Feng Pu, whose ambition could not be suppressed

For Feng Pu, the rebellion had already been declared; if things had gone smoothly, that would have been fine, but now he was compressed into this tiny corner.

To the north lay the Great Qian Imperial Court's hundreds of thousands of troops, with elite soldiers and generals as numerous as clouds; it was simply not something he could contend with.

To the east was the vast ocean, so the only direction he could break the deadlock was to the Southwest.

After sending out a large number of spies and confirming that Gao Yuan's total force in the Region and Leizhou Prefecture areas was only over ten thousand, he began to scheme.

His idea was simple: as long as he could succeed in a surprise attack before Gao Yuan reacted.

Then, by the time Gao Yuan's reinforcements arrived, Leizhou Prefecture, Wu Prefecture, and Gui Prefecture would already be in his pocket.

However, he never expected that Xian Ying would discover his plans before he even launched them.

In the back hall of the Governors Office in Guchang County, Gao Yuan looked at the incredibly bewitching woman before him.

These should be top-secret matters; I estimate that few of Feng Pu's subordinates even know about them. How exactly did you find out?

The woman looked somewhat smug.

Although I have left Guangzhou, I left eyes and ears there; how could the sudden secret mobilization of the South of the Ranges army escape my informants?

Gao Yuan was still a bit skeptical.

Since it was a secret mobilization, how did you know? You surely don't have eyes and ears within the South of the Ranges army, do you?

How could Feng Pu possibly let me touch the army?

The woman bit her red lip gently with her pearly white teeth, hesitating for a long time before speaking the truth.

The largest brothels in every prefecture of South of the Ranges are my properties. Even Feng Pu and the elders of the Xian Family do not know about this; this is my final trump card...

The woman glanced at Gao Yuan, looking at him somewhat timidly.

Do you think I am dirty...

Gao Yuan stared at the woman who was tentatively testing the waters, and shook his head.

The fact that you were able to build a force for yourself under such circumstances shows that you are very clever.

The woman clearly breathed a sigh of relief and performed a courtesy to Gao Yuan.

Then... then I shall take my leave.

Watching the woman's retreating figure, Gao Yuan called out to stop her.

That... thank you!

The woman nodded gently with her back to Gao Yuan and walked away with light steps.

Once the woman left, Gao Yuan's expression became serious, and after a while, he spoke.

Come here, summon Xue Linfeng, Xia Luqi, Chen Dao, and Zhao Meng to discuss matters.

About an hour later, in the Governors Office meeting hall, Gao Yuan, Zhao Xiyao, Mu Sheng, and the four generals of the Central Corps were all gathered.

Gao Yuan first reported the intelligence provided by Xian Ying.

Everyone, discuss this and see if you have any thoughts.

The first to speak was Xue Linfeng.

This humble general believes that regardless of whether the Southern Yue Army wants to go north or west, we must be prepared; This humble general suggests moving the Central Corps to station along the line from Gui Prefecture to Leizhou Prefecture in advance to avoid a surprise attack by the enemy.

This humble general seconds the motion.

Xia Luqi and Zhao Meng spoke in unison.

Me too!

Gao Yuan rolled his eyes at the two simpletons and waved his hand to signal everyone to sit down.

If I only wanted to block Feng Pu, why would I have called you all here to discuss it?

Xue Linfeng immediately reacted.

Does the Lord want to swallow up Feng Pu's forces?

Not just that; I want to take the opportunity to advance east and capture the entire Guangzhou, Shao Prefecture, Xunzhou, and Chaozhou of the Lingnan Circuit in one fell swoop.

The four men's faces immediately lit up with joy; this was another big battle.

If they truly took the Nanyue Kingdom established by Feng Pu seriously, then it would be a war of annihilation, full of merit.

The four immediately stood up and cupped their hands to Gao Yuan.

We await the Lord's orders.

Good, pass the order: form an Eastern Expedition Army with the Central Corps, Baier Soldiers, Lingnan Corps, and one division of the Zhongnan Circuit garrison; appoint Xue Linfeng as the Grand Commander of the Lingnan Circuit expedition, and Ma Song and Mu Sheng as Deputy Grand Commanders to lead the troops in attacking the Nanyue Kingdom.

The four men excitedly received the orders and the token and went down, only Mu Sheng's mind was still in a daze.

When eating dinner that night, Mu Qing heard the news and was full of confusion.

Husband, why did you suddenly appoint Father as a Deputy Grand Commander!

Gao Yuan reached out and pinched the woman's delicate little face.

Isn't this good? Many people don't have the chance to go to the battlefield to earn merit!

The woman still didn't understand.

Does Father still need merit?

Gao Yuan smiled without speaking, and Zhao Xiyao on the side began to explain to her sister.

Qingqing, if we really conquer the world in the future, how should Husband reward Uncle when it comes to rewarding merit? I'm afraid that relying solely on the earliest contributions that supported us would be difficult to convince the masses, right?

Only then did Gao Yuan put down his chopsticks and held Mu Qing's little hand.

Qingqing, I heard that your Father has a concubine who is pregnant?

Speaking of this, Mu Qing was a little annoyed.

Father is really something, he's decades old and actually still... oh, how annoying!

Hahaha, Qingqing, you are already married, who will inherit the Mu Family's estate in the future? Besides, if I remember correctly, you personally selected those concubines!

The woman's face turned even redder, and she stomped her little feet.

I... I was just afraid he would be lonely!

Alright, alright, eat quickly, the food is getting cold. This matter is settled.

After speaking, Gao Yuan took out four sheets of paper from his bosom and handed them to Zheng Wan and Song Yao.

Wan'er, Yaoyao, when you go back, have your families each select two people to serve as grain officers and record-keeping military advisors in the army.

The two women had just watched Gao Yuan put so much effort into planning for Mu Sheng, and felt very envious and jealous.

But they also knew that although they entered the house earlier than Mu Qing, they were remarried after all.

Moreover, the Song Family and the Zheng Family had had a rift when they tried to get a piece of the pie from Gao Yuan last time.

So the two of them were only envious, did not say it out loud, and would certainly not cause trouble for Gao Yuan.

But how could Gao Yuan forget them? They were all his women, so of course, he had to treat them equally.

The ability and qualifications of the Song Family and the Zheng Family people made it impossible for them to hold high positions.

But managing logistics was no problem, so before coming back for dinner, he had already written the appointment letters; all they had to do was take them back and fill in the names.

As for why the appointment letters were given to the two women instead of directly to the Zheng Family, it was naturally to save face for his women: Look, this official position and the opportunity to earn merit were fought for by them; you must learn to be grateful.

At the Mu residence, Mu Sheng finally understood his son-in-law's intentions and slapped his thigh, exclaiming that he had been slow to react.

Thinking this through, he immediately ordered:

Wife, wife, remember to prepare a generous gift tomorrow to visit our daughter.

At the Song residence and the Zheng residence, the two old foxes naturally also understood Gao Yuan's intentions.

The next day, they had the four juniors bring gifts to the Grand Princesss Residence in the name of visiting their sister.

Gao Yuan was very satisfied with the reaction of these three families.

He didn't value what gifts others sent, but rather the act and attitude of sending gifts.

Gao Yuan's actions here were very swift and covert; the Central Corps assembled in five days and headed west.

After traveling west for a while, the Central Corps turned south, passing through Guangnan, Cao Bang, and Guangning, and finally entered Lianzhou Prefecture to lie in wait.

At the same time, Gao Yuan also sent people to spread rumors through various channels, saying that the Xikang Army was assembling in the southern part of Kangding.

The spies Feng Pu had planted in Guchang County believed it to be true, especially after he quietly followed the army for a while, he became even more convinced.

Soon this news reached Guangzhou city, and Feng Pu became even more confident in his plan.

In the third year of the new era name, in March, after careful planning and full preparation, this great war finally began.

The Southern Yue Army split into two routes, with the third son, Feng Chengdao, leading ten thousand troops to attack Gui Prefecture to contain Gao Yuan's forces.

With the Heir to the Nanyue Kingdom, Feng Chengqian, as the commander-in-chief, they raised an army of thirty-five thousand to launch a surprise attack on Leizhou Prefecture.