Chapter 537 Zhiyuan's Cleverly Designed Scheme
The King of Xiang's men returned after a long time, saying ambiguously, "Your Highness, it seems that some general from the other side has returned."
King Xiang sat in his tent, a teacup in front of him. He picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and said, "You mean? A general on the other side has quietly returned to the city?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
King Xiang was somewhat suspicious, wondering which of King Chu's generals had so readily boosted the morale of the opposing side upon his return.
Could it be someone surnamed Qin? No, no, the generals under the King of Chu are currently either attacking cities or guarding key locations. Logically, they shouldn't be able to spare any more men.
King Xiang suddenly realized he was in trouble. If reinforcements from the other side had already arrived, he could sneak into the city without them knowing...
That doesn't make sense either. There's no reason for a large army to pass through without making a sound, unless they were marching back from the rear of Taiyuan.
After pondering for a while, the King of Xiang waved his hand and said to the guard beside him, "You, send someone to investigate the city and see if there has been any unusual activity recently."
After saying that, he seemed to realize that it was not appropriate, so he tapped the table: "Go and call the heir apparent and the Marquis of Ji over as well."
When Ji Chang'an entered the tent, the bloodstains on his body had not yet been wiped dry. He knelt down on one knee as soon as he entered and asked, "What business does Your Highness have with me?"
King Xiang nodded to the man, gesturing for him to stand up: "Stand up and speak. Did you pass on the message to the other garrisons?"
Ji Chang'an nodded to the Prince of Xiang, stood up and patted his trouser leg: "Your Highness, the imperial decree was sent two days ago."
King Xiang was somewhat apprehensive. Although he held the emperor's golden seal, news of the emperor's death had already spread far and wide, so it was uncertain whether the secret edict would be effective.
Zhenxiwei —
"Commander, the King of Xiang's men have arrived with a secret edict. What should we do?"
The middle-aged man who was given the order chuckled and said, "Just send them away and tell them I'm not here."
Hearing his commander's words, the guard understood the situation. He nodded to his commander, turned and went outside. Standing at the gate of the garrison, he looked at Ji Chang'an's guard and said, "Excuse me, young man, our commander isn't at the garrison. He said he went out on business with some men right now. We don't know when he'll be back. What do you think? Would you like to wait a bit, or..."
Ji Chang'an's personal guard's face turned from green to black, then black to purple. The excuse that he had gone out on business was just that—an excuse. But remembering what his young master had said, the guard dismounted and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the man: "It is indeed an extremely important matter. Please allow me to meet with you and give instructions, sir."
"Oh dear, it's not that I don't want you to see me, it's just that our commander is really not at the garrison right now."
After speaking, the guard waved his hand, turned around and returned to the garrison, no longer paying attention to Ji Chang'an's guards.
Are you kidding me? He's just a mere guard of a marquis's son. He says he wants to see his commander, so does that mean his commander has to see him? He doesn't know his place!
Moreover, everyone knows that the King of Chu is about to ascend the throne as emperor, and the Ji family is now a hot potato. Everyone knows that the Ji family once mistreated the King of Chu's eldest daughter.
If the King of Chu were to ascend the throne, the Ji family would definitely suffer. It would be best to avoid them if possible. Now that the emperor is dead, the King of Chu's ascension is basically legitimate. In this world, might makes right.
As for who is in charge, it doesn't matter to these ordinary soldiers. At least the King of Chu treats his soldiers very well, and now he is willing to distribute grain to the people, so at least they don't feel like they've lost all hope.
The previous emperor.
Thinking of this, the guard silently shook his head. Every year, the military pay and food were delayed, and in recent years there had been various disasters. It was possible that, as the King of Chu said, our current emperor and the late emperor had plotted to seize power, which displeased Heaven and caused disaster to befall Da Xuan.
Back in his tent, he saw his commander impatiently toss a stack of official documents aside: "Did you send them away?"
The guard nodded and then shook his head: "I said the commander isn't home; he's probably still at the door right now."
The commander rolled his eyes: "Find someone to go home today and tell my wife I'm not going back; I'll stay at the garrison."
After seeing his personal guards leave, the commander took a thin bamboo skewer from the table and began picking at his teeth. He spat out a piece of vegetable leaf and gave a soft hum.
Although the situation is clear now, there are always unforeseen problems in the future. Therefore, refusing the person means saying that you are not there, so that there is still some room for maneuver if something happens in the future.
He definitely couldn't meet him, since the emperor was now dead and the Prince of Chu would most likely ascend the throne. As for the Ji family guards who came with the secret edict, even if it were a real imperial edict, he wouldn't dare accept it.
Everyone knows about the feud between the Ji family and the King of Chu. Getting involved with such important figures at this time is practically suicide.
Taiyuan City —
"Sir, there have been quite a few suspicious people in the city lately, loitering around the teahouse and some other places we frequent. Do you think we should arrest them?"
While scratching his head, Commander Wang asked Chang Zhiyuan, who was sitting in the garrison with Zhiqi and Wenzhi standing beside him. Chang Zhiyuan had large dark circles under his eyes. After rubbing his temples, he asked, "What kind of news have you been asking about?"
Commander Wang pondered for a moment before replying, "Commander, it seems you're inquiring whether anyone has returned recently?"
Chang Zhiyuan disguised himself as Lin Changning and stood guard on the city gate tower for a whole day. Few people recognized him. As night approached and the enemy troops withdrew, he followed Zhiqi and the others back to the garrison.
Upon hearing what Commander Wang said, a thought flashed through her mind. Today, he had disguised himself as the elder sister on the city wall to stabilize the morale of the troops, and the effect was surprisingly good. The soldiers of Taiyuan were like chickens on steroids, and they withstood the fierce attack of the Xiang King's soldiers for a whole day.
The King of Xiang sent people to investigate, probably because he was unsure of the situation. Chang Zhiyuan turned to Zhiqi and said, "Go find someone to spread the word in the market that reinforcements have arrived from the rear."
Chang Zhiyuan thought about it again and felt that something was wrong, so he quickly shook his head and said, "No, don't say it so bluntly. Just say that more grain has recently entered the city and that the people have heard noises at night."
Although he didn't understand why, Chang Zhiyuan's methods from the city tower had indeed caused the other side considerable losses. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and went out to take care of his business.
Upon hearing this, an idea formed in his mind. He glanced at Chang Zhiyuan and asked, "Jianjun, what are you planning to do?"
Chang Zhiyuan pursed his lips: "This move is somewhat risky, but if it succeeds, delaying it for three to five days is not a problem."
The shouts from the city walls yesterday must have aroused the King of Xiang's suspicions, which is why he sent people to inquire whether reinforcements had arrived in Taiyuan.
This is perfect. We can spread the word about resting, and when the King of Xiang can't hold back any longer and prepares to attack the city again, we can use a small group of troops to burn the enemy's grain supplies, which will buy more time for the main army.
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