Ancient ferry crossing on the river.
Zhao Muyun, Li Si and others disguised themselves as traveling merchants, bypassing the troops confronting the Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince, and left Tianzi Mountain two days ago.
Tonight, they stayed in a simple inn near the ferry.
The candlelight cast Zhao Muyun's figure on the wooden wall of the inn, swaying unsteadily, just like the ever-changing world situation outside the window.
On the table, the simple map of Dayin was covered with tiny marks of various colors.
Jingji, Jinyang, Shuozhou, Yanyun, Xijing...
Each dot represents the surging undercurrent and the burning flames of war.
A figure came to the window silently. It was Ye Bushou's deputy captain Chen Qian.
Fan Bingbing set off to Lingnan to pick up Fan Nan, and the person responsible for reporting intelligence to Zhao Muyun on a regular basis was replaced by Shen Qian.
Chen Qian was the best of the first ninety night guards selected by Wang Tiezhu to participate in secret training and the graduation ceremony.
Zhao Muyun gave lectures to this group of people and held a graduation ceremony, which left a deep impression on them.
Shen Qian was very excited to know that Zhao Muyun was still alive. Although he didn't understand what was going on, his first instinct was to keep the secret.
"General Yun, Cao Chunfeng has arrived at the army of Li Chenghua and Yang Dingguo, holding the Emperor's Sword, and is urging a decisive battle."
"General Li and Minister Yang disagree, and morale within the army is unsettled."
Zhao Muyun kept his eyes on the map and pointed at the location representing the five battalions of the capital:
"Cao Chunfeng is eager for quick success and will resort to coercion. Minister Yang... he is not blindly loyal, he just lacks a clear path forward."
He pondered for a moment and asked, "Has the letter to Minister Yang been delivered?"
"It has passed through three secret channels, ensuring it is foolproof, and has fallen into the hands of Minister Yang's personal followers." Chen Qian replied, "But... there has been no response yet."
"That's all right. The seeds have been planted, and we just have to wait for them to sprout."
Zhao Muyun was not surprised. If he were in her place, he would also be extremely cautious if he received a secret letter of unknown origin at such a critical moment.
"Over in Youzhou, how are the logistics routes and troop distribution of Zuo Xianwang's troops progressing?"
“Preliminary results are available.”
Chen Qian presented a scroll of fine silk, "Zuo Xian Wang was arrogant due to his victory and advanced too quickly. His food and fodder were mainly stored in Black Wind Fort, 70 miles outside Juyong Pass, with a garrison of about 5,000 men."
"The main force is besieging Youzhou, leaving the rear relatively empty. Furthermore, the communication routes between their various units have been roughly established."
He pointed to a few points on the map.
Zhao Muyun's eyes flashed as he carefully examined the information, like a hunter discovering his prey's most fatal flaw:
"Good! Excellent! Prince Zuo Xian is courting his own death!"
He looked up suddenly. "Immediately make a copy of this information and use top-secret channels to get it to Yang Dingguo as soon as possible! Quick!"
"It was delivered just when Cao Chunfeng was most pressed!"
He could almost imagine how huge the shock would be when Yang Dingguo was forced into a dilemma and was in a state of panic by Cao Chunfeng, and suddenly received such intelligence that pointed out the vital point of Beidi in detail and came with a shocking and bold plan!
"General Yun, is the plan you mentioned in your letter... too risky?"
Shen Qian couldn’t help but ask.
The plan was crazy: let Yang Dingguo disobey the imperial order, shake off the surveillance of Cao Chunfeng and even the King of Jin, secretly lead 10,000 elite troops to attack thousands of miles directly to the Black Wind Village, the Tartar logistics base, and lift the siege of Youzhou!
"adventure?"
The corners of Zhao Muyun's mouth curled up in a cold arc, "Captain Chen, in this world today, following the rules will only lead to death!"
"The Crown Prince is immoral, the Prince of Jin is ambitious, and the Tartars are rampant. If we want to break the deadlock, we must take extraordinary and risky measures!"
"Li Chenghua and Yang Dingguo command tens of thousands of elite troops, yet they are mired in internal strife, wasting national strength. This is the greatest waste!"
"If we can march north with this special force and strike hard at the Tartars, not only will we be able to save Youzhou and Shuozhou from danger, but we will also be able to change public opinion in one fell swoop!"
"By then, armed with the merit of protecting the nation, Minister Yang and Li Chenghua will be able to move freely. Who in the world would dare to criticize them? This is a truly viable move!"
The more he spoke, the more resolute his tone became: "All I did was help them see this step clearly and then gave them a gift that was enough to make them make up their minds."
Shen Qian was shocked by the courage and foresight in Zhao Muyun's words. He said no more and solemnly accepted the order:
"Yes! I'll do it immediately!"
"etc."
Zhao Muyun stopped him, "How's the situation in Shuozhou? How long can Han Zhong hold out? What are the latest developments in other areas?"
"After six days of bloody fighting, Shi Yong's troops suffered heavy casualties and consumed a huge amount of supplies, but their morale remained unshaken."
"Sima Han and the others discussed whether to withdraw Shi Duwei's troops to Jingbian Military Town for a second wave of defense."
"In addition, Princess Yin Yao did as she said. She assisted Madam Bai in stabilizing the rear and declared that she would unite with the Shuozhou army and people to fight against the Di invaders."
"Xiao Cheyun's troops have not made any unusual moves yet, and Yinji is fully committed to providing logistics support for Prince Jin's army in Jinyang."
"Captain Tang has already sent the fireworks craftsmen and materials such as sulfur to a secret valley in Yanzhou, waiting for Marshal Yun to arrive."
“…”
Shen Qian was well prepared and reported the latest intelligence from various places to Zhao Muyun in an orderly manner.
Zhao Muyun listened silently, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
Shi Yong's loyalty and tenacity moved him and made him feel guilty, but Yin Yao's performance surprised him a little.
Perhaps, this Princess Jin is not entirely a spoiled pawn who only knows how to scheme for power.
"It's not time for me to show up yet. Right now, we have to rely on Han Zhong to stabilize the situation in Shuozhou. I hope he can hold on."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
