Chapter 5

Song State, Song City!

Gu Hai and Gu Han walked down a street in Song City, watching the passersby.

"Father, the next shop ahead is ours, all our people!" Gu Han said with a smile.

Gu Hai nodded and looked around with a sigh, "Song City? It hasn't changed much in all these years!"

"Father, I heard that you once led an army, and there were few who could match you. Even with a group of defeated soldiers, you could quickly expand and become invincible. Why did you let Brother stay at Hulao Pass while you came here?" Gu Han asked curiously.

Gu Hai shook his head and said, "Gao Xianzhi is not an easy opponent. To defeat his ten thousand troops at Hulao Pass would take a very long time, but what I lack most now is time!"

"Time? Father, if you were to lead the troops at Hulao Pass and defeat the Song army, how long would it take?"

"A year!"

"A year? Is that a long time?"

Gu Hai shook his head and said, "If I were to lead the troops, I wouldn't fear anyone. I would eventually win. This time, the Qinghe Sect agreed to my demands so readily, which means some powerful figure is watching this battlefield. That's why they let the secular world fight on its own. I'm worried that if the time drags on, that powerful figure might get impatient and leave. Then, I don't know if the Qinghe Sect will keep their promise..."

"Oh? Father, didn't the head of the Qinghe Sect write a decree of promise?" Gu Han asked in surprise.

Gu Hai sneered and said, "Have you forgotten what I told you?"

"I understand. Such a promise is only kept when the parties are of equal strength or status. When there is a huge disparity in strength or status, the promise is just a joke. The head of the Qinghe Sect might keep it, or he might not care at all!" Gu Han said solemnly.

Gu Hai nodded and said, "I am now borrowing the power of that powerful figure! So, I must accomplish everything before he leaves, to ensure the promise is kept!"

"Yes!" Gu Han felt a heavy weight in his heart.

"However, Father, the morale of Song State is currently very high. The ruler and the ministers are united, the ministers and the people are united, and the people and the army are united. It's like a solid block, with high morale, an unstoppable force! Have you thought of a way in the past two days while reviewing the materials?" Gu Han asked worriedly.

"Ruler and ministers united, then we sow discord between them! Ministers and people united, then we sow discord between them! People and army united, then we sow discord between them!" Gu Hai said solemnly.

"Oh? What will Father do?" Gu Han's eyes lit up.

"I have already formulated a plan, let's call it the 'Plan to Destroy Song.' Since the ruler, ministers, people, and army of Song State are united, we will dismantle them one by one, destroying the morale of the army, the people, the ministers, and the ruler, one after another. Song State will naturally collapse!" Gu Hai said earnestly.

"Plan to Destroy Song? Father, how will you do it?" Gu Han asked, slightly excited.

Gu Han had seen Gu Hai's prowess since childhood. Whenever he mentioned 'plan,' it always involved a series of ingenious strategies. Each 'plan' was like a massive battle, encompassing everything, making it impossible to guard against.

"Actually, I had already thought about it on the way to Song. The past two days, I reviewed all the materials you collected on the Song nobility, just to select the key points. Now, we are missing a catalyst, and a person who can be manipulated. Tomorrow, you will hold a gathering, inviting the people I select to the Tian Mansion banquet. I will observe them carefully!" Gu Hai said.

"Yes!" Gu Han nodded.

The two continued walking down the street, talking. Suddenly, a cry came from a distance.

"Ah!"

"Get out of the way, don't block the path!"

"Go!"

"Rumble!"

...

At the front of the street, chaos reigned. A large number of pedestrians were fleeing in panic. About twenty horses galloped quickly, each rider wearing fine clothing.

"Snap!"

"Ah!"

A crisp sound accompanied by a scream, a man who was slower to escape was instantly trampled, his leg broken, and he cried out in pain.

"Rumble!"

The twenty horses continued at full speed, led by a young man with a fierce expression, his eyes cold, as if something had upset him.

"This is the Crown Prince's grandson, Song Zhengxi! The son of the Crown Prince, mentioned in the information I gave you. He is arrogant and tyrannical, a scourge of Song City. At a young age, he has a violent temper and has defiled many women in Song City!" Gu Han explained.

"He is the Crown Prince's grandson, Song Zhengxi?" Gu Hai's eyes narrowed.

"Go, get out of the way, get out of the way!" Song Zhengxi whipped his horse, galloping quickly.

"Boom!"

Another man was thrown off by Song Zhengxi's black horse.

"Bang!"

Gu Han caught the man who was thrown off. First update

"Hmph!" Song Zhengxi glanced sideways and sneered.

However, Song Zhengxi did not stop, continuing to gallop, followed by twenty guards, leaving a trail of chaos along the street.

After Song Zhengxi left, the street was filled with cries. At least eight people were injured by the horses of Song Zhengxi and his group.

"Thank you, thank you!" the man who was hit said gratefully.

"Go to the pharmacy and see a doctor, check if your bones are broken!" Gu Han said.

"Yes, thank you, ouch, it really seems broken, thank you, I'll go now!"

The man left, and Gu Han looked at Gu Hai, who was watching Song Zhengxi's departing back, frowning slightly. "What a heavy smell of blood!"

"Oh?"

"Song Zhengxi's clothes are stained with blood, no, his twenty guards are also stained with blood, and there are signs of burns on their bodies. Send someone to investigate where they went earlier!" Gu Hai said solemnly. First update

"Yes!" Gu Han responded.

Two hours later.

Gu Han and Gu Hai arrived at a remote village outside Song City.

Standing at the village entrance, both Gu Hai and Gu Han's faces darkened.

They saw that the village had about ten households, one of which was larger. Now, it was completely in ruins. A fire had burned almost everything. The large household had a scorched sign, barely readable, with the words 'Lin Mansion'!

"Go, see if there are any survivors!" Gu Han said to the seven or eight guards behind him. First update

"Yes!"

Boom!

The guards quickly moved forward, searching the houses. Soon, charred bodies were carried out.

"No ash in their mouths, they were killed first, then burned!" the guards said.

"Master, there's a survivor here!" a guard called out.

"Oh?" Everyone gathered around.

In the ruins of the Lin Mansion, a man covered in soot weakly moved.

"A sword pierced his heart, and he didn't die?" Gu Han was surprised.

"No, his heart is on the right side, so he survived by chance!" Gu Hai said solemnly. First update

The guards quickly cleared the soot from the man's mouth and nose, giving him some water to drink.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

The man coughed weakly, opened his eyes, and looked around in confusion. All he saw was ruins.

"Sister, sister, sister!" the man seemed to go mad, searching around.

"All the bodies are outside!" Gu Han sighed.

The man quickly crawled outside, searching carefully, and finally found a charred woman.

The woman's head was smashed, and there was a blood hole in her body. Her clothes were disheveled, and she had bled to death.

"Sister, sister, you can't die, sister!" the man kept shaking the woman's body.

But the woman was already silent.

"Ah, ah, ah, Song Zhengxi, ah!" the man hugged the woman's body, crying and screaming in pain.

"Father, we have already investigated. This is the home of Lin Chong, the first vanguard under Gao Xianzhi! The woman is called Xiaodie, Lin Chong's wife. They were very much in love. Later, somehow, Song Zhengxi saw Xiaodie and lusted after her. This time, he might have taken advantage of Lin Chong's absence..." Gu Han explained.

"Lin Chong, the first vanguard under Gao Xianzhi?" Gu Hai looked at the man in pain, his expression serious.

"Most nobles are like this. Such tragedies are not limited to here. The Crown Prince's grandson has done this more than once. But because of their noble status, the authorities suppress these incidents. This time, it won't be long before the officials come to suppress this matter!" Gu Han shook his head.

Gu Hai frowned deeply and said, "Cancel the gathering tomorrow. We don't need to find anyone else. Since we've encountered this, it will be Song Zhengxi. What he has done will eventually be repaid!"

"Father, are you going to use Song Zhengxi as a catalyst? Do you want him dead?" Gu Han's expression changed.

"No, I want him to live!" Gu Hai's eyes were cold.

------------

The next day, outside Song City, in a small estate, Gu Hai was directing a group of servants to tie letters to a large flock of pigeons. Gu Han stood in front of Gu Hai, holding a stack of papers, the top one reading 'Plan to Destroy Song' in large characters.

"Father, Xiaodie's brother has already joined our caravan and should arrive at the front lines where Lin Chong is soon!" Gu Han said.

"One Xiaodie is far from enough. Next, we need to gather all evidence of Song Zhengxi's crimes, and the tragic conditions of the families of soldiers in various places. Even if there isn't any, we need to create some. Don't hurt anyone, just make them disappear for a while. After the war ends, let them reappear." Gu Hai said solemnly.

"Father, rest assured. However, news from the front lines suggests that Gao Xianzhi, upon hearing that Father is stationed at Hulao Pass, has stopped his advance!" Gu Han said with a hint of pride.

"No, Gao Xianzhi is a master of strategy and is not one to shy away from risks. That news is just a cover. If I'm not mistaken, he hasn't stopped his advance but is leading a group of elite troops to Hulao Pass quietly!" Gu Hai said solemnly.

"Oh?" Gu Han looked surprised.

"The Qin side should be able to hold out for a while, so we need to quickly cripple his 800,000 troops during this time!" Gu Hai said solemnly.

"I've reviewed Father's plan to destroy Song. The first battle is to demoralize the army!" Gu Han's eyes showed admiration.

"Release these pigeons. The destruction of Song begins!" Gu Hai said.

"Boom!"

The pigeon cages were opened, and a large flock of pigeons soared into the sky, heading north.

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