Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 1: The Banquet at Han Mansion Ends in Displeasure

The spring breeze blows the willows, the fragrance of herbs is faint, the crescent moon is shy, and the stars are bright. The South Gate Street in Handan City is a wide street that leads directly to the palace. There are few pedestrians on the street, and the lights in the houses are dim. Occasionally, there are a few restaurants with the sound of zithers and musical instruments, and it is deserted.

There was a very ordinary mansion on the side of the street, but the front door was crowded with people, and carriages were parked on both sides. Obviously, many dignitaries had come. The gate of the mansion was built very ordinary, but the door was very wide, without a threshold, which was convenient for the carriage to travel. If it were not for the wooden plaque on the door engraved with four large gold-painted characters "Wu'an Jun Mansion", it would be hard to imagine that this was the mansion of the great general of the State of Zhao, Wu'an Jun Li Mu.

Li Mu has spent most of his life in military service, never seeking fame and always being loyal. He attacked the Xiongnu in the north, destroyed the Qiang La, defeated the Donghu, and conquered Wusui and Fangcheng of Yan State. He had outstanding military exploits and often used the rewards he received to reward the soldiers who had fought with him for many years. Not long ago, he defeated the Qin army in Feicheng. Today, he returned triumphantly and the King of Zhao moved him to be the Marquis of Wu'an. Li Mu hosted a banquet to entertain the ministers and soldiers who came to congratulate him.

Colorful lanterns were hung high in the courtyard, and guests and servants were sitting on the ground in gorgeous clothes. Li Mu was dressed in gorgeous clothes and foreign clothing, with sword-like eyebrows and a face as sharp as a knife. He sat in the main seat, clinking glasses, drinking and chatting, and accepting the guests' congratulations.

When they were in high spirits, a burly general stood up, holding a big bowl in his hand, tears in his eyes, and said loudly: "In the Battle of Changping, our Zhao State lost 400,000 soldiers, leaving nine out of ten houses empty, and all the villages were left alone. The people of Zhao cried, the people of Qin laughed, and the land was covered with hair. This was a great shame and humiliation. Now General Li is leading us to kill 100,000 Qin soldiers to avenge our previous humiliation. It is really gratifying. I would like to offer a bowl of wine to General Li!" After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp. This burly man was Sima Shang, a general of the Zhao State who fought with Li Mu.

Li Mu drank the strong liquor, stood up and said sadly: "Although I killed 100,000 enemies today, I only avenged General Hu, but I did not kill Qin General Huan Xi, who escaped. How can I quell the shame brought by the Battle of Changping? I am really unworthy of the king's favor and the title of Wu'an Jun!"

A handsome military officer opposite Sima Shang smiled and said, "Mr. Wu'an, don't be too modest. I dare to ask which general in the world can defeat the fierce Qin army. Our king is wise and employs virtuous people. This is well deserved. Zhao has General Li, which is a blessing for the people and Zhao. Mr. Wu'an is responsible for the revival of Zhao. If you continue to attack Qin, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Li Mu bowed and said, "I will remember General Zhao's heroic spirit. However, our Zhao country has been at war for years and the people are living in misery. If we want to attack Qin, it will be like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth. We must defend our land and recuperate until our army is strong and powerful. Only then will we be able to return our land to us!"

Sima Shang drank another bowl of wine by himself and sneered, "Some people are like urinals with gold rims, with good mouths, but they are scared to death when they see the flag of the Qin army!" After hearing this, everyone laughed. They all knew that Zhao Cong knew nothing about leading troops. He should have led the troops to support General Hu, but he retreated in the middle of the battle, causing General Hu to fight alone and die on the battlefield. Instead of punishing him, the King of Zhao put all the blame on Hu Zhe and commended Zhao Cong for this.

Hearing Sima Shang's sarcastic remarks, Zhao Cong's face turned pale. He glared at Sima Shang and said, "If I hadn't preserved the strength of Zhao, how would you have the soldiers to attack Qin? Are you going to let the entire Zhao army die under the powerful crossbows of the Qin army?" After saying that, he threw the wine cup hard on the table.

At this time, the dark-skinned young man next to Sima Shang laughed and said, "General Zhao is a man who knows shame and then becomes brave, and who endures humiliation and bears heavy burdens. I admire his broad mind. Let me offer a toast to General Zhao!" As soon as these words came out, everyone laughed again.

After hearing this, Zhao Cong angrily said, "Li Zhong, you are disrespectful and arrogant. If it weren't for General Li's favor, I would have taken you to see the king today!"

Li Zhong chuckled and said, "You're right. In my eyes, there is no such person as you who only knows how to flatter others!" Seeing this, everyone stopped laughing immediately.

Zhao Cong was furious when he heard this. He stood up, drew his sword, pointed it at Li Zhong, and shouted angrily: "If I don't kill you today, I will never be able to relieve the hatred in my heart!"

When Li Zhong saw Zhao Cong draw his sword, he also drew his sword and said loudly: "Zhao Cong, I have disliked you for a long time. Today I will chop off both of your legs and make you run away from now on!"

Li Zhong was the most powerful general under Li Mu. He was not afraid of death, so how could he be afraid of Zhao Cong's threat? He suddenly became angry and nervous.

Li Mu shouted angrily, "How dare you! Tonight is a thank-you banquet. How dare you be so rude, Li Zhong!" He stepped forward to apologize to Zhao Cong, saying, "General Zhao, please calm down. I failed to teach my son well. I apologize to you!" He turned to Li Zhong and shouted angrily, "You evil creature! Why don't you apologize to General Zhao!"

Li Zhong glared for a long time, then gave up and walked to Zhao Cong indignantly, turning his head and said, "I was drunk and talked nonsense, and offended General Zhao. I hope you will forgive me!" Zhao Cong still pointed his sword at Li Zhong and stared at him coldly without saying a word.

Sima Shang cursed at the side: "Damn it, why didn't you take it out on me? Don't refuse a toast and then drink a forfeit. If you want to leave, get out now and don't let me be an eyesore!"

Li Mu shouted, "Shut up!" He said to Li Zhong, "You are speaking foul language. Kneel down and apologize!"

Li Zhong was so angry that his veins popped up. He knelt on the ground with a "thump". The two bricks under his knees were shattered. He said, "I spoke dirty words. I hope the general will forgive me!"

Li Zhong was a boy under the age of fifteen who was released by the Qin army after the Battle of Changping. His father and brother were killed by the Qin army, and he hated the Qin army to the core. Under Li Mu's command, he was brave and good at fighting, so Li Mu adopted him as his adopted son.

Zhao Cong put away his sword and said coldly: "I came here to congratulate Lord Wu'an. I didn't expect that the general's mansion was so arrogant and didn't welcome me. I have ruined Lord Wu'an's mood. I will remember it in my heart. In this case, I will take my leave!" He flicked his sleeves and prepared to leave.

Li Mu did not want to make enemies, and seeing that Zhao Cong was not letting him off, he said, "General Zhao, please stay. Come, take the rebellious son Li Zhong out and give him twenty military sticks!" As soon as he finished speaking, two big men walked up to Li Zhong and wanted to pull Li Zhong out.

Sima Shang shouted, "What are you doing? You've already apologized, why are you still beating Li Zhong?"

Everyone tried to persuade him, but Zhao Cong saw the opportunity and said, "No need to bother Wu Anjun with his drinking!"

Li Mu shouted angrily: "Drag them out quickly and give them a severe beating! Do you dare to disobey my order?" Upon hearing this, the two burly men grabbed Li Zhong, who was gritting his teeth, and walked out the door.

At this time, someone behind Li Mu said with a smile: "General Zhao, calm down. I have heard that Wu'an Jun has strict military discipline, loves his soldiers like his own sons, and rewards and punishes them appropriately. Why don't you sit down and drink while appreciating Wu'an Jun's way of governing the army?"

The person who was speaking was wearing the prime minister's official uniform, had cold eyes, a full forehead, a mustache, and a strong body. He was Guo Kai, the prime minister of Zhao State. This person was flattering and was deeply favored by the King of Zhao. He had a strange personality, spread slander and forced Lian Po to leave. His words at this time were not well-intentioned.

Li Mu originally wanted to take Li Zhong out and beat him with a few military sticks to give Zhao Cong a way out, but he didn't expect Guo Kai to say this. He thought to himself, "People say Guo Kai is cunning, and it's true." His face was as gloomy as water, and he was silent for a moment, then shouted to the outside of the door, "Bring Li Zhong in, enforce the law in the courtyard, and warn the soldiers!" After that, Li Mu pulled Zhao Cong back to his seat and sat down, and he went to the main seat and sat down. At this time, the two big men came back with Li Zhong. Li Zhong crawled on the ground. The two big men raised their military sticks and hit Li Zhong's buttocks with "pa pa". Even though he had strong muscles, every time the stick came down, his skin was torn and blood foam flew everywhere. Li Zhong was sweating profusely in pain, gritted his teeth, and endured the twenty beatings with military sticks without saying a word.

Sima Shang and some loyal and righteous men wished to skin Guo Kai and Zhao Cong alive. Their eyes were wide open and their fists were clenched, but due to Li Mu's majesty, they dared not step forward to stop them.

Guo Kai laughed and said, "Wu'an Jun's military law is strict, which really opened my eyes. But it seems that it doesn't hurt when he hits with the military stick. Otherwise, why can't I hear any screams of pain? Could it be that Li Zhong is made of iron? Haha!"

Sima Shang smashed the table with his palm and cursed: "Guo Kai, don't go too far. General Li lets you do it, but I, Sima Shang, will not tolerate you. If you don't feel any pain, why not give it a try? I guarantee you will cry for your parents and knock your ass-licking tongue to the ground!"

Guo Kai laughed coldly, "You reckless man, after winning a battle, you are so arrogant and domineering, you have no regard for the law, are you planning to rebel?"

After hearing this, Sima Shang jumped up, rushed towards Guo Kai, and said angrily: "I will kill you today and get rid of you, a treacherous minister!" He slapped Guo Kai with his palm.

Seeing Sima Shang rushing towards him angrily, Guo Kai shrank back in fear. He was really afraid that Sima Shang would disregard everything and hit him to death with one blow. Seeing this, his followers immediately protected Guo Kai, but they were also worried whether they could withstand this blow.

Seeing that Sima Shang was about to rush to Guo Kai, Li Mu jumped forward, stopped Sima Shang, and said, "General Sima, haven't you made enough trouble?"

Seeing Li Mu trying to stop him, Sima Shang quickly steadied himself and said angrily, "I have long disliked him. As long as Your Majesty has such a treacherous person by his side, the State of Zhao cannot be well!"

Li Mu said angrily, "Still talking nonsense! Someone, come here! General Sima is drunk, send him back to the palace!"

Sima Shang said, "I won't leave until I kill these two villains!" He was about to rush towards Guo Kai again, but Li Mu held Sima Shang back and said, "Prime Minister, General Zhao, I failed to take good care of you and discipline you well today. I am sorry for the offense. I will come to your house to apologize in the future!"

Guo Kai and Zhao Cong could no longer sit still. If they didn't leave now, what would they be waiting for? Guo Kai stood up, shook his sleeves, snorted coldly, and said, "You don't have to be polite, Mr. Wu'an. I'll take my leave now!" The two of them walked out of the gate, quickly got on the carriage, and rode away.

Seeing the two men leave, Sima Shang looked out the door and angrily said to Li Mu: "Why don't you let me kill these two birds?"

Li Mu said angrily: "If you kill them both and still want to live, who will lead the troops to fight in the future?"

"Killing them is worth it. If we don't get rid of these two birds, there will be trouble!"

Li Mu said: "We are all ministers of Zhao State. We should focus on the overall situation. If there is discord in the court, internal and external troubles will threaten Zhao State."

After saying this, he shook his head and sighed, then bowed to everyone and said, "Thank you all for visiting my humble home. It's getting late, you should go back and have some rest!" After hearing this, everyone took their leave. It was supposed to be a celebratory banquet, but it ended in an unpleasant way. Sima Shang left only after visiting Li Zhong who was seriously injured in the backyard.

The breeze gradually cooled, and the mansion was silent. Li Mu sat on a chair in the study, frowning, lost in thought. At this time, Madam Qingli, wearing a purple skirt, dragged a teacup and a teapot, walked into the study with lotus steps, poured a cup of tea, and said softly: "General, you have returned from a tiring journey, and you have to entertain guests. You should rest early!"

Li Mu collected his thoughts, took a sip of tea, and sighed, "I have offended Guo Kai and Zhao Cong today, which will definitely bring me trouble in the future. Hey, Li Zhong and Sima Shang have caused me trouble today."

Madam Qingli saw Li Mu sighing and said softly, "I think that the general will offend Guo Kai and Zhao Cong sooner or later. They are jealous of talents. If the general gains power, he will inevitably be excluded by them. Even if he does not offend them today, they will not speak well of him in front of King Zhao. The general has made outstanding military achievements and is loyal. King Zhao should know this."

This beautiful lady was named Na Lanxue. She was originally a Hu woman. Li Mu met her when he conquered Donghu. She was good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and was different from the Hu people. Li Mu took her as a maid and later as a concubine. She followed Li Mu to fight on the battlefield and served him attentively. Although Li Mu liked Na Lanxue, he couldn't help but feel resentful about her because all her people were killed by Li Mu.

Li Mu said: "I can only hope so. I will go to the Prime Minister's residence tomorrow, give the night pearl to the Prime Minister, and apologize in person. I hope this can ease the relationship a little!" This night pearl was found by Na Lanxue when the Donghu was defeated.

After hearing this, Na Lanxue shuddered slightly, lowered her head, and whispered, "That night-shining pearl has been... sold by me!"

Li Mu exclaimed, "Why are you selling it?"

Na Lanxue said: "In order to cure our Zhan'er's illness, I sold it. I really..."

Li Mu frowned and said, "Madam originally discovered the Night Pearl. Just sell it. I will think of another way. You can go back to your room and rest. I will sleep at Madam Wang's place tonight."

Li Mu had two wives. His principal wife was Lady Wang and his concubine was Na Lanxue. Lady Wang gave birth to two daughters who were not married yet, while Na Lanxue gave birth to a son who was weak and sickly.

After hearing this, Na Lanxue felt a pang in her heart and walked out of the study lightly.

(End of this chapter)