I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

Chapter 65 The Arrow Ready to Be Struck

West of Shanzhou City, there is a sizable open space, which is Zhao Mingcheng's personal training ground.

It was afternoon, and at one end of the drill ground stood several simple straw targets.

Zhao Mingcheng is practicing archery today.

He changed out of his usual signature scarlet official robes and black fox fur coat, and wore only a narrow-sleeved blue cotton robe that allowed for easy movement.

Zhao Mingcheng held his breath, stood firmly on his feet, held a 1.5-stone mulberry wood riding bow in his left hand, and tapped the string with his right hand, slowly drawing the bow.

The arrow pointed steadily at the bullseye of the grass target three thousand paces away.

At that time, the Imperial Academy in Bianjing had a course on archery.

However, the archery classes at the Imperial Academy were mostly formalities, and the lessons were taught on fixed targets, with little emphasis on strength or skill.

After arriving in the Hehuang region.

Zhao Mingcheng deeply understood the importance of archery and horsemanship skills, not only for self-defense, but also as a way to integrate into the frontier and understand military life.

He was physically fit, and he often played football in Bianjing to maintain his stamina.

After arriving in Hehuang, he lost his ball partners, so he practiced push-ups, squats, and weightlifting exercises every day using either bodyweight exercises or simple equipment. His physical strength, endurance, and arm strength were much stronger than those of ordinary scholars.

At this moment, drawing the bow with two stones is a bit strenuous, but it is still stable.

"Unite your eyes, hands, and mind; do not rush or be impatient. Breathe evenly and deeply, drawing in without releasing, and wait for it to come naturally."

Liu Zhongwu stood half a step to Zhao Mingcheng's side, his eyes sharp as an eagle, and whispered instructions.

This scholar-general was not only well-versed in military strategy and the affairs of the barbarians, but also a master of horsemanship and archery in the Western Army. Naturally, he was more than capable of teaching his student Zhao Mingcheng.

Zhao Mingcheng followed the instructions, adjusted his breathing, focused his gaze on the bullseye, and waited until his breath was almost gone and his mind was most calm before suddenly releasing the three fingers that were holding the bowstring!

"Boom—whoosh!"

The arrow left the bowstring, pierced the air, and with a thud, struck the straw target!

Although it didn't hit the bullseye, it landed firmly on the inner edge of the target, hitting the mark perfectly.

"Excellent!" Liu Zhongwu praised, "Sir, your talent is exceptional. Your arm strength and eyesight are both top-notch. What you lack is only practice and real combat experience. Given time, you will surely become a master archer."

Zhao Mingcheng lowered the bow, exhaled slightly, and saw fine beads of sweat on his forehead, but his eyes remained clear.

He stretched his slightly sore and numb right arm and was about to speak when a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the entrance of the training ground.

Tong Guan came rushing over, his face ashen and his steps hurried, almost staggering. Behind him was a disheveled man dressed as a merchant, but with a panicked expression.

At this moment, Tong Guan's usual shrewd and composed demeanor vanished completely.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!" Tong Guan rushed forward, his voice trembling sharply, not even having time to bow.

Zhao Mingcheng's heart sank, and he put down the bow.

"Don't panic, speak slowly. What is it?"

Tong Guan pointed to the man dressed as a merchant behind him.

"This man is a merchant from Hezhou, surnamed Zhou. He—he brought news! He said that a small caravan traveling from Hezhou to Qingtang was attacked by bandits on the Guijianchou Ancient Road west of the city. The entire caravan was wiped out, more than twenty people, not a single survivor!"

The goods were looted and the vehicles were burned! Furthermore, a newly established settlement in the north of the city was attacked last night by several bandits who burned down the shacks, stole the grain, and injured people!

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Liu Zhongwu's eyebrows shot up and his eyes flashed with cold light.

He knew what this meant for the newly stabilized situation.

The merchant surnamed Zhou knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and wailing.

"Your Honor! Please do justice for us! That scene was too horrible! I was passing through there on my way back to Hezhou—"

The ground was littered with dead bodies, and the blood had stained the riverbed stones red!

The little man was so frightened he almost jumped out of his skin, and that's why he ran back to report the news!

Zhao Mingcheng felt a chill suddenly rise from the bottom of his heart.

He forced himself to calm down, his expression unchanged, but the knuckles of his clenched fingers were turning slightly white.

"Master Tong," he looked at Tong Guan, his voice unusually calm, "did your men get any prior warning? Did you have any spies planted in the Ghost's Sorrow area?"

Tong Guan's facial muscles twitched, and he knelt down with a thud, touching the ground with his head.

"My lord! I have failed in my duty! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! The road to Guijianchou is remote and difficult to travel. Few caravans usually travel on it. My scouts have focused their efforts on the main roads, the area around the market, and the area where Xisheluosa might appear."

"We were indeed negligent in our precautions on this remote path. I thought that even a small group of bandits wouldn't dare rob a guarded caravan, but who would have thought—who would have thought that these killers would be so ruthless and vicious, leaving not a single survivor! I have failed in my duty to you, sir, and beg you to punish me!"

Tong Guan was truly scared and regretful this time.

Zhao Mingcheng entrusted him with the important task of intelligence gathering.

He made such a huge mistake that the lifeline of "He Cai" was cut off, the land reclamation project was thwarted, and people were filled with anxiety.

This is not only a dereliction of duty, but could also ruin the hard-won positive situation that Zhao Mingcheng has achieved.

Zhao Mingcheng remained silent for a moment. He knew that Tong Guan was telling the truth, but he also understood Tong Guan's difficulties.

The Hehuang region is vast and has complex terrain. Tong Guan's scouts were limited in number and could not cover every inch of the land.

This attack was clearly meticulously planned, targeting a weak point in the defenses, and the action was extremely ruthless and swift.

Zhao Mingcheng stepped forward and reached out to help Tong Guan.

"Please rise, Master Tong. This matter is not solely your fault. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. They are lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike, making them impossible to guard against. Putting everything else aside for now, the most urgent task is to find out the truth, find the mastermind, strike them hard, and win back the hearts of the people!"

Tong Guan looked up and saw that Zhao Mingcheng had not scolded him harshly, but instead comforted him first. He felt a mix of guilt and gratitude in his heart and gritted his teeth.

"My lord, you are magnanimous! I will certainly atone for my sins with meritorious service! I will immediately mobilize all my manpower to dig three feet into the ground and uncover the origins and lair of these murderers!"

"No rush," Zhao Mingcheng waved his hand and said gently to the Zhou-surnamed merchant.

"Manager Zhou has been frightened. Go and rest. Tell the clerk in detail what you saw and heard. You have done a good job in reporting the news, and I will reward you. General Liu, send two people to escort Manager Zhou to a safe place. Also, please ask General Wang Shan to come and discuss matters as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Liu Zhongwu immediately made the arrangements.

Before long, Wang Shan received the news and rushed over. Upon hearing of the tragedy, he was furious.

"Damn it! Which blind bastard dares to kill and rob right under my nose! My lord, give me five hundred cavalry, no, three hundred will do! I'll sweep through all the ravines to the west and north, and I'll drag these rats out and tear them to pieces!"

Zhao Mingcheng had regained his usual composure and gestured for everyone to enter the main hall to talk.

He dismissed everyone else, leaving only Liu Zhongwu, Wang Shan, and Tong Guan.

"This matter is far more complex than a simple bandit robbery," Zhao Mingcheng stated bluntly.

"Ordinary bandits, seeking only wealth, would not be so ruthless, slaughtering everyone without leaving a single survivor, much less attacking both caravans and settlements simultaneously. This is clearly intentional, targeting our new policies of 'harvesting' and 'land reclamation.' Their aim is to create panic, cut off trade routes, undermine morale, and cause us to lose everything!"

Wang Shan said angrily.

"It must be that scoundrel Cisherosa's doing! Who else but him hates our new policies so much?"

Liu Zhongwu pondered for a moment.

"Xisheluosa is certainly the prime suspect. However, its main force should be hidden deep in the southern mountains, not close to Guijianchou or the garrison point north of the city."

Mobilizing troops for a long-distance raid, then quickly fleeing without leaving a trace, and being able to accurately track caravan movements and the location of settlements—it's likely he has an inside man in the area, or perhaps he's using someone else's connections.

Tong Guan had calmed down by this time and continued the conversation.

"General Liu is absolutely right. I was just thinking that the one who made the move might not have been the Xisheluosa tribe."

Judging from their ruthless and swift style, their familiarity with the terrain, and their ability to move like the wind, it seems more like the work of certain local tribes that are both herders and bandits. They disguise themselves as bandits, so even if one or two are captured, they can easily deny it, while Xisheluosa remains hidden behind the scenes.

Zhao Mingcheng nodded: "The general and the retainer are right. After the previous blows, Xisheluosa knows that direct confrontation is difficult to shake, so he plans to use someone else to kill him and undermine his cause."

This plan is insidious. If we respond improperly or retreat and yield, the market will surely decline, the military-agricultural settlements will stagnate, and the trust between the Han and non-Han peoples will completely collapse. If that happens, Xi Sheluo Sa will raise his voice again, and the Hehuang region will be in grave danger.

"What should we do? Are we just going to watch them act so arrogantly?" Wang Shan asked anxiously.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Mingcheng's eyes as he spoke resolutely.

"Of course not! Retreating would mean all our previous efforts were wasted. Only by striking head-on and annihilating these people with swift and decisive action can we restore morale and show Xisherossa that such underhanded tactics won't work!"

Zhao Mingcheng looked at the three of them and slowly uttered the eight-character strategy.

"Use force to promote peace, and use war to stop war."

A glint of light flashed in Liu Zhongwu's eyes.

"What the master means is that if we fight, we must fight hard and accurately, and make a great impression so that other tribes that are watching or even harboring ill intentions will know that following Xisheluosa in rebellion will only lead to their death."

At the same time, it also showed those coerced or hesitant tribes that only by sincerely submitting, abiding by the laws of the court, and participating in land reclamation and farming could they ensure peace and prosperity. This battle was not only about suppressing bandits, but also about establishing authority.

"Excellent!" Zhao Mingcheng said. "The objective of this battle must be clear: to find and annihilate this armed group posing as bandits, regardless of who is behind them. If we can uncover their mastermind or obtain irrefutable evidence of their collusion with Xisheluosa, that would be even better."

Wang Shan was eager to try his hand at it.

"My lord, please give the order! How should we fight? This humble general will lead the charge!"

Zhao Mingcheng looked at Tong Guan.

"Don't rush into a fight, Master Tong. I'll leave the intelligence to you. We don't have much time. We must use every means at all costs to find out the exact identity and background of the attackers. Is that possible?"

Tong Guan stood up abruptly, his face showing a fierce determination and focused determination.

"Rest assured, sir! If we can't find out the truth within three days, I'll offer my head in retribution! I'll make the arrangements right away! Even if we have to turn over every single tent and every single stone in the Hehuang region, we'll dig out all this rubbish!"

"Okay!" Zhao Mingcheng said to Liu Zhongwu.

"General Liu, assist Tong Gongfeng in selecting a group of the most capable scouts and veterans to cooperate with his operations."

Meanwhile, the military heightened its vigilance, increasing patrols at markets and military settlements, but maintaining a relaxed exterior while remaining vigilant inside, avoiding excessive disturbance to prevent escalating panic.

He finally looked at Wang Shan, "General Wang, your troops are training hard and ready to fight at any time. Once the target is locked, I want you to sweep them away with lightning speed, leaving no trace! Remember, be fast, be ruthless, and fight with overwhelming force!"

"Your subordinates obey!" Wang Shan and Liu Zhongwu replied in unison, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

For the next three days, the city and its surroundings appeared calm on the surface. Even the market saw a slight increase in trading volume due to increased troop patrols, and the military settlements were also reinforced with security.

It appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath.

Tong thoroughly mobilized his intelligence network, including his scouts.

They might disguise themselves as fur traders and venture deep into the grasslands, or masquerade as refugees fleeing famine and infiltrate tribes, or bribe officials with large sums of money to obtain information—

A well-informed informant.

They even used spies they had planted in several larger tribes in the past.

Liu Zhongwu also dispatched the most elite night scouts and barbarian cavalry familiar with the terrain to assist in reconnaissance.

He focused his investigation on the area from "Ghost's Sorrow" to the north of the city, looking for which tribes had the ability and motive to commit such a bloody crime.

Under the combined influence of pressure and money, efficiency is extremely high.

By the evening of the following day, scattered pieces of information began to come together:

A scout found a lasso left behind by the attackers. Although the tribal markings had been deliberately worn away, the wood of the lasso was still intact.

The shape of the pole head is also seven or eight parts similar to the style commonly used by the western wolf tribe.

Several days before the Ghost's Sorrow incident, a herdsman saw about thirty men on horseback, dressed in haphazard clothes but riding fine horses, roaming the mountainous area. Their movements were mysterious and they did not seem to be ordinary herdsmen or hunters.

The scouts also learned about this through black market channels.

Recently, it seems that the Wild Wolf Tribe has been secretly selling a batch of goods from the Central Plains of unknown origin, including exquisite pottery and dyes.

The clues gradually pointed to the "Wild Wolf Tribe".

On the third day, an even more groundbreaking piece of intelligence arrived.

Tong Guan's mole, who was planted in a small tribe near the Wild Wolf tribe, reported back.

About ten days ago, I personally witnessed Dorje, a fierce general under Xisheluosamo, secretly entering the tent of Langga, the chieftain of the Wild Wolf tribe, with several men, and having a private conversation for nearly an hour.

In the following days, the Wild Wolf tribe selected a group of the fiercest men in the tribe, led by Langga's nephew, and their whereabouts became unknown.

Just the day before yesterday, this group of people quietly returned.

There seemed to be more heavy, felt-wrapped objects in the tribe.

Meanwhile, warriors from the Wild Wolf tribe were secretly showing off their newly acquired, high-strength bows, which were clearly not something their tribe could forge.

Almost simultaneously, Xia Zheng also confirmed the attacker's identity through his connections with his old subordinates.

An elderly Tibetan man, who was distantly related to the Wild Wolf tribe, revealed to the messenger sent by Xia Zheng after drinking that Langga's nephew had boasted a few days ago while drunk that he had led a group to pull off a big business, robbing a Song Dynasty merchant caravan and obtaining many valuable items, and even exchanging them with the "Great Chief of Qingtang."

Now the truth is out.

"Wild Wolf Tribe, Langga." Zhao Mingcheng slowly uttered the name as he looked at the intelligence gathered by Tong Guan and Liu Zhongwu.

"What a fence-sitter! He watched from the sidelines before, and now he's an accomplice to evil."

"My lord, the main ranch of the Wild Wolf Tribe is located in Wolf Howling Valley, about 100 miles northwest of the city. Backed by mountains, the terrain is treacherous. The tribe has about 500 tents and no fewer than 400 soldiers capable of fighting. The force that has made this move should be their elite troops." Liu Zhongwu pointed to the location marked on the map.

"Are their tribes scattered or clustered?" Zhao Mingcheng asked, while taking out the dagger given to him by Zhao Ji and playing with it.

"Their tribes are relatively concentrated, with several sheltered and sunny camps near Wolf Howling Valley. Langga's main tent should be in the valley," Tong Guan added.

Wang Shan clenched his fists so tightly they cracked.

"My lord, give the order! This humble general is willing to personally lead an army to raze Wolf Howling Valley to the ground, capture and kill Langga and his nephew, as an example to others!"

Zhao Mingcheng did not answer immediately. He turned the dagger over and looked at its sharp blade before speaking.

"Fighting is a must, and it must be fought well and thoroughly. We must not only annihilate the rebels, but also capture their ringleaders, hold a public trial, and make all the Hehuang tribes see clearly that following Xisheluosa to oppose our Great Song Dynasty will only lead to their deaths."

After speaking, Zhao Mingcheng sheathed his dagger and pointed to the location of Wolf Howling Valley on the map.

"Alright, everyone, look here—"