After the fairy disappeared

Chapter 1366 Pounce
Fifty miles away, He Lingchuan closed the door and was observing the sand table with Dong Rui.

"Xue Zongwu has already set out. I just received news that Xue Zongwu is staying in Qucheng. He should continue on his journey this morning and enter the territory of Yaoguo in the evening."

Then according to He Lingchuan's plan, they would also have to set off for Yao Kingdom soon.

The sand table was completed a few days ago, showing several possible routes that Xue Zongwu might take from Shuangxi to Yaojing. The mountains, rivers, and woods on the table were all made in great detail.

"Where are you going to work?"

"Here." He Lingchuan pointed to the river in Yao Country, "Taoshui."

Dong Rui looked at the sand table and said, "If we don't insist on staying within the Yao Kingdom, this place is not bad. This, this Yanmu Cliff?"

This is a long and narrow valley with thousands of feet of peaks and steep rock walls. The sand table cannot be detailed enough to mark out every goat path, but Dong Rui can probably guess that as long as it is arranged reasonably, it can be turned into a snakeskin pocket and then invite people into the pocket.

He Lingchuan had noticed this place a long time ago, and shook his head when he heard it: "Not appropriate."

This terrain is similar to the Dragon Throat Pass in the Panlong World. In order to launch a surprise attack on the Xiqi Kingdom, General Hong had to send He Lingchuan and several other teams to sneak into the Dragon Throat Pass and seize the pass. Otherwise, it would be a difficult place to attack.

This kind of place has the advantage of "first come, first served". Whoever starts to arrange it first will have the advantage of location.

Dong Rui was puzzled: "Why?"

"You think this is a good place for an ambush, but can't Xue Zongwu see it?" He Lingchuan said the most obvious truth. "He has led troops for many years and has set traps for others before. Why would he go to such a dangerous place and give others the opportunity to ambush him?"

"Uh, can we not leave?"

He Lingchuan drew a path: "We can go another sixty miles, first by land and then by water, and still enter the territory of Yao Country. The journey is a little longer, but it is safe."

"In the past, Xue Zongwu might have taken the Yanmu Cliff route without giving it much thought. After all, a thief can only steal for a thousand days, so why should he be on guard against thieves for a thousand days?" He Lingchuan shook his head. "But his accountant was robbed and killed a few days ago. Even if I put in some cover-ups, there's no guarantee that Xue Zongwu wouldn't be more vigilant. How can he take this dangerous route again?"

They alerted the enemy and those men in black were too rough in their actions.

"Uh, Xue Zongwu really won't leave?" After all, Yanmu Cliff is much closer, and everyone has a lucky mentality. "He can't be sure, the people there want to plot against him, right?"

He Lingchuan took out ten taels of gold: "Bet?"

He plans to add a few dishes tonight.

Dong Rui thought about it and said angrily, "Forget it."

He rarely wins when betting against He Lingchuan, so he'd better not give money to him.

"A real man does not stand under a dangerous wall. Xue Zongwu would not go there knowing that Yanmu Cliff might be dangerous." Xue Zongwu was in a hurry, but not too much. Such a powerful general had a much more sensitive nose for danger than an ordinary person. "If someone is stupid enough to ambush there, I'm afraid they will be in vain."

Dong Rui then looked at the location he had chosen: "What's so good about Taoshui?"

"You can tell from the name, the water network there is crisscrossed, which is perfect for you to give full play to your abilities." Needless to say, both of them knew that He Lingchuan was referring to the snail toad.

The snail toad can only travel at the fastest speed and the longest distance in moist underground areas, which is safe, efficient and concealed.

"I have inquired in advance. Generally speaking, Yao Country has a rainy and flooded season from late spring to midsummer. But this is generally speaking. There is also a dry season occasionally. If we want to be absolutely safe, we have to take special circumstances into consideration. Outside the Tao River are three lakes connected together, and there are ditches and rivers on the plain. Regardless of whether we can succeed or not, it will be easier to escape afterwards."

Killing people is not just a one-shot deal, He Lingchuan’s priority is to escape unscathed.

"Also, although we can roughly calculate the route Xue Zongwu will take to return to the capital, we cannot predict which cities he will choose to stay. He comes from a military background and has a high level of cultivation. It is not surprising that he travels hundreds of miles to find a place to stay overnight."

Dong Rui scratched his head: "Yes! What should we do then?"

They are not the worms in Xue Zongwu's stomach.

He Lingchuan smiled and said, "There is another way: look at the rules and personal relationships in the officialdom."

"Ah?" As soon as he mentioned human relations, Dong Rui's weakness was touched.

"In recent years, the routes for military generals outside the Great Wall to return to the capital of Yao State have been basically fixed, and they are not allowed to change the route without permission. If they encounter accidents such as mountain torrents and landslides, and they really need to take a detour, they must report to the local officials, and the local officials will accompany them throughout the journey." This is the rule of Yao State, and it has been implemented for decades. There is no need for Xue Zongwu to make an exception.

"So on this route, there are some rules for which places you can avoid and which places you must stay." He Lingchuan told him, "There are people from aristocratic families, retired high-ranking officials, and some who can get benefits. Military generals are likely to stay in these cities and counties, and the locals will also warmly welcome them. Along the way, you will experience all the ways of the world. The Yaowang Birthday Ceremony itself is a big stage, and all kinds of people will go up to perform - they will start from the journey before they even reach Yaodu."

Dong Rui listened for a long time and said, "So Xue Zongwu will definitely go to Taoshui, right?"

"The Feng family of Taoshui has produced three high-ranking officials in the past thirty years, and the current left prime minister is also from the Feng family. Do you think Xue Zongwu should stop by to pay them a visit?"

"He should." Dong Rui smiled, "If he doesn't go to Taoshui, he shouldn't visit other places either."

Otherwise it will give people something to talk about.

Hearing this, he also felt that He Lingchuan had chosen a particular location. "The Tao River was in a mess at that time, and there were people everywhere going to the capital to celebrate the birthday. If something happened to the Xue family, who knows which group was responsible!"

"That's right." He Lingchuan moved his fingertip pointing at the sand table downwards. "When Xue Zongwu is in Taoshui, we must rush to Dou County. It's a small place, and it seems very close to Taoshui, but it's still fifty or sixty miles away even if you calculate the mountain road. I estimate that there are fewer dignitaries who choose to settle there, and it will cause less interference to us."

They are foreign businessmen, not military generals, so they can go wherever they want and do not need to follow the prescribed routes assigned to the generals by the Yao Kingdom.

He has considered the timing, location, and personnel carefully.

Dong Rui felt that with He Lingchuan's meticulousness, the plan should go smoothly as usual.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, and Jiang Lishui came in to report:

"The gifts have been loaded onto the truck, and the guards are ready."

When He Lingchuan walked out, he saw Fan Shuang and several muscular strangers standing by the car.

"Brother He, come here, let me introduce you. This is the sword-bearing guard in front of the Yao Palace, Commander Zhao Songzhao!"

The two sides greeted each other, and He Lingchuan smiled and said, "I'm sorry to trouble Commander Zhao and everyone along the way."

He waved his hand, and the Chamber of Commerce manager presented a rattan basket to the palace guards, one for each person.

(End of this chapter)