Chapter 1567

Xue Daohong hearing Hu Xiaotian's name couldn't help but anger rise in his heart. He gritted his teeth and said: "Hu Xiaotian, this scoundrel, repeatedly opposes me, I won't spare him." He paced back and forth a few steps and said: "Rather than attack Xingzhou, it's better to seize Dongliang Jun in one go and recover Dongluo Warehouse."

Li Chen Zhou hearing this really felt both amused and exasperated. Is Xue Daohong's life of ease gone on too long, his mind addled? How could Hu Xiaotian's current strength be comparable to that of Guo Guangbi of Prosperous Prefecture? To eliminate Hu Xiaotian is easy to say, but actually doing it is extraordinarily difficult.

Xue Daohong said: "Isn't Dakang asking us to join forces with them to put pressure on Hu Xiaotian? They must also hate Hu Xiaotian to the bone. In that case, we might as well propose joining forces with Dakang to eradicate this thorn in the flesh, splinter in the eye that is Hu Xiaotian as soon as possible."

Li Chen Zhou's lips curled into a bitter smile; it seemed Xue Daohong's thoughts were indeed not on state affairs. He tactfully said: "I'm just afraid Dakang won't be willing."

Xue Daohong said: "What do they have to be unwilling about? Eliminate Hu Xiaotian, using the Yong River as a boundary to divide his territory—speaking of which, Dakang would gain the greater advantage. It's a win-win, each getting what they need, harmless to others and beneficial to ourselves; they'll only beg for it!"

Li Chen Zhou said: "Your Majesty, the relationship between Hu Xiaotian and Dakang is vague and ambiguous, after all he once had a marriage pact with the Yongyang Princess." He also couldn't directly say that Xue Daohong was oversimplifying the situation, so he could only remind him tactfully in this way.

Xue Daohong said: "You mean their old feelings aren't over, lotus root broken but threads still connected? This Hu Xiaotian really has some way with women!"

Li Chen Zhou said: "It seems we underestimated Yunyang's strength; Su Yuchi defeated the Xichuan army without expending much effort, and seeing the unfavorable situation, Guo Guangbi of Prosperous Prefecture didn't dare to send troops."

Xue Daohong seemed to have just returned to reality at this moment, astonished he said: "Xichuan dispatched 100,000 troops; even without the help of Prosperous Prefecture's forces, they hold an absolute advantage in numbers, let alone Yunyang having no defensible terrain—how could Su Yuchi have won so easily?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "Tactics are one aspect; Su Yuchi also employed two weapons in this war." He took out a previously prepared diagram from his bosom.

Xue Daohong took it and looked, involuntarily frowning, and said: "What are these things?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "One is called the Heaven-Shaking Crossbow, the other the Tortoise-Shell War Chariot. The former looks no different from an ordinary siege crossbow, but its projectile is not a bolt—it's a toxin. An iron tube filled with toxin is shot into the enemy camp above, then the tube breaks apart, the toxin scattering like rain into the enemy ranks; any soldier it touches, even armor, will be corroded, let alone flesh, hair, skin, bones."

Hearing this, Xue Daohong couldn't help but draw a cold breath, feeling a faint acidity welling up in his gut; even the delicious delicacies he had just eaten seemed to lose their flavor.

Li Chen Zhou added: "Furthermore, the Tortoise-Shell War Chariot not only can be driven by horses, but can also move on its own even if the horses are killed or wounded; its steering is agile, its outer shell is indestructible, and during battle, blade-like windmills rotate around it. Charging into the enemy camp is like cutting melons and vegetables—irresistible. Su Yuchi possesses no fewer than two hundred Heaven-Shaking Crossbows, and over a hundred Tortoise-Shell War Chariots. The lethality of these two weapons is immense, and currently there is no known counter."

Xue Daohong pressed his lips, full of bewilderment, and said: "How could Dakang possibly possess such formidable weapons?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "The Bureau of Heavenly Secrets—it seems they have been concealing their strength all along. Your Majesty, do you still remember the Wing-Armored Warriors of the Bureau of Heavenly Secrets?"

Xue Daohong nodded and said: "Of course I remember; haven't we already deciphered their secrets?"

Li Chen Zhou said: "The craftsmanship of the Wing-Armored construction is already far beyond ordinary imagination; needless to say, our artisans lack such skill. Most terrifying is that the Wing-Armored, Heaven-Shaking Crossbow, and Tortoise-Shell War Chariot all originate from Da Yong's Bureau of Heavenly Secrets; from this we infer that the Bureau still possesses unknown formidable weapons, so we must absolutely not allow Dakang's strength to continue developing."

Xue Daohong heard this and paused, saying: "You mean……"

Li Chen Zhou said: "Our greatest enemy in the Central Plains has always been Dakang; we must find any way to obtain their secrets as quickly as possible."

Xue Daohong said: "Hong Beimo is a person hard to bribe."

Li Chen Zhou said: "The Bureau of Heavenly Secrets is not a monolith."

Xue Daohong immediately understood his meaning, nodded and said: "Chen Zhou, go ahead and do as you wish; I will fully support you."

Li Chen Zhou said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, but I also have a few words I dare to say to you."

Xue Daohong nodded.

Li Chen Zhou said: "What sort of person is Prince Yan? Your Majesty should be clear; you should also understand his intention in sending you beautiful women and treasures."

Xue Daohong chuckled: "How could I not understand? Of course I understand……" The smile on his face looked very forced, and he secretly felt somewhat displeased.

Li Chen Zhou, observing his expression minutely, already understood it was unsuitable to continue speaking; when Xue Daohong first took office, he could still speak freely, but now, as time has passed since his accession, his mindset has changed.

Li Chen Zhou's grasp of the situation was undoubtedly correct, yet in the matter of Prosperous Prefecture his handling was still not as decisive as Hu Xiaotian's; when he obtained Xue Daohong's approval and ordered the forces of NanYang Water Fortress and the surrounding prefectures to besiege Prosperous Prefecture…

Hu Xiaotian's army had already advanced at an astonishing speed to the outskirts of Prosperous Prefecture; although there were still about ten thousand remnants of Guo Guangbi's forces inside the city, the siege had not yet begun, and the townspeople, led by a band of beggars, rebelled, killed the garrison commanders, opened the gates, and welcomed Hu Xiaotian's army into the city. Guo Guangbi had long lost the people's hearts; even the remaining soldiers had no will to resist, each knowing that if Hu Xiaotian did not attack them, they would also face starvation.

The person who led the townspeople in rebellion and opened the gates to welcome them was the Beggar Sect disciple An Zhai; Hu Xiaotian had heard his name before, and Qiao Fangzheng had solemnly recommended him to him, but at that time An Zhai's position in the Northern Beggar Sect was low and he had no remarkable achievements, so it was inconvenient to promote him; this time, without losing a single soldier, he captured Prosperous Prefecture, and his contribution is immense.

Upon arriving in Prosperous Prefecture, Hu Xiaotian's first act was to distribute part of the military grain to the townspeople, hoping to win their hearts; first, the people needed to be fed. The grain transport fleet led by Li Yongfu would also reach Prosperous Prefecture within two days, at which point the prefecture's famine could be completely resolved. In fact, there are now not many people left in Prosperous Prefecture: aside from the ten thousand garrison troops, the remaining populace numbers less than twenty thousand; these thirty thousand pose no burden for Hu Xiaotian.

After the army garrisoned Prosperous Prefecture, Huo Shengnan busied herself with deploying defenses, lest other forces attack before they had secured a foothold. Hu Xiaotian entered Guo Guangbi's commander's residence; although the townspeople of Prosperous Prefecture lived in hunger and cold, Guo Guangbi's residence was the epitome of luxury. Even though Guo Guangbi had previously moved out all the rare treasures from his mansion, the splendid halls and ingeniously crafted garden alone reveal his former extravagant lifestyle, making his defeat entirely understandable.

A warrior led a young man inside; the youth was tall and sturdy, his clothes ragged, walking with a vigorous vigor—none other than An Zhai, who had earned merit in the campaign to capture Prosperous Prefecture.

An Zhai came before Hu Xiaotian, clasped his fists and bowed, saying: "Commoner An Zhai pays his respects, Master!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled as he observed An Zhai and said: "You're An Zhai, right? I've heard Elder Qiao mention you many times; this time you managed to take Prosperous Prefecture so smoothly—your contribution is immense!"

An Zhai replied modestly: "Young Master, you overpraise me; the chief's affairs are our Beggar Sect's affairs." He tactfully expressed that his actions were entirely due to the sect chief, Long Xi Yue.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled; he didn't mind such trivialities—whether for Long Xi Yue or for himself, it's all the same; as husband and wife, why bother distinguishing them so clearly? Hu Xiaotian said: "Elder Qiao has always strongly recommended you to the chief; the chief also values you greatly; from now on, the Northern branch will rely on you."

Although An Zhai hadn't heard the chief say that himself, he also understood that Hu Xiaotian's meaning essentially represented the chief's intent; feeling a surge of excitement, he realized his long-unrecognized talent in the sect might finally be acknowledged, and he bowed deeply, saying: "Thank you, Young Master, for your promotion!"

Hu Xiaotian originally wanted to say more to him, but at that moment he saw Xiong Tianba escorting a surrendered general over; Xiong Tianba shoved and shoved the man while cursing: "Be honest—if you dare to deceive me, I'll drag out your brains."

Hu Xiaotian asked: "What's going on?"

Xiong Tianba pointed at the surrendered general and said: "This traitor says he has something to say to you in person, Third Uncle!"

The surrendered general fell to his knees with a thud and loudly said: "Young Master, we were all forced into this; please spare our lives!"

Hu Xiaotian lowered his gaze and noticed the surrendered general's face was somewhat familiar; after a moment's thought, he recalled having seen this person before—it was the stonemason Luo Shifeng who had led the conscripted laborers in rebellion at the Dakang imperial mausoleum. Hu Xiaotian asked: "Are you Luo Shifeng?"

Luo Shifeng never expected Hu Xiaotian to blurt out his name so readily; he was startled, mustered his courage and lifted his head—since Hu Xiaotian had undergone a disguise when he went to the imperial mausoleum, Luo Shifeng had never seen his true appearance, and he secretly wondered how this great figure could know him, let alone call out his name outright.

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said: "You were previously the stonemason responsible for constructing the imperial mausoleum, right?"

Luo Shifeng found it increasingly strange, sweat beading on his forehead, unsure whether Hu Xiaotian bore him ill will; how could he know his origins so clearly? He trembled: "Yes… but I have never done anything wicked; if not forced, I would not have fled here."

Please follow Zhangyu's public account stonesquid, lots of events, lots of prizes (to be continued~^~)