Striking the Ox from Across the Mountain
Meng Qi and Mo Li had just parted ways with Mistress Tao and others, displaying the demeanor of a recluse indifferent to worldly disputes. However, as soon as they turned around, they retraced their steps.
—When they turned, they were so in sync that both couldn’t help but smile.
Feihe Mountain was crucial, and they had to go there. But it was also important to take one last look at the Jingzhou military camp; otherwise, they might descend from Feihe Mountain only to find that chaos had erupted both in Jiangnan and Jiangbei, and they wouldn’t know what had transpired.
The cunning mastermind might not be caught, but finding out why the Jingzhou army suddenly (went) mad wasn’t difficult.
In fact, it wouldn’t even take much effort.
The Jingzhou army had already moved entirely to the riverbank, and supply wagons continued to arrive in a steady stream.
The boulders hurled by the catapults had been manually removed, weeds were pulled up in patches, and uneven slopes were forcibly leveled.
Mo Li held his breath.
Meng Qi, who was very close to him, immediately said, “It’s fine, they’re just camping. They don’t intend to start a battle yet; see, the ships haven’t been brought over.”
If the Jingzhou army had been prepared in advance, large warships and towers should have already been here. Those two small boats the scouts of the Qi dynasty had used earlier were simply laughable.
“What do you think happened for this kind of setup?” Mo Li tried to guess from the perspective of a commanding general but got nothing.
“Mobilizing troops is a big deal. To show force on the northern bank is even more unusual… It feels like a reaction to some kind of threat or fury. You wait here, Doctor, I’ll take a quick tour of the camp.”
As soon as Meng Qi finished speaking, he vanished. Mo Li found a concealed, sheltered spot in the darkness and watched the Jingzhou army, busy digging pits along the riverbank.
The traps were crude, easily avoidable by anyone with eyes.
Rather than calling them traps, they were more like straightforward “No Entry” signs.
The soldiers of the Jingzhou army, forced to work in the middle of the night, were all sluggish, yawning after just a couple of shovelfuls.
One officer, holding a telescope, looked toward the northern bank.
But on such a late night, with only moonlight and the wide river, unless a large number of ships crossed the river, there was nothing to see.
Meng Qi had been gone for about half an hour, and Mo Li was starting to get drowsy.
Just then, a gust of wind passed by, and a familiar presence was close at hand—
Someone’s warm breath lightly grazed Mo Li’s ear.
But as soon as Meng Qi spoke, the subtle atmosphere was broken.
“Someone attempted to assassinate King Jing.”
“What?” Mo Li was shocked, and his drowsiness disappeared without a trace.
Even though there had been vague suspicions, to hear such a huge revelation right away, Mo Li had to admit that the mastermind behind this had guts.
They had set up on the northern bank, stolen the naval defense map, and lured the Qi dynasty scouts to cross the river in pursuit; on the southern bank, they staged an assassination, leaving a flaw that would lead the Jingzhou army to believe that the scouts were responsible for the attempt.
“Did they succeed?”
“Of course not.”
Mo Li understood. If King Jing had died, Jingzhou would have been thrown into chaos. Rather than waging war on the northern bank, people would be more concerned about who the next King Jing would be. Jingzhou would descend into internal strife, which wouldn’t align with the mastermind’s plans. This assassination was never meant to succeed.
“This King Jing, I’ve met him before.”
As a national advisor, he had met most of the feudal lords of the Chu dynasty. However, the newly enfeoffed kings after Emperor Chu Yuan’s death were a different matter.
Meng Qi, with an indifferent expression, continued, “King Jing is naturally suspicious. Even if there is evidence pointing to the Qi people, he may not believe it. Instead, he might act furious and pretend he’s going to wage war on the northern bank, all while surrounding himself with heavy protection.”
“This…”
Mo Li was taken aback. If King Jing had such a temperament, wouldn’t attempting to assassinate him be like poking a hornet’s nest?
Seeing his expression, Meng Qi couldn’t help but laugh: “King Jing is cautious and never takes risks. Put nicely, he’s naturally suspicious; put bluntly, he overthinks everything. He’ll definitely order his men to hunt down the Qi dynasty scouts, but he won’t rush into open war with the Qi dynasty, so nothing serious will happen here.”
No wonder the Jingzhou navy, after receiving their orders, only used catapults and shot a few rounds of arrows, without sending thousands of troops to surround the inn.
As for whether those Qi dynasty scouts were actually assassins?
—Who cares who let them cross the river? Kill them first!
Meng Qi lowered his voice and said, “I overheard a few deputy generals in the camp earlier. They were saying that those Qi dynasty scouts, relying on their skills, were acting recklessly on the southern bank, completely disregarding the Jingzhou army. They’ve been an eyesore for a long time.”
Mo Li recalled the behavior of the scouts’ leader and was speechless.
Arrogant in daily life, now getting their just deserts.
“If King Jing is like this, then the mastermind should know that starting a war would be difficult. What is he really plotting? Could it be to use others to eliminate the Qi dynasty’s scout camp?” Mo Li couldn’t figure it out. This elaborate scheme seemed too troublesome just to get rid of those guys; it would have been easier to hire assassins from Piaoping Pavilion.
Unless this person knew that Piaoping Pavilion was no ordinary martial arts organization.
Even so, there were plenty of other skilled fighters available. Many in the martial world were in need of money, only a few weren’t.
Only after hearing Meng Qi’s words did Mo Li realize how far off his assumptions had been.
“…Perhaps it’s to sever the private trade between both banks of Jingzhou.”
“Trade?”
Mo Li was puzzled. Was it really about stopping those small-scale operations that shipped silk and tea across the river every few days to make extra money?
“Well, there are naturally other possibilities too.”
Meng Qi spread his hands, implying that unless there was something else in Jingzhou worth coveting, this was the most likely reason given the circumstances.
“Qi dynasty uses boats to transport goods, and the Jingzhou army likely does the same. Both sides quietly make money from this. With the river blocked, it becomes a monopoly. Fewer goods, higher prices, and they can quickly unload their cargo. While each trip might not bring in a fortune, the steady stream of profits is extremely stable.”
Mo Li nodded repeatedly as Meng Qi continued, “But once tensions rise and both sides are on the verge of conflict, trade halts. The merchants who run these errands lose their livelihood, and while the generals losing extra money is one thing, they’ll soon struggle to even feed the soldiers. A short disruption of ten days or so might be manageable, but if it lasts for a month, just watch what happens. The generals, accustomed to their side earnings, may have to start paying out of pocket, and how do you think they’ll react when that happens?”
Meng Qi laid out the pros and cons for Mo Li, who suddenly realized: “So the mastermind will continue to stir the pot, making the situation more tense. The generals of both armies will demand more supplies from either the Qi dynasty or King Jing, possibly fabricating military exploits and falsifying reports to cover up the growing gaps in their forces.”
“Exactly. If the Qi dynasty were to push their camp forward like the Jingzhou army, the military expenditures on both sides would soar.”
The more Mo Li listened, the more alarmed he became. Yet Meng Qi didn’t stop and continued: “If the generals of the Jingzhou army or the Qi dynasty navy are short-sighted and arrogant, they won’t even realize anything is wrong. They might even think this is a perfect opportunity to balance their fake soldier rosters. They don’t want a real war, but small-scale conflicts are in their favor. On one hand, they can record nonexistent soldiers as casualties or deserters. After all, too many phantom soldiers would eventually cause problems, and a few in and out keeps things safe. On the other hand, they can pocket the compensation meant for fallen soldiers. The losses from the halted trade can quickly be made up from the funds distributed by the court. If they’re lucky, they might even get promoted and receive real gold and silver as rewards.”
Mo Li: “…”
So, the naval defense map wasn’t important, nor was killing King Jing the focus. The true goal was to drain the funds and supplies from the Qi dynasty’s Ministry of Revenue and King Jing’s coffers.
This financial strain would far exceed what the rulers and officials of both sides expected. The mastermind wouldn’t even need to collude with the Jingzhou army or the Qi dynasty navy—they could “team up” to siphon money and gradually weaken both forces. Later, they could even reveal the “truth” to sow discord between ruler and minister, causing chaos between civil and military officials and turning soldiers against their leaders.
“Those old words, ‘One who doesn’t plan for the entire game cannot plan for a single region,’ make sense now,” Mo Li marveled.
A strategist’s blade is invisible yet sharp.
Striking the ox from across the mountain—the ox won’t even know what hit it when it dies.
“Knowledge from books always feels shallow; such is the nature of the world, Doctor, don’t trouble yourself over it.”
Meng Qi knew Mo Li had only ever seen military strategy in books. He had been the same back then, until Li Yuanze’s chief strategist, Yin Qingheng, taught him a fundamental principle.
“My old friend once said, no matter how intricate a plan, it always boils down to two things: money and division.”
No army moves without food and supplies.
If you want to wage war or annex an opponent, you must attack their supply lines and finances.
If you can’t cut off their supplies, then sow discord. The human heart is fickle, filled with desires, and where there are desires, there is opportunity for manipulation.”
“The so-called ‘open strategy’ is simply going along with the situation and letting the course of events flow naturally,” Meng Qi remarked as he raised his head slightly, gazing toward the distant riverbank. Mo Li stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
A faint light of dawn appeared on the horizon, and the riverbank was in disarray.
A large section of the reeds had been burned, the fire stopped by the river, but smoke still lingered in the air.
Suddenly, Mo Li turned his head and asked, “Since the mastermind has gone to such lengths, how do we ruin this well-laid plan of his?”
“Haha, Doctor, you know me well,” Meng Qi clapped his hands, proudly saying, “The trickiest part of this grand game is that more than one person can make a move. If he can manipulate the situation, so can others. If we can’t keep the two sides he’s scheming against from acting, we might as well stir things up ourselves.”
Creating chaos in troubled waters—that was the most entertaining.
Meng Qi glanced at Mo Li.
“So who do you plan to deal with? The mastermind has yet to show himself,” Mo Li asked, puzzled.
“Up until now, we’ve always confronted our enemies directly or gradually uncovered them step by step. This time, we’re not doing that.”
He was referring to the conflicts they had faced this year with the Si family of Qiuling County, the Holy Lotus Altar, the Ancestor Qingwu, and the people of Xiliang.
If they could fight, they’d fight directly—who had the patience for long-drawn-out battles?
Only Ayanpuka’s involvement had been complicated by the hidden presence of a dragon vein in Feihe Mountain, making direct action too risky.
Meng Qi didn’t believe that the person plotting against both Qi and King Jing could have a trump card like Ayanpuka’s dragon vein up his sleeve. Dragon veins weren’t exactly common, like cabbages in the ground that anyone could claim.
Mo Li suddenly understood, then said, “So we’ll strike across the mountain as well—oh, but in this case, we’ll chop down a tree first and wait for it to fall on the ox?”
“Cough!”
Meng Qi choked in surprise.
It was just too shocking to hear a refined gentleman like Doctor Mo use such a straightforward metaphor.
“Not right?”
“No, no, that’s exactly it,” Meng Qi quickly nodded, then, under Mo Li’s calm gaze, composed himself and added, “It might be a bit more complicated than that.”
Mo Li: “…”
Mo Li had to remind Meng Qi that they still hadn’t resolved the issue of the dragon vein in Feihe Mountain. At the moment, they were stretched too thin to linger on both sides of the Jingzhou River.
“No, no, the only complex part is the process. The part where we actually need to intervene is minimal.”
Mo Li saw Meng Qi motioning for him to come closer, signaling for him to lean in.
—There was absolutely no need for that; Meng Qi could have easily transmitted his voice with inner force.
Just as Mo Li was thinking this, he realized his body had already moved closer before his mind caught up.
What’s happening?
Could the allure of the dragon vein in Taijing be that strong? Mo Li’s expression grew complicated as he fell into deep thought, unsettled by the low whispers near his ear.
“Doctor, where do you think the key to breaking this lies?”
Mo Li quietly took a step back to regain his composure, then cautiously ventured, “…Emperor Yongchen?”
Throughout history, in the endless dramas of treacherous ministers and wronged loyal generals, the so-called traitors weren’t always villains, nor were the so-called heroes always virtuous. But the one constant was that the emperor was often genuinely deceived.
However, now Emperor Yongchen of the Qi dynasty—formerly Crown Prince Lu Zhen—was not so easily misled, as long as his health held up.
Mo Li believed that this patient had considerable ability, so he said, “Jingzhou is far from Taijing, and Lu Zhen may not be aware of what’s happening here. But if someone were to remind him, the mastermind’s schemes in Jingzhou would be much harder to bring to fruition.”
Meng Qi took a step closer, his voice low, “No, even if Emperor Yongchen knows the truth, he won’t be able to reverse the situation quickly. Despite being the emperor, he can’t immediately replace the commanders of the Qi dynasty’s navy camp, and sending his trusted aides to supervise the battle would only provoke resentment among the soldiers.”
Mo Li found himself in a difficult position.
Lu Zhen was the most reliable person he could think of.
But look at the other options—what kind of people were they?
There was the suspicious King Jing, King Wu and King Ning, who were at odds with him; the two generals on the riverbanks of Jingzhou, who were about to betray their own sides; the Xiliang people trying to restore their kingdom; and the Holy Lotus Altar, lurking somewhere with ill intentions.
As for the Tianshou King, he was too far away to even mention.
“… Jiangnan and Jiangbei are about to fall into a standoff. The military situation is urgent, and the Qi dynasty’s navy will surely report the Jingzhou army’s advance to the court. If they send a letter, it will reach Taijing before the urgent military reports do, ensuring that Emperor Yongchen won’t be caught off guard.”
Mo Li silently nodded, then turned to Meng Qi: So where exactly is this “strike across the mountain” supposed to land?
“Doctor, do you remember the Fengwei Escort Agency we encountered in Yuzhou, part of the Four Gangs and Twelve Societies?” Meng Qi asked with confidence.
They ran an escort service on the surface, but in reality, they were covert agents of the Jinyiwei, and one of their unfortunate members had even met Teacher Meng.
Among them, Head Escort Du had been particularly unlucky. Before his identity was exposed, Meng Qi had casually captured him along with the leader of the Changxin Gang and dragged them to a deserted temple in the mountains.
Back in the city, the Four Gangs and Twelve Societies had at least ten influential figures, and Meng Qi had nabbed two at random. It just so happened that the seemingly ordinary Head Escort Du was actually the head of the Jinyiwei in Yuzhou, and he had fallen right into the trap.
“Are you suggesting we find him?”
Mo Li frowned. That guy was all the way in Yuzhou!
“We don’t need to show up ourselves, just give him a massive headache and watch him squirm,” Meng Qi’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“…”
Mo Li pondered. Had Head Escort Du offended Meng Qi somehow?
Wait a second, wasn’t it him, Mo Li, that Du had offended?
He had forced him to wash his hands?
***
Two days later, at the Fengwei Escort Agency in Yuzhou.
Head Escort Du received a visit from the Zhang Family Escort Agency from Jingzhou.
“What? A notorious bandit named Meng Qixing plans to rob the precious red goods we’re escorting to Taijing? And the whole martial world is buzzing about it?” Head Escort Du looked bewildered.
“Red goods” referred to gold, silver, and jewels, a term used in the escort business.
But the most important thing they were transporting to Taijing was intelligence—what red goods were they talking about?
Besides, who on earth was Meng Qixing? He’d never heard of him!
The people from Zhang Family Escort Agency glanced around at the empty Fengwei Escort Agency, their smiles not reaching their eyes as they said, “Brother Du, there are rumors circulating that you’re nothing more than the court’s lackey. While the Dragon Head Society’s Elder Cai may have started the rumor, I don’t really believe it. After all, Jinyiwei are always powerful and respected, not as impoverished as Brother Du appears.”
Head Escort Du’s expression froze, but he had no choice but to force a smile. Nodding repeatedly, he said, “Brother Zhang, you’re a wise man. To tell you the truth, ever since these rumors started, our business has actually picked up. Some merchants are specifically requesting our services!”
This was one of the reasons why the Fengwei Escort Agency, despite its compromised identity, had remained operational.
In his heart, Head Escort Du cursed the newly appointed commander in Taijing. He’d spoken all that nonsense about “making the false seem real and the real seem false” and “truth disguised as fiction.” It was all a load of rubbish! He just didn’t want to recall them to the capital. Du had even gone out of his way to send a gift, but it hadn’t yet reached Taijing.
He could only hope the palace commander would appreciate the silver and agree to rotate their Jinyiwei agents in Yuzhou.
Ideally, they would shut down the escort agency and let the new agents take over with fresh identities, continuing their work for the Qi dynasty.
“It must be that we’ve taken on some major jobs, which has caught the attention of bandits. They claim they’re teaching the court’s lackeys a lesson, but really, they just want to rob the escort,” Head Escort Du put on a troubled face, complaining about the hardships of his work, all while noticing one of his subordinates—also his vice-head escort—running toward him with a panicked expression.
Seeing that there were guests, the Jinyiwei officer quickly composed himself and shot Head Escort Du a meaningful glance.
“Since Head Escort Du seems to be occupied, I will take my leave,” the Zhang Family Escort Agency representative said as he pushed forward a visiting card along with a letter. With a meaningful tone, he added, “This letter, along with five taels of silver, was left in our agency’s hall by that bandit, Meng Qixing, the night before last. He specifically asked for it to be delivered to you. Since I was heading this way, I brought it along.”
Head Escort Du couldn’t be happier to see this fellow leave and quickly ushered him out.
The moment he turned around, he cursed, “Laugh at us for not running a proper escort agency? As if the Zhang Family Escort Agency is any better! They’re clearly in cahoots with Fengxing Pavilion, selling intelligence everywhere they go. Ugh!”
Casually, he tore open the letter, only to find the contents incoherent and jumbled, making no sense whatsoever.
The signature, however, was indeed “Meng Qixing.”
Anyone else might have discarded the letter immediately, but Head Escort Du, a seasoned Jinyiwei officer, scrutinized it carefully.
“Sir, I did hear rumors outside about this bandit planning a heist,” the deputy head of Fengwei Escort Agency said urgently. “But that’s not the most pressing issue. We’ve just received word from Jingzhou’s navy camp. There’s been movement on the southern bank, and it seems they’ve already clashed with the navy scouts.”
“What?” Head Escort Du was shocked.
The deputy continued, “The urgent military report just arrived in Yuzhou today and will be sent to Taijing immediately. It seems serious. Should we go to Jingzhou to investigate?”
“How can we? By posing as an escort and confirming the rumors that we’re Jinyiwei agents?” Head Escort Du scolded, pacing back and forth like a furious tiger.
The deputy: “…”
Just then, another Jinyiwei officer entered with a strange expression.
“Sir, bad news. That bandit, Meng Qixing, bought information from Fengxing Pavilion, and now their people are spreading rumors everywhere that you, the Jinyiwei leader, hide a Lihua Needle—inside your pants!”
Head Escort Du’s eyes widened in shock, and the courtyard fell into an eerie silence.
The deputy stared at his superior in stunned disbelief, his mouth hanging open, unsure how to respond.
Within the Fengwei Escort Agency, the laborers, head escorts, tea servers, and even the stable boys were all Jinyiwei agents.
At least four or five of them had overheard this statement, and each wore an expression of suppressed laughter mixed with fear of Head Escort Du.
Head Escort Du was breathing heavily, his face first turning pale, then flushed purple with rage. If he had a sword at hand, he would have cut someone down on the spot.
“Sir, this must be Fengxing Pavilion’s doing—”
“No, no, something’s wrong!”
Head Escort Du’s face twisted in fury as he frantically thought it through. He had barely ever used the Lihua Needle and didn’t carry it regularly. He had only prepared it as a precaution during the Four Gangs and Twelve Societies’ siege of the Holy Lotus Altar’s Yuzhou branch. But he had been unlucky enough to be captured by Teacher Meng and dragged to a deserted temple.
Because the bamboo tube containing the needle was hidden in a concealed spot, Head Escort Du had avoided being searched. At the time, he hadn’t known who Meng Qi was, so he had covertly retrieved the bamboo tube, using the cover of tall grass and mud.
No one present had seen him “retrieve” the needle; he had been incredibly discreet. There was no way anyone could have known. Even Dragon Head Cai and the Changxin Gang leader, who were there, couldn’t have known!
The only ones who could have known for sure were—
Teacher Meng and the doctor accompanying him.
Though the latter rarely spoke, his identity had to be exceptional if he traveled with Meng Qi. According to Jinyiwei intelligence, the relationship between these two was very close, at least close enough to trust each other implicitly—something Head Escort Du certainly couldn’t achieve with anyone else.
It was this trust, Head Escort Du realized, that had led to the exposure of his hidden weapon!
When Meng Qi searched him, the doctor must have sensed something was amiss and immediately discovered the Lihua Needle in Du’s possession. So where had the needle been hidden before that?
“Could it be them? Teacher Meng, Meng Qi… Meng Qixing, the bandit!”
Head Escort Du’s face turned deathly pale. He lunged at the low table, grabbing the letter filled with nonsensical words.
Even though it was incomprehensible, there was a real possibility that it had been written by Meng Qi.
“What’s Teacher Meng’s handwriting like? What’s his name?”
“Huh?”
The Jinyiwei officers were caught off guard by Head Escort Du’s sudden questions.
“What does this mean? What is he trying to say… a robbery of red goods bound for the capital?” Head Escort Du muttered to himself.
He couldn’t make sense of it—he was angry, anxious, and so worried that he almost wanted to discard the letter entirely.
Seeing that he was close to tearing the table apart with his bare hands and smashing the floor tiles with his feet, the others hurried forward to inquire.
Amidst the chaos, and through Head Escort Du’s vague and garbled complaints about Teacher Meng’s slander, they finally managed to piece together what had happened.
“Sir, it doesn’t matter if we don’t understand it. All we need to do is send it up the chain,” the deputy head offered in a panic.
“Hmm?”
“Last time, when we reported Teacher Meng’s presence in Yuzhou, didn’t we receive orders from Taijing to report all of Meng Qi’s movements? Since this letter might be from Teacher Meng, we should send it to Taijing, to Commander Gong. Whether it’s a disaster or not, whether Meng Qi is out for blood or planning a heist, we stay out of it!”
Head Escort Du’s eyes lit up.
***
One day earlier, in Yuanyang, Jingzhou.
A carriage creaked forward along a bumpy path.
The carriage itself was old and battered, something Meng Qi had purchased from a livery stable owned by Fengxing Pavilion.
“Just spreading rumors will make Head Escort Du send the letter to Taijing?” Mo Li tugged at the reins, ensuring the ride wasn’t too jarring.
To the left was a slope, and to the right was a shallow ravine carved by a stream, filled with bushes, wildflowers, and overgrown grass. Occasionally, small animals startled and scurried out of hiding.
Meng Qi, still dressed as a scholarly old man, had withdrawn all his usual energy and appeared as though he might doze off under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. Yet when he spoke, his voice was calm and clear, without a trace of sleepiness.
“Of course not. Whether it’s the bandit or the red goods, it’s all just to scare the snake out of the grass.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ayanpuka left after giving us a warning. Do you think he wouldn’t care where we went afterward? Even if Fengxing Pavilion hadn’t spread any rumors, he would still be carefully pondering our movements. As for the fool who used my name to incite Huang Liu to steal the Qi dynasty navy’s defense map, thinking he could scare off the Qi scouts, well, now that I’ve really shown up, he’ll panic and reveal a flaw. And when he does, Ayanpuka’s people will find him.”
Meng Qi continued leisurely, “The mastermind behind the plot to stir up tensions on both sides of the Jingzhou River is clever, but he can’t guarantee that every subordinate or pawn he uses is just as sharp. He operates in the shadows, as does Ayanpuka. Both are scheming on a grand scale and don’t want their true goals revealed. Let’s let them bite at each other first.”
Mo Li appeared deep in thought.
“What are you thinking about, Doctor?”
“Your letter,” Mo Li admitted. He still didn’t fully understand what Meng Qi’s jumbled words meant.
He didn’t press for answers, though. He speculated that it might be some sort of cipher, requiring a comparison to classical texts like the *Four Books and Five Classics* to decode.
Meng Qi smiled and asked, “What do you think I wrote?”
Mo Li slowly shook his head.
It wasn’t that he had no idea—it just seemed odd.
The letter hadn’t been entrusted to a reliable courier, and it would likely change hands many times, possibly never reaching Emperor Yongchen. Naturally, Mo Li doubted the contents of the letter.
“The *Wenyuan Pavilion* in the Qi dynasty palace has a collection of books on the third floor, organized by phonetic rhymes. I jumbled the titles of a few books in the letter. The only way to decipher it would be to find those specific books in the library,” Meng Qi said lazily as he peeled fresh lotus seeds from a bundle of leaves he’d bought in the previous village. “But there’s nothing in those books. This letter has no real meaning. The more suspicious Lu Zhen and Gong Jun become, the more they’ll focus on the situation in Jingzhou.”
Even if the letter didn’t make it to its intended destination, Head Escort Du’s “embarrassing secret” would certainly be reported to Jinyiwei Commander Gong Jun.
“There will be many eyes watching Head Escort Du, and some will go to great lengths to steal the letter… Doctor, if you want your opponent to make a mistake, let them think you’re plotting against them. The smarter they are, the more they’ll overthink it. They can’t tolerate even the slightest unexpected element disrupting their plans.”
“What if someone swaps the letter midway and tries to deceive Gong Jun?”
Mo Li even doubted whether the letter Head Escort Du received was the one Meng Qi had originally sent. Fengxing Pavilion couldn’t be fully trusted—there had been insiders in Sweet Spring Bathhouse, and who knew if Ayanpuka had agents on the southern bank as well?
“Switching the original letter, copying it word for word, and deleting parts of it… all of that doesn’t matter. But replacing it entirely? That’s impossible. They don’t know the meaning of the letter, nor can they be sure whether I’ve arranged some secret code with Lu Zhen or Gong Jun. If they crudely rewrite the contents, wouldn’t they risk being exposed?”
Meng Qi casually peeled another handful of lotus seeds and handed them to Mo Li.
“Try these, Doctor. Sweet and fresh—it’s the perfect season to eat them.”
Mo Li handed the reins to Meng Qi and, swaying with the motion of the carriage, began eating the lotus seeds.
A vast expanse of deep green stretched out ahead of them, rolling and endless.
Every now and then, a flock of birds would circle in the sky, flying from one dense patch of trees to another.
Feihe Mountain lay just ahead.
Author’s Note:
In the previous chapter, the catapult mentioned is quite powerful—it’s essentially the “cannon” in Chinese chess.
——————
_”He who does not plan for the long term is unfit to plan for the short term; he who does not plan for the entire situation is unfit to plan for one region.”_
– Chen Danran, Qing Dynasty
——————
The essence of Meng Qi’s repetition of Yin Qingheng’s teachings is this: no matter how others try to make big moves, remember two points—first, they want to disrupt our supplies and food, and second, they want to sow discord. Just stay still, don’t listen to slander, and guard your supplies and routes tightly.
Sand Mouse takes notes, nodding.jpg
——————
Years later…
Meng Qi: “No matter who he is or who he’s targeting, I’ll step forward and say, ‘I am Meng Qi! I’m here! I want to cause trouble…’ Everyone will panic and start doing unnecessary things, and they’ll expose their weaknesses! Open strategies are all about leveraging the situation, and I am that leverage!” *smug*
We’ll let them fight amongst themselves while we go off and have some fun.
Mo Li: “…”