Although it was late at night, lamps still burned inside Zhang Ziqian's tent. He and his adopted son, Yan Hucheng, had been talking for a long time, yet they still seemed unable to agree on certain matters. Yan Hucheng said, "Godfather, I've received word that Yang Daoyuan has already reached an agreement with the Shajia People. Once we march on Redwood River, they'll attack Southern Yue."
Zhang Ziqian said, "You mustn't spread claims without evidence. If the Commander-in-Chief didn't trust him, he wouldn't have appointed him to command this campaign."
Yan Hucheng countered, "Godfather, if the Commander-in-Chief trusts him, why did he send you to oversee the army? You've only just returned from the Fragrant Kingdom. He has always been considerate toward you. He would never put you through such exhausting work unless something urgent had happened."
Zhang Ziqian sighed without answering.
Yan Hucheng said, "Godfather, with certain reports, it's better to believe them than dismiss them. If this is true, we must strike first to gain the upper hand."
Zhang Ziqian said, "Have you considered that someone might be trying to drive a wedge between us, stirring up internal strife before we attack Redwood River?"
Yan Hucheng said, "We've deployed our troops with great secrecy this time. Very few people should be able to discern our intentions."
Zhang Ziqian laughed heartily. He slowly rose and walked over to the topographic map hanging ahead of them. Stroking his beard, he studied it and said, "In my view, we must pick up the pace of our march. The longer we delay, the greater the chance our plan will be exposed. Unfortunately, man's calculations cannot outmatch Heaven's. Problems arose with the allocation of provisions. We've already been delayed two days. By the time we march the day after tomorrow, it will have