I wonder how Master is doing in Hedong right now?
Has the undercurrent in Xijing already erupted?
And what about the distant Western Regions? Has General Wu Shangzhi already entered the Western Regions?
......
Just as the bloody battle at Longmen Pass had subsided and alarms were frequently sounding in Yunzhou, deep within the residence of the military governor in Chengdu Prefecture, Jiannan Road.
Yang Yan leaned against the warm couch covered with precious bear skin, holding the letter Pang Qing had sent back from Xijing in his hand, which he had read three times already.
His narrow eyes were slightly narrowed, gleaming with shrewdness and caution.
Inside the warm pavilion, the stove was burning warmly, and the air was filled with the fragrance of incense, making it seem like a completely different world from the war-torn and freezing cold of the northern frontier outside.
"General!" Sitting below was a general, Li Jin, a staunch confidant who had always followed Yang Yan.
"It seems that Chief Clerk Pang has a high opinion of Zhao Muyun and his subordinates in his letter. Contrary to our previous expectations, the people in Xijing are not in a state of panic; on the contrary, they are quite well-organized."
Yang Yan gently placed the letter on the table, picked up the warm teacup, took a sip, and said leisurely, "Pang Qing is a cautious man, even somewhat... cowardly."
“His words cannot be completely believed, but they cannot be completely disbelieved either. He said that Yinji has courage, that the civil and military officials of Xijing are all performing their duties, and that Longmen and Lantian are well-defended… It seems that after Zhao Muyun’s main force left, Xijing’s defenses are impenetrable.”
Li Jin pondered and said, "In that case, our previous strategy of 'waiting and seeing what happens and waiting for the right price' may need to be adjusted. If Zhao Muyun can really stabilize the three fronts, he may not be willing to give us money, food and territory again. He might even... seek revenge later."
Yang Yan sneered: "Settling scores later? Does Zhao Muyun have the ability right now? Are Li Hu's 100,000 troops and the tens of thousands of troops at Lantian Pass fake? Are the Northern Di people in the west fake? Does he have a puppet emperor inside who is willing to relinquish power? With fires on all sides, he'll be too busy dealing with everything to even think about it!"
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the still green bamboo grove in the courtyard: "However, Pang Qing's letter did not mention any information about Chao'er, which makes me puzzled."
"What the commander-in-chief means is..."
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