FVN 111. Urgent Report
111. Urgent Report
Autumn sunlight streamed through the window into the study, where Lin Mo was instructing Li Yu in studying "The Art of War." After more than a month of recuperation and training, the once frail boy had become much stronger, and his brows now held a touch of heroic spirit.
"There are five types of spies: informant spies, internal spies, double agents, expendable spies, and living spies," Lin Mo explained, pointing to the scroll. "The time we stirred up conflict between the two princes, we used a double agent tactic."
Li Yu pondered, "So the Master deliberately instigated the Third Imperial Uncle and the Fifth Imperial Uncle to distrust each other?"
"Exactly." Lin Mo nodded. "Let them fight it out, then we can reap the benefits. However..."
Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the study. Lin Feng pushed open the door and entered, his face unusually solemn.
"My lord, an urgent report from the border!"
Lin Mo gestured for Li Yu to continue studying, then got up and went to the outer room. Lin Feng took out a secret letter from his pocket; the sealing wax on the letter had cracked, indicating that it had been delivered urgently.
"This was sent by the Northern Frontier branch this morning, via express courier service."
Lin Mo unfolded the secret letter, his brows gradually furrowing. The letter stated that there had been frequent disturbances in the northern border region recently, with various tribes of the grasslands gathering on a large scale, seemingly preparing for a major war. What was even more unsettling was that Li Chong, the Prince of Zhenbei who guarded the northern border, seemed to be ignoring this, instead frequently exchanging information with envoys from the grasslands.
"Is the information reliable?" Lin Mo asked in a deep voice.
"The messenger was one of our old spies from the northern frontier, who has served the old master for many years and has never made a mistake," Lin Feng said in a low voice. "He also mentioned a detail: the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion has been under heavy security lately, with even daily purchases handled by his personal guards, and they no longer employ local people."
Lin Mo paced back and forth in the room, a fragment of his past life's memories suddenly surfacing. He remembered that around this time in his past life, a great battle had indeed taken place in the Northern Frontier, but the specific details were blurred. He only remembered that the battle was exceptionally fierce, with heavy losses suffered by the border troops, while the Prince of Zhenbei became even more powerful after the battle.
"It seems this Prince of Zhenbei has grand ambitions," Lin Mo murmured.
Just then, an announcement came from outside the door: "Master, Vice Minister Zhao of the Ministry of War has arrived."
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed: "Please wait in the living room, Lord Zhao. I'll be right there."
Zhao Mingyuan was the Vice Minister of War in charge of ordnance, and one of the officials Lin Mo had befriended through the arms trade. Although he was greedy, he was fairly conscientious in military affairs. His sudden visit at this time must be related to the situation on the border.
Lin Mo straightened his clothes and strode towards the living room. Zhao Mingyuan was pacing anxiously in the hall. Upon seeing Lin Mo, he immediately came to greet him.
"Master Lin, something terrible has happened!"
"Lord Zhao, please calm down and sit down to talk slowly." Lin Mo gestured for a servant to serve tea.
Zhao Mingyuan, however, had no interest in drinking tea. He lowered his voice and said, "The northern frontier is in dire straits! The eighteen tribes of the grasslands are gathering, and their forces are probably no less than 100,000. But the military report sent by the Prince of Zhenbei downplays it, only mentioning some small-scale disturbances."
Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat: "Oh? How did the Ministry of War find out the truth?"
"It was a secret letter secretly sent by several veteran border generals," Zhao Mingyuan wiped the sweat from his brow. "They dared not report it through normal channels, fearing the Prince of Zhenbei would discover it. These veterans all fought alongside the late emperor and are utterly loyal to the court."
"So, Lord Zhao came to see me because..."
"The Ministry of War wants to urgently procure a batch of military equipment from your estate, especially repeating crossbows and improved catapults," Zhao Mingyuan said urgently. "The imperial arsenal is short-stocked, and most of the equipment is outdated. If war really breaks out, I'm afraid..."
Lin Mo pondered for a moment: "The supply of military equipment is not a problem, but I need more details. Why is the Prince of Zhenbei concealing military intelligence? What benefit does it bring him?"
Zhao Mingyuan looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before leaning closer and whispering, "There's a rumor that the Prince of Zhenbei has reached some kind of agreement with the Khan of the grasslands. If the various tribes of the grasslands march south, he can remain inactive and wait until both sides are exhausted before stepping in to clean up the mess."
"He wants to play the victim?" Lin Mo sneered. "I'm afraid he'll end up letting the wolf into the sheepfold."
"That's exactly right!" Zhao Mingyuan nodded repeatedly. "Therefore, the Ministry of War intends to secretly allocate a batch of military equipment to those loyal border generals as a precaution. This matter must be kept absolutely secret; if the Prince of Zhenbei finds out, those generals may be in mortal danger."
Lin Mo stood up and paced a few steps in the hall: "I can provide the weapons, and I can give them priority. But I need to send a few men with the weapons to the Northern Frontier."
"This..." Zhao Mingyuan looked troubled. "The border is under martial law now, and it's very difficult for strangers to enter."
"My men are all seasoned veterans; they have their own methods," Lin Mo said calmly. "Besides, they can also help debug the weapons and teach how to use them. This will greatly benefit the border troops' combat effectiveness."
Zhao Mingyuan pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, it's settled then. However, Master Lin, this matter is of utmost importance and must not be leaked."
After seeing Zhao Mingyuan off, Lin Mo immediately summoned several of the most capable spies from the manor. The leader was a lean middle-aged man named Chen Yuan, who had served in the army in the northern frontier for ten years and was extremely familiar with the local situation.
"What are your orders, Master?" Chen Yuan asked, bowing.
Lin Mo briefly explained the situation at the border, then said, "You will accompany the military convoy to the northern frontier. Ostensibly, you will be instructing on the use of military equipment, but secretly you must investigate two things: first, the true movements of the various tribes on the grasslands; and second, evidence of the Northern King's dealings with foreign tribes."
"Understood, sir," Chen Yuan replied solemnly. "We have some old connections in the Northern Frontier, so gathering information shouldn't be difficult."
"Remember to be careful," Lin Mo cautioned. "The Prince of Zhenbei has been operating in the Northern Frontier for many years, and his spies are everywhere. If you sense anything amiss, retreat immediately; do not force the issue."
"Rest assured, Master."
After arranging matters for the scouts, Lin Mo went to the study. Li Yu was still studying military texts. Seeing him enter, he looked up and asked, "Master, has something happened?"
Lin Mo sat down opposite him: "There might be war in the Northern Frontier. Do you know what that means?"
Li Yu pondered for a moment: "If a foreign enemy invades, the court will have to concentrate all its efforts on dealing with it and will have no time to attend to other matters. This is both a good thing and a bad thing for us."
"Go on."
"The good thing is that the two imperial uncles must temporarily put aside their internal strife and unite against external threats. The lord's plan to instigate conflict between them will likely be affected," Li Yu analyzed. "The bad thing is that if the Prince of Zhenbei truly harbors ulterior motives, he might take advantage of the chaos to launch a rebellion. If that happens, the world will descend into chaos, and it will be the common people who suffer."
Lin Mo nodded with satisfaction: "It's good that you thought of that. However, you've only seen the surface."
He walked to the map and pointed to the location of the northern frontier: "Crisis often brings opportunity. If we can make a difference in this crisis, we can gain greater influence. And..."
Lin Mo's finger moved towards the capital: "If war truly breaks out in the Northern Frontier, the Emperor will have to rely heavily on the Ministry of War and arms suppliers like us. This is a good opportunity for us to get close to the Emperor and investigate anything unusual about him."
Li Yu suddenly realized: "So that's why the Master wants to send people to the Northern Frontier?"
"Good. We need to obtain firsthand intelligence to gain the upper hand in the upcoming situation."
Three days later, the convoy of military equipment was ready to depart. Lin Mo personally came to the gate of the manor to see them off.
Chen Yuan, dressed as a businessman, bowed to Lin Mo in farewell: "Master, please wait. I will certainly not fail in my duty."
"Be careful." Lin Mo handed over a brocade pouch. "If you encounter any danger, you can open this pouch."
"Thank you, Master."
Watching the convoy disappear into the distance, a sense of unease rose in Lin Mo's heart. In his memories of his past life, this battle in the Northern Frontier seemed to conceal a deeper secret. He felt he had overlooked some crucial clue.
"Master, a letter has arrived from the capital." Lin Feng's voice interrupted his thoughts.
The letter was delivered by an undercover agent in the capital. It stated that the number of guards in the palace had suddenly increased recently, especially near the emperor's bedroom, where many unfamiliar guards had appeared. These guards all had bulging temples, clearly indicating they were all masters of internal martial arts, but they acted mysteriously and never spoke to outsiders.
"The Heavenly Demon Guard..." Lin Mo murmured to himself. It seemed that the unusual activity in the Northern Frontier was probably related to the anomalies within the Imperial Palace.
A mountain breeze began to rise, swirling up fallen leaves. Lin Mo gazed at the gloomy northern horizon, sensing that an even greater storm was about to arrive.