Chu Jinjin's plan was simple and straightforward.
The real factors that determine a war are numbers and weapons. She and Li Dahua were indeed formidable, especially the latter, who was worth thousands of people. But the mountain stronghold still had no chance of winning.
Eight thousand men against thirty thousand, not to mention the mountain stronghold is a motley crew. They may be obedient now, but they will be uncontrollable once the situation turns against them.
She can run, but there's still the seriously injured Chu Jiyu.
Therefore, the only way is to find Zheng Tiangui, kill him, or at least talk to him.
"Lord Chu, there's something I'm hesitant to say." The captain looked intently at Chu Jinjin, and after a moment's thought, he said, "Actually, besides assassinating Zheng Tiangui, there's another way."
Chu Jinjin was somewhat surprised: "What method?"
The captain glanced at the officers and soldiers behind him who were still whispering among themselves: "Persuade them to surrender."
He was the captain, and with his seniority, he had access to far more levels of contact than ordinary soldiers. From morning until now, everything in the army seemed normal, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.
Obedience does not equate to blind loyalty.
The lower-ranking soldiers were alright, but the generals with some rank were all worried about their future.
“The north has suffered from drought for three years, and people are living in misery. Among them are our family members and relatives. Everyone hopes that this disaster will end soon.” Something flashed in the old captain’s eyes, bright and clear. His voice was low. “The northern province has always been a major grain-producing province with plenty of grain reserves, enough to support the people of the province through this crisis. But since the incident, the county government has only distributed porridge a few times in the early stages and then stopped.”
The captain suddenly bowed deeply: "May I ask, Lord Chu, what is the court's opinion?"
In an era when the capital was thousands of miles away, without internet and with extremely underdeveloped transportation, we really had no idea what the imperial court was doing.
Chu Jinjin had only heard about it.
Hearing that the truth couldn't be guaranteed, she thought about it and simply mentioned her daughter's donation.
The soldiers nearby nearly fainted upon hearing this: "Lord Chu, did you really donate your dowry worth 100,000 taels of silver?"
The world of the rich is terrifying.
One hundred thousand taels!
He had only ever seen 100,000 pieces of ghost money.
“It’s not just me; there are other important people who care about the disaster area, such as Lady Li, a first-rank imperial consort, and Princess Le’an,” Chu Jinjin said earnestly. “The Emperor is also very concerned. Although I don’t know how much material he has allocated to the disaster area, it must be a considerable amount, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent me to investigate.”
In the darkness, the captain let out a soft breath.
He wasn't asking on his own behalf.
The attitude of the imperial court has always been the biggest concern for all the disaster-stricken people.
It turns out it wasn't that they ignored it, but rather that an unexpected incident occurred.
The old captain no longer hesitated: "Lord Chu, if you trust me, I am willing to take the risk and give it a try."
The North is currently in chaos, a disaster-stricken area, with even rumors of cannibalism. If Chu Jinjin were just an ordinary imperial envoy, she wouldn't have caused much of a stir given the current situation. But she came because of the disaster.
Human life is of paramount importance.
Nothing is more important than being alive.
They were powerless to resist, but Chu Jinjin could; she could report the situation here to the imperial court.
He's definitely not the only one with this idea.
He decided to use himself as a source of inspiration and first went to find the centurion with whom he had a good relationship.
Chu Jinjin could be certain without even thinking that he wasn't lying to her, and solemnly said, "If something unexpected happens, survival is the priority. I have other ways. If you don't come back, I will report to the court and make proper arrangements for your family."
If this method works, that would be wonderful.
The old captain knelt on one knee, then turned and went back to his post. No one knows what he said, but more than a dozen soldiers quickly followed and knelt down to greet Chu Jinjin.
One of them glared at the soldiers who had just relieved themselves, clearly dissatisfied.
Just as the captain analyzed, public resentment had been brewing for a long time, but no one dared to take the lead.
Now, Chu Jinjin has given them hope.
With the Emperor's bestowed token, the reason couldn't be more legitimate.
The old captain went to the military camp and returned quickly as usual. The centurion followed him. He looked Chu Jinjin over carefully for a few moments, then bowed and greeted her: "Lord Chu, may I see your token?"
This is to verify Chu Jinjin's identity.
The centurion, who was barely considered a mid-level officer in the army, had a way of distinguishing the genuine from the fake. He respectfully accepted the gift with both hands, his expression becoming serious. Then, he knelt down and gave a deep bow: "This humble officer, Zhang Jun, greets Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy."
The remaining officers and soldiers had no further doubts and knelt down to pay their respects.
This is not the time for formalities.
Several soldiers stood guard, and Chu Jinjin and her companions arrived behind a huge rock.
To become a centurion, one needs ability, but connections are also essential. Zhang Jun knows far more information than the old captain.
The siege of Black Tiger Mountain Stronghold was ordered personally by Zheng Zhengfeng, the Northern Commander. No one knew why, but a death order was given: only corpses were to be seen, no living people were to be seen.
Centurion Zhang Jun guessed, "He might be worried that Lord Chu will report the situation here to His Majesty."
Chu Jinjin shook her head.
It sounds more and more like the idea of the Imperial Concubine. If she's only worried about the Emperor, she could just bribe him or something.
Killing the imperial envoy is a capital offense that would implicate nine generations of his family, unless the Northern Governor has already decided to rebel.
Zhang Jun continued his analysis: "If Lord Chu reveals his identity, the 10,000 soldiers in the county town might be able to take him down, but the remaining 20,000 are all loyal followers of the Governor's Office and only obey the Governor."
The old captain was somewhat disappointed: "Does Lord Chu really have to risk his life?"
The current situation in the military camp is that 10,000 county government guards are outside, and 20,000 are inside. In other words, the inside is full of their own people. Not to mention him, even a centurion would have a hard time getting in.
Zhang Jun smiled and said, "Lord Chu, I have an idea. It's risky, but if it succeeds, it can completely solve our predicament."
Chu Jinjin sighed: "What can we do?"
Things were more complicated than she had imagined.
Zhang Jun blinked: "The Black Household stronghold has nearly 10,000 men, plus Lord Chu and the stronghold chief Li Dahua. If we add the 10,000 garrison troops in the county town, the two sides are evenly matched..."
Chu Jinjin's eyes suddenly lit up.
She came from the apocalypse, and her individual combat skills were unmatched, but when it came to battlefield strategy, she was truly lacking.
It was late at night, and all the officers and soldiers were asleep. If this method were followed, the 20,000 Northern Army soldiers probably wouldn't have time to react.
After a long pause, Chu Jinjin said in a low voice, "How can I trust you?"
It wasn't that she didn't believe it, but this matter was far too serious. If Zhang Jun were to betray them at the last minute, it would mean the lives of thousands of people in the unregistered mountain stronghold—the responsibility was too great.
She herself didn't care.
“Firstly, because you are the imperial envoy, regardless of the outcome today, the brothers who participated will likely not have a good ending,” Zhang Jun said in a low voice. “Lord Chu, you can come and go freely from Black Eagle Mountain Stronghold. If I am not mistaken, you should be 100% confident that you can leave safely at any time.”
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