"If the other party deliberately gives nine true and one false piece of information, and they believe it, wouldn’t they be falling right into the trap?"
"Grand General, you see clearly. The only ones who could know such secret information are either the top brass of Nanyue or that one." He pointed toward the capital.
"You mean His Majesty?" Their emperor not only controlled the Secret Intelligence Department but also had two separate spy networks overseeing internal and external affairs.
Wei Shouyi shook his head. "What I mean is our young master." In Wei Shouyi's eyes, that person was omniscient and omnipotent.
Thinking of this, his heart stirred, and he immediately smiled, saying, "Grand General, I might have a way to help scout out the deployment of Nanyue’s central army."
"Oh? Brother Wei, are you serious?" Xu Shu paused in the middle of pouring him tea.
"This time I came, the young master gave me a miraculous tool for reconnaissance. With it, we might give it a try!" Though he said "might try," Wei Shouyi's expression was full of confidence.
Drones. He had personally operated one. With them, why fear not knowing what tricks Nanyue’s army was up to!
After hearing Wei Shouyi's words, Xu Shu set down the kettle heavily, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Wei Shouyi. "Brother, I’ve heard that you are highly favored by the young master. Today, I see the rumors are not false!"
Right as Wei Shouyi took out the two system-produced drones that Yue Fuguang had given him before his departure, astonishing Xu Shu—the head of the campaign logistics—at the border of Dayan.
Yue Fuguang, whom Wei Shouyi believed to be all-knowing and all-powerful, had just finished her daily rain-making task.
"System, did my rainfall range increase a bit more this time?"
[Host, this time I detected a rainfall range of over 170 miles. At this rate of growth, it will soon break 200 miles!]
"But system, have you considered that even if I break 200 miles, our current vehicle speed can’t keep up?"
[Ah? You’re right!] The system thought about it and gave her a bad idea: [Host, how about flying over?]
It didn’t know what obsession its host had with flying, but her storage ring contained several types of flying tools.
There were pretentious Lotus-Step Boots, flashy flying skateboards, cool flying cars, ethereal flying boats, and more.
She was stingy when buying other things but lavish with flying tools. If flying swords weren’t too dangerous for mortals—prone to falling and dying—her host would definitely have bought one.
Even in martial arts, she could skip everything else, but she reluctantly bought the expensive lightweight skill, and the system was smug—it had accurately read this trait in its host and dared to set the price high.
Yue Fuguang: If you’re not Chinese, it’s hard to understand a Chinese person’s obsession with flight etched into their genes.
Yue Fuguang seriously considered the system’s suggestion. The idea seemed unreliable, but she felt a stirring inside. "Flying over... that’s not impossible, huh!"
But there was no rush. For now, the team was advancing at full speed, and she was spreading rain along the way, just barely enough.
"By the way, regarding the war between Dayan and Nanyue, how are the other countries reacting?"
On the surface, this war had started because of her. She wondered if they still dared to make a move against her again.
[The Eastern Yi are currently dealing with a plague at home and can’t spare the energy to care about other countries.
The Northern Li and Western Qiang were thinking of jumping in—whether to take a bite out of Nanyue or continue targeting you, both countries have that intention.
However, due to the deaths of Zhuang Xiu and Feng Wuhuan, the army is in a panic over you. In the courts, conflicts of interest have led them to start quarreling. At the very least, they’ll be too busy to focus here for a while.
Finally, there’s Nanzhao. As Nanyue’s ally, they’ve been secretly supplying weapons and medicine.]
"Nanzhao? Aren’t they afraid of being dragged down by Nanyue? What’s their Empress thinking?"
[The power structure in Nanzhao’s court is even more complex. Apart from her daughter Lan Xuan'er, each of the Empress’s other children is backed by various factions in Nanyue.
As these children grow up, the Empress’s control over Nanzhao has been slowly weakening over the past two years.]
The system rolled over in Yue Fuguang’s hand. [Now, with the severe drought and rising popular discontent, the Empress has already issued two self-critical edicts.
Nanzhao also participated in that attack back then. If she doesn’t support Gan Sheng, he might not be able to do anything to Dayan, but dealing with Nanzhao—he has plenty of ways.]
The two countries were too tightly bound, familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. When it came to making a move, it would be swift and precise.
"Does that mean, if Dayan takes down Nanyue, Nanzhao won’t be far from destruction?"
[Pretty much. Once Dayan captures Nanyue, they can easily deal with Nanzhao in passing. Host, don’t forget: it’s already mid-May, and the floods in Nanzhao and Nanyue are almost due!]
"Right, System, check when heavy rain will start in Nanyue. Let’s hope it doesn’t slow down Dayan’s army’s advance."
If they got stuck halfway through because of heavy rain, Dayan’s efforts would have been in vain.
[Master, I just saw Gan Tang send a letter to Wei Shouyi at the border camp.] The system switched topics quickly—it had been talking about rain just a moment ago, and now it veered off to the letter.
Yue Fuguang’s heart stirred, and she asked casually, "Little Zhu, you mean Gan Tang sent a letter to Wei Shouyi? What kind of letter? Are they even that close?"
[Master, it’s not that they’re close. It’s because Gan Tang wants to bring down Gan Sheng and Nanyue. She passed on news of Gan Sheng’s severe illness and some of Nanyue’s troop deployments to Wei Shouyi.]
Outside guarding Yue Fuguang, Shen Jian paused in his steps, silently standing in her courtyard, listening intently.
"Gan Sheng is seriously ill? What’s this all about? The emperor never mentioned it!"
[He fell ill after we left the capital. Besides, Gan Sheng hid the news well. Even the emperor might not know it yet!]
"I remember Gan Sheng was still on the throne until the fall of Dayan in the fourteenth year of Yuankang, right? How is he so ill now?
Is this illness fatal?"
[Dying? Why wouldn’t it kill him! Master, you don’t know yet. Gan Sheng isn’t ill; he’s been poisoned. Poisoned with the same ‘Red Elixir’ that killed the former Crown Prince. In principle, this poison has no antidote.
Those poisoned with it first suffer from a depletion of vital energy and blood, leaving them weak and bedridden. Then comes Gan Sheng’s current state: fever and coughing.
Because it continuously saps vital energy and blood, it’s hard to detect as poisoning. Instead, it seems like a bout of cold or flu that won’t heal due to weakness.]
"So, the one who made a move on Gan Sheng is Gan Tang—an eye for an eye!"
[Yes. She learned the truth during the autumn hunt and began planning. The Red Elixir is a slow poison. In its early stages, the poisoned person barely notices anything; it’s considered a fairly gentle toxin.
But in the later stages, once it erupts, there’s no saving them.]
"Since he was poisoned with the Red Elixir, Gan Sheng should know it’s poisoning, not illness!" The Crown Prince’s death back then was the emperor’s doing, but the Jiang family and Gan Sheng weren’t entirely innocent.
Especially in following the example of the former Empress’s death—those who carried out the emperor’s orders were the Jiang family.
[He sensed it as soon as the poison took effect. That’s why he didn’t use the imperial physicians—partly to lull outsiders into a false sense of security.]