News concerning Pei Song also caught Xiao Li’s attention somewhat. He looked toward Wen Yu.

These past two days on the road, they had already disguised themselves. Xiao Li had pasted on a full face of stubble, covering half his face securely. Wen Yu had bound her chest and wore a gray, patched-up outfit covered in patches, simply disguising herself as a thin youth. Not only had she darkened her face, but she had also dotted on several acne marks.

After her cold, her voice hadn’t fully recovered. By deliberately lowering her voice when speaking, at first hearing, she was just a youth going through voice change.

At this moment, her expression suddenly darkened as she demanded, “Who assassinated Pei Song? Was it successful or not?”

The small-time thug said fearfully, “This lowly one truly doesn’t know. Earlier when the chief of our stronghold rose up, he only heard some rumors from the underworld. However, the assassination probably didn’t succeed. These past two days when we few have been robbing on the road, we heard that Pei Song has killed many more former Liang old ministers!”

Wen Yu’s hand hanging at her knee instantly tightened.

As expected, just as she had guessed, it was her father’s old subordinates who had acted. Otherwise, Pei Song wouldn’t have suddenly started killing Great Liang old ministers again.

But why would they suddenly act so aggressively?

Without certain victory, they should first preserve their lives and conserve their strength.

As Wen Yu’s mind was in chaos and distracted, the several small-time thugs hadn’t heard her speak for a long time. Hearts in their throats, they said, “Young hero, this lowly one has already confessed everything we know. Would you two spare us a way to live!”

Wen Yu pondered in her mind what opportunity could have made the ministers loyal to Great Liang act, having no time to pay attention to the several men. Noticing the ropes for binding people still hanging at their waists, she said to Xiao Li beside her, “First gag these men and tie them up.”

The several small-time thugs were frightened badly and quickly continued begging for mercy through tears.

Although Xiao Li didn’t know Wen Yu’s intention, he still did as told.

After he tied up the three small-time thugs and carried them into the forest beside the road, Wen Yu sat down cross-legged under a large tree not far from them, picking up a small twig to write and draw on the ground.

Xiao Li walked over and said, “Pei Song was attacked, and these past few days we’ve been traveling, the inspections on the road haven’t been as strict as before—we’ve found the reason. But what are you tying up those grass bandit thugs for?”

They deliberately lowered their voices when speaking. The thugs tied up and thrown in the grove on the other side couldn’t hear their conversation.

Wen Yu pointed at the simple map she had drawn on the ground: “Pei Song being assassinated is a good thing. That the news could be leaked—the Great Liang old ministers in Dingzhou must have expended considerable effort. Otherwise, given Dingzhou’s current battle situation, to stabilize military morale, Pei Song would certainly have blocked all news.”

“Marquis Wei of Shuobei, Wei Qishan, also won’t miss this opportunity to fiercely attack Dingzhou. If the Wei army can win, then Pei Song will lose a city in the first battle of the north-south war. Suffering such a great loss, military morale will only increasingly collapse going forward, and the situation will be unfavorable to him. So no matter what methods Pei Song uses, he will certainly hold Dingzhou.”

The small twig in her hand tapped on the spot marked with the characters for Xinzhou: “Before he recovers, we need to use the news of his injury to stir up the southern situation even more chaotically.”

Xiao Li didn’t understand: “What does this have to do with tying up those thugs?”

Wen Yu glanced at him. The small twig in her hand fell on Pingzhou: “Pingzhou borders both Great Liang and Southern Chen. It has always been the south’s largest tea and horse market. To put it more plainly, this place is a money pit—anything transported there can be exchanged for silver. After Father gained power in the court, he once sent trusted confidants to remain stationed in Pingzhou. This is also the last piece of Great Liang territory I must pass through to reach Southern Chen. But Xinzhou is less than three hundred li from Pingzhou. The Prefect of Xinzhou rising up at this time—I’m afraid he has set his sights on Pingzhou.”

She paused slightly at this point, her expression growing increasingly ugly: “Moreover, the timing of the Prefect of Xinzhou’s uprising is far too coincidental. Ordinary mountain bandits are mostly a rabble—if they can’t think clearly, so be it. But he’s a dignified prefect of an entire prefecture. Pei Song was attacked but no news of his death has spread, yet he immediately took action. This is truly abnormal.”

“I’m worried he has already reached some cooperation with Wei Qishan. After all, if Wei Qishan keeps Pei Song occupied in the north, the Prefect of Xinzhou can take advantage of Pei Song being unable to reach that far and annex neighboring prefectures in the south, rapidly growing his power. Once he becomes established, besides being able to use the money and grain from the land of fish and rice to supply Wei Qishan’s military needs in the north, he can also attack Pei Song from both north and south.”

Xiao Li listened with furrowed brows. The amount of information in these words was too great, and the situation was far too complex.

But comparing it with the power diagram Wen Yu had drawn, he still quickly sorted it out. There was only one point he didn’t quite understand.

He pointed his finger at the area Wen Yu had circled representing Pingzhou: “If Wei Qishan wants to find someone to cooperate with to attack Pei Song from north and south, why would he look for that worthless Prefect of Xinzhou instead of sending a letter directly to Pingzhou to cooperate with you? After all, you wrote many articles early on, having your old subordinates all go to Pingzhou to rendezvous with you.”

Wen Yu held that small twig, looking at the simple territorial map she had drawn, her eyes somber: “Wei Qishan sent troops only after Pei Song broke through Fengyang and slaughtered my entire Wen clan—he’s clearly aiming to compete for this realm. Setting aside whether I’ll even have the life to reach Pingzhou with Pei Song constantly sending people to hunt and kill me, just the single point that I am of Great Liang imperial blood means Wei Qishan won’t ally with me.”

A thin smile spilled from her lips: “Otherwise, even if Pei Song is executed in the future, between him and me, who will rule this realm would require taking up arms again. Moreover, he knows I also have Southern Chen’s assistance and am not absolutely dependent on him as an ally. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, it’s most profitable for him to support a puppet prince in the south and devour Pingzhou.”

Xiao Li finally understood the intricate web of interests involved, and his entire person fell silent for a few moments.

These matters were too far removed from him. He could block open spears and hidden arrows for her, but in this chessboard where the entire realm was the board, what he could do was truly far too limited.

Only those who played the game could, as easily as lightly plucking a string, overturn heaven and earth with a flip of their hands.

He didn’t say any words of comfort, only asking Wen Yu, “What do you want to do?”

Wen Yu forcefully stabbed the branch in her hand into the Xinzhou territory on the rough map: “I’m happy to see the south become chaotic and keep Pei Song too busy to handle everything. But if Wei Qishan dares to set his sights on Pingzhou, I won’t let him gain even the slightest advantage either.”

She raised her eyes, a deadly intent hidden in her cold gaze: “We’ll add fuel to the fire. Isn’t everyone on the road saying Pei Song was attacked? Let’s change the rumor—say that Pei Song was attacked and has died, only that due to the battle situation in Dingzhou, they’re secretly concealing the mourning. Those prefectures to the south who don’t dare rise up are probably still in awe of Pei Song’s might and don’t have Wei Qishan as backing like Xinzhou does. We’ll give them a push. Once they become embroiled fighting with Xinzhou to avoid being annexed, Pingzhou will be temporarily safe.”

After speaking, she looked toward those several small-time thugs tied up over there: “The use I have for keeping those men lies in this.”

—

Among the three small-time thugs who were tied up, the leader was called Zhao Youcai. He and his two brothers were bound tightly together. After twisting their heads desperately to look over there for a long time until their necks were nearly cramping, they finally saw those two who had been crouching on the ground drawing circles for so long get up and walk toward them.

That tall, broad-shouldered, long-legged man with the full beard held a knife, glancing at them: “I’m asking you some questions. Answer honestly.”

Zhao Youcai and the others had tears welling in their eyes, nodding their heads like pounding garlic.

Xiao Li removed the rag stuffed in Zhao Youcai’s mouth and asked, “Where was your former stronghold?”

Looking at that gleaming large blade at his neck, Zhao Youcai’s words came out trembling: “It’s on Qinggang Mountain several tens of li away, called Qingyun Stronghold. But it’s already been burned down by the Xinzhou government office.”

Xiao Li asked again, “How many brothers are left in your stronghold?”

Zhao Youcai cried until his nose was about to run: “After the stronghold chief and several leaders died, the brothers all scattered. We three are from the same hometown, so we banded together. Hero, I truly don’t know the whereabouts of the others…”

The other two small-time thugs beside him had rags stuffed in their mouths and nodded frantically along.

Wen Yu signaled Xiao Li to put away his knife, half-crouched down, and asked the three men, “Are you willing to work with us?”

Zhao Youcai was only stunned for a second before quickly nodding, “Willing, willing! This lowly one couldn’t ask for more! These days it’s hard to make a living on the road. With this brother’s excellent skills, we basically won’t have to worry about highway robbery anymore!”

Wen Yu slapped Zhao Youcai’s face with a tree branch, her expression indifferent: “We don’t do the business of robbery and murder. You said you few have never harmed human lives—that’s why I’m keeping you.”

Zhao Youcai quickly changed his tune: “As long as you spare our lives, we few will be at your command. Climbing mountains of knives and descending into seas of fire—we won’t refuse!”

As he spoke, he also looked toward Xiao Li, bowing and scraping toward him as well.

Wen Yu said, “What I questioned you about earlier was to see if you were deceiving us. Since you’ve confessed truthfully and are willing to work with us, I won’t hide from you either. Pei Song was assassinated and his survival is already dire. Killing those former Liang old ministers is merely his subordinates trying to stabilize the situation. North of the Wei River will certainly go to Wei Qishan, but south of the Wei River, all the major prefectures still want to compete again.”

Zhao Youcai immediately felt somewhat uneasy: “You… are you two also planning to rise up?”

Xiao Li snorted coldly at the right moment. According to what he had discussed with Wen Yu earlier, he revealed the waist token from when he worked at the Zhou residence: “We two have come here on behalf of our master to recruit soldiers and buy horses.”

That copper token only had the character “Order” written on the front, with “Zhou Residence” written on the back.

Zhao Youcai and the others only recognized the character “Order.” Seeing the exquisite patterns carved on the token, they immediately felt the two had extraordinary origins and became even more respectful: “May I ask which master you two gentlemen serve?”

As if afraid his intention to probe for information was exposed, he quickly added, “We few truly have our ancestral graves emitting green smoke to be fortunate enough to work for that master. But knowing we’re quite crude, we fear accidentally committing a taboo, which is why we want to pay attention to one or two things.”

Wen Yu said, “That master in Tongcheng.”

Back then, the Tongcheng county magistrate deliberately released news that the official road had collapsed, luring many merchant caravans into the city. Countless fell victim to foul play.

Moreover, that county magistrate had also posted a recruitment notice, claiming to widely recruit worthy scholars to assist her, when in reality it was merely trying to lure the prey into the trap.

Now, it was time to let that county magistrate reap what she had sown.

She and Xiao Li were recruiting soldiers and buying horses under Tongcheng’s banner. Tongcheng also had close relations with Pei Song. If even Tongcheng had wavering loyalty, the other prefectures still watching and waiting would only become even more restless.

Moreover, compared to Pingzhou which had border defenses and might even receive Southern Chen’s support, no matter what, seizing the fat piece of meat that was Tongcheng first was most secure.

Wen Yu persuasively guided, “You people of the greenwood rising up have a passionate courage but no money to maintain and support armies. Our master has immense wealth and certainly won’t withhold military pay. If you know any heroes of the greenwood, by all means introduce them to me. In addition, also help me conscript some soldiers from among the refugees.”

After speaking, she didn’t forget to promise more benefits: “If this matter is handled beautifully, after success, besides receiving ten taels of silver as reward for every hundred people recruited to the military, when we return to Tongcheng, we will also speak well of you to our master and seek positions for you three.”