The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the snow cleared up after a long day.

The sunlight shone sparingly on the muddy official road covered with remnants of snow, reflecting a cold, dazzling white light, but without a trace of warmth.

The air was dry and cold; when inhaled, it carried dust and a faint smell of blood, stinging the lungs.

It has been seven days since I left Luoying Gorge.

For the past seven days, the team has been walking on a knife's edge. They have been moving at breakneck speed during the day...

At night, choose a strategic location to set up camp, send out scouts twenty li away, and double the number of sentries, both visible and hidden.

Along the way, Yun Jin, in his capacity as Imperial Envoy and Inspector, carried the royal decree and commanded one to two hundred local garrison soldiers to accompany and escort him to the next prefecture or county for handover.

In this way, the number of guards varied, their whereabouts were difficult to predict, and they also took the opportunity to observe the local military preparedness and the reactions of officials.

Sure enough, sporadic harassment continued afterward, including stray arrows, traps, startled horses, and even two attacks by small groups of desperate men disguised as refugees.

However, none of them caused any major damage. Instead, Zhou Bo and Zhao Jianing led their men to cleanly and efficiently eliminate them, and captured several survivors. Their confessions gradually pieced together several hidden lines of "Scarface" in the Southern Army.

The clues, like ink dropped into clear water, began to slowly spread, pointing to certain generals in the southern military garrisons who held real power but remained detached from the imperial court.

Among them, the most prominent name is "General Pingnan and Deputy Commander of the Jiangling Navy", Feng Kun.

This man was originally a veteran general from the southern frontier. He had served under the father of Prince Jingjiang, Yuntao, and later defected to the imperial court. Because of his familiarity with naval warfare, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Commander of the Jiangling Navy, in charge of a portion of the river defense.

According to the confession, the scarred man had secretly traveled between the capital and Jiangling many times and had a "close relationship" with Feng Kun.

"Baima Ferry" was an important ferry crossing in Feng Kun's defense zone, connecting the north and south of the Yangtze River and serving as a necessary route to Anqing.

"Your Highness, we will arrive at Baima Ferry tomorrow." As night fell, the group set up camp in a sheltered mountain hollow beside the official road.

Inside the central command tent, the charcoal fire crackled, and Zhou Bo pointed at the map with a solemn expression.

According to reports from scouts and "listening" agents, all official and civilian ferries at Baima Ferry have been requisitioned and controlled by Feng Kun under the pretext of "preventing thieves" due to "military affairs," leaving only a few old boats to maintain basic passage.

The garrison at the ferry crossing was increased from a single squad to a battalion of about 500 men, all under Feng Kun's command.

Feng Kun himself is currently conducting drills at the "water fortress" thirty miles upstream.

"Requisition ferries, reinforce garrisons..." Yun Jin looked at the dot marking the ferry crossing on the map, tapping it lightly with her fingertips. "Is it to guard against thieves, or against me?"

"I'm afraid it's the latter," Zhao Jianing said in a deep voice, his wound already bandaged.

"We've been making a significant troop movement along the way, and Feng Kun couldn't possibly be unaware of His Highness's impending arrival. Blocking the ferry crossings and reinforcing our defenses at this time is suspicious. Furthermore, the Bai Ma Ferry is wide and the current is swift; although there are no strong winds this season, there's often dense fog in the mornings. If we launch an attack while crossing the river..."

"A pincer attack by land and water, cutting off my retreat, is the perfect place to kill me," Zhou Bo replied, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"Feng Kun is a naval commander, skilled in naval warfare. If he truly colludes with the Third Prince and Mr. Jia to ambush us here, it will be with overwhelming force. Although we have over a thousand elite troops, they are not accustomed to naval warfare. If we are intercepted in the middle of the river, our chances of survival are slim."

The tent fell silent for a moment.

The firelight illuminated Yun Jin's serene profile as her gaze swept back and forth across the map at "Baima Ferry," "Feng Kun Water Village," and several potential landing sites downstream.

Since heading south, although there have been dangers, they have all been on land, which Zhou Bo and Zhao Jianing were able to handle.

Naval warfare, however, is their weakness and also the most likely killing move the enemy can use.

"Your Highness," Han Lie, who had been listening in silence, suddenly spoke up. These days, besides inspecting the weapons, he had been pondering some of the "naval warfare gadgets" mentioned in Su Che's letter. "As mentioned in Mr. Su's letter, I have made a few things that may be useful."

"Oh? What is it?" Yun Jin looked at him.

Han Lie took out several strangely shaped objects from his leather pouch.

One is a fist-sized "iron can" wrapped in several layers of oilcloth and tightly bound with rope, with a fuse at one end.

One is a foldable barbed wire fence with barbs; the other is a hollow copper tube shaped like a trumpet.

"This item, I'll temporarily name it 'Underwater Dragon King Cannon,'" Han Lie said, pointing to the iron can.

"The principle is similar to that of the 'Thunderclap Bomb,' but the outer shell is thicker, and the fuse is waterproofed. When lit and thrown into water, it sinks to the bottom and explodes after about ten breaths, causing water shockwaves that can damage the bottom of ships and kill underwater swimmers. However, its power is affected by water depth, and its accuracy is difficult to control."

He then picked up the barbed wire: "This is a 'river-blocking net.' When cast into the water, it can entangle oars and propellers, hindering the movement of ships. It can also be deployed underwater at landing beaches to delay the enemy's wading attack."

Finally, there's the copper pipe: "This is a 'water listening tube.' Insert the larger end into the water and place the smaller end close to your ear. You can hear the sounds of boats rowing in the distance, and even... the sound of boats being shoved underwater. It can help with lookout."

Yun Jin's eyes lit up.

Although these items are crude, they are precisely the tools to deal with naval attacks!

Mr. Su was indeed very thoughtful, having considered even such details in advance.

"Commander Han, have you tried any of these things?" she asked.

"I've tried it briefly, and it works. But the quantity is limited. I only made twenty 'Underwater Dragon King Cannons,' ten 'River-Blocking Nets,' and five 'Water Listening Tubes,'" Han Lie said somewhat apologetically.

"It's alright. At a crucial moment, it might be able to turn the tide." Yun Jin pondered, "Commander Zhou, Commander Zhao, what do you think we should do if Feng Kun really sets up an ambush at Baima Ferry?"

Zhou Bo said, "They will simply attack while our army is halfway across the river. They may ambush us with crossbows on the opposite bank and fire a hail of arrows; or they may send water monsters to swim under and sabotage the boats."

Or they could send out fast boats to intercept us in the middle of the river and engage in close-quarters combat. The most ruthless tactic would be to wait until our vanguard lands while our rear guard is still in the river, then launch a pincer attack from both banks, advancing by both land and water to divide and annihilate us!

Zhao Jianing added, "Since Feng Kun dares to make a move, the five hundred troops stationed at the ferry crossing are probably unreliable. They might even turn against him and cooperate with the ambush troops from within."

"Therefore, we cannot follow his pace completely." Yun Jin pointed to the map with her fingertip. "We will arrive at the ferry tomorrow, but we will not rush to cross the river."

In his capacity as Imperial Inspector, he summoned the garrison captain at the ferry crossing, inspected the ferry boats, and inquired about river defenses.

At the same time, they dispatched capable scouts, disguised, to cross the river and investigate the situation on the other side.

"Zhou Sima, take my token and go to Feng Kun's water fortress upstream. 'Order' him to come to the ferry immediately to see the Emperor and report on the river defense. Observe his reaction. If he refuses to come or acts suspiciously, then he has something to hide."

"What if he really dares to come?" Zhou Bo asked.

"It's even better that you've come." Yun Jin sneered. "Right here at the ferry, in front of both armies, I want to ask this General Pingnan why he blocked the ferry without cause and obstructed the imperial envoy."

"Let's see how he answers. If he hesitates or shows any ill intentions, Commander Zhao," she looked at Zhao Jianing, "you take the Imperial Guard and make sure he's captured on the spot! If we can control him, the situation at Baimadu might be resolved without a fight."

"Yes!" Zhou Bo and Zhao Jianing replied in unison.