Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 1101: Something’s Wrong

Longshan Prefecture is the first frontier city in the Northwest. Beyond Longshan Prefecture lies the Longshan Mountain, which stretches between Great Chu and Da Rong, giving the prefecture its name.

If the Rongshan Gang raids the prefecture, their first target would be Longshan Prefecture.

But if the Rongshan Gang really raids Longshan Prefecture, it would be a public slap in the face to the Northwest Army!

Since the Northwest Army is closest to Longshan Prefecture, and many generals’ families live here, they essentially built their camp around Longshan Prefecture.

If the heavily guarded Longshan Prefecture can be raided by the Rongshan Gang, then the Northwest Army is truly beyond salvation.

General Guo knew that Qin San Lang’s father and uncles were all in the Northwest Army, and his family came from the Northwest Longshan Prefecture. The news was hard for him to accept.

But he did not want to deceive Qin San Lang, so he had to tell him the truth: "The Da Rong people are brave and fierce, and they look down on Great Chu. When the generals from the Duke Wei lineage were guarding the Northwest, it was alright. But since the National Duke’s family... was killed for rebellion, and new generals replaced them, the Da Rong people frequently raid villages and counties in the Northwest. The Rongshan Gang probably thinks the Northwest Army is too weak, which is why they dare to raid the prefecture."

Qin San Lang asked urgently, "Did the Rongshan Gang succeed in the raid?!"

His voice was anxious, causing General Guo to be taken aback. It was the first time the child was so anxious, and he nodded, "They succeeded, but the Northwest Army quickly arrived, and the Rongshan Gang didn’t profit much before retreating."

However...

"Longshan Prefecture is no longer a safe haven for the generals’ families; they have moved to the safer Long’an Prefecture."

This was exactly where Gu Jinli’s family lived, their old hometown in the Northwest prefecture.

"Ha, they are really good at finding places for their families to avoid military disaster!" Qin San Lang felt a surge of disgust, almost sick with nausea.

Suppressing the nausea in his chest, he pondered General Guo’s words and soon noticed something amiss: "General, the Rongshan Gang’s raid on the prefecture, there’s something wrong. Though the Rongshan Gang has connections with the Da Rong Army, they usually only dare to commit crimes in villages and towns. At most, they would occasionally raid a county; raiding the prefecture is beyond their courage and capability... There must be Da Rong Army people mixed in the Rongshan Gang."

General Guo was filled with alarm upon hearing this and quickly asked, "What do you mean? Are you suggesting that the real attackers are the Da Rong Army and the Rongshan Gang’s raid was merely a probe of Longshan Prefecture’s defenses?"

Qin San Lang nodded, "Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. If I’m correct, after the Rongshan Gang’s raid, the Da Rong Army will launch a large-scale attack on Longshan Prefecture in the near future... Longshan Prefecture is in grave danger."

With a loud crash, Vice General Lan lost his footing, collapsing to the ground: "The, the Da Rong people want to attack Longshan Prefecture? What should we do? We must quickly report to the Capital, or Longshan Prefecture will be done for!"

General Guo was also frightened, standing up from his chair and shouting outside, "Quick, call the messenger over! I need to send a message to the Jianghuai Commandery officers!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I’ll go call them now." Vice General Lan darted out like an arrow and soon returned with the messenger.

General Guo quickly wrote the letter, detailing the events clearly. He then sealed it with wax and stamped it with his seal before handing it to the messenger: "Deliver this within two days."

"Yes!" The messenger took the letter and immediately rode off.

General Guo then said to Vice General Lan, "You personally escort Xiao Youzi to the Jianghuai Commandery; the officers there will surely want to interrogate him personally."

Escorting a prisoner surely wouldn’t be as fast as a messenger. General Guo’s intention was for the officers to learn of the matter quickly, then report to the Capital, so the Capital could quickly notify the Northwest and allow Longshan Prefecture to escape a crisis.

But General Guo’s efforts were in vain. By the time his letter arrived, the news of the Da Rong Army’s attack on Longshan Prefecture and the raid on the prefecture had already reached the Jianghuai Commandery.

The officers in the Jianghuai Commandery saw General Guo’s letter and immediately burned it, dismissing General Guo as causing unnecessary trouble. That was a Northwest issue and had nothing to do with Jianghuai.

Moreover, since the event had occurred, reporting it to the Capital wouldn’t enhance their image, but would instead upset the Emperor, embarrassing the Northwest Army.

The peaceful days in Jianghuai weren’t problematic, so why involve themselves in the Northwest mess?

Therefore, the officers in the Jianghuai Commandery didn’t report the incident but acted as if they knew nothing. They even executed Xiao Youzi to erase all traces.

Finally, they told the bewildered Vice General Lan, "Relay a verbal message to General Guo, telling him he did well, but we should only focus on our own responsibilities and ignore everything else to avoid trouble."

They specifically advised Vice General Lan, "You may be straightforward but you’re not stupid, so don’t do foolish things."

Vice General Lan might be boisterous and appear rough, but his position as the vice general in the prefecture’s garrison army showed he wasn’t a fool and understood some things, knowing the officers were right.

The events had already transpired; if they informed the Capital, instead of earning recognition, they would invite trouble. If the officials in the Capital distrusted them, suspecting their connections to Xiao Youzi, the entire Jianghuai government army would be implicated. So it’s best to feign ignorance. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Yes." Vice General Lan reluctantly agreed.

The officers were satisfied, praising their success in bandit suppression.

...

Meanwhile, unknowing of these developments, Qin San Lang remained worried in General Guo’s tent.

General Guo said, "Don’t worry, even if the Northwest Army has changed, they won’t be that bad; Longshan Prefecture won’t fall."

He added, "It’s getting late; you should pack up and head home. In a few days, you’ll have your big day, one you’ve waited two or three years for, so it should be joyously arranged."

Everyone knew about Qin San Lang’s affection for a girl with the surname Gu and often teased him about it.

Qin San Lang didn’t want the Northwest issue to affect his engagement ceremony, he cupped his hands and said, "Certainly, I’ll be heading home now. Thank you, General, for your compassion in granting me leave."

County Magistrate Zheng promised him five days off, and General Guo gave him five more, granting him ten days to accompany Xiao Yu. Thinking of this improved Qin San Lang’s mood.

Guo Qiang mimicked Qin San Lang’s gesture to General Guo, apologizing, "General, I will take my leave as well. Take care of yourself, and I’ll bring you celebratory wine and sweets when I return."

General Guo, seeing his silly son emulating Qin San Lang, felt exasperated, "Tch, you brat, looking for a beating? Think you’re a soldier in our camp? Get lost quickly, remember to listen to San Lang and don’t make trouble."