"Are you mad? You're leading a dozen cavalry charges into the enemy camp?! Absolutely not. You're the greatest in the world, you can't risk yourself! This King disagrees!"
Hearing Li Shimin refer to himself as "this King," Qin Shi knew he was truly angry, and there was a hint of concern. However, his excessive focus on him wasn't just simple concern; it was because Qin Shi was a bargaining chip in his struggle for the throne against Li Jiancheng. A person who descended from the heavens – in ancient times, just that title carried immense weight.
He smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness Prince Qin, how do you know my talents are unmatched in this world? I told you I'm just an ordinary person. If you intend to use my supposed divine status for anything, I advise you to abandon that thought. I truly do not possess the elixir of immortality."
Some things needed to be clarified. Qin Shi wanted to achieve something, but descending from the heavens could only be a stepping stone, not his foundation.
He's guessed my thoughts? This Qin Shi is so meticulous, truly terrifying. After some thought, what Qin Shi said wasn't wrong. However, if he truly wanted Qin Shi's assistance, he shouldn't have used this method. He needed to build trust, step by step.
"Then it's even more impossible. Without your immortal body, mere mortal flesh cannot withstand the Turkic cavalry!"
Seeing that Li Shimin had offered him a way out without delving further into his origins, Qin Shi breathed a sigh of relief. "Your Highness, please follow me."
With that, he grabbed his rifle and walked out. Li Shimin quickly followed.
Outside the tent, Qin Shi casually chose a tree about 400 meters away and pointed to it for Li Shimin. "Your Highness, just watch the leftmost branch of that tree."
Li Shimin looked at the spot Qin Shi indicated. It was over 300 paces away, nearly a mile!
"Watch closely, Your Highness, don't blink!"
Qin Shi pulled the trigger, and the branch instantly snapped. Li Shimin was stunned. "Brother Qin, how did you do that?!"
Qin Shi shrugged and patted the sniper rifle in his hand. "Your Highness has seen it for yourself. My words were not false. You just need to give me fifteen men? I'll go and kill the Khagan in that golden tent immediately!"
"Good, I'll go find the men for you right away. What are your requirements?"
Qin Shi thought for a moment and said, "I need those with good eyesight, who can run fast, are strong, and most importantly, are quick-witted!"
Li Shimin nodded, turned to give orders to a messenger, and then extended his hand, looking at Qin Shi with a grin.
Qin Shi knew what he was getting at. He rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me. I won't give them to you. I only have this many bullets, and each one is used up. If you hadn't been so insistent, I wouldn't have wasted this bullet."
Li Shimin was immediately angered. You don't have to give them if you don't want to, but what do you mean by 'insistent'? If it weren't for you lifting the siege of Chang'an, I'd show you what a fist the size of a sand pot is!
"Fine, fine. This King doesn't covet your precious bullets. Hurry up and chop off that old Turk's head for me!"
"Alright, but before that, I need to eat. Not just me, but the few soldiers I'm taking also need to eat! This time, we won't ride horses; we'll go on foot for better concealment!"
Li Shimin, helpless, could only order the quartermaster to send over dried meat and hardtack to be eaten with cold water. Lighting a fire was impossible; in this area, a fire would be like a lantern in a latrine – suicidal.
Soon, Qin Shi saw the soldiers he would be taking. They were all wearing armor, their expressions tired but their eyes resolute and alert.
Li Shimin pointed at Qin Shi and said, "From now on, you few will follow Qin Shi's temporary command. After this mission, you will return to your original units!"
Qin Shi was displeased. "No, Your Highness Prince Qin, you're being so stingy with such a small number of men? Don't you trust me that much?"
This greatly startled the soldiers below. Their new commander was so bold as to dare to find fault with Prince Qin.
Hearing Qin Shi's sarcastic tone, Li Shimin was infuriated. "You insolent Qin Shi, I've given you the rare top fighters from the current army, and you still want to take more?"
Qin Shi looked at these soldiers. They could be called seasoned warriors, but in his eyes, they weren't truly skilled. The Great Tang was newly established, and the Tang army's training and nutrition couldn't keep up. They couldn't train daily, and their military literacy wouldn't be very high. Even the strict discipline of the Niangzi Army was already extremely rare.
"Just this? You call these skilled fighters?" He then glanced provocatively at Li Shimin.
Li Shimin gritted his teeth. Arrogant! You're still spouting such boasts in your mortal body! It's time to teach him a lesson. He turned his head and gestured to the strongest soldier among them.
The soldier understood and stepped forward, cupping his fist. "Little General, pardon my offense!" With that, he punched fiercely. The gust of wind from his fist indicated he was skilled, but Qin Shi, a formidable operative from China's most mysterious special forces, dodged with a slight movement and tripped him with a kick. Before the soldier could react, a dagger was at his throat.
"You're dead."
This display made Li Shimin's fists itch, and he was about to flex his muscles. Qin Shi saw his intent and quickly stopped him. "Your Highness, we can spar after I return. The urgent matter now is to break the Turkic siege. Bin County likely doesn't have much grain left, does it?"
The Turkic invasion had been incredibly swift, giving the Great Tang no time to react. Even the Niangzi Army, on its way to garrison Niangzi Pass, had been caught in a pincer movement.
Li Shimin had no choice but to desist, snorting, "I'll teach you a lesson when you get back!"
Qin Shi laughed heartily and left with the dozen soldiers. "Don't be so beaten that you can't show your face when the time comes!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin clenched and unclenched his fists, but then, remembering something, he sighed. This mission was extremely perilous, almost a certain death. How could Qin Shi, whom he had only just met, be so brave? Wasn't he afraid of death?
If he returns triumphant, I will definitely stay up all night talking with him.
Ah, don't misunderstand. In ancient times, men's friendships were often pure and loyal.
Qin Shi, of course, was unaware of Li Shimin's thoughts. If he had known, he would have fled overnight. He was a good young man raised under the red flag. Sharing a bunk was acceptable, but sharing a blanket was not. He wasn't close enough to be wartime comrades yet.
However, he knew his capabilities. This mission, if not 100% successful, was at least 99%. He had originally wanted to bring only 3 men, but thinking that Li Shimin might not agree, he brought 15. He would divide them into three teams to act separately.
Not far from the camp, Qin Shi briefly organized the team. These soldiers knew that the strangely dressed young general before them was the one who had wreaked havoc from the sky today. They were impressed by his martial prowess on the ground and were all obedient to him.
"Alright, let me introduce myself. My name is Qin Shi. You can call me Young General Qin. This time, we'll proceed on foot. We'll divide into three teams of five each. Choose your captains yourselves. You have one minute." After saying this, he realized that the concept of "minute" didn't exist in ancient times. He couldn't think of how to express it, so he pulled out a piece of hardtack.
"When I finish eating this hardtack, if you haven't divided into three teams, you can go back on your own!"
Hearing this, everyone quickly got to work. The young general finished his hardtack in less than three bites.
Fortunately, they were all quick-witted and knew each other. They quickly formed their lines and chose their captains. Qin Shi's hardtack was just finished.
This was too unpalatable, hard as a rock, and he almost couldn't chew it. However, during his wilderness training, he had eaten worse; he had almost recycled everything.
"Good. From left to right, you are Team One, Team Two, and Team Three. Team One follows me. Team Two goes to Tongshi Township, and Team Three goes to Dawuan Township. Find and gather the scattered Niangzi Army soldiers. Once found, lead them into the woods and wait for an opportunity to act. Attract some of the Turkic cavalry's attention. Do not attempt to go to Bin County. After I slay the Turkic Khagan, they will surely fall into chaos. We can pursue them on their retreat then. Also, do not pursue too deeply. Depart now!"
Before they left, they had drawn small maps. These soldiers were experienced and had ways to determine directions.
The heavy rain continued, and Qin Shi and Team One had reached their designated location, only 2 li from the Turkic camp. It was extremely dangerous, but fortunately, there were scattered trees and small hills that could provide cover. Although the Turkic cavalry patrolled frequently, the poor visibility in the heavy rain, coupled with the fact that they had tied grass around themselves, made them difficult to discern without getting close.
In such heavy rain, even with the 8x optical scope, visibility wasn't great. However, he was confident that an official as high-ranking as the Turkic Khagan would be wearing magnificent attire. He would aim for that golden tent.
"Ha, I'm suffocating here!"
This sudden voice, though not loud, startled Qin Shi. He turned his head and saw that damned orange cat still stretching. Of course, to prevent the orange cat from being discovered, Qin Shi had also smeared it with mud and grass.
"Don't look at your cat master like that. I know what's important. I'll report the wind direction and error to you later."
The orange cat spoke in his ear, a Sichuan cat at that, with a distinct dialect.
Qin Shi tilted his head. The cat's whiskers tickled his ear. "Cat master, how can you talk again?"
"It's hard to explain in a short time. You handle the current matter first."
Oh, quite perceptive, a good cat!
Qin Shi waited for about two hours. The soldiers on watch around him were exhausted. Although they had grass to shield them from the rain, lying on the ground for so long had made them feel cold. Fortunately, it was only September; a month later, they would have frozen to death here.