NOVEL WEB Chapter 84.1
Leading troops over a thousand miles to fight, the gold, silver, and jewels were plundered by Great Xia!
The grain was taken by Great Xia!
The Shang Kingdom’s Emperor and the treasures were also taken by Great Xia!
The mineral resources were exhausted!
The fertility of the land has been lost, and no grain can be grown!
Now, even my own money has been swindled away, and my soldiers have been killed!
Damn it, there’s a limit to how much one can be bullied!
General Zhao grew more sorrowful and enraged as he thought about it, and then he charged out of the military camp, heading towards the Northern Army of Great Xia Town not far away!
“An Lushan, come out and face me!!!”
His voice thundered across the entire army!At this moment, An Lushan was also fuming with anger, slightly drunk, and when he heard these words, he stormed out immediately: “Which bastard dares to call out my name so disrespectfully? Are you tired of living? I’ll grant your wish!”
“It was I, your grandfather, who called out!” General Zhao bellowed in rage.
“So it’s you, you rascal!”
An Lushan sobered up a bit, recalling the experience of being deceived, and grew even angrier, brandishing his long saber and shouting: “Zhao, what are you doing here?”
General Zhao trembled with fury, pointing at An Lushan and cursing vehemently: “You have the nerve to ask me what I’m doing here… What I’m doing here, don’t you understand?”
“What should I understand?” An Lushan was somewhat confused.
General Zhao laughed bitterly in anger: “Well played, An Lushan! Seemingly honest and loyal on the outside but so deceitful at heart, and you still play dumb at this moment? I’m asking you, what have you done with my troops?”
An Lushan was even more baffled: “What happened to your troops? What’s that got to do with me?”
“Still pretending? Well then, let me lay it out for you!”
General Zhao exclaimed loudly. “I’m asking you, An Lushan, I spent 50,000 taels of silver to bribe your soldiers to let me through, what’s the situation now?”
An Lushan was suddenly shocked; it was for this matter that he had come!
But could such a matter be discussed so openly?
Besides, you used a pile of junk to bribe me for passage, and you’ve already gotten a great deal!
I haven’t even come to settle accounts with you, yet here you are, knocking on my door, demanding an explanation!
You’re really trying to push me to my grave!
This is outrageous!
Bullying has its limits!
An Lushan felt extremely aggrieved and bellowed in anger, “What do you mean by that? When did I ever let them pass? I, An Lushan, am a man of loyalty and righteousness, faithful to His Majesty and Great Xia. How could I commit such an act? Stop slandering me!”
General Zhao was furious beyond measure: “You still dare not admit it now?”
“How can I admit to something I never did?”
An Lushan was equally enraged. Then, with a sense of resignation, he said, “Fine, even if I did do it, I would have certainly killed them quietly, never giving you the satisfaction!”
General Zhao roared: “Good! Now you’ve finally admitted it! I will avenge my brothers!”
With those words, True Qi surged from his entire body, with a momentum that could engulf the heavens. He charged towards An Lushan.
An Lushan felt a bit scared, but he knew that losing face was worse than losing a fight.
With so many eyes on him, if he were to flee before the battle even started, not only would he lose his dignity, but he might also lose his chance to become a general!
“Zhao, face my blade!” An Lushan charged forward with his sword raised.
The two quickly engaged in combat.
However, An Lushan, with only the strength of a first-rate peak expert, was quickly defeated after a few exchanges, spitting out blood and suffering severe injuries, his spirit crushed.
“Elder brother, I’m here to help you!” Shi Siming, brandishing his weapon, rushed into the fray.
Just as they couldn’t withstand a few moves, they were defeated and retreated from the battle.
Just when General Zhao was about to annihilate An Lushan and his companion, he stayed his hand.
Although the two of them were of average strength, they were generals of the Great Xia Kingdom, holding high positions and significant power, representing the face of Great Xia.
Injuring them was acceptable, but if he were to kill them, it would certainly provoke the wrath of Great Xia, and they would send an Innate master to deal with him.
He himself was not afraid, but his soldiers couldn’t withstand such an opponent.
If the war between the two nations were to break out prematurely and escalate, the consequences would be unpredictable.
“Hmph! Today was just a lesson for you! I will temporarily note this grievance, and we will settle it another day!”
An Lushan and the other person exchanged glances, helplessly watching as the other walked away.
……
The news quickly made its way back to the court.
Lin Beifan secretly smirked to himself. He was the one who had committed the murder, and he was the one who had taken the money, but it was they who would have to carry the blame.
A bunch of treacherous officials, always coveting my empire day and night.
If they weren’t of some use to me, I would have wiped them out long ago.
“Generals An Lushan and Shi Siming are commendable for their loyalty and bravery and have contributed to the protection of the nation. They are each rewarded with 1,000 taels of silver as a token of consolation!”
Lin Beifan took out 2,000 taels of silver from the 50,000 taels to reward them.
Although the matter was temporarily resolved, the two armies became confrontational, and the borderline became extremely tense.
However, at this time, both sides tried their best to restrain themselves and prevent the situation from escalating.
This was because the Great Yue Kingdom had just conquered the Shang Kingdom and was busy assimilating it. Lin Beifan, on the other hand, was preoccupied with developing the economy and strengthening national power and had no interest in engaging a war.
An unprecedented tacit understanding was displayed between the two parties.
Nevertheless, An Lushan and his companion were constantly afraid that General Zhao would attack again, so they repeatedly requested Lin Beifan to station an Innate in the military camp.
Lin Beifan rejected their requests time and again, taking pleasure in seeing them live in fear and anxiety.
……
“What are you thinking about, smiling so lewdly?”
Lin Beifan: “…”
Without a word, Lin Beifan turned his head: “Chai Yuxin, is that how you speak to me? I am the supreme ruler of the present time, the sovereign of all under heaven. If you do not apologize immediately, beware of how I will deal with you…”
Before he could finish speaking, the other person stuffed something into his mouth.
Chai Yuxin asked, “Does it taste good?”
Lin Beifan nodded as he ate: “Delicious!”
“If it’s tasty, eat a bit more!”
Chai Yuxin laughed, “It’s rare for me to come back from the military camp, and I’ve noticed such big changes in the capital city! There are many new houses, the streets have become very lively, and there are a lot more delicious and fun things to do, hehe!”
“Really?” Lin Beifan asked.
“Of course! Why would I lie to you? After we go back, I’m going to the food street and try to eat everything that’s delicious!” Chai Yuxin said with a beaming smile.
Lin Beifan thought for a moment and said, “In that case, I shall accompany you!”
Chai Yuxin was stunned, “You’re going too?”
“Of course! I have no pressing matters at the moment, and I plan to make an incognito visit to understand the people’s conditions, to see how my subjects are living, whether they have enough food and clothing!” Lin Beifan said with 100% compassion.
“Really?”
Chai Yuxin tilted her head, “Are you sure you’re not just going out to have fun?”
Lin Beifan: “…”
……
After the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Lin Beifan changed into the attire of a noble family’s young master, dressed in white garments purer than snow, spotlessly clean, and rather flamboyantly holding a paper fan. He shook the fan while walking over.
It was as if he had stepped right out of a painting, the very image of “a jade-like gentleman on the road, unmatched in this world!”
Lin Beifan spread out his hands, proudly saying, “How about that, nobody should be able to recognize me now, right?”
Chai Yuxin shook her head, “No, it’s still very obvious. Your face is too recognizable! In the capital city, more than eighty percent of the people can recognize your face!”
Lin Beifan sighed, a wry smile on his face, “There’s no helping it, I’ve already tried to be as low-key as possible! But a man as handsome as I am stands out wherever he goes, like a firefly in the dark night, so vivid and outstanding!”
Chai Yuxin exclaimed, “Don’t talk, just with your shameless tone, you’ll give yourself away a hundred percent!”
Lin Beifan: “…”
Beside them, Consort Wang Xiangjun covered her mouth and laughed.
“Come, let me fix it for you!”
“Your Majesty, let your consort help you!”
With the efforts of the two women, Lin Beifan changed into an ordinary outfit suitable for a wealthy merchant, donned a heavy hat, and his face took on a weather-beaten look, appearing much darker, with a hint of a beard that made him look like a man in his forties.
The fan in his hand was gone, replaced by two walnuts that he twirled in his hands.
Chai Yuxin was satisfied: “With this disguise, no one should be able to recognize you!”
Then, Chai Yuxin and Wang Xiangjun also changed into ordinary women’s attire, looking very youthful and beautiful.
However, they were also celebrities, so they covered their faces with veils to hide their beauty.
“Now, we can go, let’s set off!” Chai Yuxin said excitedly.
Lin Beifan called out, “Wait, we’re still missing something!”
“What else are we missing?” Chai Yuxin asked, puzzled.
Lin Beifan stretched out his arms, looking at them eagerly.
“Your Majesty!” Wang Xiangjun walked over shyly and took hold of one of Lin Beifan’s arms.
Chai Yuxin’s face turned red, and she hugged his other arm, gritting her teeth and whispering, “You’re getting a good deal, you rascal!”
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