Qin Sang lightly tapped his foot, leaping onto a treetop to meet the approaching figure.
"Old Zhou, what happened?"
"General Qin!"
Seeing Qin Sang, Water Monkey’s face lit up with relief as he shouted, "I just received a message from a homing pigeon. The military commander has ordered you to immediately withdraw from Guling Mountain with your men. You have three days to return to the main camp."
Qin Sang frowned at the news. "What’s the reason? Is this just for me, or does everyone need to retreat?"
Water Monkey took a few quick steps closer and pulled out a letter wrapped in oil paper from his chest. "The letter says to bring everyone back. It doesn’t explain the reason."
Qin Sang took the letter and carefully read it. It was indeed an order commanding him to withdraw all scouts from Guling Mountain within two days. The tone in the letter was far more severe than Water Monkey's words.
Holding the letter, Qin Sang glanced at the desolate mountains surrounding him, filled with doubt.
By now, the Dongyang King had already taken Xitai Commandery. All the armies were converging on the three commanderies surrounding the imperial capital. The Might Regiment had entered Guize Commandery two months ago, capturing several cities along the way, with their current target being Raven’s Mouth.
Raven’s Mouth was actually a sizable city, originally a dock on the Lingshui River, which had gradually developed into a town.
The Lingshui River was the largest river in Guize Commandery, running from northwest to southeast, cutting across the entire commandery. Although it wasn't as wide as the Wuling River, it flowed continuously and had never dried up, making it vital for transporting troops and supplies.
Because of the convenience of the dock, the largest granary of the defending forces was now located at Raven’s Mouth.
Capturing Raven’s Mouth would cut off the Lingshui River, isolating seven cities downstream. These cities would effectively be severed from their lifeline, leaving them no choice but to surrender.
Originally, the Might Regiment had no intention of attacking Raven’s Mouth just yet because a massive mountain range called Guling Mountain stood to the south.
To attack Raven’s Mouth, the army would have to cross Guling Mountain.
Guling Mountain was steep and densely forested, desolate and uninhabited, with legends claiming that even birds couldn’t fly over it.
Except for hunters, ordinary people who ventured into the mountain would lose their way and never make it out alive, let alone an entire army.
According to the original plan, they were supposed to march several hundred li eastward, loop around Guling Pass, and then attack the seven cities downstream of the Lingshui River one by one.
By now, Guling Pass was heavily fortified, with troops ready for battle. This approach would be time-consuming and result in heavy casualties.
A few days ago, when the Might Regiment captured a small town in front of Guling Mountain, Qin Sang had learned from an elderly man, who used to be a hunter in the area, about an ancient path in Guling Mountain. According to local legend, this path was carved out by the founding emperor of the previous dynasty during a military campaign. It had since fallen into disuse and was now almost forgotten, being nearly a thousand years old.
Seeing that there were no ambushes or hidden dangers in the tent, Qin Sang finally felt reassured.
By now, he had reached the entrance of the central camp. He presented his waist token, but despite his status as a staff general, he still had to wait for approval from Deputy Commander Feng before being allowed entry.
"Greetings, General Feng!"
Qin Sang saluted as he spotted Deputy Commander Feng approaching from a distance.
"Brother Qin!"
Deputy Commander Feng quickly walked over, grasping Qin Sang’s arm with a sense of urgency. "You’re finally back. Come with me, quickly!"
The two of them walked arm in arm into Deputy Commander Feng’s tent. After cautiously glancing outside, Deputy Commander Feng leaned in and whispered a shocking piece of news, "The military commander has suddenly fallen gravely ill and is now in a coma. His condition is critical, and he might not last a few more days!"
Qin Sang let out a surprised exclamation, clearly taken aback. The Might Regiment had two military commanders, with Wang Liu being the right commander. However, the left commander was the true leader of the military, well-versed in strategy, disciplined, and strictly enforcing military law.
The left military commander was a close confidant of the Dongyang King, loyal only to him. In his presence, everyone was expected to focus solely on military affairs. He remained neutral in the covert power struggles between the eldest prince and the commandery lady.
With his control, Wang Liu had been unable to act recklessly or use deceitful tactics against Qin Sang.
Qin Sang pulled out the military order he had received. "I just received this letter yesterday. Who is using the commander’s seal?"
Deputy Commander Feng replied with a furious expression, "Before the military commander fell unconscious, he entrusted military affairs to Wang Liu, including the commander's seal and the tiger tally[1]... all of it!"
Qin Sang fell silent.
The situation was now quite clear. It was only a matter of time before the Dongyang King ascended to the throne. Already, there were discussions in the small court about the position of the heir.
Other than the eldest prince, no one could compete for the position of the heir, except for the forces backing the commandery lady.
However, since the founding of the Great Sui, there had never been a precedent for a woman taking charge. The stance of those backing the commandery lady was predictable.
Back in Hening County, Black Crane Sage had secretly allied with the eldest prince.
As the left military commander lay on his deathbed, entrusting military power to Wang Liu to curry favor with the eldest prince and secure a good future for his descendants was only natural.
1. It was through the tiger tally that the Emperors of China would authorize and delegate the power to his generals to command and dispatch an army. According to Chinese tradition, the tiger was a symbol of valor; therefore, a tiger-shaped tally symbolized the expectation that an imperial command should be completed as promptly and as courageously as a tiger with the authorization of the emperor. ☜