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In Har Province, the snow piled three feet high, frostbitten and icy, with heavy snowflakes swirling in the cold wind. A military vehicle moved through the deserted streets, inside sat the current General, Lin Hongyao. He closed his eyes in a light doze, his military uniform wrapped around his lean and fit body. Years of living in the frigid wilderness had left his skin cracked, and his calloused hands tightly gripped a black military rifle. Even with ten guards now accompanying him, he showed no signs of relaxation.
"General," reported the adjutant beside him, "we have received intelligence on Zhang Chiqi."
"Oh?" He still did not open his eyes, merely twitching the corner of his mouth mechanically. "What did he say? Has he figured out the truth about Shangguan Lin?"
"Yes, he said Shangguan Lin is heading to Hot Province with only about a hundred men. However, the troops stationed in New North Plain are under his father's command and should be loyal to him. Oh, he probably has already arrived in New North."
"Have we set up our ambush at Pingyang Pass?" Lin Hongyao's voice was low and slow, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.
"It has been set up long ago," the adjutant replied. "Huang Chenghao has already sent false intelligence to Shangguan Lin as you instructed."
"Very good." A barely perceptible smile appeared on his face. "Shangguan Lin thinks he has made thorough preparations but does not realize that I was Zhang Chiqi's savior and arranged for Zhang Chiqi to be by his side years ago. He certainly did not expect that I had already discovered Huang Chenghao was his planted insider and had turned Huang Chenghao to relay false information."
"General, your strategies are truly impressive!"
Lin Hongyao waved his hand, no longer listening to flattery. His expression remained impassive while he felt quite pleased inside. It was not until the vehicle came to a stop that he stepped into the hall under the protection of those guards and sat down to rest. Just as he settled in, a delicate female voice reached his ears. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he saw a pair of slender hands adorned with white jade bracelets wrap around his neck, her crimson nails gently caressing his rough features. "General, you finally returned; I’ve been waiting for you."
Lin Hongyao pulled her into his embrace and signaled for those around them to leave before changing his demeanor. "It’s not like I was thinking about you, little enchantress." He gently held her chin, their lips just a millimeter apart. "So, what have you been up to these past few days?"
"What else could I do? I've just been thinking about you every day," the woman pouted playfully as she brought a smoking pipe to his lips. "These past few days, Yun Yun has been all alone; it’s so boring." Her face displayed various charming expressions, her eyes sparkled seductively like fire, and her slightly raised smile created an enchanting aura as her delicate wrist slithered around Lin Hongyao's back. Even Lin Hongyao found it hard to resist; he casually pushed her down beneath him while she giggled like a nightingale, holding the smoking pipe for him to take a deep puff. As wisps of smoke curled around them, their figures became less distinct.
"Report!" The voice of the adjutant sounded from outside. He knew very well that when the General was with Yun Yun, no one was allowed to disturb them; however, he had important intelligence that needed reporting. Mentally preparing himself for any reprimands or beatings, he heard Lin Hongyao's low and measured voice say, "Come in."
The adjutant entered the room and saw Yun Yun wrapped only in a purplish-red robe, her snow-white thighs exposed outside it, the collar slightly open revealing glimpses of her tender skin—her smile both strange and alluring. He quickly averted his gaze; he remembered someone who had looked at Yun Yun too long had been dealt with by the General. He certainly did not want to be the second fool.
"Is there something wrong?" Lin Hongyao was neatly dressed, sitting upright.
"Yes!" the adjutant replied seriously. "Just now, Zhang Chiqi sent back intelligence that Shangguan Lin has just arrived at New North, taken over his old troops, and sent people to bring Huang Chenghao's parents to New North, claiming he wants to reunite the family."
"What?!" Lin Hongyao stood up abruptly, his eyes fierce like a wolf ready to pounce on its prey as he looked at his adjutant. "So you're saying that Huang Chenghao is only pretending to join us while still being loyal to Shangguan Lin?"
"That seems to be the case..."
The muscles on his face twitched slightly, and a cruel smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Well! I underestimated Huang Chenghao. I thought he was the most timid and cowardly among those three insiders, which is why I chose him. I didn't expect him to let the tiger return to the mountain this time!"
"Commander! I'm afraid Huang Chenghao will incite our soldiers to rebel..."
"You are right." He stood up, casually tossing aside a piece of cloth. Yun Yun winced in pain, biting her lip but not daring to make a sound. "No one can be trusted! The only person you can trust in this world is yourself." His gaze fixed ahead, he said fiercely, "Gather my generals; I want to interrogate them one by one. Any general who has had contact with Huang Chenghao will have their parents killed! Kill the chicken to scare the monkey, so they know the consequences of betraying me, Lin Hongyao!"
"Commander, that might not be a good idea..." Before he could finish speaking, Lin Hongyao aimed his gun at his temple, slowly pulling the trigger. Lin Hongyao's voice was cold and vicious, his already small eyes narrowing into slits, exuding a menacing glare. "Are you also persuaded by Huang Chenghao?"
"I wouldn't dare! I'll take care of it right away!" The adjutant was frightened and immediately turned to leave.
Inside New Beicheng, it was quiet; all streets were blocked off. The citizens must be feeling quite frustrated, having had their railways closed for several months recently and now facing street closures for several days without knowing why. Cheng Mo sat in a black car next to Shangguan Shaoyi, who was focused on driving. She slightly turned her head to look at him and noticed some fluctuations in his calm eyes; after settling down, he would surely be both excited and nervous about planning an attack on Pingyang Pass.
The car gradually came to a stop. Shangguan Shaoyi got out but not before giving her a reassuring glance that helped steady her irregular heartbeat.
Only she and Shen Mingliang remained in the car.
Seeing Shangguan Shaoyi leave, Shen Mingliang quietly muttered, "I really don't understand what the Young Commander is thinking. Since he knows Huang Chenghao is a traitor, why still bring his parents over?"
Cheng Mo smiled lightly, like a lotus blooming for the first time. "Shen Deputy Officer, have you ever read about the Counterintelligence Strategy in military tactics?"
Shen Mingliang's face turned red. He was a rough man who only knew some simple characters; how could he have read military tactics? Back in the days of famine, he had nearly starved to death until General Shangguan saved him and brought him into the army, which led to his current position. However, he thought for a moment and understood the meaning based on the words. "It's about deliberately leaking false information to spies, allowing them to report this false information to their superiors. Lin Hongyao used this strategy."
"Correct." Cheng Mo's smile became even more graceful. "Then has Shen Deputy Officer ever read about the Discord Strategy?"
"It's about bribing an important figure on the enemy's side to sow discord between their general and commanders."
"Exactly, Shaoyi is using the Discord Strategy. First, he pretended to trust Huang Chenghao and secretly took his parents without Huang Chenghao's knowledge. Huang Chenghao is extremely filial and will surely be grateful to Shaoyi, while Lin Hongyao is suspicious and arrogant; he will think that Huang Chenghao is still working for Shaoyi. Shaoyi achieves two goals: he wins over Huang Chenghao and sows discord between Lin Hongyao and Huang Chenghao. Plus, with Lin Hongyao's suspicious nature, it might lead to other unexpected outcomes." Cheng Mo fell silent for a moment; she couldn't help but admire Shaoyi even more for coming up with such a plan.
"I see now!" Shen Mingliang slapped his forehead, enlightened. "This move by the Young Marshal is really ruthless! Given Lin Hongyao's character, he might just kill those generals' parents as a warning. At that point, it would be much easier for us to incite rebellion among the gatekeepers!" He noticed the faint smile at the corner of Cheng Mo's mouth and felt embarrassed; this woman understood military tactics better than he did, which was quite humiliating. "Hey... I tell you, reading military tactics isn't anything impressive; if it comes to fighting, you definitely can't compare to me!"
"I know," Cheng Mo replied with a smile, finding Shen Mingliang quite amusing. "I’m just learning a bit like Zhao Kuo who only talks about strategies on paper; when it comes to actual battles, we still need brave warriors like Shen Deputy Officer." Her words made Shen Mingliang beam with joy and lowered his guard against her.
After Shangguan Shaoyi finished discussing matters with the gatekeepers in New Beicheng, he bent down to enter the carriage. He expected a tense atmosphere inside but found it quite harmonious instead, leaving him puzzled. He quietly asked Cheng Mo, "What did you say to Shen Deputy Officer just now? Why did he suddenly stop glaring at you?"
Cheng Mo chuckled softly. "So there are things in this world that even you Shaoyi can't understand or guess." She mischievously blinked her eyes. "I won't tell you; you'll just have to keep guessing."
A smile played at the corners of Shangguan Shaoyi's mouth as his dark eyes seemed to look deep into her heart. "Alright then, let’s keep guessing." She felt a flutter in her heart and turned to look at him; he still wore his usual cold demeanor, but there was a unique warmth shining in his eyes. She shifted her gaze away and looked out at the scenery outside, smiling as it reflected the meaning in his gaze.
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