nodded.

Hu Xiaotian said, "I have an idea: to exchange these captives for grain with Da Yong, but I don't know if it can be realized."

Zhuge Guanqi said, "How much grain does Sir intend to exchange?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Calculating each captive at two hundred catties, ten thousand captives equal two million catties of grain; this price I demand should not be excessive."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and said, "Not excessive at all."

Hu Xiaotian asked, "Brother Guanqi, do you think they will agree?"

Zhuge Guanqi said, "They will agree; why wouldn't they? Exchanging two million catties of grain for over ten thousand elite naval troops—however you calculate it, it's a profitable deal. If the Da Yong side aren't idiots, they should accept Sir's request."

"Then what?" Hu Xiaotian sensed that Zhu Guanqi had not finished speaking.

Zhuge Guanqi said, "After they exchange the captives, they will immediately launch an attack on Dongliang Jun! Da Yong will not swallow this insult. Although Sir defeated Tang Boxi, in many people's eyes this victory was due to Tang Boxi's underestimation of the enemy, with luck also playing a part."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Even if they attack again, at least we have gained a breathing space."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and nodded: "When soldiers come, we block them with generals; when water comes, we earth it. As long as there is a chance to catch our breath, there is a possibility to defeat them again. Actually, what Sir should truly worry about is them not caring about these soldiers' lives."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Is it possible for such a situation to occur?"

Zhuge Guanqi said, "Tang Boxi's greed for merit and rash advance meant taking Dongliang Jun was likely his own idea alone. If he had joined forces with the Shao Yuan side, launching a combined land and water assault, Dongliang Jun would have faced attack from front and rear; perhaps the war's outcome would not be what it is now. Unfortunately, Tang Boxi only wanted to claim the credit for himself, offering Dongliang Jun as a gift to the new ruler, so he did not seek support from the Shao Yuan side, leading to this crushing defeat."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Will the Shao Yuan side attack us at this time?"

Zhuge Guanqi shook his head and stood up: "The defender of Shao Yuan, General Qin Yangming. This man is a famous Da Yong general, wise and brave, but according to his past record, his troops have never suffered large-scale casualties; his effort to preserve his own strength makes him unwilling to take risks, overly cautious, inevitably hesitant. He likely lacks the resolve to launch an assault now. Sir holds over ten thousand Da Yong captives; anyone who risks an assault would consider one thing: whether it would provoke Sir into ordering the execution of these captives."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "It seems that even if they fight, they will wait until after exchanging captives with me before fighting again."

Zhuge Guanqi nodded and said meaningfully, "Perhaps it will be at the time of exchanging captives; the Nanyang Water Fortress side should react soon, and Sir must hurry to prepare for war."

Hu Xiaotian said, "It's a pity that Dongliang Jun borders Da Yong on three sides; if we engage in open battle, we fear heavy casualties."

Zhuge Guanqi smiled and said, "Sir now at least has a retreat route; frontal assault is inadvisable. Sir may consider approaching from other angles."

Hu Xiaotian hesitated slightly, then turned to Zhu Guanqi and asked for advice: "Brother Guanqi, please point me out of the confusion."

Zhuge Guanqi said, "Since Sir arrived here, it has been step by step alarming, danger everywhere; before you lie only two paths: either after exchanging grain, promptly retreat to defend Wuxing Jun, abandoning the Dongliang Jun you have painstakingly held—I suspect Sir has already made preparations for this, otherwise he would not have rushed to Wuxing Jun right after the battle ended."

Hu Xiaotian said, "What if I do not go?"

Zhuge Guanqi said, "If you do not go, you must face Shao Yuan's troops; Shao Yuan city originally had a garrison of thirty thousand, later the Da Yong emperor Xue Shengkang gave Dongliang Jun to Dakang, and the twenty thousand troops stationed in Dongliang Jun withdrew, being placed under Qin Yangming's unified command."

Hu Xiaotian furrowed his brows; even adding Wuxing Jun's thirty-plus thousand naval forces, our total strength is under forty thousand, and moreover, I could never muster the forces to march and attack Shao Yuan—doing so would inevitably leave Wuxing Jun empty, while Nanyang Water Fortress still has twenty thousand Da Yong elite naval troops; after suffering heavy losses in this battle, they will surely learn from it and seize this rare opportunity to strike Wuxing Jun in one fell swoop. Thus, the Wuxing Jun navy cannot be easily mobilized; if we do not wish to retreat to Jiangnan, how can our current few thousand troops possibly defeat Shao Yuan's fifty-thousand-strong army?

Zhuge Guanqi said, "Sir might as well ask Yu Tianxing what he thinks; he should already have an idea about where to go."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded. Zhu Guanqi probably had an idea, but he was unwilling to say it now. That's fine; since Zhu Guanqi is unwilling to show his sharpness, I have no choice but to first ask Yu Tianxing's opinion. Yu Tianxing is undoubtedly a good blade.

After Hu Xiaotian left, Hong Lingxue came to her husband's side, extending both hands to gently massage his shoulders. Zhuge Guanqi smiled, then with his backhand grabbed his wife's hand, and softly said, "Your illness has just improved; why don't you go rest properly?"

Hong Lingxue said, "Have you already made up your mind?"

Zhuge Guanqi said, "I'm still hesitating."

Hong Lingxue said, "You're lying!"

Zhuge Guanqi turned his head back and smiled at his wife.

Hong Lingxue said, "Two big men holding hands, gazing at each other with tender affection—more affectionate than when they look at me."

Zhuge Guanqi burst into laughter, rose, and embraced his wife: "Appreciation and love are never the same."

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