Chapter 923: First Volume, Chapter 923: One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Coffins

First Volume, Chapter 923: One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Coffins

At first glance, this seemed absurd, but upon closer thought, it was not impossible—and the more he considered it, the more brilliant it appeared.

At that moment, the messenger's voice came again from outside the door.

"His Majesty, Qin Feng, under General Chen Si's escort, is already on his way to Wang Du."

Upon hearing this, the Northern Di King's conversation with Li Yu came to an end; the Northern Di King ordered Li Yu to go welcome Qin Feng.

Before leaving, Li Yu suddenly remembered something and asked softly: "Your Majesty, may I request that a noble accompany me?"

The Northern Di King immediately understood who Li Yu meant by "noble" and granted the request without hesitation.

Meanwhile, a vast army escorted Qin Feng along the Official Road toward Wang Du.

But when they passed through Qingshan County City, Qin Feng ordered the advance halted and insisted on entering the city.

Though Chen Si did not understand Qin Feng's intentions, he had no choice but to cooperate fully to appease him; the army remained outside the city, while Ning Hu and ten-plus Tianji Camp Guards followed closely behind, never leaving his side.

At this moment, the Qingshan County Yamen was filled with kneeling people—from the County Magistrate down to the Yamen Runners—all trembling.

After all, they had provided some "assistance" to Lü Li during this campaign.

Yet when Qin Feng entered the County Yamen, he did not order executions; this matter no longer required his personal intervention—Northern Di King would handle the aftermath himself.

Exhausted, Qin Feng could not muster even a fraction of strength, and even felt drowsy.

Yet he gritted his teeth and held on.

At Qin Feng's signal, all Yamen Runners left; he summoned every "coffin shop" Shopkeeper in the city—eight in total.

Qin Feng wasted no time: "How many coffins can you produce?"

One Shopkeeper answered cautiously: "Your Lordship, you may not know—coffins are made on demand; we never stock them, as they bring ill fortune."

Qin Feng nodded and asked again: "Just answer me—how many can you make before dawn?"

The eight Shopkeepers exchanged glances; finally, the same one whispered: "Even if we summon every Clerk, we could barely make seven or eight coffins by dawn."

Then the Shopkeeper asked: "Your Lordship, how many coffins do you require?"

Qin Feng replied without hesitation: "One hundred and thirty-seven."

Hearing the number, the Shopkeeper's expression turned deeply complex: "I dare not delay, but even if we work nonstop until dawn, we cannot produce so many—this number is far beyond reach."

Qin Feng did not press further: "How much does one coffin cost?"

The Shopkeeper quickly answered: "Two hundred copper coins."

Qin Feng waved his hand: "I'll pay you two Tael of Silver per coffin. Produce as many as you can as fast as you can—if you can't finish, skip the lacquer; just deliver plain wooden coffins."

Hearing this, the Shopkeepers' faces lit up—it was a gift from heaven. They kowtowed repeatedly in thanks and hurried off.

Qin Feng knew well—even if they made only plain wooden coffins, they could produce at most twenty by dawn, far short of one hundred and thirty-seven.

When Qin Feng glanced at the Qingshan County Magistrate, Zhou Wu shuddered; he had aided Lü Li only out of necessity, forced to follow the tide—how could a lowly County Magistrate dare defy a Pillar of the State?

Now desperate to redeem himself, Zhou Wu answered before Qin Feng could speak: "Your Lordship, rest assured—I'll beg, borrow, or steal—I'll gather the remaining hundred-odd coffins before dawn."

Qin Feng nodded softly: "If you gather the coffins, our grievances are erased."

Zhou Wu was overjoyed, did not hesitate, and immediately left the County Yamen, personally leading Yamen Runners to nearby counties and villages to urgently requisition coffins.

Everyone present understood: Qin Feng needed these one hundred and thirty-seven coffins to collect the bodies of his fallen Comrades.

Chen Si knew Qin Feng cherished his soldiers, but given Qin Feng's status and how recently he had escaped death, his urgent determination to recover the fallen still stunned Chen Si—he silently marveled: no wonder Qin Feng's army's Morale was unbreakable.

Then Qin Feng ordered again: summon every Physician in the city who was already asleep, and bring them all outside to assist the Military Doctors in treating the wounded.

The final step: transport vehicles for the Sacrificed soldiers.

Warhorses could not haul heavy loads; they needed Draft Horses and carts—another massive undertaking.

But if it meant bringing the fallen soldiers' bodies home, Qin Feng would pay any price.

Chen Si personally dispatched men to help requisition carts.

When everything was done, Qin Feng looked at Li Xiaolan, who had stayed by his side: "Xiaolan, are you tired? Go rest in the Inner Courtyard."

Li Xiaolan frowned slightly: "What about you?"

Qin Feng shook his head: "I must see my Comrades through their final journey."

Li Xiaolan longed to stay with Qin Feng, but knowing his heart was heavy with the loss of so many Comrades, she chose to let him be alone—and reluctantly left.

Now, only Qin Feng, Chen Si, and Ning Hu remained in the DaTang.

Qin Feng leaned back in his chair; though his wounds had been bandaged, blood still seeped steadily out.

Ning Hu could no longer bear it: "Brother Qin, go rest. I'll stay here."

Qin Feng's gaze was firm: "My Comrades are resting—someone must keep watch."

My Comrades… resting… never waking again…

Ning Hu's nose stung; these Comrades had come from Beixi County, journeying together, laughter never ceasing—every memory felt like yesterday. Now they lay forever asleep in a foreign land—even a hardened man could not remain unmoved.

Ning Hu knew Qin Feng's decisions were unshakable; he said no more, only stood silently beside him.

Though Chen Si and Qin Feng shared an irreconcilable hatred, Chen Si deeply admired Qin Feng's conduct.

It is said: a cowardly soldier makes one coward; a cowardly general makes a whole army cowardly—and this was true.

Seeing Qin Feng's character, it was no wonder he had forged so many fierce armies alone.

At this moment, Chen Si should not have raised any other matter—only comfort Qin Feng. But sensing storm clouds gathering, for the sake of the empire, he ventured a cautious question.

"Qin Feng, Lü Li is dead—that's settled. What are your plans now?"

Qin Feng did not hesitate: "Lü Li's death settles things for me—but what about the settlement for my one hundred and thirty-seven fallen Comrades?"