Chapter 10

Luoshixin, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin were all fond of drinking, and their alcohol tolerance was not small. A wineskin of wine was just enough to let them enjoy themselves, but not enough to get them drunk.

Cheng Yaojin had put in some effort in this regard. Although Li Shimin would not punish them with the cane for violating the alcohol ban in critical moments, if the three of them returned to the camp drunk, it would be a blatant disregard of military law. Even in extraordinary times, Li Shimin could not turn a blind eye.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three of them returned to the camp side by side.

Luoshixin remembered something and said, "Brothers, you go ahead. I need to find General Wang Jinkuo for something."

Qin Qiong said, "No need to go. Wang Jinkuo is still in bed."

Cheng Yaojin also said, "That bastard almost killed our little brother. How could we let him off? Brother Qin gave him a punch, and I kicked him. He's still in bed, unable to get up."

Luoshixin was taken aback and said, "Almost killed me?"

"Indeed," Cheng Yaojin said angrily. "He couldn't hold the city of Ming Shui, and His Highness ordered him to retreat, handing over the defense to you. That bastard, fearing for his life, pulled out all the defending troops. If not for that, with our skills, the battle wouldn't have been so tough."

Luoshixin was stunned for a moment before he finally understood, unraveling the mystery that had puzzled him for a long time.

In fact, when reading historical records, Luoshixin had always been skeptical about the historical Luoshixin's death, feeling that it was as if he was courting death.

The historical process was as follows: Wang Jinkuo first led 1,500 elite troops and 500 surrendered soldiers to defend Ming Shui. Due to the fierce attack by the Haneast army, Wang Jinkuo could not hold the city, so Li Shimin replaced him. Then, Luoshixin volunteered for the task, leading 200 men to take over the defense from Wang Jinkuo.

Wang Jinkuo, though not as brave as Luoshixin, was still a fierce general. He could not hold the city with 2,000 troops, yet Luoshixin took over with just 200 men. What was the difference between this and courting death?

It turned out that Li Shimin's original intention was for Wang Jinkuo to lead his personal guards to break through the encirclement, while Luoshixin would lead his personal guards into the city. However, Wang Jinkuo, fearing for his life, pulled out all 1,300 defending troops under his command, leaving only 200 surrendered soldiers to Luoshixin, thus creating the crisis in Ming Shui.

If Wang Jinkuo had left 1,000 elite Tang troops to Luoshixin, Luoshixin would not have been in such a dire situation.

The current Luoshixin, though inheriting everything from the historical Luoshixin, was ultimately dominated by his own body, with some individual memories missing. Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin would not forget, but Wang Jinkuo, a despicable person, was not in Luoshixin's memory.

Luoshixin said, "Since the two of you have avenged me, I won't hold a grudge. I have another matter to attend to. I have my eye on a junior officer under his command and want to take him."

"Such a trivial matter!" Cheng Yaojin sneered. "Just send a small soldier to say it. If he dares to refuse, I'll come and deal with him again. His place is too dirty to walk through. What's the name of that junior officer?"

"Mo Hu'er!"

Cheng Yaojin casually gave the order, but his tone was full of disdain for Wang Jinkuo.

Wang Jinkuo was a despicable person, a despicable person to the core.

Words like ungrateful, treacherous, and unfaithful fit him perfectly.

Wang Jinkuo grew up poor and was raised by his uncle and aunt, making a living by selling horses. However, he had a bad character and often stole, causing trouble in the village. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, Wang Jinkuo planned to gather troops and become a bandit, but his uncle disagreed. Wang Jinkuo then came up with a clever plan to frame his neighbor for having an affair with his aunt, and together with his uncle, he killed the neighbor, achieving his goal.

Then Wang Jinkuo became a bandit, raiding everywhere. The governor of Hedong, Ding Rong, came to suppress him, and Wang Jinkuo agreed to surrender. But he turned around and dealt a fatal blow to Ding Rong. He then encountered Song Laosheng, and unable to defeat him, he surrendered again, talking across the ravine and pleading for mercy. Song Laosheng, moved, let his guard down, and Wang Jinkuo took the opportunity to escape. The Li Tang regime recruited Wang Jinkuo, who first agreed but then stole their grain and surrendered to the Wagangzhai. He stayed there for less than a month before surrendering to the Li Tang again.

He betrayed and switched sides repeatedly, relying on his Oscar-worthy acting skills and considerable abilities, gradually rising in status and position.

When Cheng Yaojin's subordinate found Wang Jinkuo, he was still in bed, groaning softly. Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin had hit him hard, with the former breaking two of his ribs and the latter injuring his internal organs. He could not get out of bed, and even breathing was painful.

Wang Jinkuo, enduring the pain, sat up and forced a smile, saying, "I wonder what General Cheng has to teach me!" He was a good actor, and even though he hated them to death, he still wore a friendly smile. Just like when Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin beat him, he wanted to tear them apart, but in front of Li Shimin, he acted extremely magnanimous, pretending nothing had happened, turning big matters into small ones and small ones into nothing.

He knew that in Li Shimin's heart, he was far inferior to Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin. A gentleman might wait ten years to take revenge, but a despicable person would not rush.

Cheng Yaojin's subordinate was not as "rude" as Cheng Yaojin, and being from a noble family, he was very polite, explaining the purpose of his visit.

Wang Jinkuo agreed without a word, feeling ashamed. "Please tell General Luoshixin that I, Wang Jinkuo, am not a coward. It was a mistake in recognizing His Highness's flag that put General Luoshixin in danger. Once I recover, I will come to apologize."

Watching the subordinate leave, Wang Jinkuo's smile vanished, and he clenched his fists, thinking about how Li Shimin personally went to Ming Shui to bring Luoshixin back. This should have been his treatment, but it was taken by that fool.

How hateful, how despicable.

"Luoshixin, we have a grudge now."

The mentality of a despicable person is incomprehensible to normal people.

Luoshixin had not offended Wang Jinkuo, but in Wang Jinkuo's eyes, Luoshixin's survival and his defeat of Liu Heita were an offense to him.

What Wang Jinkuo could not achieve with 2,000 men, Luoshixin accomplished with just 200 elite troops and 200 surrendered soldiers. Wasn't this making him look incompetent?

Why could Luoshixin do it, and why didn't he die?

Jealousy and resentment surged in his heart.

Wang Jinkuo lay in bed, thinking of ways to deal with Luoshixin, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin.

Luoshixin was truly a victim of a false accusation, and for no apparent reason. But he did not take Wang Jinkuo seriously.

Luoshixin, with Wang Jinkuo's consent, arranged for Mo Hu'er to join his personal guard as a leader. Li Shimin promptly provided him with 1,000 troops to replenish his forces and train them for the upcoming decisive battle.

Luoshixin enjoyed the taste of being a general, and in the following days, he enthusiastically trained his troops, finding it particularly satisfying.

He was not particularly interested in the upcoming decisive battle; what he wanted was the top credit!