weaving

Looking at the pairs of eyes staring at him, Liu Tichun said somewhat awkwardly, "I have long since entrusted my life to the Grand Marshal. I can go to the imperial palace and even the government army camp without hesitation."

Chuang Wang shook his head and said, "If we send Erhu on this trip, Yufeng's proposed plan to divide the troops will have to be adjusted again."

"That's fine," Liu Zongmin replied. "The key is to see what's in our best interest."

“If we consider only what is advantageous to us, then a safe retreat is naturally the best course of action,” Tian Jianxiu immediately offered his opinion.

"Grand Marshal..." Tian Jianxiu looked at the rebel king and saw him nod before continuing, "We think if we can persuade Zhang Cheng, we can totally put on a show with him."

"How should it be performed?" Liu Zongmin asked from the side.

"We will leave tens of thousands of starving civilians with the army to give Zhang Cheng military merit, and then we will feign defeat and withdraw the entire army from the territory of Kaifeng Prefecture. In this way, we will give Zhang Cheng the military merit of protecting Kaifeng and driving us away."

"We can easily procure grain and recruit soldiers in Runing, Nanyang, and Henan prefectures outside Kaifeng, as well as in the Ruzhou area. We'll procure grain along the way, and Zhang Cheng will follow closely. Every place we capture, he'll reclaim. Wouldn't our military merits increase rapidly?"

Tian Jianxiu added, "Zhang Cheng has already received our gold and silver, as well as a lot of military merits that he can take until his hands are sore. What reason does he have not to cooperate with us?"

"Here."

Yuan Zongdi was the first to express his approval, saying, "Following Yufeng's idea, we can avoid a head-on confrontation with Zhang Cheng's side and revitalize our team at the same time. It's truly a win-win situation."

"I'm just worried that Zhang Cheng's appetite is too big, and we won't be able to satisfy him," Liu Fangliang said, expressing his concern.

Tian Jianxiu, however, said dismissively, "If Zhang Cheng doesn't cooperate, we'll fight him to the death. At worst, we'll both perish, and in the end, he won't get anything out of it either."

"it is good."

Liu Zongmin immediately cheered, "Yu Feng's words hit the nail on the head!"

He turned to look at the rebel leader beside him and said, "Zicheng, I think Yufeng's words make a lot of sense. Do you think we should send Erhu on a trip?"

"Strategist, do you think Yu Feng's method is feasible?" As always, the rebel king would never forget to ask Song Xianze, his great strategist, for his opinion.

Song Xianze was already used to this, and replied with a smile, "I think... General Dejie should make a trip to the Dragon King Temple."

His gaze fell upon Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, and he continued, "If the negotiations with Dejie go smoothly and they truly reach an agreement with Zhang Cheng on the action, then we'll put on a good show for the court. In that case, our next strategy will only require slight adjustments."

If the negotiations with Dejie don't go smoothly, we'll follow Yufeng's earlier suggestion to divide our forces, scattering our troops so the government army won't know where our main force is. We'll then take advantage of the chaos to support General Gao's old camp and return to Funiu Mountain to train our troops.”

Song Xianze added, "This matter should be decided as soon as possible to avoid missing the opportunity for victory."

The rebel leader's gaze instantly turned cold. He looked at Niu Jinxing and asked, "Qidong, what do you think?"

"Yu Feng's strategy of dividing his forces is already very detailed, so I have nothing to add."

Niu Jinxing continued calmly, "I agree with what you just said. Please make a decision quickly, Grand Marshal."

After a moment of silence, the rebel leader opened his eyes and looked at Liu Zongmin, who nodded emphatically in agreement.

"Alright." The rebel leader finally made the final decision.

He continued, “Please ask Mr. Qidong to draft a letter for me. The words should be sincere, and the attitude... can be a bit humble. As long as Zhang Cheng is willing to cooperate with us in this charade, nothing else matters.”

"Yes, Grand Marshal."

"Yi San, go and select some precious jewelry and jade artifacts for De Jie to take with her as a token of our sincerity." "Yes, Grand Marshal."

Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, finally turned his gaze to Liu Tichun and said with a smile, "Dejie, it seems I have no choice but to trouble you to venture into the lion's den."

"The Grand Marshal has given the order, and I, Liu Erhu, will never utter a single 'no'. How could I dare trouble the Grand Marshal with the word 'trouble'?" Liu Tichun continued generously, "Let alone just a government army camp, even if it were a real dragon's den or a tiger's lair, I, Liu Erhu, would not even bat an eye!"

"it is good."

Liu Zongmin cheered him on and then asked, "Erhu, how many people do you plan to take?"

"Since we're going to the government army camp, it won't matter how many men we bring. We might as well go alone; that way, we can show off our power!"

“That’s not appropriate.” Liu Zongmin immediately rejected him, and then said to him, “You must take at least five people with you.”

Liu Tichun was taken aback and asked, "Why?"

"Erhu, are you stupid?"

Liu Fangliang, unable to bear watching any longer, reminded him, "You're going to the government army camp, ostensibly to negotiate peace, but there will always be messages that need to be relayed back and forth. Are you going to be running back and forth between the two sides all by yourself?"

Liu Tichun wasn't stupid; he instantly understood the key point and laughed, "We don't mind the trouble of running back and forth, but we're afraid of delaying the Grand Marshal's business!"

"Erhu, you take twenty cavalrymen with you."

Liu Zongmin made the final decision, and then added, "These twenty riders will all be selected from your camp. They must be strong and quick-witted, so as not to cause any problems."

"Yes, sir."

"Also...the twenty riders you take with you must all be armored...full armor...and preferably new armor."

“Sir…” Liu Tichun continued with a troubled expression, “We do have some armor in our camp, but selecting twenty sets of full armor, and they have to be new… this… is a bit difficult.”

"You can choose from your own camp first. If you're short a few suits of armor, just come to my camp to get them."

"Erhu, thank you, Mr. Liu."

Liu Zongmin nodded, then turned his gaze to Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, and said, "Rise of the Chuang King, do you think this is acceptable?"

The rebel king smiled at him, but instructed Liu Tichun below: "Erhu, although you are going as a messenger, I cannot guarantee that there will be no danger. You must act cautiously. If things cannot be done, do not force it."

In short, the key is to be adaptable and respond to each situation as it arises. No matter what, your safety must come first. Regardless of the outcome of this trip, when you return, Jiexuan and I will toast you to celebrate your success!

Liu Tichun was deeply moved by Chuang Wang's words. He got up from his seat, went to the empty space in the middle of the command tent, bowed down to Chuang Wang, clasped his hands and said, "Please rest assured, Grand Marshal, Erhu will never fail in his mission."

"Alright, time is of the essence, you should go and prepare as well."

"Yes."

Niu Jinxing, Liu Tichun, and Li You left the command tent one after another, each making preparations for their mission to the government army's Longwang Temple camp.

Inside the command tent, Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Liu Fangliang, Yuan Zongdi, Song Xianze, and others continued to discuss the specific numbers of troops to be deployed in each direction, in order to ensure everything was in order. (End of Chapter)