Chapter 384: First Volume, Chapter 384: The Di King

First Volume, Chapter 384: The Di King's Fury

The Liang Emperor also possesses divine artifacts!

First, as long as the Qin family remains in Jingdu, it is equivalent to holding Qin Feng's lifeline, forcing him into submission.

This time, Qin Feng launched such a furious retaliation for his maid—far from angering the Liang Emperor, he may even feel relieved, for it proves his gamble was correct!

Second, the Liang Emperor has never granted Qin Feng real military authority; whether Tianji Camp Guards or heavy cavalry, even the most elite troops are limited in number.

As long as the Liang Emperor clings to this point, no matter how Qin Feng develops, he cannot militarily oppose the Liang Emperor.

Now that the Liang Emperor and Qin Feng have formed a standoff, it actually benefits the upcoming cooperation—everything will become swift and decisive, achieving half the effort with double the result!

And this is precisely the situation Lin Taibao does not wish to see.

The subtle balance between the Liang Emperor and Qin Feng must be shattered.

…………

With Xiao Xiangxiang's awakening, this grand military retaliation has finally come to an end.

Xu Mo led the Tianji Camp Guards back to Beixi County, while the Brocade Guard shifted again from assassination to covert surveillance.

Northern Di Capital.

The Di King stared at the losses reported by the Ministry of War, his brow tightly furrowed.

"A mere maid caused my great Di to suffer such losses? Unthinkable!"

"If this vengeance goes unanswered, what becomes of our Di Kingdom's dignity? Our national prestige? Issue my command: let the Night Owl launch a counterattack against all of Qin Feng's enterprises!"

At the very moment the Di King gave his order, the Minister of War stepped forward urgently.

"Your Majesty, reconsider!"

"This plan must not be carried out!"

At these words, the Di King glared furiously: "What? Our mighty Di has dominated Liang for decades—do you now fear a mere Qin Feng? How shall I answer to our late Emperor? How shall I answer to the people?!"

The Minister of War turned pale but still gritted his teeth and pressed on: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I have two matters to report—listen to them before deciding."

"First, since Chen Si returned to the capital, the Imperial Physicians have stabilized his condition; however, due to the worsening rot of his shoulder wound, they could only amputate to save his life. Though Chen Si lost an arm, his recovery has been astonishing—loss and gain, balanced."

"Second, upon learning of Qin Feng's retaliation, Chen Si specifically instructed me to warn Your Majesty: do not fall for Qin Feng's evil scheme."

Since these words came from Chen Si's mouth, the Di King could not ignore them.

He immediately frowned: "What evil scheme?"

The Minister of War explained cautiously: "Though Chen Si and Qin Feng have never met face-to-face, they have clashed multiple times in Beixi County and know Qin Feng's mind is deeply cunning. Our Di's strength lies in strategic maneuvering and large-scale troop deployment. But Qin Feng excels in localized tactics, small-unit operations—something he calls… Special Operations."

"This retaliatory action further proves Qin Feng's advantage in attrition and ambush. We must constantly suppress the Liang Army, so we cannot mobilize large forces to crush him. Yet small-unit engagements keep us suffering losses. This back-and-forth plays right into Qin Feng's attrition strategy—he, with just one man and one town, has tied down our entire military deployment. No matter the outcome, he wins."

"Swallowing this hatred may damage our prestige, but it is the wisest course. Our Di forces must focus solely on suppressing the Liang Army—not be distracted and lose balance!"

Hearing the Minister of War's words, the Di King fell into deep thought.

Had Chen Si not remained calm and seen through Qin Feng's evil scheme, our entire military strategy might have been manipulated by this insignificant Qin Feng.

Qin Feng, the little scoundrel—his cunning was so profound, even the Di King could not help but admire him inwardly.

Such a talent—if he were in our great Di, how could our kingdom fail to flourish?!

The Di King narrowed his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within: "So Chen Si is saying Qin Feng, the little scoundrel, used the maid's revenge as a ruse to lure me into a trap?"

The Minister of War shook his head: "According to the Scouting Report, Qin Feng is indeed a man of deep loyalty and emotion—this act was no ruse, but rather… seizing the opportunity."

Hearing this, the Di King's gaze grew even more wary: "Even in the depths of grief and sorrow, he remains calm, analyzes the situation, and turns passive into active—this boy… is a grave threat to our great Di!"

"Did Chen Si say anything else about Beixi County?"

The Minister of War took a deep breath, his eyes resolute: "There are only two paths: first, abandon the fight and seek peace with Liang."

"Insolent!" the Di King roared. "Would that not disgrace our nation's dignity and shatter our prestige?!"

The Minister of War had expected this outburst and quickly added: "If we continue this way, Beixi County will become a key fortress—always an obstacle we cannot bypass. Without capturing Beixi County, this war is meaningless. The entire outcome hinges on this tiny town."

The Di King now understood Chen Si's intent. He drew a deep breath, his gaze sharper than ever: "The Frontline Army holds its position and pinches the Liang Army! Mobilize the Sanggan Army to Beixi County—assign the Left General as acting Commander. Appoint Chen Si as Former General; once recovered, he shall proceed to the Front Line to assume command as Supervisor of War!"

"Beixi County is the Liang Kingdom's front tooth—I shall rip out this sharp fang!"

……

Jingdu, Qin Residence.

Qin Feng sat in the Back Courtyard, a stack of military dispatches before him.

The anonymous ones were intelligence reports delivered by Brocade Guard messengers; the rest were letters from Zhao Cheng, Yizhan Chief of Bei Xi Yizhan.

Qin Tianhu sat beside Qin Feng, watching him open each letter one by one, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Even as Supervisor of War, his own intelligence network was no match for Qin Feng's.

Though envious, he felt more pride and satisfaction.

"Feng'er, what do the letters say?" Qin Tianhu could not help asking.

Qin Feng shrugged, scanning the Brocade Guard's secret letters while casually summarizing the Yizhan's letters.

"Qin Chao led the Merchant Caravan back to Beixi County. Negotiations with Gaoshan Country concluded successfully. The first batch of goods returned: one thousand Highland Horses and three thousand cattle and sheep. The Tianji Camp supplied Gaoshan Country with all required materials and commodities—thus, the agreement is sealed."

Qin Tianhu knew Qin Feng had dispatched countless Merchant Caravans, but knew nothing of Gaoshan Country.

He could not help exclaiming: "Gaoshan Country has always been blockaded by Di—how did you manage trade with them?"

Qin Feng shrugged, unconcerned: "With the power of a kingdom, you cannot break through Di's defensive line. But as an individual? Much easier. Trade is merely the starting point—the real goal is using commerce to serve military ends."