The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 396 War begins

Che Zhong'an blurted out, "That's impossible!"

If he, a military general, had been intelligent enough, there would be at least ten biographies of him in the history books of this dynasty.

Xu Zhen asked helplessly, "Do you know what those booklets also mean?"

Che Zhong'an didn't speak, but Xu Zhen knew he must be very curious.

"Simplicity proves that it is all essence; remembering even a little bit will be of some use."

Che Zhong'an: Yes!

"Moreover, the more you memorize, the more advantages you will have over other generals."

Che Zhong'an: That's right!

Especially Pang Yunyi.

That roughneck often mocked himself, saying things like, "If you weren't so quiet, you would have exposed your utter stupidity long ago."

Putting aside others for now, if one could surpass Pang Yunyi...

Just thinking about it makes me feel awesome!

Beside him, Xu Zhen's understanding and smile were hidden in the darkness of the night.

He had said the same thing to Pang Yunyi.

It's better to guide than to suppress. Since the two like to compete, why not channel this conflict in a more appropriate way?

Roll it up! Fight it out!

While the two were whispering to each other, the brown-skinned man who had scouted ahead left.

Xu Zhen stood up and brushed the grass clippings off his clothes: "We need to strengthen patrols and be prepared."

Che Zhong'an instructed the soldier next to him to report the news, and then turned around and asked curiously, "I am very curious as to why Mr. Xu came to Haiyang Village."

Xu Zhen was mainly stationed on the mountain with Pang Yunyi. It was only a few days ago that he suddenly decided to come here alone.

He didn't doubt Xu Zhen, it was just that the timing was too unfortunate.

Hearing him address him as "Mr. Xu," a title that was unusually devoid of sarcasm and even carried sincerity and respect, Xu Zhen raised his hand and tapped his forehead: "Here, there will be speculation."

"what?"

“We’re looking at the same intelligence report. If you look closely, you’ll also find that even though Wu Risu used the entire Wu family as a pledge of allegiance, Zhuo Mu is still more trusted. If war is to break out, he will definitely want to win the first battle decisively, so he will definitely send out a trusted and capable general.”

"Zhuo Mu can't even manage the people under his command..."

“Those who can’t be managed well are perfect cannon fodder. Besides, he’s not without his elite troops.”

"Isn't that enough to make a conclusion?"

"In recent months, Zhuo Mu's meals have improved significantly, and his weapons and armor have all been replaced. If it weren't for Qi Yongji's support, how could he have suddenly become so wealthy?"

Che Zhong'an felt somewhat ashamed.

He considered himself a genius and believed he worked hard, but he never expected that people who were even more talented than him were also more hardworking.

He had to admit that he felt a moment of frustration at that moment.

Xu Zhen patted him on the shoulder: "Go back."

Not in a hurry to go back, the two of them tacitly slowed down their pace and extended their time for chatting.

"I actually admire you."

Che Zhong'an: "Hmm?"

“In the past, Dayong did not have its own navy, but the appearance of the Water Scale Guard changed everything. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have been able to detect the movements of the Brown Kingdom’s spies today. If they had been allowed to advance unimpeded, it would have been the people of Haiyang County who would have suffered.”

"You overestimate me; it's all thanks to Your Highness's foresight."

That's what they say, but Che Zhong'an's recent setback has completely vanished.

Xu Zhen smiled silently.

"Commander Che, why do you think Qi Yongji started with Haiyang County?"

"The coast of Dongzhou is either too steep or too shallow. Only Haiyang County is suitable for large ships. If we want to fight a naval battle, this is the only option."

The Shuilin Guard used to train troops in the south, and Qi Yongji probably never imagined that they would be transferred to Haiyang County.

Xu Zhen nodded: "The Brown Kingdom has not exposed its naval forces, so the Great Yong has not deployed any defenses in Haiyang County. If that weren't the case, Zhuo Mu wouldn't be so careless. Now the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark, and we have the advantage, but this advantage won't last long. Since we have the initiative, there's no reason to let it slip away. Let's reorganize the army, Commander Che. Let's seize this opportunity and give them a head-on blow."

Che Zhong'an said seriously, "I understand what you mean, don't worry."

The Brown Kingdom thought they had found a loophole and let them obediently walk into their encirclement!

This time, let them know what suffering is.

……

For some time afterward, people came ashore every night.

The people who come are sometimes cautious, sometimes relaxed.

In short, the scope of exploration is becoming increasingly wider.

All of this matched Xu Zhen's guess.

Che Zhong'an also sent people to follow those spies, and they eventually found out the location of the Brown Kingdom's army.

Aside from arranging tactics, Che Zhong'an allowed the Shui Lin Guards to maintain their usual lifestyle, training when necessary and resting when appropriate.

As the days went by, the tension of the new recruits who had never been on the battlefield gradually dissipated in the ordinary days.

On the night he learned that the Brown Kingdom's navy was setting off, Che Zhong'an had fine wine and food prepared to reward the soldiers.

He stepped onto the high platform, his eyes burning, and asked loudly, "Brothers, the Brown Kingdom people are coming, are you afraid!"

"Not afraid!"

The sound was deafening.

Che Zhong'an was very satisfied with their spirit: "Good!"

He raised his wine bowl: "Then let us wish for a victorious start and a safe return to our families!"

Ten days later, three large ships led more than ten small boats toward the ferry crossing in Haiyang County.

Meanwhile, Che Zhong'an and his group had been waiting for quite some time.

Above the sea, dark clouds hung precariously, and a colossal beast carried a building; flames blazed across the water, and the wind seemed to force open the gates of hell.

Xu Zhen stood atop the watchtower, carrying Mingfeng. Though a frail scholar, he possessed a certain dignified air.

Although Zhuo Mu had Qi Yongji's support, their Water Lin Guard also had His Highness and the court backing them up.

The armor they were wearing was the new armor developed by the Ordnance Bureau. It was lightweight, wouldn't be cumbersome in the water, and still provided maximum protection.

Back then, some people criticized His Highness's unwavering support for the Ordnance Bureau, but now, everything has been answered.

Xu Zhen raised his hand to estimate the distance, and then gave the order: "Fire the arrows!"

The person next to him waved a blazing command flag, and the next moment, in the darkness, a fire-bearing arrow pierced the sky and flew toward the Brown Kingdom's ship.

Zhuo Mu, holding the telescope, asked, "Anyone in Haiyang County?"

He turned around and looked at his soldiers.

Wherever his gaze fell, everyone lowered their heads.

"This is the result of your investigation?"

It was quiet.

Zhuo Mu raised his voice: "Speak!"

"General... we have indeed found no trace of human presence."

Zhuo Mu's lips curled into a slight, mocking smile: "So you didn't notice! Did these people just crawl out of the ground?"

He couldn't believe that the people under his command were so useless.

There were quite a few people who launched attacks against them.

Clearly, troops are already stationed in Haiyang County.

So many soldiers were active in Haiyang County, and they searched so many places, yet they found not a single trace.

He'd be too ashamed to talk about it.

They thought they had caught Dayong off guard, but now it turns out the other side is well-prepared and just waiting for them to come to them!

"Report! General! A large number of ships have been spotted in the southeast and southwest directions!"

“A boat…” Zhuo Mu murmured, “They still have a boat. Where did they hide it?”