noveltune Chapter 30 Killing someone by destroying their spirit
Chapter 30 Killing someone by destroying their spirit
Shen Pei avoided being surrounded by the enemy by quietly slowing down, but even so...
He was thus separated from the main force, changed into soldier's armor, and took advantage of the chaos to escape from the valley through a side path in a disheveled state.
Covered in mud and with his hair disheveled, he had lost all semblance of the demeanor of a scholar.
He walked alone on his way back, looking back towards the valley, his eyes filled with regret and malice.
He was almost certain.
I was definitely tricked.
But who exactly is it?
Yuan Tan is no match for that.
Could it be Zhang He?
But why would he want to kill himself?
Could it be that he's seeking revenge for Qu Yi?
He grew angrier the further he walked.
Once you return, you must inform the lord of this matter!
Make those behind the scenes pay ten times, or even a hundred times, the price!
Just then, a small group of people suddenly appeared from not far away.
The leader, clad in silver armor and a white robe, exuded a relaxed air; who else could it be but Yuan Tan?
Beside him, Wu Yu rode alongside him.
At this moment, the two of them were chatting and laughing, showing no sign of awkwardness.
In an instant, Shen Pei understood everything!
Zhang He's pursuit was bait!
Wu Yu's secret message was bait!
Even Yuan Tan's "greed for merit and rashness" was bait!
All of this was a trap tailor-made for him to examine Zheng Nan.
So, from beginning to end, Yuan Tan was never a spoiled brat?
Was he just faking it all?
But why didn't Wu Yu tell me any of this?
He turned to look at Wu Yu, only to see that Wu Yu's eyes were full of disdain for him, while when he looked at Yuan Tan, his eyes were full of respect.
Is this still the beauty I raised from childhood?
They were only sent out for a few months, and then it was like throwing meat buns to a dog—gone and never to return.
hateful!
If I had known this would happen, why would I have given this pair of beauties to Yuan Tan? Wouldn't it have been better to keep them by my side and enjoy them myself?
Thinking of this, Shen Pei coughed up a mouthful of blood and said sadly:
"Wu Yu, I've raised you for over ten years, and this is how you treat me?"
Wu Yu spat out a mouthful of saliva, but did not answer. Instead, she gently peeled a piece of fruit for Yuan Tan, who was standing to the side.
Yuan Tan laughed heartily and said:
"Prefect, haven't you heard that to conquer a woman, you must first conquer her kidneys? Why did she betray you? Probably because you're old and ugly, and... right?"
"Young Master, how annoying!"
Wu Yu pounded her pink fist against Yuan Tan's chest.
This flirtatious scene only made Shen Pei feel even more frustrated.
He almost spat out another mouthful of blood.
What does it mean to kill someone by destroying their spirit?
This is!
His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman, pointing at Yuan Tan and roaring angrily:
"You little brat Yuan Tan, how dare you bully me?"
Yuan Tan gently pushed away the fruit Wu Yu offered, spurred his horse forward a few steps, and looked down at the disheveled Shen Pei with a hint of mockery on his face:
"Prefect Shen, you are mistaken. The one who harmed you was not me, Yuan, but your own greed for merit. If you hadn't been so eager to seize my military power and steal my credit, how could you have fallen into my trap so easily?"
He paused, his tone turning cold:
"Moreover, you colluded with Yuan Shang and the Liu family, repeatedly framing me. Do you really think I, Yuan Xiansi, am made of clay? Today, you have only yourself to blame!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Pei knew he had no chance of escaping punishment and began to curse loudly:
"Yuan Tan! If you dare kill me, Lord Benchu will never let you go! I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife..."
"Noisy."
Yuan Tan uttered two words calmly and gave Peng An a wink.
Peng An understood and immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow!
"call out--"
The arrow flew like a meteor, piercing precisely through Shen Pei's throat!
Shen Pei's cursing stopped abruptly.
He clutched his neck, staring at Yuan Tan in disbelief. His body swayed, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, his eyes wide open, dying with unseeing disbelief.
Yuan Tan didn't even glance at Shen Pei's corpse, his gaze fixed on the valley below, and he calmly gave the order:
"Clean it up."
Wu Yu was startled to see Shen Pei suddenly die, and looked at Yuan Tan with teary eyes, saying:
"My lord, what will you do if the General of Chariots and Cavalry finds out about this?"
"Don't worry, no one will know."
Yuan Tan said calmly.
His decision to kill Shen Pei here was not an impulsive act, but rather a well-thought-out one.
Everyone would believe that Shen Pei died at the hands of Lü Bu, and everyone would also believe that Shen Pei's greed for merit and recklessness led to this defeat.
Yuan Tan, on the other hand, remained behind the scenes from beginning to end.
Even if Yuan Shang and others had some doubts, they couldn't find any evidence.
……
Xuzhou, Xiapi City, the residence of Marquis Wen.
The gloom of being ambushed by Yuan Tan and having his beloved daughter captured has now been swept away by a resounding victory.
The mansion was brightly lit, filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, exuding a long-lost relaxed atmosphere.
Lu Bu sat high in the main seat, holding a wine cup, his face glowing red.
"Hahaha! Gongtai, this battle was exhilarating! Yan Liang was captured alive, and Yuan Shao's 20,000 elite troops were annihilated! Let's see if that Yuan Shao still dares to underestimate me!"
He tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass, his satisfaction evident in his words.
His defeat of Yan Liang, a famous general from Hebei, further enhanced his reputation as the "Flying General".
Chen Gong sat at the lower end, a faint smile on his face.
He stroked his beard gently, and waited until Lü Bu's excitement subsided before speaking in a slow voice:
"Lord Wen, this battle has indeed greatly boosted our army's morale. However, I believe that at this moment of great victory, we should seize the opportunity to resolve a major threat."
Lu Bu put down his wine cup and asked in confusion:
"Oh? What are you referring to, Gongtai? Yuan Shao has just suffered a defeat and will certainly not dare to offend us again in the short term. What else is there to worry about?"
"Miss Lingqi,"
Chen Gong uttered four words, which immediately froze Lu Bu's smile on his face.
He continued:
"The young lady is still in Yuan Tan's hands, which is a thorn in my side. Now our army has just won a victory and morale is high. Although we have gained Qingzhou, we have a rift with Ye City, and there will definitely be unrest within our ranks. At this time, our initiative to propose peace talks may seem like a concession, but in reality, it is a strategy of offense as defense."
Lü Bu frowned:
"Peace talks? With what? Are we really going to use Langya City?"
He still harbors resentment about it.
"Yan Liang and Cen Bi!"
Chen Gong smiled slightly.
"Yan Liang is a top general in Hebei, and a trusted and beloved general of Yuan Shao. Cen Bi is also a valiant general under Yuan Tan. Are these two sufficiently capable?"
"What about Langya City?"
Chen Gong almost burst into tears. At a time like this, he was still thinking about Langya City?
The heavy losses suffered in Qingzhou, isn't that a lesson learned enough?
He could only change his tone and say:
"Lord Wen, Zang Ba is a fickle man. Even if he temporarily agrees to join Yuan Tan, it is probably just a temporary measure. As long as we withdraw our troops, there will surely be discord between them."
Upon hearing this, Lü Bu could only nod in agreement.
After Yuan Tan's last disturbance, the military rations in Xuzhou were almost completely depleted.
For now, we can only rest and recuperate; otherwise, if war breaks out again, these seasoned soldiers will probably start fighting amongst themselves.
He immediately ordered a letter to be written and sent to Qingzhou.
The letter stated: "I am willing to exchange my captured generals Yan Liang and Cen Bi, and my tacit approval of Yuan Tan's capture of Langya, for the return of my daughter, Lü Lingqi. From this point forward, the two provinces of Xu and Qing can be divided with Langya as the boundary, and the war can temporarily cease."