Chapter 250 Traitors in Chaotic Times (Twenty-Six): How to Become a Super Strategist...

The leader of the Dali soldiers' faces immediately hardened upon hearing the words "military intelligence."

Everyone knows that not long ago, Pingzhou City was under the control of the Meng family army, but in just a few months, the city changed hands. Given this deep-seated hatred of losing the city, does General Meng really intend to repay evil with kindness?

Thinking of this, the captain stepped forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two men from head to toe. "Tch! You think you can just call it military intelligence? I didn't want to make things difficult for you two, but now I've changed my mind! Since you claim to be General Meng's messengers, what identification do you have?"

Hearing these words, which were half interrogation and half suspicion, the hot-tempered Li Dezhong immediately became furious.

He pulled the secret letter directly from his pocket, slapped it on the chest of the leading captain, and sneered, "We two risked our lives to bring this crucial military intelligence to Pingzhou. Since your Dali army suspects my Meng family army of having ulterior motives, then we'll take our leave! However, let me make this clear: if Pingzhou misses a crucial opportunity because of your mistake, can you, a mere city guard, bear the responsibility?"

Upon hearing this, the captain's face immediately darkened. He secretly gave his soldiers a look, signaling them to step forward and teach the two men a lesson.

"How dare you! Do you even know who our Captain Cao is?" One of the soldiers had just uttered these words when he was stopped by a tall young man not far away.

"Cao Xu, what are you and your men doing? Making such a racket in front of the city gate, what kind of behavior is this!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dezhong and Feng Ziyi exchanged a glance, then both looked at the young man.

The newcomer, dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit with a long sword at his waist, walked over with steady steps. Upon seeing him, the Dali soldiers at the city gate immediately dropped their previous arrogance and stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

"Bao Canjun!"

The captain in charge quickly stepped forward, putting on a smiling face and saying ingratiatingly, "These two claim to be messengers sent by Meng Tianxi from Qin, saying they have important business to discuss with the general. However... this humble general found their attitude arrogant and they couldn't produce any corresponding credentials, so I questioned them carefully!"

Bao Zhuozhi's gaze dazed for a moment. He had been leading his soldiers in drills that day when Song Ce summoned him back, personally informing him that a guest would be visiting and instructing him to set aside all other matters and personally go out of the city to greet him. When he arrived at the city gate as quickly as possible, he stumbled upon this scene...

Thinking of this, his gaze quickly swept over the travel-worn faces of Li Dezhong and Feng Ziyi, and he said in a calm voice, "You two are Meng Tianxi's messengers?"

Li Dezhong was about to answer again when Feng Ziyi pulled him behind him and said kindly, "That's true."

"The Northern Yan army is currently frequently mobilizing its troops, and the situation is unclear. Since you two claim to be messengers, then come with me back to the government office to meet the general. If your identities are false or if you are just spouting nonsense, don't blame the Dali military for being ruthless."

Upon hearing this, Feng Ziyi felt a sense of relief. As long as he could see Song Ce, everything would be alright. He quickly nodded and said, "Thank you, Military Advisor Bao! Everything we said is true, and we would never dare to deceive you."

Bao Zhuozhi nodded, said no more, and turned to lead the two men toward the Pingzhou government office.

Along the way, Feng Ziyi quietly observed the lives of the people in Pingzhou City. He saw that the streets were lined with shops, and although the people looked tired, they had more relaxed smiles than when General Meng Tianxi was there.

On the main street, he could often see Dali soldiers patrolling with swords. These soldiers were disciplined, solemn, and did not disturb the people in the slightest; they were clearly a righteous army.

Feng Ziyi couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Although Song Ce had a deep grudge against the general, his reputation for governing the army and caring for the people was indeed well-deserved.

Meanwhile, inside the Pingzhou government office.

When Song Ce heard from his subordinates that Bao Zhuozhi had brought Meng Tianxi's messenger, a smile appeared on his lips. He carefully put away the map on the table, then said gently to the soldier, "Let them in."

"Yes, General."

Before long, Li Dezhong and Feng Ziyi followed Bao Zhuozhi into the second hall of the government office. The moment they saw Song Ce in the main seat, even though they had heard of him before, they were still stunned by his extremely handsome and refined demeanor.

Faced with such a young and intelligent General Song, they dared not be negligent and stepped forward, bowing and saying, "Your humble servants Li Dezhong and Feng Ziyi greet General Song!"

Song Ce smiled and raised his hand, gesturing for the two to rise. "There's no need for such formalities. I've heard you're messengers sent by General Meng to Pingzhou. May I ask if Qin Xi has any important military matters to attend to?"

Li Dezhong took a deep breath, took out the secret letter that the two had carefully kept from his bosom, and handed it forward with both hands, saying solemnly, "General Song, this secret letter was written by General Meng Tianxi, the commander of my Meng family army. I hope you will take a look!"

Song Ce nodded, took the secret letter, opened the envelope, and unfolded the letter.

The letter detailed the situation in western Qin Prefecture, the movements of the Northern Yan army, and the current deployments of the remnants of the Meng family army. Song Ce's expression grew increasingly solemn, and he read the letter over and over again before slowly putting it down.

"The secret letter says that the Northern Yan general Lu Erruolie will lead an army of 100,000 men to attack Pingzhou first, and then occupy Heyang, on the fifteenth of next month," Song Ce said.

"General, what... what did you say?!" Bao Zhuozhi's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and he hurriedly asked, "Is this really true?"

"It is absolutely true! This secret report was intercepted by my general from the Northern Yan messengers. We two went through many hardships and risked our lives to deliver this message to the general in time! Along the way, we encountered many attacks from Northern Yan soldiers!"

As soon as Li Dezhong finished speaking, Feng Ziyi immediately added, "General, the Northern Yan army has been burning, killing, and looting in our western Qin region, committing all sorts of atrocities. The people have suffered for far too long. Not long ago, they also captured Leixu City. The defending general, An Xiangkun, is either surrendering or betraying us, and the people in the city are still the people of the city. General Meng himself said that although you have a grudge against him, with the Northern Yan enemy at hand, General Meng is willing to temporarily put aside past grievances and join forces with you, General Song, to fight against them and prevent the people of Qin Prefecture from falling into even deeper suffering!"

After listening, Song Ce remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

To put it bluntly, from Heyang to Pingzhou, he and Meng Tianxi were absolute sworn enemies. But now that the Northern Yan army was poised to make a move, Meng Tianxi was able to put aside his personal grudges and send someone to deliver such important intelligence, which shows his magnanimity and broad-mindedness.

Such openness and willingness to risk one's life was beyond his expectations.

“I understand General Meng’s meaning.” Song Ce spoke slowly, his eyes bright. “You two have had a long journey. Why don’t you go to the Pingzhou post station to settle down first? We can discuss this in detail after I finish writing my reply to General Meng.”

Li Dezhong and Feng Ziyi exchanged a knowing glance and then responded in unison.

After the two men left the second hall one after the other, only Song Ce, Mu Anyong, Tang Yuan, and a few core deputy generals remained in the hall. Song Ce handed the secret letter to everyone for them to read carefully, then turned his head and asked, "The Northern Yan army has come with great force, intending to seize the entire Qin Prefecture. Gentlemen, how should our Dali respond?"

Mu Anyong took the secret letter and read it carefully. He frowned and said, "General, the Northern Yan cavalry is known for its bravery, and their infantry are all fierce. Our chances of winning in Dali are not great."

“Yes, General! The Northern Yan army came prepared this time. We only have 20,000 troops in Pingzhou City at most. Even if Heyang rushes to our aid overnight, we will only have 40,000 troops in total. How can we compete with the 100,000 elite troops of the Northern Yan?” A deputy general echoed.

"Vice General Chen is absolutely right!"

Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, Song Ce remained calm and interrupted them lightly, asking, "Do you all remember how Pingzhou City came to be?"

“Pingzhou City?” Mu Anyong frowned slightly. “Naturally, it’s where our Dali army decisively defeated the Meng family army in the narrow valley of Qingfeng Mountain! Wait, General, you mean…”

"May I ask you all, are you familiar with the character of Luerruolie?" Song Ce asked.

One of the lieutenants suddenly stood up and said angrily, "Reporting to the general, although this man is skilled in warfare, in my humble opinion, he is a foolish and ignorant person."

"Stupid? What do you mean by that?"

"General, you may not know, but Luerruolie is rather arrogant. Since he took command of the army independently, he has insisted on fighting a fair and square war with his opponents. If the enemy general has any integrity, he might even spare their lives and let them go! Because of this, he has caused the Northern Yan army commander a lot of trouble. If he weren't the younger brother of that treacherous commander, he would probably have been eliminated by those vicious Northern Yan people long ago!"

Upon hearing this, a dark glint flashed in Song Ce's eyes, and he gently tapped the table with his hand. "So, this Lu Erruolie is indeed an upright and honest person."

Mu Anyong suddenly smiled, as if he had just remembered something. "General, since this man values ​​'honesty and integrity,' why don't we look for a way to break this deadlock from that point of view?"

Tang Yuan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Vice General Mu is right. General, do you have any strategies to defeat the enemy? I am willing to be at your service at any time."

Song Ce paused on the table with his fingertips, then looked up at everyone and said gently, "Northern Yan has gathered an army of 100,000 to attack Pingzhou, so the supply of food and provisions must be of paramount importance. Before the troops move, the provisions must go first. The journey from Yan to Pingzhou is not short, so the Northern Yan army's food and provisions transportation will definitely start early."

"Just now, Feng Ziyi said that there is a formidable pass at the foot of Xingfang Mountain, west of Pingzhou. Twenty miles north of Xingfang, there is a strategically important and difficult-to-attack pass called Tuyuan Pass. This pass leads east to Pingzhou and west to Shengwu. The valley is only wide enough for one cart to pass at a time, and even warhorses cannot ride side by side. It is a natural fortress. If one side manages to hold the pass in advance, the other side will be at a disadvantage and unable to launch a frontal attack."

"Xingfang Mountain and Tuyuan Pass are the only two main routes that lead directly to Pingzhou. If you were Luerruolie, where would you place your rear base?"

As soon as Song Ce finished speaking, Mu Anyong solemnly replied, "General, if I were in your shoes, I would send troops to scout the surrounding terrain in advance and take advantage of the terrain to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out. Tuyuan Pass is so narrow and dangerous that I will place the army behind the pass. In this way, the army will have an extra layer of security and can attack when advancing and defend when retreating."

Song Ce nodded slightly. "Indeed, although Lu Erruolie values ​​acting with integrity, he is by no means a reckless person. Since he is going to lead an army of 100,000 to conquer Pingzhou, I suppose he will have taken this into consideration."

Upon receiving confirmation from his commander, Mu Anyong relaxed and continued, "Therefore, the garrison at Xingfang Mountain is merely a decoy. The place the Northern Yan army truly wants to stop at is Tuyuan Pass!"

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Author's Note: [Peeking while covering face]