Chapter 924: First Volume, Chapter 924: The Weighty List of the Fallen

First Volume, Chapter 924: The Weighty List of the Fallen

Chen Si fell silent; having interacted with Qin Feng for so long, he understood Qin Feng's character and conduct all too well.

For the vast majority of commanders in this world, the deaths of one hundred thirty-seven soldiers would not stir even the faintest emotional ripple—after all, to the entire army, these hundred-odd men were but a drop in the ocean.

As the saying goes, one general's glory is built upon ten thousand bones.

Death, for soldiers, is simply an unchangeable fate.

But…

For Qin Feng, these one hundred thirty-seven fallen soldiers weighed as heavy as Mount Taishan.

After all, perspectives differ: even Chen Si saw soldiers merely as pieces on a chessboard, expendable for the sake of nation and grand strategy—why mourn them? But Qin Feng saw the title of "soldier" as nothing more than a profession, nothing more.

These one hundred thirty-seven fallen soldiers were equal to one hundred thirty-seven fathers, one hundred thirty-seven sons, one hundred thirty-seven husbands.

They abandoned their homes and families, sacrificing their precious lives to protect Qin Feng.

If Qin Feng himself does not care about their lives and deaths, who in this world would?

The world is vast; how other counties or nations treat their soldiers is beyond Qin Feng's control and concern—he is but one man, and merely ensuring the well-being of those around him is already an immense struggle. Thus, every soldier from Beixi County—or, more broadly, every soldier from the Liang Kingdom's Northern Border—is invaluable to Qin Feng.

Obedience is a soldier's duty; sacrifice is a soldier's fate—so what?

These one hundred thirty-seven men cannot die in vain!

Exhausted, Qin Feng hunched in his chair, his eyes hollow and weary as he stared blankly at the bitter winter night beyond the door, yet his voice remained utterly resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Lü Li seeking revenge against me is understandable; correspondingly, he paid with his life."

"But this was merely a personal grudge between us."

"Why could Lü Li precisely track my movements? Why could he launch a manhunt near Wang Du, under the Son of Heaven's very feet? He mobilized thousands—why did the Wang Du Garrison not react immediately?"

"My one hundred thirty-seven comrades did not have to die."

Here, Qin Feng slowly turned, his gaze settling on Chen Si, and asked in a low, probing tone: "Or is it that Lü Li's ambush along the way was tacitly approved by your Monarch?"

At these words, Chen Si could no longer sit still—he leapt to his feet and replied bluntly: "This matter has nothing to do with His Majesty of Great Di!"

"Lü Li was enfeoffed as Pillar of the State and was once Party Chief of the Hawk Faction; within the Jingji Region, with his status and position, killing a man was no difficult feat. The fact that you did not pressure the County Magistrate of Qingshan proves you understand that many were forced by Lü Li's influence to go along with the flow."

"I understand your feelings, but blaming this filth on His Majesty is excessive."

Chen Si's fierce reaction was entirely within Qin Feng's expectations—after all, Chen Si had rushed over with his personal guards to rescue him, proving Chen Si was here to contain the fire, not let it spread.

Qin Feng also knew the Di Monarch had not participated.

But now the question is: does participation even matter?

Let the deaths of these one hundred thirty-seven comrades be set aside for now—Qin Feng had no desire to remain in Di Kingdom and risk further attacks by madmen, causing his soldiers to die in vain.

Qin Feng now only wished to swiftly complete his Strategic Goal, leave Di Kingdom, and return to his own territory.

After all, Qin Feng was no god; when ambushed by hidden enemies, he could only grit his teeth and fight alongside his comrades—and any battle inevitably brings casualties.

Thus, whether or not the Di Monarch was involved no longer mattered: if Qin Feng believed he was involved, then he was involved.

Qin Feng ignored Chen Si's protests and spoke softly: "I am Envoy of Great Liang. I came to your kingdom for two reasons: to handle the follow-up of War Reparations, and to expand the Shang Dao."

"But since my arrival, your Monarch has consistently avoided meeting me—this is hardly the way to treat a guest."

"Just as I was responding to your Monarch's summons, I was ambushed—and the perpetrator was none other than your kingdom's own Pillar of the State."

"This reveals your kingdom's ill intent: you never intended to faithfully pay War Reparations, nor harbor even a shred of gratitude—you clearly planned to eliminate me under this pretext."

"Since your kingdom acts unjustly, do not blame me for acting without righteousness."

Here, Qin Feng ignored Chen Si's bloodshot eyes and turned to Ning Hu: "Send a messenger to Beixi County."

"Mobilize the Northern Border forces, advance toward Sangzhou, point swords at Zhuozhou—and when I give the order, launch the Winter War!"

Ning Hu had no hesitation—he turned and left at once.

Chen Si stepped forward sharply, but could not stop Ning Hu—he could only stare fixedly at Qin Feng, his eyes filled with shock and fury.

"Qin Feng, you are using this as an excuse!"

Facing Chen Si's roar, Qin Feng replied softly: "Why shouldn't I seize the opportunity my one hundred thirty-seven comrades bought with their lives?"

At these words, Chen Si was left speechless.

He had anticipated Qin Feng would exploit this incident—but he never imagined Qin Feng would be so radical: not merely leveraging pressure against the Di Monarch, but preparing to launch a full-scale invasion during the bitter winter, striking while Di was weak and aiming to kill it.

According to Night Owl's reports, Chen Si already had full knowledge of the regional situation.

Even relatively prosperous Liang, crippled by this once-in-a-century winter, had halted all military operations, forced to wait until spring to plan again.

If Liang Kingdom could not fight, how much less could Di Kingdom?

But compared to them, due to Qin Feng's governance, the Liang Northern Border had implemented a policy of enriching the people—the populace was well-fed and warmly clothed; even if a winter offensive were launched, the Northern Border could withstand it.

For a moment, Chen Si was utterly bewildered.

He could not understand what opportunity Qin Feng had been waiting for all this time.

Was it Changshui County? To cripple Di Kingdom? For the Shang Dao? Or… was all of this within Qin Feng's plan all along?

Di Kingdom was powerless to respond to a winter war. To quell Qin Feng's wrath, Chen Si had no choice but to bow his head, his tone now utterly calm.

"Qin… Marquis Qin, if you will sound the retreat, my Great Di will hand over every last remnant of the Hawk Faction to you for disposal."

"As for those one hundred thirty-seven fallen soldiers, we will grant each family ten taels of silver as Compensation—how does that sound?"