Chapter 686: First Volume _ Chapter 686: He Was Waiting

First Volume _ Chapter 686: He Was Waiting

Facing the Liang Emperor's pressing question, Qin Feng suddenly laughed.

That laugh, on the contrary, left the Liang Emperor somewhat at a loss.

"What are you laughing at? What's so funny!"

The Liang Emperor's brows were tightly knit, clearly a little displeased.

Qin Feng paid it no mind, and unhurriedly began to explain.

"In reply to His Majesty, as early as when the Northern Di Envoy Group entered the capital, I had already sent someone back to the Northern Border to deliver a letter."

"Everyone only knows that, in Jingdu, right in front of the Northern Di Envoy Group, I issued two Military Orders."

"Little do they know, those two orders are worth nothing at all!"

"The real order was already delivered long ago into the hands of the various generals at the Northern Border."

"Calculating by the timing, the Battle should already be entering its final stage."

The Liang Emperor was stunned on the spot.

He had not expected Qin Feng's strategy to be so deep, nor that he would be so bold!

Only at this moment did the Liang Emperor understand.

The orders Qin Feng issued in front of the Northern Di Envoy Group were a mix of truth and falsehood, the real and the unreal.

The orders regarding the movement of troops and horses were all fake.

Because the Beidi War Mobilization had already been sent out long ago.

It was likely that the very moment the Northern Di Envoy Group entered the capital, the Beidi War Mobilization simultaneously reached the Northern Border.

But the orders Qin Feng issued publicly were not all fake either — for instance, the order to seal off Jingdu so that news could not get out was absolutely true!

During this period, the Anwu Guard had been acting with great frequency.

Ostensibly because of the attack on Han Yuming, they had been locked in fierce struggle with the Black Captain and the Night Owls.

They had even carried out a large-scale purge of the Night Owls on account of it.

The result was...

This whole series of events was simply going with the flow and Acting in Concert.

The Anwu Guard's frenzied pursuit and killing of the Night Owls was not to avenge the attack on Han Yuming, but to silence witnesses and seal off the news!

At this moment, not only was the Northern Di Envoy Group completely in the dark about the war beyond the frontier,

even the Liang Emperor himself had been kept in the dark.

The Liang Emperor looked at Qin Feng, his heart both delighted and fearful.

The Liang Emperor had believed he knew Qin Feng inside out, but only at this moment did he wake as from a dream.

The danger posed by this young man before him had long since exceeded the Liang Emperor's comprehension!

The Liang Emperor steadied his utterly shaken heart, and his voice suddenly became exceedingly low.

"If everything goes smoothly, then let it be."

"But once the war turns unfavorable, and the State Peace Talks are Implicated,"

"Qin Feng, the charge against you will be a grave one."

"As the Earl of Anle, you are not even a match for a Vice Minister of the Ministry of War — the court has not granted you the slightest real authority."

"Yet you concealed it from Us and the Ministry of War, and launched a foreign war."

"On the strength of this matter alone, We can strip you of all your dignity — apart from the Northern Border, all the people of Heaven, and every faction, may take you, this overstepping sycophantic minister, and put you to death!"

The opportunity the Liang Emperor had long awaited had finally arrived.

Launching a foreign war without authorization — this charge alone was enough to put Qin Feng to death.

But...

The Liang Emperor helplessly discovered that Qin Feng had handed him the knife of his own accord, yet the Liang Emperor simply could not bear to bring it down.

This young man was simply far too important to Shedynasty.

Facing the Liang Emperor's admonishment, even his threats,

Qin Feng was utterly unbothered, his face even breaking into a broad smile.

"Your Majesty, you cannot bear to kill me — at least not until the State Peace Talks are concluded."

"I know perfectly well in my heart how grave the charge of launching a foreign war without authorization is."

"Therefore, let us strike a deal instead."

A deal?!

Hearing this word, the Liang Emperor was filled with all manner of feelings.

Even the Liang Emperor himself could not recall how many deals he had struck with Qin Feng in the past.

Now that he could finally deal again, the Liang Emperor felt a secret thrill in his heart.

Because the Liang Emperor knew perfectly well in his heart:

Qin Feng never fights a battle without certainty of victory.

As long as Qin Feng was willing to deal, it meant he had already secured the win.

This was, in fact, the first time in the Liang Emperor's life that he found himself hoping someone else would surpass him — after all, only in this way could the She dynasty flourish.

Thinking of this, the Liang Emperor asked knowingly: "How do you wish to deal?"

Qin Feng answered without hesitation.

"If the result of the State Peace Talks meets my expectations, then this matter of launching a foreign war shall be deemed as authorized by Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty must not settle scores over this matter afterward."

"Otherwise, whatever punishment Your Majesty wishes to impose, I shall bear it without complaint."

Sensing the confidence in Qin Feng's eyes, the Liang Emperor did not hesitate at all and readily agreed.

"Good! We'll do as you say."

"Qin Feng, this is the first time I have entrusted matters of the realm to an outsider."

"Even the many Princes and royal lords have never been given such an important task."

"I trust you! At least when it comes to the realm of Shedynasty, I have never doubted your Loyalty."

Qin Feng also smiled and nodded.

"No matter how others see me, it cannot shake my Loyalty to Shedynasty."

Ruler and minister exchanged a smile.

Qin Feng glanced at the fish basket before the Liang Emperor, which held four fish, and could not help feeling a pang of envy.

"Your Majesty, spare me one."

"I've been sitting here for the better part of a day and haven't caught a single fish. If word of this got out, wouldn't I become the laughingstock of all Jingdu?"

Hearing this, the Liang Emperor promptly shifted the fish basket aside.

"You failing to catch fish — what does that have to do with Me?"

"These are fish I caught. Let no one dare covet them."

"Zhang Xiuye, when we return to the palace later, bring these fish along and have the imperial kitchen cook them for Me tonight."

"I want to taste just what flavor a fish caught by My own hands has."

Zhang Xiuye nodded repeatedly.

Beside them, Qin Xiaofu kept shaking his head and sighing.

Today, ever since leaving the house, Qin Xiaofu had felt thoroughly depressed.

He felt that Qin Feng's dropping the matter halfway was really rather unreliable.

But after hearing the exchange between Qin Feng and the Liang Emperor, he secretly cursed himself for being slow-witted.

This is the young master!

Even a carefree wanderer must have his reasons for being one.

The young master had long known that going to the Negotiation Table empty-handed was meaningless, save for spitting at each other.

So he was waiting.

Waiting for news from the Northern Border, then heading to the Negotiation Table with this grand gift in hand.

……

Within Di territory, the area around Qingyu Mountain.

Several hundred Beidi Cavalry were fleeing in disarray toward the North.

The leading Colonel whipped his Horse's hindquarters while cursing fiercely.

"Damned Liang Kingdom thieves, so utterly lacking in honor — to launch a surprise attack during the State Peace Talks!"

"Make haste to the Zhou Fu for shelter, and quickly send a messenger back to Wang Du to report."

The Beidi Colonel was drenched in cold sweat from anxiety.

This Liang Kingdom attack was clearly well-prepared, its assault fierce and ferocious in the extreme.

In the span of a single day, they had captured three County Cities of Ben Zhou.

The Garrison Troops left behind here numbered over thirty thousand, yet they had been split apart and torn asunder, utterly unable to resist.

At this rate, by the time the news reached Wang Du, this entire Zhou Fu would likely already be in Liang Kingdom's hands.

"These cursed wretches — they've eaten bear heart and leopard gall, daring to take the offensive against our great Di!"

"Damnable!"

Just as the Colonel was cursing—

A force of three hundred Beixi Light Cavalry came in pursuit from the right flank.

The Beidi Colonel's face turned ashen with shock.