RWNEFE -Chapter 180 Song Daoxi, the Heir of Guigu!

Zhao Chengkai and Wu Tong had already experienced the bitter cold of Dongchuan. Previously, because the snow on the road was too deep, they forced their march, which caused frostbite to the legs of three horses and almost led them to get lost and freeze to death in the snow. That’s why their journey was delayed, and they failed to complete the Emperor’s assigned mission on time. Now, they dared not contact the capital and could only sulkingly be sent to this remote courtyard.

Liu Yanhui continued: “Our General, apart from being a little ruthless, is actually very good!”

Cheng Zheng opened his mouth to point at the empty cavity, and Wu Tong’s heart raced with fear.

That vicious woman had actually cut out someone’s tongue while they were alive!

Zhao Chengkai’s eyes lingered on the two of them, a plan slowly forming in his mind.

“You two have worked hard!” Zhao Chengkai said, his tone softening considerably.

Liu Yanhui quickly smiled: “Not at all, not at all. In times of chaos, having food to eat and a place to stay is already very good!”

Zhao Chengkai didn’t expect immediate success; he released small gestures of goodwill toward them.

He was sent by the Emperor himself, with direct access to the throne. Flattering him and gaining his favor would surely be more promising than serving a ruthless woman!

“This time we rushed the journey and were trapped in heavy snow for over a month, so we have nothing valuable with us. Only these two packets of tea brought from the capital—please accept them!”

Liu Yanhui looked embarrassed: “Oh, that’s too kind. That’s fine tea from the capital!”

Wu Tong handed the tea to them, one packet each.

“From now on, we’ll be colleagues. We’re unfamiliar with this region, so we’ll be relying on you later.”

They mostly spoke to Liu Yanhui; even if Cheng Zheng tried to respond, he couldn’t. Clearly useless, he was just Liu Yanhui’s attendant!

In the short time they spent together, Liu Yanhui and the two men went from being comrades in hardship to colleagues from the capital, and by the time they parted, they had become close confidants.

By now, the snow on the ground had completely melted, and green shoots were beginning to appear on the grass. Under the repeated urging of Zhao Chengkai and Wu Tong, Shen Lanxi finally prepared to set out.

“Soldiers, the opportunity to make your mark has arrived!”

“Within a month, take Sichuan! Destroy the rebel king’s stronghold!”

With a shout from Shen Lanxi, the ten-thousand-strong army set off in grand formation!

Zhao Chengkai and Wu Tong rode behind, their minds racing. Although the Eastern Liao King left considerable forces to defend Sichuan, those troops had already been infiltrated and were like an ant nest.

After minimal resistance, the troops dropped their weapons and surrendered.

This display was purely for Zhao Chengkai and Wu Tong to see. If Shen Lanxi led the army herself, she wouldn’t even need to fight—she could simply march in and be welcomed!

Seeing how easily Sichuan was taken, Zhao Chengkai and Wu Tong, like bloodthirsty mosquitoes, immediately captured the Eastern Liao King’s wife and children.

“General Shen, we’ll take the Eastern Liao King’s family to negotiate with him!”

They expected Shen Lanxi to object, as they were essentially stealing the credit.

To their surprise, Shen Lanxi didn’t hesitate and agreed immediately.

“You two inspectors are truly far-sighted. Shall I dispatch troops to escort them?”

Of course not—that would just share the glory with Shen Lanxi! A woman appearing in the army was already a violation of propriety; why seek credit? Better to stay safely behind closed doors!

“No need. We just took Sichuan. To prevent the Eastern Liao King from counterattacking, General, you shouldn’t disperse your forces,” Zhao Chengkai said.

Shen Lanxi looked at them with a worried expression: “Very well, then I leave it to you. It’s fortunate for the Great Zhou to have officials like you!”

With these half-hearted compliments, Zhao and Wu immediately loaded the Eastern Liao King’s family into a prison cart and took them away that day.

Shen Lanxi sneered at their eagerness: “Zhao Chengkai has some brains, not many!”

“Follow the old rules—search the home, root and branch!”

“Yes!”

This time, she brought only 10,000 troops, leaving the rest in Yonglinzhou. Now, reorganizing the Eastern Liao King’s leftover soldiers, her army grew from 10,000 to over 13,000. With her original forces, Shen Lanxi now commanded nearly 60,000 soldiers.

Zhao and Wu sought glory, not wealth. The Eastern Liao King’s accumulated riches over generations were all now part of the pacification army!

“General, shall we pursue the victory further?” Liu Yanhui asked.

Shen Lanxi smiled mysteriously: “No rush. It’s the spring plowing season, an important matter affecting next year. Let’s arrange the spring farming first.”

“Yes!”

Beyond spring plowing, there were military forts. Each conquered place would see garrisons rebuilt or relocated. They had been advancing too quickly; stabilizing the troops’ minds with the sight of new forts was necessary.

The smooth success so far relied on multiple factions being divided. Without them, she would already be the target of envy and attack!

Zhao and Wu were foolish. If the Eastern Liao King truly cared about his family, why hadn’t he sent reinforcements by now? Any attempt would only bring humiliation.

Half a month later, a man claiming to be an heir of Guigu, traveling by small black-canopied boat from the southern Jiang River, arrived at Ganzhou Dao where Prince Cheng resided and was received as an honored guest.

Word of this spread quickly. In less than a month, it traveled across the entire Great Zhou!

Feng Wu handed the message to Shen Lanxi. After reading it, she smiled wryly.

“Song Daoxi… what a well-chosen name!”

Feng Wu repeated it twice, laughing aloud.

“I wonder if he’s delivering Prince Cheng to the West, or himself?”

Shen Lanxi smiled: “Brother Wu, the name is full of meaning—clearly delivering Buddhism to the West.”

Feng Wu raised an eyebrow: “He dares to flaunt the name of Guigu. Should we deal with him?”

Shen Lanxi immediately pointed out the suspicious part: “If he were a fraud, would he be traveling north so openly?”

“Such a move clearly aims to draw all of Great Zhou’s attention, like fishing!”

Feng Wu’s eyes darted: “Could it be he’s trying to catch the real heir of Guigu?”

Shen Lanxi: “Whether he’s fishing for someone or his backers are controlling others through him, we do not intervene!”

Feng Wu: “I’ll send a notice so none of our people interfere.”

Shen Lanxi laughed: “Such a fun matter—let’s also write to Master and Mistress Guigu to cheer them up!”

Feng Wu also laughed: “Just using the name Guigu can influence the situation. Regardless of which king fights, Guigu remains supreme!”

Shen Lanxi recalled the rumors Guigu had deliberately spread: whoever acquires the Guigu heir gains the world.

If the one orchestrating this behind the scenes is Prince Cheng, is he clever or foolish?

As soon as the news spread, all factions mobilized quickly, aiming for one goal: capture the Guigu heir, or ensure no one else could use him!

All eyes pointing at the capital now focused on Ganzhou Dao, where Prince Cheng resided.