The Empress’ Livestream - Chapter 526: Three
Chapter 526: Three-Way Battle (X)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Many of the Tsing Yi soldiers were beheaded or hammered to death as they slept. Some were considered lucky to have escaped death only to be tied up by a rope and their mouths gagged, preventing them from making any sound to wake their comrades.
From the start, these people had been feeling anxious. Only when they carried out their plans with people they knew did they became bolder. Nevertheless, after one or two confrontations, their anger dissipated after seeing those beasts who once oppressed them, and the fear in them disappeared.
As they now saw, the Tsing Yi soldiers werenot infallible or impervious, they died once beheaded. This episode of the “rebellion scheme” continued for an hour, the sombre, night scene in the sky slowly faded and it became clearer.
Jiang Pengji folded her arms around her chests and sat on the grass patch. Her back was straight but her head was bent a little as she shut her eyes.
Others thought she was closing her eyes and taking a nap, truthfully, she was sleeping. Yes, she’s sleeping.
Qiguan Rang looked at his lord in wonder, she managed to stay in this sleeping position for more than two hours.
“Why are you surprised?” Jiang Pengji opened her eyes abruptly, and with a composed face she said, “As a competent general, you must cultivate such habits. Regardless of what the situation is, you must be able to sleep immediately to recharge your energy…You’re making a big fuss for naught.”
She can wake up and sleep immediately.
Lifting her head to see the skies, she knitted her brows briefly. “Is there still no activity at Jiaoping district?”
Qiguan Rang said, “We’ve sent a scout to find out the situation. He should return soon with news.”
At that point, she looked at the city walls from afar, the soldiers standing guard above were absent.
She remarked, “The time should be near… We must see this through till the end. Let’s retreat a distance before approaching again.”
Qiguan Rang’s expression was one of shock.
As a matter of fact, Jiang Pengji said, “Otherwise, when the others leave the city, they will see us preparing to fight and won’t our intentions be made known? They are here to offer their city to us; we are just the “passive” recipients who will take over. Jiaoping district is not what we schemed to possess, do you understand?”
What they forcefully snatched versus those bystanders rushing up to offer it. Both the significances seemed to differ.
Qiguan Rang almost suffocated, how can he be ignorant about his lord having such a shameless side?
Having thought of something, he said, “If so, there’s no chance for the lord to showcase your talents.”
An effortless victory to obtain Jiaoping district, moreover, someone even rushing over to surrender it. Naturally, she doesn’t have to go to the front of the battlefield.
She said, “From what you said, it is as if I desire bloody battles. People die during wars even if it’s in a sure win battle, one cannot prevent someone from dying or getting injured. If we can dominate Jiaoping district in peace, it is the best-case scenario. What use is there in fighting, even the heavens will be displeased.”
Jiang Pengji presented it very logically and it wasn’t just Qiguan Rang who was amazed at her shamelessness. Those viewers who had stayed up to watch also mocked her.
Yuantong Sudi: “Keke, this is the joke of the year——the streamer is an advocate for peace.”
Zhongtong Sudi: “There is nothing wrong with what the streamer said. The enemies’ lives aren’t valuable but their own peoples’ lives are more valuable.”
Shentong Sudi: “Sigh, the streamer must have forgotten how much she wanted to go on a killing spree previously. With the screen separating us, I can feel the frustration she exudes. However, now she turns around and claims to be an advocate for peace, isn’t she contradicting herself?”
Truthfully, she is indeed an “advocate for peace”, except her peace comes by killing to stop further deaths. The targets for killing are her enemies, she doesn’t care how many enemies die while any injuries that can be avoided on her side should be avoided.
Qiguan Rang has yet to speak, when Jiang Pengji said, “After we take over Jiaoping district, gauging from the time and journey, if we take a shortcut then we can swiftly return to Xiangyang district and exterminate Tsing Yi army’s reinforcements…I am worried we cannot fend off the enemies at Xiangyang district.”
To win a victory over Jiaoping district effortlessly, Jiang Pengji’s military strength will not be compromised at all. Qiguan Rang didn’t understand, he searched through his memories and suddenly recalled something. His facial expression changed.
“My lord what you meant is…Lady Taxue…” Qiguan Rang was stumped.
Back then, she had secretly infiltrated Wei Yuan manor in the night, and she delegated the troops’ matters to Qiguan Rang to oversee. Before they left, he hinted to her that someone close to her has ill-intentions.
The advantage of peaceably winning over that district is there’s no need for them to waste time consoling the people. She can even order a group of men to stay and guard Jiaoping district while she brings a thousand troops to provide reinforcements at Xiangyang district. This is the most efficient method she can think of.
He frowned, then asked, “How can this be? Four thousand men in military strength is indeed tight but Huaiyu and Coach Luoyue aren’t easy targets, the defence in the city is adequate. Those mobs of the Tsing Yi army who intend to conquer Xiangyang district and take it from their hands, it is almost impossible…”
“You also mentioned that it’s almost impossible and not ‘absolute’.” Jiang Pengji’s face became solemn. “Wenzheng, remember when I left Hejian last time to follow my father to head to Shangjing. Do you remember why I left the troops in your hands?”
At that time, Qiguan Rang was still ignorant about who that was, until she left Xunmei behind and took Taxue away. From Jiang Pengji’s perspective, the more dangerous one is, the more she needs to keep an eye on them. Later, when Xu Ke got married to Xunmei, Qiguan Rang was more certain of his predlection.
“My lord, you are being silly, since you ascertained that Taxue is suspicious, why didn’t you…” He looked worried and anxious.
Taxue’s identity is not made known yet. If she does something untoward at Xiangyang district, they cannot guard against it.
Jiang Pengji lazily lifted her eyes saying, “Rest assured, Wenzheng. Although this matter is rather risky, it is not haphazard and done without thinking. There’s something wrong with Taxue and it is indeed an important matter. She has more than one master behind the scenes, what do you know? In all these years, I’ve discovered one of them, but the other is still unknown. It is troublesome to have her close by, but it is better than having her hiding in the dark and attacking us.”
“Nevertheless, if she takes advantage of this dangerous situation and allows Tsing Yi army to enter the district…”
“She won’t do that.” Jiang Pengji sneered mockingly and replied confidently, “Before she achieves her goal, she will not harm me in anyway. Perhaps, more than anyone else, she wishes that I will bring peace and stand mightily in the north.”
Qiguan Rang was stumped, his intelligent mind felt inadequate.
Suddenly, he felt rather frustrated. “Isn’t Lady Taxue the personal maid the old master prepared to serve you, why did he allow danger to come to your side?”
Jiang Pengji thought about it deeply then remarked, “Yes, my father prepared her to serve me, but he cannot control the networks she has…”
If she told Qiguan Rang that Xunmei was also suspicious, he would probably go mad.
What luck does her father have, for him to arrange two suspicious people by her side? Pei!
As they spoke, the tightly shut gates of the Jiaoping district’s city were opened and a group of hundreds of people escaped out of the city at sunrise.
About an hour passed, the groups from both sides met halfway.
The people were shaking in fear, her face turned solemn and she lowered her voice to reveal her identity.
“I am Liu Xi, the district magistrate of Xiangyang district. Who are you and where do you come from?”
Liu Xi? Xiangyang’s district magistrate?
The people were in a frenzy as they spoke amongst themselves.
Now a rather senior elder who looked like the leader slowly stepped out and reverentially said, “We are people from Jiaoping district.”
“People of Jiaoping district? Why are you here?”
The old man abruptly bowed down and cried, pleading, “I beg the district magistrate to save the people of Jiaoping district. If you do not agree, all the people will be exterminated by Tsing Yi army.”