Although they said they moved to Liling, it wasn't that fast.

Pingcheng served as the base camp for more than two years. By the time everything was basically in place, it was already mid-August.

Wei Jing, along with his wife and daughter, led his ministers and generals and set off eastward.

Pingcheng is more than 700 miles away from Liling, and it can be reached in six days by walking slowly. Shao Qing carried Jiuer in the car. The car was well padded and not very bumpy. It was a cool autumn day and not too hot. It felt quite good.

Because Xu'er was too young, the couple was worried that she would not be able to adapt, so they even informed Yan Ming in advance. But it turned out that they were worrying too much. The little girl who was leaving the hospital for the first time was obviously very excited. She kicked her little hands and feet vigorously and made "ah ah oh" even more happily.

Hearing that Li Ling was just ahead, Shao Qing lifted the curtain and took a look. When the little girl saw her father, she immediately laughed out loud twice, jumped a few times and reached out to grab him.

Of course she couldn't reach it, but when her father saw her, he immediately sped up his speech to Zhuang Yan and rode over in a moment.

Touching the little girl's face, Wei Jing frowned: "Why don't you bring Yanli?"

I said this to Shao Qing.

After one month of continuous treatment, Shao Qing's vision has basically recovered. She felt very refreshed both physically and mentally, and treated the trip as an autumn outing to enjoy the scenery. Just for the sake of caution, separation is still necessary. It was only this afternoon that she saw the sun was not strong, so she did not wear it.

Hearing this, she smiled at him: "It's not blinding."

In fact, she has a feeling whether it works or not, and now she doesn’t feel it’s irritating at all.

But Wei Jing insisted, so she had to take the veil handed to her by Nanny Ping and put it on without arguing with him.

After a few days, Xu'er got used to her mother wearing this thing all the time. She would glance at it and then look away, stretching out her little hand to her father outside the car window.

"ah!"

Wei Jing was very tempted, but then he thought about it and realized that his daughter was too young. He was covered in dust after riding a horse today, so it was not easy for him to hold her. He could only coax her reluctantly: "After we enter the city, Daddy will hold you. It will be quick, okay?"

From what Shao Qing saw, there was a dark city in the distance like a giant beast lying on the ground, extremely magnificent. It was indeed not far away, probably only about ten miles away.

Well, we finally arrived at Liling. I didn’t get tired of seeing the scenery along the way, but I did feel a little tired from sitting there.

An hour later, Wei Jing led his troops to Liling. Step onto the suspension bridge, pass through the ancient city gate, and walk along the bluestone main street straight to the Liling County Magistrate's Mansion.

Although she didn't get a response, Xu'er didn't get angry. She snuggled back into her mother's arms and fell asleep. Wei Jing first sent his wife and daughter into the main courtyard. Looking around the spacious courtyard, which had been newly renovated and no trace of Prince An's past remained, he snorted softly.

Shao Qing handed her daughter to the wet nurse and told her to take good care of her. She turned around and smiled, "This courtyard didn't originally belong to Prince An. He is only staying here temporarily for two years."

If abandoning the main courtyard and living somewhere else didn't seem too deliberate, she thought Wei Jing would definitely do so.

Wei Jing thought about it and felt much better.

After Geda arrived, the couple personally looked at their daughter's room. It was very comfortable, just like the one in Pingcheng. They nodded with satisfaction and went forward hand in hand.

Just moved here, very busy.

The first thing Wei Jing had to do was to take care of the 200,000 permanent troops stationed in the camp in the western suburbs of Liling. The army had set out ahead and had settled down, and Chen Qi was waiting in the outer study to report on military affairs. The two of them said a few words quickly and then ran to the study and duty room respectively.

After the battle of Yang, Wei Jing had an army of 600,000. Except for these 200,000, most of the remaining troops were stationed in Danyang and Hanzhong.

Danyang County of Yangzhou borders the sea to the east and Xuzhou to the north; Hanzhong County of Yizhou is connected to Sizhou across the Qinling Mountains. Now that the south is in his hands, he needs to focus on defense, of course only the line bordering the Central Plains remains.

Of course, Wei Jing deployed his troops on the Danyang and Hanzhong front not just for defense.

The ministers in the south and the warlords in the north are all clear about this.

Therefore, Wei Jing's move to move Li Ling made everyone nervous.

…

Yuzhou, Chenliu County, Kaiyi.

The front line of the three-way battlefield, where Prince Ji’s central army is stationed.

The day before yesterday, we received accurate information that the 200,000 permanent troops stationed by the King of Qi in the suburbs of Pingcheng had rushed to Liling first; today we received another news that Wei Jing himself led his ministers and generals to set off eastward.

It has been confirmed that the King of Qi moved to Liling, eyeing the Central Plains covetously and waiting for an opportunity to launch a northern expedition.

There was a moment of silence in the outer study, and Chu Zhu was the first to bow: "Your Highness, we should immediately send more troops to Runan and Liangjun."

Runan, the largest county in Yuzhou, and Liang County formed the border with Jingyang. The former is currently divided between Wang Ji and Prince Ji, with varying powers; as for the latter, after retreating through Yangzhou, it is now entirely owned by Prince Ji.

Liang County borders Prince Ji's base camp Xuzhou, and the defenses are connected. Prince Ji had already deployed his defenses early on. It was difficult to do so, so Wei Jing didn't rush over there.

The only place now is Runan, which is most likely to become a gap.

That is why Chu Zhu said this.

Another strategist, Xu Zhang, sighed: "In the battle against the imperial court, we have already gained the upper hand. If we temporarily withdraw troops, our advantage will be gone and it will be difficult to break through Yanjin."

What a pity! One step further from Yanjin is Sizhou.

Chu Zhu said in a deep voice: "Compared to the imperial court, the King of Qi is the most formidable enemy. Once he invades Yuzhou, the consequences will be disastrous!"

The King of Qi already controls half of the country and has a strong army. He is at odds with the warlords in the north, and the King of Ji, one of his close neighbors, is the first to bear the brunt.

This is the truth, so Xu Zhang sighed. The outer study room fell silent again. After a moment, Yang Shu said, "Your Highness, I second the motion."

He and Chu Zhu had always been at odds, but he was very clear about the distinction between public and private, and was unambiguous when it came to agreeing.

Prince Ji, who was at the top, frowned and hammered the Nanmu case with hatred, gritting his teeth and saying, "Well, that Wei Xian got it for free!"

Runan County had already increased its defenses once before. Prince Ji was also a decisive man. He directly mobilized 50,000 elite troops to strengthen the defense.

The next thing to discuss is how to allocate these 50,000 elite soldiers.

"Although Shancheng is easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is located in a strategic location. I think we need to increase our troops by 5,000..."

"Although Xiayi is a small city, it is not an easy route to advance. Even if the King of Qi advances from here, we can still get support in time. It doesn't matter if we increase the troops or not."

"I think that..."

The situation in Runan is complicated, and sending more troops is not an easy task. The door of the outer study was closed from morning to night, and the lights were on until midnight.

There is no sign of dispersing yet, because there is one place that cannot be settled.

Nanping Pass is one of the passes on the southern defense line of Yuzhou. It is a parent and child pass of Xiyang Pass, which is 20 miles northwest of it. The two passes, one son and one mother, are closely linked to each other and support each other, firmly locking the strategic point of Yangshou Mountain and preventing the enemies from the south from invading.

Originally, this was a very good place, a dangerous place, easy to defend but difficult to attack. But the problem now is that Nanping Pass is in the hands of Prince Ji, while Xiyang Pass is in the hands of Wang Ji.

There were originally two groups of people. Moreover, after Prince Ji withdrew his troops from Yangzhou and captured three cities, the relationship between the two sides reached a freezing point. With each of them garrisoning separately and hating each other, the advantages of Zimuguan cannot be fully utilized, and no matter how many additional troops are sent, it is unlikely to make up for it.

Not only were they worried about increasing the number of troops, but they were also concerned that the King of Qi would easily take advantage of this opportunity to invade Yuzhou.

To solve this problem, Zi Mu Pass must be in the hands of one person, either Prince Ji or Wang Ji.

Send troops to seize the pass now?

No, it won't work. Whether or not we can conquer the city is another matter. The King of Qi will probably lead his troops north immediately. What a good flaw this is.

It's tricky.

Chu Zhu frowned, and he didn't know what to do.

After discussing for more than an hour, Yang Shu, who had been staring at the regional map, finally spoke.

"Your Highness, I have a plan."

"Oh? Ziming, tell me quickly."

"Since the two passes of Nanping and Xiyang must be controlled by one person and cannot be taken by force, Your Highness might as well make a deal with Wang Ji."

Yang Shu stood up and pointed at the map, "We will use Nanping Pass to exchange for Wang Ji's Tiger Hill."

Huqiu, a pass in central Yuzhou, is currently in the hands of Wang Ji. It was this Huqiu Pass that blocked Prince Ji's food supply route, forcing him to take a longer detour and waste a lot of manpower and resources.

In terms of importance, Nanping Pass and Huqiu are equally important to King Yu An.

Yang Shu said: "We have already taken Liang County. It is impossible for Wang Ji to give up an inch of Runan."

Then we can only take a step back.

But choosing Huqiu won’t hurt you.

This is a brilliant plan to find a new way out, but Xu Zhang hesitated: "But, can Wang Ji agree to it?"

The other party is not a kind person. What if he doesn’t agree to Tiger Hill’s request and the Lion asks for too much?

Yang Shu was certain: "Wang Ji will definitely agree."

He said: "Everyone, you must believe that Wang Ji's fear of the King of Qi is no less than ours."

It should be noted that the powerful enemy is not on their side. Once the King of Qi invades Yuzhou, Wang Ji will not be able to sit idly by.

Prince Ji said: "Okay, I will write a letter and send it to Fengyang!"

…

Fengyang, where Wang Ji’s central army was stationed, was only about 400 miles away from Kaiyi. Fast horses could run day and night and could make a round trip in two days.

Just as Yang Shu said, Wang Ji agreed, and he agreed very readily. His actions were also clean and neat, without any tricks.

After quickly exchanging the pass with Prince Ji, he immediately sent reinforcements to firmly guard the Nanping and Xiyang passes.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, including Chu Zhu. After all, at the moment, his master's goal was the same as Prince Ji's.

He hurriedly passed the message back.

…

This news was quickly passed back to Liling.

Outside study.

Zhang Yong slapped his thigh angrily and said angrily: "Damn Prince Ji, damn Wang Ji!"

Decisive enough and quick enough.

However, it just happened to block Han Shou's best route to the north to Yuzhou.

That’s right, Nanping Pass and Xiyang Pass are indeed the weaknesses that Wei Jing and others have their eyes on, and they have discussed it several times before.

Even Wei Jing himself moved slowly, but sent an army of 200,000 to Liling first, which might have been his intention to confuse the enemy. Once a conflict occurred between Prince Ji and Wang Ji, or the relationship between the two sides became strained and there was no cooperation, he would most likely take the opportunity to immediately attack the Nanping and Xiyang passes.

There had just been a major battle at the beginning of the year, and the original plan was to rest in the second half of the year, but if there was a good opportunity, he wouldn't mind adjusting the strategy.

Ji Huan said: "What a pity."

It's a pity that Prince Ji's move was too decisive and not only did the opportunity for battle fail to appear, but the loophole was completely blocked.

"Yang Shu is so young, yet he has won the favor of Prince Ji. He is indeed very talented."

Ji Huan sighed a little, but Zhang Yong was not so good-tempered and cursed again, "Damn Yang Shu".

Shao Qing didn't say anything. She had never met Yang Shu in person, but based on her original body's memories and Sun's talk, she had a good impression of this blood cousin. But since they are now each occupying their own territory, there is no doubt that they are in a hostile relationship.

Many people present knew about this, but no one took it seriously. She was one of their own, and Yang Shu was an outsider. Zhang Yong started scolding her, but he subconsciously knew that she didn't mind.

Shao Qing really didn't mind, but she wouldn't speak unless it was necessary when it came to Yang Shu. The relationship between these cousins ​​was indeed a bit awkward at the moment.

Wei Jing sat at the head of the group and said, "Since that's the case, let's look for the flaws."

The Northern Expedition will be the biggest war since our rise, so a good start is very important.

It is regrettable to lose a great opportunity, but Wei Jing has experienced many battles, big and small, in the past ten years, and his mood has not fluctuated much.

Now that one flaw has been solved, we can just look for the next one. His expression was calm and his voice was steady.

Zhang Yong scratched his head: "But, but now Prince Ji and Wang Ji have already sent more garrisons..."

Being transferred from the front line, he was indignant: "That bastard emperor Luo Jing got a good deal!"

Indeed, it turned out that the imperial army was losing ground, Yuzhou was almost lost, and had been forced to Sizhou by Prince Ji and Wang Ji. With this military deployment, the pressure on the court was greatly reduced, and it was finally able to stabilize its position.

Although Zhang Yong cursed, he was speaking the truth. After the second reinforcement of troops, the southern defense line of Yuzhou could be said to be watertight.

Wei Jing could of course advance at any time, but he could only do so by force.

A strong attack is not an ideal war strategy, and it is easy for Prince Ji and Wang Ji to put aside their old grudges and join forces to fight the enemy. These two were also powerful warlords, with a total of more than 500,000 soldiers under their command. Wei Jing was not afraid of fighting tough and fierce battles, but the war became intense as soon as he entered Yuzhou, which can only be regarded as a medium to low situation.

This is not what Wei Jing wants, nor is it what the ministers present want. But if I want to find another flaw, I don't know where to start.

The outer study became quiet. Wei Jing pondered for a moment and instructed Han Xi: "Chengping, send someone to investigate. Investigate the garrisons and officials at the border towns of Yuzhou. The more detailed the better, especially Wang Ji's."

Since there is no loophole to be found from the outside, why not turn your attention to see if there is any opportunity inside?

With so many people, conflicts are likely to arise, especially since most of Wang Ji's subordinates came from humble backgrounds. Moreover, there are two groups of troops stationed there, and with the two factions intertwined, it is hard to guarantee that there will be no friction.

Wei Jing was not in a hurry. The Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed, and it was not suitable to go on an expedition after the winter snow. He told Han Xi that it didn't matter what the character was, the more detailed the better.

Han Xi took the order and left.

This is indeed a good idea. Ji Huan and others bowed and said, "My lord is wise."

Wei Jing nodded and responded with a few words. After finishing today's meeting, he dismissed the meeting.

All the ministers took their leave and left one after another, leaving only the couple in the huge conference room.

As dusk fell, Wei Jing and Shao Qing went straight back to the backyard.

He asked with concern: "What happened today?"

He naturally noticed that his wife didn't say much today, and he understood it after a second thought, so he comforted her gently: "My wife is straightforward, don't mind it."

"Of course I don't care."

Shao Qing shrugged and said, "Personal affairs are personal affairs, and military affairs are military affairs. How can they be mixed up?"

Not to mention that she and Yang Shu actually had no connection. Even if they really had a good relationship, there was no father and son on the battlefield, so all personal feelings should be abandoned.

She said, "It's a pity for Nanping Pass and Xiyang Pass."

Such a good loophole was blocked.

Wei Jing understood his wife and knew that she really didn't care, so he stopped talking to Yang Shu and consoled her, "We can find another opportunity to fight. Don't worry."

His brows relaxed, and Shao Qing's mood also lightened up: "That's right, with such a long defense line in Yuzhou, there may be a second flaw."

She smiled and said, "Let's go back quickly. I wonder if Xu'er has woken up yet?"

Speaking of their daughter, the couple was eager to go home and quickened their pace back to the main courtyard. Unfortunately, the little girl had just eaten her fill and had been coaxed to sleep by her wet nurse.

The two men did not argue with her. They just stood around and looked at the chariot for a long time. Then they reluctantly went back to the right room.

I forgot to mention that Xu'er moved out of her parents' inner room half a month ago and returned to her own room.

The reason is simple. Shao Qing had given birth three months ago and her body was in excellent condition, so she could resume sexual intercourse.

After dinner, she took a bath and went to bed. A hot chest pressed against her from behind. With the fumigation basket already placed in the room by Jiu'er, Wei Jing did not even put on a shirt. He hugged his wife, who had a slender waist but a plump chest, and kissed her shoulders and neck gently.

Shao Qing turned around and glared at him. She was a little overwhelmed by the frequency and intensity of their sexual intercourse in the past half month, but she still felt sorry for him for holding it in for so long and couldn't bear to reject him.

The couple fought frequently, so it was difficult to keep their daughter at home. It was also too inconvenient for a wet nurse to keep watch at night, so they had to move out.

Fortunately, there was only a hall between them, very close, otherwise the two would not have been willing to leave.

"ah!"

Shao Qing had just thought about her daughter when she was bitten lightly. Wei Jing was dissatisfied with her distraction and immediately intensified his attack with a whisper.

She frowned and looked up, no longer thinking about anything else.

"Ah Qing, what are you thinking about?"

"No, I miss you..."

…