Chapter 168 Everyone is prepared
After Zhao complimented Wang Xiaojie, he fell into deep thought again.

Seeing Zhao Ji's hesitation, Wang Xiaojie couldn't help but ask, "Why, Chengyuan, if you still have any doubts, why not raise them now?"

Zhao Ji understood Wang Xiaojie's attitude, so he said bluntly: "The general's idea is good. The Western Route Army is alone and deep in the Khitan stronghold, and it will be difficult to sustain food and grass."

"If our army fails to launch a surprise attack, returning empty-handed is the least we can do. If we encounter a Khitan ambush, I'm afraid it will be difficult to escape unscathed."

With Xiao Qingfang around, a sneak attack was basically just talk. Li Jinzhong would definitely be on guard, not to mention that there might be Turks intruding. Zhao Ji felt that it would be difficult for the Western Route Army to achieve any results.

Wang Xiaojie was not angry but happy when he heard Zhao Ji's doubts: "You are worried about defeat before you win. It seems that Your Majesty is quite good at judging people. But I, Wang Xiaojie, have made such a plan with all the considerations."

"If the Khitans really divide their forces to guard against your detachment, the front will certainly be exposed. Then you can retreat slowly. Retreat to Turkestan, or retreat to Chongzhou via Raole."

Zhao Ji could also think of these, but he remained calm and had something in mind.

Seeing that Zhao Ji was still hesitating, Wang Xiaojie added, "I will not force you to capture Yingzhou. If you have the ability, it would be best if you can capture Yingzhou."

"If the march is not going well, and you can capture the Songmo area, intimidate Yingzhou, and lead the Khitan army to come back for support, I will also count it as a great achievement. You have the right to act at your own discretion, so you can act according to the situation."

Zhao Ji then slowly nodded and said, "I understand what the general means. But I still have something to say to the general."

Wang Xiaojie showed a bit of surprise and asked, "Oh? From the bottom of your heart? Please speak."

Zhao Ji took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "The reason why Zhang Xuanyu was defeated was first because he underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly. Secondly, he was defeated by his own people. I suspect there are Khitan spies in our army."

Wang Xiaojie's eyes suddenly changed, as sharp as an eagle, and he asked, "Chengyuan, don't talk nonsense. Do you have any evidence?"

Zhao Ji shook his head and said, "There is no conclusive evidence. But the Khitan surrendered general Li Kaigu told us the details of the battle of Xixia Shigu. The Khitan army seems to always be able to grasp our army's movements in advance, which is not something that scouts can do. The general may want to pay attention to it."

Wang Xiaojie nodded slightly and kept this in mind: “I know.”

Zhao Ji continued, "All the generals on the front line, except me and General Yang. After the last defeat, Yan Feishi always wanted to avenge his humiliation and acted too radically. Zong Huaichang was just the opposite. He lost his courage and just wanted to survive."

"Only General Zhang Jiujie can be of great use. He is defending Danzhou, and is as stable as a mountain. If I fail to advance, I will retreat to Danzhou through the Xi people's territory."

Seeing Zhao Ji's serious expression, Wang Xiaojie nodded again: "Thank you Chengyuan for reminding me, I'll make a note of it."

Zhao Ji continued, "The weather is getting colder, and it will be unfavorable for the army to fight in the coming days. If there is no news from our Western Army after winter, what will the general do?"

Wang Xiaojie frowned slightly, and after a moment's silence, he said, "If this is the case, I will definitely give up the confrontation with the Khitan army and retreat to Pingzhou and Tanzhou."

Zhao Ji looked solemn and proposed, "I would like to make an agreement with the general. If there is no news from me before the tenth day of the winter solstice, please withdraw the army in advance instead of waiting until winter. What do you think?"

Wang Xiaojie frowned even more tightly, and his tone was slightly unhappy: "What Chengyuan said is a safe strategy, which can protect the army. But from what I heard from you, it seems that you are not optimistic about this battle being successful?"

Zhao Ji smiled helplessly and explained: "Before you win, you should first worry about losing. This is my character. Zhang Xuan's experience is not far away. How dare I not be careful?"

"If the general waits for me, but I fail to accomplish anything, and the situation drags on until the severe winter, wouldn't that put the army in danger? What if something goes wrong..."

Hearing this, Wang Xiaojie nodded slowly, his expression slightly relieved: "Chengyuan's words are not unreasonable. I promise you, if I don't hear from you before the winter solstice, I will withdraw my troops."

Zhao Ji felt relieved, smiled, and said, "General, you have a wise decision. I admire you."

Wang Xiaojie shook his head and laughed when he heard this, patted Zhao Ji on the shoulder and said: "Chengyuan is a little overthinking. You are brave and cautious, and you will definitely gain something from this trip. Chengyuan should be more courageous when going deep into the enemy's territory alone."

Zhao Ji smiled in relief and said, "The general is right. I hope that this winter solstice, I can drink and chat happily with the general in Yingzhou City!"

"Good! This is the ambition and passion that the men in our army should have. I'll be waiting for your good news." Wang Xiaojie laughed heartily and was very optimistic.

Although Zhao Ji was not as optimistic as Wang Xiaojie, he also felt that the arrangements were proper and the entire army would not be wiped out.
-
In the evening, inside the Khitan central army tent in Shigu, Dongxia.

Li Jinzhong sat in the upper seat, his face as pale as paper, coughing from time to time, and seemed to be in some physical discomfort. Sun Wanrong asked worriedly, "Khan, are you okay? Do you want to ask the Han people in Yingzhou City to come and take a look?"

Li Jinzhong stopped coughing and waved his hand: "It's just a cold, it shouldn't be a big deal, there's no need to spread the news, let's deal with Xiao Qingfang first, I wonder what news she will bring this time."

Before she finished her words, the guards had led Xiao Qingfang into the big tent. After exchanging greetings, she calmly sat down opposite Sun Wanrong.

Li Jinzhong tried to gather his strength and spoke weakly, "General Xiao, you must have something important to discuss with me, right?"

Xiao Qingfang did not hide it: "I came here to help the Khan resist the attack of the Zhou army this time."

"I would like to hear the details." Li Jinzhong said.

Xiao Qingfang then told the military situation: "According to reliable intelligence, the Zhou army is preparing to split into three groups. One group is in Dongxishi Valley, led by Wang Xiaojie himself, with a force of 100,000 soldiers, to attract the main force of the Khitan."

"The second route has about 25,000 troops, with Zhao Ji as the general. They will use the Turkic route to attack Songmo and Yingzhou. Another route will go by sea to Liaodong as a feint attack. The three routes have a total of more than 100,000 troops. I wonder how the Khan plans to deal with the enemy?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jinzhong's face suddenly changed and he couldn't stop coughing. He didn't expect Wu Zetian's second attack to come so quickly and on such a large scale.

Seeing that Li Jinzhong was coughing violently, Sun Wanrong hurried over to take care of him.

Seeing that Li Jinzhong looked extremely bad, Xiao Qingfang also stepped forward to observe and asked, "Is Khan healthy? Do you want to ask the doctor from Snake Spirit to take a look?"

Li Jinzhong drank a bowl of hot water, wiped the sweat off his face, and tried to cheer himself up: "I'm fine. Wanrong, tell me what you think."

Seeing that Li Jinzhong was fine, Sun Wanrong gave his own opinion from a military perspective: "The Liaodong route is just bluffing and feinting, so we can ignore it. Although Wang Xiaojie's army is large in number, our army will defend with all its strength, and he will not be able to break through our Khitan defense line for a while."

"The most difficult ones to deal with are Zhao Ji's troops who are passing through the Turkic territory. If we send too few people, they will not be a match for him. If we send too many people, we may not be able to stand up to Wang Xiaojie head-on. They are a serious threat to our army."

Li Jinzhong turned his gaze towards Xiao Qingfang, breathing heavily, with a tone of doubt and dissatisfaction: "General Xiao, didn't you say that the Turks would soon join the war and stand on our side? Why are the Turks now lending their way to the Great Zhou?"

Xiao Qingfang responded calmly, "Khan, please calm down. This is all because of Jili Khan's obstruction. But please rest assured that Prince Mochu has agreed to help us deal with this Zhou army."

"You don't have to worry about Zhao Ji's group. Just focus on dealing with Wang Xiaojie's frontal attack. The rest will be handled by the Snake Spirit in secret."

"Are you serious?" Li Jinzhong stared at Xiao Qingfang with a sharp gaze.

Xiao Qingfang's answer was resounding: "Of course!"

Sun Wanrong's eyes flashed with suspicion: "General Xiao, this is no joke. If we listen to you and don't take precautions in the west, and Mochu goes back on his word, or if he fails to stop this Zhou army, our Khitan will be left with a wide open retreat, and we will be finished."

Xiao Qingfang smiled and said soothingly, "Don't worry, Marshal. Prince Mochu's Eagle Division has already started to mobilize, and among them are our Shelings. And this time we are setting an ambush in the Turkic territory. If it fails, you will have time to mobilize troops to defend again."

"You two know the reputation of my Snake Spirit best. Besides, you have no other choice now. You can only hope for this."

Li Jinzhong listened to Xiao Qingfang's arrangement and finally nodded: "This arrangement is quite appropriate."

Xiao Qingfang did not intend to stop, she offered another suggestion: "Khan, I have another idea here. I don't know whether I should say it or not."

"General Xiao said that you should speak frankly and there is no need to beat around the bush. Now we need sincere cooperation between our two families," Sun Wanrong said anxiously.

Xiao Qingfang nodded and said, "The Khitan people originally lived by nomadism, following the water and grass. Why don't the Khan give up Yingzhou and establish another royal court? If so, Zhao will definitely return empty-handed."

There was a flash of hesitation in Sun Wanrong's eyes, and he seemed reluctant. After all, Yingzhou was already a world of pleasure for the Khitans.

Li Jinzhong immediately thought this plan was feasible, and said in a deep voice: "General Xiao's plan is a good idea. Now that the army is approaching, the situation is critical, and we must make plans early. I will return to Yingzhou in person to take charge of this matter."

(End of this chapter)