Chapter 399: A Muddled Vehicle

Hearing Da Lao could tell that the outcome of today's talks between the two parties would be favorable.

Stepping down from the platform now, he gestured to Li Li Xuewu: "Hurry and help your mother into the courtyard; don't let the wind blow on her."

"Got it, we're heading back now~"

Li Li Xuewu supported his mother by the arm, turning toward the one already walking out with hands behind his back...

"Young Marquis, please get up quickly; it's our turn for patrol."

"Where am I?"

Qin Hu sat up groggily, feeling a chill on his body while a strong wind whistled outside, instantly filling his heart with strange confusion.

"Oh, Young Marquis, how are you so confused? We are in the military camp. It is our shift to stand guard at this hour; if you don't get up, you will be punished by military law, and even the Old Marquis cannot protect you now."

"What?"

Qin Hu opened his eyes to find himself inside a tent, facing a small soldier clad in leather armor.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask something, a splitting headache suddenly struck, and a massive stream of information rushed into his mind; a few seconds later, he knew he had transmigrated.

He had transmigrated from a modern special forces soldier into the body of a Young Marquis also named Qin Hu, the leader of the Seven Evil Young Masters of Jingcheng!

As for this era called the Great Yu Dynasty, it simply did not exist in history.

Qin Hu's ancestors were among the Four Dukes and Twenty-Eight Marquises who founded the Great Yu; three months ago, his father passed away, and Qin Hu inherited the title, becoming the new Champion Marquis.

Qin Hu had been spoiled by his parents since childhood; he loved neither studying nor martial arts, indulging only in play, eating, drinking, and having fun, running rampant through Jingcheng.

When he grew older, his family wanted him to settle down, so they arranged a marriage with the eldest daughter of the Duke of Chen, named Chen Chen Ruoli, a noble young lady who was beautiful on the outside and wise within.

This Qin Hu was vicious and cruel to everyone else, yet toward this flower-like fiancée of his, he was obedient in every way, treating her like a precious treasure.

But the trouble happened precisely because of this childhood sweetheart, the Eldest Miss Chen.

According to Qin Hu's memories, on that day he accompanied his fiancée to the palace to pay respects to the reigning Princess Chang'an; since the Princess and Chen Chen Ruoli had been close since childhood, she arranged a banquet.

But later, Qin Hu drank until he blacked out, and when he woke up, he was already in the Imperial Prison of the Inner Guard; he was told he had drunkenly harassed the Princess and attempted misconduct.

Even more bizarrely, Chen Chen Ruoli subsequently submitted a memorial impeaching her fiancé Qin Hu for seventy-two illegal acts, each and every one supported by evidence.

At that moment, Qin Hu felt as if struck by five thunderbolts, simply unable to believe his own ears...

The imperial edict soon arrived; considering that Qin Hu's ancestors had rendered meritorious service, the death penalty could be waived but the living punishment could not be escaped, so he was exiled to Youzhou to serve in the army, retaining his title pending future conduct.

However, after arriving in Youzhou, he was quickly assigned to the front lines—to serve before the vanguard tent.

After these events flashed through Qin Hu's mind, he basically understood it all; this must have been a trap.

Because the Duke of Chen had long wanted to break off the engagement with him.

The Qin and Chen families were originally a political marriage alliance, both seeking to grow stronger and larger, but the later Qin Hu was nothing but a prodigal son, almost good for nothing, having thoroughly disgraced the name of the Champion Marquis Manor.

It must be known that every generation of Champion Marquises had been heroic figures with unparalleled influence in the military, yet in this generation, a good-for-nothing who had never even seen a battlefield emerged.

While the Old Marquis was alive, the Duke of Chen still showed face, but once the Old Marquis died, the Duke of Chen turned heartless, even staging a scene to break off the engagement right in the mourning hall.

But Qin Hu deeply loved Chen Chen Ruoli and refused to consent no matter what, while Chen Chen Ruoli had long grown extremely disgusted with him, this evil young master.

Thus, a calamity descended upon him!

As for Princess Chang'an, the matter was even simpler; she was the cousin of Qin Hu's older male cousin, so once Qin Hu died, the vast fortune of the Champion Marquis Manor would naturally fall entirely into this male cousin's hands.

These several factions, each seeking what they needed, colluded together, swiftly uniting in this manner...

Indeed, once one enters a marquis's gate, it is as deep as the sea; there truly are many people who want him dead.

"Qin An, can't we find a place to shelter from the wind?"

Under the bright moonlight, the rough northern wind carried a piercing whistle, sweeping across the empty plains, blowing the few torches until they flickered on and off, cutting against human skin like countless flying knives.

"We cannot, Young Marquis; we would be punished by military law."

Qin Hu and Qin An, shrinking their heads and huddling their bodies against the wind, ran out from the camp, stepping on Cai Zhu Hou Zhong snow as they rushed forward.

The frail Qin An, caught off guard, was directly flipped over by the strong wind.

Two sentries changing shifts saw them come out, exchanged sinister smiles, scooped up two handfuls of snow to extinguish the warming bonfire, and then ducked into their tent.

Damn it, even the small soldiers have been bought off; they want to freeze Laozi to death!

This was a very small camp, with about twenty tents, surrounded by wagons, with no caltrops or antlers arranged on the perimeter, and the nearby terrain was flat with no defensible positions, clearly indicating no intention for a long-term stationing.

According to Qin Hu's memories from his previous life, about two hundred men were stationed here; they were the vanguard camp of Li Qin, the General Who Conquers the North of the Yu Dynasty.

The target of Li Qin's twenty-thousand-strong army on this expedition was the Yu Dynasty's sworn enemy on the border, the State of Liaodong.

"Cough, cough, Young Marquis, do you think we can still make it back alive?" Qin An curled his entire body on the snowy ground, his lips and face blue, speaking with such weakness that he seemed ready to die at any moment.

Qin Hu sighed inwardly; Qin An was purely implicated by him, and if things continued to develop this way, both of them would surely die.

Those who wanted him dead, having failed to kill him in the imperial court, were now playing dirty tricks and striking blunt blows in the military camp, trying to torment him to death.

But Qin Hu was absolutely not someone who would sit waiting for death; this was clearly a case of being framed, and he could not let it rest.

Life is inherently an endless struggle for survival; just wait, Laozi will not only survive but will also kill my way back to Jingcheng to settle accounts with you all.

"Qin An, when we left home, how many silver notes did we bring?"

"There are no silver notes left; I only have twenty taels of silver on me. The imperial edict stated that we are exiled as convicts, and our family assets are sealed."

Qin An was only sixteen years old this year, Qin Hu's personal book boy; he looked very frail, already unable to withstand the torment, appearing to be hanging on by just one breath.

Actually, Qin Hu was not much better off; in these past few days, the vanguard camp marched thirty li daily, and the work they did was clearing paths through mountains and building bridges over waters, chopping firewood and making fires, digging ditches and carrying water, and constructing camps.

And what situation would these two tender-skinned fellows face when staying together with several hundred burly soldiers every day?

They would certainly do the most tiring work, eat the worst food, suffer the most vicious beatings, and endure the greatest humiliation...

Qin Hu estimated that his predecessor had probably been tortured to death.

It could be considered that he deserved his fate.

It was just that this bitterness now had to be borne by him; if he could not bear it, he too would die.

"Give it to me."

Qin Hu had made up his mind; he must first find a way to save Qin An's life, and then think of other methods.

Yet preserving one's life was not actually difficult; the simplest method was bribery. As the saying goes, wealth can move even the gods. Though primitive, this approach always worked.

But under the current circumstances, he could not possibly bribe high officials, since no one dared to associate with him. Besides, he had no money.

Thus, one person came to mind: Centurion Li Li Xiaokun.

He was currently the top leader of the Vanguard Camp. To read the latest chapter content, please download for ad-free, free reading of the latest chapters.