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Zhao Wang Dan cleared his throat and said, "How could I miss such a great opportunity? Since you are determined to protect Li Mu, I will agree. As for the subsequent matters, you need not worry. I believe with my capabilities, I can downplay this situation."
At this moment, Zhao Kuo was puzzled by the king's mysterious demeanor. If he had known that someone was acting on his behalf to carry out the Prison Break, he would have been taken aback. Listening carefully, he realized that the king was setting conditions. Coupled with the previous context, it became clear that it was still about seizing the initiative.
The proposition at this moment was indeed difficult to resolve; the best course of action would be to withdraw the troops. However, if he were to voice this thought, King Zhao would likely become furious. Even if Li Mu was wronged, with the king's endorsement, there would be no saving him. Was it worth sacrificing the lives of two hundred thousand Zhao Army soldiers just to save one Li Mu?
Zhao Wang Dan held a trump card in his hands; after all, this Selection was merely a facade. The true purpose was for Zhao State to represent the Plain King in signing a military cooperation memorandum with various Feudal States. The alliance formed through yesterday's agreement was evident!
Zhao Wang Dan was not one to keep secrets; seeing Zhao Kuo silent and contemplative, he decided to reveal his trump card. "My dear Zhao! You may not know this, but I have already reached a military cooperation agreement with various Feudal States to ensure your name goes down in history. They will soon dispatch their main forces secretly into Shangdang Region; the good days for Qin State are coming to an end!"
Hesitant Zhao Kuo felt rejuvenated upon hearing this significant news. "Has it been signed? Do they agree to send troops for support?"
Zhao Wang Dan stood up and waved his sleeve, exuding confidence as he spoke. "Zhao! On your way to the palace, did you not notice many people from various Feudal States around here? Most of them are generals from their late-stage support troops who came here to assess the marching routes and conduct evaluations."
Due to the different attire and accents of each Feudal State, Zhao Kuo indeed noticed many individuals from these states during his journey. Initially thinking they were merely curious about Zhao State's Selection during winter, he realized their true purpose.
"Your Majesty! When will they send troops?"
It would certainly be too late to deploy after spring arrived because by then, Qin State's spies would spread their eyes along the route. The best timing would be when they believed no military action would occur. Zhao Wang Dan provided Zhao Kuo with this answer: when nature turned green again, the main forces of various Feudal States would already be in position!
Regardless of how many troops each Feudal State could send over, it would amount to at least over one hundred thousand. If each Sovereign took it seriously, it could be at least two hundred thousand! Adding in the nearly five hundred thousand regular troops stationed at Taihang Mountain under Zhao Sovereign's command made for a formidable force against Qin State's thirty thousand troops. Even if their Heavenly Road had reached Shangdang Region, fifty thousand against thirty thousand was more than sufficient!
Quickly assessing the situation, Zhao Kuo knelt down. "Your Majesty! I request a change of generals! If the Allied Forces are still commanded by Lian Po..."
Regarding this matter, Zhao Wang Dan has reached a consensus with the Plain King. A change of generals is necessary, and the leader of the Allied Forces will be Zhao Kuo! Since the change is inevitable, let us support Zhao Kuo. "My minister! The entire court believes you are the most suitable candidate! To ensure victory, you will have full command of the Allied Forces. The responsibility of repelling the Qin Army and reclaiming Shangdang now rests on your shoulders. Remember! Do not let us down!"
Zhao Kuo had just been considering the issue of command; if everyone fought separately, even a large army would not be able to unite as one. The opposing Qin Army consists almost entirely of elite troops, and any slight misstep could lead to total defeat. Hearing that he would have full command, he no longer had any doubts.
"I will do my utmost to drive the Qin Army out of Shangdang!"
...
The Keeper of The Prosperity Record of Handan City, Cai Youdao, is a person with extensive connections. Not only has he placed spies in important figures' households in Zhao State, but he also has them within the palace. However, there is a prerequisite: these spies must have opportunities to access confidential matters. If only two or three people are allowed to participate in a confidential matter, then the spy loses their effectiveness.
King Zhao's meeting with Zhao Kuo falls into this category where only two or three people are allowed to attend. Therefore, this significant military operation was not detected by outsiders, which meant that Cai Youdao did not receive timely information.
As for Luzi in the city, what Cai Youdao does not know, he certainly would not know either. At this moment, he is still busy arranging a marriage for Wang Sun Zi Chu and is completely unaware of Zhao State's actions.
When Cai Youdao came to report that Zhao Kuo had entered the city to meet Zhao Wang Dan, Luzi indicated that he was already aware. For safety's sake, he instructed Cai Youdao to pay close attention to the movements of the Feudal States' Beauty Team. If anything unusual is discovered, he should notify him immediately. He then learned that Zhao Kuo had left the capital and returned home, but there was an additional carriage in his convoy. According to informants, inside the carriage was the unconscious Li Mu.
Upon receiving this news, Luzi decided not to pursue this matter further and arranged for a large number of personnel to smooth out connections in order to implement the muddy water plan thoroughly. For him, who believed he was in control of the situation at this time, Lian Po would not lead an army to fight the Qin Army to the bitter end. Moreover, Zhao Kuo, the only general capable of contending with the Qin Army, was still at home practicing Filial Piety and posed no threat to them. Given this situation, seizing Oiran with overwhelming advantage became the most important task at hand.
Just as Cai Youdao left, a secret letter from King Zhao of Qin arrived. Luzi opened it and used a cipher ruler to uncover hidden commands within the text. The letter mentioned that King Qin had also heard about Zhao State's Selection making quite a stir and felt deeply concerned about it. At this moment, the main force of the Qin Army was still in Shangdang Region; any slight negligence could not be tolerated. For safety reasons, orders were given to activate all spies within Handan City to investigate the movements of each Feudal States' Beauty Team.
Remember! Remember! Remember!
Alliance and Diplomacy?
Luzi threw the secret letter from King Qin into the fire, watching it burn to ashes while pondering its contents. Logically speaking, Zhao State's recent movements were indeed quite significant; military cooperation could have been conducted privately and secretly. If they were to use the grand Campaign Team to negotiate, wouldn't that be somewhat superfluous? Wasn't this clearly informing the only party not mentioned, Qin State, that they were preparing to form Allied Forces?
"Innkeeper! We have business!"
A shout from Sun Thirteen outside interrupted Luzi's train of thought. According to the code agreed upon with Li Xin last night, the term "business" was used to notify them when this Qin State tourist group entered the city.
It seemed Li Xin was arriving soon!
Luzi set aside his work, opened the door, and stepped outside. "The arrival of guests is a good omen for prosperous business. Let's go see!"
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