Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Let Her See

Mo Bei, Qiangchang.

Qi Shu Xian stood on the city wall.

Qi Shu Xian seemed not to fear the biting wind at all. In full armor, Qi Shu Xian stood straight, but the narrowed eyes could not hide exhaustion.

Li Ming An stood at Qi Shu Xian’s side and asked, “Deputy General Qi, when will we fight back to Yu Wen County?”

Qi Shu Xian did not answer.

Li Ming An wanted to ask again, but Kong Song Feng, standing nearby, kicked Li Ming An once. Only then did Li Ming An shut up.

Qi Shu Xian stared far into the north, as if he could see through the endless snow and glimpse Wu Du Pass and Yu Wen County, now occupied by Northern Di.

Qi Shu Xian had lost.

Twice, and in such a sorry state.

Qi Shu Xian had never imagined Qi Shu Xian would lose.

In the battle of Cang Nan, Qi Shu Xian had turned the tide.

On the journey to deliver grain, Qi Shu Xian had cut down Northern Di raiders.

Qi Shu Xian had even succeeded in a night raid on Northern Di’s main camp. That one fire had burned for miles and miles.

When Qi Shu Xian returned to Wu Du Pass, everyone had cheered for Qi Shu Xian. Governor-General Xu had been so moved that Governor-General Xu cried, calling Qi Shu Xian “Little War God” over and over.

For the first time, Qi Shu Xian felt Qi Shu Xian’s shoulders grow heavy.

But very quickly, the situation collapsed like a mountain falling.

Before Qi Shu Xian could even react, Wu Du Pass was breached.

Governor-General Xu ordered Qi Shu Xian to retreat, so Qi Shu Xian withdrew to Yu Wen County and began planning how to fight back.

But what was the result?

The result was that Yu Wen County was taken by Northern Di as well.

Qi Shu Xian could not even clearly remember what Qi Shu Xian had been thinking when Yu Wen County fell.

Only now, standing here, did Qi Shu Xian finally remember.

Qi Shu Xian had been thinking of Sheng Zhi Wan.

If Sheng Zhi Wan learned Qi Shu Xian lost a battle, would Sheng Zhi Wan be happy?

After all, Sheng Zhi Wan hated Qi Shu Xian so much.

“Deputy General Qi! Deputy General Qi! Governor-General Xu asked you to come back!” A voice called from below.

Qi Shu Xian walked down the wall step by step.

When Qi Shu Xian returned to the Qiangchang Prefecture yamen, Qi Shu Xian learned a letter had arrived from capital city.

Governor-General Xu handed it over. “His Majesty ordered Huai Hua Grand General Pei Ling Yuan to lead eighty thousand reinforcements. If nothing goes wrong, they already set out this morning. They should arrive before long.”

Qi Shu Xian only scanned a few lines before Qi Shu Xian saw one name.

Qi Shu Xian’s fingers tightened sharply.

Shang Xing Yu?

What was a rich wastrel doing in Mo Bei?

Did Shang Xing Yu think that since Qi Shu Xian had lost, Shang Xing Yu could come and ride on General Pei’s achievements, stealing military merit to surpass Qi Shu Xian?

Absurd.

Laughable.

Even more laughable was the fact that Sheng Zhi Wan actually let him come.

Qi Shu Xian’s expression shifted.

Governor-General Xu asked, “Deputy General Qi, do you think there is a problem with these junior officers traveling with them?”

Qi Shu Xian pressed Qi Shu Xian’s lips together.

Before Qi Shu Xian could answer, Li Ming An saw the letter in Qi Shu Xian’s hand and cursed, “Shang Xing Yu?! Damn it, why did that empty-headed waste come too?”

Li Ming An spat, “What the hell kind of reinforcements were these? They were sending us trash!”

Li Ming An spoke harshly.

Governor-General Xu had been away from capital city for years and had never heard Shang Xing Yu’s name. Governor-General Xu asked, confused, “This Shang Xing Yu is…?”

Li Ming An answered without thinking, “Shang Xing Yu is Grand General Shang Tian Hao’s second son, a famous useless fool in capital city, and also Princess Qing Ning’s current consort.”

Qi Shu Xian tried to stop Li Ming An, but it was too late.

Governor-General Xu looked at Qi Shu Xian in shock. “Princess Qing Ning and Deputy General Qi…?!”

Li Ming An was blank. “Governor-General Xu still didn’t know? Deputy General Qi and she already divorced.”

Li Ming An waved it off and said, “Anyway, why would Deputy General Qi bring that up? She’s just a woman. If you lose one, you find another. Like the saying goes, what real man worries about not having a wife?”

Li Ming An kept going, nastier and nastier. “I don’t know what that Princess Qing Ning was thinking, dumping Deputy General Qi to take Shang Xing Yu, that useless idiot, as consort. She divorced and then remarried right away. She’s so shameless and-”

“Enough!” Qi Shu Xian shouted.

Li Ming An froze.

Only then did Li Ming An notice Governor-General Xu’s face had turned black.

Governor-General Xu looked at Li Ming An coldly. “Captain Li, do you know where the cotton coat you just put on came from?”

Li Ming An had just been humiliated, so Li Ming An’s voice turned stiff. “How would I know? Didn’t the army issue it?”

Governor-General Xu sneered. “It was issued by the army. But do you know why the Mo Bei army still had cotton coats to hand out in this weather?”

Li Ming An tried to speak.

Governor-General Xu cut him off. “Every stitch, every thread, every scrap of cotton in these coats was donated by Princess Qing Ning. Captain Li wore a cotton coat donated by Princess Qing Ning, yet you stood here boasting and slandering Princess. Who gave you the nerve?”

Li Ming An looked as if Li Ming An could not believe it. Li Ming An clenched his teeth and wanted to argue, but no words came out.

Qi Shu Xian spoke up. “Governor-General Xu, I’m sorry. I failed to discipline my subordinate.”

Governor-General Xu glanced at Qi Shu Xian, said nothing, and walked out.

The room fell into dead silence.

Qi Shu Xian sent Li Ming An and Kong Song Feng out.

Qi Shu Xian needed to be alone.

Qi Shu Xian had lost a battle. Now capital city even sent Shang Xing Yu to insult Qi Shu Xian.

Qi Shu Xian could not keep sinking into despair.

Qi Shu Xian had to win a battle, to prove Qi Shu Xian’s strength.

And to let Sheng Zhi Wan see.

Qi Shu Xian’s eyes shifted, landing on that name in the letter.

Even if Shang Xing Yu came to the battlefield, so what?

The moment Shang Xing Yu saw Northern Di soldiers, Shang Xing Yu would probably be so scared that Shang Xing Yu could not even speak.

*”Let’s go, to Ci Xi Hall,” Sheng Zhi Wan said.

From Wang Jiang Tower, Sheng Zhi Wan watched the army march away until the soldiers were completely out of sight, then turned and went downstairs.

Before Sheng Zhi Wan got into the carriage, Zhang Da suddenly remembered something and reported, “Princess, do you remember that vagrant you saved at the residence gate before?”

Sheng Zhi Wan paused, then nodded. “What happened to him?”

Zhang Da said, “As Princess ordered, we sent him to the estate and gave him food. But early this morning, the estate sent word that he left a letter and ten taels of silver, then disappeared.”

Sheng Zhi Wan raised her brows. “He left silver?”

Zhang Da said, “Yes! This servant thought he was a vagrant. I didn’t expect he could write and also had silver. Then why did he still go to the estate to work?”