It was the tenth day of the first lunar month of the eleventh year of the Xuanli calendar, at the hour of Yin.

The snow was falling heavily, and the huge city of Jinling was still in deep sleep, but a carriage quietly left the Ding'an Marquis's Mansion.

Another half hour later, Fu Xiaoguan, dressed as Ning Siyan, took Xu Xinyan, Susu and Zhang Pei'er and left Jinling in two carriages, going out of the north gate.

On this day, Emperor Xuan unexpectedly did not attend the court meeting. After he received the news that Fu Xiaoguan was heading north at the beginning of the morning hour, he went straight to the imperial study and stood firmly in front of the huge map.

He also received another piece of intelligence: the 200,000 troops in the northwest defense zone of the Wu Dynasty were gathering towards Qiyun Pass on the Wuyi border, and the 100,000 troops in the northern defense zone of the Wu Dynasty were also moving towards Jinguan City... This was a signal that made Emperor Xuan quite worried.

Fu Xiaoguan had just started moving, but the Wu Dynasty had already started moving. Due to the lag in intelligence, Emperor Xuan believed that the two armies of the Wu Dynasty had already arrived at the predetermined destination.

He just wanted to fight the barbarians. Emperor Xuan could understand that Wu Chao's troops had reached Jinguan City and even stepped into the Qishan Corridor - he was just putting on a show for me.

But the Wu Dynasty sent 200,000 troops to the Wuyi border. What was it going to do?

Could it be that Wu Dalang is also itching to do something, and while I am about to go to war with the barbarians, he also wants to take a bite out of the Yi country?

When he thought of what Fu Xiaoguan had said to him... Emperor Xuan took a deep breath. The Wu Dynasty was really going to invade the Yi Kingdom!

His sights fell on Qiyun Pass. If the Wu Dynasty could really occupy the Yi Kingdom, it would be able to achieve its goal of continuing to occupy the Huang Kingdom!

So when Fu Xiaoguan said that day that if the Yu Dynasty did not want the Huang Kingdom, then give it to the Wu Dynasty, this was not a joke, but something that was very likely to become a reality.

"Come here... summon Yan Xiang, Minister Dong, Vice Minister Qin Huizhi, and Minister of War Yan Haochu to the Imperial Study to discuss government!"

The information that Emperor Xuan had not yet received was:

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, the Second Divine Sword Army led by Bai Yulian had completed equipment supply, left Fangdou Mountain, and headed towards Qiyun Pass on the Wuyi border.

…

…

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month in the eleventh year of the Xuanli calendar, at the time of Shen.

Fu Xiaoguan and Bei Wangchuan arrived at the Taoist temple.

"I'm Fu Xiaoguan!"

Facing Su Mo's incredulous expression, Fu Xiaoguan was very satisfied with Xu Xinyan's craftsmanship.

"Isn't it a surprise?"

"...Junior Brother, please show me the token that proves you are Fu Xiaoguan!"

"...I really am Fu Xiaoguan!"

"I don't care, I'll change your face back!"

Fu Xiaoguan glared at Su Mo and pulled out the inkstone from his sleeve pocket. Su Mo took it and looked at it before laughing. "A miraculous skill, no, little brother, what are you trying to do by making it look like this?"

"Don't tell anyone I'm Officer Fu! And, has the independent division been resupplied? Are the supplies I had the Xishan Express deliver all ready?"

Sitting in Tianxin Pavilion, Fu Xiaoguan asked Su Mo questions in a very serious manner.

"The independent division arrived at the Taoist temple yesterday. By now, all the troops have been equipped and are resting in the barracks and awaiting deployment."

"Order the troops to set out immediately after dinner. Target... Xinzhou City, a major city in the north!"

"What……?!"

Su Mo was shocked, and even Bei Wangchuan raised his head and looked at Fu Xiaoguan in surprise.

Fu Xiaoguan calmly took a sip of tea before slowly saying, "The barbarians have eighty red-coated cannons, and Yanshan Pass will be breached."

So we are going to help the northern border troops defend the city of Xinzhou?

Su Mo thought so, and then asked: "Where did the barbarians get the red cannon?"

"It was sold by the Northern Frontier Army."

Su Mo was shocked. It was obvious that there was a spy in the northern border army, and he was in a high position and powerful.

"Do you know who it is?"

"General Peng's brother-in-law, Zhao Chang, the logistics commander of the Northern Frontier Army."

"Does General Peng know?"

Fu Xiaoguan shook his head. This was information obtained by the ant colony spies in the Desolate Country, but he did not tell Peng Chengwu or Emperor Xuan because the time was not right yet.

Following Zhao Chang's clue, he also learned that among the eight captains of the northern border army, two captains had colluded with the barbarians and sold a full four thousand flintlock rifles!

This is more than the wild people produce themselves!

Behind this matter was also involved the Wangsun family, one of the five major business families of the Yu Dynasty. According to the investigation of the ant colony, these transactions were all arranged through a housekeeper named Chai Xi of the Wangsun family - the Wangsun family had actually been doing business with the barbarians for a long time!

Therefore, the number of flintlock rifles owned by the barbarians now is not three thousand but at least seven thousand!

It was precisely because of this that he ordered the First Army not to confront the Tiandao Army head-on - the Divine Sword First Army was his own army, and he did not want his people to die under the enemy's guns, when the guns in the enemy's hands were produced by himself.

So who will die?

Of course, this requires the northern border troops to consume the enemy's ammunition.

Fu Xiaoguan didn't care whether Yanshan Pass would be blown up by the red cannon or opened directly by the traitor.

Four hundred thousand northern border troops... the more deaths they have, the better it will be for his subsequent plans.

As for going to Xinzhou City, he certainly was not going to help the northern border troops defend the city. What he wanted to do was... go and take a look!

It is very important to see whether Emperor Xuan will fall into his chess game, as it concerns his life and future plans.

It is precisely because of this that he must go to the front line. It would be best if the 400,000 Tiandao Army of the barbarians could break out of Yanshan Pass, but Peng Chengwu must also be able to withstand the fierce attack of the Tiandao Army.

What he needed was a situation where both sides would suffer losses. Only by tying down the 400,000 Tiandao Army on the Yanshan Pass battlefield could he start his subsequent war plan.

No one knows all this.

"According to the plan, the Divine Sword First Army will launch a surprise attack on the various tribes of the Savages starting on the first day of February. And the Savages' Heavenly Blade Army will begin their war against Yanshan Pass around the end of January."

"We need to arrive in Xinzhou in early February, which is about twenty days away. This should be just the right time to travel there."

"After arriving in Xinzhou... wait for my orders!"

That night, the Divine Sword Independent Division completed its military assembly and left the Taoist temple, heading north.

The huge Taoist temple became empty again.

But a man fell from the roof of Tianxin Pavilion. He was Su Changsheng, the abbot of the Taoist temple.

He walked into Tianxin Pavilion and sat in the seat where Fu Xiaoguan had sat before. He touched the teacup which was still warm, then stood up and walked out again.

He took off into the air and flew towards a mountain that was a thousand meters high.

There is a waterfall and a thatched cottage on the mountain.

Su Jue once said to Fu Xiaoguan that if it was midsummer, that place would be a holy place to escape the heat, so the master built a thatched cottage there.

It is the middle of winter, but a dim light is on in the thatched cottage.

Sitting under the light was a middle-aged woman, with plain face and simple clothes but a pretty face.

She was quietly looking at a booklet, the name of which was "Fu Xiaoguan's Collection of Poems and Essays"!