Chapter 761

Zhuque City welcomed a continuous light rain.

The rain was not heavy, like an elderly person, dripping a little now and then; the water didn't even soak the ground, yet it kept falling intermittently.

This kind of rain that falls but not thoroughly is the most annoying weather.

Not pleasant at all.

Such weather forced Chen Wuji to stay indoors all day.

The backlog of official duties was cleared, and no new military news arrived; Chen Wuji took a nap in the morning, had a meal at noon, and then continued to rest on the couch.

He actually really likes rainy days.

But this kind of rainy day is an exception.

This kind of rainy day that cannot dispel the mugginess in the air left Chen Wuji with no interest even in reading.

In the afternoon, an envoy from San Guan Jun arrived, delivering a letter from Yang Yu.

"How has Yang Gong been lately?" Chen Wuji asked casually while opening the letter.

The envoy was a civil official who looked well-read, his demeanor as if bearing countless worries for the world; he clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to Commander Chen, the Commander-in-Chief is safe and sound, able to eat and sleep, and in war he can even lead the troops in the charge."

Chen Wuji let out a soft 'oh', "Can Yang Gong still lead troops in a charge in battle?"

In his impression, this person seemed like a strategist, lacking even the strength to truss a chicken.

How did he suddenly end up leading troops in a charge?

Is his long-held understanding of Yang Yu mistaken, or is this envoy just speaking off the cuff?

"Occasionally, yes!" the envoy replied.

Chen Wuji gave a faint smile and nodded, "When I first met Yang Gong, he was being held captive by mountain bandits; I never knew he could also lead troops in a charge, or perhaps my knowledge is shallow."

The envoy's expression stiffened slightly, "The Commander-in-Chief is indeed not skilled in martial force; leading troops in a charge is only very occasional, not for breaking through enemy lines, merely to boost morale."

"So that's how it is." Chen Wuji unfolded the letter and began to read it carefully.

Yang Yu's letter was written in a very official tone, with not a trace of personal feeling in it.

It pales in comparison to His Majesty the Emperor's natural fluency and genuine emotion.

Speaking of which, His Majesty the Emperor should have received his letter by now; I wonder what he would think upon seeing that Nan Jun inexplicably gained a prince.

Yang Yu first exchanged polite greetings with Chen Wuji in his letter, then mentioned his progress in the war against the Qiang people. He said that after receiving Chen Wuji's letter, he personally led the troops in a counteroffensive against the Qiang, and has now successfully recovered the entirety of San Guan Jun, with the main force currently advancing into Qiang Land.

As Chen Wuji said, the Qiang people's rear is indeed somewhat empty.

But they are not devoid of strength; they still have a considerable number of troops, merely much weaker than before. The greatest resistance Yang Yu encountered on his southward advance was merely a Qiang army of thirty thousand.

"Has San Guan Jun been fully recovered?" Chen Wuji asked the envoy.

"Yes, the Commander-in-Chief said this is all thanks to Commander Chen's efforts," the envoy replied immediately.

If it weren't for the Commander of Nan Jun tying down a large number of Qiang troops, we could not have progressed so smoothly in San Guan Jun. Regarding this, Yang Gong had already calculated that if the Qiang's strength were not weakened, our army might not be able to fully recover San Guan Jun until the latter half of next year, with a possibility of counterattacking the Qiang.

Chen Wuji waved his hand, "Although I have indeed attracted a large number of Qiang troops, I won't take credit for this. All I can say is that the Qiang misjudged, always thinking I, Chen Wuji, am easy to bully, like a lump of clay."

The envoy slightly raised his eyes.

He always felt that Chen Wuji's words hinted at something, but he couldn't grasp exactly what it meant.

Chen Wuji then asked, "Is Yang Gong planning to counterattack the Qiang Land next?"

"Exactly!"

"When will the troops move, or have they already set out?" Chen Wuji asked deliberately.

Yang Yu had already mentioned this in his letter.

Chen Wuji still habitually wanted to confirm it.

Yang Jinglve is indeed a schemer, and when he gets ruthless he doesn't even spare his own kin—let alone allies, even his own brothers would not be safe—so some matters must be handled cautiously.

"Yang Gong has already led twenty thousand troops into Qiang Land, capturing several small tribes and drawing near the borders of Zhong Qiang's territory," the envoy replied.

Chen Wuji nodded, lowered his head to continue reading the letter, and casually asked, "Is the war still going smoothly?"

"Not especially smooth, but compared to before, the Qiang's combat strength has clearly weakened considerably," the envoy replied. "Our forces in Qiang Land have not yet encountered any large-scale enemy interception, though there are rumors that Zhong Qiang has sought aid from the Shiva People, and reinforcements are already on the way."

Chen Wuji's brow furrowed slightly, "Seeking aid from the Shiva People? Has this news been confirmed?"

"We captured a sheep chief from a small Qiang tribe who had just been summoned by Zhong Qiang to attend a meeting about forming an alliance; he heard this there, so its truth remains unknown for now," the envoy said.

Chen Wuji furrowed his forehead, this news could hardly be considered good.

The Shiva People are a small state in Dayu South, called Shendu.

But the Dayu people customarily refer to them by their faith, always calling them Shiva People.

Shendu was originally a vassal state of Dayu Guo; its ruler was enfeoffed by the Court as the Shiva King, paying annual tribute and sending a hostage to Dayu every five years.

But in recent years, as Dayu Guo's strength waned, the Shiva People refused to acknowledge this 'father,' ceased tribute, stopped sending hostages, and began frequently raiding the borders.

The scale of their actions has never been large—today they attack a village, tomorrow they seize a county.

The damage is not great, but the provocation is extremely strong; they repeatedly probe Dayu Guo's reactions there.

However, the Dayu Court is deeply divided internally, with powerful ministers beginning to sell the lands of Lingnan to the Qiang people—how could they possibly have the energy to manage border affairs?

This has also caused the Shiva People to become increasingly arrogant; it is said that the scale of their actions is now growing larger.

And the most disgusting thing is that this is not the first time the Shiva People have done this.

Such a history has already repeated countless times.

Almost every dynasty has to fight Shendu at least once; this is practically becoming a convention of the Zhongyuan Dynasty.

Give that rascal a good beating, and he'll become obedient right away.

Then comes offering land, paying tribute, sending hostages—a whole process that goes smoothly.

When that dynasty's strength weakens, they again start eager to test, nibbling at the border today, biting tomorrow.

Disgusting to the extreme!

"The Shiva People are practically asking for death!" Chen Wuji snorted coldly.

Now Nan Jun isn't for the Court to decide; the Shiva People are still trying to get their hands in.

Let's give it a try and see what benefits their eagerness can bring them.

"Please inform Yang Gong to pay close attention to the Shiva People's movements; I will also state this in my letter. Dayu Guo's strength is weak, and the true nature of these petty states is beginning to show—do not take them lightly." Chen Wuji said in a low voice.

The Envoy bowed and replied, "I will certainly inform Yang Gong promptly."

After a pause, the Envoy asked humbly, "Does Commander Chen think the Shiva People will really intervene in Zhong Qiang's affairs?"

"No wind comes from an empty hole." Chen Wuji said.