Chapter 535: Infiltrating Behind Enemy Lines (New January Monthly Ticket Request)
Inside the fourth floor of the pavilion, shrouded in darkness, only the palace lanterns emitted a reassuring glow.
Zhao Duan met the empress's bright eyes sparkling in the firelight. After a moment of silence, he sat cross-legged at the small table and organized his words:
"This goal is indeed quite difficult. Although the Beijing Camp led by Xue Shence is strong enough to defeat any single rebel force, with the two princes forming an alliance and holding their ground, a full-scale attack on either the eastern or western fronts will likely be ineffective."
After a brief pause, he said seriously:
"Unless we can break this alliance. Just like when Your Majesty and I returned to the capital from Luoshan, the reason why Prince Jing and Prince Mu were unable to enter Linfeng was that the court's obstruction was only one of the reasons. The key was to keep the two sides in check and balance."
Xu Zhenguan sighed softly and shook his head:
"You want to break up the alliance, but that's almost impossible. Given the current situation, they're all on the same page. No matter how many problems they have, they'll be suppressed."
How could Zhao Duan not know this?
He pondered for a moment and said:
"Then let's settle for the next best thing. At least when Xue Shence attacks Prince Jing, Prince Mu won't be able to spare much energy to assist him."
"What do you think?" Xu Zhenguan stared at him, with the tacit understanding they had developed over a long period of time at a distance from each other.
As soon as this bastard stuck his butt out, she knew that he must have some bad ideas in his mind.
Zhao Duan chuckled and explained:
“The Western Front does lack the ability to launch an offensive, but strong fortresses are often breached from within. Although the Yunfu Dao rebels are aggressive, they have huge internal hidden dangers.
The rebels are composed of two forces. One is the private army of Prince Mu's Mansion, which is the wealth accumulated over the years.
The other group is the border army under the command of Zhao Shixiong, the commander-in-chief of the border army. From what I've learned, the relationship between Prince Mu and Zhao Shixiong isn't very close."
Xu Zhenguan was not too surprised when he heard this and nodded:
"You are right. During the recent discussions about the war, the court also believed that the Yunfu rebels were not united, and therefore the threat was not as great as that of the Jiancheng rebels.
This is probably why Xue Shence chose to attack the eastern front... Prince Jing is the biggest threat, and we can't give him enough time to consolidate the territory he has swallowed."
Is this also the judgment of the court?
Yes, this is not difficult to judge... Zhao Duan continued:
"Therefore, I plan to sneak into the Huai River and Yongjia City, which is controlled by Zhao Shixiong, to try to understand the situation in detail. If possible, I will try to assassinate Zhao Shixiong, or take advantage of the lack of trust between Prince Mu and Zhao Shixiong to make trouble.
Only by containing the Yunfu rebels can we recapture most of the Huai River territory before winter arrives and avoid putting the imperial court in a difficult situation."
The smile on Xu Zhenguan's face disappeared, and he immediately retorted:
"Give up the idea of assassinating Zhao Shixiong! He's very powerful. Not only has he trained the border troops like an iron barrel, but he himself is also a good martial artist. Although your current cultivation is not weak, no matter how strong a warrior is, once he is trapped in the military formation and surrounded by the strong men in the army, he will only be exhausted to death!"
"Your Majesty..." Zhao Duan was stunned. He didn't expect the empress to react so strongly.
Immediately, he seemed to realize something, and said with a strange look in his eyes:
"Your Majesty, are you worried about my safety?"
Xu Zhenguan was speechless and could not answer for a moment, but looked away.
Under the illumination of the orange palace lanterns, the empress's jade-like face no longer had the majesty and awe-inspiring look she had when she sat high on the dragon throne, but instead had become much softer.
She was silent for a moment, then said with a stern face:
"In short, I forbid you to go. Do you want to disobey my order?"
Zhao Duan laughed. Ever since the emperor and his minister returned to the capital after the Fengshan ceremony and launched the counterattack, it seemed that they had rarely had the opportunity to meet like this.
The identity of the empress and the severity of the situation greatly compressed the space for "love between young men and women".
When the two of them were together, apart from discussing family and national affairs, they would at most talk about each other's cultivation.
They are far different from ordinary men and women who completely let go of their reserve and become inseparable after sleeping together once.
After all, they have too much on their shoulders and dare not enjoy themselves for a moment, because if they fail, the only outcome is death.
Therefore, for the two of them, this level of love talk has almost reached the limit.
"Okay, I will obey your Majesty and will not risk my life." Zhao Duan said seriously:
"But I do plan to go to Yongjia Prefecture. Unlike Xue Shence, I am not good at leading troops in battle. On the battlefield, the role I can play is very limited.
Like this time, controlling the clouds and rain is only possible once, not twice. It is me who can be of greater help in the situation by going behind enemy lines."
After a pause, he jokingly said:
"Your Majesty, please do not forget that what I am best at is dealing with 'people'."
Working behind enemy lines... This is the new position Zhao Duan has found for himself.
Xue Shence is capable of handling the front line alone, but he is even better at fighting others and can sneak behind enemy lines to cause the enemy to collapse internally.
Just like when he first came to this world, he brought down the bigwigs in the court time and time again.
How does Zhao Shixiong compare to Li Yanfu in the past? Wasn't he also defeated by him?
At this moment, he suddenly thought of Kuangfu Society and Taifu Zhuang Xiaocheng.
If Zhuang Xiaocheng was lurking in the capital and putting the court in a passive position time and time again, why didn't Zhao Duan learn from his enemy?
Also set up a "Kuangfu Society" to incite enemy generals to rebel and destroy the enemy's base camp?
Xu Zhenguan stared at him deeply, and saw that Zhao Duan had made up his mind. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly picked up the white porcelain wine pot on the table with both hands, poured him a glass of wine, and said softly:
"If you have made up your mind, then do it. Just be careful and put your own safety first."
At this moment, she actually had the aura of a wife cheering her husband on as he was about to go to the front line.
However, this was only a moment.
After all, she is not an ordinary woman, but the banner of this dynasty.
Although it seems "easy" to sit in the capital, he has to deal with memorials from various battlefields every day and control the overall situation.
More importantly, the empress is a banner, and only with her can the situation be stable.
Zhao Duan sat cross-legged, gladly accepting the Empress's service. He winked and smiled, saying:
"Don't worry, I'm still waiting to put down the war and marry His Majesty. Last time it was only seven days, next time we will try to make it fourteen days."
Well... I hope I can reach the state of celestial being before the wedding, otherwise it will be so embarrassing...
Faced with his "teasing", Xu Zhenguan surprisingly did not get angry and continued to pick up food for him.
Zhao Duan said awkwardly:
"Your Majesty, please don't be like this. I can't eat it all. It feels like I'm being offered as tribute during the Qingming Festival..."
Xu Zhenguan said "Oh" and said calmly: "Then why don't you leave?"
Tsk, you're angry already? You didn't say anything... Zhao Duan complained in his heart, but he also knew that his soul hadn't rested well, so he really couldn't stay for too long.
Otherwise, the consumption will be too much and may cause permanent damage to the soul.
He stood up and prepared to leave: "I'm leaving now..."
Anyway, it would be easy to come back later. This mural is like a portal for him, making it much easier for him to harass the Empress in the future...
Therefore, there is no reluctance to leave this time.
Xu Zhenguan suddenly called him and said:
"Zhao Shixiong's rebellion is a bit strange. You should pay attention to this. Although the late emperor ignored court affairs in his later years, he was not confused. The southwestern border troops are adjacent to the southern border, and he would not easily deploy generals there unless they are trustworthy.
Although Zhao Shixiong is unruly and doesn't obey orders, it's unlikely that an ordinary high official could convince him to serve King Mu."
Is there any hidden reason behind Zhao Shixiong's surrender to King Mu?
Zhao Duan was a little surprised. He didn't expect Zhenbao to give such an evaluation of this border general.
"I understand." Zhao Duan nodded and stepped into the mural.
Watching him disappear, Xu Zhenguan was lost in thought. She didn't have much hope for Zhao Duan's success.
How much influence could a handful of people hiding behind enemy lines have on the situation? However, since Zhao Duan was determined to do it, she wouldn't say anything to dampen her mood.
However, in order to ensure his hidden safety, information about this "behind-enemy-lines operation" must be kept strictly confidential.
Even the high-ranking officials in the court were not allowed to know.
Xu Zhenguan stood up, holding the palace lantern, and walked out.
He was busy working for the State of Yu, so he shouldn't rest either.
…
…
While Zhao Duan was chatting privately with the empress, the aftermath of the battle was still spreading.
The victims returned to the city one after another.
In a Chinese medicine shop in the county town, several embroidered clothes masters, led by the young man Kong Kong, were waiting there and were pleasantly surprised to see Nie Yurong's return.
"Sister, you're back?" Kong Kong, who was as nimble as a monkey, asked in surprise.
The other embroidered robe envoys also saluted excitedly.
Nie Yurong said with a cold face:
"The imperial court is powerful and has already captured General Su alive and killed General Lu Tong, Monk Fanlong and others. I saw that it was impossible to do anything, so I took advantage of the chaos and left.
The imperial army will surely sweep us away and track us down. Get ready and take advantage of the chaos to find an opportunity to leave. We must report what's happening here to the prince as soon as possible."
Everyone responded without any suspicion.
The young man was curious: "Sister, where are we retreating to? Yongjia City?"
"Yes." Nie Yurong nodded calmly.
Yongjia is one of the prefectures in the Huai River area, and is now commanded by Zhao Shixiong, the commander of the border army.
It is where the main force of the Yunfu Dao army is located. The military strength there is far more than what Su Dan has.
Nie Yurong raised her hand and released green paper cranes one by one. The cranes flew into the air and disappeared into the sky.
Not only her, but also the countless spies lurking in Linfeng at this moment quickly passed the results of this battle to various forces.
It is conceivable that this will cause a new round of sensation.
…
The eastern line of the Huai River.
A meeting chaired by Prince Jing Xuwen, which brought together the top leaders of Jiancheng Dao, was being held.
Suddenly, a messenger knocked on the door.
Crown Prince Xu Jinglong raised his butt, walked forward, took the latest intelligence from the palace's secret spies in his hand, and not daring to open it, handed it with both hands to Prince Jing, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had the air of a hero.
Prince Jing took it calmly, and when he saw the court defeat Su Dan and regain the lost territory, there was no surprise on his face.
This was expected.
But when he saw that Su Dan burned the city, Zhao Duan used the power of gods to control the clouds and rain, affecting the climate within a radius of dozens of miles and reversing the situation of the war.
Prince Jing's pupils shrank slightly, and a look of shock and anger emerged on his face. He sneered:
"What a Zhao Duan, he still comes out to mess things up at this time."
He had regretted countless times that he had not used his full strength to kill Zhao Duan in advance.
Lu Yan'er glanced at him curiously, her expression unchanged.
Soon, after all the senior executives of Jianchengdao Group read the news, they were all shocked.
"Su Dan actually dared to implement a scorched earth strategy? Prince Mu is even more audacious than we imagined!"
"Oh, Xue Shence was also deceived sometimes. It seems that he has been serving as the Privy Councilor in the capital for too long. He is not as good as he used to be."
"This Zhao Duan...why is it him again?! Is this the method he can use to control the clouds and rain?"
Everyone was talking about it, with different expressions.
Prince Jing snorted coldly and said calmly:
"It must be some magical tricks. The royal family's background is still there, so it's not surprising. But don't worry. If it can be used on the battlefield, why would it be raining? On the battlefield, Zhao Duan's cleverness will soon lose its effect.
Everything can proceed according to the original plan. Immediately attack the eastern front to contain the imperial court's forces. This king has reached an agreement with the rebellious kings to divide up and contain them, firmly hold the blockade. By the end of the year at the latest, the imperial court will be running out of supplies, and then it will collapse without a fight."
The generals nodded happily, confident of victory.
…
"Su Dan was captured... Lu Tong died in battle..."
"Zhao Duan!"
On a military parade ground, the armored Prince Mu Xu Jingtang clutched his embroidered clothes from the front line and pointed at the latest military information sent to him, his face gloomy.
"Father..." A young general came over and tried to comfort him:
"That place is undefendable to begin with. As long as Yongjia Prefecture is not lost, the situation will definitely be reversed in a few months..."
Prince Mu Xu Jingtang took a deep breath, feeling the gazes from all around him, and unexpectedly suppressed his anger, his expression returning to calmness:
"That makes sense. I'm not in the mood for a performance. I'll arrange a banquet and invite Brother Huai'an and several heads of Huaishui clans to meet tonight."
Prince Mu has been getting close to the Huaishui families recently, with the aim of winning their support.
"By the way, send a letter to Zhao Shixiong and tell him..."
Xu Jingtang took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, thought for a moment, and said:
"The content will be drafted by me personally later."
…
In an inconspicuous restaurant.
The Second Prince, Xu Jianwen, put down his chopsticks and looked at the latest battle report with great interest. He smiled, put down the letter, and looked up at the two people in front of him and said:
"It seems that Zhao Duan has grown a lot in recent days. If he were to face you again now, would he still have a chance of winning?"
Qi Yuchun, the former Grand Commander of the Imperial City, had a solemn expression:
"This is not good news."
The earth magician Ren Kun who was sitting next to him glanced at him:
"It's a dog-eat-dog situation, what's wrong with that? It's nothing more than a small victory for the imperial court... well, two, so what? Do you really think two battles are a big deal? The powerful princes simply didn't deploy their main forces."
Qi Yuchun ignored him and looked at the Second Prince: "Your Highness, are we really going to do nothing?"
Xu Jianwen smiled and said, "I told you not to rush. It's not time yet."
"When?"
"When the imperial court, Prince Mu, and Prince Jing start to fight each other, all three will suffer."
…
In a temple.
The long-lost monk Bian Ji took a step and arrived at the deepest Zen temple.
His clear eyes looked respectfully at the closed door:
"Abbot, Fanlong is dead, killed by the priests of the Tianshi Mansion. Zhao Duan won a great victory on the western front..."
He repeated the intelligence he had obtained, saying that Shenlong Temple had a deep foundation, and even without the headquarters, its intelligence network was still powerful.
A gentle breeze blew, and the green leaves rustled.
Bian Ji waited for a long time, shook his head helplessly, turned around and left, knowing that Master Xuan Yin was in a trance again.
His eyes looked a little complicated:
"Abbot, Abbot, the six hundred year old foundation of Shenlong Temple is crumbling bit by bit, aren't you worried at all?"
…
The name of Yongjia City comes from the "Yongjia River".
For thousands of years, this river that runs through the Huai River has carried countless poems. The river has many branches, which are densely packed like blood vessels, interspersed in the streets and alleys of the entire city.
At this moment, on the large flat land by the river outside the city, the Southwestern Frontier Army was conducting daily training.
The fierce sun hung high in the sky, and the shirtless border soldiers were sweating profusely, fighting each other with bare hands or holding sticks.
Because the southwestern border troops have been defending against the Yao people for many years, the soldiers are not best at marching and deploying troops, but fighting.
Each of them is a good hand-to-hand combatant.
At this moment, the fight was in full swing. The soldiers on the yellow mud ground roared loudly. Some of them were sweating all over and dived into the river to wash away the heat.
When a man in his fifties, unexpectedly short in stature, with a thick beard, arrived with a smile, accompanied by a tall woman and several generals, the border soldiers who were fighting in pairs became excited.
My blood was boiling with excitement, and my shouts were raised several levels!
The general is here!
Zhao Shixiong has excellent military management skills. The southwestern border troops have been in his command for many years and have been tempered with loyalty.
Many border troops only have the general in their hearts, not the court. This man, who is obviously shorter than many soldiers and does not look that extraordinary, has extremely high prestige in the entire border army!
Even the lame director of the charity hall in the capital was still reminiscing about the years he served as a soldier under Zhao Shixiong when chatting with Zhao Duan several years later.
This is evident.
"The general is here! Everyone, crawl out of the river and train hard! Whoever doesn't work hard, I will touch his quilt at night!" A general shouted with laughter and scolding.
In the river, shirtless men rushed to the shore one after another, their expressions excited, without any displeasure at being rushed. Instead, they moved forward one by one to Zhao Shixiong.
"General, I've mastered the spearmanship you taught me last time. Let me show you!"
"Bullshit! What kind of marksmanship are you, Tiedan? Are you embarrassing yourself in front of the general?"
"You're still talking about me? Let's have a duel! Whoever loses has to wash pantyhose for a month!"
"Come on! If you lose, you have to wash the whole team!"
"You wash the whole camp!"
…
Zhao Shixiong looked at the lively scene with a smile.
Suddenly a messenger came running over, and the tall woman with surprisingly proportionate hips, about 34 years old and quite good-looking walked over.
After a while, he returned and whispered:
"The battle report from the frontline says Su Dan was captured, Lu Tong was killed, and the army couldn't withdraw. He wanted to burn the city, but Zhao Duan, with his magical powers, stopped him. This was a crushing defeat."
The short man, whose appearance was in stark contrast to the majestic name "Zhao Shixiong", smiled indifferently and did not read the battle report.
He just squinted his eyes and stared at the border troops training in the sun, and said softly:
"It's a small matter, to be expected."
——
I've written a detailed outline for the next plot, and I think it's okay. I'll start a new plot in the next chapter. I hope March can return to a stable daily schedule.
(End of this chapter)
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