Clan Building System: I'm not the Protagonist?!-Chapter 272- Qin Camp [1]

A mountain away from Coldwind City, within the Qin army encampment—

One of the war tent was currently heavy with tension.

At the center sat the King of Qin, clad in full armor, his presence was like a looming storm.

Cold, unwavering eyes swept the chamber, while the dim firelight flickered across the steel plates of his armor, making him appear even more menacing.

By his side stood his generals, their hands folded respectfully behind their backs.

Spread across the wide oak table before them was a map of Coldwind City.

Small white terracotta warriors, each carefully carved, marked the positions of Qin’s forces.

In contrast, crude red terracotta figures represented the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, clustered both within and around Coldwind City like a tightening noose.

A general finally broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, the Fang family still stands strong against the Azure phoenix. Should we dispatch our troops to aid them?"

The words landed like stones in a pond. Immediately, the other generals turned their heads, their gazes sharp with disbelief and thinly veiled contempt.

Another general rose slightly from his seat, his tone cutting.

"General Ming, perhaps you would explain why we should risk our lives for a clan that has done nothing but mock the royal family. Have you forgotten? They kidnapped the Third Princess, and if that insult was not enough, they dared to raid the Crown Prince’s mansion."

His voice dropped lower, weighted with scorn.

"When the Crown Prince himself went to the Fang family to demand an explanation, he was answered not with reason... but with death."

The tent fell silent again, only the faint crackle of the brazier filling the void.

The King’s armored fingers drummed once against the table before curling back around the cup of tea before him.

Steam coiled lazily from the porcelain, the only softness in the room.

He had wrapped the Crown Prince’s invasion well enough.

The tale spread was simple: the prince had gone merely to demand an answer for the raid upon his mansion.

He was painted as a noble son, gentle and benevolent, who wished to go alone, yet his loyal soldiers, fearful for his safety, insisted on accompanying him.

And in the end, their caution proved correct. The Fang family revealed their true colors. Savages, through and through.

As for him he played the part of an aggrieved father, turning the Fang family’s brutality into a rallying cry for the realm.

To the people, he was not a ruler covering a blundered strike, but a father wronged.

They did not or could not see the strike that had been miscalculated. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He sipped slowly, the tea touching his lips like a calm counterpoint to the storm within.

Then he set the cup down with a faint clink and let his voice roll across the chamber, cold and measured.

"General Ming... what General Zhou has said is correct."

His gaze swept over the gathered men like the edge of a blade.

"The Azure Phoenix Kingdom may be our enemy, but even an enemy hold to morals. The Fang family, however..." He paused, the disdain in his tone sharpening. "They are not worthy of their name. Barbarians. Pretenders. They need to pay for the crime of killing a royalty in cold blood."

His words hung heavy in the tent, leaving the generals staring at the map with renewed hostility.

The King leaned back in his chair, armored plates whispering against each other.

His fingers traced the rim of his teacup before he finally spoke, his tone deliberate, almost leisurely.

"Tell me, my generals... why must we always stain our blades when another hand is willing to do it for us?"

He tapped a finger against the map, right where Coldwind City lay suffocated between red terracotta markers.

"The Azure Phoenix Kingdom has already sunk its teeth into the Fang family. Let them gnaw on that bone. We will wait, watch, and when the time comes..." His voice lowered, steady as iron. "...we strike."

The generals exchanged glances but remained silent, their eyes fixed on the king’s hand as it hovered over the board.

The King let out a faint chuckle, the sound sharp and knowing.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," he quoted, his words hanging in the smoky air.

"The Azure Phoenix believes themselves the hunter... but when they exhaust themselves against the Fang barrier, when they spill their blood on Coldwind’s walls, we shall descend. The oriole will feast, and no one will sing for the mantis."

He pushed one of the terracotta warriors forward with a deliberate scrape.

"Let them bleed each other dry. We need only be patient. And patience," he sipped from his cup again, eyes narrowing behind his helm, "is the sharpest weapon in a king’s hand."

The tent filled with a tense silence before it cracked into murmurs of awe.

One by one, the generals straightened their backs, their gazes burning with admiration.

"Brilliant, Your Majesty," General Zhou declared, striking his fist to his chest.

"To be able to still think with such clarity despite being in grief, only a true sovereign can achieve something like this and wield patience like a blade."

General Ming quickly followed, his earlier hesitation swept away. "Yes! Let the Azure Phoenix bleed themselves hollow against the Fang dogs. When they are crippled, Your Majesty shall claim both the city and the glory with a single strike. Truly, wisdom beyond mortal men!"

Another general leaned forward, voice trembling with zeal. "The chronicles will remember this as a masterpiece of strategy. A king who need not waste soldiers, yet conquers with inevitability, this is the mark of Heaven’s chosen!"

One after another, the voices swelled in chorus, showering praise upon their sovereign:

"Unmatched foresight!"

"Truly, the Azure Phoenix and the Fang clan are but pawns in Your Majesty’s game!"

"With this plan, the Qin dynasty shall rise to heights unseen in a thousand years!"

The King said nothing at first, simply letting their fervor wash over him. His lips curved into the faintest smile, cold and imperious.

He placed his cup down with a soft clink, and the sound silenced the room instantly.

"Enough," he said, though his tone carried satisfaction.

"Your tongues need not gild what is already truth. Remember your places. The time to sing my name will be when Coldwind City kneels beneath our banners."

The generals bowed deeply, their voices echoing in unison.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The King’s gaze returned to the map, his fingers resting lightly on the terracotta pieces.