Chapter 463: Decision to Head East

Once the order was given, the entire guardian system began operating efficiently, like a precision machine, with every gear starting to turn for the set goal.

The three-day deadline seems ample, but in reality it involves myriad details, requiring every second to be seized.

The next morning, still in that secret chamber, a more detailed plan had already begun.

A more detailed map of False Song's Shandong Circuit and the Liangshanpo vicinity was spread on the table, already marked with much information gathered by the Jing'an Bureau.

"Your Lordship," Qian Gui spoke first, his finger pointing to Yuncheng, Dongxi Village, Shijie Village, etc.

"Based on current intelligence, there are indeed several individuals worth noting near Liangshan."

"The chief of Dongxi Village, Chao Gai, is righteous and generous, loves to befriend heroes from all over, enjoys great prestige locally, and is known as the 'Heavenly King Who Holds Up the Pagoda'."

"On his estate there is a teacher of village studies named Wu Yong, courtesy name Xueju, full of strategies and schemes, known as 'Zhiduoxing', and he is very close with Chao Gai."

"In Shijie Village there are the three heroes of the Ruan clan—Xiao Er, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Qi—all skilled in water, deeply righteous fishermen."

"Furthermore, in the Yuncheng County office there is a chief clerk, Song Jiang, known as 'Black Third Brother of Filial Righteousness', also famed for righteousness and generosity, aiding the endangered and relieving the distressed, with wide connections."

He listed these key figures' titles one by one, which vaguely corresponded to the 'causality fragment' Chen Wen had obtained the previous night.

Shi Dun stared at the waterway layout of Liangshanpo on the map and said in a rough voice:

"Liangshan is surrounded by water on all sides, with vast reed marshes, easy to defend but hard to attack."

"If we are to contend with the Iron Crow Army here and try to influence those outlaws, military force is indispensable, but more importantly we need naval capability."

"Among those we select to accompany us, we must include those skilled in water and familiar with boats."

Chen Wen nodded and said to Shi Dun:

"This matter is for you to fully handle the selection and evaluation."

"Keep the number under twenty; they must be elite, with skill, loyalty, and adaptability—none can be lacking."

"For cover, we will pose as a northbound horse‑trading caravan; the relevant travel permits and goods will be arranged by Qian Gui."

"Understood!" Shi Dun and Qian Gui replied in unison.

Wang Ru then said:

"After infiltration, communication and information transmission are crucial."

"Within the Shandong Circuit, the Jing'an Bureau still has several hidden contact points, but previously it did not focus on the Liangshan area."

"This time we must activate and strengthen those points, while endeavoring to establish near Liangshan a new, more concealed information channel."

"I will allocate two agents skilled in secret writing and concealment, the 'Dark Sparrows', to accompany the team and handle this matter."

"Furthermore, the reception at the far end of the channel, as well as emergency evacuation routes in case of failure, also need to be planned thoroughly in advance."

Her considerations were extremely thorough, placing the safety and continuity of the operation in an important position.

Chen Wen nodded in approval.

"Very well. Everything will proceed according to your plan. Evacuation plans must be prepared in at least two sets, to cope with unforeseen events."

Zhang Cheng then, from a broader perspective, made a suggestion:

"Your Lordship personally venturing into dangerous terrain aims to break the stalemate, contend for power, and accumulate 'growth'."

"Therefore, in operational strategy, the initial stage should focus on penetration, observation, and guidance, striving to avoid direct, large‑scale clashes with the Iron Crow Army or the forces it controls."

"The focus is to ascertain the Iron Crow Army's specific deployment methods in Liangshan, identifying who are its pawns, even controlled pieces, and who can be won over and transformed."

"Under the banner of 'Northward Aspiration', we will subtly implant different seeds in the embryo of the 'gathering of righteousness'."

He paused, then looked toward Chen Wen.

"Especially that 'Zhiduoxing' Wu Yong, and the three heroes of the Ruan clan, who appear not yet fully drawn into any fixed trajectory, could serve as primary targets for contact and guidance."

Chen Wen deeply agreed.

"What Minister Zhang says is exactly my intention."

"A strong dragon does not overwhelm the local snake; moreover, here dragons and snakes are mixed, and the Iron Crow Army lurks in the dark."

"We go not to be a forceful army, but to become the 'variable' that stirs the winds and clouds."

"The key lies in the character 'guide': guide their hearts, guide their momentum, guide their strength, to be used by us, the plan to defeat the enemy."

Zhao Lao Nian, who had not spoken much until now, also produced his preparations.

"Your Lordship, this is the newly improved miniature 'Miasma‑Dispelling Device', with more concentrated effect, lower power consumption, easy to carry, and could possibly counter the 'yuan energy'‑eroding environment in the other realm."

"Moreover, there are several specially crafted self‑defense implements; though not heavy military weapons, they excel in ingenuity and could be useful at critical moments."

He pointed to several inconspicuous wooden boxes on the table and said:

Chen Wen glanced at them, nodded, and accepted them.

"Thank you, Minister Zhao. Though such technical items are not decisive, they can also add a measure of assurance."

The overall strategy was thus settled.

The filling of details, allocation of personnel, and preparation of supplies proceeded in the next two days with urgent bustle yet orderly precision.

Shi Dun carefully selected eighteen men from the army and the Jing'an Bureau's capable hands, each a man worth ten; among them were five with exceptional water ability who had served in the Jianghuai Navy.

Qian Gui had prepared a complete caravan identity, from horses and goods to the travel documents for the prefectures along the route, everything complete and seamless.

Wang Ru coordinated various resources, ensuring that the Light Curtain Passage could be stably opened at the designated time, and arranged the reception personnel.

Meanwhile, within the Chen dynasty, Zhang Cheng and Zhao Lao Nian began to take charge of coordinating all affairs after Chen Wen's departure, ensuring that this vast machine, even with its core temporarily absent, could continue to run smoothly.

Just as Chen Wen and his companions were busy preparing, the False Song side was also not a stagnant pool.

Eastern Capital Bian Liang, within the Imperial City.

The newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Li Yuan, stood in the hall, facing the sovereign Emperor Zhao Heng on the throne, expressing his worries about recent popular uprisings in various regions, especially the Shandong Circuit.

"... Your Majesty, the people become bandits mostly because officials are harsh and they are driven by hunger and cold. If one only knows to send troops to suppress, it is like carrying firewood to put out a fire—hardly a long‑term plan. My humble opinion is that we should hold local magistrates responsible, pacify and settle the people, lighten their corvée, ease their taxes, so that the populace can farm and weave, and then bandits will dissipate on their own."

His voice was clear and resonant, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.

Emperor Zhao Heng on the Dragon Throne, listening to Li Yuan's memorial, showed no joy or anger on his face, merely giving a slight nod, neither approving nor rejecting.

And in a shadowed corner of this prosperous imperial capital, beneath an unnoticed eave, several vague shapes, almost merging with the shadows themselves—'Shades'—stood still, gazing toward the palace gate, silently conveying the news of Li Yuan's audience with the emperor.

At the same time, inside a school in Facing River, Jiangxi Circuit.

A boy barely over ten years old, yet his eyes already revealed extraordinary intelligence and stubbornness, was holding a volume of the Mengzi, fiercely debating with the schoolmaster the matters of the 'well-field' and 'green sprouts'; his words were sharp, drawing sidelong glances from his peers.

This boy was none other than Wang Anshi.

The Chen Dynasty's Jing'an Office's hidden posts, like silent shadows, recorded all of this.

The wind of the era had already begun to flow in the minutiae, blowing toward an unknown direction.

On the third day, at dusk.

In the western border of the Chen Dynasty, beneath the light curtain.

Everything was ready.

Chen Wen, Shi Dun, Qian Gui, and the eighteen carefully selected elites had all changed into caravan attire, their horses laden with goods, standing silently before the passage.

After Zhao Lao Nian's continual refinements, the light curtain spanning heaven and earth now seemed somewhat milder than before, yet the energy flowing across it still exuded a heart-pounding oppression.

Zhang Cheng, Wang Ru, and Zhao Lao Nian came to see them off.

"Your Highness, take care in all things," Zhang Cheng said, offering a solemn salute.

"If you have need, the Chen Dynasty can at any time serve as your rear support."

Wang Ru handed over a small jade talisman.

"This is a specially crafted token; in an emergency, you can seek aid from the nearest outpost."

Zhao Lao Nian then performed a final check of the passage stabilizer, nodded at Chen Wen to indicate everything was normal.

Chen Wen's gaze swept over the three senior officials left behind, then he looked at the troops behind him, ready to depart.

He drew a deep breath and spoke in a low voice:

"Depart."

Without further words, he took the lead, stepping toward the light curtain's entrance that rippled like water.

Shi Dun and Qian Gui followed closely, the eighteen elites leading their horses in single file.

Their figures vanished into the light curtain, sending out ripples that immediately disappeared.

Zhang Cheng and the others stood where they were, watching as their figures were completely swallowed by the light curtain, until the passage entrance returned to calm, leaving only the light curtain's own eternal faint glow.

The western wind kicked up dust, sweeping across the wasteland.

A struggle over Liangshan Marsh had officially begun.

And Chen Wen, bearing the might of a breakthrough and newly acquired power, stepped onto this land destined for tumultuous storms.