Chapter 452: Sacrificing the Flag

Latest website: Leting County.

After Zhong Li escorted three Hot Air Balloons to Qinzhou, he returned here once again.

Besides ordering the fleet to assist Bai Shang in harassing the Ningjin Dusi, he also had to receive the Northern Di spies captured by the fleet at sea.

"Your Highness, this is the Northern Di spy. We already interrogated him while on the ship. His name is Zhuoge, and he is a Deputy Commander of the Northern Di Black Iron Guard," Zhou Yi said.

Zhao Xu nodded slightly.

The three words "Black Iron Guard" were not unfamiliar to him.

Tuoba Lie, who had once conspired with the Zhang Family to kill him, was a member of the Black Iron Guard.

And a Commander at that.

"Your Highness? You are Yan Wang!"

At this moment, Zhuoge was being held by two men. Hearing Zhou Yi's words, he looked in astonishment at the young man of about seventeen years old before him.

Departing from Fanyang by ship, their vessel had been attacked by sea bandits in the waters of Leting County.

Outnumbered, they were captured.

Thinking of the rumors, he immediately realized that these were likely the sea bandits who had attacked their Northern Di fleet.

Moreover, the sea bandits' ships were extremely tall, which made him even more certain of this.

He had originally thought the sea bandit attack on the Northern Di fleet was merely a misunderstanding.

So, after boarding the ship, he tried his best to explain that the Northern Di were not targeting them, and even voluntarily revealed his identity in hopes of negotiating with the sea bandits.

He hoped to clear up the misunderstanding and persuade the sea bandits to work for him.

It was just that, at the time, the sea bandits had smiled very ambiguously.

He had even been quite confused for a while.

Now he finally understood; there were no sea bandits, this was just a smokescreen by Yan Wang.

The Northern Di fleet had been destroyed by Yan Wang's men.

Thinking of this, he could not help but feel a chill from head to toe.

"I didn't expect,

I truly didn't expect it. Yan Wang, you hid your intentions too deeply. You actually deceived everyone and built such Giant Ships," Zhuoge laughed bitterly.

He, the Yuan Family, and even the powerful clans of Da Song likely all knew that Yan Wang was secretly building ships.

But based on their understanding, what Yan Wang built were merely warships like Tower Ships.

Therefore, even if Yan Wang discovered their plan, he would be unable to stop it.

It was just that he could never have imagined that Yan Wang had built such large ships.

"That's right, is it very surprising?" Zhao Xu's expression carried a hint of mockery.

In front of Zhuoge, he did not hide his identity.

Nor did he need to hide his relationship with the fleet.

After all, having fallen into his hands, this Zhuoge had only one path: death.

A bone-deep hatred suddenly erupted in his gaze.

Zhuoge suddenly tried to rush toward Zhao Xu, but the soldiers guarding him immediately pressed him to the ground.

"Yan Wang, the deaths of one hundred thousand Northern Di soldiers will eventually be repaid with your blood! The great Khan will not only tear you into ten thousand pieces, but will also slaughter the entire North Four Commanderies from top to bottom, leaving not a single living soul!" Zhuoge's eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, his voice hoarse and desperate.

Along the way north, the floating corpses of Northern Di soldiers could be seen everywhere on the sea.

Every time he saw a Northern Di soldier's corpse, his hatred for Yan Wang grew a layer thicker.

"According to your logic, it is only natural for invaders to kill, and those being invaded deserve to die for resisting, is that it?" Zhao Xu squatted down and looked directly at Zhuoge.

"Yan Wang, do you not even understand the principle of the weak being the prey of the strong? What invasion or non-invasion? Sheep are meant to be eaten by wolves." Zhuoge's expression was gloomy, and he began to sneer.

Hearing this, Zhao Xu slowly stood up and said to Chang Wei, Bai Shang, and the other generals: "You all heard it with your own ears. After returning, tell these words to the soldiers under your command. Between us and the Northern Di, until one side falls, the war will not end."

He deliberately drew out these words to make the soldiers more determined to fight the Northern Di to the end in the future.

Then he said to Zhuoge: "However, there is one thing you got wrong. You Northern Di are wolves, but this Prince is a tiger, and a tiger that eats wolves."

Zhuoge's expression changed suddenly, "Do you think you can destroy my Northern Di relying solely on the strength of the North Four Commanderies?"

"I can, and I certainly will. But unfortunately, you will not live to see that day," Zhao Xu sneered repeatedly.

Looking toward Fanyang, he suddenly changed the subject, "The fake Imperial Guard was plotted by you and Yuan Li, right?"

Zhao Xu's words turned too quickly. Zhuoge did not react for a moment. After being stunned for a long while, he suddenly said: "Don't waste your energy. Back then, you didn't manage to interrogate anything out of Tuoba Lie, did you? Don't even think about getting anything out of my mouth either."

Zhao Xu had quite a bit of knowledge about micro-expressions in his mind.

He had even compiled this knowledge into the textbooks he gave to Xu Ke.

Pupils dilating slightly represented emotions like surprise, anger, or fear.

And when he stated this suspicion, Zhuoge's pupils had indeed dilated slightly.

"This Prince does not need you to admit it. Taking your hand to press a fingerprint on the Confession is enough," Zhao Xu said.

He knew very well that even if he held real evidence to Yuan Li's forehead, he would not admit it.

After all, based solely on Zhuoge's Confession, the Imperial Court would not convict Yuan Li.

Therefore, he did not care at all whether the Confession was true or false.

With Zhuoge and the Confession, he had a reason to send troops to crusade against Yuan Li.

After all, they were currently in the midst of a war, and he could act according to the situation.

Even if the Imperial Court investigated after the war, he could fully claim that he did it as a precaution.

"Lock him and Wulanba in the same prison, but remember to keep them separated," Zhao Xu instructed.

"King Wulanba is also..." Hearing these three words, Zhuoge's face turned ashen.

Zhao Xu ignored him further, instead turning to Chang Wei and saying, "Leaving forty thousand men at Yanguan is enough. You lead sixty thousand men to attack Fanyang; consider it a sacrifice of the flag for this operation on the east and west fronts."

There are 50,000 men in Yanshan, Bai Shang took away 50,000 men, and 10,000 men were left to garrison Feihu Pass; now there are 100,000 troops inside Yanguan.

"Yes, Your Highness." Chang Wei licked his lips, his smile full of cruelty.

The Yuan Family has repeatedly targeted them, twice attempting to assassinate Yan Wang, and twice plotting to seize Yanguan.

In his heart, he had long been itching with hatred for Yuan Li.

It will take a few days for Bai Shang to head north and harass the Ningjin Dusi again.

Taking advantage of this time, they can just deal with the Yuan Family.

Last time, when they weren't equipped with Flintlocks, they had already beaten the Yuan Family until they threw away their helmets and armor.

This time it will be even easier.

Moreover, because of the hatred for the Yuan Family, the Wangfu Army did not sell any Artillery to the Yuan Family at all.

Therefore, the current strength of the Yuan Family has not improved at all.

Having settled this matter, Zhao Xu and Chang Wei watched together as Bai Shang and the Wangfu Army boarded small boats to reach the Warships anchored off the beach.

After the Warships headed north, he and Chang Wei set off for Yanguan.

The Northern Di launched a coordinated east-west attack this time, and he also wants to launch an east-west coordinated attack on the Northern Di.

He wants to see who is more skilled.

The next day.

Zhao Xu and Chang Wei arrived at Yanguan, and Chang Wei immediately began to mobilize the troops.

This time they did not bring provisions, only Roasted Flour.

To him, it would not take long to deal with the Yuan Family.

At the same time, he also wanted to do the same as in Jinzhou, this time conducting a night march to suddenly appear beneath the walls of Fanyang City.

In the evening, Chang Wei ordered the main army to set out, disappearing into the twilight.