"Everyone, the plan is as follows." In the simple tent, a woman in green clothes slightly raised her thin chin, pointed her slender fingers at a detailed topographic map on the desk, and said in a deep voice to the soldiers around her, "The action time is 3:30 am. Xia Zhi will lead the first team to set up an ambush at Chichao Bridge between Chaohu Lake and Chishui. Xi Rui and Bian Cang will each lead five people to sneak under the bridge, destroy the straw boats for crossing the river, and cut off the hooks for crossing the river. Then Xia Zhi will launch an attack to eliminate the defensive stronghold of the Cavalry Battalion on the bridge. There is no need to be afraid of the war expanding, just resolve the battle within one stick of incense, understand?"
"Understood!" Xia Zhi, Xi Rui and Bian Cang nodded immediately and responded in a deep voice.
The woman's finger traced the western line on the map and turned around. "Adu, take the second squad and ambush on the trail to Suohe Village to cooperate with Xia Zhi's actions to prevent the Cavalry Battalion from sending troops to reinforce Chichao Bridge when Xia Zhi launches a surprise attack. Your mission is to cut off the traffic line between the Cavalry Battalion and the North Prison when operating in the north, and try to delay the army for an hour."
The dark-faced Adu nodded heavily and said, "Girl, don't worry."
The woman nodded, drew a circle on the map, tapped it hard, and said in a deep voice: "Your mission is to try to sneak into the underground camp of the North Prison and rescue Mr. Mu and Master Zhu who are trapped in the water prison in the northwest corner, as well as the 28 brothers in the Tianyuan Tower in the south. Some of them may not be able to walk, so you need to rescue them before dawn and send them to Pengding Village, 15 miles southwest, and then the follow-up troops will pick them up in carriages. So, we have to take the risk and act before dark."
There was silence in the tent, and everyone listened attentively to the woman's words.
The woman looked calm as she continued, "The three hundred feet in front of the north prison are all dense forests, but the one hundred feet away are all cut into flat ground without any shelter. There are eight corner towers at the four corners of the camp, and there are people monitoring them all day long. You need to crawl forward."
The woman turned around and took out another map, saying, "Look, this is a detailed map of the North Prison. This is the military supply warehouse, this is the food and grass warehouse, this is the weapons warehouse, this is the soldiers' rest camp, and here is our target: Tianyuan Tower and the Northwest Water Prison. I need you to remember it thoroughly within two hours, without any mistakes. You two must cooperate to complete the task, so when Xia Zhi launches the attack at 3:00 pm, Chengyang will lead the third and fourth squads to start the attack, and Ali and Acheng will lead the crossbow team to follow the trench line, bypass the North Prison camp, and use crossbows to eliminate them. The spies on the corner tower must be shot and hit the target immediately, and no one can be left alive. After the attack, Chengyang led the main team to open the gate. One team advanced westward, pretending to attack the military supply warehouse and the grain warehouse, attracting the patrolling soldiers to come and create chaos. The other team fired rockets at the soldiers' rest camp, not to kill people, but to create momentum and delay the time for the people inside to run out. Remember, once all the resting Beilao soldiers run out, the operation has failed, so you must be precise and act according to the situation. Xiao Jiong will cooperate with you outside and let the horses run in the dense forest to confuse the enemy. "
Xiao Jiong stood aside. He was still a child, only about sixteen or seventeen years old, but the dark muscles on his body and the numerous scars on his arms showed that he had already been an excellent warrior who had experienced many battles. Xiao Jiong nodded with a smile, and said to Cheng Yang, "Brother Cheng Yang, don't be like last time, forgetting about me when you came out, and shooting arrows at me as if I were an enemy."
Everyone laughed when they heard this, which slightly diluted the solemn atmosphere. Cheng Yang reached out his hand and pushed the child, saying with a smile: "You are quite good at holding a grudge."
The woman coughed lightly, and everyone immediately turned their heads, looking serious and no longer laughing.
"After Ali's crossbow group eliminated the people on the sentry post and the corner tower of the watchtower, the operation officially began. Chengyang led the main team to quickly advance into the camp, setting up an archer every five meters to cover the advance of the main force. Your mission is to rescue, and you don't have to pay attention to any other places. Ali's people will cover you after eliminating the target. You go to the northwest water prison first to rescue Master Zhu and Mr. Mu, and then go to Tianyuan Tower. The guards there are our own people. When you arrive, the other guards should have been eliminated. After rescuing the target person, quickly retreat from the trench in the southwest. Ali will lead his men to attack the enemy's right wing, and Acheng will lead his men to attack the rear for cover. After Chengyang makes sure that no one is left out, he will send a green signal. The battle will end at Yinshi, and you will arrive at the designated location at three quarters of Yinshi. Xiao Jiu will arrange for your safe evacuation."
The woman's eyes were as clear as snow. She raised her head, glanced at everyone, and said in a deep voice, "Is there anyone who still doesn't understand?"
Seeing no one answer, the woman nodded and said, "Okay, now go prepare your weapons and equipment and memorize the marching map. I will go over the procedures of the operation one by one in half an hour. If there are no problems, we will set off in an hour."
"Yes." The men answered in unison and stood up. The small tent immediately seemed a little crowded.
A woman in green stood up. She was thin, her face was pale and sickly, and her narrow eyes gleamed with a gleam of light.
The woman stretched out her right hand, clenched it into a fist, and placed it against her heart. She spoke in a deep voice, enunciating each word: "Datong will not perish."
"I won't die!"
The voices rang out in unison, the woman nodded, and everyone filed out.
The tent suddenly became quiet. The wind outside was very strong. It snowed again today. Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. Perhaps people will have a better life next year.
Just as she had a sip of tea, a young man in gray-brown shorts suddenly walked into the tent and said to the woman, "Girl, Mr. Wu is here."
The woman raised her eyebrows, and the hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. Then she said in a steady voice: "Let him in."
A refreshing breeze suddenly blew in from outside. The man took off his bamboo hat and put on a long blue cloth gown. He had a straightforward and handsome face. He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, but there were already tiny wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. However, it did not detract from his elegance and grace at all. The man put down what he was holding and smiled softly, "Ayu."
The woman naturally took Wu Daoya's outer robe and said with a faint smile: "When did you come? Didn't you go back to Yanbei?"
"Something urgent has happened. I must go back to the capital immediately." Wu Daoya sat on a small stool, took off his boots, and fell down lightly. They were covered with ice.
Miss Yu raised her eyebrows and said, "Come from Bingluoyuan?"
"What can we do?" Wu Daoya raised his head. "The man in Shengjin Palace is holding a birthday party and inviting the three kingdoms. The investigation is too strict. Now the situation is very tense. It's better to be careful."
"It's better to be safe than sorry. You're right."
"By the way," Wu Daoya frowned and said, "Xihua wrote to say that two more places in the imperial capital have been picked. Is that true?"
"It's just a cover-up," Miss Yu smiled faintly, poured a cup of tea, handed it to Wu Daoya, and said, "The imperial city has been checking too closely recently. After the New Year, everything became tense. Mu Hexifeng, the new official, has been very active and restless since he took office. I deliberately leaked two abandoned strongholds to let him make some contributions and keep quiet. There is no real content in them, and the intelligence is hard to tell whether it is true or false. There are no casualties among our people."
"I guess that's probably the case." Wu Daoya smiled. "The Wei clan lost their job this time, and Wei Jing ended up in a dismal situation in the south. As a result, Wei Shuye also lost the opportunity of being the prefect of the imperial capital to the Mu He clan. It seems that there will be another round of bloody storm in the elders' council."
"Wei Guang is a cunning old man. I think this is most likely something he planned."
Wu Daoya raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice: "What do you mean?"
Miss Yu sighed, "Daoya, it's been seven years. In less than six months, it will be the young master's crowning ceremony. But think about it, will that man in Shengjin Palace, the elders of the Council of Elders, and the Batuha family in the northwest allow the young master to return to Yanbei safely to inherit the throne? Over the years, they have repeatedly cheated and harmed, and all kinds of conspiracies and traps have emerged one after another, all wanting to put the young master to death. If it weren't for the other princes watching there, they would have killed him long ago for fear of causing too much commotion. This time is the last fight, and there will be no mercy. In addition, it is the birthday of King Xia, the three kingdoms have gathered, and the small tribes outside the country have come to pay homage. This Zhenhuang Imperial Capital is afraid that there will be chaos again. No matter what the final result is, there will be a bloody storm in the Imperial Capital. The prefect of the Imperial Capital is the head of Zhenhuang, and he will be implicated afterwards. How cunning is Wei Guang, how could he not see the situation here? This time, the Wei family must have made up their minds to protect themselves."
Wu Daoya nodded and said in a deep voice, "You have thought it through. It seems that once Mu He Yunting dies, the Mu He family will no longer have descendants who can support the family. No wonder on the way here, I heard that Zhuge Muqing sent Zhuge Huai to the southeast to prepare for the contact with Huai Song. It turns out that it was also to avoid disaster."
"You have been away from the capital for a long time and don't understand the relationship between them. This time, except for the Muhe family who don't know how to live or die and the Batuha family who are determined to fight against the Yan family, the other five great families have all adopted a strategy of seclusion. The Mu family even directly recalled the young master Mu back to Lingnan to avoid the deep water. This battle of yours is not easy to fight."
Wu Daoya nodded solemnly and sighed, "For this day, 200,000 soldiers from Yanbei have been waiting for seven years. No matter what, we must ensure that the young master leaves safely. The entire family of the King of Yan sacrificed their lives for Datong. We cannot give up his only bloodline."
Miss Yu reached out and patted Wu Daoya on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much. Besides, no matter what, the young master's life will not be in danger, which is great."
Hearing this, Wu Daoya couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Yeah, you think that kid is good too, right?"
"Yes," Miss Yu nodded, "It's rare for someone so young to be so cautious. I spent a lot of effort to make her trust me. If she hadn't been by the young master's side all these years, the Yanbei lineage would have been extinct. This child is a promising talent, I will keep an eye on her."
"I feel relieved to have you looking after me. I won't be in the imperial capital for long this time. Another year's spring tax will be collected. I must return to Yanbei to take charge. I can't let the court and Old Batu make too much money. Even if I don't officially take over, Yanbei is still a territory of Yanmen. We can't make Yanbei as rich as it was in the past. At the very least, we shouldn't leave a mess when the young master takes the throne in the future."
Miss Yu smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, I will take good care of you and do my best."
"Girl, it's time!"
Suddenly, a call came from outside. Wu Daoya stood up and said, "I just came to visit you. I will go to Yanbei Prefecture soon. The winter tax for last season has been sent to the capital. I want to see how much the young master has handed in."
Miss Yu nodded and was about to go out to see him off.
Wu Daoya stretched out his hand to stop him and said, "It's windy outside. You're not feeling well, so don't follow me out. I'm leaving." After saying that, he put on his hat, turned around and walked out.
Miss Yu stood there, looking at the swaying curtains, a little dazed. After a while, she turned around and sat at the desk, picked up the action sketch, and looked at it carefully again.
"Ayu," a deep voice suddenly sounded, the curtain was lifted, and Wu Daoya poked his head in again.
Miss Yu raised her eyebrows and looked at him in confusion.
Wu Daoya pondered for a long while, and finally said in a deep voice: "The weather is getting colder and colder. You should take care of yourself. You don't have to do everything by yourself. Be cautious and take care." After that, he turned and walked out. The wind was howling outside, but his footsteps could still be heard gradually fading away.
After a long time, a horse neigh suddenly sounded. Miss Yu looked at the curtain of the tent and said softly, "You too."
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, seven years have passed.
The royal family of Daxia originated from a nomadic people. Three hundred years ago, they, like the Quanrong people, rode their horses all day long on the Hongchuan Plain and led a nomadic life following the water and grass. It was not until the emergence of Pero Zhenhuang that, under his leadership, this tough nation gradually came into the vision of the orthodox clans in the east, promoting culture and education, opening up commerce, and developing farming. After a hundred years of accumulation, the former foreign regime has lost its worldly air and become heavy and solemn. The barren land that was once covered with snow gradually acquired its own flavor and heritage in the hands of the Xia people. Moreover, compared with the cowardly Bian Tang and the flashy Huai Song, the Great Xia showed the grandeur and dignity that a powerful country should have.
At the same time, the grassland sentiment in the blood of the Great Xia Dynasty has not faded. Although they have little feelings for the land, they are extremely fanatical about power. The broad-mindedness of a great country and the swallowing and annexation like a giant whale swallowing the ocean have made them show a broad-minded attitude of embracing all cultures. The continuous integration and coexistence of various ethnic groups for thousands of years have made their cultural customs splendid and varied, becoming a unique landscape on the continent.
Shengjin Palace covers a vast area and integrates the concentrated characteristics of various ethnic groups in the western land. It has the misty flowing water, small bridges and pavilions of the south of the Yangtze River, as well as the solemnity, heaviness and grandeur of the northwest. The outer city is solid, with red walls and golden tiles, black stone platforms, a very deep moat, heavy armor and strict guards, and it is filled with a tense atmosphere of being on the verge of a showdown. The Central City is where all officials are advised. The mahogany palace, the golden gate building, and the Xia Huasheng Palace are all magnificent and majestic. The Back City is where the concubines, princes and princesses live. Mountains, rivers, plants, pavilions, and arch bridges are all exquisite scenery. The hot spring water on the top of Yalang Mountain is brought in from underground, decorating the Back City with green mountains and clear waters, flourishing flowers and plants, leisurely green bamboos, and beautiful lakes and mountains. Therefore, the Back City of Shengjin Palace in the Great Xia Dynasty is also known as the Little Southern Tang.