Chapter 966: Chapter 9: Obedient Son-in-Law
Changsun Wuchou’s gaze rested on the noble before him, a figure steeped in the Western Regions’ style, with a rather large build and a broad waist encircled by a hand-wide belt inlaid with jade, adorned with bright, colorful geometric patterns on the clothing.
He came to this town, produced the land deed, only to face rebuttal.
"It’s just a piece of paper."
"What? That little girl from the Central Plains might have bought this place, but I’m not planning to give it up, so what? You Central Plains people are miles away from here. You think you can use the laws of the Central Plains in the Western Regions?"
"With your appearance, you think you can take this place under my feet?"
The fat noble had a name from the Central Plains, named Xiao Dayin. At this moment, he looked at Changsun Wuchou, waved his hand, and already two or three burly men with martial arts had come over.
It seemed that last year when Xue Shuangtao subdued him, it left a shadow in his heart.
Changsun Wuchou estimated that with his foundation of Fourth Layer Heaven’s inner strength, his skills in Flying Horse Rapid Shooting and horse spear ranked him quite high within the Qilin Army. But even if he killed this person now, he might not be able to take over this place completely.
The town wasn’t large, but it still had a thousand soldiers stationed.
And who knew what other measures there might be.
Changsun Wuchou, being meticulous and cautious, worried about alerting the enemy, so he didn’t reveal his martial arts skills, only pretended to be so angry that his face turned pale, got up, grabbed the land deed, and turned to leave. Xiao Dayin laughed heartily and said:
"Go back and tell your lord, if you want this town, let him come in person. But even if he comes personally, he’ll just be met with a closed door, if he truly wants to ask about this place."
"Send that young girl from the Xue Family here, and I might consider it."
"Hahahaha."
"Get lost!"
Although Changsun Wuchou was just over thirty, he was calm and intelligent by nature, and his temperament was no longer impulsive but rather cunning and alert. Though he feigned anger, he figured out the deployment of the town’s forces along the way.
As he left the town, he mounted his horse and raced towards Li Guanyi, recounting the earlier events, and said: "The city-states of the Western Regions are each fighting their own battles. With the fall of Tuyuhun and the inability of the Dangxiang Kingdom to maintain control, the rules have become lax, worse than when I was here in the past."
"Back then, Tuyuhun still held the king’s seal."
"Although Tuyuhun’s cavalry couldn’t match the top three armored forces of Night Rider, Tiger Barbarians, and Iron Futu, they were considered a first-line force, and the king’s orders could still be conveyed to all directions, unlike now when the Western Regions seem to have become a total chaos."
Changsun Wuchou said:
"Because this matter involves a lot, I dared not make a decision and came out immediately to inform my lord."
Lei Laomeng grinned: "The forces and nobles of the Western Regions are too rude."
Batuer barely understood and said: "It’s been like this for the past two years. When the old Tuyuhun king was still around, although there were often strange orders, at least everyone would still obey Tuyuhun’s decrees."
"Although the decrees weren’t that good either."
"But at least they were much better than now."
Fan Qing was silent, observing the topographic map just drawn.
Li Guanyi was also in thought.
The town must be taken.
Only with the protection of a fortress can they resist the large number of cavalry within a hundred miles behind them; otherwise, even if Li Guanyi and his men win, the casualties would be extremely severe.
"However, a siege battle is just as tough..."
Siege warfare is certainly the most brutal of battlefields.
Among these people, only about two thousand were capable young warriors, and most were cavalry, with individual bravery only at the level of the Third Line Corps in the Central Plains. Leading this group to conquer the town would not be easy.
Li Guanyi had a thought, "Elder Shi?"
Shi Dalin said, "Here."
Li Guanyi chuckled, "Give me the powder you just mixed. No, prepare a new batch: Soft Bone Powder and Powder for Anesthesia, and it’d be best to add some laxatives, but forget the aphrodisiacs."
Even though Shi Dalin didn’t quite understand, he handed Li Guanyi a rather large porcelain bottle. Li Guanyi tossed it in his hand and placed it at his waist. Fan Qing asked, "Lord, do you plan to...?"
Li Guanyi stood at a high place, looking at the opposite town, and raised an eyebrow:
"If a frontal attack won’t work, cunning it is."
"It’s just a pity Mr. Wen He isn’t here; he would surely have a brilliant strategy."
"I can only rely on my own methods."
"That army’s scout is still fifty miles away. Moving with the main army, they’ll stay at a certain distance to restore their energy and ensure they’re ready for a surprise attack. In this phase, Fan Qing."
Fan Qing said, "I am here."
Li Guanyi said: "Lead five hundred men to patrol outside."
"Another thousand will protect the main camp. Gongsun, Wan Xiu, you two will use wagons and cattle to form a basic defensive line here. Lei Laomeng will continue as usual, serving as a scout."
Gongsun Huaizhi, Pan Wanxiu, and Lei Laomeng accepted their orders.
Fan Qing asked, "Lord, what about you?"
Li Guanyi looked at the town, "Me?"
He tossed the porcelain bottle in his hand and smiled, "Naturally, I will personally take the town."
"Doesn’t he want me to go? Then why shouldn’t I grant him his wish?"
Changsun Wuchou knew that it was the town’s master, Xiao Dayin, who angered Li Guanyi. When Li Guanyi ordered the entire tribe to prepare for defense, he himself went directly to the town. Although the rammed earth walls were only one zhang high, some bow-wielding guards still stood above them.