Chapter 906: Game within a Game

Lu Zhinian felt strange when he heard Xiahou Ling's words. Since he knew the past, he naturally understood the "hatred" between Xiahou Ling and Shi Chang'an. It was normal for Shi Chang'an to want Xiahou Ling's life.

But when Xiahou Ling said these words, his tone was somewhat sarcastic, as if he was mocking something.

Lu Zhinian frowned: "What exactly does the Imperial Master want to say?"

Xiahou Ling sneered, "What I meant to say is that Shi Chang'an has made some progress in the past few years since he escaped from Beiling like a stray dog."

In the past, Shi Chang'an was indeed paranoid, and he would stick to his mind once he made up his mind about something. Back then, those old guys from his sect would shout and kill him whenever they saw him, and would use any means and regardless of the outcome to want to kill him. It was because of this hatred and radicalism that Shi Chang'an was defeated by them in that fight.

If it weren't for the news sent back by Zhan Meng, which knew Wei Chao's next move, he would probably believe the movements of Wei Dynasty and believed that he was still as extreme and impulsive as before, and would rather risk the safety of the entire northwest of Wei Dynasty to take his life.

Xiahou Ling was filled with disdain. "Shi Chang'an deliberately deceived me by claiming that the Wei Dynasty was plotting against our forces, making me believe that he still harbored hatred for me. But in reality, his real goal was those 100,000 cavalrymen, and he was extremely ambitious, wanting to take us all down as well."

On the table in front of him was a map with many places drawn on it. Xiahou Ling pointed at one of them and said coldly:

"Except for those who hid in the dark and planned to come back to support and kill us by surprise, all the troops sent out from Luoyan Pass went here."

Lu Zhinian lowered his eyes for a moment: "Pingtou Valley?"

"right."

Xiahou Ling sneered, "This Pingtou Valley may appear spacious, but in reality, its terrain is unique. There are two narrow mountain paths within the valley that are perfect for ambushes. Besides Jishan, it's also the only way to go east and west."

"They're planning a game within a game. They'll first trick us by claiming Luoyan Pass is undermanned, then use a major battle to lure Sanzina and his men back with their cavalry. Once we've neutralized these two forces, we'll be able to take down Sanzina and his men with a smaller force, leaving behind more than half of the cavalry."

Lu Zhinian listened to Xiahou Ling's words and looked at the places on the map and took a breath unconsciously. He thought that the people of Wei would plot against them, and he also thought that Di Shuangcheng and others would take the opportunity to set them up after believing Zhan Meng's words, but he didn't expect that Shi Changan would be so bold and ambitious.

He did not even wait for the so-called reinforcements from the southern part of the Wei Dynasty to come north, but wanted to rely on the already stretched military force in the northwest to directly swallow up the entire Beiling army.

Lu Zhinian said in a low voice, "They...are truly daring. I now understand why the Imperial Master was forced into such a predicament by Shi Changan."

Xiahou Ling snorted angrily when he heard this, his face full of gloom, but he also felt jealous.

Even though he hated Shi Chang'an and wanted to kill him, Xiahou Ling had to admit that his junior brother was truly a born genius. He was far superior to others in his master's sect. He was better than others in literature, government affairs, and human intrigue. Even if he didn't work hard, he could still leave his fellow brothers behind.

Later, when he had nothing, he was still able to get back on his feet. He was even talented in marching and mobilizing troops, which he had never learned before. He seemed to be favored by God and excelled in everything. It was because of this that Xiahou Ling hated him so much.

If it weren't for Zhan Meng this time, if they hadn't had the upper hand from the beginning to the end, he would probably have fallen into Shi Changan's hands.

Seeing Xiahou Ling's grim expression, Lu Zhinian couldn't help but say, "Although Zhan Meng has reported back the news and Shi Chang'an's scheme is indeed shocking, the Great Wei's actions are still somewhat strange. Shi Chang'an is willing to take such a risk on the entire northwest, but Di Shuangcheng and the others may not agree. What if they have other plans..."

"Never."

Xiahou Ling was absolutely certain: "At other times, they might have had other plans, but now, in their eyes, Great Wei no longer has any concerns about the South."

"Beiling is in dire need of food and fodder, and they've learned that the Wei Emperor has already sent troops north. We learned this in advance and have been eager to disperse our forces to plunder supplies. They've probably already concluded that Beiling's defeat in the northwest war is inevitable."

"Di Shuangcheng's march was indeed steady and cautious, but Shi Chang'an's ability to deceive people was also extremely remarkable. Moreover, those generals of the Wei Dynasty have a deep hatred for us. Who wouldn't want to capture Beiling and conquer the north? Who wouldn't want to be remembered in history for this great military achievement?"

If the war in the southern part of the Wei Dynasty had not been settled, and without the news sent by Zhan Meng and the "edict" and the Dragon Jade Order from the Emperor of Wei, Di Shuangcheng and his men would not have dared to take risks with the entire northwest even if Shi Chang'an said anything. However, with Zhan Meng's "guarantee" and knowing that a large number of reinforcements from the south were about to arrive, Di Shuangcheng and his men would not have dared to take risks with the entire northwest.

Not to mention Shi Chang'an's lobbying, even if he didn't say anything, the generals of the Wei Dynasty would never easily let go of the opportunity to take Beiling.

Even if their plan goes wrong, they still have reinforcements from the South.

As long as the reinforcements arrive, the crisis in the northwest will be resolved and they will have the biggest way out.

Lu Zhinian listened to Xiahou Ling's words, and after the hesitation dissipated, he asked: "So what does the Imperial Master mean?"

Xiahou Ling's eyes were cold. "Shi Chang'an wants my life, Di Shuangcheng and the others want to be remembered for eternity. They've mobilized the entire northwest of the Wei Dynasty to plot against us, so naturally I must help them."

Let them.

No place to bury the dead!

…

Only three days after the troops were divided at Luoyan Pass, Beiling's attack suddenly became fierce. When hundreds of thousands of troops swept outside the pass, it seemed as if they could break the sky.

The Wei army that had fought a great battle with Beiling in the past had not yet left the city. The defensive force inside Luoyan Pass was very sparse. Not only did they not go out of the city to meet the enemy, but they closed the city gates tightly, as if they were defending against the enemy.

Even until siege weapons were driven to the foot of the wall, ladders climbed up the wall, fires burned the edge of the wall, and blood dyed the entire pass red, the Wei army still defended the city.

Beiling's attack was fierce, the city wall defense was shaky, and the number of wounded soldiers gradually increased.

Zhan Meng followed Di Shuangcheng and saw with his own eyes that people kept retreating from Luoyan Pass, covered in blood. The veteran generals in the Wei Dynasty camp had asked people to open the city gates several times to lure the Beiling army in to catch them in a trap. Even Di Shuangcheng couldn't bear to see the loss of troops and wanted to take action.

However, Shi Changan rejected it outright.

"Behind Luoyan Pass is Fengcheng. In the eyes of the Beiling people, this is the place we must defend to the death. Let alone pretending to let the Beiling people in, how many people would we have to sacrifice to gain their trust? The city gate is so small that I'm afraid the first batch of people entering the city would realize something is wrong and retreat in time if they didn't see the people running around."

"Even if they pretended to be unable to defend the city and let Beiling's gates open, Xiahou Ling, with his caution, would never let the army enter the city easily. Beiling suffered the loss of an empty city once and it's hard for them to be fooled a second time."