At this moment,
The three had been talking in the small courtyard for a long time, the atmosphere consistently mysterious and anxious. Unconsciously, they all felt extremely exhausted.
Zhu Mo thought again, feeling that the Tatar invasion was also a very peculiar and perplexing matter. In the entire Great Ming Dynasty, how many people could grasp this key point? If he hadn't been vigilant early on, he would have suffered a great loss this time, possibly losing everything in one go...
Undoubtedly, Yan Da naturally wanted to halt the internal reforms of the Great Ming and was happy to see the Yan family continue to hold power. As for the Yan family, there was smuggling and colluding with the enemy, but they had not yet taken the step of outright betrayal. This time might be different; at the brink of survival, Yan Song and Yan Shifan might very well take that step.
From all indications, the Yan family's faction in Xuanda should not have reported back yet, as they worried about the court discovering the truth, and the Yan father and son would find scapegoats. Thus, they had been claiming it was a natural disaster until now. But this situation would not last long... As soon as Yan Song knew the details of the Tatars' deep penetration into the two prefectures, he would surely guess Yan Da's intentions, and there would be a response. Following that, Yan Da would mobilize for a full-scale invasion...
At this point, he had weathered many storms and his thoughts were quite thorough. He thought that too many people knowing about this would only help the enemy gain momentum.
It would be best not to reveal everything to Li Wenjin and Ma Fang either, but simply to have them fight to their fullest. Liang Menglong would not figure it out, but Zhang Juzheng definitely would. It might not be long before Old Zhang's secret letter arrived.
At this moment,
He felt that this was all he could do. After contemplating for a while, he said:
"Brother Li, Brother Ma, you two go back to Xuanda first... Brother Ma, when you get back, mobilize all elite troops and immediately pursue them beyond the frontier. Old Liang, you go back too, and assist as the Deputy Envoy for Disaster Relief. Don't be afraid of Ge Jin and the others. I'll give you this first—"
Saying this,
He took out a six-inch bronze plate from his embrace, inscribed with four characters: "Wang Ming Ru Shan" (Royal Command Like a Mountain).
"Wang Ming Qi Pai?"
The three blurted out in unison.
"Yes, although this thing isn't of much use, it's enough to deal with the officials below. As for Ge Jin... I will ask Elder Xu and the others to send two锦衣卫 (Imperial Guards) tomorrow. I doubt Ge Jin would dare to act rashly!"
Liang Menglong took the Wang Ming Qi Pai, looked at it several times, and then fiddled with it for a while. He felt that he had seen such things often, but today was the first time he held one in his hand. Immediately, a domineering aura that could crush anything that stood in its way arose within him...
While he was engrossed, he unexpectedly heard Zhu Mo say, "Old Liang, what are you dawdling for? What's so great about a worn-out plaque? Hurry up and give it to Old Li and Old Ma so they can go back tonight to mobilize the troops..."
Uh~
Liang Menglong was taken aback and had to part with his beloved possession...
In an instant, it was as if he had lost his soul.
The three of them simultaneously had a thought—
A worn-out plaque?
You call this a worn-out plaque?
Only you in this world would dare to say such a thing...
...
After seeing them off,
Zhu Mo sat alone in the small courtyard for a while longer. He felt that the most pressing matter was to take a gamble and visit the gunpowder bureau as soon as possible to see if a batch could be refitted. If it could be refitted, it would be best to equip a batch within one or two months, at least one hundred people, otherwise, it would be useless.
In addition,
For Yan Song to make such a bold decision would take several days. Even if a decision were made quickly, the specific arrangements and coordination would take a lot of time. This was because such matters could not be known to too many people, and he could only discuss them personally with a few trusted confidantes. After they returned, they would also have to make various disguises and coordinate, which would take at least a month...
As for Yan Da, although called a nomad, mobilizing his entire force would also take time. Coordinating the various tribes, logistics, combat strategies, and so on, would take at least a month.
And if Ma Fang's surprise attack beyond the frontier this time were successful, Yan Da would be hesitant for a while. Even if he persisted, he would inevitably spend more time...
Various deductions,
Zhu Mo felt that there should still be enough time, two to three months at least.
...
At the same time,
Riding at full speed, Li Wenjin and Ma Fang felt both excited and a sense of inexplicable wonder. They felt as if the meeting tonight was like a dream!
He had finally met his long-lost adopted nephew, and he was so eager to fly back immediately to tell Yu Dayou that this child was not only alive but also a pillar of strength...
But amidst the joy, there was also a sense of strangeness—
How could this child be so powerful? In a daze, it felt quite unreal.
But at this moment, as the two rode swiftly through the night wind, the Wang Ming Qi Pai held in Ma Fang's embrace felt heavy. How could it be fake?
He could no longer resist. Suddenly, he reined in his horse, turned back, and shouted, "Second Brother, do you think so?"
Li Wenjin nodded heavily and said, "Yes, I remember that child had a mole on the left side of his neck... He has it too..."
The two of them looked far into the night at Juyong Pass. They stopped their horses and stood still. The events of more than ten years ago and the current poignant situation intertwined, and they were suddenly filled with emotion, gazing out in a trance, silent for a long time...
"Second Brother, that sister was too pitiful, and so smart... She should be at peace now..."
"Yes, everyone remembers her kindness... Heaven is merciful, this child is already a prodigy..."
"Yes, we cannot let anything happen to our nephew... We, as uncles, must support him... But—"
Ma Fang suddenly thought of something, looked around, quietly leaned close to Li Wenjin's ear, and lowered his voice, "But... does His Majesty know?"
Li Wenjin was stunned for a moment. He thought that everything about this matter was strange. If His Majesty didn't know, how could this child possess such great authority? Wasn't it the Emperor pushing from behind? If he didn't know, it wasn't impossible, after all, this child was too formidable...
Ma Fang stood there thinking for a while, then said, "Second Brother, even if His Majesty knew, I think this child seems completely unaware..."
Li Wenjin nodded and said, "Yes, I'm also puzzled..."
"Second Brother!"
Ma Fang chuckled and said, "Perhaps we are just guessing! This child is very powerful, maybe he was truly recommended by Elder Xu and the others, and His Majesty and Eunuch Lü particularly appreciated him, which is why they gave him the status of a commoner minister of state."
"Yes, that makes sense... We'll take it one step at a time... After you leave, I'll go back and write a letter, sending it to Jiangnan via an urgent messenger at eight hundred li, to ask Brother Yu what should be done. Until then, we must not reveal a single bit of information!"
"Mhm..."
The two thought of the fate of those who knew eighteen years ago and couldn't help but shiver—
This was the biggest secret of the current dynasty. Even a single word revealed would cause endless trouble!
Standing for a long time,
Ma Fang suddenly laughed heartily and said,
"Second Brother, when I get back to Xuanfu, I will go beyond the frontier as soon as possible. You send someone to tell Brother Yu personally... When that child arrives in Xuanfu, find a team of guards to protect him! No matter what, we cannot let anything happen to him, otherwise, how can we explain it to Brother Yu?"
"Yes, I understand... Let's go!"
Giddy up!
The two flicked their whips and spurred their horses towards the mountains.