newbobooks Chapter 162 Wang Bodang: Qin Qiong is a shameless scoundrel!
Chapter 162 Wang Bodang: Qin Qiong is a shameless scoundrel!
"Father," Luo Cheng finally couldn't help but speak, his voice trembling slightly, "This...this is simply..."
He wanted to say that they were going too far, but he swallowed the words back.
There are some things that cannot be said in front of so many generals.
"Uncle, this is unacceptable."
Qin Qiong also raised his head, his expression solemn.
He came from Wagang, and now he's leading troops to fight Wagang again. What kind of situation is this?
What will the world think of him?
He couldn't bear the infamy of betraying his friends and selling out his friends for personal gain.
The hall was completely silent.
The generals then realized that Qin Qiong had once been a member of Wagang.
"How could it not be!"
Luo Yi slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, shouting sternly.
"A thief is a thief, and a soldier is a soldier! Qin Qiong, you are now a general of the imperial court. What is Wagangzhai? They are rebels, they are bandits!"
"Wagangzhai, we have to fight it, whether we want to or not! This is a military order, and also an imperial edict!"
He paused, then began to call out names: "Luo Cheng!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
Luo Cheng stood up and knelt on one knee.
"I hereby appoint you as my deputy general, leading three thousand Yanshan Iron Cavalry, three..."
"We'll depart tomorrow and head south to wipe out Wagang!"
"Yes……"
Luo Cheng's voice was a little hoarse, but he still agreed.
Luo Yi turned her gaze to Qin Qiong, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "Shubao."
Qin Qiong stood up and bowed.
"The imperial court has specifically named you as the commander-in-chief this time," Luo Yi said slowly, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Qin Qiong's heart. "The imperial edict clearly states that Qin Qiong is the designated commander-in-chief."
"What?"
Qin Qiong suddenly looked up, his face drained of all color.
General?
Should we appoint him as the commander-in-chief to attack Wagang?
In an instant, he understood everything.
This is not the court's intention; it is Lü Xiao's intention.
It must have been Lü Xiao who knew he was in Beiping Prefecture that led him to devise such a vicious plan.
They forced him to fight his former brothers, forced him to betray his promises, and forced him to lose his reputation.
That's too toxic.
This move is practically driving someone to their doom.
If he doesn't go, Luo Yi will be accused of disobeying the imperial decree.
If he leaves, he'll never be able to hold his head high in the martial arts world again.
"Uncle..."
Qin Qiong's voice trembled slightly.
Luo Yi stood up, walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and her voice was unusually gentle:
"Go ahead and make a clean break. You'll have to get through this eventually."
After this battle, you'll stay by my side and serve me faithfully. Don't think about anything else.
"Cousin," Luo Cheng said in a low voice, "accept it first."
There's always a way out; they'll figure something out together on their way.
Qin Qiong looked at Luo Yi, then at Luo Cheng, realizing he had no other choice.
After a long silence, he took a deep breath, knelt on one knee, and said in a hoarse voice, "This humble general, Qin Qiong... obeys the order."
"good!"
A hint of approval flashed in Luo Yi's eyes.
"I've already mustered the troops and prepared the provisions. We'll rest today, and set off early tomorrow morning!"
He took out a bronze tiger tally from his robes and solemnly handed it to Qin Qiong:
"The three thousand iron cavalry of Yanshan are now in your hands."
Remember, in this battle, victory is the only option; defeat is not an option. This is not only for the imperial court, but also for the sake of Beiping Prefecture.
Qin Qiong took the tiger tally; it felt cold and heavy in his hand.
Accepting this tiger tally is tantamount to accepting an inescapable responsibility, as well as the infamy that may be borne for a lifetime.
The next morning, the north gate of Beiping Prefecture was opened wide.
Three thousand iron cavalrymen marched out of the city in formation, a dark mass, their armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.
Warhorses neighed, banners blotted out the sun, the scene was solemn and magnificent.
The Yanshan cavalry marched south, traveling day and night.
Soon after, the three thousand cavalry arrived fifty miles north of Xingyang and set up camp in a certain place.
After settling the troops, Qin Qiong and Luo Cheng sat facing each other in the central command tent, both with worried expressions.
"Cousin, what do we do now?" Luo Cheng asked. "Are we really going to fight?"
They thought about many things along the way, but couldn't come up with a good idea.
"I don't know what to do either," Qin Qiong said with a wry smile.
"If we don't fight, my father will be punished by the imperial court." Luo Cheng hesitated, then added, "But if we do fight, Wang Bodang is our sworn brother."
Qin Qiong remained silent.
How could he not remember?
Forty-six people donated blood to form a blood oath, vowing to live and die together.
"Let's write a letter," Qin Qiong finally said. "Let's first inform Wagang and explain the situation clearly."
Luo Cheng nodded and said, "That's the only way."
Qin Qiong spread out paper and pen, pondered for a long time, and then put pen to paper.
The letter was short, but every word carried weight.
One day later, at Wagang Village.
The hall was brightly lit, where Wang Bodang, Xu Maogong, Li Mi, and others were discussing how to deal with the possible encirclement and suppression by the imperial court.
After the Zheng clan was wiped out, everyone in Wagang was on high alert, knowing that Lü Xiao's next target was likely them.
"Report!" A henchman rushed in, "Someone has delivered a letter outside the stronghold, saying it's a personal letter from General Qin Qiong!"
"Shubao?" Wang Bodang jumped to his feet, his face lighting up with joy. "Quick, bring it in! We finally have news of Shubao!"
Xu Maogong also breathed a sigh of relief: "I knew Shubao wouldn't abandon us."
He must have gone to contact reinforcements; perhaps he brought good news.
A glint of anticipation flashed in Li Mi's eyes.
Qin Qiong enjoys extremely high prestige in Wagang. If he returns, the morale of the army will surely be greatly boosted.
The letter was presented to him, and Wang Bodang eagerly opened it and examined it closely by candlelight.
His face, initially joyful, gradually turned solemn, then ashen, and finally contorted into a ferocious grimace.
"Ah!" Wang Bodang suddenly roared, his voice as fierce as a wounded wild beast, "I'm furious!"
"What's wrong?"
Xu Maogong asked urgently.
Wang Bodang did not reply, but instead tore the letter to shreds, the fragments falling like snowflakes.
His eyes were bloodshot, his whole body was trembling, and he pointed at the door, hissing:
"Qin Qiong! Qin Qiong has defected to the imperial court! He's now leading troops to attack our Wagang!"
"What?!"
The hall erupted in uproar.
Everyone was utterly shocked and couldn't believe their ears.
"impossible!"
Xu Maogong was the first to refute.
Qin Qiong was a man of great righteousness and integrity; how could he possibly do such a thing?
There must be some misunderstanding here!
"Yes," Li Mi added, "We all know Qin Qiong's character. Could this be a lie, or a ploy by the court to sow discord?"
Wang Bodang was already furious and kicked over the table in front of him.
"Misunderstanding? It's written in black and white that I was ordered by the imperial court to lead 3,000 troops south to suppress bandits."
"Commander Qin Qiong, Deputy General Luo Cheng, and even Luo Cheng came along! What misunderstanding could there be!"
"this……"
Upon hearing this, Xu Maogong's expression gradually changed.
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating faces that were either shocked, angry, or bewildered.
Qin Qiong, the second brother Qin who once swore a blood oath with them at Jiajialou.
Why would they lead troops to fight them now?
For them, what's the difference between this and dreaming?
This is Qin Qiong, their sworn brother!