Chapter 422

"Zhang Honghong!"

"The subordinate is here!"

"The pressure in the Lantian direction is the greatest and also the most critical. Helian Bobo's unit is increasing its harassment with the intention of pinning down your unit so it cannot return to reinforce Chang'an. I want you to not only withstand Helian Bobo's offensive but also... show the enemy weakness!"

"Show weakness?" Zhang Honghong was stunned.

"Yes!"

A flash of cunning crossed Jiang Jinshi's eyes, "You can appropriately withdraw your forward outposts, shrink your defensive line, and even 'inadvertently' let Helian Bobo's scouts break through one or two insignificant defensive lines to create the illusion that our army is short of troops and stretched thin.

Let Helian Bobo and Western Liang believe that they have successfully pinned your unit firmly to Lantian and have even gained the upper hand.

Only then will they confidently commit more troops to the Chang'an direction.

Meanwhile, you must secretly gather your main force and conserve your strength.

Once the battle for Chang'an breaks out and the Western Liang army's attention is drawn away, I want you to counterattack Helian Bobo with the force of a thunderbolt!

I do not ask for total annihilation, but I do ask that you cripple them; it would be best if you could recapture Shangluo, completely lock down the Wuguan Road, and sever the claw that Western Liang has extended from the southeast!"

"Jiang Ze!" Jiang Jinshi looked at Jiang Ze, "You will coordinate with Elder Feng. Stability within Guanzhong, the transport of grain and fodder, the placement of the wounded, and the implementation of new policies must not be slackened, so as to settle the hearts of the people.

Especially within Chang'an city; once the war begins, you must ensure that order is not disrupted and the hearts of the people remain stable."

"Yes!" Jiang Ze replied solemnly.

The news was quickly transmitted to Luo Feng. Jiang Jinshi's strategy depended entirely on Luo Feng's cooperation throughout; after all, to use their own strategy against them, if Western Liang were to notice anything, Jiang Jinshi's plan would be ruined.

When Luo Feng carefully read the secret order transferred by Jiang Jinshi through Wang Hou, as well as the summary of the entire counter-strategy plan,

the stifling feeling in his heart from being manipulated finally transformed into a heavy sense of responsibility after learning of his Lord's grand layout.

Acting? Of all things, he, Luo Feng, was least skilled at pretense in this life.

But for the sake of his Lord's grand plan, and to round up this bunch of demons and monsters, he had to bite the bullet and perform this act—and he had to perform it convincingly!

The secret order explicitly required him to "show more 'trust' and 'reliance'" and even "inadvertently reveal some troubles and hesitations."

Luo Feng stared at these lines, his brows knitted into a knot.

Trust? Reliance? Toward whom? Naturally, that Fu Qingshuang, and the Dou Wen behind her.

Troubles? Hesitations?

That was not difficult; he had been irritable and exhausted lately from reorganizing the army for battle, investigating internal traitors, and having to deal with these hypocritical probes.

It was just this "showing"...

He irritably scratched his hair. Should he just call the person to the residence?

That was too deliberate.

Another "chance encounter"? Too many times would also arouse suspicion.

How about... being more proactive?

Since he had to act out the drama of "deep trust and reliance," there had to be some progress.

Luo Feng's gaze swept over the brocade box on the bookshelf, and an idea formed in his mind.

He summoned his personal guards and gave a few low-voiced instructions.

The next day, a letter written in Luo Feng's own hand was delivered into Fu Qingshuang's hands.

"Miss Qingshuang! I benefited greatly from our meeting at the bookstore the day before yesterday. I deeply agree with your words about 'treating people with sincerity and handling affairs with integrity,' and I have felt enlightened after pondering them recently. The autumn air is crisp and clear these days, and I hear the scenery by the Qujiang Pool south of the city is uniquely charming. I would like to invite you to view it together tomorrow afternoon; I wonder if you would be willing to grace me with your presence? If you do not mind, I shall wait outside the gate of Ci'en Temple at that time! Sincerely, Luo Feng!"

The content of the letter was very direct: an invitation to tour the lake and enjoy the scenery.

The reason was also well-chosen: to thank her for her previous "enlightenment" and to continue the topic of "sincerity and integrity."

The time and place were set for the afternoon at the site of their first "chance encounter," public yet not overly private.

In Luo Feng's view, this fit the image of a military general extending a clumsy but sincere invitation to a woman he admired.

Upon receiving the letter, Fu Qingshuang sat alone in her boudoir, staring at those lines in silence for a long time.

As her fingertips brushed over the signature, she could imagine the way he must have knitted his brows in thought while holding the brush.

The invitation came suddenly, yet it was within reason.

If Master Dou and her uncle were to find out, they would surely be ecstatic, believing that Luo Feng had been completely hooked and their relationship was rapidly heating up.

But... why was there not a shred of joy in her heart, and instead, that sense of unease becoming increasingly clear?

Luo Feng's invitation was direct, frank, and even a bit clumsy, which matched her perception of his straightforward military nature.

Yet, between the lines, there was an overly orderly deliberateness.

Especially the eight characters "treating people with sincerity and handling affairs with integrity," which were her own words from the bookstore last time. That he specifically mentioned them now, as if to prove he "deeply agreed" and "repeatedly pondered them," made this deliberate response and verification feel... unreal to Fu Qingshuang.

She recalled that chance encounter at the bookstore.

Luo Feng's exhaustion, helplessness, and outpouring of feelings were all so natural that she had almost believed them to be true.

But after returning and thinking it over carefully, certain details seemed suspicious.

For instance... he seemed to accept her "family's scholarly background" too quickly, and his discussion of the "insights" into that hand-copied military manual was too deep and... just right.

Would a military general who was inwardly distressed and unskilled in political maneuvering really discuss specific military and political views with such logical clarity when confiding in a confidante?

And when he finally proposed "asking for advice in the future," the sharpness deep in his eyes, though fleeting, had left a deep impression on her.

Was this proactive invitation a natural progression of their feelings?

Or... was it another kind of probe?

Or perhaps, was it a further action instructed by the person behind him?

Fu Qingshuang had never considered herself a brilliant person, but having lost her father at a young age and living under someone else's roof, she had gained some experience in reading people's expressions!

As a child, she had already learned to do some superficial work, because the Fu family liked brilliant younger generations, so she studied hard in private and spent more time on this matter; it could be said that the habit of observing words and expressions had already seeped into her marrow.

And interacting with Luo Feng made her even more vigilant, as this matter involved major consequences!

She was a chess piece, a tool used by her family to trap Luo Feng.

What about Luo Feng? Could he also be a chess piece? A piece of... bait used by Beijiang to fish out internal agents, or even to fish out the big fish of Western Liang?

This thought made her shudder.

If that were truly the case, then Master Dou, her uncle, and even all the families in Guanzhong connected to this, wouldn't they be stepping into a meticulously laid trap step by step?

And she herself was that insignificant bit of bait placed on the edge of the trap.

"Miss, people from the Uncle's and Master Dou's residences have come to ask what the General's letter said. How should we reply?"

Her personal maid asked in a low voice outside the door, interrupting her thoughts.

Fu Qingshuang took a deep breath, suppressing the raging waves in her heart.

She could not panic, and even more so, she could not speak of this baseless "suspicion."

Master Dou and her uncle were immersed in the fanaticism of their grand plan nearing completion; any questioning might be seen as cowardice or betrayal.

Besides, all of this was just her own speculation.

Perhaps... Luo Feng really just had a good impression of her and was inviting her to tour the lake.

Was she overthinking it?