The mountain breeze blows through the window lattice of the hidden mountain villa, bringing the sobbing of distant pine trees.
Zhao Muyun stroked the rough linen clothes, feeling the texture which was completely different from the silk and satin of the capital.
This roughness actually made his mind clearer.
The internal injuries caused by falling off a cliff into the rapids at Black Wind Gorge a few days ago are still aching.
Every deep breath carried a rusty sweetness, reminding him of the dangers he had experienced.
“No trace of the body remains…”
Zhao Muyun chewed these four words in a low voice, a cold smile appearing on his face.
The Crown Prince and those who envy him in the court are probably celebrating this!
Wu Shangzhi and Li Si walked in quietly and reported on the defense of the villa.
Looking at the fatigue and still sharp gaze in their eyes, Zhao Muyun felt heavy in his heart.
The bet was won in the Black Wind Gorge scene, but it came at a high price.
"Are all the brothers settled?"
"Don't worry, boss. The seriously injured are in the neighboring village, and the lightly injured have been dispersed and monitored. The villa has three secret sentries, so we are absolutely safe."
Wu Shangzhi's voice was steady.
Zhao Muyun nodded, suppressing his gratitude in his heart.
The people he brought from Shuozhou crawled out of a sea of blood and corpses, so there was no need for them to talk about friendship.
Now, he has Wu Shangzhi's one hundred elite cavalrymen, Li Si's ten guards and Tang Yanhai's ten elite scouts.
Zhao Muyun's gaze fell back on the intelligence file on the desk.
At the top was an urgent report from Shuozhou: Han Zhong vomited blood again and his health was in grave danger, but fortunately, Bai Ruolan and Huan Naxue had not yet learned of Zhao Muyun’s “death”!
Zhao Muyun's fingers suddenly tightened, and the paper crumpled into a ball.
This old Han is Zhao Muyun’s most trusted general when he is not in Shuozhou, along with Lin Feng, Zhong Dahu, Tian Qing and others.
In addition, Wang Tiezhu, who is sitting in a wheelchair, is actually going to rush to the capital... what a rascal!
However, Zhao Muyun felt relieved when he saw Han Zhongqiang, despite his illness, stabilize the situation in Shuozhou, hold everyone down, and close the four gates to prepare for battle.
Han Zhong still has a sense of the overall situation, not to mention that Huan Naxue is pregnant with a young master, no matter if it is a boy or a girl!
Shuozhou cannot be in chaos. It is Zhao Muyun's last foundation and also the trump card for future turnaround.
And Pan Ren, the imperial envoy sent by the crown prince and the Minister of Personnel, is as disgusting as a fly.
To appease the army? To seize power is the real goal.
"Miss Bingbing!" Zhao Muyun called out from the shadows.
Fan Bingbing appeared quietly and silently. Seeing the man in front of her who worried her the most had a pale face and a frown on his face, she couldn't help but feel sad.
If it weren't for the purpose of escaping the prison in the capital, Zhao Muyun would not have chosen to fake his death.
It seems clever, but it is actually extremely dangerous and a gamble!
"Tell your men at Ye Bu Shou to gather intelligence on a few groups of defeated Tartar soldiers or rebel activities near Shuozhou, and deliberately leak it to Pan Ren. The louder the better!"
"Tell Han Zhong and the others to retreat in order to advance and see if this imperial envoy is a coward!"
"Then secretly organize the common people and merchants to go to Pan Ren to cry and complain, and see how the imperial envoy reacts."
"As long as the Tartars and the rebels are there, he will never dare to touch Shuozhou!"
"At this point, there's no other way to protect yourself by nurturing the enemy."
"Also, don't touch Pan Ren. I want to keep him to inform the prince."
"Understood." Fan Bingbing nodded and then reported, "Sir, our spies in the capital have reported that the Crown Prince has taken swift action, purging the court, installing his cronies, and replacing the leader of the Imperial Guards."
"The Crown Prince is getting a little impatient now, but it's only natural. He's been patient for thirty years. Now, Your Majesty has been drained of his body by Concubine Xiao in the Tianzi Mountain Villa, and I've been silenced by his men, leaving no trace of my body."
Zhao Muyun sneered, "Very good! The more ruthless you are, the more enemies you will make. And the Autumn Examination is approaching..."
"Miss Bingbing!"
"Sir, do you have any other instructions?"
"Perhaps we could join in the fun of the Autumn Examination. We could get in touch with those scholars who possess real talent, come from poor families, and have the backbone to refuse to be dependent on the Crown Prince, and secretly establish a good relationship with them."
"Send some people to spread rumors in the streets, saying that the current imperial examinations may prioritize family background and origin over true talent and learning."
After hearing what Zhao Muyun said, Fan Bingbing, the daughter of a former military minister, was naturally familiar with the affairs of the capital. A smile flashed in her eyes, "Don't worry, Lord Zhao. I'm very good at spreading rumors."
"Good, the whole city is in an uproar, and public opinion is very good."
Then, Zhao Muyun thought of Prince Jin.
As the old emperor went to Tianzi Mountain to escape the summer heat, the prince gradually showed his fangs, and the Prince of Jin also began to show his muscles!
Zhao Muyun didn't expect that the three prefectures' troops and Xiao Cheyun sent by Prince Jin were just a cover. The power of Prince Jin in Hedong and even lurking in Beidi was just the tip of the iceberg.
At the moment, the "funeral gift" sent by Prince Jin is obviously a test from the old fox.
He probably didn't believe that Zhao Muyun died so easily.
"In return for the gift to the King of Jin, add this: 'If you travel around the world and pass through Jinyang, I will come to you to express my gratitude.'"
Make him guess, make him doubt, make him unable to sleep or eat.
Zhao Muyun told Li Si how to respond to King Jin's words.
Li Si bowed with a serious expression.
He had to act well in front of King Jin's men, expressing his grief at losing his master without revealing any flaws.
After Zhao Muyun finished giving instructions to Li Si and Fan Bingbing, he took a short rest.
Falling off a cliff and into a rapid stream, with a drop of hundreds of meters, would damage a head of steel, let alone a body of flesh and blood.
Zhao Muyun's body is still strong and sturdy, almost the same as the special forces soldier in his previous life.
If it were anyone else, they would have suffered internal injuries and blood clots, or even died from the shock.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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