Chapter 84
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Mo Jiang followed Great General Wei’s finger and nodded. Since Wang Ye had provided them with the specific route, meeting them on their way was the most direct and effective approach.
Great General Wei continued, “The one thousand Elite Imperial Guards are almost here. To save time, how about you, Commander Mo, lead your troops to rendezvous with them, then you can all head to Xiqi Mountain together? As for our garrison, I’ll have people create a presence to the south, making the enemy believe that Wang Ye and his party are in the south. This will disrupt their surveillance and create a diversion, hopefully ensuring Wang Ye’s safe escape.
The overall plan had no loopholes, Great General Wei had thought it through thoroughly. Mo Jiang willingly accepted the order and immediately saluted. “Yes, we will depart right away.”
As the days passed without any news, Chacha Qi grew increasingly anxious. He had pledged to capture Duan Wang alive and bring him back. However, it had been quite some time, and there was still no sign of success. Worse, there was a flood of conflicting information, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. Just the effort to verify the authenticity of the messages consumed precious time. Acting on rumors had often led to fruitless endeavors, exhausting his forces and yielding no results.
Every day, the collected messages left him with a throbbing headache. Facing Hunle Wang, Chachaqi had to be cautious. Although he was known for his impulsive and reckless nature, he was not foolish enough to play with his own life.
“Your Highness, I’m truly incapable. We have information from all directions, yet it led to nowhere at all. What should we do?” Weary from their relentless efforts, Chacha Qi had to lower his pride to seek help.
Tuoba Ren frowned lightly, tapping his fingers absentmindedly on the table. “So, you’re saying there isn’t a single piece of accurate information about their whereabouts?”
Chacha Qi felt deeply ashamed as he reflected on the past. He had missed the opportunity to pursue them initially, leading to the current predicament. While he regretted his earlier actions, there was no chance for a do-over now.
“Wang Ye, our people have nearly combed every inch, but we haven’t discovered any trace,” he admitted.
“Cough… no traces at all? Are you suggesting that two grown persons could vanish into thin air?” Tuoba Ren slammed his palm on the table, followed by a coughing fit.
Chacha Qi hung his head, unwilling to speak. Song Lian stepped forward, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to him. Tuoba Ren took a few sips to calm down.
They brought a map to the table and, based on the locations where Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu had disappeared, along with their escape speed and time, Tuoba Ren drew a circle on the map. “Have you thoroughly searched these key areas?”
Chacha Qi nodded. “We’ve searched all of them. However, I heard that there’s been unusual activity in the Great Yan garrison. They’ve dispatched a large number of scouts to the south, even the Red Robed Army is moving southward. Could it be that these two have already gone south? If so, we should send a large army in that direction as soon as possible.”
The possibility existed, and Tuoba Ren considered the likelihood of this scenario. Initially, they had guessed that Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu might take the northern route to return to the Great Yan, based on the traces left behind. Consequently, they had concentrated their manpower on the northern route. However, now it seemed that their initial guess might have been wrong, those traces might have been a diversion while their real goal was the south.
The unusual activity among the southern garrison troops hinted at something. If they had indeed received information and were going south to rendezvous with Duan Wang, it was a possibility they couldn’t ignore.
Tuoba Ren was pondering whether to send additional troops southward when Song Lian spoke up, “Your Highness, I believe we should continue to increase our manpower and search further north.”
“What?” Chacha Qi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was evident that the Great Yan troops were heading south for a rendezvous. What was this man named Song thinking?
Tuoba Ren also looked at him, nodding to indicate that he wanted to hear more. “What do you say?”
Song Lian made a courteous gesture and said calmly, “Initially, I had some doubts, but the current situation seems to confirm that my judgment was correct.”
Chacha Qi was bewildered. “Could you explain clearly? What judgment are you talking about?”
Tuoba Ren was equally puzzled by Song Lian’s remark. Given the current situation, it appeared that the Great Yan troops were moving south, aligning with their initial assessment that Ming Yu and Xie Yixiu might be heading back to the Great Yan via the southern route. What was Song trying to convey?
“Your Highness, the Han people have a saying: ‘Feint to the East while attacking the West,'” Song Lian explained with a polite smile. “From my perspective, if these two individuals were indeed heading south, they wouldn’t have released false information here to create confusion.”
Chacha Qi still didn’t understand Song Lian’s words, but Tuoba Ren understood the key point after careful consideration. He said, “So you mean we were very close to tracking down those two before, but they managed to escape due to the deliberate false information they spread?”
“Exactly! Moreover, if they were truly coming to provide support, shouldn’t they have operated covertly? The movements of the Great Yan army seemed to deliberately draw our attention. With our focus shifted to the south, it allowed Duan Wang an opportunity to escape. It’s possible that their secret support team has already reached him,” Song Lian explained.
Tuoba Ren’s fingers tapped the table more urgently. “So you mean they might have been right under our noses, forced to release false information to confuse us, and divert our attention elsewhere. It’s a pity we couldn’t catch them.”
Listening to them talk, Chacha Qi found it unbelievable, as if he were hearing a fantastical tale. How could this be possible? He hadn’t even seen a single strand of their hair. The way they spoke, it was as if these two were standing right in front of them. This… this was simply beyond belief.
Tuoba Ren glared fiercely at Chacha Qi. “Useless. Issue the command: I will personally lead the troops to head north and investigate.”
Someone went to deliver the order.
Chacha Qi shrunk his neck, not daring to offer any objections. He hesitated for a moment and then said, “Wang Ye, the team you sent to invade the Great Yan has returned.”
Calculating the time, this team should have returned by now. They were originally sent to invade the borderlands of the Great Yan, primarily to distract the forces around Duan Wang. Now, they should have accomplished their mission and returned safely.
“Oh? Why hasn’t Nuha come to see me?” Tuoba Ren was puzzled. Logically, after completing their mission, Nuha should have reported to him immediately. Why did he send Chacha Qi with the news instead?
Chacha Qi glanced at Tuoba Ren and decided to tell the truth. “Wang Ye, the team that was sent out has almost none of them returning, and Nuha is seriously injured.”
It was only during his subordinates’ patrol that they discovered the injured soldiers, all of whom were in a sorry state. So they brought them back.
Although Chacha Qi and Nuha had their differences, seeing Nuha’s injuries still made him feel uneasy. After ordering medical treatment for the wounded and questioning the other members of the team, Chacha Qi learned the full extent of what had happened. Knowing the situation, he couldn’t help but feel resentful. The Southerners were indeed cunning; they were certainly not to be underestimated.
“What?” Tuoba Ren found it hard to believe. He became agitated for a moment but then controlled himself and coughed before saying incredulously, “How is that possible?”
They had dispatched some of their finest troops, even Nuha, a seasoned general, was leading them. Their capabilities were not to be underestimated. How could they have suffered such a catastrophic defeat? With their forces tying down the border garrisons and the Red Robe Army, this team should have been able to roam freely within the territory of the Great Yan, virtually unstoppable. How had they encountered such formidable opponents?
As far as Chacha Qi knew, the only ones who could have engaged that particular group of troops were the Guard Battalion of Duan Wang. He didn’t need to elaborate on how formidable they were. They had even come with the Imperial Guards from the capital city, and although they might not have been as skilled as the border garrisons, Chacha Qi believed that in a head-on confrontation, their own forces could have easily overwhelmed the Southerners. He couldn’t understand how these elite warriors had ended up suffering such a devastating defeat.
“What on earth happened?” Tuoba Ren’s temples pulsed with veins as he struggled to contain his anger.
Chacha Qi, after getting the information about their encounter with the enemy, hurriedly recounted the situation. He concluded, “It’s not entirely their fault. It’s just that the people from the south are too cunning. When we can’t beat them in open combat, they retreat into underground tunnels and strike when we least expect it. They bit down hard, it’s nearly impossible to defend against them. Moreover, our previous strategy of living off the land no longer works. The villagers in the borderlands have hidden their valuable goods and food. We can’t even loot half a grain of rice from their villages. Our soldiers were starving and weakened. It’s a miracle that any of them came back alive.”
Tuoba Ren, upon hearing this, struggled to catch his breath, his anger temporarily subdued. He had to swallow a pill with water to regain some composure.
He turned to look at Song Lian and asked, “Do you know about this situation?”
Song Lian frowned and nodded, “I heard about it when I was in the Great Yan. I heard that it was Duan Wang’s idea to have villages build these underground tunnels. However, I never thought that these tunnels could be so effective and cause such significant losses.”
Back then, he hadn’t paid much attention to this matter, thinking that Duan Wang was just acting impulsively, causing trouble and wasting resources. Now it seemed that Duan Wang was not as foolish as the rumors suggested. Perhaps he was incredibly shrewd. If that was the case, his intentions couldn’t be easily deciphered.
“So, does this mean that our future raids in the Great Yan to plunder people and food will become even more difficult?” Chacha Qi wore a troubled expression. Duan Wang seemed to be a master of causing trouble, devising such a cunning plan. Could they still rely on plundering to sustain themselves in the future?
In the past, their raids always resulted in bountiful harvests, with captured people, livestock, and plundered food supplies enough to sustain them for a long time. However, with the current situation, it seemed that they had lost their advantage in plundering. Simply avoiding further losses was becoming a more favorable outcome.
Tuoba Ren, clearly concerned about this as well, responded, “Send scouts to investigate first. We can discuss our countermeasures later. For now, the most pressing matter is to capture Duan Wang alive.”
While Chacha Qi went to make arrangements, Tuoba Ren turned to the contemplative Song Lian and asked, “Mr. Song, what are you thinking?”
Song Lian snapped out of his thoughts and replied with a faint smile, “I’m not thinking of anything in particular.”
Tuoba Ren narrowed his eyes slightly, suppressing the itchiness in his throat. He cleared his throat and shifted his attention to the map in front of him. He spoke in a deliberate tone, “Mr. Song, where do you think Duan Wang might be currently?”
Song Lian walked over and knelt in front of Tuoba Ren, his slender fingers tracing a line on the map, finally stopping at a point. “Perhaps they might cross this barren land and eventually reach Xiqi Mountain area,” he suggested. He hadn’t considered this possibility before, but now it seemed like a feasible route. “As for why they would choose such a path, it’s hard to say. This region is desolate, inhabited by wild beasts. It’s unlikely they would venture into Xiqi Mountain area, possibly even into the land of Wuliang.”
Tuoba Ren stared at the marked spot on the map for a while, then shook his head. “It’s a barren wasteland. Why would they choose that? Are they planning to cross Xiqi Mountains and enter Wuliang? That’s highly improbable.”
If it were me, I would never venture into that desolate land.
Song Lian smiled faintly, his expression light. “I’m just making a guess, Your Highness. As for whether they’ll head towards Xiqi Mountain, we can only check for traces along the way and analyze to determine their exact location.”
Tuoba Ren averted his gaze from Song Lian’s face, emitting a thoughtful “Hmm,” leaving his thoughts unspoken.
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