Chapter 1 What Happened in Bei Liao?

What exactly happened in Bei Liao that allowed Song Yi and Chen Chengze to indicate they were willing to talk, even after Ye Tao had proposed such demanding conditions? While Ye Tao pondered this question, Song Yi and Chen Chengze were sighing softly.

"Mr. Song, this Ye Tao is indeed young." Recalling their earlier meeting, Chen Chengze still found it hard to believe. They had known Ye Tao's age for some time, but seeing it firsthand was still a shock. Ye Tao's rise to his current position was undoubtedly linked to his marriage to the two princesses, Tan Weixin and Tan Weishi, but ultimately, it was because he truly possessed the talent. His inventions and creations, capable of changing the world, were envied by all nations. However, everyone also knew that only Ye Tao, born in Dongping, could have achieved such development. In Bei Liao, a craftsman like him would, at best, be an important vassal of certain powerful families, never receiving enough attention and resources to conduct those grand studies. And any resulting achievements would inevitably be seized through trickery and force, becoming the capital for some great families to advance their own interests. In Chun Nan, Ye Tao's "strange and ingenious skills" would likely never allow him to enter officialdom, preventing him from utilizing his abilities in management and system establishment. The situation would probably be similar in Xi Ling, where the clan system was too deeply entrenched. No matter how talented or highly regarded he was, it would take generations of dedicated effort to produce a regional official, let alone a position like the Northern Frontier Pacification Commissioner, who controlled a region and whose word was law. And now, Dongping, with its military spirit and romanticism, was fortunate enough to successively obtain two geniuses, Ye Tao and Tan Weixin, and allowed them to grow freely, finally achieving the opportunity to unify the world.

"Ye Tao is not just young... I'm sure many people regret not killing him from the start, instead of allowing him to reach his current position. And... those who assassinated the Dongping royal family back then, why didn't they put in more effort to kill Tan Weixin as well? Ye Tao is formidable, but he is, after all, skilled in crafts and technology, and his interests are broad. If he had focused solely on military equipment, something even more terrifying might have emerged, but it wouldn't be enough to worry about. General, you also know how expensive military equipment is. Even if we in Bei Liao could build it now, what good would it do? We aren't as wealthy as Dongping. And Dongping's wealth is half thanks to this sickly Princess Zhaohua." As a merchant, Song Yi clearly understood the power of money. A set of high-quality armor could give inexperienced soldiers a hundredfold increase in courage, and excellent weapons could compensate for a lack of strength and endurance. The effect was even more pronounced when applied to a strong army like Dongping's. But whether it was armor or weapons, production and manufacturing were both extremely costly.

"Are we just going to watch Bei Liao perish? Is there really nothing we can do?" Chen Chengze sighed. "His Majesty will definitely not accept such conditions. In the end, we will have made this trip for nothing." Chen Chengze shook his head. Their stance of being willing to discuss anything was indeed partly due to the emperor's instructions, who said that if they were going to show weakness, they might as well show it completely. However, it now seemed that these conditions, under such a display of weakness, barely met the other party's standards for negotiation.

"Is there any other way now? Are we really going to act recklessly like the Gao family?" Chen Chengze asked.

"General, the Gao family doesn't want to act recklessly either. Who wouldn't want to have enough power in their own hands? But Old Gao can't restrain Gao Senqi anymore," Song Yi sighed. "Before we set off, His Majesty summoned Old Gao to discuss this very matter. Old Gao did a lot to ensure our safe arrival here. His son, at least, gives his old man some face. As for the others, ha, who does Gao Senqi care about now?"

"I hope His Majesty can make a decisive decision... The West Route Army is supposedly defending the country for Bei Liao, but whose country are they defending now?" Chen Chengze snorted, his dislike for Gao Senqi plain. Although young, Gao Senqi was indeed outrageously arrogant. Without Bei Liao's unwavering support, how could the West Route Army have become so strong? Yet he, who had been entrusted with such high hopes, was now disobeying orders in this critical moment. Chen Chengze had long suggested controlling Gao Senqi and forcing the West Route Army to obey the court's orders. However, the emperor had repeatedly rejected this idea, partly because Gao Senqi was currently the person who understood Ye Tao's abilities the best, making him suitable to deal with Ye Tao. Also, Gao Senqi was now being cautious, making it difficult to find an opportunity to control him. Any carelessness could lead to his escape, which would not just mean the loss of a general, but would essentially signify the West Route Army's defection.

While Bei Liao itself hesitated about whether to take action against Gao Senqi, the Special Operations Battalion operating within Bei Liao had no such reservations. Dai Rong was rushing towards Yunzhou to report the latest firsthand intelligence to Ye Tao, while Zhang Wei, who was leading the team at this time, was caught in a dilemma. Because the Special Operations Battalion had been slightly too active recently, they were now finding it difficult to attack supply convoys. The enemy's escort teams had become too formidable for the Special Operations Battalion to engage and eliminate without significant losses, and compared to other units, the Special Operations Battalion was even more unwilling to fight a war of attrition. Before leaving, Dai Rong instructed Zhang Wei to reduce activities, find a way to stockpile some supplies, and focus on finding and striking targets of sufficient value. Zhang Wei was originally reluctant to disobey Dai Rong's orders easily, but the situation had indeed changed. Seemingly aware of this powerful and efficient raiding force from Dongping, the enemy had mobilized a cavalry force of as many as 10,000 men to search for and pursue them, even while conscripting Tan Weiran's and Chi Lei's forces in the northeast, where their manpower was already stretched thin. If not for the fact that the Special Operations Battalion soldiers were all elite, their initial carelessness in the first few encounters would have almost led to their discovery. But under the current circumstances, it was indeed not suitable to continue carrying out the original mission. In addition, there was the instigation of Barrett, who had been competing with Zhang Wei in all aspects since the first day he joined the Special Operations Battalion. Zhang Wei finally ordered them to leave the East Route Army's jurisdiction and enter the West Route Army's territory. Although the West Route Army was always on high alert, and any encounter would inevitably be a tough battle, Zhang Wei and Barrett each led a team, acting separately. This greater dispersal meant they were less likely to encounter the West Route Army. Although the West Route Army had a higher level of alert and relatively stronger combat power, the preparations they had been making were all for a major battle, a decisive battle with Dongping. The troops were concentrated relatively tightly, and unless they deliberately headed towards areas where the enemy had concentrated heavy troops, it would be difficult to encounter enemy patrols.

Of course, this also meant that it would not be easy for them to find and annihilate more important targets. After several days without any combat, several scouts from the Special Operations Battalion finally reported to Zhang Wei: "Boss, we've discovered a small team of over a hundred men, all from the Flying Tiger Camp. There are also two carriages in the middle. Looks like a big shot. Should we make a move?"

"How far away are they?" Zhang Wei immediately became interested.

"Southeast, seven li." Having followed Zhang Wei for many years, the soldier knew that Zhang Wei was clearly tempted; otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken in that tone. He quickly unfolded a map, pointed to a spot slightly southwest of their position, and said, "Boss, they're heading west, and will definitely pass through Mo Liang, which is this valley here. It should be a good place for an ambush. If we set off now, at their speed, we should have three quarters of an hour to prepare. What do you think, Boss?"

Zhang Wei thought for a moment, then looked at Barrett, who was equally eager, and said, "Then let's do it here. You go back and keep an eye on them, and report back immediately if anything happens. The enemy team is expanding its reconnaissance front and rear. If the target is important enough, there should be forward and rear scouts."

The Special Operations Battalion acted very quickly. Barrett was particularly skilled in ambushes, and his expertise in medicine could also be brought into play. There was no need to be too blatant; just let a little bit of an unusual scent fill the air. This substance, called Tranquilizing Incense, could make people feel relaxed and comfortable, unconsciously lowering their guard. And even a one percent reduction in vigilance could be disastrous when facing a formidable opponent like the Special Operations Battalion.

Although Zhang Wei had ordered an ambush, his recent encounters had taught him not to be even slightly careless. In addition to having Barrett set up the ambush, he led his own team to deploy on the periphery. And the enemy's reaction upon entering Mo Liang also made his heart clench. The enemy had actually sent out four groups of four horsemen each to scout ahead. These horsemen rode up to several high points, cautiously using binoculars to observe the dangerous ravine.

Mo Liang was named after three incredibly large rocks, a long, thick black-gray rock resting on two brown-gray rocks, looking like a black beam. Because of these three huge rocks, the visibility in the entire ravine was poor, and even though the enemy had sent out four groups of horsemen, Barrett, who was already in position, was not worried at all. As for Barrett's own hiding place, it was less than ten feet away from one group of enemy horsemen. In the short time he had to prepare, he had dug himself a foxhole, hiding inside, with a small periscope peeking out from the branches, allowing him to observe the movements of this group of horsemen. But he was secretly cursing in his heart. He originally thought it was a good place, but now all he could do was stare at these four horsemen. He couldn't do anything else. When to take action would depend on the soldiers outside to decide. He definitely couldn't give orders. Barrett decided that he would definitely kill these four oblivious guys later to vent his anger.