Published: March 7, 2025
Chapter 387: The Shadow of the Chu King of Hell
As Diwu Qingrou traveled nearly four thousand miles, she received an urgent military report and unexpectedly laughed.
"White Changtian's five hundred thousand troops have all been wiped out!" This statement caused the expressions of all the generals in the expeditionary army to change dramatically, yet Diwu Qingrou laughed?
"Accelerate our march!" Diwu Qingrou said淡漠. Then she closed her eyes, half reclining in the carriage, her demeanor causing everyone to hesitate to speak a word. However, they all found it strange: how could the lord xiang be so unconcerned about such a major defeat?
With her eyes closed, Diwu Qingrou's thoughts were racing as she once again recalled her plans, finally nodding in satisfaction.
"It seems the Chu King of Hell is indeed an important figure to Iron Cloud! Tie Butian truly values him." Diwu Qingrou sighed lightly.
"The lord xiang means..." Han Buchu, who had accompanied the expedition, was called to Diwu Qingrou's carriage not long after they set out.
"Hehe..." Diwu Qingrou smiled casually and said slowly, "This time, we should have a good chance of success."
Han Buchu was even more confused.
One thing he did know was that White Changtian was the only steadfast royalist party member left in the great zhao dynasty! Throwing away five hundred thousand troops made Han Buchu feel somewhat reluctant, but he also sighed in relief for Diwu Qingrou. But did this... mean something else? That he did not know.
"Immediately send a message to notify Jing Menghun. If the Chu King of Hell really has the ability to escape over eleven thousand miles, let him do whatever it takes... even setting fires to burn mountains." Diwu Qingrou said gently, still with her eyes closed.
"Understood." Han Buchu complied, but he was still puzzled.
"This is a plan that might succeed but could easily falter halfway, so I haven’t stated it clearly or made explicit arrangements; we can only take it step by step. If the plan fails, the war will continue as normal; if it succeeds, it might end this war six months early, or... directly end it! From what it looks like, this plan is already half complete."
Diwu Qingrou smiled as the sunlight filtering through the carriage curtain left a mottled shadow on her face.
"The plan..." Han Buchu considered himself not dull, yet now he was completely at a loss about what Diwu Qingrou was referring to.
"You lack a grasp of the broader situation." Diwu Qingrou said, half-closing her eyes. "Do you still remember the arrangements I made when deploying our troops?"
"Yes, I dare not forget a single detail."
"Then you must remember that when the Chu King of Hell escaped Zhongzhou, I revised the orders? Making slight adjustments to the marching routes of the nine armies?" Diwu Qingrou continued.
"I remember."
"Since you remember, do you know why?" Diwu Qingrou smiled and asked.
"This..." Han Buchu racked his brains, but he simply couldn’t come up with an answer. He could only苦笑 and say, "I am ashamed."
"You didn't fail to think of it; rather, you simply lacked awareness of it, so it’s no wonder." Diwu Qingrou smiled; Han Buchu noticed that she was smiling unusually much today.
"Please enlighten me, lord xiang."
"An important character in this plan is the Chu King of Hell!" Diwu Qingrou softly said, "The success or failure of this plan hinges on him. If the Chu King of Hell cannot escape, the plan will not succeed. If he doesn't hold significant weight in Tie Butian's heart, then it won't work."
"The Chu King of Hell?" Han Buchu furrowed his brow. "What does this have to do with him? What ability does he have to directly influence the course of the war?"
"You are mistaken." Diwu Qingrou smiled, but her voice turned heavy, "The Chu King of Hell has already influenced the course of the war! And fundamentally instigated it! This war may seem like I, Diwu Qingrou, am taking the initiative, but in reality, that is not the case. Or rather, it should be said that the Chu King of Hell initiated this war!"