Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 110

"Heh..." I chuckled softly, wiping the crumbs from Fei Fei's mouth with a cloth. "Mu Shuangshuang just wants to drive Yang Qian crazy. The more agitated he is, the faster and more miserably he will lose tomorrow."

After a pause, I took out a golden token from my pocket and handed it to him, saying solemnly, "Issue my Asura Order, ordering Qi Luo to lead two thousand Li Luo soldiers to secretly retreat into Zhuojun. Once Yang Qian is defeated, they will occupy Xinyang City. If necessary, they can save Yang Qian's life. But remember, you must not reveal your identity."

From the moment I took out the Asura Token, Shen Hong's eyes completely changed. They were now filled with unwavering determination and fanatical loyalty. He respectfully accepted the token and said, "Yes, young master."

After Shen Hong left, Yi Han asked, "Why spare Yang Qian's life?"

I pondered silently for a long time before sighing, "I know your concerns. Yang Qian does seem brave but reckless now, and has a volatile temper, but he is a rare and courageous general with keen insight into warfare. He is not discouraged by defeat and is indomitable. After this defeat, he may well become a famous general with both courage and wisdom."

"Firstly, it's not the right time to completely break with Yang Yi. I can bear to see Yang Qian's 160,000-strong army suffer defeat, but if I let Yang Qian die in Fengyin Kingdom, Yang Yi might be so afraid that he will have no general left to restrain me that he might do anything to turn against me. Secondly, Yang Qian is a bloodthirsty and ambitious man. If Yang Yi doesn't use him, fine, but if he uses him to attack other countries in the future, then his reputation for benevolence will be completely destroyed. So after thinking it over, I have finally decided to keep Yang Qian."

Yi Han pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "In the end, it is Young Master's consideration that is most thorough."

In the afternoon, around one o'clock.

"My lord, Marquis Ningbei has been besieging the city for almost two hours. Marshal Jing Hong and Mu Shuangshuang are leading 50,000 troops in a desperate struggle. Both sides are suffering heavy casualties."

I looked at the message from the carrier pigeon in my hand and sighed, "At a time like this, Sima Lin is still holding onto his 30,000 troops because of some old man's factional strife. He's really not going to amount to anything. It's going to be difficult for Mu Shuangshuang to hold out until tonight."

I thought about it for a moment, and then a thought suddenly struck me. I smiled and said, "Why don't I lend her a hand?"

Shen Hong looked at me with an extremely strange expression: "Sir, you...who do you think we should help?"

“Of course it’s Mu Shuangshuang. Could it be that idiot Yang Qian?” I said calmly. “Send an order to Qin Gui to immediately send three thousand infantrymen to support Mu Shuangshuang. Infiltrate a member of the Blood Division of the Hundred Guards among them and use every means to threaten Sima Lin so that he will hand over all military power to Mu Shuangshuang.”

Although Shen Hong was full of questions, I gave the order as the master of the Dark Camp, so he didn't ask any more questions and respectfully replied, "Yes."

I suddenly called out to him as he was about to leave: "Uncle Yi, why don't you go to Woyang City yourself? Remember, spare Sima Lin's life and bring back one of his personal belongings."

"Yes, young master!"

Feifei, who had been left out, was already sullen, so I quickly sat down in front of him and asked with a forced smile, "Is it my turn yet?"

He gave a low hum, raised the chess piece he seemed to have been holding for a long time, and then put it down. I was immediately dumbfounded.

“Feifei…” I said to him very seriously and earnestly, “You know that cheating is wrong.”

He glared at me angrily, his cheeks puffed out like steamed buns, his naturally slightly upturned upper lip perfectly shaped, and his voice was almost transparent: "I didn't!"

I examined the chessboard closely, then recalled the battle before Shen Hong entered, and cold sweat began to pour down my back. The move he made seemed... perhaps... possibly... truly to be a weakness that the white pieces couldn't cover.

A thought flashed through my mind: Oh no! This is so embarrassing. Losing at Connect Four to a kid? I might as well just bang my head against a wall!

I guess my sullen and defeated expression pleased Feifei, because he happily placed the last piece after me, and then carefully collected my pieces one by one as if performing a ritual.

As I watched Feifei put away the chess pieces with a smile, I casually asked, "Yihan, don't you have anything to say? If you want to plead for your junior sister, it's best to do it before the plan even begins..."

Yi Han interrupted me: "No, young master."

I gave a wry smile: "Really?" My gaze shifted to Feifei, a flicker of anger rising within me. "Let's continue!"

Next update: Friday evening, January 18th.

Pre-orders for the first part of "Young Prime Minister" have begun; those interested can check it out:

Chapter 4 Watching from Across the River (Part 2)

Chapter 4 Watching from Across the River (Part 2)

It was 4 p.m., which was originally dinner time.

Unfortunately, the three of us were still wandering the streets of the city, but thankfully they were still bustling. Feifei wore a bamboo hat with a black silk cloth hanging down to cover his face. I wore a simple soft cotton blue and white long robe and greeted people who bowed to me from time to time.

"Isn't this pretty?" I picked up a silver belt inlaid with dark green jade and held it up to Feifei's waist. "If you like it, I'll give it to you."

"I like it." Feifei's voice was a little excited. Her eyes, hidden behind the black silk, kept looking around, but when she looked at the belt in my hand, she muttered, "It's not pretty."

"Bang—" I snapped my fingers and hit his forehead with the silk cloth, angrily saying, "You like it even though it's ugly."

Feifei's voice sounded a little aggrieved: "I like anything Yu gave me!"

I hummed in agreement, satisfied with the answer. Then I turned to the shopkeeper: "How much is this belt?"

The shopkeeper hurriedly said with a look of trepidation, "If you like it, please take it."

"That won't do," I said with a smile. "I won't make things difficult for you. Just tell me the original price you paid for it."

Just as the boss was about to answer, he suddenly heard a drawn-out "Report!" and was startled, looking at me with a slightly pale face.

A lieutenant whose face I remembered but whose name I didn't, rushed up to me. His mustache trembled, showing his excitement: "My lord, good news from the southwest! Marquis Ningbei is young and brave. Both sides suffered equal losses, but our Jinyao army has the advantage in strength. Woyang City is about to fall!"

All eyes on me were fixed on me. These people were, after all, subjects of Fengyin, and they cared about the life and death of Fengyin, which was why their faces were so panicked and pale.

I casually said "Oh," and waved my hand, saying, "Continue the investigation, and report back when you have any news."

The man retreated with a look of surprise and confusion. I couldn't help but lower my voice and ask curiously, "Why did you leave one of Ling Chu's former subordinates to report the battle situation to me, Uncle Yi?"

Yi Han looked at me with a very strange expression for a long time before saying, "It was you, young master, who said that this man's mustache was very...unique, and insisted on keeping him by Shen Hong's side as a deputy general. Now that Shen Hong has left, the responsibility of reporting naturally falls on him."

"Ahem...Is there?" I quickly lowered my head to cover it up, and continued to ask while holding the belt, "Boss, hurry up and name your price."

"Five...fifty taels of silver."

In this world, one copper coin is equivalent to one cent in modern currency. Ten copper coins make a string of one qian, and ten qian are equivalent to one tael of silver. Fifty taels of silver is... five hundred yuan? I couldn't help but shout, "That's so expensive! Are you ripping me off?! How about twenty taels?"

"Thirty taels, that's the lowest I can go!" the shopkeeper blurted out, then jolted back to reality, his face pale as he looked at me, stammering, "Sir...my lord...I don't have..."

"How about we each compromise and settle for twenty-five taels?" I said with a smile.