The Zhou Army's main camp.
Xiqi's Civil and Martial officials gathered in the Central Army Tent to discuss the Formation Duel scheduled for three days hence.
Ji Fa sat upright before his desk and looked at Jiang Ziya beside him, his expression grave. "We will be relying on you for the Formation Duel in three days, Father Chancellor."
Jiang Ziya cupped his hands, pride showing on his face. "Rest assured. I will see to it that the Shang Army comes but never returns."
As the discussion grew heated, a messenger suddenly arrived with a report. "Bad news! Bad news!"
Ji Fa was about to speak, but Jiang Ziya beat him to it, asking displeasedly, "What has you so flustered?"
The messenger glanced at Jiang Ziya, then at Ji Fa. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Your Majesty, Chancellor, all the provisions General Chong was transporting have been destroyed!"
The reason Ji Gao had yet to lead his troops north to establish contact with Bo Yikao was precisely their lack of provisions.
After several battles, little remained of the provisions the Zhou Army had brought on its eastern expedition. They had to wait for supplies from the rear before they could divide their forces.
Hearing that the provisions had been destroyed, Ji Fa immediately frowned and asked for details. "Chong Yingluan is no mean warrior. A handful of stragglers could never have intercepted the provisions, and the Shang Army has remained inside Sishui Pass all this time. How exactly were they destroyed?"
Ji Fa said nothing about assigning blame, either. Chong Yingluan was Chong Heihu's son, and Chong Heihu had once saved Ji Fa's life from the Qiang. That counted as a meritorious act of saving the sovereign. He was also one of the first immortals to join Xiqi and had