Vol 8 Chapter 38 (1/2)

VOLUME 8 CHAPTER 38: DON’T TELL ME THIS IS A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE WINDS (5)

Lu Meng POV

After hearing this from her, I felt my anger extinguish by a fair bit.

“No, I wasn’t staring… But I really don’t understand why.”

“Lord Zhang Zhao’s proposition is not without reason. Our main forces are in Jiangdong so we will not be able to adequately support Jiangxia.” Zi Jing hurriedly began to explain, “And the rest of Jing state’s cities are heavily fortified. Moreover, now is low tide season so Jiangdong cannot easily supply Jiangxia. Therefore, whether we continue to attack from or defend and hold Jiangxia, it will be very difficult.”

“So you’ve decided to abandon Jiangxia and return to Jiangdong?”

“Yes. Our main objective has been met with anyway. Huang Zu is dead and our lord Sun Jian has been avenged.” Zhang Zhao nodded as she clasped her hands and prayed to the heavens.

Hai… Never mind. I can’t out talk these people and I’m not very keen on leaving Jiangdong either.

I looked at the others, and saw Ma Zhong and Pan Zhang nod at me. Pan Zhang looks like she’s still eagerly awaiting for me to broach the topic of rewards. Sister Dong looks rather carefree, as though this doesn’t bother her in the least. Gan Ning looked like she was in deep thought but when she saw that I was looking at her, she quickly nodded as well.

… Un, in that case–

“I understand. Let’s do it like that then.” I quickly gave up as I was more or less convinced, “Does our lord Sun Ce know of this? I’m sure she will be elated to hear of this.”

Ou lord Sun Ce has left Jiangdong for almost a month now. I never thought about it before but now that she’s gone, I really miss her. Especially those beast-like eyes of hers.

“Big sister knows. She writes every week after all.” My lord said as she took out a letter from her breast pocket. She spread it out, and I realised that there were actually 3 letters, “I wrote back to her this week and told her about this so that she could be happy as well.”

When she finished, my lord smiled innocently. Though she has become more learned, her personality hasn’t changed at all. My lord Sun Ce was never this playful back in the day, nor did Zhang Zhao have to be so strict.

In any case, this matter has come to a close. I didn’t forget to mention about the matter of rewards and we all got generous rewards.

In particular, my lord did not forget to give Ling Tong her mother’s share. Though my lord isn’t very close with Ling Cao, Ling Cao is still a member of the old guard who served my lord Sun Jian. Whether it was my lord Sun Ce or my lord Sun Quan, they have all treated members of the old guard generously and with respect.

“Please wait for a moment, my lord. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Eh? What is it? You’re being so mysterious.”

After the banquet was over, everyone got up and got ready to leave. I waited for a moment when there was few people around and went up to my lord and whispered to her.

My lord didn’t know what I was about to tell her but seemed very curious as she held her wine cup and slowly sipped the juice contents.

What I was about to say, was perhaps the most important piece of information I had coming to this banquet.

I went up to my lord and softly whispered into her ear, “My lord, I met Imperial Uncle Liu Bei on the battlefield.”

“Ah, Xu Shu…” In a thatched cottage, that little girl looked up at the skies and softly sighed, “Why is it that even you are creating needless trouble?”

She closed her eyes and continued to fan herself as she felt her problems grow once more.

(TL: This small part is important, but for something that is revealed in the next volume.)

Liu Bei POV

“Ah, my head feels heavy.”

Our army was currently marching in a dirt road in the forest. I was sitting on a horse and every slope made me suffer. If I knew it would be like this, I should have shed any pride I had and let Chen Dao ride with me. Right now, they were stationed in the main body and the rear guard so that they could be on guard for any pursuing enemies and I’m unable to seek their a.s.sistance.

Ah… Calling us an army might be a stretch since we are just the remnants of a retreating force. I looked back and felt like our troops had dwindled significantly.

“Practically all of the Nanman troops died in the naval battle before.” Liu Qi said to me softly when she detected my gaze directed behind us, “But that’s a good thing. If these troops are to spring a surprise attack on us, those Nanman troops would be the most difficult to handle.”

“Ah, I remember seeing them before.” I uttered as I recalled that when I went to see Liu Qi, I had come across some Nanman troops. Be it their dressing or their looks, they were indeed discernible as Nanman.

And Yi Ji’s a.s.sessment of them back then naturally floated up as well.

“But it’s really a pity. Those few hundred Nanman troops were meant for greater things right?”

“Yes, though I’m not too keen on them exercising their abilities on us.” Liu Qi said as she rolled her shoulders, “Honestly, the Nanman troops were meant to form a raiding unit to attack the north. Back when the Battle of Guandu was still raging on, there was talk of a.s.saulting Xuchang from behind but it fell through in the end because of my father’s issues.”

“Hai… And now they’ve ended up like this…”

“It’s all because of that Cai Mao fellow who doesn’t know how to use his troops and always likes to put on airs with such things. If those people have any grievances after death, they should be looking for Cai Mao.”

After hearing this from Liu Qi, I didn’t have much else to add and only laughed along. I don’t know if they will bear a grudge after death after all, or if they would find Cai Mao if they did.

But both Liu Qi and I were in agreement on one point at least, that the Nanman troops died an undeserved death.

They probably thought that they would meet their end on the battlefield through spears or arrows, or perhaps through the harsh environment of their homelands if they eventually returned. But they never knew that they would one day embark on an expedition to a.s.sa.s.sinate their lord’s daughter, and die by drowning in the process.

Un? Come to think of it, would those Nanman troops have any connection with Meng Huo and the rest?