Chapter 526: Wind and snow are coming [Bowing in thanks! Bowing again! Debt of chapters 47k]

Looking at the monk who was obeying the order,

Yelu Ying nodded slightly and continued:

"Before, it was reported that the matter of dealing with that extremely powerful new head of the Imperial City Department in Dengzhou, how is it going?"

"Replying to the Grand Princess, the message recently sent back says there is already a clue, but the news of success or failure has not been sent back."

"Then this head, what is his identity, what are his details and weaknesses, has it been found out?"

The monk frowned with a difficult expression and said: "It has not been found out. This person is like appearing out of thin air, and there is no trace in Bianjing."

Yelu Sun looked at the monk and asked suspiciously:

"Dharma Master, didn't you say a few months ago that there were people with high status and position in Great Zhou who took the initiative to form an alliance with us?"

"Those secret messages about military formation maps, military equipment, and supplies on the borders of the two countries are more detailed than those sent by the Maitreya chief disciple, and you can't find out the identity of such an Imperial City Department head?"

The monk looked at Yelu Ying's expression and, seeing that she didn't stop him, said: "Replying to Your Highness, that person said he could find out clearly, but there were conditions, and the Buddha-decorating platform didn't agree."

"What conditions." Yelu Sun asked.

The monk sat and bowed slightly and replied: "Let my Southwest Route Recruitment Division move feignedly, reinforce the city walls, and review the troops, making a posture of attacking Great Zhou."

"Southwest Route feigned movement?" Yelu Sun thought carefully about the implications inside.

Yelu Ying intended to train her younger brother and did not speak to remind him.

For a time, the hall was very quiet.

Half a quarter of an hour later,

"Troop movements, reviewing troops, it's just costing some money and grain! Being able to get rid of that Imperial City Department villain, in my opinion, is not impossible."

"As long as that guy is eliminated, it can be considered giving an account to Governor Jia."

On the way to Nanle County,

Beside the official road,

Xu Zaijing and his party's carriages and horses stopped there.

Not far away was a river,

By the river,

Zhi Que and Qingyun walked up from the river ditch carrying leather buckets,

The leather buckets were half water and half ice,

The two walked a few steps, came to an extremely simple earthen stove, and poured the ice water from the leather buckets into an iron pot.

The stove mouth was burning with wooden sticks they brought themselves, and also withered branches picked up from the side.

The ice water poured into the iron pot on the stove made the steam much smaller.

To the side, there were two other stove mouths, one was simmering meat soup, and the other was heating staple food.

In the distance,

Xu Zaijing and Zhao Meifeng were walking slowly.

After glancing at the stove area from afar, Zhao Meifeng shouted loudly: "Gao Yunqing, don't always let Zhi Que and the others go to fetch water, you guys help out too!"

"Yes!" Gao Yunqing's voice shouted out, coming from afar.

Zhao Meifeng waved his hand, signaling he knew.

At this time, Xu Zaijing beside Zhao Meifeng continued:

"Brother Zhao, you mean Elder Brother Taifeng, not long after going to Dengzhou, caught a big fish?"

"Not bad! Very big! After interrogating the servants with torture, it was said to be the eldest legitimate son of the Jia family in Lu Long Prefecture, Northern Liao."

Xu Zaijing asked suspiciously: "I know Northern Liao has the Zhao family of Lu Long, the Liu family of Changping, and the two Han families of Yutian. What is this Jia family of Lu Long?"

Zhao Meifeng's mouth raised a cold smile: "Hmph! The Jia family... Not many people in the court know about the Jia family. But if you ask the officials of our Imperial City Department or the Rongji Department, they all know."

Xu Zaijing nodded, and said: "Brother Zhao, since you put it this way, I understand. This Jia family must be the rival of our Great Zhou's espionage yamen, is it the leader of the Northern Liao Buddha-decorating platform?"

Zhao Meifeng shook his head while walking: "No, the head of the Buddha-decorating platform is either Northern Liao royalty or a monk. This Jia family presides over the Northern Liao Governor's Mansion."

"Our Great Zhou's spies and officials have suffered many losses in that Governor's Mansion! As long as they enter, not a single one comes out."

Xu Zaijing nodded seriously: "In that case, being able to catch this big fish of the Jia family can be considered paying back some blood debts!"

"Hmm."

Xu Zaijing said: "Then, this Jia family is so powerful, how did Elder Brother Taifeng lure him over?"

Zhao Meifeng's mouth raised slightly: "Definite intelligence from the Chuihuan Division of Bai Gao."

Xu Zaijing was at a loss, pondered for a moment, and said in an uncertain tone: "This Jia family and the Chuihuan Division have a blood feud?"

Zhao Meifeng nodded:

"Not bad, it can be said to be a deep blood feud!"

"The head of the Northern Liao Governor's Mansion is called the Governor. This Jia Governor who is in charge now has five sons. In the past ten years, two sons have died at the hands of the Chuihuan Division."

Xu Zaijing nodded: "That is to say, they died at the hands of Elder Brother Taifeng, no wonder!"

"After confirming back and forth several times, the eldest legitimate son of the Lu Long Jia family was fished into Great Zhou by my senior brother."

"This eldest son of the Jia family was quite decisive. After discovering it was a trap, he directly swallowed poison and committed suicide."

Xu Zaijing sighed: "A pity."

"Indeed!"

After Zhao Meifeng finished speaking, he looked at Xu Zaijing and said: "Fifth Young Master, after arriving in Nanle, I will go to Beizhou with Gao Yunqing and the others first to check in advance."

Exhaling white air, Zhao Meifeng continued:

"We are going to Beizhou just like this... Fifth Young Master, to tell you the truth, my heart has been drumming all the way."

"Brother Zhao, I will go with you."

Zhao Meifeng waved his

"Brother Zhao, with Zhang Shipan in Bianjing, if something really happens in Beizhou, by the time we leave the capital, we will likely have already alerted the enemy."

"Wulang, I am not going to find out anything! But if I don't go take a look, and we all arrive in Beizhou together, if something really goes wrong, I would be unable to shirk the blame even if I died ten thousand times."

After finishing, Zhao Meifeng glanced at Xu Zaijing again: "Since you, Wulang, are treating this as a battle, then in war, how can there be no scouts in the vanguard to gather intelligence?"

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing nodded gloomily.

Patting Xu Zaijing on the shoulder, Zhao Meifeng said, "Let's go, let's go eat."

Xijin Prefecture,

Northern Liao temporary palace,

Yelu Ying looked at her younger brother and said:

"Sun, I ask you, how do you view those from Great Zhou who are allied with us?"

Yelu Sun said: "Sister, they are mostly ambitious people from Great Zhou, nothing more than Great Zhou imperial clansmen or vassal kings."

"And what of their motives for allying with us?"

"Sister, perhaps they want us to pressure Great Zhou, and amidst the turmoil, provide cover for their own conspiracies?"

Yelu Ying smiled: "Sun, you guessed half of it! Do you know who kept me from agreeing to the conditions of those who came to ally?"

Yelu Sun shook his head.

"It was Governor Jia who advised me to refuse!"

"Ah? How could it be Governor Jia?" Yelu Sun looked surprised.

Yelu Ying nodded affirmatively: "Governor Jia said that the purpose of this condition is mostly to get the Great Zhou Marquis Yongyi back to the Northwest Army as soon as possible."

"Do you remember whose family the intelligence sent by those allies mainly concerned?"

Listening to his sister's question, Yelu Sun replied: "Mostly the Zheng family of Marquis Zhongjing and the Zhang family of Duke Ying!"

"Sun, there was intelligence before saying that because the Bai Gao nation was destroyed too quickly, some people in the Great Zhou court wanted to go to war with our Northern Liao! You should know the attitude of Duke Ying, Marquis Yongyi, and Marquis Zhongjing toward our Northern Liao!"

"Sister, these Great Zhou dukes and marquises, I heard, do not approve of starting a war immediately; they want to sharpen their weapons and horses and prepare more... Hiss!"

"Sun, have you figured it out?"

"Sister, if we followed this intelligence and attacked the subordinates of Duke Ying and Marquis Zhongjing, and people died, the attitudes of these two would likely change, and with Marquis Yongyi back in the Northwest, it would be equivalent to preparing for war."

Yelu Sun said with a serious look: "Therefore, Governor Jia advised not to agree to this condition."

Yelu Ying nodded: "Correct! If a real fight breaks out, there might be even more and better intelligence sent over, and if the casualties are high, the two countries won't be able to stop even if they want to!"

"But, Great Zhou wants to digest Bai Gao into its own strength and plot for the Sixteen Prefectures of Qin Yan Yun; we want to use Great Zhou's silk, porcelain, and tea to win over the Mongol tribes to increase our help and prepare to eliminate the Jin nation..."

"It's just like..."

Yelu Sun interrupted: "It's like two people bowing to each other while secretly sharpening their knives."

"Not bad."

"Then, sister, if we fight with Great Zhou, the one who benefits will be the Jin nation!"

Yelu Ying smiled, nodded approvingly at Yelu Sun, and exchanged a glance with the monk.

At this moment,

An eunuch walked into the hall with hurried footsteps,

Looking at the eunuch's expression, the atmosphere in the hall, which had just relaxed, instantly tightened again.

"What is it?"

"Reporting to the Great Eldest Princess and Your Highness, a pigeon message from Qizhou says that the Gao family of Laizhou has been raided by the Imperial City Department."

The seated monk stood up at once: "When did this happen? How did the news get out?"

"The Maitreya female believer who eliminated the leader of the Imperial City Department had her identity exposed and returned to the Gao family. After discovering something unusual yesterday morning, she took the Gao family's secret passage, fled back to Qizhou, and sent the pigeon immediately!"

Hearing this, the monk shook his head and sat back on the embroidered stool: "It's over, the Makeup Buddha Platform in Qizhou is likely finished too."

Yelu Sun said softly: "Surround three sides and leave one open, follow the vine to find the melon..."

Yelu Ying's tone was calm as she said sternly: "Order the Makeup Buddha Platforms around Qizhou to change locations quickly; I'm afraid that fellow will use the same trick again."

"As you command!"

After the monk stood up, he pressed his palms together in a salute and walked quickly toward the outside.

Night,

Xu Zaijing had already stayed overnight at the Nanyue County post station.

Xijin Prefecture temporary palace,

In the rear hall,

Yelu Ying was having dinner with her younger brother.

At this moment,

A lantern was carried as someone walked toward the main hall,

Because the person walking was too fast, the flame inside flickered back and forth.

After a quick report,

An old man over sixty years old, panting heavily, followed the eunuch inside, bowed, and said urgently: "Your Highness, Great Eldest Princess! Urgent report from the Governor's Office!"

Yelu Ying put down her chopsticks and wiped her hands with a silk towel: "Governor Jia, please speak."

Yelu Sun said: "Is there news from the Makeup Buddha Platforms in Qizhou and Dezhou?"

The old man lowered his head and said: "Reporting to Your Highness, no! Great Eldest Princess, urgent report from the Governor's Office: this afternoon, a unit under Duke Ying, and units under Marquis Zhongjing and Marquis Ningyuan, are gathering troops and moving south!"

"What?" Yelu Ying frowned and asked: "Moving south? Where are they going?"

"Reporting to the Great Eldest Princess, it is, it is, in the direction of Beizhou."

"Pa!" Yelu Sun slapped the table: "Damn it! The Maitreya chief disciple even said Great Zhou hadn't noticed?! The troops have already been mobilized!"

Yelu Ying took a deep breath and said in a low voice: "These places where troops are being mobilized are some distance from Beizhou; they can't arrive in one day! Governor Jia, what do you think should be done?"

The old man pondered for a moment and said: "Great Eldest Princess, although the timing is not ripe, if we just sit and wait to be captured, it will be of no use at all! This old minister thinks, why not... order the launch today!"

"Even if we can't delay Great Zhou for a long time as expected, it will inevitably tie up Great Zhou's energy, military equipment, and supplies, and they will need time to make further preparations! Doing something is better than doing nothing! Otherwise, they will sit and wait for death, wasting the gold and silver we spent!!"

Yelu Ying frowned as she listened, pondering without speaking.

"Great Eldest Princess, military intelligence is like fire; if we delay the order by a moment, they will have a moment more to prepare!" the old man urged.

Yelu Ying looked at her brother, and Yelu Sun nodded: "Sister, Governor Jia's words make sense! Beizhou is the hub; if the people in Beizhou are killed and their nest is destroyed, the other places will be unable to act alone!"

A moment later, Yelu Ying, having weighed the matter, said in a low voice:

"Order the Beizhou Makeup Buddha Platform and everyone in the Governor's Office to cooperate with the Maitreya Buddha son to close the Beizhou city gates, execute officials, and burn military supplies! In Hejian Prefecture, Daming Prefecture, Dezhou, Qizhou, Caozhou (modern Heze), and Bozhou (modern Liaocheng), Maitreya believers are to set fires and kill officials to create chaos."

"As you command!"

This night,

Above Xijin Prefecture, dozens of carrier pigeons flapped their wings and flew into the cold night sky.

Night

In Beizhou city,

There was no nightlife like in the metropolis of Bianjing,

The city was very quiet,

Only a few brothels still had lanterns lit.

But even there, the sounds of strings and pipes were gone.

"Dang dang, the first watch of the Xu hour (after 9 PM), burn charcoal and stoves, beware of fire poison!"

The watchman's voice echoed in the cold streets.

In front of a large gate with a 'Feng Mansion' lantern,

The gatekeeper was leading two sweating horses into the courtyard.

Clearly, this gatekeeper was someone who cherished horses, muttering as he walked: "Heavens, what kind of sin is this? Looking at you, you haven't rested the whole way! Look at all this sweat!"

"Coming to my house, you are lucky; my horse official will certainly serve you well!"

Inside the courtyard,

Lanterns were lit in the main hall of the outer courtyard.

Zhao Meifeng and Gao Yunqing, covered in dust, held hot tea in their hands and took sips from time to time.

Footsteps were heard,

And soon, a military officer who looked like he had been pulled from his bed lifted the curtain and walked in.

"What happened in the capital? Why so urgent? Is it that Grandfather..."

Looking at the disheveled and anxious military officer, Zhao Meifeng put down his teacup, took off his waist token, and said: "Master Feng, forgive me! The Duke of Cheng is fine! This official is Zhao Meifeng, a manager of the Imperial City Department!"

Hearing this, this Master Feng was stunned: "Imperial City Department?"

Afterward, Master Feng took the waist token and began to examine it.

After looking at the seal Zhao Meifeng handed over, Master Feng looked at Zhao Meifeng's appearance by the candlelight and nodded: "I saw you once before at Pan Tower in the capital!"

Saying this, after handing the waist token and seal back to Zhao Meifeng, Master Feng said: "Please sit, I don't know what brings Manager Zhao here?"

After Zhao Meifeng sat down, he said in a low voice: "Master Feng, you come from the second branch of the Duke of Cheng's family and serve as the military supervisor in Beizhou. This official wants to ask you, is there anything unusual or abnormal in Beizhou city?"

Master Feng frowned and said: "Manager Zhao, why do you say that! Unusual or abnormal? This prefecture is the northern granary of the world and a military stronghold; how could there be anything unusual!"

Zhao Meifeng ignored Master Feng's tone and said: "Then are you familiar with Zhang Shipan of the Zhang family?"

Master Feng's attitude relaxed a lot, and he nodded: "Their family has quite a lot of connections in Beizhou, and I have some dealings with him! Previously, Young Master Zhang Shipan worked in the Imperial City Department and caught many Northern Liao spies; in my heart, I am very grateful to him and the Imperial City Department!"

Saying this, Master Feng nodded at Zhao Meifeng as a gesture of thanks.

"Master Feng, is there anything abrupt in Beizhou city that makes you suspicious, or anything not commonly seen in the capital?"

Master Feng shook his head at Zhao Meifeng in confusion: "No."

At this moment,

Footsteps were heard again outside the main hall.

Zhao Meifeng and Master Feng both turned their heads to look.

"Husband, is there something unbearable to speak of in the capital?"

A woman who had entered the room with her personal nanny asked.

(End of chapter)