Chapter 51: Quick Pass Strategy for the Soldier King (Part 9)
Before we started investigating, a carrier pigeon landed in the yard in the evening. Bi Yuntao took a small bamboo tube from the pigeon's leg, opened it, and his face turned pale.
I asked anxiously, "What's wrong? What does the letter say?" Bi Yuntao handed the letter to me and said in a deep voice, "Read it yourself."
I took the letter and quickly read it. The content of the letter shocked me. The letter said that Wu Ergou was plotting to surrender to the Qing Dynasty and was planning to hand over Jiangnan to the Qing Dynasty! After reading the letter, I felt a chill running down my spine.
If the contents of the letter are true, the consequences will be disastrous. "We must go to Wu Ergou's camp!" I raised my head and looked at Bi Yuntao firmly.
Bi Yuntao nodded. He knew that this trip was full of dangers, but he had no regrets. In order to find out the truth and to protect the people of Jiangnan, we must take a risk.
The next night, Bi Yuntao and I dressed up and sneaked into Wu Ergou's barracks... The barracks were brightly lit, and soldiers were patrolling back and forth, on high alert.
Bi Yuntao and I carefully hid in the shadows, and under the cover of night, we approached Wu Ergou's central camp step by step. My heartbeat became louder and louder, and I was so nervous that my palms were sweating.
Finally, we found ourselves near Wu Ergou's military tent. A dim light shone through the tent, and we could vaguely see people moving around, and hear low voices. I motioned Bi Yuntao to stay outside, and I tiptoed closer to the tent, hoping to hear the conversation inside clearly.
"Your Highness, are you really determined to do this?" An old voice sounded, with a hint of worry in the tone.
"At this point, do I have any other choice?" Another voice was low and hoarse. I recognized it as Wu Ergou's voice. "The Qing army is now unstoppable, and the Ming Dynasty is doomed. Instead of resisting, it is better to make plans early."
"But... Your Majesty, have you ever thought about the people of Jiangnan? Have you ever thought about the generals who follow you?"
"Humph, the victorious king defeats the bandits, it has been like this since ancient times. As long as I can keep my glory and wealth, what does it have to do with others?"
Hearing this, my heart sank. Wu Ergou's ambition and cruelty made me shudder. I didn't dare to listen any further and quietly retreated to Bi Yuntao's side.
"How is it? What did you hear?" Bi Yuntao asked in a low voice.
I took a deep breath and told Bi Yuntao what I had heard. After listening to it, Bi Yuntao's face became extremely solemn.
"It seems that the contents of the letter are all true. Wu Ergou is really going to surrender to the Qing!" Bi Yuntao said with gritted teeth, "We must hurry back as soon as possible and tell General Chen about this. We can't let Wu Ergou's conspiracy succeed!"
In the darkness, Bi Yuntao and I looked at each other and saw determination and resoluteness in each other's eyes. Without further delay, we set off immediately and left Wu Ergou's camp quietly under the cover of night.
The fate of Jiangnan is now in our hands. We must race against time to prevent a catastrophe from happening!
The night in the south of the Yangtze River is quiet and deep, but it cannot conceal the turbulent waves in my heart.
Wu Ergou, the man who once swore to protect me for the rest of my life, is now giving Jiangnan to others for the sake of glory and wealth! I can't believe it, and I can't accept it.
"Zi'ang, what's wrong with you?" Wu Ergou asked concernedly when he saw my pale face. I forced a smile, shook my head, and said, "Nothing, I'm just a little tired."
Wu Ergou didn't suspect anything. He stroked my hair gently and said softly, "Have a good rest. I'll take care of everything."
I closed my eyes and let my tears fall silently. You are responsible for everything? But have you ever thought that your "everything" is built on the suffering of countless people!
I couldn't just sit there and watch all this happen. I had to do something. I secretly told my personal maid about Wu Ergou's plan and asked her to find a way to pass the news on. Although the maid was afraid, she still agreed.
The next day, Wu Ergou and I were having breakfast when we suddenly heard a loud noise coming from outside. Wu Ergou's face changed and he immediately got up and walked out.
"What happened?" I heard Wu Ergou's voice outside, with a hint of panic in his tone.
"Your Highness, Bi Yuntao...he escaped!" a soldier shouted in panic.
I was shocked. Could it be that the news from last night had been leaked? I suppressed my uneasiness and followed him out.
Wu Ergou's face turned livid, and he roared, "Chase! Chase him! We must catch him!"
The soldiers took the order and left. I watched them leave with mixed feelings. Bi Yuntao, you must be safe!
Soon, the pursuers sent by Wu Ergou came back, all of them covered in dust and with injuries on their bodies.
"Rubbish! It's all rubbish!" Wu Ergou cursed angrily, "You can't even catch a human being!"
I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that Mao Xiaoyu and Bi Yuntao had successfully escaped.
Although Wu Ergou was angry, he could do nothing. He knew that once the news leaked out, he could no longer hide it. He had to speed up the plan, otherwise he would suffer more troubles.
I looked at Wu Ergou, my heart was filled with sadness and disappointment. I once thought he was my hero and someone I could rely on, but now I find that he is nothing more than a selfish villain!
So I ran all the way and finally escaped back to the rebel camp. I didn't care about the pain on my body and immediately told Mr. Liu Xing and others about Wu Ergou's conspiracy. When everyone heard it, they were all filled with righteous indignation, and the atmosphere in the study suddenly dropped to freezing point.
"How can this be possible! Wu Ergou, for his own selfish interests, is putting the people of Jiangnan into dire straits!" Mr. Liu Xing, who was usually gentle and polite, could not help but slam the table and stand up.
The young and energetic general in the tent drew his sword and roared: "People who sell out their country for glory should be killed by everyone! I will lead my troops to kill him and take his head!"
Bi Yuntao held his shoulders and said calmly: "Don't be impulsive. Wu Ergou has a strong army and a strong fight will only result in both sides being hurt. The most urgent task is to strengthen the defense to prevent Wu Ergou from launching a sudden attack."
After hearing this, everyone thought it made sense and immediately began to make arrangements. For a while, the entire camp was busy, and the atmosphere was tense and murderous.
As expected, just two days later, Wu Ergou led his army and surrounded us. The deafening sound of war drums resounded through the sky, announcing that a major war was about to begin.
"Yun Tao, do you think we can win?" Looking at the dark and overwhelming enemy in the distance, I suddenly felt a sense of panic for no reason.
Bi Yuntao held my hand tightly and said firmly: "Don't worry, good will prevail over evil. We will definitely be able to defend Jiangnan and our homeland!"
I nodded, trying to calm myself down. I knew we had no choice but to fight this battle.
The sound of the horn broke through the sky, and Wu Ergou's army surged like a tide. A tragic offensive and defensive battle began...
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