Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Jiang Wan is in the system...
Jiang Wan found an ultrasonic topographic analyzer in the "Tool Box" of the system mall.
This was originally used in the system to detect mineral veins. Many handicrafts require minerals as raw materials. This ultrasonic topographer uses ultrasound to detect topography and geological hardness, helping to determine the location of mineral veins.
The instrument was sophisticated, and it was a bit of an overkill to use it to detect whether there were large flat areas or caves on the top of the mountain. However, in order to find the hiding place of the troops as quickly as possible, Jiang Wan gritted his teeth and spent 800 points to buy the instrument.
The fresh and hot 2160 points became 1360.
A glowing red metal ball appeared out of thin air in Jiang Wan's hand, startling the nearby Jinyiwei. "What the...what is this? No, Miss Jiang, can you perform magic?"
Jiang Wan pondered how to explain modern technology to these ancient people, but ultimately gave up and opted for a more illustrative approach: "Well, this thing is like the Earth Spirit Ruler in immortal cultivation stories. It can detect terrain. Just hold it in your hand and shine it against the mountains to see if there are any flat areas or caves."
Wen Shen glanced at her and asked, "Where did you get the things in the storybook?"
Jiang Wan: "So I'm the immortal from the storybook, and I've come down to earth to experience trials and tribulations. Is that okay? Let me test it out."
"Stop it, Miss Jiang, let's just..." The Jinyiwei next to her was about to persuade her, but was interrupted by Wen Shen.
"Let her come." He said in a deep voice.
Jiang Wan turned on the ultrasonic topographer and measured every mountain peak up and down.
After arriving at the result, she pointed to a mountain due west. "This is the only one that meets the requirements. The cave is located on the back, about a hundred ren (one ren is approximately 1.6 meters) from the top of the mountain, running through the mountain range and capable of accommodating ten thousand people. The training platform is located to the side, twenty or thirty ren lower than the cave, and its area is half the size of the Zhou royal palace."
Wen Shen nodded and instructed the Jinyiwei officer behind him, "Take a few brothers who are good at Qinggong and go up to check the situation. Find out how many private soldiers there are and what they are doing. Once you have found out, report back."
"Yes!" Although the Tongzhi didn't believe the glittering metal ball could truly detect the terrain, he respected Wen Shen as much as he did Shen Jianqing, and immediately ordered several of his subordinates to go up the mountain. These men were thin, and when they performed Qinggong, they were like young swallows returning to the forest, covering distances of hundreds of feet in a few breaths.
A quarter of an hour later, these people came down and reported back, "There are indeed private soldiers in the place Miss Jiang mentioned. They are gathered on the platform to practice formations. There are about 8,000 of them. There are some wounded and sick people sitting in the cave, and a few cooks are cooking. There is a spiral secret passage dug halfway up the mountain with a secret room inside for storing food and weapons. Because the entrance is guarded, we dare not approach for fear of alerting them."
Jiang Wan: "Is this the only secret passage on the mountain?"
"There is only one main secret passage." Tong knew. He looked at Jiang Wan with stars in his eyes, as if he were looking at an immortal.
There are actually people in the world who can measure the precise terrain in just a few seconds without moving. How is this different from an immortal?
Jiang Wan looked at Wen Shen and suggested, "Since the secret passage is guarded, we can only leave from the outside. It's still daylight now, so let's search the mountainside for evidence first, and then see if there's a small path leading up. The military training won't be over soon, and even if the Third Prince gets the news, it will take at least two hours to evacuate. Why don't we wait until dark and the private soldiers' training is over before going up to the top of the mountain to observe. This way, we won't lose any clues and can reduce the chances of being discovered."
Wen Shen nodded in agreement. "Then we'll search below 1,000 feet. Leave ten men at the foot of the mountain to pass on the message, and the rest will go up the mountain. Twenty men will search for the secret passages in the mountains, and ten will collect weapons, food, tents, and other evidence of military training along the way. It's not appropriate to light a signal incense here. Below 1,000 feet, set up sentries every 150 feet of mountain elevation, with three people at each post. Zhang Tongzhi, you take four brothers with good Qinggong skills and continue to monitor the situation on the mountain, but don't alert them. The rest of you, follow me up the mountainside and wait."
Of the eighty Jinyiwei who participated in the operation, only seventeen remained on the mountainside waiting for the sun to set. Including Jiang Wan and Wen Shen, there were nineteen. Almost all of the Jinyiwei who came this time were close associates of Shen Jianqing, and all had some martial arts skills, so they climbed the mountain quickly, taking only a quarter of an hour to complete the thousand-foot climb.
Jiang Wan, the only one who didn't know martial arts, suffered the most. He was held under Wen Shen's arm and flew all the way to the mountainside. He felt like his waist was about to break.
This damn kid has hard and abrasive bones, and even his muscles are stiff, yet he still uses a lot of force.
Jiang Wan rubbed his waist, moved a few times, and glared at Wen Shen with resentment. Wen Shen coughed uncomfortably and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Forget it," Jiang Wan found a rock and planned to sit and wait for the sun to set, but Wen Shen grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing again?" Jiang Wan curled his lips in dissatisfaction.
He took off his coat, spread it on the stone, and whispered, "It's very humid on the mountain, be careful not to catch a cold."
Jiang Wan felt a warm sensation in her heart, and the slight resentment she had just felt dissipated. As she sat down, she didn't even notice the corners of her mouth curling up.
A gentle breeze caressed her face, the mountains shone like emerald green, and the water gurgled softly. In the veil-like mist, a young man in fine clothes and black hair looked at her intently, like a banished immortal from an ink painting, to be admired but not to be played with.
"Well... your business has been doing well since you came to Lin'an. After learning about what happened this time, do you still plan to return to Xiaofangpan City?"
Jiang Wan: "The main branch of Qingjiangju is in Beijing now. Why would I go back? And since I'm with Wanrong after the wedding, she must be in Beijing too. My mother is old and can't adapt to the climate at the border."
Wen Shen's eyes lit up: "That's great!"
"What do you mean, 'That's great?'" Jiang Wan asked curiously. However, Wen Shen hesitated, not daring to look at her. Only the blush on the tips of his ears betrayed his nervousness.
She suddenly sensed something extraordinary, and her ears began to burn. She had no choice but to push her hair to cover her ears, lowering her head and asking, "What about you? Do you plan to stay in the capital, or return to Yumen Pass to lead the troops?"
"Of course I will stay in the capital. After the matter of training private soldiers is decided, my sister's child will be the only crown prince of the Great Zhou. At that time, His Majesty will not let me lead the troops." Wen Shen said.
Jiang Wan secretly glanced at him and mustered up the courage to ask, "Then why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Do you have something to say to me?"
"No, no, I'm not, oh, no, yes, I mean..." Wen Shen turned his body slightly to the side and didn't dare to look at her, his language system was confused.
The once decisive and ruthless god of war now looked as helpless as a child.
Fortunately, two Jinyiwei appeared and rescued him. The two men knelt side by side, and the one on the left said, "Sir, after searching the mountain, we found seven discarded fake swords, fifteen spears, a set of damaged armor, three dead horses, as well as traces of transport vehicle tracks and several slings. We have collected all the evidence. In addition to the main secret passage, we also discovered five secret passages dug by soldiers themselves, most of which were used to hide food and personal belongings."
The man on the right continued, "Spies in the city report that the Jing'an Marquis's Mansion has learned of our blockade of the stronghold and is sending troops to evacuate the private soldiers in the mountains. They're using fast horses, and they expect to reach the foot of the mountain in half an hour."
Jiang Wan raised his hand and glanced at the gnomon. It was now three quarters past the hour of Shen, and there was still an hour and a quarter left before the hour of Xu agreed with Shen Jianqing.
"How's Lord Shen doing? Can he arrive by the hour of Xu? How's the Third Prince doing?" Jiang Wan asked.
"Our Lord has already obtained the imperial edict and is currently at the Ministry of War to inspect the troops. He should be here on time. The Third Prince has also received the news, but he is currently at the Hundred Flowers Banquet, and the Empress has not let him go."
The evacuation team would arrive in half an hour, and with some effort, they could reach the top in about three quarters of an hour. The mountain was massive, with lush vegetation. The private soldiers were familiar with the terrain, and there might be many undiscovered secret passages. Hiding seven or eight thousand men wouldn't be difficult. If the private soldiers weren't found by then, the Third Prince could turn the tables.
Wen Shen made a quick decision: "Go up the mountain. The sentries and those collecting evidence will stay behind, and the rest of you will split into two teams. One team will follow Zhang Tongzhi to the training platform, and the other team will follow me to the cave. Be sure to follow closely."
The mountain Jiang Wan was on was 1,500 feet high, and they were now only 350 feet away from the hidden troop's location. Wen Shen took her hand, his Qing Gong power flowing through her body. Her skirt fluttered, and in the blink of an incense stick, they reached the cave entrance.
To avoid alerting the enemy, the thirty Jinyiwei he had brought with him were scattered among the trees surrounding the cave. The private soldiers were still in the training grounds, and only a few cooks were cooking inside the cave.
While the private soldiers were away, they could go in and investigate. Jiang Wan redeemed a pack of powerful knockout drugs worth 20 points from the system and sprinkled them into the cave. The cooks and the wounded passed out before they even noticed anything was wrong.
Ten Jinyiwei stayed outside to keep watch, while the others followed in. There were 500 tents in total, each accommodating 10 men, meaning there were 5,000 private soldiers living in the cave.
Deep within the caverns lay a wide tunnel, spiraling downward to an unknown depth. The slope was gentle enough for a person to lie down. This indicated that the 7,000 to 8,000 men the officer had seen at the training grounds earlier must have been residing in the main secret passage.
"Sir, there are also food, fodder, bedding and weapons stored underneath. It's quite large. The earliest of these sabers were cast six years ago." The Jinyiwei who went down to investigate shouted.
Six years. Six years ago, the Third Prince and his men relied on selling my border intelligence in exchange for supplies and horses to train their own soldiers. No wonder the border guards have changed wave after wave for so long, but rarely have they won. No wonder I sensed something was wrong when I first arrived in Xiaofangpan City, but couldn't find the "spy."
The traitor was actually at the foot of the imperial city, deep in the palace, the future crown prince, the noble marquis. Thinking of this, Wen Shen clenched his fists.
But now was not the time to be angry. Calculating the time, the people from Jing'an Marquis's Mansion should be almost at the foot of the mountain. Wen Shen was about to tell the Jinyiwei, who were collecting evidence, to retreat when suddenly a bamboo tube emitting red smoke was thrown in from the cave entrance.
This was a special warning method used among the Imperial Uniform Guards to indicate imminent danger.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
