"My lord, Wu Ding, the military commander of Chisong Army, pays homage to Your Majesty."

Wu Ding, wearing a gray gown, walked into the hall.

All civil and military officials calmed down their emotions and became quiet one by one.

Although Shen Tiannan's reputation as the God of War has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, with 60,000 versus 900,000, it was an impossible battle to win.

Moreover, how did Shen Tiannan hide it from so many eyes?

Who was the Shen Tiannan who was lying in the coffin back then?

This inflated their curiosity to the extreme.

"Get flat."

Emperor Yongtai raised his hand and said with a smile: "Hurry up and tell me the details of this battle. Not only the ministers, but I am also very curious."

"Return to Your Majesty."

Wu Ding spoke loudly,

"A month ago, the Ningjunfu section of the Wei River suddenly stopped flowing. In just five or six days, the riverbed, which was dozens of miles long, dried up and became hard, enough for an army to gallop."

Cut off?

All the officials looked horrified.

No one who can stand in this hall is uneducated.

Of course they know what the Weishui River section in Ningjun Prefecture represents.

That's where it connects with the Wuhui Pass, and it's a natural barrier against the barbarians.

If the Weishui River does not exist in that section, if you want to maintain the stalemate, you will have to build a thousand-eight-hundred-mile stretch from the Wuhu Pass to the desert of Xizhou.

Otherwise, Daqing will have no means to stop the barbarians from going south.

This is such a big deal, why haven’t I heard of it before?

Wu Ding's next words solved everyone's doubts very well.

"In order to prevent people from panicking, the general suppressed the news and did not report it."

"At the same time, the general ordered people to dress up in disguise and keep a close eye on the situation on the shore of the Wei River. If any barbarians were spotted on the prowl, they would be killed immediately."

"At that time, the general had already prepared for the worst."

Although they already knew the news of the great victory, when the officials heard this, they still couldn't help but mention it in their hearts.

Liu Shouyi planned to evacuate the people in the north because after Shen Tiannan died, no one in Daqing was confident of dealing with the barbarians.

The Wei River was cut off and without the Wuhu Pass to rely on, to be honest, the Chisong Army and Shen Tiannan also had no confidence in dealing with the barbarians.

But Shen Tiannan's choice was completely opposite.

He even suppressed the issue of the Weishui River being cut off and prepared for the worst.

What is the worst case scenario?

You can understand it after just a little thought.

You know, Northland is no longer the Northland it used to be.

Back then, Shen Tiannan was able to fight within the Northland and successfully drive out the barbarians. The use of his troops like a god was a very important factor.

But hidden beneath this factor, there is a more important premise.

At that time, the Northland was devastated, and the people were dying and being taken captive. Almost all the remaining people joined the Chisong Army.

Because of this, Shen Tiannan, who had no burden, could take advantage of the blinding characteristics of the mountains in the north and rely on tactics to encroach on the barbarian army bit by bit, and finally achieve a reversal of strength.

But now?

A large number of Daqing people live in the north.

With Shen Tiannan's personality, it was impossible to ignore Qing Ren's casualties and continue to use the same style of play as before.

Once the barbarians discovered that the Wei River was cut off and moved south in large numbers, it would be difficult to have a second option except direct resistance.

Thinking of this, the officials became even more curious.

What earth-shattering strategy did Duke Ding use to turn an almost doomed defeat into a complete victory?

"Fortunately, the barbarians did not notice that the Wei River was cut off. It may be that the grassland this year is particularly fertile."

Wu Ding's words caused a burst of laughter.

In addition to fearing the powerful brute force of the barbarians, the Qing people also despised their living habits.

They don't understand that planting is impossible if there is not enough rainfall. They just think that the barbarians choose to graze simply because they have no brains.

Many adults among the people scare their children by saying things like, 'If you don't study hard, I will send you to the grassland to herd sheep.'

After the laughter subsided, Wu Dingcai continued: "And this period of time just gave the general the opportunity to formulate a plan."

Everyone became energetic for a while and quieted down to listen carefully.

"My lords, you must remember that back then, the general clearly blocked the Barbarian Emperor near Zhanghua Mansion. Surrounded by a large army, the Barbarian Emperor was almost certain to die, but why did he let him escape in the end?"

Wu Ding looked around and said: "Over the years, the most common argument about this issue is that generals should respect themselves when they support bandits."

As soon as these words came out, some officials looked ashamed.

Emperor Yongtai was on the throne, watching Wu Ding chatting at the foot of the stairs, with a flash of appreciation in his eyes.

This Wu Ding is not only eloquent, but also courageous, and dares to pick on people in person.

Without waiting for anyone to respond, Wu Ding continued: "The general did not make any self-definition, but spent a whole year traveling through every inch of land in the north. Finally, not far from Zhanghua Mansion, he discovered the barbarian

The real reason why the emperor fled."

"Among the mountains, there is an unnamed mountain. A huge canyon opened in the middle that can support millions of soldiers. And because of its unique environment and vegetation, this canyon is deeply hidden."

"Even my most detailed map of Daqing has no record of this canyon."

"This canyon is thirty miles northwest of Zhanghua Mansion. It only takes half a day to reach Kaiyang Mansion directly!"

Wow~!

Everyone was horrified and shocked.

It would take at least three days to march from Zhanghua Mansion to Kaiyang Mansion via the official road.

And this sudden extra canyon actually shortened it six times!

Kaiyang Mansion is the second mansion next to Wuhui Pass.

No wonder...no wonder the Barbarian Emperor was able to escape under the circumstances back then.

"And this canyon is the burial place chosen by the general for the barbarians!"

Wu Ding's eyes flashed, "Everyone knows that whether it is a disaster or a good harvest, Zhanghua Mansion has always been the richest place in the entire north."

"There are a lot of supplies that the barbarians need, such as salt, iron, cloth...etc."

"In all dynasties, Zhanghua Mansion has been the first choice for barbarians to plunder."

"It just so happens that the Barbarian Emperor knows about this canyon."

Someone suddenly realized: "So, as long as the Barbarian Emperor believes that the Duke is really dead, he will definitely gather a large number of troops and go south in a big way, avenging the shame of the past!"

The Barbarian Emperor had been wreaking havoc in the north of Zhongzhou for decades, but was beaten back by Shen Tiannan, a man who had just joined the army. He had stayed in the imperial court for more than ten years, and he didn't need to use his brain to know that he was suffocating in his heart.

Once he believed that Shen Tiannan was dead, he would never be able to suppress his desire for revenge.

"But the body?"

Someone asked aloud.

Duke Dingguo faked his death this time, hiding it from everyone's eyes.

how did you do that?

"It's a kind of talisman from Xuan Dao. In fact, there is nothing in the coffin."

Wu Ding smiled and said: "It's just an illusion. If someone touches it, it can be easily broken."

I see……

All the officials nodded and accepted this statement.

The four secrets of Xuan Dao are divination, formation, medicine, and talismans.

It has been passed down for tens of thousands of years, and there are not too many weird things.

Moreover, Duke Dingguo had a distinguished status and was respected by all people. Who would dare to risk public outrage and desecrate his body?

No one can notice it, so it is completely normal.

"Finally, there is another question. How can we be sure that the barbarians will definitely take this path?"

At this time, someone else frowned and asked doubtfully: "For the barbarians, since the Duke is dead, they can completely snatch him all the way to Zhanghua Mansion."

"Because we have a wise monarch like Your Majesty."
To be continued...