Chapter Sixty-seven 

The Qitan people are used to eating well even when during wars as they also believe in the policy of living in today and who knows will they be alive tomorrow. So, Ying Zetian estimates from the information she received is that the Qitan army will be bringing along with them one and half month of army rations.

Ying Zetian had decided to use the hunger policy for the Qitan army. When Ying Zetian left Yingan, the Qitan army is a one-day journey away from Yingan. Ying Zetian almost wants to laugh out loud when she imagines how the Qitan army commander will look like when they received news that Debu and Yingan is destroyed. From Yingan to the nearest Qitan city, even with the fastest horses, it will take at least one and a half month for the army rations to be send to Yingan.

And the one-month journey through the sandstorm prone barren landscape to Anping with an epic sandstorm in the middle of their journey, the thought of it almost make Ying Zetian wanted to laugh out loud. And even if the army rations are sufficiently protected, the epic sandstorm will ensured that the army rations will be affected to an degree. If Tang Wudi were here, he will definitely wanted to ask Ying Zetian did she ever think of taking over control of Yingan and Debu.

First of all, Ying Zetian knew that she does not have sufficient people and resources to conquer and control Yingan and Debu. So, if Ying Zetian could not take control of these two cities, she would rather destroy it rather than letting it benefit the Qitan army. Of course, Ying Zetian knew one important point is that why would she take the effort to take over Debu now when the throne of Tai Ping is still not officially hers. Although Ying Zetian knew that the end of this trip is her taking over the throne of Tai Ping, so she does not need to worry about any punishment.

So, Ying Zetian knew that she needs to destroy Yingan, in order to ensured that the secret society and their opium poppy field will died in Yingan and could not affect other parts of the land that will soon be hers. Ying Zetian knew fully well on how hard it is to try and wake a man who wanted to be in a dream, so she does not have the patience to try and wake up the people of Yingan on the evils of the secret society and their opium poppy fields.

After all, history is written by winners and Ying Zetian knew she will be very soon that winner. The decisive factor is the current army commander of the Qitan armies that is sent to attack Tai Ping, Ouyang Xiu. Although Ying Zetian did not personally work with Ouyang Xiu before but from the information that she received, she could judge him to be really a really careful commander or in another words, scaredy cat. Ying Zetian is betting that Ouyang Xiu will take a bet and make their way to Changping. As Ying Zetian knew Ouyang Xiu need something to show to the emperor of Qitan, if not he will be seriously punished for being defeated without even putting up a fight.