Despite the depths of winter, he had worked up a sweat from riding horses, shooting arrows, and training soldiers. He stood in the wind for a while to let the heat dissipate before striding into the military tent.

Second Master Fan, whom he’d ordered brought over earlier, was already standing at attention in full dress. His features were comically scrunched together, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Upon seeing Cui Shaoting enter, he followed closely for a few steps and stood before him, claiming credit in a low voice: “Governor-General Cui, I really did my utmost… But why exactly do you want Yecha to go to Jingzhou? If he truly joins forces with Han Zhengqing, won’t your position here become dangerous?” He truly couldn’t understand why Cui Shaoting had sent him to Yecha’s side to operate, instigating Yecha’s younger brother to accept silver and then persuade Yecha to agree to Han Zhengqing’s proposal to meet up in Jingzhou.

But he understood very well that if he didn’t do as Cui Shaoting said, neither he nor any of his wives, concubines, or children would survive. He looked at Cui Shaoting with a troubled face: “Governor-General Cui, I won’t ask why you’re doing this. Whether you’re defecting to the enemy or have other plans is none of my business, but New Year’s Eve is almost here. Could you… could you, seeing that I’ve done everything you asked, let us go?”

Cui Shaoting raised an eyebrow and strode forward to sit in the wooden chair at the head position. Hearing this, he laughed: “With war and chaos everywhere, and it being New Year’s Eve, where could you even go? Just stay here.”

Second Master Fan immediately became as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, scratching his ears and cheeks at a loss, almost ready to cry before Cui Shaoting: “How can this work? Yecha’s army will arrive in Jingzhou soon, and after taking Jingzhou they’ll come toward Guyuan. Do you still want to keep us here to die together?”

For the New Year, which should be a joyous occasion, must all the people in this city be buried with them? Second Master Fan felt dizzy and lightheaded, wanting only to curse.

Cui Shaoting glanced at him, saw his gaze become evasive and fell silent, then suddenly softened his expression and laughed with grand heroism: “Die together? How would we die together? I’m letting you watch how they die.”

They? Who was he referring to? Second Master Fan seemed to both understand and not understand, but there was no time left to ask, because he was immediately ordered taken away by Cui Shaoting’s men.

Liu Yongtong, the Censorial Inspector of Guyuan, entered and wiped the sweat from his forehead, first asking Cui Shaoting: “I heard Yecha has decided to go to Jingzhou to meet up with Han Zhengqing? The scouts reported back that they’ve already decided to break camp.”

Cui Shaoting nodded. Liu Yongtong’s face instantly turned snow-white: “What are we to do? Once those two sides successfully meet up… we…”

Cui Shaoting raised his hand to stop his next words and shook his head at him genially: “No need to worry. This was within expectations.”

How could this be within expectations? Liu Yongtong was somewhat taken aback. Just as he was about to ask something, the Prefect of Guyuan and the Commander-in-Chief both hurried in.

Cui Shaoting took out the map and pointed to Jingzhou to show them: “Originally, Yecha had no intention of going to Jingzhou.” He said, the corners of his mouth faintly holding a hint of a smile: “But I employed some methods to make him go there.”

Everyone looked up, their expressions all somewhat startled, as if they hadn’t quite processed this yet.

“This is… why?” Liu Yongtong frowned: “Wouldn’t this be making things convenient for them?” Making it convenient for them to kill him, no less.

Cui Shaoting shook his head. Seeing that everyone was beginning to fill with righteous indignation and looking somewhat doubtful, he said: “But originally, he was planning to directly breach Zijing Pass.”

Liu Yongtong followed his finger to look at Zijing Pass. Once Zijing Pass was breached, Tongzhou would immediately follow, and these Tartar cavalry would advance northward all the way to the capital’s doorstep… “Governor-General Cui’s meaning is to first divert them?” He nodded, then shook his head: “But there’s no need to divert them toward Jingzhou. That traitor Han Zhengqing is right there in Jingzhou.”

Cui Shaoting smiled: “If we don’t divert them toward Jingzhou, how would they pass through Suzhou?” He pointed to Suzhou, separated from Guyuan by only one city, and drew a line through it with his hand: “Moreover, the Tartars aren’t solely under Yecha’s command. Originally he told the khan’s court that they would advance directly northward, but now he’s suddenly changed his mind at the last moment. What will the khan’s court think?”

All the previously unclear points became clear. Liu Yongtong and the Prefect of Guyuan exchanged glances, both breathing sighs of relief. Then Liu Yongtong was still somewhat puzzled: “But what good does passing through Suzhou do?” His voice dropped somewhat: “Suzhou City isn’t our territory…”

Suzhou had long been taken by Han Zhengqing, which was precisely why Yecha and his men could safely pass through Suzhou on their way to Jingzhou.

The smile on Cui Shaoting’s face deepened: “It will be soon.”

Everyone looked up. Cui Shaoting surveyed their faces in a circle and placed his finger on Suzhou on the map: “The scouts reported that Yecha’s twenty thousand troops have already broken camp. Calculating their pace, they’ll arrive at Suzhou approximately the day after tomorrow. We’ll make our move today and take Suzhou.”

Liu Yongtong understood somewhat but also didn’t quite understand: “But what good will that do? Yecha commands twenty thousand troops, and there are still over eighty thousand more in Datong, who could likewise quickly breach Zijing Pass.”

The Prefect of Guyuan’s eyes lit up. Without waiting for Cui Shaoting to speak, he laughed first: “So that’s it! The Governor-General’s meaning is to seize Suzhou, cut off the path for Yecha and Han Zhengqing to meet up, and then…” He placed his finger on Qingzhou City next to Suzhou City: “Then trap Yecha here, and also cut off Yecha’s contact with the rest of his subordinates. This way, Yecha’s remaining eighty-something thousand troops will be like a dragon without a head…”

If that were the case, the pressure would indeed suddenly decrease considerably. Liu Yongtong breathed a sigh of relief but still vaguely felt something was wrong: “Even so, we won’t be able to do much about Yecha’s twenty thousand men for the time being, and if those eighty thousand attack by force, we don’t have enough manpower.”

Although Cui Shaoting’s plan was excellent, trapping Yecha in Qingzhou City, the areas around Suzhou were almost entirely Han Zhengqing’s territory. If Han Zhengqing turned the tables and attacked them, they could likewise end up with nowhere to be buried.

Cui Shaoting’s gaze deepened, his aura suddenly radiating outward, faintly revealing the killing intent that had once sent Japanese pirates scattering in all directions: “No rush. This is only the first step.”

Having said this, he immediately ordered the Commander-in-Chief of Guyuan to deploy troops. He himself personally donned his armor and took the field. On New Year’s Eve night, they launched a surprise attack on Suzhou, catching them completely off guard.

On New Year’s Eve, in the frozen wasteland, the Commander-in-Chief of Suzhou was jolted awake in the middle of the night by urgent reports from the warm bed of a beautiful woman. Before he could even come to his senses, the completely unprepared gates of Suzhou had already been blown open by massive explosives.