novelSusiti Chapter 7: Urgent Secret Report, Secret Plans to Break the Situation
Chapter 7: Urgent Secret Report, Secret Plans to Break the Situation
Not long after Qiao Zhou and the others left, the hurried footsteps of eunuchs could be heard outside the hall. The "thump thump thump" sound broke the brief silence inside the hall, carrying a hint of imminent danger.
The eunuch, drenched in sweat and with his robes disheveled, stumbled into the hall, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed, his voice trembling uncontrollably. He didn't even dare to raise his head: "Your Majesty, urgent report! Urgent report from the south!"
Liu Shan, seated on the dragon throne, instantly adopted a timid and helpless expression. He leaned forward slightly, his voice trembling with panic: "What's the panic? Speak quickly! Has something gone wrong with Lord Li Yan?"
"Your Majesty!" the eunuch gasped, his words so rapid they were almost indistinct. "After Lord Li Hui arrived at the southern border, he secretly contacted Meng Huo's confidants, but his movements were exposed. Yong Kai laid an ambush on him, and he is now trapped in a valley near Dianchi Lake. His soldiers have suffered heavy casualties and are in imminent danger!"
"What?!" Liu Shan suddenly stood up, stumbled, and almost fell. He quickly grabbed the armrest of the dragon throne, his face instantly turning ashen, and even his lips turned blue.
"Li Hui is trapped? What are we going to do!" He gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white. He paced back and forth, his expression extremely anxious, muttering repeatedly, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault for not reminding Lord Li Hui to be careful... What can we do now? The suppression of the rebellion in the south is completely hopeless!"
He lowered his eyes to conceal the cold light within them, his fingertips inadvertently tracing the dark patterns on the armrest of the dragon throne—an emergency signal agreed upon with Mo Chen, a secret message to keep a close watch on the movements in Nanzhong.
No one knew that behind this flustered appearance, he was already perfectly clear-headed: Yong Kai was decisive, but Cao Wei's promises had ultimately blinded him. However, Li Hui could not be harmed; he was a key pawn he had planted in the south, and if he were to fall, the entire plan in the south would fall into chaos.
Just as he was in a state of panic and helplessness, a dark figure quietly emerged from the shadows, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a very low but clear voice: "Your Majesty, I have just received a secret letter from Lord Li Hui."
"Although he is trapped, his soldiers are fighting desperately and are not in immediate danger of losing their lives; in addition, Gao Ding has officially raised an army and launched a surprise attack on Yuexi County. The defending general is fighting desperately and has sent people to Chengdu for reinforcements overnight. The city may not be able to hold out."
Liu Shan paused, his panic intensifying, his voice tinged with despair: "Gao Ding has rebelled too? The South is about to descend into complete chaos! I... I have no other choice! Quickly summon the Prime Minister to the palace! Now!"
The shadowy figure bowed in agreement, then vanished silently in a flash. A short while later, Zhuge Liang hurriedly entered the palace, his feather fan waving lightly, his expression more grave than ever—he had already received an urgent report from the south, and his doubts had deepened.
"Your subject Zhuge Liang greets Your Majesty!"
Liu Shan rushed forward, grasped Zhuge Liang's hand tightly, his fingertips icy cold, and his voice choked with sobs and pleading: "Prime Minister, you've finally come! Li Hui is trapped at Dianchi Lake, Gao Ding has launched a surprise attack on Yuexi, and the situation in the south is completely out of control. I truly don't know what to do!"
Zhuge Liang bowed and rose, his gaze falling on Liu Shan's flustered face, his doubts deepening. He felt that the emperor's panic still carried a hint of deliberate intent, especially the fleeting calmness he displayed upon hearing the news of Li Hui's imprisonment, which was no accident.
He lightly tapped his palm with his feather fan, thinking to himself: Li Hui is a cautious man, how could he easily expose his whereabouts? His Majesty seems at a loss, but he has not lost his composure. Instead, he summoned me to the palace immediately. Could it be that His Majesty had already foreseen this?
Suppressing his doubts, Zhuge Liang spoke calmly and firmly, trying to reassure Liu Shan: "Your Majesty, do not panic. Li Hui is loyal and skilled in military affairs. Although he is trapped in the valley, he will be fine for the time being."
"Although Gao Ding has raised an army, there are many conflicts between the tribes, and they are not a united front. I request that you immediately dispatch troops and send Ma Zhong to lead an army to aid Yuexi, and then send Zhang Yi to lead an army to Dianchi to relieve the siege of Li Hui."
He paused, then added, "At the same time, I will personally go to Li Yan's army to urge him to speed up his march, attack Yong Kai and Gao Ding from both sides, and stabilize the situation in the south as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shan's face instantly showed a hint of relief. He nodded vigorously, his tone urgent: "Good! Good! As the Prime Minister says! I entrust everything to the Prime Minister. You must rescue Li Hui and stabilize the situation in the south. I'm counting on you!"
His hands, hanging by his sides, tightened slightly, and a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes—Kongming was indeed impatient and volunteered to go to Li Yan's army. He could use Kongming to restrain Li Yan and prevent him from causing trouble in secret.
Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi were both loyal men. Sending them to their aid would not only relieve Li Hui's predicament but also allow them to secretly take control of some of the military power in the south, achieving two goals at once.
Zhuge Liang bowed and replied, "Your Majesty will certainly not fail in your mission. However, Your Majesty must remain in Chengdu to stabilize the court, especially the gentry of Yizhou, and prevent them from taking advantage of the chaos in the south to cause further trouble and interfere with the plan to quell the rebellion."
"I understand." Liu Shan waved his hand wearily, his tone languid and timid. "Prime Minister, rest assured. I will behave myself and not cause you any trouble. I will stay in Chengdu and take good care of things."
Zhuge Liang gave Liu Shan a deep look, but ultimately asked no further questions, bowed, and took his leave. The moment the palace doors closed, the timidity and weariness on Liu Shan's face vanished without a trace, replaced by a coldness and determination.
"Your Majesty." The dark figure reappeared, kneeling on one knee, and reported with a chilling tone, "I have discovered that Li Yan deliberately slowed down his army's march south and secretly sent someone to contact Yong Kai, feigning to negotiate peace with him."
"He actually wanted to reap the benefits without lifting a finger, wait until Yong Kai and Li Hui were both exhausted, then send troops to clean up the mess, claim the credit for suppressing the rebellion, and take control of the military power in the south."
Liu Shan tightened his grip slightly, his knuckles turning white, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, his tone icy and biting. Li Yan was indeed ambitious, daring to plot against Shu Han during the suppression of the rebellion, disregarding the safety of the Shu Han state.
It seems that unless he is taught a lesson, he will never know who the true master of Shu Han is, and who controls his life, death, honor, and disgrace.
"Issue my secret order," Liu Shan commanded in a deep voice, his tone brimming with unquestionable authority. "While Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi lead troops to reinforce the area, secretly monitor Li Yan's movements. Gather all evidence of his delaying the march and his contact with Yong Kai, leaving no stone unturned."
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, send a secret envoy to Meng Huo's army to inform him that Yong Kai has discovered his intention to surrender and intends to harm his people. Urge him to make a decision as soon as possible, cooperate with Li Hui from within and without, defeat Yong Kai, and protect his people."
"Your subject obeys the decree." The figure bowed in acknowledgment and then silently withdrew once again.
Liu Shan walked to the palace window, gazing southwards with a solemn expression. He knew that the situation in the south had reached a critical juncture, a matter of life and death. One wrong step could lead to another, and the slightest misstep could result in utter ruin.
At this time in the south, in the valleys near Dianchi Lake, Li Hui had been trapped for many days. His soldiers had suffered heavy casualties and their food supplies had run out. They were all exhausted, but they still held their weapons and held their ground, trapped in a desperate situation.
Yong Kai stood outside the valley, clad in armor, gazing at the trapped Shu army with a smug smile. He shouted arrogantly into the valley, "Li Hui, if you know what's good for you, surrender now!"
"The Cao Wei lord has promised to make me the King of Nanzhong. If you surrender, I will spare your life and even give you the position of prefect, ensuring your wealth and comfort!"
Li Hui stood at the front of the battle lines, his expression resolute, his eyes blazing, and he shouted sternly: "You traitor Yong Kai, you collude with Cao Wei and betray the Han Dynasty, yet you dare to be so arrogant here! I, Li Hui, am loyal to His Majesty and would rather die than surrender. Even if I die in battle today, I will never submit to you!"
He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, already having a plan in mind: His Majesty's secret order must have already reached Meng Huo's hands. If he could hold out for a few more days, Meng Huo would surely send troops to help. At that time, they could work together from within and without to defeat Yong Kai.
However, with supplies exhausted and soldiers worn out, it was uncertain whether they could hold out until then.
Upon seeing this, Yong Kai's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Since you don't know what's good for you, then don't blame me for being ruthless! Pass down the order: tomorrow morning, launch a full-scale attack on the city, flatten the valley, and kill Li Hui—leave no one alive!"
Meanwhile, outside Yuexi County, Gao Ding led his tribal army in a fierce attack on the city. The shouts of battle were deafening. The defending general fought desperately, and the city was already teetering on the brink of collapse, on the verge of being breached at any moment.
Gao Ding, mounted on his horse, gazed at the city gate with a greedy look on his face. He had long been blinded by the promises made by Cao Wei's secret envoy and only wanted to conquer Yuexi and dominate the south. As for the Shu Han kingdom, he didn't care at all.
Qiao Zhou, far away in Chengdu, received Li Yan's secret letter and secretly plotted. He immediately summoned the officials of the Yizhou gentry to discuss and prepare to take advantage of the chaos in the south to put pressure on Liu Shan again, demanding more official positions and power, and taking the opportunity to strengthen the power of the Yizhou gentry.
On the other side, after Zhuge Liang arrived at Li Yan's army, he immediately saw through Li Yan's intention to delay the march and questioned him face to face. Li Yan, however, made all sorts of excuses, citing insufficient supplies and difficult roads, and his words were evasive. The atmosphere between the two men instantly became more tense and on the verge of conflict.
Liu Shan sat on the dragon throne, his fingertips tracing the fragments of the tiger tally at his waist, his mind already fully prepared. Li Yan's scheming, Yong Kai's arrogance, Gao Ding's greed, Qiao Zhou's selfishness, and Zhuge Liang's suspicions—all of these were under his control.
However, he did not expect that the accident would come so quickly—Meng Huo's envoy was intercepted by Yong Kai's men on his way to Dianchi Lake, and the news that Meng Huo wanted to surrender to Shu Han was completely exposed to Yong Kai.
Upon learning the news, Yong Kai was furious and immediately ordered a large army to launch a surprise attack on Meng Huo's tribe, massacring his people as a warning to others and completely eliminating any thought of Meng Huo's surrender.
Late at night, the shadowy figure delivered another urgent report, his expression more anxious than ever before. He knelt on one knee, his voice urgent: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Yong Kai has intercepted news of Meng Huo's intention to surrender, and he has dispatched a large army to launch a surprise attack on Meng Huo's tribe. Meng Huo's people are in imminent danger!"
Liu Shan's body trembled, and the coldness in his eyes surged instantly. He gripped the tiger tally fragment tightly with his fingertips until his knuckles turned white—Yong Kai dared to ruin his important plans!
What alarmed him even more was the report that followed from the shadowy figure, which, like a bolt from the blue, completely disrupted his entire plan: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing! The Cao Wei army has secretly assembled on the border between Shu and Wei, fully prepared to take advantage of the internal strife in Shu Han and launch a major southward offensive to seize Chengdu!"
The candlelight flickered violently inside the hall, illuminating Liu Shan's icy face; the tension in the air was palpable. With the south in dire straits, Meng Huo in danger, Cao Wei pressing in, and internal strife caused by Li Yan and Qiao Zhou, Shu Han was now surrounded and besieged on all sides!