Chapter 1366: Failure
Fifty miles away, He Lingchuan closed the door and was observing the sand table with Dong Rui.
"Xue Zongwu is on his way. I just received news that Xue Zongwu is staying in Qiucheng. He should continue on his way this morning and enter the border of Yao Kingdom in the evening."
So according to He Lingchuan's plan, they themselves will soon leave for Yao Country.
The sand table was made a few days ago, showing several paths that Xue Zongwu might have taken from Shuangxi to Yaojing. The mountains, rivers and woods on the table were all done in great detail.
"Where are you going to work?"
"Here." He Lingchuan pointed to the river in Yao Kingdom, "Taoshui."
Dong Rui looked at the sand table: "If we don't insist on being in Yao Kingdom, this place would be pretty good. This, this Yanmu Cliff?"
This is a long and narrow valley with thousands of peaks and steep rock walls. The sand table cannot be so detailed that every sheep intestine is marked, but Dong Rui can probably guess that as long as it is properly arranged, it can be turned into a snakeskin bag, and then you can put it in it.
He Lingchuan had already noticed this location and shook his head when he heard this: "It's inappropriate."
This terrain is similar to the Dragon Throat Pass in the Panlong World. Back then, in order to blitz the West Feng Kingdom, the Red General had to send He Lingchuan and several other teams to sneak into Longmiao Pass and seize the pass. Otherwise, it would be a difficult place to defend and difficult to attack.
This kind of place has the advantage of "first impression". Whoever starts the layout first will take advantage of the location.
Dong Rui was puzzled: "Why?"
"You think this is a good place for ambush, can't Xue Zongwu see that?" He Lingchuan said the simplest truth, "He has led troops for many years, and he has set traps for many people in the past. Why should he go to this dangerous place and set up traps for others?" A chance for someone to ambush me?”
"Uh, can you not leave?"
He Lingchuan easily drew a path: "If you go around sixty miles more, first by land and then by water, you can still enter the territory of Yao Kingdom. The distance is a bit longer, but it is safe."
"In the past, Xue Zongwu might have taken the way of Yanmu Cliff and wouldn't have thought too much about it. After all, he can only be a thief for a thousand days, so how can he guard against thieves for a thousand days?" He Lingchuan shook his head, "But his accountant was just arrested a few days ago. Although I have tried some tricks to rob and kill him, there is no guarantee that Xue Zongwu will not become more vigilant. How can he take this dangerous path again? "
To alert the enemy, those men in black did too rough a job.
"Well, Xue Zongwu really won't leave?" After all, Yanmu Cliff is much closer, and everyone has a sense of luck. "He can't confirm it, right? People there are plotting against him?"
He Lingchuan took out ten taels of gold and said, "Bet?"
He plans to add a few dishes to tonight's meal.
Dong Rui thought for a while and said angrily: "Forget it."
He rarely wins in bets with He Lingchuan, so it's better not to give money to others.
"A man will not stand under a dangerous wall. Knowing that Yanmu Cliff may be dangerous, Xue Zongwu would not go there." Xue Zongwu was in a hurry, but he was not in a special hurry. Such a high-ranking general has a much keener sense of danger than ordinary people. "If anyone is stupid enough to ambush there, I'm afraid they will miss the point."
Dong Rui then looked at the location he had chosen: "What's so good about Taoshui?"
"You can tell from the name. The water network there is the most suitable for you to use." Needless to say, both of them knew that He Lingchuan was referring to Snail Toad.
Snail toads can only travel at the fastest speed and longest distance in moist underground, safe, efficient and concealed.
"I have inquired beforehand. Generally speaking, Yao Country has rainy and waterlogged seasons from late spring to midsummer. But this is generally speaking, and there are occasional dry seasons. If we want to be foolproof, we have to take special circumstances into account. There are three lakes connected outside Taoshui River, and there are many ditches and rivers on the plain, which will make it easier to escape later. "
Killing is not something that can be done in one go. He Lingchuan's priority was to escape unscathed.
"In addition, although we can roughly calculate Xue Zongwu's route back to the capital, we can't predict which cities he will choose to stay. He is from the military and has a high level of cultivation. It is not surprising to find a place to spend the night after traveling hundreds of miles."
Dong Rui scratched his head: "Yes! So what should we do?"
They are not roundworms in Xue Zongwu's belly.
He Lingchuan smiled: "There is another way: look at the rules and favors of the officialdom."
"Huh?" When he talked about favors, Dong Rui's weakness was touched upon.
"In recent years, the route for military generals from outside the customs to return to the capital of Yao Kingdom has been basically fixed. They are not allowed to change the route without authorization. If there is an accident, such as a flash flood or landslide, and it is really necessary to take a detour, they must report it to the local official, who will accompany him throughout the journey." This is The rules of Yao Kingdom have been implemented for decades, and there is no need for Xue Zongwu to make an exception.
"So on this route, there are certain places that you can skip and which places you must linger over." He Lingchuan told him, "There are people from aristocratic families, people who have retired from high-ranking officials, and there are also some people who can get benefits, military generals We are likely to stop in these cities and counties, and the locals will warmly welcome us. Along the way, we will also see the world of people. The Yaowang Shoudian itself is a big stage, and all kinds of people will come up to perform - no wait. When you get to Yaodu, you start by rushing.”
Dong Rui listened for a long time and said, "So Xue Zongwu will definitely go to Taoshui, right?"
"The Feng family in Taoshui has produced three high-ranking officials in the past thirty years, and today's Zuo Zaifu is also from the Feng family. Do you think Xue Zongwu should drop by and visit?"
"That's right." Dong Rui smiled, "If he doesn't go to Taoshui, he shouldn't visit elsewhere."
Otherwise, it will be a source of excuses for others.
Hearing this, he also felt that He Lingchuan had chosen a particular location. "At that time, Taoshui was in a mess, and there were people everywhere going to the capital to celebrate birthdays. If something happened to the surname Xue, who knows which group did it!"
"That's right." He Lingchuan moved his fingertips down on the sand table, "When Xue Zongwu was in Taoshui, we had to rush to Dou County. It was a small place, and it seemed very close to Taoshui, but it was still fifty or sixty miles away by mountain road. I estimate that there were fewer dignitaries who chose to settle there, and it would not interfere with us."
They were foreign businessmen, not military generals, so they could go wherever they wanted, and they didn't need to follow the prescribed route assigned to the military generals by Yaoguo.
He had considered everything, including time, location, and personnel.
Dong Rui felt that with He Lingchuan's meticulousness, this plan should go smoothly, as always.
At this time, there was a knock on the door outside, and Jiang Lishui came in to report:
"The gifts have been loaded, and the guards are ready."
When He Lingchuan walked out, he saw Fan Shuang and several strong strangers standing by the car.
"Brother He, come here, let me introduce you. This is the sword-bearing guard in front of the Yao Palace, Commander Zhao Song!"
Both sides greeted each other, and He Lingchuan smiled and said, "I'm sorry to trouble Commander Zhao and everyone along the way."
He waved his hand, and the Chamber of Commerce manager presented the palace guards with a rattan basket, one for each person.