Inside the Jinyang Prince's Palace.
Prince Yinxi of Jin felt a surge of emotions as he looked at the letter for help written with tears and blood by Han Zhong, the defender of Shuozhou, on the table, as well as the scattered clues found by the spies in the palace that the "heavenly thunder" might be related to Zhao Muyun.
The letter asking for help was written in earnest, describing the crisis in Shuozhou as dire, and implicitly expressed the willingness to donate Yu Di's sharp weapons, only asking the prince to send reinforcements as soon as possible.
This is exactly what King Jin wants!
"It seems that the thing that can emit thunder is indeed related to Zhao Muyun! It's even possible... that he himself is not dead?"
The King of Jin drummed his fingers on the letter paper, his eyes flashing with greed and vigilance. "Han Zhong can't hold on any longer. He wants to use this weapon to exchange for my troops to save his life..."
The counselor said, "Your Highness, this is a heaven-sent opportunity! If we can obtain this weapon, there is no need to worry about the unrest in the world."
"However...the Tatars' right-wing Wuliangha army is very powerful. If our army were to confront them head-on, we would suffer heavy losses."
"A head-on confrontation? Why would I want to confront him head-on?"
The King of Jin scoffed, "Didn't Han Zhong offer the city and weapons? Once my army arrives and lays before the city, how can the Wulingha not be afraid? Then, I might be able to force them to retreat, or find an opportunity to cooperate with Shuozhou from within!"
"The key is to seize the initiative and control Shuozhou and the secret weapon technique in my hands!"
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was feasible. Not only could he earn the reputation of saving the border, but he could also obtain the powerful weapons he had always dreamed of, and he could also take the opportunity to expand his influence to Shuozhou!
"Order Xiao Lie to accelerate! Raise the banner: 'Go north to fight the Di people and lift the siege of Shuozhou!'"
"Send another messenger, bearing my handwritten instructions, to Shuozhou first. Tell Han Zhong that my army will arrive soon and that he must hold his ground. Then we can join forces with the outside forces!"
"And we can first let the envoy witness the power of that sharp weapon to show our sincerity."
King Jin finally made up his mind.
At this moment, Wuliangha also received orders from the royal court and the news that reinforcements were about to arrive. At the same time, he also heard the information that the King of Jin's army was marching north in a mighty manner.
"Prince Yinxi of Jin? Humph, he's just a coward looking to take advantage of others!"
Wuliangha was dismissive, but he didn't dare to be careless. "Speed up the construction of siege equipment! As soon as the reinforcements arrive, launch a general attack immediately! We must capture Shuozhou before the King of Jin arrives!"
"Those things that create divine thunder, as well as the craftsmen who made them, must be obtained by this commander!"
He shouted fiercely to his generals, "After you capture the city, search it thoroughly for me!"
"Anything and anyone that might be related to that 'thunder', take them all away! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"
Both sides are racing against time!
Shuozhou has become the most critical focus in the eye of the storm.
…
At this tense moment, Zhao Muyun, accompanied by a few followers and guards including Shen Qian and Li Si, left the vicinity of Jinyang and quietly headed north. Instead of heading directly to Shuozhou, he took a detour into the territory of Yinzhou.
Yinzhou was also under threat from the Tartar army, but it was not the main attack direction, so the situation was relatively relaxed.
The leader of the Tartars who attacked Yinzhou was Zhao Muyun's old acquaintance, Timur.
Although Tian Qing, the captain of Yinzhou, may not know the secret of Zhao Muyun's fake death, he is absolutely loyal and reliable.
Zhao Muyun is here for another important matter.
He secretly met with several people who had been waiting there.
They are representatives of his old subordinates who are loyal to him from Yinzhou, Xiazhou, Yanzhou and other places, as well as several seemingly ordinary caravan leaders.
"You all know the situation."
Zhao Muyun didn't waste any time on small talk and got straight to the point. "The court is corrupt, the Tartars are rampant, Shuozhou is in imminent danger, and the King of Jin has ulterior motives. We cannot sit idly by and wait for death."
"Yinzhou, Xiazhou, and Yanzhou are our bases. Although they have been spared from war for the time being, they are still inseparable."
"I want you to take action immediately: First, increase the production of all military supplies, especially Yinzhou's ironware, Xiazhou's cigarettes, Yanzhou's coal, and the new firearms we are developing!"
"Second, using the caravan as cover, assemble a fast-moving force. It must be well-mannered and well-equipped, ready for deployment at any time!"
"Third, widely purchase food, fodder, medicinal herbs, and fine horses, and store them in a safe place."
Tian Qing, Tong Gu and others were surprised to see that Zhao Muyun was still alive, but at the same time, they were already full of confidence.
They obeyed without hesitation: "We will follow your orders, sir!"
Although I don’t know Zhao Muyun’s specific plan, unconditional trust has already been engraved in my bones.
The caravan leaders looked at each other, and one of the leading elders said respectfully:
"Lord Zhao has been very kind to us. If you can give me a mission, I will never refuse, even if it means death!"
"But...nowadays, with checkpoints everywhere, security is tight, and bandits are rampant, transporting supplies on a large scale might be difficult..."
Zhao Muyun seemed to be well prepared and took out several tokens and keepsakes:
"This is the token of the grain supervisor under the King of Jin, as well as the flags of several major trading companies."
"You are experts in how to use it, so I don't need to explain it to you. Remember, safety comes first. If necessary, you can abandon the goods to save the people."
The caravan leaders took the tokens, their eyes flashing with shrewdness, and they immediately gained confidence:
"With these things, things will be much easier! Don't worry, Commander Yun, we will do our best!"
After arranging the support system in the rear, Zhao Muyun turned his gaze towards Shuozhou again.
He knew that the most crucial move was about to take place.
He could not rely entirely on Prince Jin and Han Zhong, and had to personally plan for a future for Shuozhou and the northern border.
"Captain Shen, let's mobilize our secret agents within the Wuliangha army. It's time to present this Tartar commander with a great gift."
A cold smile appeared on Zhao Muyun's lips.
…
Outside Shuozhou City, the reinforcements that the Wuliangha requested from the Northern Di Chanyu Wutugu finally arrived!
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