After saying goodbye to Hua Yang, Chen Jingzong quietly returned to his tent.
Fu Gui was lying in the tent, and when he heard some movement, he woke up with excitement.
Chen Jingzong asked him to hold the lamp.
Fu Gui knew that his master would have to leave at dawn, so he did not dare to delay and lit a lamp quickly.
Chen Jingzong asked him to watch outside. He sat at the small desk, tore up a narrow piece of paper and wrote ten small words.
After finished writing and turned off the lights, he put on his clothes and lay down on the wooden bed, taking a nap for half an hour.
When he woke up, the ink on the note had long dried. Chen Jingzong folded it into a ball as big as a fingernail and put it into his sleeve.
When the sky was slightly bright, Chen Jingzong and the other seven commanders had completed the formation of the team.
Ling Rucheng spoke a few words to each commander individually. When it was Chen Jingzong’s turn, Ling Rucheng smiled and patted his shoulder: “You have to take the farthest detour here, but don’t underestimate the enemy. Be careful on the road.”
Chen Jingzong was both the son-in-law of Empress Dowager Qi and the biological son of Chief Assistant Chen Tingjian. Ling Rucheng still gave Chen Jingzong some care. For example, in this instance of dispatching the vanguard to intercept the rebel army at Black Dragon Pool, there were eight mountain routes. The closer they were to the center of Wuduo Mountain, the more likely they were to encounter the main force of the rebels hiding inside. The outside, however, was much safer, albeit requiring more effort to navigate through the mountainous terrain.
When Ling Rucheng was about to take back his hand, Chen Jingzong suddenly held his hand with force, and the frivolous arrogance common to young military attachés appeared on his handsome face: “This time is considered building experience. Next time I have the opportunity to follow you on an expedition, please treat me just like the other commanders.”
Ling Rucheng nodded calmly while pressing the small ball of paper with his thumb.
After the eight commanders each led five thousand soldiers to set off, Ling Rucheng went to inspect the progress of the other teams, and then returned to the commander tent.
After sending away all the attendants, Ling Rucheng unfolded the note that Chen Jingzong had given him, and saw ten words written on it – eight scouts to prevent possible collaboration with the enemy tonight.
Ling Rucheng frowned. The rebels were at the end of their rope. At this time, the imperial army could only wait to receive rewards according to their merits. Which fool would risk killing their own nine generations by collaborating with the enemy?
It was impossible, Ling Rucheng felt that Chen Jingzong was too cautious.
But to give Chen Jingzong face, he secretly dispatched eight scouts and asked them to quietly follow the eight vanguard armies, especially to monitor whether there were any changes in each vanguard army tonight.
.
The mountain road was rugged. Chen Jingzong, Ma Hong, and Lu Chengliang led the five thousand soldiers of the Daxing Left Guard, silently and quickly on their way.
Ma Hong held a topographic map of Wuduo Mountain that he had drawn last night. After a short break at noon, he walked for a while. Ma Hong looked at the commander who was far ahead, and then looked at the topographic map in his hand, ran over and said: “Sir, are we going in the wrong direction?”
Chen Jingzong grabbed the topographic map and said, “This road is close, you all hurry up.”
Ma Hong:……
He guessed that the commander was eager to make meritorious deeds!
After walking like this for an hour, Daxing Left Guard met Jiyang Guard on the next route.
The soldiers of Jiyang Guard were very happy to see the brothers of Daxing Left Guard.
In last year’s 26-guard martial arts competition, Jiyang Guard was originally going to ranked fifth from the bottom. No, because Daxing Left Guard, who had always been last place in the past, scored high in the first two games, Jiyang Guard was temporarily ranked fourth from the bottom. Unexpectedly, in the last round of the competition, Prince Consort led the four bottom guard stations to win together, and Jiyang Guard won the third place for the first time.
On this expedition, Jiyang Guard participated in the battle under the identity of the top five guards!
The soldiers of the two guard stations were friendly with each other. Di Su, the commander of Jiyang Guard, also regarded Chen Jingzong as a good brother, even though at the age of 34, he was ten years older than Chen Jingzong.
“Why did Prince Consort come here?”
Walking side by side at the front, Di Su asked with a smile.
Chen Jingzong said: “To be honest with Brother Di, my right eyelid has been twitching since this morning.”
Di Su: “Every time we fought before, I saw you fighting at the front, but you still believe this kind of thing?”
Chen Jingzong: “Our old lady used to be a big believer in Buddhism. I would rather believe it myself. After all, it’s the last battle. It would be too frustrating if something happens at this juncture.”
Di Su nodded: “That’s the truth, then let’s go together.”
Chen Jingzong: “You lead the troops to follow us to the outside, it’s safer.”
Di Su shook his head and laughed, only thinking that Chen Jingzong was too young.
.
It was already the seventh day of Tenth Month, the sun had set early, twilight had fallen over the mountains, and the wind had become chilly.
The half-circle moon emitted a watery moonlight, but it was obscured by the dense forests scattered throughout the mountains, making the mountain road blurry and indistinct.
Chen Jingzong and the others persisted until the first watch, and then found a sheltered place to rest.
They were walking northeast of Wuduo Mountain.
Qi Jin’s Jinwu Vanguard was outflanking the Black Dragon Pond from the southwest of Wuduo Mountain. Although Qi Jin was young, he had several expedition experiences, so Ling Rucheng arranged for the Jinwu Vanguard to walk second on the left vanguard near the middle of the mountain. The team, in this position, may also encounter the main force of the rebels.
During the day, Qi Jin also walked at the front. At dusk, he deliberately led the soldiers a little away. The soldiers thought he was looking for a place to rest tonight, so they didn’t question anything.
After nightfall, Qi Jin climbed up a tree, which was quite far away from the mountain col where the soldiers settled. His reason was to be on night watch.
He had led these 5,000 soldiers for several years and had the comradeship after several expeditions. Naturally, no one suspected that he had ulterior motives. Instead, they admired the commander’s perseverance in keeping vigil at night.
When it was almost midnight, Qi Jin climbed down the tree silently. He left his heavy armor on the tree, wearing only a dark robe and a piece of black cloth covering his face.
He headed toward the rebel camp that he had spied at dusk.
The evening wind blew the tree trunks, and the rustling sound covered up the sound of his footsteps.
His hurried figure sometimes appeared on the mountain road, sometimes blocked by the shadow of trees.
There was a slight sound of branches snapping from behind, short and abrupt.
Qi Jin’s footsteps didn’t pause for a moment. He walked forward as if without any awareness.
After going around a mountain wall, Qi Jin suddenly stepped back and stood close to the mountain.
Not long after, a dark figure sneaked over. Just as he tentatively stuck his head out, he suddenly bumped into Qi Jin’s approaching figure.
The moment the scout was stunned, Qi Jin made a move, grabbed the person out neatly. He used one hand to hold the opponent’s left hand behind his back, and another arm across the opponent’s neck, strangling him back.
This was a fatal move. The scout said in time while he could still make a sound: “Sir Qi, please show mercy! I am the scout sent by Commander Ling!”
Qi Jin’s face was expressionless: “Really? Why didn’t the scout go search for the rebels and instead followed me?”
The scout’s thoughts were racing, but before he could find a reasonable excuse, Qi Jin suddenly broke the other person’s neck.
Qi Jin carried the dead man on his back and continued moving forward.
The rebel camp was heavily guarded. Qi Jin kept his distance. He first bled the scout and wrote a line on his middle coat. Then he took off the bow and arrow on his back and shot at the nearest rebel patrol!
The moment he startled the other party, Qi Jin, like before, vanished like a ghostly apparition.
The patrolling rebels quickly sent the found arrow and the dead scout to Prince Jing’s tent.
Prince Jing then sent someone to call Guo Jixian. As for Prince Yu, he was treated like a prisoner in the army.
“Here, it was tied to the arrow.” Prince Jing handed a thin bamboo tube to Guo Jixian.
This was commonly used by homing pigeons. Guo Jixian took out the note and saw that it read crookedly: “Tomorrow at sishi (9-11 am), Chen Fourth Master will cross Baihe Ridge, can be taken as hostage.”
Judging from the handwriting, it should be written with the left hand in case the note was traced back and revealed the identity of the owner.
Prince Jing opened the scout’s coat, revealing the middle coat with blood characters on it, which wrote: “This person is a scout of the imperial court, and I am a secret chess player. We may join forces in the future.”
Guo Jixian looked thoughtful.
There was a wolfish light in Prince Jing’s eyes: “Chen Jingzong has two identities. If we capture him alive and use him as a hostage to force Ling Rucheng to withdraw, even if that girl Hua Yang, Empress Dowager Qi, and the little emperor can be ruthless, can Chen Tingjian bear to lose another son?”
Guo Jixian: “I’m afraid this is a trap set by the imperial court to lure our army to Baihe Ridge.”
Prince Jing: “So what if it’s a trap? Do we have any other way to survive now? Either way, we will die. Catching Chen Jingzong is the only way to survive.”
Guo Jixian thought for a while and said: “That is not entirely true. In this case, I will send 10,000 people to Baihe Ridge overnight. It is best to catch Chen Jingzong. But if we fell into an ambush, Your Highness still has 30,000 elite soldiers.”
Prince Jing nodded repeatedly: “This plan is very appropriate!”
Guo Jixian looked at the note in his hand and wondered, “I wonder who the person who sent this letter.”
Prince Jing sneered: “There are so many officials in the capital. Some are licking Chen Tingjian’s boots, while others are eager to replace him. What’s so surprising? Well, hurry up and mobilize your troops. Tell them to move faster. Everyone will be rewarded if they’re successful.”
Guo Jixian nodded and left in a hurry.
Prince Jing then ordered his confidants to spread the news about the capture of the imperial scout, completely obscuring the source of the news. As for the bloody clothes on the scout and the note, after Guo Jixian read it, Prince Jing burned them all.
The enemy of his enemy was his friend. No matter whether this friend would help again or not, he would be happy to keep such a villain who could betray the court for personal gain.
.
Chen Jingzong and the others took a sleep, ate some dry food at dawn, and then set off again.
The weather was gloomy today, the red sun was hiding behind the clouds, and the wind was getting colder.
When he came to a mountain top, Chen Jingzong stopped, looked at the topographic map in his hand, and said to Di Su: “Let’s go down here, the mountain range at the front is Baihe Ridge, and ten miles beyond Baihe Ridge, we will reach Jiulong Pond.”
Di Su rubbed his hands excitedly: “Then let’s go quickly. This time we will block the rebels’ retreat and see where they can escape.”
Chen Jingzong: “But I think there seems to be murderous intent over there in Baihe Ridge.”
Di Su smiled: “Okay, even at such a young age, you can see a murderous intent.”
Chen Jingzong: “Look at the terrain, it’s very suitable for an ambush.”
Di Su: “But if the 40,000 rebels can really get here faster than us, they would have already gone to Funiu Mountain. How dare they ambush us here?”
No matter how powerful Guo Jixian was, he would not dare to confront the imperial court’s hundreds of thousands of troops with 40,000 soldiers. At this time, escape was the top priority.
In short, Di Su did not agree that there would be an ambush in Baihe Ridge.
Chen Jingzong smiled and said: “Be careful and you can steer your ship for a myriad year. Even if our efforts are in vain, it will only delay us slightly and there is no loss.”
Di Su: “Okay, what are your plans?”
Di Su’s willingness to cooperate with Chen Jingzong was not simply due to his identity as the prince consort and the son of cabinet elder, but because although Chen Jingzong was young and sometimes spoke in a somewhat unruly manner, from the initial martial arts competition to this war supressing the rebellion, Chen Jingzong had shown his courage and strategy many times. He alone had convinced Di Su regardless of his age.
Chen Jingzong looked at Baihe Ridge again.
He didn’t know whether her unforeseen prediction would actually happen this time.
But Chen Jingzong would rather believe it. He made all these preparations so that if he was ambushed, he could go back to see her alive safely and not let her cry so fiercely again. At the same time, Chen Jingzong was also responsible for the five thousand soldiers of Daxing Left Guard. He would rather be laughed at by Ling Rucheng and Di Su for being too timid and worried, but he also wanted to try his best to ensure the survival of everyone in Daxing Left Guard.
If the plan goes well, they would not only be able to lead Jiyang Guard to perform meritorious service in advance, but also catch the person who deliberately leaked his whereabouts.
After saying goodbye to Hua Yang, Chen Jingzong quietly returned to his tent.
Fu Gui was lying in the tent, and when he heard some movement, he woke up with excitement.
Chen Jingzong asked him to hold the lamp.
Fu Gui knew that his master would have to leave at dawn, so he did not dare to delay and lit a lamp quickly.
Chen Jingzong asked him to watch outside. He sat at the small desk, tore up a narrow piece of paper and wrote ten small words.
After finished writing and turned off the lights, he put on his clothes and lay down on the wooden bed, taking a nap for half an hour.
When he woke up, the ink on the note had long dried. Chen Jingzong folded it into a ball as big as a fingernail and put it into his sleeve.
When the sky was slightly bright, Chen Jingzong and the other seven commanders had completed the formation of the team.
Ling Rucheng spoke a few words to each commander individually. When it was Chen Jingzong’s turn, Ling Rucheng smiled and patted his shoulder: “You have to take the farthest detour here, but don’t underestimate the enemy. Be careful on the road.”
Chen Jingzong was both the son-in-law of Empress Dowager Qi and the biological son of Chief Assistant Chen Tingjian. Ling Rucheng still gave Chen Jingzong some care. For example, in this instance of dispatching the vanguard to intercept the rebel army at Black Dragon Pool, there were eight mountain routes. The closer they were to the center of Wuduo Mountain, the more likely they were to encounter the main force of the rebels hiding inside. The outside, however, was much safer, albeit requiring more effort to navigate through the mountainous terrain.
When Ling Rucheng was about to take back his hand, Chen Jingzong suddenly held his hand with force, and the frivolous arrogance common to young military attachés appeared on his handsome face: “This time is considered building experience. Next time I have the opportunity to follow you on an expedition, please treat me just like the other commanders.”
Ling Rucheng nodded calmly while pressing the small ball of paper with his thumb.
After the eight commanders each led five thousand soldiers to set off, Ling Rucheng went to inspect the progress of the other teams, and then returned to the commander tent.
After sending away all the attendants, Ling Rucheng unfolded the note that Chen Jingzong had given him, and saw ten words written on it – eight scouts to prevent possible collaboration with the enemy tonight.
Ling Rucheng frowned. The rebels were at the end of their rope. At this time, the imperial army could only wait to receive rewards according to their merits. Which fool would risk killing their own nine generations by collaborating with the enemy?
It was impossible, Ling Rucheng felt that Chen Jingzong was too cautious.
But to give Chen Jingzong face, he secretly dispatched eight scouts and asked them to quietly follow the eight vanguard armies, especially to monitor whether there were any changes in each vanguard army tonight.
.
The mountain road was rugged. Chen Jingzong, Ma Hong, and Lu Chengliang led the five thousand soldiers of the Daxing Left Guard, silently and quickly on their way.
Ma Hong held a topographic map of Wuduo Mountain that he had drawn last night. After a short break at noon, he walked for a while. Ma Hong looked at the commander who was far ahead, and then looked at the topographic map in his hand, ran over and said: “Sir, are we going in the wrong direction?”
Chen Jingzong grabbed the topographic map and said, “This road is close, you all hurry up.”
Ma Hong:……
He guessed that the commander was eager to make meritorious deeds!
After walking like this for an hour, Daxing Left Guard met Jiyang Guard on the next route.
The soldiers of Jiyang Guard were very happy to see the brothers of Daxing Left Guard.
In last year’s 26-guard martial arts competition, Jiyang Guard was originally going to ranked fifth from the bottom. No, because Daxing Left Guard, who had always been last place in the past, scored high in the first two games, Jiyang Guard was temporarily ranked fourth from the bottom. Unexpectedly, in the last round of the competition, Prince Consort led the four bottom guard stations to win together, and Jiyang Guard won the third place for the first time.
On this expedition, Jiyang Guard participated in the battle under the identity of the top five guards!
The soldiers of the two guard stations were friendly with each other. Di Su, the commander of Jiyang Guard, also regarded Chen Jingzong as a good brother, even though at the age of 34, he was ten years older than Chen Jingzong.
“Why did Prince Consort come here?”
Walking side by side at the front, Di Su asked with a smile.
Chen Jingzong said: “To be honest with Brother Di, my right eyelid has been twitching since this morning.”
Di Su: “Every time we fought before, I saw you fighting at the front, but you still believe this kind of thing?”
Chen Jingzong: “Our old lady used to be a big believer in Buddhism. I would rather believe it myself. After all, it’s the last battle. It would be too frustrating if something happens at this juncture.”
Di Su nodded: “That’s the truth, then let’s go together.”
Chen Jingzong: “You lead the troops to follow us to the outside, it’s safer.”
Di Su shook his head and laughed, only thinking that Chen Jingzong was too young.
.
It was already the seventh day of Tenth Month, the sun had set early, twilight had fallen over the mountains, and the wind had become chilly.
The half-circle moon emitted a watery moonlight, but it was obscured by the dense forests scattered throughout the mountains, making the mountain road blurry and indistinct.
Chen Jingzong and the others persisted until the first watch, and then found a sheltered place to rest.
They were walking northeast of Wuduo Mountain.
Qi Jin’s Jinwu Vanguard was outflanking the Black Dragon Pond from the southwest of Wuduo Mountain. Although Qi Jin was young, he had several expedition experiences, so Ling Rucheng arranged for the Jinwu Vanguard to walk second on the left vanguard near the middle of the mountain. The team, in this position, may also encounter the main force of the rebels.
During the day, Qi Jin also walked at the front. At dusk, he deliberately led the soldiers a little away. The soldiers thought he was looking for a place to rest tonight, so they didn’t question anything.
After nightfall, Qi Jin climbed up a tree, which was quite far away from the mountain col where the soldiers settled. His reason was to be on night watch.
He had led these 5,000 soldiers for several years and had the comradeship after several expeditions. Naturally, no one suspected that he had ulterior motives. Instead, they admired the commander’s perseverance in keeping vigil at night.
When it was almost midnight, Qi Jin climbed down the tree silently. He left his heavy armor on the tree, wearing only a dark robe and a piece of black cloth covering his face.
He headed toward the rebel camp that he had spied at dusk.
The evening wind blew the tree trunks, and the rustling sound covered up the sound of his footsteps.
His hurried figure sometimes appeared on the mountain road, sometimes blocked by the shadow of trees.
There was a slight sound of branches snapping from behind, short and abrupt.
Qi Jin’s footsteps didn’t pause for a moment. He walked forward as if without any awareness.
After going around a mountain wall, Qi Jin suddenly stepped back and stood close to the mountain.
Not long after, a dark figure sneaked over. Just as he tentatively stuck his head out, he suddenly bumped into Qi Jin’s approaching figure.
The moment the scout was stunned, Qi Jin made a move, grabbed the person out neatly. He used one hand to hold the opponent’s left hand behind his back, and another arm across the opponent’s neck, strangling him back.
This was a fatal move. The scout said in time while he could still make a sound: “Sir Qi, please show mercy! I am the scout sent by Commander Ling!”
Qi Jin’s face was expressionless: “Really? Why didn’t the scout go search for the rebels and instead followed me?”
The scout’s thoughts were racing, but before he could find a reasonable excuse, Qi Jin suddenly broke the other person’s neck.
Qi Jin carried the dead man on his back and continued moving forward.
The rebel camp was heavily guarded. Qi Jin kept his distance. He first bled the scout and wrote a line on his middle coat. Then he took off the bow and arrow on his back and shot at the nearest rebel patrol!
The moment he startled the other party, Qi Jin, like before, vanished like a ghostly apparition.
The patrolling rebels quickly sent the found arrow and the dead scout to Prince Jing’s tent.
Prince Jing then sent someone to call Guo Jixian. As for Prince Yu, he was treated like a prisoner in the army.
“Here, it was tied to the arrow.” Prince Jing handed a thin bamboo tube to Guo Jixian.
This was commonly used by homing pigeons. Guo Jixian took out the note and saw that it read crookedly: “Tomorrow at sishi (9-11 am), Chen Fourth Master will cross Baihe Ridge, can be taken as hostage.”
Judging from the handwriting, it should be written with the left hand in case the note was traced back and revealed the identity of the owner.
Prince Jing opened the scout’s coat, revealing the middle coat with blood characters on it, which wrote: “This person is a scout of the imperial court, and I am a secret chess player. We may join forces in the future.”
Guo Jixian looked thoughtful.
There was a wolfish light in Prince Jing’s eyes: “Chen Jingzong has two identities. If we capture him alive and use him as a hostage to force Ling Rucheng to withdraw, even if that girl Hua Yang, Empress Dowager Qi, and the little emperor can be ruthless, can Chen Tingjian bear to lose another son?”
Guo Jixian: “I’m afraid this is a trap set by the imperial court to lure our army to Baihe Ridge.”
Prince Jing: “So what if it’s a trap? Do we have any other way to survive now? Either way, we will die. Catching Chen Jingzong is the only way to survive.”
Guo Jixian thought for a while and said: “That is not entirely true. In this case, I will send 10,000 people to Baihe Ridge overnight. It is best to catch Chen Jingzong. But if we fell into an ambush, Your Highness still has 30,000 elite soldiers.”
Prince Jing nodded repeatedly: “This plan is very appropriate!”
Guo Jixian looked at the note in his hand and wondered, “I wonder who the person who sent this letter.”
Prince Jing sneered: “There are so many officials in the capital. Some are licking Chen Tingjian’s boots, while others are eager to replace him. What’s so surprising? Well, hurry up and mobilize your troops. Tell them to move faster. Everyone will be rewarded if they’re successful.”
Guo Jixian nodded and left in a hurry.
Prince Jing then ordered his confidants to spread the news about the capture of the imperial scout, completely obscuring the source of the news. As for the bloody clothes on the scout and the note, after Guo Jixian read it, Prince Jing burned them all.
The enemy of his enemy was his friend. No matter whether this friend would help again or not, he would be happy to keep such a villain who could betray the court for personal gain.
.
Chen Jingzong and the others took a sleep, ate some dry food at dawn, and then set off again.
The weather was gloomy today, the red sun was hiding behind the clouds, and the wind was getting colder.
When he came to a mountain top, Chen Jingzong stopped, looked at the topographic map in his hand, and said to Di Su: “Let’s go down here, the mountain range at the front is Baihe Ridge, and ten miles beyond Baihe Ridge, we will reach Jiulong Pond.”
Di Su rubbed his hands excitedly: “Then let’s go quickly. This time we will block the rebels’ retreat and see where they can escape.”
Chen Jingzong: “But I think there seems to be murderous intent over there in Baihe Ridge.”
Di Su smiled: “Okay, even at such a young age, you can see a murderous intent.”
Chen Jingzong: “Look at the terrain, it’s very suitable for an ambush.”
Di Su: “But if the 40,000 rebels can really get here faster than us, they would have already gone to Funiu Mountain. How dare they ambush us here?”
No matter how powerful Guo Jixian was, he would not dare to confront the imperial court’s hundreds of thousands of troops with 40,000 soldiers. At this time, escape was the top priority.
In short, Di Su did not agree that there would be an ambush in Baihe Ridge.
Chen Jingzong smiled and said: “Be careful and you can steer your ship for a myriad year. Even if our efforts are in vain, it will only delay us slightly and there is no loss.”
Di Su: “Okay, what are your plans?”
Di Su’s willingness to cooperate with Chen Jingzong was not simply due to his identity as the prince consort and the son of cabinet elder, but because although Chen Jingzong was young and sometimes spoke in a somewhat unruly manner, from the initial martial arts competition to this war supressing the rebellion, Chen Jingzong had shown his courage and strategy many times. He alone had convinced Di Su regardless of his age.
Chen Jingzong looked at Baihe Ridge again.
He didn’t know whether her unforeseen prediction would actually happen this time.
But Chen Jingzong would rather believe it. He made all these preparations so that if he was ambushed, he could go back to see her alive safely and not let her cry so fiercely again. At the same time, Chen Jingzong was also responsible for the five thousand soldiers of Daxing Left Guard. He would rather be laughed at by Ling Rucheng and Di Su for being too timid and worried, but he also wanted to try his best to ensure the survival of everyone in Daxing Left Guard.
If the plan goes well, they would not only be able to lead Jiyang Guard to perform meritorious service in advance, but also catch the person who deliberately leaked his whereabouts.
