[{"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-251":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},2289086,4475,"Chapter 251: A Secret","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-251",251,"\u003Cp>At dawn, Jiang Mingyu assembled his troops in Lin’an City and told Ge Yangyu, “Today our army marches south to attack Wenzhi; I entrust this place to you, Inspector, to guard well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ge Yangyu bowed respectfully in acceptance; both understood without speaking. Soon, one hundred thousand troops set out in grand procession. Ge Yangyu watched them depart, a sly smile creeping onto his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the march, Zhang Jiaqi caught up with Jiang Mingyu, requesting to lead the vanguard. But Jiang Mingyu had already promised the post to Tian Jiu and could not break his word. Zhang Jiaqi began to suspect Jiang Mingyu still harbored resentment over past events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu reassured her, “We are as close as siblings—how could I hold grudges over old matters? The vanguard post was always meant for General Tian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi reluctantly gave up, silently speculating in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after, Tian Jiu came to report an idea—could they first send a letter threatening Hu Song to see if he would surrender Wenzhi City outright?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi thought the plan absurd; Jiang Mingyu’s name was not yet feared enough for such a tactic. But Jiang Mingyu dismissed her doubt, praising the plan enthusiastically and ordered Tian Jiu to write the letter immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi could not understand Jiang Mingyu’s reasoning and hesitated to advise against it. But Jiang Mingyu’s gaze turned cold: “My decision is final,” and he ignored her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi felt deeply wronged, convinced Jiang Mingyu now distrusted her and no longer believed in her. As she turned to leave, Jiang Mingyu whispered beside her ear: “I will come to you at the third watch tonight—we will speak plainly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi was baffled, unsure what he was plotting. Only when night fell did she wait for Jiang Mingyu inside her tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu slipped quietly into Zhang Jiaqi’s tent and found her seated by lamplight, face filled with confusion and displeasure. He greeted her softly; she turned, eyes flickering with surprise and wariness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing here?” Zhang Jiaqi asked coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu smiled slightly, walked to her side, and sat on a chair. “I came to talk to you about today’s events.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today’s events?” Zhang Jiaqi sneered. “Didn’t you make yourself perfectly clear? You ignored my advice, listened to Tian Jiu, wrote a threatening letter to Hu Song, demanded he surrender Wenzhi. What else is there to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu shook his head. “You misunderstand—I never intended to actually threaten Hu Song.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what are you doing?” Zhang Jiaqi asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu smiled mysteriously. “I’m using this letter to test Hu Song’s intentions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Test his intentions?” Zhang Jiaqi grew even more confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded. “Yes. I want to see how he reacts to us. If he fears us, he will reply begging for mercy or surrender outright. If he does not fear us, he will refuse or ignore us. If he is hesitant, he will reply ambiguously or delay. From his response, we can tailor our strategy accordingly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What good is that?” Zhang Jiaqi scoffed. “We already know Hu Song is proud, stubborn, and refuses to yield. How could a letter make him surrender or beg?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu shook his head. “You’re wrong. Hu Song may appear strong, but inwardly he is weak. He has held Wenzhi so long only because he has powerful backing—the court. As long as the court supports him, he has confidence to resist us. But what if the court withdraws its support?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could the court withdraw its support?” Zhang Jiaqi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu smiled. “That’s another secret I must tell you. I’ve already sent men to the capital to gather intelligence. Did you know? The court has lost trust and patience in Hu Song. They see him as incompetent, merely sitting idle in his city, never launching offensive strikes. They even suspect he intends to rebel, using us to carve out his own domain. They have decided to replace him with a new commander.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?” Zhang Jiaqi asked, astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded. “Of course. My men in the capital obtained the court’s secret order. It’s right here in my chest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled a letter from his robe and handed it to Zhang Jiaqi. She took it, opened it, and read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hu Song, commander of Wenzhi Garrison: Due to repeated defeats and incompetence, the court has decided to remove you from office. Wang Zhongping is appointed new commander to assume control of Wenzhi. Wang Zhongping will lead thirty thousand reinforcements south immediately, expected to arrive within ten days. Upon receiving this order, you must immediately surrender your command seal and the city, and await further instructions. Any defiance will be met with execution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi finished reading and gasped. She looked up. “Is this letter genuine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu smiled. “Of course it is. Do you think I’d deceive you with a forgery?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how did you get this letter?” Zhang Jiaqi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu said, “That’s the skill of the men I sent to the capital. They not only uncovered the court’s decision, but stole this secret order. And they did something even bolder—they secretly mailed it to Hu Song.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mailed it to Hu Song?” Zhang Jiaqi exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded. “Yes. I ordered them to do this to shatter Hu Song’s morale. Imagine you are Hu Song—you receive this order. What do you think? You believe the court no longer trusts you, that they intend to eliminate you. You feel trapped, with no escape except replacement or death. You feel hopeless, waiting only for our attack. You lose your courage, ready to surrender.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi fell silent for a moment. “I understand. You’re using this secret order to break Hu Song’s will before we even fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded, smiling. “Exactly. And I have a larger plan. I want Hu Song to believe we also know the contents of this secret order. That’s why I had Tian Jiu write that threatening letter. Its text reads:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To Hu Song, Commander of Wenzhi Garrison: I am ordered to march south and seize Wenzhi. I am fully aware of the court’s decision regarding you. I urge you to abandon your stubbornness and surrender now. Otherwise, when Wang Zhongping arrives, you will have no chance of survival. I give you ten days to decide. If you do not reply or refuse surrender within ten days, I will lead my army to storm your city and leave no survivors!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want him to make a mistake under pressure and fear,” Zhang Jiaqi said. “You want him to surrender the city himself—or trigger internal rebellion—before we even attack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu nodded, smiling. “Precisely. I will defeat Hu Song through psychological warfare, not brute force. This saves time, energy, and avoids unnecessary casualties.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi, hearing Jiang Mingyu’s words, sighed in admiration. “You’re brilliant. Your plan is flawless. You not only see through Hu Song’s mind, but use the court’s secret order to achieve your goal. You are truly the unmatched strategist of the age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu, hearing her praise, felt warmth in his heart. “You flatter me. In truth, I learned all this from you. You are the goddess of wisdom in my heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi blushed. “Don’t tease me. I’m nowhere near as clever as you. Today I misunderstood you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu said, “I was wrong too. I didn’t explain my plan to you beforehand, so you thought I favored Tian Jiu. In truth, I have no regard for him. He is foolish and arrogant—a fool who thinks himself a hero, but is merely a clown. He believes he can stand alone, but only drags others down. He thinks he earns my trust, but only serves as a pawn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jiaqi asked, “Then why make him vanguard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good question. I had my reasons. I agreed to let Tian Jiu lead the vanguard because I discovered a great secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secret?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his mysterious expression, Zhang Jiaqi instinctively asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What secret?”\u003C\u002Fp>",1323,"2026-06-20T03:28:18.279Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","467a86731a5243f57e72528b65d2c185a543edabcd2c26a8c8543a4c43c61962","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-252","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-250",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]