The Return of the King: A Generation of Prodigies

"That guy also confessed that the Qian family and Yin Qihui both have a well-equipped army."

"It seems we have a tough battle to fight." Wang Zongyuan's expression suddenly became serious.

The army is different from private soldiers and guards. The soldiers in the army have all undergone rigorous training. They are more loyal, and their physical fitness and combat effectiveness are stronger.

Although the Qian family and Yin Qihui's troops are small in number, if a fight breaks out, it will be no less than a small battle.

"We must fight no matter how hard it is. If we allow these people to continue to act recklessly, Yun Li will be in real danger."

Shen Tingzhi looked up and stared ahead, with many unspeakable emotions in his heart.

The current serious situation made Shen Tingzhi deeply understand what his sister Shen Tianjiao had once said to him.

Yun Li's court is rotten to the core. It cannot be simply purged, but requires a complete overhaul.

There is still a long way to go, and he must work harder.

"Second Young Master, the person who went to get the news is back."

The guard's reply interrupted Shen Tingzhi's contemplation. Shen Tingzhi composed himself and said, "Let him in."

The person who came back with the information was brought in, "Second Young Master, this is the topographic map of Pingzhou."

The man came in and handed over the topographic map in his hand. Shen Tingzhi took the map and opened it, only to find that the map in his hand not only depicted the terrain distribution of Pingzhou, but also marked some important places.

It is so clear that just by looking at this picture, it seems as if the entire Pingzhou City is right in front of you.

Not only that, this topographic map also has special markings on the places that interest him.

For example, the Qian family compound and the arsenal.

The ink marking these places has not yet dried, obviously having been marked in a hurry.

Shen Tingzhi looked up at the man and asked, "Where did this picture come from?"

"To answer Second Young Master, this topographic map was drawn by my elder brother. I am from Pingzhou, and my brother is a minor clerk in charge of the prison cells at the Pingzhou government office."

"My elder brother has been good at painting since he was young. He drew this map of Pingzhou many years ago. When I went to get information just now, I returned home to see him and told him about the situation here. So she gave me this map of Pingzhou."

"It also specifically marked places like the Qian family, the government office, the armory, and the granary."

Shen Tingzhi frowned. Although this Pingzhou topographic map was very useful and played a key role in the success or failure of this battle, scouts in his own Shen family army had their own rules.

When gathering information, you must never reveal any intelligence or information to anyone who is not a member of the Shen family army. If you violate this rule, you will be beheaded.

Seeing that Shen Tingzhi didn't say anything, the man guessed what Shen Tingzhi was thinking. He quickly said, "Second Young Master, I understand the rules and I dare not and will not break them."

"My elder brother came back with me. The Qian family has been rampant in Pingzhou for many years, oppressing the people and making them miserable. My elder brother is just a small official. He has the will but not the ability to change anything."

"He heard from me that you, the Second Young Master, led the troops to Pingzhou to quell the rebellion, so he wanted to contribute."

After hearing this, Shen Tingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. He was originally thinking about how to deal with this unruly scout.

If we don't kill him, it would be against the rules. If we kill him, the Pingzhou topographic map he brought back did play a crucial role in the victory of this battle.

It seems too inhumane to bring back such a valuable thing, but then be killed.

But now that he has brought the people back, it will be easy.

"This situation is special, so I'll exempt you from punishment. Your merits and demerits will be offset, so there will be no reward or punishment."

"Thank you, Second Young Master."

The man was obviously relieved. You know, the Marquis of Zhenbei is very strict in managing his army, and there is no mercy in military law.

No matter who you are, as long as you violate military law, you will be treated equally and without mercy.

"By the way, what's your name?"

Shen Tingzhi admired the Pingzhou topographic map in his hand very much. He felt that the brother of the man in front of him was a talented person and could stay if he was willing.

"In reply to the Second Young Master, my name is Sun Yu, and my brother's name is Sun Kai."

Sun Yu was a smart and clever man. He had already seen that Shen Tingzhi was very satisfied with the Pingzhou topographic map drawn by his brother, so he told him before Shen Tingzhi asked.

"Okay, go ask your brother. If he's willing to stay, let him stay."

Shen Tingzhi never cares about the background of talented people. What he wants is talent, not family background.

"Yes, my brother is willing. Thank you very much, Second Young Master."

There is no such thing as disagreeing. It's a joke. Following Shen Tingzhi in the Shen family army has much better financial prospects than being an unknown person in the government office. Only a fool would not agree.

"Well, in that case, you should go down first and see your brother."

Shen Tingzhi waved his hand, signaling all the unimportant people to leave first. He wanted to calm down and study the terrain of Pingzhou carefully, make preparations, and try to minimize casualties.

There will be casualties in war, but as long as we make thorough preparations, we can still reduce a lot of unnecessary casualties?

Except for Wang Zongyuan, everyone else in the room left.

Shen Tingzhi carefully studied the topographic map in front of him. Wang Zongyuan didn't even dare to breathe beside him, for fear of disturbing Shen Tingzhi's thoughts.

Soon Shen Tingzhi figured out the best point to attack, and also learned about the entrances and exits and general situation of Pingzhou City.

He was originally worried that attacking the Qian family would bring disaster to the nearby people, but now it seems that such worries are completely unnecessary.

The Qian family was very powerful in Pingzhou. In order to highlight their nobility and uniqueness, the Qian family compound was located in the most prosperous area of ​​the city.

The entire street belonged only to the Qian family. Not to mention the common people nearby, even the dignitaries in Pingzhou City were not qualified to live there.

This makes it easier. There is no need to worry about hurting innocent people. There is no need to be timid and you can do it boldly.

Even if the Qian family has an army, so what? Compared with the regular army under his command, there is still a gap. In Yunli, not every army can be attributed to the name of Zhenbei Hou and be called the Shen Family Army.

As long as the Qian family is dealt with, dealing with Yin Qihui will be no problem at all.

"Uncle Wang, let's split our forces into two groups this time. I'll lead the troops into Pingzhou City to deal with the Qian family and Yin Qihui."

"And you take Liu Hu to Fuping to seize and control the iron mine."

"I obey your command." Wang Zongyuan stood up straight with a serious expression, completely different from the person he was just now.

Just now, Wang Zongyuan was facing Shen Tingzhi, who was like his own son or nephew and was raised by him.

And now he was facing a commander-in-chief of the entire army.

In front of the coach, he only has respect and obedience.

"Uncle Wang, take our 5,000 men and Liu Hu's men and head to Fuping now."

"I'll stay here to wait for Generals Tong Tai and He Chao. After they join me, I'll send some more people to support you."

"If the Pingzhou issue is resolved smoothly, I will personally lead people to Fuping."

"I understand, but let's keep the 5,000 men we brought with us. I'll only take Liu Hu's men to Fuping."

In Wang Zongyuan's heart, Shen Tingzhi's safety comes first.

"You should take them with you. Although Liu Hu's men obey him, they are not our own people after all. They are not that easy to order around."

"The matter of Fuping is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly. This time, we must succeed and not fail."

"You don't need to worry about me. Dragon Roar, Tiger Roar, Eagle Red, and Phoenix Ming, their combat power is no less than your five thousand soldiers."

What Shen Tingzhi said was true. The four guard teams, Dragon Roar, Tiger Roar, Eagle Red and Phoenix Ming, were selected by the Marquis of Zhenbei himself and were also trained by him.

Their combat effectiveness is much stronger than that of ordinary soldiers. It is a bit of an exaggeration to say that they can fight one against a hundred, but it is no exaggeration to say that they can fight one against ten.

Wang Zongyuan said nothing more. He was very clear about the strength of these four guard teams.

Shen Tingzhi was right. Although the soldiers under Liu Hu listened to Liu Hu, they were not his own people after all, so they could not be used with confidence now.

"Then I will assemble the troops and set off." Military orders are as heavy as a mountain, and Wang Zongyuan was unwilling to delay for a moment.

"Okay, go ahead. May General Wang have a safe journey and a successful battle." Shen Tingzhi solemnly clasped his fists towards Wang Zongyuan. Those who march and fight, besides winning the battle, hope most for a safe return.

"Well, take care too, Second Young Master." After Wang Zongyuan said this, he turned around and left without looking back.

After watching Wang Zongyuan leave, Shen Tingzhi returned to the table and began to study the Pingzhou topographic map again.

Not only does he want to take down the Qian family and Yin Qihui, he also wants to ensure that none of their people can leave Pingzhou. He wants to surround Pingzhou like an iron barrel and then wait to catch the big fish.

"Second Young Master, General Tong has arrived."

Not long after Shen Tingzhi sat down, a guard came to report that Tong Tai had arrived.

Hearing that Tong Tai was coming, Shen Tingzhi quickly got up and went out to greet him.

Before Shen Tingzhi left the room, Tong Tai came over. When he saw Shen Tingzhi, he quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

"Second Master, the future is here."

"General Tong, please stand up quickly." Shen Tingzhi stepped forward and helped Tong Tai up.

"Second Young Master, how are you these days? How about the Marquis? Is he still healthy? How about the eldest and third young masters? Are they all right?"

"I heard that our eldest daughter is now the regent. That's great! Our eldest daughter has finally made it through."

As soon as Tong Tai stood up, he asked a series of questions. If Shen Tingzhi didn't know his personality, he would probably be unable to cope with it.

"Okay, all is good." Shen Tingzhi nodded with a smile and said to Tong Tai.

He didn't need to ask whether Tong Tai was doing well. Looking at Tong Tai's appearance, he knew that he had been living a good life in the past few years.

"That's good, that's good." Tong Tai felt relieved when he heard Shen Tingzhi say that everyone was fine.

When he left Northern Frontier, he thought he would be able to return soon, but he didn't expect to be a garrison commander for several years.

The garrison commander was not allowed to leave his territory without an imperial edict, so even if he wanted to return to the northern border, he couldn't.

"My father returned to the capital a few days ago. Jiaojiao's son was made the crown prince, so he went back to the capital to protect his grandson."

Shen Tingzhi knew that Tong Tai must be very eager to know more about the Marquis of Zhenbei, so he took the initiative to speak without waiting for Tong Tai to ask any more questions.

"Our eldest daughter has a son. Oh, this is really great, this is really great. This also puts an end to the Marquis's worries. Great, great."

Compared to the fact that Shen Tianjiao's son became the crown prince, Tong Tai was more concerned and happy that Shen Tianjiao had a son.

With a son, she had someone to rely on and look to in the palace, and no one dared to bully Shen Tianjiao anymore.

If anyone dares to bully their eldest daughter again, the Marquis of Zhenbei will not say anything, but her subordinates will not tolerate it.

Shen Tingzhi put his arm around Tong Tai's shoulders and walked to the table with him and sat down.

Seeing these uncles who had followed his father in battles for many years, Shen Tingzhi felt extremely close to them.

Tong Tai, who had just sat down, suddenly raised his head, belatedly looked at Shen Tingzhi and asked, "Second Young Master, you just said that the Marquis has returned to the capital to escort his grandson. What about our young master?"

Tong Tai scratched his head in confusion. The Second Young Master seemed to have mentioned why the eldest lady's son was established. Why couldn't he remember it now?

Shen Tingzhi knew that Tong Tai did not hear everything he said just now. Tong Tai probably only heard that Jiaojiao had a son, but did not hear him say that Jiaojiao's son was made the crown prince.

"It's the Crown Prince. Not long ago, that child was made the Crown Prince. My father will stay in Shangjing to be the child's protective umbrella."

"My goodness, the young master is now the prince." Tong Tai widened his eyes in shock. Their eldest daughter is too powerful.

How does that saying go? Oh, right, it's that if you don't make a sound, you'll make a big splash.

In the past, when he didn't fight or compete, he was always bullied. The Marquis was worried all day long and couldn't eat or sleep well. Now, not only does he hold power, but his son is also the crown prince. From now on, whether in the palace or in the capital, he can walk around with his head held high. Who dares to bully him?

"Good, good, that's great." Although Tong Tai is much younger than the Marquis of Zhenbei, he has watched the four siblings of the Shen family grow up. Knowing that they are all living well, he feels a lot of comfort in his heart.

Shen Tingzhi poured a glass of water for Tong Tai and placed it in front of him, saying, "Uncle Tong, drink some water first. When Uncle He comes later, we can discuss the plan together."