Chapter 361

First Volume, Chapter 361: You Come, I Go

Seeing Ning Hu's strong reaction, Qin Feng felt annoyed.

"Ten wen per sheng, one tael of silver per shi, ten thousand liang for ten thousand shi—this is such simple arithmetic, how can you not understand? What's so surprising?"

"I know the local grain price in Tangqi is forty wen per sheng, but if I'm paying high prices to buy grain, why do I need you? I could just send any servant to handle it."

Facing Qin Feng's furious scolding, Ning Hu scratched his head, utterly confused.

"Wait, Brother Qin, what exactly are you getting at?"

Qin Feng gave him a disgusted look, thinking Ning Hu had clearly lost his mind from too much fighting—he couldn't even grasp something this simple.

He patiently explained: "Isn't Beixi County at war?"

Ning Hu nodded quickly.

Qin Feng asked again: "Does war require grain and forage?"

Ning Hu nodded again.

Qin Feng spread his hands: "Then isn't it obvious? At military rations price, ten wen is more than enough."

This time Ning Hu finally understood—it wasn't about buying grain at all; it was using the excuse of procuring military rations to seize grain by force.

On a small scale, this disrupted local governance.

On a large scale, this was a violation of military discipline—punishable by death.

Seeing Ning Hu hesitate, Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and deliberately goaded him: "What? Having trouble?"

Ning Hu gritted his teeth: "No trouble! Even if there is trouble, we push through anyway."

That's right!

Soldiers who hesitate and overthink—what kind of soldiers are they? When faced with a problem, just do it.

Besides, if the sky falls, Qin Feng will hold it up—he won't let it crush Ning Hu.

Ning Hu grabbed the silver notes and turned to leave; after exiting the shop, he didn't head straight for Wang Ji, but went to the neighboring Xiaoyuan.

He dragged Wu Wei straight off his bed, where the man was snoring loudly under the covers.

"Come on, come with me to buy grain!"

Wu Wei looked bewildered: "Commandant Ning, you don't look like you're buying grain—you look like you're going to rob it."

Ning Hu scowled: "Don't complain to me—if you've got grievances, go find Qin Feng! It was his damn idea."

Ning Hu still didn't feel safe, so he dragged Li Lang onto the same boat.

All three had fiery tempers; together they were a powder keg—just standing there, they were intimidating enough, then they armed themselves fully and marched straight toward Wang Ji.

Qin Feng stood at the door, watching the three of them march off like men heading to their execution, and sighed: "How big a deal is this?"

Night grew deeper.

On the road leading from the Bei Di Qian Xian to Wang Du.

A carriage, lit by a lantern, moved slowly forward.

The driver, uneasy in the pitch-black night, turned and whispered into the carriage: "Your Excellencies, the night road is treacherous—why not stop nearby for the night and rest? Ahead is total darkness; we can't tell the road conditions. If anything goes wrong, I can't bear the responsibility."

A man's voice came from inside the carriage: "Enough nonsense—keep moving!"

"If you delay the General's condition, I'll hold you accountable!"

Faced with the Military Doctor's roar, the driver dared not speak again and gritted his teeth to keep driving.

The Bei Di territory lies on a plateau, and with the night, temperatures plummeted sharply.

Chen Si was wrapped in three layers of cotton blankets, a thin layer of mist gathering at his lips.

Despite his severe injuries, he maintained partial consciousness through superhuman stamina and willpower, refusing to pass out.

"How… is the… Front Line…?"

Chen Si took a long time to force out these words through clenched teeth.

The accompanying Military Doctor frowned tightly, tucking the blankets closer, and said anxiously: "General, please rest—you must conserve your strength. Even if something happens on the Front Line, reports go to the Vanguard Camp—they won't reach here. Before you left, you already made arrangements; the incoming commander will follow your orders and will surely wear down Beixi County."

"Please, General, don't worry anymore."

Hearing this, Chen Si's cloudy eyes flickered with deeper concern.

The soldiers in the Beixi County battlefront were all his old subordinates—and they obeyed only him.

Not only could the commander sent by the Vanguard Camp fail to command respect, even if his old subordinates were willing to cooperate with the new officer, he feared the new man would rush for glory and change tactics.

Under Qin Feng's management, Beixi County can no longer be broken by brute force from outside—only by attrition, to cause internal chaos.

If the new commander, eager for achievement, launches a Siege Warfare, the entire Vanguard Camp will suffer devastating losses.

The best strategy is to exhaust the enemy; the middle strategy is to disrupt their morale; the worst strategy is Open Field Battle; the absolute worst is Siege Warfare.

Sigh!

Human plans cannot match heaven's design—Chen Si was filled with bitter frustration.

Just one more month—he could have achieved results.

But his shoulder wound worsened; the accompanying Military Doctor was helpless, and medical materials were scarce. If he stayed on the Front Line, death was certain.

If Qin Feng dies, this war gives Bei Di at least a thirty percent higher chance of victory.

What a pity—what a pity!

Just as Chen Si lamented that heaven did not favor Bei Di, a sudden scream came from outside the carriage.

The Military Doctor froze, then pulled back the curtain—he saw the driver had been shot dead by an arrow.

Before he could react, another arrow flew in, striking him squarely in the chest; his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.

Chen Si frowned tightly but was too weak to rise.

Moments later, the curtain was pulled aside, and a man in black clothing, eyes only visible, appeared before Chen Si.

Chen Si smiled bitterly inside: "Black Wei Si? Then my life ends today."

The Black Colonel's eyes were filled with admiration; he put away his Bow and Arrow and pulled a Pill from his waist.

"General Chen, though you are an enemy commander, you are deeply respected by us."

"If the Northern Di had more commanders like you, our Shedynasty would be in grave peril."

"The Liang Holy Man has ordered that you need not return to Wang Du—we shall see you off here. Considering General Chen's literary and martial talents, you are like the Wuqu Star reborn; to let you die in blood would sully your noble reputation. Take this Pill—it will bring only a few breaths of pain."

As he spoke, the Black Colonel had already pressed the Pill to Chen Si's lips.

Chen Si had accepted his fate and was about to swallow the poison when a flash of cold light passed before his eyes.

A curved blade sliced across the Black Colonel's throat.

The next instant, the Black Colonel's head was severed, cleanly removed from his body.

Pūtōng.

The Black Colonel tumbled from the carriage; behind him appeared a woman clad in a half-leather jacket, a Ox Horn Horn slung at her hip, her hair tied in a thick braid.

"General Chen, you've been startled—your escort back to Wang Du shall now be my duty, Maid."

Chen Si exhaled in relief, too weak to thank her, yet his eyes burned with fervor.