Chapter 196 Scout

Li Huazhang's words were fantastic. Everyone was silent and looked at Li Huazhang. Li Huazhang took out the map calmly and said, "The army of Prince Qiao sounds large, but the soldiers he recruited locally are scattered and insignificant. The governor of Jiannan communicated with him through letters, and any response would take time. As long as we seize the opportunity, divide the people in Junzhou, and then join forces with Ren Yao to wipe out the core group that instigated the rebellion, we don't need to deal with the remaining soldiers, and they will naturally be defeated. When Prince Qiao arrives, If he dies, the Jiedushi of Jiannan will have no reason to start a war, and he will most likely destroy the letters to Prince Qiao and pretend that he doesn't know. We can dismiss him after stabilizing the situation in Junzhou; if he still insists on raising an army, we can mobilize Jiedushi from all over the country to attack him. But this is the worst case scenario. After killing Prince Qiao, we can send a false signal to the Jiedushi of Jiannan, making him mistakenly think that we don't know that he secretly surrendered to Prince Qiao. As long as we stabilize him, we can slowly plan the rest. "

Xie Jichuan said: "But your plan is only applicable to scattered soldiers, and you have to ensure that the Jiannan Jiedushi will not die. If the Jiannan Jiedushi is determined to support Prince Qiao, and orders the Chuzhou army to support Junzhou after receiving the news that Prince Qiao is surrounded, within a day, all of us will die."

The Jiedushi of Jiannan was different from the pampered generals in Chang'an. He guarded the southwest and fought against Tubo and Nanzhao for many years. His soldiers were experienced and had confidants throughout the army. The combat effectiveness of the Yulin Army brought by Ren Yao might not be higher than that of the Jiannan Army. Ren Yao's 500 elite soldiers plus the Shangzhou soldiers trained by Li Huazhang might catch the Junzhou soldiers off guard, but it would be wishful thinking to use this method to deal with the 20,000 troops of Chuzhou.

Li Huazhang pointed at Chuzhou with his slender white fingers and said, "So, we must first find a way to transfer Chuzhou's troops away."

Xie Jichuan raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Even Ming Yuji found it unlikely: "Chuzhou is a military fortress. How could the Jiannan Jiedushi withdraw his troops from Chuzhou?"

"War is not just about hand-to-hand combat, there are also many secret competitions that are unknown to people. This is the meaning of Xuanxiaowei." Li Huazhang pointed his finger along the map and said, "People tend to believe in what they infer. I'm afraid that Prince Qiao and the governor of Jiannan know the news that Ren Yao is coming. Why don't we learn from Weizhu and use their subconscious thoughts to induce them to make wrong judgments. If we disguise a corpse as Ren Yao's scout and rush it to Junzhou along the Han River, and the scout's personal letter contains a handwritten letter from Ren Yao, saying that she wants to unite with the governor of Ganyou, join forces in Hanyin and take the water route to attack Junzhou unexpectedly, After hearing the news, Prince Qiao would certainly ask for help from the Jiedushi of Jiannan. Long You's army is much stronger than Jiannan's. Long You has more than 70,000 troops, while Jiannan has no more than 30,000 troops. If the Jiedushi of Jiannan wants to resist Long You's army, he will definitely withdraw his troops from Chuzhou and gather them in Jinzhou, so as to launch a sneak attack when Ren Yao and Long You's army have not yet established their foothold. After the Jiedushi of Jiannan withdraws his troops from Chuzhou, our people will quietly arrive at Junzhou along the Junshui River. On the day of the incident, the Xuanxiao Guards in the city were responsible for opening the city gates, allowing the soldiers outside the city to rush into the city, kill their confidants, and capture Prince Qiao alive. When Prince Qiao was captured, even if the Jiedushi of Jiannan knew that he had been tricked, he would be powerless to save the situation. "

Xie Jichuan had always been committed to finding fault with Li Huazhang, but after Li Huazhang finished speaking this time, he remained calm and did not pour cold water on him. Ming Yuji thought for a moment and asked, "It sounds feasible. However, the key to this plan is to make Prince Qiao believe the false intelligence, but the people around Prince Qiao are not fools. They can tell whether it is a real soldier or a fake soldier. Where can we find the corpses of soldiers that can be confused with the real ones?"

It is easy to find a dead body, but it is hard to find the body of a well-trained soldier who has practiced martial arts for many years and has just died. Xie Jichuan's pupils moved slowly, and he suddenly realized what Li Huazhang did in the morning.

"It was hard to say before, but now, we have a ready-made corpse." Li Huazhang's voice was still so steady and calm, and he said, "Some time ago, a murder occurred in Shangzhou. A group of bandits robbed jewelry and escaped. The leader was drowned last night and his body is now kept in the government office. Bandits have been wielding swords and guns for many years, and they have scars and old diseases on their bodies, which are enough for them to pretend to be soldiers. Moreover, he fell off the cliff last night after being shot by an arrow from the government. We can pretend that he was discovered by patrol soldiers while he was investigating near the barracks and fell into the water during the chase. We don't even need to fabricate the cause of his death. All the traces can withstand verification."

Ming Yuji was surprised: "How could such a coincidence happen?"

Xie Jichuan frowned, wondering if Li Huazhang was playing him last night: "Could it be that you had this plan last night, deliberately letting the bandit leader fall off the cliff?"

Li Huazhang was helpless: "How is that possible? I came up with this plan when I saw the yamen runners pull Dong Hai out of the river this morning. His bag was washed away by the water. There was no way to verify his identity except by recognizing his face."

Ming Huashang had never thought that Dong Hai's body could be used in this way. She carefully considered the feasibility of Li Huazhang's plan. This plan sounded fantastic at first, but if it succeeded, the benefits would be huge. Moreover, even if it was discovered by Prince Qiao and others, they would not suffer any losses. It would just be a matter of fighting earlier.

The remaining few people were silent, obviously weighing the outcome. In the end, the plan was approved by everyone almost effortlessly, and the next step was the details of execution.

Ming Huashang proposed the precautions she had thought of one by one: "If you want to make Prince Qiao believe that this is a scout beside Ren Yao, you have to add personality to this corpse, such as a family letter, a handkerchief from his fiancee, an IOU, and the like. There are also things that can hint at his departure time and location, such as an IOU can be written on a piece of waste paper, and on the back is the opening notice of the Chang'an wine shop. This information must be inadvertent, so that Prince Qiao can figure it out himself, so you have to let the water soak the words appropriately, but not completely, so that they can see the key words. Of course, the most important thing is Ren Yao's movements. It's strange for a scout to carry such important military intelligence with him. I suggest that he write a letter to complain to his family, and inadvertently reveal Ren Yao's marching plan in the letter."

Xie Jichuan has a lot of pens and ink at home, and he knows these things best. Li Huazhang asked Xie Jichuan: "Do you have any ink that meets these conditions?"

Xie Jichuan said slowly, "Yes, there is, but the problem is not the ink, but the paper. If you let the body float down the river to Junzhou as you said, I'm afraid the letter paper will have rotted before the ink has faded."

Ming Yuji has experience. He said, "When traveling, it is inevitable to be exposed to wind and rain. Important things are wrapped in oil paper and kept close to the body, especially letters from home. In our village, there are sons who join the army. They only have the opportunity to bring back things when they meet fellow villagers returning to the village. They often pack a large bag. So you can write many letters home, including letters from different time periods, as well as money and dry food saved for your parents. Soldiers fighting outside should have all of these."

Several people talked to each other and continued to perfect the details, and gradually a homesick and lonely soldier appeared before their eyes, as if such a person really existed in the world.

After the four of them discussed the details, they divided the work to forge things. The technical work of writing family letters was unanimously assigned to Xie Jichuan. Ming Yuji had just come from Chang'an and was familiar with the merchants in Chang'an. She was responsible for forging IOUs and wine shop notices. Ming Huashang was the only married woman present. She volunteered to take the role of the fiancée and make amulets and embroider handkerchiefs for her lover. Li Huazhang had dealt with many soldiers and was responsible for adding some details on Dong Hai's body that were not noticed by military personnel but were common.

But Ren Yao is also indispensable in this plan. Ming Huashang was worried: "We are acting in the name of Sister Ren Yao, so we have to inform her in advance. But now she is surrounded by people from Queen Wei, how can we contact her?"

"Let me write the letter." Su Xingzhi woke up at some point. He half-leaned on the bed, his face an abnormally red. He said, "At first she asked me to deliver a message to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. When I wrote the letter to her, she knew that this was what you meant."

It seemed that Su Xingzhi had woken up a long time ago. He had listened to a lot of what they had just said. Seeing that they were discussing enthusiastically, he had endured not to interrupt them. Ming Huashang stopped talking, stood up and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Brother Su. Brother Su, you should have a good rest. We will come to see you later. Sister, I'm going back first."

Now Su Xingzhi's body really couldn't stand the strain, Ming Yuji didn't keep Ming Huashang, Xie Jichuan and Li Huazhang also stood up with interest. After closing the door, Ming Yuji looked at the suddenly empty house, feeling unspeakable.

Although they are twins, they actually spend very little time together, but the bond of blood is magical. They have a tacit understanding on some things, such as when they were in the tavern, they inexplicably found each other's location. Just now, Ming Yu Ji did not persuade Ming Hua Shang to leave Junzhou, and Ming Hua Shang did not persuade Ming Yu Ji to go back to the government office with her.

Because Ming Yuji knew that she would not leave Li Huazhang, and Ming Huashang also knew that she would not abandon Su Xingzhi who had a fever. They were the closest people in blood, and they really cared about each other, but they also calmly accepted that there was another person in each other's life who was closer than each other.

The people inside realized that everyone else had left and calmed down. When avoiding pursuit, Ming Yuji helped Su Xingzhi in and out, and she didn't feel any embarrassment about the physical contact, but now that she has settled down, she doesn't know how to face Su Xingzhi.

Su Xingzhi noticed her reluctance, coughed, and said, "Mrs. Ming, thank you for taking care of me on the way. I'm much better now. Please put the medicine on the table and I will drink it myself."

Ming Yuji did not move and asked, "I hate owing favors to others. You heard it that day. I asked to leave the capital. What does the Ming family's affairs have to do with you? Why did you block the pursuers for me?"

The person inside was leaning on the bed, his breathing was barely discernible, and after a moment, a low, hoarse voice came out: "Just think of it as my own wishful thinking. I have watched you grow up since you were little, and I always feel that you are still a child. I will never feel at ease letting you go on this journey alone."

After Ming Yuji returned to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, although her status was improved, she was still the weak adopted sister in front of Su Xingzhi. But now Su Xingzhi was weak and sickly. He was no longer the brother who held her hand and taught her to write when she was a child. Instead, he became someone who needed her care. Ming Yuji's courage grew unconsciously and she asked, "Why did you always avoid me like a snake and scorpion when we were in Chang'an?"

Ming Yuji always thought that she could let go of it easily. She thought she had forgotten about this problem a long time ago and had moved on. But after asking the question, she realized that she had actually been brooding over it.

Su Xingzhi was silent. Ming Yuji was suddenly afraid of hearing the answer. She picked up the medicine bowl and was about to say forget it, but Su Xingzhi had already spoken, "Because in Chang'an, the eldest lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion does not need the help of a little Yushi. You should date a man with the same family background and talent and appearance as you. Getting too close to me will only make people keep mentioning your background, which will hinder your marriage."

Being sick can cause a person's brain to stop working, and they will speak out long-hidden secrets without thinking. Ming Yuji suddenly got angry and said angrily: "You are not my brother, so why can you make arrangements for me? I can decide who I want to meet and who I want to marry. Even my father can't control me. Why do you make the decision on your own to stay away from me for my own good?"

Su Xingzhi started to cough, and tried his best to suppress the sound, and said in a hoarse voice: "Sorry."

Ming Yuji was angry. He brought the bowl to the bed with a cold face and said unhappily, "Open your mouth."

Su Xingzhi tried to take the bowl: "I'll do it."

"Don't move. It's spilled on the bed and I have to wash it." Ming Yuji said impatiently, "Drink it quickly. I have other things to do."

Su Xingzhi stopped struggling and opened his mouth to drink the medicine. When the medicine entered his throat, he frowned uncontrollably, but he still didn't say a word. Ming Yuji suddenly remembered that when she was sick as a child, he never said coaxing words like "blow on it and it won't be bitter", but only told her: "Pinch your nose, don't look at the medicine, drink it in one breath and you won't taste the bitterness."

It was a very inelegant way of saying it, but it surprisingly worked. Ming Yuji put the bowl in his hand and whispered, "Pinch your nose, don't look at it, and drink it down in one breath."

Su Xingzhi was stunned for a moment, then silently took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. Ming Yuji did not ask about his health like those noble ladies, but just watched him drink silently. After making sure there was not a drop left in the bowl, she silently took the medicine bowl, went to the side to get a glass of water, and rinsed off the remaining medicine residue on the bowl.

When the doctor prescribed the medicine, he only cared about its efficacy, and the taste of the medicine was really not good. Su Xingzhi was a little helpless: "You leave the medicine bowl alone, I will wash it, there is no need to rinse it so clean, right?"

Ming Yuji didn't even turn his head and said coldly: "This is how you fed me medicine when I was a kid."

Su Xingzhi pursed his lips, unable to tell whether her words were a sign of concern or revenge. He could only resign himself to taking the bowl and drinking the dishwashing water she had collected herself.

Ming Yuji watched Su Xingzhi drink water. Even though his brows were furrowed, he still drank it all up. This was a habit that the two of them had been instilled with since childhood. Whether they liked it or not, they could not waste water and food. Even if it was water used to rinse off the remaining medicine juice, Li Huazhang, Xie Jichuan, Jiang Ling and others would not drink it, and Ming Huashang would not think of doing so, but they both took it for granted.

Ming Yuji suddenly figured it out. When she first arrived in Chang'an, she saw the imperial aura and elegant clothes that only appeared in operas, and she felt inferior and strong-willed. Later, she learned that she was not a village girl. She should have been a daughter of a noble family. She used indifference and stubbornness to cover up her sensitivity. Now, she can skillfully name the incense commonly used by the noble ladies in Chang'an and the temples they are used to visiting. However, in fact, she has always been Su Yuji, the Su Yuji who grew up in the countryside and had to be strong and protect her food because of limited resources.

But what does it matter? Everything she experienced in the past has made her who she is today. Even though she will never learn the elegance of a noble lady, even though she has changed from a village girl to a daughter of a noble family, she is who she is, the one and only Su Yuji in the world.

Su's behavior was also part of her experience. He was used to the fact that those noble men could not accept her lifestyle: they could not appreciate her character, but he thought it was good.

Everyone is an imperfect mirror, but they are always looking for the perfect other half in their life. Ming Yuji looked at Su Xingzhi and finally admitted that Su Xingzhi was the image of her ideal other half. She grew up with him, imitating his every move, and all the virtues in her mind were learned from him.

Admitting her feelings for him actually meant accepting herself as she was back then. In the third year after returning to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, she was finally able to reconcile with the strong yet fragile, self-respecting yet inferior Su Yuji.

She could never become a noble lady at heart, but would always be Su Yuji from the countryside of Taiyuan.

After Su Xingzhi finished drinking the medicine, perhaps because he was sweating, he felt his head was not so heavy anymore. He was about to get out of bed to put down the bowl, but Ming Yuji snatched it away. She turned around and tidied the furniture skillfully. Su Xingzhi vaguely heard her say, "But I want to be Su Yuji more than the lady of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."