Muyun Prefecture is not that big, with six counties in total, and it only takes more than a day's journey to Yucheng. There is no snow in the state, but the howling cold wind is still a very bad weather.
"Lord!" Outside Yucheng, Yu Wen, who had been waiting for a long time, led a group of civil and military officials, waiting for Xu Mu to arrive, and then shouted from a distance.
After getting off the carriage, Xu Mu smiled. He very much hoped that the chief general of Xishu would one day shine with a different kind of brilliance in troubled times.
"My lord, you have had a hard journey." Yu Wen approached and took a few bowls of ginger soup from the guard beside him to warm Xu Mu and the others who were traveling from afar.
"Enter the city."
Yucheng is located to the east of Muyunzhou, far across from Xinyueguan in Cangzhou. The buffer area in the middle is only about a hundred miles away. Previously, Dongfang Jing was stationed here, but later, as the war escalated and Yu Wen continued to work hard, Yu Cheng was left to guard it alone.
"Wen Ze, how are things going lately?" Sitting in the governor's mansion, Xu Mu spoke in a solemn voice.
Next spring, in the decisive battle with Cangzhou, Yucheng will definitely be in a key position. Across from Xinyueguan, the Cangzhou general Ning Wu was not an ordinary person. At least when Dongfang Jing was here, he used many strategies but failed to fool Ning Wu.
Really a famous general.
"My lord, there is nothing wrong." Yu Wen replied seriously, "Although there are occasional encounters with the respective reconnaissance battalions over Xinyue Pass, in general, Ning Wu does not want to start a fire of weapons. "
"How many troops are there in Yucheng?"
"More than ten thousand."
After the battle with Liang, Xishu has not been able to catch its breath until now. There were too many soldiers lost in the battle, and the barren Liangdi also needed time to digest.
It's a pity that Cangzhou Demon Queen is pressing forward step by step, turning the originally confusing situation into a world-wide conflict.
"The defense of Xinyue Pass will probably be mobilized a lot. Previously, Zuo Shiren attacked Cangzhou, and Ning Wu did not rush to help, but I estimate that the troops should be divided." Dongfang Jing stood aside, thought for a while and spoke.
Even after dividing his troops, Xu Mu had no interest in attacking Xinyue Pass. After more than a year of repair and consolidation, both Yucheng and Xinyue Pass have become like passes, easy to defend but difficult to attack. If you deploy heavy troops to attack, the gains outweigh the losses.
"Yu Wen, have you caught the spies from Cangzhou?"
"Of course I have, but these spies, even if they are subdued, can't ask anything. That Ning Wu is very smart, and only he and a few generals know the layout of Xinyue Pass. Lord, are you planning to attack Xinyue Pass?" "
Xu Mu shook his head, "I have no plans for the time being."
He came to Yucheng not to attack Xinyue Pass, but for another matter. Deep in his heart, for some reason, he always wanted to bury a secret army near Yucheng.
He already has the candidates for the dark army. What is lacking is the terrain to bury the army.
After next year, Xishu Dongling, the Nanhai League in the south, and the Kezhou River Bank in the north will besiege Cangzhou from four directions.
Of course, this is an obvious strategy. If you are too straightforward, you will easily be blocked by the Demon Queen's soldiers. It is actually necessary to bury a secret army.
After all, now, even Xu Mu himself can't say how many enemy troops there are in Cangzhou. Dongfang Jing's original strategy of cutting off food seemed to have no effect. The reconnaissance camp in Yucheng returned the news that there was no sign of abatement in Xinyue Pass.
Did this food and grass fall from the sky? It's no wonder that the Demon Queen is so calm.
"My lord, do you want to leave the city?"
"Go to the mountains near Yucheng."
Yu Wen looked surprised, "Lord, Xinyue Pass is not far away, only more than a hundred miles away, and there are also cavalry in Cangzhou. If we intercept and kill -"
"Guardian Ning Wu, even if he really knows the news about my leaving the city, he will only think that it is a trap by Xi Shu and will not rush out the army."
Xu Mu turned around and looked at Yu Wen calmly.
"Wen Ze, in the spring of next year, it is very likely that we will form an army here in Yucheng and attack Xinyue Pass."
Yu Wen was not afraid, "Don't worry, my lord, we in Yucheng have already prepared our troops. We are just waiting for the lord's order to send out troops to conquer."
"Very good. Let's do this. Bo Lie has trouble with his legs and feet, so he will stay in Yucheng. Yu Wen, you come with me out of the city. Don't worry, Ning Wu doesn't dare to move. He will probably send a message to Cangzhou and ask the Demon Queen to make a decision, but It takes two or three days to come and go, and I will have already returned to the city by then."
A general has a calm spirit, which is certainly an excellent temperament. When guarding the city pass, it is the most reassuring. But no matter what, if your temper is too calm, you will always lack an aggressive spirit.
For example, Chen Zhong of Xishu, who originally followed the Dou family, was just a defensive general. But now, Xu Mu is slowly cultivating him, teaching him to be enterprising and one day be able to conquer the snow-capped mountains and grasslands.
"Lord, no matter what happens, I will come back that day." Dongfang Jing hesitated, knowing Xu Mu's temperament, but he did not persuade him after all.
Sometimes, such as exploring the location, the decision-maker needs to go there in person.
"The mountain wind is fierce. I don't want to freeze to death in the mountains, so I naturally have to leave early and come back early." Xu Mu said with a smile.
…
The mountains to the south of Muyun Prefecture are not connected to Shu Prefecture. But unlike Shuzhou, there is not much miasma in the swamp, but the mountains are so steep that even the most reluctant herb collectors would not dare to climb them.
"My lord, do you mean to hide a large army in the mountains?" Yu Wen, who was accompanying him, suddenly looked surprised.
"Ning Wu has a calm temperament, and it is difficult to win without surprising troops. In addition, in next year's war, Xinyue Pass will definitely be defended. When the time comes, you need to follow my method and try to lure Ning Wu out of the city."
"My lord, how could a rat like him leave the city? Previously, the little strategist used many clever tricks but could not deceive him."
"That's different. When the war starts next year, I will have my own way to trick him."
When the war breaks out, the situation in Jiangnan will become chaotic. And Xu Mu could not stay in Yucheng, but led the navy to sit on the Xiangjiang River. The Yucheng side can only be left to Yu Wen, so he doesn't want to let go of any chance to win. Again, under the siege, as long as Cangzhou has a breach, the battle will be easy to fight.
Even if it is winter now, Xu Mu believes that in this world, people on both sides waiting for the battle will not be idle, dispatching troops, recruiting soldiers, recruiting civilians, building supplies... and even secretly. All kinds of rebellion.
Whoever wins will have the opportunity to look up to the world.
…
Outside the Cangzhou Imperial Palace, Su Yaohou, who was wearing a golden fur patterned with phoenixes, stood on the jade steps as usual, raising her head and looking at the mountains and rivers outside the palace.
There was no fear, on the contrary, there was a trace of expectation on her face. With the layout now in place, it is time for the Thirty States in the Central Plains to truly change hands.
"Chess player, please enter the game."
"The chess player is not the King of Yuzhou, nor Zuo Shiren, but Xu Buyi, who is beginning to look like an emperor."
"Ah Qi, I'm ready."
The mute slave Ah Qi stood in the cold wind holding his sword. Except for the occasional nod, he seemed to have become a stone sculpture the rest of the time.
