In Yanzhi County at the border of Youzhou, the Tao family could be called a famous family in the county. The children of the family were well-versed in both civil and military affairs in Youzhou. The Tao family was simple and honest. The head of the Tao family, Tao Jinzao, had a good reputation. He had built a warehouse for grain and had opened the warehouse many times to provide disaster relief in Youzhou. When the million-strong army of Beimang was bearing down on Beiliang, many large families in Yanzhi County followed the principle of a cunning rabbit having three burrows. They had their young children secretly move out of Beiliang with their property. Only the Tao family did not make any moves.
A group of more than a dozen horses rushed to the Tao family's mansion in the middle of the night. In the darkness of the night, the dense horseshoes stepped on the bluestone road with six memorial archways bestowed by the imperial court. It was particularly crisp and melodious. Tao Jinzao, who was over fifty years old, had received a secret report that caught him unprepared. He hurriedly put on his clothes and set out with his entire family. The family of more than a hundred people knelt respectfully on the stone steps outside the door. The leader of the group was a young man covered in a thick fur robe. Behind him was a one-armed old man with two strands of snow-white eyebrows and a white-clothed woman whose figure was better than that of the Northern Warriors. The dozen or so retainers behind them all carried short crossbows and cold sabers. They were all white horses.
Tao Jinzao's two unmarried granddaughters knelt side by side. They couldn't help but take a peek at the young man who was smiling and helping their grandfather up. He was extremely handsome with a good appearance and an even better temperament. They guessed that he might be a son of a Central Plains aristocratic family who had risen to power while the scholars were in decline. In the past, they had always heard that the scholars from Jiangnan were handsome and elegant. Every movement of theirs carried the fragrance of books. They were like heaven and earth compared to the local men of Beiliang. Of course, they guessed wrong. It was true that scholars from other parts of Beiliang took every opportunity to occupy seats, but other than Yu Luandao and a handful of others, no one had the qualifications to make the head of the Tao family mobilize so many people. The one who made them fall in love with him at first sight was the King of Beiliang, who had led ten white horses to Yanzhi County in disguise.
Hsu Fengnian and Tao Jinzao quickly walked through the main door. They saw a young child in the arms of a woman. The child looked delicate and pretty, so Tao Jinzao took a jade pendant from her waist and gave it to the child with a warm smile as a greeting gift. Then, Hsu Fengnian had the old, young, and women of the Tao family disperse to rest, leaving behind only Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai. Without any polite greetings, Hsu Fengnian lowered his voice and asked straightforwardly, "Have you settled down the last group of spies from Lingzhou?"
Tao Jinzao, whose emotions were surging, calmed down a bit, and then reported, "This group of twenty six individuals have already been placed in various places. The three groups of people have a total of eighty one individuals. Together with the four second level masters and fifteen third level experts that were secretly dispatched from the King Manor to Yanzhi County, they can coordinate with each other in secret. Everything has been prepared, and we are only waiting for the Northern Mang loyalists who have infiltrated our borders to walk right into our trap. Now that all the passes at the border have been closed, and there are elite crossbowmen and local scouts of Youzhou roaming around. Even if there are some who slip through the net and cross the line of defense, it will be very difficult for them to enter the hinterland of Youzhou and assassinate officials. "
Hsu Fengnian nodded.
Tantai Pingjing, Sui Xiegu, and Bai Ma Yicong naturally wouldn't participate in the secret conversation. Only Hsu Fengnian and the Tao family's father and son were left in an elegant room. Lush green bamboos could be seen outside the window. At the end of last year, there was heavy snow everywhere in Liyang, and Beiliang was even more so. This year's late spring wasn't as cold as before, but Hsu Fengnian didn't take off his fur coat after sitting down. Tao Jinzao and Tao Wenhai were also given a seat. However, it was clear that they were very reserved in front of this famous young vassal king, even in their own territory. Instead, they were like shabby guests. The elderly head of the Tao family was in awe, and Tao Wenhai, who was a county magistrate in Yanzhi County, was in awe over fear.
Soon, a graceful woman came in with hot ginger tea. After putting it down, she went to the corner of the room and sat down. She bent down and skillfully opened a drawer and box, placing a dozen kinds of precious spices on a small table made of red sandalwood in front of her. The sandalwood table was previously furnished with a typical "master and servant": a bottle, a furnace, and a box. The furnace was the master, and the box was the servant.
Hsu Fengnian held the ginger tea with both hands and took a sip. Immediately, the cold was driven away a bit, and the warmth seeped into his heart and spleen. In this rare moment of leisure, he subconsciously looked at the woman who gave off a quiet and peaceful feeling. She was probably the kind of woman who was said to be delicate and beautiful. Her clothes were appropriate, but her breasts, waist, and buttocks, as well as her kneeling legs, all kinds of rounded curves didn't disappear because of the winter clothes. Of course, Hsu Fengnian didn't have any romantic feelings, and he didn't have any thoughts of doing anything with her. However, such an outstanding woman was pleasing to the eye. Hsu Fengnian was an expert in the art of appreciation. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was a grandmaster. Otherwise, Great Peace City would not have been so obsessed with the calligraphy and paintings that Beiliang and His Royal Highness had used seals to call "fakes" in the early years. Hsu Fengnian looked over and knew that the brass incense burner came from the famous "Nanzhu" Huang Ju. The incense burner was very ancient and had diluted its toughness. After many years of maintenance, it gave off a bright red color like a famous sword that shone with light. If there were no accidents, the ashes in the incense burner would be the remains of agarwood that had been burned for many years. "Ten years of burning incense and half a burner of ashes."
Hsu Fengnian's mind wandered absent-mindedly. His gaze stopped near the young woman. Tao Jinzao smiled knowingly. His oldest granddaughter had been unwilling to marry for so many years, causing him to be mocked by some of his old friends who had failed in marriage as "having a daughter in the Tao Family is a rare commodity worth hoarding." Different from his father who was quick-witted, Tao Wenhai had been secretly observing this King of Beiliang who had "turned over a new leaf." Because the Tao Family had a hidden identity in the Whisk Water Room, Tao Wenhai had participated in the transmission of military intelligence in Youzhou very early on. Compared to the other descendants of large Beiliang clans, Tao Wenhai was much more curious about Hsu Fengnian.
Hsu Fengnian gathered his thoughts and said frankly, "Excuse me."
The woman smiled sweetly.
Hsu Fengnian took a big sip of ginger tea, put down the teacup, and said in a deep voice, "According to the intelligence that Chu Lushan dug out from the South Dynasty, the Empress of Beimang has long asked Li Mibi to make a plan to send assassins before the troops and horses move. Beimang's Jianghu forces are divided into two parts. Most of the top masters and all the low-level warriors have joined the army, while the middle-level masters are assigned to Li Mibi, the head of the Beimang spies, to accurately assassinate our border generals and civil officials. They won't go to the Beiliang Protectorate where Chu Lushan is to seek their own deaths. But Tao Wenhai, you are indispensable to the Beiliang and a core official who lacks personal guards, so you are the best target for the Men of Sacrifice of Beimang."
Hsu Fengnian stretched out his finger and gently turned the teacup. "The border to the north of Liangzhou is full of military towns and cities, so it's very difficult for the enemy to find an opportunity. In Youzhou, it's much more complicated. Although the area around the mouth of the Calabash is densely covered with webs of various sizes, their original purpose is to impede the rapid advance of Beimang's army. They don't have the power to deal with these Men of Sacrifice of Spider Web and Jianghu masters. Even though Great General Yan Wenluan and Youzhou General Huangfu Cheng have already sent out 16 elite cavalry units of about 500 men to hunt down the fish that slipped through the net, I believe it's still very difficult for them to succeed. The real battle in Youzhou will still take place within the border. Therefore, the Peregrine Falcon Eagle Guard in Wutongin and Whisk Room will mainly focus on the border counties like Yanzhi County. However, even though the Peregrine Falcon Eagle Guard has already sent out all their forces, when the time comes, they are bound to be flustered. "
Tao Wenhai gently glanced at his father, Tao Jinzao, who nodded. Only then did Tao Wenhai say, "Your Highness, what this lowly official is most worried about right now is that after Beimang enters the border, Beimang will scatter their troops. Each troop will be led by one or several top masters. Even if we have the Peregrine Falcon Eagle Guard secretly protecting us and sending out a message at the cost of his life before he died, our Men of Sacrifice in the vicinity will immediately rush to the battlefield to encircle and annihilate them. I'm afraid that the enemy has concealed their strength in the previous attack and has no intention of retreating after succeeding in one strike. At that time, we may instead suffer a second round of heavy casualties. By the time we come to our senses, we will have no choice but to gather several main forces to intercept them. Perhaps the enemy's other top forces will begin to quietly make their move again.
At this point, Tao Wenhai seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Hsu Fengnian smiled and said, "There's no harm in speaking frankly."
Tao Wenhai went straight to the point and said, "After all, our Beiliang is only a sparsely populated place. We don't have the upper hand in this kind of battle of attrition of masters. Beimang's Dao De Sect, Chess and Sword Music School, Princess's Grave, and Mount Tibing have all sent their elites to join the battle. Many famous Beimang Devil Path heroes are also working for Li Mibi. Our side is definitely at a disadvantage in terms of the number of Level Two and Level Three Martial Arts Grandmasters. But it's precisely these kinds of people who can make the most decisive impact in the battle of assassination and counter-assassination. Our large number of light cavalry can't perform well. To put it bluntly, we may be led by the nose from the beginning to the end. We may not even be able to catch the corner of their clothes. "
Hsu Fengnian nodded and said, "In fact, there are five Level One masters in Beimang with definite identities. They are the Disciplinary Elder of the Dao De Sect, the Great Music School of the Chess and Sword Music School, Little Idea of the Princess's Grave, and two famous devils. So this time, the whole history of Beimang's Jianghu has been dug out by His Majesty. Our Youzhou will be the first touchstone for that old woman to reorganize the Jianghu."
Tao Wenhai and Tao Jinzao looked at each other and saw the deep worry in each other's eyes.
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said, "Of course, the good news is that other than Little Idea of 'Half Face Makeup', the rest are only in the Vajra Realm and the Finger Mysterious Realm. Moreover, most of the Level Two Grandmasters are from the Chess and Sword Music School. Their realms are not low, but when it comes to a life-and-death battle, they may not be comparable to Beiliang's Level Three martial artists. "
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