NCCnovel Chapter 206 Ready to Go
Chapter 206 Ready to Go
In the dead of night, all was quiet, and the whole world seemed to be immersed in a peaceful dream. However, in this room, Li Xin, who was fast asleep, keenly sensed something unusual—it seemed that someone was quietly approaching him.
In that instant, Li Xin suddenly opened his eyes, sprang from the bed like lightning, and assumed a defensive stance with lightning speed. His gaze, like two cold beams, shot straight towards the direction of the newcomer.
By the dim moonlight streaming through the window, the newcomer finally saw Li Xin's series of fluid movements and couldn't help but marvel at them. But he dared not linger for too long and quickly lowered his voice to say softly, "General, it's me."
Hearing that familiar voice, Li Xin's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but he remained highly alert and asked, "What brings you here so late?"
The visitor took a deep breath, composed himself, and replied, "General, just now Lord Changping secretly went to Madam Hu's room under cover of night and stayed there for a full quarter of an hour."
Li Xin frowned slightly and pressed, "Did you hear what they said?"
The man shook his head, looking troubled, and said, "I didn't hear anything. The two of them spoke in very low voices, so I couldn't hear them clearly. However, to meet secretly in the middle of the night instead of sleeping, there must be some ulterior motive involved."
Upon hearing this, Li Xin fell into deep thought, and after a long while, he slowly spoke: "In this light, it should be that Lord Changping took the initiative to approach Lady Hu, rather than Lady Hu going to him. Therefore, it is very likely that Lord Changping made a request to Lady Hu, or gave her some kind of task."
The visitor nodded, indicating his agreement with Li Xin's analysis, and then asked, "So, General, what should we do next? As for Madam Hu..."
Li Xin interrupted him without hesitation and decisively ordered, "First, send people to keep a close eye on Madam Hu's every move, and do not let any clue slip by. As for Lord Changping..." Li Xin paused slightly here, and then continued, "We cannot let our guard down either; we must continue to monitor him closely."
The man bowed and accepted the order, saying, "Yes, I understand! I will arrange the manpower immediately." After saying that, he turned around and disappeared into the night like a ghost.
Similarly, Li You was also gently and cautiously awakened from his sleep by his trusted aide. Li You felt he had only just closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep when he was abruptly interrupted, and a nameless anger instantly welled up inside him; this morning grumpiness made him quite annoyed. However, when he opened his sleepy eyes and saw the pitch-black room, he immediately woke up, a sense of foreboding rising within him—his trusted aide's waking him at this hour must mean something important had happened. So, he suppressed his displeasure and frowned, asking, "What is it?"
The confidant lowered his voice and replied, "Lord Changping just went to Madam Hu's room."
Upon hearing this, Li You's heart sank. He had always felt that something was amiss with Lord Changping, but lacked evidence. Now it seemed his premonition was correct; Lord Changping was definitely hiding some unspeakable secret. Li You composed himself and then pressed on, "Has he left yet?"
The confidant quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, Lord Changping has already returned."
After receiving a definite answer, Li You fell into deep thought. Seeing this, his confidant couldn't help but ask, "My lord, should we inform General Li of this immediately? After all, it's quite suspicious that Lord Changping went to Lady Hu's residence so late at night!"
Li You waved his hand and said slowly, "That's not appropriate. Tomorrow is the crucial moment for our life-or-death battle with those natives. If we rashly report this to General Li now, it might disrupt morale. Let's wait until we successfully wipe out those natives before making further plans."
The confidant looked worried and said anxiously, "But I'm worried that Lord Changping will take this opportunity to harm you, sir! He went to Madam Hu's place in the middle of the night; he must have ulterior motives and some scheme."
Li You gently rubbed his temples, looking worried, and said, "You're absolutely right, but we don't know what those two talked about. Even so, we're helpless against them for now! The only thing we can do is keep a close eye on their every move."
The confidant standing to the side immediately suggested, "Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if we could persuade General Li Xin to take action?"
Li You shook his head, sighed, and replied, "With the great battle imminent tomorrow, General Li Xin certainly doesn't want any complications at this time. Even if he knows about this matter, he will probably wait until after the battle to make a decision."
The confidant hurriedly stepped forward and anxiously advised, "My lord, you are going on this expedition with General Li Xin, while Lord Changping and Lady Hu will remain in the rear. If Lord Changping harbors ill intentions and tries to harm you, wouldn't you be in a dangerous situation, attacked from both sides? Therefore, I urge you to be extremely careful!"
Li You pondered for a moment, then confidently replied, "Lord Changping has no military power. Furthermore, the soldiers left behind by Li Xin must all be his confidants. Lord Changping has no way to mobilize these troops. You have no need to worry about this."
The confidant nodded slightly in agreement, saying, "Your Excellency's considerations are very thorough, just as you said. In that case, I will certainly continue to secretly monitor Changping Jun's actions."
Li You nodded slightly and instructed, "Okay, go ahead. Remember to be cautious in your actions, and never alert the enemy. Also, ensure your own safety."
The confidant responded with a "yes," then turned and hurriedly left. After the confidant left, Li You was left alone in the room. His mind was increasingly troubled, and an indescribable unease welled up within him. So, he slowly walked to the bedside, sat down quietly, and began to ponder the various conspiracies and schemes that Lord Changping might be planning.
The world was shrouded in night, utterly silent. In this tranquil atmosphere, a faint glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, heralding the approaching dawn.
Clad in silver armor, Li Xin strode steadily out of the house, his dashing figure standing out sharply in the dim light. On the assembly ground, the soldiers were already lined up neatly, each one spirited and ready for battle. Li Xin quickly joined the ranks, standing at attention alongside the other soldiers.
Li Xin's sharp gaze swept over the crowd before him, then turned to the several centurions, beginning to issue battle orders in an orderly fashion. His expression was serious, his voice loud and clear, each word reaching the ears of everyone present. The centurions, receiving their orders, dared not delay, quickly turning to relay the instructions to their respective centurions. In an instant, the entire army moved into motion like a finely tuned machine, busy yet tense and orderly.
After all the soldiers had completed their preparations, Li Xin took a deep breath, stepped forward, and began his inspiring pre-battle mobilization speech to the entire army. His loud, morale-boosting words instantly ignited the soldiers' fighting spirit.