For a moment, Pei Ying could not hear any other sounds. Only the sentence, "They have found the Great General's corpse," echoed incessantly in her ears like a clap of thunder.
Huo Tingshan was dead?
The man who had told her to wait for his return at the main camp would never stand before her and speak to her again?
Their beginning was not a beautiful one, nor was it a conventional path of marriage and love. Initially, she had resented him, resenting his overbearing nature and his insistence on doing things his own way.
But she had never imagined that this man would die, let alone die on the battlefield where he had always triumphed.
The bright sky seemed to darken layer by layer. The soft white clouds and the continuous stretches of withered grass no longer held any distinct beauty.
Meng Ling'er hurriedly supported her staggering mother. "Mother, let's return to the camp first."
Inside the main commander's tent.
Pei Ying sat in the chief seat of honor, looking at the several people who had hurried over upon hearing the news.
When Huo Tingshan left Chenyuan Pass, aside from leaving a hundred thousand troops to Huo Zhizhang, he had also left him quite a few core staff members. Qin Yang, Lan Zimu, the brothers Chen Wei and Chen Yang, Gongsun Liang, and others were all at Chenyuan Pass.
The military officers who had left with him had all been injured, and after recovering, they had all gone to the frontlines. Right now, among those staying behind at the main camp, there were only two people Pei Ying was relatively familiar with: one was Chen Shichang, and the other was Ke Zuo.
Both of them had heard the news from the frontlines, and at this moment, their expressions were exceptionally solemn.
"Mistress, where is the messenger?" Ke Zuo asked.
Pei Ying had the guard waiting outside the tent come in.
Ke Zuo looked at the deathly pale soldier. "What exactly happened at the frontlines, and where did the news of the Great General's death in battle come from? Speak quickly."
The soldier began to recount that night. He spoke of how Huo Tingshan's ship was rammed by Yuzhou's warships, tearing a massive hole in it; he spoke of how, after Huo Tingshan fell into the water, they fought against the Yuzhou army while desperately trying to fish him out, but even by noon of the second day, they still had not found him. He then went on to say that they received news from Yanzhou, where the other party claimed to have found the Great General's corpse downstream. Upon receiving this news, they rushed back to the main camp without stopping to deliver the message.
More than a quarter of an hour had passed since she first heard the news, and Pei Ying was much calmer than she had been at the beginning.
Even though her eyes were still red and the brocade handkerchief in her hands was crumpled from her grip, she listened earnestly to every word the soldier said.
"Yuzhou has gone too far!"
"Mistress, the Yuzhou army has gone back on its word and broken its promises. Such treacherous scoundrels do not deserve to be our allies. This subordinate requests permission to lead the army to attack the Yuzhou forces."
"Mistress..."
The military officers were furious, stepping forward one after another to request orders.
If the Yuzhou army hadn't sabotaged them, how could the Great General have lost his life at Wangchang Dam?
Yuzhou—they would fight Yuzhou to the bitter end!
Military officers all had loud voices. When they shouted at the top of their lungs, the tent was like a boiling pot, buzzing with noise and endless arguments. Pei Ying knew that if she spoke now, her voice would only be drowned out.
Her gaze fell on the low table, where there were two paperweights used to hold down letters.
Bang!
A sudden loud crash came from the head seat. The tent instantly fell silent, and everyone looked toward the head seat.
Their Mistress, who had always been gentle in their memories, was currently holding a paperweight. Her eyes still carried a lingering redness, but her expression was stern and cold as she looked at them expressionlessly.
"Now is not the time for clamor. There is something suspicious about this matter, and it requires further discussion," Pei Ying said.
As soon as she finished speaking, someone said, "Suspicious? What does Mistress find amiss? Isn't it obvious now that Governor Lei of Yuzhou has allied with Yanzhou and the others?"
Pei Ying looked at the person who had spoken.
This person was named Ji Yuanfan. He served as the supervisor, in charge of the general logistics affairs of the army.
Instead of answering, Pei Ying asked a question in return: "Supervisor Ji, when the General set out on his campaign, there were a hundred warships. Do you know how many warships Yuzhou has?"
Ji Yuanfan hesitated for a moment. "I don't know the exact number, but I've heard there are at least six hundred."
Pei Ying nodded. "Yuzhou's fleet has at least six hundred ships, and the soldiers aboard these six hundred warships are all highly skilled in the water. Our forces were confronting them while simultaneously searching the waters for the General. Such a two-pronged effort lasted until noon of the second day. This shows that the Yuzhou army did not use their full strength to encircle and annihilate our fleet."
The tent fell silent.
Some people could not help but feel doubtful.
Why didn't Yuzhou do their utmost to wipe them out? Six hundred warships against one hundred—they would definitely win.
"On your way back, did you have to break through layers of encirclement to return?" Ji Yuanfan asked the messenger soldier.
The soldier lowered his head. "...No, the journey back was very smooth."
Ji Yuanfan frowned, indeed somewhat perplexed.
Ke Zuo stroked his small mustache, deep in thought.
The soldier added, "The one steering the Yuzhou ship that rammed and sank the Great General's vessel was Jiang Hongbin. This person was specifically sent by Governor Lei of Yuzhou to assist the Great General. If it weren't for him, how could the ship the Great General was on have sunk?"
"What about Jiang Hongbin? Was he executed?" Ke Zuo suddenly asked.
The soldier shook his head. "This person went missing after that night. The Yuzhou warship that rammed into ours also sank later. Some say Jiang Hongbin had his leg broken by a falling wooden plank and was subsequently swept away by the undercurrent."
Pei Ying furrowed her delicate brows.
Missing?
"Heh, in my opinion, going missing is fake; being hidden away by Governor Lei of Yuzhou is the truth," Ji Yuanfan sneered. "The Lei family is prominent and respectable. Don't they need a fig leaf to cover up their evil deeds?"
As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately agreed.
"Exactly. Since Jiang Hongbin isn't around anyway, they can just treat him as dead. With no evidence from a dead man, they can easily pin everything on him and wash their own hands completely clean."
"Mistress, this subordinate requests orders to lead the army and avenge the Great General."
"Mistress..."
With someone taking the lead, the voices of petition surged back.
"Everyone, please listen to me," Ke Zuo raised his voice, but his volume was limited and was quickly drowned out.
Bang. Another startling crash came from the head seat.
The tent quieted down once again.
Pei Ying looked at Ke Zuo, who understood and spoke up, "Everyone, please listen to me. There are still many unclear aspects regarding the situation at the frontlines. Why don't we first let the guard recount the events in full detail? Once we have clarified the entire sequence of events, we can then make a decision."
These words made sense, so everyone turned their gazes back to the guard.
The soldier said, "At that time, after the Great General's ship sank, Inspector Chen discovered that there were ambushing troops in the water. Then, some Yuzhou soldiers shot arrows into the water, while others took small boats to search for people, just like us. At that time, Inspector Chen and the others no longer trusted the Yuzhou army, and we clashed with them. Later, it seemed that Governor Lei of Yuzhou gave an order, and the Yuzhou side withdrew their troops, stationing themselves on the eastern side of the river, while we of Youzhou stayed on the western side, separated by the river. On the second morning, Governor Lei of Yuzhou personally took a boat to the western side of the river to meet with Commander Sha and Inspector Chen. He claimed that he was unaware of all the events of the previous night and that he was also searching for the helmsman, Jiang Hongbin, but that man was nowhere to be found."
Ji Yuanfan sneered, "This is truly a case of a thief crying 'stop thief'."
The soldier continued, "Commander Sha stalled him, while Emissary Chen led men to continue the search. Later, news came from Yanzhou that after hearing of the incident, Governor Lei of Yuzhou told Commander Sha that he would go and bring the Great General back. Because this subordinate had to return to deliver the message, I do not know what happened next."
Pei Ying pursed her lips.
"Lei Chengshuang schemed to kill the Great General, and he actually dares to show up at our door? He is truly pushing his luck. Madam, this subordinate requests permission to lead troops to avenge the Great General," Ji Yuanfan asked for orders for the third time.
"Were there many Yuzhou soldiers shooting arrows into the water at that time?" Ke Zuo suddenly asked.
The messenger soldier tried hard to recall, "Not many."
Ke Zuo said sternly, "Everyone, Governor Lei of Yuzhou is suspicious, but it's also possible he is innocent. If this matter was truly the doing of Governor Lei of Yuzhou, then that night there would definitely have been a volley of ten thousand arrows. After all, with the excuse of ambushing troops underwater, shooting arrows would be fully justified. However, the guard said that the number of arrows shot at that time was not many, which shows that their hearts were not united. It is highly likely that someone was secretly causing trouble. This is the first point, and also the biggest point of suspicion. Secondly, early the next morning, Governor Lei of Yuzhou visited in person. After the incident, our army's emotions were extremely furious. Commander Sha and the others must have been burning with anger, wishing they could catch the instigator, eat their flesh, and drink their blood. Under such circumstances, for Governor Lei of Yuzhou to dare to come over, he must have possessed a certain determination. After all, given the situation at that time, if Commander Sha killed him in a fit of rage and later claimed it was to avenge the Great General, it would not be entirely unjustifiable."
After finishing these words, he looked at Pei Ying and said seriously, "Madam, I personally believe that the situation is still unclear, and we must not make decisions lightly."
This was an objection to Ji Yuanfan's request to lead troops.
"Utter nonsense!"
Ji Yuanfan said furiously, "The warship that rammed and sank the Great General's boat belonged to Yuzhou, and the soldiers who shot arrows into the water afterwards were also from Yuzhou. With all this, you actually say it might not be the doing of Governor Lei of Yuzhou, and that someone is causing trouble in secret? Ke Quanshui, you are desperately trying to stop us from launching an offensive against the Yuzhou army. What exactly are your intentions? Could it be that being a slave of five surnames isn't satisfying enough for you, and you want to try being a slave of six surnames?"
Who in the army didn't know that Ke Zuo had changed masters many times? Their Great General was his fifth lord.
The Great General had once issued an order that since Ke Quanshui had joined the Youzhou army, he would be considered one of their own from then on. The army was forbidden from making an issue out of his multiple changes in allegiance, and the term "slave of five surnames" was never to be mentioned.
In the past, everyone consciously obeyed this, but Ji Yuanfan felt that today was different from the past.
For this man to actually oppose sending troops to Yuzhou—if he didn't harbor ulterior motives, what did he have? It must be that he had once again developed the thought of changing masters, and wanted to use this matter as a stepping stone to join someone else later.
Being attacked like this, Ke Zuo was not angry. "Everyone, I believe the current situation is unclear. This matter looks like it was single-handedly planned by Yuzhou, but what if there's a chance it wasn't? What if this matter was not done by Yuzhou? If we rashly march on Yuzhou, it will only tear apart our alliance with them. As the saying goes, a broken mirror is hard to put back together. Once the alliance collapses, it will be difficult to be as close as before."
"Utterly absurd!" Ji Yuanfan simply stopped arguing with Ke Zuo. He looked at Pei Ying sitting at the head of the tent, "Madam, this subordinate requests..."
Pei Ying raised her hand and made a pressing down gesture, "Supervisor Ji, I think what Mr. Ke said is not unreasonable. Let us put the matter of attacking Yuzhou on hold for now."
The military officers in the camp all widened their eyes.
"Madam?"
"Madam, you must not listen to the words of a petty man!"
"Madam, the Great General was killed by Yuzhou. Why won't you avenge him? He did so much for you when he was alive, how can you, after his death..."
As if feeling the rest of the words were too difficult to say, the man fell silent.
Pei Ying said coldly, "I never said I wouldn't avenge Huo Tingshan. It's just that whether this was done by Yuzhou is still open to debate. If it is confirmed that it really was the Yuzhou army, we will definitely fight them. We must fight, but there's no need to be in such a rush. If we accidentally target the wrong enemy, wouldn't that make the real villains clap their hands in applause from the shadows?"
Pei Ying only felt as if her soul had been torn in two. One half sat calmly at the head of the tent, expressionlessly watching the argument below, and could even reject certain people's suggestions without a tremor in her voice. The other half seemed to still be outside the tent, at the place where she had heard about Huo Tingshan's accident.
Her eyes were uncomfortable, her chest ached terribly, and the hand holding the paperweight also hurt. But she couldn't speak of these discomforts, and there was no one she could confide in.
"Mr. Chen, hurry and advise the Madam," Ji Yuanfan looked at Chen Shichang, who had not spoken at all.
Under the gazes of the military officers, Chen Shichang bowed with his hands folded in front of him to Pei Ying, "Supervisor Ji, I believe the Madam's decision is very good."
The military officers were in an uproar.
Ji Yuanfan's entire face flushed red.
In the corner, a military officer secretly gave Ji Yuanfan a meaningful glance. The latter saw it and understood in his heart what the other party wanted to do.
That person wanted to strip the Madam of her power.
But understanding was one thing; Ji Yuanfan had never thought of doing such a thing. He was the Supervisor, in charge of the general logistics of the army. The army's rations and other equipment were all under his management.
Therefore, besides the Great General, there was probably no one who knew better than him how financially strapped the Youzhou army would be if not for the financial support from the Pei family's merchant guild.
From the silver to the later hundred-refined steel, Ji Yuanfan was utterly convinced and full of admiration.
Even if Pei Ying was a woman, and even if she did not agree to his request to lead troops, he was only sulking, and further angered that this fellow Ke Quanshui had bewitched the Madam.
Unaware of what Ji Yuanfan was thinking, Pei Ying continued, "Later, I will write a letter to Mingji, telling him everything and asking him to come from Luoyang. Before that, the entire army will break camp and set off first to rendezvous with the fleet."
Ji Yuanfan: "Understood."
After the military officers left, the invisible steel rod supporting Pei Ying's spine seemed to be gradually pulled out. She slowly went limp and finally leaned against the armrest beside her.
"Invite the young lady and young master Shi over," Pei Ying told the guards outside.
Meng Ling'er had been waiting outside the tent. After the meeting inside dispersed, she came in immediately. Seeing her mother sitting at the head with a pale face, the young girl hurriedly took a few steps closer. "Mother, are you feeling unwell? Should I go and invite Medical Officer Feng?"
"There's no need, I am fine." Pei Ying held her back.
Touching her mother's ice-cold fingertips, Meng Ling'er was startled, "Mother, you absolutely must take care of your health."
"Nannan, the news of your father cannot be hidden. It's only a matter of time before it reaches Luoyang. I will write a letter to have your eldest brother come over," Pei Ying said.
She truly did not know how to march and fight. There were specializations in every profession, and this kind of thing had to be left to professionals. Huo Tingshan had raised his eldest son as his heir for many years; Huo Mingji would definitely know how to lead troops and control the situation.
Meng Ling'er nodded, intuitively feeling that her mother had not finished speaking, "Mother, is there anything I can do?"
Pei Ying held her daughter's hand and whispered, "Once your eldest brother leaves Luoyang, a portion of the governing authority will fall into the hands of Prefect Shi. My child, I intend to have Young Master Shi write a letter home to Prefect Shi, and you must supervise him while he writes it."
She knew that Young Master Shi harbored affections for her daughter. It was the innocent infatuation of youth, and she silently admitted to herself that she was selfishly exploiting his feelings.
Meng Ling'er understood her mother's intent in an instant. "Mother, I know what to do."
Seeing her daughter agree so readily, Pei Ying felt a twinge of unease and added, "My child, aside from watching him write this letter, you do not need to do anything else."
The young girl smiled and replied, "Mother, I understand."
The sun rose and set, and set and rose again. Another day passed by.
It was a day of intense urgency. Immediately after the military council concluded, swift riders set out from the camp, galloping straight for Luoyang. At the same time, the main army rapidly broke camp, marching day and night toward the front lines.
Previously, Huo Tingshan had traveled to the Wangchang Embankment by boat; sailing with the wind, the journey had taken only a single day. Now, even with the main army marching relentlessly day and night, it took them two full days to arrive.
When the sun reached its zenith in the sky, the army finally arrived at their destination.
"Mother, you seem to be running a high fever. We need to have Medical Officer Feng come and take a look." Meng Ling'er withdrew the hand she had placed on her mother's forehead.
Throughout the two days of marching, they had remained almost entirely within their carriage. Usually, during long journeys, one could manage to catch brief naps, but several times when Meng Ling'er had opened her eyes in the middle of the night, she had seen her mother staring blankly out the carriage window. It seemed she had not closed her eyes for a single moment all night.
It took a moment for Pei Ying to process her daughter's words. She shook her head and said, "Until your eldest brother arrives, we cannot let anyone know that I have fallen ill."
Huo Tingshan was gone. If others found out that she had collapsed from illness, the army would inevitably fall into chaos once more.
"But how can we do that? An illness must be treated early, and if you are unwell, you must take medicine," Meng Ling'er said anxiously. She had already lost her father; she could not bear to lose her mother as well.
Despite her repeated pleas, she could not shake her mother's resolve. Finally, the young girl gritted her teeth and proposed, "Mother, we will announce to the outside that I am the one who is sick. We will have the medical officer examine me and prescribe medicine, but in reality, you will be the one to drink it."
Pei Ying thought about it for a moment and agreed.
As the golden sun dipped below the western horizon, the sky darkened layer by layer. The last light of the setting sun was fading, giving way to the approaching veil of night. Tonight marked the third night since the news of "Huo Tingshan's death in battle" had spread.
The very man rumored to have died in battle was currently leading thirty Youzhou soldiers who had been successively recovered. Detouring through the dense forest, they too had marched day and night, stealthily making their way until they reached the vicinity of the main encampment of the allied forces of Yanzhou and Xuzhou.
Because they were engaged in naval warfare, the enemy's main encampment was situated not far from the riverbank. The site had been chosen with great care: it was a crescent-shaped bay, embraced by two connected mountains. The inner recess formed a natural harbor where their warships could safely dock.
Huo Tingshan climbed to a high vantage point to carefully inspect the surrounding terrain. As he gazed out at the distant bay gradually being swallowed by the night, his narrow, piercing eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"Great General, it seems that the Yanzhou forces have been dispatching fewer and fewer warships over the past few days," Li Qiongqi noted in confusion.
On the first day, they had sent out about a dozen ships. Judging from their direction of travel, they were undoubtedly heading toward the regions of Youzhou and Yuzhou. However, it was impossible to tell whether they were going to rendezvous with the Yuzhou forces to launch a pincer attack on the Youzhou army, or if they were merely feigning an attempt to form an alliance with them.
Severely short-handed and having lost contact with the Youzhou fleet, they had no way of knowing the answer.
However, on the second day, for some unknown reason, although the Yanzhou forces still dispatched a fleet, the number of ships was half of what it had been on the first day.
By the third day, the Yanzhou forces completely ceased sending out any ships at all.
There was one thing they could confirm, however: from the moment the "Great General died in battle" until now, they had not seen a single Yuzhou fleet heading their way.
This strongly suggested that the two sides had not formed an alliance.
Yet, if there was no alliance, why had warships from the Yuzhou army charged so recklessly into their ranks that night? Could it be that hidden spies had been planted within the Yuzhou army? Was it all the work of an inside traitor?
Huo Tingshan withdrew his gaze and asked, "How are the preparations coming along?"
At the mention of their crucial task, Li Qiongqi looked deeply distressed. "Due to our limited circumstances, we only managed to secure four vessels, and they are nothing more than small skiffs."
These four boats had been requisitioned from local fishermen. No matter how large a fisherman's boat might be, its size was inherently limited, so one could well imagine just how small these skiffs truly were.
Huo Tingshan turned and began descending the steep slope. "Four will be enough. During the autumn and winter seasons, the temperature difference between day and night is drastic, making the river prone to heavy fog. Once the fog rolls in, things will be much easier to handle."
The two men made their way down the slope, where the twenty-odd Youzhou soldiers were already putting the finishing touches on their assigned task.
They had gathered an abundance of branches, dry leaves, and withered grass. First, they crossed the thickest branches into a cross shape, securing them tightly with straw ropes. Then, they stuffed various dried grasses and vines around the frame, bulking it up until it resembled the shape of a man.
The twenty-odd soldiers had woven dozens of these straw men. They stood these figures upright on the four hard-won boats. In the dim veil of night, a quick glance from afar would make it appear as though these boats were fully loaded with troops.
"We have far too few boats," Li Qiongqi sighed.
In truth, not only were they few in number, but the boats themselves were quite small. However, there was nothing to be done about it. They were left with only a scattered handful of soldiers, making any maneuver incredibly difficult to execute.
Huo Tingshan furrowed his long brows. He too felt that the small size of the boats was far from ideal; the threat posed by small skiffs could hardly be compared to that of massive warships. "Try linking two of the boats together. We can untie them when the time comes."
The soldiers followed his orders.
With the boats arranged, two of the soldiers with the best swimming skills would navigate them from the side of the river toward the mouth of the bay tonight. During the darkest hours between the latter half of the night and the crack of dawn—the exact time when the thickest fog would roll in—they would launch a feigned sneak attack on the enemy encampment to draw away a portion of the enemy's forces.
As for the rest of their plan...
"How many swine have we managed to find?" Huo Tingshan asked.
"Only two," Li Qiongqi replied, "and one of them is just a piglet."
Huo Tingshan gazed toward the harbor. "That will be enough."
"Great General, what stratagem do you have in mind?" Li Qiongqi asked curiously.
Huo Tingshan explained the flaming pig stratagem to him. The method was incredibly simple, yet its brilliance lay in its extraordinary effectiveness, making it the perfect tactic for clearing a path. "Tonight, you will use the swine to break through their lines. Then, lead twenty-five men to attack their encampment from the southwest. The primary objective of this raid is to set fires and cause chaos. Ignite their tents and make as much of a commotion as humanly possible. Along the way, you can seize some of their horses for our own use, which will make our subsequent retreat much easier."
When they had originally dragged themselves ashore from the water, many of the Youzhou soldiers were just like Huo Tingshan—they had discarded all their heavy gear, keeping only their swords.
The instinct never to abandon one's weapon on the battlefield was etched deep into the bones of every soldier. This was especially true given that their standard-issue blades were forged from hundred-refined steel—a precious and rare material that no soldier could ever bear to part with.
However, there was one exception.
Li Qiongqi's iron-ridged serpent spear was gone, having sunk to the bottom of the river alongside their towering warship.
His snake halberd was eighteen feet long, making it impossible to wear at his waist. At the time, in his rush to save Huo Tingshan, he hadn't even had the chance to grab his own weapon. However, he wasn't completely unarmed; Huo Tingshan had dispatched two men to row the boat. Since those two soldiers wouldn't be needing their swords, he could borrow them for the time being.
"The remaining three soldiers will shake the leaves in the forest behind you to create the illusion of approaching reinforcements. Remember, your mission on this trip is merely to attract the enemy's attention. Do not fight to the death," Huo Tingshan continued.
They had so few people—even including Li Qiongqi, there were fewer than thirty of them. A direct confrontation would be a suicide mission; their numbers were not even a fraction of the enemy's.
Li Qiongqi nodded first, then asked, "General, what about you?"
Earlier, the soldiers to row the boat had been assigned, and he had been tasked with leading a sneak attack on the enemy's southwest camp. The total number of soldiers assigned to these tasks exactly matched their remaining numbers.
Everyone had a mission, leaving only the General without one. So what would he do?
Li Qiongqi didn't believe the other man would do nothing but wait here for his return. If that were the case, why emphasize starting a fire and causing a commotion earlier? After all, merely starting a fire would be a minor annoyance to the enemy, and it even carried the risk of losing their lives.
"I already have a rough idea of where their main tent is. Tonight, I will strike directly at their commander's camp," Huo Tingshan said in a deep voice.
This was not a reckless decision; he had carefully weighed the chances of success and failure. The battle with Yuzhou was a naval one. Since it was a naval battle, the majority of the troops would remain on the ships, ready to respond to any sudden situations on the river.
If it had been before, Governor Yuan of Yanzhou and the others would definitely be on the ships. But with the news of his "death", they would certainly move from the ships back to land. After all, anyone with eyes could see that the Youzhou army was now in chaos, and the alliance between Yuzhou and Youzhou was on the verge of collapse.
There shouldn't be any battles in the short term. Since that was the case, why not choose a more comfortable and convenient location?
The enemy's forces were mostly on the river, and the number of troops stationed on land was fewer than usual. The ships on the river were the first layer of the smokescreen, and Li Qiongqi leading men to attack their southwest side was the second layer. Both layers of the smokescreen would draw away a portion of the enemy's troops.
It was a diversionary tactic. Once the enemy's forces were drawn away, he would slip into the enemy camp amidst the chaos.
But as soon as these words came out, Li Qiongqi was shocked. "General, you are still injured. You cannot do this!"
He knew about the injuries on Huo Tingshan's body. He had suffered several sword wounds, and to make matters worse, he hadn't rested properly afterward, leading his men on a forced march all the way to the edge of the enemy camp.
How could such wounds heal without proper rest? They might have even worsened.
Huo Tingshan, however, said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If we can win this time, everything else will be easily resolved. Yanzhou, Xuzhou, and the rest will all become my territory. Even if Lei Chengshuang truly fell for a villain's venomous plot at that time, and the alliance continues thereafter, he won't have the face to fight with me over Yanzhou and the other territories."
Originally, this expedition was led by Yuzhou, with Youzhou acting in a supporting role. After conquering Yanzhou, the division of territories would naturally be based on the order of effort contributed. At that time, Yuzhou would definitely take the lion's share.
"But your body..." Li Qiongqi was extremely worried.
He felt the risk was still too great. One careless mistake, and the entire game would be lost.
Huo Tingshan knew what he was worried about and smiled. Although his face was pale, his imposing aura was undiminished. "In my youth, I started out as a scout, so you can rest assured. My mind is made up. If I succeed, I will gain the Yanzhou region. Yungui, there is no need to persuade me further."
The dark night was as thick as ink. The sky tonight was the same as the night the ship sank—neither full of stars nor lit by a bright moon.
Time flowed slowly, and the late autumn weather gradually turned cold. In the second half of the night, the temperature dropped even lower, and fog rolled in over the river. Just when the fog was at its thickest, a sharp-eyed Yanzhou sentry spotted the silhouette of a ship not far away.
The ship was behind the fog, and only its outline could be seen, but that outline alone was enough to terrify the Yanzhou sentry.
There were many people on the ship opposite them.
"Centurion!" He hurried to report.
The Yanzhou ships in the harbor seemed like an awakening dragon. Torches lit up one after another, illuminating a small patch of the world.
At the same time as the commotion in the harbor, an uproar suddenly erupted on the southwest side of the Yanzhou army. It turned out that two fireballs, one large and one small, had suddenly rushed out from the nearby forest.
The fierce flames surged, rushing toward the military camp at breakneck speed.
At first glance, the sentries thought it looked as if demons from hell had crawled out of the forest. The demons were covered in fire, letting out piercing screeches that seemed to chisel into people's minds, striking terror into their hearts.
"There are... there are monsters!"
After the fiery pigs charged out, Li Qiongqi followed closely with over twenty Youzhou soldiers. Holding torches in their left hands and long swords in their right, their roaring battle cries mixed with the sharp screeches, seeming to cloak them in an icy, murderous aura.
The leaves in the forest behind them swayed wildly, as if there were endless waves of soldiers following them.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Put out the fire! Hurry and fetch water!"
"Damn it, where on earth did these people come from?!"
...
The military camp on the southwest side fell into complete chaos, and this disorder spread like wildfire to every corner of the camp. Large numbers of troops surged toward the southwest.
Very few noticed a figure slipping into the military camp from the southeast amidst the chaos.
Huo Tingshan hid behind a tent. As a squad hurried toward the southwest, he swiftly snatched the man at the end of the line.
The Yanzhou soldier was initially dazed, somewhat confused as to why an unarmored, solitary man had appeared in the camp. It wasn't until a large hand quickly grabbed his neck, crushing his cervical vertebrae with brute force until they cracked, that he suddenly realized what was happening.
This was a scout!
But he no longer had the chance to sound the alarm. With his neck in a vice grip, he couldn't breathe, unable to let out even half a gasp.
After snapping the soldier's neck with brute force, Huo Tingshan quickly dragged the man into the shadows, stripped off his armor, and put it on.
It was fortunate that chaos had erupted in two places within the camp, causing the patrols to be far less tight than before. Otherwise, this operation would not have gone so smoothly.
After changing his clothes, Huo Tingshan was like a fish in water, making his way inward openly and legitimately.
Whenever he encountered someone trying to stop and question him along the way, he directly stated his title.
Military ranks were standardized, and since Huo Tingshan already knew the names of certain high-ranking officials in the Yanzhou army, he handled the interrogations with ease.
He pushed deep into the camp, making his way all the way to the vicinity of the main tent.
"Halt! Who are you?!" someone shouted sternly as he approached the main tent.
Huo Tingshan stopped in his tracks. "I have an urgent military report. May I ask if Governor Yuan of Yanzhou is inside at this moment?"
The man grunted first, then asked him, "What urgent military report?"
As soon as these words fell, he saw the corners of the man's mouth curl up, revealing a rather cheerful smile.
The questioner's heart gave a sudden jolt as an unusually strong sense of foreboding swept over him. Before he could understand why, he saw the man in front of him step straight forward and suddenly draw his blade.
The firelight reflected the gleam of the sword. The opponent's blade was simply too fast; the man only felt his vision abruptly flip upside down.
Originally, he had been looking straight at the opponent. Now, his line of sight was violently pulled to the ground. He could only see the opponent's boots, and then his vision tumbled again toward the pitch-black sky.
Why is this happening...
The man realized belatedly that his head had been chopped off by this man.
Inside the tent, Yuan Xiu heard the commotion outside and knew a night raid was underway. He quickly got up and dressed. Just as he finished putting on his clothes, the tent flap was thrown open with a swoosh.
Startled, Yuan Xiu turned toward the sound.
The tent was dim. Light from outside slanted in through the entrance. He could not clearly make out the face of the person standing there, but he saw that the intruder had an imposing figure and carried a blade. The tip of the weapon pointed downward at an angle, and blood meandered down its edge, quickly pooling into a small crimson puddle on the ground.
"Who are you?!" Yuan Xiu cried out in shock.
Huo Tingshan stood against the light, his facial features obscured in shadow. But the same could not be said for Yuan Xiu; he stood facing the light, allowing Huo Tingshan to see his face with absolute clarity.
Years ago, when Huo Tingshan visited Chang'an, he had met Yuan Xiu once. However, at that time, Yuan Xiu had not yet ascended to the position of Governor of Yanzhou. Years had passed, but Yuan Xiu had not changed much.
It was him.
Every moment was exceptionally precious. Wasting no words, Huo Tingshan raised his blade, stepped into the tent, and slashed directly at Yuan Xiu.
Terrified, Yuan Xiu hastily dodged. As he shifted positions to evade the strike, he gradually saw Huo Tingshan's face clearly.
Huo Tingshan recognized him, and naturally, he recognized Huo Tingshan as well.
Yuan Xiu's pupils shrank sharply in disbelief. "You are Huo Tingshan..."
However, in that brief moment of shock, the opponent's ring-pommel sword sliced across his neck, effortlessly severing his head from his shoulders.
"Thump, thump." A heavy object rolled onto the ground.
His crucial task complete, Huo Tingshan cleanly sheathed his blade and left. Just as he walked out of the main tent, he saw a person hurrying over. The man was thin, and although he wore armor, he still carried the air of a scholar.
Looking at the man's face, the departing man narrowed his eyes. Huo Tingshan had never seen Zhao Liqun, but he had seen Emperor Zhao.
Emperor Zhao and the old Prince of Jiang were brothers, and the two looked somewhat alike. As the son of the old Prince of Jiang, Zhao Liqun resembled his father, just as the younger brother closely resembled the older brother.
With just one glance, Huo Tingshan knew this person's identity.
Zhao Liqun currently controlled the two provinces of Xu and Qing. After dealing with Yuan Xiu, Huo Tingshan had originally planned to seek out Zhao Liqun, but he hadn't expected the man to deliver himself right to his doorstep.
After pondering for a moment on how to address the man, Huo Tingshan lifted the tent flap a little once again. "Little Prince of Jiang, Governor Yuan of Yanzhou has been waiting in the tent for a long time. Please."
Zhao Liqun glanced at Huo Tingshan. He felt this person was a stranger, but seeing his handsome and imposing figure, he didn't look like an ordinary man. He wondered where Yuan Xiu had found such a capable subordinate.
Zhao Liqun entered the tent. As soon as he walked in, he smelled the heavy stench of blood. There were no lamps lit inside, but by the faint light coming from the lifted tent flap behind him, he saw a dark silhouette lying on the ground not far away.
His heart skipped a beat, and he realized something was wrong, but at that moment, a sharp blade had already thrust toward him.
...
A moment later, Huo Tingshan lifted the tent flap and came out. He calmly instructed the guards who had accompanied Zhao Liqun, "Governor Yuan of Yanzhou and the Little Prince of Jiang are discussing matters inside. Without being summoned, no one is allowed to disturb them."
The guards replied, "Understood."
Huo Tingshan casually grabbed the reins of a fine horse, quickly mounted, and rode away. After leaving the military camp, he looked back over his shoulder.
The chaos behind him had not yet subsided. The ignited military tents burned in a continuous stretch, illuminating a small patch of the world. The moon in the sky slowly poked its head out from behind the clouds, casting a shallow, pale moonlight over the earth.
Huo Tingshan looked in another direction, and his stern, cold eyes softened.
It was time for him to go back and see her.
