Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2299 Each Has His Own Plans

Shen Haolin didn't say anything, just looked at Hongye and smiled, motioning her to sit aside.

Hongye let go of Shen Cha, sat down next to Jin Miaomiao with a wronged look on her face, and muttered a few words in a low voice. No one could hear what she said clearly, but she was probably complaining about Shen Haolin's inhumanity.

"Stop complaining. Our Duke has always been like this. You know that, right?"

Jin Miaomiao yawned and looked very tired. It was obvious that she had not had a good rest in the past few days.

"Seeing you so tired, I really feel guilty. If I hadn't been sick, you wouldn't have been in this situation."

"Hey, stop it. I'm not tired because of you. I need to study carefully what my uncle gave me. It's very beneficial." Jin Miaomiao stretched and said, "However, Xiaoye is completely well now and is full of energy again."

"Yes, I am full of life again." Hongye patted her chest and said, "But, seriously speaking, Third Master's medicine is much more effective than yours. It seems that although you two come from the same school, your methods are quite different."

"That's definitely different. Although we are from the same school, Master and I mainly focus on poisons, while Master's uncle mainly focuses on medicine. Although it is said that medicine and poison are inseparable, there are still some differences because of the different emphases. So, it is normal that our paths are different. However, after what happened to Xiao Ye this time, I have to admit that the old ones are the best. Master's uncle is Master's uncle, and he really can cure any disease with his medicine. Although my prescription can also cure the disease, it will take a little longer. Master's uncle's prescription can solve the problem quickly."

"Is the drug very strong?"

"Yes, but not entirely. Uncle Shi uses medicine very cleverly. There are strong medicines, but also neutral medicines. Anyway, it's quite interesting." Jin Miaomiao looked at Shen Cha, "Don't think about it. The two of us have studied your situation and it's better to maintain the status quo. If I adjust you now, I'm afraid you will have problems if it's not adjusted well."

"I know. You two have told me many times not to rush for quick results and to take things step by step. I'm not in a hurry either. This is an old injury that has been there for a long time. It's good enough to be cured. I don't pursue speed."

"As long as you know."

"Originally, my recipe was left by the master, and how to adjust it also follows the master's intention. The Third Master looked at it for me several times and felt that there was no problem with the recipe and method left by the master, so I just followed it and didn't need him to intervene." Shen Cha smiled, "Although I knew there was no problem, I felt more relieved after the Third Master said that."

"As expected, it has to be my uncle. My words are not so effective." Seeing Shen Cha's smug smile, Jin Miaomiao rolled her eyes, yawned, poured herself a bowl of tea, blew on it, drank two sips, and said, "However, I haven't seen my uncle, Xiao Qi, and Xiao Fengqi in the past two days. Are they still studying that map? Is it troublesome?"

"Well, they are still looking at it. They have been looking at it for a few days. Madam Ning and Ning Cheng are also with them. Although there are many people, the progress is not very fast. This map looks simple, but it is very difficult. I went to the Marquis' Mansion next door this morning and saw that they looked worried. I asked them a question and then I realized that the situation is not optimistic."

"Not very optimistic means," Jin Miaomiao looked at Shen Cha, puzzled, "Have you encountered any big trouble that you can't solve?"

"Yes!" Xue Ruitian also looked at Shen Cha, "What's the trouble? Why don't you tell me and we can think of a solution together."

"We previously believed that the picture had three layers. Qi Bo also said so, right? But after seeing the picture, the Third Master suspected that there were more than three layers. There was another layer underneath, which was the fourth layer. The fourth layer, which is the deepest and most hidden layer, is the real content to be revealed. If we cannot uncover the fourth layer, it will be useless even if we translate the meaning of the Sanskrit."

"Then reveal it!" Xue Ruitian was puzzled, "Is there still any problem with this?"

"It's easy to say, but no one dares to do it now, for fear of damaging the picture. The last layer is probably this thin." Shen Cha gestured, "As if it is transparent. They are very worried now. They don't have the skills to do it. If they do it and damage it, then everything will be over. After all, there is only one such picture."

"That's true." Xue Ruitian nodded gently, "Has Qi Bo come to see you?"

"Hmm!" Shen Cha nodded gently. "He checked it carefully again and agreed with the Third Master's statement that there is a fourth layer. But to uncover the fourth layer, it still requires a lot of skills. He did it before, but now his eyesight is not good, his hands shake easily, and he has no confidence in himself. So now they are not very brave, just..." She spread her hands, "Do you understand?"

"If that's the case, it's really difficult to deal with." Xue Ruitian touched his chin, looked at Shen Haolin, thought for a while, and said, "Speaking of which, we know that there should be one or two young people who are very accomplished in calligraphy and painting. One is His Royal Highness Prince Ning and the other is the Prince of Dai. They are both good at this. His Royal Highness Prince Ning's current situation should not be convenient for him to come. If it is His Royal Highness Prince Dai, it should be no problem. But, I don't know if he can do it. We can write a letter to the capital and invite him over. We will know whether he can do it after he comes, right?"

"Yes!" Shen Haolin nodded. "Xiaobai will bring people to send Wanyan Xi here in half a month. It's okay for him to come along."

"But, if we wait for him to come, won't it be too late? It takes at least half a month to get from Xijing City to the border!" Jin Miaomiao looked at Shen Cha, "How long will Master Uncle and the others stay? Can we wait until they come?"

"It's not too late." Shen Cha shook his head gently. "I asked Xiao Fengqi and Xiao Qi. Before they left Linhuang Prefecture, Brother Yelu told them to wait until Wanyan Xi led his troops into the border of the Jin Kingdom."

"Are they afraid that we will go back on our word?"

"No, they saw Wanyan Xi return to the Jin Kingdom with their own eyes, so they could make the next arrangements." Shen Cha chuckled, "Their ambitions are not small, similar to what we have in mind. What they want are the cities bordering the Jin Kingdom. If they can get those cities, then their distance from the Jin border will be safer."

"Yes, they think the same as we do." Xue Ruitian stood up, walked behind the desk, and pointed to the map hanging on the wall. "If they take the three cities of Qinglong, Quewu, and Yu'an, then the pressure on the border will be reduced a lot. There is a large horizontal canyon here that completely separates them. This is actually very beneficial to both of them." "Yes!" Shen Cha nodded lightly. "Whether it is the Liao soldiers or the Jin soldiers, no matter which side wants to cross this canyon, unless they can fly, they must take a detour, and the marching time will increase by at least half a month. This is a natural protection for both of them."

"Brother Yelu wants it, but the Jin Kingdom may not give it to him. Even if Wanyan Xi agrees, I'm afraid the nobles of the Jin Kingdom, especially the big guys in charge of the army, may not agree." Xue Ruitian gently pointed at Qinglong Pass, Quewu Pass, and Yu'an Pass. "At present, none of these three passes is controlled by the Wanyan family. Qinglong Pass should be Wanyan Qingmu's only hope now, but it is unknown whether the garrison commander can really listen to him. If Wanyan Xi ascends the throne, he will be even less likely to agree. As for the other two passes." He sneered, "It is even more impossible for them to listen to such an order."

"For the Jin Kingdom, this large horizontal canyon is a natural barrier. Even if the Liao people pass these three passes, it will be extremely difficult for them to cross the canyon."

Shen Haolin glanced at Hongye and saw that she was looking at the map very seriously, and sighed silently.

Shen Cha noticed Shen Haolin's mood, held his hand and patted it gently. Seeing her brother turned around and looked at her, she smiled.

"Brother is right. This canyon here gives the Jin people plenty of time to mobilize their troops. If the Liao people start to attack these three passes, they can use this canyon to delay time, and most likely they will kill the Liao people outside this canyon. But if these three passes become the property of the Liao Kingdom, no matter which side launches the attack first, the possibility of being ambushed is equally high."

"That's not right!" Jin Miaomiao was puzzled. "According to what you said, Liao should actually include this canyon in its territory. That way it would be safe, right? Look, if they use the canyon as the boundary, with Jin on one side and Liao on the other, it wouldn't be difficult for either side to secretly do something to the canyon, and it wouldn't be noticed by anyone, right? By the time the other side finds out, the enemy troops have already appeared in their territory. Isn't that Qing waiting to be beaten?" She looked at everyone. "What do you think, is that right?"

"We didn't explain it clearly, so you feel confused." Xue Ruitian waved to Jin Miaomiao and gently tapped the map. "Although it is shown like this on the map, the canyon is actually quite far away from the three passes here and Yucheng, the largest fortress of the Jin Kingdom."

“Having a certain distance means”

"Yucheng and the canyon are actually a desert with no grass. If you can bring enough water, you can walk through. If not, it's hard to say." Shen Cha sighed softly, "In fact, the area from Yucheng to Quewu Pass is the most dangerous part of this section. Many people have gone there and never returned. This is why there are rarely wars in this area."

"That's right." Xue Ruitian nodded and continued to explain, "Similarly, this is why I don't believe Wanyan Qingmu can reach Qinglong Pass by his own ability. From Yiqing Prefecture to Yucheng, the road is still easy to travel. If you ride fast, you can get there in less than half a month. But from Yucheng to Qinglong Pass, the journey will take at least a month."

"so long?"

"Yes!" Shen Cha nodded, "But time is not a problem. As I said before, water source is the most important."

"There's no water source here?"

"Yes, there is a lake nearby, but the lake is outside Qinglong Pass. Only by passing through this lake can we bypass the canyon and enter the area under the jurisdiction of Yucheng. This lake is the only source of water for the four cities of Yucheng, Qinglong, Quewu and Yu'an. As you all know, this area is all desert and water is scarce. Now that the Jin Kingdom can control this lake in its own hands, it can temporarily ensure that its people do not lack water. If the three passes are given away, then the lake near the three passes will also become the property of the Liao Kingdom, and Yucheng will have a big problem with water."

"You mean, once the three passes and the lake become the property of the Liao people, Yucheng will probably become an empty city?" Jin Miaomiao slapped her legs fiercely. "We can win without fighting, and Yucheng will eventually be incorporated into the territory of the Liao Kingdom. Is that what you mean?"

"Yes, that's what they are planning." Shen Cha nodded gently, smiled at Jin Miaomiao, and said, "If Yucheng becomes part of the Liao Kingdom, then the situation will be exactly the opposite of what it is now. The Liao Kingdom will hold the initiative."

"The real purpose is not to drink, what a good plan!" Jin Miaomiao was full of admiration, "But there is still the same problem. The nobles in charge of the army of Jin will definitely not agree to it. The commanders of Yucheng and the three outer passes will not agree to it either, right? We can see the problem, can't those old foxes who have experienced hundreds of battles see it?"

"So what if they figured it out? The initiative is not in their hands. When Wanyan Xi ascends the throne, the guards of the three outer passes will either die in battle or be replaced. They will definitely not be the current candidates. As for the nobles in charge of the military of the Jin Kingdom, it is useless for them to stop them, unless they are willing to arrange their own people to guard the passes, but for them, that is absolutely impossible."

"Why isn't it possible?"

"After passing Yucheng, we will enter a place with abundant water resources and not so poor and remote. Do you think those nobles who are used to enjoying themselves would like their people to suffer there?" Xue Ruitian smiled. "Those stationed in Yucheng and the three outer passes were either squeezed out of the power core of the Jin Kingdom or exiled. Anyway, they are not welcome."

"So that's how it is!" Jin Miaomiao sighed, "That's why Brother Yelu wanted to take over this place."

"That's right!" Shen Cha nodded gently, "And after they got Yucheng and the three outer passes, they don't need to worry about the water source at all. There is a bigger lake not far from Yu'an Pass, which belongs to Liaodi."

"I understand." Jin Miaomiao nodded, glanced at Hongye, and sighed softly, "For the Jin Kingdom, they gave up this seemingly useless place, and for the Liao Kingdom, they gained a natural barrier. They really each got what they needed!"

"Not only do they take what they need, but we do the same." Xue Ruitian chuckled and drew a circle on the map, which was the border between Daxia and Jin. "This is not a desert, but it is a mixed bag. It is a no-man's land with all kinds of people. If we want to take over these cities of Jin, we must take over these no-man's land as well. Jin solved such a big problem with just a few insignificant cities, so why not do it?"

"I see." Jin Miaomiao raised her eyebrows slightly, smiled, and said, "It's a big headache for them, but for us, it's a great place."

"Of course. Brother Nine has made an indelible contribution to the development of this place into its current size."