In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 889 - 894: Everyone Has Weaknesses!

Chapter 889: Chapter 894: Everyone Has Weaknesses!

Since those people failed to find Su Pan’er and the others, it means that Pan’er and the rest must have escaped this calamity!

Ever since Qin Zitong and Qin Ru were held captive, Qin Hong had been actively leading his people, fighting their way toward Shengjing.

Meanwhile, Qin Yi’s troops, not to be outdone, followed closely behind in pursuit. Both sides fought several battles, suffering casualties on both ends. However, when they attacked Xiangyang City, they ran into stubborn resistance from Hea Gong, an old subordinate of Qin Zitong.

Hea Gong had been a follower of Qin Zitong since the days he was Prince Xuan, loyally serving him. When Qin Zitong succeeded in forcing the Emperor to abdicate and ascended the throne, Hea Gong exerted even greater efforts. Later, when Qin Zitong assigned him to Xiangyang City, it was with the intention of having Hea Gong guard the last line of defense leading to Shengjing!

Hea Gong did not disappoint Qin Zitong’s great trust, having been defending Xiangyang City all these years without a moment of slack.

Even now, with Qin Zitong and Qin Ru captured, he had no intention of surrendering whatsoever.

This really gave Qin Yi a headache.

Qin Yi had been discussing with his aides how to breach Xiangyang City when he learned of the disaster that had befallen Taohua Valley.

"Xiangyang City has historically been surrounded by water on three sides with a mountain on the fourth, positioned in a perilously strategic location. Not to mention the solid and meticulously constructed walls, plus high and deep fortifications that make it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It has always been dubbed ’ironclad Xiangyang’, known as the top fortress. To try to conquer Xiangyang City with external forces, I’m afraid, is next to impossible!"

The aides all nodded in agreement, sharing their views one after another.

"Right now, Qin Hong is traveling from Longxing Mansion through Xingning Prefecture towards Shengjing. The route seems longer than the one we’re taking. Yet Xingning Prefecture is originally Qin Hong’s stronghold; at most, it would cost his army three months more time than ours to successfully reach Shengjing. Although our route is shorter, if we can’t reach Shengjing ahead of him within three months, things will become difficult."

"If we can successfully seize Xiangyang City, we won’t have to worry about supplies anymore. Moreover, if we march north to Shengjing from Xiangyang City, this fortress becomes even more important and cannot be taken lightly."

"I still think that undermining Xiangyang from within is the right approach. It would be even better if Hea Gong would surrender of his own accord!"

"But how can we convince Hea Gong?"

...

Convince him?

This question hit the nail on the head, and everyone exchanged glances. They all invariably turned to look at Qin Yi seated in the place of honor.

Qin Yi furrowed his brow, deep in thought. Upon hearing this, he looked at the crowd, "Is there anything about Hea Gong’s background that we can exploit?

A Deputy General from the lower end of the table stood up: "Hea Gong is indeed faithfully devoted to Qin Zitong, and all these years only a wife bestowed by Qin Zitong himself has been by his side. That lady bore him a son and a daughter. It is rumored that after Qin Zitong was captured, to prevent anyone from using his family to threaten him, Hea Gong had a meal of fine wine and dishes prepared, personally seeing his wife and children off. Hence..."

Qin Yi’s brows tightened instantly, a flash of Killing Intent suddenly appearing in his eyes before quickly fading away.

"So-called tiger poison doesn’t eat its young! A man with a heart so tough, so ruthless, so cruel, who can even abandon his own wife and children is no longer human. Even if he has any weaknesses, I’m afraid it will be difficult!"

The crowd nodded in agreement.

"However, as long as he’s human, he has weaknesses."

Qin Yi tapped the table lightly, let out a cold laugh, "Isn’t he devoted to Qin Zitong? Perhaps we can exploit this angle."

"How shall we exploit it?"

Everyone’s hearts were immediately caught in suspense.

"That’s easy; we just need to do it like this..."

Qin Yi swiftly articulated his thoughts, his eyes glimmering with a flash of insight before returning to calm.

Listening, the crowd continually nodded their heads, praising Qin Yi’s strategy: "My lord, this is an excellent plan! As long as Hea Gong takes the bait, why worry about Xiangyang City’s defenses not crumbling!"

Everyone once again praised in unison.

"There’s time to discuss these things after the matter is accomplished."

Qin Yi waved his hand, signaling everyone to prepare on their own.

When only he and Old Cheng remained in the main tent, he brought up another matter, "Isn’t it said by everyone that He Gong personally hastened his wife and children on their journey ahead of time? I, however, feel there might be some doubt to this matter."

"Your Majesty means..."

Old Cheng appeared somewhat undecided.

"Yes, that’s what I mean."

Qin Yi nodded, "Although everyone says so, there were no witnesses when He Gong poisoned his wife and children. With such intricacies, how could others know? Old Cheng, can you find someone to thoroughly investigate this and discern the true from the false?"

"Your Majesty can entrust this matter to me with confidence; I will certainly report back to you as quickly as possible."

Old Cheng assured him while patting his chest.

"That would be best."

Qin Yi knew very well in his heart—the ingenuity of the array formation within the underground passages of the Bai Residence in Changze County he and Pan’er had followed Old Cheng into.

It was an improved version of the Nine Halls-Eight Trigrams Array Formation. It was based on the twelve hours of the day and then shifted according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. It seemed like there was no way out, but in fact, there were eighty-one exits, each being a way out.

With so many exits, which one led where, and was there an exit that led inside Xiangyang City itself? Qin Yi was constantly mulling over this in his mind.

He had some ideas in mind and always felt that to clarify this matter, he probably needed to rely on Old Cheng. Even though he knew that Old Cheng had the answers, he had never taken the initiative to ask.

Now, with heavy troops guarding Xiangyang City, making it easy to defend but hard to attack, and yet Old Cheng had boldly promised to give him an answer soon.

Could it be that he also had the underground array formation in mind?

Qin Yi’s thoughts were hard to break off, and as he was brooding, he received news that Taohua Valley had been raided.

"There were people in the valley who hid and survived, and they were the ones who sent the news here. They didn’t find the lady and Old Xue, so they must have escaped successfully."

Old Cheng, speaking of the news that came with the letter, couldn’t help but lament, "The lady and the young lady have their own divine protection! Having no news of them now is in fact the best news!"

"Although that’s the case, I’m still worried about their safety. She’s carrying a child right now. It’s all my fault; it must have been my last visit to Taohua Valley that led those people to trace and discover its location, bringing harm upon them!"

Qin Yi, holding the letter, almost squeezed water from it!

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. The lady is skilled in turning the bitterest days into sweetness. I’m sure she can overcome a little difficulty like this, especially with Old Cheng by her side. Besides, with her abilities, it would be difficult for ordinary people to get close to her!"

Old Cheng’s rough but sensible words eased some of the worry in Qin Yi’s heart.

"You’re right, Pan’er indeed has that ability!"

He laughed proudly!

His Pan’er was naturally the best!

Now, with war erupting everywhere, he really couldn’t be in two places at once, but he still dispatched troops to search for Pan’er and others’ whereabouts, while at the same time ordering people to rebuild Taohua Valley.