Chapter 346: The Great Plan
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Chen Hao didn't know why Fang Zhengzhi would appear in the Thunder Light Settlement at this moment, just like how he still didn't know why those traps would have shifted in position.
Of course, Fang Zhengzhou wouldn't reply these meaningless questions from Chen Hao.
After being a small pawn for many days, he had once again become a general with great difficulty. His biggest priority now was naturally to eat, drink and play well.
"Guard Fang, which examinee should be attack in which settlement next?" Teng Shisheng held a bottle of wine in his hands, gazing at the young women dancing around the bonfire as he moved beside Fang Zhengzhi.
"Why must be go to settlements to attack examinees?" Fang Zhengzhi tilted his head upwards slightly, tore off a piece of roasted meat and stuffed it in his mouth, then chewing on it as oil flowed down his mouth.
"Isn't your purpose in bringing us within the four main settlements to win the combat examination?" Teng Shisheng replied as if everything were to be expected.
"Is winning the combat examination related to going to settlements to attack examinees?" Fang Zhengzhi replied with another question of his own.
"It isn't related?" Teng Shisheng was confused.
"No matter whether you think it is related or not, I feel that it isn't really related." Fang Zhengzhi smiled lightly and replied.
"Then… today, you attacked him…" Teng Shisheng pointed at Chen Hao, who was located not too far away, his body covered with injuries.
"Oh, this was purely just passing by, I guess his luck isn't very good." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head somewhat helplessly.
"Passing by?"
"That's right." Fang Zhengzhi replied confidently.
Chen Hao, who was moaning in pain not too far away, heard Fang Zhengzhi's words. His expression instantly changed and suddenly felt a little sick. Passing by? What is this!
As he recalled the hardships he had faced all the way here.
Chen Hao almost began to cry. Going from the perimeter of the Southern Mountain Range all the way into the Thunder Light Settlement, was it easy? Just because you wanted to pass by here!
That's why you eliminated me?
Do you dare to go and pass by other settlements…
Chen Hao was extremely gloomy. However, he didn't have any say.
"Then, where should we go next?" Teng Shisheng also empathized somewhat with Chen Hao when he heard Fang Zhengzhi's words. However, he still asked curiously.
"I haven't thought of it yet." Fang Zhengzhi replied casually.
"..." Teng Shisheng grew somewhat speechless once again.
He had initially thought that Fang Zhengzhi would do something earthshaking by bringing them into the four main settlements. However, Fang Zhengzhi actually claimed that he hadn't thought of it yet?
This way…
Isn't this something that shouldn't be coming out of the number one of the Court Theory Examination in the Great Xia Dynasty?
"That's right, I need to first go and find a person." Fang Zhengzhi thought for a while, then finally recalled what he needed to do.
"Who?" Teng Shisheng instantly asked.
"My friend, Yan Xiu!"
"Yan Xiu? Number three in this Court Theory Examination, that Yan Xiu?" As Teng Shisheng asked, he flipped open the small leather notebook in his hand.
"That's right."
"I understand. Guard Fang wants to combine forces with Yan Xiu before beginning your attack?"
"No, you won't understand this." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head, then thought for a while and asked again. "How does the Southern Mountain Range address the leader of the settlement?"
"The Southern Mountain Range addresses them as settlement chief!"
"Settlement chief?" Fang Zhengzhi nodded. This was indeed very similar to the primitive societies of his past life.
"Why does Guard Fang wish to ask this?"
"You don't have to bother about this. After the bonfire celebration night ends, bring the settlement chief of the Thunder Light Settlement into my tent. I have something for him." After Fang Zhengzhi finished speaking, he immediately poured a mouthful of wine into his mouth. Then, adjusting his posture, he began to watch the dances.
"Alright." Teng Shisheng nodded. However, his expression was still filled with confusion.
Because, he knew that based on the agreement between the Great Xia and the Southern Mountain Range, there weren't much things that the examinees of the combat examination would need to discuss with the settlement chiefs of the various settlements about.
Could it be...
That Fang Zhengzhi wanted to stay long-term in the Thunder Light Settlement?
…
Deep into the night, inside a military tent. Two dimly lit candles radiated with faint glows under the gust of the wind, as well as producing the shadows of two people inside the tent on the ground.
Wearing a leopard print, Fang Zhengzhi sat on a chair with a blade of grass hanging from his mouth as he gazed at the Thunder Light Settlement Chief standing in front of him.
The Thunder Light Settlement Chief seemed to be around forty years of age. His attire was indeed different from that of others. At the very least, it seemed much grander compared to the people wear hula skirts outside.
He wore a piece of animal skin on his shoulder and a robe woven together with rattan. There was also a hat with a long feather sticking out of it on his head.
His dark skin gave off a faint glow under the illumination of the candle light.
"I wonder if Young Master Fang has anything you need help with by calling me in late at night?" The settlement chief looked at Fang Zhengzhi with a very humble expression. He appeared extremely kind and friendly.
"Yes, and no." Fang Zhengzhi shook his head, and then nodded his head.
When the settlement chief heard Fang Zhengzhi's ambiguous answer, his face appeared very blank.
"Alright, from now on, all your actions must obey my order!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the settlement chief's blank look and spoke with a different tone.
"Obey your order? Is there some form of misunderstanding?" The settlement chief looked at Fang Zhengzhi with a confused expression, evidently not quite understanding the meaning behind his words.
"Do I look like I misunderstand?" Fang Zhengzhi retorted.
"Ha ha… even though I am only the settlement chief of a small settlement, I listen to the order of the Southern Mountain Range King, and obey the orders of the main settlement chief of the Thunder Lion Settlement. As the examinee of the Great Xia Dynasty's combat examination, I fear you don't have to power to order me." When the settlement chief heard this, the trace of a cold smile appeared on his face.
"Stop pretending. I am the personal bodyguard of Princess Shan Yu. The reason I am here at the Thunder Light Settlement today is to pass down Princess Shan Yu's military orders. Obey my orders!"
"Pass down Princess Shan Yu's military orders?! Young Master Fang, isn't this joke going overboard?" The settlement chief was unmoved.
"Don't tell me you dare to delay the military situation?"
"Young master, I really don't understand what you mean."
"The plan has changed. The princess ordered me to bring five hundred Silver Horned Wolf Cavalries into the Great Xia's combat examination, you must support me from the side. Any questions?"
"If princess needs any support, she could just say so. Why would she need to scare me with a military order? I am not a soldier." The settlement chief's tone at this moment seemed somewhat outraged.
"Preposterous! Among the four main settlements, who isn't a soldier? I have already made clear my purpose. If you dare to continue delaying the military situation, do you know what's the punishment?!"
"Young Master, don't scare me. You are the examinee of the Great Xia, you can't say these kind of thing!" The settlement chief's body trembled, as if he had received a huge fright.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at the settlement chief with a smile on his face. This guy really knows how to act! I had already scared him, yet he didn't relent.
Looks like I must show him my true colours!
"Ring!"
A short blade that Fang Zhengzhi normally used to cut meat was pulled out. Immediately after, Fang Zhengzhi immediately leapt in front of the settlement chief.
"Whoever disobeys military orders would be killed!"
"Wait a minute! As the examinee of the Great Xia, I wish that you can take responsibilities for your actions. Your current actions have already went against the treaty between the two countries, I advise you to stop immediately!" As he felt the bone-chilling cold coming from the blade, the settlement chief's expression finally darkened.
"Is it? What if I don't stop?"
"You can kill me, but, the people of my settlement would definitely report this to the king. When that time comes, the treaty between the two countries would be destroyed because of you. I will see how you explain it then!"
"Oh… this is indeed a problem."
"Young Master Fang, if you stop now, I can pretend that this never happened!"
"I also wish that this had never happened. However, this Cyan Stone Token in my hand cannot pretend that nothing had happened!" Fang Zhengzhi fished out a cyan coloured stone as he spoke.
This was Princess Shan Yu's Cyan Stone Token.
"This… don't tell me this is?" The settlement chief's expression
"General sends his greetings to guard. If you have any orders, I will definitely carry them out!" The settlement chief at this moment finally assumed a serious expression. His body also gave off the aura of a military man.
When Fang Zhengzhi saw this, he gradually put down the dagger in his hands. At the same time, kept the Cyan Stone Tablet back in his pocket.
What the hell…
I initially wanted to depend on my acting.
Failure!
Looks like there is still more work needed to be done on my acting. Fang Zhengzhi was somewhat disappointed about. However, he very quickly felt at ease.
Every citizen a soldier!
This was indeed its meaning!
When Fang Zhengzhi saw Princess Shan Yu's letter, he had a very brave guess. However, he didn't dare to confirm it.
Now that he had tested it out.
It was actually exactly the same as what he guessed.
However, that meant that the combat examination was about to be in great trouble.
If he didn't guess wrongly, the initial settlement chiefs of the four main settlements had already been swapped by generals or commanders of the Southern Mountain Range. The original citizens had also been mostly swapped out by soldiers of the Southern Mountain Range.
The four main settlements.
Just by quantity alone, it already consisted of a few hundred thousand people.
Even though it was impossible for all of them to be disguised soldiers, but, it wasn't difficult trying to hide a hundred thousand, or even two hundred thousand soldiers.
The Great Xia Dynasty's plan was to leverage on the opportunity of the combat examination to control the four main settlements in one move. Then, using the four main settlements as a launchpad to send their army into the Southern Mountain Range.
If they advanced, they could attack. If they retreated, they could defence.
However, the Southern Mountain Range on the other hand turned that ply for their own use.
Swapping out the people in the four main settlements in advance, then, sending in soldiers into the four main settlements disguised as citizens.
They had already made their preparations to fight.
That was the real plan of the Southern Mountain Range.
As for Princess Shan Yu, planting heavy troops outside the perimeter of the four main settlements.
There should be two layers of objectives. The first was to attract the attention of the Great Xia Dynasty, purposely putting on acts outside the perimeter. The second was to establish a second layer of defence to defend against the unexpected.
This was a perfect, grand plan.
However, he didn't know, who was the person who planned this?
Was it the king of the Southern Mountain Range? Or was it the noblelite mentioned by Teng Shisheng?
Or was it…
Yun Qingwu!
The Demon Young Lord, Yun Qingwu!
Fang Zhengzhi didn't know. However, after confirming the identity of the Thunder Light Settlement Chief, he had already uncovered the truth of this plan. However, it was just uncovering.
Wanting to foil this plan was another matter altogether.
So what if he knew?
Without the order of the Southern Mountain Range King, or that of the noblelite, it was simply impossible to move these troops that were sent in advance.
Now, even if he might be able to convince or suppress this "settlement chief" in front of him, once these "settlement chiefs" gathered together, things would be revealed sooner or later.
Fang Zhengzhi knew that this would be no more than an act.
The citizens of the two countries had completely different beliefs. If he dared to risk moving these Southern Mountain Range soldiers, he was almost absolutely sure that the consequences would be an honourless death.
Maybe…
This was the reason Princess Shan Yu dared to tell him the reason behind this so frankly.
Fang Zhengzhi frowned as he looked at the dancing flames in front of him. Within the flames, he seemed to have seen a face. A delicate face. However, that face seemed be mocking him.
"Fang Zhengzhi, I have told you my plan. What can you do to me?"
That's right…
What can I do to you?
At this moment, Fang Zhengzhi indeed couldn't do anything to Princess Shan Yu nor these Southern Mountain Range soldiers.
In reality, after he had confirmed this plan, he already had a thought. That was to immediately leave the four main settlements, then, get Teng Shisheng to bring him somewhere far away from the Southern Mountain Range.
However…
In that case, then what about Yan Xiu?
Leave Yan Xiu in the Southern Mountain Range then wait for the few hundred soldiers of the Southern Mountain Range to begin their revolution? No, before I leave, I must bring Yan Xiu with me!
Fang Zhengzhi gritted his teeth and decided upon the first step of his plan. Then, he gazed at the "settlement chief" in front of him.
"Tell me the current situation of the battle!"
"Are you asking me about the combat examination?" When the settlement chief heard Fang Zhengzhi's words, he asked probingly.
"Yes!"
"My orders are to remain in the Thunder Light Settlement, hence I don't know much about the combat examination. I only have some limited understanding of what is happening within the Thunder Lion Settlement." The settlement chief nodded his head and said quickly.
"Alright, then tell me everything that you know." Fang Zhengzhi naturally guessed that a "settlement chief" of a small settlement wouldn't be able to have access to much intelligence.
However, it was better than nothing.
Most importantly…
Asking the "settlement chief" about the situation regarding the combat examination wouldn't raise suspicions easily.
"Roger!" The settlement chief nodded once again, then recited everything about the situation around the Thunder Light Settlement as well as within the Thunder Light Settlement.
As Fang Zhengzhi listened, he began to plan his army's movement path. However, the longer he listened, the more he realised that the situation now was a lot more complicated than what he had imagined.
This feeling was like dancing on a pile of swords.
It was playing with fire.
What the hell…
It really seems quite dangerous!
Fang Zhengzhi frowned slightly, then instinctively looked towards the settlement chief in front of him, looking at his dark skin and the faint light that shone onto his skin.
Finally, his eyes gradually lit up.