CHAPTER 1115: CHAPTER 609: ZHAO DOUAN’S COUNTERATTACK (5K)

Temporary governor’s office.

In the spacious study, the charcoal fire in the brazier flickered slightly. Zhao Douan stood by the solid wooden desk, leaning forward to meticulously examine the map spread across the desk, occasionally marking and calculating something on the paper.

"Knock knock." The door was tapped.

Without lifting his head, he said, "Come in." The heavy door was pushed open, and Mo Chou, wearing a female official’s robe and a featherless black hat, entered.

Seeing him at work, she instinctively lightened her footsteps and turned to close the door.

Zhao Douan finished writing the last string of formulas, put down the pen, straightened up, rubbed his sore wrist, and smiled, saying, "Didn’t bring me any food or drink?"

Mo Chou rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, really treating me like a "secretary"? You’re not even His Majesty.

She walked over slowly and said calmly, "The news of your rescue of Feng Ju and others has been very well received within the army, praised unanimously by all three forces."

"That’s good, but it’s still not enough." Zhao Douan sighed, saying with a bitter smile, "Don’t be fooled by my enormous prestige now; though I appear glorious, this also means countless pairs of eyes are watching me. My fame has given the soldiers overly high expectations, which means that once I fail, lose a battle, or even be plainly mediocre, doing nothing will incite backlash from public opinion."

Having been a high-level administrative secretary in his past life, Zhao Douan understood well the nature of "public opinion."

The more the fame is at its peak, the more fragile it is.

When leading troops on the Western front before, people held no expectations of him, so mediocrity wasn’t a big deal. But now on the Eastern front, his reputation has been elevated too high, and he’s been put on a pedestal.

Mo Chou, being an "secretary" to the Empress, naturally understood the fearsome nature of public opinion backlash in undermining military morale, nodded and said, "So? What do you plan to do next? Actively attack, capture Lower Lake Pavilion, and then take advantage of Prince Jing’s entry into Coastal to move south?"

Zhao Douan shook his head and said, "I came to the Eastern front not to command battles, that’s not my forte."

If attempting to defeat Prince Jing by slowly eroding the opponent’s forces, it’s not to mention whether it can be achieved.

In terms of time alone, it doesn’t allow for such a method.

"Winter is soon coming to an end now, the wind was much warmer yesterday, and in a few days, I fear the rivers will thaw. If this war drags on too long, the trouble will begin once the people from the Western Regions invade."

Zhao Douan said sternly, "Therefore, we must win quickly. Settle the battle at the fastest speed."

Mo Chou was moved and suddenly asked, "Are you planning to replicate the method against Xu Jingtang and carry out a decapitation strategy?"

If it’s hard to determine victory or defeat quickly on the battlefield, then resolving Prince Jing is the only way.

Mo Chou said, "But at this moment, Prince Jing is in Marine Road; you certainly can’t go there and kill him, can you? Not to mention that’s Prince Chen’s territory, how long would traveling take?"

Who said it couldn’t be done? Zhao Douan smiled without speaking.

He was indeed considering whether to take advantage of Prince Jing being in Marine Road, away from the main Jiancheng Rebel Army, to eliminate him.

But not now.

On the one hand, he just succeeded Xue Shence, he must stabilize the military first and cannot leave randomly before that.

Additionally, and more importantly, he absolutely must find out who exactly "Military Advisor Xu" is.

At this time, Mo Chou came over, looked down at the Marine Road map on the desk, and her expression became strange: "Are you serious? Don’t tell me you intend to use force on Marine Road... What do these symbols mean?"

She pointed to the blank paper with strange Arabic numerals and various formulas and curves written in ink.

Mathematics... Zhao Douan murmured in his heart, seeing Mo Chou’s curious expression, he was about to playfully make up lies to fool her.

Suddenly, there was another knock on the study room door.

"Come in."

Zhao Douan turned his head and said.

The burly Inner Court Tributor, Tang Jinzhong, pushed open the door and entered. He was wearing an official robe, with a clean-shaven face and a calm demeanor.

As soon as he stepped in, he bowed and said, "Governor, there is an urgent matter to report. Enemy General Ye Xin just sent a messenger with a letter saying they want to exchange prisoners with us."

Exchange prisoners?

Zhao Douan and Mo Chou exchanged glances, seeing each other’s astonishment.

"Explain clearly!" Mo Chou said solemnly.

Tang Jinzhong said, "Ye Xin proposed exchanging some of the officers, civil servants, and Shadow Guards they captured from our side for the opponent’s generals that we captured. The location is set at Yansuo Lake outside the city, saying if we agree, we can further discuss the details."

Yansuo Lake... A place outside the city not occupied by either side, indeed an appropriate safe spot...

However, having just rescued Feng Ju, the opponent suddenly proposes a prisoner exchange, what’s the intention? Zhao Douan frowned.

Conspiracy.

A massive conspiracy.

"Do we have many people captured by them?" Zhao Douan asked.

Mo Chou nodded and listed a string of names: "These people are all from Hu Ting, and some are held in Jianning Prefecture."

Zhao Douan wasn’t familiar with most of the names until he heard the word ’Scholar,’ suddenly stunned: "Is it the Gold Shadow Guard?"

He certainly remembered this person, a Gold Shadow Guard from Linfeng, and as the war progressed, Shadow Guards also gathered at the two lines, Western and Eastern.

Last time, when the daughter of Zhao Shixiong was transported a thousand miles, it was Scholar who operated.

Afterward, a group followed Song Jinxi to the Eastern Front.

"Besides him? Was Hong Ye captured?" Zhao Douan suddenly asked, "Why hasn’t anyone told me about this?"

Mo Chou didn’t understand why he cared about Hong Ye, but she truthfully replied, "Hong Ye wasn’t captured, but was seriously injured and sent to the rear for treatment. Song Jinxi was responsible for this matter and probably didn’t tell you because he thought it was unnecessary."