Chapter 1388

Fifty miles away, He Lingchuan had closed the door and was observing a sand table with Dong Rui. "Xue Zongwu is already on the road. I just received news that Xue Zongwu stayed in Qiu City; he should continue his journey this morning and enter the Yao Nation's territory by evening."

Then, according to He Lingchuan's plan, they themselves would also have to set off for the Yao Nation immediately.

The sand table had been made a few days ago, showing the possible paths Xue Zongwu might take from Shuangxi to the Yao territory; the mountains, rivers, and forests on the table were all crafted in great detail.

"Where do you intend to do the work?"

"Here." He Lingchuan pointed to the river within the Yao Nation's territory. "Tao Water."

Dong Rui examined the sand table: "If you aren't insisting on doing it within the Yao Nation's territory, this place is actually quite good, this... this Mother Rock Cliff?"

This was a long, narrow valley with towering peaks and steep rock walls. The sand table couldn't be detailed enough to mark every goat path, but Dong Rui could roughly guess that with reasonable deployment, it could be turned into a snake-skin bag, and then they could invite the guest into the bag.

He Lingchuan had long noticed this location, but shook his head upon hearing this: "Not suitable."

This terrain was like the Dragon Throat Pass in the Panlong world. Back then, in order to launch a blitzkrieg on the Western Ji Nation, General Hong had to send He Lingchuan and a few other small teams to infiltrate the Dragon Throat Pass first to seize the pass; otherwise, it would have been a desperate position that was easy to defend and hard to attack.

This kind of place had the advantage of "first come, first served"; whoever started the layout first occupied the geographical advantage.

Dong Rui was puzzled: "Why?"

"If even you think this is a prime spot for an ambush, don't you think Xue Zongwu can see it?" He Lingchuan was speaking the most obvious logic. "He has led troops for many years and hasn't set few traps for others himself; why would he walk into this treacherous place and give others the chance to ambush him?"

"Uh, can he choose not to walk it?"

He Lingchuan casually traced a path: "Detour sixty miles, travel by land first and then by water, and he can still enter the Yao Nation's territory. The journey is a bit longer, but it's safe."

"In the past, Xue Zongwu might have taken the Mother Rock Cliff route without thinking much; after all, there's only the logic of being a thief for a thousand days, not the logic of guarding against thieves for a thousand days." He Lingchuan shook his head. "But his accountant was robbed and killed a few days ago; although I did some cover-up work, there's no guarantee Xue Zongwu won't be more vigilant. How could he possibly take this dangerous road again?"

Startling the snake, indeed; those few men in black had acted too crudely.

"Uh, will Xue Zongwu really not take it?" After all, the Mother Rock Cliff was much closer, and people always have wishful thinking. "He can't be sure that someone there is plotting against him, right?"

He Lingchuan took out ten taels of gold: "Wanna bet?"

He intended to add a few dishes to tonight's meal.

Dong Rui thought for a moment and said sullenly: "Forget it."

He rarely won when betting against He Lingchuan; better not throw money away.

"A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall; knowing that the Mother Rock Cliff might be dangerous, Xue Zongwu won't go there." Xue Zongwu was in a hurry, but not *that* much of a hurry. Such a high-ranking and powerful general had a much keener sense of danger than ordinary people. "If someone is stupid enough to go there to ambush him, they'll likely end up empty-handed."

Only then did Dong Rui examine the location he had chosen: "What's so good about Tao Water?"

"You can tell from the name, right? The water network there is dense, which is best for you to utilize." There was no need to say everything; both knew He Lingchuan was referring to the Snail Toad.

The Snail Toad could only move at maximum speed and distance in damp underground environments; it was safe, efficient, and covert.

"I've inquired beforehand; generally speaking, from late spring to midsummer, the Yao Nation is a season of heavy rain and flooding. But that's generally speaking; occasionally there are dry seasons. If we want to be foolproof, we have to consider special circumstances. Outside Tao Water are three interconnected lakes, and the plains are full of ditches and streams. Regardless of whether we succeed, it's more convenient to escape afterward."

Killing isn't just about one burst of effort; He Lingchuan prioritized getting away unscathed.

"Additionally, although we can roughly calculate the route Xue Zongwu will take back to the capital, we can't be sure which cities he will choose to stay in. He comes from a military background and has high cultivation; it wouldn't be strange for him to travel a hundred miles and then find a place to spend the night."

Dong Rui scratched his head: "Yeah! So what do we do?"

They weren't the tapeworms in Xue Zongwu's stomach.

He Lingchuan smiled: "There is another way: look at the rules and human sentiments of officialdom."

"Huh?" As soon as human sentiments were mentioned, it touched Dong Rui's weak point.

"Over these years, the routes for military generals outside the pass returning to the Yao Nation's capital have been basically fixed; they are not allowed to change routes without authorization. If they encounter accidents like flash floods or landslides and truly need to detour, they must report to local officials and be escorted by the local authorities throughout the journey." This was the Yao Nation's regulation, which had been implemented for decades, and there was no need for Xue Zongwu to break the precedent.

"So on this route, there are some nuances regarding which places can be skipped and which places must be visited and stayed in." He Lingchuan told him, "There are those with influential clans, those with retired high officials, and some places where benefits can be obtained. Military generals are very likely to stay in these cities and counties, and the locals will also warmly receive them. Walking this path, one goes through all the human sentiments and worldly wisdom; the Yao King's birthday celebration itself is a big stage, and all kinds of people will go up to perform—it starts from the moment they begin their journey, not just when they reach the Yao capital."

Dong Rui listened for a long time and said "Oh": "So Xue Zongwu will definitely go to Tao Water, right?"

"The Feng family of Tao Water has produced three high officials in the past thirty years, and the current Left Chancellor is also a member of the Feng family. You tell me, should Xue Zongwu visit them while he's passing by?"

"He should." Dong Rui laughed, "If he doesn't go to Tao Water, he shouldn't go to visit anywhere else either."

Otherwise, it would be a handle for others to pick faults.

Hearing this, he also felt that the location He Lingchuan chose had its nuances. "At that time, Tao Water will be a mess, full of people and horses going to the capital for the birthday celebration. Once something happens to the one surnamed Xue, who knows which party did it!"

"Exactly." He Lingchuan's fingertip pointing at the sand table moved down. "When Xue Zongwu is in Tao Water, we must reach Dou County. That's a small place; it seems very close to Tao Water, but calculating the mountain roads, it's fifty or sixty miles away. I estimate that fewer dignitaries will choose to stay there, and the interference to us will be small."

They were foreign merchants, not military generals; they could go wherever they wanted and didn't need to follow the prescribed routes the Yao Nation set for military generals.

Timing, geographical advantage, and human factors—he had considered them all thoroughly.

Dong Rui felt that with He Lingchuan's meticulousness, this plan should proceed smoothly, as always.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and Jiang Lishui came in to report:

"The cargo and gifts have been loaded onto the carts, and the guard battalion is ready."

When He Lingchuan walked out, he saw Fan Shuang and several sturdy-looking strangers standing by the carts.

"Brother He, come, come, let me introduce you. This is the Imperial Guard from the Yao Palace, Commandant Zhao Song!"

Both sides exchanged greetings, and He Lingchuan smiled: "I'll have to trouble Commandant Zhao and everyone else for this journey."

With a wave of his hand, the chamber of commerce manager presented rattan baskets to the palace guards, one for each person.

(End of chapter)