Chapter 261

Chapter 261: What If He Didn’t Come Back

What did Sheng Zhi Wan mean by that? Was Sheng Zhi Wan mocking Meng Yang for not even being a Principal Wife, just a concubine?

Meng Yang’s nails dug deep into Meng Yang’s palm as Meng Yang refused to be outdone: “I heard Young Master Shang Er also went to the battlefield. Princess Qing Ning did not worry about him at all? After all, swords had no eyes, and Young Master Shang Er knew nothing. What if Young Master Shang Er did not come back, then the Princess would…”

Meng Yang lifted a hand to cover Meng Yang’s lips as Meng Yang laughed softly, leaving the rest unsaid. But the meaning was obvious.

Even the Heir Apparent had lost in Mo Bei. Shang Xing Yu, a useless fool, would only be worse on a battlefield. Maybe a Northern Di soldier would cut him down with a single swing.

Sheng Zhi Wan only looked at Meng Yang with a calm, indifferent gaze.

Sheng Zhi Wan did not trust other people, but Sheng Zhi Wan trusted Shang Xing Yu. Shang Xing Yu had led the Yu Family Army and crushed Eastern Wa. How could Shang Xing Yu be a simple man? Since Shang Xing Yu had promised he would return safely, Shang Xing Yu would definitely return to the capital city whole and unharmed.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s tone stayed flat: “My person was not something Miss Meng needed to worry about. Did Miss Meng have anything else to say?”

Sheng Zhi Wan did not want to waste time with Meng Yang.

Meng Yang thought Meng Yang had the upper hand. The smug look returned to Meng Yang’s face as Meng Yang spoke: “I do. In a few days, I want to invite Princess Qing Ning to Prince Huai’s manor to attend the banquet for my official return to the family.”

Sheng Zhi Wan nodded: “Mm. I will certainly go.”

Meng Yang had been waiting for Sheng Zhi Wan to refuse so Meng Yang could say more, but Sheng Zhi Wan agreed so easily that all the lines Meng Yang had prepared got stuck in Meng Yang’s throat.

Meng Yang glanced again at Sheng Zhi Wan’s shop.

Needlework Workshop?

From the name, it sounded like the shop sold embroidery and cloth. If Sheng Zhi Wan wanted to sell such things, then Meng Yang might as well open one too. After all, if Meng Yang made finished products of those simple cartoon characters from later times, people would definitely like them.

With that thought, Meng Yang gave Sheng Zhi Wan a provocative smile and left with the group behind Meng Yang.

*Mo Bei, that night.

Reinforcements would reach Qiangchang City early the next morning. The army camped at the foot of Crouching Ox Mountain, but up on the mountain, blades flashed everywhere in the firelight.

Someone shouted from behind Shang Xing Yu: “Watch out!”

Shang Xing Yu leaned back and dodged a long saber. With a backward pull, Shang Xing Yu yanked the sneak attacker forward. Shang Xing Yu seized the weapon and hurled it behind the man.

A scream rang out at the same moment.

Shang Xing Yu’s spear, held in Shang Xing Yu’s other hand, struck with perfect precision and took a third man in the throat. In the space of a breath, three bodies fell.

Jiang Mang, who had shouted the warning, stared in shock.

Ever since Jiang Mang made a deal with Shang Xing Yu a few days ago, Jiang Mang had stayed by Shang Xing Yu’s side, helping Shang Xing Yu use the army’s presence to suppress bandits along the road. And because Jiang Mang was there, Shang Xing Yu had never needed to fight personally.

But now Jiang Mang had seen it.

Shang Xing Yu’s skill was terrifying. It was the kind of strength Jiang Mang had rarely seen in his whole life. Shang Xing Yu could not possibly be some useless fool.

Jiang Mang was still lost in thought when a silver flash cut past Jiang Mang’s ear. There was a wet “puchi” sound as a spear pierced flesh.

Shang Xing Yu grinned: “Be more careful. If you died before you even saw Qi Shu Xian, you would die halfway there, and then I would lose out, would I not?”

Every person who had harmed the Princess, Shang Xing Yu would not let go. Jiang Mang might be a man of flesh and blood, but Jiang Mang was no exception. Since Jiang Mang had harmed the Princess, Jiang Mang would repay it by serving the Princess like an ox and a horse.

Jiang Mang pressed Jiang Mang’s lips together and threw Jiang Mang back into the fight.

The bandits were vicious, but they had never been trained by the System. Against a real army, they could not hold out for even the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

“They’re back! They’re back!”

“Ha, there were so many treasures this time!”

“General! Look… next time, could you talk to Young Master Shang Er and let my soldiers follow him once? Last time, I, Xu Ping, had eyes but could not recognize talent. I will apologize to him, alright?”

Xu Ping followed close beside Pei Ling Yuan.

If Xu Ping could return to ten days ago, Xu Ping would have wanted to slap the version of himself who mocked Young Master Shang Er. Young Master Shang Er was not some spoiled fop at all. Young Master Shang Er’s mind was just too sharp.

While marching, Shang Xing Yu had somehow flattened seven or eight mountain bandit dens along the way. The bandits had their own contacts, their own territory and routes, and they normally did not interfere with each other. But once one den was found, another would be exposed as well.

Those bandits were rotten to the core. Once one group fell, they could not stand to see their “colleagues” do well. They dragged each other down so everyone would suffer together.

Even Xu Ping, a Deputy General, grew jealous when Xu Ping saw the goods hauled down from the mountains.

Regret. Xu Ping felt nothing but regret.

Pei Ling Yuan smacked Xu Ping aside with a big hand and kept counting the seized grain: “Seventeen… eighteen carts!”

Pei Ling Yuan laughed loudly: “We did not spend a single bit of rations on this march, and we even saved eighteen carts. Who the hell was better than me?”

Xu Ping muttered under Xu Ping’s breath: “Young Master Shang Er took all that. What did it have to do with you?”

Xu Ping looked up and saw Shang Xing Yu walking over in armor with several men behind him. Those men carried two large chests.

Shang Xing Yu clasped Shang Xing Yu’s hands: “General Pei, I need to borrow your tent.”

After Pei Ling Yuan allowed it, the soldiers set the chests down and left. Shang Xing Yu opened them personally.

The moment the lids lifted, the firelight revealed silver flashing inside. Pei Ling Yuan and Xu Ping froze.

Shang Xing Yu spoke steadily: “General Pei, this was the main haul from the bandit dens we cleared along the way. We reached Qiangchang tomorrow. As for this silver, I wanted to ask how you and the eight Deputy Generals wished to handle it.”

Xu Ping did not expect Xu Ping to be included. But Xu Ping and the other Deputy Generals had not really done anything at all. Shang Xing Yu was the one who cleared the bandits. Sure, Shang Xing Yu had borrowed their soldiers, but every borrowed soldier received generous benefits.

That was why even the squad leaders under them were now fighting each other for the chance to go.