Zhao Muyun took the letter, read it carefully, and nodded: "Well written. It's reasonable, righteous, and beneficial. Zhao Mu will definitely be moved after reading it."
He folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and sealed it with sealing wax.
"Chen Kai!"
Chen Kai, the Night Scout Commandant, entered in response.
"You must personally make a trip to Lingnan," Zhao Muyun said, handing him the letter. "Make sure you deliver it to Zhao Mu yourself. Tell him that I am waiting for his reply in Dengzhou. If there is no response within ten days..."
He glanced at Zhao Guang and said, "I will take it as the King of Nanyue choosing to live and die with Li Jingang."
Chen Kai solemnly accepted the letter: "Understood!"
“Also,” Zhao Muyun added, “when passing through Jingzhou and Xiangyang, keep an eye on Liu Song’s movements. This man is indecisive; if he sees Nanyue surrender, he might waver.”
"yes!"
Chen Kai accepted the order and left.
Zhao Guang watched his retreating figure, his heart filled with trepidation: "General, what if my uncle doesn't agree..."
“He will agree,” Zhao Muyun said calmly. “Even if he doesn’t, Lingnan isn’t a monolithic entity. Some of your cousins and generals will be tempted.”
He patted Zhao Guang on the shoulder: "Take good rest these next few days. After things are settled in Lingnan, I have an important task for you."
"What use is this humble general?" Zhao Guang smiled bitterly.
“It will be very useful.” A glint flashed in Zhao Muyun’s eyes. “But now is not the time to talk about it. Go.”
Zhao Guang bowed and took his leave.
Zhao Muyun was the only one left in the room.
He walked to the map, his gaze shifting from Lingnan to Jingxiang, and then from Jingxiang to the Heluo Plain where the capital was located.
If Nanyue surrenders, Jingzhou and Xiangyang will surely be affected.
If Jingzhou and Xiangyang move, the Heluo region will be isolated.
The game is progressing step by step according to his plan.
But Zhao Muyun knew in his heart that the most difficult step was yet to come—Li Jingang would never sit idly by and wait for his doom.
He will fight back desperately.
Dengzhou was the front line of this decisive battle.
"Almost there..." Zhao Muyun murmured to himself, "Just a few more moves and I'll checkmate him."
Outside the window, the snow gradually stopped.
A sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon.
A new day is about to begin.
......
Three days later, in Ye County, Jingxiang Road.
Inside the governor's mansion, Liu Song paced back and forth, his face grim.
Several generals stood below the hall, all with their heads bowed and silent.
"Five thousand South Vietnamese soldiers were wiped out overnight..."
Liu Song stopped, his voice trembling, "Zhao Guang has been captured, his fate unknown. And you, without even seeing a shadow of the enemy, retreated thirty miles in fear!"
"General, please calm down." An old general said with a forced smile, "At that time, dust and smoke rose in the north, and the sounds of battle were deafening. The scouts also reported that General Zhao's entire army had been wiped out."
"We are worried that the main force of the Yin army has set up an ambush. If we advance rashly, we may encounter unforeseen circumstances."
"Main force?" Liu Song sneered. "Where did Zhao Muyun get his main force? I heard he only had five thousand men when he left Xijing. Even if he absorbed surrendered troops along the way, he would only have a maximum of ten thousand. We also have ten thousand troops, what are we afraid of?"
Another general muttered under his breath, "But that's Zhao Muyun... Back then, when he guarded Yinzhou, a thousand men held off King Zhelan's tens of thousands of cavalry..."
"Shut up!" Liu Song roared. "You're boosting the enemy's morale while diminishing your own! I think you've all been scared out of your wits by Zhao Muyun!"
The generals dared not speak further.
Liu Song took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
He walked to the map, stared at the location of Dengzhou, and fell into deep thought.
Zhao Muyun is a brilliant strategist and a formidable opponent.
But he couldn't disobey Li Jingang's orders, or he would blame him...
"Report—!"
A scout rushed in: "Reporting to the commander, a secret message has arrived from Lingnan!"
"Lingnan?" Liu Song was taken aback. "Give it to me!"
The scout presented an unsigned secret letter. Liu Song opened it and his expression changed drastically.
The letter was written by his undercover agent in Lingnan. The content was very simple: Zhao Mu, the King of Nanyue, had received a letter from Zhao Guang and was gathering his confidants to discuss matters, seemingly intending to submit to the Yin Dynasty.
"Damn it!" Liu Song slammed the letter to the ground.
The generals looked at each other, wondering what the letter contained.
"General, what about Lingnan...?"
"That old fox Zhao Mu is plotting a rebellion!" Liu Song gritted his teeth. "If he surrenders to the Yin Dynasty, the southern border of Jingzhou will be exposed. Then Zhao Muyun will attack from the north, and Nan Yue will come from the south, leaving us vulnerable to attacks from both sides..."
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became.
An advisor stepped forward and whispered, "General, the best course of action now is to report to the court immediately and ask His Majesty for a decision. At the same time... we should also make plans as soon as possible."
"Plans? What plans?" Liu Song stared at him.
The strategist looked around and lowered his voice: "General, Li Jingang murdered the emperor and usurped the throne, so his accession was illegitimate. Now, Zhao Muyun's army is at Dengzhou, and Xiong Dayong in Hebei has also developed disloyal intentions. The overall situation of the world... may be about to change."
"You mean..." Liu Song's eyes flickered.
"The general has guarded Jingzhou and Xiangyang for twenty years and is deeply loved by the people. Why fight to the death with the Yin Dynasty for a false dynasty that is unpopular?" the strategist continued. "It would be better to... hold back for now and observe the situation."
Liu Song remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding: "Order the entire army to rest and reorganize in Ye County. No one may move without my command."
"yes!"
......
At the same time, in Zhao Prefecture, Hebei Province.
Inside the governor's mansion, Xiong Dayong was also reading a letter.
The letter was sent by Han Zhong from Hedong, and its contents were straightforward:
Zhao Muyun has already descended to Dengzhou, which is 500 li from the capital.
Li Jingang urgently mobilized troops from all directions to reinforce the city, and Li Bao's troops in Xiangzhou were also being mobilized. Even Li Sheng in Youzhou to the north showed signs of troop deployment.
"Han Zhong has come again to urge me when we will launch our campaign." Xiong Dayong handed the letter to his trusted advisor, Guo Huai.
After reading it, Guo Huai pondered and said, "My lord, the time is almost here, but it's still a little short of the mark."
"How so?"
"Although Zhao Muyun has captured Dengzhou, he is still an isolated force deep in enemy territory. If Li Jingang launches a full-scale attack, the outcome is still uncertain," Guo Huai analyzed. "If we launch an uprising now and Zhao Muyun is defeated, we will become Li Jingang's primary target for annihilation."
Xiong Dayong frowned: "When will that be?"
"Two things are pending." Guo Huai held up two fingers. "First, Zhao Mu, the King of Nanyue, needs to make a statement. If Lingnan surrenders, Liu Song of Jingxiang will be shaken, and Li Jingang will truly be all alone."
"And the second one?"
"Second, wait until Li Bao leaves Youzhou." A glint flashed in Guo Huai's eyes. "Li Bao is Li Jingang's nephew, and his favor is second only to Li Hu. The elite troops of the Central Plains are all in his hands."
"If he marches south to reinforce the capital, Xiangzhou will be left undefended, presenting our lord with the perfect opportunity to seize it!"
Xiong Da's eyes lit up: "That's right! Xiangzhou is the passage between Hebei and the Central Plains. The Tartars passed through here twice when they marched south. If we take Xiangzhou, we will have all seven prefectures of Hebei under our control!"
"Exactly." Guo Huai nodded. "Therefore, what our lord must do now is continue to feign compliance with Han Zhong while simultaneously intensifying preparations for war. Once the time is ripe..."
He made a fist gesture.
Xiong Dayong laughed heartily: "Good! We'll do as you suggest, sir!"
......
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