Chapter 569

Black Cloud Stronghold

The oil lamp in the quiet room burned all night, casting flickering shadows on Chen Wen's face.

The two dispatches spread on the desk, which he read over and over, each word pricking his heart like a needle.

Shi Dun

Swallow City

golden chains

black tide

Wang Ru

Facing Peace

noose

woodworm

too slow

The nurturing progress of the new token—distant water cannot extinguish a nearby fire.

northern harassment

He must do something

Even if it were only a letter, a few warnings, a firm and clear attitude coming from the distant north.

This perhaps cannot change the balance of forces, nor conjure up grain and arrows.

But perhaps, only possibly, to give that renowned general who is in dire straits, agonizing between loyalty to the ruler and service to the country, a bit of confidence to support his decision, or a warning bell to startle his doubt.

prepare paper and brush

Chen Wen

The guards quickly spread out the specially made thin, tough paper and ground thick ink.

Chen Wen

He showed no hesitation whatsoever, his brushstroke like a knife, the characters revealing sharp edges, utterly unlike his usual steady style.

Peng Ju General

Northward Aspiration Chen Wen Zhong

Yue Fei

Swallow City

Iron Pagoda

Central Plains

Chen Wen Zhong

Northward Aspiration

good news

northern lands

Central Plains

southern side

Facing Peace

linked orders

Jin cavalry

gold

Jin army

True Stability

Great Unity

False Qi

Han family

Northern Expedition

"Third, likewise the most perilous—internal corruption has stirred, disaster arises from close aides."

Writing to this point, Chen Wen's brush paused, and the ink spread slightly on the paper.

script reading

Huang Guang

"General, you have straightened military discipline, yet even the most careful plans have one oversight. In the vital grain and materiel logistics, petty villains may lurk, their resentment growing daily, their movements secretive. They may be lured by profit or coerced; their aim is not to disrupt the army but to frame you! General, you must investigate, you must swiftly judge!"

"The ancients said: 'When the general is away, the sovereign's orders may not be obeyed.'"

These nine characters

Imperial court

Battlefield

Three armies

Central Plains

the masses

Chen Wen Zhong

Swallow City

Yangtze-Huai region

Northward Aspiration

northern lands

ten days

Swallow City

Yue

Northern Expedition

Central Plains

Northern Expedition

countless living beings

"My words end here, my heart burns fervently. I hope the general will consider carefully, act decisively, and take care!"

Northward Aspiration Chen Wen Zhong

Black Cloud Stronghold

Heaven blesses the loyal and good

Put down the brush

Ink traces

Chen Wen picked up the letter, quickly skimmed it once more, confirming that every warning and every suggestion were clear and correct.

sealing wax

Secret mark

The visitor

Deputy Yang

Thus we don't need to list "Deputy Yang" as a name; we will translate.

Your Majesty

"This letter." Chen Wen handed over the secret letter, his expression unprecedentedly stern, "It must be sent via the fastest, most secret route to Shi Dun's hands, for him to personally deliver it to General Yue Fei. No matter what happens on the road, the letter stays with the person; if the letter is destroyed, the person dies."

Deputy Yang received the thin yet weighty letter with both hands, placed it close to his body inside his inner pocket, then carefully wrapped it in oilcloth.

Gray Falcon

"Three days... too long." Chen Wen furrowed his brows, "But it is the limit. Go, be careful everywhere."

Yes!

Deputy Yang said no more, clasped his fist in salute, turned and vanished like a civet cat silently into the darkness before dawn.

quiet room

Only the occasional soft crackle of the oil lamp's flame bursting.

by the window

The icy morning wind poured in, dispersing the room's stagnant air, and also cleared his somewhat muddled mind from staying up late and high tension.

On the eastern horizon, a thread of extremely pale fish-belly white appeared.

But most of the sky remained shrouded in deep indigo.

The letter has been sent

But to cross thousands of mountains and rivers, evade possible checkpoints and surveillance along the way, and safely deliver it to General Yue Fei's hands still requires at least three days.

Swallow City

Facing Peace

Will those urgent edicts become four, five, or more?

Have the internal worms already completed their "letter of allegiance"?

Will the Jin army's total offensive be launched ahead of time?

Everything is unknown.

What he can do is only to continue applying pressure in the north, and pray that his southern companions can endure this most critical three-day waiting period.

"Brother Pengju..."

He gazes at that faint light, murmuring to himself.

"The letter is already on the way."

"Please... hold on until it arrives."

At the same time.

Yancheng

Yue Fei had just finished another difficult entanglement with the angel's attendants.

Returning to the grand tent, he didn't even take off his armor, but leaning against the edge of the table, he slowly sat down.

Endless fatigue, not only from the body but also from the spirit.

That feeling of alone bearing the army's expectations while having to face the cold blades from the rear almost broke his spine.

On the desk, those three yellow silk edicts lay like three death talismans, silently resting there.

Beside it were the latest loss reports from each department, urgent memorials about dwindling supplies, and reports that the arrow stockpile was exhausted.

Also… a secret report from Zhang Xian about the recent "irrational" conduct of Wang Jun, deputy commander of the baggage corps.

Although there is no solid evidence yet, that vague unease, like a cold, dark vine, twines around his heart.

He closed his eyes, his fingers pressing hard on his throbbing temples.

Retreat?

Once the order is given, morale will collapse instantly, the Jin army will pursue and crush them, and defeat will be almost certain.

Hold fast?

How long can the supplies last? How long will the arrows hold out? What will the next imperial edict be? When will the internal hidden dangers erupt?

Loyalty to the sovereign? Service to the nation?

These two equally heavy words collided violently in his mind, sparking painful sparks.

He instinctively reached into his bosom and grasped that jade pendant.

Cold.

Nothing unusual.

Mr. Shi Dun on that side, Mr. Chen of Northward Aspiration on that side—do they know that Yancheng has reached the very edge of the cliff?

What… can they still do?

Yue Fei does not know.

He only knows that time is slipping away bit by bit.

And with each passing moment, the walls of Yancheng seem to grow a fraction weaker; the chill from the direction of Lin'an draws nearer by an inch.

He must make a decision as soon as possible.

A decision that might earn him eternal infamy, yet perhaps could save more brothers' lives and keep a spark alive for the northern expedition.

Outside the tent, the sky began to lighten.

A new day began.

For Yancheng and the Yue Family Army, this was yet another day of being tightly besieged, seeking a faint hope amidst despair.

And for that secret letter, currently being relayed south by three of the most elite night‑non‑stop couriers, braving countless hazards, this is merely the beginning of a perilous journey along its long delivery route.