CHAPTER 27

"Your main concern is not when to attack, but when to use the troops to attack. If that's the case, then there should be a conflict to counter that obstacle. For instance, if you create a diversion from the inside to draw attention, then follow that with an external conflict outside of the city to further distract them, you can use the distraction to make a subtle move. The internal conflict should be a ruse, but the external should be an actual threat."

At this point, everyone was starting to believe that she might have a solution. Although Prince Yi Feng was interested in what she had to say, he was even more cautious. Who was her teacher? Where did she learn to think like this? If she had really been living in that mountain hut alone for all these years, where did she get all the insight?

"Who taught you to think like this?" He asked sternly.

She turned to him in surprise. "I read it in books," she said somewhat dumbly. She was confused but turned away, going back to her thoughts. It wasn't easy to think of a solution, especially since these people apparently didn't want to pipe in with their own ideas. How was she supposed to know about all the internal things happening in the Palace? Wouldn't' it be easier if one of them piped in with a solution by this point?

Prince Yi Feng didn't like her answer and grabbed her roughly, throwing her against the wall. She stared at his hostile eyes with wide-eyed panic.

'What the hell was going on now?'

He put his hand on her throat, his fingers tightening as his eyes darkened. "I'll ask you again who taught you to think like this?"

Since she had already answered him and he didn't believe what she said, what could she do? Lia Jaio wracked her brain, struggling roughly to divert his attention from her stalling. "Ok, I'll tell you," she wheezed out. He loosened his hand slightly, making it easier to breathe. "There was a man on the other side of the mountain," she hedged. "He sometimes taught me things and lent me books."

"Who is he?"

"He just told me to call him teacher. I don't know his name. He lived alone on the other side of the mountain, and sometimes I would visit him and talk with him." There actually was a man that lived on the opposite side of the mountain, she spotted him a year or two after living there, but she never talked to him. If he didn't believe the truth, she could only feed him a lie. "He was very secretive, but I think he was hiding there. I don't know anything else about him." There was a mixture of truth and lies, she hoped it was enough to soothe him for now.

"He taught you to use the sword too?" He was hesitant to believe her, but for now, he was willing to let it go until he could investigate further.

She nodded her head," Yes. I probably would have died a long time ago if he didn't teach me how to defend myself." Another half-truth. If Xiang gege hadn't taught her, she really might have died long ago.

He let go of her but still stared at her with enmity, "Keep talking."

She hesitated, not knowing if he wanted to know about her 'teacher' or about the military matters.

Zhao Gui let out the breath he had been holding. He was on his knees, staring at the two of them worry evident in his eyes. His hands were clenched into fists, beneath the sleeves of his hanfu. Qin Weimin glanced at Zhao Gui from the corner of his eye, thinking he didn't know what was best for him.

"You said to create a diversion without the troops? What are you thinking?" Prince Yi Feng asked, sitting back down. He sipped at his tea, now cooled, and kept his eyes trained on her. It was good to see her value, if she really could think of a solution, he might even think about keeping her around for a while.

Liang Lia Jiao rubbed her neck, daring not to glare at him despite her urge to do so. Even though she did her best, unbeknownst to her, she didn't hide her hostility very well. Prince Yi Feng's lips quirked.

"During the reign of Emperor Xou Xiang, during the Xiang dynasty, there was an official who started a rumor that caused the commoners to panic and start rioting. In the end, Emperor Xiang learned that the rumor was just a ploy to hide what the official was doing behind the scenes. He used the chaos to lead in troops dressed as commoners to help the eighth Prince in a coup. Even though it failed, this method can still be used, because we can take an additional measure outside the city to further distract. It won't matter that the internal distraction is fake because the external will be real. But by that time, you will be poised to move when it's time."

"Internal distraction..." Prince Yi Feng thought over her words, what she said wasn't bad. He needed a legitimate way to bring troops into the city. If he was able to draw in troops secretly while they dealt with the chaos in the town, then in the open, bring his other soldiers outside the city, in the name of protecting the city. The troops on the outside would be the 'real' threat; the discord in the city would be seen as a tactic to bring the soldiers. The hidden troops would be overlooked. Even if his forces were stationed outside the city, they still wouldn't be able to enter without the approval of the Emperor, but they would be in position when he needed them.

The only way his brother would be able to make a move at that point was if he brought his own troops to surround the city as well, but by that time, it would look like he was starting his own coup. There wasn't a need for two separate forces to surround the city. It would be a gamble; if the Crown Prince decided to ignore the repercussions, the chance of this plan working wasn't good. But Tan Peizhi was always sensible and liked to do things in order. If he kept his focus on the outside troops, he would think he was still in control and might not even feel the need to bring his own troops.

Prince Yi Feng needed time to think things over, but he didn't have time. If the Emperor died before he was prepared, there wouldn't be a chance to make it into the city at all. At that time, the game would be lost. Inside the city, there were roughly fifteen thousand royal guards. The various officials all had their own guards ranging from a few hundred to a thousand; this was true for both sides, however. If he coordinated with the Right officials and brought in his own troops as commoners, he could take control with as little as twenty thousand soldiers.

Because the Emperor alluded to making him the Crown Prince in place of Tan Peizhi several times, it would be easier to ascend the throne even if his father never actually did. There would be dissenters within the royal guard because of this. He could only speculate how many would switch sides and what his chances of success were at this time.