Chapter 1346 - 25: Tempers Flare

Chapter 1346: Chapter 25: Tempers Flare

Xie Hao left the Capital for a marriage arrangement. Upon reaching Yu State, he hadn’t even met his beloved before he heard the news and rushed to the border. The people sent by the Empress could only return without success.

This matter reached the ears of the Empress, leaving her both angry and not angry.

People are wary of her, treating her words as if they were wind past the ear.

But who can fault someone for placing state affairs above family matters?

When the Emperor learned about it, he even praised Duke Zhen in front of the entire court for his excellent child-rearing skills.

After all, swords and spears are blind on the battlefield, and no one who steps onto it can guarantee to return whole and sound.

How many men have left home only to have their bones lost forever?

Duke Zhen felt a bit ashamed, for his son truly loves reading military books and enjoys the border, and the thrill of battle is genuine.

Yet leaving for the border at this time is more about evasion.

So be it.

Rather than fretting about these issues in the Capital City, it’s better to have a good fight with the enemy on the battlefield.

Xie Hao was on the battlefield, and the Heir of Duke Chong, Shangguan Ji, formed the Flying Tiger Army to resist the enemy. Although the Flying Tiger Army had not reached the numbers he desired, the battlefield is the best place for training.

Only by going to the battlefield, winning a beautiful victory can he convince the Emperor and those generals to let him perfect the Flying Tiger Army.

The road to forming the Flying Tiger Army was arduous, having prepared for half a year, amounting to barely over three thousand men.

Firstly, Shangguan Ji set high standards for selection, picking only the best of the best, preferring fewer over inadequacy; secondly, the generals were unwilling to hand over their outstanding men to Shangguan Ji.

The more than three thousand men were mainly chosen from under Marquis Jibei, with Duke Zhen contributing six hundred men under his command.

In this way, they already caused offenses to Marquis Jibei and Duke Zhen.

Generals rise in rank through military merit, and warfare isn’t a one-man affair. A general needs not only to be good at deploying troops but also needs soldiers who cooperate well; elite soldiers and excellent generals are indispensable.

Giving all the elites to Shangguan Ji means giving military merits to him. Only a fool would be willing.

Shangguan Ji does not care for military merits; he is the Princely Heir of Duke Chong, a future Duke of Chong, and he will inherit the military power from him.

He only wants to establish a Flying Tiger Army that is invincible, striking terror into the hearts of enemies at the mention of their name.

Daqi needs such a force guarding its gates.

Shangguan Ji petitioned the Emperor for a campaign, and the Emperor granted it.

Three days later, he led the newly formed Flying Tiger Army to the battlefield.

The selected ones are all elite, most having been on the battlefield. After months of training, they’re more robust than before.

Shangguan Ji has confidence in them.

The Flying Tiger Army has high morale, Shangguan Ji’s ideal is also theirs.

Being part of an invincible force is their pride.

They will strive tirelessly to become such a glory.

Poor Shen Junshan barely had any bosom friends; Shangguan Ji was one, and Xie Hao, also a close friend of Shangguan Ji, counted as another.

Now both had gone to the battlefield; Shen Junshan couldn’t even find a drinking partner.

Even more frustrating, Shen Junshan was still relying on Xie Hao to persuade the Emperor to withdraw the marriage edict. While waiting, the person went to the border.

The case of the Wenyuan Bo Mansion was also hard to investigate; the Empress Dowager’s faction sacrificed a pawn to protect the general, and the clues they found broke off.

Half a month had gone by with no progress; he was likely to go to Liangzhou again.

It didn’t matter if he went ten or eight times to Liangzhou, but he couldn’t leave Yun Chu unguarded, nor could he rest easy with Young Master An, even bedridden.

The rascal was infuriating, unable to leave the house or get out of bed, yet he still sent servants to deliver gifts here and pay respects there, afraid the Capital City’s nobles would forget him as the newly appointed Uncle Wen Yuan after three months indoors.

The admonishment before the sickbed was like scolding a stubborn mule.

Yun Chu was only one part, with the Third Prince and Yan Ning also.

That young lad was way too courteous, so much that her cousin was completely besotted.

Each one was one more deserving of a beating.

His fists were always on the verge of a severe beating.

Shen Junshan took a sip of his wine, set the cup down, and walked out of the private room.

It was a narrow escape from meeting one’s enemy.

Just out the door, he ran into the Second Young Master of Duke Chong, Shangguan Tong, and his cousin.

Enemies meeting intensified their resentment.

Shangguan Tong looked at Shen Junshan and said, "You are so close to my elder brother, even more like a brother than I am as a real brother. Why didn’t you follow him to the battlefield?"

Before Shen Junshan could respond, Shangguan Tong already retorted, "I forgot, my elder brother’s Flying Tiger Army requires elites. Even if I wanted to join, I wasn’t qualified, and the renowned Second Young Master Shen stood even less of a chance."

Shangguan Ji forming the Flying Tiger Army was something Shangguan Tong internally supported.

To have an invincible army, not to mention its lethality on the battlefield, just mentioning it brings great prestige.

When Shangguan Ji proposed this idea, Shangguan Tong wanted a share of the pie.

But Shangguan Ji knew he couldn’t reconcile with Shangguan Tong, and he didn’t want the internal strife of the Duke Chong Mansion to spill into the military camp.

If Shangguan Tong were really allowed to meddle, forming the Flying Tiger Army would go much smoother, but if the main general’s heart isn’t united, how can the soldiers beneath be united?

He wanted a Flying Tiger Army with collective unity!

Shangguan Ji rejected Shangguan Tong’s idea of joining, and Duke Chong also disapproved.

Originally, the Empress Dowager and Duchess hoped that the future heir of Duke Chong’s Mansion would be Shangguan Tong, not Shangguan Ji.

Allowing Shangguan Ji to form the Flying Tiger Army but not letting Shangguan Tong share a piece of the pie, how could the Empress Dowager possibly agree?

Refusing the shortcut destined Shangguan Ji’s path to be extremely difficult.

Even refusing his own brother to join the Flying Tiger Army, with Shen Junshan’s reputation for being profligate, he would never agree if Shen Junshan wanted to join.

However, Shen Junshan had no intention of joining the Flying Tiger Army.

He had enough on his plate, and given what he knew about Nanliang, it was only a matter of time before the war happened, but it came sooner than he expected.

Daqi hadn’t suffered any natural or manmade disasters; the past two years were smooth with bountiful harvests, a treasury filled with money and grain. Entering war with a prosperous Daqi was unfavorable to Nanliang.

But though he didn’t have such ideas, he suffered Shangguan Tong’s ridicule, and it wasn’t just him being ridiculed; Shen Junshan felt a bit irritated.

He always defended his friends.

Since he regarded Shangguan Ji as a brother, if someone ridiculed his brother and he pretended not to hear it, then he wouldn’t be their brother.

Shen Junshan looked at Shangguan Tong with a smile and said, "I have only known your elder brother for a few days, but he is your real brother, and you’ve been brothers for so many years under the same roof. Don’t you know your brother is someone who hires based on merit without avoiding relatives?"

"He doesn’t allow you to join the Flying Tiger Army, which means you are truly unfit to join."

One sentence left Shangguan Tong’s face purple with anger.

Shen Junshan disdainfully dismissed any further words with him, saying, "Please step aside."

Shen Junshan walked straight forward, but Shangguan Tong refused to yield, their eyes clashing intensely as if about to fight again.

Fortunately, the quick-witted waiter at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion approached with tea, saying, "Gentlemen, the customers are in a hurry, could you all please step aside?"

If one won’t give way, perhaps all of them doing so won’t lead to complaints.

Shangguan Tong stepped aside, and so did Shen Junshan.

The little shop assistant, having saved the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, went to claim credit and ask for rewards from the shopkeeper after delivering the tea.

Watching Shen Junshan walk downstairs, Shangguan Tong’s eyes were cold enough to freeze someone alive, while his cousin, Young Master Zhou, said, "A mere second son of a small Marquis Mansion has the nerve to look down on my cousin, and what’s more aggravating is the elder cousin taking his side."

Piling on, Shangguan Tong’s anger flared higher.

He knew Shen Junshan was still investigating the Wenyuan Bo Mansion case.

Although this case had little to do with him, making Shen Junshan uncomfortable gave him pleasure!

Young Master Zhou said, "I’ve seen him entering Wenyuan Bo Mansion several times, seeming to have an interest in Miss An."

Shangguan Tong curled his lips slightly and said, "What pain it must be for star-crossed lovers who cannot become partners?"

"What do you mean, cousin?" Young Master Zhou asked.

Shangguan Tong whispered a few words in Young Master Zhou’s ear.

Young Master Zhou nodded repeatedly.