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Qi Xiao left Yuanjing City to return to the feudal land in an upright manner, and there was another secret order for him to lead his troops into Fenglin Mountain and wait for the opportunity to attack them all.

Tang Ling quietly left without telling the truth. Only Huang Zexian and the other two confidantes of Xun Anhou in the Zhou Guo Mission knew that Tang Ling had left. Everyone else thought that Tang Ling was under house arrest by His Majesty in the new house, and they quarreled with Chen for the sake of Zhou Guo's face. With red faces and red ears, the peace negotiations could not go on. The two factions in the Zhou Dynasty, the main war and the main peace, kept arguing every day. Only the Emperor of Zhou and Xun'anhou watched coldly, pretending to be confused while they understood, while silently moving camps and mobilizing troops.

Before they left Beijing, there was one more thing. His Majesty kept his promise and gave an "account" for Tang Ling's assassination in Hukou Gorge. All the people confessed. He didn't know the movement of the Occupation Office in Zhou State, but he knew the contact information, and he explained everything.

His Majesty handed over the information, together with the assassin who assassinated Tang Ling at the Blue Spring Inn, to Huang Zexian.

Since Li Sheng was captured, almost all the hidden stakes of the Occupy Office in Chen Country were exposed. They moved quickly, but the Xuanjiying moved even faster, monitoring all these hidden stakes.

His Majesty does not intend to catch them all, but to use them to send wrong news to Qi, such as Tang Ling being placed under house arrest, and Chen, Zhou Yi and hopeless.

***

Zong Sheng knocked on the door and entered Qi Xiao's room: "Master, Mr. Tang."

Qi Xiao and Tang Ling stood and sat in the study.

Zong Sheng was followed by Baixiqiao, Chi Yue, Ye Huai, and Qing Lan. They were the closest and most trusted people around Qi Xiao and Tang Ling, but this seemed to be the first time that they all got together and spoke seriously. thing.

"Come around here."

Qi Xiao put down his pen and called everyone to the desk.

There is a map on the desk, which is different from the sheepskin map hanging in the study. This one is a map of Fenglin Mountain. Qi Xiao did not draw it carefully. Fenglin Mountain is too big. Although he has been running all over the mountain for several years , but he has not been everywhere or traveled everywhere.

"It will take about ten days for us to reach Fuzhou. It will be almost winter when we enter Fenglin Mountain. Usually, the heavy snow closes the mountain in the twelfth lunar month. Sooner or later, we will stay in the mountain for about three months until the snow melts. It’s going to be very difficult for a while.”

After squatting in the ice and snow for three months, Qing Lan was trembling just listening to it, she couldn't help but look up at Tang Ling first, no one else was fine, Ye Huai was so good at it, she passed it after a while, but Tang Ling couldn't, When the weather is cold, he is prone to catch a cold and suffer from cough and asthma. If the heart disease recurs, what should we do in the deep mountains, old forests, and ice and snow? !

Tang Ling's face was calm, and she glanced back at Qing Lan, as if it didn't matter at all. Qing Lan was nervous about him, and Tang Ling glared at him just as she was about to speak, and stopped.

Not only Qing Lan was looking at Tang Ling's face, but even Ye Huai couldn't help looking at Tang Ling. Qi Xiao saw it, circled two places on the map, and continued: "There are hot springs hidden in this canyon of Fenglin Mountain. , the four seasons in the valley are like spring, and we are stationed outside the valley.”

Qing Lan was overjoyed when she heard You Wenquan, her face immediately softened, but she was puzzled when she heard Qi Xiao said that she would station troops outside the valley, "Why not station troops in the valley?"

"It's not easy to get in and out of the canyon, and the space inside is so small that it can accommodate dozens of people at most, and it's impossible to garrison it.

When my brother and I were playing in the mountains, we built a thatched hut inside, repaired it, and gave it to your son to live in.

But the army can only be stationed outside. "

Since Qi Xiao wanted to lead the army, he had to eat and live with his soldiers, share the joys and sorrows, if he hid himself in the valley to eat, drink, and serve him, then he would not be able to convince the crowd at all, and the army would be distracted.

Tang Ling is Zhou Guo's proton, which is another matter.

Qing Lan nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Tang Ling wouldn't suffer, he could say anything.

"However, this canyon is located in the depths of Fenglin Mountain, and there are no mountain roads. It is a big problem to transport grain into it."

Outside the canyon, another place surrounded by Qi Xiao was the hiding place of Hanchenzong back then, but when Gu Shanmo brought them into the mountain, there were only less than a hundred people left in Hanchenzong, and it was impossible for the dozens of thatched huts to accommodate several people. An army of thousands of people, not to mention the rations of thousands of people for three months.

After the heavy snow closed the mountains, it was almost impossible for them to even hunt. The food had to be transported into the mountains and stored up.

"Brother, is there a way?"

Baixiqiao stroked his chin, thought for a while, and said: "Before the Dingyuan Army was disbanded, there were more than [-] checkpoints in Fenglin Mountain, all of which had cellars for storage of grain and weapons. These two are the closest to the canyon. , although it has been abandoned for several years, it should still be usable.

As for transporting grain into the mountains, you can try to use the plank road built before, but no one has repaired and maintained it for many years, so I can't say whether it can still be used. "

Since Bai Liu's death, the Dingyuan Army has been abolished, and now the checkpoints in Fenglin Mountain are less than one-third of what they were before, and there are only three garrisons left, and they are all very close to Yuanzhou Mansion. It is in the realm of human beings that the spies of Qi State are so rampant, pretending to be bandits and dominating the mountains.

"Try it.

After disembarking, senior brother, go back quickly to explore the way.

Lu Xiulin should have arrived a few days earlier than us. He was from the Dingyuan Army, so it shouldn't be a problem for him to select elite soldiers to enter the mountain. "

Baixiqiao nodded in response.

"In addition to food, we also need medicine."

Chi Yue opened his mouth, pointed at the sheepskin map, and said, "After crossing Fenglin Mountain, from north to south, the first pass is Jialin Pass, then Xingtian Pass, and the shortest passage between the two passes is from a Passing through the miasma forest, there is no antidote, we can't get through.

In addition to miasma forests, there are many mountains and forests in Qi State, and there are many poisonous insects and poisonous substances, so we need to be prepared. "

At the end of Chi Yue's words, he looked at Qing Lan and said that marching with Qing Lan was not just to let him serve Tang Ling to eat and drink. Military doctors are essential, but ordinary military doctors are not enough. There are many poisons in Qi State. Qing Lan is still needed to save her life.

Qing Lan responded: "I will make a list, and just take the medicine according to the prescription.

Three months in the mountains is enough time for me to make antidote pills. "

Qi Xiao didn't dare to relax, so he ordered Bai Xiqiao to be on the safe side: "Yuanzhou Mansion may not have enough medicinal materials for detoxification. When you pass by Fuzhou, let Yue Zhilin arrange it for you. Ning Duo is indispensable."

Yue Zhilin is a smart person, he doesn't ask too many questions, and he doesn't say a word too much.

It is late autumn now, and it is less than a month before the heavy snow seals the mountain to death. It may be impossible to make comprehensive preparations for everything, but life and death are at stake, and it is necessary to prepare as much as possible.

In addition to food and medicine, there are also clothes to keep out the cold. Fenglin Mountain is now a barren mountain, and Qi Xiao and Baixiqiao have never lived in the mountain for three months. in the mountains.

Qi Xiao listed all the supplies he could think of, and asked Baixiqiao to arrange them. The time was tight and the task was heavy. Baixiqiao wanted to jump off the boat and swim back to Fuzhou immediately.

After Baixiqiao and Qing Lan went out, Tang Ling took Ye Huai back to her room first, while Qi Xiao left Chi Yue and Zong Sheng behind.

In addition to supplies, there is one more important thing.

"After we enter the mountain, we will lose contact with the outside world. Before Xuerong, we must cross Fenglin Mountain to enter Qi."

Qi Xiao looked at Chi Yue, he didn't ask any questions, but was waiting for Chi Yue to answer.

"Before leaving Yuanjing, I sent a letter to Qi, ordering the Xuanji Camp to stand by at Jialinguan."

"Among the Qi Kingdom, are there any people from Tiance Camp available?"

Chi Yue raised his eyes to look at Qi Xiao, and responded after a while: "Yes, yes, but..."

"The nothing card can't be used?"

Chi Yue hesitated for another moment, and only asked, "What does Your Highness want to do?"

"I want to know how many chips I have in my hand and what chance I have of winning."

Chi Yue lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then said in a low voice: "The Tiance Camp only obeys His Majesty and the No Matter Card, and I can't do anything about it."

"So, he will only obey me if he sees me in person?"

Chi Yue nodded.

Seeing Chi Yue's reaction, Qi Xiao had some guesses in his heart. The people in the strategist camp hidden in Qi State are afraid that they will bear His Majesty's imperial order. Like when Chi Yue was in the capital for a year, it was not easy to see him, maybe It doesn't work either.

"Can I see you?"

"Your Highness, forgive me. The rules of the Tiance Camp are only to act according to His Majesty's orders. I am not very clear about other people's tasks, nor can I fully grasp them. If Your Highness has something to do, you can tell me to do it and put your hopes on others." Unwise, I'm afraid."

"I see."

Qi Xiao tapped lightly on the table, and then asked, "Can the Xuanji Camp get Qi's defense map before we arrive?"

The defense map is not the key to winning this battle, but the key to starting the war.

Qi Xiao and Tang Ling calculated that they could bring at most 8000 people into Fenglin Mountain. If there was not enough food and supplies, they might only be able to bring [-] to [-] people, not even horses.

There are [-] permanent troops at Xingtian Pass alone, and it is easy to break through the pass. What's more, they have few people, no fast horses, and can't carry any heavy siege weapons. It is extremely difficult to break through the pass of Qi State.

If there is no deployment map, they will die if they go.

"The deployment map is available now, but it needs to be confirmed.

The time for Qi Guojun to change defenses every year is not fixed. It is generally determined by the weather conditions and also depends on the style of the generals in command.

Xuanjiying will prepare the defense map for His Highness. "

Qi Xiao nodded, he had no way out, and he had no choice.

He has seen how powerful the Tiance Camp is, and he hopes that the Xuanji Camp will not disappoint him.

"However, do you want to discuss it with Mr. Tang? Xing Luowei also has spies in Qi. If the two sides encounter each other, I'm afraid there will be trouble."

"understood."

Qi Xiao pressed his forehead, this is also a troublesome matter, now Tang Ling should be saying the same thing to Ye Huai, if this battle is to be successful, it needs to be united with Xun Anhou's army, timing is more important than anything else.

Qi Xiao waved his hand and asked Chi Yue to withdraw: "Let's do this first."

Qi Xiao stuffed a sugar pill into his mouth, and he was dizzy, leaning on the corner of the table with one hand, feeling deeply tired.