The secret chamber fell into a brief silence.
After a long while, Zuo Wushang shook his head vigorously, "We can compromise on anything else, but not on this! Absolutely not!"
The two brothers fell silent simultaneously.
Zuo Wushang said in a deep voice, "Don't you remember how your parents died! If we give up now, how can we face the efforts of generations of our ancestors?"
Hong Jie sighed, "Marshal, the moment we show ourselves, we'll be scapegoats for those so-called allies. Now that the Great Gan Empire is prosperous and peaceful, we have no opportunity to recruit soldiers and raise an army amidst chaos. That Liang Xiao is likely the true Heavenly General, and Her Highness the Princess is deeply infatuated with him. With someone like him around, how can we possibly stand a chance..."
Hong Qu couldn't help but droop his head in dejection, "Marshal, we never thought of surrendering to the Great Gan Empire, but I also see our compatriots living in constant fear every day. We still have to seek revenge and restore our nation, and we are exhausted both physically and mentally. Perhaps living in seclusion from now on wouldn't be so bad..."
"Then we will lie low, even if we have to lie low for another hundred years, as long as the faith of restoring our nation is not lost!" Zuo Wushang said solemnly. He then couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "However, for future actions, we must still avoid provoking Liang Xiao, lest our compatriots die in vain..."
The battle report they received today also proved Hong Jie's foresight.
The remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom could at best act as informants within the city, and the final outcome would be capture by Liang Xiao and Li Xiuyun's forces. Even if Luzhou City fell, they might be accidentally killed by both armies in the ensuing chaos.
If the defenders of Luzhou achieved a great victory, the fate of the Great Heng Kingdom remnants waiting to stir up trouble within the city would be even more dire!
Hong Jie still had a bitter expression and nodded, "We will persist until the end. For now, I still have to act as the Master of Yunxiu Studio, find ways to approach Liang Xiao and Her Highness the Princess. But I'm afraid Marshal and Elder Brother will need to seek their help..."
"Them?" Zuo Wushang and Hong Qu's expressions changed.
After a long pause, Zuo Wushang gritted his teeth and nodded, "There is no other way!"
"With the victory in the Battle of Luzhou, Marquis Anguo arranged the defenses, shot down the enemy leader, used the heavenly thunder to kill over ten thousand enemy soldiers, and then invited the Heavenly General to descend and assist. He deserves the highest merit!"
As the news spread, the entire military and populace of Luzhou knew of Liang Xiao's heroic deeds.
Everyone sang praises of Marquis Anguo Liang Xiao's merits. Only Liang Xiao dared not be complacent about it, and instead sat in the courtyard pondering.
The number of people he had killed with the gunpowder barrels he created already exceeded the total number of people he had killed before.
However, without those explosives, the earthquake-stricken city of Luzhou might not have held out until the reinforcements arrived, resulting in widespread suffering.
Life was a series of endless trade-offs.
The ten personal guards responsible for mixing the black powder, after witnessing the power of the gunpowder barrels, voluntarily accepted supervision from the other forty personal guards, only asking to be allowed to mix gunpowder barrels for Liang Xiao in the future.
To them, the more enemies the gunpowder barrels killed, the fewer friendly casualties there were. As for the notion of shortening one's lifespan, it was irrelevant. After all, their own families had received ample care.
Even with the gunpowder barrels, they had lost over four thousand comrades in this battle!
In addition to the Jiangnan Iron Cavalry, an army of ten thousand from the Marquis of Dingguo's estate also arrived in Luzhou, taking over the defense of the city and repairing the city walls.
After handling his immediate military affairs, Ding Wuyi finally came to find Liang Xiao.
"Young Master Liang Er!"
In the courtyard, Ding Wuyi removed his mask, his expression somewhat urgent. He looked at Liang Xiao expectantly and asked, "Regarding the matter of the Heavenly General, can Young Master Liang Er explain it in detail..."
Liang Xiao smiled, "It's really hard to put into words, Eunuch Ding, I..."
Seeing Liang Xiao's hesitation, Ding Wuyi, who had been somewhat excited, regained his composure and sighed, "It's just that this humble servant is not a scholar and doesn't understand these intricacies. But this humble servant, like the master, trusts Young Master Liang Er completely. After all, the master cannot succeed without Young Master Liang Er..."
"Thank you for your understanding, Eunuch Ding!" Liang Xiao said gratefully.
Ding Wuyi then said, "But this humble servant still hopes that Young Master Liang Er will personally explain to the master upon returning to the capital. The master doesn't care about claims of overshadowing the emperor or impeachment from the court. Young Master Liang Er is most important to the master! If Young Master Liang Er truly harbored any rebellious intentions, he wouldn't have done all these things!"
Liang Xiao was taken aback, and nodded solemnly, "I will. After all, he is my Xiao Shuangzi."
Xiao Shuangzi? 138 Reading Network
Ding Wuyi finally smiled, "This humble servant truly looks forward to the master's reaction. Oh dear..."
Now, even if Liang Xiao said he wasn't the true Heavenly General, Ding Wuyi wouldn't believe him even if he were beaten to death.
Thinking of Xiao Qing's infatuated gaze towards Liang Xiao, Ding Wuyi almost couldn't help but chuckle.
Let the young people solve their own matters. This humble servant is only responsible for protecting the master from harm!
Beside him, Jian Qinwan silently stared at this senior Ding.
This senior Ding showed no trace of his usual sternness. Could he have been bewitched too?
Ding Wuyi realized his impropriety, his old face flushing. He coughed strategically, regaining his seriousness, "The gold is already on its way. Young Master Liang Er, please make arrangements as you see fit. Selecting the virtuous and appointing the capable is the immediate priority!"
Chen Shaoling reported, "Marquis Anguo, General Hengjiang and General Pingbei are here to visit!"
General Hengjiang Gongsun Dingjun brought General Pingbei Shi Liuyun to see Liang Xiao.
Upon seeing Shi Liuyun, Liang Xiao was also secretly amazed.
This person, though no older than thirty, had a head of white hair, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, exuding an extraordinary heroic spirit.
Shi Liuyun immediately cupped his fists and bowed, "I have long heard of Marquis Anguo's name. To see you today is a lifelong wish!"
"The name 'White-Haired Black Blade' is music to my ears," Liang Xiao returned the bow.
"Alas, it's just a false reputation. Compared to Marquis Anguo, it's not even worth a fart!" Shi Liuyun pouted.
"Liuyun, be serious!" Gongsun Dingjun couldn't help but reprimand him.
Shi Liuyun chuckled, regained his seriousness, and sighed, "I heard that the spirit of the Heavenly General was invited by Marquis Anguo. It's a pity I didn't get to see it with my own eyes."
"You want to spar with the Heavenly General, don't you?" Gongsun Dingjun couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"No, no, no, I know my own limitations! What warrior wouldn't want to see the Heavenly General with their own eyes and hear a few words from him?" Shi Liuyun quickly shook his head.
"Indeed," Gongsun Dingjun nodded, his face full of reverence.
Behind Liang Xiao, Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian secretly smiled.
You've been listening to his words all along!
Shi Liuyun and his companion simply asked Liang Xiao for advice on offering sacrifices to the fallen soldiers before they departed hand in hand.
In the carriage, Gongsun Dingjun saw Shi Liuyun frowning and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shi Liuyun finally spoke, "General Gongsun, since Marquis Anguo can draw the Setting Sun Bow, he cannot possibly be a simple scholar. Tell me, is it possible that Marquis Anguo is the Heavenly General himself?"
Gongsun Dingjun shivered violently and shook his head, "His build is very similar to the Heavenly General. That must have been the Heavenly General possessing him to manifest. But the voice is different! The Heavenly General's voice is bold and majestic, while his voice carries a hint of scholarly ease. Besides, he is Marquis Anguo. Who is Marquis Anguo? He is a scholar who will one day be deified. Where would he find the time to cultivate such peerless martial prowess as the Heavenly General?"
Shi Liuyun was speechless.
Liang Xiao did not leave Luzhou immediately. He had many things to do there.
In addition to the bookstore, he needed to recruit more scholars from Luzhou, with some staying in Luzhou to handle affairs and the rest brought back to the capital for cultivation.
Li Xiuyun and Zhuo Zifang also requested Liang Xiao to give a speech to the new recruits who were about to be recruited in Luzhou.
After this battle, Liang Xiao's status among the scholars of Luzhou had risen to an unimaginable height. Everyone eagerly signed up, hoping to be recruited by Liang Xiao.
Meanwhile, in a bamboo grove villa in the Great Liang Kingdom, through the projection on the screen, two women appeared to be playing Go.
"Sister Li Xin, your chess skills are not what they used to be," one of the women said with a smile.
Li Xin responded with emotion, "As a descendant of the Chess Saint, my skills are still less than a tenth of the Golden Ling Chess Immortal. Grandmother was indeed right in her judgment."
Just then, a maidservant hurried over from a distance to report, "Second Miss Zhuo, your Zhuo family members are here. They say Zhuo Lingjun requests you return to Jinling!"
"Tell him that I would rather hang myself here and starve to death in the Great Liang than return to get married!"