Fei Zhong, though outwardly calm despite being humiliated by Yang Cheng, was inwardly seething with rage.
Fei Zhong, who had controlled the government for so many years, was most skilled at guessing Emperor Xin's thoughts.
That's why he was able to defeat wise ministers like Bi Gan and Shang Rong.
Yang Cheng, a newcomer who has just joined the court, dares to provoke him; he's practically courting death!
However, Yang Cheng's words did indeed hit a nerve.
Di Xin wanted not only obedient ministers, but also capable ministers, not useless ones.
Obedience is the most important thing, ability is the second. Otherwise, even if you are only obedient, you will still be disliked by Emperor Xin for being incompetent.
Fei Zhong knew perfectly well what kind of personality Di Xin had.
This emperor is cold-hearted by nature; as long as you comply with his wishes, everything will be fine.
But if you displease him, Di Xin will simply forget about you.
He dared to kill even his own uncle, what wouldn't he dare to do?
Fei Zhong's men suffered repeated defeats and lost territory, which had long aroused Emperor Xin's dissatisfaction.
If he doesn't make a move now, he might be in trouble.
So Fei Zhong just glared at Yang Cheng and didn't argue with him. Instead, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have been blind. The generals I recommended have failed one after another."
"I am willing to volunteer for this battle and organize some cultivators to resist the traitor Zhou Wu!"
At this point, Fei Zhong turned his gaze to Yang Cheng and said with a half-smile, "General Yang Cheng is very powerful. He annihilated tens of thousands of Tu Ling people with just a thousand men."
"In this crisis at Sishui Pass, would General Yang Cheng be willing to help our Great Shang Dynasty overcome this difficulty?"
Fei Zhong kept talking about the Great Shang Dynasty, hoping to make it impossible for Yang Cheng to refuse.
But to his surprise, Yang Cheng agreed immediately.
"Of course, I am Your Majesty's subject. How can I stand idly by when the Great Shang Dynasty is in peril?"
Di Xin nodded in satisfaction: "Good! It's rare that you have such a thoughtful idea, Yang Cheng."
As he spoke, Di Xin turned to Fei Zhong and said indifferently, "Fei Zhong, Yang Cheng is willing to help you clean up your mess without holding a grudge. You should not be ungrateful."
You are both subjects of my Great Shang Dynasty. The two of you need to work together to eliminate the traitor Zhou Wu.
"For this expedition to Sishui Pass, Fei Zhong, you will be the commander-in-chief, and Yang Cheng will be the deputy commander. That's settled for now."
Di Xin was no idiot. Having been emperor for so many years, he was certainly aware of the power struggles and infighting among his subordinates.
However, Di Xin didn't care.
They can fight however they want, as long as they remain loyal to me and don't affect the overall strength of the Shang Dynasty.
However, Fei Zhong formed cliques and ostracized some veteran generals, causing all the useless generals he recommended to be defeated, which greatly displeased Emperor Xin.
Just now, he dragged Yang Cheng into the mess again, pressuring Yang Cheng to take action. Yang Cheng agreed without the slightest hesitation, which pleased Di Xin greatly. That's why he spoke up to give Fei Zhong a warning.
The banquet ended hastily. Fei Zhong went to recruit soldiers, and Yang Cheng also set off with only Boyi and the previous thousand men.
Upon returning to his residence, Yang Cheng immediately contacted Jiang Kai, urging him to do everything possible to participate in the battle at Sishui Pass. He also suggested that Jiang Kai should try to persuade the other two individuals who possessed the legacy of Laozi to come, as this would make it easier to take action.
After finalizing the plan, Yang Cheng waited for about three days until Fei Zhong had mobilized everything. Although he was a treacherous minister, he was not useless and still had some ability.
Furthermore, the distinction between civil and military officials in the Shang Dynasty was not so clear-cut. Almost all ministers had experience in military campaigns and in governing local areas, making them well-rounded in both civil and military affairs.
Guan Yu was urging his troops to march to Sishui, and Fei Zhong was also moving very quickly.
Tens of thousands of people descended the Heavenly Ladder and headed straight for Sishui Pass, with Yang Cheng following behind Fei Zhong, the two groups clearly separated.
There were also some practitioners around Fei Zhong, who were all the retainers Fei Zhong had recruited over the years.
Yang Cheng examined the auras of these cultivators and found that none of them were particularly powerful.
The troops marched towards Sishui Pass. When they were almost there, Fei Zhong sent someone to meet with Yang Cheng to discuss attacking Sishui Pass.
Yang Cheng entered the main tent. Fei Zhong sat in the main seat, but the surrounding area was already occupied by his retainers. Yang Cheng, as the deputy general, was only given a seat near the entrance of the main tent by Fei Zhong.
Bo Yi was about to get angry, but Yang Cheng stopped him.
Having given Yang Cheng a taste of his own medicine, Fei Zhong smiled and said, "General Yang Cheng, we are about to attack Sishui Pass. What are your thoughts?"
Yang Cheng said calmly, "I am a country bumpkin with only brute strength. I do not know how to lead an army or fight, and I do not know anything about Sishui Pass. Therefore, I leave everything to Lord Fei Zhong."
Seeing Yang Cheng being so 'well-behaved', Fei Zhong felt a little uncomfortable.
Since this fellow was sensible, Fei Zhong didn't say anything more and solemnly said, "Since that's the case, then I'll tell you my plan."
Sishui Pass is one of the most important passes of our Great Shang Dynasty, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Now it has been occupied by the traitor Zhou Wu, and it will be extremely difficult for us to launch a strong attack with our small force.
Therefore, a direct assault is absolutely not an option; only risky tactics will give us a chance to break through Sishui Pass.
In fact, there is a tunnel at Sishui Pass that leads directly into the pass, which was previously used for sending messages.
Only the generals who guarded Sishui Pass throughout the ages knew about this tunnel. The traitor Zhou Wu was cruel and bloodthirsty, and he slaughtered all the generals who led the troops. As a result, they never had the chance to know this secret.
Therefore, we can send an elite force to infiltrate Sishui Pass through tunnels, set fires and create chaos inside, causing a commotion in the center. Our main army can then attack Sishui Pass from the outside, launching a pincer attack and achieving victory in one fell swoop!
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