Chapter 918: False Intelligence Lures the Enemy, Calculating Through Both Sides' Minds

"The number of garrison troops at the city gate is consistent with the secret report, a team of twenty, and the shift change time is every two hours."

The leader nodded and dug out a thin piece of bamboo from his bosom, with densely packed marks carved on it.

"The city wall height is visually estimated at three zhang two, the number of crenels hasn't been counted clearly yet, need to go up to the city wall to see."

Another person took the conversation.

"The moat width is one zhang five, water depth less than two chi; if we want to attack by force, building a floating bridge is not difficult."

"Don't worry about the forced attack for now."

The leader tucked the bamboo piece back into his bosom.

"Our mission is to explore clearly the number and deployment of garrison troops in the city; don't worry about the rest."

"Then what to do next?"

"Act separately."

The leader pointed a direction for each of the other four people.

"You go to the East City Gate, you go to the North City Gate, you go to the West City Gate, and I and Old Five will go to the resettlement camp. Meet at the broken temple outside the South Gate before dark to summarize the intelligence explored."

The four people responded and scattered.

The leader and Old Five continued walking toward the resettlement camp in the west.

The resettlement camp was three li west of the city, and that piece of tents connected into one could be seen from far away.

The two walked to the camp gate, and an official wearing a green robe was standing there registering.

"Where are you from?"

"Grassland."

"How many people are left in the family?"

"Just the two of us, the others are all dead."

The official recorded a stroke in the register, lifting his head to look at them.

"Go in, pick the tents yourself; the porridge shed is in the middle of the camp, three meals a day, don't miss the time."

"Many thanks, official."

The two walked into the resettlement camp.

There were many people in the camp, tents densely arranged, leaving a few wide mud roads in the middle.

Refugees were everywhere, some squatting outside the tents in a daze, some surrounding the porridge shed waiting for the meal to open, and some children running around on the mud ground.

The leader lowered his voice.

"You go mix into the porridge shed side, listen to what these refugees are saying, and see if you can extract any news about the Xia Prefecture garrison."

"Understood."

Old Five turned and walked toward the porridge shed direction.

The leader turned around in the camp, found a more remote tent, and drilled in.

The tent was empty, with only a broken straw mat spread on the ground.

He dug out that bamboo piece from his bosom, and pulled out a piece of sharpened charcoal, drawing something on the back of the bamboo piece.

After drawing for a while, he held the bamboo piece up to look at the light penetrating through the tent seam, nodding.

The shift change time of the city gate garrison, the height of the city wall and the number of crenels, the width and water depth of the moat, all were recorded on it.

Just at this time, footsteps came from outside the tent.

The leader's action paused, and he hurriedly stuffed the bamboo piece back into his bosom.

The tent curtain was lifted.

Drilling in was an old man wearing a patched fur coat, hair white, face full of wrinkles.

The old man looked at him and smiled, revealing his teeth.

"Brother is also just arrived?"

The leader nodded without speaking.

The old man sat down beside him, digging out a dry, hard cake from his bosom, breaking half and handing it over.

"Eat, see you are also hungry enough."

The leader didn't take it.

"No need, I'm not hungry."

"Don't be polite."

The old man stuffed the cake into his hand, smiling until his eyes narrowed.

"Settled down here, everyone is family, take care of each other."

The leader clutched that piece of cake, looking at the old man.

The old man was still smiling, his eyes narrowed into a slit.

But the leader suddenly felt that there was something wrong with this smile.

Just when he wanted to open his mouth to say something, footsteps came from outside the tent again.

This time the footsteps were very dense, and getting closer and closer.

The leader's complexion changed.

The tent curtain was violently lifted.

Five or six Mingjing Si scouts wearing green robes surged in from outside, each holding a saber in their hand.

The leader wanted to jump up, but just as he moved, someone pressed a dagger against his waist.

The smiling old man sitting next to him no longer had a smile on his face, and the dagger in his hand was steadily pressed against his kidney.

"Don't move."

The old man's voice changed, no longer the kind of old and hoarse tone, but carrying a coldness.

"If you dare to move, this knife can open a hole for you."

The leader froze in place.

Another person entered from outside the tent.

Gao Jiong.

He walked to the front of the leader, squatted down, that pair of cold eyes staring at the other party's face.

"People from the Qi State Shadow Department, mixing into my Xia Prefecture territory, your guts are not small."

The leader gritted his teeth, not saying a word.

Gao Jiong was not in a hurry, digging out a bamboo piece from his bosom, which was the one the leader had drawn marks on just now.

"The things drawn on this are quite detailed."

He turned the bamboo piece in his hand and looked at it against the light.

"Shift change time of city gate garrison, city wall height, moat width, and number of crenels."

He paused, lifting his head to look at the leader.

"What you want to do, this official knows clearly."

Cold sweat broke out on the leader's forehead.

Gao Jiong threw the bamboo piece on the ground.

"But this official won't kill you today."

The leader was stunned for a breath.

Gao Jiong stood up, patting the dust off his hands.

"Aren't you wanting to explore the reality of Xia Prefecture City? This official will let you explore enough."

He turned and walked toward the outside of the tent, stopping for one step when he reached the tent curtain, and looking back.

"Tomorrow morning, take him for a turn on the city wall, let him count the crenels on the city wall clearly, let him remember the shift change time of the garrison troops clearly, and then let him go."

The Mingjing Si scouts in the tent looked at each other, none speaking.

Gao Jiong lifted the tent curtain and walked out.

The old man withdrew the dagger from the leader's waist and patted his shoulder.

"Heard it? Tomorrow I'll take you for a turn on the city wall; you must look carefully, don't miss anything."

The leader sat there, the cold sweat on his face breaking out more and more.

Next morning.

City wall.

The leader was pushed by two Mingjing Si scouts, walking onto the city wall from the gate tunnel.

The garrison troops standing on the city wall were in full iron armor, long spears planted on the ground, their gazes staring straight ahead.

The leader was pushed to walk a circle along the city wall.

The number of crenels, the configuration of the garrison troops, the time of shift change, he saw them all clearly.

Not only saw them clearly, but those two scouts pushing him also stopped from time to time, letting him count more carefully.

"There are twelve more crenels here, counted clearly yet?"

"Counted clearly."

"That team of garrison troops over there, twenty-three people in total, saw clearly yet?"

"Saw clearly."

After walking a circle, the two scouts pushed him to the South Gate.

"Alright, seen everything that should be seen, go."

The leader was pushed out of the gate tunnel, standing on the official road outside the city.

He looked back at the city wall and turned to walk quickly toward the south.

After walking five li, he stopped at a broken temple on the side of the road.

The other four people were already waiting inside.

"How is it?"

The leader dug out that bamboo piece from his bosom, the marks on it more than double what they were yesterday.

"All explored clearly."

"The total number of garrison troops in Xia Prefecture City does not exceed three thousand; the main force was all taken away by Chen Yan."

"City wall height three zhang two, six hundred eighty-three crenels, garrison shift change time once every two hours."

"Moat width one zhang five, water depth less than two chi; if we want to attack by force, building a floating bridge can be done in half a day."

Another person took the conversation.

"I also explored the East City Gate side, the number of garrison troops is about the same as the South Gate, and the morale is not high; many people are complaining about the arrears in grain and pay."

"I saw several carts of grain and grass being transported out of the city at the North City Gate side; it should be sending supplies to Chen Yan on the front line."

The leader nodded.

"Enough, these intelligence reports are enough."

He tucked the bamboo piece away and turned to walk toward the outside of the temple.

"Immediately return to Jinyang and send these intelligence reports to His Majesty's hands."

The five people walked out of the broken temple and walked quickly away along the official road to the south.

In the shadow of the temple door, a young man wearing an old fur coat leaned against the wall root, watching those five people walk far away.

He turned and walked toward the direction of the city.

Xia Prefecture.

Governor's Office.

Study.

Chen Yan sat behind the desk, holding a secret report just sent up in his hand.

Written on the secret report were all the intelligence reports explored by the five Qi State suicide warriors, listed clearly one by one.

Gao Jiong stood in front of the desk.

"Zhuguo, those few Qi State suicide warriors have already left; Mingjing Si people followed all the way, confirming they left the Xia Prefecture boundary before withdrawing the team."

Chen Yan placed the secret report on the desk.

"Gao Ying seeing these intelligence reports, what will he think?"

Gao Jiong's corners of the mouth pulled.

"He will feel that Xia Prefecture is indeed empty; Chen Yan took all the main force away, and only three thousand old and weak garrison troops are left in the city."

Gao Jiong's voice echoed in the study.

Chen Yan picked up the tea bowl on the desk and took a sip, not immediately taking the conversation.

Gao Jiong waited for a moment, and seeing Chen Yan not speaking, added: "Those intelligence reports look too detailed, detailed to the point that even the number of crenels was counted clearly; if Gao Ying doesn't get suspicious, that wouldn't be normal."

"And then?"

Chen Yan set the tea bowl down, lifting his eyes to look at Gao Jiong.

"Then he will hesitate."

Gao Jiong walked forward one step, stopping in front of the desk.

"Does Zhuguo want to hear subordinate explain in detail?"

"Speak."

"Gao Ying, this person," Gao Jiong's tone became a bit slower, "subordinate has seen him a few times in Jinyang."

Chen Yan didn't speak, just looking at him.

"He is suspicious to the bone." Gao Jiong continued. "Back then he was the Ministry of War Langzhong of Qi State, and came to Zhou State twice with the mission. I saw with my own eyes that he even had his subordinates test for poison before drinking a sip of tea."

"The more easily obtained things look, the more he suspects there is a pit inside."

Chen Yan's fingers tapped once on the desk surface.

"What this Duke wants is for him to hesitate."

He stood up and walked to the window of the study, turning his back to Gao Jiong.

Outside the window was the backyard of the Governor's Office; the few locust trees in the yard were already bare, the bare branches swaying in the wind, making a faint sound.

"If Gao Ying really makes up his mind to attack Xia Prefecture, when would it be?" Chen Yan asked.

"At the fastest, it will take ten days." Gao Jiong thought for a while. "He has to mobilize troops, prepare grain and grass

"Ten days." Chen Yan repeated, "That is enough."

He turned around.

"By the time I return from the grasslands, even if Gao Ying makes up his mind to attack Xia Prefecture, it will already be too late."

Gao Jiong nodded, did not reply, and just stood there waiting.

Chen Yan walked back to the desk, did not sit down, but stood there looking at the secret report on the desk.

"What about the Turkic side?"

"Moheduo's envoy arrived yesterday, carrying a handwritten reply," Gao Jiong said. "He said the Turks are willing to form an alliance to attack the Rouran together and will send troops on time in five days."

"Just that?"

"There were some other words in the letter."

"Bring it here."

Gao Jiong took a folded silk scroll from his bosom, unfolded it, and handed it to Chen Yan.

Chen Yan took it and lowered his head to read it.

"What does the Pillar of State think of this letter?" Gao Jiong asked.

"What do you think?" Chen Yan did not look up and continued reading.

"Subordinate thinks..." Gao Jiong paused, "Moheduo's words are too pleasant."

"Oh?"

"Calling each other brothers, saying that the two countries should work together to attack the Rouran." Gao Jiong's tone carried a hint of mockery, "He even told the Pillar of State to feel free to attack from the south, and he would provide support from the west."

Chen Yan finished reading the letter and threw the silk scroll back onto the desk.

"Moheduo, that old fox."

He raised his head and looked at Gao Jiong.

"He speaks nicely, but I know very well what kind of bad ideas he is harboring in his heart."

Gao Jiong did not speak, waiting for Chen Yan to continue.

"Does the Pillar of State think he will send troops?"

"He will."

Chen Yan's answer was very crisp.

"With the bait of three thousand li of grasslands laid out there, it is impossible for him not to be tempted. Moheduo can calculate how many cattle and sheep can be raised on the grasslands better than I can."

He walked back to the desk and sat down.

"But he will never honestly fight according to my intentions."

"Then what will he do?" Gao Jiong asked.

Chen Yan did not answer immediately, but picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"On the surface, he will send troops to seize the grasslands; in secret, he will keep a unit of light cavalry patrolling on the flank."

"Waiting to be the oriole?"

"Correct," Chen Yan put down the teacup, "Waiting to be the oriole."

Gao Jiong's eyes narrowed.

"Subordinate understands; he wants to wait until the Pillar of State and Nuhe Ti have both suffered heavy losses to reap the benefits from the side."

"That is exactly what it means."

Chen Yan's fingers tapped on the desk twice.

"I have also met this man Moheduo," Gao Jiong said. "Five years ago, when the Turks came to the Zhou Kingdom to pay tribute, he came with the Khan; at that time, he was just the leader of a small tribe."

"What do you think of him?"

"Cunning," Gao Jiong said without hesitation, "More cunning than a fox. During that tribute, the other tribal leaders all knelt and bowed honestly, but he—he knelt, but his eyeballs were constantly turning."

"What was he looking at?"

"He was looking at the city defense layout of Chang'an," Gao Jiong sneered, "He thought no one noticed, but in fact, the Mingjing Si had already been keeping an eye on him."

Chen Yan nodded.

"However, since I dared to write this letter to him, I have already calculated these little schemes of his."

He stood up and walked to the sand table in the study.

Gao Jiong followed and stood beside the sand table.

"What is the Pillar of State's intention?"

"Moheduo wants to be the oriole, so I will let him be."

Chen Yan's finger traced on the sand table from the location of Xia Prefecture in the south to the Rouran Royal Court in the north.

"My six thousand elite cavalry will strike directly at the Royal Court from the south."