After Wei Jing said this, there was complete silence.

After a long while, Zhang Yong was the first to ask, "Uh, who wrote this letter?"

Everyone looked at each other.

A very important letter.

But I don’t know whether it is true or not.

This messenger had delivered two letters before and then disappeared. When everyone had forgotten about him, his letter came again.

Surprised and puzzled.

It is about the message on the letter, but also about the identity of the sender.

But it is destined that there is no solution to this problem for the time being.

The only thing that can be asserted.

"This man must be a close minister or personal guard of Wei Ping."

Speaking of Prince An, Wei Jing's brows turned cold. He twisted the letter paper. Just like the previous two times, it was ordinary rice paper with slightly yellowed color, and there was no clue at all.

Really interesting.

Prince An traveled from Jingzhou to Jizhou, and nearly half of his former ministers and generals were killed. However, this man was still there, and at such a critical and sensitive moment, he sent such a letter.

Chen Qi couldn't help but ask: "My Lord, is what is said in this letter true?"

Prince An's plots have always been cruel and vicious. If they are true, it would be best to avoid them in advance.

This mysterious person sent the message twice, and both times the message was later proven to be true. But this was not enough to make everyone present believe in him.

Wei Jing put the letter down and said, "Whether it is true or not, we will know after we find out."

But no one has ever heard of this Dongyukou, and it is not marked on the regional map, so no one knows what kind of remote place it is.

But it doesn’t matter. There shouldn’t be too many pass locations that are suitable for the Allied forces to form a battle array and for ambushing an army of 500,000.

Wei Jing ordered the newly drawn topographic map of Fuchang area to be spread out. He scanned it inch by inch with his sharp eyes and circled six or seven suspected locations in succession.

Finally, his gaze swept across the corner of Qi Ling and Yuan Shui's eyes and paused.

This location is hidden behind a solitary peak and can be easily overlooked, but it forms an angle with the rugged ridge. Upon closer inspection, it resembles a tiger's mouth and a wolf's jaw. He focused his eyes and moved his pen to circle it.

"Chengping, you personally lead people to investigate, and remember not to alert the enemy."

Before Wei Jing handed the topographic map to Han Xi, he pointed at the last point with his index finger and said, "Look here first."

Since we are going to set up an ambush secretly, we should prepare now or even before. We can take a quick peek and know whether it is true or not.

Han Xi went there under the cover of night and returned before dawn.

The reason why it was so fast was that Wei Jingte found something wrong at the first location he visited.

"In the back lane, people are constantly transporting tung oil fire wires in, and the quantity is huge."

Fire attack.

It can be almost concluded that this is the Dongyukou. Han Xi personally surveyed and mapped the area. To be on the safe side, he sent people to check several other places. He came back quickly to report.

The makeshift topographic map was very rough, but everything that needed to be drawn was included. Everyone did not mind it and gathered around the long table to examine it carefully.

"Damn it, this Prince An is really insidious!"

Zhang Yong cursed loudly. Ji Huan, who was standing next to him, rubbed his ears and took a step back. He ignored him, stared at the topographic map for a moment, then shook his head.

"The terrain of Dongyukou is indeed dangerous. I'm afraid we can't take advantage of their strategy."

As Wei Jing's most valued counselor, he naturally knew what his lord was thinking, but after assessing the terrain, he realized that his first goal had failed.

It is a bit regrettable, but it doesn’t matter. Now it seems that what was said in the letter is most likely true, and there is a lot of room for maneuver.

It's about alienating the Allies.

If exposing Chu Zhu is not strong enough, what if we add this bait?

Prince An, you are clearly trying to use the lives of Prince Ji's army as bait.

Ji Huan pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Wei Jing, who was sitting above him, and said, "My Lord, how about asking Prince Ji to surrender?"

The Allied forces still have 600,000 soldiers and horses, which should not be underestimated.

However, for Prince Ji, neither exposing Chu Zhu nor uncovering Prince An's evil plot could solve the external threat to Xuzhou.

Under pressure from Wei Jing's threats, Prince Ji would never leave the allied forces even if their relationship became extremely strained.

But if there is an opportunity, it’s hard to say.

Ji Huan estimated Prince Ji's current military strength and decisively proposed to persuade Prince Ji to surrender.

He knew that although his lord had a neutral impression of Prince Ji, he had no personal grudge against him, so he could treat him as a normal enemy.

Attack, annihilation, and surrender are all strategies that can be used.

No matter how much we try to alienate Prince Ji from the other princes, we still have to launch an attack. If we can win without bloodshed, that would be great.

Once Prince Ji surrenders, the situation will be reversed, and the balance of military superiority and inferiority will be completely tilted.

The upper hand is firmly in our grasp, is a big victory far away?

The officials were cheered up. After careful consideration, Dai Guang Wang Yue Zhuangyan and others all agreed: "It is indeed the best strategy to persuade Prince Ji to surrender."

Zhang Yong, Chen Qi and other generals looked at each other, suppressed their rising emotions, turned their heads to look above, and waited for their lord's decision.

Wei Jing raised his eyebrows, thought for a moment, and nodded: "You can give it a try."

He really had no old grudge against Prince Ji, and if the other party surrendered to him, he would not be intolerant.

But it's too early to say all this.

King Renji may not surrender.

Wei Jing tapped the commander's desk with his index finger and said, "The best strategy is to persuade Prince Ji to surrender. If that doesn't work, expose Chu Zhu at the same time and divide them."

The matter is settled.

The next thing to discuss is how to persuade Prince Ji to surrender.

This has to be done quietly and not announced until it is done.

Different from merely exposing Chu Zhu, the letter of surrender had to be delivered to Prince Ji and could not pass through the hands of multiple people. And the person who submits the information must ensure that it is not done by someone else's spy.

Originally, this matter could be handled by randomly selecting a trusted minister, but after Chu Zhu appeared, everyone became restricted.

Who knows if the others are spies.

Zhang Yong curled his lips and muttered, "Prince Ji is so useless. Such an important position was actually taken advantage of by someone."

Who says it’s not?

Ji Huan thought about it and thought of someone, "Yang Shu."

"My Lord, Yang Shu is Madam's cousin, and they have a deep relationship since childhood. If you deliver a letter in Madam's or Madam Sun's name, Yang Shu will definitely read it personally."

Since he has seen it personally, he will ensure that the letter of surrender will be presented. Yang Shu is definitely not a spy from the other side. Even if he has a different stance from the three daughters of the Sun family, he definitely has no ill intentions.

Zhuang Yan clapped his hands and said, "I have heard that Madam and Yang Shu are cousins ​​and have a deep affection for each other. It is indeed appropriate to let her present the letter."

Cousin?

Deep feelings?

Have you had a deep relationship since childhood?

Everyone agreed, but Wei Jing's eyebrows twitched, and he suddenly remembered Yang Shu's handsome and beautiful jade-white face, and remembered that Shao Qing had once talked about this cousin Yang with a smile.

He pursed his lips but said nothing. He only ordered his guards to call Shao Bai over.

Shao Bo studied under Zhuang Yan and gradually became able to work on his own. He is currently the former's deputy. This time Zhuang Yan was going with the army, so naturally he came as well.

He was very humble and never acted arrogantly because of his status as Wei Jing's brother-in-law. After entering the tent, he greeted everyone politely.

"Cousin Yang?"

After the surprise, there is joy. Shao Bo also had a very good relationship with his cousin. In his mind, Yang Shu was no different from his own brother. This news was actually a great joy to him. He was filled with hope and his serious expression could no longer be maintained. His eyes suddenly lit up and Ji Huan smiled and waved to him to go over and write the letter.

Is Yang Shu really that good?

Wei Jing felt even more uncomfortable with his wife's brother's behavior. He snorted and took a sip of tea.

Shao Bo's letter was written quickly.

Wei Jing also wrote a letter to Prince Ji, sealed it with wax, and then put it inside Shao Bai's letter.

The messenger was undoubtedly his spy in the Xuzhou army. Before the letter was delivered, Ji Huan said, "Remember to give it to Yang Shu personally."

"yes!"

…

Wei Jing's letter of surrender was secretly sent to the allied camp, but long before he delivered the letter, Prince An's order had already been delivered to Chu Zhu.

He read the warrant carefully several times, crumpled the narrow piece of paper into a ball, opened his mouth, and swallowed it silently.

He drank a sip of tea, spread out the topographic map, turned the teacup and thought for a long time, then stood up and said, "Let's go to the central tent."

After the camp was moved, both sides were planning a major war and had been discussing the deployment of troops in recent days.

Prince Ji, the man who climbed up the roof and pulled off the tiles to beat up the tutor with his fists, had never been a studious person since childhood. He only started reading a few military books in recent years, so he was far from being proficient in anything.

As long as Yang Shu didn't cause trouble, Chu Zhu was confident that he could persuade Prince Ji.

However, God helped him. Yang Shu was injured in the breakout battle. The injury was serious and he has not gone out for several days.

Chu Zhu walked briskly towards the central tent while pondering his words.

When he was approaching the middle tent, the curtain was lifted and Prince Ji stepped out. Seeing Chu Zhu, he smiled and said, "Sir, you are here. I just want to go see Ziming. Shall we go together?"

This Yang Shu is really incompatible with him.

Chu Zhu secretly thought it was bad luck, but he certainly would not refuse, and smiled and said, "Very good, I originally wanted to go later."

The host and guest walked one after the other and soon arrived at Yang Shu's tent.

Yang Shu was wounded in the shoulder and back by a stray arrow. It was not fatal, but it was not a light injury either. He lost a lot of blood while running without any bandage and his face was very pale. When he saw Prince Ji trying to get up, he was held down by Prince Ji.

"Why be so polite? Just take care of your injuries."

It happened that the military doctor had not left after changing the bandages. Prince Ji asked about the injury in detail. The military doctor replied that the injury was getting better and it would be fine if he rested well. Prince Ji then breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

Chu Zhu pulled the corners of his lips and said with a fake smile: "Ziming, you must take good care of your injuries and get well soon."

Yang Shu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, then said calmly, "Thank you for your concern, Brother Meng Chu. I'm fine."

After a few bland exchanges of words, Chu Zhu shut up. Yang Shu ignored him and turned to Prince Ji, "Your Highness, what is the situation? I'm afraid the two armies will fight again in the near future."

He was worried: "Xuzhou lost so many soldiers this time. We must be extremely careful in the future and must not make any more mistakes."

Chu Zhu’s eyebrows jumped.

If Prince Ji took the opportunity to talk to Yang Shu about the battle plan, that would be very bad.

Fortunately, God was on his side. After nodding, Prince Ji said, "The war has not started yet. Ziming, you are seriously injured. You should rest well. If you have any questions, I will consult with you again."

Chu Zhu mentioned the heart that was in the air, and then put it back into his stomach.

Yang Shu was indeed not in good spirits and looked tired after speaking a few words. Prince Ji did not want to disturb them, so he said a few brief words and asked the military doctors and personal guards to take good care of Chu Zhu, then he led Chu Zhu away.

Yang Shu was indeed tired, so he closed his eyes, lay down and fell asleep, and did not wake up until nightfall. He had just been helped up when he heard some commotion outside. Upon asking, he found out that they were ordinary soldiers coming to thank him for saving their lives.

This is not uncommon. Although Yang Shu is aloof, he has always been willing to help ordinary soldiers from thousands of miles away. When he encounters similar situations outside, he will stop and say a few words.

But today was a little special. He was lying in the tent with a serious injury. The guards said they wanted to send him out. He thought for a moment and said, "Well, just call him in."

I thought it was an ordinary matter and I could just say a few words and send the person back, but the honest-looking soldier knelt down and kowtowed. When he stood up after finishing, a letter was revealed on his collar.

Yang Shu had sharp eyes and caught a glimpse of the two words on the cover.

"Brother Yang..."

Although it was less naive and more upright, the very familiar brushstrokes immediately startled him.

…

Let’s talk about Chu Zhu.

After Prince Ji left Yang Shu's tent, he was invited to the central army tent to discuss matters with the princes. When he came back, he summoned his staff to discuss matters behind closed doors. It was not until evening that he saw a gap when they were talking alone.

"Sir, do you have any opinion on the formation?"

Chu Zhu did not speak first. He stared at the topographic map for a while, stroked his beard and nodded slightly. As expected, Prince Ji asked further questions.

He nodded secretly.

He had been lurking around Prince Ji for many years and knew him well. Prince Ji was arrogant and violent, and although he had become more restrained as he grew older, he still had a bad temper and was not very talented or well-educated. Before Yang Shu showed his talent, Prince Ji always listened to him and did what he said.

These included starting a rebellion, forging a secret letter from the previous emperor, and marching northward to attack the imperial court. He was happy to follow any major matters involving his life and property, and never doubted them.

This man was lucky. He was born into a noble family and looked very much like the late emperor. He grew up recklessly and was given an excellent fiefdom with good innate conditions. He had a smooth journey.

Chu Zhu thought of his master and felt indignant for a moment, but he did not show it at all and just nodded seriously.

"Your Highness, this left wing location, near the gap, looks very good to me and is suitable for deploying troops."

Chu Zhu pointed his index finger at the slightly lower bait position just in front of Dongyukou.

Prince Ji looked in the direction he pointed and said, "Oh?"

He looked up at Chu Zhu and hesitated: "But Xu Zhang and Chen Su, ..."

When the meeting was just now underway, Xu Zhang and others said that the Right Wing was good, and Chu Zhu had no objection and also agreed.

Prince Ji stood up and walked to Chu Zhu's side. He lowered his head and looked at the position of Dongyukou. "Sir, are you optimistic about the left wing now?"

After taking a look, he looked puzzled: "There is a gap here, and the terrain is low. What good is this?"

"Your Highness, this is wrong!"

Chu Zhu stroked his sleeves and said in a clear voice: "Your Highness, look, although the terrain here is low, there is a smooth road to the left and rear. We can attack if we advance, and withdraw in time if we retreat."

He pointed to the entrance of the East Valley and said, "Besides, the low terrain has its advantages. If we deploy our troops here, we won't attract the attention of the Qi army."

Chu Zhu had studied topographic maps, quoted from classics, and eloquently expounded on a series of seemingly plausible and ambiguous theories. He was certain that he would be able to convince Prince Ji.

But Prince Ji looked at him steadily, "Can we attack or defend?"

Under the candlelight, Prince Ji's pair of phoenix eyes, which resembled those of the late emperor, were a little too bright, and seemed a little different from the past. However, Chu Zhu did not care too much and nodded solemnly.

"Xuzhou has lost too many soldiers and horses. Even if there is no great achievement here, there will be no great loss."

In fact, it is not the case. Once Prince Ji leads the remaining hundreds of thousands of Xuzhou soldiers out, he will be in an irretrievable situation.

"Will there be no serious damage?"

Prince Ji glanced at the topographic map and repeated it in a low voice.

"Your Highness, this is a great place to deploy our troops. We must not let it fall into the hands of others... Ugh!"

Chu Zhu paused before he could finish his words, because his chest and abdomen suddenly felt cold and a sharp pain came over him.

He subconsciously lowered his eyes and saw a black gold dagger piercing into his chest and abdomen. A trace of deep red flowed out, staining the brown and yellow silk clothes red.

The dagger handle was wrapped with gold wire and inlaid with three polished rubies. It was exquisite and gorgeous, and was held in a white and slender hand.

Chu Zhu recognized this dagger, and he also recognized the hand that held the dagger.

His heart was greatly shocked, and he looked up suddenly, meeting Prince Ji's slanted eyes. The light in his eyes was clearer and colder than he had ever seen before.

"It seems that you really think I am a fool."

Prince Ji spoke coldly.

Chu Zhu's eyes widened, "You, you..."

He could no longer finish his sentence, and his vision began to waver. At this moment, he heard a commotion beside his ears, and Yang Shu's weak but anxious voice rang out outside the tent, "Your Highness, Your Highness..."

Even the sounds began to blur, and there was a buzzing in his ears. Chu Zhu stared at Prince Ji: "No... Impossible, you!"

"snort!"

Prince Ji snorted coldly and quickly pulled back the dagger.

Blood splattered, Chu Zhu made two "guh" sounds in his throat, and then he fell on the nanmu table with a "bang" and fell heavily to the ground.