[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling":3,"chapter-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-205":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Top Scholar of Da Ling",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289040,4475,"Chapter 205","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-205",205,"\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu waited for several days but received no reply from the messenger sent to deliver the letter to Liu Yifei; instead, the scouts dispatched by Zhang Jiaqi returned first to Xiangcangzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, Fei Hou’s territory is in complete chaos—he has imposed brutal taxes and is despised by the people; rebellions have erupted everywhere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the east, Yizhou; in the northwest, Lanzhou; in the southeast, Guizhou…” he caught his breath, “to put it plainly, everywhere except Jingzhou is now against him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu burst out laughing: “So we rebels have Fei Hou completely surrounded?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout nodded: “You’re right, my lord. And I overheard a major secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A secret? Jiang Mingyu’s eyes lit up. “What secret? Tell me quickly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout swallowed hard and lowered his voice: “I happened to hear that Fei Hou, in a panic, hired a group of assassins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assassins? Jiang Mingyu paused, didn’t interrupt, and gestured for him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout’s expression turned grave: “They’re said to have fled from the capital. Fei Hou plans to use them to kill the rebel leaders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve already struck Fei Hou twice—lost two hundred thousand troops alone. Add to that the heads and letters we’ve sent him—he must hate us with every fiber of his being.” Jiang Mingyu sneered. “He thinks assassins can deal with us? He underestimates us too much. We’re not that easy to kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout quickly agreed: “Yes, my lord is wise and mighty! Fei Hou is nothing but a worthless fool—no matter how many assassins he hires, it won’t help!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu waved his hand: “Don’t be careless. Assassins can be troublesome. Go tell General Tu and Miss Zhang—they must be extra cautious. Also, watch your own safety. Don’t let the assassins fixate on you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scout bowed respectfully: “Yes, sir! I shall obey!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu had no real confidence—he’d stirred up trouble for half a year now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Cheng had fled, and Fei Hou had sent assassins to harass him—he was now surrounded by danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d just sent men to scout the movements of the Great Feng, and immediately fortified his residence like an iron barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he crossed over, he’d known how deadly assassins were—they could drop from the sky, emerge from the ground, and one day slice him clean in two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Tu Kesiluo and Zhang Jiaqi also told him these assassins were fearless—they must be handled with extreme care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after waiting several days, even Liu Yifei arrived in Xiangcangzhou, and the thing he feared never happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Jiang Mingyu’s heart grew even more tense—because Liu Yifei had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If those unseen assassins struck at Liu Yifei’s family while they were vulnerable, it would be disastrous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from sending more guards, he had no other options. Zhang Jiani had improved considerably since arriving in Xiangcangzhou, which eased Tu Kesoruo’s worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides that, Liu Yifei brought Jiang Mingyu good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Lang, the other day Murong Yun went to Yasi Mo Regional Military Commissioner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Yun? Jiang Mingyu immediately felt uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has something happened to Shangmu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winter had passed—had the Xixia people, having survived the harsh season, begun mobilizing for revenge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his tension, Liu Yifei quickly reassured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—something did happen at Shangmu, but it’s all resolved now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei said that not long ago, a band of Xixia brats, gnashing their teeth, arrived at the gates of Shangmu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d heard Jiang Mingyu, that bastard, had fled to Yasi Mo and become a rebel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as they reached Shangmu’s gate, they saw Jiang Mingyu’s red banner fluttering proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering the tens of thousands of brothers he’d killed, the Xixia soldiers who’d come to fight to the death suddenly lost their nerve. They quickly set up camp outside the city, planning to scout the situation inside first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Murong Yun, that scoundrel, gave them no chance to rest—he led a group of Shangmu troops that very night to launch a surprise attack on the Xixia camp under cover of darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xixia soldiers hadn’t even mounted their horses; their combat effectiveness plummeted. In the chaotic battle, Murong Yun killed or wounded over ten thousand. His own Shangmu troops suffered only one-tenth the losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the already fearful Xixia soldiers became certain Jiang Mingyu had never left. They abandoned all thoughts of revenge and fled back to Xixia faster than they’d come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Liu Yifei’s report, Jiang Mingyu’s face showed no joy—only deep worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Murong’s victory was impressive, but Shangmu will soon face an even greater Xixia retaliation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most formidable cavalry on the continent had been humiliated twice by tiny Shangmu—could the Xixia Great Wolf Lord possibly let this slide?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei poured Jiang Mingyu a cup of tea. “Murong Yun has already planned for this—he came to Yasi Mo to deliver good news and to recruit more troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But while you were away fighting, Murong Yun had no choice—he returned to Shangmu himself and raised another thirty thousand men.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now Shangmu has fifty thousand troops—does that make you feel a bit more secure as the new Governor of Xiangcangzhou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu ignored her teasing and asked: “If he raised another thirty thousand, does Shangmu have enough silver to feed fifty thousand troops?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d struggled just to maintain five thousand city guards before—barely managed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei gave him another meaningful look: “Don’t worry—I expanded Shangmu’s iron mine operations several times over. I’ve calculated it—profits will cover all military expenses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking he’d married a capable wife, Jiang Mingyu pulled Liu Yifei into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei went limp, too weak to resist. She felt his warmth and heartbeat, her face flushed red and pale. She knew he wanted to draw close—but she felt shy and uneasy. She lowered her head and gently pushed against his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu, seeing her shy expression, loved her even more. He gently kissed her forehead. “You’re the greatest blessing of my life—I’ll treat you well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei leaned softly against Jiang Mingyu, their distance now impossibly intimate. He reached out, tenderly stroking her long black hair, whispering softly into her ear. His breath brushed her pale neck, making her tremble slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, her cheeks flushed crimson. Jiang Mingyu’s breathing quickened—he lowered his head, intending to kiss her lips...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Jiang Mingyu was about to deepen his intimacy with Liu Yifei, a knock came at the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, are you inside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it! Just one more step, and I could’ve claimed my first victory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s that Zhuge Yu again! Jiang Mingyu cursed inwardly. This wasn’t even the first time he’d interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Zhuge Yu—the scar-faced man—pushed the door open, Liu Yifei had already retreated to the side, her face still flushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu rolled his eyes. “What now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Yu grinned at the two of them. “Sorry, Master and Mistress—I disturbed you. Should I come back later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yifei blushed and shot him a glare, then turned and dashed to the back chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu rolled his eyes again. “Can you talk about something serious now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuge Yu’s grin vanished. He became solemn. “Master, I’ve come to discuss our next move.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded. “Go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1199,"2026-06-20T03:28:18.279Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","569c8cdf21deeb9d593ce65c41eda2b618211ea3936f8c9591ad736f35ca4061","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-206","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-204",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]