Chapter 319: Swords meet!
Although Wang Muzhi was not very sensitive to politics, since Shen Jianzhong had said this, he could naturally understand what Shen Jianzhong wanted to express. He frowned and said in confusion:

"Master Shen, are you saying that Cui Shao intends to support Ye Mingsheng?"

"But didn't you just say that Cui Shao was waiting for the final winner to emerge?"

"Does Cui Shao think that Ye Mingsheng can be the final winner?"

At the end, a hint of disdain could be seen on Wang Muzhi's handsome face. It was unclear whether he was disdainful of Ye Mingsheng, or disdainful of Shen Jianzhong's ideas...

Upon hearing this, Shen Jianzhong said in a deep voice:

"Sir Wang, Cui Shao not only wants to win, he wants to win more!"

"Whether it is Song Wenhui or Lord Chen, although they need the power of these aristocratic families headed by the Cui family, given the strength of the aristocratic families, it is essential to be wary of and guard against them."

"Ye Mingsheng is different. He has little power. If he wants to be the final winner, he must rely on the power of the aristocratic families! In order to win, he can agree to some conditions from the aristocratic families that Song Wenhui and Mr. Chen would never agree to!"

"For example, Lord Chen once wrote to Cui Shao and told him that if the Cui family supported the Zhenwu Army, they could obtain half of the good farmland in Guangning Prefecture, and officials in Liaoyang would give priority to talents from the Cui family school!"

"And if Ye Mingsheng wants to gain the support of the Cui family, he can hand over all of Guangning Prefecture to the Cui family, and have half of the government officials be appointed by people from the Cui family. Ye Mingsheng can even agree to co-govern Liaoyang with the Cui family!"

"This is a huge temptation for Cui Shao!"

Listening to what Shen Jianzhong said, Wang Muzhi's expression gradually became serious. He pondered for a moment and said:
"Cui Shao and his men can get more benefits from Ye Mingsheng, but the premise is that Ye Mingsheng laughs last!"

"But Ye Mingsheng now only has a few counties in Fengzhou, and he has no more than 20,000 soldiers available for combat. Under the current situation, he can only barely protect himself!"

"How dare Cui Shao place his bet on Ye Mingsheng? Isn't Cui Shao afraid that Ye Mingsheng's defeat will drag the Cui family into the abyss?"

In response to Wang Muzhi's question, Shen Jianzhong frowned, but still answered seriously:

"Lord Wang, you underestimate Ye Mingsheng and the Cui family!"

"Do you know why I dare to threaten Ye Mingsheng, but I am still not afraid that Ye Mingsheng will turn against me and join Song Wenhui?"

In response to Shen Jianzhong's question, Wang Muzhi thought for a moment and then answered:

"Song Wenhui has attacked Ye Mingsheng many times before, so Ye Mingsheng is resentful of Song Wenhui and holds a grudge against him. So he will definitely not join Song Wenhui, right?"

Shen Jianzhong shook his head and said in a deep voice:
“Sir Wang, if you were Ye Mingsheng, you might do this, but from what I know about him, he might hold a grudge against Song Wenhui, but he will not give up joining Song Wenhui just because of this…”

"The real reason why Ye Mingsheng would not choose to join Song Wenhui is that Ye Mingsheng knows very well that he and the Zhenwu Army are in a relationship of mutual dependence. If Song Wenhui takes care of the Zhenwu Army, he will be the next one to be taken care of! So for his own sake, he will not join Song Wenhui!"

"Selling out the Zhenwu Army and joining Song Wenhui now would be tantamount to suicide for Ye Mingsheng himself! He would never do that!"

“But once Ye Mingsheng has the support of the Cui family, things will be completely different…”

"Several generations of the Cui family have been developing in Liaoyang for more than a hundred years. Their cellars are full of silver, their granaries are filled with grain, they have tens of thousands of tenants and servants, and their connections are all over Liaoyang. As long as Cui Shao is willing, he can easily mobilize an army of tens of thousands of people in a short period of time!"

"The only thing the Cui family lacks is people who can fight, as well as the courage and determination to stand up! For aristocratic families like them, even if they choose the wrong person to support in the struggle, it is not the most fatal!"

“As long as they are willing to surrender, admit defeat, and give up some benefits, the final winner will be willing to accept and use them for the sake of their influence…”

"The real danger for the aristocratic families is that they themselves will fight for the world. Once they fight, it means there will be no way out. If they fail, their property will be confiscated and their clan will be exterminated!"

"Ye Mingsheng has recently wiped out Wang Laogun, defeated the invading Khitans, exempted immigrants from taxes and distributed land, etc. These actions have already shown that Ye Mingsheng can fight! He dares to fight! Moreover, he never lacks courage, bravery, and determination!"

"What Ye Mingsheng and Fengzhou lack is foundation, money, and connections, so he and the Cui family can be said to complement each other's strengths. They are a match made in heaven!"

"Moreover, the Cui family is not alone in representing themselves. They are the head of the three clans in Liaoyang. Half of the aristocratic families in Liaoyang follow the Cui family's lead. As long as the Cui family decides to support Ye Mingsheng, they can mobilize other aristocratic families. Those who have money and food can provide money and food, and those who have men and horses can provide men and horses!"

"Within two months, with the support of these aristocratic families, Ye Mingsheng's army will surge to 100,000 people, and he won't even have to worry about money, food, and logistics. By then, why would he be afraid of Song Wenhui?"

“Ye Mingsheng is no longer afraid of Song Wenhui. The relationship between Fengzhou and Changqing Prefecture, which depends on each other's survival, will naturally disappear. He can naturally cooperate with Song Wenhui to attack the Zhenwu Army from both sides. Destroying the Zhenwu Army will be beneficial to him, Song Wenhui, or Cui Shao..."

"Sir Wang, how long do you think you can hold out in Changqing Prefecture under the double attack of Song Wenhui and Ye Mingsheng? Half a month or a month?"

After hearing Shen Jianzhong's thorough analysis, Wang Muzhi, realizing the critical situation, gradually became solemn and fell into silence.

As the deputy commander of the Zhenwu Army, Wang Muzhi had a very good understanding of the current enemy and our own situation. Without the 20,000 troops under Ye Mingsheng, the Zhenwu Army in Changqing Prefecture would have at most 50,000 troops. After Song Wenhui received reinforcements from the Shiwei people, his troops had exceeded 100,000.

Therefore, it is already very difficult for Zhenwu Army to face Song Wenhui alone. If Ye Mingsheng, who is backed by the power of the aristocratic family, stabs them in the back, then even if a god comes, he will be powerless. What awaits Zhenwu Army is only a miserable defeat...

After thinking for a while, Wang Muzhi seemed to have thought of something, and asked Shen Jianzhong in confusion: "Since the cooperation with the Cui family is so good, why does it seem that Ye Mingsheng doesn't want to completely turn against us today?"

"This is the crux of the matter!" Shen Jianzhong said meaningfully:
"It's not so easy to get the money and food from the aristocratic families! Their troops are not so easy to accept either!"

"Ye Mingsheng's power is still too small. For him, accepting the support of the aristocratic families headed by the Cui family is like a snake swallowing an elephant. The Cui family can use any means to sideline Ye Mingsheng. As long as Ye Mingsheng does not satisfy them, they can replace him with someone else!"

"For someone like Ye Mingsheng who has a strong desire for control, he will not accept being controlled by others unless it is absolutely necessary..."

Wang Muzhi's serious expression eased a little after hearing this, but he still seemed a little unwilling. He hesitated for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"Even so, Lord Shen, it would be a bit too hasty for us to judge that the Cui family intends to support Ye Mingsheng based on just one letter!"

Shen Jianzhong was not surprised by Wang Muzhi's idea. He looked at Wang Muzhi and asked calmly:

"Lord Wang, do we dare to gamble now? Does the Zhenwu Army dare to gamble?"

After hearing Shen Jianzhong's words, Wang Muzhi opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just shook his head dejectedly without saying a word.

Although he still doubted whether the Cui family had decided to support Ye Mingsheng, Wang Muzhi was also very clear about one thing, that is, the Zhenwu Army could not afford the risk of losing the bet...
If things really turn out as Shen Jianzhong thought, then the Zhenwu Army will suffer a complete defeat. The death of a group of them is a minor matter, but delaying the great cause of the Prime Minister would be truly unforgivable!

"In this case, what should we do now?" Wang Muzhi looked at Shen Jianzhong and asked:

Before Wang Muzhi finished speaking and Shen Jianzhong was about to answer, Cao Xin rushed into the room again and said to Shen Jianzhong in a very urgent tone:
"Sir, my spies are here to report that Ye Mingsheng has just ordered martial law throughout the city, and two thousand soldiers have been dispatched from the camp in the north of the city, one thousand of whom are heading towards us!"

As soon as these words were spoken, both Shen Jianzhong and Wang Muzhi turned pale with anger.

"Oh no! Ye Mingsheng has discovered that the secret letter has been stolen! He is going to turn against us and use our lives to send a letter of surrender to the Cui family..." Shen Jianzhong said to Wang Muzhi with a wry smile:

"Humph!"

Wang Muzhi snorted coldly, then revealed his vicious side and said viciously:
"Ye Mingsheng has a nice idea. He wants my head. But he, whose last name is Ye, doesn't even think about whether he has the ability to do it!"

Compared to Wang Muzhi who wanted to fight Ye Mingsheng to the death, Shen Jianzhong seemed much calmer. He thought for a while, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and then he said to Wang Muzhi who was about to call his men to fight Ye Mingsheng to the end:

"Master Wang, it will take some time for Ye Mingsheng's men to arrive. You should immediately disguise yourself and leave through the back door to Sun's Tavern on North Third Street in the city!"

"The boss there is a spy from our Supervisory Department. The code for contact is 'Longing for you, long remembering you; short longing for you, endless'!"

"After you tell him the code, he will protect you and send you out of the city!
Hearing Shen Jianzhong's words, Wang Muzhi showed hesitation. As a general, he did not want to abandon his men and escape alone. Compared to running away, he wanted to fight to the death with the rebels under Ye Mingsheng, to let Ye Mingsheng, this heartless man, see what the character and courage of a Great Zhou general is!
Seeing Wang Muzhi's expression, Shen Jianzhong knew what he was thinking at a glance, and said anxiously:

"Sir Wang, please do not hesitate any longer. You are the deputy commander of the Zhenwu Army. If you die here, the Zhenwu Army will be finished! General, please put the overall situation first!"

Wang Muzhi nodded after hearing this, but he still subconsciously asked Shen Jianzhong:
"Then what are you going to do, Lord Shen? Let's go together!"

"No, I'm going to go find Ye Mingsheng and have a good talk with him!" After tidying up his clothes, Shen Jianzhong said in a very casual manner;

"Master Shen, this is too dangerous! Ye Mingsheng is a vicious villain, you are undoubtedly walking into a trap!" Wang Muzhi tried his best to dissuade him:
Shen Jianzhong waved his hand and said comfortingly:

"Don't worry! No matter what happens, I am still his teacher! He still has concerns about me. If he kills me, it will be master-killing, and everyone in the world will poke his spine!"

"I believe Ye Mingsheng has not yet completely turned to the Cui family. There is still hope. For the survival of the Zhenwu Army, I must seize this last chance!"

Looking at Shen Jianzhong's calm expression and his willingness to face the danger head on, Wang Muzhi felt a spontaneous respect for him. He bowed to Shen Jianzhong and then left quietly according to Shen Jianzhong's arrangement.

After watching Wang Muzhi leave, Shen Jianzhong looked much more relaxed. At this moment, Cao Xin, who was beside him, whispered:
"Sir, let me go with you to see Ye Mingsheng!"

"No need, you are still young, go!" Shen Jianzhong said with a smile:

"Sir, I am willing to follow you even through mountains of swords and seas of fire..." Cao Xin said firmly:

Feeling the firm determination in Cao Xin's eyes, Shen Jianzhong knew that he could not persuade him, so he could only shake his head helplessly, then pointed at the dead body of the sparrow on the ground and said:
"Take her with you!"

"Yes!" Cao Xin, who received the order, carried the sparrow's body on his shoulders.

In this way, Shen Jianzhong and Cao Xin walked out of Antai Inn, waiting for the arrival of Ye Mingsheng's men. Without letting the two wait too long, Ye Dong brought thousands of soldiers and surrounded the entire Antai Inn!
Although it was already a fight, considering that Shen Jianzhong was his young master's teacher after all, Ye Dong still maintained basic respect for Shen Jianzhong. Seeing Shen Jianzhong standing outside the door, he decided to use courtesy before force, and stepped forward to greet him and said:

"Sir, the general's mansion was robbed. Our general was furious and ordered us to search for the thief from house to house throughout the city. Now it's the turn of the Antai Inn where you live. Sir, do you think you should come out or we should go in?"

After looking at Ye Dong and the murderous Fengzhou soldiers behind him, Shen Jianzhong waved his hand and asked Cao Xin to put down the body of Sparrow, and then said lightly:

"The thief who stole in your general's mansion has been killed by me! You can go back and report now!"

(End of this chapter)