Chapter Nine: A Brilliant Stratagem

This night was destined to be sleepless. The screams from outside the military tents continued for a full hour before finally subsiding. By the time Qin Xuan emerged the following day, only scorched earth remained, with a ring of dark red soil serving as the sole reminder of what had transpired.

"Move out!"

The order was given, and the bugle call signaled the army’s departure. The refugees continued to follow closely behind.

"Your Highness, why do I feel like these refugees are different now?" Zhao Luoying asked curiously from her horse.

Qin Xuan smiled faintly. "Because they have gained a sense of belonging."

"A sense of belonging?" Zhao Luoying could not quite grasp the meaning, but Qin Xuan said nothing more. However, every refugee now knew what was in their hearts—they were the new people of the Northern Territory. Indeed, the moment Qin Xuan allowed them to follow the Divine Strategy Army, they had ceased to view themselves merely as refugees.

Two days later, at dusk, the Divine Strategy Army finally arrived in a grand procession at Tianshan City. This city was a vital passage to the capital, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it was also the only road leading to the Northern Territory.

Guo Huan, a deputy general of the Divine Strategy Army, led a small team of seven to the city gates. "I am from the Divine Strategy Army, acting under imperial decree to head to the Northern Territory to defend against the Jurchen. Please open the gates and let us pass."

Atop the city wall, Jiang Xing, the garrison commander of Tianshan City, stood imposingly with a stern expression. "I have received no such notification. Do you have the official clearance documents?"

Guo Huan frowned slightly and immediately produced the documents from his breastplate. "The documents are here; please grant us passage."

"It is already dark, and I cannot see clearly! Why don't you set up camp outside the city for now and enter tomorrow at daybreak?" Jiang Xing leaned over to look, but with six or seven meters of wall between them, he could hardly see a thing.

Guo Huan was incensed. As a deputy general of the Divine Strategy Army, he had ridden freely through the cities of the Jurchen Kingdom, let alone a place like Tianshan City. However, bound by military orders, he had no choice but to turn his horse around and return to the camp.

"Your Highness, the commander of Tianshan City is clearly making things difficult for us on purpose," Guo Huan said, still fuming after recounting the events.

Qin Xuan seemed to have anticipated this. He chuckled softly, "I expected as much. Since they want to play games, we shall play along with them."

Guo Huan’s eyes lit up. "Your Highness, do you have a plan?"

Qin Xuan nodded slightly but only said, "Set up camp for now. And remember to settle the refugees properly."

"Understood, my Lord." Though curious, Guo Huan dared not ask further since the Prince had remained silent.

Zhao Luoying leaned in close and whispered, "Your Highness, what sort of clever scheme have you come up with this time?"

"I cannot tell you that just yet, haha!" Qin Xuan teased, causing Zhao Luoying to pout and playfully rain light punches upon him.

Meanwhile, inside Tianshan City, the garrison commander Jiang Xing had just returned to his residence to find the prefect, Song Zhiyuan, waiting for him. They retreated to the main hall with tacit understanding. Song Zhiyuan spoke first, "The Divine Strategy Army did not manage to enter the city, did they?"

Jiang Xing laughed. "Without my order, no one is stepping inside."

"Good." Song Zhiyuan nodded. "Word has come from the palace that we must stall the Divine Strategy Army at all costs—ideally, we should exhaust their food supplies."

Jiang Xing nodded, sighing, "To think that Prince Chu is so delusional as to dare lead troops to plot..."

"Hush! You cannot speak of such things; walls have ears," Song Zhiyuan said with a look of alarm, though Jiang Xing remained indifferent. He had served in the border defense forces in his youth, earned some merit, and later gained the favor of the Third Prince, Qin Zhen, which secured him his current position.

The next morning, Guo Huan returned to the city gates, but this time, he was met not by Jiang Xing, but by a quartermaster. Without a word, the man lowered a basket from the wall to retrieve the clearance documents, claiming they needed to be verified at the prefectural office before entry could be granted. Guo Huan cursed loudly, but no one paid him any mind.

"Damn it! This is absolutely preposterous!" Guo Huan was still seething when he returned to camp.

Seeing this, Zhuge Xuan smiled calmly. "I suspect that when you go to retrieve the documents, they will use the excuse of 'recent disturbances caused by refugees' to continue blocking the army’s entry."

Guo Huan’s face fell. He pleaded, "Strategist, since you’ve guessed the outcome, could you perhaps send someone else to pick up the documents?"

Zhuge Xuan laughed aloud. "That won't do! The Prince said you are the most suitable person for the job."

"Why?" Guo Huan asked, bewildered.

"Because you have such a familiar face!" Zhuge Xuan stroked his beard and laughed.

Meanwhile, inside the military tent, Zhao Luoying was worried about the rising number of refugees. Over the past few days, the count had exceeded 35,000, and the already dwindling food supplies were becoming impossible to manage.

"Your Highness, why are you not worried at all? Our rations are almost gone," Zhao Luoying muttered, seeing that Qin Xuan remained perfectly composed.

Looking at the woman he loved most, Qin Xuan shook his head with a smile. "Do not worry. Once the city gates open, we shall have food."

"Does Your Highness intend to lay siege?" Zhao Luoying’s eyes lit up, eager for battle.

Qin Xuan, unable to understand why his woman was more belligerent than he was, said with a wry smile, "The Divine Strategy Army is far too precious to be squandered here."

"Then how will you get us into the city? Guo Huan is practically driven mad with rage." Thinking of Guo Huan’s expression, Zhao Luoying couldn't help but laugh.

"You are always so impatient. Very well, I will bring someone in, and then you will understand." Qin Xuan sighed helplessly and walked out of the tent.

Before long, while Zhao Luoying was still wondering, a somewhat wretched-looking refugee followed Qin Xuan inside. At first glance, Zhao Luoying did not react, but a second later, she gasped, "The God of Wealth, Hu Xu?!"

"This humble one greets the Princess!" The stout Hu Xu revealed a simple, honest smile.

Hu Xu was the chairman of the Mintai Trading Firm, the largest of the four major merchant houses. If not for him acting as a go-between, the other three firms would never have become supporters of Qin Xuan.

Zhao Luoying was increasingly curious. "How did you become a refugee? When did you arrive?"

"I have been mingled among the refugees since the beginning. Also with us is Wu Weichen, the manager of the Xingyuan Escort Agency, along with a group of his best men," Hu Xu answered honestly.

"Was this all planned by the Prince?" Zhao Luoying asked again.

Hu Xu glanced at Qin Xuan, and upon seeing him nod, he continued, "After you and the Prince returned from the Supreme Court, the Prince had already taken precautions. He ordered me to secretly liquidate all assets in the capital and relocate. Before the Divine Strategy Army began its return journey, the Prince instructed me to send men to Tianshan City in advance, while I hid among the refugees to follow along."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Luoying’s face was filled with utter disbelief. Qin Xuan had set his pawns in motion the very moment the trouble began!