Chapter 541: Sugar-coated Cannonball

The Third Prince Xie Ling could no longer even hold his cane steady.

"I want to kill him!"

"Kill him!"

To take the firecrackers he had originally brought to Liangzhou and use them here to disgust him!

This Prefect Liu is simply incredible!

"Your Highness, you absolutely must not..."

"Your Highness, calm your anger!"

"If you go out at this time, all previous efforts will be wasted!"

The people around him hurriedly held him back.

"I, I, I..."

Xie Ling's lapels were completely covered in blood.

"Kill!"

"Kill him for me, you must kill him!"

By the time he finished speaking, his voice was already as thin as a thread.

"Yes..."

"Rest assured, Your Highness!"

"Today, we will surely hang the head of that dog thief Liu Zheng upon Yang'an Pass!"

The group made solemn vows.

However...

After calming Xie Ling down, this group of people began to look at each other in dismay again.

Fifty thousand death squads were hiding in the mountains and forests.

And then they just watched helplessly as those people from the Liangzhou Army walked back and forth, performing all sorts of acts.

They couldn't kill them.

Staying hidden felt stifling.

Moving was impossible.

What was to be done?

Xie Chan had already jumped down from her horse and was sitting on the roof of a Horse Carriage, watching those performances in the distance, laughing out loud from time to time, and then she looked at Liu Zheng, who was sitting on the roof of another Horse Carriage, and asked: "Will that Cheng Anguo really come over?"

Liu Zheng smiled: "If he doesn't come, that's fine, we'll keep performing. If it really doesn't work, we'll perform the song and dance we prepared for the old Emperor ahead of schedule! Let's see if he, Cheng Anguo, can keep the situation stable!"

Xie Chan tilted her head: "What is this trick called?"

Liu Zheng laughed: "A Sugar-coated Cannonball!"

He didn't believe it.

With him making such a scene, Cheng Anguo could keep his temper!

The whole world was watching.

My Liangzhou side is singing and dancing, which counts as coming to offer condolences to you, the garrison soldiers. If you still don't come over to coordinate with me, how can that be justified? What, can't my thousand-shot Big Red Robe and large-scale song and dance drama earn your five miles of land?

Five miles of land, what counts as usurpation?

When the Emperor's Great Carriage arrives, one should welcome him fifty miles out.

Our thirty-five miles is far from fifty miles.

With things like this, even if you don't want to come out, I reckon these thirty thousand garrison troops won't be happy.

Wait!

Wear him down!

"I'm so angry!"

"I'm so angry..."

For three days in a row.

Cheng Anguo hadn't even slept; he was practically going crazy.

The day before yesterday it was Yellow Plum Opera!

Yesterday it turned into a song and dance drama!

Today they were doing stilt-walking for the temple fair; everything was coming out. What did this Prefect Liu think Yang'an Pass was, a stage? The key was that his own garrison troops were all watching with great joy—this was normal, after all; Yang'an Pass was a major military stronghold, and they didn't have much entertainment usually. Besides drinking, it was gambling, and in Yang'an Pass, one couldn't even see many women.

At this time, seeing the graceful women, beautiful actors, and dignified protocol officers of the Liangzhou "Song and Dance Troupe."

Who wouldn't be envious?

Early in the morning, these people moved out tables and stools, eating melon seeds, and when the performance reached an exciting part, they would even cheer in unison.

At the beginning, these garrison troops were still well-behaved, lining up to wait and watch.

In the end, they didn't care about that anymore.

They even suggested that Cheng Anguo should bring this group from Liangzhou into the pass sooner, so they could feast their eyes.

"General! Why don't you go and receive them?"

"General, have pity on us! We haven't seen a woman in two years!"

"What does a woman smell like again? That scent of powder on them, oh my, my nose, how can I smell it from so far away?"

"Me too, me too, it's the scent of Jasmine!"

They were crazy!

It had only been three days, and everyone had gone mad!

These soldiers at Yang'an Pass were all acting as if it were the Lunar New Year, shouting, yelling, and whistling.

Cheng Anguo was infuriated.

He certainly wanted to issue an order to put a stop to it.

But then again, he was not the only one who had the final say at this Yang'an Pass.

Today was even more bizarre.

Many soldiers on the city walls had already started beating drums and gongs, claiming it was to celebrate the Emperor's birthday together with them, so as to offer the reverence of the Yang'an Pass soldiers to the Emperor...

Listen to that; how could he refuse such a reason?

"General, a secret letter from His Highness..."

Just as he was struggling with this, a Scout delivered a letter.

His Highness?

Cheng Anguo was on the verge of tears; he reckoned His Highness was hiding in those mountains and forests, likely being bitten to death by mosquitoes...

He opened the letter.

"Kill!"

"Kill for me! Kill, leave not a single one alive!"

These shocking words made Cheng Anguo smack his lips.

It was indeed His Highness's temper.

However...

Kill?

How to kill?

The garrison of Yang'an Pass certainly could not take action, otherwise, it would violate a great taboo.

Did His Highness mean to lure them thirty miles out, and then have his fifty thousand death soldiers swarm out in full force?

This was likely the only Method.

"Let's go!"

Cheng Anguo had no other choice; he stood up in his Armor and shouted, "We go together. I want to ask that Prefect Liu why he deserves five miles more than everyone else!"

"Yes!"

"Still not coming?"

Liu Zheng looked at the lively scene over there, his brows slightly furrowed. He had heard that this Cheng Anguo was a brave but brainless general; how could he be so patient?

"They're coming, they're coming!"

Just at this moment, Jiang Xuan shouted loudly.

Liu Zheng felt a jolt, flipped onto his horse, and mounted.

Sure enough.

The gates of Yang'an Pass opened, and a line of soldiers wearing Armor came galloping over on horseback. The man in the lead held a three-foot-long blade, looking imposing and majestic, with a dark complexion and a face full of murderous intent—who else could it be but Cheng Anguo?

"Stop!"

Liu Zheng smiled and waved his hand.

The various "song and dance" performances that had been going on for dozens of miles finally stopped.

Cheng Anguo rode over, stopped a mile away, and looked coldly at Liu Zheng: "Is the world-renowned Prefect Liu just a master of a bunch of actors? You flaunt such base skills before my Yang'an Pass; are you not afraid of being ridiculed by the people of the world?"

The generals following him burst into laughter.

Liu Zheng, however, smiled and said, "General Cheng, you are too serious. There is nothing to do, and the garrison soldiers are bored, so I am just offering some minor musical performances for everyone. I see the response has been quite good! Everyone is very happy!"

The corners of Cheng Anguo's mouth twitched.

The response was indeed quite good!

It was damn well delaying the normal military training inside the pass!

Seeing this expression on Cheng Anguo, Liu Zheng was even more amused and laughed, "General Cheng, do not be angry, do not be angry. I have always believed that military training is necessary, but spiritual entertainment is also required. Regarding the mental health of the soldiers, Yang'an Pass should also focus on building that up..."

"Good!"

"Prefect Liu speaks well!"

"That's right! We should have some built for us!"

"What kind of dull life is this, day after day!"

"I don't want to do this anymore!"

"Bring us a couple of women first!"

Who would have thought that before Cheng Anguo could speak, the soldiers who had followed him heard Liu Zheng's words and one after another began to cheer.

Damn it!

Cheng Anguo looked coldly at Liu Zheng, feeling as if he were about to vomit blood.

"Prefect Liu, what exactly do you want?"

He said this almost through gritted teeth.