Chapter 192: A Rage for a Beauty

Hanzhong, Sima Mansion.

"Sister Manqing, how are you feeling today?"

Sikong Jing arrived at the room where Shen Manqing was staying early in the morning.

For the past few days, Hanzhong had been under siege, and the common people were likewise filled with panic, fearing that the city would one day be breached by the Prince of Shu.

In any society, there ought to be people of every possible stance.

And so.

Some were cursing the Prince of Yong, asking why he hadn't yet sought reinforcements from Yinzhou in such a situation.

Others said that Yinzhou had ulterior motives and must never be asked for help.

Still others said that Yinzhou had already dispatched troops, and that Prefect Liu, in a fit of rage for a beauty, was coming because the world's number one zither player, Shen Manqing, was currently trapped in this city.

And so.

A group of people who did not want to seek help from Yinzhou were all enraged.

She was trapped in the city, and the Yinzhou army would arrive in a few days; wasn't this a "femme fatale" situation? Some impulsive elements in society clamored to kill Shen Manqing, this source of disaster.

But how could the Prince of Yong dare to do that?

Kill Shen Manqing?

Wouldn't that give the Yinzhou army an even better excuse to attack? Thus, the Prince of Yong ordered Shen Manqing to be moved to the Sima Mansion, with Sikong Jing accompanying her to be responsible for her safety.

Shen Manqing was dressed in white today, her expression weary, but perhaps because of this, she looked even more languidly beautiful. By now, she was no longer the courtesan who played the zither to amuse people in a brothel, but the number one zither player renowned throughout Longyan, and her temperament had naturally improved significantly.

Such a beauty, even Sikong Jing couldn't help but feel moved upon seeing her.

She sighed inwardly, thinking that only a woman like Shen Manqing was worth Prefect Liu—the man of every young girl's dreams—flying into a rage and leading his troops south.

At this moment, the people of Hanzhong were all filled with panic.

Only the young girl Sikong Jing was filled with envy.

"Sorry to trouble you, Miss Sikong."

Shen Manqing stood up and bowed slightly.

Sikong Jing exclaimed, "Sister, what are you doing? Do you not consider Sikong Jing a friend? Sikong Jing has admired you for a long time!"

"But Sister Manqing, is it worth it to bear the world's condemnation for that Prefect Liu?"

Shen Manqing chuckled and gently stroked Sikong Jing's head with her hand.

Sikong Jing was only sixteen years old... although she was well-read and sensible, she still understood very little about the strife in this world. She probably didn't even know yet that this battle of Hanzhong was brought about by her own self. If not for her arranged marriage to Qin Zhangfeng, how would the Prince of Shu have found an excuse to send troops?

It was just that.

Looking at her pure and clear eyes, Shen Manqing could not bear to tell her the truth.

She smiled with a beauty that could topple cities, walked out of the room with a pale face, looked at the rockery and flowing water in the courtyard, and said, "Miss Sikong, if there were a man who, upon learning you were trapped in prison, announced to the world that he would rather see the world burn than fail to come and save you, you wouldn't stop to think whether it was worth it."

When she said this, Shen Manqing smiled very sweetly.

She seemed to feel that she was the happiest woman in the world.

She would not think about whether the young master wanted to save her or wanted to seize Hanzhong. She only knew that the young master had roared at the world, willing to bear the condemnation, just to keep her safe.

That is enough, isn't it?

Sikong Jing listened, feeling fascinated, but still sighed: "Sister Manqing, I heard that the bridge was washed away by the rain. I don't think Prefect Liu will be able to make it for a while."

Shen Manqing shook her head: "No, he will come."

Sikong Jing was stunned.

The bridge had collapsed, so how could he come?

The whole world was waiting to see the joke!

Shen Manqing smiled lightly: "If the young master says he will come, he will come; there will be no surprises."

Sikong Jing was dumbfounded.

What kind of emotion, what kind of trust was this between these two people? One risked his life for his world, and the other flew into a rage, ignoring all the Feudatory Kings of the world.

She suddenly felt.

All of this really seemed very worth it.

It was just that she didn't know if General Qin... was also this romantic?

On this day.

Accompanied by Sikong Jing, Shen Manqing came to the city walls of Hanzhong, and under the incredulous gazes of everyone, she set up her ancient zither.

Everyone.

Had complex expressions.

This thin figure in white, amidst the wind and rain, looked at the slaughter at the city gate with a faint smile.

"Zheng!"

She plucked the zither strings lightly, and as the music entered the ears of those nearby, an aura of slaughter soared into the sky.

"Ten Ambush"!

The piece that established Shen Manqing as the world's number one zither player now rang out once again over the walls of Hanzhong.

"Kill!"

The Prince of Yong was also watching from afar.

He knew that this number one zither player had come to the city wall not only to wait for Prefect Liu but also to express her apology to the city of Hanzhong, the soldiers of Hanzhong, and the people of Hanzhong. He couldn't help but feel his eyes grow hot, and he roared: "Kill! Block them back for me!"

Outside the city, it was another bloody slaughter with corpses scattered everywhere.

Shen Manqing's zither music, of course, had no magic.

But at this moment, her peerless beauty, her cold isolation, and her music that fit the atmosphere became a medicine that inspired the soldiers.

For their wives and children.

Kill!

For the fertile fields.

Kill!

For Hanzhong.

For the protection of all the beauty in this world.

Kill!

The Hanzhong Army once again repelled the Shu Army's offensive.

Shen Manqing played the zither on the city walls for three days.

The soldiers charged and fought under the peerless zither music.

The third day.

The heavy rain was still pouring down.

Seeing the Shu King's offensive slowly slacken, the Prince of Yong could not help but be overjoyed: "They are about to retreat!"

Everyone cheered in unison.

Who would have known.

Just at this moment.

A Scout came to report: "Your Highness, the Yinzhou Army has arrived at Shangcheng Port!"

"What?"

The Prince of Yong nearly tumbled to the ground.

Shen Manqing's zither music faltered, and she turned her head to look.

Sikong Jing's face was stunned.

They really came?

Three days?

They arrived in just three days?

The Yinzhou Army had arrived.

No one had expected that in this weather of wind and rain, with the bridge "washed away," it would take only three days for an army of fifty thousand to reach Shangcheng Port directly.

When this ghost-like army appeared at Shangcheng Port, everyone was shocked.

The green military uniforms already identified the Yinzhou Army.

"The Yinzhou Army!"

"How did they get here!"

"This..."

How did they arrive?

In that heavy rain, what was going on with those ships?

No...

Ships?

Since when did the Yinzhou Army have ships?

The Hanzhong Army responsible for guarding Shangcheng Port looked at each other in dismay.

The defending general was also bewildered.

What should be done?

Let them in, or defend?

However, these two ships gave them no room for choice. Those Warships, which no one had ever seen before, took advantage of the wind and arrived at Shangcheng Port in the blink of an eye. Before the flustered Hanzhong Army could even launch their own ships, they were smashed to pieces by these Galleons. The soldiers on the two Galleons, together with the Yinzhou Army troops who had been transported to Shangcheng Port in succession over the past few days and lay in ambush, surrounded the Hanzhong Army at Shangcheng Port with almost overwhelming force and disarmed them.

Surrounded by a crowd, a young man with a smile walked over.

He chuckled and asked:

"Friendly forces, friendly forces, everyone, have you heard the zither music of Master Manqing?"