My lord, spare his life!

This battle is unwinnable!

In a short moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, one of which was particularly clear—the buffer zone between Zongzheng County and Zongren County, which were occupied by Lü Yuan, was not large. He had to be wary of Lü Yuan playing dirty tricks, so he paid extra attention to guarding the grain and supplies, and did not hesitate to deploy the already strained troops to guard them strictly, for fear that a fire might break out somewhere for no reason.

Despite such meticulous precautions, the grain supplies still malfunctioned.

Either the frontline troops really did abscond with the supplies without our knowledge, or the enemy is too strong, capable of not only bypassing the defenses silently but also transferring large quantities of supplies in a short time. What does this mean? It means that if it happens once, it could happen again.

and so--

How should we fight this battle?

The elder brother-in-law was in a state of agitation, and to make matters worse, Zhe Meng was by his side, constantly provoking him and making it impossible for him to make a calm judgment.

"You don't have much time left."

As Zhe Meng finished speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside.

The elder brother-in-law stared intently at the sword at the newcomer's waist, instinctively taking a half-step back. Sweat was already beading on his scalp, fearing the newcomer might suddenly draw his sword and kill him. The good news was that his worst fears hadn't come true; the bad news was that the other party had come to question him about the grain depot.

The elder brother could only suppress his anxiety in secret.

In a flash, he made his choice. Of these three absurd options, no matter which one he chose, he couldn't let the blame fall on him, and he couldn't let him die unjustly.

The scene that followed was quite chaotic.

Zongren County is not only related to Zongzheng County and Bodu County by marriage, but also has internal marriage alliances. Therefore, the people on the front line are more or less related to everyone present and their interests are deeply intertwined.

The people on the front lines are trying to flee, how come they didn't hear a thing?

Some are shouting that this is a frame-up, a fabricated charge; others are pointing the finger at the brother-in-law for embezzlement; still others are trying to mediate between the two sides. At this moment, it's crucial to remain calm and not fall for the thieves' tricks. Someone should be sent to investigate and verify this matter.

The elder brother gritted his teeth and said, "How can we verify this?"

Once verified, there are only two possible outcomes.

If the people sent out to pursue them are innocent, how could they possibly return alive? If they are innocent, how will the resources for the more than 10,000 elite troops to continue fighting be supplied? When the soldiers learned that the granaries had been stolen and the rear was empty, their morale collapsed before Lu Yuan even led his troops.

The others cast suspicious glances at the elder brother-in-law and Zhe Meng.

The latter seemed oblivious to the sharp killing intent emanating from the air, while the elder brother, enveloped in that intent, had long since turned deathly pale.

Zhe Meng seemed annoyed by these blunt stares. He spread his hands and retorted sharply, "Why are you looking at me? Do you think someone who can barely walk could steal like me? Or do you think I can lead thousands of men to guard the granary and steal openly for hours without causing a disturbance? If that's what you think, then there's nothing I can do."

She rolled over, leaving her back facing the enemy.

Zhe Meng adjusted her position to make herself more comfortable, muttering to herself. Not only could these people not understand, but even she, who knew the truth, couldn't understand it. It wasn't difficult for the new master to infiltrate alone, but what was difficult was how she could act so quickly, so ruthlessly, so precisely, and move so little? Inhuman, utterly inhuman.

That damned Lu Bafeng, he doesn't have many other skills, but he's quite good at recognizing a foster mother. Why didn't I recognize one?

Zhe Meng couldn't help but think of the Red Hare that Zhang Yang had promised.

Judging from the new ruler's abilities, Yulwon is sure to succeed.

Thinking about it this way, Zhe Meng became even angrier.

The only thing that makes me feel a little better is thinking about the unlucky guy in this house.

At least she knows the truth. These unlucky guys are still clueless and being played like fools. They look pathetic.

"Report—"

Another high-pitched, shrill shout came from outside the door.

The slight drowsiness that Zhe Meng had just managed to muster was completely dispelled.

problem occurs!

The next second, I put the heart back where it was.

She felt relieved, while everyone else present was driven almost crazy.

A messenger brought devastating news: scouts had spotted an unknown force of soldiers, bearing banners with the character "律" (Lü, meaning law/discipline). Judging from their route, this army was heading straight for them. The two cities along the way had already sent troops to intercept them, but the two sides were routed in a single engagement.

"The banner of law?"

"Who else could it be but Lu Yuan?"

"There was only one family in the entire mountain who were originally surnamed Yelü but later changed their surname."

The elder brother couldn't help but remind everyone, trying to push away the threat being placed on him: "Regardless of whether this army belongs to Lu Yuan or others using her name, shouldn't you all be more concerned with—how did they get here?"

There happened to be a map screen inside the room.

The Imperial Clan Court, the Imperial Clan Headquarters, and the Bodu region are relatively close, roughly on the same line. Even though Lü Yuan's troops, dispatched from the Imperial Clan Court, followed a different route than the reinforcements rushing to the front lines, and the two sides didn't meet face-to-face, the combined force of nearly 20,000 men at such close range couldn't possibly escape the notice of each other's scouts. Although his elder brother-in-law didn't say it explicitly, his eyes already conveyed a questioning tone.

Why didn't the reinforcements at the front intercept the enemy troops?

Did you fight, or didn't you win?

Or did they simply not notice or encounter it?

Did you discover it, encounter it, but avoid it?

For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The elder brother-in-law secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He could clearly feel the killing intent on him fading, and everyone's suspicions had shifted away from him. For the time being, he should be safe from danger.

"Cough cough cough..." Zhe Meng sat up halfway, which aggravated her chest injury, causing her to cough incessantly. It took her a while to feel better, and everyone's attention was drawn to her. "There is something... that you all seem to have overlooked. Lu Yuan's troops are colluding with the Imperial Throne City."

The elder brother-in-law frowned: "What do you mean?"

"The Lu Yuan forces might also have taken a route through the Imperial City, bypassing the frontline troops and heading straight for us. If that's the case, it's possible that the frontline troops are unaware of their existence; it's not necessarily true..."

Under normal circumstances, Zhe Meng's analysis makes a lot of sense.

As someone who had narrowly escaped death at the hands of Lü Yuan, she knew best how many forces were involved on the front lines. If the Imperial City hadn't turned against Lü Yuan, how could Zongzheng County have been caught off guard? The enemy force discovered by the scouts most likely came from there.

The problem is, the current situation is very abnormal.

Before they could find any trace of the enemy soldiers, they discovered that the granary was empty!

The soldiers at the front lines are highly suspected.

Before the suspicion had even been cleared, another arrogant enemy force emerged, advancing unchecked and threatening the safety of the rear. Tell me, how can they believe that the people at the front lines are clean? My brother-in-law, for the sake of his family's lives, can't let them be innocent! Today, their hands must be stained!

Zhe Meng worriedly asked, "How many troops are left in the prefecture? If not enough, we should prepare two plans. One team should send a message to Bo Du, so that even if they can't borrow troops, it will allow them to prepare in advance. The other team should send a message to the front lines, instructing them to turn their troops back to attack the enemy from both sides. If Lü Yuan is borrowing a route from the Imperial Capital, he certainly won't have enough rations for a few days in his haste. We can simply surround him, and it won't be long before they run out of ammunition and food and die. What do you all think?"

This was her sincere advice.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that everyone's expressions were becoming increasingly grim.

Upon seeing this, Zhe Meng sighed once again.

She clearly told the truth three times, but no one believed her.

This group of people became even more suspicious of the people on the front lines.

However, telling the truth wasn't entirely useless; at least it cleared Zhe Meng of suspicion. If Zhe Meng truly had a problem, if she were indeed a spy sent by Lü Yuan, she wouldn't have betrayed Lü Yuan so easily. Seeing Zhe Meng's extremely pale face, the others comforted her, telling her to focus on recovering from her injuries.

Zhe Meng: "..."

She lay down helplessly.

The others left, but the eldest brother-in-law stayed because he had something on his mind.

Zhe Meng said, "Zongren County is in danger."

Before the two armies even clashed, Zongren County was on the verge of collapse due to the looting of its granaries. Zhe Meng, who had fought for half his life, was seeing ghosts for the first time.

Zhe Meng sighed: "Do you have any plans?"

The elder brother-in-law suddenly realized: "What plans could I possibly have?"

He had a pretty good idea of ​​what Zhe Meng was going to say.

He wanted to escape, but Zhe Meng insisted on tearing away the veil of pretense: "Even if this matter can be quelled and the real culprit found, your situation will still be dangerous. The granary incident must be kept secret to the death; Lu Yuan's troops must not know. The news can be covered up, but the food shortage remains. If it leaks out, the people's morale will collapse, and how can they still defend the city? Therefore... we need to borrow a scapegoat's head, let the scapegoat bear the infamy first, only then can we calm the restless people. Don't you see, wasn't Wang Hou's head borrowed in this way?"

The older brother was already on edge.

Upon hearing Wang Hou's name, he jumped to his feet as if his hair had stood on end. His bloodshot eyes widened as he stared intently at Zhe Meng, breathing heavily, and said, "You...you're undermining morale with these words!"

He may have been verbally abusive, but only he knew what he was really thinking, whether he was afraid of following in Wang Hou's footsteps.

Zhe Meng curled his lip: "Do I need to shake the morale of the army?"

Her words proved prophetic.

The next day, Guan Si sent men to shoot arrows into the city.

These arrows were not meant to harm anyone, but only to spread rumors.

When someone hurriedly handed him the cloth attached to the arrow, the eldest brother-in-law, who hadn't slept all night, nearly fainted upon seeing it. The message was concise and clear, consisting of only thirteen large characters: "Your Excellency, carrying provisions, hastily fled through the night; is there any grain within the city?"

Zhe Meng said, "This must be a trick to deceive the enemy."

Nobody wants to hear the truth.

Zhe Meng suddenly understood the feelings of some strategists.

Some teammates are impossible to carry, really impossible.

Her brother-in-law interrupted her.

"Don't say anymore! I know you mean well, but the thief shot the arrow before dawn. The arrows with these things written on them were scattered throughout the city, and the contents were read by the people who picked them up..."

Zhe Meng: "Alas, it's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost."

Every word she uttered was for the good of the Imperial Clan.

Hehehe, too bad nobody believes me.

The elder brother-in-law wore a bitter expression; having not slept all night, his eyes were already showing dark circles. He forced himself to stay awake and, with mixed feelings, went to mend the sheepfold—but news travels fast. In almost half a day, it was known to everyone in the city.

The elder brother-in-law ordered people to catch the source of the virus.

In the end, they only caught a few dozen honest-looking locals.

These men and women were lazy, good-natured, and gossipy layabouts who spent their free time chatting and gossiping near their homes. They didn't even know why they were being arrested.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the elder brother-in-law had almost suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.

"They all say it's a miracle from their ancestors. A sum of money and a basket of eggs suddenly appeared in their house in the middle of the night. They say if they do what their ancestors say, they'll get even more eggs… the more people who know, the more eggs they get…" Eggs were so expensive these days; they could only afford them a few times a year. How could they not believe that a whole basket of eggs suddenly appearing in their house was a stroke of good luck? Even if some people vaguely felt something was amiss, they still held onto a sliver of hope—if enough people knew, who could trace it back to them?

What's wrong with saying a few words about something that everyone already knows?

So, the word spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

By the time the prefectural government realized something was wrong, it was too late to stop it.

As we all know, language is most easily distorted and misunderstood in the process of oral transmission. Even ten educated people can make the same sentence completely different if they take turns conveying it. How much more so a group of illiterate people who cannot read a single word?

Zhe Meng was stunned when he heard the news from his brother-in-law: "You mean... someone is distributing eggs and money to spread rumors?"

The elder brother-in-law thought to himself that this might not be a rumor.

But he said, "Yes..."

"Has the thief been caught?"

"Can't catch it."

The person who was handing out eggs and coins while spreading rumors escaped extremely quickly; as soon as their men approached, the person made a quick getaway into the crowd. Later, when those who received the eggs and coins were questioned, the descriptions of the thief's appearance and gender varied.

In other words, it wasn't just one person, but a group.

The elder brother angrily pounded the table.

Zhe Meng spoke for him, saying, "What a despicable tactic."

The elder brother-in-law agreed wholeheartedly and also felt somewhat apologetic towards Zhe Mengsheng.

Zhe Meng risked his life to bring the news early enough—as soon as they discovered the granary was in trouble, they raised their guard to a new level, sealing off all the city gates and prohibiting anyone from approaching—but who would have thought that this was still not enough, and a large number of enemies still managed to sneak in.

They still managed to sneak in with eggs and coins.

This is an utter disgrace!

The elder brother-in-law held a grudge about this.

Zhe Meng tried to comfort him by following the other person's line of thought.

"...The eggs and copper coins might have been part of a pre-planned arrangement."

Brother-in-law: "Copper coins are fine; they can be kept for as long as they want. Countless copper coins circulate in the market every day. But eggs are different. We opened the confiscated eggs and found that they were all fresh; not a single rotten egg. What do you think that means?"

Zhe Meng: "..."

This means that even if you plan ahead, it won't be more than a few days in advance.

The elder brother-in-law said, "It means that if it's not a group of enemies each carrying a basket of eggs sneaking into the city, then it's the day that Lü Bafeng will take action against Zongzheng County and at the same time plant his men in our area."

The more he talked, the angrier and more ashamed he felt!

"You despicable thief!"

"Truly despicable and hateful!"

Because my brother-in-law is an educated man, he only uses a few swear words over and over again, which are really harmless.

Zhe Meng remained quiet, simply watching as he finished venting.

a long time.

She then asked her brother-in-law, "Have you figured out what to do?"

The elder brother-in-law looked hesitant.

He really didn't want things to have come to this in just two days.

No, actually it's been less than two days.

Zhe Meng then said, "You don't have much time left. Make a decision now, and you can at least get the credit. If you wait too long..."

??∑(っ°Д°;)っ

Zhe Meng: I've never seen anyone so arrogant in spreading rumors in my life.