LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 63 - 63 Tower Master Zhou, there's no need for courtesy i
Chapter 63: Chapter 63 Tower Master Zhou, there’s no need for courtesy i
Translator: 549690339
Lu Chen stared at the parchment in his hands, remaining silent for almost a quarter of an hour.
This was the real crisis he had faced since arriving in North City.
In fact, if he could not withstand the Barbarian Tribe’s attack when the time came and simply abandoned his fief to return to the Capital, he would at most be punished, but not to the point of death.
However, once he actively abandoned his fief and fled alone to the Capital, his reputation as a Prince would genuinely plummet, to the point of being irrecoverable.
A prince who abandons his people and his territory would be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.
But if he didn’t leave, he would have to face a very real problem.
Thirty thousand against three hundred thousand, how would he fight!
And it was infantry against cavalry, no less!
North City had thirteen counties, exactly thirteen fortresses, which thirty thousand soldiers could not possibly defend.
Moreover, it was difficult for him to know from which direction the barbarians would attack.
Seeing that Lu Chen had been silent all this time, Qin Yushan didn’t speak either, simply standing quietly by Lu Chen’s side.
For a moment, the study was so quiet it was frightening, with even the sound of a mosquito seeming particularly loud.
At this moment, Lu Chen’s thoughts turned to the 122mm howitzer. Two hundred 122mm howitzers could indeed play some role.
Moreover, the people of this world had never witnessed such terrifying weapons of mass destruction, so it could catch the enemy by surprise.
But the key issue was that the cavalry was dispersed and highly mobile. What if the enemy, seeing these terrifying weapons in his hands, simply turned tail and ran away?
At this thought, Lu Chen was momentarily startled.
Wait… Wasn’t he worried about how to defend North City? Why was he now concerned that the Barbarian Tribe might run away…
Thinking this, Lu Chen’s lips involuntarily curled into a slight, devilish smile.
If it were possible to gather all three hundred thousand cavalry in one place, perhaps thirty thousand fighting three hundred thousand wouldn’t be impossible?
But would the barbarians be that cooperative?
The Barbarian Tribe deploying so many cavalry at once would certainly divide their forces; they wouldn’t attack a single fortress with three hundred thousand soldiers.
Unless there was a place, or something, capable of attracting them to attack with all three hundred thousand cavalry at once.
After thinking for a while, Lu Chen felt he was not cut out for waging war; professional matters should still be left to professionals.
Thinking by himself here, he might not come up with a good strategy even after a long time.
He had not been to a battlefield in his previous life, and had not fought a war in this one; imagining scenarios here was of little use.
No matter how much he thought, it would just be armchair strategizing.
With this in mind, Lu Chen said to Qin Yushan, “Tomorrow morning, summon the important generals of North City and the Prefecture Governor to the Prince’s Mansion.”
Qin Yushan immediately understood Lu Chen’s intention; Lu Chen was apparently planning to gather them first to discuss countermeasures, and then make a decision.
Meanwhile.
Hundred Flowers Tower.
The fragrance-filled room, a graceful figure flickered in and out of visibility. Wang Qingci was bathing in a tub when a maidservant spoke from behind a curtain, “Tower Master, people from Blood Moon Tower have arrived.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qingci immediately rose from the tub, droplets of water gliding down her fair, jade-like body as she emerged like a lotus rising above the water.
After dressing, Wang Qingci went to the third floor pavilion of Hundred Flowers Tower.
At that time, a young man in white was standing at the railing, gazing in the direction of North Prince Mansion.
This scene reminded Wang Qingci of someone—the former Vice Tower Master of Blood Moon Tower, who also seemed to enjoy standing there, overlooking the Prince’s Mansion.
Entering the pavilion, Wang Qingci promptly said, “Vice Tower Master Zhou, you have finally arrived. I have been longing to leave this accursed place, Yan County.”
The youth in white turned to look at Wang Qingci, a faint smile on his face, “Miss Wang, you have worked hard.”
Zhou Hanwen, unlike the hall master of Blood Moon Tower, was dressed in white, appearing as nothing more than a refined gentleman, seemingly a delicate scholar.
But he was far from weak; he was a genuine Grandmaster.
Zhou Hanwen then asked, “Miss Wang, I’ve heard that North Prince Mansion is looking to take in concubines. Is there any truth to this?”
Wang Qingci replied, “Indeed, there is such a matter. But why ask this, Vice Tower Master Zhou? Do you plan to send a female assassin to infiltrate the Prince’s Mansion and kill the North Prince?”
At this, a bitter smile crossed Wang Qingci’s face, feigning an unwillingness to recall something as she spoke, “Vice Tower Master Zhou, if you intend to do so, I advise against it. Chu Yuqin is already a Half-step Grandmaster and accompanies the North Prince every day. She even listens from outside when the North Prince shares his chamber with his wives and concubines.”
“If it is simply a matter of sending a female assassin near the North Prince, 1 fear she would be discovered by Chu Yuqin before even getting close to him.” “Originally, the assassins from our Hundred Flowers Tower were wiped out by Chu Yuqin alone. I suspect she might become a Grandmaster in a few years.” Hearing Wang Qingci’s words, Zhou Hanwen’s frown deepened slightly, “I indeed considered sending a female assassin to approach the North Prince just now, but after hearing what you’ve said, it seems that if we want to kill the North Prince, we must lure him out.”
“Ideally, we should separate him from that Mysterious Grandmaster.”
At this, Zhou Hanwen’s eyebrows relaxed again, and he stared at Wang Qingci with a smile, “Miss Wang, I’ve heard the North Prince is quite lecherous; has he shown any interest in you?”
Wang Qingci replied, “The North Prince has indeed been coveting my body, and for the mission’s sake, I’ve been leading him on. If Vice Tower Master Zhou needs my help, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Zhou Hanwen said, “Then I must trouble Miss Wang to lead the North Prince here to Hundred Flowers Tower. That should increase our chances of successfully assassinating him.”
Wang Qingci said, “That shouldn’t be a problem, but even if I get him to come here alone, 1 fear that the Mysterious Grandmaster and Chu Yuqin will still follow him.”
Zhou Hanwen said with a smile, “If we can draw those two out of the Prince’s Mansion, that would be even better news for our Blood Moon Tower.”
“I want to prepare a surprise for the North Prince.”
Zhou Hanwen was not one for rigid thinking; avenging himself against the North Prince didn’t necessarily mean having to kill him immediately.
If they could draw out the two Mysterious Grandmasters and Chu Yuqin, Blood Moon Tower could massacre the inhabitants of the Prince’s Mansion. He wanted the North Prince to witness the corpses of his wives and concubines with his own eyes.
Moreover, Blood Moon Tower had come to North City with another important objective: to acquire scented soaps and their production methods.
With the Mysterious Grandmaster lured away, they would have ample time to steal the methods of making the North Prince Mansion’s scented soaps.
In Zhou Hanwen’s view at this time, there was just one slightly formidable Grandmaster in North Prince Mansion. Without that Grandmaster, the North Prince Mansion was like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
At that moment, the corners of Wang Qingci’s lips curled up slightly, forming a faint arc as she said with a hint of a smile, “In that case, I will have the North Prince come to Hundred Flowers Tower tonight.”
Hearing Wang Qingci’s words, Zhou Hanwen replied politely, “Then I must trouble Miss Wang.”
Wang Qingci responded, “There’s no need for courtesy, Vice Tower Master Zhou; this is my duty..”