Chapter 486: Conspiracy? Fighting openly and secretly!

Chapter 486: Conspiracy? Fighting openly and secretly!

"Prime Minister, can the move you made be considered an open conspiracy?" Xiao He held the chess piece in his hand without moving his eyes away from the chessboard. He asked softly to Gao Yao, who was concentrating on the chess game opposite him.

"It's just a little trick. I'll make Lu meet..." Gao Yao explained his arrangement while playing chess.

Xiao He listened quietly, and as Gao Yao's narration became more and more in-depth, the surprise on his face became more and more obvious.

When Gao Yao finished speaking, Xiao He couldn't help but sigh, "I never thought that the Prime Minister could come up with such a clever method! Using people's hearts to perform such a trick is really brilliant! Throughout the whole process, the Prime Minister almost didn't need to do anything himself to successfully stir up mutual suspicion between Prince Gao and Lu."

Gao Yao nodded and continued with a smile: "That's right, I just used a little trick. Those seemingly insignificant arrangements and hints were actually carefully designed traps. Even the news that Feng Quji got was leaked to him by me on purpose. My purpose was to deceive Master Gao and make him feel uneasy."

Xiao He frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "Although the Prime Minister's plan is indeed ingenious, to say that this is an open conspiracy against an open conspiracy is probably a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?"

Gao Yao shook his head slightly and retorted: "That's wrong. Although these actions seem insignificant on the surface, the chain reaction they produce is huge. When accidents come one after another, events that may have been regarded as accidental gradually become less simple. Especially for General Lu, who will dominate the southern border is a matter of life and death. Under such pressure, he will inevitably feel panic in his heart, and I didn't say that this is my conspiracy, it's just a prelude."

"Prelude?" When Xiao He heard Gao Yao say these two words, his eyes widened with astonishment. He thought that the matter had come to an end, but he never expected that it was just a prelude.

Just at this moment, hurried footsteps were heard at the door, followed by a personal soldier reporting loudly: "Report, General Zhang Han has arrived outside the mansion." Hearing this, Xiao He was also stunned.

"Let him in." Gao Yao said slowly, revealing an unquestionable majesty. The soldier hurriedly responded with a "Yes." Then he turned around and trotted to summon Zhang Han to come in.

Xiao He was secretly surprised. He had never expected that Gao Yao would summon Zhang Han. Zhang Han was a surrendered general, but his ability was still worthy of recognition. It was just that this surrendered general had not made any achievements so far.

Soon, a burly figure wearing heavy armor walked slowly along the courtyard with steady and powerful steps. This person was Zhang Han, and he quickly walked into the side hall.

As soon as he entered the room, Zhang Han saw Gao Yao sitting in the main seat. He immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and bowed, saying: "I am General Zhang Han, and I am here to pay my respects to the Prime Minister!" His voice was like a loud bell, shaking the entire side hall.

"Haha, General Zhang Han, you've had a hard time on the journey, get up quickly."

Gao Yao smiled and waved to Zhang Han, asking him to stand up and talk. After Zhang Han stood up, Gao Yao continued, "I called you here because there is a very important matter that needs to be handled by you." When he said this, Gao Yao's eyes were fixed on Zhang Han, with a shrewd and decisive light flashing in his eyes.

Zhang Han's expression froze when he heard this. He clasped his hands and replied solemnly, "Please tell me, Prime Minister. I will do my best and will never let you down!"

Listening to Gao Yao's words, Zhang Han could not hide his excitement. Ying Bu, Zhang Liang and other heroes were entrusted with the important task of pacifying the Peacock War. This opportunity was something that others only dreamed of but could not get. Even Zhang Han himself, a surrendered general with a high status, envied them.

Zhang Han knew that although he was a leader among the surrendered generals, it was difficult for him to obtain real military power in the Southern Border Army in the short term because of this special status. He regretted not being able to participate in the war against the Peacock Kingdom. Now that he was assigned another task, Zhang Han was ecstatic. No matter what the task was, he was determined to go all out and make sure it was properly handled to demonstrate his strength.

Just as Zhang Han was thinking about this, he suddenly heard Gao Yao's order: "Immediately dispatch 5,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry from the First Corps to rush to Hanzhong to prepare to accept Wang Ben's surrender!" Hearing this, Zhang Han was stunned. Obviously, he had never expected that this mission would be like this.

"Mr. Prime Minister, it's not that I don't want to go. It's just that I have a deep understanding of Wang Ben. If he expresses his intention to surrender this time, it is very likely just a carefully planned false surrender! Therefore, I hope that you can plan ahead and take precautions early!" Zhang Han said with a serious expression, clasping his fists.

Zhang Han was always fearless in the battlefield, but when faced with the surrender, especially when the object was the famous Wang Ben, he really couldn't feel at ease. After all, among the many old Qin generals, Wang Ben's position was unshakable, and few people would question his outstanding military exploits and extraordinary talents. Back then, in the Qin's journey to sweep across the six kingdoms, Wang Jian and his son Wang Li participated in nearly 80% of the battles. Such outstanding achievements were all gained through real bloody battles, and it was also a clear proof of their strength.

Although Zhang Han was confident in himself, he would never underestimate Wang Ben, a powerful enemy. More importantly, Wang Ben's loyalty to the Qin Dynasty was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and could not be questioned. But now, this loyal and brave man suddenly announced that he would surrender. What kind of conspiracy was hidden behind this? The more Zhang Han thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong.

"Haha, it doesn't matter. Whether he is real or fake, I just want you to act as if it is real." Gao Yao raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing an elusive smile, and at the same time, he directly stated what he was thinking without any concealment.

Hearing Gao Yao's words, Zhang Han's eyes widened, his face full of astonishment, and he was completely stunned. He could never have imagined that Gao Yao would make such an arrangement, which was completely beyond his expectations. Xiao He, who was standing aside, also frowned and looked puzzled. It was obvious that he could not understand what Gao Yao was trying to do.

Facing the surprised looks of the crowd, Gao Yao was calm. He just smiled again and then explained slowly, "It's actually very simple. Since Lu Ji has come to surrender, we might as well follow him back. However, in the meantime, I want you to set up a large-scale battle array to create a grand welcome for the surrender of the Hanzhong imperial army. But Zhang Han, you must not forget the most important point, which is to set up an ambush in advance. When Hanzhong really opens the city gate to surrender, let the ambush troops come out in full force to take the pass."