The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

"Firstly, the bandits' gathering, while seemingly powerful, actually exposes their strength, saving our army the trouble of searching everywhere and exhausting ourselves. Our army can then concentrate its main force, forming an absolute advantage, and launch a swift and decisive attack!"

"Secondly," Wang Zhonghua said, gesturing across the area surrounding Junzhou on the sand table, "if the rebels intend to hold their ground and await reinforcements, or if their branch strongholds elsewhere attempt to come to their aid, this long supply line and the route for reinforcements will become easy targets for our army! We can deploy our elite troops to either cut off their supply lines or ambush reinforcements, gradually whittling them down. When Junzhou's food supplies are exhausted, external reinforcements are cut off, and morale collapses, that will be the day for our general offensive! This is the strategy of 'encircling the city and attacking reinforcements,' which allows us to slowly erode their strength!"

"Encircle and annihilate reinforcements"—that was one of the magic weapons of the valiant People's Liberation Army in the past, and Wang Zhonghua offered his brilliant plan without hesitation.

Ouyang Xiu stroked his beard and smiled, then replied, "What Zhonghua said is profoundly insightful in military strategy. Encirclement and suppression of reinforcements is indeed a brilliant plan! The Zoroastrians appear to be banding together for warmth, but in reality, they are placing their heads under the guillotine. The more they gather, the tighter the noose tightens. Our army only needs to maintain its footing, advancing step by step, seemingly slowly, but actually driving the rebels into a corner. After this battle, the Zoroastrians' base in the four prefectures of Chen, Cai, Jun, and Qian can be wiped out in one fell swoop!"

Upon hearing this, the generals in the tent regained their fighting spirit and nodded in agreement, feeling that the words had indeed hit the nail on the head.

Di Qing pondered for a moment, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxing. His gaze towards Wang Zhonghua deepened with admiration: "General Wang, so young, yet possesses such strategic brilliance, so insightful! I was momentarily distracted by the escape of the bandit leader. In that case, this is indeed a golden opportunity to gather and annihilate their main force! General Wang, what should our next step be?"

Wang Zhonghua calmly said, "We will proceed honorably, by both land and water. Our goal is to wipe out the Zoroastrianism in a grand manner. We haven't been training our troops for very long, so we can train as we go and eliminate any small groups of cultists we encounter along the way."

The generals readily agreed, and their morale soared even higher!

Soon, the spoils of this bandit suppression operation were tallied, revealing a bountiful harvest: countless provisions and supplies were seized, dozens of large chests of gold, silver, and valuables were captured, along with thousands of pieces of weaponry, including bows, crossbows, swords, spears, leather armor, and shields—enough to equip a battalion of elite soldiers. However, the most eye-catching finds were the letters and account books that had not been completely burned, salvaged from the ruins of the secret chamber.

Lu Maoyi personally carried in an iron box, his face grave: "My lord, it was found in a hidden compartment beneath the altar; the fire hadn't completely burned it."

The letters in the box were mostly written in coded language, but some of them, though burned, still contained fragments and unique seals that pointed to a chilling identity—they even showed traces of dealings with a powerful prince in the capital, as well as several officials from Chenzhou, Caizhou, Junzhou, and Qianzhou! The account books also vaguely recorded the flow of large sums of money from unknown sources, closely related to the "tribute" from certain state-run mines and canal transport companies.

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became tense again. The generals exchanged glances, not daring to say a word. This matter was far more serious than simply suppressing bandits.

Di Qing's face was ashen. He picked up a piece of charred letter paper, on which half of the Prince's Mansion's seal was faintly discernible. He took a deep breath and looked at Ouyang Xiu: "Lord Ouyang, this matter... is of utmost importance."

Ouyang Xiu remained calm, slowly tucking the tattered letters and account books into his sleeve as if he were merely putting away a few pages of ordinary manuscript. "I am aware of this matter. General Di, Young Master Wang, and all the generals," he said, his gaze sweeping over the people in the tent with an undeniable air of authority, "what you have seen today, forget it once you leave this tent."

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and replied in unison, "Understood!"

Wang Zhonghua knew perfectly well that this evidence was a hot potato, and it was safest to hand it over to Ouyang Xiu for secret handling. This was not only a continuation of the bandit suppression, but also a court power struggle without the smoke of gunpowder. He stepped forward and bowed to Ouyang Xiu and Di Qing, saying, "Lord Ouyang, Commander Di, the most urgent task is to take advantage of the Zoroastrians' shock and quickly reorganize our troops to put pressure on Junzhou. At the same time, spread rumors that our army needs to rest and temporarily suspend the offensive to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. Secretly, we should send elite squads disguised to infiltrate the area around Junzhou, survey the terrain, spread rumors, disturb their peace of mind, and prepare for subsequent 'reinforcements' attacks."

Ouyang Xiu nodded approvingly: "Excellent! To make the deceptive appear real, and the real appear deceptive. Zhonghua, you are meticulous and insightful; this strategy suits my purposes perfectly. What do you think, Commander Di?"

Di Qing waved his hand and said, "Let's go with this plan! Send the order down that the army rests on the spot for three days, let the brothers eat and drink their fill, and celebrate the Lantern Festival. At the same time, we will send out scouts everywhere and march on Junzhou in a grand manner. Commander Wang, this important task of infiltrating behind enemy lines and harassing the enemy will probably fall on you and 'Dark Arrow' again."

Wang Zhonghua clasped his hands in a fist salute, his eyes sharp as knives: "It is my duty!"

As night deepened, the lights in the central command tent remained on. Wang Zhonghua, along with Ouyang Xiu, Di Qing, and others, continued to meticulously strategize their advance, repeatedly sketching out the map of Junzhou. A larger-scale encirclement and annihilation campaign targeting the main force of the Zoroastrian sect was quietly being planned.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Junzhou City, Lu Laojiu, who had just fled back in a sorry state, was gritting his teeth as he looked at the map. On one hand, he was issuing strict orders to fortify the city's defenses, and on the other hand, he was frantically sending messengers to all sides for help. Little did he know that an invisible net was slowly tightening around Junzhou. His supposedly safe haven had become a carefully chosen battleground and a massive trap for the government troops.

Unbeknownst to Wang Zhonghua, another enormous trap was about to pounce on him.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the morning mist was like a veil.

Just as the door panels of Sansheng Cottage in Sanyi Village were removed, an inconspicuous blue sedan chair stopped in front of the bluestone steps. The curtain of the sedan chair moved slightly, and a lean clerk stepped out. He had a sparse goatee, triangular eyes with a shrewd glint in them, and two patina-covered iron balls in his left hand. He was none other than Qiu Laohu's uncle, Qiu Banxian, the confidant of Chen Shimei, the prefect of Chenzhou, and known as "Smiling Fox".

"Greetings, Physician Liu." Qiu Banxian bowed, his smile humble, but his eyes, like cold stars in a deep well—faint yet piercing—quickly swept over Liu Xinyi, who was tidying the medicine cabinet. "The Prefectural Governor suffered a sudden illness last night, with excruciating chest pain and profuse cold sweat. All the renowned physicians in the prefecture have been unable to help, and he has specially ordered me to humbly request that you, Physician, and your granddaughter, Miss Xinyi, come to the Prefectural Government Office. Saving lives is urgent!"

Liu Jueming's snow-white eyebrows furrowed slightly. He had heard of Chen Shimei's deeds and did not want to associate with such a powerful figure, but as a doctor, he felt a parent's heart and finally sighed softly: "Xinyi, prepare the acupuncture kit and bring that set of 'Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Needles'."

The sedan chair moved smoothly, and Qiu the fortune teller spoke flattering words all the way, but his eyes remained fixed on Liu Xinyi out of the corner of his eye. The young woman wore a simple, moon-white cotton dress, without any makeup, her dark hair loosely tied up with a single wooden hairpin. Her profile, in the morning light, resembled a newly blooming white magnolia, pure and untouched by worldly dust. She quietly held the sandalwood medicine box, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking the corner of the box. Her focused expression fueled the wicked thoughts in Qiu the fortune teller's heart.

Inside the Chenzhou Prefecture residence, the warm pavilion was filled with incense.

Chen Shimei reclined on a rosewood couch, half-covered by a brocade quilt. His face was flushed, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his breathing was heavy—a convincing act. Seeing the Liu family enter, he struggled to sit up, his voice weak: "Thank you...thank you for your help, divine physician..."

Liu Jueming remained silent, washed his hands, placed three fingers on his wrist to check his pulse, and closed his eyes to concentrate. After a moment, his brows furrowed, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "The pulse is wiry, slippery, and rapid, like pressing a zither string, yet weak and feeble. Liver stagnation has transformed into fire, and damp heat is accumulating internally, already damaging the Lesser Yin Heart and Kidney… Has the Prefect recently mistakenly taken some potent medicine?"

Chen Shimei gave a bitter smile, his acting skills no less than any "Golden Rooster Award" leading man: "To be honest, doctor, I obtained an ancient prescription a few years ago, which was said to strengthen muscles and bones, but who knew... Alas, I regret it so much!"

"Foolish!" Liu Jueming flicked his sleeve, a hint of anger in his voice. "Every medicine has some toxicity; how can you take it indiscriminately! This medicine is potent and has already burned the yin fluids of the internal organs. Magnolia flower," he turned to his granddaughter, "take the gold needles and first needle the Xingjian and Taichong acupoints to drain the excess fire in the liver and gallbladder; then needle the Shenmen and Neiguan acupoints to calm the mind and soothe the spirit."

Liu Xinyi stepped forward in response, her delicate hand gracefully moving the golden needle with fluid, precise movements. Chen Shimei felt a slight swelling in several acupoints, followed by a refreshing sensation. The tightness and pain in his chest were indeed relieved considerably, and he was secretly amazed by the young girl's exquisite medical skills.

After the acupuncture was removed, Liu Jueming had already written a prescription: "Modified Gentian Liver-Clearing Decoction, with Gentian, Gardenia, Scutellaria, Bupleurum... Be sure to take three doses consecutively, eat a light diet, and rest quietly."

Qiu Banxian praised repeatedly, "A miraculous doctor's skill, the needles cured the illness! But..." He changed the subject, his face showing difficulty, "Miss Nianyao of the manor has been suffering from palpitations and night sweats since last winter, unable to sleep at night, and gradually losing weight. She has seen many female doctors in the city, but none of them have helped."

"Would it be too kind of Miss Liu to move to the back garden and examine the young lady? After all, it is a young lady's illness..."