Yun Qianmeng stared at the map, carefully examining all the mountain routes on it, her brows furrowed tightly. Her gaze paused slightly when she saw the water source sign...
Qiao Ying noticed a change in Yun Qianmeng's expression, and her gaze shifted to the map spread out on the table. She couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Did the princess notice anything amiss?"
Seeing Qiao Ying asking about the problem she had discovered, Yun Qianmeng tapped the water source mark on the map with her slender fingers and reminded Qiao Ying, "Throughout history, the north has always had little water. But Jincheng is located at the junction of the north and the south, and compared to the real north, it has more water resources. We are now trapped in the city, and King Chen and King Hai are determined to capture us. Unfortunately, the two sides are fighting each other. If we attack openly, the other side will definitely take action. By then, they will definitely find another way to sneak attack Jincheng. The major water sources in Jincheng are all drawn from several high mountains, and it is most likely to succeed from here. You should go and tell General Dong immediately to ensure the safety of the water source to prevent someone from poisoning the water. As for the two... "The enemy's troops have likely mustered all their forces temporarily stationed in the north. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, reinforcements will surely arrive from both sides. We must remain constant in the face of change. If the enemy doesn't move, we won't move either. Both the Sea King and the Chen King are shrewd and cunning individuals. They probably understand our situation better than we do. Therefore, the disparity in strength between us is too great for them. In their eyes, we are already easy prey, and they won't rush to devour us. The most important thing for them right now is to eliminate their enemy and prevent a surprise attack. I believe General Dong understands this. We must patiently await Fei Yang's reinforcements, and the rest of the time, focus on defending the city."
Yun Qianmeng analyzed each point to Qiao Ying. As soon as she finished speaking, a burst of applause was heard outside the door.
"Hahaha, Princess, you're truly intelligent. I'm convinced today." As a military commander, Dong Jin wasn't as concerned with formalities as the literati. Furthermore, having spent years in the north and possessing a forthright personality, he naturally entered the private room without consulting anyone. However, he simply stood respectfully at the outer door, not taking a single step inside.
Yun Qianmeng was dressed neatly, with a simple magnolia hairpin made of white jade in her hair. She slowly walked out of the inner room with the support of Mu Chun. Seeing that Dong Jin was able to maintain a good attitude in the crisis, she became more certain that her idea of choosing Jincheng at that time was correct.
"General Dong, you are too kind. I was just speaking the truth. Since you have heard what I said just now, please strictly implement it. Water is the fountain of life. Although we cannot be sure whether the two groups will target the water source. If we can keep the water source safe, people can survive for six or seven days even without food. Although King Chen and King Hai are fighting each other now, we are safe for the time being. But hundreds of thousands of troops have turned Jincheng into an isolated city, and we cannot sit and wait for death. Only by doing a good job of all-round protection can we fight the enemy. Moreover, even if the reinforcements arrive, with hundreds of thousands of troops outside the city, the reinforcements will not be able to break through the city for a while, and we have to rely on the general for the combat." Yun Qianmeng did not become complacent because of Dong Jin's praise. The look in her eyes was still cautious and careful. She analyzed things in a clear and logical manner, and every word was reasonable, which made people have to admit her admiration.
Even Dong Jin, who rarely convinced others, nodded repeatedly after listening to Yun Qianmeng's analysis.
At this moment, Yun Qianmeng looked up at Qiao Ying and asked, "How many of the secret guards we brought with us are left?"
Seeing the princess directly ask for the number of secret guards in front of Dong Jin, Qiao Ying's heart tightened. The look in her eyes seemed to remind Yun Qianmeng that those secret guards were hiding in the dark to protect the princess. Even with the serious incident yesterday, the princess didn't send out the secret guards because she wanted to conserve her strength. If the situation were exposed to Dong Jin, the princess would no longer have anyone to protect her.
Yun Qianmeng could see the meaning in Qiao Ying's eyes, but she smiled nonchalantly. Turning her gaze to Dong Jin, whose face looked weathered but still resolute, her eyes were filled with trust. She spoke to Qiao Ying in a firm tone, "Since we've fled to Jincheng, we've naturally entrusted our lives to General Dong. General Dong is wholeheartedly committed to the people of Western Chu; otherwise, why would he accept us? An army is raised for a thousand days, only deployed for a single moment. The purpose of the secret guards is to protect people. The lives of the people of Jincheng are as precious as ours. Now is the time to use them. How can we only care about ourselves?"
After hearing Yun Qianmeng's words, Dong Jin couldn't help but feel touched. Throughout history, there are only a handful of people who can completely entrust their lives to others. The fact that the Princess of Chu, a woman, has such a broad mind and bearing is truly admirable.
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's confidence in Dong Jin, Qiao Ying nodded and said, "There are only 46,000 Secret Guards left."
Dong Jin was shocked after hearing Qiao Ying's words. When he had opened the city gates for the Princess of Chu, there were only a few hundred followers outside, but he hadn't expected so many more to be hiding in the shadows. It was clear that the King of Chu truly cared deeply for the Princess. Even more alarming to Dong Jin was the sheer number of troops at his disposal. It seemed the rebellion would eventually be put to an end.
"General, I will hand these 46,000 men over to you. You must hold on until the reinforcements arrive in Jincheng." Yun Qianmeng spoke in a cautious tone, with a cautious and solemn expression on her face. She handed all the men to Dong Jin without leaving a single one behind.
Dong Jin was horrified by Yun Qianmeng's decision and felt the burden on his shoulders was heavy. He nodded to Yun Qianmeng with a serious expression.
However, the addition of nearly 50,000 people is a very good thing for Jincheng, and it also makes Dong Jin more confident in defending Jincheng.
However, the Second Prince's main target was the Princess of Chu. Dong Jin pondered for a moment before finally advising, "Princess, please come to my house for a rest. The servants here all learn some martial arts and can better protect you."
Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng shook her head without hesitation, then spoke in a clear voice, "Thank you for your kindness, General. As long as Jincheng can be defended, no matter where I am in Jincheng, I will be safe. If it is lost, even if I hide in your mansion, I am afraid I will be doomed. General, don't worry about me. Since I have chosen Jincheng, I believe that you will defend it until the prince's reinforcements arrive."
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's unusually resolute tone, and having seen from their previous interactions that the woman before him, though delicate, was a resolute and decisive person, Dong Jin could only nod, clasped his hands in front of Yun Qianmeng, and left the inn.
"Princess..." Seeing Dong Jin leave, Mu Chun immediately stepped forward to support Yun Qianmeng, who was becoming increasingly heavy, and helped her sit down carefully. Mu Chun carefully pinched Yun Qianmeng's obviously swollen legs and said worriedly, "Princess, the Dong Mansion is more convenient than an inn after all. If anything happens, we can take care of each other."
Seeing the deep concern for her in Mu Chun's tone, Yun Qianmeng looked down at Mu Chun squatting at her feet, and a warm smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She raised her delicate hand and gently stroked Mu Chun's black hair, saying lightly, "I have already said that as long as the city is not broken, we are safe inside. But if Jincheng falls, I am afraid that countless casualties will be caused. And where I am, there will be a wave of looting and killing. I had no choice but to choose Jincheng. I have already implicated the people of Jincheng, so how can I drag down General Dong's family? Besides, I believe in Grandpa's judgment of people, and I am even more confident that Feiyang will come."
In the Chu King's army camp east of Jiao Da.
"Where is Minister Qu?" After inspecting the military camp, Jiao Da returned to the tent and saw that there was no one in the tent. He turned around and walked out of the tent and asked the guards outside the tent.
"General Jiao, Minister Qu has just led three thousand soldiers out of the camp and said that they have tracked the enemy. Please rest assured, General." The guard immediately straightened his back and reported what Qu Changqing had instructed to him.
Hearing this, Jiao Da frowned slightly and looked towards the entrance of the military camp. He then ordered the guards, "Send all the generals here immediately."
In the northwest military camp of the King of Chu.
Chu Feiyang and Hai Quan had been exchanging fire for nearly two days and two nights, though both were evenly matched. Chu Feiyang's offensive was fierce and his tactics were ingenious, while Hai Quan's steady approach, leveraging his numerical superiority, prevented Chu Feiyang from gaining any immediate advantage. The two sides remained at a stalemate, yet both held their breath and refused to cease fire.
"It seems that Hai Quan is serious this time." After temporarily retreating from the front line, Chu Feiyang pointed at the mark of Chaocheng on the map and chuckled.
Hai Quan, Hai Quan, you are too cautious and careful, so you have missed many good opportunities. If you only defend and don't attack, you will run out of ammunition and food sooner or later.
However, although the two sides had fought recently, Hai Quan had not been so persistent in his pursuit of them. And from the friction and fighting between the two armies over the past two days, a strange feeling was faintly revealed, as if Hai Quan was deliberately diverting his attention to the city, not wanting him to have extra thoughts and attention on other things.
Thinking of this, Chu Feiyang frowned slightly, feeling a little uneasy, but he couldn't figure out what Hai Quan was up to.
Seeing Chu Feiyang's armor covered in blood and his once handsome face darkened, Meng Tao couldn't help but advise, "Your Highness, you've been fighting for so long, you should take a break."
The generals in the tent were puzzled to see Chu Feiyang still able to laugh in such a situation. However, they had all followed Chu Feiyang for many years and knew his temperament. He would never waste time or manpower fighting Hai Quan without absolute certainty. Moreover, after two days and two nights of fierce fighting, the Chu King's army had not yet gained any advantage. Even in such a situation, Chu Feiyang looked relaxed, as if the prince had already made up his mind.
Chu Feiyang shook his head, suppressing the uneasiness in his heart. His slightly bloodshot eyes once again radiated a bright light, without a trace of fatigue.
Mentally integrating the intelligence he had gathered recently, Chu Feiyang beckoned all the generals to approach and began to analyze, "Qi Jingyuan has sent word that he will be exchanging hostages with Hai Chenxi soon. Although Hai Quan has remained silent over the past two weeks, he must be deeply concerned for the well-being of his two sons. Unfortunately, he is currently in the northwest, while Hai Chenxi and the others are far away in the suburbs of Beijing. Furthermore, our recent incessant attacks on Chaocheng have left Hai Quan stretched thin. As for his two sons, Hai Quan cannot personally travel to the suburbs of Beijing, so he can only send more troops there to prevent Qi Jingyuan from killing Hai Chenxi and Hai Yue."
"The King of the Sea has always loved the Prince of Hai, so he will surely send more troops. Then Minister Han will cooperate with the Crown Prince of Northern Qi to wipe out these people in one fell swoop, and we will have relieved a major worry." Meng Tao listened to Chu Feiyang's analysis and continued to speak.
However, some generals were concerned that the Northern Qi Crown Prince might suddenly defect, so they raised questions. "Your Highness, the Northern Qi Crown Prince is treacherous and cruel. He previously assisted the Sea King in seizing many of our cities, and now he's helping us again. There's no guarantee he won't seize the opportunity to annex Western Chu. The hostage exchange is taking place outside the capital, and Minister Han has no experience leading troops in battle. If he's subdued by the Northern Qi Crown Prince, we'll lose both our army and our wife."
As soon as these words were spoken, the other generals began to voice their doubts, expressing their deep distrust of Qi Jingyuan's character and conduct. This was especially true after Qi Jingyuan's mysterious appearance in the capital during the previous year's Qiqiao Festival, slaughtering numerous Western Chu civilians. Most generals had a negative impression of Qi Jingyuan, believing that joining forces with such a man would be tantamount to courting disaster and extremely dangerous.
Chu Feiyang listened attentively to everyone's opinions. He knew in his heart that everyone disliked Qi Jingyuan. After everyone's discussions died down, Chu Feiyang spoke, "I understand everyone's concerns. However, since I have dared to join forces with Qi Jingyuan, I will not let him take advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos. The 500,000 troops on the northern border are already waiting. If Qi Jingyuan dares to make any mistakes, the 500,000-strong army will immediately march north."
After hearing Chu Feiyang's words, everyone's anxiety instantly vanished. As long as the prince said a word, they wouldn't blink an eye, even if it meant sacrificing their lives. Having followed Chu Feiyang for so many years, everyone knew his cautious and careful nature. Thinking of the 500,000 troops still on the northern border, everyone's worries finally settled.
"General Mingwei." Seeing that the matter had been discussed, Chu Feiyang called out General Mingwei Du Ronghui.
"Your Highness, I am here." Du Ronghui quickly stood in front of Chu Feiyang, waiting for Chu Feiyang's instructions.
"I have entrusted the recent grain transportation to you and Su Qi. Su Qi is the grain transport envoy and is very clear about the grain transportation, but he is too clear about it, which has allowed him to fish in troubled waters and reap a lot of benefits. Now that Emperor Yugan has been killed, our battle with King Chen of the Sea is a do-or-die battle. Without the support of the Rong family behind us, we would never have been able to hold on for so long. But under such circumstances, Su Qi is still thinking about making a fortune from the national disaster. What do you think about this?" Chu Feiyang entrusted all matters to his confidants, and he only led the troops to fight.
But this didn't mean he didn't know what was going on in the army. Chu Feiyang had a clear account of everything in the army, including the deployment of troops, the transportation of food and fodder, and even whether the medicinal materials were delivered to the barracks in time.
"Your Highness, I was just about to report this to you." Du Ronghui pulled out two account books from his pocket and handed them to Chu Feiyang, then explained, "These are two different account books. One is the official account submitted to the Ministry of Revenue, and the other is Su Qi's secret account. This secret account clearly records the amount of silver Su Qi withheld from each batch of grain and supplies delivered to the military camp. This time, the Rong family secretly assisted us, almost giving away everything they had, but Su Qi's appetite has become even greater. He even withheld two-thirds of the silver from some supplies and put it into his own pocket. Your Highness, this man is not only a cancer in the army, but also a cancer in Western Chu."
As soon as Du Ronghui finished speaking, the tent exploded.
Who could have imagined that when they fought bravely to defend their country, Su Qi would pocket the soldiers' life-saving money? How could he be worthy of those dead brothers if he didn't kill Su Qi?
"Your Highness, this man is truly a scumbag. If such a person remains in the army, I'm afraid the soldiers will have no food to eat. Think about those brothers who died, and those brothers who are still lying in the tents waiting for herbs to save their lives. Even if Su Qi is torn into five pieces, it will not quench our hatred." Ye Chi's face was filled with resentment, and his eyes showed great disgust for Su Qi.
After listening to Ye Chi's indignant speech, Du Ronghui continued, "What everyone may not know is that the Sea King suddenly launched an attack this time, forcing Master Rong to hide in a secret place. Su Qi took advantage of this opportunity to control the Rong family's Jiangnan business and secretly manipulate the rice and grain trade, making the people, who were already in dire straits, even more miserable. I'm afraid Su Qi has already seized the Rong family's property and made it his own."
Chu Feiyang opened the two account books, his sharp eyes swept over the numbers on the first page, carefully compared the numbers on the first page of the two account books, and suddenly slammed the account books shut.
When everyone heard the sound, they looked up and saw Chu Feiyang with a frosty face and cold eyes. They knew that the numbers in the two account books must be too different. Otherwise, why would Chu Feiyang, who always had a gentle smile, hide his anger?
Chu Feiyang raised his head and looked at everyone calmly. Without hesitation, he gave an order to Xi Lin beside him, "Xi Lin, take your men to quietly deal with Su Qi. All his property will be confiscated and used to purchase food, grass, and herbs."
"Yes." Xi Lin agreed immediately and turned around and left the tent without hesitation.
"General Du, the matter of grain transport is now fully handed over to you. You have been with Su Qi for four months, and I believe you are already very familiar with the matter of grain transport." Without Su Qi, it is natural to appoint someone to take over the matter of grain transport again, otherwise there will be a shortage of food, grass and medicines in the rear, which will be extremely detrimental to the unity of the army.
Du Ronghui accepted the order in a critical moment, but he did not show any nervousness. He nodded cautiously to Chu Feiyang and said solemnly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will definitely not let you down."
At this moment, Chu Nanshan rushed in anxiously.
Everyone turned around and saw that Chu Nanshan's armor was covered with blood that had not yet dried. He must have just retreated from the battlefield.
Seeing the old prince's anxious face, and the glint of anger in his eyes as he looked at the King of Chu, everyone was puzzled. Could it be that the war was getting intense up ahead? Otherwise, why would the old prince look so grim?
Chu Feiyang was also a little puzzled. He didn't understand what had happened to make his grandfather, who was always in charge of the overall situation, so nervous?
Chu Feiyang's sharp eyes swept over Chu Nanshan, and saw that Chu Nanshan was tightly holding a letter in his right hand. From the color of the letter, it could be seen that it was specially used for the 'Yu Family Pawnshop'.
His eyes suddenly darkened, and the uneasiness that he had just suppressed suddenly surged into his heart. Chu Feiyang stared at Chu Nanshan and asked, "What happened?"
When Chu Nanshan heard Chu Feiyang asking him this, he knew that Chu Feiyang had been busy fighting with the Sea King recently and had not had time to ask about Meng'er's news. He was afraid that he didn't know that something had happened to Meng'er at this time.
Chu Nanshan did not say anything, but handed the note in his hand to Chu Feiyang and asked him to read it himself.
Chu Feiyang took the note suspiciously, spread out the crumpled paper, glanced coldly at the few numbers on it, and was horrified. His expression instantly became gloomy, and his eyes were filled with unconcealable anxiety.
"I didn't expect that Hai Quan and Jiang Muchen would trick us at the same time." Chu Nanshan looked at Chu Feiyang's expression and immediately spat out these words with gritted teeth.
The generals in the tent didn't understand what had happened that could make the two princes look anxious at the same time. Could it be that there was another change in the war?
"Your Highness..." Meng Tao saw Chu Feiyang's extremely ugly face, his eyes were cold, and there was a hint of anxiety between his brows, so he asked softly: "Your Highness, I wonder what happened?"
Chu Feiyang tightly grasped the note in his hand, but he laughed in anger and said in a cold voice, "Hai Quan, Jiang Muchen, they actually sent hundreds of thousands of troops to surround Jincheng and trapped my princess to death in Jincheng. No wonder Hai Quan has concentrated his forces to deal with us recently. It's all to delay us and capture Meng'er while I am too busy. As for Jiang Muchen..."
When the name 'Jiang Muchen' was mentioned, everyone felt the temperature in the tent drop suddenly. Looking up, they saw Chu Feiyang's face was frosty and his expression was extremely dangerous. His usually gentle eyes were already filled with bloodthirsty light.
The generals who first heard the news were even more shocked. They never expected that King Hai and King Chen had found out the whereabouts of Princess Chu, and now they have sent a large number of troops to trap the Princess in Jincheng. These two undoubtedly wanted to use Princess Chu to force the prince to surrender.
The princess is pregnant now. No matter who gets the hand, I'm afraid that neither party will tolerate the birth of Meng'er's child. Moreover, with Jiang Muchen's feelings for the princess, if the princess falls into Jiang Muchen's hands, I'm afraid...
Such speculation, even if just thinking about it once, has already frightened Chu Nanshan so much that he is covered in cold sweats. How dare he waste any more time on this?
"The King of the Sea sent out 200,000 troops, and the King of Chen sent out 150,000. The troops and horses originally stored near the north by the two kings have already moved towards Jincheng in the past one or two days. Feiyang, we must act immediately, otherwise Meng'er will fall into the hands of those two men. If the two armies go to war, Jincheng will be destroyed and people will die. Not only will Meng'er be in danger, but the people will also be vulnerable to war attacks." Chu Nanshan frowned as he analyzed the current situation, feeling extremely anxious.
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