Chapter 609: The Prince Slays the Dragon
Chapter 609: The Prince Slays the Dragon (5k)
Temporary Governor's Office.
In the spacious study, the charcoal fire in the basin emitted a faint flame. Zhao Duan stood beside the solid wood table, leaning over to carefully examine the map spread out on the table. From time to time, he picked up a pen, marked on the paper, and calculated something.
"Knock knock." There was knock on the door.
Without even raising his head, he said "Come in", and the heavy door was pushed open. Mo Chou, wearing a female official's robe and a wingless black gauze on her head, walked in.
Seeing that he was working, I subconsciously slowed down my steps, turned around and closed the door.
Zhao Duan finished writing the last string of formulas, put down his pen, stood up straight, rubbed his sore wrist, and said with a smile:
"Didn't you bring me anything to eat or drink?"
Mo Chou rolled her eyes and thought, do you really treat me as a "secretary"? You are not His Majesty.
She walked slowly towards him and said calmly:
"The news that you rescued Feng Ju and others has received a very good response in the army, and the three armies have praised you unanimously."
"That's good, but it's still not enough." Zhao Duan sighed and smiled bitterly:
“Don’t think that I have come here with great fame and glory, but this also means that countless eyes are staring at me.
My fame also gave the soldiers too high expectations, which meant that if I failed, lost a battle, or was simply mediocre and did nothing, it would trigger a backlash from public opinion. ”
As an administrative secretary in his previous life, Zhao Duan knew everything about "public opinion".
The more famous you are, the more fragile you are.
When he led the troops on the Western Front, no one had high expectations of him, so it didn't matter if he was mediocre. But now on the Eastern Front, his reputation has been raised too high, and he has been put on a pedestal.
As the Empress's "secretary", Mo Chou naturally understood the dangers of public opinion backlash and the shaking of military morale, so she nodded and said:
"So what? What are you going to do next? Take the initiative to attack, capture Huting, and then take advantage of Prince Jing entering Binhai to attack southwards?"
Zhao Duan shook his head and said:
"I came to the Eastern Front not to command operations, and this is not what I am good at."
It is hard to say whether one can defeat Prince Jing by gradually eroding the enemy's military strength.
The time alone does not allow this.
"Winter is almost coming to an end. The wind was much warmer yesterday. In a few days, I'm afraid the rivers will melt. If this war drags on for too long, it will be really troublesome when the people from the Western Regions invade."
Zhao Duan said seriously:
"So, we must win quickly. End the battle as quickly as possible."
Mo Chou's heart moved, and she suddenly asked:
"You want to replicate the method used to deal with Xu Jingtang and carry out a decapitation operation?"
If it is difficult to determine the outcome on the battlefield in a short period of time, then the only way is to deal with Prince Jing.
Mochou said:
"But at this time, Prince Jing went to Binhaidao. You can't go to Binhaidao and kill him, right? Not to mention that it is Prince Chen's territory, how long will it take to travel there?"
Who said no? Zhao Duan smiled but said nothing.
He was indeed thinking whether he could take advantage of the opportunity when Prince Jing was separated from the main force of Jiancheng rebels in Binhaidao to kill him.
but not now.
On the one hand, he had just taken over from Xue Shence and had to stabilize the morale of the troops first, and he could not leave at will before that.
In addition, and more importantly, he must find out who that "Military Advisor Xu" is.
At this time, Mochou came over, looked down at the Binhaidao map on the table, and looked strange:
"Are you serious? Don't tell me you're going to use military force against Binhaidao... What are these symbols?"
She pointed to the blank paper and the strange Arabic numerals, formulas and curves written with a brush.
Mathematics... Zhao Duan muttered to himself. Seeing Mochou's curious face, he became playful and was about to make up a lie to tease her.
Suddenly, there was another knock on the study door.
"Enter."
Zhao Duan turned his head and said.
The burly imperial priest Tang Jinzhong pushed the door open and walked in. He was wearing a priest's robe, had a pale face and no beard, and had a calm expression.
As soon as he entered, he bowed and said:
"Commander-in-chief, I have something important to report. The enemy general Ye Xin just sent an envoy to deliver a letter, saying that he wants to exchange prisoners with us."
Change prisoners?
Zhao Duan and Mo Chou looked at each other and saw each other's surprise.
"Explain it carefully!" Mo Chou said solemnly.
Tang Jinzhong said:
"Ye Xin proposed to use some of our captured generals, civil servants, and shadow guards to exchange for the captured generals of the other side. The location was set at Yansuo Lake outside the city, and he said that if we agree, we can discuss the details."
The lake is covered with smoke...
The area outside the city that neither side has occupied is indeed a suitable safe zone...
But, he had just saved Feng Ju, and the other party proposed to exchange prisoners. What was their intention? Zhao Duan frowned.
conspiracy.
Big conspiracy.
"Have many of our people been captured by the enemy?" Zhao Duan asked.
Mochou nodded and said a string of names:
"These people are all in Huting, and some are detained in Jianning Mansion."
Zhao Duan was not familiar with most of the names until he heard the word "scholar". He was stunned:
"Is it the golden shadow guard?"
Of course he remembered this man. He was Lin Feng's gold medal shadow guard. Later, as the war progressed, the shadow guards also gathered on the east and west fronts.
The last time Zhao Shixiong's daughter was transported thousands of miles away, it was a scholar who did it.
Afterwards, a group of people followed Song Jinxi to the eastern front.
"Besides him? Was Hongye caught?"
Zhao Duan suddenly asked:
"Why didn't anyone tell me about this?"
Mo Chou didn't understand why he cared about Hong Ye, but she still told him the truth:
"Hongye was not captured, but was seriously injured and was sent back to the rear for treatment. Song Jinxi was responsible for this matter. He didn't tell you because he probably thought it was unnecessary."
Indeed, the captured shadow guards were not worthy of being handed over to Zhao Duan’s desk in terms of their rank.
Tang Jinzhong hesitated and said:
"Sir, the prisoner exchange list proposed by the other party is very tempting. Commander Shi and his men are undecided and are preparing to hold a meeting. Please come over."
Well... Zhao Duan let out a breath and was about to follow the other party out for a meeting.
Just at this moment, another sneaky figure floated over from outside the door. It was Song Jinxi.
"Sir, Jiang Wangsun sent a secret report." Song Jinxi glanced at the people in the room and saw that they were all trustworthy, so he spoke frankly.
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes and said, "Show it to me!"
Song Jinxi hurriedly handed over a secret report from his sleeve, and Mochou also stretched his neck and moved closer to Zhao Duan to read it together.
Soon, the expressions of both of them changed.
Zhao Duan folded the secret letter and looked at the two of them:
"Go to the meeting!"
……
……
Temporary headquarters.
The dim sunlight filtered through the crack in the door, casting a bright thin line on the cold ground.
The top brass of the three military forces on the eastern front of the imperial court gathered together, a dozen people in total, each with a cup of steaming hot tea in hand.
At the main seat of the long table, directly below the map hanging on the wall, Zhao Duan sat upright in an armchair, slapped the secret letter in his hand on the table, and said in a deep voice:
"Let's take a look."
The secret letter began to circulate among hands in the house.
Everyone's expression changed noticeably after seeing it.
Only a very few people knew Jiang Wangsun's identity as a spy, and there was no signature from the other party in this secret letter, but everyone who saw the text understood that it was intelligence on the enemy that had been obtained.
Zhao Duan folded his hands and said calmly:
"This is the intelligence sent back by our spy in the enemy army. What do you think? Please speak freely."
Mo Chou seemed to have been holding it in for a long time, and now she was the first to speak:
“If this information is true, then the other party’s intentions are really obvious.
Obviously, our successful rescue of Feng Ju provoked the enemy, so they used this strategy to lure us with the exchange of prisoners.
The purpose of spreading false news that they would attack us at Yansuo Lake during the prisoner exchange was to launch a surprise attack on the city's defenses, thereby suppressing our morale and boosting the morale of the rebels."
Shi Meng, who looked rough on the outside but was actually very careful, nodded slowly and said:
"What Mo Zhaorong said is correct. In this case, we now have the intelligence advantage, so we should focus on the defense line and not let the other side succeed."
Ning Zechen, the former governor of the Grand Canal and now a senior military officer in the army, said in a deep voice:
"But the defense line in the city is winding. From what is said in this secret letter, the enemy does not intend to start a full-scale war, but to send experts to launch a surprise attack, aiming to kill our military officers and destroy the defense line. If we just defend blindly, how can we judge where the enemy will attack?" The commander of the Three Thousand Battalion present was a general in his forties with a hawkish temperament. He frowned and said:
"Also, how can we be sure that this intelligence is true? Is it not false information deliberately released by the enemy? Or is this insider reliable?
What if this intelligence is false, and we defend the city with all our strength, but the enemy tries to change the situation and eat the prisoners in Yansuo Lake? "
As soon as these words were spoken, the top management immediately fell into thought.
Even Zhao Duan had to admit that there was a possibility of false information.
But if this is taken into account, the situation will become more complicated.
Mo Chou frowned, and the plum blossom makeup on her forehead also wrinkled:
"So what if we refuse to exchange prisoners?"
If the opponent makes a move, refusing to respond is also an option.
Shi Meng shook his head and said:
"I'm afraid it's inappropriate. If we refuse, the other side will publicize this matter. The governor just came to the east and it's time to establish his prestige in the army. As a result, he rescued the civil official Feng Ju, but refused to exchange the military captives...
Once the news spreads, it may undermine your prestige."
Chen Gui, who was able to attend the meeting because he was in charge of firearms, stroked his beard and looked worried:
"So, the other party has calculated the governor's intention to stabilize the army's morale, so he deliberately used this disgusting method? If we refuse, it will damage your reputation. Then, we will have a headache about how to deal with it..."
In the final analysis, there are still not enough people... If there are enough experts, we can take care of both... Zhao Duan sighed softly in his heart, his face was calm and he said:
"I have decided to agree to the prisoner exchange."
Mo Chou looked at him in surprise, wanting to persuade him to think again.
As long as the news is blocked or the propaganda is correct, refusing to exchange prisoners may not cause much damage...
But Zhao Duan shook his head at her implicitly. Mo Chou was stunned for a moment, then closed her mouth, muttering in her heart, wondering what this guy was thinking.
I couldn't see through this person when I was with Your Majesty, and it's still the same now.
Since the military supervisor Mo Chou didn't say anything, the other soldiers knew that Zhao Duan had made the decision and stopped trying to persuade him.
At one point, everyone started offering suggestions and discussing how to deal with it:
"Why not take the initiative and attack before exchanging prisoners? Take the initiative?"
"Alas, the secret letter mentioned that the enemy has changed its defenses, and we cannot play to our strengths in Huting City. We will suffer a loss in street fighting. The key is that we cannot afford to lose!
If Xue Shumi was here, then we would have lost, but if we lost the first battle of General Zhao, not only would the morale of the army drop, but the morale of the countless people watching over us would also be affected... How could we rush into the first battle of the General?"
"That makes sense. Perhaps the enemy is deliberately trying to force us into a hasty battle..."
"In that case, how about we take the initiative to send experts to attack the other side on the day of the prisoner exchange?"
"That's one way, but it's nothing more than exchanging homes. It's just exchanging casualties. And don't forget, the exchange of prisoners on Yansuo Lake can't afford to fail either."
"Alas, this won't work, and that won't work either... Why did Ye Xin suddenly come up with such a disgusting idea?"
"Heh... this method is cunning and scheming. I'm afraid it's not something that Ye Xin could have come up with, or the work of that military advisor named Xu..."
During the discussion, many people felt a stir in their hearts, and found the other party's disgusting method extremely familiar.
After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly realized that the other party's scheme was exactly the same cunning as Zhao Duan's previous schemes against others...
The silent Zhao Duan also smelled a familiar scent.
At this moment, it was like two old foxes, smelling each other's scent through the winter wind.
"He's a tough opponent. Much harder to deal with than Zhuang Xiaocheng back then." Zhao Duan thought.
Seeing everyone arguing, he suddenly knocked on the table to quiet everyone down.
"I have made a decision," Zhao Duan said slowly, with a look of deep thought:
"Agree to exchange prisoners. Set a date with the other party. At that time, this governor will send his personal guard Ji Yue and Song Jinxi to lead a group of worshippers to Yansuo Lake to exchange prisoners."
After a pause, he said again:
"The rest of the military experts and this governor will be stationed at the central camp. Order the defense lines to be on high alert. If there is an attack on the defense lines, send experts to provide support. Let's do this."
This……
Everyone looked at each other and felt that this plan was very passive, but they really couldn't think of a better one.
They nodded at the same time: "Since the governor has made the decision, we will make arrangements immediately."
Soon, the meeting ended and people dispersed.
Zhao Duan returned to the Governor's Mansion, opened the door of the wing room, and looked at Yuxiu who was sitting at the round table reading a Taoist book:
"Jin Jian..."
Yuxiu glanced at him coldly, pointed at the bed, and said unhappily:
“The money is coming.”
"Snoring...Snoring...Ga?" Jin Jian, who was sleeping with his butt sticking up, rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up. He said without opening his eyes:
"Where is it? Where is it?"
……
……
Once the decision to exchange prisoners was made, an agreement was quickly reached between the two sides.
At the same time, the entire imperial court and its three armies received warning messages.
For a moment, on this winter day of truce, the two armies once again felt tense.
It's like a powder keg that can explode at any time.
Dafeng Tower.
Xu Jianwen listened to his subordinates' report quietly, nodded and said with a smile:
"Everything is going as planned, isn't it?"
Qi Yuchun hesitated and said:
"Your Highness, why did Zhao Duan agree to this? What if he didn't agree? Also, how can you be sure that he will act according to your ideas?"
Xu Jianwen sat in front of the heavy light brown wooden chessboard, his soft and loose robe piled on the ground. He chuckled and said:
"Isn't Zhao Duan the favorite to play overt schemes? This time, I just want him to experience the taste of overt schemes."
Ren Kun smiled and said:
"Your Highness has calculated that he must accept the challenge in order to gain a firm foothold and establish his reputation in the army. This is an open conspiracy."
Qi Yuchun sighed: "Is it impossible to crack the conspiracy?"
As the former commander-in-chief, he was very confused by the intrigues and schemes among these civil officials.
"Of course it can be cracked, and it's very simple," Xu Jianwen said calmly:
"The way to break the conspiracy is to give up. Just imagine, if Zhao Duan didn't sit in the position of governor, if he didn't have to stabilize the army's morale and didn't want that reputation, how could he be burdened by it?
As long as a person is ruthless enough, knows how to give up, and lets go of the things he cares about, then no conspiracy can fall on him.
Oh, for example, if Zhao Duan gave up my sister, gave up his status as the emperor's husband, and left, with his current cultivation, he could hide and live a good life outside the Yu Kingdom. It's just that he doesn't want to. "
Corner of the room.
The bored Guhuo Zhenren glanced at the three people and muttered:
"I don't care about you all. I just want to know when I can kill Zhao Duan. I am already thirsty and hungry."
Xu Jianwen said calmly:
"Why rush? The day after tomorrow when we exchange prisoners, that's when we'll eat him."
"Snapped!"
As he spoke, he picked up a black piece and dropped it between the vertical and horizontal lines on the chessboard. In an instant, a large white dragon that had penetrated deep into the quagmire on the chessboard was cut in half in the middle.
……
In a blink of an eye, it was the agreed day for prisoner exchange.
early morning.
When Zhao Duan woke up from his meditation, he felt that his qi sea was particularly agitated today.
When he looked inward, he was surprised to find that the "Dragon Soul" that had been dormant in his body for a long time and had been motionless actually showed signs of revival.
It's like hibernation is over and thawing is about to happen.
"Is it because I have completely established my foothold in the world's high-level realm? My cultivation has stimulated the dragon soul? Or is there some other reason?"
Zhao Duan was very surprised.
But no matter how he tried, the dragon soul sleeping in the sea of qi would at most just lazily shake its tail, looking lazy and about to wake up, and did not respond to his call.
"It's inexplicable. Could it be that the timing is not right?"
Zhao Duan shook his head and had to suppress his curiosity. He walked out of the backyard and came to the front hall of the Governor's Mansion.
At this moment, Mo Chou, Tang Jinzhong, Shi Meng, the commander of the Three Thousand Camps, as well as Jin Jian and others were all sitting in the hall.
Seeing him coming, they stood up at the same time: "Commander-in-chief!"
"Yes," Zhao Duan nodded and said, "Has the prisoner exchange team set out?"
Mo Chou nodded: "We have already set out. According to your arrangement, Ji Yue and Song Jinxi will lead a group of people to take charge."
After a pause, she added, "Before leaving, they all passed through the door."
The "door" she mentioned was the [Two Life Gate]. Zhao Duan had Ji Yue and Song Jinxi pass through the door early this morning, and the same went for himself.
However, the service life of this talisman is almost coming to an end.
"Okay, let's wait for the news together."
Zhao Duan sat in the main seat and flipped his hand to take out a small bronze mirror.
At this moment, the mirror surface slowly began to emit a halo, and then, a human face emerged in the mirror:
Wei Xianzong!
……
at the same time.
In Huting City, Wei Xianzong was walking in the snow-covered alley and suddenly raised his head.
(End of this chapter)