Chapter 289 The Wedding is Approaching
Is this the only option, to stand by and watch the enemy wear down in this freezing cold?
Wait until the soldiers are exhausted, until the supplies run out.
Looking into Zhou Congxian's anxious eyes, Meng Yushan's usually placid face finally revealed a genuine, almost "smiling" expression.
He shook his head.
No.
Two words, written lightly, yet carrying an air of arrogance that looks down upon the world.
"I have been stationed at the border for thirty years."
"Both Ule and Chirong were defeated by me."
"They are fierce, but they are just wolves on the grassland."
"And we are human beings."
"What makes humans the most intelligent of all beings is not their claws and teeth, but this part of them."
Meng Yushan tapped his temple with his finger.
His gaze returned to Zhou Congxian, his eyes filled with both consideration and expectation.
"I'll give you a month."
"You think of one."
"Think of a foolproof plan."
"Tell me, how should this battle be fought?"
Zhou Congxian suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with shock.
A month?
He almost thought he had misheard.
His brows furrowed instantly, forming a deep frown.
"A month?"
He couldn't help but speak, his voice carrying an urgency he himself didn't realize.
"Lord Meng, the harsh winter is almost over!"
“Both Ule and Chirong rely on animal husbandry for their livelihood. Now, with the weather freezing and fodder scarce, their cattle and sheep have nothing to eat, and naturally, their people have nothing to eat either!”
"Right now, they are at their weakest, and their morale is at its lowest!"
"This is also our best chance to fight!"
"Why... do we have to wait another month?"
A month later, the ice and snow melted, and spring returned to the earth.
Grass grew back on the grassland, their cattle and sheep were replenished, and their soldiers survived the most difficult winter.
At that time, we will be facing a pack of hungry wolves that have recovered their strength and are even more ferocious than they are now!
Use your weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths.
This...this is completely contrary to military strategy!
Zhou Congxian couldn't understand it.
However, when faced with his questioning, Meng Yushan simply smiled enigmatically.
He turned around and looked back at the huge map, his gaze deep and unfathomable, as if he were watching a game of chess that no one could understand.
"Sometimes, what the eyes see is not necessarily the truth."
"Waiting is also a tactic."
"Go ahead and think about it."
"I want to see your answer in a month."
Having said that, he fell silent.
Silence fell once again within the command camp.
Only the charcoal fire made a slight crackling sound in the basin.
The snow in Beijing stopped after the New Year.
The warm sun shone brightly on the remaining snow in the courtyard, giving it a golden glow.
The Imperial Academy started its new semester, and Fu'er went to school early in the morning, full of energy.
With her chattering voice gone, even Little Fatty Xi seemed to have quieted down considerably.
Shuang'er also led her people and went to Jinzhou early in the morning.
She missed the autumn harvest last year, so she needs to make a decision on spring planting early this year.
The once grand Duke Zhenguo Mansion suddenly seemed rather empty.
Just after the fifteenth, the Ni Chang Manor sent people to deliver all the clothes and wedding attire that had already been made.
Layer upon layer of vermilion lacquer trays held shimmering wedding gowns and formal dresses, filling the warm chamber of the main house.
The dragons and phoenixes, embroidered with gold thread, and the twin flowers, coiled with silver thread, are adorned with tiny South China Sea pearls, each the size of a grain of rice, which shimmer and sparkle with the light, almost dazzling the eyes.
Everything is ready, except for the east wind.
Or rather, all that's missing is the groom who's thousands of miles away.
The marriage between the Meng and Zhou families was drawing ever closer, and the entire capital was abuzz with talk of this grand union.
But the groom, Zhou Congxian, was like a kite with a broken string; he had been gone from the border three months ago and there had been no news of him since.
Even Song Jiyun, who once stirred up a storm in the capital, has disappeared without a trace, as if he vanished into thin air.
Compared to the Zhou family's anxiety, Meng Shilan herself was the most at ease.
It was as if the upcoming wedding had little to do with her.
This rare tranquility was shattered in early February.
Zhou Wanqing has arrived.
She practically barged in.
Her face was completely bare of makeup, and her eyes were red like two ripe peaches.
Upon seeing Meng Shilan, she immediately knelt down with a "plop".
"Sister-in-law! Please, please save the Gao family!"
Meng Shilan felt a chill and quickly stepped forward to help her up.
"What's wrong? Get up, let's talk this out."
Zhou Wanqing stubbornly refused to get up, tears streaming down her face like beads from a broken string.
“Sister-in-law, I…I came here on my mother-in-law’s orders.”
"She said that as long as you are willing to help, the Gao family... the Gao family will agree to any conditions!"
Meng Shilan's brows furrowed unconsciously.
For the usually arrogant matriarch of the Gao family to utter such words, something extremely serious must have happened.
"Don't panic, tell me first, what exactly happened?"
Zhou Wanqing choked up, her voice trembling.
“It’s my brother-in-law… Gao Zhian…”
"Something happened to him!"
Gao Zhian, the eldest son of the Gao family, was ordered by His Majesty to take up a post in the southern border army before the new year.
The Gao family thought this was a tremendous honor, a great opportunity for Gao Zhian to rise to prominence after being silent for more than half a year.
But just yesterday, a military report sent urgently from the southern border plunged the entire Gao family into an abyss.
"General Cheng from the south submitted a memorial, saying... saying that my brother-in-law..."
Zhou Wanqing almost broke down in tears as she spoke.
"Treason and collusion with the enemy!"
With a "boom," those four words exploded in Meng Shilan's mind like a thunderclap.
Treason and collusion with the enemy.
This is a capital offense punishable by the extermination of the entire family!
Meng Shilan unconsciously tightened her grip on Zhou Wanqing's hand.
wrong.
Something's not right about this.
Gao Zhian went to the Biannan Army ostensibly to gain experience, but she vaguely heard Zhou Congxian mention that this person was more like a pair of eyes and a pawn that His Majesty had intentionally placed in General Cheng's camp.
Now, General Cheng dares to openly submit a memorial accusing Gao Zhian of treason and collusion with the enemy...
What is he trying to do?
Where did he get the guts!
Meng Shilan's mind raced, countless thoughts flashing through her mind.
Looking at Zhou Wanqing, who was crying so hard she was about to faint, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
"Wanqing, don't panic."
Her voice was clear, cool, and calm.
"Think carefully, when did you find out about this?"
Zhou Wanqing sobbed as she answered, "It was...it was yesterday evening, the news that came from the palace..."
"And then?" Meng Shilan pressed. "Besides the news, was there any other activity? For example, did the Imperial Guards come to the door? Was the residence sealed off?"
Zhou Wanqing paused for a moment, then shook her head blankly.
"No...no..."
"That's right."
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