Chapter 543: A Thousand Gold to Buy a Horse

Yuwen Hu stood at the desk, took in the shocked expressions on Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze's faces, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he burst into a booming laugh, declaring heroically, "It is indeed the Fan Yang Lu Clan, one of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, that wishes to submit to our Great Zhou!"

The laughter made the copper bells on the eaves tinkle lightly, but it could not dispel Chen Yan's doubts.

His brows furrowed even tighter, his hands clenched the Secret Letter, his fingertips rubbing the edge of the paper, his expression solemn as he stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Grand Preceptor, has this news been verified?"

It's not that Chen is being overly suspicious.

Relying only on a single letter and its seal, it isn't very reliable, is it?

Yuwen Ze immediately stepped forward to agree, his tone carrying unhidden worry: "Father, A Xiong's words are absolutely correct!"

He paused, thought briefly, furrowed his brow into a river shape, scanned the map on the desk, and said gravely, "If this is a deceitful surrender plot by the Qi State and we blindly trust it, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

As soon as the words fell, he seemed to recall something, quickly clasped his fists, and added urgently, "Previously, the Divine Martial Emperor of Qi State was not short of such schemes!"

"One must be doubly cautious!"

Back then, Gao Shenwu was such a cunning villain!

Their specialty was betting curses and oaths, making the opponent spin in circles…

Do you not see the fate of the Erzhu?

Seeing the two's solemn expressions, each sentence hitting the point, Yuwen Hu's smile gradually subsided, yet he still carried a few degrees of confident composure.

He slowly raised his hand, signaling the two to stay calm, then laughed, "Both of you are so cautious; could your father be a blind person?"

Speaking, he lightly pressed his hand and said firmly, "Rest assured, it has been verified; this matter is absolutely certain!"

The two in the hall, hearing this, had their doubts slightly reduced, yet still retained some skepticism.

Yuwen Hu, seeing this, continued, "Moreover, the messenger is not a stranger; he is one of the two legitimate sons of the Fan Yang Lu Clan!"

Great families value the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children; the legitimate son has always been the family's future pillar, a treasured gem.

Now they let the legitimate son personally deliver the letter; this shows great sincerity!

Furthermore, using a legitimate son to feign surrender carries too high a cost…

Analyzing from a human nature perspective, the Fan Yang Lu Clan could not, for the Qi State and the Gao clan, reach this level!

Chen Yan heard this, first stunned, then a brilliant light suddenly erupted in his eyes.

His previously furrowed brows instantly relaxed, his mouth couldn't help but lift upward.

The solemnity on his face was replaced by uncontrollable excitement, as if he instantly smelled a huge hidden opportunity.

He suddenly turned to Yuwen Hu, his voice trembling with excitement, "Grand Preceptor, this will be a once‑in‑a‑thousand‑years opportunity!"

Yuwen Hu raised his hand, pointed to the two rosewood chairs opposite the desk, and said warmly, "You two brothers, stop standing, sit!"

"Yes!" Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze replied in unison.

Then they straightened their robes and slowly sat down.

Yuwen Hu's gaze fell on Chen Yan, his eyes full of expectation, and he smiled and asked, "A Yan, share your view!"

"What is a once‑in‑a‑thousand‑years opportunity?"

Chen Yan took a deep breath, suppressed his inner turmoil, pursed his lips, scanned the map on the desk, then turned to Yuwen Hu and said with profound meaning, "Grand Preceptor, the Fan Yang Lu Clan's surrender carries political significance far greater than the actual benefits that Shuo Prefecture alone brings!"

"This action will serve the function of a thousand gold to buy a horse's bone!"

"Even more so!"

The Fan Yang Lu Clan, one of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes!

This is a golden signboard!

"Exactly!" Yuwen Hu immediately nodded in agreement, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, his gaze like a torch as he said, "The Fan Yang Lu Clan in Hebei, and even among the world's noble families, has extremely high prestige; their influence is extraordinary!"

He paused, lightly tapped the desk with his finger, and continued, "It will cause the Hebei noble families to rally to our Great Zhou!"

Speaking to this point, he suddenly clenched his fist, knuckles turning white, his voice resonant: "This power far surpasses that of a hundred thousand troops besieging and pillaging!"

A Yan is practically on the same wavelength as him!

The campaign of a hundred thousand troops requires massive logistics and will incur casualties…

And this weakening of the Qi State's ruling foundation, the cost that Great Zhou would need to provide, can be ignored!

Further guiding the Qi people's hearts toward Zhou will make the future war against Qi much easier…

Yuwen Ze concentrated, listening to his father's and A Xiong's dialogue, from the political meaning of the Fan Yang Lu Clan's surrender, to the Hebei families' loyalties, to the far‑reaching impact on the great task of eliminating Qi.

Layer by layer, the analysis cleared like clouds parting to reveal the sun, making the fog that had clouded his mind suddenly vanish.

Then he slapped his thigh hard, a flash of enlightenment burst in his eyes, exclaiming, "So that's it!"

He raised his hand to his forehead, his face full of a clear, enlightened expression, gaining a few more insights into stratagems.

At that moment, Yuwen Ze truly understood that the contest for the world was not limited to battlefield swords and blades!

Learned something new!

Chen Yan heard this, his mouth corners slightly rose, he stood, smoothed his robe, then bowed with clasped fists to Yuwen Hu, his face full of smiles, his voice loud and sincere: "Congratulations, Grand Preceptor! Congratulations, Grand Preceptor!"

"This time the Fan Yang Lu Clan's surrender brings us one step closer to the great task of eliminating Qi!"

Yuwen Hu raised his hand and pressed, his tone carrying a few notes of steady caution: "Eh!"

A light rebuke cut off Chen Yan's congratulations, "This matter is not yet fully settled; although the Lu clan intends to surrender, the road ahead still has variables, so it's not truly a cause for celebration!"

As soon as the words ended, the smile on his face instantly faded, replaced by solemn dignity.

Those deep eyes stared tightly at Chen Yan, his tone heavy and firm: "A Yan, I, the king, wish to entrust this matter to you!"

Such an extremely important matter, concerning Great Zhou's national destiny, must be handed to his own chief aide, for Yuwen Hu to be at ease.

Chen Yan heard this, the smile in his eyes instantly faded, replaced by unparalleled seriousness.

He still maintained the clasped‑fist bow, his torso slightly leaning forward, and declared loudly, "I shall devote my heart and strength, and will not disappoint the Grand Preceptor's great trust!"

"We will safely escort the Fan Yang Lu Clan to Chang'an, win the Hebei families' hearts for Great Zhou, and solidify the foundation for eliminating Qi!"

Yuwen Hu looked at Chen Yan's resolute expression, hearing this resonant declaration, a pleased smile appeared on his face, he slowly nodded, his tone full of praise: "Good, this is exactly what I wanted to hear!"

Having said that, he turned and walked to the chair beside the desk, slowly leaned against the back, his fingers lightly tapped the armrest, his sharp gaze fixed on Chen Yan, and asked in a deep voice: "A Yan, how many troops do you need?"

"This support operation is no small matter; we must ensure not a single mistake!"

Chen Yan heard the words, thought briefly, his brows slightly furrowed, as if quickly weighing all the matters in his mind.

A moment later, a flash of certainty crossed his eyes, and he replied resolutely: "Two thousand elite Iron Cavalry will suffice!"

"Two thousand?"

Yuwen Hu heard it and muttered the number under his breath.

Immediately, his brows furrowed slightly, his tone carrying some worry, and he said gravely: "This time is unlike before; you will enter Qi State's territory, face Qi's pursuers, with numerous checkpoints along the way and danger everywhere."

"Two thousand Iron Cavalry, is that really enough?"

This was the first time Yuwen Hu felt that the troops allotted were too few....

After all, once the surrender of the Fanyang Lu clan is exposed, Qi State will inevitably spare no expense to block it, even dispatching a large army to encircle and crush.

A mere two thousand men and horses indeed seems rather thin.

Although Qi State's internal affairs are chaotic and class conflicts numerous, its military strength is extremely formidable!

Far beyond what the previous refugee armies and the Tuyu Hun could match!

One should know that in the early years when Taizu served as Grand Chancellor, the Yellow River's ice had to be broken each year, precisely to prevent Qi State's troops from launching sudden raids....

Moreover, Shuozhou is close to Jinyang, so it could not turn a blind eye and let A Yan succeed....

Beside them, Yuwen Ze couldn't help but agree: "Indeed, Brother, Qi State's forces are strong; two thousand Iron Cavalry may struggle to handle sudden situations. Better to dispatch more troops for support."

Even though Yuwen Ze trusted and revered his own brother's scheming immensely.

He still thought a more cautious deployment of forces would be better.

Chen Yan, however, smiled with confidence and said firmly: "Two thousand elite Iron Cavalry are more than enough!"

He paused, then shifted his tone and added: "However, I still require a large amount of bran..."

Yuwen Ze subconsciously whispered low: "Bran?"

The two characters twirled on his tongue, full of confusion.

Yuwen Ze furrowed his brows, his fingertips grazing the jade sash at his waist, and muttered to himself: "Brother wants this coarse stuff; what exactly does he intend to do with it?"

No matter how he racked his brain, scouring all marching and formation methods in his mind....

He still couldn't fathom how this seemingly useless bran could be useful in the crucial task of supporting the Fanyang Lu clan.

Unlike Yuwen Ze's confusion, Yuwen Hu, after listening, asked no further questions, his eyes full of approval and trust, immediately nodded and said loudly: "The local administration will fully cooperate with your needs!"

When his words fell, after a brief pause as if after deep deliberation, his gaze burned toward Chen Yan, and in a measured tone he solemnly said: "I, the King, again grant you authority over the military and civil affairs of the three provinces of Yin, Sui, and Yan. If you encounter indecisions along the way, you need not report in advance; you may act at your convenience!"

It was the familiar formula again... Chen Yan, hearing this, dared not delay, immediately bowed and clasped his fists, his voice respectful and firm: "Thank you, Grand Preceptor, for your great grace! I shall not disgrace the mission!"

Yuwen Ze couldn't help but blink, a wave of emotion stirring within, and muttered to himself: "I recall the Governor of Yinzhou; she seems to be the only female general of Great Zhou!"

In his thoughts, the silhouette he had once seen from afar involuntarily resurfaced in his mind...

Clad in silver armor brighter than snow, her posture upright, her brows exuding heroic spirit, she was the epitome of dashing elegance, starkly different from the usual gentle femininity, leaving an unforgettable impression.

Yet Yuwen Ze felt no worldly desire toward her at all...

"Such a woman is not easy to subdue!"

"Better to keep her at a distance!"

Just as Yuwen Ze's thoughts drifted, Grand Preceptor Yuwen Hu suddenly raised his hand, pointing at him, and loudly ordered: "A Ze, go together with your brother!"

"The miscellaneous affairs of Jing Zhao Fu shall be handed over to Liu Mu Zhi for handling!"

Yuwen Ze suddenly snapped back to reality, delighted, rose, clasped his fists, and shouted: "Your child obeys!"

Yuwen Hu seemed to recall something; a sly glint flashed in his eyes, a playful smile tugged at his mouth as he looked at Chen Yan and reminded: "By the way, Ye Dudu's term in Yinzhou has already expired....."

"A Yan, when this mission returns in triumph, you should accompany her back to the Capital together to report your duties!"