Chapter 40 Stratagems (1/2)

Chapter 40 – Stratagems

May 15th.

Tong and his caravans returned to Anping along with the escort troops.

Tong was relief that there wasn't any mishap happening along the way home. He was over-paranoid.

After they had arrived home, Wen Chou requested them to remain in this county until the harvest season.

Tong was baffled. Why would they wanted to stay here despite knowing that there would be a battle breaking out here?

Then Wen Chou gave Tong a letter. It was a letter written by Feng Ji.

In the letter, Feng Ji described the Intel that they had acquired from the Julu County. Guo Dian currently had 500 light cavalry and 1,000 professional infantry. But there would be 3,500 conscripted militias in September or October.

The letter also described that if Tong and his family lost this battle, they could seek shelter in the Yuan family. The Nan Pi City would always welcome them without any discrimination.

Tong realize Feng Ji's true motives now. They wanted to rope the Zhang family into their ranks.

The soap business definitely caught their eyes, and they wanted to acquire it. But they would not use any unscrupulous practice to take it by force. The Yuan family always welcomed any talent so they wanted Tong to volunteer and join them without being forced.

Therefore, they sent Wen Chou here as an escort. Tong assumed that the group of soldiers that came along with Wen Chou could be the elites of the Yuan family, too.

With these people, they could take Tong and his family and retreated back to Nan Pi once Tong and Zhang Jiao lost the fight.

Once they got there, Tong and Zhang Jiao would have no choice but serving their family as servants. Then the businesses they had would fall into the hands of the Yuan by default.

However, if a miracle happened and Tong won the battle, they would form a good relationship with the Zhang family.

Furthermore, because Yuan family had helped Tong throughout this trading deal and this upcoming battle, Tong now owed a debt to the Yuan family.

Then in the future if they required it, they would send someone to ask the Zhang family for a favor and Tong had no choice but to repay this debt.

If Tong refused to pay this debt and the words got out, then the other nobles would mark Zhang family as fraud and would no longer trade with them.

And lastly, Wen Chou troops could also acted as scouts to obtain more information about Tong and his troops, his tactics in the next battle, his personality and etc. They would report back to the Yuan family about everything they saw once they returned.

This stratagem by Feng Ji made Tong depressed. Feng Ji was worthy to be called one of the leading advisor. His skills couldn't be underestimated.

Then a question popped up in Tong's mind. If Feng Ji, who was considered subpar when compared to Tian Feng, was this good, then what kind of monstrous brain that top strategists in this era like Jia Xu, Sima Yi, Zhou Yu, Guo Jia or Zhuge Liang would have?

Tong shuddered. Without cheat skills or the 21st century knowledge, Tong would be nothing comparing to those monsters.

Right now Tong could only nodded and accepted his disadvantages position. Once he repelled Guo Dian's troops and occupied Julu County for his own, then it would be different.

Tong returned the letter to Wen Chou and asked him to burn it. He already understood his intention so the letter was no longer needed.

Wen Chou smiled and did what Tong had asked him.

”Then Lord Immortal Zhang. If you have any request in the future, you can ask me.”

”So you knew it all along.”

”I'm sorry to deceive you. It was the order of the butler.”

Tong had a bitter smile. He nodded in acknowledgement and bid farewell to the group of escort.

Wen Chou cupped his hands and said good bye. They didn't stay in Zhang temporary resident but chose to camp outside.

Tong looked at the back of the leaving Wen Chou. Hundreds of schemes were being simulated in Tong's mind.

The Yuan family played it this way, then Tong would answer with a similar stratagem.