Chapter 112: Deciding on a Plan

Song Xing had become somewhat of a minor celebrity in Wuyang City, being one of Li Xian’s trusted confidants.

Not long after Song Xing left the Li family residence, intending to make a swift journey to Anyang overnight, he was intercepted. 

In the dead of night, along a desolate mountain road, a group of masked men dressed in black, numbering in the dozens, blocked Song Xing and his team.

Delivering messages was far from a safe task, and Song Xing’s personal guards were well aware of the dangers. In this chaotic period of Great Xia’s internal turmoil, countless couriers lost their lives every year, especially now during the fierce competition between the emperor’s sons. Rumors were circulating that some were deliberately targeting messengers.

“Song Xing, hand over the letter, and you may yet live!” A tripwire trap was suddenly sprung, forcing Song Xing’s party to leap off their horses as a dozen fine horses collapsed, neighing in pain.

In midair, without a word, Song Xing and his men summoned their flying swords. These were no ordinary weapons—they were top-tier magical artifacts, far surpassing the speed and sharpness of common flying swords. If not for the need to keep black iron secret, they would have been equipped with even stronger treasures, not just artifacts.

Even so, the ambushers were caught off guard; only one black-clad figure managed to flee in disarray.

Song Xing was about to give chase, but the remaining attackers held them off desperately, allowing their leader to disappear into the dark forest.

The battle ended swiftly. Song Xing took stock of the situation. “Those injured, return to the Li family estate in Wuyang. Leave behind half of the bullets and talismans. The rest of you, onward!”

Four of the soldiers were injured, leading the wounded horses and dragging several notable corpses back to Wuyang without further incident.

As for Song Xing and the rest, they continued on foot, relying entirely on their true essence to sustain them. However, they didn’t head straight for Anyang, as the journey was still over 1,500 li, too far even for cultivators at the Golden Core stage to endure in one go. Instead, Song Xing led his remaining forces to a small mountain village.

Upon entering the village and exchanging passwords, it took only the time of a cup of tea for the group to switch to fresh horses and set off once more.

But the ambushes continued. After only 100 more li, they were intercepted again by another group of black-clad attackers.

“Seems like they won’t give up! Kill them!” Song Xing flew into the air first, this time not just using his flying sword, but also talismans.

He scattered three talismans at once, all of them ice-type. A bone-chilling cold exploded outward, turning the surrounding area into a world of ice sculptures in an instant!

“How… can there be such… powerful talismans?” one of the more skilled attackers, likely at the Foundation Establishment stage, trembled. The freezing aura had already invaded his body, freezing even his true essence.

Song Xing sneered, “These talismans were made from Sea Soul Silk—of course, they’re powerful! Each one is worth 30 taels of gold. You died a worthy death.”

With that, the guards swarmed in, cutting down the frozen and defenseless attackers. Then they quickly pressed on. Along the way, Song Xing’s group encountered five more ambushes. If not for his decisive use of talismans, they would have been in real danger. Even so, several of his guards were killed.

By the time they finally crossed into Anyang’s territory, they had exhausted all their bullets.

When Song Xing finally saw the gates of Anyang Prefecture, he wiped the blood from his face, gritting his teeth. “If I find out who’s behind this, I’ll make sure they never know peace again!”

After delivering the letter to Xu Ren, Song Xing couldn’t help but ask, “Sir Xu, who do you think would go to such lengths to intercept our messages?”

Xu Ren shook his head. “There are too many possibilities. Even the Emperor’s own men could be behind it. But the most likely culprit is someone working for the Second Prince. Don’t worry, though, this grudge will not go unavenged. A gentleman can wait ten years for revenge if needed. 

“For your return trip, I’ll have people secretly follow and see exactly who dares to intercept Anyang’s messages. Now, go rest.”

Once Song Xing left, Xu Ren fanned himself thoughtfully before smirking. “Cornered beasts will do anything, but it’s pointless.”

Shortly afterward, Xu Ren gathered with Xia Qingqing, Yan Ze’an, Bei Chen Yuqing, Fang Shijing, Yan Zhengqing, and other military leaders for another discussion. Song Xing had delivered not just a letter from Li Xian but also one from Li Yulong.

A large sand table was placed in the center of the room, and Xu Ren began explaining the situation. 

“The state of Great Xia is precarious. Internal divisions are tearing the nation apart, while four neighboring countries lie in wait, ready to invade as soon as we’re sufficiently weakened by infighting. 

“We need to prepare for the worst. If Great Xia falls, we must be ready with a plan.”

The atmosphere grew heavy, especially around Xia Qingqing, who wore an expression of deep concern. In truth, Great Xia was already “a country in name only.”

Xu Ren pointed to Luliang County on the map. “That’s why we must swiftly build a strong power base. Our first target will be Luliang County. We’ll use it to establish our authority.”

Yan Ze’an frowned slightly. “Why not Zhongshan County? If we target Zhongshan, we can join forces with the Eldest Prince and launch a coordinated attack. 

“But if we go after Luliang County first, we’ll be fighting alone. To the south of Luliang lies Dongyuan County, where the Yuan family and the Second Prince hold sway. If we move on Luliang, we’ll be facing pressure from three counties at once.”

The others, including Bei Chen Yuqing, agreed with Yan Ze’an’s analysis. It seemed like the safest option.

But Xu Ren shook his head. “I chose Luliang County not just for reasons of my own, but also because the Young Master specifically mentioned it in his letter.

First, we must consider our advantages. We currently have five hundred locomotives, including 100 pieces of artillery, and these equipments are most effective in flatland battles. However, Zhongshan County is primarily mountainous, while Luliang County is predominantly flat.

Secondly, the eldest prince cannot act. He must prevent the threat from the Cai Kingdom and is also competing with the crown prince for control over the northern “Xin’an County.”

Thirdly, we need to consider the future. The young master is the young master, and the eldest son is the eldest son. Although the three brothers have a good relationship, our loyalty lies with Young Master Li Xian, not with the eldest son Li Liang or the second son Li Wei.

Fourthly, there is still the miracle created by industry: our ironclad ship research has succeeded! We have long reached an agreement with the sea tribe that our ships can operate at sea. Both Luliang County and Dongyuan County are by the seaside! Thus, the entire coastline will become our attack route! Backed by the sea and relying on naval artillery, we can quickly establish coastal bases!

Fifth, we have the supply line. With ironclad ships and agreements for movement at sea, the maritime supply line becomes much easier!

Sixth, military strategy involves deception. Since everyone believes we will first attack Zhongshan County, we should not attack Zhongshan County.

Therefore, after comprehensive consideration, the young master and I agree that we should first control Luliang County.

Once we control Luliang County, we will create a situation that surrounds Zhongshan County, causing it to collapse without a fight.

Some people in the room were shining with excitement at Xu Ren’s analysis, while others frowned in thought.

Suddenly, Beichen Yuqing pointed at Zhongshan County and said, “I think we should make a feint attack on Zhongshan County. It’s just right to have Zhang Pengfei lead the way…”

“Wait a minute!” Xia Qingqing suddenly spoke, her tone severe. “You have some nerve, daring to discuss the division of the Great Xia Kingdom in front of this princess?!”

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