To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Chapter 339 Massive Retreat!

"Bang!"

Xiang Zhuang, unable to contain his fear any longer, slammed his fist heavily on the table in front of him.

He abruptly stood up, looked at everyone in the tent, and said through gritted teeth:

"This can't go on! The imperial court is clearly trying to cut off our path to survival!"

Xiang Zhuang's eyes were red and his face was full of resentment. "The questions on that exam paper were clearly aimed at us!"

Moreover, in the county examination, most of the papers submitted by our Xiang family members were blank, and even those that had written something received shockingly low scores!

"If the results are released, this will definitely expose them completely!"

Xiang Zhuang became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice trembling: "At that time, the imperial envoy had a legitimate excuse to send a large army to thoroughly investigate the cheating in the imperial examinations!"

Following this trail, our crimes of buying and selling exam questions and colluding with the prefect will be definitively proven—a crime punishable by the extermination of three generations of our families!

At this point, Xiang Zhuang suddenly turned around, staring intently at Ji Dan, who was sitting above him with his eyes closed in meditation, and said urgently:

"Immortal Master! You are always so insightful and resourceful, what should we do now? Are we just going to stand by and watch that tyrannical Qin dynasty trample on our heads? Immortal Master, do you have a way to break this deadlock?"

With Xiang Zhuang's question!

All the eyes of the Xiang clan members inside the tent, including Xiang Liang who was pacing anxiously, fell on Ji Dan.

Xiang Liang stopped and quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply with his hands clasped: "Immortal Master, things have come to this point. The life and death of the Xiang clan rests entirely on your decision. Please, Immortal Master, guide us!"

Despite being stared at by so many people, Ji Dan appeared calm on the surface, but inside she was in a complete panic.

But having lied to this extent, if he were to show even the slightest sign of fear, these barbarians from Chu would probably tear him apart alive before the imperial army even arrives!

He was a descendant of the former Crown Prince of Yan, and a fallen general of the Three Kingdoms. When it came to intrigue and scheming, he certainly had some real skills.

Ji Dan's eyes darted rapidly beneath her eyelids, and suddenly a brilliant idea flashed into her mind.

He slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and adopted the detached posture of a wise and enlightened sage, coldly sneering, "What's the panic? Although the Qin Dynasty has laid out such a treacherous and complex scheme, it is not without its flaws!"

"The most important thing is to deal with Prefect Fang Zhenge!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Ji Dan's eyes. "This man knows too much about us. Once he falls into the hands of the imperial court, he might succumb to torture and turn against us, posing a fatal threat! We must strike first to ensure he doesn't become a problem!"

After a pause, Ji Dan continued, "Secondly, there must be a large number of Black Ice Guard assassins lurking in Wu County now, but no matter how fierce the pack of wolves is, it still needs a alpha wolf to lead it."

The imperial envoy who secretly orchestrated this scheme is their eyes and brain! If we can find this person, kill him decisively, and control the situation, the imperial net will collapse instantly!

"At that time, without a leader, we can break up into smaller groups and hide in these vast mountains. The Qin army will then be blind and deaf, and we will surely be able to escape this calamity safely!"

After hearing these words, Xiang Liang's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty, and his eyes twitched violently.

He was a smart man; how could he not understand the hidden meaning in the immortal master's words?

This is to force them to make a complete and drastic decision!

He abandoned all illusions about taking the imperial examination and protected himself; he also sent someone to kill Fang Zhengge to silence him, and even to assassinate the person who was secretly plotting this!

Xiang Liang felt as if his heart was bleeding.

Wu County!

This place was the foundation that the Xiang family had built up over many years. The city contained countless spies, shops, and wealth of theirs. It was truly a great pity to flee in such a sorry state!

But... given the current situation, that gleaming butcher's knife is already at our throats, and there is no other way but to give up!

The tent was deathly silent, with only the autumn rain raging outside.

After a long while, Xiang Liang gritted his teeth, a ruthless and decisive glint in his eyes: "Fine! We'll do as the Immortal Master says!"

"snort!"

Just then, Xiang Yu snorted coldly, his double pupils flashing with a terrifying light and ferocity.

He strode forward, knelt on one knee, and shouted, "Uncle! He's just a cowardly local official and a charlatan imperial envoy. Why should we be so afraid of him?"

"Yu, I am willing to lead eight hundred elite cavalry from Jiangdong to raid Wu County under cover of night! I will surely behead that Fang Zhenge and the one who secretly plotted this, and wash away the shame of my Xiang clan!"

Looking at his domineering and incomparable nephew, who seemed like a god of war descended to earth, Xiang Liang felt both gratification and worry.

He hesitated for a long time.

At this moment, Wu County must be fraught with danger, but without sending a top expert, the operation to behead and silence witnesses could not be completed.

Apart from Yu'er, there is indeed no more suitable candidate!

"good!"

Xiang Liang patted Xiang Yu's shoulder heavily and said in a deep voice, "Ji'er, you must act swiftly and decisively on this mission. Once you succeed, or if things become unfavorable, immediately withdraw from the city. Do not linger in battle!"

"Yu, take the order!"

Xiang Yu suddenly stood up, grabbed the Overlord Halberd beside him, and strode out of the tent, disappearing into the rainy night.

Then, Xiang Liang turned around, took a deep breath, and shouted sharply:

"Give the order to the entire army!"

"All Jiangdong soldiers, pack your bags and supplies immediately! Abandon your open strongholds and prepare to retreat deep into the mountain camp!"

This was accompanied by Xiang Liang issuing his orders.

"promise!"

The messenger's shouts traveled rapidly between the tents.

Immediately afterwards, warhorses neighed and armor clashed.

Countless torches were lit, and the entire Xiang clan camp began to stir!

……

Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Supervisory Office in Wu County.

The autumn rain outside was getting heavier and heavier, and the air was thick with mist.

Yu Miaoyan hurried into the hall and knelt on one knee to report: "My lord! The spies we sent out have reported that the Xiang clan's whereabouts in the deep mountains west of the city have been thoroughly investigated."

Unexpectedly, instead of setting up defenses on the spot, they began packing their belongings on a large scale, seemingly abandoning the outer camp altogether and preparing to flee deeper into the Ten Thousand Mountains!

"Oh?"

Zhang Fan, who was sitting at the table drinking tea, was taken aback when he heard this. His hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Truly worthy of being called Xiang Liang... He abandoned Wu County, which he had managed for so many years, just like that. This decisiveness in cutting off an arm to save the body is truly the style of a ruthless hero."

Zhang Fan put down his teacup, his brows furrowed slightly, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "If we let them completely disperse into the deep mountains, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven to wipe them out."

I wonder where Fusu's army is right now. With this torrential rain, will they be able to wipe out these remnants of Chu in time...?

On the other side of the lobby, Mi Yueyao was standing quietly by the window.

She wore an elegant long dress, gazing at the continuous autumn rain outside the window, her beautiful face lost in thought.