Shaodianmi made a quick calculation in his mind and replied: "Three to five days. If the location is on the eastern border of the two countries, it will take longer. However, the shorter the time, the greater the risk of the spy being exposed."
"Well, the commander-in-chief must continue to pay attention to the changes in the situation. Don't take a break after hard work. We can receive the news as well as others. Qi State will not give Cao State time to react. The war will definitely start in three days at the latest." Young Master.
Diandan attaches great importance to the intelligence of Qi State.
"The five departments of the General Command have deputy commanders who are responsible for paying attention to the latest intelligence. The other four commanders except Yang Chao are ready to lead the troops at any time. A special channel is prepared for the Intelligence Department in the veteran's home. Whenever there is the latest intelligence, the veteran can
Received in time.”
Shaodian Akira has experienced several wars since he took office, and each time he was caught off guard. This time, the intelligence work was in front of the enemy, and it was the most proactive one.
In Shouyang City, the capital of Jiguo, King Jinan went out for a parade, accompanied by several princes, including Jiman.
A special envoy from the queen found Jiman and said, "Your Highness, please move to the Palace of Health."
Jiman knew that his mother must have something to do with him, so he resigned from the king and hurried back to the palace.
The noble young man Dianrong was sitting in the palace. There were no other concubines around him. He had obviously summoned Jiman alone.
The queen must be accompanied during the night vigil. Except for the concubine who occupies one palace, the other concubines must take turns to accompany the queen, unless the queen drives them away.
"The queen summoned her son in such a hurry. I wonder what she has to say?" Jiman knew that the matter was serious.
The things that must be mentioned at the vigil must be important.
"You will rush to Cao State early tomorrow morning. Nominally, you are ordered by me to improve the relationship between the kingdom and Cao State and make up for the rift between the two countries when you conquered Nanzhaozhou. Secretly, you must pay attention to the situation in Cao State.
In case of any emergency, please contact the Kingdom immediately."
Shaodianrong often helped the king in handling government affairs, and sometimes her instructions were the king's will.
"Tomorrow? I am not prepared at all." Jiman did not expect to be sent to a foreign country, which is very rare during the New Year period.
"I have arranged your entourage, just be mentally prepared." The queen's tone was stern.
"My son, I understand, what emergencies should be paid special attention to during this trip?" Jiman was more afraid of the queen than the king, and he had not dared to disobey his mother's wishes since he was a child.
The queen's face softened and she said: "If nothing else happens, a war will break out on the Cao-Qi border when you arrive in Cao State. Pay special attention to whether there are any figures from the Northern Empire on the battlefield. In addition, if you show more face in front of foreign kings, it will be good for your future.
It will help if you inherit the throne."
"My son, I will do my best to complete this mission and never let down my mother's expectations." Jiman knelt down and kowtowed.
"Go ahead."
#
On January 1, 4878, the vast Shenyuan Continent ushered in a sunny day, and there was no rain or snow anywhere.
In the Shengchang City of Cao State, the uncle Yao Mang was about to leave the palace when he received an urgent report from his subordinates at the gate of the palace. After reading it, he immediately returned to the palace.
"What? Is there anything unusual on the border?" Cao Qi was very surprised.
"This news has just come back from Lu State, and I have no report from the border area yet." Yao Mang looked surprised and uncertain.
"Will the news from Lu State be wrong? Is Qi Shao crazy? The Tongbei Empire can at most provide him with material support. Is it possible that the Tongbei Empire can send troops to Qi State? Without more than ten or two hundred thousand troops, how can our country still be afraid?
They can't." Cao Qi couldn't believe Yao Mang's report.
"In order to get this information, Lu Guo's spies paid a very high price. It is said that the person who betrayed the information intentionally blocked people related to Cao Guo and sold it to anyone but not to us. From this aspect, the news should be
It's true." Yao Mang believed that his staff were professional enough.
"Is there any specific direction of Qi State's attack? The border defense between our country and Qi State is weak. Once a sneak attack is encountered, it will be difficult to stop it in the early stage." Cao Qi realized the seriousness of the problem.
"Based on the veteran's speculation, it shouldn't be Xishengzhou. Qi State's naval force is not as strong as ours, and they are at a greater disadvantage when fighting close to the Tongyuan River. Therefore, Qi State's attack direction will only choose the central or eastern part." Yao Mang said.
Certain military knowledge.
"Please, uncle, please go to the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion immediately and ask the military to pay close attention to the movements of Qi's army and not give any opportunity to the invading enemy." Cao Qi still had a trace of fantasy in his heart, hoping that what Yao Mang got was a lie.
information.
The central and eastern borders between Cao State and Qi State are tens of thousands of miles apart. Even if it is known that Qi State is going to launch a sneak attack, it is impossible to set up defenses in advance without a specific direction. At most, the defense can be strengthened at passes with dangerous terrain.
The southern end of the Earth Center Lake is located in Guangyin Prefecture of Cao State, and the east and west sides are Duanshui County and Chaohu County of Guangyin Prefecture respectively.
The terrain of Chaohu County is flatter than that of Duanshui County, and is similar to the adjacent Qinglai County of Qi State. It is also easy to attack and difficult to defend. Therefore, there is a tacit understanding between Cao and Qi on the border with only a small number of border guards to reduce the military confrontation in the area.
Due to the alliance between the two countries, such an arrangement is in the interest of both countries.
Tongde City is the closest city in Chaohu County to the Qi State, less than twenty miles away from the border between the two countries. There are a large number of Qi people mixed in the city, including businessmen and ordinary people.
On the evening of the first day in 4878, there was a tense atmosphere in Tongde City. The four city gates were closed early and the city defense troops were all over the city walls. The city lord issued a rare curfew, which specifically required all foreigners not to leave their residences after dark.
The city lord Suo Xian climbed up to the north tower and even had dinner on the tower, constantly paying attention to the sky in the north.
"Lord City Lord, my subordinates have sent personal guards to the border post. If anything happens, they will immediately sound the alarm. There are subordinates here watching closely. You can rest assured and go back home to rest." The commander of the city defense army advised Suo Xian.
"No, the governor has specifically ordered that we are more likely to be attacked by a sneak attack. Although we are not required to defend Tongde City, we must issue an alarm as soon as possible to leave sufficient time for the county and city to mobilize troops.
"It's not that I don't trust you, I will fight whatever happens here." Suo Xian's face was covered with a short beard, looking more like a general than a city lord.
"Sir, I suggest that you escort your family members to the county town for safety. It is my duty to protect the city. I cannot abandon the city and flee without you." The commander of the city defense army was Suo Xian's confidant.
"The news came too late. It's not safe to rush to the county seat overnight. Let's talk about it tomorrow." Suo Xian didn't receive the notice from the county guard until evening.
The commander of the city defense army stopped trying to persuade Suo Xian, and turned around and walked to the crenellation, "The two towns in the north also sent scouts, which can at least buy us half an hour of warning time."