knife

Chapter 143 I'll Do the Shameless Things

Compared to the famous cities outside the pass, such as Zhenwu City, Tai'an City, and Baoping City, Yuan'an City can only be considered a small earthen fortress.

The rammed earth wall, over ten feet high, could only stop ordinary petty thieves; it was better than nothing.

However, over the years, Yuan'an, which is only a stone's throw from the border, has never been harassed or attacked by the Yuan people. On the contrary, some heavily guarded towns have been attacked repeatedly.

Yuan'an received such treatment, naturally because of Xiao Changche's infamous reputation.

They never let revenge linger overnight, and their methods are extremely cruel and ruthless.

Xiao Changche used the mounds of Jingguan (a type of pyramid in Beijing) and the villages burned to the ground within the Yuan dynasty's territory to declare to everyone that...

Anyone who dares to provoke me should be prepared to suffer ten times my revenge.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong is human nature. When aggressive behavior fails to achieve the expected results and instead brings negative consequences, the motivation to do so disappears.

Xiao Changche was very poor.

If the officials are all dirt poor, what kind of profit can they possibly make from the people under their rule?

This time, Shalievin's plan to attack Yuan'an City was entirely driven by political considerations.

If they can win, Akdun's prestige will be elevated to a new level, and at the same time, they can use this opportunity to attack the Tiele, who have already been sidelined, thus clearing all obstacles for Akdun to become the border commander.

Over the years, Akodun has used his control over finances in Yandu to win over a large number of court officials and nobles. Now, only military power remains as a hurdle.

Once this pass is conquered, the image of a leader who is both scholarly and martial, virtuous and talented, will come to life vividly.

Jebe and Tiele, all of you, step aside.

Xiao Changzhan stood in front of the city gate tower, while Li Dachui sat casually on the battlements, his long legs dangling outside the city wall.

The so-called city gate tower was nothing more than four pillars supporting a thatched roof. Its symbolic meaning outweighed its practical function; in reality, it neither blocked the wind nor sheltered from the rain.

Although he wasn't wearing military uniform, Xiao Changche still stood as straight as a javelin, staring coldly at the open field ahead.

In Li Dachui's memory, it seemed that only during the days when he was injured, in that cave, did Xiao Changche show some signs of laziness.

Looking at Xiao Changche's profile, Li Dachui couldn't help but imagine what he would look like if he were dressed entirely in women's clothing.

Xiao Changche and Luo Hua were about the same height and had similar figures.

Thinking about Luo Hua's usual appearance, and then mentally switching the two heads, Li Dachui couldn't help but laugh strangely.

"What are you laughing at?" Xiao Changche asked alertly, turning to look at Li Dachui.

"I didn't laugh!" Li Dachui denied it outright, while simultaneously pulling a leather pouch from his pocket, uncorking it, taking a sip of wine, and then handing the pouch to Xiao Changche. "Renjian Shi (a type of liquor), I got it from Old Man Fu, have a taste!"

Xiao Changche shook his head: "Drinking alcohol is prohibited during military service!"

"For you, this isn't alcohol, it's medicine!" Li Dachui coaxed gently, "A great battle is about to break out, and you need to be in better shape, right? So drinking some Human World wine will help you reach your perfect state!"

Xiao Changche turned to look at Li Dachui: "Can't you always find a reasonable excuse for your behavior?"

"Not entirely!" Li Dachui said.

"For me, there are many things that cannot be left to chance. A bottom line is a bottom line. Once you start to back down, it becomes a joke. A line is a line, and a point is a point," Xiao Changche said solemnly.

Li Dachui awkwardly took back the leather bag and stuffed it into his pocket, saying, "Isn't it just the two of us here? Besides, this isn't exactly military business!"

Xiao Changche looked at the city wall and realized that it really was just her and Li Dachui.

"How come it's just the two of us? What about Heaven, Earth, and even the Ghosts?!"

Li Dachui chuckled, speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Ningyu, when it's just the two of us, can you not be so serious? Sometimes you can be a little more flexible."

“You and Linghu Ye are the same kind of people.” Xiao Changche looked at Li Dachui and suddenly said, “You can both do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Yes, that is, what you call being flexible. You can take detours, take roundabout routes, or even exchange places to reach your goals. But for me, only by going straight ahead can I stay true to myself.”

“I have far more principles than Linghu Ye!” Li Dachui defended himself. “Besides, I’ve studied several battles you’ve commanded. Your advances and retreats were well-planned and you were very flexible!” “That’s tactics, not strategy!” Xiao Changche said calmly. “For example, this time when you went to Yandu, you wanted to make some deals with the Tiele, but I couldn’t do that.”

“If we confront them head-on, we’ll be surrounded by enemies, and the end result won’t be good. At that point, forget about revenge; even protecting yourself will be a problem!” Li Dachui said, spreading his hands.

"So, I can only be a soldier, while you are more suitable to be the leader!" Xiao Changdao said, "When the two companies were cooperating, Zhang Ruo and Dong Wei did try to persuade me to take the lead and not give you the initiative. They told me to try to hold onto power as much as possible, but I refused. Because I know very well that I can be a good general, but I can never be a good leader."

"It sounds like they're insulting me!" Li Dachui said.

Xiao Changche widened his eyes and retorted, "I'm not insulting you, I'm praising you! Actually, I know that military force can only ever be a supplementary means to politics, and a last resort. It's just that my personality makes me truly incapable of doing that kind of thing. Those who aspire to great things need someone like you!"

"So you're saying I'm shameless!" Li Dachui said feignedly angrily. "And you are the kind of upright bamboo that prefers to take the straight path rather than the crooked one, while I am the crooked and messy dragon claw locust tree."

Hearing Li Dachui's self-comparison and thinking about the appearance of the dragon claw locust tree, Xiao Changche couldn't help but burst into laughter.

This was the first time Li Dachui had seen Xiao Changche laugh so happily. In the past, even when she was happy, she was always so reserved. Forbearance seemed to have become the norm for this woman.

It makes sense, considering the burden she carried, the secret of her past, and the constant struggles with danger. It's a miracle she didn't break down.

“From now on, I’ll do the shameless things and the hard work. You just need to focus on leading the troops into battle. Actually, it doesn’t matter if we lose. We can start over. As long as I’m here, you can rest assured.” Li Dachui suddenly reached out and grabbed Xiao Changche’s hand, saying, “From now on, we can shoulder the burden together!”

Xiao Changche suddenly straightened her back and her hands stiffened. She turned to look at Li Dachui, a sharp aura rising between her brows and eyes. However, Li Dachui looked at her without showing any weakness, and instead gripped her hands even tighter, showing no sign of letting go.

His straight back gradually relaxed, his stiff hands softened again, his gaze lowered, his eyelids half-closed, and a blush gradually rose on Xiao Changche's face.

The two stopped talking, one standing and one sitting, silently gazing into the distance.

Without them even realizing it, their hands went from Li Dachui tightly gripping Xiao Changche's hand to their fingers intertwined.

The moonlight moved slowly, drawing the two shadows closer and closer together.

Fang Xiaomao darted straight up from under the city wall, clutching a small piece of paper in her hand. It was intelligence that the spies from Zhiqiu Academy had just sent back from Qingtongxia using a hawk.

"Young Master, intelligence has arrived!" Fang Xiaomao had just uttered these words when he saw the figures of Li Dachui and Xiao Changche at the city gate tower ahead.

He immediately shut up, then tumbled headfirst off the city wall, and then ran away as fast as he could.

We can tell them the military intelligence later. If we ruin the young master's plans, they'll definitely skin us alive later.

Besides, Xiao Changche has a terrible temper. If he discovers her secret, it would be easy for him to come back and make things difficult for her.

For example, find an opportunity to spar with yourself and take the chance to beat yourself up.

The young master often does this.

Upon hearing Fang Xiaomao's voice, Xiao Changche's carriage trembled slightly. She tried to pull her hand back forcefully, but Li Dachui wouldn't let go. She glared at Li Dachui fiercely, then turned her head and saw Fang Xiaomao falling off the city wall like a wooden statue.

This made her feel even more ashamed.

Fang Xiaomao's running away was a case of overdoing it. If he had walked over and talked things out directly, Xiao Changche might have felt relieved. But his running away only made Xiao Changche grit his teeth in anger.

Is there something so shameful about us?
That sly tiger is indeed cunning and wicked. He'll probably gossip about you to Wild Wolf and the others once he gets down there. Just wait till I get my hands on him!

"We're family, it's no problem!" Li Dachui said with a smile.

"We're getting a reaction from Qingtongxia." Xiao Changche said, "Let's go back and discuss how to fight this battle!"

"What else is there to discuss? We've both laid our trap here. Even if it's Tiele this time, let alone Shaliewen, we'll make him lose face!"

"Have you forgotten that last time we thought we had everything under control, we ended up getting beaten up and almost losing our lives?" Xiao Changche forcefully shook off Li Dachui's hand.

Of course, Li Dachui also felt that he had made great progress today. This woman was thin-skinned, and if he really angered her, she might give him a hard time for several days. He should know when to stop!
"Last time was an exception, not the norm!" Li Dachui said, "You mustn't let a single bad experience make you overly cautious!"

"I'm not afraid, I just hate myself for not being strong enough!" Xiao Changdao said.

(End of this chapter)