The Villain's Counterattack

Yang Kang, however, held little Guo Fu in his arms and smiled, pinching her nose as he said, "Little Guo Fu, are you happy to see your father-in-law? You're my future daughter-in-law, have you been good and obedient at home?"

"What is a daughter-in-law? Is it delicious?" Little Guo Fu held a fruit in her arms, her face covered in juice, and looked at Yang Kang curiously.

Yang Kang thought for a moment and said, "I have a son. He has a lot of delicious food and drinks, and my daughter-in-law is the one who manages them."

Adorable little Guo Fu immediately raised her hand and said, "I want to be your daughter-in-law!"

"Okay, we have a deal. Come on, let's high-five to swear an oath! Ouch~" Yang Kang was hit hard on the head by Huang Rong. As for why she didn't use her hands, Huang Rong told her responsibly that this bastard was as hard as iron. It would hurt if you hit him with your hands. It would be more convenient to use a dog-beating stick.

Huang Rong was very dissatisfied with Hong Qigong for pushing the troublesome matter onto her, but this kind of thing was indeed not Hong Qigong's forte. "I am the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and the affairs of the Beggars' Sect are very busy. Qigong, could you bear to see Rong'er running back and forth between Junshan and Zhoushan with a child?"

Junshan is located in Yueyang, Hubei. It's not really close to Zhoushan, but the round trip by water isn't too long. It's just that the trip back and forth is quite troublesome. Hong Qigong scratched his head and said, "Well, I'll send a few elders here to help you. You can handle the Junshan matters here, and they'll pass on the message."

"Can those beggars enter Zhoushan?" Huang Rong glanced at Yang Kang with resentment. Yang Kang shook his head and said, "Those who are not properly dressed are not allowed to enter. This is the rule. However, we can establish a secret contact station for the Beggars' Gang on the opposite bank of Zhoushan and send someone to pick them up and deliver them every day."

"Hey, why are you so easy to talk to this time? And why does it have to be a secret base?" Hong Qigong was very puzzled.

Yang Kang sighed and said, "Huang Rong is the girl I chose to assist Guo Jing in defending Xiangyang against the Mongols. I should treat her with some favors, but I feel a little sorry for her. She's taking on such an important responsibility at such a young age. I'm afraid she'll be tied to the Xiangyang battlefield for the rest of her life, and may even die on the battlefield. She won't gain anything except a good reputation."

Hong Qigong's face darkened slightly upon hearing this. Huang Yaoshi's grip on Huang Rong's hand tightened slightly, and Guo Jing's expression also turned somewhat grim. Huang Rong, on the other hand, chuckled and said, "I have a father who loves me, a heroic master, a husband who is a great general, and a lovely daughter. As the leader of the Beggars' Sect, I have hundreds of thousands of followers throughout the Central Plains. How could I be completely destitute?"

"Your success and failure are due to the Beggars' Sect. Girl, I'm truly sorry for choosing you. If I weren't nearing the end of my life, I wouldn't have let a girl like you go to such lengths to fight the Mongol army." Yang Kang looked at Huang Rong and said softly, "You and Guo Jing wanted to defend the city and resist the Mongols, but you've offended both the Mongols and the Song Dynasty court. You're in trouble with both sides. Apart from the local people, the Beggars' Sect, the frivolous people of the Jianghu, and the half-baked Xiangyang defenders, you have no other help. The outcome is already determined. It all depends on how long you can hold out."

Hong Qigong was greatly shocked and asked hurriedly, "Jing'er and Rong'er defended Xiangyang against the Mongols, how could they have offended the imperial court?"

"Don't you know what a scoundrel the Song Dynasty's scholars are?" Yang Kang leered at him. "Not to mention the surrender-minded civil officials, the pro-war faction also looks down on the military, not to mention a bunch of gangsters. The military officials want to make achievements, but a group of people take the initiative to stand up and steal the credit, leaving them with no place to use their talents. Naturally, they wish you were dead soon. Plus, the Beggars' Sect has hundreds of thousands of disciples. This will undoubtedly touch the heart of the imperial court and make them feel like they have a lump in their throat. Now that they have the opportunity to weaken the Beggars' Sect, how can they not take advantage of it?"

"Therefore, they will not send any reinforcements, and even the supplies will be reduced as much as possible. This is the true Lin'an small court!"

Yang Kang looked around and couldn't help but sigh at the crowd. Although Huang Lao Xie was known as the East Evil and his style of doing things was unconventional, he was not a completely good person, but he was extremely good to Huang Rong. Huang Rong should have been a happy little East Evil, but unfortunately she met her nemesis Guo Jing, and was destined to have no peace in her life.

She was smart and clever. Although she could not compare with herself in the long run, she was not as stupid as Guo Jing. How could she not know the power of Mongolia and the character of the Song Dynasty court? However, since she had chosen Guo Jing, she had no choice. She could not argue with Guo Jing.

His feelings towards Hong Qigong were equally complex. He was a man of justice, a man who had always considered himself upright and chivalrous, never killing innocent people. This was the reason he could righteously rebuke Qiu Qianren on Mount Huashan, and it was also what he was most proud of. However, he was merely the boss of a gang, a highly skilled martial artist accustomed to fighting alone. His management skills were only average, and his vision was even less so.

His constant calling of Hong Qigong a traitor might have hinted at his own inability to do anything. Helping Guo Jing to spare a troublemaker was certainly wrong, but would it truly impact the overall situation? Without Tolui, would Song Dynasty support Mongolia be reduced? Could it truly slow down Mongolia's growth?

Yang Kang secretly thought it was impossible, but he was really trying. He really looked down on these upright masters who thought they were righteous but always held them back.

The greater the power, the greater the damage. This was Yang Kang’s previous evaluation of Hong Qigong and Guo Jing.

Guo Jing had ruined many of his things before, Khwarezm being the biggest one, but now Guo Jing was what he needed. He needed Guo Jing's help to defend Xiangyang and delay the Mongols' southward advance.

The imperial court can no longer be relied upon. Their suppression of the military men is too great. Even at the critical moment of life and death, they still look down on the military men. Even if these military men are passionate about their country, they are unwilling to let them stand out. Although they know in their hearts who risked their lives for their peaceful lives, it still cannot change their mindset of wanting to kill these military men.

Yang Kang's claim that the imperial court wouldn't support them was only the least of their worries; the more serious issue was that the imperial court was intent on killing them. Guo Jing's influence, the sheer number of Beggars under Huang Rong's command, were not what the imperial court wanted. Any power that influenced their will, any power outside their control, was a threat to them, to be eliminated.

As for myself, if I could live another twenty or thirty years, the situation would certainly be different. It would not be difficult for me to wipe out the Southern Song Dynasty and rule the country by dividing the river. But what I lack most is time. The remaining few years are not enough for me to lay out my plans for the Southern Song Dynasty. I can only choose to escape for the time being.