Big Moon Ballad

Chapter 2619 Intelligence
Every word Mu You spoke resonated in the ears of everyone present.

This battle report contains an enormous amount of information.

Ji Jiashu disregarded the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, rushed to Ying Baoyue, snatched the battle report from her hand, and read it from beginning to end.

The content was exactly the same as what Mu You had said, but Ji Jiashu still doubted that there was something wrong with his eyes.

"The border has fallen? How did it fall? What about the Great Wall?"

Even when the Grand Master of Destiny died for his country seven years ago, the borders of the Northern Wei had not fallen, and the Western Rong cavalry had not set foot in the Central Plains.

How did it suddenly fall into enemy hands?
“The city has fallen,” Ying Baoyue stood there expressionlessly. Although she hadn’t finished reading the battle report, she seemed to see the scene unfold before her eyes. “Lingbi has been breached by the Western Rong cavalry.”

Lingbi?

Ji Jiashu's hand trembled slightly as he held the battle report. "But it wasn't written in the report."

“If the Spirit Wall is breached, no one will have time to write,” Ying Baoyue said, looking at the blood-stained letter. “They will only have time to desperately save their own lives.”

"This letter was written by Yunniang."

When she wrote this letter, Wan Liuyun should have been in Shanhaiguan City. With Shanhaiguan City breached, Wan Liuyun probably only had time to lead the people of Liuyunlou and Shanhaiju to break through the siege. She didn't have time to witness the moment the Lingbi was breached, and could only hastily send this letter.

Ying Baoyue closed her eyes, and countless flames of blood swept through her vision.

How much happened in just one night?

There are just too many people this letter didn't mention. Have Chen Zichu and Xu Yishan left? How is Lou Dalou? What about the people from Shanhaiju, Qian Bofang and the others? And Ji Qingyuan, who's currently in Shanhaiguan… and…

Ying Baoyue desperately wanted to know the names of those she cared about, but she had no time to think about them in the hastily sent letter.

The letter only mentioned the name of the most important person who was crucial to the entire border war.

"General Plum Blossom...missing?"

Ying Baoyue stood firmly on the ground, repeating only this one sentence.

Just like eight years ago, Li Meiniang disappeared again in the flames of war.

“He’s just missing, not killed in action,” Mu You walked to Ying Baoyue’s side and patted her on the shoulder. “General Li is a veteran of many battles, and he must have been prepared for the possibility of traitors within the army. The border is in chaos right now, so perhaps he just didn’t have time to send a message.”

"Your Majesty, all intelligence networks connecting the Central Plains to the Western Rong and the northern border have been severed, and even the Mountain and Sea Residence has lost contact with us."

In war, intelligence comes first.

Cutting off the intelligence network before launching a battle is indeed the style of Emperor Ying, a veteran of warfare.

Ying Baoyue closed her eyes, walked to the desk and sat down. "He can make a judgment, and so can we!"

"Grand Preceptor," she said, looking at Ji Jiashu standing to one side, "summon the generals of the three major camps in the suburbs of the capital and all military officers of the fifth rank and above to court. They will hold a meeting in the Ganlu Hall in one hour."

"Alright, I'll obey!"

Ji Jiashu was still somewhat dazed, but when he saw the calm expression on Ying Baoyue's face as she sat at the table, he suddenly regained his composure, took a deep breath, and strode out to summon the generals.

Mu You breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Ying Baoyue quickly regain her royal aura.

"Your Majesty, what do you intend to do?"

“The first thing we need to do now is to gather information,” Ying Baoyue said, staring intently at the battle report on the table. “Intelligence is of paramount importance.”

What really happened at the border is the most important thing.

“I remember that the Mu family army has scouts who have been carefully trained for many years,” Ying Baoyue said, looking at Mu You. “I will contact the spies in the Western Rong direction immediately, but relying on them alone is not enough. I’m afraid the Mu family will have to put in more effort.”

"I will do my utmost."

“We don’t need many people, but they must be elite, the higher their cultivation level, the better,” Ying Baoyue’s gaze sharpened. “I only need six people, divided into three groups of two.”

"One group will go to the Northern Wei royal palace. I will bestow upon them a golden token and arrow, allowing them to serve as my special envoys to meet King Yelü Hua of Northern Wei. The other group will consist of cultivators skilled in stealth, who will survey the area around the Great Wall of Northern Wei, Lingbi, and Shanhaiguan, to find out which army currently occupies these areas."

"As for the last group," Ying Baoyue paused for a moment, "their mission is the most dangerous. They must be cultivators of the highest cultivation level. I want them to do everything they can to cross the Great Wall and make contact with Zhao Guang of the Northern Royal Court and General Baili of Pangsha City." Mu You listened intently, his brows furrowing as he heard this. "I can do my best to arrange the first two groups, but the third group... please forgive my incompetence, I'm afraid they will be unable to complete Your Majesty's mission."

Ying Baoyue also knew that the third group's mission was too difficult. Shacheng and the White Wolf Royal Court were located in the heart of the Western Rong territory, and she herself had gone through a great deal of trouble to reach them, let alone other cultivators from the Central Plains.

"Why must we send a messenger?" Ji Jiashu asked. "Can't we use carrier pigeons like before?"

"It was possible before the war started, but it's not possible now."

Ying Baoyue said, "The Lord of the Clouds must have already completely sealed off the entire Western Rong territory and hunted down carrier pigeons. It's very difficult for carrier pigeons to deliver messages now, unless..."

“Unless you use a divine beast,” Li Ji stepped in from outside, “high-level divine beasts aren’t so easy to kill.”

Previously, when Ying Baoyue was in Xirong and Houliao, it was always divine beasts that delivered messages to her.

“That’s right!” Ji Jiashu clapped his hands sharply, “The Golden-Winged Roc!”

A chubby little bird far away in the southern Chu region couldn't help but sneeze.

"Baoyue, I will go and beg the Vermilion Bird God to ask him to send the Golden-Winged Roc to deliver the message!"

Upon hearing Ji Jiashu's suggestion, Ying Baoyue remained silent.

"Hug the moon?"

Li Ji stared at her face, his gaze complex.

He walked to Ying Baoyue's side and sighed, "Are you afraid that even the divine beasts won't be able to return?"

Ying Baoyue nodded and said softly, "The Golden-Winged Roc has no combat ability."

If a certain mythical beast knew it was being looked down upon like this, it would probably sneeze even more.

"How could that be?" Ji Jiashu exclaimed in astonishment. "That's a Heavenly Rank divine beast."

“Embracing the Moon means that He is no match for the evil god,” Li Ji glanced at Ji Jiashu, “and fears that the Golden-Winged Roc will suffer the same fate as Yinglong.”

Yinglong God… Ji Jiashu couldn’t help but gasp when he thought of Yinglong God’s corruption.

Ying Baoyue actually knew that this matter was best left to the divine beast, but given the current situation, sending the divine beast to Xirong might be like throwing good money after bad.

If our own divine beast is corrupted by Yun Zhongjun and turned into an evil god, the situation will be even more serious.

Emperor Ying was an extremely formidable opponent; even Yinglong, one of the eight divine beasts, could not escape his grasp, let alone the other divine beasts.

“I understand,” Li Ji said after a moment of silence. “I’ll go.”

"Aji?"

Ying Baoyue looked up abruptly, her heart pounding with fear.

“Since everyone else might not come back, I’ll have to go,” Li Ji smiled and reached out to pat Ying Baoyue’s head. “The most urgent thing is to get in touch with Zhao Guang. I’m also very worried about his safety.”

Zhao Guang, the White Wolf King, is a crucial asset for their side.

If Zhao Guang is killed, the situation will be out of control, and everything will have to be rearranged.

The current situation is like a fog; whichever side can obtain accurate intelligence first will gain the upper hand.

“But…” Ying Baoyue grabbed Li Ji’s wrist, staring intently into his dark eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't be unable to come back."

Li Ji gave a very faint smile. "I promise you."

"I will definitely come back."

(End of this chapter)