The Grandmaster Strategist

The simplified version is already available online at 99read. Just search for "A Generation of Military Advisors".

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Before he opened his eyes, Ding Ming felt something strange. He was in the boat when he fainted, but now he felt the gentle breeze of the lake, his body was cold, the sound of the lake water was surging in his ears, and he felt even more unstable. , he didn't dare to move lightly, he first adjusted his body to a state where he could take action at any time, and even used his six senses to feel the situation around him. But apart from the sound of the lake, he only heard the sound of even and gentle breathing not far away. After confirming that there was no danger around him, he slowly opened his eyes. He saw himself lying on the original boat. Opposite him, Kuzhuzi was huddled in the stern and sleeping soundly. The bamboo pole that supported the boat was still held horizontally in his hand. But he was lying on the bow of the boat, with the lute beside him and the sword still tied to his body. Ding Ming had an inexplicable feeling in his heart. It seemed that no one invited him to drink tea on the boat yesterday, and no one argued with him. The two of them just slept on the lake for a night. The sound of the piano, the fragrant new tea, and the elegant and wise mysterious Mr. Yun seemed to have never existed. It seemed like they were just a dream. .

He turned over and sat up. He couldn't help but lick his dry lips, but he felt a stinging pain. It turned out that he accidentally touched the tip of his bitten tongue. Although the blood had long solidified, he still felt pain. Until this moment, he didn't believe it. What happened yesterday was not a dream. After gathering his true energy and performing the exercises for a week, he could feel nothing strange about his body. His true energy was like beads, flowing freely and without any obstruction. Moreover, he did not feel dizzy at all after being drugged. Instead, he felt refreshed. If it were not possible that he had been exposed to the cold wind all night and his sleeping position on the ground was not appropriate, he would have even felt a sore back. Nor will there be. He stretched out some of his swollen limbs and was about to wake up the bitter bamboo, but something fell on the deck with a crisp sound. He looked carefully and saw that it was a crystal-clear white jade pendant.

Ding Ming subconsciously picked up the jade pendant and took a look. On the front of the jade pendant, he saw a beautifully carved picture of a fairy mountain pavilion standing faintly in the vast sea of ​​clouds. On the back of the jade pendant, there were two lines of small characters with iron hooks and silver hooks, " God’s will is difficult to ask, but it is far-reaching.” Ding Ming's heart suddenly moved. He recalled that before he fell into coma, he heard the two lines of poetry that Yun Wuxing read and recited them several times. Ding Ming's heart suddenly moved and his eyes shone with light. How could a person like Yun Wuzong remain unknown? He never thought that he would be lucky enough to meet the most mysterious master of the Tianji Pavilion in the Jiangnan martial arts world.

Tianji Pavilion has been in the south of the Yangtze River for more than ten years, but its power is like the tip of the iceberg. It is always difficult to guess its depth. Only people like Yun Wujie are worthy of being the master of Tianji Pavilion, and he is lucky enough to do so. After talking to such a mysterious person, Shi Ming, and getting him to promise to help, Ding Ming couldn't suppress his excitement, and he felt that the world suddenly became brighter. Yun Wujiang did not complain at all about using the drug to restrain himself. Even as the master of the Tianji Pavilion, he would definitely do this. Although his identity was revealed, he would never leave his safety in the hands of others. .

Ku Zhuzi had also woken up at this time, but he was not as delusional as Ding Ming. His strengths as a secret spy were revealed. As soon as he opened his eyes, he said solemnly: "We have been plotted, Ding." Brother."

Ding Ming smiled and said: "We are not just being plotted, but are we being manipulated?"

Ku Zhuzi was stunned. When Ding Ming said this, there was a smile on his face, without any anger at all. He was also a shrewd person. His eyes flickered and fell on the jade pendant that Ding Ming was holding tightly in his heart. , Ding Ming handed over the jade pendant, Ku Zhuzi's eyes flashed, and soon he said in a slightly tentative tone: "Could he be from Tianji Pavilion?"

Ding Ming also admired Ku Zhuzi's quick thinking and said, "I think so. That Yun Wujing is most likely the master of Tianji Pavilion."

Kuzhuzi thought for a long time and felt that all the mysteries about Yun Wujiang had been solved. Since he was the master of Tianji Pavilion, it was natural for him to have such luxurious enjoyment.

He claims not to be from a noble family, but he has a magnanimity that is no less than that of a child of a noble family. He is surrounded by well-trained loyal servants and has a dignified master guard. He can be treated as a guest by the owner of "Jie Embroidery Workshop" Zhou, and he has seen crystals before. Long Bi knew his whereabouts very well, and it was a matter of course to identify this person as the Master of Tianji Pavilion due to such difficult-to-understand aspects. Moreover, there are few people in the world who can match this popularity and knowledge, yet he is unknown. It is impossible. If he is the master of Tianji Pavilion, then if he does not have such ability, it will make people doubt his identity. The most important point is that in his speech, Yun Wuzong was well aware of current affairs, but he was not very interested in the dispute between the two countries and was impartial. This is also in line with the image of Tianji Pavilion. Tianji Pavilion has never cared much about the dispute between countries, although on the surface He leans toward Nanchu, but he doesn't seem to be overly resistant to Dayong.

After thinking about it, Ku Zhuzi blurted out: "This matter should be told to the general." He said this because in his early years when he was still a secret spy, he was ordered to detect the secrets of Tianji Pavilion. After all, Tianji Pavilion's ingenious mechanism Hidden weapons and all kinds of unbelievable and wonderful ideas are all coveted, even the military of Nanchu and Dayong are no exception. However, for more than ten years, Tianji Pavilion still disappears and appears, even if it is temporarily occupied. They gained the upper hand and lost some strength, but the heavy revenge that followed was enough to make anyone fearful and vigilant. As a result, even if someone discovers some clues about the whereabouts of Tianji Pavilion, or they dare not alert the snake, or they dare not take action casually, the clues will often be cut off in a very short period of time. In fact, no force dared to take action against Tianji Pavilion without being able to wipe out all the forces in Tianji Pavilion. What's more, although Tianji Pavilion is powerful, it is not overbearing, nor does it have the ambition to dominate a certain industry. If you cooperate with it, you can get the opportunity to develop and grow, but if you become an enemy, it will lead to the destruction of your family. In this case, it is still possible to How many people can muster the courage to become enemies of Tianji Pavilion. In Nanchu, Tianji Pavilion is such a unique existence.

But now there is a chance to control Tianji Pavilion. The master of Tianji Pavilion who has never shown up has actually revealed the truth. Someone else may not be able to deal with it, but if it is Lu Can, the most powerful general in the Southern Chu military, he has the strength to deal with it. A man who is no longer mysterious.

But as soon as Ku Zhuzi's words came out, Ding Ming said resolutely: "This is absolutely impossible. Once this happens, I'm afraid there will be disaster?"

Ku Zhuzi showed a puzzled look, and Ding Ming sighed when he saw this: "Kuzhuzi, after all, you come from a noble family. Although you have become a Jianghu person now, there are some things you still can't see through. For someone like the Master of Tianji Pavilion, he himself Safety is the most important thing. Since he has asked us not to tell anything about him, if we violate his wishes, I am afraid that he will become our biggest enemy. You should also be able to see that he has great feelings for Yonghe. No ill feelings, if he surrenders to Dayong in anger, it will only make things worse for Nanchu."

Ku Zhuzi retorted: "But Tianji Pavilion has never asked about the origin of the identity. In the past, several important weapon designs were purchased by people from Dayong. Rather than leaving such an uncontrollable intermediate force, it is better to use it It’s firmly in the palm of your hand.”

Ding Ming shook his head and said: "Brother Kuzhu, I would like to ask if the events of the past have hit you so hard that you cannot clearly understand the current situation?"

Ku Zhuzi seemed to have been hit in the head, his expression became horrifying, and there was anger in his eyes. Ding Ming said solemnly: "Brother Taoist escaped death back then, but was expelled from the army by Rong Yuan for this reason. Over the years, Taoist Master has always had a knot in his heart. If you don't go, we friends don't want to hurt you, but today I want to ask my brother, the master of Tianji Pavilion can stun you and me calmly, if he had administered poison, wouldn't you and I have already died? If the Master of Tianji Pavilion is so easy to deal with, how could he have been able to dominate the south of the Yangtze River for many years? If my prediction is correct, I am afraid that he has already changed his identity and name, and even his appearance may not be the same. Otherwise, how could he He has kept his identity secret for many years. If he didn't prevent you and I from being malicious towards him, he wouldn't have knocked us out with drugs."

Kuzhuzi's face gradually became stiff, and scenes of the past flashed before his eyes. The last thing that emerged was the young man with a face as white as snow under the moonlight. He fell slumped on the boat. After a long time, he raised his head tiredly and said: "Xiao Ding, Thank you for waking me up. I am really trapped by inner demons. Yes, what kind of force is Tianji Pavilion? If you want to deal with it at this time, you are asking for death. If nothing else, with Tianji With the support of the Pavilion, I am afraid that Wu Yue will no longer be able to defend the sea, and most of the Wu Yue family will have business dealings with Tianji Pavilion."

Seeing that he had come to his senses and called him in the same tone as when they first met that day, Ding Ming felt relieved and said with a smile: "Let's go to Wuzhou now. I think the owner of the embroidery workshop Zhou Dongzhu has already been prepared." Zhuzi smiled heartily, threw away the troubles in his heart, picked up the bamboo pole and punted the boat and prepared to go to Wuzhou, but he suddenly screamed. Ding Ming was startled, raised his head and said, "What's wrong?"

Kuzhuzi said with a mournful face: "These unscrupulous guys just threw us on the boat. Why didn't they tie the boat up? Now I don't know where we were washed away by the lake water?"

When Ding Ming heard this, he was stunned for a while, and then burst into laughter. The laughter was full of joy. He thought in his heart that it was probably the master of Tianji Pavilion who did it deliberately, maybe to punish Ku Zhuzi for his rude words. Looking at the sky and the clouds, Yun Wujiang's free and easy and friendly description appeared in front of his eyes again, "It's hard to ask God's will, but it's far-reaching." Although this is the origin of Tianji Pavilion, in Yun Wujiang's eyes, I'm afraid The real meaning is probably "God's will is always difficult to ask, but we are relatively calm and forget about it."

"Ah sneeze" I sneezed loudly and touched my nose. Could it be that someone was scolding me behind my back? I don't know if it was Jiang Haitao or Huo Cong, but it was natural for them to scold me, especially Huo Cong. He was thrown into the battlefield by me when he was just a teenager, and he felt bad about it. Or Hu Yanshou, his face has not looked good since last night. No wonder, unless I arrive at the Yongjun camp, his face will never look good. Or maybe Xiao Shunzi is slandering me. Ever since I stopped him from killing someone last night, he has been staring at me with cold eyes. If I hadn't solemnly warned him not to hide his actions from me, I'm afraid those two people would have died earlier. It's gone, and now he just stares at me, which is being very polite.

At this time, the boat I was riding in was sailing towards Wuxi. Last night, all my subordinates in Nanchu gathered together and had a secret meeting in the middle of Zhenze Lake. This was the only time since I left Nanchu that Chen Zhen, Han Wuji was naturally present, and all the secret camp disciples except Yuolun were also present. As early as the beginning of this year, I sent an order to Chen Zhen and Han Wuji to arrange this meeting, and specifically stated that I would be there. Of course, the time and place were deliberately vague, and I took the opportunity to test the loyalty of all the disciples. They are already familiar with things and don't need me to bother reminding them. The result is also gratifying to me. Although it has been almost difficult to see each other over the years, their loyalty has not diminished.

After meeting everyone, I gave a clear explanation of the purpose and strategy of Tianji Pavilion in the next few years. This is why I must stay in Zhenze Lake for a few days. Although Tianji Pavilion was created by me, and the secret camp is my most reliable strength, we must be separated for a long time, and a war is imminent. I cannot ignore any subtle factors. I can only use my own eyes to determine their intentions and convince them face to face. By accepting my decision, I can ensure that I can control Tianji Pavilion with ease, which will help me without damaging the foundation of Tianji Pavilion. In the next few years, the relationship between the two countries will inevitably become tense, and the exchange of information will become very difficult. For safety reasons, I will not be able to give them detailed instructions as before. So during this meeting, I must make them understand my intentions, and these things cannot be explained clearly through letters, so I have to come in person.

Under my decision, Tianji Pavilion will maintain neutrality during the dispute between Dayong and Nanchu, and may even be slightly biased towards Nanchu. They do not need to provide any information to Dayong, let alone cooperate with others. They were originally planning to instigate the Wu Yue family to support Lu Can in forming a rebel army, but now that they have someone to take over, all they have to do is add fuel to the flames. When Dayong advances step by step, they only need to take the initiative to cooperate.

This decision surprised both Chen Zhen and Bai Yi. Bai Yi even hesitated and tactfully explained that they did not mind the identity of the Chu people. They were only loyal to me, but although I was moved by their feelings, I would not Change my decision.

This decision was not made because I doubted their loyalty. Although they were almost all from Nanchu, they had rarely been treated well by the imperial family. When I selected the secret camp disciples from orphans, I didn’t want them to have too many disciples. Tie. Over the years, they have not been dissatisfied because I voted for Dayong, and have always served me loyally, so I do not think that they will have a rebellious heart because of their motherland. However, even if these disciples have no ideas, I cannot help but take into account the limitations of Tianji Pavilion.

In any case, the foundation of Tianji Pavilion is still in Nanchu. If there is some business dealings with enemy countries, or if you want to do something detrimental to the court, this is a matter of course for a mysterious organization. It is related to Dayong. Being closer is nothing special for businessmen who put profits first. However, if I want Tianji Pavilion to fully cooperate with Yong Jun, this will cause the foundation of Tianji Pavilion to falter. Tianji Pavilion is able to appear and disappear because there are many industries and allies all over the south of the Yangtze River. However, most of the shopkeepers and clerks in these industries are Chu people, and most of those allies are also Chu people. The disciples of Tianji Pavilion may not worry about the homeland of Southern Chu, but those Chu people have to worry about it. They may bow their knees in front of Yong's army, but they will not be determined to surrender to the enemy. Rather than causing a fire in the backyard of Tianji Pavilion, it would be better to let them continue to be under the control of Tianji Pavilion, which would make it easier to induce them to accept Dayong's rule. If Tianji Pavilion disappears and its reputation is ruined, just like the Splendid Alliance, I will not be able to bear it. The property of Tianji Pavilion is where my subordinates and disciples live and work, and the unnecessary loss will make me heartbroken.

Of course, the most important point is that you cannot do anything beyond your duties. Collecting intelligence and bribing important officials and generals of enemy countries are all Si Wencao's responsibilities. If I intervene, wouldn't it be overstepping my authority? I have no intention of competing with Si Wencao for credit. Just like what happened with the Jinxiu League at the beginning, now that I think about it, I was a little too meddlesome. The supervisory officials were the affairs of the Mingjian Department, but I asked the Jinxiu League to get involved. Although the results were good, if this caused Li Zhi's dissatisfaction, The gain outweighs the loss. Moreover, Xiahou Yuanfeng took the blame for me regarding the Jinxiu League incident. If Tianji Pavilion becomes the target of public criticism this time, is it possible that Si Wencao will take the blame for me? After much deliberation, it is better for Tianji Pavilion to be more stable, and the real winner is to stay quiet.

While I was thinking about it, a young man in blue shirt walked into the cabin and said respectfully: "Sir, a message from Wuxi Fei Ge has arrived. Everything is ready. We can start on our way as soon as the master arrives."

I came to my senses and said with a smile: "Shanzi, your achievements in concealed weapons are no longer inferior to mine. This time, you have done it yourself. Naturally, I can rest assured. You will never miss my schedule or expose me." There are no flaws, but you still have to make arrangements when you get on the boat, so that you can avoid people’s attention and avoid making people suspicious. "

Surprise flashed in the eyes of the young man in blue shirt, and he was very excited about my appreciation. However, the teachings he had received made him suppress his mood swings and agreed to leave. When he left, his eyes glanced at Hu Yanshou.

Hu Yanshou, who had been silent next to him, sighed in his heart. This young man in blue shirt has a calm and solemn appearance, and his martial arts is obviously not weak. His demeanor and speech are also outstanding. From what the Marquis calls him, he must be one of the Eight Horses. Last night's meeting at Tianji Pavilion still felt like a dream even when I think about it. Although he was not qualified to attend, he still watched the secret camp disciples coming and going. Thinking about it today, I am still amazed. The land south of the Yangtze River is really full of outstanding people and a gathering of heroes. If the leader of the Southern Chu Kingdom is also a wise king and can promote talents and talents, there is no possibility for Dayong to win.

After two days of boating, I finally arrived at a secret shipyard in Wuxi. When I walked out of the cabin, I looked at the special cargo ship filled with food. I felt melancholy in my heart. Getting on this ship meant that this short happy time had passed. , the reason for good dreams is that it is easy to wake up, alas!