Jiu Tian Sui (25)

While Chu Feng Qi was busy, Du Chao Gong's secrets fell into the hands of Chu An's private army.

Chu An dispatched men to monitor closely. Xu Ming Zhan ordered them to intentionally expose flaws in the surveillance, forcing Du Chao Gong into disarray and to move earlier than planned.

Now that the strategy had begun to take effect, Chu An, feeling restless, asked, "Will they truly move to Fucui Imperial City as you said?"

The youth sucked on a candy, muttering, "Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Chu An did not understand Xu Ming Zhan's character, merely thinking he was naive, and couldn't help but question, "The dam construction schedule has been moved up, but refugees are overflowing. Using them to create chaos, I fear, might provide an opportunity for the army to escape."

Du Chao Gong's original plan was precisely that. He had arranged the chaos with extreme subtlety; no one could possibly suspect that the refugees were, in fact, disguised private troops. Moreover, the martial monks in the temples, outwardly appearing entirely unsuspicious, were mostly trained in hidden places, making it truly difficult to distinguish them based solely on appearance.

"Is the crucial point whether they can escape or not?" Xu Ming Zhan bit down on the candy, appearing utterly helpless, "Just send people to monitor them. As soon as there's any movement, follow my plan to capture them all, then kill them without leaving any future trouble."

Chu An said coldly, "Several thousand men, if I could recruit them for my use, wouldn't that be a great asset?"

The youth looked at Chu An as if he were looking at a ghost, "Can you even stomach them? I don't even want to mention the soldiers by your side; they are all mere pawns sent by the old emperor. It would be a stroke of luck if you could win. You haven't even considered how you can reasonably hide these soldiers in the current situation; you are not as wealthy as Du Chao Gong."

The words were crude, but the meaning was not wrong. Chu An's face flushed crimson upon hearing them, then turned pale, and finally as black as the bottom of a pot, "Then let's do it your way."

Xu Ming Zhan casually hummed in agreement, biting the last piece of candy, and said, "Remember not to reveal my existence. Outwardly, just say I am your retainer. Remember that."

Chu An thought he was merely afraid of exposing his identity as a strategist, so he agreed immediately, beginning to ponder how to completely swallow those soldiers.

They could be disguised as refugees and taken in, gaining some reputation in the process, only costing a bit of money for a superficial show.

While Chu An was in a muddle, Xu Ming Zhan received news from his spies that the private army had set out, and a premonition of ill omen arose in his heart.