Chapter 278 didn't mention that Hailing was captured by bandits? So how can you talk about taking it back?
Chen Xiong immediately ordered the mobilization of troops.
Shen Lanxi charged into Hailing City, fighting her way in and out three times. Just as she was about to reach Chen Xiong, the agreed-upon hour was almost up.
"withdraw!"
"yes!"
To make the bandits seem more real, they took a lot of gold, silver, and grain with them when they left. They turned back to the city gate, met up with the other half of their men who had stayed there, and then quickly left Hailing City.
In the blink of an eye, the "bandits" vanished without a trace.
When Chen Xiong's troops arrived, they found two city gates lying on the ground. The soldiers guarding the gates were either dead or had fled, leaving Hailing City wide open.
If foreign tribes were to invade at this time, they could easily advance unimpeded and strike with deadly accuracy.
"How could so many bandits suddenly appear?" Chen Xiong asked angrily.
The subordinate asked, "General, is it possible that these bandits are all foreigners in disguise?"
Some people agreed, while others voiced different opinions.
"If it really is a foreigner in disguise, why not take this opportunity to conquer Hailing City in one fell swoop?"
"I think it should be a mob formed by refugees from the previous cities. Those people had no way to make a living and had no choice but to become outlaws."
"That makes sense!"
Chen Xiong also felt that it was those damned mobs. After several cities were lost, those unruly people wanted to enter the city for refuge, but he stopped them outside the city.
Those people are here to get revenge on him!
"Increase troop strength to wipe out the bandits, dig up their stronghold and fill it in!"
"yes!"
...
The bandits intensified their harassment of Hailing City. Then, led by Shen Lanxi, her team fought a stalemate with the bandits, engaging in a back-and-forth battle. The fight ended with Shen Lanxi suffering heavy losses and the bandits temporarily disappearing without a trace.
Zhou Ru'an quickly replied, saying there was no need to return to the city; he should continue to rid the people of this menace and track down the bandits.
There's also an underlying message: if you can't find the bandits, there's no need to return to the city.
A month has passed in the blink of an eye, and winter has arrived again.
The imperial edict finally arrived, albeit belatedly, and 30,000 dan of grain would soon arrive in the Northwest.
Zhou Ru'an was overjoyed. The imperial edict not only contained news about the grain supplies, but also a reward for Zhou Ru'an.
Song Daoxi: "Congratulations, Second Prince! Congratulations, Second Prince!"
The imperial edict commended Zhou Ru'an for his wisdom and courage, for keeping three clans at bay, and for successfully persuading Liang Shao, the King of the Northwest, to surrender. He had accomplished a great feat and would be further rewarded upon his return to the capital!
Zhou Ru'an was full of pride, his whole body strutting with pride and high spirits!
In the past, Zhou Ruyuan had always overshadowed the other princes, and the Emperor had never paid any attention to him. Now, the Emperor would know that Zhou Ruyuan was not the only one who could fight.
If his father had handed over military power to him earlier, the position of Prince of Zhennan would have been his!
My father is so biased!
Fortunately, the Emperor is not confused. Now that he sees that he is more capable than Zhou Ruyuan, he has begun to pay attention to him!
"This is all thanks to you, sir. If it weren't for your advice, Father wouldn't have given me the provisions so easily!"
Song Daoxi reminded him, "Second Prince, 30,000 jin of grain is extremely precious. I'm worried that someone might sabotage it. We should make some plans."
Zhou Ruan's eyes flashed, and he felt that what Song Daoxi said made a lot of sense.
There's the example of Wei Family Army before. Their food supplies disappeared without explanation, and even a fool would know that something was amiss!
"What does Mr. Song mean?"
Song Daoxi: "Send our troops to receive the supplies!"
Zhou Ruan thought so too, and asked the question casually to give Song Daoxi face.
"Sir, your insight is truly profound. In your opinion, who should be sent?"
Song Daoxi said meaningfully, "This is a hot potato." He then changed the subject and continued.
"Find some people who don't need training and aren't on our side, and send them out on missions. If something happens on the way... well, it's best if nothing happens!"
Zhou Ruan understood the meaning behind Song Daoxi's words.
Song Daoxi truly lives up to his reputation as a disciple of Guiguzi; his scheming is undeniably ruthless. No wonder it's said that whoever obtains a disciple of Guiguzi will rule the world; this Song Daoxi is indeed a formidable dagger!
Qian Feng, Xiao Fang, and several other male members of the Shen family received the mission to escort grain supplies the next day, and they set off with a team that same day.
Soon after, someone reported this to Zhou Ruan.
"They brought three thousand soldiers, half of whom were female guards!"
Zhou Ru'an was initially displeased upon hearing that there were three thousand soldiers, thinking it was too many. But upon hearing that half of them were female guards, he was much more at ease.
"Second Prince, should we send someone to follow them?" his subordinate asked.
Song Daoxi immediately spoke up to stop them: "No need, it's best if we don't get involved in this matter!"
Zhou Ru'an thought for a moment and nodded. It was just escorting supplies, right? If nothing went wrong, all would be well. If something happened, it wouldn't be his problem.
Those people were all trusted confidants of the Shen family. Since they already had a history of stealing the Wei family's army's provisions, it was not surprising that they stole even more.
If it weren't for the fact that the grain supplies were so important, he would have wanted to have someone steal them and wipe out the Shen family completely.
Half a month later, Chen Xiong, the garrison commander of Hailing City, sent a letter to Zhou Ru'an requesting reinforcements.
Zhou Ru'an summoned everyone to discuss matters.
"Chen Xiong, the garrison commander of Hailing City, said that Hailing City has been frequently harassed by bandits and asked us to send troops to help them wipe out the bandits!"
Zhou Ru'an scoffed at the letter after reading it.
How could a small bandit pose a threat to a city as large as Hailing?
Song Daoxi shared the same thought as him.
"They're just a few bandits, not foreigners. We who guard the border against foreign invaders haven't said anything yet, so why is he, a general of the inner city, so afraid?"
Zhou Ru'an: "Sir, are you saying there's a trick involved?"
Just as Song Daoxi nodded and was about to speak, a soldier came to deliver a message to Zhou Ru'an.
The soldier spoke very softly; outsiders could only vaguely hear a few words about the inner quarters.
Zhou Ru'an's face quickly darkened. Women should not be allowed to interfere in politics; this is truly outrageous.
"You all continue your discussion, I'll be right back!"
Zhou Ruan rushed to the inner courtyard.
...
Shen Lanxi has been harassing Hailing City for more than half a month. During this time, Chen Xiong himself has been assassinated three times, each time only suffering superficial injuries. He is now terrified and no longer lives in the city, but instead lives in the military camp outside the city.
Shen Lanxi's influence has gradually infiltrated Hailing City. It is no exaggeration to say that the entire city is now under her control.
Now all that's missing is a legitimate opportunity.
Chen Xiong presented this opportunity to her.
...
Zhou Ru'an ran back to the inner courtyard and angrily scolded Chen Mianmian.
He thought to himself that Hailing City was Chen Xiong's territory, and keeping Chen Mianmian alive would be useful in the future. Unexpectedly, he received news of Chen Xiong's death the next day.
Chen Xiong was killed by bandits!
Song Daoxi secretly approached Zhou Ruan: "Second Prince, this is a golden opportunity!"
After a detailed discussion, Zhou Ruan decided to personally lead troops to avenge Chen Xiong and reclaim Hailing City from the bandits!
The subordinates looked at each other in bewilderment.
It didn't say that Hailing City was captured by bandits, so how can you talk about taking it back?
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