Chapter 667* Disintegrate Progressively....
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The next morning, Su Ying sent a message to Mo Tu.
The Red Demon Sect’s headquarters was in the Jin State. The sect’s influence there was more pervasive than in other kingdoms. She instructed Mo Tu to investigate why the Jin State wanted to join forces with the Nan State to wage war against the Chu State.
Before Su Ying received Mo Tu’s reply, news had already arrived from the front lines. They reported that the troops of the Jin State had already arrived at the Nan State to merge with the Nan State’s troops and that the two kingdoms were preparing to send troops to the Chu State at the same time.
After Xiao Jin received the news, he straightaway picked General Zhongyong to lead 100,000 troops to the border to resist the invasion of the two kingdoms. Xiao Jin returned to the Conjugal Phoenix Palace at almost noon time.
Su Ying instructed the palace maids to serve lunch. She realized that every time she came back from a trip, this man would have lost a lot of weight. She wondered if it was because he didn’t even eat when she wasn’t around.
“General Zhongyong has one disabled leg. How can he be the commander?” Back then, General Zhongyong was the general who was stationed at the border in that area. Later, he was injured in an altercation with the Nan State’s forces and injured a leg. Thus, the late Emperor transferred him back to the capital city to recuperate.
Previously, Su Ying had gone to see General Zhongyong to treat his leg, but because the injury happened too long ago, it was impossible to completely heal him. However, under her treatment, he had no problem walking normally, though he couldn’t exert too much force.
His daily life wasn’t affected too much, but it would be inconvenient if he were to go to war.
Xiao Jin accepted the warm tea Su Ying handed him and took a sip before saying, “He’s been guarding the border for many years. He’s more familiar with that place than anyone else. He’s also a figure of authority who can rein in the troops.”
He sent General Zhongyong there not to go to the battlefield, but to take Charge of the situation. Other than General Zhongyong, he also sent two formidable generals with him, but the commander in charge was General Zhongyong.
“Mm-hmm.” When she saw that Xiao Jin had his own plans, Su Ying did not probe further.
When the palace maids came in with the dishes, the two little fellows had also returned.
Zhou Qing said that they didn’t come back for lunch when she wasn’t in the palace. Now that Su Ying was back, they would come back no matter what happened, just so they could have a meal with Su Ying.
“Mother, can you accompany me to sleep later?” Ling tugged at Su Ying as she looked at her eagerly.
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Ying saw Ji also looking at her eagerly. Now that the two children had grown up, they no longer slept in the same room. If Su Ying accompanied Ling, Ji would be alone.
“In a while, Mother will tell each of you a story, and then the two of you will go to sleep obediently, okay?”
Ling wasn’t happy that she couldn’t get Su Ying to sleep with her. However, Su Ying promised to help her wash her hair at night. Only then did the girl accept the compromise happily.
After eating his fill, Xiao Jin, who was sitting in the inner hall, could only watch helplessly as Su Ying was dragged away by the two little ones.
“The First Prince and Princess are not young anymore. It’s time to open another palace. This Conjugal Phoenix Palace is small and it’s too congested.” Zhang Shuming stood at the side and silently pretended to be dead. Even if dozens more people came into the Conjugal Phoenix Palace, the place could still accommodate them. It was not small… but if the Emperor felt that it was small, then it must be small.
Half a month later, Su Ying received news from the Red Demon Sect.
The Red Demon Sect did not disappoint her. They had already found out the reason the Jin State wanted to send troops to the Chu State.
The Jin State’s iron-smelting technique was lost. The Emperor was downright furious and fell ill as a result. The situation in the Jin State became chaotic overnight as the various princes fought fiercely.
The other princes used the loss of the iron-smelting technique to try and topple Xie Rui’s faction completely. Not surprisingly, the Prime Minister’s Mansion wasn’t willing to sit idly and wait for death. For some reason, someone discovered that someone had used the iron-smelting technique to forge iron in the Chu State.
The scout immediately reported the news to the ruler of the Jin State. Coincidentally, not long after that, the Nan State’s envoy arrived in the Jin State.
They had no way to find out what the envoy of the Nan State had said to the ruler of the Jin State. However, not long after that, the Jin State’s ruler decided to send troops to the Chu State on the grounds that the Chu State had stolen the iron-smelting technique.
After Su Ying finished reading the message, she exerted a little force with her fingertips, and the letter instantly shattered into fragments in her hands.
The iron-smelting technique was indeed very important to the Jin State. However, judging from the Jin State’s current internal situation, the so-called reason that their iron-smelting technique was stolen was just an excuse. By agreeing to fight against the Chu State together with the Nan State, it was likely that they wanted to redirect the domestic tensions to the outside.
Su Ying felt that the Prime Minister’s faction in the Jin State had probably played a significant role in this matter. After all, she had yet to receive any news of any major incident happening to Xie Rui.
Nonetheless, the Nan State had taken the opportunity to win over the Jin State. How could she allow the alliance between the two kingdoms to be so strong?
At night, when Xiao Jin returned, she told him her thoughts.
The Jin State got some fake evidence to say that the Chu State stole their iron-making technique. We can also generate some rumors to make them think that the iron-making technique was stolen by the Nan State. Even if we can’t immediately dissolve their alliance, we can at least drive a wedge between them. What do you think?”
After Su Ying finished speaking, she met Xiao Jin’s ambiguous gaze. She raised her eyebrows. “What’s with that look?”
Xiao Jin pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Didn’t we take the iron-smelting technique?”
Su Ying’s eyebrows shot up. “That thing was taken by the northern wilderness. What does it have to do with the Chu State? Why do you have to step forward to admit to the crime on your own accord?”
“Whether I admit it or not does not matter. They just needed an excuse to invade us. However, you’re right. All along, they looked down on each other. We can’t let their collaboration go too smoothly.”
Not long after General Zhongyong arrived at the front line with his troops, the troops of the Nan State and the Jin State stopped moving.
In the military camp, General Zhongyong looked at the battle sand table as he mulled over what tactics he should use to defeat the two kingdoms.
“General, the scout has brought back news.”
General Zhongyong raised his head. “Send him in.”
The scout walked into the tent, bowed, and reported, “General, we have found out up ahead that there is in-fighting between the Jin and Nan States for some reason.”
General Zhongyong froze momentarily. “In-fighting?”
“Yes, but we heard that it was only a small-scale fight.”
If it was a battle between large groups, they would have known about such a huge commotion long ago.
“Is this because of internal conflict?”
“General, this is good news for us. We can take advantage of the interim when their alliance isn’t stable yet to disintegrate them progressively.”
General Zhongyong nodded slightly. “You lead a team of 2,000 men now to launch a surprise attack. Remember this. Attack the troops of the Nan State. If the Jin State’s troops do not take the initiative to attack, avoid them. Thereafter, spread the word that there is no enmity between the Chu State and the Jin State and that the matter of the iron-smelting technique is just a misunderstanding. Emphasize that the Jin State should not be deceived by treacherous people and if there is any matter, they can always talk it out with the Chu State.”
“General, do you intend to make peace with the Jin State?”
General Zhongyong nodded and then shook his head. “If it’s two against one, it will be disadvantageous to us. As long as we can stall for time with the Jin State, it’s more beneficial for us.”
The fact that the Jin State and the Nan State could fight each other meant that there must be some discord between them. It was better to disintegrate their alliance further at this juncture.
“Yes, General. I will follow up..”