Chapter 624 Tomorrow, victory is imperative.

The night breeze is like a hand, the pine needles like strings, playing a deep melody like surging waves, singing endlessly.

In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.

When Nie Chong was covered in night dew, his clothes soaked through, and returned to the mountain wall, the stars in the sky had already shifted, and the wind had gradually subsided.

However, when he returned to the original spot, he couldn't help but be surprised.

The grass on the mountaintop, which had just been overgrown with weeds, was now completely flattened, as if something had rolled over there. The dew that had condensed on the tips of the grass had also disappeared, leaving the ground pitch black, making it almost impossible to distinguish where the ground was and where the people lurking there were.

It wasn't until he heard two people breathing heavily that he figured out the direction and immediately bent down and walked over.

"Your Highness, Lord Shen—"

As he approached, Nie Chong paused for a moment.

These two men were not lying prone as he had left, but rather crouching on the ground. They didn't seem to be looking out over the valley, but rather confronting each other. Moreover, their clothes were a darker shade than before and were damp, clearly soaked through. Upon closer inspection, they were also covered in grass clippings and mud, making them even more disheveled than he had been, having just crawled and rolled on the hillside.

Even their hair and clothes seemed somewhat disheveled.

Just as Nie Chong was somewhat stunned, Yuwen Ye raised his head. The sky was dark, and his face was also somewhat gloomy. However, apart from his uneven breathing, his voice was relatively calm and as steady and composed as ever.

He asked, "How is it?"

"Uh, yes."

Nie Chong immediately snapped out of his daze, gave a simple bow, and said, "I just overheard the conversation of those guarding the valley entrance from halfway up the mountain. As Your Highness predicted, they are indeed planning to use fire to force Prince Qi out of the valley tomorrow. Currently, some of them are guarding the valley entrance, while others are collecting branches and dry grass nearby for tomorrow's use."

This is not too surprising.

Yuwen Ye simply nodded, then asked, "Did they say exactly when they're going to make their move?"

Nie Chong said, "Set it on fire at dawn."

This is not surprising.

Although their objectives differed from the enemy's, the bright daylight made it easier for them to capture the commander amidst the chaos of battle.

Although the other party may not yet know that Yuwen Yuan has already declared himself emperor in Chang'an, and that Yuwen Cheng's identity is no longer that of the third son of the Duke of Sheng, but rather the Prince of Qi of the Great Sheng Dynasty, even his status as the third son of the Yuwen family is enough to make the other party take him seriously.

If they could capture him, Taiyuan would have essentially seized one of Yuwen Yuan's weaknesses.

Therefore, we must win this battle tomorrow!

Yuwen Ye let out a deep breath, then said, "Alright, I understand. Let's go back now. Have our men prepare; we'll start at dawn—"

Before he could finish speaking, Nie Chong added, "By the way, I've also heard some other news."

"oh?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye and Shen Wuzheng both turned their heads. Because they were so close, Nie Chong could vaguely see that both of their faces seemed to have some marks that hadn't appeared before. However, he didn't ask any more questions, nor did he dare to look too closely. After all, he could hear the whispers of people at the entrance of the valley several miles away on the mountainside, so how could he not hear the voices coming from the mountaintop? He simply lowered his head and reported in a formal and methodical manner: "I just heard that it wasn't Wang Shaoji who actually conspired with the Western Turks to capture Taiyuan City, but Wang Shaoqiu's men."

"What?!"

"Yes, it was Wang Shaoqiu who led a group of men north first, conspired with the Western Turks, and captured Taiyuan."

"..."

Suddenly, the entire mountaintop fell silent.

Not only Yuwen Ye, but even Shen Wuzheng, who was lying next to him with only a small distance between them, frowned. Although the two did not look at each other or speak, the heavy and anxious aura emanating from them was exactly the same.

The brothers Wang Shaoji and Wang Shaoqiu have actually split up their forces?!

This must have been Wang Shaoqiu's idea!

Yuwen Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp gaze flashing like a drawn sword in the night, and he became increasingly calm. He clearly remembered that during the rebellion in Jiangdu Palace, although it seemed that Wang Shaoji was in control of the situation, the one who was truly plotting everything behind the scenes was Wang Shaoqiu, who kept a low profile but had everything under his control.

This time, as they led their army north, according to Yuwen Ye's previous predictions, they would definitely pass through Luoyang. Most of Wang Shao's troops were former subordinates that Chu Yang had taken from Luoyang, and these people would definitely want to go back. Therefore, they were determined to have a showdown with Liang Shide.

That's why Liang Shide didn't fight them to the death before, in order to preserve his strength.

Unexpectedly, they did the opposite, conspiring with the Western Turks to cross Luoyang, the eastern capital, and head straight for Taiyuan, securing a place for them to settle down. With a base, their men would not scatter and flee again; being close to Luoyang would allow them to appease their former troops; and they could also advance westward, pressing towards Guanzhong.

This move was very prudent and far-sighted, unlike something a short-sighted person like Wang Shaoji would do, who was greedy for petty gains.

Yuwen Ye frowned, and his expression gradually darkened.

He lowered his head and pondered for a long time, then looked up at Nie Chong and said in a deep voice, "Did those people say where Wang Shaoji's men are now?"

Nie Chong shook his head: "No."

"..."

"I've been listening for a long time, trying to find out where Wang Shaoji's men are now. But these people just keep praising Wang Shaoqiu's abilities and haven't mentioned Wang Shaoji's whereabouts. I suspect that after they split up their forces, even their own men don't know where they are."

Just then, Shen Wuzheng said, "No matter what, the two brothers may split up, but they can't go their separate ways."

"...!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye turned to look at him: "You mean—"

In that exchange of glances, a refined and sharp glint flashed in both of their eyes, as if they had both sensed something.

But at the same time, after that brief eye contact, their gazes turned cold, as if the warmth of the night dew that had just touched their bodies had also touched their eyes. Although there was no change in their expressions, the surrounding air suddenly froze.

Even Nie Chong sensed something, but he remained silent and lowered his head.

After an unknown period of silence, Yuwen Ye stood up, let out a deep breath, and said, "Let's go back first, and talk about it when we get back."