Chapter 78
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Over here, Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu discussed the route for heading north, while on the other side, Chacha Qi returned to the central barbarian army tent. Upon seeing Tuoba Ren, he doesn’t even dare to breathe heavily, for Tuoba Ren’s complexion was even paler than usual. His expression devoid of emotion, yet it evoked an inexplicable sense of fear. Even a weak tiger is still a tiger, the king among beasts.
At this moment, Uncle Ping stood behind Song Lian, keeping his head down and eyes averted, refusing to cast a glance at Chacha Qi.
The air within the tent carries an air of solemnity. Chacha Qi stepped forward and kneeled before Tuoba Ren, seeking forgiveness. Before he can even speak, Tuoba Ren, who was seated at the head, spoke in a light tone, “General Chacha Qi, have you brought the person back to me as ordered? Cough, cough!”
His words were calm and unassuming, yet they send a shiver down Chacha Qi’s spine, he sensed a hint of murderous intent.
“Your Highness, please forgive me. It’s not that I didn’t put in my best effort, but the person who executed the plan ahead of me proved to be inadequate. By the time I arrived, Duan Wang had already been rescued,” Chacha Qi said, essentially shifting the blame onto Uncle Ping who stood behind Song Lian.
Hearing this,Uncle Ping raised his head, feeling somewhat agitated. This person certainly excelled in twisting the truth and distorting facts. They had brought the person into the territory of Suixi Kingdom, where escape should have been impossible. However, how did General Chacha Qi handle the situation? Instead of pursuing and intercepting, he abandoned the main goal to chase after personal accomplishments. Not only did this result in significant casualties, but it also provided an opportunity for the person to escape.
Uncle Ping was about to step forward, but Song Lian stopped him, gesturing for him to remain calm. With that, Uncle Ping suppressed his emotions, masking them just as he did before, as if none of this concerned him.
Tuoba Ren almost amused. Had he not already known all the details, he might have believed Chacha Qi’s one-sided account. Unfortunately, he didn’t consider himself a fool.
After a few coughs to regain his composure, Tuoba Ren rised to his feet, walking over to stand before Chacha Qi. He looks down at him and spokecoldly, “Very good, very good. So, you were tasked with receiving them, yet you didn’t bring the person back to me?”
“Wang Ye…” Chacha Qi began, but before he can finish, Tuoba Ren kicked him hard.
Chacha Qi stumbled, but his defiance remained, “Wang Ye, why didn’t you listen to my advice? Could it be that you made your judgment based solely on the words of the Han people? Wang Ye, you should know that the Han people have always been our enemies, cunning and deceitful. How can they truly be in accord with us? The Han people have a saying: ‘Know people, know faces, but not their hearts.’ Who can truly comprehend their intentions?”
He held a low opinion of the Han people, believing that Song Lian and the other person must have ulterior motives. Look, how had Wang Ye been swayed by these two individuals? He readily accepted their words without a second thought, blindly trusting their version of events.
Tuoba Ren was almost amused by his exasperating behavior. What a mess of a person, blaming others without reflecting on his own mistakes. Did any part of his behavior resemble the conduct of the grassland people?
“Are you dissatisfied with me? Questioning my actions?” Tuoba Ren paused, squatting down and swiftly drew a dagger from his boot, pressing it against Chacha Qi’s neck. “I don’t tolerate your interference in my decisions. Do you dare to challenge me, huh?”
Tuoba Ren’s intention to kill was clear, Chacha Qi trembled. He raised his head, his tone firm, “Tuoba Ren, you can’t kill me!”
“Cough, cough! And why not?” Tuoba Ren sneered. “You think that just because your father is the current Right General, I wouldn’t dare to kill you?”
The main army of Suixi Kingdom are led by the Left and Right General, who respectively command the Left and Right divisions. These divisions are two major forces under the Suixi Khan.
Hunle Wang used to oversee the Left division and held the position of Left General. Later, due to being injured by an arrow, his physical condition declined significantly, leading him to relinquish the position of Left General.
Chacha Qi, on the other hand, was just a brash individual who owed his current position to his father, who held the position of the Right General. Chacha Qi was arrogant, thought highly of himself, and frequently seeked to challenge others, which was truly unreasonable.
Seeing that Tuoba Ren was truly angry, Chacha Qi was terrified, practically scared out of his wits. He begged for mercy repeatedly, “Wang Ye, spare my life, I was wrong, please give me another chance. I will definitely capture Duan Wang personally this time.”
Chacha Qi’s pitiful appearance, brought a sense of satisfaction in Uncle Ping’s eyes. He probably didn’t anticipate that he would end up in this situation.
Song Lian had been observing coldly all along, it wasn’t until this moment that he stepped forward to persuade, “Wang Ye, there’s no need to be angry. This matter can’t be entirely blamed on General Chacha Qi. After all, Duan Wang and Xie Yixiu have ended up within Suixi Kingdom’s territory. If we dispatch more people, we should be able to find their whereabouts.”
Chacha Qi found it unbelievable that Song Lian was actually speaking up on his behalf. He had just been attempting to sow discord between Song Lian and Tuoba Ren, so why was Song Lian helping him now? He suspected that there might be some hidden agenda behind Song Lian’s actions. After all, he believed that Han people were usually cunning and deceitful, it was hard to fathom such kindness.
Tuoba Ren hadn’t anticipated that Song Lian would speak up for Chacha Qi at this moment. Could it be that he hadn’t heard Chacha Qi’s derogatory remarks about him earlier? What was Song Lian’s intention in pleading for Chacha Qi now?
Song Lian took a couple of steps forward with an almost serene smile on his handsome face. He gently extended two fingers, lightly nudging Tuoba Ren’s hand away from the dagger at Chacha Qi’s throat. He then said with a chuckle, “We’re all comrades here, no need to escalate the tension. General Chacha Qi being able to accomplish something despite his mistakes isn’t a bad approach.”
Tuoba Ren frowned but didn’t persist in his stance. Following Song Lian’s indication, he put the dagger back into his boot. He let out a cold snort.
Chacha Qi had narrowly escaped danger and was now slumped on the ground. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and then looked up at Song Lian. He didn’t like Song Lian at all. A traitorous Han person who had sought refuge under Wang Ye’s banner, showing no backbone or responsibility – Chacha Qi held nothing but contempt for such individuals.
As Song Lian’s eyes met Chacha Qi’s gaze, there was a hint of a meaningful smile in his eyes. Chacha Qi couldn’t comprehend it; however, he sensed that the expression held a depth that rivaled Wang Ye’s earlier fierce gaze. It was perplexing – how could a seemingly powerless scholar like Song Lian evoke such thoughts? No matter how hard he tried, Chacha Qi couldn’t make sense of it.
At the moment of Song Lian’s intercession, Uncle Ping on the side was equally perplexed. He couldn’t quite fathom what was going on with Young Master. Why would he help General Chacha Qi in speaking up? This Chacha Qi had openly and covertly provoked them numerous times, sowing discord and causing strife in front of Wang Ye, which was truly vexing. Fortunately, Wang Ye had faith in Young Master and didn’t allow this person to succeed. If Wang Ye had taken the opportunity to kill him, Uncle Ping would have applauded with approval, he would never have thought to intercede on his behalf.
Yet, Song Lian appeared completely unperturbed by the peculiar thoughts of the onlookers. He remained as calm as a chrysanthemum. He would never do something without a purpose. His intercession for Chacha Qi was purely because this individual still held some uses. Furthermore, Wang Ye might not necessarily want to kill him. If Wang Ye acted in anger and killed Chacha Qi, given Chacha Qi’s status as the Right General’s son, even with Hunle Wang, he might not easily get away with it. Rather than allowing remorse to arise after such an incident, it was better to intervene at this moment to prevent it.
Among the warriors of Suixi, heroism was revered, loyalty and righteousness were emphasized. Once someone was recognized as a comrade, they would treat them with utmost loyalty, even if it meant giving their all. By extending a favor to Chacha Qi, whether he acknowledged it or not, the debt of saving his life would always remain true. In the eyes of others, this act of interceding for Chacha Qi’s life wouldn’t easily be forgotten. In just a few words, the Suixi people would be more inclined to accept Song Lian as one of their own, solidifying his position.
After glancing at Song Lian, Tuoba Ren cleared his throat a few times and then formally declared, “Very well! Today, I shall follow Mr. Song’s suggestion! I’ll spare your life temporarily, allowing you to make amends through meritorious service. However, if you fail again on this mission, you’ll have to present yourself.”
Chacha Qi nodded fervently, feeling a modicum of relief. He slapped his chest and vowed, “Wang Ye, I shall do my utmost. If I don’t bring back those two, I won’t dare to show my face again.”
As Chacha Qi left the tent, the sunlight outside momentarily blinded him. He instinctively used his hand to shield his eyes, feeling as if he had come back to life. Regret and frustration filled his heart. How could he have deluded himself into thinking he could compare to the Hunle Wang? A mere glance from him nearly rendered him faint. Hunle Wang was like a soaring eagle of the grasslands – even if its wings were clipped, it remained a majestic eagle. Nobody could rival that. Chacha Qi now recognized his own ignorance and arrogance. He left, head hung low.
With Chacha Qi gone, Tuoba Ren’s demeanor reverted to a calm and composed state, as if the recent events hadn’t happened at all. Song Lian silently nodded in approval. Tuoba Ren’s balance of action and restraint was impressive. He wasn’t just confined to this tent – his abilities extended far beyond.
Tuoba Ren sat down, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then asked, “Now that these two have escaped, Mr. Song, do you have any solutions?”
Song Lian shook his head cautiously and said, “I’m not familiar with Suixi’s terrain and geography since I’m not from here. In the past, I could devise strategies in Liangcheng because I was familiar with it. However, here in Suixi, I can’t guarantee the accuracy of my analysis.”
Tuoba Ren waved his hand dismissively and said, “Mr. Song, feel free to share your insights.”
“Very well then. With your permission, let me offer my uneducated thoughts,” Song Lian respectfully replied.
In the center of the army tent, a large map had already been prepared for easy reference.
Song Lian strolled over to the largest map on the wall, which practically covered the entirety of Suixi’s terrain.
With an unhurried pace, Song Lian assumed the air of a strategist. “Wang Ye, based on what Uncle Ping mentioned earlier, these two initially rode directly westward, deeper into Suixi’s heartland. However, I can’t fathom why they would choose that direction. If it were me, I wouldn’t choose a path that takes me further away from my ultimate destination.”
Tuoba Ren nodded, urging him to continue.
Song Lian certainly wouldn’t defy Tuoba Ren’s intention. He spoke confidently, “Hence, I believe their ultimate goal is to find a way back to the Great Yan, possibly by circling around. Whether heading south or north, one of these directions should be their choice.”
“You make a valid point,” Tuoba Ren commended. “According to your analysis, Mr. Song, which direction would they be most likely to flee toward?”
Song Lian shook his head, “To determine that, we’d need to analyze the terrain in conjunction with geographical features. I previously mentioned that I’m not familiar with Suixi’s geography, so I can’t accurately predict where these two might go. However, I do have a suggestion.”
“What’s your suggestion?”
“It would be best to cast a wide net – increase manpower in both directions for searching,” Song Lian proposed.
Tuoba Ren also realized this point. “You’re right. Since they’ve come to our vast grasslands, not fulfilling the host-guest relationship would indeed be inappropriate. I only invited them as guests, but if they don’t understand propriety, I can’t be blamed.” After saying this, he turned his head and instructed Uncle Ping, “Prepare more portraits of Duan Wang. I refuse to believe we can’t catch these two.”
Uncle Ping had no objections. He bowed in agreement and went to make the preparations. He had spent a long time with Ming Yu and was the only one who had seen him, so he needed to describe Ming Yu’s appearance to the artist and have them create a portrait. This way, it would be nearly impossible for these two to escape unnoticed.
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