After walking for more than three hours, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and a torrential downpour began, making the road underfoot extremely muddy and difficult to traverse.
Although they all had rain gear, traveling in such weather was extremely difficult, so Aurelian Dragon ordered them to find a place to rest and wait for the rain to subside before continuing.
At a command, dozens of Fast soldiers, dressed in straw raincoats and wearing bamboo hats, rushed off in all directions.
A few moments later, several riders came to report that there was a large clearing in the woods on the left, suitable for setting up camp.
While they were busy seeking shelter from the rain, Suo Chong walked over with a solemn expression.
"Sir, they have discovered signs of a large army encamped not far away!"
"What?"
Aurelian Dragon was startled and looked at Suo Chong anxiously, asking, "When did this happen? Approximately how many people were there?"
"I also went to take a look. They should have been left behind in the last few days. Judging from the size of the camp, there may be nearly two thousand people."
Suo Chong answered very calmly and explained in detail the basis for his judgment.
Garrick Stonewall galloped up on his horse, leaped down, wiped the rain off his face, and exclaimed, "Sir, I've taken a closer look, and judging from how fresh the marks are, it happened a day ago."
Are you sure it was a day ago?
Aurelian Dragon secretly gasped.
Garrick Stonewall hesitated for a moment, then replied cautiously, "Such heavy rain will alter the marks, but in any case, it won't last more than two days!"
Two days?! Nearly two thousand people passed through this road; they certainly weren't ordinary people.
A frightening thought flashed through Aurelian Dragon's mind, and he suddenly grabbed Suo Chong's hand and asked, "What's the terrain like ahead?"
Suo Chong was taken aback at first, but then he immediately realized what Suo Chong meant. After thinking for a moment, he said, "There is a rocky gorge about thirty miles ahead. It is quite dangerous. There used to be a military fort there, but due to years of disrepair, only broken walls and ruins remain."
Garrick Stonewall nodded in agreement, saying, "Lord So's explanation is very detailed. It seems you are very familiar with the terrain of Fast."
Suo Chong smiled and said, "I'm very interested in geography, and I like to read books on the subject when I have free time. I even joined a geographical exploration team in my early years and was commissioned to draw maps."
Aurelian Dragon stood there, letting the cold rain lash her face, her heart churning with turmoil.
He knew he had made a huge mistake, fallen for Qiu Wei's trap. It seemed this was all Li Qi's doing; all his previous actions were designed to lure him into this trap. If it weren't for this sudden downpour, which had unwittingly led his group into Pari's ambush, things would have been...
At this moment, Garrick Stonewall looked at the Aurelian Dragon and said, "Sir, can we turn back?"
Suo Chong continued, "That's right. Since they have the upper hand and the terrain is advantageous, let's not fall for it and let those bastards wait there."
Aurelian Dragon waved her hand helplessly and said, "It's no use. If all of this was arranged, then our escape route would have been cut off long ago. Qiu Wei's men must already be following us. That bastard is a really good actor."
He now understood why Qiu Wei had shown a hint of panic at the end. It was because he had agreed too readily; Qiu Wei was afraid he would actually go down the official road. He was certain they had made preparations beforehand, figuring out what to say if he asked too many questions. Little did he know he had agreed so readily without a word.
"Sigh, if only I were really an idiot, I would have listened to him and walked along the main road. I would have infuriated those bastards!"
Aurelian Dragon patted his forehead and let out a long sigh.
Suo Chong and Garrick Stonewall exchanged glances. If Aurelian Dragon was right, it meant a terrifying reality: they were facing enemies on two fronts, and both sides were far more powerful than them. Besides their five hundred cavalry, their side had at most three hundred warriors from Wu'an's delegation, who also needed to protect the carriages and women. This, in particular, would undoubtedly severely hinder their actions in actual combat.
"Aurelian, let's talk inside the tent!" Lynette Quill called out from the entrance of the tent that had just been set up.
Once inside the tent, the three took towels, wiped themselves briefly, and began discussing their next move.
Upon hearing this news, Lynette Quill's beautiful face turned serious as she pondered, "We should explain things to the people of Wu'an and get their assistance first."
After pondering for a while, Suo Chong said, "If we can get rid of the carriage and other burdens, we can go through the small path of Motai Mountain and bypass Luanshi Gorge."
Garrick Stonewall shook his head and said, "No, no, that path is extremely dangerous. Even ordinary men cannot climb it, let alone these delicate women, and that princess Xiu who is of noble birth. Asking them to climb such a mountain path would be the death of them."
Suo Chong was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Lord Zuo is also very familiar with the terrain of this area!"
Garrick Stonewall said, "I was here three years ago. That's when I walked that narrow path."
Aurelian Dragon was deeply troubled. Escape seemed impossible; battle was the only option. However, with only a handful of men under his command, his chances of victory were extremely low. Furthermore, the enemy had been waiting for days, knew the terrain well, and undoubtedly had meticulous plans. He was determined not to engage such an enemy.
Although that's what he thought, that's not what he actually said.
"We were able to detect the enemy's situation earlier this time because of this heavy rain. This shows that God is protecting us in secret and has prevented the enemy's scheme from succeeding! Now that we are prepared, resolving this crisis should not be a problem."
Everyone's eyes lit up, and they all looked at the Aurelian Dragon with great excitement.
His eyes then fell on Obsidia Shade, who was standing silently to the side.
"Obsidia Shade, could you please go and check on the situation at Rocky Canyon?"
Obsidia Shade nodded and turned to leave.
"With such heavy rain, let's send another scout!"
Looking at the petite Obsidia Shade, Suo Chong, unaware of her true strength, offered a suggestion with a heavy heart.
Aurelian Dragon shook his head and said, "She's the best choice. Among everyone here, she's the most skilled!" He called out, "Obsidia Shade, be careful, don't alert her!"
"Yes, my lord!" Obsidia Shade was naturally very pleased to hear Aurelian Dragon's praise, and she happily replied.
"So that's how it is?!" Sochong stared at Obsidia Shade's retreating figure with considerable surprise. He couldn't believe that this pretty little woman had received such high praise from Aurelian Dragon. Usually, her behavior was no different from that of the other maids, always following closely behind Aurelian Dragon and serving him attentively.
He had always thought Obsidia Shade was just a woman favored by the Aurelian Dragon, and that her skills were at best inferior to Lynette Quill's. He hadn't expected her to be the best fighter among his own men. He turned to look at Garrick Stonewall beside him.
Knowing what he was thinking, Garrick Stonewall laughed and said, "Don't look at me, Lord Solomon. I know I'm not as good as Obsidia Shade."
Now, Suo Chong truly believed it. He knew Garrick Stonewall's strength and character well, so he had to reconsider his assessment of the Aurelian Dragon.
Aurelian Dragon said to Garrick Stonewall, "Could you please go to the back and check if our farewell party has arrived yet?"
Garrick Stonewall smiled and nodded, cupping his hands in greeting, "Yes, sir!"
Aurelian Dragon instructed Lynette Quill and Suo Chong to prepare for the enemy's advance and to have the soldiers ready for battle. He then proceeded to the rear camp of the Wu'an delegation to explain the situation to their two generals and observe their reaction.
Upon arriving at the Wu'an people's tent, Aurelian Dragon couldn't help but nod. Their tents were much more luxurious and spacious than Fast's tents, but they were not suitable as field tents.
Tang Juan politely invited him to sit down and calmly asked, "What brings you here today, sir?"
Seeing his calm expression, as if he had forgotten his earlier displeasure, Aurelian Dragon felt a chill run down her spine. She coughed and asked, "Where has Lord Zhu Dejun gone?"
Tang Juan said calmly, "He went to Princess Xiu's tent. Does Your Excellency have something to discuss with him?"
Aurelian Dragon nodded and said solemnly, "Yes, I have something very important to discuss with you two."
Tang Juan sized him up, a smile suddenly appearing on his lips. He said loudly, "If it's about dealing with Pari's enemies, we will naturally do our best. Didn't you say we had already avoided them? Why are they waiting for us ahead?"
Aurelian Dragon thought to herself, "Wow, that's impressive." She smiled bitterly and said, "My lord is indeed cunning. It's all my fault for being too foolish and falling into his trap."
Tang Juan seemed quite pleased with Aurelian Dragon's defeat, but a strange glint flashed in his eyes as he slowly asked, "Are you sure Parry and the others are waiting for us up ahead?"
At this moment, Zhu Dejun rushed into the tent and said urgently, "Something's not right!..."
He saw Aurelian Dragon in the tent, swallowed the rest of his words, and looked at him with displeasure, saying, "What brings you here, sir? Could it be..."
Although he didn't finish his sentence, the expression on his face clearly mocked Aurelian Dragon.
Before Aurelian Dragon could answer, Tang Juan said to him, "Lord Ye has come to discuss with us how to deal with the enemy."
"Oh, I wonder what difficulties you've encountered, sir?" Zhu Dejun asked with an air of arrogance.
Aurelian Dragon understood that the people of Wu'an must have also received the news that Parry was preparing to ambush them. While admiring their intelligence network, he decided to show them that he was no less capable.
He glanced calmly at Zhu Dejun, who stood with his arms crossed, and said firmly, "Pari's men are waiting for us to crash into the Rocky Gorge ahead!"
"What?"
Zhu Dejun and Tang Juan were both startled and stared straight at the serious-looking Aurelian Dragon.
Aurelian Dragon was greatly surprised. Could it be that they hadn't received this news yet? But he still went on to explain the findings in detail.
"Furthermore, we are now surrounded on both sides, with enemies behind us..."
He deliberately didn't continue speaking, but just looked at the two handsome men in front of him whose faces had turned ugly.
Zhu Dejun, exasperated, pressed on, "Who's behind us?"
Tang Juan sneered, "Who else? Naturally, it's Qiu Xin's men! That bastard!"
Aurelian Dragon was greatly surprised. Tang Juan's reaction was so quick, and he was able to accurately identify the enemy behind them. He was now certain that Qiu Xin and the people of Wu'an were colluding, and that he might have provided them with false information this time.
Tang Juan turned to Aurelian Dragon and said, "Whatever arrangements you make, sir, we will do our best to cooperate."
Aurelian Dragon knew he was telling him to leave; they needed to discuss the current issues. He stood up and walked over to Tang Juan.
Tang Juan looked at him strangely, his eyes filled with confusion. Aurelian Dragon chuckled inwardly, then suddenly leaned closer to his stunningly handsome face and whispered, "Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be fine."
Anger flashed in Tang Juan's eyes. He took a step back and sneered, "What are you doing, sir?"
Aurelian Dragon laughed heartily, patted him on the shoulder, and walked out of the tent, completely ignoring the fiery glares and murderous expressions of the two handsome men inside.
By this time, the heavy rain outside had gradually subsided, with only a few scattered raindrops drifting in the air, feeling cool on the face. The dense dark clouds had also dispersed, and the post-rain sunshine shone on the exceptionally verdant mountains and forests, making for a truly pleasing sight.
Aurelian Dragon took a deep breath of fresh air, inwardly sighing that the vibrant scene before her would soon be covered by the blood of slaughter.
"Sir, Qiu Wei and his men are indeed following behind us, and they have set up camp about fifteen miles away from here."
Garrick Stonewall walked up to him and whispered in his ear, his eyes filled with anger.
"That bastard, he put on such a good act to our faces, but he did this behind our backs. He probably wanted to take advantage of the chaos while we were ambushed. Right now, they're all resting in the camp."
Aurelian Dragon perked up, patted his broad shoulder, and said with a smile, "Would you like to visit their camp again?"
Upon hearing this, Garrick Stonewall replied without hesitation, "Please give your orders, sir!"
Aurelian Dragon nodded and said, "Let's go prepare first and talk about it when Obsidia Shade returns!"
※ ※ ※
Tang Juan slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "Your men are all useless!"
Zhu Dejun lowered his head and remained silent, but a look of resentment flashed in his eyes.
Tang Juan said indignantly, "Think about how much benefit Qiu Xin got from us. When we set off, didn't you say that you had promised to tell us detailed information about Pari and that you would arrange a safe route for us? Now look what's happened, you actually sent people to plot against us from behind."
Zhu Dejun pondered and argued, "Perhaps they're protecting us secretly? Besides, he did say that someone wanted to deal with that bastard Aurelian Dragon, but that has nothing to do with us. The people ahead might not be here to deal with us."
"You're such an idiot, don't you understand?"
Tang Juan said mercilessly, "What did he tell you? He had his men lure Pari's troops to the main road to ambush them, and then told us to find a way to take the back road. Now we find that they are ahead of us. Isn't that obvious? To put it another way, if the people ahead really weren't Pari's, he would have told us clearly long ago. Why would he need to be so mysterious? This guy is probably getting benefits from all three sides. He really is a ruthless fellow."
Zhu Dejun remained silent for a long time before hesitatingly saying, "If he really wants to harm us, why doesn't he do it on his own turf? Wouldn't that be much easier?"
"That old fox, he arranged for the operation to take place here, so he's absolved of any responsibility. Nobody can say anything about him."
Tang Juan sneered, "He just didn't expect me to be in this delegation. You didn't reveal anything to him, did you?"
Zhu Dejun quickly replied, "No, I didn't say anything!"
"Very well," Tang Juan said coldly. "I don't believe we can be defeated by them. Leaving here won't be difficult at all!"
Zhu Dejun nodded proudly and said, "Our men are more than capable of taking on ten men each. Escorting Her Highness the Princess away will be no problem at all."
Tang Juan snorted coldly and said, "Now I want to see how this bastard will handle the current situation."
Zhu Dejun couldn't help but say, "This man seems like an idiot, how could he possibly have any good ideas!"
Tang Juan said resentfully, "I want to see how he fails. I've never seen such a boring man! Do whatever he says and see what tricks he has up his sleeve."
Watching Tang Juan walk into the back tent, Zhu Dejun felt somewhat strange. He knew that this man had never been so angry before, nor had he ever shown such obvious hatred towards anyone. He always had a way of dealing with someone, but he would never reveal his emotional fluctuations in front of others.
Perhaps that idiotic man had angered him, causing such unusual behavior. He vaguely sensed something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Thinking about Aurelian Dragon's actions again, he also found him idiotic—no, his behavior was appalling, completely unlike that of a person of status. He was a complete thug, actually touching and groping members of a foreign delegation and showing unusual interest. How could a man like him be fit to be a general?
It seems that the court in Fast is quite an interesting place. With this thought in mind, Zhu Dejun walked out of the tent and began to summon his soldiers.
Tang Juan went to his private tent at the back, where a pretty maid handed him a fragrant handkerchief and then obediently left.
I don't think I've ever been this angry since I can remember. That man was clearly flirting with me. It's outrageous!
Tang Juan thought angrily. If this were back home, a man like this would have been killed long ago. But now he had to force himself to endure it because it didn't fit his original plan. However, since this man had such a weakness, dealing with him shouldn't be too difficult, which was the only good thing!
Giving him a hard time would make him more useful to me. But then, wouldn't I have to endure this man's harassment for a while longer?
Tang Juan carefully considered how to control a lustful man. There could be many ways, but he wanted the safest and most reliable one.
Just as he was pondering this, a maid came to inform him that he needed to go to Fast's tent to discuss important matters.