Chen Xiaobei nodded. He had to admit that Liu Rumei's idea was excellent, even more refined and secure than his own.
Liu Rumei then instructed Liu Ziming, "Send a message to my brother immediately and tell him about this idea. Have him relay it to the Emperor. Make sure to tell the Emperor that this idea came from my brother Xiaobei."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaobei understood. Liu Rumei intended to attribute the credit to him. However, he felt it wasn't wrong. The Emperor was already wary of the Liu family. By placing the credit on himself, the Emperor wouldn't be able to do much to him.
After the message was sent, Liu Rumei, Chen Xiaobei, and Cui Hongyu lost their enthusiasm and returned home to sleep. Liu Rumei went directly back to her own courtyard.
After several exchanges, the suggestion only reached Emperor Xiao An by noon the next day.
Upon reading the suggestion, Xiao An slapped the table violently. "Excellent! What a brilliant idea! I never imagined Chen Xiaobei could come up with such a superb plan."
Bai Han, standing nearby, opened his mouth but said nothing. In his opinion, this idea, though attributed to Chen Xiaobei, was likely Liu Rumei's. Fearing that the Emperor might turn against her family if she proposed such a plan again, she had decided to pass the credit to Chen Xiaobei.
However, at this moment, it didn't matter who had conceived the idea; as long as it was a good one, that was enough.
Without hesitation, Xiao An immediately ordered messengers to be sent to Jizhou, Qingzhou, and Yunzhou, instructing them to mobilize their troops according to Liu Rumei's suggestion and converge at the border.
After saying this, Xiao An turned to Xiao Shunzi. "Go and send word to the city, telling them to inform Liu Rumei and Chen Xiaobei to proceed to the border immediately and lead the army to break through Qingguang City."
At this point, Princess Zhaoning spoke up, "Father, if you send a message to Wannian City, and then they relay it to Qingniu Mountain, it's too cumbersome. How about this: we send the letter directly to Wugou Ridge. I have people there who can deliver it directly to Qingniu Mountain. This way, you'll have a direct line of communication with Chen Xiaobei in the future."
Hearing this, Xiao An was delighted. This would certainly make his command much more convenient.
Xiao An's change of plan was quite a surprise for Liu Rumei. Early the next morning, as the snow began to melt, a village guard member rushed to find Chen Xiaobei. "Brother Xiaobei, Brother Xiaobei, someone from Wugou Ridge is here. They said they're looking for Miss Liu."
Chen Xiaobei was also surprised that someone from Wugou Ridge was looking for Liu Rumei. However, he knew that in such a critical period, any unexpected development was not unusual.
Chen Xiaobei went to the village entrance and led the person from Wugou Ridge to find Liu Rumei.
Upon seeing Liu Rumei, the messenger cupped his fists and spoke directly, "Miss Liu, I have just received a letter from Princess Zhaoning asking me to deliver it to you immediately."
Liu Rumei took the letter and read it. She understood that although she had claimed the idea was Chen Xiaobei's credit, Princess Zhaoning had still written the letter directly to her. This indicated that the matter had not been kept secret from Phoenix Mountain, or at least not from the Princess.
The letter from Princess Zhaoning was very clear: the Emperor had agreed to their suggestion, allocating a total of fifty thousand troops from the three prefectures to be commanded by Liu Rumei for an attack on Qingguang City.
After reading the letter, Liu Rumei remained silent and handed it to Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei understood after reading it. Commanding troops was a task only Liu Rumei could undertake. The Princess had clearly stated in the letter that the Emperor would issue orders to the other three prefectures, so Liu Rumei's command was unquestionable.
However, this also brought Chen Xiaobei another concern. "Rumei, this was originally a suggestion, but I didn't expect the Emperor to give you this mission. An isolated thrust into Great Earth Kingdom is still too dangerous!"
Liu Rumei smiled calmly. "It's alright, it's alright. I believe that if we are fast enough, Great Earth Kingdom might not have any countermeasures ready. Once we approach Qingguang City, the rest will be easier."
Seeing that he couldn't dissuade her, Chen Xiaobei had no choice but to relent and change his approach. "Then when is a suitable time for us to depart?"
Liu Rumei looked up at the sky.
"It's too late for today. We will head to Jizhou early tomorrow morning, mobilize the troops in Jizhou first, and then proceed to the border."
Chen Xiaobei nodded and turned to see Cui Hongyu.
Upon seeing Cui Hongyu, Chen Xiaobei stated directly, "Rumei is going to the border. I want to accompany her."
Cui Hongyu nodded. "It is right for you to accompany Sister Rumei. Having an extra person to discuss things with is always helpful."
Chen Xiaobei was slightly surprised by Cui Hongyu's words, but recalling that Cui Hongyu had always supported his decisions unconditionally, he shouldn't be surprised by her support this time.
"By the way, when the Princess left, she left Xiao Hua at Wugou Ridge. I'll go and call her over tomorrow to keep you company. Oh, and Xiao Yatou, she can live in Hetou Village from now on!"
As Chen Xiaobei was rambling on about his arrangements, Cui Hongyu had already begun to find clothes and pack his belongings for him.
"Brother Xiaobei, I heard that Great Earth Kingdom is much colder than ours. I'll pack a few more cotton-padded clothes for you."
That evening, a grand farewell banquet was held in the four mu of land in Hetou Village for Chen Xiaobei and Liu Rumei. Apart from Liu Rumei and her subordinates, Chen Xiaobei did not bring anyone else with him to Jizhou.
Although Chen Xiaobei knew that any of the village guards would gladly accompany him if he asked, he also knew that this was war, a fight to the death, so it was better for these ordinary villagers to stay home.
The village guards were visibly disappointed when they heard they couldn't go. The most dejected was Chen Dachun, who sat beside Chen Xiaobei, holding his wine cup, appearing hesitant.
Xiaobei knew that Chen Dachun wanted to ask him to bring him along. So, he preempted him. "Brother Dachun, I'm leaving. I'll have to rely on you for some matters at home. Oh, and Brother Dayong is busy with the villagers making charcoal. I've also had someone sow some spinach seeds in your fields. You'll need to oversee the watering and fertilizing."
Chen Dachun was stunned by this speech. He had intended to ask to accompany Chen Xiaobei to Jizhou, but instead, Chen Xiaobei had assigned him a pile of chores.
After much hesitation, Chen Dachun ultimately did not voice his request and instead put on a smile.
"Alright, brother. Since you trust me, rest assured, I will handle these matters properly."
The farewell banquet concluded in a relatively harmonious atmosphere.
That night, Liu Rumei returned to her residence alone, leaving the time for Chen Xiaobei and Cui Hongyu.