My lady, I'm going to rebel.

Deng Yuling was dreaming of annihilating the rebel army in one fell swoop, but he didn't know that Fan Chong was already discussing how to counter the sneak attack.

Zhang Hao pulled out a simple map with a few circles marking several roads. "These soldiers took advantage of the South Gate being open and quietly hid in Huahuatou. Huahuatou is a dilapidated fortress left over from the previous dynasty. While it's no longer habitable, it's still suitable for a few days."

Xie Nong picked up the map and said, "Thankfully, Mu Zheng reminded us that this Huahuatou is only about seven or eight miles away from us. Since it's in a different direction from Ju County, we usually didn't notice it."

Fan Chong was also very grateful for this: "Yes, if they launched a surprise attack from behind us, we really wouldn't be able to react."

Hearing everyone's praise for Mu Zheng, Xie Junfei felt a little jealous. This was because the other party had been lurking in the city for a long time. If it were him, it would be feasible as well.

"The reinforcements have been here for four or five days now, so the substitution should be almost complete. If my estimate is correct, their surprise attack will happen in the next few days at most." Fan Chong said that since the enemy was planning to attack them, they might as well attack these officers and soldiers in return. "Take advantage of their self-righteousness and crush their evil plan."

"General Fan, I am willing to take the lead in the battle!" Xie Junfei stepped forward.

"Don't worry. This group of officers and soldiers are familiar with Huahuatou, and that place is mountainous, so they have a good terrain. If we want to launch a surprise attack on them, we need to conduct a thorough reconnaissance." Fan Chong said.

"Then I am willing to complete the reconnaissance mission." Xie Junfei shouted.

Fan Chong naturally did not refuse Xie Junfei's initiative, but in order to complete the task smoothly, he finally asked the other two to accompany Xie Junfei.

They were two brothers, locals from Ju County.

The older brother is Fei Yang and the younger brother is Fei Yue.

Time was running out, so the three of them dressed up briefly and set off immediately.

In the evening, the three returned. Xie Junfei reported to Fan Chong, "General, we've checked. The Huahuatou group is about 200 strong. The entire fortress is built on a hilltop. The trail ahead was damaged, but it has been repaired by the soldiers. However, due to time constraints, the trail is very narrow and can only accommodate two people at a time. This is very disadvantageous for our surprise attack."

As he spoke, Xie Junfei took out a blueprint that depicted the terrain around the flower head.

"There's a checkpoint at the top of this path. It's quite difficult to climb, with cliffs on three sides. It's steep and difficult to climb, and you'll easily fall if you're not careful. Plus, there's a door here that will delay our attack." Fei Yang pointed to one of the spots and continued, "If our battle line is stretched too far, it'll be easy for the enemy to spot us. If they drop rocks and logs from above, the attacking side will inevitably suffer heavy casualties."

Fan Chong frowned, but judging from the terrain, this place was indeed easy to defend but difficult to attack. However, since the fortress was abandoned, it was not impossible to capture it, but it was likely to cause the situation Fei Yang described, with heavy casualties.

"General, this is our first time fighting against reinforcements, and also our first attack. We cannot afford any mistakes." Xie Nong was very worried.

Fan Chong naturally understood this truth.

The entire rebel army is now in a state of excitement, and everyone hopes to have a big battle with the officers and soldiers. However, if the battle goes wrong, it is likely to affect morale.

This matter must be carefully considered.

Seeing Wang Dou pondering, everyone frowned and tried to think of a solution. Fei Yue suddenly said, "General, I have an idea. Maybe we can try it."

Everyone looked at him.

"You say!" Fan Chong said.

Fei Yue thought for a moment and pointed at the pass, saying, "This place is backed by a mountain, and the mountain is vertical and high. If the officers and soldiers stand on the fortress, they can't see what's going on below."

"Wait!" Fan Chong interrupted Fei Yue. "The pass is an important section of the road. Anyone with a sense of defense knows that it should be closely monitored. How come the officers and soldiers can't see it?"

"Because there are trees here." As soon as Fei Yue finished speaking, Fei Yang was instantly delighted: "Oh, why didn't I think of that."

He looked at Fan Chong and said, "Before this fortress was abandoned, the bandits cut down the surrounding trees. Now that the trees have grown back, they will definitely affect the view from the top of the mountain."

"That's right!" Fei Yue said, "As long as we send a team to hide in this mountain pass first, and then deliberately make noises to let the enemy discover us, we can use bows and arrows to attack from a distance and kill them. Then we pretend to be defeated and retreat. The enemy will definitely chase us. As long as they open the gate at the mountain pass, the people guarding the mountain pass in advance will be able to quickly attack."

Oh?

Fan Chong didn't say anything, but was carefully considering the possibility of what Fei Yue said.

But Xie Junfei was a little dissatisfied with this: "No, we deliberately exposed our whereabouts. What if the enemy's attack is too fierce and we can't stop it?"

"You mean, we should only fight when we can withstand the battle?" Zhang Hao asked back.

Uh.

Xie Junfei shut up.

Because this question is really hard to answer.

Saying yes would make you appear cowardly and courageless.

If you say no, then it’s not you who’s going to do it? He was embarrassed again.

"Okay, we don't have time to think about it. Send a message to Mu Zheng and ask him to burn down the granary as soon as possible. Once the granary is destroyed, the enemy's formation will be disrupted. Then we will launch an attack, but the result will be half the effort and twice the result." Fan Chong made the final decision.

……

On this side, Mu Zheng found Xiu Dai again. After a while of chatting, the news that Xiu Dai was ill spread in the afternoon. Even with the deliberate spread of the Kongtong Sect, it became a story that Xiu Dai committed suicide for love.

That night, Mu Zheng received a message from Xiu Dai, saying that Yue Shuji had already decided on her position.

Mu Zheng suddenly became energetic.

That night, he waited under Xiudai's window, and soon, a tassel was hung in front of Xiudai's window.

Its appearance means that Cardinal Yue has arrived.

As expected, the laughter of a man and a woman could be heard from the room. Mu Zheng listened to Xiu Dai's heartfelt confession under the window and couldn't help but sigh that this woman was quite capable.

A few words coaxed Cardinal Yue into yelling that he would give her his life!

Finally, the room gradually quieted down. Mu Zheng leaped up and hung in front of the window with his bare hands, just in time to see Xiu Dai handing out the drape.

The two men didn't say anything, but completed the handover with just a glance.

After getting the key, Mu Zheng quickly ran towards the granary.

The granary is right at the east gate, heavily guarded and brightly lit. The guards all have serious expressions and are looking around vigilantly.

Mu Zheng carefully clung to the wall, approaching the granary as quietly as a nimble cat. He took every step with extreme caution, fearing to make even the slightest sound. His breathing became extremely light, as if blending into the darkness.

However, just as he was about to approach the entrance, a guard suddenly turned around, as if he had noticed something unusual.

Mu Zheng's heart leaped into his throat. He stopped dead in his tracks and pressed himself against the wall, not daring to breathe. The guard frowned and took a few steps toward Mu Zheng, his spear tightly gripped.

A tense atmosphere filled the air. Mu Zheng clenched his hands, wondering if he could defeat the enemy with one move, so that the other party would die before he could even make a sound.

Fortunately, when the guard was about to reach him, a mouse suddenly jumped out from the side. The guard was startled and his attention was attracted by the mouse.

Mu Zheng took the opportunity to sneak into the granary.