Chapter 945 Untitled!

Just as Duan Zhibao was thinking more and more about it and feeling more and more regretful, suddenly the housekeeper Wang Hui came up to him, bowed and said:
"Master, Shopkeeper Guo Yuan is here, and he has brought a lot of gifts..."

As soon as these words came out, Duan Zhibao's eyes suddenly gleamed, and then he pretended to be calm and ordered:

"Bring him here!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, Ye Pengchao and a servant carrying a gift box appeared in Duan Zhibao's sight under the leadership of Wang Hui.

Before Ye Pengchao reached Duan Zhibao, his voice had already reached Duan Zhibao's ears.

"General Duan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for being late. I knew your son was turning one, so I went out to look for a treasure. I was delayed a little on the way, so I hope you can forgive me!"

After glancing at Ye Pengchao who was apologizing with a smile on his face, Duan Zhibao looked at the servant following behind him. The servant was of medium build and had a very ordinary appearance. He walked with his head lowered and looked very dull.

But looking at the way this person walked and the marks on his hands, Duan Zhibao's eyes flashed with a strange color, and then he said to Ye Pengchao:
"Manager Guo, you came after my son's birthday party. If this treasure is an ordinary thing, I will not forgive you!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Pengchao smiled and bowed repeatedly, saying:
“General Duan, this treasure of mine will definitely satisfy you. If you say no, I, Guo, will get out of your house immediately…”

Feeling the confidence in Ye Pengchao's expression, Duan Zhibao's original anxiety was also relieved a lot and he said lightly:
"Then I'd like to take a good look at what treasure you have!"

"Butler Wang, please go down and don't let anyone else disturb you!"

"Yes!" Wang Hui said with a bow, and then he gave a look to the servant brought by Ye Pengchao, wanting the servant to put down the gift box and go with him, so as not to disturb their master from appreciating the treasure, but the servant seemed not to see it and stood there with his head down.

Seeing that the servant was so tactless, Wang Hui could not help but frown and pulled the servant. At this moment, Ye Pengchao stopped Wang Hui and said with a smile:

"Butler Wang, my servant may be of some use in a while, so let him stay here for now!"

Hearing what Ye Pengchao said, Wang Hui hesitated for a moment and then looked at Duan Zhibao, who nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Wang Hui naturally had nothing else to say. He obediently retreated out of the room and closed the door.

After the door was closed and Wang Hui left, Duan Zhibao immediately focused his attention on the servant and spoke meaningfully:
"Captain Ye, I'm afraid this person is not from your General Coordination Office?"

Ye Pengchao smiled and said:

"Where did General Duan get this from?"

Looking at the servant who remained silent, Duan Zhibao said in a deep voice:

“The calluses on this man’s hands are obviously from years of fighting with swords and guns. Moreover, every step he took after entering the house was precise. If what I guessed is correct, you must be a soldier...”

Seeing that Duan Zhibao had revealed his origins in one sentence, the servant immediately put down the gift box in his hand, bowed to Duan Zhibao and said:
"General Duan has good eyesight! I am Cui Ze, the Lieutenant General of the First Army of the Fengwu Army!"

Duan Zhibao nodded when he heard this, then he looked at Ye Pengchao and said:
"Captain Ye, you brought Admiral Cui here as a surprise to me, but I also have news to tell you!"

"But before that, shouldn't you tell me if there is any news about the matter we discussed last time?"

Ye Pengchao said seriously:

"General Duan, your matter is handled by our Fengwu Army. Except for our Marshal Ye, no one else has the right to make any promises to you!"

"I think you, General Duan, already know that Marshal Ye is leading his army to Guanzhong. Our General Coordination Office has reported your case to the higher authorities as the top priority, but as you know, the journey is long, so it will take some time!"

"Our Marshal Ye also admires your talents very much, General Duan. I think the letter of appointment may be on the way!"

As soon as these words came out, Duan Zhibao's expression immediately turned cold and he immediately ordered him to leave:

“Please go back now. When Marshal Ye’s letter of appointment arrives, please come to see me…”

Ye Pengchao was about to say something when Adjutant Cui Ze said in a deep voice:

"General Duan, we are in a business that could cost us our lives. I understand that you won't release the eagle until you see the rabbit, but don't you want to know why I'm here?"

Duan Zhibao looked at Cui Ze deeply after hearing this. Thinking of Cui Ze's self-revealed identity just now, an idea flashed through his mind and he immediately asked back:

"You're not going to tell me that your First Army wants to attack Jingchu, are you?"

"Your Fengwu Army's First Army is composed of the First Division and the Sixth Division. The First Division is now stationed in Kangyin, Huainan, to intimidate Shouchun, and the Sixth Division is stationed in Yujing. Where do you have the troops to attack Jingchu?"

Facing Duan Zhibao's questioning, Cui Ze clapped his hands and smiled:
"General Duan is indeed a rare warrior in the Jingchu Army. He knows everything about the First Army's movements. Although I am the lieutenant general of the First Army, the Fengwu Army has more than one First Army. Lord Duan, don't forget that we have a Fourth Army in Anqing!"

Duan Zhibao was somewhat doubtful when he heard this. The Fourth Army of Fengwu Army was reorganized from the original Qi Army. Although it had been reorganized and equipped with firearms, its combat effectiveness was still somewhat inferior to other units of Fengwu Army. However, after all, it was reorganized by Fengwu Army and equipped with a large number of firearms, so its combat effectiveness was also guaranteed. If they attacked, would Jingchu Jin be able to stop them?

Just as Duan Zhibao was thinking about this question secretly, Cui Ze saw that he didn't say anything and added fuel to the fire:
"General Duan is not happy with what you said. My Fengwu Army will take over Jingchu!"

"In addition to the troops of General Li Zhengyong that you know, our Fengwu Army's First Division, which is stationed in Kangyin, will also send out a battalion of 5,000 people to attack Hanyang from east to west!"

"In addition, the vanguard troops, the 11th and 12th divisions of the Fourth Army will also arrive in Jingchu one after another!"

"With the troops sent by my Fengwu Army, it is no problem to wipe out this Jingchu. I wonder if you, General Duan, want to stand on the side of the victor or become a prisoner!"

This immediately angered Duan Zhibao. He looked at Cui Ze coldly and said:
"General Cui, you are so brave! Do you really think the Fengwu Army is invincible?"

Seeing Cui Ze and Duan Zhibao confronting each other, Ye Pengchao on the side hurriedly tried to smooth things over:
"Generals, calm down. Admiral Cui, be careful with your words!"

Cui Ze heard this and reluctantly bowed to Duan Zhibao as an apology. Seeing this, Ye Pengchao persuaded him again:

"General Duan, although what Admiral Cui said may sound unpleasant, my Fengwu Army is determined to conquer Jingchu!"

"This time, our Fengwu Army is approaching us. Even if the Zhennan Army has any unreasonable intentions, we will crush them mercilessly!"

“We in the Fengwu Army place the greatest emphasis on military merit. If General Duan can make merit in this battle, our commander-in-chief will certainly reward and punish clearly and promise you the position of commander-in-chief…”

Seeing Ye Pengchao and Cui Ze playing the good cop and the bad cop in front of him, Duan Zhibao couldn't help but think secretly in his heart.

Although his presence could help the Fengwu Army stabilize the situation in Jingchu, but now that the main force of the Jingchu Army was gathering in Hezhou, the Fengwu Army suddenly stabbed them in the back. Coupled with the presence of Li Zhengyong as an insider, the possibility of the Fengwu Army successfully capturing Jingchu was still very high!
What he was most worried about before was that, when the war between the Fengwu Army and the Golden Horde was already a foregone conclusion, the Fengwu Army would temporarily suspend its actions in Jingchu for fear of fighting on two fronts.

But now it seems that the Fengwu Army is still very determined. With the First Army and the Fourth Army working together, Sun Chenggong is probably really doomed this time!

Thinking of this, Duan Zhibao began to think about his future and destiny. He certainly did not want to be buried with Sun Chenggong, and even if he reported this to Sun Chenggong now.

It is also difficult for Sun Chenggong to resist the Fengwu Army, which has an absolute advantage, so it is completely unadvisable to continue to stand on Sun Chenggong's side!
But the key issue now is that Duan Zhibao is a little unclear about the Fengwu Army’s attitude towards him. Are they planning to entrust him with an important task, or are they planning to use him? If it is the former, then it is worth his life...

But if it is the latter, then there seems to be no need for it. After all, Sun Chenggong has been good to me and promoted me. If I did this, I would definitely be branded as a traitor and be despised by the world.

If I could get a high-ranking official from the Fengwu Army and live a life of wealth and glory, I would be fine with the infamy of betraying my master for fame and fortune. But it would be very meaningless if I got nothing in the end!

As if seeing Duan Zhibao's concerns, Ye Pengchao also advised:
"General Duan, don't think too much. Jingchu is only the first step for our Fengwu Army to march south. We will also capture Shouchun and Jiangnan next. A talent like you will definitely be put to good use!"

Hearing what Ye Pengchao said, Duan Zhibao was not moved at all and was just thinking. At this time, Cui Ze suddenly said:
"General Duan, although we have numerous talented generals in the Fengwu Army, we are all land generals after all. We have no problem with land warfare and horse riding and archery, but when it comes to naval warfare, most of us in the Fengwu Army are laymen. Jiangnan is densely covered with water networks, and we need the navy to help!"

"If I remember correctly, General Duan, you were born in a fishing village by the Nanjiang River, and you also served in the Jingchu Navy for several years. You must be very experienced in naval warfare!"

Before Cui Ze finished speaking, Duan Zhibao seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment, he sighed and said:

“In that case, I will sell my life to Marshal Ye. Tomorrow I will ask Sun Chenggong to replace Zhao Zongchang…”

Hearing that Duan Zhibao had finally agreed to the matter, Cui Ze and Ye Pengchao both smiled.

The two men seemed to have seen the black dragon flag of the Fengwu Army being raised in Hanyang and the scene where the vast land of Jingchu belonged to the Fengwu Army. They also seemed to have become great contributors to the Fengwu Army and were getting promoted and rich!

However, before Cui Ze and Ye Pengchao could be happy for too long, Duan Zhibao told them a piece of news that made both of them nervous.

"My cousin is Sun Chenggong's concubine. She told me that someone has reported to Sun Chenggong that the recent serial assassinations in the city were not committed by the Thousand Tiger Guards but by your Coordination Office!"

"If I'm not mistaken, the Thousand Tiger Guards under Xu Zhaojie must have noticed your actions, so they want to tip off Sun Chenggong to stop your actions!"

"But from the current point of view, although the Thousand Tiger Guards are aware of your intention to seize Jingchu, they still don't know your specific plan. And most importantly, Sun Chenggong is also skeptical about the Thousand Tiger Guards' words and does not completely believe them!"

“But you’d better wait until I arrive at the Hezhou front and then take action as soon as possible. Be careful. Once Sun Chenggong really notices something, it will be hard to say whether the plan will be successful or not…”

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While the Fengwu Army was plotting to capture Jingchu, tens of thousands of well-equipped Cumans were setting up camp in a hidden valley at the northernmost tip of Yunbing.

These Cumans are the Cuman Tiger Division that followed Esdoan on a thousand-mile march. In the past ten days or so, they have traveled hundreds of miles continuously and now have finally arrived in Yunbing.

Such a rush also made the Cuman soldiers very tired. After setting up camp, many soldiers slept in their clothes, hoping to sleep as much as possible to replenish their physical strength for the next journey and battle.

At the same time, in Eskadoan's tent, the Cuman general Shavkat was preaching to Eskadoan excitedly:
"Great Khan, our informant in Jinyang sent a message saying that Ye Mingsheng has not yet entered Jinyang. This bastard seems to be unaware of his imminent death and is still traveling around with his children, wives and concubines!"

“Great Khan, I really want to see what kind of expression Marshal Ye of the Fengwu Army will have when we kill this guy. I think his expression will definitely be very interesting when we reach him…”

(End of this chapter)