Chapter 36: Another Wave Rises

Gao Changsheng’s concerns were not groundless. Wang Yong had previously noted that this northern expedition was far too rushed; the sheer effort of mobilizing the three armies had already left the imperial court in a state of chaos. The soldiers tasked with transporting supplies were woefully insufficient to meet the needs of an army of one hundred thousand. Consequently, the court had been forced to conscript commoners to assist in the transport. The supply unit under Wang Yong’s command numbered eight hundred men, yet ninety percent of them were civilians who had never received any military training. Furthermore, the supply unit was not issued weapons, which further diminished their combat effectiveness. With such a disparity, how could they possibly fight this war?

"Find Wang Yong as soon as we enter the city," Gao Changsheng said with a grave expression. "We must confirm whether he utilized the transfer order from the Ministry of War."

Previously, Chu Yunyan had used her authority within the Ministry of War to reorganize Wang Yong's supply unit into a logistics corps. The grain and fodder were swapped for arms and ordnance from the Ministry of Works. In this way, the soldiers would at least have sufficient weaponry, somewhat bridging the gap between the two sides. Yet, despite this, the combat strength remained unequal. Gao Changsheng had never banked on Wang Yong’s subordinates to turn the tide single-handedly.

"Do not worry, My Lord," the fake Dou Yuan said with a relaxed tone. "As long as Miaofa can lead reinforcements into the city in time, our lives will not be in danger. You and Miaofa have always been remarkably prescient; surely you have already devised a way to contact the main armies?"

Gao Changsheng gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "You have truly guessed wrong this time. I honestly haven't come up with a way to contact Miaofa."

What a joke. This was the ancient world, not the modern era. There were no cell phones or similar communication devices to reach someone hundreds of miles away. Moreover, the assassins had been lurking in Fengxi County for days, and every possible escape route had been locked down by them. Once the fighting started, it was unlikely that a single person would be able to leave Fengxi County, so how could anyone be dispatched to contact the main army?

In other words, Gao Changsheng had never intended to contact the main army from within the city to begin with. The so-called "reinforcements" relied entirely on the conjectures of Miaofa and Dou Yuan. To put it bluntly, Gao Changsheng had entrusted his life entirely to Miaofa and Dou Yuan.

"To think that you would go to such lengths for the General, My Lord?" the fake Dou Yuan asked in astonishment.

"What? In your eyes, am I merely a person driven by self-interest?" Gao Changsheng chuckled.

"I would not dare, My Lord. It is just... I cannot fathom it!" the fake Dou Yuan shook his head.

"If I told you I did this for the Great Yong Dynasty, would you believe me?"

Gao Changsheng spurred his horse toward the city gates. The fake Dou Yuan was momentarily stunned, but having no time to dwell on it, he hurriedly called for Shi Meng and the others to follow.

Upon entering Fengxi County, the sight of an endless long street immediately deepened Gao Changsheng’s anxiety. The crowds on the street were dense and bustling. More importantly, it was impossible to distinguish friend from foe among those foreign faces. Even the fake Dou Yuan was at a loss. He could hardly be expected to pick out the enemies one by one with the naked eye. Such a task would take years, and time was the one thing Gao Changsheng lacked most.

"Forget about this for now, let's head to the County Magistrate's office!" Gao Changsheng dared not show the slightest hesitation. The enemy could reveal themselves at any moment, perhaps even attacking on the open street without regard for the lives of the townspeople. The houses lining the street were as numerous as ox hair, providing prime locations for an ambush. Once a fight broke out on the main thoroughfare, Gao Changsheng and his men would surely perish.

"Move quickly!" The fake Dou Yuan, well aware of the danger, urged everyone to keep moving. They remained on high alert the entire way, only breathing a slight sigh of relief once they were inside the Magistrate’s office.

"That was close!" the fake Dou Yuan exhaled. "I counted dozens of hostile gazes along the way. It’s fortunate they didn't make a move on us!"

Gao Changsheng was filled with questions himself. Why hadn't the enemy struck at such an opportune moment? Was it out of concern for the civilians, or were they afraid of exposing their identities? "Unfortunately, the clues at my disposal are too scarce to guess their intentions. I can only take it one step at a time," he said with disappointment. If only Miaofa were here; with his intellect, he would surely see things that Gao Changsheng could not.

"The General has arrived! I apologize for failing to welcome you properly!" At that moment, a middle-aged man in official robes trotted over with a fawning smile. He was the Assistant Magistrate of Fengxi, yet he wore the robes of a sixth-rank official—a rarity in the officialdom of the Great Yong Dynasty, owing to the unique status of Fengxi County.

"Has the Assistant Magistrate forgotten about me, the Military Advisor?" Gao Changsheng asked with a cold, dissatisfied snort.

"The Sixth Prince?! My death is deserved! Please forgive me!" The Assistant Magistrate turned pale with fright and hurriedly offered his apologies.

Gao Changsheng wasn't posturing for no reason; he had to maintain the charade because the "General" beside him was an impostor. One wrong word from him would ruin everything. Furthermore, upon entering Fengxi, Gao Changsheng realized he had underestimated the complexity of this city. Hundreds of unidentified individuals had easily infiltrated the county; this would have been impossible without someone inside the Magistrate’s office acting as an accomplice. Therefore, the loyalty of the Assistant Magistrate was questionable. To put it plainly, Gao Changsheng did not trust him and thus had to keep the fake Dou Yuan’s identity hidden.

"The General has arrived ahead of the main army to inspect the status of the first logistics unit," Gao Changsheng said, his face cold. "Where is the logistics unit?"

"They are all in the backyard. Does the General wish to inspect them now?" the Assistant Magistrate asked hurriedly.

"Don't waste my time!" Gao Changsheng snapped sharply. "The war in the North is raging, and Fengxi is the final staging ground for the army. If anything goes wrong with the logistics unit, it will surely affect the northern front. Can a lowly Assistant Magistrate like you bear the weight of such a catastrophic crime?"

"I wouldn't dare! I shall lead you all to the backyard at once!" Hearing this, the Assistant Magistrate dared not delay any longer.

In the backyard, apart from the piles of grain and weapons, there were countless unfamiliar faces. However, no matter how large the backyard was, it could hold at most two hundred people.

"Since the first logistics unit consists of twenty thousand men, the Magistrate's office cannot accommodate them all," the Assistant Magistrate explained nervously. "I have arranged for the majority to stay at the granaries, and the rest are scattered among various civilian residences. If Your Highness is not at ease, I shall lead you and the General to the granaries for inspection!"

"That will not be necessary," Gao Changsheng said impatiently. "Summon a man for me. His name is Wang Yong, and he serves as the Department Director of the Ministry of War."

Half an hour later, following the Assistant Magistrate’s instructions, Wang Yong appeared at the office.

"Your Highness, disaster has struck!" Wang Yong was on the verge of tears the moment they met. "The armory I was responsible for guarding caught fire last night, and most of the equipment was destroyed. Only a small portion of the weapons were saved. The Vice Minister is demanding my head; if you hadn't come, my life would truly be at an end!"