Chapter 203 Doubts and Li Zhongwu's Worries

At the edge of the northern border, Li Zhongwu has arrived at the border with 20,000 troops.

The cold here is biting and fierce, much colder than Yangzhou.

The whistling cold wind was like a sharp blade, cutting the air. Scattered snowflakes were flying in the air, hitting everyone's faces, bringing waves of pain.

Standing in a place where the wind was blowing from all directions, they felt like a lonely boat being swallowed by the cold wind, and could be drowned by the merciless cold at any time.

Before they set off, the temperature in Yangzhou had shown signs of rising, and the sun shone through the clouds, casting a warm glow as if foreshadowing the arrival of spring. It was already much warmer than the coldest time of the year.

However, when he actually arrived at the border, he found that the coldness of winter was far from gone, it was just showing its power in a different place.

The vastness of the grassland provided the largest space for the cold wind. The rustling wind, with its biting chill, kept penetrating into the armor from various places, making people feel cold in their hearts.

At this time, even though they were wearing armor, they felt as if they were in a winter cave in a trance.

Li Zhongwu took a deep breath, and the turbid air instantly turned into mist, rising up and blurring his vision.

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of the strong men of the Northern Barbarians. He secretly understood in his heart that it was this harsh environment that created their strong physique.

Anyone who can survive in this cruel world must be an extraordinary person. After all, people with a weak constitution will be frozen to death in this icy and snowy land.

This also explains why the Northern Barbarians have been going south to beg for food every winter for ten years. After all, food is scarce at this time of year, and this is the only way they can survive the cold winter.

A trace of sympathy welled up in Li Zhongwu's heart. Aren't the northern barbarians who were forced to move south very similar to them who were forced to rebel when they had no other choice?

No matter at what time, the hardship of survival is a fate that no one can escape.

But he soon crushed the sympathy in his heart. Although survival was difficult, this was not the reason for the northern barbarians to invade the Central Plains.

The Northern Barbarians will never forgive this.

Just as he was feeling emotional, he heard the sound of a horse reining in. The sound was particularly clear in the cold air, as if it was a sign of some kind of uneasiness.

Soon, a scout dismounted and came quickly to his side, his face flushed and panting.

"General, the Northern Barbarians have set up camp fifty miles away from us."

"General, the Northern Barbarians have set up camp fifty miles away from us." The scout's words were hurried and clear, with a tremor of nervousness. "Based on our observations, they should not have found any trace of us yet."

"They're stationed?"

Li Zhongwu whispered silently, his brows unconsciously furrowed.

He did not answer immediately, but looked up at the vast grassland stretching as far as the eye could see in the distance.

Now the northern barbarians' base camp and the vast grassland are right in front of them. As long as they want, they can go deep into the grassland and wreak havoc at any time. However, the northern barbarians' reaction seemed unusually calm, even a little leisurely. All this made Li Zhongwu feel an inexplicable doubt in his heart.

"Since the Northern Barbarians have learned of our whereabouts and have sent troops to stop us, they should have gone all out to chase us and stop us." He thought to himself, but the reality was contrary to his expectations. The Northern Barbarians' troops were not in a hurry, but seemed to be leisurely and contented, as if they were waiting for something.

He lowered his voice, and a look of doubt rarely appeared on his resolute face. He asked, "Who is the leader of the Northern Barbarians this time?"

The scout lowered his head and told everything he knew: "The one who led the troops at the beginning was the Northern Barbarian Khan Chagan Wuli, but Chagan Wuli has not appeared for a long time. It has always been a general who has been in charge of everything."

"Chagan Uli didn't show up?"

Li Zhongwu lowered his head. The scout's words deepened his doubts.

Is it because the Northern Barbarians are still armed in the heart of the grasslands and are preparing to attack them from both sides? Or is there another conspiracy?
At this moment, he looked up at the grassland in the distance. For a moment, he was somewhat surprised by the abnormal behavior of the Northern Barbarians, and the bad feeling in his heart became even stronger.

"Send more people to observe the movements of the Northern Barbarians. We must confirm whether Chagan Wuli is in the big tent."

He took a deep breath, a cold light flashed across his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "Also, immediately send the news here back to His Royal Highness King Wu, and let him make the decision."

The scout quickly responded and left. Li Zhongwu stood there, his heart surging.

Although the general trend of the world is now clear, the world is divided into three parts, and the righteous army is unstoppable. However, under this clear situation, there are actually undercurrents, and the situation is treacherous and unpredictable.

The Northern Barbarians are only one step away from dominating the world. The more they are in this situation, the more they cannot take it lightly. Whether it is Daqian's desperate blow when he is sure to die, or the powerful Northern Barbarians, they are opponents they cannot take lightly.

He always felt that the calmness and comfort of the Northern Barbarians were no accident. Perhaps they were plotting a bigger conspiracy against him or even the entire rebel army.

……

Hanzhou, Miyun City.

After Wang Deyi received Liu Wulie's order, he immediately got up and rushed to Miyun City. In addition, Hanzhou was not big, so he arrived at Miyun City quickly.

However, when he actually came here, he discovered how huge and shocking the Miyun Reservoir was.

The dam of the reservoir towered into the sky, majestic and solid, like an insurmountable barrier. Wang De stood in front of the dam, feeling helpless and fearful.

It was an endless expanse of water, with ripples shimmering slightly under the gloomy sky. The vast surface of water had begun to thaw, with chunks of ice occasionally breaking and sinking into the reservoir, making a muffled "bang" sound.

Wang De's face was solemn. Just from the muffled sound, he could infer how deep the Miyun Reservoir was and how much water it could store.

There was a damp smell in the air, and moss and swamps could be seen everywhere, seeming to hint at the darkness and uneasiness of this land.

Now he could imagine the scene once the floodgates were opened to release the water. There was no doubt that it would be a tragic scene. The endless torrent would be unstoppable and would swallow up everything in a short time.

Such power is absolutely beyond human capability. The fate of the people downstream and even the nearly one million people in Yangzhou will be rewritten in an instant, turning into endless tragedy.

Looking at everything in front of him, his mood became increasingly heavy.

Even so, he dared not slack off on this matter. He understood what this matter meant to Daqian, and what it meant to him. Over the years, he had been with Liu Wulie, and although he was cautious, he inevitably offended many people. Whether it was the dignitaries in the court or the common people, they all hated him to the core.

Do not,
Rather than hating him to the core,

It would be better to say that they hated those who served as officials in the court but did not accomplish anything significant, as well as those around Liu Wulie.

Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on his lips, and he sighed in his heart. Once upon a time, he was also very popular in the court, but now he has become the target of public criticism.

In the past, those ignorant people dared to be angry but did not dare to act. But now they have all stood up. If those people were allowed to take over the world, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Now, there is only one way before them, that is to follow Liu Wulie all the way to the end. Although this choice makes him feel bitter, it is his only way to survive. Otherwise, he will probably die under the swords of those rioters in the rest of his life. His thoughts are rolling like the tide, and he feels helpless and desperate.

This is also the reason why people like him still stand on the side of Daqian.

For them, the rebels would definitely not want them. They no longer needed officials like him. His former power and status were now like floating clouds. He knew very well that he had no choice.

Just like those noble families who had previously jumped back and forth between the rebel army and the imperial court?
The reason why those noble families changed their minds and took the initiative to provide assistance to the court at this time was simply because they had suffered setbacks from the rebel army.

In fact, they knew in their hearts that once the rebels took over the world, they would have no choice. Now, the only country in the world that could accommodate them was the declining Daqian.

Therefore, even though he felt overwhelmed with guilt, he knew that he could not change it.

As a subject, he had no choice but to obey.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said to Miyuncheng's garrison commander, "I'm sure you've seen the imperial edict. From now on, all affairs here will be under my personal command. General, do you understand?"

"It's natural."

The guard general Xu Long showed respect on his face, but he was thinking secretly in his heart. Although he understood the current situation, he was not completely convinced by Wang De's order. Patting his chest, he proudly replied: "Please rest assured, sir, I will definitely follow your majesty's orders and obey your orders."

"Okay!" Wang De nodded with satisfaction, then pointed at the Miyun Reservoir, his tone revealing a hint of determination: "From now on, order your people to evacuate the reservoir. My people will guard here. Everyone, cheer up and defend the city."

"Also, from now on, no one is allowed to leave the city without my warrant. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I think this shouldn't be difficult for you, General!"

What?
Evacuate the reservoir?

When Xu Long heard this, he was stunned and looked at Wang De with some confusion.

He originally thought that Wang De was a favorite of Liu Wulie, and that he would definitely make the first move to demonstrate his prestige upon taking office. However, he did not expect that his action would be so simple, that he only asked for a reservoir.

At least the power in the city, a huge military force is still in his hands. Although there is a loss to his power, it is not much and is still within the range he can accept.

Faced with such a good thing, he was so happy that he couldn't refuse it.

However, despite this, he still suppressed the excitement in his heart and said hesitantly: "Sir, why are you doing this?"

Wang De's face suddenly darkened, and a hint of coldness appeared at the corner of his mouth. He said lightly: "What? This is the order of the emperor. Do you dare to disobey it?"

At this time, he finally showed some of his power as the emperor's favorite.

Xu Long was shocked by this and stopped trying. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Yes, sir. I have ordered my men to evacuate the reservoir and guard the city gate."

"Well, let's go!"

Looking at Xu Long's back, Wang De smiled secretly in his heart.

The reason he pretended to be angry just now was just to intimidate him.

The guard in front of him, Xu Long, seemed respectful, but actually he had his own plans in mind and was constantly testing him.

However, his tricks were a bit of a show-off in front of him. After all, the reason why he could stay with Liu Wulie for so many years was not only because of Liu Wulie's sensibility, but more because he knew how to read people's expressions.

His sudden arrival would certainly make Xu Long, the local tyrant, feel uneasy, and he would definitely try his best to obstruct his actions in order to preserve his own power.

Although he noticed this, he was too lazy to care about it at this time. After all, once the floodgates were opened, any fame and fortune would be nothing but passing clouds.

Xu Long is one of those people who has high expectations but poor skills and no source of information, but he doesn't know that his fate has already been decided by others.

……

At the same time, Yunfu City.

Lin Zhongyun stood on the tower, looking at Hanzhou who was on high alert, with a hint of doubt in his eyes. His mood was like the gloomy sky, depressed and heavy.

Daqian's actions were really too abnormal. After Liu Jiuren and Tan Tai'ao colluded and were destroyed by him last time, it seemed that he had never recovered and had not made any major moves since then. This was not like the man who had used any means to eliminate the rebels before.

"Did Liu Wulie really give up the struggle?" Lin Zhongyun thought to himself. Although he did not underestimate Liu Wulie's ability, the intelligence coming from Hanzhou every day told him that Liu Wulie seemed to have really given up. Such changes made him feel uneasy, as if the crisis hidden in the darkness could erupt at any time.

If the person in charge of this matter was not Yuan Jingxin, he would have suspected that all the people they sent had been turned against him.

In a few days, their new food and supplies will arrive, and at that time he will have no worries. Isn't Liu Wulie afraid that his first target will be his palace?
Just as he was thinking about it, Yuan Jingxin suddenly walked up quickly.

He was holding a bamboo tube with the word "urgent" written on it in vermilion. Judging from Yuan Jingxin's nervous expression, something big must have happened.

"Okay, no need to salute now!" Lin Zhongyun waved his hand, his heart tightened, and he sensed the seriousness of the matter. He said anxiously: "What's the matter? Tell me quickly!"

"Your Highness, this is urgent military information from General Li Zhongwu."

Yuan Jingxin did not dare to break the rules, and knelt in front of Lin Zhongyun, saying in a deep voice, "General Li and his men have already arrived at the edge of the northern border, but General Li found that the barbarians who came to pursue them were acting a little abnormally, and they did not seem to be in a hurry."

"And the most important thing is Chagan Uli, who was still there a few days ago, but hasn't appeared for a long time..."

(End of this chapter)