Chapter 173 The King Wants a Drumstick

"Hiss... Lao Qi, easy, easy, easier."

Inside the military tent,

Li Liangting lay on a blanket with his back bare. Standing behind him, his Seventh Uncle was inserting silver needles into his back.

These needles were thick, and the front half had barbs like the arrowheads used by the Zhenbei Army knights. It was designed so that once inserted, it was difficult to pull out—at least, it would take a piece of flesh with it.

Under these circumstances, it was perfectly normal for the Prince of Zhenbei to cry out in pain.

Tian Wujing lifted the tent flap and walked in. Li Liangting subconsciously swallowed his cries.

"Li Chenghui's twenty thousand men have also been moved out under the guise of a troop rotation."

Here, thirty thousand, plus Li Chenghui's twenty thousand, the total force mobilized for this expedition was fifty thousand Zhenbei iron cavalry.

Even then, they were divided into two routes. Li Chenghui's route was for support, placed in the open to attract the attention of the barbarians. The thirty thousand iron cavalry in the military fortress where the Prince of Jingnan and the Prince of Zhenbei were located was the real spearhead.

In other words,

responsible for assaulting the barbarian royal court were these thirty thousand riders!

Li Liangting nodded, his face flushed red.

"Shout it out if it hurts," Tian Wujing said.

"How could I? I can't shout in front of you. I have my pride, brother."

Tian Wujing didn't leave; instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"........." Li Liangting.

Seventh Uncle, seeing that his prince was enduring so much hardship, had no choice but to comfort him:

"Your Highness, shout it out if it hurts. There's no shame in being afraid of pain. All martial artists in the world are known for their strong physiques, but even Prince Jingnan uses knives and weapons in battle, doesn't he?

In fact, this whole thing shouldn't be necessary, but isn't it all because of the fear of pain?"

"Hehehe, hahaha..."

Li Liangting laughed, and then, another needle went in, causing him to gasp.

Tian Wujing looked at Li Liangting's back,

and said;

"Is this a method of the barbarian priests?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Seventh Uncle replied.

"When Lao Qi was young, he was kidnapped and enslaved in a barbarian tribe and was even adopted by a priest, so he knows these things," Li Liangting explained.

Then,

Li Liangting turned to look at Tian Wujing sitting there and asked:

"What? Wujing, can you understand this too?"

"I know a little."

"What Your Highness said is true. In fact, the methods of the barbarians and the methods of our Qi refiners and sorcerers are essentially the same. It's just a different outer shell. Ultimately, it's still about stimulating the potential of the human body in a short period of time."

"What about the tonic medicine?" Tian Wujing asked.

"I have it with me," Li Liangting replied. "After all, the Marquis of a Hundred Years has no shortage of this foundation."

First, use the method of the barbarian priests to expand and consolidate the originally withered meridians, and then fill them with external water.

It wasn't surprising that the Prince of Zhenbei couldn't help but cry out in pain, because it wasn't just a simple superficial wound, nor was it something you could just endure.

"Remember when Zheng Fan brought back a head of the Prince of Fu that year? What difference will you have from the Prince of Fu in a while?"

"Am I that fat and big-eared?" Li Liangting said disdainfully.

"You will become swollen," Tian Wujing said.

Li Liangting was stunned. He turned to look at Seventh Uncle, who was giving him the acupuncture.

"Really?"

"Replying to Your Highness, you will indeed become swollen."

At this time,

Seventh Uncle looked at the Prince of Jingnan and asked:

"Your Highness, would you please come over and help this humble servant take a look? Can these three needles in this position be added?"

"........." Li Liangting.

Tian Wujing stood up and walked over. He glanced at it,

and said:

"Adding half an inch to these three needles here can increase the waste of Qi and blood by twenty percent, but the pain will increase by onefold."

"Then push them in as hard as you can!" Li Liangting shouted.

"Add an inch then."

"Don't! Add more."

"What's the point of being so painful that you become delirious or directly faint?"

"Hmm, what you said is right. Lao Qi, do as Wujing says."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Wujing, I should have had you give me the acupuncture."

"I only know a little bit."

"Good, good, good, hiss... pain..."

The dignified Prince of Zhenbei was in so much pain that tears came out of his eyes, and he almost rolled his eyes back. Fortunately, he survived.

At this moment, he needed to find some topics to distract himself.

"Wujing, the scouts reported that during the days of the Golden Tent Assembly, there were one hundred thousand Golden Tent cavalry guarding the barbarian royal court, plus the people brought by the various tribes, the barbarian soldiers, it is estimated that there will be one hundred and twenty thousand."

Barbarian cavalry and Snow Plain wild men cavalry were completely different concepts, and their combat power was also vastly different.

"The Golden Tent cavalry is not there to guard against us; it is there to intimidate the tribal leaders, outwardly strong but inwardly weak. This kind of formation is actually a great taboo in military strategy.

As long as we can approach silently,

thirty thousand veteran Zhenbei iron cavalry are enough to break through them."

After breaking through, they would directly attack the royal court.

The royal court's bloodline,

the noble leaders of the various barbarian tribes, were the real strategic targets of this battle.

The barbarian race had never been weak. Its decline was due to the decline of the Golden Tent, which was equivalent to the Great Yan Dynasty, where powerful families were everywhere, and the central government's orders could not mobilize the military and civilians of the whole country.

The Old Barbarian King had been paving the way all his life, using marriage, wooing, and suppressing tactics. Now, he wanted to push his son up through the alliance assembly. His purpose was to unite the many large tribes of the barbarian race and reshape the authority of the Golden Tent.

At that time,

spanning the east and west barbarian races,

they would have room to advance east or conquer west, and they would be able to do so with ease.

This was the most promising node for the barbarian race to move towards alliance and re-strengthening in nearly a hundred years, but at the same time, it was also their weakest moment.

Why did the barbarian race begin to decline a hundred years ago?

Because the barbarian king of that year led his Golden Tent army and was ambushed by the Western army and died in battle;

For the countries of the Xia, the destruction of the capital was secondary. It was more of a symbolic blow, like the State of Chu.

But if the capital and the entire central government were wiped out, the State of Chu would inevitably collapse directly;

The barbarian system and constraints were looser than those of the Xia countries. This kind of blow would be more severe for them, and the aftermath would be even more terrible.

"Okay, it's good that you have confidence. According to what we said in advance, I will be your military advisor. How to fight this battle, how to fight it, and when to fight it, will all be decided by you, Wujing.

Thirty thousand,

is a good number.

Back then, my ancestors relied on thirty thousand to defeat the fifty thousand of the State of Qian and established the family fortune, being conferred a Marquis.

Now,

I can also relive the glory of my ancestors.

This life,

is not a loss,

nor is it bad,

very good."

"I heard that you sent your son to the royal court?"

"Yes, so what?"

"Is that necessary?"

"Hey, that doesn't sound like something you, Wujing, would ask. What does it mean to be necessary or not? Even if it can only add the size of a fingernail's worth of certainty, I, Li Liangting, the Prince of Zhenbei of Great Yan, will spare no effort!

Wujing,

the prosperous age of Great Yan from the first year of Yongping to now,

was created by the three of us together.

This last battle must be fought well, must be fought to the fullest, must be fought to the point of satisfaction, must... leave no regrets.

Our ancestors are watching from above;

For eight hundred years,

countless martyrs of Great Yan who died in the desert are watching in the sky.

Even His Majesty,

even Hao'er Ge,

is also in the capital...

Hehehe, hahaha,

maybe he's also up there now, waiting to see, hahaha."

Li Liangting stretched out his finger and pointed upwards,

and said:

"Wujing, do you think His Majesty has gone to heaven?"

"Judging by the days, he should have gone up. If he doesn't die, he will delay the military opportunity."

The vomiting of blood at the banquet,

this news, I'm afraid it has already been transmitted to the desert.

Next, they were waiting for the news of the Yan Emperor's death to be transmitted.

Yes,

dying on schedule was planned long ago.

In fact, the Prince of Zhenbei sending his own heir to the royal court could only be regarded as a small appetizer;

What could really put the Old Barbarian King at ease, relax his vigilance, and immerse himself in the great aspiration of the barbarian race's rise was the "good news" of the Yan Emperor's death.

And at this time,

Li Yuanhu walked into the tent,

and reported:

"Two Princes, news from the capital, His Majesty has passed away, and the throne has been passed to the Sixth Prince."

"Good!"

Li Liangting clenched his fist,

and shouted;

"Good ah, just right, haha."

Li Yuanhu was taken aback. He even thought that the two princes were waiting for the news of His Majesty the Yan Emperor's death so that they could send troops to the capital to usurp the throne, but as long as he had a little brain, he would know that this was impossible.

Tian Wujing waved his hand,

and Li Yuanhu retreated.

Seventh Uncle also said, "Your Highness, these needles cannot be removed today. Just lie here."

"Okay, I understand."

"Then this subordinate will also go down first."

Seventh Uncle went down.

In the royal tent, only Li Liangting lying down and Tian Wujing sitting remained.

Li Liangting breathed a long sigh of relief,

and said:

"His Majesty is finally free. I bet if we go back to the capital now, before His Majesty is buried, open his coffin, you will see that the corners of His Majesty's remains must be carrying a smile."

Tian Wujing didn't speak.

Li Liangting continued:

"Little Sixth, it really is Little Sixth. Damn, I saw Little Sixth when he was a few years old. At that time, I told Hao'er Ge that this kid looked just like the guy who used to fight with me for chicken drumsticks.

Later, His Majesty told me that the one he favored was Second."

Okay, Second.

Wujing,

do you think he did it on purpose?"

"The palm of the hand and the back of the hand are both flesh, aren't they?"

"Hehe." Li Liangting laughed, "Damn, these words sound really festive when used on the three of us."

"Is that so?"

"Definitely. A few days ago, I saw your old sister-in-law. Your sister-in-law pointed at my nose and cursed me as a beast."

"Aren't you?"

"Compared to the two of you, I think I'm more like a person, so I've always felt guilty.

Why do I have to insert these needles into my body? Why do I have to go on the expedition?

Once I'm gone,

even if my son can really take on the responsibility of this Zhenbei Marquis, hey, it will no longer be the Zhenbei Marquis it used to be.

I've lost half of my ancestral foundation, so I can be considered to have entered the beastly realm, right?"

"I guess so."

"It's you who I'm talking about. That Marquis of Pingxi, in the past few years, you deliberately brought him along, kept him, cultivated him, and supported him. Wujing, aren't you afraid that something will go wrong in the future?"

"Rather than worrying about something going wrong, I'm more worried that in the future, there won't even be anyone capable of quelling the chaos.

Even His Majesty, before his death, didn't think about removing all those thorns. A country without a few thorns who aren't afraid of anything will inevitably be bullied from the outside."

"Okay, okay, the descendants will have their own blessings. We three have fought for this situation. Whether they can defend it or not, whether they can expand it or not, depends on the people behind us.

I'm a person about to ascend to heaven,

what about you,

Wujing?"

Tian Wujing looked at Li Liangting and said, "What do you mean?"

"Actually, both His Majesty and I hoped that you could stay. Great Yan is truly stable with you here, but these words are also against my conscience when I say them, brother."

"Let's fight the battle first. Keep your words and wait until the battle is over, when your Qi and blood are completely exhausted and you're dying. If your son is extremely lucky and doesn't die, you can pull him in front of your sickbed and slowly say them;

If he dies, that's also good. After you go down, you can say them even more slowly."

"Wujing, help me pour a glass of wine, brother."

The wine was on the coffee table, originally used to quench the silver needles.

Tian Wujing got up and poured three bowls of wine.

"That's right, first give Hao'er Ge a bowl."

Tian Wujing spilled that bowl of wine on the ground.

Afterwards, the remaining two bowls were untouched.

Li Liangting didn't urge him to give him the wine bowl.

"Wujing, brother, I'm sorry to you. I know Hao'er Ge also feels sorry for you in his heart. Great Yan is also sorry to you. Letting you continue to live is also sorry to you.

After this battle, my life will be worth it. Wujing, you...

Wujing ah, that thing, Hao'er Ge didn't do it. Although, I also feel that Hao'er Ge may have known about it afterwards."

"My affairs, you don't need to say more."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Li Liangting sniffed,

and said:

"I'm hungry."

Saying that,

Li Liangting shouted to outside the tent:

"Lao Qi, this king is hungry. Are there any chicken drumsticks?"

Tian Wujing walked out of the royal tent.

Seventh Uncle walked in and said to the Prince of Zhenbei, who was lying there:

"Your Highness, where can we find live chickens in the military camp now?"

Li Liangting patted the bed board with his hand,

tears streaming down,

and shouted:

"This king doesn't care. This king, today, wants to eat chicken drumsticks."

Tian Wujing walked all the way to the stable outside the royal tent.

There, two Pixiu were lying down.

The Zhenbei Prince's Pixiu was secretly transported in later. Now, it was still a little weak and hadn't fully recovered.

Tian Wujing sat down, and his Pixiu took the initiative to approach.

"Knife."

The Pixiu opened its mouth, and from it, it spat out the Kunwu knife, which fell into Tian Wujing's hand.

This knife was given to him personally by the Yan Emperor when he was conferred the title of Prince of Jingnan.

He was a good emperor,

but definitely not a good father, a good husband, or a good elder brother;

Then,

Tian Wujing spread out his hand again,

and said:

"Letter."

"........." Pixiu.

After hesitating for a moment,

the Pixiu opened its mouth, as if it was gagging, but nothing fell out.

Tian Wujing turned his head to look at the Pixiu crouching beside him,

and said:

"Given it out?"

The Pixiu didn't respond.

He had put that letter in it. If it was lost, damaged, or misplaced, his Pixiu would have notified him long ago.

But it had remained silent.

This was a beast, but this beast had a brain.

Since it hadn't made a sound, it meant that in the eyes of this beast, the letter had fallen into the hands of the person it should be given to.

Seeing that its master hadn't spoken for a long time, the Pixiu was so frightened that it pressed its head to the ground, its two eyes wide open and still glistening with tears.

Nearby, the Zhenbei Prince's Pixiu saw this scene and simply lay on its side. It really couldn't bear to see its fellow clan member in this state.

However,

what the Pixiu didn't expect was that

after a long silence,

it didn't see its master getting angry.

Tian Wujing shook his head,

and said:

"It's good too."

In his mind,

he couldn't help but see Zheng Fan standing in front of him with a knife in the great fire of Yingdu, roaring:

In my life, Zheng Fan, you're the only brother who's ever been good to me...

Tian Wujing slowly closed his eyes,

Actually, there was a sentence that Tian Wujing had never said to Zheng Fan, and that was that he also felt fortunate that

in this life, this life hated by people and rejected by heaven, he could still have such a younger brother.

Tian Wujing reached out and stroked the Pixiu's head,

and said:

"I was thinking that after the battle, I would let you go back and deliver the letter to him, but it's good now. You don't have to go back.

He said,

that if there was a chance in the future, he would like to go to the West to see;

Okay then,

wait until this battle is over. If the barbarian race still can't kill me;

Anyway, there's no way back.

I, as his older brother,

will first go and scout the way for my younger brother."

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