Chapter 1551: Tough Nut
"What’s the situation in Yongcheng Prefecture?" Qin San Lang asked Mu Tong, who had come to meet them.
Uncle Mu Tong was still the same as before, leading a group ahead of them to scout the way, gather information, and replenish various consumed supplies.
Mu Tong looked around both sides of the post station and lowered his voice, saying, "No one wants to be the first to fill the pit, so everyone is stopping here to observe."
Niu Dabao was shocked to hear this: "What? Are these people so afraid of death? If they’re afraid to die, why be soldiers at all?!"
With these words, all the soldiers on both sides of the road looked their way, their eyes glaring unfriendly at them.
Some even drew their swords, pointing at Niu Dabao, saying, "Where are you from? Dare to speak negatively about us, don’t want to live, do you? If you’ve got the skills, don’t stop here, set off right away to fight the Rong people!"
Niu Dabao was infuriated, pointing at them and cursing: "You’re afraid to die, but you won’t let me talk?!"
"Oh, here’s a tough one." The few who had drawn their swords got excited, calling to the surrounding soldiers, "Brothers, let’s go meet them, knock some sense into these hard-headed folks, and show them who’s in charge here?!"
The newcomers were so arrogant, they practically looked down on them.
"Howl, howl, howl!" A roar sounded as several soldiers stood up around them, closing in on them.
Seeing this, Niu Dabao was surprised, quickly instructing the soldiers to protect the women and children’s carriages and said apologetically, "San Lang, it’s my fault for being impulsive and provoking them as soon as we arrived."
Qin San Lang said, "Uncle Niu, no need to feel guilty. We are newcomers, and they are bound to give us a hard time; there is no avoiding it."
He then called to Zhang Yan, "Brother Zhang, let’s go have a word with them."
"Alright." Zhang Yan nodded, following Qin San Lang as they walked toward the soldiers gathering around them.
Leading the opposition was Chief Commander Hu of the garrison camp of Dasheng Prefecture. He had come with Vice General Ye, and seeing Qin San Lang and Zhang Yan not afraid but actively walking up, he frowned, then quickly sneered and said, "Oh, you’re quite bold, coming over on your own. Are you not dying fast enough?"
Qin San Lang didn’t answer. When he came before Chief Commander Hu, he took out a small copper plate from the Lei Family’s Trading Team and tossed it to Chief Commander Hu, saying, "I call Elder Lei Wu of the Lei Family’s Trading Team my Uncle."
These words, along with the flash of the small copper plate from the Lei Family’s Trading Team, silenced Chief Commander Hu and all the soldiers present, and they stopped in their tracks.
The Lei Family’s Trading Team was renowned in the Northwest, dealing well with both legitimate and illegitimate business. They also had a shop in Yongcheng Prefecture, and while camped outside the city, everyone knew better than to cross the Lei Family’s Trading Team.
Now seeing that the young man they intended to rob had a small copper plate from the Lei Family’s Trading Team, they all cursed internally: Damn it, this brat actually knows Elder Lei Wu, with a backer this strong, he’s untouchable!
However, that wasn’t all.
Qin San Lang knew there were generals or vice generals in Yongcheng Prefecture going to fight the Rong, and he didn’t want to continue being ordered around by those so-called generals and vice generals, nor did he want Xiao Yu to suffer at the hands of these generals’ families. He pointed to Zhang Yan and said, "This Company Commander Zhang is the son-in-law of the Guangcheng Marquis Mansion in the Capital, and his eldest son is the legitimate heir to the Guangcheng Marquis, set to inherit the Marquis’s title in the future."
Chief Commander Hu and his men twitched at the corners of their mouths—one had the Northwest Land Tyrant as a backer, and the other was the son-in-law of the Capital’s Marquis Mansion. Was this ever going to end? Were they just poking at the heartache of us common folks?!
Chief Commander Hu, being somewhat insightful and smart, coldly laughed and said, "As for the Guangcheng Marquis Mansion, if the Marquis needs to rely on the grandson-in-law’s son to continue the line, it’s probably been declining for quite a few years. And you dare flaunt that? As if our generals have never seen the offspring of nobility!"
These words were a bit shaky, mainly due to the fear of the Lei Family’s Trading Team.
Qin San Lang heard and frowned darkly, taking out the Zheng Family Token, saying, "The Zheng Family Token of the Old Zheng Family in the Capital, bestowed upon me by the Zheng Family. The Zheng Family’s legitimate eldest grandson is a friend of my eldest brother-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Chief Commander Hu’s face changed, quickly taking the Zheng Family Token, examining it for a moment, realizing it seemed genuine, and hurriedly smiled, "Don’t misunderstand, brothers, we just saw you arriving at Yongcheng Prefecture and wanted to say hello, nothing more."
The various Kangrong armies were all aware of the Zheng Family because the Zheng Family not only had the influential Old Master Zheng holding a real power post in court, but in this Kangrong campaign, there was even a disciple of Old Master Zheng acting as a grain officer.
If they wanted to eat, they had to cozy up to the grain officer, and they couldn’t offend anyone related to the Zheng Family.
"What are you doing? Quickly put away those broken things in your hands, don’t scare these two brothers!" Chief Commander Hu yelled at the soldiers still holding their knives.
The soldiers snapped back to reality, quickly sheathing their swords, smiling at Qin San Lang and Zhang Yan, with aching hearts, thinking: Damn it, this one’s too tough to rob!
"We have just arrived at Yongcheng Prefecture and don’t want to cause trouble." After saying a statement neither soft nor hard, Qin San Lang retrieved the Zheng Family Token and the Lei Family’s Trading Team’s small copper plate, saying, "It’s getting late, we have to set off for the Lei Family’s Manor to camp, farewell."
With that, he turned and left with Zhang Yan.
Chief Commander Hu and his men were stunned... the people from the Lei Family’s Trading Team said not long ago that a nephew would be coming to stay at the manor outside the city, referring to this person?
Why didn’t the people from the Lei family’s shop come to the post station to meet him? They made them think this Southern group with so many supplies was unprotected fat sheep, foolishly bumping into them wanting to snatch, only to get slapped in the face!
"Chief Commander Hu, could they be impostors? Should we send a couple scouts to follow them?" Some soldiers, not quite believing the Southern boy had so many powerful backers, suggested.
Chief Commander Hu thought for a moment, nodded in agreement, and summoned two reconnoitre soldiers, sending them to tail Qin San Lang and his group to see if they indeed entered the Lei Family’s Manor, while instructing, "Be careful not to be caught red-handed, or else you’ll have offended the Lei Family’s Trading Team, Old Master Zheng’s Family, and that Marquis Mansion."
"Understood, sir." The two reconnoitre soldiers complied, changing their outfits and discreetly following.
"San Lang, we have tails," Niu Dabao noticed the two scouts and alerted Qin San Lang.
"They’re worried I’m lying, and want to check things out, don’t mind them, let them follow." Saying this, Qin San Lang rode his horse to the carriage where Gu Jinli was sitting, knocking on the carriage compartment, saying, "Xiao Yu, it’s all settled, we’ll head to Uncle Lei Wu’s manor now to camp."
"Okay." Gu Jinli responded, lifting a corner of the carriage curtain to look outside, only to see tents densely packed like a forest standing on both sides of the road, soldiers clad in iron or bamboo armor everywhere she glanced. Looking farther afield, camp after camp extended into the distance, with no end in sight.
All these Kangrong soldiers were stopping here, and seeing the Military Flags and soldiers from the Central Plains and Dasheng Prefecture, even soldiers from these two places had halted, how was this war supposed to be fought?!
Gu Jinli was very frustrated and worried, seeing that Brother Qin had comrades and fellow soldiers who only hid in the rear. To win against the Rong people and defend the territory seemed impossible.
Seeing her continuously looking at the situation outside, knowing what she was worrying about, Qin San Lang rode back over, saying, "Don’t worry, we won’t lose, and we won’t stay long in Yongcheng Prefecture, we’ll leave the morning after tomorrow."