novelhk Chapter 241 He still has chips in his hand.
Chapter 241 He still has chips in his hand.
Li Qingqing and Li Feng exchanged a glance, then looked at Yun Wu.
"Vice Envoy Yao and his men are trying to force their way into the courtyard! What should we do now?" Yunwu asked anxiously.
"This is outrageous! Is Zhang Haoyi planning to forcibly arrest and convict me?" Li Feng slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Guards—"
Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to resort to the worst possible solution!
"Wait a minute!" Li Qingqing immediately stopped her.
She stood up and walked out of the hall. "Don't act rashly. Let's see what tricks they're up to."
Li Feng looked at Li Qingqing, pondered for a moment, and followed her.
Outside the courtyard gate, Bai Ye, leading a group of shadow guards, was confronting Vice Envoy Yao and his men.
One side wouldn't let them in, while the other insisted on forcing their way in; a fight was about to break out.
"Stop!" Li Qingqing immediately shouted.
Upon seeing Li Feng and Li Qingqing emerge, Vice Envoy Yao immediately ordered his men to cease fighting.
Bai Ye and the others also stopped and stepped aside.
"Vice Envoy Yao, what are you doing?" Li Feng's face was as cold as frost.
Vice Envoy Yao looked at the two men who were walking briskly towards him and said expressionlessly, "I have received a secret report that you two are suspected of treason. Come with us!"
Li Feng laughed in fury: "Suspected of treason and collusion with the enemy? Vice Envoy Yao, some things can't be said carelessly!"
"Go explain yourselves to Lord Zhang. I, the deputy envoy, am only responsible for carrying out orders. Guards, take both of them away!"
Vice Envoy Yao forcefully ordered his men to arrest the people.
"This is utterly fabricated!"
"Arresting people without any evidence is extremely unfair!"
Upon hearing the news, Deputy General Chi and the others who rushed over were immediately in an uproar.
The previous border patrol mission had repeatedly destroyed evidence and distorted the truth, which had already caused dissatisfaction among them.
Now they don't even bother to pretend anymore, they just arrest people without asking any questions!
Is there no law left?
Vice General Chi was the first to disbelieve it.
If our general and city lord were truly going to collude with the enemy and betray the country, why would we have bothered defending the city before? We might as well have just handed over the border city.
Deputy General Chi was the first to draw his sword and point it at the Xuanjia soldiers, saying, "You are framing meritorious officials and sowing discord in the army!"
The other lieutenants also drew their swords.
"You are not allowed to take our general and city lord away!"
They weren't like Deputy General He, who was afraid of everything.
The border patrol delegation has openly bullied them to this extent. If they don't take a clear stance, they will truly be letting down Lord Qingcheng for trying to improve their lives, and also letting down General Li for subsidizing them with his own private funds.
Moreover, in this battle to defend the city, if it weren't for the general and the city lord, the city would have almost fallen and everyone would have been wiped out.
They are passionate and righteous men with flesh and blood.
As long as the general gives the order, they will surely charge forward bravely!
Without saying a word, Bai Ye and his group of shadow guards immediately gripped their weapons again, drawing their swords against the soldiers brought by Vice Envoy Yao.
The battle is imminent!
Vice Envoy Yao's face darkened. He looked around and shouted sternly, "What, do you all want to join the rebellion?"
Li Qingqing glanced at Li Feng, who was about to explode with anger, and before he could speak, she spoke first, "Everyone stop! No one is allowed to make any rash moves!"
Li Qingqing stared at Vice Envoy Yao expressionlessly.
"The general and I can go with you, but the border city is often disturbed by foreign enemies. You should wait outside the courtyard first. Once the general has arranged the defenses, we will go with you!"
Vice Envoy Yao stared at Li Qingqing for a moment, then coldly said, "I'll give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea! If you dare to resist, it will be considered treason, and you will be killed without mercy!"
After Vice Envoy Yao finished speaking, he immediately waved his hand and ordered his Xuanjia soldiers to surround the courtyard.
Li Qingqing and Li Feng led everyone back to the hall.
Deputy General Chi was a little angry and muttered under his breath, "Why are we afraid of him! Let's just do it!"
With Vice General Youchi taking the lead, another vice general immediately echoed his sentiments:
"Yes! They've gone too far! General, just give the order and we'll start fighting immediately! We won't tolerate this humiliation!"
"Everyone, quiet down, don't act rashly!" Li Qingqing looked at the deputy generals.
"Do you know that if you lay a hand on us today, we will truly become traitors and rebels? Do you want to kill your own parents, wives, and children?!"
Upon hearing this, Deputy General Chi and the others exchanged glances and remained silent.
Their deaths are not a pity, but if it implicates their parents, wives, and children...
Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Li Qingqing uttered her words with practiced ease, "We must trust the imperial court and the law; innocence will be proven."
She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.
It's really weird; she still subconsciously believes that she is the loyal minister who protects the court!
She glanced at Li Feng silently, then said, "Even if we're going to take action, we need a legitimate reason! Alright, the general and I have other plans, and we need to explain them to you..."
Li Qingqing and Li Feng each handed over tasks to their respective people, while Zhang Haoyi was getting impatient.
"Lord Wei, is Li Qing really a woman?" Zhang Haoyi still had doubts.
No one would believe that someone who dared to single-handedly charge into a battle formation of ten thousand enemies and take their heads was actually just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old country girl.
"You can rest assured that my capable subordinates are handling things well!" Governor Wei said confidently.
"But we've also captured two little ones! Kids don't lie; the truth will come out when they meet!"
Zhang Haoyi frowned. "That's true, but those two children aren't crying or making a fuss, and I still feel uneasy! Are you sure you haven't arrested the wrong people?"
"Brother Zhang, you don't need to worry so much. A child who is only a few years old has been kidnapped and is naturally terrified. Only in this way will he be able to show his true feelings when he suddenly sees his relatives later!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Haoyi felt it made a lot of sense and immediately felt relieved.
He nodded almost imperceptibly. "If you can bring down Li Feng and Li Qing, it might be possible for you to claim the credit for the great victory in defending the city!"
Protector Wei chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes. "If that's the case, I certainly won't forget Brother Zhang's kindness!"
As the two were plotting, a subordinate came in to report, "Sir, Vice Envoy Yao has brought the man."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Brother Wei, just wait for my good news!"
Zhang Haoyi stood up, straightened his clothes, and then strode towards the door.
After Li Qingqing and Li Feng arranged some matters for their subordinates, they were led to the hall by Vice Envoy Yao.
Zhang Haoyi strolled in slowly.
Li Feng had already seen through Zhang Haoyi's true colors and ignored him.
Li Qingqing remained silent as well, simply watching Zhang Haoyi quietly.
Zhang Haoyi, on the other hand, couldn't hold back any longer. He sat in the main seat and stared at the two of them. "Tsk tsk, if His Majesty knew that there were women mixed in with the army, I wonder what he would think?"
As Zhang Haoyi spoke, he sized up the two men. Seeing that they remained expressionless and unresponsive, he immediately continued:
"General Li, I have heard that the Li family has no sons of Li Qing's age. You only have a half-brother and a half-sister, and they are both in the capital at the moment. May I ask, General Li, is the man beside you truly your cousin?"
Upon hearing this, Li Feng thought to himself, "If it weren't for your interference, my sister would be returning home to acknowledge her ancestors by now!"
Li Feng knew that Zhang Haoyi was testing him, but he was not alarmed.
Regarding this matter, he and Li Qingqing had agreed on a consistent story: to deny that she was a woman, in order to avoid any further complications.
“Lord Zhang, since you have investigated me, you must know that before I returned from my sect, wasn’t it widely rumored in the capital that the Li family only had one son?”
Zhang Haoyi paused, realizing that this was indeed true.
If it weren't for General Li's injury and return home, everyone would have thought that the Li family only had one son and one daughter. Who would have thought that Li Feng would suddenly appear, and that he would be the eldest son of the Li family?
Which family doesn't keep their eldest son at home and raise him properly, instead letting him live outside for more than ten years?
Zhang Haoyi regained his composure. It was unbelievable; he had actually been daydreaming!
Zhang Haoyi coughed lightly, then looked at Li Qingqing, "Li Qing, are you aware that His Majesty once decreed that women cannot serve as generals?"
"What does this have to do with me?"
Li Qingqing remained expressionless and somewhat cold. "Speak quickly if you have something to say!"
Zhang Haoyi was taken aback. He glanced at Li Qingqing and Li Feng, secretly wondering how these two could not reveal any flaws.
But it's okay, he still has chips in his hand!
Zhang Haoyi smiled slightly, "Liqing, two children have come to my place, insisting they are your sisters. Of course, I don't believe them. Why don't you take a look?"
Li Qingqing was startled, but her expression remained indifferent. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Bring those two children in!" Zhang Haoyi sneered.
Don't understand? You'll understand in a moment.