I, Emperor Chongzhen, have extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by five hundred years.

Li Yan's face was pale, his brows were furrowed, and he was momentarily flustered.

Hong Niangzi, being quick-tempered, immediately asked, "What exactly happened? How could the Ming army possibly be lying in ambush in Zhangde Prefecture?"

"We had just approached Zhangde Prefecture when a Ming army suddenly attacked. They were well-equipped and carried a large number of firearms. Our army was outnumbered and outmatched, and in the end, in the end..."

"Say what will happen in the end!"

Hong Niangzi, with her fiery temper, immediately exploded.

Li Yan quickly stopped her, saying, "My lady, don't worry! We've fallen into a trap set by the Ming army!"

Hong Niangzi angrily said, "That brat Chongzhen has gone too far! I'll fight him to the death!"

Ma Chongxi, who was not far away, thought to himself, "No wonder he's an actor, his acting skills are really good!"

He glanced at Cheng Youde and whispered, "Lieutenant Cheng, you were right."

Cheng Youde also lowered his voice and said, "Sir, please be careful with your words. We cannot reveal any flaws, otherwise, our lives will be in danger!"

"Lieutenant Cheng is absolutely right. We must cooperate with the couple and make sure they don't notice anything amiss."

After Ma Chongxi finished speaking, he quickly stepped forward, immediately feigning surprise, and asked, "General Li, Madam Hong, what exactly happened?"

Li Yan said with a grim face, "The troops we sent to Zhangde Prefecture were ambushed by the Ming army and wiped out. Not only did we fail to obtain the Zhao Prince's supplies, but we also suffered heavy losses!"

"Is this true? How did the Ming army know our marching route?"

Hong Niangzi retorted, "Do you suspect there's a traitor among us?"

Ma Chongxi remained calm and said, "If there are no spies, then unless Zhuge Liang were alive and possessed divine wisdom!"

"Ma Chongxi, just say what you want to say. Don't try to be sarcastic with me!"

"Madam, you misunderstand. I would never dare to doubt you... nor General Li!"

"snort!"

Hong Niangzi snorted coldly and said, "Only the three of us knew about the decision to send troops to Prince Zhao's mansion. You've already said that, isn't that a sign of doubt about my husband and me?"

"I absolutely did not mean that!"

"Stop arguing, you two!"

At this moment, Li Yan said, "I am the commander-in-chief. I will take responsibility if anything goes wrong. I will report the three defeats truthfully. If His Majesty wishes to punish me, I will bear the full consequences!"

Hong Niangzi said indignantly, "Why should you take the blame? It was clearly my command that went wrong. If anyone should be punished, it should be me."

"My lady, we cannot be careless on important matters. As the commander-in-chief, of course I am responsible!"

Ma Chongxi watched coldly, thinking to himself, "I'll just quietly watch you two put on your show."

Cheng Youde stepped forward and said, "In my humble opinion, now is not the time to discuss responsibility. General Li needs to decide on our next course of action as soon as possible!"

Li Yan nodded and said, "That's right. Our army has suffered successive defeats and urgently needs a victory to stabilize morale. Since Chongzhen is good at playing dirty tricks, let's not play along with him and attack head-on!"

Hong Niangzi nodded emphatically: "That's right, let's have a real fight, I refuse to believe we can't beat him!"

"that……"

Cheng Youde, seemingly out of place, asked, "Are we still going to pay the money and grain we promised?"

Hong Niangzi glared at him and said angrily, "So what if we don't give it to him? Let Chongzhen come and get it himself if he dares!"

Cheng Youde stopped talking and obediently stepped aside.

Li Yan said, "Our army's food supplies are exhausted. This battle cannot be delayed any longer, Mr. Ma. What do you think?"

After much deliberation, Ma Chongxi finally said, "Things have come to this point; there is no other way but to fight!"

"Alright!"

Li Yan made up his mind and said, "I will personally command this battle. Lieutenant Cheng, you will lead the vanguard battalion to advance fifty li and set up camp, clearing obstacles along the way. Send out scouts to find out the Ming army's troop deployment as soon as possible."

Cheng Youde clasped his hands in a salute: "As you command!"

"My wife, you are in charge of reorganizing the remaining main force of our army. You will depart with me in three days."

Hong Niangzi nodded in agreement.

Li Yan then said, "Mr. Ma, you will stay at headquarters and be responsible for the allocation of supplies and providing support from the center."

Ma Chongxi bowed slightly: "As you command!"

Li Yan raised his head, his gaze resolute: "Pass down the order: launch the general offensive in three days!"

Everyone began preparations, and the entire camp became busy.

That night, Cheng Youde, under the guise of patrolling the sentry posts, secretly came to Ma Chongxi's camp.

"Mr. Ma, did you call me here because you need something?"

Ma Chongxi didn't speak, but instead took out a letter.

"This is……"

"I have written down all the problems that have arisen in the Southern Route Army in a secret letter. I request that Lieutenant Cheng send it to Juyong Pass by express horse when he departs tomorrow."

A hint of surprise flashed in Cheng Youde's eyes, and he immediately reached out to take it carefully.

Ma Chongxi held the letter tightly, but did not let go.

"This matter is confidential. Remember, you must not let Li Yan and his wife know, otherwise, our lives will be in danger!"

Cheng Youde nodded emphatically and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely send my trusted confidants to deliver it, and there will be absolutely no leaks!"

"We must act quickly. If we wait until three days later, when Li Yan leads the main force to set off, they may never return!"

"With horses galloping at breakneck speed, day and night, we will surely return before the main army sets off!"

After listening, Ma Chongxi finally released his grip.

Holding the letter, Cheng Youde continued, "What I'm worried about now is how His Majesty will deal with Li Yan and his wife? What if these two openly defy His Majesty's will, or even turn against him?"

"Don't worry, even if His Majesty is merciful, those generals are no pushovers. They've long considered Hong Niangzi a thorn in their side, but they've lacked an excuse. Now that the evidence is conclusive, they will definitely show no mercy!"

Ma Chongxi smiled faintly, then took out another letter.

"This letter must be sent along with the main message, but no one must know about it, including His Majesty!"

Cheng Youde was greatly alarmed and asked, "Who is this letter to?"

"Niu Jinxing!"

After Ma Chongxi finished speaking, he explained, "Just as you said, in case His Majesty is reluctant to kill, we need someone to add fuel to the fire. Niu Jinxing is my close friend, and he knows what to do."

Cheng Youde frowned and said, "I've heard that Niu Jinxing was able to serve His Majesty only through Li Yan's introduction. He should be a close friend of Li Yan, so how could this be..."

"Lieutenant Cheng, you've served Hong Niangzi for a long time, so you're not clear about the relationships around His Majesty. Niu Jinxing and Li Yan are only superficially friendly. Now that there's an opportunity to kill Li Yan, he'll be more than happy to add fuel to the fire!"

Cheng Youde then said, "This subordinate understands!"

Ma Chongxi then added, "We shouldn't linger here. Be careful of Li Yan's spies."

"Goodbye!"

Cheng Youde stuffed the letter into his clothes and turned to leave.

Ma Chongxi was still worried, so he went to the door, peeked through a crack, and watched Cheng Youde's figure disappear into the night. A smile finally appeared on his lips.

This Cheng Youde really knows how to climb any pole he can get his hands on.

With just a verbal promise, he sold out Hong Niangzi and made her obediently work for him.

Once His Majesty executes Li Yan and his wife, how could you possibly sit in the top seat of the Southern Route Army?

I, Ma Chongxi, have followed Your Majesty for many years. Even if I have not made any great contributions, I have certainly worked hard. It is time for me to take charge on my own!