A shock went through Zhu Jianyu's heart upon hearing Wang Long's words.
"Oh my, so a single letter from Daoist Jueding wields such power!"
Wang Long nodded. "Indeed, I never imagined Daoist Jueding's letter could be worth a thousand troops and horses."
"The Marshal has already spread the news of Daoist Jueding's capture. Once the two nations see this, they will undoubtedly fight even more desperately. Therefore, we only need to hold Qingniu County steadily."
Zhu Jianyu feigned extreme delight and guffawed, "General Wang speaks with great wisdom. With our fifty thousand strong army, we can hold this place for one or two years without issue."
Wang Long nodded with satisfaction. "Alas, it won't take one or two years. Ten routes of troops are already heading this way to reinforce the king. Wannan City is but an empty shell. Once the large army surrounds it, won't Xiao An have no choice but to surrender the city?"
The more Zhu Jianyu listened, the more uneasy he felt. He had joined Zhu Meng's rebellion, and while he had envisioned becoming a founding hero, this was supposed to be an internal affair of the Great Cang Dynasty.
Now, however, foreign enemies were invading, and Wang Long and his ilk were fantasizing about using external help to ascend to power.
This was not Zhu Jianyu's objective, nor was it something he could accept.
After the banquet concluded and he returned to his quarters, Zhu Jianyu's unease grew.
Did the Crown Prince know about this situation? Did he have it under control?
Perhaps the Crown Prince was aware of the foreign invasion, but did he understand the reasons behind it?
With this thought, Zhu Jianyu took up his brush, wrote down the situation clearly, and summoned his trusted confidant.
Although Qingniu County's four gates were tightly shut, messages to the mountains still needed to be sent out frequently. Thus, the gates were occasionally opened to allow people to exit. Zhu Jianyu's messenger left the city without arousing any suspicion.
As dusk approached and the sun dipped westward, Crown Prince Xiao Jingyun saw the secret letter sent by Zhu Jianyu.
Upon reading the letter, Xiao Jingyun was greatly startled.
His father had assumed that the invasion by the two nations would dissipate once Zhu Meng was eliminated. Now, it seemed the intelligence was flawed.
Daoist Jueding was in his hands. If they launched an attack under the guise of avenging Daoist Jueding, they might indeed march on Wannan City.
Conquering Wannan City would undoubtedly destabilize his entire nation.
Therefore, he had to inform his father immediately and not remain overly optimistic.
Another crucial point was to have the remaining eight routes of troops change their course and rush to Wannan City as quickly as possible, just in case.
Consequently, with this shift in forces, his only reliance was the one hundred thousand troops rushing from the north and east.
Furthermore, he had to rely on these one hundred thousand soldiers to deal with Zhu Meng.
If his own side suffered a defeat, the pressure on his father would be immense.
Xiao Jingyun was exceptionally busy that night, dispatching messengers to various troops to reroute them and protect Wannan City, as well as writing a letter to his father to inform him of the new developments.
By the time he finished, it was already the third watch. Xiao Jingyun stood outside the great tent with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the new moon like a hook in the sky, silently praying, "Chen Xiaobei, oh Chen Xiaobei, you must succeed."
At this very moment, Chen Xiaobei and his disciples had entered a cave.
This was the third time they had traversed this path; they had passed through it twice before, so he was familiar with the route.
As he walked, Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of nature.
The mountains were now bone-chillingly cold. Without fire at night, it would be unbearable.
Yet, here in this cave, despite the gentle murmur of flowing water nearby, the temperature was significantly warmer than outside. He mused that it might be even warmer here in winter.
He also observed that the water flow was much reduced compared to his previous visit, suggesting it might cease altogether in winter as the rainy season on the mountain drew to a close.
These were not matters he needed to consider now. His immediate priority was to march swiftly, leave this place as quickly as possible, and reach the summit of Qingliu Mountain.
Therefore, they dared not rest for a moment, pressing on in a single surge until they reached the exit.
Chen Xiaobei continued to lead the way, personally moving aside the loose rocks at the cave entrance. Just as before, he took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the outside light before gently moving the stones one by one.
He moved the rocks, poked his head out, and surveyed the surroundings. The sun hung in the middle of the sky, indicating it was high noon. This meant they had used one night and half a day. Estimating the time, even if they walked without stopping now, it would take at least another day and night to reach the main peak of Qingniu Mountain. By this calculation, they would arrive about ten li below the Iron Chain Bridge around noon tomorrow.
Clearly, this timing was unfavorable. Approaching so close in broad daylight would be akin to seeking death.
With this realization, Chen Xiaobei turned back to Liu Rumei and the others and said, "We need to rest now. We should try to depart after dark. That way, we will reach the place where we slid down the gorge last time tomorrow evening. We will ascend the same path."
Upon hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Liu Rumei nodded.
"Yes, everything will be as you say. We will rest here for a while and wait for nightfall."
Seeing Liu Rumei's complete obedience to Chen Xiaobei, Liu Tie appeared quite surprised. He volunteered himself.
"Miss, you all rest. I will go ahead and scout the path."
Liu Rumei smiled and shook her head. "There's no need to scout. We have traveled this path before."
Beside her, Liu Ce also stepped forward, cupped his fists, and said, "Miss, perhaps you should still take a look. I will go with Brother Tie."
Liu Rumei, unsure of their intentions, could only nod.
"Alright then, you two go and check ahead. Leave a marker, but don't stray too far."
Liu Tie and Liu Ce, one after the other, slipped out of the cave and soon disappeared into the canyon.
After walking for about four or five li, Liu Tie finally stopped.
"Liu Ce, what's going on? What's the deal between Miss and that Chen Xiaobei?"
Liu Ce spread his hands. "You saw it yourself, it's as it is. Miss now hangs on Chen Xiaobei's every word; nothing anyone else says matters."
Liu Tie sighed deeply. "I can see it too. Miss seems to have developed feelings for Chen Xiaobei. This won't do. How can a daughter of a noble Marquis..."
Liu Ce also expressed his helplessness. "Exactly! Moreover, Chen Xiaobei is already married. What do you make of this situation?"
Liu Tie slammed his fist into a nearby tree. "Find an opportunity to talk to Chen Xiaobei. Whatever it takes, we'll pay him to leave Miss alone."
"Brother Tie, if I say something about this, it probably won't be useful. I think we should ask the Marquis to intervene."
Liu Tie fell into a pensive silence, then finally exhaled a long breath. "Alas, what is this situation?"
Liu Ce also shook his head helplessly. "Alas, I think Miss has given up hope. Miss has harbored feelings for the Crown Prince for many years, but look at it. When we set out, the Princess actively volunteered for the mission, but the Crown Prince ignored her and instead ordered Miss to lead the troops. If I were a woman, I would be disheartened too."