Hot flashes

Several days later, Fukou Pass.

The course of the battle was completely different from the horrific defeat Zhou Heng had seen in his dream; it turned into a stunning and dramatic reversal of fortune.

With precise directions, the elite scouts and engineers dispatched by Xiao Jue indeed discovered more than one cleverly disguised underground tunnel entrance in Black Stone Ridge and the adjacent mountains. The tunnels were quite spacious and showed signs of recent artificial widening and reinforcement.

They even found a small amount of saltpeter powder that had not been completely cleaned up and some rough ignition materials.

More importantly, they followed the clues and discovered that some of the tunnels actually led deeper into the canyon. It was clear that the enemy not only planned to attack from the flank from a high position, but also intended to use the tunnels to quickly deploy troops and directly cut off or even sever the Northern Liang army!

Meanwhile, the elite vanguard troops who had secretly taken control of high ground such as "Qingshipo" on the other side also discovered some clues about the enemy's ambush.

As the Northern Liang army's central force swaggered into the designated section of the canyon, the ambushing enemy troops indeed launched their attack! But the chaos they had anticipated did not materialize.

The Northern Liang army had a solid formation and a forest of shields. They were well prepared for the rain of arrows and rolling stones coming from the direction of Black Stone Ridge, and their losses were minimized.

What horrified the ambush troops even more was that some of their troops, who planned to launch a surprise attack on the flanks of the Northern Liang army through tunnels, were met with a fierce counterattack from the Northern Liang army's well-prepared anti-ambush forces as soon as they emerged from the ground!

Based on the reconnaissance results, Xiao Jue had already deployed heavy troops near several key tunnel exits. In an instant, the enemy troops emerging from underground became sitting ducks, suffering heavy casualties.

Almost simultaneously, the Northern Liang vanguard, which controlled high ground such as "Qingshipo", lit beacon fires and signaled the general offensive with flag signals.

Xiao Jue personally led his elite cavalry, and instead of panicking and retreating or holding their ground as the enemy expected due to the ambush, he seized the moment of chaos when the enemy's plan was exposed and some of their troops were trapped in the tunnels, and decisively launched a fierce counterattack!

The target is aimed directly at the flank and rear of the main force of the ambush at Black Stone Ridge!

The fighting remained fierce, but the initiative had completely shifted. The Northern Liang army, working from both inside and outside, launched a pincer attack.

The ambush was disrupted from an unexpected direction, and the raid plan failed, causing a great blow to morale.

After a day of fierce fighting, most of the Qi King's elite troops and bandits who had ambushed him were annihilated, and a few scattered. The Northern Liang army not only successfully passed through the Fukou Pass, but also removed this thorn in the side of the strategic pass, seized a large amount of supplies, and captured many enemy soldiers, including several mid-level leaders.

This was a clean and decisive victory.

Thanks to the advanced early warning and Xiao Jue's precise and decisive on-the-spot command, what could have been a disastrous defeat or even annihilation was turned into a brilliant victory that consolidated the border defense and boosted morale.

---

The news reached the Northern Liang camp, instantly igniting the atmosphere. Cheers and praise surged towards the central command tent like a tidal wave.

Internally, all undercurrents and doubts vanished.

"Your Excellency's strategy is truly brilliant!"

"I knew Black Stone Ridge was haunted; it was just as I suspected!"

"I heard it was all thanks to a reminder from an old geographical record? Your Excellency is truly meticulous and perceptive!"

The potential noise was completely drowned out by the triumphant song. Xiao Jue's aura of "unparalleled strategy" was not only restored, but also gained an additional layer of mystical color: "anticipating the enemy's moves and seeing the smallest details."

The generals under his command, whether they were originally completely convinced or not, now showed great respect and the internal cohesion was at an all-time high.

Externally, the pressure suddenly reversed.

King Qi's attempt to provoke a border conflict backfired, resulting in the loss of a well-prepared and elite force. He was in a sorry state and would find it difficult to organize such a large-scale provocation in the near future.

Upon hearing the news, the Qiang and Hu tribes in the west, who had been observing the situation, immediately suppressed their restless thoughts, and the border suddenly became stable.

Xiao Jue's prestige, like refined steel after being tempered, not only did not decline but rose, reaching a new height.

---

The atmosphere in the military document room also changed from tense to one of pride and excitement.

Although the specific details remain confidential, everyone knows about the great victory. Zhou Heng mingled in the crowd, listening to the excited discussions around him, but his feelings were complicated and hard to describe.

He was naturally relieved, and the immense sense of relief almost made him collapse—the worst course of history had been completely reversed!

Xiao Jue's great victory and soaring prestige undoubtedly brought him a significant step closer to his "mission" goal.

But what follows is a deeper, more overwhelming emptiness and anxiety.

What did he do? He merely provided an extremely vague "clue" based on a nightmare. The one who truly understood the crisis, made accurate judgments, and commanded the situation to achieve a great victory was Xiao Jue himself.

His role seems... negligible? What if he wins this time? But what about next time? What valuable "clues" can he provide? What makes him think he can keep Xiao Jue's attention and thus gain a closer, more influential position?

In this mix of trepidation and hope, Secretary Shen approached him again.

This time, Secretary Shen's face was no longer serious and tense, but rather a complex mix of inquiry and an indescribable ease.

"Zhou Heng," Secretary Shen's tone was more polite than usual, "the Marquis wishes to see you. Please come with me."

Zhou Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly followed. They passed through the heavily guarded area again and arrived at the outer study.

Retaining a trace of confidence and composure after victory.

Xiao Jue sat behind his desk, reviewing documents. He was still dressed in his usual black casual clothes, but the weariness between his brows had been replaced by a calm and sharp air. Hearing the noise, he looked up, his gaze falling on Zhou Heng.

The gaze was still sharp and scrutinizing, but it seemed to have lost some of its icy pressure and gained more of a substantial consideration.

"You've arrived." Xiao Jue put down his pen, his voice calm.

"Greetings, Lord Marquis." Zhou Heng bowed deeply, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

"Our army won a great victory in the Battle of Fukou Pass." Xiao Jue got straight to the point, his tone devoid of much emotion, as if stating a routine matter. "The old news you provided is the key clue."

Zhou Heng was startled and quickly said, "Your Excellency's keen insight and decisive command are the reasons for this victory. I... I only happened to witness it and was terrified to report it. How could I dare to take credit?"

"A coincidence?" Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes sharp. "That batch of old files was damaged and mixed up, with more than ten thousand entries."

The fact that you happen to see an entry about Black Stone Ridge that mentions keywords like "cavity" and "nitrate mining" is too much of a coincidence.

Zhou Heng's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He steadied himself and lowered his head even further: "Your Excellency is wise. I... do indeed pay more attention to such matters involving geography, local products, and unusual occurrences."

Perhaps it's... my nature to be so meticulous. That day, while organizing the documents, I noticed this particular entry, which concerned the army's movements, and I felt truly uneasy, so I took the liberty of reporting it. It was indeed a coincidence, or perhaps... I was being overly pessimistic.

Xiao Jue looked at him quietly, without immediately replying. The study was silent, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

After a long silence, Xiao Jue slowly spoke: "Too meticulous... a man of few words who worries about nothing..." He repeated these two words, as if he were savoring them.

"This time, your 'worrying about the sky falling' is just right." Xiao Jue's voice was neither praise nor criticism, but his next words made Zhou Heng's heart jump. "Beiliang is a vast and complex place with a lot of information from all directions."

After a victory, the flow of documents and public opinion will only increase. Someone needs to sift through them, sifting out the gold from the sand, and discerning the underlying issues from casual conversations.

He paused, his gaze landing squarely on Zhou Heng: "You are quite meticulous, and your perspective is... slightly different from that of ordinary people."

Effective immediately, you are being transferred to the outer study of this Marquis, where you will be responsible for assisting in the daily organization of documents and information from various parties, summarizing key points, and conducting initial screening. You will report directly to Chen Zhen.

Outer Study! Directly responsible to Chen Zhen, the captain of the personal guard!

This means that he is no longer just an ordinary copyist in the document room, but has entered the administrative periphery system that directly serves Xiao Jue personally!

Although it is still a preliminary work of sorting and summarizing, the level and sensitivity of the information we are exposed to, as well as the potential opportunities to get close to Xiao Jue's daily political affairs, are now incomparable to what they were before!

Zhou Heng suppressed the tremor in his heart and tried to keep his voice steady: "Yes! This humble servant obeys! I will do my utmost and live up to the Marquis's trust!"

"Remember," Xiao Jue's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable authority, "you were able to reach this position only because the incident at Fukou Pass proved that you still have some useful insight."

Everything you see and hear here is confidential. Observe more, listen more, and think more, but if you divulge even a single word that should not be revealed, or neglect to observe or think what you should have…”

He didn't finish speaking, but a cold light suddenly gathered in his deep eyes.

"Your subordinate understands! I would never dare to be negligent or negligent in the slightest!" Zhou Heng immediately pledged his loyalty, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

Xiao Jue seemed satisfied with his reaction and nodded slightly: "Go down. Chen Zhen will explain the specifics to you."

"Thank you, Lord Marquis!" Zhou Heng bowed deeply again and left the study almost simultaneously.

It wasn't until he stepped out of that suffocating area and was refreshed by the slightly chilly air of early spring that he felt alive again.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, a mixture of lingering fear and an irrepressible, burning excitement.

He did it! Although the process was thrilling and the methods were ingenious, he did use that dream to change the outcome of a key battle and successfully put himself in a position closer to the core of power!

The path to success has already begun to unfold beneath our feet, like a crack.