[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling":3,"chapter-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-209":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Top Scholar of Da Ling",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289044,4475,"Chapter 209: I Have a Plan","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-209",209,"\u003Cp>Wang Leyuan knelt on the ground, begging with a pained expression. Jiang Mingyu watched his face and secretly felt satisfied. He smiled warmly and said, “Brother Wang, you’re a reasonable man—rest assured, I, Jiang Mou, won’t make things difficult for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held up two fingers and said softly, “Two paths—choose one: either join me, Jiang Mou, or go back home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My current goal is Lanzhou. If you return to seek out Zhong Nianyu, and we meet again in the future, you won’t be so lucky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu knew clearly that Wang Leyuan and his men bore no deep grudge against him; there was no need to exterminate them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating for a long while, Wang Leyuan exchanged a glance with the other surrendered soldiers and finally spoke: “Lord Jiang, we’re willing to follow you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Fei Hou is plundering and killing everywhere—even if you returned home, you couldn’t live in peace. And going back to Zhong Nianyu? Losing Dingdong means you’d be walking straight into death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exactly the answer he expected. Jiang Mingyu nodded in satisfaction: “Good! Tukesiluo, integrate them into our army—but keep a close eye on them. Don’t show favoritism!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the men left, Zhang Jiaqi asked worriedly, “My lord, letting them join so quickly—what if they secretly collude with Zhong Nianyu? Isn’t that dangerous for us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu laughed heartily: “Jiaqi, don’t worry yourself! I’ve got it under control—and I trust Tukesiluo won’t let his guard down. Let’s just focus on taking Xiawei!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi wrinkled her nose in displeasure: “Why spare their lives at all? Just kill them all—it’d be cleaner. We have plenty of troops; we don’t need these surrendered soldiers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu shook his head and explained: “Jiaqi, you’ve overlooked one crucial point. Our goal isn’t just Dingdong, a small town—it’s the entire Lanzhou!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang Leyuan grew up here—he knows every mountain and river in Lanzhou. That’s an advantage we lack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi suddenly understood and nodded: “I get it—my lord wants Wang Leyuan and his men to be our guides?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu gave a satisfied hum: “Exactly. And more importantly, we’re about to attack Xiawei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang Leyuan is Zhong Nianyu’s trusted lieutenant—he knows Xiawei’s defenses inside and out. With his help, Xiawei will fall without fail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if he does harbor treacherous intentions, we can kill him anytime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Jiang Mingyu speak with such confidence, Zhang Jiaqi’s lips curled into a faint smile. She thought to herself: This Lord Jiang truly is a master strategist. Seeing him so calm and composed, Xiawei’s fall is imminent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu had just settled Wang Leyuan and his men into a clean inn to rest, and he himself intended to close his eyes for a brief nap. After days of traveling by night and fighting by day, he was utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had barely sat down when Tukesiluo rushed in, reporting: “Brother, Dingdong is fully under our control. The townsfolk are quiet and obedient—no resistance. Shouldn’t we rest a few days before moving on to Xiawei?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu frowned and shook his head: “No! I’ve said it before—we’re deep in enemy territory. If we delay, Zhong Nianyu, that old fox, will sense something’s wrong. When he mobilizes troops to surround us, we’re finished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Send someone immediately to Huicangzhou—tell Zhuge Yu to send men to hold Dingdong. He’s steady and can keep order here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, tell Gou Dan to dispatch scouts immediately to gather intelligence on Xiawei. See if Zhong Nianyu has noticed our movements. Once Zhuge Yu arrives, we strike Xiawei!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A round trip to Huicangzhou takes at least five days—plenty of time for everyone to rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo knew Jiang Mingyu was a meticulous man. If he said this, there was reason. He bowed and went out to issue the orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu added: “From now on, cut off all contact between Dingdong and the rest of Lanzhou. No merchants or civilians may enter or leave. We must lie low—keep Zhong Nianyu from detecting our presence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only then can we launch a surprise attack on Xiawei while he’s unprepared—and win by unexpected means.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiaqi, you’ll handle this. You’re clever—you know how to manage all kinds of situations. But be extremely careful. Don’t let anyone spot a flaw.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi accepted without hesitation and turned to carry out the order. She had absolute trust and admiration for Jiang Mingyu. She knew he was a man of great ambition, never willing to abandon his goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted to fight beside him, to witness his glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, all preparations were complete. The sky gradually brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu yawned widely and told Tukesiluo: “The most urgent task is recruiting troops. There’s plenty of silver in Dingdong’s treasury—go recruit thirty thousand new soldiers. Move fast.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrendered soldiers are cowards—useless for holding the city. Without fresh blood, once they leave, Dingdong becomes an empty shell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo’s eyelids were nearly shut, dozing in his chair. Hearing Jiang Mingyu’s order, he blinked sleepily: “What? Brother, what did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu, seeing how exhausted he was, didn’t scold him. Everyone had been fighting nonstop for days—they were all drained. He patiently repeated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo finally woke up, mumbled “Got it,” and went off to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dingdong remained quiet these days—only a few individuals defied Jiang Mingyu’s orders, insisting on leaving to trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi cut them down with one swift stroke—clean, efficient, problem solved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, no one dared cause trouble again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until Zhuge Yu’s men arrived in Dingdong, everything remained orderly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu was just about to see who Zhuge Yu had sent, when a familiar face walked in. He was startled—the man was Xing Shiyeh, the private secretary of Wang Zhe, the corrupt official who had extorted money from him before. But now Xing Shiyeh bowed low, respectfully saying: “My lord, I’ve been sent by Lord Zhuge to take over Dingdong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the day Wang Zhe surrendered, this secretary had fallen with him. But Jiang Mingyu had been too busy advancing west to pay him any attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had no fondness for this corrupt official, since Zhuge Yu had sent him, there must be a reason. Jiang Mingyu interrogated him sternly to see if he had truly changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xing Shiyeh’s conduct was satisfactory. Jiang Mingyu nodded in approval: “From today, Dingdong is yours. Do your best—your reward won’t be just silver.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xing Shiyeh immediately kowtowed: “Brother, rest assured—I’ll give it my all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu was now at ease. People could change—what mattered was giving them a chance. With Zhuge Yu’s and his own guidance, he believed Xing Shiyeh would no longer be greedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dismissing Xing Shiyeh, Tukesiluo reported: “Brother, the thirty thousand new soldiers are all recruited!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu was startled: “So fast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesiluo, weary, replied: “When you’ve got silver, nothing’s impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, Li Goudan entered: “Brother, the scouts sent to Xiawei are back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu called him in. A scout, covered in dust, stepped forward: “Brother, Zhong Nianyu doesn’t know we’ve taken Dingdong. He’s been fighting Xu Zhanhong fifty li outside Xiawei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Mingyu didn’t understand, the scout explained: “Xu Zhanhong is a famous rebel leader with over thirty thousand men—he’s second only to Zhong Nianyu in Lanzhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A few days ago, he marched to Xiawei’s gates, declaring he’d seize the city and drive out Zhong Nianyu. Zhong Nianyu flew into a rage and immediately led his troops out to fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve clashed several times with no clear victor—now they’re locked in stalemate. No one knows who’ll win.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded thoughtfully and murmured: “Zhong Nianyu still has over thirty thousand troops—so Xiawei’s garrison is only ten thousand or so. But since Zhong Nianyu is close by, as soon as we arrive, he’ll rush back to defend it. How do we handle that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought for a moment, a gleam flashing in his eyes: “I have a plan—this will capture Xiawei in one stroke and leave both Zhong Nianyu and Xu Zhanhong crippled.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1323,"2026-06-20T03:28:18.279Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c26f8ecf38d0f80e4caf334350439d4a3d279e149c052cef4dc3ca503b865f9a","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-210","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-208",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]