The next day, Han Xi sent out the Qing Zhai Guards who were following He Xin's confidants to send back the news again. Sure enough, when the other party arrived at Shangchun City, the person they contacted was none other than He Hong, one of the scouts responsible for keeping an eye on the County Magistrate's Mansion.

Yesterday's judgment was quite correct.

very good.

Wei Jing said to his wife, "Ah Qing, I'm going to be away for a few days. Please wait for me at home."

Shao Qing knew his purpose, but not his method. She was curious: "Where are you going?"

Wei Jing smiled slightly: "Gongcheng."

…

Gongcheng.

It is a transportation hub on the southwestern border of Yiling County, with mountains behind it and plains in front. It is prosperous, but because of the many dangerous mountains behind it, there are many bandit problems.

Some of Zhou Peng's remaining generals and soldiers also fled into the mountains and forests. They incited the bandits somehow and were ready to take action, seemingly planning to take advantage of the fight between He Yun's two sons after He Yun's death to fish in troubled waters.

The combination of the two has created a new bandit problem. Gongcheng can no longer bear the trouble and has requested Shangchuncheng to suppress the bandits.

Wei Jing not only agreed, he also went there in person.

Not only did he go there in person, he even invited Lu Jian to go with him.

Why do we need two county magistrates to go together to deal with such a small bandit problem?

Wei Jing's explanation was that he had been working on paperwork for days and his muscles and bones were exhausted, so he took the opportunity to move around and relax.

Lu Jian readily agreed.

The two men led their troops there, and in a matter of seconds, they wiped out the bandit problem, which had just become a minor problem.

What does Wei Jing mean by this action? What’s so special about Gongcheng?

Yes, it does exist, and it is very close to Anfeng County.

Xunyang City, the seat of Anfeng County, is located in the northeast of the county, only half a day's journey from Gongcheng. If you are in a hurry, one night is more than enough for the round trip.

In addition, the Anfeng County Magistrate Wang Yong was also under He Hong's command.

"My dear brother Zi Kuang."

Just after a great victory in suppressing the bandits, on the shoulder of the mountain, Lü Jian tightened the reins, pointed the whip forward, and said with a smile: "Wang Yong, the governor of Anfeng County, and my dear brother Zi Kuang, I will introduce you two to each other someday. Wang Jiluan is a bold and straightforward person, and you two will definitely get along well."

Lu Jian and Wang Yong are very familiar with each other and have been good friends for many years.

After two months of fighting side by side, Lu Jian was no longer unfamiliar with Wei Jing as he had been before. Besides admiring each other, they had a very good relationship.

Therefore, Lu Jian said that he would introduce the two to each other in the future.

Wei Jing smiled: "Okay."

The two men then rode back to Gongcheng.

That night, as Wei Jing had expected, another secret report was sent back to Gucheng.

…

At this time in Gucheng, He Rong was holding the first message sent back by his secret sentry and hurried to He Hong's study.

I really didn't expect that Yang Ze would not have time to spare and go to suppress the bandits himself. God help me.

"My Lord!"

He Hong took the letter and reported: "Yang Ze and Lu Jian, leave Shangchun City and lead the troops to Gongcheng to suppress the bandits?"

He was startled. It was just a bandit problem. He could just appoint a general to lead thousands of soldiers to eliminate it. Why was it necessary for the two county governors to go there in person? !

What does Yang Ze want to do?

He immediately ordered: "Subsequent letters and reports, no need to sort them out, submit them immediately!"

"yes."

He Rong was no longer needed to open it, but this was also what he had expected. He was not panicked at all. Things were going too smoothly, so it didn't matter if he no longer intervened.

…

Wei Jing soon received a report that a group of mysterious people in black cloaks quietly left Gongcheng after nightfall and headed towards Anfeng County. Judging from the direction, their destination was Xunyang City.

Then, under the guidance of He Xin's spy, all the scouts sent by He Hong to monitor him followed.

Wei Jing smiled, thinking that the mysterious man in the black cloak must be him and Lu Jian in disguise.

Sure enough, the scouts were ambushed on the road, and except for two He Xin spies who were seriously injured, the rest were all killed.

The two spies "struggled" and sent another letter to Gucheng.

…

"Report! My lord, urgent news from Gongcheng!"

A blood-stained letter was presented to He Hong. He Hong's face changed and he immediately took it and checked the wax seal. Seeing that it was intact, he opened it immediately.

"Yang Ze and Lu Jian took advantage of the cover of night to disguise themselves and leave the city, heading straight for Xunyang, the capital of Anfeng County. Scouts followed them, but they hid themselves and were not easily discovered. How could they escape with 21 dead and 2 seriously injured?!"

He Hong was furious: "How can this be possible!"

Yang Zeguo developed a rebellious heart!

But no one expected that he could defeat Lu Jian so quickly.

He Hong knew that Lu Jian and Anfeng County Magistrate Wang Yong had been close friends for many years. Now that Lu and Yang came out in the middle of the night, it must be that Lu Jian wanted to introduce Yang Ze to Wang Yong and incite Wang Yong.

"Yang Ze! Lu Jian!"

He Hong's murderous intentions were clear, and he immediately wrote a letter and sealed it with wax himself: "Call Dong Gui immediately."

Dong Gui was the leader of He Hong's personal guards and his most trusted confidant.

"You lead your men out of the house quietly, disguise yourself and leave the city, go to Shangchun immediately, and make sure to hand this letter to Fan Ya in person."

He Hong smiled coldly. It had been less than a year since Yang Ze replaced Bao Zhong, but Fan Ya and other Anyang generals had been under his command for a long time. Especially Fan Ya, he was the one who put him in there specifically to prevent Bao Zhong from having any ulterior motives.

Did Yang Ze think that he was invincible just because he controlled five counties?

Totally wrong.

"Once my father dies, He Xin and I will go to war. At that time, we will summon soldiers from all the counties to Gucheng. When the two armies fight, Fan Ya will take the opportunity to trap and kill Yang Ze."

As for Lu Jian, there may also be a Wang Yong. The two of them are much less capable than Yang Ze. There is no rush. After the rebel leader is eliminated and the big change occurs, it will not be too late to deal with them slowly.

When He Hong sent out the scouts, he was prepared for the possibility of being discovered. The scouts more or less carried some tokens of He Xin's faction, so even if an accident happened now, Yang Ze would not be sure of anything.

Yang Ze might have doubts, but he would certainly not break the superficial harmony at the moment.

This is all He Hong needs.

…

He Hong's reaction, and even the secret order to Fan Ya and other generals to wait for an opportunity to murder him, were all within Wei Jing's expectations. This was exactly the effect he wanted.

However, he would not allow He Hong's secret order to be delivered to Fan Ya and affect the morale of the army.

Therefore, on the night when the "secretary was killed", as soon as all the secret sentries followed the cloaked people away, an express letter was sent to Gongcheng, reporting that there was an emergency in Shangchun City, asking Wei Jing to return immediately.

Wei Jing and Lu Jian, who had almost rested, walked out of the government office openly and rushed out of the city to Shangchun.

There are still a few scouts left in Shangchun City, and there are no spies of He Xin here. The next morning they found Wei Jing and Lu Jian had returned, and they could see their faces clearly.

But none of the colleagues who followed him came back.

Something unusual must have happened.

The scouts had a brief discussion and wrote a few letters, but did not pass them on. Instead, they sent several people to rush back to Gucheng day and night. They were not allowed to tell anyone else and had to hand them over to the lord personally to prevent any mistakes.

Therefore, just half a day after Dong Gui left, He Hong received news from Shangchun City one after another.

When he unfolded it, he was horrified: "He Xin! It must be the traitor He Xin who was plotting to harm me!"

The "secret sentry was killed" happened in the middle of the night, when the black cloaks were about to arrive at Xunyang City. From Xunyang to Shangchun, even if Yang Ze and Lu Jian had wings, it would be impossible for them to get back to Shangchun City in the early morning.

I almost fell into the trap!

Fortunately, there was a civil unrest in Yiliang County, and fortunately, the urgent report arrived in Gongcheng in time!

He Hong punched the desk hard: "Quick, send someone to bring Dong Gui back!!"

Fortunately, it didn't take long and Dong Gui was recovered in time. Everyone broke out in cold sweats. If they really fell into the trap, either they would lose a brave general and greatly damage their strength, or they would be forced to rebel against Yang Ze.

In any case, neither of them will have a good ending, and the position of governor is still hanging in the balance.

Dong Gui asked, "Sir, what should we do next?"

He Xin's brows were icy: "We have to find the person first."

He had already figured it out. The other party must have spies hidden deep within his ranks. Otherwise, this plan would be too unsafe. After all, no one could have imagined that Yang Ze and Lu Jian would be so interested in going to Gongcheng to suppress the bandits.

Since there is a problem with the scout, it can be inferred that the spy is hidden in his intelligence system as expected.

The most likely ones are his trusted confidants who help him organize intelligence.

…

Han Xi lay quietly on the beam, looking silently towards the air window.

"…It's He Rong."

Sure enough, it didn't take long for He Hong to find out the spy. He smiled coldly: "We will use their own tricks against us."

He spread out a cowhide scroll, which turned out to be a map of Yizhou. He Hong picked up a pen, wrote and drew on it, and then made some corrections.

The counselor Liang Yu said: "This is a very good plan."

This was what he was thinking. The host and the guest looked at each other, picked up their pens, and wrote in tacit understanding. Their handwriting was all near Gucheng.

The regional map, combined with pen and ink, becomes a rough sketch of military deployment.

Both He Xin and He Hong knew very well that once their father passed away, the brothers would definitely meet in battle outside Gucheng.

How to deploy troops and how to arrange the battle formation to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible? Both sides have rehearsed this issue countless times.

At this moment, if He Hong's "troop deployment map" was leaked, there is no doubt that He Xin would be ecstatic, and then quickly adjust the battle strategy according to this map.

This fell exactly into He Hong's plan.

That’s right, this is a counter-espionage tactic.

So, on the second night of He Rong's duty, he suddenly received an urgent report. He was delighted, and the Second Young Master summoned all his confidants and counselors to the outer study to discuss important matters.

"Sir, there is urgent news!"

"Present it quickly!"

He Rong immediately pushed the door open and walked in. When he presented the letter, he took a glance and saw a sheepskin regional map spread out on the large nanmu desk. There were some tiny handwritings on it.

Yang Ze, Central Army, Wang Yong...

To the west of Gucheng, they are arranged in a fan shape taking advantage of the mountain terrain.

this?

It’s actually a diagram of troop deployment? !

He Rong was overjoyed. He turned around respectfully and did his best to write down the map and memorize it.

As soon as he returned to the duty room, he closed the door, picked up his pen, and tried his best to restore it on paper.

Fortunately, there is not much difference.

He Rong carefully kept the paper close to his body and waited for an opportunity to pass it out quietly the next day.

The study outside the east courtyard.

"Sir, it's done."

He Hong was overjoyed: "Okay!"

…

All of this did not escape Han Xi's observation, and the news was immediately sent back to Shangchun City.

After reading it, Wei Jing ordered without hesitation: "Let He Xin know about this."

He Hong must die.

The most ideal outcome would be that he was killed at the hands of He Xin shortly after the war began.

Only after He Hong died in battle, did Fan Ya and other generals with his style become his men completely.

Fan Ya and others were also brave. From Anyang to Hanzhong and then to the two counties, whether they were veteran soldiers or newly recruited surrendered soldiers, they accounted for almost half of Wei Jing's military forces.

To resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the internal situation.

He Hong had to die at the hands of He Xin.

…

At first, he accidentally learned that Dong Gui had rushed eastward, towards Yiling County, and was then urgently intercepted and brought back; later, he followed the clues and suspected that his plan had been exposed; after a final test, he learned that He Rong had been exposed.

He Xin brushed off the "troop formation diagram" that he had studied for several days and nights. His previous joy was swept away. He gritted his teeth and said, "I almost fell into He Hong's counter-espionage plan!"

"Don't be upset, sir."

Bai Gu also spent several days' hard work, but he was not angry at all. There was a gleam of light in his eyes: "He used the strategy of sowing discord, and we can use it too."

He Xin was puzzled. Did they also want to leak the troop deployment diagram? This is such a coincidence, I’m afraid He Hong won’t be fooled, right?

Bai Gu smiled and said, "The so-called leaking of the marching formation map is nothing more than to lure our troops into a disadvantageous position so that he can surround us."

“It doesn’t matter what method you use, as long as the results are the same.”

Bai Gu whispered something in He Xin's ear for a while, and He Xin's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands: "Sir, your talent is amazing!"

The two of them were whispering, and He Xin was much more cautious this time after his failure, and he also whispered to his confidants when he called them to give orders.

Han Xi couldn't hear the plan, but he was not in a hurry. He turned around and stared at He Hong.

Sure enough, he quickly pieced together Bai Gu's plan.

At this critical moment when all the doctors have unanimously concluded that He Yun will not survive this month, He Hong's spy in Huang Long's mansion of Zhonglang Jiang sent back news that a mysterious person seemed to visit Huang Long's mansion at night.

Huang Long was a Lieutenant General under He Yun and one of his trusted confidants. Most of the military power in He Yun's hands was now controlled by this man.

Speaking of this, we have to first mention the complicated military and political situation in Yizhou.

He Yun's two sons grew up and entered the officialdom of Yizhou. They competed with each other and tried hard to steal their father's talents. However, before Wei Jing took over the three counties, the two were evenly matched in both military and political affairs, both inside and outside Gucheng.

As for He Yun himself, of course he would not be poached by his sons. He still had some close confidants who had not yet taken sides. There were four county governors, one of whom was Liao Fang, the former governor of Hanzhong County; as well as the east and west camps on the outskirts of Gucheng, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, all of whom were managed by his confidants.

This Huang Long is one of the two trusted generals in charge of the army.

If He Yun died, these two men, along with the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, would definitely not intervene in the fight between the two young masters. After all, we have been neutral for so many years, so whoever wins will be respected as the new master.

He Hongben also thinks so.

But who would have known? Now, following the clues, it is almost certain that Huang Long has surrendered to He Xin.

He was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Huang Long was in charge of the Western Suburbs Camp. According to his original plan, after the war broke out, his central army would be stationed behind the Western Suburbs Camp, and then Yang Ze would be arranged in the front, so as to both vigorously strike He Xin and reduce Yang Ze's strength.

Fortunately not.

In fact, the most dangerous place is behind the western suburbs camp.

He Hong calmed himself down and thought fortunately it was not too late to know now.

He lowered his eyelids. This was the location closest to the Western Suburbs Camp, so he decided to put Yang Ze there.

As for his own central army, it certainly could not be in the front. He Hong turned his eyes and fixed his gaze on a depression in the mountains to the east.

Marching here is very difficult due to the many mountains. This must be the weak point of He Xin's troops. It is good to have a bird's eye view of the whole situation from here.

…

at the same time.

Bai Gu pointed to a depression in the mountains east of Gucheng on the regional map: "This place is very difficult to march because of the many mountains. According to common sense, it must be a weak point for our troops. I think He Hong must be hiding here."

"If we deploy heavy troops at the southern slope and immediately divide them into three groups to encircle He Hong after the battle begins, even though the roads may be difficult to navigate, we will definitely be able to destroy He Hong."

He Xin showed a look of joy, but before Bai Gu finished speaking, he frowned and said, "But we still have to find a way to get rid of Yang Ze."

He values ​​Yang Ze much more than He Hong. After careful consideration over the past few days, he came up with a good plan.

"Sir, you can get rid of him with the help of your father."

He Yun knew that once he died, his two sons would fight to the death. There was nothing he could do but accept it. However, he would never allow anyone who was not his son to take the throne.

"Sir, when a person is about to die, he or she will have a moment of revival. You should take advantage of He Hong's absence to quickly tell him about Yang Ze's plan to take over the three counties. Don't worry, your father will make arrangements before he dies."

He Hong will definitely arrange Yang Ze in the western suburbs camp to fight against the powerful enemy and reduce its strength. Then let the fake enemy become a real one. He Yun left behind hundreds of thousands of neutral troops, and Yang Ze would be seriously injured even if he didn't die.

It can be easily removed then.

…

Why is Bai Gu so sure that He Hong will leave for a while when his father is having his last breath?

The reason was simple, because he had received a secret order and was rushing to the important counties of Gucheng. The war was about to begin, and everyone could take their positions as planned.

Not only He Hong, but He Xin also knew how to do it, but he deliberately lagged behind his brother.

"Father, I have something important to report to you. It concerns the foundation of the He family!"

He Xin knelt down in front of He Yun's bed.

He Yun, who had been in a coma for many days, finally woke up. He even had some strength left and asked his attendants to help him sit up. He stared at his third son for a while with his cloudy eyes.

He dismissed everyone.

No one knew what the two men talked about, but He Yun immediately summoned all his trusted generals into the room and closed the door tightly.

He Hong, who hurried back, felt a jolt in his heart. Could it be that the old man was confused due to his illness and was finally persuaded?

Probably not.

But in fact, it would not happen. He Yun finally called his wives, concubines, and children in, glanced at the two adult sons in front, and murmured, "Forget it, forget it. I have no way of educating my children. I will close my eyes. You, you can do it on your own."

After saying this, he tilted his head and took his last breath.

…

At this time, Wei Jing, receiving a secret order from He Hong, led his army towards Gucheng.

So is Lu Jian.

The two soon received a new secret order. The envoy was about to die, and the prince ordered them to rush to Gucheng as quickly as possible and deploy their troops according to the original plan.

Wei Jing and Lu Jian were arranged to stay beside the camp in the western suburbs.

Zhang Yong asked quietly: "My lord, should we take shelter for a while?"

Wei Jing shook his head: "No need, we can take advantage of the fact that Huang Long is not fully prepared and destroy him."

In fact, neutrals like Huang Long will inevitably become one of his enemies in the future. He Yun's loyal confidant would not sit idly by and watch someone who was not of the He family take over Yizhou even without his lord's temporary instructions.

They will be enemies sooner or later. Since He Xin is instigating us, we might as well take advantage of their tactics and annihilate them in advance.

He ordered his men to unfold the map, and pointed at two places. He ordered: "Zhang Yong, Chen Qi, you two will each lead half of the 50,000 rear troops, quietly bypass Liang County, and hide in these two places. When the Huanglong army comes out tomorrow, surround them."

"Under command!"

Zhang Yong and Chen Qi rode away quietly.

In the dark night, Wei Jing raised his eyes and looked into the distance.

In this direction, another eighty miles away is Gucheng.

He Hong must die.

The military and political power of the four counties of Anyang, Hanzhong, Yongchang and Yiliang will completely belong to him.

As for the rest.

There is no rush. He has to wait until the news of He Hong’s death comes out before taking the next step. During this time, he will first defeat Huang Long.

With a great battle ahead, he was not afraid but instead was eager to fight. In his sharp black eyes, there was a light of determination like a beast staring at its prey.

The battle to take Yizhou finally entered the most critical stage.