Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Hearing those words, a chill ran down everyone's spine. Shen Lang had truly resorted to a vicious method.
“Send Thirteen to the eastern Bitterwater Flats. Have him open a large breach in the dike there to divert the floodwaters into the flats. That area is saline-alkali land; no one lives there. This is the only way to ensure the safety of our Count of Xuanwu's fief and avoid the disaster of being submerged.”
If the floodwaters were diverted elsewhere, the reservoir's water level would drop, and the Count of Xuanwu's fief would be out of danger.
“Remember, you're not to completely destroy the dike at the Bitterwater Flats, just create a large opening to drain the water. When you breach the dike north of Viscount Nanshan's manor, don't make the opening too large. We must destroy Zhu Nanting's manor and submerge his fortress, but the current must not be so fierce that the people in the valley cannot escape. The ones I want to kill are the Zhu Nanting family; we must minimize harm to other innocent people.”
“My lord, the dikes are all built with hewn stone, so breaching them will be difficult. It will require many men. Even if we rush there with soldiers, we won't have enough time. Digging through it would take even longer. Besides, there will surely be soldiers guarding the dike north of Zhu Nanting's manor, making it difficult to succeed.”
“Do you remember my number three underground chamber?”
Jin Hui knew that Shen Lang kept numerous strange objects in an underground chamber outside the fortress.
“Find Xiao Bing, ask for the key, and retrieve the box from the number three underground chamber. Carve a small hole in the dike, push the box inside, light the fuse, and then you must all leave immediately. The dike will explode, creating a breach. Remember, you must not open the box, and you certainly must not let anyone else see it. The breach in the dike must look like a natural collapse. The contents of that box must not be revealed to the world yet! Otherwise, it will bring ruin upon our entire family. Also, detain Thirteen's parents and do not allow them to take a single step out of the fortress. Go and handle it!”
Jin Hui bowed and replied.
“Yes, my lord!”
He left the Raging River Commandery hunting grounds in the rain, galloping on his horse back to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate to carry out Shen Lang's orders.
* * *
Zhang Chong had fallen ill. When the Count of Jinhai and his entourage requested an audience, they were blocked by Zhang Jin.
“Lord Zhang Chong, Shen Lang clearly cheated in the literary competition. We cannot accept this defeat.”
“You must devise a way to turn this around. Tomorrow morning, the Royal Uncle will announce the final verdict on the Gold Mountain Island dispute. Once he declares the Count of Xuanwu's victory, we will have to sign the contract transferring ownership of Gold Mountain Island in front of everyone. At that point, there will be nothing we can do.”
A moment later, Zhang Chong asked Zhang Chunhua to relay a message.
“We have lost this round. Do not dwell on it any longer; we must immediately proceed to the next move. Do not act rashly. Once I have finished my planning, I will arrange our next steps.”
Zhang Chunhua repeated her father's words twice, emphasizing to the Count of Jinhai and the others that they must not act rashly, or they would give Shen Lang an opportunity. Then, Zhang Jin forcibly escorted the Count of Jinhai's party out so his father could rest in peace.
After returning to their quarters, the Count of Jinhai, Tang Lun, and the others were furious.
“Hmph, Zhang Chong has no solution either; he's just bluffing. He seemed so formidable before, but he's useless when it counts.”
“He told us not to act rashly? Are we supposed to just sit and wait until Shen Lang holds a knife to our throats? What right does a mere prefect have to order us nobles around?”
“Exactly, exactly! We can't wait. We must act and get our revenge!”
Just then, Viscount Nanshan, Zhu Nanting, spoke quietly.
“I have a vicious plan, one that could destroy the entire fief of the Count of Xuanwu.”
Everyone was startled and asked.
“What plan is that?”
“In a torrential downpour like this, it's only natural for dikes to collapse. If the dike to the north of the Count of Xuanwu's estate were to break, floodwaters would pour into the Jin Clan's manor and their fief. Countless fields, villages, and even their fortress would be submerged, causing innumerable casualties. Imagine what a devastating blow that would be to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.”
Someone timidly said.
“Isn't that an act devoid of conscience?”
In that instant, everyone turned to stare at him.
‘There's a fool among us. How has someone so naive survived this long? And with that kind of mindset, how did he even end up in our circle? Did he not know that in a struggle like this, all means are fair?’
The man said earnestly.
“The northern reservoir of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is used to irrigate the fields of the entire fief. If that dike breaks, not only will the Count's fief be submerged, but several villages in Xuanwu City will also be flooded, killing innocent people who have nothing to do with this.”
The Count of Jinhai asked him.
“Are any of your family members among those who will die?”
“No.”
“Do you have a lover or an illegitimate child there?”
“No.”
“Then what does it matter to you if many people die?”
Viscount Zhu Nanting said.
“Most of the submerged area will be the Count of Xuanwu's fief, and the mountain range will block the water from reaching Xuanwu City. Besides, it's late autumn, and a rain this heavy hasn't been seen in decades. Isn't it natural for a reservoir dike to collapse?”
Someone beside him said.
“The Count of Xuanwu's Estate might have sent men to guard the dike.”
That was a certainty. Every year during heavy rains, everyone would dispatch men to guard their dikes. Viscount Zhu Nanting said.
“The main force of the Count of Xuanwu's most elite soldiers are all gathered at the Raging River Commandery hunting grounds. There's no commander to lead the soldiers back in the fief. How could they possibly stop us?”
The Count of Jinhai slammed his hand on the table and said in a cold tone.
“Then it's settled!”
The Count of Jing'an said nothing, but he tapped the table, clearly expressing his agreement.
He and Shen Lang were already sworn enemies, their feud one that could only end with one of them dead. Previously, Shen Lang had infected Lin Zhuo with a terrifying plague and spread it throughout the Count of Jing'an's Estate, causing hundreds of unjust and tragic deaths in his family. Of course, he didn't care much that others had died, but his third and fifth sons had perished. Wu Zhaozhong had no choice but to kill them himself. With such a deep-seated grudge, he had to repay it tenfold, a hundredfold.
Everyone's gaze turned to the second son of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Nangong Ping. The second young master inwardly regretted his involvement. ‘I shouldn't have gotten mixed up in such a dirty business.’ Besides, his family stood to gain little from the destruction of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. He had only joined this gathering to help his father preserve his military authority and to secure a future for himself and his older brother, Nangong Xie. But now, they were discussing something incredibly dangerous and frightening. In the end, Nangong Ping pretended he hadn't heard anything and simply zoned out.
The Count of Jinhai said.
“Since we have decided to do this, everyone must share the responsibility. Each family must send their experts.”
This was no different from a blood pact. If you're going to do something evil, you do it together. What if one of us were to betray the others? This was a monumental affair; if anyone were to expose it, the consequences would be terrifying.
The Count of Jing'an said in a chilling voice.
“Anyone who is unwilling to participate should not expect to walk out of here today. Viscount Zhu Nanting, this was your idea, so you will take the lead.”
Zhu Nanting was taken aback and said.
“I can't just do it for nothing, can I?”
The Count of Jinhai said in a cold voice.
“Zhu Nanting, you tried to harm Shen Lang at the banquet welcoming the Fourth Prince. Now that the Gold Mountain Island dispute is over, do you really think he will let you live?”
“What can he do to me? Of course, I can take the lead, but not for nothing.”
The Count of Jinhai said.
“I will give you a stake equivalent to two sea vessels; you can buy the ships yourself. Then you can join our trade route and do business with various nations.”
Zhu Nanting was overjoyed to hear this. The cost of a few sea vessels was trivial in their trade, but the rights to the trade route were immensely valuable. However, these trade rights were very complex; the coastal nobles and officials held a portion, while the rest was largely controlled by Raging Tide City. The Pirate King, Qiu Tianwei, was the man who controlled all the sea routes in the entire Eastern Sea of the State of Yue. This was why the Pirate King's son, Qiu Xiao, could enter and exit the mansions of nobles with such confidence.
Of course, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate also held a portion of the trade route rights. That was how the family sold some of the salt they produced, through maritime trade. One of the King's intentions in implementing his new policies was to monopolize the salt and iron industries—to seize these two resources from the hands of the nobility!
Viscount Zhu Nanting said.
“Very well. I will take the lead on this. Young Master Qiu Xiao, we may need to borrow your family's name for this task.”
Qiu Xiao opened his mouth and replied.
“Fine! Shen Lang stole my woman and killed my men. I will kill a thousand, ten thousand of the Count of Xuanwu's people.”
The Count of Jinhai said.
“If we are to do this, we must act quickly. We don't know when this downpour will stop. If the water level drops, the flood's destructive power will weaken, and we won't be able to completely submerge the Count of Xuanwu's fief.”
With the exception of the Marquis of Zhenbei's family, all the powerful figures present agreed to send several dozen elite warriors from their respective families. Viscount Zhu Nanting and the young pirate master Qiu Xiao led two hundred elite warriors, braving the heavy rain and using the cover of darkness to ride swiftly toward Xuanwu City to carry out their great task. The very thought of breaking the dike and submerging the Count of Xuanwu's fief and the Jin Clan's countless subjects made everyone's blood boil.
Around midnight, the torrential rain still pounded outside the window. Such a heavy downpour in late autumn was an ominous sign. In weather like this, wicked thoughts were easily born. Mulan, dressed in silk pajamas, stood before the bed, leaning lightly into Shen Lang's embrace. The silk pajamas were clearly loose-fitting, yet on her, they clung to her body. It couldn't be helped; she possessed a truly magnificent figure.
“My husband, the fighting will only grow more intense from now on, won't it?”
Shen Lang placed his hand on his wife's waist, paused for a moment, then slipped it under her silk pajamas. Mulan did not stop him. With every inch of his fingertips, Shen Lang felt the texture of Mulan's waist. It was as smooth as porcelain, a waist that held surprising strength and elasticity.
“Do you know the three most sensitive places on the human body?”
“I know, but I won't say.”
“The lips, the hands, and... that other place. Weren't we born this way so that men and women could love each other tenderly?”
“Mm, I suppose so!”
‘Huh? My wife wouldn't normally answer like that.’
Shen Lang placed a light kiss on his wife's lustrous earlobe.
“There will be fierce battles ahead, and many people will die. But... the ones who die will be our enemies.”
Mulan nuzzled her face against Shen Lang's cheek, breathing softly through her nose as she spoke in a nasal tone.
“My husband, will Tang Lun hand over Gold Mountain Island willingly?”
“He will not.”
“Then what will we do?”
As Shen Lang kissed the nape of his wife's neck, Mulan tilted her head back slightly, fully exposing her swan-like neck.
“What else can we do? We will have to fight a bloody battle, of course!”
“Is there no way to stop the fighting?”
“There is. Once we complete our fourth strategy, we can pressure the King into backing down. If that happens, our family will surely find stability.”
Mulan leaned her neck against Shen Lang's, nuzzling him, before she couldn't resist placing a light kiss on the shell of his ear.