Simply Trading

The Second Ducal Prince was also sent out quickly, to gather the men and see that they were properly equipped, at the stores. From the way that the older fellow rolled his eyes, Qin Feng had the impression that he was annoyed at the order that he had just received. Something that he confirmed, the moment that they were a little further away from the Command Tent:

"This is just make-work, to keep me busy and well away from where the fighting would be hottest," growled the Second Ducal Prince as he made his way through the tents, towards where the armor and shields were stored.

"Uncle Laixue is just keeping me away from the Camp Gates, where he thinks the enemy would be attacking, once they have gathered enough warriors. He is still treating me like a child!"

Qin Feng had to admit that it was highly likely, what the Second Ducal Prince had said. He glanced at the pair of Bodyguards that had been a.s.signed to the Prince since they were at the Healers" Tent, and found the two burly men in heavy armor grinning back at him. Clearly, they had no problem at all, dealing with their a.s.signed roles.

Nor did he, when Qin Feng thought about it. If the Marquis intended to keep Li Changhai far away from the fighting, he was all for it! Didn"t that mean that he would be well clear of any trouble as well, so long as he stayed with the Prince? That was better than what he could hope for, if he had come to the camp on his own!

So he was more than happy to try to talk the Prince out of going against his uncle"s orders.

"You shouldn"t think of this that way. Consider what the soldiers here must be feeling, having to fight the enemy when they thought that they were only going to be here to keep the rest of the army supplied. Surely the Marquis is sending you to them, so show that they are being taken care of. And you are the one that he trusts, to find out if anything else needs to be done, with regards to their arms and armor."

The Second Ducal Prince stopped in his tracks the moment that he heard that, and whirled to face Qin Feng in surprise. The shock was obvious on his face, and that was enough to make the younger man wonder if he had said anything offensive.

But Li Changhai merely shook his head at him a moment later, and chuckled dryly. "You should have said that in my uncle"s hearing. He would have s.n.a.t.c.hed you up as an advisor, since you have such a way with words. You are just trying to make me feel better about this, aren"t you? Well, it worked. I don"t feel so bad about doing this now."

Then he turned, and looked back the way that they came. Towards the Command Tent in the distance. "But I do wish that I would have a chance to fight. It is getting irritating, the way that everyone is keeping me away from battle. My older brother was already at the front-lines when he was fifteen! And I still haven"t had a chance to prove myself yet!"

Qin Feng merely held his tongue, and gave the Prince a simple nod in reply. Whatever Li Changhai hopes were, it wasn"t going to change the fact that the Marquis had set a pair of his Bodyguard to watch over him. And Qin Feng was certainly going to do his best as well, to keep the fellow out of any danger.

After all, what was the point of having someone in authority to lean against, if he was just going to put himself into danger? And bring Qin Feng into the mess along with him?

That, he decided, was something that he would have to avoid, even if it meant knocking the Second Ducal Prince out and dragging him away!

He hid a sigh then, and was just about to try to talk Li Changhai into moving further away from the camp"s outer wall when he heard the alarm bell on the same ring once again. Everyone looked up at that, and Qin Feng noticed a sentry at once, as he shouted something incomprehensible as he gestured in a crazed manner at something outside.

Then all at once, the whole wall in front of him crumpled into piece before his eyes!

No! It collapsed as if someone had pushed it down, like it was no more than a sandcastle or a toy city wall, made up of pebbles!

The screams started as soon as the rumbling of the bricks and wooden posts softened. And Qin Feng found himself staring blankly as the same crashed onto the simple huts that used to be the resting quarters of the sentries.

And he wondered, absently, if there had been any men within the same. It didn"t look likely that any of them had survived the wall"s collapse.

The surrounding area was rapidly filled with the wails and cries of men as Qin Feng blinked and recovered his wits. And tried to figure out what had just happened. And he had to throw up a hand to shield himself from the scattered shards of stone and wood that was raining down on the whole group.

Li Changhai, on the other hand, had already gone pale, and he quickly clambered back onto his feet, pushing away the huge Bodyguard who had been holding up a heavy shield of iron and bronze above his head.

"Breach!" he shouted at once, the moment that he had regained his feet. "They have breached the wall!"

The Second Ducal Prince"s cry seemed to work. Sergeants or soldiers with more experience were already rallying the survivors. Who were pulling back from the gap in the wall of wood and brick. And forming up as if readying themselves to face the enemy.

But just who could it be, to have caused such damage? To have caused such chaos?

Then the dust settled. And Qin Feng finally caught sight of him.

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