Can't Gamble Luck Against Heaven

Lan Tian stroked his beard and nodded. "Shi Xie has had smooth sailing all his life. He has never faced any great storms, yet he easily obtained the power he holds today. Naturally, he trembles with fear in the face of threats. Boping's current pace of advance is roughly the same as what we worked out beforehand on the sand table. Your intelligence work has been quite excellent. Let us hope next month's campaign proceeds just as smoothly."

Song Chen clasped his fists and replied, "Wusihei has been treated as an honored guest by the Shi Clan in Jiaozhi. Shi Xie learned of your intentions through the Wusi brothers, and when he heard that the Trap-Breaking Army intended to borrow passage through Jiaozhi, he was frightened out of his wits. What he does not know is that the Wusi brothers have always been our men. Obtaining intelligence is simply too easy."

Lan Tian smiled faintly. Shi Xie's spies were not limited to Wusiding alone—Shi Zhi and Hu Ke were also the other side's eyes. But Shi Zhi had already been brought over to his side.

The great tide of the world was bound to flow toward unification. Yet Shi Xie still clung to the fantasy that chaos would never end, hoping that the Shi Clan could go on ruling Jiao Province as local emperors. But an individual's will could never contend against the tide of the age.

"Jiuzhen Commandery and Rinan Commandery are thick with forests. Are the Linyi guides Wusihei bribed trustworthy? Getting lost amid high mountains and dense woods would be extremely dangerous. The forests hold much miasma and many poisonous creatures. They must pass through quickly." Lan Tian frowned.

"Rest assured, sir. Though those Cham People cannot be relied upon, Wusihei offered them generous gold and silver.