By the way, it feels really great to know more information than others and use this information to show off. This is probably why Lord Mao likes to be with his subordinates.

"We sent a military supervisor to Zhaoyang a long time ago. You are aware of this, right?"

Mao Xiang reminded.

"This, I know. It's the Minister of War, Lord Ma."

"Yes, it's him. He's a rare good man. There are many officials in the court, but not many that I like. He's one of them. But you know, he hasn't sent any official documents to Jiankang for many days."

"Sir, could it be that the war is not going well and there has been no progress, so Sir Ma has not sent any official documents?"

Mao Xiang shook his head, sighed, and said:

"I'm afraid Master Ma is no longer alive."

The Jinyiwei who were sitting on the ground resting were shocked and gathered around. Someone said, "Sir, Lord Ma is an important official of the court. It is not his turn to fight in the war. Besides, Zhaoyang has not been lost, so it is not the case that he died for his country in the fall of the city. Why do you say this?"

"Zhaoyang City, Tang Tong, humph, they have had problems for a long time."

Mao Xiang said, "Tang Tong is a mediocre man, conceited, arrogant, and greedy. If you ask him to lead a team to eliminate a few bandits, he might be able to do it, but if you ask him to fight a war, a tough battle, he will definitely lose.

Oh, no, he wouldn't go at all. Even if he was forced to go, the worst that could happen would be to kill innocent people and take credit for it. He would never fight a big war with the enemy country, let alone win.

The last time he defeated the Khmer, I felt something was amiss and wanted to investigate him, but the news from the Zhaoyang Hundred Households confirmed the victory. And the Crown Prince desperately needed a victory, so he strictly ordered me not to interfere, which saved him from disaster.

This time, he agreed to send out troops so readily, and actually mobilized a force of tens of thousands. Do you think this is possible? He is a man who can drink 90% of the blood of his soldiers. Where did he get the troops?

But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince needed him to launch the attack first. It was a war anyway, and even if he drew a salary without working and then conscripted men to fight, as long as he could catch the people of Qinghe off guard, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince thought it was worthwhile. However, he still sent Lord Ma to supervise the army to prevent Tang Tong from causing trouble.

Before Lord Ma set off, I discussed with him. In order to prevent him from having any accidents that we don't know about, Lord Ma promised me that he would send an official document to Jiankang on every day that is a multiple of three, regardless of whether there is anything to be written or not.

This is also a preventative measure to prevent people from inferring a pattern from our regular sending of official documents."

"Are you saying that Tang Tong didn't actually launch an attack, or that he was trying to disguise his defeat and win, but Lord Ma saw through it, and that's why Lord Ma was harmed by Tang Tong?"

Someone asked.

"That's exactly what I think. Lord Ma hasn't sent any official documents in a long time, but Tang Tong's request for support has Lord Ma's seal as a countersignature. What do you think?"

"It must be that Tang Tong who harmed Master Ma and used Master Ma's seal to issue an official document."

"That's right."

After he finished speaking, someone came from outside to report that the scouts sent out had returned.

"What's the situation in Zhaoyang City?"

Mao Xiang didn't bother to let the scout rest. He asked while asking someone to hand over a kettle.

"My Lord, we cannot go to Zhaoyang City."

"Oh? Why?"

"There's an ambush at the city gate. The vendors nearby all look like martial artists. The ground shows signs of disturbance, as if something is buried. Birds dare not land in the woods outside the city. Although I can't get close, a closer look reveals a large army ambushed. However, the army ambushed here is peaceful with the city defenders, so they're definitely not here to attack the city."

"What else?"

"Also, some of the withdrawn troops are resting in the city, yet they haven't harmed the civilians in the slightest and are even paying for their meals. My Lord, you know that our officers and soldiers wouldn't be so well-trained and disciplined. Therefore, I have concluded that something has happened in the city!"