Chapter 877: First Volume, Chapter 877: Xiongying Brigade Night Raid

First Volume, Chapter 877: Xiongying Brigade Night Raid

After a long while, the County Magistrate's Wife finally came to her senses.

She clutched the Silver Note, stunned: "My Lord, what… what do you mean by this?"

Qin Feng smiled in return: "Madam, why pretend ignorance when you clearly understand?"

"Earlier, you went out of your way to flatter me—wasn't it all to curry favor? And why were you angry and resentful? Because I ignored you, leaving you with a cold shoulder after your warm advances?"

"Heh, I'm no three-year-old child—I understand human nature well enough."

"Now that I'm offering you an olive branch, why play coy?"

Qin Feng had ignored the County Magistrate's Wife earlier because the timing wasn't right; once she brought trouble upon herself, he used it to pressure Chen Tian, and only then did he reach out to her—this way, the effect would be half the effort, double the result.

As for the County Magistrate's Wife's character, Qin Feng made no judgment—after all, all crows are black in Heaven; if one obsessed over such details, nothing could ever be accomplished.

The County Magistrate's Wife still felt as if she were dreaming, but the Silver Note in her hand did not lie.

Her pale face instantly flushed red with excitement; she quickly bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you, My Lord, for your great favor—rest assured, I will serve you faithfully, body and soul!"

Faithful?

A stingy woman who recognized only money—talking of loyalty was laughable.

Qin Feng's only motive for showing her favor was her usefulness.

"I won't leave your country anytime soon, and in the coming time, I'll expand my business further—then I'll need reliable people by my side. You're a smart woman; if you help me get things done, not even a mere County Magistrate is beyond your reach—even when you meet a Beijing Official in the future, he'll bow to you!"

"As for fine clothes and rich food, that goes without saying."

The County Magistrate's Wife's eyes sparkled; she trembled with excitement, clenched her fists, and declared firmly: "Command me, My Lord! Whatever I can do, I will give my all, even unto death!"

Qin Feng was highly satisfied with her attitude.

"Good. The task isn't difficult—especially for you."

"Chen Tian isn't a good official, but he's not bad either—he's cautious, skilled at preserving himself, and the more such men are, the more rigid and inflexible they become. If left to his own devices, turning Changshui into a transit hub stands almost no chance."

"If you can persuade Chen Tian, that's your first major achievement."

Without hesitation, the County Magistrate's Wife nodded: "My Lord, rest assured—I'll handle it!"

Watching the County Magistrate's Wife leave without looking back, Liu Ming couldn't help but chuckle.

"All men are helpless against the whisper of a pillow."

"Changshui County is, for My Lord, the most vital strategic position in the future—if we seize it, we'll have taken the first step toward welcoming the Princess back to the Imperial Ancestral Hall."

Qin Feng nodded with a smile: "The Wu Family has become much more compliant—they'll hire all the workers. No need to return to Wang Du yet; we'll build the warehouses directly in Changshui County."

"Assign a few Brocade Uniform Guards to monitor Changshui County—prevent anyone from spying freely."

"The warehouse specifications must follow my prior plans: three commodity warehouses, one weapon warehouse—the weapon warehouse must also be disguised."

"Ah!"

At this, Qin Feng sighed deeply.

The Beidi King was even more patient than Qin Feng had anticipated; moreover, Sangzhou had reported that the Xiongying Brigade's Elite Troops had begun small-scale secret infiltration.

It wasn't hard to guess—the Beidi King had prepared two strategies.

Publicly, he actively promoted commerce and restored people's livelihood; secretly, he launched aggressive decapitation operations, preparing to strike directly at Jing Qianying.

While the situation in Wang Du appeared smooth and steadily progressing, in truth, dark currents churned beneath.

And facing a man like the Beidi King, expecting him to willingly surrender authority to Jing Qianying was utterly unrealistic—so one must prepare for the worst.

Qin Feng stared at the flickering flames in the brazier and spoke solemnly: "The realm has always been seized by force—where is the logic in Shan Rang? This coup is inevitable."

Even as Qin Feng steadily planned, a sudden attack shattered the situation in Zhuozhou.

Lei Hu, the Xiongying Brigade's Night Raid Colonel, led fifty Xiongying Brigade Bow Infantry through the night, striking straight for the heart—attacking Lü Ci and Li Chou's Shuaizhang.

Before this, Lei Hu had evaded several military patrols.

He infiltrated from patrol zones into ZhuZhen, then gradually crept closer to the Shuaizhang.

Throughout the entire operation, Lei Hu killed only three night sentries, drawing no attention—no one in the entire camp anticipated a night raid!

Less than one Envoy remained until dawn—even the night sentries had begun dozing off.

Lei Hu had reached the Shuaizhang; his eyes were cold and sharp.

This beidi siege assault was far simpler than expected—Lü Ci and Li Chou were truly useless; the camp's garrison was so lax.

With a wave of his hand, three Xiongying Brigade Bow Infantry charged into the Shuaizhang with single-edged knives, cutting down the sleeping men in their beds, blood splattering everywhere.

Soon after, the Bow Infantry stepped out of the tent, holding Lü Ci's severed head aloft.

"General, only Lü Ci is here—Li Chou is nowhere to be found!"

Lei Hu's gaze burned; he took a deep breath and whispered: "Don't be greedy—retreat!"

Lei Hu and his men carried Lü Ci's head back the way they came—but entering was easy, leaving was hard; after only a few dozen steps, a night sentry crouched beneath a fire torch spotted them.

"Where are you going?!"

The night sentry rose and barked, sizing up Lei Hu and his men—though their attire matched their own soldiers', these men were utterly unfamiliar.

Lei Hu remained calm under pressure and barked: "By General Lü's order, we're on reconnaissance—stand aside!"

The night sentry narrowed his eyes: "Who are you?"

Lei Hu glared fiercely, impatiently: "Guerrilla Colonel Zhao Mu!"

Hearing this, the night sentry instantly grew wary, instinctively grabbing the bronze gong to raise the alarm.

After all, every Colonel in the army was known by sight—this man was clearly an impostor using Zhao Mu's identity!

Before the night sentry could strike the gong, two Xiongying Brigade Bow Infantry had already crept behind him and slashed his throat with a single stroke.

The gong clattered to the ground with a faint clang.

A nearby night sentry glanced over and shouted: "Who's there?!"

Lei Hu took a deep breath and growled, "Go!"

He ignored the night guard's questions and led his men swiftly toward the outside of the camp.

The night guard rushed over, saw his fallen comrade, and immediately struck the bronze gong.

Dang dang dang!

The alarm gong blared loudly; Lei Hu roared, "Thief, don't run!"

The fifty Bow Infantry beside him roared in unison: "Thief, don't run!"

Because Lei Hu and his men had long disguised themselves to match the garrison's attire, and with Thief Catching Thief in play, they slipped through undetected and escaped straight through the Camp Gate.