Although what Zhu Qia said seemed flawless, Yuchi Jin also noticed Dong Ningyang's hesitant expression.
Among all the people present, Yuchi Jin was only somewhat familiar with Dong Ningyang, so she naturally would not believe Zhu Qia's words blindly. However, Dong Ningyang obviously had something to hide, which made Yuchi Jin suspicious. For a moment, she couldn't force Dong Ningyang to tell the truth.
Besides, there is nothing more important than rescuing Zhu Li. Thinking of this, Yuchi Jin frowned slightly and said solemnly: "This is Shu. Whether it is geographical advantage or human harmony, we have an advantage. If we want to search for Wanshou Temple and Xi'er River, it will not be easy."
"I wonder what opinions you have? You may share them with me." No matter what, these people seemed to respect her very much. Without knowing the situation clearly, Yuchi Jin wanted to see their attitudes.
With Zhu Qia's lies in mind, everyone was enlightened and immediately kept silent about the facts.
But everyone had to respond to Yuchi Jin's question. Pan Kang, a scholar, was the first to bow and say, "Madam, as far as I know, the current ruler of Nanzhao, the Great Piao Xin, is Long Shun."
"Longshun was a complete tyrant. He appointed treacherous officials, listened to slander, abused the court, and caused the power of Nanzhao to fall into the hands of others."
"Right now, in Nanzhao, the long-time leader Zheng Maisi and the great chieftain Yang Deng are both powerful. If we can gain the trust of either of them and use their power, it will be much easier to search for Wanshou Temple and Xi'er River."
The original intention of Pan Kang and Pan Zaiying, father and son, to go to Shu was to seek refuge with Wang Jian, but they met Zhu Li on the way.
Men of integrity like Geng Xin, Shu He, Wang Qian, and Zhe Silun followed Zhu Li to the death without blinking an eye, which immediately made the father and son curious about Zhu Li.
What kind of person can make so many fierce and vile men rush to pledge their allegiance to him
Along the way, Zhu Li's words and actions made the father and son have a deep respect for him; finally, when they learned of Zhu Li's identity, they made a decision immediately.
Now Pan Kang, acting as if he were a civil servant under Zhu Li, regarded himself as capable and offered advice to Yuchi Jin respectfully.
But before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Zhu Qia: "What Mr. Pan said is indeed a mature strategy for the country, but it takes too long. We can afford to wait, but General Zhu Li may not be able to wait."
"General Zhu Li can stay alive if he lies in the formation for three days. After three days, his body can be moved to another place. One year is the best time. If we still can't get the Dragon Wood within this year, General Zhu Li will be in great danger."
What? There are actually restrictions! Everyone's expressions tensed when they heard this. Wang Qian and Shu He's faces turned darker, and they had the urge to curse. They were obviously angry that the Taoist priest had kept such important news from them.
However, the most nervous person was Yuchi Jin. When she heard that Longmu must be found within a year, otherwise Zhu Li would be in danger, she subconsciously hugged Zhu Li tighter in her arms, and her beautiful eyes looked at Zhu Qia without blinking.
At this time, Zhu Qia naturally knew the seriousness of the situation. Without waiting for everyone to get angry, he continued, "A slow-paced strategy like Mr. Pan's will only take a long time to take effect and cause more trouble. However, I have a strategy that can overthrow Nanzhao in an instant, giving us a chance to fish in troubled waters and find the destination."
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the people who were about to explode just now relaxed a lot, and then showed curiosity.
Everyone had seen the abilities of this Taoist priest. Not to mention his great fighting skill in the battle against the man in black, even his formation of "All Living Beings Return to Their Hometown" was able to keep the doomed Zhu Li alive. This one move alone was enough to amaze everyone.
When they heard that he had a good idea, how could they not be excited
Yuchi Jin naturally noticed the expressions of the crowd, which made her look more respectful to Zhu Qia. She said politely, "Senior, if you have any good ideas, please tell us as soon as possible. If they are feasible, we will definitely implement them without delay."
Facing Yuchi Jin's request, Zhu Qia did not hesitate and immediately said, "Nanzhao is a small country with many beliefs. In addition to mainstream Buddhism, there are also many primitive religions."
"And the high officials of Nanzhao are more or less closely related to these religions. I happen to have a piece of totem jade here, which can have a huge impact on primitive religions. If it is used well, there is no need to worry about many primitive religions not helping."
"What's more, it will be easier to break into the noble circles of Nanzhao by starting with religion. Maybe there are fanatics of these religions in the noble circles. With this totem jade in hand, once we encounter fanatics like dignitaries, I believe they will not hesitate at all even if we ask them to design Longshun. If such people gather together, subverting Nanzhao is not an empty talk." After speaking in one breath, Zhu Qia looked around at everyone with a very confident expression.
What totem jade was this? Yuchi Jin was a little confused. But just as she was about to ask, she heard the great monk Yicun suddenly shout, "Who is it?"
Following the sound, Yicun suddenly turned around and looked towards a hidden place by the river.
Everyone followed his gaze and looked, only to see dozens of warriors dressed in black and with ghost masks appear in their sight.
Seeing the familiar figure, Yuchi Jin immediately said, "Don't panic, we are one of them."
How could people in Heshuo, especially important people in Heshuo, be unfamiliar with this attire
The person who came was none other than the ghost guard from Heshuo, so of course he was one of our own.
Yuchi Jin's words made everyone relax their guard a little. The leading ghost guard immediately left the team, pushed everyone aside, and came to Yuchi Jin. He looked directly at Zhu Li in Yuchi Jin's arms and exclaimed, "Madam, the general, the general, what happened to him?"
As soon as he heard the voice, Yuchi Jin knew it was Jing Ming, and a bitter look immediately appeared on his face. Although Zhu Qia explained that Zhu Li became like this because she was attacked, Zhu Li suffered such misfortune because he brought her to Shu for medical treatment.
Without waiting for Yuchi Jin to explain, Zhu Qia, who was standing beside him, looked at Jing Ming in black and said calmly, "Don't worry, General. Although General Zhu Li is seriously injured, his life is not in danger now."
Jing Ming didn't recognize this Taoist priest who was in a dishevel and looked like a beggar. From the look in his mask, he could tell that he was very excited. Tears were visible in his angry and bitter tiger eyes.
These veterans had the deepest feelings for Zhu Li. Seeing Zhu Li's miserable condition, they naturally felt the same pain. Yuchi Jin did not want him to continue to be immersed in grief, and hurriedly asked: "Jing Ming, why are you here?"
Hearing this, Jing Ming slowly turned his gaze away from Zhu Li and looked at Yuchi Jin. His expression was a bit complicated, but he still bowed respectfully and said, "After the general set out, the two gentlemen, General Wu, and General Gao jointly ordered us to rush to Shu as soon as possible to meet the general."
Upon hearing this, Yuchi Jin's beautiful eyes moved, and she quickly asked, "How many of you are here?"
“My lady, we split up into small groups and sneaked into Shu. We have five hundred brothers in this group. Wang Chong’s group may have even more. All together, there are definitely no less than a thousand people, no more, no less.” Jing Ming replied calmly.
Jing Ming's words immediately relaxed Yuchi Jin's tense nerves.
Since she woke up, all she saw were people she didn't know. The only person around her who was familiar was Dong Ningyang, and he seemed to be insincere in what he said, which made her feel powerless.
Now that Jing Ming and his men have arrived, she finally has some support. Jing Ming is Zhu Li's most trusted ghost guard leader, and naturally he is also trusted by Yuchi Jin.
Besides, the Ghost Guards' men, their predecessors, were almost all fierce soldiers in the army. It can be said without exaggeration that these thousand people are veterans who have survived hundreds of battles and have unmatched combat power. With these thousand people in hand, it would naturally be much more convenient for Yuchi Jin to have any plans.
Now that she had more people, Yuchi Jin's thoughts changed. She frowned slightly and immediately said, "As far as I know, Xi'er River and Wanshou Temple are both near Yangzhumie City."
"Yangzhumie City is the capital of Nanzhao. If we want to seize Xi'er River and Wanshou Temple in their lair, it will not be an easy task."
"Nanzhao has eight military governors. The one adjacent to Sichuan and Shu is Jiannan. I intend to send a general to infiltrate Jiannan and join the army. As long as this person shows some ability and gets a position, he can find a way to incorporate the Ghost Guards into the army."
"Then let's see if we can get a chance to kill the Jiannan Jiedushi of Nanzhao. If things go well, this general will rise to prominence. Even if he can't replace the Jiedushi, he can still become an important general. With this force in hand, we will have something to rely on."
"Wouldn't it be better if we could use the help of religious forces, take a two-pronged approach, advance and retreat with reason, and coordinate with each other?" Yuchi Jin suggested calmly.
Zhu Qia's words were very powerful, but Yuchi Jin was not familiar with this person. Even if this person really wanted to save Zhu Li, she had to act with caution.
The Jiannan Jiedushi of Nanzhao controlled an area just adjacent to Yangzhumie City. He mixed the generals and ghost guards into the Jiannan army, which continued to grow stronger. With this force, he could secretly support and help, and at least ensure a safe retreat. In Yuchi Jin's opinion, this was the best strategy.
You all are smart people. After Yuchi Jin said this, everyone immediately understood what she meant. Yuchi Jin did not want to pin all her hopes on the totem jade, so she made two preparations.
Sending a general to infiltrate Jiannan can not only protect the retreat, but also, when necessary, sweep Jiannan with more than a thousand elite troops. Even if the totem jade does not have much effect, Yuchi Jin will still have a force in his hands. At least it should not be a problem to seize the Xi'er River.
After understanding Yuchi Jin's intention, everyone couldn't help but admire this lady even more. This was the style of a soldier, directly seizing a piece of territory, forming a force of their own, and gaining political power through the barrel of a gun.