Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Zhao Bei didn't return until evening, and he also brought back two of his wounded soldiers.

"You were ambushing us on the mountain, what's going on with these two?" Xia Yu asked, looking at the wounds of the injured soldiers with some curiosity.

"They fell. These two were climbing up the mountain when they looked down and their limbs went weak and they fell. Luckily, a big tree stopped them, otherwise we would have brought back two corpses." Zhao Bei glanced at the two men on the stretcher who were pretending to be dead with their eyes closed, and explained to Xia Yu.

Hearing that the two had fallen, Xia Yu didn't ask any more questions. She just said "Oh" and had the two people carried away for treatment.

"How are things?" Xia Yu asked Zhao Bei after the two were carried away.

“Princess, that location was truly crucial. We arrived there early and prepared many stones of various sizes. Then, when the rebel army of Prince Ding’an arrived, we threw them down. They also tried to shoot us with arrows, but those arrows rarely hit the mountain, and besides, there were trees as a barrier, so they couldn't hurt us at all from below. I specifically waited until they left before going down to check, and a total of more than a thousand people were killed, the number of injured was unknown, and some ordinary soldiers who were seriously injured but still alive were also brought back with me.”

At this point, Zhao Bei glanced around furtively, making sure no one was watching them, before whispering to Xia Yu...

“Princess, that ambush location is extremely rare. I plan to build an outpost there and station a troop of soldiers there permanently. What do you think of this plan?”

"Yes, that's feasible. You can make the arrangements. Just make sure the people stationed on the mountain are trusted and reliable, and the paths leading up the mountain are well-hidden."

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness! This humble general will certainly pay attention to these matters."

After discussing the matter with Xia Yu, Zhao Bei happily made his preparations. The siege of Jialing Pass had been resolved so smoothly, even beyond his expectations. To prevent the Prince of Ding'an from launching a surprise attack, Zhao Bei ordered the guards on the city walls to remain vigilant at all times and not to be careless.

The troops responsible for intercepting the imperial grain transport teams north of Jialing Pass were dumbfounded when they received the order from Prince Ding'an to retreat. They weren't carrier pigeons; they didn't have wings to fly over Jialing Pass. To return to Dingcheng, they had to pass through Jialing Pass; there was simply no other way.

But now, they can't get through it.

"General, what should we do now? Is the prince abandoning us?" someone asked anxiously.

"No, Your Highness's grand plan is still in its early stages; this is merely a temporary retreat." General Tang reassured him, but he himself was quite confused.

Finally, after discussing it, the group realized they had no better solution, so they resorted to their previous method: removing their armor, changing into ordinary clothes, and disguising themselves as ordinary people to infiltrate the town for a period of time while awaiting the prince's instructions.

Thanks to their swift reaction, when the young general from Jialing Pass led his army to attack, all that remained was a scene of utter devastation. Much was left behind, but not a single person was to be seen. This demonstrates just how hastily they fled.

Thus, the predicament of the siege of Jialing Pass was resolved thanks to the Prince of Ding'an's voluntary withdrawal. When the news reached the capital, everyone rejoiced, praising Princess Wenfu's great achievements. Even the ministers who had knelt before the emperor demanding the revocation of Xia Yu's title of Princess Zhenguo seemed to have forgotten the past when the princess was mentioned; they showered Xia Yu with praise and compliments, declaring that the title of Princess Zhenguo was truly well-deserved.

The worst off were the dozen or so assassins sent by Prince Ding'an to Zhangjia Village. Whether the retreat was too hasty or the prince had truly forgotten about them, the news of the withdrawal from Jialing Pass was forgotten to reach them. By the time they received the news, more than ten days had passed.

"Boss, what does the prince mean by this? Are we still going to do our mission?" It was that talkative assassin again. Although he was always scolded, he just couldn't help but speak up.

"You're asking me? Who the hell am I supposed to ask? I also want to know what the Prince means by this. Why don't you go back and ask him?" the leader said coldly. Having been an assassin for so many years, this was the first time he didn't know how to proceed with a mission, and he was quite frustrated.

To everyone's surprise, upon hearing the leader's words, the man shrank back and shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

"No, I'm afraid the prince will be angry and kill me."

"You're afraid, but I'm not?" After saying that, he turned his gaze to his 'colleagues' who had come out with him on the mission, seeking their opinions.

"What do you think we should do now? Should we go back and report, or wait here for an opportunity?"

"Go back and report."

"Waiting for the right opportunity"

The dozen or so people disagreed. Some believed that the prince needed the Zhang family more now that the war was going poorly. Others thought that if the Zhang family were captured now, Princess Wenfu might lead a large army to launch a counterattack in order to rescue her family, which would be detrimental to the prince's plans.

The two sides held differing opinions and argued endlessly. However, this matter didn't trouble them for long; soon someone stepped in to solve their problem. They were arrested, the entire group apprehended.

Shen Jingheng's secret guards from the capital had already discovered their whereabouts and reported the matter to Zhang Youtie and Ding Chengxin. Because they hadn't taken action, Ding Chengxin had only ordered people to monitor them secretly without making any move. Now that the crisis had passed, it was time to deal with them.

In the dark dungeon, a dozen people were separated into different rooms. Various instruments of torture were subjected to a relentless barrage of abuse. Even those with sharp teeth and iron jaws were forced to confess everything. They had to reveal who sent them, what they were there for, and how many of them there were.

Looking at the confession in his hand, Ding Chengxin made two copies, one to be sent to Shen Jingheng in the capital, and the other to Xia Yu at Jialing Pass.

Xia Yu looked at the letter from home, and when she read that the Prince of Ding'an had sent men to her house to try and kidnap someone, her heart clenched. However, after reading the introduction of 'Mr. Hua' in the letter, Xia Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.

It seems this "Mr. Hua" is indeed the Prince of Ding'an's strategist and most powerful external brain. It turns out he plays such a crucial role by the Prince's side. Moreover, he is the Prince's most trusted confidant, whom he respectfully calls "Teacher." Without him, would the Prince of Ding'an be like a tiger without its claws, or an eagle without its wings?

Having made up her mind, Xia Yu began to carefully plan.

Mr. Hua, far away in Dingcheng, felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason and shivered.

"Sir? Are you feeling unwell?" Prince Ding'an, who was speaking to him, asked with concern upon seeing his condition.

"I'm sorry to have worried Your Highness. I'm fine. It's just that the temperature difference between day and night is quite large now, and I suddenly feel a bit cold." Suppressing his unease, Mr. Hua forced a smile and explained to Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji glanced at the bright moonlight outside. Hearing Mr. Hua say that it was a bit cold at night, he seemed to understand something. A knowing smile appeared on his face, but he didn't say anything more. He casually beckoned a guard over, whispered a few words to him, and the guard nodded in agreement and went out to carry out his mission.

So, when Mr. Hua finished discussing business with Zhou Ji and returned to his courtyard to rest, he opened the door and saw a beautiful young woman wearing a thin veil, leaning against the bed and looking at him with her eyes sparkling.