Chapter 178: Wang Hao's Hidden Hand

After court was dismissed, Guo Rong did not return to the rear palace but went straight to the Ministry of Revenue.

This left everyone stunned.

At this critical juncture, the emperor did not return to the palace to prepare for war but went to a newly established government office whose offices were not even repaired—what is going on?

Inside the Ministry of Revenue, Wang Hao's office.

Wang Hao was standing before a huge sand table, working out something. The sand table was densely planted with small flags of various colors. This was a detailed map of the border region between Later Zhou, Northern Han, and the Khitan, drawn by him based on known information.

When he heard the eunuch's report that His Majesty the Emperor was arriving, he too was taken aback.

He quickly reacted and hurried forward to greet him.

"Subject, Wang Hao, pays respects to Your Majesty."

"No need for ceremony," Guo Rong waved his hand, indicating he need not stand on ceremony. He walked straight to the sand table, and his gaze was instantly drawn to it.

"This is... the terrain near High Plain?" Guo Rong asked in surprise.

On the sand table, mountains, rivers, roads, and villages were marked clearly. Even which valleys were suitable for ambush and which side paths could be used for sneaking through were indicated with red flags.

This was more detailed than the military map in the Privy Council.

"Yes." Wang Hao nodded. "I heard that Your Majesty intends to lead the army in person, and I was worried. So I took it upon myself to simulate the battle situation. This map incorporates the information I have heard, as well as some terrain data drawn by our Wang family during their mercantile travels. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"What crime? What guilt do you have?" Guo Rong looked at him with a complex expression. "You are sharing my worries."

He walked to the edge of the sand table and examined it closely; the more he looked, the more astonished he became.

Wang Hao not only marked the terrain with extreme precision, but also used different-colored pieces to indicate the possible marching routes of both sides, as well as the supply lines.

"In your opinion, how should we fight this battle?" Guo Rong could not help but ask.

Wang Hao pondered for a moment, then picked up a slender bamboo stick and pointed to a valley on the sand table.

"Your Majesty, this place is called Ba Gong Yuan. The terrain is open and level, favorable for our infantry to form ranks. Moreover, on either side there are two inconspicuous valleys where cavalry can be ambushed."

"I believe our forces can concentrate here. First, we will form a large infantry formation to meet the enemy head-on, wearing down their spirit. When they are fatigued, the cavalry hidden in the two valleys will suddenly surge out and crush them in one fell swoop."

"As for logistics..." Wang Hao then pointed to a winding river on the sand table. "This is the Qin River, which connects to the Yellow River. Our grain and supply wagons need not travel by land; we can provide a fleet from our Wang family to sail up the Yellow River and Qin River against the current, delivering directly to the front line. This way we avoid enemy cavalry harassment and guarantee uninterrupted supply."

Guo Rong listened and nodded repeatedly.

Wang Hao's deployment matched exactly what he had in mind; even in logistics, it was more thorough than his own considerations.

Although he still constantly recalled the late emperor's dying words, he could not dispense with the Wang family today—the performance of those incompetents remained fresh in his memory.

"Your talent outweighs a hundred thousand troops," Guo Rong sincerely exclaimed.

He looked at Wang Hao, and the suspicion born from his father's dying command unconsciously intensified a bit.

But he discovered that he really could not do without this person before him, who seemed to know what he was thinking and even to think of what he himself could not.

"Your Majesty overpraises me," Wang Hao said humbly. "I am merely talking strategy on paper. The true victory from a thousand miles away still depends on Your Majesty's wise decision."

Guo Rong smiled and did not continue the topic.

He shifted the conversation and said, "I have come today to entrust you with a matter."

"Please speak, Your Majesty."

"After I leave the capital, the safety of Kaifeng and the stability of the court will be entrusted to you and Fan Xiang." Guo Rong's tone grew stern. "Fan Xiang is advanced in years and manages affairs; he oversees the capital's troops, but I fear he may lack the strength. You must assist him from the side and guard against those with ulterior motives."

Although he did not say it outright, Wang Hao knew whom he meant.

Li Zhongjin, Zhang Yongde... these imperial relatives who hold military power.

Guo Rong, when he goes on campaign, will inevitably take most of the capital's elite forces with him. What remains are only the old, weak, sick, and disabled. If Li Zhongjin and others were to stir up trouble behind his back, the consequences would be unthinkable.

This is a hot potato; one misstep would offend a large number of imperial clansmen and nobles.

But Wang Hao hesitated not at all.

"I receive the order," he said calmly. "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. As long as I draw breath, I will allow no one to stir up even the slightest ripple in the capital."

He knew this was Guo Rong testing him, and also a sign of trust.

He had to accept it.

"Good." Guo Rong nodded. "I believe you."

He took a gold plaque from his bosom and handed it to Wang Hao.

"This is the Emperor's Command Gold Plaque. Seeing this plaque is as if I were present in person. The remaining troops in the capital may be mobilized by you."

Wang Hao received the heavy gold plaque with both hands, and his heart also sank. With only the old, weak, sick, and disabled left in the capital, what could he do if something really happened? Perhaps he could hold out for a few days, alas!

Meanwhile, in Li Zhongjin's mansion, a gloom hung over everything.

"Big brother, what are we to do?" Guo Rong that brat has actually handed over the authority of regent to Fan Zhi and that outsider Wang Hao! He clearly does not put us, his own kin, in his eyes at all!" said an imperial prince, indignant.

Li Zhongjin sat with a grim face, saying nothing.

How could he not know that Guo Rong was doing this to guard against him?

He had thought that Guo Rong's personal campaign would leave the capital empty, presenting the perfect chance for him to seize power. Who would have expected that Guo Rong would actually leave Wang Hao as a hidden move?

Although Wang Hao is a scholar, behind him stands the entire Jiangnan Wang family. Moreover, now that Guo Rong has gone to the Ministry of Revenue, who knows whether he might not leave Wang Hao some hidden cards?

To scheme under his nose is as hard as climbing to heaven.

"Big brother, are we really just going to let it go?"

"What else?" Li Zhongjin snorted coldly. "Do you dare to make a move right now? That smiling tiger Wang Hao would probably love for us to jump out. Then he could righteously wipe us all out!"

"Then... we can only watch helplessly as Guo Rong achieves unprecedented merit and secures the throne ever more firmly."

"Wait and see." A flicker of malice passed through Li Zhongjin's eyes. "On the battlefield, things change in an instant. Who lives and who dies is still uncertain."

"I want to see whether Guo Rong truly possesses the mandate of a true dragon son of heaven."

He lifted the wine cup on the table and drained it in one gulp.

He had already sent people to secretly deliver the movements of the Later Zhou army and Guo Rong's battle plans to Northern Han.

What he cannot obtain, others shall not even dream of obtaining.

He wants to see Guo Rong die on the road of the Northern Expedition with his own eyes.