After thinking it over for a long time, Ning Chen decided to shelve the campaign against Zhang Tianlun for now.

He would retake Yangzhou and the rest first, then circle around and deal with Zhang Tianlun.

"Little Xixi, what's Nanyue been up to?"

Xiao Yanxi said, "Kang Luo has been moving troops a lot lately. He's pulling his forces in tight and massing them at Yangzhou."

Ning Chen's eyes flickered. "So Chongzhou's short of men right now?"

Xiao Yanxi answered, "Kang Luo only has a hundred thousand men on hand, and he doesn't dare spread them out... From the look of it, he's planning to give up Chongzhou.

But that spells disaster for the people of Chongzhou. When Kang Luo pulls out, he's sure to burn, kill and loot, and dig three feet into the earth."

Ning Chen's face darkened. "Can you get in touch with the Gaoli Kingdom's crown prince, Jin Dongxing?"

Xiao Yanxi nodded. "You want to join forces with the Gaoli Kingdom?"

Ning Chen gave a slight nod. "The Gaoli Kingdom has taken plenty of abuse from Nanyue over the years... This is a good chance. If we hit them from front and back, Nanyue won't get away this time. I doubt they'll pass it up."

Xiao Yanxi said, "I can send a secret letter. I'll have someone put it into the crown prince's own hands."

"Good!"

Ning Chen wrote the letter on the spot and handed it to Xiao Yanxi.

She took it and tucked it away. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going!"

"Wait, there's one more thing..."

Xiao Yanxi blurted out, "I'm not changing!"

Ning Chen stared at her, baffled. "Not changing what?"

She eyed him warily. "I won't change into women's clothes."

Ning Chen: "..."

Apparently all his daily coaxing to get her into women's clothes had left a shadow on her mind.

"That's not what I was going to say... The autumn harvest is almost here. I'll pay your intelligence fees before the New Year."

He could get away with never repaying the grain he'd borrowed from Xiliang.

But the Great Beginning…