Seeing that the emperor was asking him a question, Xiao Yi quickly stepped forward and said:
"Your Majesty, the Northern Dynasty's invasion came without any warning, and our spies were completely unaware of it."
It seems they made careful preparations, with the aim of not giving us time to prepare.
The current situation is unfavorable to us, but fortunately, we have the natural barrier of Baxian Town. As long as we strengthen our defenses, we can hold off the enemy and hold out until winter, at which point the foreign kingdom will be able to turn the tide.
“Minister Xiao’s words make sense, but they are coming in a fierce manner, with a large army pressing on the border, and their morale is high. I’m afraid our soldiers will not be able to resist them for a while.”
The ten thousand soldiers of Blackwater City could not defend the city, and the enemy army was about to advance directly to Baxian Town. Once Baxian Town fell, they would advance unimpeded, and then Yanjing would be in grave danger.
"Your Majesty need not worry. When I was ordered to go to Lanwei, I helped the local forces to block the enemy. At that time, I used gunpowder and adopted the method of fire attack, which caused heavy losses to the enemy."
I plan to research gunpowder and create bombs to deal with the enemy.
We have one month left. Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will definitely develop the bomb and put it into use.
Once the soldiers at the front have the bombs, Baxian Town will be impregnable, and the enemy will be unable to advance an inch.
Upon hearing this, Yelü Wu immediately stood up and excitedly exclaimed:
"If we can manufacture bombs, the foreign kingdoms will be safe. Please, Minister Xiao, do this as soon as possible."
"As you command."
Next, Xiao Yi began developing bombs, which would be the last straw for the foreign kingdom.
Xiao Yi was very clever, but he never expected that Li Guang's army pressing on the border would only create a highly tense situation for the foreign kingdoms.
In this atmosphere of death, Yelü Wu and his ministers had no time to spare and were focused on preparing for war. This made it much easier for Li Guang and others to sneak into the foreign country and search for Yelü Khan.
In Marshal Han's council hall, based on the information relayed by the spies, everyone could see that the entire Fan Kingdom was on high alert, and it was time to enter the Fan Kingdom and begin operations.
The number of people entering the foreign country this time cannot be too large. Li Guang, Zhao Xian, and Li Xue, along with a few guards, followed Ge Kaishan into the foreign country.
This time, Li Xue only brought two guards. The three of them disguised themselves as men, while Li Guang selected three experts. The group of nine disguised themselves as merchants to conceal their identities.
According to their plan, they were to go to Mabushan, where they had heard that Yelü Khan had disguised himself as a Taoist priest and was hiding.
Mabushan is located in the northwest region of the Fan Kingdom. The climate there is harsh and the area is sparsely populated. Yelü Khan had no choice but to hide there.
Even so, Yelü Khan did not forget to farm and help the poor. Judging from the situation, if Yelü Khan had become emperor, he would have been a good emperor. He would not have been like Yelü Wu, who was warlike and made the people of the country live in dire straits.
The normal route to Mabushan should pass through Heishui City, go to Yanjing first, and then go to Mabushan from Yanjing.
For safety and to avoid unnecessary trouble, the group decided to go to the northern border first, and then head to Mabushan. Although the journey was long and the roads were difficult, it was very safe.
That's only one reason. The reason they chose this route is because they had another important thing to do.
Two days later, the group arrived in the northern frontier, where Li Guang disguised himself as an old monk using a disguise technique.
The old monk was hunched over and looked very old, at least eighty years old. When Li Guang spoke, his voice changed and sounded very old.
Ge Kaishan was astonished to find that Li Guang possessed such abilities.
At this time, the weather in the northern frontier was still a bit cold. The group settled in an inn, and Li Guang, disguised as an old monk, went out to beg for alms.
Li Xue was curious and wanted to follow behind to see what was happening. Li Guang had no choice but to tell Li Xue to watch from a distance and not to disturb him.
Li Guang put on a tattered and thin cassock and walked in the cold wind, seemingly shivering a little.
Li Xue followed at a distance, secretly pleased, knowing that Li Guang had begun spreading rumors in the city.
In the northern city, an old monk suddenly appeared begging for alms, attracting people's attention. The old monk was old and pitiful, arousing people's sympathy.
Due to the prolonged war, people in the city also lacked food and clothing, and their lives were somewhat better than those in the countryside.
People offered alms, and the old monk accepted them all, pocketing the food they received.
The old monk thanked him while rambling on.
"The emperor was tyrannical, incurring the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people. When a new emperor ascended the throne, the world was at peace."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. If the government officials heard the old monk say such a thing, he would lose his head.
“Old monk, don’t talk nonsense. If the government officials hear this, you’ll be in big trouble. If you have grievances against the court, just keep them to yourself and don’t say them out loud.” Some well-meaning people began to advise him.
The old monk disagreed and said:
"I am an enlightened monk who can foresee the future. The world is about to undergo a great change. The current emperor is treacherous and has killed his father and brother, which has long angered both heaven and the people."
The second prince, Yelü Khan, is a benevolent ruler and is about to return to power; peace will then prevail over the land.
The old monk walked and talked, completely ignoring the shocked looks of those around him, who began to murmur amongst themselves.
The old monk continued begging for alms, sharing the food he received with the poor beggars on the street, while constantly muttering to himself:
"The emperor is tyrannical, and the people are angry and resentful. A new emperor has ascended the throne, and the world is at peace. Poor people, your suffering days are coming to an end."
And so the old monk continued begging for alms until nightfall, and the whole city knew that the Second Prince Yelü Khan was about to make a comeback.
Some busybodies wanted to find the old monk to get some answers, but the old monk had vanished without a trace, and they couldn't find him anywhere.
Li Guang had returned to his original appearance and walked towards the inn with Li Xue, as if nothing had happened.
"Li Guang, you're really something! You actually disguised yourself as an old monk and swindled everyone in the city."
It seems that it won't be long before this rumor spreads far and wide, eventually becoming known to the whole world.
"Yes, this is just the beginning. More rumors will emerge later, making things difficult for Yelü Wu and forcing Yelü Khan to come out of seclusion and take measures to fight for the throne."
Upon hearing this, Li Xue couldn't help but laugh. Li Guang's move was quite cunning; Yelü Wu couldn't possibly stand it.
"Li Guang, where do you plan to go next to beg for alms?" Li Xue asked.
"Tomorrow we will head to Xianzhou City to discuss scriptures and doctrines."
"Ah, you just became a monk, and now you want to become a Taoist priest."
"That's exactly what I'm thinking. When Yelü Wu investigates the source of these rumors, I'll leave him completely baffled and unable to find out where to look."
Upon hearing this, Li Xue burst into laughter.
"Li Guang, you're really something! This trip to the foreign country and to Mabu Mountain was so interesting."
"Enough said, let's hurry back. It'll get even colder in Saibei City once it gets dark, I need to put on another layer of clothing."
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