Chapter 251: A Secret

At dawn, Jiang Jiang Mingyu assembled his troops in Lin'an City, ready to depart, and instructed Ge Ge Yangyu: "My army will march south today to attack Wenzhi; I entrust this place to you, Inspector, to guard properly."

Ge Ge Yangyu accepted the order with utmost respect, both men understanding each other without words. Soon, an army of one hundred thousand set off in grand procession. Ge Ge Yangyu watched them leave, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

During the march, Zhang Zhang Jiaqi caught up with Jiang Jiang Mingyu to request the vanguard position. But Jiang Jiang Mingyu had already promised this role to Tian Jiu and could not break his word. Zhang Zhang Jiaqi could not help but suspect that Jiang Jiang Mingyu still harbored resentment over past events.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu comforted her, saying, "You and I are like brothers and sisters; how could I hold onto old grievances? The vanguard position was always meant for General Tian."

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi had no choice but to drop the matter, pondering silently in her heart.

Not long after advancing, Tian Jiu came forward to propose an idea: "Could we first send a letter to threaten the defending commander, Hu Song, demanding he surrender Wenzhi City outright?"

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi deemed this move absurd and baseless, arguing that Jiang Jiang Mingyu's reputation had not yet grown so formidable. But Jiang Jiang Mingyu disagreed, instead praising the strategy effusively and ordering Tian Jiu to write the letter immediately.

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi, unable to fathom Jiang Jiang Mingyu's thinking, hesitated, intending to offer advice to dissuade him. But Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes turned cold; he stated, "My decision is final," and paid her no further heed.

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi felt deeply aggrieved, believing Jiang Jiang Mingyu now harbored resentment toward her and no longer trusted her. Just as she prepared to leave, Jiang Jiang Mingyu whispered softly in her ear, "I will come to find you during the third watch tonight; we shall speak face to face and clear everything up."

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi was completely baffled, unable to guess what scheme he was hatching. Only after nightfall did she await Jiang Jiang Mingyu's arrival in her tent.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu quietly entered Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's tent, finding her seated under the lamp, her face clouded with confusion and displeasure. He greeted her gently; Zhang Zhang Jiaqi turned her head, a flicker of surprise and wariness flashing in her eyes.

"What have you come for?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked coldly.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly, walked to her side, sat down on a chair, and said, "I have come to discuss today's events with you."

"Today's events?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi said mockingly. "Have you not made yourself clear enough already? You refused my advice, chose to heed Tian Jiu's opinion, decided to write a letter threatening Hu Song, and demanded he surrender Wenzhi City. What more is there for you to say?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head and said, "You misunderstand; I do not truly intend to write a letter to threaten Hu Song."

"Then what do you intend to do?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked, perplexed.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled mysteriously and said, "I intend to use this letter to probe Hu Song's intentions."

"Probe his intentions?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi grew even more confused.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded and said, "Yes. I wish to see what his attitude toward us is. If he truly fears us, he will reply begging for mercy or surrender directly. If he does not fear us, he will reply with a refusal or ignore us entirely. If he has reservations, his reply will be vague or delaying. In this way, we can formulate our corresponding strategy based on his reaction."

"What use is that?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi said dismissively. "Do we not already know that Hu Song is arrogant, self-conceited, stubborn, and unwilling to yield? How could he possibly surrender or beg for mercy merely because of a single letter?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head and said, "You are mistaken. Although Hu Song appears strong on the surface, his heart is actually weak. The reason he has been able to hold Wenzhi City for so long is that he has a powerful backing—the Imperial Court. As long as the Court supports him, he has the confidence to oppose us. But what if the Court no longer supports him?"

"How could the Court possibly cease supporting him?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled and said, "That is another secret I must tell you. In truth, I have already sent people to Jingcheng to gather intelligence. Did you know? The Imperial Court has already lost trust and patience in Hu Song. They consider him incompetent, capable only of sitting idle within a single city and unable to launch proactive attacks. They even suspect Hu Song harbors thoughts of rebellion, seeking to use our forces as leverage to pursue independence. Therefore, they have already decided to remove Hu Song from his post and dispatch a new commander to take over Wenzhi City."

"Is this true?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked in astonishment.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded and said, "Of course it is true. The men I sent to Jingcheng have already obtained the Court's secret decree. That secret decree is right here in my robe."

Speaking thus, he drew a letter from his bosom and handed it to Zhang Zhang Jiaqi. Zhang Zhang Jiaqi took the letter, opened it, and saw indeed it was the Imperial Court's secret decree, which read:

"Hu Song, Commander of the Wenzhi City garrison, due to repeated defeats and demonstrated incompetence, the Imperial Court has decided to revoke his position and appoint Wang Wang Zhongping as the new commander to take over Wenzhi City. Wang Wang Zhongping shall lead thirty thousand reinforcement troops south starting today, expected to arrive at Wenzhi City within ten days. Upon receiving this order, Hu Song must immediately surrender his military tally and the city, awaiting further disposition. Any resistance shall be met with execution without mercy."

After reading the letter, Zhang Zhang Jiaqi could not help but startle in shock. She raised her head and asked, "Is this letter genuine?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled and said, "Of course it is genuine. Do you think I would use a forgery to deceive you?"

"Then how did you obtain this letter?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said, "That is the skill of the men I sent to Jingcheng. Not only did they discover the Court's decision, but they also seized the opportunity to steal this secret decree. Moreover, they undertook an even bolder act: they secretly mailed this secret decree to Hu Song."

"Mailed it to Hu Song?" Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked in surprise.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded and said, "Yes. I ordered them to do so in order to crush Hu Song's confidence and morale. Think about it: if you were Hu Song and received this secret decree, what would you think? You would feel the Court no longer trusts you and even wishes to eliminate you. You would feel you have no retreat left, only awaiting replacement or execution. You would feel you have no hope left, only awaiting our attack. You would feel you have no courage left, only able to surrender helplessly."

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi fell silent for a moment, then said, "I understand. You intend to use this secret decree to break Hu Song's fighting spirit, making him lose to us psychologically before the battle even begins."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded with a smile and said, "Exactly. Furthermore, I have an even greater plan. I want Hu Song to believe that we also know the contents of this secret decree. That is why I had Tian Jiu write that letter to threaten him. The content of that letter is as follows:

'To Hu Song, Commander of the Wenzhi City garrison: This General has received orders to march south and attack Wenzhi City. This General is already aware of the Imperial Court's decision and arrangements regarding you. This General advises you to cease your stubbornness and surrender promptly. Otherwise, once Wang Wang Zhongping arrives, you will have no path to survival. This General gives you ten days to consider clearly. If within ten days you do not reply or refuse to surrender, then this General shall personally lead the great army to assault the city and seize the stronghold, leaving no one alive!'

"You intend to force him into making a wrong decision under pressure and fear," Zhang Zhang Jiaqi said. "You intend for him to open the city gates and surrender on his own, or for internal rebellion to erupt, before we have even launched our assault."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded with a smile and said, "Correct. That is my plan. I intend to defeat Hu Song through psychological warfare, not through a battle of forces. In this way, we can save time and effort, avoiding unnecessary casualties."

Hearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's words, Zhang Zhang Jiaqi could not help but exclaim in admiration: "You are truly too clever. Your plan is simply ingenious. Not only can you see through Hu Song's psychology, but you can also utilize the Imperial Court's secret decree to achieve your objectives. You are truly an unmatched strategic general under heaven."

Hearing Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's praise, Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt warmth in his heart and said, "You flatter me. In truth, all this I learned from you. You are the goddess of wisdom in my heart."

Hearing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's words, Zhang Zhang Jiaqi's face flushed red, and she said, "Do not tease me. How could I be as clever as you? Today I even misunderstood you."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu said, "In truth, I am also at fault. I did not explain my plan to you beforehand, causing you to misunderstand my favoritism toward Tian Jiu. In reality, I hold no fondness for Tian Jiu. He is merely a foolish and arrogant man. He thinks himself a hero, but in truth, he is only a clown. He believes he can handle affairs independently, but in reality, he will only drag us back. He thinks he can earn my trust, but in truth, he will only be used by me."

Zhang Zhang Jiaqi asked, "Then why did you allow him to serve as vanguard?"

"Indeed, I had my considerations; I agreed to Tian Jiu's suggestion and let him serve as vanguard because I discovered a tremendous secret."

A secret?

Seeing his mysterious demeanor, Zhang Zhang Jiaqi instinctively responded.

"What secret?"