Already Had a Countermeasure

Chapter 38: Already Had a Countermeasure

Time flies when you're reunited after a long separation.

As evening fell and the sun set, Li Dingguo and over a dozen young Martial Artists, along with Little Bean Sprout and the others, said their reluctant goodbyes at the entrance of the Earth God Temple.

"Little Bean Sprout, Red Plum!"

Li Dingguo addressed Little Bean Sprout and another taller girl who stood at the front of the crowd, leading the orphans and beggars who had come to see them off. "I'm entrusting the management of these little friends to the two of you for now."

"If anyone has any opinions, just write them down and give them to me to handle!"

"You must remember, from now on, the environmental hygiene management here, including your personal hygiene, must be strictly carried out according to the regulations we just set!"

Li Dingguo looked up, his gaze sharp as he scanned the dozens of boys and girls in front of him. He said in a cold voice, "All of you must remember, from now on, the logistics here will be fully managed by Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum!"

"Anyone who doesn't comply, get out of here!"

"Our team will not need anyone who doesn't follow the rules!"

"Don't let me find anyone who pretends to obey but acts otherwise, or the consequences will be more than you can bear!"

Having said this, he scanned the silent, intimidated boys and girls again. Seeing that none of them had any objections, he softened his voice and said to Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum in front of him, "If you encounter any difficulties during this time, you can go to the Wang Family Courtyard and ask someone to inform me."

"Starting tomorrow, our Martial Artist team will frequently go outside the city for combat training."

"Over the next two months or so, I will come by occasionally and give you some instructions."

Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum were appointed as the managers of this small group by Li Dingguo that afternoon, primarily to manage the logistics for these orphans and beggars, helping them gradually develop discipline and unity starting now.

As for Red Plum, she was the only genius Li Dingguo found among these orphans and beggars who had a broad perspective and was very organized in her words and actions.

To ensure that the lives of Little Bean Sprout and the other orphans and beggars would no longer be chaotic, appointing two managers was very necessary.

Starting some preparations now was like planning ahead, and there was no harm in it.

Otherwise, when the time came, they would be completely lost and things would be a mess.

"Yes, Boss!"...

Dozens of youngsters on the scene quickly responded in agreement.

Li Dingguo waved goodbye to everyone, led his team of young Martial Artists, and turned to walk back with large strides.

It was almost dinner time, and they were in a hurry to get back to the Wang Family Courtyard so they wouldn't miss a meal of Spirit Food. For them, whose cultivation was improving by leaps and bounds, it would be a considerable loss.

The grim situation facing the Rebel Army was becoming increasingly urgent, and no one wanted to miss any opportunity to improve their cultivation and combat strength.

Deep in the night, the county yamen hall was brightly lit.

Zhang Xianzhong sat on a large wooden chair, looking at Zhang Kewang, who had just been summoned before him. He nodded with satisfaction and said, "Kewang, you've worked hard during this time."

He was genuinely praising the other person, not just being perfunctory.

Facts had proven that Zhang Kewang, with his rich military experience, had real ability.

Since he joined the Rebel Army and became Zhang Xianzhong's adopted son, he had not only brought the hundred Veteran Camp soldiers under Zhang Xianzhong's command into line, but also diligently and effectively completed the miscellaneous tasks Zhang Xianzhong assigned him.

He had recently established his authority in the army several times. During inspections of the Rebel Army's logistics and miscellaneous affairs, he personally executed several minor Rebel Army leaders who had repeatedly violated military orders, deterring many soldiers and initially gaining a foothold in the Rebel Army.

Under the management of Zhang Xianzhong and Zhang Kewang, both Martial Artists at the fourth level, the previously chaotic Rebel Army had undergone significant changes and made great progress compared to the previous rabble.

Although they still couldn't be compared to the elite government troops, they were no longer what they used to be.

"Adoptive Father, this is my duty, I dare not take credit!"

Zhang Kewang's heart filled with joy upon hearing this. He quickly stood up, bowed to Zhang Xianzhong, and respectfully clasped his fists, saying solemnly, "The Rebel Army is what it is today thanks to Adoptive Father's overall planning. I have only contributed a small amount of my humble effort."

"Oh, and Adoptive Father."

Speaking of this, he thought of something else and reported, "I have followed your instructions and sent two elite scout teams from the Veteran Camp towards Yansui Town to closely monitor the main routes to and from our Dingbian City."

"Once the government army comes to suppress us, we will receive news at least one or two hours before the enemy arrives."

"However..."

He expressed his concerns, "I am a bit worried now, after all, our Dingbian City is under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Commander of the Eastern Route of Yansui Town."

"I heard that Cao Wenzhao, the Deputy Commander of the Eastern Route of Yansui Town, has been quite active since he was promoted from Border Army Major in Liaodong this year to Deputy Commander of Yansui Town."

"There are rumors that Cao Wenzhao recently led three thousand elite cavalry under his command and ventured outside the Great Wall without authorization, destroying several small and medium-sized Tartar tribes near the outer Great Wall, which has already deterred the Tartars who repeatedly raided the eastern route of Yansui Town!"

"If Cao Wenzhao, who doesn't even fear the Tartars, personally leads his elite army to encircle and suppress us, then..."

To be honest, even though Zhang Kewang thought highly of himself, he had no confidence in facing Cao Wenzhao head-on.

This was what he had been worried about recently.

Who knew if he could even last a single move against the famous Cao Wenzhao?

Not to mention that Cao Wenzhao also had a super general under his command, Cao Bianjiao.

If he were to face such an existence, he had no confidence in escaping with his life.

Moreover, with these newly formed Rebel Army soldiers under his command, it was estimated that they wouldn't even be able to withstand a single encounter against Cao Wenzhao's three thousand elite cavalry!

He dared to bet that, not to mention the Eight Great Kings' current newly formed Rebel Army that had just raised the banner of rebellion, even Wang Ziyong, the nominal joint leader of the many Rebel Armies in Qin, known as the "Purple Golden Beam," whose Rebel Army soldiers exceeded one hundred thousand, would definitely not be a match for Cao Wenzhao's elite cavalry!

"Kewang, I've already been preparing for the issue you're worried about," Zhang Xianzhong said calmly upon hearing him. "Facing such a powerful army, our only option is to transfer and withdraw from Dingbian City in advance and in a timely manner."

"To that end, I've already ordered the Logistics Camp soldiers to begin packing up all sorts of money, grain, and supplies into storage, and for the Artisan Camp to focus all their efforts on building large horse carts and flatbed carts."

"I've set the route for our withdrawal. Soon, I plan to lead the soldiers southeast towards the inner Great Wall."

"The pass from our Dingbian City to Mizhi County within the pass is completely abandoned. We just need to follow the official road along the Wuding River and withdraw southeast."

"Once we reach Mizhi, we'll turn west towards Anding City. Then we can leave the territory under Cao Wenzhao's jurisdiction and won't have to worry about him pursuing us."

"The court's authority still holds sway. Without a troop deployment order from the Ministry of War or an imperial decree, I doubt Cao Wenzhao would dare to cross the border privately and lead troops into an area not under his command."

Zhang Xianzhong, being a seasoned strategist, had long since considered the problem Zhang Kewang raised.

The only concern now was whether their scouting party could detect the approaching court army in time and provide an early warning.

As for why they weren't leading the Rebel Army soldiers to leave the vicinity of Dingbian City in advance?

Zhang Xianzhong was currently in a difficult position.

The current situation in Dingbian City presented an excellent opportunity for his Rebel Army to establish a solid foundation.

Leaving Dingbian City prematurely would significantly impact the thorough reorganization of his Rebel Army.

Not only did the three hundred Veteran Camp soldiers need a stable environment to recuperate, but the large number of new recruits recently enlisted also urgently needed time to grow quickly.

This was even more true for the Orphan Youth Camp, which had just been formed and on which he placed great hopes.

After repeated deliberation and weighing the gains and losses, Zhang Xianzhong had to take some risks.