Chapter 449: The Hungry Death Squad

Latest website: "Hot Air Balloon?"

After Zhao Xu spat out these three words, Xu Ke, Chang Wei, and the generals' eyes suddenly lit up.

"If we can use a Hot Air Balloon to rescue the Emperor, then everything will be simple. Without the Emperor in Xian City, the Northern Di will have no reason to continue the siege and will certainly withdraw their troops to save Ningjin Dusi. The crisis in Xian City can be resolved," Zhao Xu said slowly.

The generals had all seen the Hot Air Balloon; the Northern Di had absolutely no way to deal with this thing.

Moreover, after training, the soldiers operating the Hot Air Balloon were already able to control it to land precisely in a very small area.

Using a Hot Air Balloon to rescue the Emperor was not impossible.

The only trouble was how to transport the Hot Air Balloon to the vicinity of Xian City.

After all, the flight distance of the Hot Air Balloon was not very far.

"Your Highness's endless stream of strategies truly makes us admire you," Chang Wei said sincerely; he truly had not thought of this point.

If the plans for both the east and west sides were carried out simultaneously, they could truly break Mule Hongzhen's conspiracy this time.

Xu Ke frowned and said, "It's just that this Hot Air Balloon cannot fly far, and Xian City is three hundred li away from Qin Pass."

Zhao Xu looked toward Zhong Li and said, "Therefore, we still need a unit of Cavalry to hide by day and march by night, sneaking to the vicinity of Xian City."

Meeting Zhao Xu's gaze, Zhong Li puffed out his chest; he knew what Yan Wang meant. "Your Highness, this subordinate can go."

Zhao Xu nodded. This time, Zhong Li and Chen Hu had led the Cavalry deep into the Grassland to harass the enemy and already had experience in deep-penetration operations behind enemy lines. Letting him go, he could be a bit more at ease.

As for Chen Hu, the task of heading north with the fleet to strike the Northern Di's rear this time was his.

"Just like in Jinzhou, this time you can only carry ten days of dry rations. Win the battle quickly," Zhao Xu formally issued the order.

"Yes, Your Highness," Zhong Li shouted loudly.

Ever since coming under Yan Wang's command, he had always felt fortunate.

It was Yan Wang who led them to win battles, fulfilling his dream of crusading against the Northern Di.

Now,

like all the generals of the Prince's Personal Army,

he would unwaveringly execute any order from Yan Wang.

Zhao Xu revealed a satisfied expression.

Having settled this matter, Zhao Xu ordered the generals to return and prepare, keeping only Xu Ke behind.

Walking outside the Military Academy, Zhao Xu said to Xu Ke, "Right now, you must immediately spread the news of Wulanba's crushing defeat at sea and his capture to Ningjin Dusi. The bigger the commotion, the better."

Xu Ke nodded, keeping it in mind.

Yan Wang doing this was naturally to make the Northern Di panic, thereby allowing this rescue plan to be implemented smoothly.

"Also, it is time to close the net on the Fanyang affair. This time, I am going to properly deal with Yuan Li." Zhao Xu's eyes narrowed.

Last time he didn't manage to kill the Yuan Family; this time, even if he couldn't kill them, he would make them suffer a major blow from which they could never recover.

Most importantly, if he rescued Zhao Heng this time, even if he didn't have sufficient evidence to take down the Yuan Family,

Zhao Heng would likely have to endure it. Even if the merits and faults canceled each other out, he wouldn't blame him, right?

"My men have been keeping an eye on that Northern Di spy leader. As soon as he goes out to sea, I will pass the news to Zhou Yi," Xu Ke said.

Yuan Li had sealed Fanyang City, which only caused trouble for the transmission of intelligence.

But it did not affect the Four Courts members inside Fanyang City from keeping watch on the Yuan Mansion.

Moreover, after the Northern Di's plan to head south from the sea was confirmed this time, this Northern Di spy Commander was clearly much bolder.

Entering and exiting Fanyang was no longer as cautious as before.

He seemed very confident that he could take Yanzhou in one fell swoop.

Unfortunately, he was destined to be disappointed.

"Hmm, that is all," Zhao Xu nodded.

As long as he captured this Northern Di spy leader and forced a confession out of him, he would challenge Yuan Li and would not care how Yuan Li tried to argue his innocence.

The moment he colluded with the Northern Di and impersonated the Imperial Guard to try and take Yanguan, his fate was sealed.

……

Yanguan, Granary.

Baggage Carts seized from the fake Imperial Guards were parked in the large courtyard of the Granary.

At the entrance of the Granary, two sentry soldiers were preparing to relieve the two soldiers on duty. While passing by the Baggage Carts, they suddenly heard a faint "coo-coo" sound.

The two soldiers looked at each other, feeling a bit strange, but they didn't take it to heart and continued walking forward.

But after walking only a few steps, the "coo-coo" sound rang out again.

The expressions of the two changed; this time they heard it clearly.

This "coo-coo" sound seemed to come from the Baggage Carts.

Looking at each other again, the two did not speak, but continued walking forward.

Arriving at the entrance, the two quietly told the soldiers on duty about the situation they had discovered.

The duty soldier left immediately to report the news to his superior.

The superior then reported the news to Mo Yu.

"There is a sound inside the Baggage Carts!" Mo Yu was patrolling the city walls as usual; upon hearing this, he almost jumped up.

The news of Zhou Yi achieving a great victory at sea and annihilating the entire Northern Di army that had headed south had already reached here.

The soldiers of Yanguan were all extremely invigorated.

If a slip-up occurred at Yanguan at this time, not only would he, Mo Yu, deserve to die, but the reputation of his Mo Family would also be swept into the dust.

Realizing something, Mo Yu immediately mobilized troops to enter the Granary and surrounded the Baggage Carts.

Even if he were a pig, he would have figured it out by now.

The fake Imperial Guards and the fake Imperial Edict were merely a diversion; the enemy's true lethal blow was inside the Baggage Carts.

"Come out, how much longer do you intend to hide?" Mo Yu shouted.

He then ordered the soldiers to pull over a baggage cart.

At first glance, there was nothing unusual about this baggage cart.

Walking in a circle around the baggage cart, Mo Yu suddenly knocked on the bottom of the cart.

"Thump, thump."

A hollow and muffled sound came back, like knocking on a wooden box rather than a wooden board.

Mo Yu's eyes narrowed; he had truly been careless this time.

Beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he said, "Since you won't come out, this general will burn you all."

"Click." No sooner had his voice fallen than a sound suddenly came from the bottom of the baggage cart.

A soldier dressed in night-traveling clothes opened the floorboards as if opening a window and dropped from the baggage cart to the ground.

Seeing Mo Yu and the Wangfu Army, he did not raise his blade to kill, nor did he shout or scream.

Instead, he opened his cracked lips and said very weakly, "I surrender, give me something to eat, I beg you."

Ever since entering Yanguan.

They had been hiding in the baggage carts, waiting for Wulanba's great army to arrive at the Nanmen of Yanguan.

When the time came and Wulanba's Artillery sounded, they would emerge from the baggage carts that very night and open the Nanmen.

According to the plan, Wulanba's great army would arrive in at most a day or two.

But they waited and waited inside the baggage carts, yet they never heard the sound of the Northern Di's artillery fire.

At the same time, to avoid being discovered, they had brought no dry rations or water, fearing that the sounds of eating and drinking or the smell of food would leak out and give them away.

But five or six days had flashed by, and they still had not waited for anything.

They could endure one or two days, but five or six days had already reached the limits of the human body.

Finally unable to bear it any longer, their stomachs began to rumble like drums.