Chapter 55: You have your plan, I have my ladder over the wall

"How could this be reasonable!"

"Do you think we're just for show?"

Upon receiving such a letter of accusation, Wang Deshun felt only shame.

Since someone wants to attack the Prince Consort's fiancée, this matter must be a secret; how could it easily be known?

In other words, the letter's author is very likely the bandit.

This is intended to startle the snake by beating the grass, a strategy to weary the troops.

"Commander Zhao, what do you think of this matter?"

Wang Deshun had the leader of the palace guards for this trip, Zhao Muqing, come to his carriage and handed him the received letter to examine.

"Eunuch Wang, when did you receive this letter?"

Upon seeing the letter, Zhao Muqing's expression grew somewhat solemn.

For such matters, it's better to believe they exist than to doubt them.

"Not before departure!"

"Just as we were leaving the city gate, I don't know who slipped this into our carriage."

Right under his nose, someone delivered a letter, yet he noticed nothing; for Wang Deshun, this is indeed rather embarrassing.

"Eunuch Wang, in your opinion, is this matter true or false?"

Zhao Muqing would rather believe it's true, but then they would have to mobilize the garrisons along the route.

But Zhao Muqing worries that their aim is precisely to draw out the garrisons.

Although Dayong is now peaceful and prosperous, among the populace there are always some who fear the world will not be chaotic. Especially those bandits of the Manichaean Sect, who from time to time carry out some deeds.

The court has expended great manpower and resources, yet the Manichaean Sect truly cannot be eradicated.

Each time they destroy an important stronghold of the Manichaean Sect and capture their so‑called Incarnate Maitreya, not long after a new Incarnate Maitreya appears.

If the captured Incarnate Maitreya has already been executed, then producing another Incarnate Maitreya could still be passed off.

But so far, the court has imprisoned more than a dozen Incarnate Maitreya in the great prison.

"We can't be sure!"

"But for such matters, you should believe they exist rather than doubt them!"

"If nothing happens, everything's fine; but if something does happen, both of us will lose our heads!"

Wang Deshun also hopes this is merely a prank.

But who would be so reckless as to dare pull such a prank?

"Eunuch Wang, this humble subordinate's view matches yours. But this humble subordinate worries that perhaps the Manichaean Sect is behind this."

"Calculating the Manichaean Sect's rebellions, it's been half a year since their previous Incarnate Maitreya was captured, and before that their disturbances occurred at intervals of half a year to a year!"

Hearing Zhao Muqing's analysis, Wang Deshun became completely unsettled.

If it truly is the Manichaean Sect causing trouble, then this group of ours really cannot withstand it.

"Then mobilize troops!"

Wang Deshun made a decisive decision.

"If the Manichaean Sect causes local turmoil, local officials handle it freely. But if the Prince Consort's consort comes to harm, neither of us will keep our heads!"

The way to survive in officialdom: let your fellow Daoists die, not your poor Daoist.

Moreover, even if their troop mobilization causes a little local turmoil, as long as there is justification, the Emperor will understand and not fly into a great rage.

"In that case, this humble subordinate will send someone to notify the garrison of Beautiful Jade Commandery to dispatch five hundred elite troops here!"

Dayong maintains garrisons in each prefecture, mainly to suppress local banditry.

Normally, a prefecture's garrison numbers at most a thousand.

These thousand are truly elite, and their provisions and pay are fully issued.

Besides this, every locality has a city defense force responsible for maintaining security and suppressing ordinary bandits. Once a sizable bandit uprising occurs, the garrison is deployed.

The Manichaean Sect's uprisings have always been met by the garrison.

This is because the Manichaean Sect's followers come from all walks of life, and even some of them are in the city defense forces.

"Five hundred soldiers are enough!"

Wang Deshun felt relieved at once upon hearing Zhao Muqing's words.

However, before Zhao Muqing sent his men off, Wang Deshun whispered a few words into his ear.

Upon hearing Wang Deshun's whisper, Zhao Muqing's eyes instantly lit up.

"Your Excellency's high insight!"

"Commander Zhao, don't praise us yet; wait until this mission is safely completed, then praise will not be too late!"

Wang Deshun laughed hehe.

People all have ambitions.

Even eunuchs have room for advancement.

But serving in the palace, achieving merit is not easy; without merit, to be promoted one can only accumulate seniority and rely on luck.

This letter of accusation, for Wang Deshun, is both a crisis and an opportunity.

If Zhao Muqing's guess proves correct, and the matter truly stems from the Manichaean Sect, then once they mobilize the elite troops of Beautiful Jade Commandery, the Manichaean Sect will surely cause trouble there.

At that point, their mission would at most end with no merit and no fault.

And that is not what Wang Deshun wants.

So he played with the details!

In ordinary thinking, having mobilized Beautiful Jade Commandery's troops, they would normally escort them all the way to the capital.

But Wang Deshun plans to do a relay instead.

They will mobilize the troops of Linlang Commandery, but at the same time, they will also mobilize half of the elite troops from the Jiangfu Commandery ahead to come and meet them.

Thus, when they are about to leave Linlang Commandery, the troops of Jiangfu Commandery will arrive, while the five hundred elite troops mobilized from Linlang Commandery will hide in place.

If the Manichaean Sect does not rebel, fine; but if they do rebel, just wait to be attacked from front and rear!

Zhao Muqing, upon hearing Wang Deshun's maneuver, also opened his eyes.

His previous idea was to use the troops of Linlang Commandery to escort them all the way to the capital.

He would think that way, so would the people of the Manichaean Sect break out of this mindset?

Zhao Muqing felt it was rather difficult.

The troop was not moving quickly.

On the third day after leaving Liu Cheng, the troops mobilized from Linlang Commandery City arrived.

With these five hundred elite troops as guards, plus their palace guards accompanying them, if Shen Yunyao were still to be kidnapped, he might as well just commit suicide.

"Cuiyu, wake up a bit these days!"

At the moment the five hundred elite troops suddenly appeared, Shen Yunyao felt that something was a bit off.

If nothing unexpected happens, why would they need so many troops to escort them into the capital this time?

……

As the troop slowly set off toward Jiangfu Commandery, at Linze City east of Linlang Commandery City, forces were gathering silently.

The Manichaean Sect that Zhao Muqing had guessed indeed appeared right here.

Regarding the letter to Shen Yunyao, it is indeed a tactic of the Manichaean Sect; the purpose is exactly what Zhao Muqing said, preparing to divert Linlang Commandery's elite troops, thereby achieving their goal.

When a thousand elite troops gather, the Manichaean Sect would find it hard to win, but if the thousand were reduced to five hundred, they would still have a chance.

As long as they destroy the garrison of Linlang Commandery, those city defense troops and even the government's constables would hardly be their opponents.

By then, the entirety of Linlang Commandery will fall under their control.

With commandery territory in hand, they can advance to attack and retreat to defend.

Even if they cannot match the imperial court, they can still let the court know that the Manichaean Sect is unbreakable.

(End of chapter)