Chen Qi naturally found the situation absurd.
Indeed, it was ludicrous that a person could come and go from the Eighteen Forts without anyone noticing. If the Eighteen Forts were this lax, they would have been devoured by the Imperial Court long ago.
Especially since that person was Zhou Gu.
Chen Qi also felt a flare of anger within him as he looked at Lin Hai, "Why are you only reporting this now?"
Lin Hai explained, "When we went to look for him, the tea in Zhou Gu’s room was still warm, so I thought he had gone to see the Eleventh Fort Leader. When I arrived at the place of Leader Jiang, and discovered that he was not there, we started searching. We didn’t realize he had descended the mountain until we had turned the entire Eighteen Forts upside down and found no sign of him."
"Should have? He certainly went down the mountain." Chen Qi said, "Zhou Gu is extremely smart. He must have received some news and left before you arrived."
He asked, "What if it was Jiang Zhu who tipped him off?"
Lin Hai shook his head, "Not likely. Furthermore, Leader Jiang was not aware of your plans and did not know that Young Master Zhang was at the Eighteen Forts."
Chen Qi thought that was reasonable. Zhang Mao’s arrival at the Eighteen Forts had been kept secret; apart from the people in this courtyard, no one else was aware of it.
He waved his hand at Lin Hai, "You all may leave for now."
Lin Hai retreated.
Chen Qi looked at Zhang Mao and sighed, "Young Master Zhang, what should we do now? Now that Zhou Gu has left, it won’t be easy for us to capture him."
Zhang Mao laughed coldly, "You’re still considering capturing him? I’m the one who might actually be in danger. If he has already received news and left, he likely knows that I am here as well."
Chen Qi reacted, "That’s not possible. You coming here, my people in this courtyard, they are all trustworthy and keep a seal on their lips."
Zhang Mao responded, "Then you’re underestimating Zhou Gu. Even if your people did keep a tight lip, he could still guess."
He glared coldly at Chen Qi, "If you had agreed to my plan when I arrived, wouldn’t we have been able to capture him by now?"
Chen Qi was at a loss for words, "It’s too late for that now. Young Master Zhang, you should leave the mountain immediately through the secret tunnel. Now that we know that the Eighteen Forts are not safe, I dare not keep you here any longer."
"Leave the mountain? I’m afraid that’s no longer an option." Zhang Mao said, "Zhou Gu will certainly be waiting for me at the foot of the mountain."
Chen Qi got up and started pacing the room. After a few rounds of pacing, he said to Zhang Mao, "I will send someone to investigate to confirm whether Zhou Gu has truly descended the mountain."
Zhang Mao waved his hand dismissively.
Chen Qi immediately arranged for someone to go.
After Chen Qi left to make the arrangements, a man who appeared to be a martial arts master sitting next to Zhang Mao said, "Young Master, your safety is of utmost importance. We must leave quickly!"
This martial arts master was called Zhu Chun. He was a renowned martial artist whom the Pingxi General had spent a great deal of money to hire. He had served in the Pingxi General’s Residence for many years. His purpose for accompanying Zhang Mao this time was to ensure his safety.
Zhang Mao responded, "I’m not leaving."
Zhu Chun was somewhat anxious, "Why not? If Zhou Gu knows that you’ve come to the Eighteen Forts, it’s too dangerous."
"If I leave, wouldn’t I be handing over the Eighteen Forts to Zhou Gu?" Zhang Mao squinted his eyes, "When my father sends troops, we’ll first make a sacrifice of Zhou Gu, then strike at the Marquis Nanping Residence. By then, the Eighteen Forts will have no other choice."
Zhu Chun was shocked, "Young Master, is the General planning to rebel? Is it a good time now?"
"No matter how long we wait, there’ll never be a ’good time’. Now, while the Crown Prince is just beginning to rise to power, the timing seems suitable. Should we wait for Marquis Nanping to completely submit to the Eastern Palace, or for the Imperial Court to send people to Jibei to deal with Pingxi General’s Residence?" Zhang Mao retorted.
Zhu Chun thought that it made sense.
Zhang Mao continued, "We can’t wait any longer. I’ve already discussed with my father. After I arrive at the Eighteen Forts, if he doesn’t receive my reply within ten days, it would mean that the situation is not favorable. He will raise the flag and send troops to Nanping."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Chun relaxed, "That’s good. I am reassured."
Down the mountain, Zhou Gu had been pondering throughout the night. He couldn’t find the secret passage, and he couldn’t continue guarding like this. Moreover, those on the mountain must have already received the news of his departure.
He wondered what he would do if he was Zhang Mao?
Would he descend the mountain in haste? Or would he wait on the Eighteen Forts?
If he was Zhang Mao, he wouldn’t be willing to leave the Eighteen Forts empty-handed. Once he left, the Eighteen Forts would sooner or later fall into his hands. Therefore, Zhang Mao definitely wouldn’t leave.
But if he didn’t leave, would he sit idly on the mountain?
While it was true that the Eighteen Forts housed several thousand men, they couldn’t hold off his ten thousand soldiers if it came to an attack. The moment he discovered the secret passage, he would lead his men to attack, he couldn’t afford to waste time here.
So, what was Zhang Mao relying on? What was giving him the confidence to wait on the Eighteen Forts with ease?
He had brought ten thousand soldiers, and the people on the mountain must have already gotten wind of it. If Zhang Mao were to resist, what would he rely on? Surely it couldn’t be just the Eighteen Forts? Could it be a one-to-one battle between their forces?
When Zhou Gu thought of this, he immediately turned pale and ordered Ziye, "Send someone to find out if there are any Jibei soldiers lying in ambush towards the direction of Jibei."
"Ah?" Ziye was shocked, "Young Master, that’s not possible, is it?"
"Just go and investigate."
Ziye nodded and immediately arranged for someone to go.
Zhou Gu was feeling restless. If his conjecture was correct, then this was a big deal. He needed to visit the Marquis Nanping Residence to discuss with Su Rong and Ning Chi.
After all, if Zhang Mao indeed brought the Jibei Army, it would certainly be more than ten thousand. Otherwise, why would Zhang Mao dare to venture into the territory of the Marquis Nanping Residence? He was well aware that the heir of the Marquis Nanping Residence, Ning Chi, had aligned himself with the Eastern Palace and the Marquis Nanping had been suppressed for a long time now.
He called another person, "Lang Yun."
Lang Yun was the commander of the secret guards that his mother had borrowed from her father for him. His martial arts skills were on par with Ziye, but Lang Yun was much steadier than Ziye.
He bowed, "Your command, Young Master."
Zhou Gu explained solemnly, "I need to make a trip to the Marquis Nanping Residence. You’re to stay here with the soldiers. Ensure the complete lockdown of the Eighteen Forts. Not even a bird should be able to escape."
"Yes, Young Master." Lang Yun responded.
After making the arrangements, Zhou Gu left the military camp on horseback.
Even though it was only a speculation, he couldn’t afford to take any risks. Anything that held even a bit of possibility couldn’t be overlooked, because getting the upper hand was key to success or failure. This was what he learned in the Eastern Palace, taught by Grand Tutor Qin to the Crown Prince and himself.
Therefore, throughout these years, the Crown Prince, Yan Huisheng, has been extremely cautious. He takes into account the advantages and disadvantages of every situation, not overlooking even the slightest details. Even if it turned out to be a wasted effort, thorough preparations ensured that everything went as expected, preventing mistakes that couldn’t be fixed.
That was why he remained undefeated.
Even if his guess was wrong, and he was able to capture Zhang Mao easily, it wouldn’t be a wasted effort. But if he guessed correctly, then that would be a significant matter.
So he galloped all the way, covering dozens of miles quickly. In less than an hour, he arrived at the Marquis Nanping Residence.
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