Chapter 116: Recruitment Failed

"Zhang Jiani, stop! Don't fight anymore!" Liu Liu Yifei's voice was full of oppressive force, like a lightning bolt piercing through Zhang Zhang Jiani's anger.

Zhang Zhang Jiani's sword tip was only an inch away from Tu Tu Kesiluo's throat; she was startled by Liu Liu Yifei's sudden intervention and nearly stabbed herself with the blade.

Under Liu Liu Yifei's forceful restraint, she gradually calmed down, but still stared fiercely at Tu Tu Kesiluo with angry eyes.

"Zhang Jiani, you have already injured someone; if you continue, it will cause more serious consequences!" Liu Liu Yifei's voice carried seriousness and a warning.

"He deserves to die! He actually had ulterior motives against me!" Zhang Zhang Jiani's rage was hard to quell.

"Zhang Jiani, calm down!" Liu Liu Yifei tightly grabbed her hands, trying hard to make her regain her composure.

Zhang Zhang Jiani coldly gazed at Tu Tu Kesiluo, her heart filled with contempt and disgust.

In her eyes, Tu Tu Kesiluo was merely a slave to power, resorting to any means to curry favor with superiors.

She hated his hypocritical face, she hated everything about him.

A sarcastic smile curled at the corners of Zhang Zhang Jiani's mouth as she said disdainfully, "Truly a match made in heaven; you and that dog official are a perfect pair."

Her words were full of contempt and mockery, as if ridiculing the baseness between Tu Tu Kesiluo and the dog official.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt the awkwardness of the atmosphere; he looked at Zhang Zhang Jiani in confusion, as if asking why she had suddenly become so agitated.

Liu Liu Yifei glanced around, sensing the tension, and tried to ease the situation: "The wind outside is very cold; let's go inside and sit down to talk properly."

Tu Tu Kesiluo slowly crawled up after being beaten just now, his face full of embarrassment and humiliation.

Looking at his dust-covered face, Jiang Jiang Mingyu couldn't help but laugh, sighing softly, "You really ran into a hard opponent this time, and got a beating on top of it."

Tu Tu Kesiluo wiped his face indignantly, a hint of unwillingness flashing at the corner of his mouth as he muttered in defense, "I deliberately let my guard down to let her hit me."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered, completely disbelieving his explanation, and simply urged, "Alright, stop making excuses; let's go inside."

The atmosphere became subtle in an instant, as if a storm could erupt at any moment. Liu Liu Yifei tried to quell this tension, striving to get everything back on track.

The warm and comfortable living room was filled with a faint scent of tea; Liu Liu Yifei's face still wore a smile, as if nothing had happened. She sat elegantly on the chair, gesturing for Jiang Jiang Mingyu to sit.

"My lord has come in person; I wonder what your noble business is?" Liu Liu Yifei spoke gently, her tone just right, both respectful and polite.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu lifted the teacup from the tea table, took a light sip of the clear tea, his eyes deep as if thinking of something for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth: "To be honest with you, Miss, the reason I, this official, have come is mainly for this Miss Zhang."

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake; the smile on Liu Liu Yifei's face instantly froze. She could feel the subtle change in the atmosphere, and a hint of unease rose in her heart.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhang Jiani, sitting aside, made no attempt to hide her dissatisfaction. Hearing these words, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in her beautiful eyes. She looked coldly at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, her tone carrying a hint of mockery: "Dog official, you really haven't changed your original intention; lust has blinded your mind, pathetic and laughable."

These words were like a sharp sword piercing Jiang Jiang Mingyu, causing a slight stir in his heart, but he showed little expression on his face.

Zhang Zhang Jiani shifted her focus, looking warily at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, her words revealing a stern intent: "What, do you want me to strike again so you can properly taste the power of a lecher?"

Zhang Zhang Jiani was convinced that Jiang Jiang Mingyu must have ulterior motives in seeking her out; a sense of defense and anger had already risen in her heart.

Sitting aside, Tu Tu Kesiluo heard her mention "lecher" again, and muttered unwillingly at the corner of his mouth: "I am not a lecher." His voice was so small it was like a mosquito buzzing.

Liu Liu Yifei finally noticed Tu Tu Kesiluo's wretched appearance; her eyebrows furrowed slightly, she sensed the subtle atmosphere, quickly interrupted Zhang Zhang Jiani's words, and asked softly: "My lord, what exactly do you want with Zhang Jiani? Please be explicit."

In the somewhat tense atmosphere, Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally got to the point, speaking bluntly: "You also know that to defend Shangmu, I, this official, have already recruited an army of fifty thousand. But the problem is, we are currently lacking several elite leaders capable of standing alone."

His voice carried a hint of bitterness, as if recalling some unpleasant past events, then he continued: "What I mean is, I wonder if I could ask Miss Zhang to step forward and command part of my troops?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu understood in his heart that having a woman lead troops was indeed an unimaginable thing in this era. But he also knew the situation was urgent, and he had no choice but to try, attempting to win Zhang Zhang Jiani's support.

Sure enough, after hearing his proposal, a deep contempt flashed in Zhang Zhang Jiani's eyes, and her voice carried a cold sneer: "Letting a woman lead troops, dog official, you really don't lack creativity. Even if you travel the world, where have you ever seen a woman going to war?"

Shifting her focus, her tone continued with sarcasm: "If all us women went to the battlefield, what use would a dog official like you have?"

In Zhang Zhang Jiani's heart, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had degenerated into a complete incompetent, having reached the point where he even had to invite a woman to lead troops. She believed his stupidity had reached its peak.

A cold conclusion came from her mouth: "In my opinion, the previous county magistrates were incompetent enough, but I didn't expect you, this dog official, to be even more confused. Let me tell you, stop fantasizing; I, this young lady, will not contribute a single bit of effort for you."

The concepts of this era were indeed hard to change; women leading troops was indeed very difficult to accept in common sense, so Zhang Zhang Jiani's strong reaction was understandable.

Although frustrated, Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not give up completely; he still tried to persuade: "Miss Zhang, defending Shangmu is everyone's responsibility; we should also contribute to our hometown. Please think it over."

However, Zhang Zhang Jiani's attitude became even more firm; she directly shouted: "If there is nothing else, take your lecher and get out quickly! If you provoke me again, I won't spare Liu Liu Yifei's face; I will kick you out of the door myself!"

As soon as Zhang Zhang Jiani finished speaking, her hand was already on the sword hilt, her attitude resolute, as if ready to fight at any moment.

In such a situation, Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew there was no room for further argument; he could only bow his head and leave politely, departing from the Liu family. He understood in his heart that any more persuasion would only provoke an even angrier reaction; Zhang Zhang Jiani might even resort to violence.

In the cold wind, Jiang Jiang Mingyu rode on horseback, thinking with a bitter smile: Why was she unwilling to agree? With his modern mindset, this opportunity should have been rare, and anyone should have seized it.

Tu Tu Kesiluo, beside him, also looked dejected and spoke: "To be honest, my lord, I also feel your idea is a bit unreliable. Just as Miss Zhang said, letting a woman lead troops is indeed somewhat incredible. Even if she went, would those big men listen to her command?"

Hearing this belated remark, Jiang Jiang Mingyu couldn't help but roll his eyes at him: "If you knew you thought so too, why didn't you say it earlier?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo sighed helplessly: "This matter was difficult to handle from the start."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu also fell into deep thought, sighing: "I thought Miss Liu could help in this regard, but now it seems I was perhaps too naive."

A wave of disappointment and loneliness surged in his heart; the previous expectations gradually turned into empty joy.

Tu Tu Kesiluo gazed into the distance and sighed: "Although Miss Liu didn't let that 'tigress' kill me on the spot, she has already done her best."

Speaking of "tigress," his tone seemed to reveal a hint of nostalgia.

However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not notice the subtle change in Tu Tu Kesiluo's words; he continued speaking on his own: "Zhang Zhang Jiani's choice has come to an end; after returning, we still need to find a way."

Sighing again, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice was full of loss and decadence. The cold wind howled, and the world was a pale white. He tightly pulled his collar, mounted his horse, and set off on the return journey. Thick disappointment enveloped him, and gradually enveloped this desolate snowfield.

His and Tu Tu Kesiluo's figures gradually receded, finally disappearing into the vast white snow.

This falling snow witnessed their lonely departure and foreshadowed more unknown hardships waiting ahead.

Five days later, inside the Qi Wang Fu shrouded in morning mist, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Qi Wang sat before a large desk, his face as gloomy as evening mist, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, and his eyes flickering with doubt and unease. He found all this strange, as if suddenly trapped in a tricky situation.

A middle-aged man beside him, looking somewhat like a secretary, spoke with slight nervousness: "Your Highness, you must be careful; if the Emperor detects any signs, we will be in trouble."

His voice was low and hoarse, seeming to carry a deep worry.

Qi Wang took a deep breath, remained silent for a moment, then said: "Indeed, if the Emperor becomes suspicious, our situation will be extremely dangerous."

His words revealed vigilance regarding the situation, as if vaguely sensing the impending risk.

The man resembling a secretary nodded and continued: "Perhaps the Emperor obtained some intelligence or some clue at some inadvertent moment."

Qi Wang stared at the table, his eyes deep and contemplative: "Are you saying Jiang Jiang Mingyu informed the Emperor of the current situation?"

The secretary, slightly embarrassed, stroked his beard: "If it weren't so, how could he suddenly ask about Jiang Jiang Mingyu in yesterday's imperial decree?"

"Amidst the current crisis in the court, he has turned his gaze toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu, who is far away in Shangmu. This is truly baffling."

The Prince of Qi's brows furrowed even tighter as he began to seriously consider the secretary's words.

The Prince of Qi took a deep breath, a hint of alertness flashing in his eyes: "Indeed, the Emperor's actions are truly perplexing. Our plan has always been extremely secret; how could he possibly have noticed so quickly?"

After a moment of deep thought, the secretary said: "Perhaps Inspector Wang Zhe has already become the Emperor's man. They may be cooperating in some aspects and have leaked our plan."

The gloom on the Prince of Qi's face deepened further as he began to seriously analyze the secretary's assessment.

"Inspector Wang Zhe now holds a certain amount of power, and Jiang Jiang Mingyu may be colluding with him to expose our plan. It is no surprise that the Emperor has detected the intelligence."

The Prince of Qi's expression grew even more unpleasant; he seemed trapped in a whirlpool of thoughts, unable to make a decision for the moment.

The secretary clenched his hands, and his slightly trembling lips finally spoke: "Your Highness, please remain calm. We must respond steadily and not be impulsive."

"The current situation is extremely delicate; a single error could trigger a chain reaction. If the Emperor suspects us, we will fall into an even greater peril."

The Prince of Qi closed his eyes, striving to suppress the emotions in his heart. After a moment of silence, he slowly opened his eyes and said with firm tone: "You are right. We must remain calm and not act impulsively. We must handle all this with composure and find a solution."

The secretary nodded lightly to show agreement, then added softly: "The situation is urgent now. We must take action to ensure Jiang Jiang Mingyu does not become a hidden threat to us."

The Prince of Qi's eyes flashed with determined light: "Exactly. We cannot sit idly by and wait for death. Jiang Jiang Mingyu must die. Only when he shuts his mouth can we stand in an invincible position."

His voice was filled with determination and coldness, as if he had already made an unchangeable decision.

"But the question is, why has Tang Cheng not taken action yet?" he muttered with growing dissatisfaction.

The secretary frowned, trying to calm the Prince of Qi's anger: "Your Highness, perhaps Tang Cheng has encountered some obstacle. The situation may be more complex than we imagined."

"We cannot act rashly. We must first ascertain exactly what happened before making the correct decision."

The Prince of Qi sighed heavily and nodded helplessly: "What you say makes sense, but the most important thing now is to ensure news of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's death arrives."

His expression remained gloomy, as if hinting at the urgency and anxiety within his heart.

Just as the two were immersed in thought, the hurried footsteps of a servant suddenly came from outside the door.

"Your Highness, the messenger from Tang Sima Tang Cheng requests an audience," the servant outside reported urgently.

The Prince of Qi's eyes lit up, as if seeing a glimmer of hope: "Quick, let him in."

He eagerly awaited the news the messenger brought, as if this were their last chance to escape their predicament.

The messenger, after much trouble, finally entered the hall. His person was covered in the dust of travel, obviously having come from a long journey. The expression on his face carried exhaustion and anxiety, yet it also held a trace of unease.

The messenger, who had traveled continuously for several days, now knelt before the Prince of Qi. He handed over a letter and said cautiously: "Your Highness, please accept this."

The Prince of Qi took the letter, tore it open eagerly, and read it word by word. As he read deeper, his face gradually turned as dark as ink.

Suddenly, he slammed the table hard, his voice like thunder: "How dare they fail?!"

The secretary, looking puzzled, could not help but ask: "Your Highness, what exactly has happened?"

The Prince of Qi's voice was filled with anger and disbelief: "Tang Cheng actually said that his plan to kill Jiang Jiang Mingyu has failed!"

His face was ashen, and his eyes flashed with barely concealed fury. After hearing this, the secretary was stunned, seemingly shocked by this sudden news as well.

He slammed the table in anger, the sound echoing in the room: "I never expected Jiang Jiang Mingyu to have such great ability!"

The secretary's brows were tightly furrowed as he asked, confused: "Your Highness, what exactly happened?"

The Prince of Qi's face was like dark clouds gathering, a storm about to break: "Tang Cheng told me that he failed to eliminate Jiang Jiang Mingyu."

His voice carried a strong sense of disbelief, as if he could hardly believe his own plan had failed.

"What is worse, Jiang Jiang Mingyu is still recruiting soldiers and buying horses in Shangmu, commanding an army of fifty thousand. Not only is he training troops and suppressing bandits, but he is even developing businesses."

The Prince of Qi slammed the table with a bang in a rage, a hint of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth: "I never expected Jiang Jiang Mingyu to have this ability?"

The secretary, looking puzzled, asked cautiously: "Your Highness, what exactly has happened?"

The Prince of Qi's gloomy face was like a dark cloud about to rain: "Tang Cheng said that his plan to kill Jiang Jiang Mingyu failed."

"Not only that, but Jiang Jiang Mingyu is also recruiting fifty thousand soldiers in Shangmu, training troops and suppressing bandits, busy as can be."

He continued, grinding his teeth: "Now, in the entire Yasmu, there is no one who does not know the great name of Jiang Jiang Mingyu. It is truly damn."

"The most hateful thing is that he has even started doing business, so blatantly, clearly not putting me, this Prince, in his eyes at all."

Anger rose in his heart; he kicked out fiercely with one foot, sending the embroidered stool flying far away.

The secretary, with a solemn face, stroked his beard, trying to ease the atmosphere: "Your Highness, calm your anger. Jiang Jiang Mingyu has recruited so many people; why do we not know a single piece of news?"

The Prince of Qi let out a cold laugh: "The Ministry of War is controlled by that dog Emperor. How could we possibly know Jiang Jiang Mingyu's movements?"

He frowned in thought, as if suddenly understanding: "I was wondering why that dog Emperor suddenly mentioned Jiang Jiang Mingyu. Fifty thousand soldiers; he is giving this Prince a warning."

"You should understand, once these fifty thousand people fall into the hands of that dog Emperor, how great an impact will it have on this Prince's great cause?"

The secretary said in a deep voice: "Then, Your Highness, what do you think we should do?"

The Prince of Qi said through gritted teeth: "What else can we do? Send more people, send experts to Shangmu, kill Jiang Jiang Mingyu, and end it all at once."

However, the secretary refused in an unexpected way: "The current Jiang Jiang Mingyu has already become a force in Shangmu. If he dies just like that, the Emperor will certainly not let it go. Once he uncovers the clues, it will be another major trouble."

After thinking for a moment, he added: "If it also drags out the previous matters, it will be even harder to handle."

This won't work, that won't work either. The Prince of Qi shook his head impatiently: "Then what do you say we do?"

The secretary's eyes rolled, and he immediately found an idea: "Although we cannot kill Jiang Jiang Mingyu, we can let him walk to his own death."

"Exactly. Although he has fifty thousand men in his hand, if used properly, they can also become fifty thousand troubles."

He continued with a deep expression: "What I mean is, we can send a message to Tang Cheng, ordering him to find a way to disrupt Jiang Jiang Mingyu's city defense and camp."

"Once those fifty thousand men are in chaos, let Tang Cheng apply some heat, incite emotions, and draw the fire onto himself. It will be difficult for Jiang Jiang Mingyu to remain safe."

"Just as Your Highness said, killing two birds with one stone. Why not do it?"

The Prince of Qi thought for a moment, then nodded: "There is no other way. But not only that, we must also firmly control Jiang Jiang Mingyu's fifty-thousand-strong army in our hands."

"Once the situation changes, this army can become our bargaining chip."

A hint of conspiracy revealed itself in his gaze, as if he had already begun to construct a new plan behind the scenes.

"Furthermore, let Tang Cheng pay attention. He must do it cleanly and neatly, leaving no trace."

"We cannot give the Dog Emperor any chance to trace our whereabouts."

The secretary smiled and nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured. I will arrange everything properly."

Meanwhile, far away at the Shangmu County Yamen, Zhang Zhang Jiani rushed in hurriedly. She looked anxiously at the Dog Official sitting before the desk: "Dog Official, a great disaster has occurred!"