knife

Chapter 458 A Chess Piece Buried Deeply

Shalievin dragged his exhausted body toward home. He had been working non-stop for several days without much rest, and even now, riding on horseback, his head was nodding off like a chicken pecking at rice.

I need to go back and get some rest. Sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood. The enemy hasn't even reached the city gates yet, so I can't afford to ruin myself first.

Startled, a sudden thought struck him. Charlevin looked up at the building to the side, and a familiar face flashed by. Charlevin abruptly reined in his horse.

"General, what's wrong?" the head guard asked.

Shalievin smiled and pointed to the restaurant next door, saying, "I suddenly feel like having a 100-day wine brewed by this family. The brothers have worked hard these days, so it's time to treat them."

The guards were overjoyed.

They are now not only physically exhausted, but also mentally exhausted, and under immense pressure.

Being able to have a drink to relieve fatigue would be wonderful.

Moreover, the wine was offered by the commander-in-chief, so there was no risk of violating military discipline.

"I'll chase them away!" The head guard dismounted.

"No need! Look around this restaurant, is there anyone else here?" Shaliewen waved his hand with a smile, dismounted, and walked inside with his hands behind his back.

The lobby was indeed empty. When the manager saw Shalievin walk in, he quickly came to greet him.

“It’s very quiet!” Shalievin said with a smile.

"The General is our only guest today!" the shopkeeper said with a pained expression.

"A pot of 'Hundred Days' Intoxication' wine, and a few more of your signature dishes, to be served in the private room upstairs!" As Shaliewen walked upstairs, he said to the head of the guards, "You and your brothers can eat in the main hall downstairs. Eat as much as you like, good wine and good food, no restrictions today."

"General, are you going up alone?"

“I need some peace and quiet!” Shalievin waved his hand and said.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Charlemagne hesitated for a moment before finally pushing open one of the room doors and going inside.

Inside, sat a gaunt old man who smiled so broadly that his eyes narrowed into slits as he watched Shalievin enter.

"General, it's been years since we last met. You're even more impressive than before!"

Shalievin sat down opposite the old man and shook his head, saying, "Being roasted on a volcano, what kind of prestige is that? I envy Wutu, who is free and can do whatever he wants in Bafang City!"

The old man laughed: "You won't envy him, because he's already dead."

"What?" Shalievin stared blankly at the old man opposite him. "How...how could he be dead?"

"Because he betrayed your emperor and tried to stop our army's advance!" the old man said calmly. "Since he tried to stop us, we naturally didn't hold back and crushed him. Oh, by the way, I'm the one who killed him. After killing him, I headed straight for Yandu. I'm pretty fast, so you should receive the news in a few days!"

Shalievin swallowed hard, his face turning pale.

He had no doubt about what the man in front of him was saying, because the man's status and position spoke for themselves.

Qian Jia, head of the Zhi Qiu Academy of the Beiting Protectorate.

There was a soft knock on the door. Qian Jia said, "Come in!"

The shopkeeper came in carrying a tray and carefully placed a pot of wine and a few side dishes in front of the two of them.

Charlevin wasn't surprised at all.

The Beiting Protectorate has been infiltrating Yandu for many years, so it's not surprising that this boss is one of their people.

"Protector Xiao has come in person?" Shaliewen's voice trembled slightly. He did indeed have a psychological aversion to Xiao Changche now.

"Of course, Protector-General Xiao is personally leading the army!" Qian Jia said, "Twenty thousand cavalry and thirty thousand infantry are advancing day and night towards Yandu! They're afraid that if they arrive too late, Akdun will be killed by Jebe!"

Shaliewen knew very well that the so-called infantrymen of the Beiting Protectorate were actually mounted infantrymen with very high mobility.

He poured himself a glass of wine, tilted his head back and drank it down, but choked and coughed repeatedly.

The Hundred Days' Intoxication is quite potent.

Shalvin slammed his glass down on the table and said with a wry smile, "I don't believe you've really come to rescue His Majesty the Emperor!"

Qian Jia smiled and filled both of their wine glasses. He picked up a bean with two fingers, chewed it slowly, and looked at Sha Liewen as he chewed, saying, "The agreement we made with you three years ago when we released you is still valid. Now, it's time for you to make your choice."

Shalievin's face was somewhat distorted as he turned to look out the window, his expression shifting, clearly indicating an inner struggle.

“If we don’t come, Aktun will surely perish at the hands of the combined forces of Jebe and the Tiele!” Qian Jia said. “If they win, how will you face the consequences?”

What should we do? Of course, there's only one way out: death.

He, Shalevin, had always been Akdun's staunch confidant, and had done countless things that offended people on Akdun's behalf. Once Akdun was defeated and killed, Shalevin would probably be chopped to dust by countless enemies.

"Can't Beiting just continue to support His Majesty the Emperor in his precarious peace in Yandu, like before?" Shaliewen still wanted to make a last-ditch effort.

Qian Jia laughed and said, "The condition for Akdun's retreat to Yandu was that the Tiele were still strong and well-equipped, occupying places like Zhengding and Dading, and Jebe was eyeing the Wugudilie region, ready to march south at any time. But now they are all on the verge of defeat. Do you think Akdun still has any reason to continue to retreat to Yandu? Shalevin, the final moment has come. The century-old Yuan Dynasty will become the dust of history this year. You are lucky and still have a choice, but most people can only drift with the tide and have no control over their own destiny."

"Does the Northern Court intend to swallow up the power of the Three Kings in one fell swoop?" Shaliewen was somewhat shocked.

"Let me tell you, the Tiele have been trapped in Qingtongxia and they can't come back!" Qian Jia said. "If you can cooperate with us, then it will be possible to annihilate Jebe's army under the walls of Yandu. This is your best chance to make a name for yourself and also your chance to enjoy wealth and honor forever after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty."

"The 30,000 garrison troops within the city are all loyal to His Majesty the Emperor!"

“Of course, that’s why you must lead them in a final battle against Tiele Jebe!” Qian Jia laughed. “But before that, you have many other things to do!”

"doing what?"

"How can you still tolerate Yelü Chongguang, Shi Xian, and others continuing to live in the city?"

"They are all important officials!"

"What if they turn on you from within while Jebe is attacking?"

"What does the head of the academy mean?"

"Of course, we must capture them all in one fell swoop and kill them all!" Qian Jia laughed. "Then we might as well have someone impersonate them and contact Jebe and the others to arrange a time for the final battle against Yandu! Shaliewen, if you don't have such talent, I have plenty here! I can definitely help you with that!"

Shalievin left the restaurant after drinking the entire pot of wine in one gulp.

Upstairs, Qian Jia watched him leave with a smile.

Tonight, Yandu will once again experience a bloody night.

In the Battle of Yuan'an, Xiao Changche captured Sha Liewen alive in front of a vast army, and then handed him over to Zhi Qiuyuan.

Under the joint planning of Li Dachui and Qian Jia, this guy, who was deeply trusted by Akedun, was sent back to Yandu as a pawn.

However, what seems like a trivial move can suddenly become the decisive factor in a game when the time is right.

Even Li Dachui and Qian Jia, who had given up that chip back then, never imagined that Sha Liewen would become the commander-in-chief of the defense of Yandu today.

(End of this chapter)