Chapter 311: Secret Gambling! ( words long chapter!)
Late at night, a dark figure sneaked into Wang Muzhi's tent silently.
Wang Muzhi was not surprised by the arrival of the man in black robe. He said in a deep voice:
"Now that we've arrived at Xiangshuiyuan, it's time for you to start taking action, right?"

"Don't worry, everything is in my plan..." The man in black robe said with a smile:

Wang Muzhi was silent for a while after hearing this, then he looked at the mysterious man and said:
"You asked me to come to Xiangshuiyuan just to create confusion, right? You won't attack this trade route!"

Although Wang Muzhi's words were questions, his tone was extremely firm. It was obvious that he had already determined that the other party was planning to do so.

The man in black robe did not respond to Wang Muzhi's words, but just smiled and said nothing.

Seeing the other party's attitude, Wang Muzhi couldn't help but feel a little impatient. He paced back and forth in the tent for a while and said in a deep voice:
"The Prime Minister asked me to trust you, but you should at least tell me what you are going to do!"

"Ye Mingsheng's ambition is already obvious. Given how much he values ​​military power, the possibility of us transferring troops from him is slim!"

After saying this, Wang Muzhi stared closely at the mysterious man in black robe in front of him, who seemed to have everything under control.

Under Wang Muzhi's gaze, the man in black robe seemed to understand that it was time to give Wang Muzhi a reassurance, so he said quietly:

“Sir Wang, with Ye Mingsheng’s arrogance, he won’t come to Xiangshuiyuan to greet you!”

"Next, you just need to stay in Xiangshuiyuan for a few days, then go to Xinfa County to let Ye Mingsheng notice you, and then you can go to Fengzhou to meet Ye Mingsheng!"

"When the time comes, you just need to bring me to Ye Mingsheng, and I will find a way to get Ye Mingsheng to send out his troops. My lord, you don't need to know too much. Knowing too much may not be a good thing for you or for me!"

······················
······················
While Wang Muzhi was talking to the man in black, Guo Zhiping was waiting for someone to arrive in another tent in the military camp.

During this period of waiting, Guo Zhiping was also thinking about things in his mind, and his expression kept changing...
When he first learned that the Zhenwu Army was coming to Liaoyang, the person he most wanted to join was Wang Muzhi, who had a great reputation and outstanding military achievements!
After all, everyone in the world knows that Wang Muzhi is the trusted and beloved general of Prime Minister Shangguan Hongyuan. As long as Shangguan Hongyuan does not fall, it is a foregone conclusion that Wang Muzhi will become a third-rank commander in the future. Therefore, Guo Zhiping also wants to take advantage of the big tree to enjoy the shade and make a name for himself with the help of Wang Muzhi!
Although the idea was good, he later had no connections, and was also worried that Wang Muzhi would look down on him for his bandit background, so he chose to join Ye Mingsheng, whose power was not very strong at the time.

Seeing Wang Muzhi again now, Guo Zhiping feels a different feeling in his heart!
However, Guo Zhiping did not regret his original choice. Now he could understand the mood of his father Guo Zhanshan and most of the bandits who accepted the amnesty and surrendered...

Those colleagues in the army may not say it out loud, but the contempt, disdain, and even exclusion in their hearts are real.

Ye Mingsheng's subordinates are a mixed bunch with different backgrounds, and this is the case. What about Wang Muzhi's subordinates, who are all orthodox military generals, and even some are from famous families?

Sometimes Guo Zhiping felt a little chilly when he thought about it. While he was feeling fortunate, he could also understand why so many bandits who had accepted amnesty would choose to rebel again, abandoning their good service as government soldiers and becoming bandits again!

Whenever Guo Zhiping thought of this, he would be more grateful to Ye Mingsheng. Although his colleagues in the army looked at him with tinted glasses, Ye Mingsheng, as the commander-in-chief, treated him equally and trusted him.

Not only did he hand over the vast majority of the army's cavalry to him, but he also promoted him to the rank of seventh-rank commander, regardless of criticism within the army, making him, a surrendered bandit, equal to those old subordinates who had first followed Ye Mingsheng!
Guo Zhiping knew very well that, except for Ye Mingsheng, no one else under his command would give him this kind of treatment. This kind of trust would allow him to display his lifelong learning and realize his ambitions...

Isn’t there an old saying that goes, If you treat me like a national hero, I will repay you like a national hero!
It was precisely because he was grateful for Ye Mingsheng's trust that Guo Zhiping took the initiative to arrange his wife and children in Fengzhou City, cutting off all his escape routes!
After waiting for about half an hour, the person Guo Zhiping was waiting for finally arrived.

"Zhiping, what's the situation now?" Ye Tie asked as soon as he entered the tent:
He was in the tent before, and when he received the news from Guo Zhiping, he did not dare to be careless and immediately led more than 3,000 people in the camp to retreat to a camp fifty miles away. After settling these more than 3,000 people, Ye Tie hurried back to discuss countermeasures with Guo Zhiping.

"I have arranged Wang Muzhi and his men to the central army camp, and also placed several secret sentries to keep an eye on them. From what we can see so far, Wang Muzhi and his men are relatively honest and haven't done anything weird!" Guo Zhiping briefly introduced the situation to Ye Tie.

Ye Tie's anxiety was relieved after hearing this. When he first received the news from Guo Zhiping, he was a little confused. He didn't know why Wang Muzhi suddenly came to Fengzhou to inspect the military. Now it seems that the situation may not be as bad as he imagined!

Noticing the change in Ye Tie's expression, Guo Zhiping nodded secretly in his heart. Ye Tie was Ye Mingsheng's number one confidant. Since he didn't know, it seemed that Ye Mingsheng really didn't know about Wang Muzhi's sudden visit...

After hesitating for a while, Ye Tie asked Guo Zhiping: "Zhiping, what do you think Wang Muzhi wants to do?"

Hearing this, Guo Zhiping smiled bitterly, shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but I have already written a letter to inform the general of the situation here. I believe that the adults will make the decision!"

"I think what we need to do now is first of all, to keep an eye on Wang Muzhi and prevent him from running around, and secondly, to hide our troops."

"You have only been given less than 10,000 quotas, and now we have nearly 5,000 people. If Wang Muzhi finds out about this, he will definitely accuse you of secretly expanding the army and having bad intentions. Then you will be in a passive position."

"Hmm!" Ye Tie nodded first, then seemed to think of something while pondering and continued to ask:
"What about the Dalongchang Company? According to the plan, they will send another batch of goods to Khitan in three days. I heard from their people that this batch of goods is quite large, with more than ten thousand kilograms of pig iron alone..."

"There is no other way. We can only ask them to stop for a few days! Go to the Lang family shack to avoid the limelight." Guo Zhiping sighed and said helplessly:

Hearing Guo Zhiping's idea, Ye Tie looked a little embarrassed, but after thinking about it carefully, he nodded and agreed to Guo Zhiping's idea.

It's freezing and snowy outside now. If the Dalongchang caravan stops for a day, they may face many unknown risks. Dong Jianchuan will definitely not be happy about that.

But now the matter is urgent, so they have to do this, otherwise if Wang Muzhi finds out, they might kill them to silence them...
As the old saying goes, everything has its priorities. Faced with the risk of being exposed, it would not be a big deal if the Dalongchang caravan stopped for a few days!

·······························································
·······························································
Two days later, in a private room of Fengji Teahouse in Fengzhou City.

Ye Mingsheng and Gu Sansi, who were dressed in plain clothes, were drinking tea and chatting while watching the lively performance of Romance of the West Chamber on the stage.

Flowers fall and water flows red, I am filled with myriad worries, I blame the east wind silently. Snow waves hit the sky, autumn clouds roll across the horizon.

The east wind sways the willows, the loose threads attract the peach blossoms, and the pearl curtain hides the lotus face.

The shy flower can speak, the gentle jade has fragrance.

Before I can reach my goal of 90,000 miles, I have to endure the cold and snowy windows and fireflies for twenty years.

My hungry eyes are almost worn out, my greedy mouth is empty, I am filled with longing for you, how can I bear your affectionate glance before you leave? Don't say I am a young man, even if I am a stone-hearted person, I will still be moved by your love.

I don’t know where this troupe found this young actress. Although she is young, she is very charming, especially her voice which is really wonderful. Her voice is gentle and melodious. She interprets the role of Cui Yingying to the fullest...

Looking at Ye Mingsheng, who had his eyes slightly closed and was full of interest, Gu Sansi was a little surprised. He had originally gone to the general's mansion today to discuss important matters with Ye Mingsheng, but before he had time to discuss the matter, he was dragged here by Ye Mingsheng to enjoy life.

Although Ye Mingsheng seemed to be in a good mood, Gu Sansi was not in such a good mood. After pondering for a moment, he asked Ye Mingsheng tentatively:
"Sir, Wang Muzhi has been in Xiangshuiyuan for two days. Aren't you worried that he will find out about the Dalongchang Company?"

Ye Mingsheng smiled slightly when he heard this, leaned back in his chair and said calmly:

"What if you find out? What if you don't find out?"

Ye Mingsheng's question startled Gu Sansi. Just as he was trying to figure out Ye Mingsheng's intention, Ye Mingsheng continued:

"The affairs of the Dalongchang Company are not as secretive as you think. We now know everything we need to know!"

"Wang Muzhi's trip to Xiangshuiyuan was nothing more than bluffing. He doesn't have the guts to make a fuss about Xiangshuiyuan's trade route!"

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng had already made up his mind, Gu Sansi's eyes flickered a few times, as if he had realized something...

After taking a sip of the fine Tieguanyin in the cup, Ye Mingsheng casually spoke to Gu Sansi:
"Think carefully, why do you think I didn't spread the news that Wang Muzhi was coming?"

Gu Sansi hesitated in response to Ye Mingsheng's question. Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng waved his hand and said with a smile:

"Don't be shy, just say it!"

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng had already said this, Gu Sansi could only speak:
"Originally, I was not sure what you were thinking, but after hearing what you said just now, I think you are trying to confuse Wang Muzhi!"

"Although Wang Muzhi is a bit rigid, he is not a fool. If we prepare in advance, he is likely to find some clues. Then he will be on guard, and the next thing will be difficult to handle. This is one aspect!"

"On the other hand, according to what you said, I think Wang Muzhi should have made some preparations before this trip. He should have known about the situation in Fengzhou, so even if he asked the various departments to prepare, it would probably be in vain."

Listening to Gu Sansi speaking out his inner thoughts, Ye Mingsheng shook his head slightly and said with emotion:
“If you know me, you will think twice…”

With the experience with Ma San at the beginning, Ye Mingsheng knew very well that the Supervisory Office would definitely place eyes and hands around him, in Fengzhou. When Huo San's intelligence department was first established, the first task Ye Mingsheng gave him was to let Huo San find these eyes and hands.

Huo San was quite capable in intelligence work. He had dug out a lot of people during this period. In order to paralyze the Supervisory Department, Ye Mingsheng's strategy for these people was mainly to monitor them secretly without too much interference. Only for those in key departments and key positions, Ye Mingsheng would let Huo San create accidents and secretly send them off...

Fengzhou's strength has grown significantly during this period. With the Supervisory Office's intelligence network in Liaoyang, Ye Mingsheng would not be able to hide even if he wanted to.

In this case, Ye Mingsheng simply blocked some key information and let the eyes hidden inside Fengzhou pass the information back to the Supervisory Department.

Although Ye Mingsheng has not seen his "Master Shen" since he returned to Liaoyang, he can feel that Shen Jianzhong has been silently paying attention to him, but he is currently busy with other things and cannot take care of him for the time being.

Even so, Shen Jianzhong and Chen Dechang are both Shangguan Hongyuan's men, so Shen Jianzhong will definitely support Chen Dechang with intelligence. Therefore, Ye Mingsheng believes that Wang Muzhi must be well prepared this time.

In this case, Ye Mingsheng simply let Wang Muzhi think that he had succeeded. Let him think that his surprise attack caught him off guard. What if he was happy in his heart?
It’s just like watching a play nowadays. The first actor to go on stage is definitely not a famous actor, because the best part is yet to come!

After discussing these trivial matters, Gu Sansi reported to Ye Mingsheng:

"Sir, I have already arranged everything for Yelu Kang. The three thousand Khitan cavalry can be sent to feint and attack Xinfa County at any time!"

"Well done!"

Ye Mingsheng opened his eyes, looked at Gu Sansi and nodded with satisfaction.

Gu Sansi did not take credit for Ye Mingsheng's praise, and still said respectfully:
"You are so generous. When Yelu Kang heard that you were going to give him those goods, he immediately agreed!"

"Humph, I'll just leave him there for now and let him keep it for me. In a year at the shortest, or three years at the longest, I'll make him pay me back with interest!" Ye Mingsheng sneered.
(End of this chapter)