Chapter 132: Master and Disciple Join Hands

Yang Hui followed Jiang Jiang Mingyu to Shang Mu's city defense camp and, seeing the neatly arrayed five thousand troops before him, let out a sigh of awe while his heart soared with joy, his eyes shining with delight.

He had originally been a mere hundred-man captain, yet to one day command such a vast army of thousands was truly beyond his belief.

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was about to hand over the city defense seal, he saw Tu Tu Kesiluo step forward to block him, saying in a deep voice, "My lord Jiang, wait. This seal cannot be handed over lightly. Once we lose the authority of command, how can we resist the bandits of Other Xi Xia? Relying solely on the abilities of this monkey-cheeked boy, how can he cope with the great enemies at the border?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sighed lightly and said helplessly, "General Tu, they hold documents from the Tang Sima family here; neither you nor I can do anything about it. But this person is not necessarily incompetent. Let us get along well in the future and see what he does."

Tu Tu Kesiluo glanced coldly at Yang Hui, snorted with contempt, and felt deeply resentful in his heart.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu also secretly calculated, wanting to personally kill this man and seize back the seal, but for now he could only swallow his anger and wait to see how things developed.

Yang Hui proudly held the seal, so happy he was nearly in tears.

With this thing, he had effectively gained the support of Prince Qi, and a bright future was just around the corner.

He pretended to be humble and said to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, "I am new here and unfamiliar with everything; I beg my lord Jiang not to hesitate to offer guidance and take me around to familiarize myself."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu had already secretly condemned this man in his heart, but could only vaguely agree.

Yang Hui secretly thought that upon arriving at Shang Mu, he must deal with Jiang Jiang Mingyu carefully, and once he had established his footing, he would find a way to deal with him.

It seemed that for now, he still had to appear outwardly respectful and not act rashly.

Thus, Jiang Jiang Mingyu could only reluctantly take Yang Hui on a tour of the camp.

Yang Hui looked at the five thousand troops, secretly delighted in his heart, thinking that a mere Commandant having such strong soldiers under his command was truly unprecedented.

Had he known Shang Mu was so wonderful, he should have come earlier to fight for this position.

With five thousand elite troops, what could the bandits of Other Xi Xia do to him?

His joy showed on his face; he smiled brightly, his happiness overflowing in his expression.

Seeing Yang Hui's smug look, Jiang Jiang Mingyu could only secretly ponder countermeasures and wait for the right moment to seize the seal and regain military power in one stroke. The two toured the camp together, each harboring hidden agendas, both calculating how to deal with the other in the future...

As Jiang Jiang Mingyu took Yang Hui on a tour of the city defense camp, Yang Hui kept looking east and west; suddenly his eyes lit up, his Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at one spot, his mouth watering almost to the point of dripping.

He saw a beautiful woman of extraordinary temperament standing not far away; Yang Hui had never seen such a stunning beauty, and he instantly became excited.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu followed his gaze and chuckled inwardly, thinking this man was also one whose lust had clouded his mind.

Meeting this she-tiger, he would likely suffer quite a bit.

Yang Hui suddenly asked excitedly, "My lord Jiang, who is this woman? Why is she in the army?" His voice trembled with excitement, and he looked as if he could not wait to learn more.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled slightly and replied calmly, "This is Miss Zhang; I have invited her to assist in training the soldiers."

Yang Hui was not satisfied; he frowned and said provocatively, "It seems improper for a woman to train the army. Please, my lord Jiang, call her over; I, this Commandant, have questions to ask."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew he had already developed wicked thoughts, but since this suited his own plans perfectly, he immediately called out, "Miss Zhang, come over here for a moment."

Zhang Zhang Jiani walked up to them, her expression cold and her tone carrying some impatience: "Dog... I mean, my lord Jiang, what is your command?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu explained, "This is the newly arrived Commandant Yang; he has something to ask."

Yang Hui sized her up from head to toe and teased, "May I ask your name and surname, Miss? Where do you live? I, this Commandant, wish to understand you more deeply."

Zhang Zhang Jiani snorted coldly, her eyes revealing mockery: "What does it have to do with you? Also, where are your dog eyes looking? Do you want to die?"

Hearing these words, Yang Hui's face immediately turned gloomy; he shouted sternly, "Impudent! Insulting a government official to his face is a crime worthy of death!"

Zhang Zhang Jiani was not afraid at all; she sneered, "The officials of the Great Feng Kingdom are more lust-crazed than the last." After speaking, she glanced meaningfully at Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

A chuckle escaped Yang Hui's lips; he tried to ease the tense atmosphere by flirting: "Miss, why get angry? I only wish to exchange a few pleasantries with you."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Zhang Jiani countered without hesitation, kicking out with one foot. Yang Hui screamed as he flew through the air, crashing heavily to the ground with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

He painfully clutched his chest, his face twisted, but still stubbornly declared, "Rebellion! Beating an official! This is rebellion! Someone, seize her!"

However, the surrounding soldiers pretended not to see, as if they did not care at all.

The soldiers did not even know who this monkey-cheeked fellow was; besides, who would dare go after the she-devil for a stranger?

Yang Hui then remembered that he had only just arrived here and had not yet established his footing in the camp.

Yang Hui felt his face had been utterly humiliated; he stood up and could only grit his teeth to warn Zhang Zhang Jiani, "I, this official, have just arrived here and will not hold it against you. Do not let me see you again another day, or I will not spare you!"

Zhang Zhang Jiani sneered coldly: "The city defense camp actually has such a lust-crazed person as an official; I will not stay here to be an eyesore. My surname is Zhang, my given name is Zhang Jiani; I live at the Zhang residence in Nancheng. If you have the guts, come find me!"

Zhang Zhang Jiani left in a huff; her steps were firm and arrogant, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly not intending to waste any more time communicating with Yang Hui.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu also did not dare to say much, fearing he might provoke this she-tiger who was already fuming with rage. He silently stayed in place, unwilling to get involved in this dispute.

Yang Hui stood in place, clutching his kicked chest, enduring the excruciating pain; blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he felt his face burning like fire, with embarrassment and anger intertwined in his heart.

Yang Hui stood in place, clutching his kicked chest, enduring the excruciating pain; blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he felt his face burning like fire, with embarrassment and anger intertwined in his heart.

Yang Hui watched Jiang Jiang Mingyu leave, secretly clenching his fists, thinking, Just you wait; I will definitely defeat you, seize power, and then make you taste bitterness!

And that cheap woman, do not think you can escape; I will make it so you cannot even beg for life!

After Jiang Jiang Mingyu left, Tu Tu Kesiluo rushed over, his face filled with rage, and asked, "My lord, why was Miss Zhang so angry? What happened in between?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu truthfully recounted the entire sequence of events; upon hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo flew into a rage: "Too despicable! The bastards sent by the Tangchengan Sect are worse than the last! Relying on such a despicable little man to guard the Great Feng? A fool's dream!"

He frowned tightly, with angry flames flickering in his eyes. Then he said resolutely, "My lord, your subordinate dares to say that this man will surely act against you. Your subordinate will now keep a close watch on him to see what poisonous tricks he intends to use!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded to indicate agreement: "Good. Keep him under constant surveillance and see what sinister tricks he uses."

After Tu Tu Kesiluo agreed, he quickly strode into the city defense camp and immediately arranged for spies to closely monitor every move Yang Hui made.

When the county yamen first lit its lamps, a spy sent by Tu Tu Kesiluo to monitor Yang Hui rushed over to report, his face showing anxiety and tension. Jiang Jiang Mingyu immediately asked, "What is it? Speak quickly!"

The spy hurriedly reported, "My lord, there is a situation!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned tightly, with a vague ominous premonition in his heart: "Speak; explain in detail."

The spy hurriedly continued, "Your humble servant has been watching Commandant Yang. After the meal, he secretly sent a trusted aide to deliver a letter, heading toward the prefectural city. Your subordinate intercepted the messenger; the letter is right here." Saying this, he presented the letter.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu took the letter and read it with a grave expression. His face gradually turned gloomy, and he said coldly, "As expected."

Tu Tu Kesiluo could not help but mutter a curse: "This Yang Hui truly has hidden agendas! My lord, this man cannot be allowed to stay; he must be eliminated as soon as possible!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained silent for a moment, then sighed: "But how can he be eliminated without leaving any trace?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo smiled slightly: "There is a person who can certainly accomplish this."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu also smiled: "You mean Zhu Ge Yu."

Tu Tu Kesiluo affirmed: "Exactly! If anyone can handle this matter properly, it must be Mr. Tang Sima."

Just then, Zhu Ge Yu pushed the door open and entered; his arrival seemed to echo everyone's expectation. "Master, what are your orders?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu told Zhu Ge Yu the full story of the matter.

After hearing this, Zhu Ge Yu immediately declared his support for Jiang Jiang Mingyu and swiftly proposed a detailed plan to resolve the Yang Hui problem. His quick thinking and unique insight left everyone present admiring.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes lit up; he nodded in satisfaction: "Good, go do it at once. Under no circumstances must word leak out."

Tu Tu Kesiluo also left with a clear conscience, handing the task over to the trustworthy Zhu Ge Yu.

However, Zhu Ge Yu's words carried a subtle warning: "Master, eliminating Yang Hui is not solely to deal with Tang Cheng An, is it?" His tone revealed alertness and concern toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart tightened. Had he slipped up somewhere, allowing Zhu Ge Yu to see through him?

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained calm on the surface, though his mind was in turmoil: "What do you mean by that?"

Zhu Ge Yu smiled: "I mean, Master, you must be hiding a considerable secret. You went to great lengths to recruit a 50,000-strong army; if the sole purpose were to defend Shu Mu, 30,000 would suffice, and 50,000 would be absolutely unnecessary. I have studied the momentum of the Other Xi Xia's invasion; at most, it amounts to 10,000 men. Master, your ambitions are far greater, are they not?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu still spoke evasively: "I have already made it clear; we must utterly defeat the Other Xi Xia and cut off their desire to invade the borders."

Zhu Ge Yu shook his head: "No, that is not the truth. The Other Xi Xia's territory, though barren, is vast; defeating them is no easy task. With a mere 50,000 men, it is a fool's fantasy. The Inspector does not understand military affairs, but I am not a charlatan. Master, your aim is certainly not the Other Xi Xia, but Great Feng; it must be related to the Prince of Qi."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression did not change: "How did you reach this conclusion?" Yet his heart churned with waves.

Zhu Ge Yu smiled: "Master, do you remember our first meeting? To seek my help, you handed over all your poems to me and repeatedly instructed that I must never reveal you as the author. This shows you conceal your identity, guarding against certain people, unwilling to disclose any information. Tang Cheng An's behavior here is suspicious; the claim of an incognito inspection does not hold water. An official of his stature would never come here without reason. His purpose in coming here can only be you and your 50,000-strong army. If the Prince of Qi wanted to win you over, he could do so openly; Tang Cheng An's journey was certainly no accident. Since he is the Prince of Qi's man and you are the Imperial Envoy, there must be something unspeakable between the two of you; thus you speak evasively, and he pursues relentlessly."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was shocked and pale; Zhu Ge Yu's few short sentences had laid bare his intentions. He felt both surprise and joy; with such a person's aid, dealing with Zhao Bing was only a matter of days.

Zhu Ge Yu sneered: "Since you have a grudge against the Prince of Qi, what is the use of amassing heavy troops? I fear your intent is to rise up and attack the Prince of Qi one day. To put it plainly, Master, you simply wish to eliminate the Prince of Qi; am I not correct?" His voice was low, audible only to the two of them.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was so shocked his eyes widened; Zhu Ge Yu had already seen through his intentions.

With matters at this point, he had no further intention of denying it: "Correct, you are correct. Since you have seen through it, it is the will of Heaven. I will not make things difficult for you; if you expose my purpose, I will not blame you." Jiang Jiang Mingyu had already prepared for the worst.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face was solemn, but Zhu Ge Yu burst into laughter: "Expose it? Why would I do that? You are my master; how could I betray and destroy my master, selling you out? I am already a homeless dog; if I sell you out as well, I will truly have nowhere to rely. My questioning your intentions this time was merely to confirm your true thoughts so I could prepare early."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned: "What do you mean by 'we'?"

Zhu Ge Yu spoke with complete assurance: "Why ask that? I saved your life; is our bond not deep? I am naturally a man who seeks great achievements and glory; no matter whom I fight, I will not hold back. Since Master has such ambition, I am willing to fight alongside you, making this life worthwhile. I have few regrets; to give my all in one battle is enough to satisfy my heart."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily: "Good! Let us, master and disciple, together accomplish a great undertaking."

Just as the two were in high spirits, Tu Tu Kesiluo's voice suddenly cut in: "My lord, you... you intend to kill the Prince of Qi?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's expression suddenly changed; he turned sharply, only to see Tu Tu Kesiluo standing outside the door, his face pale.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu pondered for a moment, then said slowly: "Correct, I intend to eliminate this traitor, the Prince of Qi."

Tu Tu Kesiluo was even more shocked and pressed: "But he is imperial kin; killing him means his entire family will be executed, nine generations!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said calmly: "Removing harm for the people; what harm is there in that? The people of Great Feng are my priority."

Tu Tu Kesiluo asked, puzzled: "What does my lord mean by this? You could have returned to the capital to report; why endure staying here to do such a dangerous thing?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu explained: "In recent years, the reason the Other Xi Xia have dared to repeatedly invade our borders, burning, killing, and plundering, is that the Prince of Qi secretly colluded with the Other Xi Xia, selling our nation's resources, intending to rebel. Once his troops are sufficient, he will certainly conspire with the Other Xi Xia to rebel, causing endless chaos. I remain here to prevent this catastrophe."

After hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo fell silent for a long time, then asked: "If we face the Prince of Qi in battle, the Other Xi Xia will surely take advantage of the weakness. What then shall be done about Shang Mu?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled: "Rest assured, I have made proper arrangements; no matter what, I will protect Shang Mu. This is Great Feng's most important border; once lost, the consequences would be unthinkable."

Tu Tu Kesiluo narrowed his eyes and fell silent again for a long while, as if weighing something. Finally, he spoke slowly: "Since my lord is determined to drive out the Other Xi Xia and defend the territory and people of Great Feng, Tu Tu Kesiluo's life belongs to my lord. Whatever you ask me to do, I will certainly not refuse."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was overjoyed and said warmly: "Good! With General Tu and my disciple assisting, we will certainly eliminate this traitor, the Prince of Qi!"

Then he sobered his smile and said seriously: "Let us set these aside for now; the most urgent matter is eliminating Yang Hui, this decoy. How are the arrangements you made progressing?"

Tu Tu Kesiluo said firmly: "My lord, rest assured; Yang Hui is doomed! Even if not for my lord, he deserves punishment for having evil thoughts toward Miss Zhang. I have made proper arrangements; I guarantee he will certainly die tomorrow!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu walked to the window, saw that night had fallen, and smiled: "Very good. With the two of you helping me, if this great undertaking fails, there is no justice in Heaven!" The sky grew slightly dark, the north wind howled, and inside the city defense camp, Yang Hui sat in his tent, looking down at the map in his hands, his mood unusually cheerful.

Since passing the message to Tang Cheng An, Yang Hui's mood had improved considerably.

He could imagine that once the Prince of Qi learned of this, he would certainly reward him handsomely.

With a 50,000-strong army plus the Prince of Qi's favor, Yang Hui even felt his good days were about to begin.

Suddenly, the tent curtain was lifted, and Jiang Jiang Mingyu rushed in, a hint of anxiety on his face.

Yang Hui looked up, smiling broadly: "My lord Jiang, what is wrong? Is there something?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, panting, said: "Commandant Yang, something has happened."

Yang Hui, however, remained at ease, looking completely confident; he smiled proudly: "My lord Jiang, there is no need to panic; whatever it is, speak slowly."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with worry: "Commandant Yang, this is no time for jokes. This morning, mountain villagers came to report that Other Xi Xia people have been spotted outside the city."

Yang Hui, however, seemed unconcerned and replied calmly: "Other Xi Xia people? What is there to fear? We hold a 50,000-strong army; my lord Jiang, why worry?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained anxious and continued: "Commandant Yang, if the Other Xi Xia's main force presses upon the borders, Shang Mu will face the threat of destruction. I came immediately to the city defense camp to discuss countermeasures with you."

Yet Yang Hui was utterly unconcerned and sneered: "Is such a small matter worth worrying so much? It is merely a few Other Xi Xia crossing the border. With our 50,000-strong army, my lord Jiang, why such worry?"

His eyes were full of contempt, as if mocking Jiang Jiang Mingyu's excessive tension. Then he continued explaining his view: "Moreover, this year's weather is unusually cold; the Other Xi Xia lack grain and clothing. They are merely here to plunder, which I expected long ago. Furthermore, I can confirm that the Other Xi Xia people who appeared this time are certainly not the Other Xi Xia's main force, because for decades there has never been a record of the Other Xi Xia's main force crossing the border. They simply lack the capability to launch a large-scale attack."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned, not understanding why Yang Hui so lightly dismissed the Other Xi Xia threat, and pressed: "Then tell me, where did the mountain villagers spot the Other Xi Xia people? I would like to hear your opinion."

Yang Hui sneered: "Those northern barbarians; what storm could they possibly raise? Not worth mentioning. However, to ease your worry, I will personally lead a team of five to Baishou Mountain to investigate."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded slightly helplessly: "Very well, since my lord Commandant is so confident, please go personally to check, but be sure to proceed with caution."

Yang Hui laughed: "Rest assured, my lord Jiang; I will lead the team to Baishou Mountain to resolve this small problem. In doing so, I will establish another merit for Shang Mu, and His Highness the Prince of Qi will certainly take a new look at me."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu still felt uneasy but knew it was not the right time to argue further with Yang Hui. He nodded and accompanied Yang Hui to prepare for departure.

The townspeople had long noticed the commotion and were discussing it; they all discussed Yang Hui and Jiang Jiang Mingyu's movements.

"Why suddenly mobilize so many soldiers? Could something major be happening?"

"I heard they are heading to the North Gate; could it be the Other Xi Xia have come again?"

"Regardless, we should find a place to hide early, just in case."

The townspeople's murmurs merged into a cacophony, and the tense atmosphere within the city grew even thicker.