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Surrender him. Now Shangguan Jinghao seems to have failed, but Zhang Zhongmou cannot rebel. As long as Shangguan Jinghao delivers the letter to Shangguan Jinghong, Zhang Zhongmou will have no choice but to die. All this man can do now is to inform Shangguan Jingcong of the confidential information of the Hong army as much as possible.
"Shangguan Jinghong is indeed a secretive person. He never told anyone about the destruction of grain in advance. Zhang Zhongmou said that he sent troops to seal the exit of the mountain range and ordered all units to defend Yecheng to the death. Now our army's morale has been greatly boosted and then greatly reduced. On the contrary, his army's morale is as high as a rainbow. The terrain of Yecheng is complicated, and we must not attack forcefully. Otherwise, we will suffer heavy casualties." Shangguan Jinghao tightly grasped the letter with a cold expression.
"But if we don't take Yecheng in one go, our food and supplies can only last for a few days at most." General Qin was slightly shocked as he spoke.
"That's right. No more than four or five days. Shangguan Jinghao's eyes suddenly darkened. "I originally wanted to use Xixia to contain Yan Zixi. Shangguan Jinghong, you could have stayed alive for a few more days. Now, you forced me to..."
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly looked at Cao Zhaonan, "When you handed the letter to Cai Ning that day, what did she say?"
Cao Zhaonan quickly replied, "She said that if your highness arranges, she will persuade the King of Western Xia to attack the Yan army first, and your highness will concentrate on dealing with King Rui. In the end, the two will meet and divide the territory in a 2:1 ratio. This will not only preserve the strength of both sides, but will also be much more advantageous than Western Xia's head-on attack on Dongling, which would require dealing with all of Dongling's troops and not knowing whether it can win."
Shangguan Jinghao smiled softly and said, "Cai Ning must be in the Xixia army now. I heard that the Xixia King has also gone to the battle personally. I have to change my offensive strategy. I will secretly leave the city tonight to meet the Xixia King. Chief Cao, send a spy to deliver three letters for me..."
*
Two days later, summer camp.
Xiaoman was lazily leaning on the couch reading Shangguan Jingchong's military book. Her two elder sisters, Xiaomei and Xiaoqing, came over and said that they had made some food at home and wanted to bring it to Shangguan Jingchong.
Shangguan Jingchong was training his troops at the parade ground. Xiaoman originally wanted to ask General Manager Xia to take them there, but she wanted to give Shangguan Jingchong a surprise. In the past two days, Shangguan Jingchong had been training his troops more diligently. He ordered General Manager Xia to supervise her meals, and he himself would not come back until the evening. She was sleepy again, and she would always fall asleep first. She only vaguely felt him hugging her and kissing her for a long time before he hugged her and fell asleep...
She was a little nervous, feeling that a war would break out soon. The two of them had very little time to meet and chat, so she asked Manager Xia to prepare some food. Although her two sisters seemed a little unhappy, she still went with them.
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On the way, I saw some ragged teenagers walking happily towards the depths of the camp. Xiao Man saw that they were not wearing military uniforms and seemed to be children from the city and county, so she asked General Manager Xia how these children came to the army.
"Join the army and earn some food and clothing." Manager Xia sighed softly and said in a low voice.
Xiao Man was startled. She was in the camp and didn't know much about the situation of the people outside. However, she seemed to know a lot about the war in her mind. In addition, she could see the whole picture now... Other cities and towns were still able to operate before the war, but for cities and counties like this that were occupied, it was inevitable to collect grain and salaries.
This war, please end it soon. Once the war spreads, the people will suffer the most, their homes will be broken, they will be displaced, and they will have nowhere to go...
"Xiao Man."
Suddenly, there was a sharp sound, and Xiao Man came back to her senses, only to see Shangguan Jingcong frowning and staring at her in front of countless soldiers. He was shirtless, revealing his strong and solid muscles. He was sweating profusely in the sun, and there was a smell of blood.
She gave him a complimenting smile and stuck out her tongue apologetically. He seemed to have called her several times, but she was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice she had entered the training ground. She wanted to ask General Manager Xia to report him and ask him to come out. After all, this was a training ground, and it had its own rules, which could not be taken lightly.
The two sisters were very excited and had gathered around him, enthusiastically handing him food and towels. She had not thought much about it before, but now that she thought about it, and seeing that the two women were very good-looking, some even prettier than herself, she understood what they meant instantly.
Shangguan Jingcong waved his hand and knocked the things the two men handed over away. The two men were shocked and immediately knelt down to confess their crimes.
He walked quickly to her side and lifted her face without any hesitation. She took out a towel to wipe the sweat off his face, but he asked in a deep voice: "What are you thinking about so intently? Come..."
She obviously felt that he was in a complicated mood, so she asked back, "What about you? What are you thinking about?"
"Think about what you're thinking about."
Shangguan Jingcong let out a slight breath of air, and after a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, I'm afraid that you will not be happy with me, and I'm afraid that someone will snatch you away.
The heat from his hand was burning. Xiao Man was stunned for a long time before she smiled and said, "Jingcong, do you have so little confidence in yourself? I am just a village girl. You are the emperor's son. I am marrying up. Look, even my two sisters are interested in you. I look ordinary. Are you afraid that someone will snatch me away? Who would want me? Besides, I am very happy with you now. Why do you-"
Shangguan Jingcong stared at her deeply, and suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Xiao Man was very embarrassed, there were people everywhere around her.
She gently pushed him away, but he just hugged her tightly. She got anxious and said, "Not here."
"Then I can treat you however I want when we get back, right?"
A breath as hot as fire rolled over her ears. How should she respond to him? Xiao Man didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Shangguan Jingcong!"
Shangguan Jingchong felt sweet in his heart when he heard her angry voice. He couldn't bear to see her angry, so he glanced at the deputy general, asked him to continue to preside over the meeting, and then he took her in his arms and walked out.
"My sisters are still over there, let them get up."
"Who are they?" Shangguan Jingcong sneered, then pretended to be angry and said, "Besides, I didn't punish them. How could they dream of being me? Of course, if you don't serve me obediently, I will bring them and your family to justice."
Shangguan Jingchong deliberately spoke loudly, and the two women heard it clearly, so they dared not stand up. Xiaoman shook her head at the two sisters and just let them stand up. It's not that she didn't care, but as long as Shangguan Jingchong didn't have any thoughts about them, she didn't care, and she wouldn't suppress them. Even if Shangguan Jingchong did, she wouldn't do anything to them. The problem is often not with women, but with men.
She raised her hand and brushed his cheek, but was slightly startled. It seemed that someone had done this to her before... She felt pain because of who was good to whom and who didn't believe in whom.
She didn't want to think about it and slowly put her hand down.
She challenged Shangguan Jingchong's patriarchy, but Shangguan Jingchong was not angry. Instead, he held her tightly with satisfaction.
The two walked under a tree. Shangguan Jingcong suddenly touched his nose in embarrassment. Xiaoman saw him staring at her and realized that she was sweating. She screamed and cursed, "You bad guy, you smeared your sweat on me, it stinks."
Shangguan Jingcong laughed and stretched out his long arm to catch her. She lifted her skirt and tried to run away, but he would not let her run away and hugged her in a few seconds.
There was dust on the ground, but as a man he didn't care. He sat down and put her on his lap.
Manager Xia hurried over from the darkness and handed over the food box. Because it was a meal prepared for Shangguan Jingchong, there was only a set of bowl and chopsticks inside. Shangguan Jingchong asked her to eat first, and she did not refuse. She took the bowl and chopsticks, but picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it to his mouth first.
Shangguan Jingcong was startled, opened his mouth and ate slowly, his eyes were filled with tears, if time could be fixed at this moment forever... He and she had been together for two and a half days.
He stared at Xiao Man, watching her eating. She smiled and picked up some food to feed him. He couldn't help himself and said harshly, "Don't you have anything to ask me? These past two days, you read the Art of War and marked every part before taking a break. You have read the last few pages of a thick book. You can read things so obscure very quickly. There are loopholes everywhere in the story about you falling into a deep ditch and being rescued by me. For example, why would a prince like me pass by that remote place? For example, why did I call you Ruolan? Don't you have any questions... Qiaochu!"
"Ask me, ask me before we get married!"
Hearing the word "outstanding", Xiao Man was shocked, and an inexplicable grief slowly permeated from the bottom of her heart to her whole body. She put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up and walked forward.
Her wrists were fiercely grabbed behind her back. Xiao Man gritted her teeth and turned around, only to see Shangguan Jingcong's eyes were red, his heart was beating wildly, and sweat dripped onto his pants. His eyes were full of hostility and fire, but also full of sadness and ripples.
It felt like this was the first time they had quarreled, the first time he lost his temper with her. She smiled sadly, raised her head and slowly asked him, "So you're willing to tell a crude lie because you're also hiding something from me but can't bear to do it?"
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"Shangguan Jingcong, I don't want to ask, I don't want to know, if you want to force me to death then just let me ask! If you don't want me to tell you, I'll just tell you!"
Tears welled up in her eyes. She screamed and tried to break free from his big hand, but Shangguan Jingcong held her in his arms like crazy. "I don't want you? No matter what the punishment is, I want you! I'm just afraid that you... Okay, we won't talk about it. We will never talk about it. If there is any sin, it's all my fault. Come..."
Xiao Man cried for a long time in his arms, no one knew where the sadness came from. She cried so hard that her two sisters looked at her in a daze. The soldiers came out of training and went to eat nearby. They were all surprised, but Shangguan Jingcong gave them a cold look. They kept silent and walked away before they dared to look at her secretly.
Xiao Man just looked up and saw it. Her face turned red and she punched Shangguan Jingcong hard a few times. She was about to leave. Shangguan Jingcong pursed his lips, picked her up by the waist and walked all the way back to the tent.
He put her on the couch. When Xiao Man tried to get up, he pushed her down. He kissed her hard, roughly but gently. She struggled and endured... After a struggle, he grabbed her into his arms and said, "On the day of our wedding, I will never let you go."
Xiao Man knew that this was his respect for her, so she bit her lip and nodded shyly.
Shangguan Jingcong lowered his head and kissed her fiercely several times, but Xiaoman gently put her arms around his waist and said, "You want to go to war with King Rui, right?"
Shangguan was shocked and said nothing, tightening his arms.
"Jingcong, I know you're having a hard time. You don't want to restrict my movements because you're afraid that I'll get bored. I've asked General Manager Xia about the current situation before, and I have a general understanding of the current situation in Dongling. I... when I went out for a walk yesterday, I didn't bring any servants with me. In the dark, I heard a few soldiers talking about what happened on the battlefield and about your mother. I don't know where the news came from, but now it's spreading like wildfire in Dongling, saying that your mother is..."
"She is the lover of King Rui."
Hearing Shangguan Jingcong's calm words, Xiaoman's heart darkened. She knew he was in pain, but he didn't tell her and carried it all by himself. He just took care of her silently, and she held his head in her arms.
Shangguan Jingcong's heart trembled. How could he not love such a woman? He buried himself in her neck, but heard her whisper: "Such humiliation, this battle, I know is inevitable..."
"You don't approve, do you?"
"No, you still have to fight when you need to. Do what you want to do and what you think is right. But if possible, don't let too many innocent people be dragged into this war."
"People?"
"Well, living beings, human lives."
"Xiao Man, you don't know how much I hate Shangguan Jinghong and how much I want to kill him..."
…
Xiao Man later realized that this battle was much more complicated than she thought. That night, at nightfall, many people came to Shangguan Jingcong's military tent.
A lot of big names.
Almost all the big names.
Including Yan Zixi in the west, the King of Western Xia, Prince Chunfeng and Princess Caining on the border, and Shangguan Jinghao in the east.
Shangguan Jinghao made her feel very uncomfortable. The moment she saw him, her whole body was trembling quietly, as if it was an instinctive fear coming from her blood.
The King of Xixia said indifferently, "King Xia, you abandoned my daughter for this woman? This doesn't look good. Well, business is more important. Let her go."
Shangguan Jingcong replied coldly, she is my woman, she doesn’t need to go out.
Shangguan Jinghao tried to mediate with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, King Xixia, she's just a woman."
As he spoke, he glanced at her and said lightly, she looks a bit like that... Ninth brother is a foolish man.
Shangguan Jingcong sneered and said, it has nothing to do with you.
Xiaoman secretly clenched her hands and listened carefully to their discussion.
What exactly are these powerful men meeting here secretly at this moment to discuss? Xiao Man couldn't guess, but she knew that after this night, everything would be turned upside down.
Upon hearing it, one is shocked.
It turned out that, first of all, Yan Zixi had another secret in leaving the virtuous king behind. He had already made an alliance with the King of Western Xia... Helping the virtuous king was just a cover, a pretext for launching a war - because Zixi was the most praised virtuous marquis in Yan State, and he always advocated peace, so how could he invade another country? In fact, he came to carve up the territory of Dongling.
However, with Cai Ning's mediation, the King of Western Xia agreed to a secret talk tonight!
Shangguan Jinghao said to Shangguan Jingcong, Ninth brother, now that you have control of a piece of land, do you have to become a king
Shangguan Jingcong raised his eyebrows and smiled, and retorted lightly, "Second brother, if I really have this intention, will you still send a message to me and set this meeting in my army tonight?"
Shangguan Jinghao's eyes deepened, and he said, "Ninth brother seems to have changed into a different person." Well said, you can be a local tyrant with 100,000 soldiers, but you are not enough to be a king.
"Yes, I just want one person's life, a place to stay, and the throne... I don't care."
Everyone knew exactly what Shangguan Jingcong meant - the affairs of Concubine Zhuang and Prince Rui had suddenly become a hot topic in the space of a few days. Moreover, it was rumored that Prince Xia had always been in love with his sister-in-law, Qiaochu.
Being at odds with one person.
Shangguan Jinghao patted him on the shoulder and said softly, "Well, that's it. The rest is easy. King Xixia and Marquis Yan, you two covet my Dongling territory, but if you want to take it all, regardless of whether my ninth brother lets go or not, neither I, Shangguan Jinghao, nor Shangguan Jinghong will agree. So, Dongling has a total of seven sections, and I can give you two-sevenths. As long as you help me kill Shangguan Jinghong and destroy his soldiers."
Three days later.
Kangcheng.
A war broke out that shocked all nations, the Battle of Kangcheng, also known in history as the "Kangcheng Incident."
The importance of this war in the history of Dongling is unparalleled.