Chapter 162 Counter-Espionage Scheme
"The wicked accuse first! How outrageous!"
"A proclamation has already been issued, and a battle is certain within seven days."
"As expected." The speaker was Cui Shengping, who had just arrived in Wugang County not long ago.
When Dai Li and Qin Shaozong first went south, they did not bring a group of advisors. They were going to the capital to receive their titles, and it could be explained that they brought military officers along as escorts, but it would be unreasonable to bring advisors as well.
Furthermore, the promotion of fertilizers was listed as the top priority this year, so Qin Shaozong simply left all his advisors in Yuyang, while he leisurely traveled south with Dai Li, visiting places such as Jizhou and Yanzhou before finally making his way to the capital.
As for the advisors, after their tasks were temporarily completed, they all went their separate ways.
Nalan Zhi and Cui Shengping rode south at full speed and met up with their lord just the day after the proclamation was issued.
The tent contained not only people from the North, but also from Qingzhou. Nangong Xiong looked at the unfolded sheepskin map with a solemn expression.
If we take Wugang as the center, Chang'an City is to the southeast, and Xiongfeng Mountain is to the north; the Loess Plateau is to the west, while the east is flatter, with a small county called Liuzhangping not far away.
If the goal is to encircle and annihilate the allied forces of Beidi and Qingzhou, troops can be dispatched simultaneously from Chang'an and Liuzhangping in the east. Once Wugang falls, the allied forces will have no choice but to flee north. If they are ambushed on the paths on both sides of Xiongfeng, they will be trapped like turtles in a jar.
"In my opinion, the key point is not how to fight back, but that manifesto," Zhang Mingdian said.
Nalan Zhi and Cui Shengping both nodded.
Nalan Zhi said solemnly, “The highest achievement is establishing virtue, the next is establishing merit, and the next is establishing words. These will endure through time; this is what is meant by immortality. If we wait until everyone in the world believes falsehoods and thinks that Your Majesty's virtue is flawed, and this belief is deeply ingrained, then changing their minds will require a hundred or a thousand times more effort than it does now.”①
This means that the battle still needs to be fought, but before that, the proclamation must be handled properly, and the importance of the proclamation even surpasses that of the battle itself.
Qin Shaozong asked, "In my opinion, how should we respond to this proclamation?"
Everyone looked at Nalan Zhi, including Qin Yanzhou and Qin Qinian, who had been summoned into the room to listen in.
Nalan Zhi smiled and stroked his long beard. He didn't answer directly, but instead kept everyone in suspense, saying, "You might want to think about this: if you were alone and unfortunately caught in a group attack, and you couldn't escape, how would you stop the fight?"
Qin Qinian clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking slightly. He thought to himself, "Isn't this simple? Subdue them all, and this fight will naturally stop."
Just as he was about to speak, he saw that his teacher, Cui Shengping, seemed to have anticipated what he was going to say and shook his head at him.
Qin Qinian got stuck.
Qin Shaozong turned the jade thumb ring, raising his eyebrows with a slight smile.
After a moment of contemplation, Nangong Xiong suddenly burst into laughter, “Excellent! It’s just a proclamation; who can’t write one? Yuzhou is weaker than Xuzhou, so it’s the perfect target to attack Jiang Yuzhou.”
When Qin Qinian heard what they said, he first frowned, then suddenly realized what they meant.
He had previously judged others by his own standards, taking it all for granted. Not everyone is like him, who has practiced martial arts since childhood, nor is everyone born with greater strength than others.
Target the weakest player on the opposing team!
Beat them hard, only that one. After dealing with the weakest one, then pretend to look at the second to last one.
Similarly, in this multi-pronged attack, the weakest party should be targeted.
That is, Jiang Shi Jiang Yuzhou.
*
"Madam." Qin Shaozong pushed open the door and entered.
Dai Li did not attend the meeting just now; she was looking at data in another room. Nalan Zhi and Cui Shengping not only came in person, but also brought a batch of fertilizer data.
Last winter's batch of fertilizer packets has all been distributed to the fields. Records are kept of how much land each family owns, how many bushels they received, how the fertilized crops are growing, how the unfertilized crops are growing, and the subsequent production of fertilizer.
Hearing that he had returned, Dai Li didn't even look up. "You finished your meeting so quickly? Looks like you have a plan."
Qin Shaozong sat down beside her. Seeing that Dai Li didn't look up, he didn't reach for the other booklets on the table, but instead snatched the one she was reading. "Hmm, there is indeed a solution."
With her hands empty, Dai Li had no choice but to turn to look at him. "Why did you take mine when there are so many other things on the table?"
Once outside the council chamber, the man shed his imposing demeanor and became somewhat lazy and unserious, saying, "The lady looks beautiful."
Dai Li originally wanted to get another book, but she felt bad when she stopped reading halfway through, and then she thought, why should I give it to him? So she simply snatched the book back from his hand. "What's the plan?"
Qin Shaozong: "We issued a proclamation stating that the murderer of Xie Sizhou was someone else, and that the real culprit, Jiang Yuzhou, harbored evil intentions and deceived the emperor and his ministers. We swear to die to clear the emperor's name."
Dai Li laughed and said, "How cunning."
She had barely finished speaking when Qin Shaozong pulled her away, saying, "There's something even more ruthless, Madam. Would you like to experience it?"
"You'd better behave yourself in broad daylight."
"There are only you and me in the room. As long as my wife doesn't say anything, who would know?"
*
"...His Majesty is young, Chancellor Dong Zhou is simple and dull-witted, and the treacherous minister Jiang Shi, abusing His Majesty's power, has committed numerous and heinous crimes: "
Firstly, they deceived the emperor and harmed high-ranking officials and nobles. This caused loyal and virtuous officials to retreat, while wicked people ran rampant, turning the court into a place of stagnation and darkness.
Secondly, he harbored malicious intentions and spread false rumors to mislead the public. He repeatedly plotted the so-called "earth dragon turning over" to legitimize himself and create momentum, which led to the collapse of houses and widespread panic.
Thirdly, he harmed and framed officials. Jiang murdered Xie Yuanyue, the governor of Sizhou, and framed his colleague, which is a betrayal of trust and a departure from the proper path.
...
The court is devoid of upright officials, and treacherous villains lurk within. How can such traitors and enemies of the people be allowed to remain in their positions of power for long? My raising of troops is solely to punish these treacherous villains; my blade will be aimed only at the ringleaders, not to defy the emperor…”
"Utterly absurd!!"
The table was slammed shut, and the object on it jumped violently. Dong Zhou, panting heavily, stared intently at the mulberry paper in front of him.
Prime Minister Dong Zhou is honest and dull-witted? Damn it, this is attacking Jiang Shi while also cursing him.
Li Lishen remained silent, his eyes unfathomable.
Beside him, Master Jiang's face was ashen, and he remained silent, though he seemed to be trembling slightly, whether from anger or something else.
No wonder Master Jiang looked grim; this manifesto was aimed directly at him.
To put it bluntly, if Dong Zhou's side were to lose in the end, then as long as Jiang's head was handed over, the "treacherous official" would be eliminated, and everything could return to peace.
For Prime Minister Dong, the loss was nothing more than an ally who might betray him in the future.
No, they weren't even allies; they were just pawns.
Taking in the expressions of Jiang and Li, Dong Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He quickly said, "What a vicious counter-espionage scheme! This proclamation is extremely treacherous! But please rest assured, I, Dong Zhou, am by no means as cunning as Qin Changgeng. Moreover, the North and Qingzhou have now formed an alliance. If I were to cut off my own limbs, it would be tantamount to setting myself on fire. I understand the principle that if the lips are cold, the teeth will perish."
Upon hearing this, Jiang and Li's expressions softened slightly.
"According to the Prime Minister, what should we do now?" Jiang Shi asked.
"The proclamation has been issued, so naturally we should attack the traitors in one fell swoop." But Dong Zhou was just a power-hungry minister who did not know how to fight, so he turned to General Qiu Tong beside him and said, "General Qiu, what are your thoughts on punishing the Qin traitors?"
Qiu Tongsheng was indeed tall and strong, but he did not earn his position as General of Chariots and Cavalry through his own hard work. Instead, he benefited from his father's influence and followed the path paved by his father, constantly taking credit for the military achievements of others, which led to his current position.
Qiu Tong's eyes flickered slightly. "This matter is of great importance. It would be too hasty for me to make a decision alone. Someone, please invite Chief Instructor Zheng and Chief Instructor Wu in."
Zheng Yizhi and Wu Shuda were both military advisors. They came from prominent families in Chang'an, but were only middle-ranking members of the family, so they were given a sinecure.
Of course, a "leisurely post" is only for times of peace, and the current military advisor is an important figure.
At this moment, Wu Shuda's heart was pounding wildly, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on his back. He knew that this battle was no small matter, and if the decision was wrong and the battle was lost, it was not impossible that Prime Minister Dong would push the "instigator" out to be sacrificed.
Wu Shuda glanced at Zheng Yizhi secretly, only to be surprised to see that the other party was calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.
Zheng Yizhi actually laughed, "Prime Minister Dong, General Qiu, the enemy's proclamation is a counter-espionage tactic. In that case, why don't we turn the tables on them?"
The expressions on their faces varied.
Zheng Yizhi's finger first pointed to Chang'an City, then moved eastward. "You can spread the word that Prime Minister Dong and Li Xuzhou had a big argument, and Li Xuzhou led his troops eastward away from Chang'an. When Marquis Wu'an hears this, he will definitely send scouts to investigate. Don't bother with the scouts, and certainly don't kill them. Just let them follow..."
His finger circled around the small county east of Liuzhangping. "Jiangkou. After passing through this small town of Jiangkou, when we are about to reach Luoyang, we will detach the majority of our troops and lightly cross the Zhongtiao Mountains, then sneak up behind Wugang. As for the small force left near Jiangkou, they will cook and prepare meals according to the usual number of troops, to confuse the enemy scouts, and we must not let the enemy find out."
"At the same time, we will send the Sizhou army to openly circle around to Wugang and cut off the main roads on both sides of the Xiongfeng Mountain to the north of Wugang, thus forming an encirclement. This will greatly reduce the enemy's attention from the Xuzhou troops..."
"...Once we break through Wugang, as long as we capture Dai Nu and her son alive, we need not worry that Marquis Wu'an will be thrown into chaos."
...
The door didn't open again until the sun set.
Dong Zhou smiled broadly and patted Zheng Yizhi's shoulder repeatedly with his large, fan-like hands. "Chancellor Zheng is indeed worthy of being a member of the Zheng family. He has extraordinary talent and ingenious plans, far surpassing Minister Zheng."
The advisors from Xuzhou and Yuzhou echoed, "Brother Zheng has the talent of a king's advisor, but it's a pity that he had no place to display it before, which is why he has been buried here."
Zheng Yizhi was flattered and became quite arrogant.
This arrogant Zheng Jijiu did not immediately return to his residence after leaving the military headquarters, but instead went to a small house in Chang'an.
Unlike his previous casual encounters with kindred spirits, this time Zheng Yizhi came with generous gifts.
When Zheng Yizhi saw the handsome young man in white, he was so polite that he was almost obsequious. He ignored the age difference between them, addressed him as "brother" and after a long introduction, he relayed the words he had spoken in the council room earlier that day without missing a single one.
“…Brother, I never imagined that your casual remark would be such a great help to me, saving me from danger. We’ve passed the first hurdle, but what should we do next?” Zheng Yi asked anxiously.
Di Ting laughed and said, "Brother, don't be anxious. The situation in war is ever-changing and cannot be generalized. Let's wait and see what happens next."
*
Wugang County.
“My lord, the other side has made a move.” Feng Feng said, “According to the scouts, it seems that Li Xuzhou has had a dispute with Prime Minister Dong. Li Xuzhou has led his troops out of Chang’an and headed east, seemingly heading back to Xuzhou.”
"Could it be that the proclamation had an effect, making Li Lishen realize that Dong Zhou was unreliable, and thus changed his mind and didn't want to get involved in this mess?"
"That Dong Zhou is a treacherous and vicious coward. He was willing to abandon Xie Sizhou to frame the Lord back then, and he might abandon Li Lishen now. It's not surprising that Li Xuzhou doesn't want to become a second Xie Yuanyue."
"It's too early to draw conclusions now. We need to send scouts to find out the specifics."
Everyone chimed in with their opinions, but in the end they all agreed to send scouts to investigate whether it was true or false.
Qin Shaozong nodded, "Then let's send out the scouts first, Kuang Ye, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a tall figure stepped forward. The man bowed and requested permission, "Father, I request permission to lead a team of scouts to investigate the situation."
The surroundings fell silent, and Qin Shaozong's unfinished words were left unsaid.
Qin Yanzhou looked up, his dark eyes shimmering like a lake after the first snowfall of winter. "Please allow me, Father."
Qin Shaozong did not answer immediately, but looked at Qin Yanzhou, whose gaze did not waver.
In that one glance, a great deal of information was exchanged silently, along with many unspoken words of advice.
After a moment, Qin Shaozong took a deep breath and said, "Okay."
"Thank you, Father."
This matter was urgent, and upon receiving the order, Qin Yanzhou did not participate in the subsequent meeting and quickly left the house.
Qin Qinian watched his departing brother, and felt a surge of desire to follow him and become a scout as well. However, bringing it up now seemed immature, so he remained silent.
After the meeting ended and they had dinner, Qin Shaozong walked around outside several times but still hadn't returned to his room.
Bai Jianping was on duty tonight. When he saw Qin Shaozong pass by for the third time, he couldn't help but step forward and ask, "My lord, what are your orders?"
Qin Shaozong waved his hand, "No, you can go about your business."
Bai Jianping did not go. He saw that his superior seemed worried and assumed that the other party was worried about the battle. So he said, "My lord, I think that no matter how difficult this battle is, it will not be more difficult than the battle against the Wuhuan in the north. Why do you need to worry so much?"
At that time, we had no grain, few people, and our horses were not as strong as those of the Wuhuan, but we still managed to conquer the northern kingdom.
Qin Shaozong was too lazy to explain to him. He touched the small purse in his arms and went back to his room without saying a word.
Bai Jianping stood there, stunned, as if he vaguely understood something.
...
"Click." The door opened.
Dai Li, who was still awake, looked over upon hearing the sound. "Qin Changgeng, have you seen Zhouzhou? I didn't see him at dinner tonight."
Author's Note: I saw some readers asking when it will end? You're all tired of it, aren't you? I'm practically hanging on by a thread myself QAQ
It's not too far from being finished, but not too close either. The plan is to finish it around the end of October, because there's still a large part to write. I can only finish it after that (hope it goes smoothly [hands together]).
①: Zuo Zhuan
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
