Chapter 153
Chapter 153
Shen Lang's mind raced, and he instantly understood the reason. Yesterday, he had revealed a flaw. During the martial contest, Jin Mulan had fought with extreme caution, not with desperation. That was clearly abnormal. With the family's fate on the line, Jin Mulan should have fought without regard for her own life, ready to take her enemy down with her. Why hadn't she? Because she was certain of victory in the literary contest. Zhang Chong must have spotted that flaw and persuaded Royal Uncle Ying Que to change the topic. Whether for the imperial examinations or a literary contest like this, there were always alternate topics prepared. A chill ran down Shen Lang's spine.
*Zhang Chong, are you a man or a ghost? How can you be so formidable?*
Even in the second match, the martial contest, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate should have won without a doubt. But Zhang Chong had sensed something and immediately had the Count of Jinhai borrow an expert from another noble house, resulting in a draw. And in the third match, the literary contest, Zhang Chong had gone to Ying Que and had the topic changed. He had nearly turned the tables, and the Count of Xuanwu's Estate had come dangerously close to losing. In the final contest, Shen Lang's victory was thirty percent skill and seventy percent luck. Heaven had been on his side.
Of course, the fact that the topic he had prepared for was chosen was due to his thorough preparation. But as the saying goes, "You tend the flowers with all your heart, but they refuse to bloom, while a willow branch casually stuck in the ground grows into a great tree." He resolved never to underestimate the heroes of this world again.
Jin Mucong saw Shen Lang lost in thought and asked why.
"Brother-in-law, what's wrong?"
"Huh? It's nothing. I was just teasing you, of course. Hahaha..."
For some reason, Jin Mucong thought his brother-in-law's smile looked a little strained. Shen Lang laughed on the outside, but his resolve hardened.
*I must never let my guard down again. This victory in the Gold Mountain Island dispute is just the beginning. What comes next is the climax, the most crucial part.*
"Fatty, didn't you say you were going to go put Tang Yun in his place? Did you already do it?"
"I wanted to tell you the good news first, brother-in-law."
"Well, you've told me now, so go put him in his place. Give him a good thrashing. Go on!"
Jin Mucong said timidly.
"I... I can't. I'm afraid I won't be able to win."
*This pathetic oaf!*
* * *
Zhang Chong remained kneeling in the garden of the mountaintop fortress. The heavy rain had been pouring for hours. His gaunt body knelt ramrod straight, unmoving. The downpour lashed against him as if trying to shatter stone. Unable to persuade their father, Zhang Jin and Zhang Chunhua knelt beside him.
"Zhang Jin may kneel, but Chunhua, you should go back."
"No, I want to kneel with you, Father. I'm a member of the Zhang family too. How can I rest easy while you're suffering?"
"You're a girl, and you're not wearing thick clothes. You'll be a sight if you get soaked in the rain."
Her skirt would cling to her body, revealing her curves, and the silk would become transparent. At his words, Zhang Chunhua left, only to return a moment later. She wore a straw raincoat and knelt to her father's right. The three members of the Zhang family knelt there, begging for Royal Uncle Ying Que's forgiveness. In his heart, Zhang Chong felt a sense of joy and comfort. His son and daughter had their flaws, but at least they were filial and of one mind. For a family, being of one mind was the most important thing.
As darkness fell, Royal Uncle Ying Que, Duke Weiwu Bian Wu, and Marquis Suoxian all returned. They saw the three members of the Zhang family kneeling side by side in the garden. A flicker of emotion crossed Royal Uncle Ying Que's eyes, especially seeing Zhang Chunhua, a young woman, kneeling there. It was late autumn, and the rain was as cold as ice. Kneeling for hours in such a downpour would be incredibly difficult to endure.
Royal Uncle Ying Que walked over to them and said.
"Prefect Zhang, please rise and go back. I am not angry."
"Zhang Chong is kneeling here not to appease Your Highness's anger, but because it is only right to accept punishment for one's mistakes."
Royal Uncle Ying Que said.
"Zhang Chong, your suspicions were correct. Shen Lang might have... indeed known the topic in advance. Your guess was almost certainly not wrong."
Zhang Chong felt a sense of relief. Royal Uncle Ying Que continued.
"However... just as man's plans are no match for the will of Heaven, our alternate topic was also within his predictions. Jin Mucong won, and the Count of Xuanwu's Estate has won two of the three contests!"
As if struck by lightning, Zhang Chong's thin, gaunt face suddenly twitched. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Father! Father...!"
Zhang Jin and Zhang Chunhua rushed forward to support their father. Royal Uncle Ying Que said with pity.
"Quickly, help your father inside the fortress and have him drink some hot ginger tea. Hurry, now!"
But Zhang Chong quickly regained consciousness on his own. His lips were not just blue, but purple. Pushing Zhang Jin and Zhang Chunhua away, he bowed to Royal Uncle Ying Que and said.
"Thank you for informing me, Your Highness. Zhang Chong understands."
In a short time, he had composed himself. And he remained there, kneeling stiffly, unmoving. The expressions of Royal Uncle Ying Que and Duke Weiwu Bian Wu changed completely. Could there truly be such a resolute man in this world? Even after such a blow, Zhang Chong had recovered in an instant and rekindled his fighting spirit.
Royal Uncle Ying Que said in a loud voice.
"Lord Zhang Chong, I beg you, stop kneeling. The one at fault is not you, but me! Men, carry Lord Zhang to his quarters so he can rest, and find the best physician to examine him."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
A few guards came forward and forcibly carried Zhang Chong to his room.
* * *
The entire residence of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was awash in a sea of joy. Even the guards on duty brought out fine wine and drank heartily. Who could have expected such a miraculous victory? From now on, Gold Mountain Island would belong to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate forever. Everyone had thought they would lose. But not only had they achieved an unexpected victory, but Young Lord Jin Mucong, whom everyone had dismissed, had personally saved them from a perilous situation. The world was truly full of mysterious and amusing things.
A secret meeting was being held in Count Xuanwu's study. Only four people were present: Count Xuanwu, Jin Mulan, Shen Lang, and Jin Mucong. Why was Jin Mucong also attending? Because, appearances aside, he was the heir. He had the great virtue of being extremely tight-lipped, never speaking of things he shouldn't. One only had to recall how Jin Mucong hadn't even betrayed a scumbag like He Wensu. What a fine character! Thus, there was no chance he would leak the secrets discussed in the meeting. However, the fatty showed no excitement at being part of this core meeting. Instead, he was dozing off, his mind wandering.
Shen Lang spoke up.
"Fatty, what are you doing?"
The fatty flinched and shook his head.
"Brother-in-law, I'm really bored listening to this... Can I just copy books here instead?"
Shen Lang waved his hand and said.
"Go on, go. Do what you want to do."
"Yes!"
The fatty left excitedly, and Count Xuanwu sighed inwardly.
"Hah!"
Jin Mulan couldn't help but sigh as well.
* * *
After Jin Mucong left, the atmosphere in the room instantly became solemn. A three-person command team wasn't bad. History was full of famous triumvirates. Shen Lang put on a serious expression and spoke formally.
"Father-in-law, my lady! The three contests are over, and we have won. But the real fight begins now. What lies ahead is what truly matters—a battle that will decide life and death. However, since we've won the first stage, we can now shift from a passive to an active stance, transitioning from defense to offense.
The second phase, the Watching Cliff Island strategy, will now officially commence. Now that we've won the Gold Mountain Island dispute, everyone will expect us to pour strategic resources into it. But we must not do that. After we gain sovereignty, we will neither develop it nor station troops there. We will turn Gold Mountain Island into a slaughterhouse to bleed our enemies dry.
Of course, the most urgent matter now is revenge! The enemies who have lorded over us in the past must be crushed at this opportunity! Especially Zhu Lanting and Zhu Wenhua, that father and son! They tried to frame me at the last banquet, but I held back because of the Gold Mountain Island dispute. Thanks to that, they were able to live a few more days. This time, I will utterly destroy their family!"
Shen Lang walked to the window. Outside, the heavy rain was still pouring down relentlessly. It hadn't stopped since noon. Such downpours usually occurred only in summer; a storm like this in late autumn could be deadly. The water level of the Nu River would have risen, and the reservoirs would be full.
"Father-in-law, if I were an enemy of the Jin Clan, I would use a vicious scheme. I would break the dikes upstream of our fief, flooding the reservoirs to inundate our family's lands, submerging countless homes and people, and dealing us a fatal blow."
Hearing this, Count Xuanwu's expression changed instantly, and he shot to his feet. If Shen Lang's fears came true, the consequences would be unimaginable. How many people would die? The Count of Xuanwu's Estate would have to pour all its resources into rescuing the disaster victims. This would consume an astronomical amount of money, manpower, and materials, making future battles incredibly difficult.
"We brought eight hundred private soldiers with us this time. We left two thousand to guard the estate, but all the experts who can lead—Jin Hui, Jin Zhong, Jin Shiying, Jin Zheng, and Mulan—are all here. That leaves my mother-in-law, Old Master Lin, and Jin Jianniang at the estate, with no one to lead the army."
Count Xuanwu said.
"I will send Mulan, Jin Hui, and Jin Shiying back immediately."
Shen Lang thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Tomorrow, the results of the Gold Mountain Island dispute will be announced, and the two families will formally sign the contract transferring sovereignty of the island to our Jin Clan. Mulan cannot go back."
From now on, they wouldn't just passively defend against the enemy's attacks; they had to take the initiative and strike first. Shen Lang spread out a map and predicted every scenario. The Nu River was north of Xuanwu City and flowed to the sea. To irrigate the fields, several dikes had been built south of the river hundreds of years ago, creating natural reservoirs. These large dams were divided into several sections, all built in mountain valleys, using the natural mountain ranges to collect river water. During droughts, these dams were opened to water the fields.
The entire reservoir system spanned Nu River County and Yangwu County. There were five dikes in Nu River County and three in Yangwu County. Three of these dikes were located upstream from the Count of Xuanwu's fief, and if they were to break, the resulting flood would be unstoppable. Currently, the elite soldiers of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate were all gathered at the Nu River County hunting grounds. It would be too late to send them there now. The only way was to strike first. Shen Lang's eyes fell on a corner of the map.
"Father-in-law, this must be the Viscount of Nanshan's estate, correct?"
Count Xuanwu nodded. The Viscount of Nanshan's estate was situated in a mountain valley. They no longer had a fief, but they possessed a manor of tens of thousands of acres. In the past, for their own benefit, the Zhu Clan had built a dike north of their manor to draw water from the Nu River reservoir. As a result, even during droughts, the Zhu Clan's manor always yielded a bountiful harvest.
Shen Lang asked again.
"Is this mountain valley the Viscount of Nanshan's manor?"
Count Xuanwu nodded.
"All of it is their manor."
"Are there commoners' fields and homes within the manor?"
"There used to be a few villages, but after Zhu Lanting gave up his fief and military authority, the King compensated him by bestowing the entire valley's fields and mountains upon him. So now, Zhu Lanting's manor is much larger than ours, and the tens of thousands of acres of fields and farms within it all belong to the Zhu Clan. There are no commoners' villages left inside."
Shen Lang gave an order.
"Jin Hui, come in!"
A moment later, Jin Hui entered the room. Shen Lang pointed to the map and said.
"You are to return to the estate as quickly as possible and call for Tian Thirteen—ah, no, Shen Thirteen. Then, you will destroy the dike upstream of the Viscount of Nanshan's manor, flooding their fortress and manor, and submerging everything!"