jdhmnovel Chapter 878 Economic Strangulation and Intelligence Warfare
Chapter 878 Economic Strangulation and Intelligence Warfare
The defeat outside Zhao Prefecture City plunged Cui Hong into panic, but he did not surrender immediately. Relying on the fortifications of Zhao Prefecture City and the grain reserves within, he attempted to wage a protracted war against Lin Ping. At the same time, he urgently sought assistance from other powerful clans and initiated a pre-prepared economic blockade plan.
In an instant, several prefectures and counties bordering Zhao Prefecture and controlled by powerful clans ceased supplying vital goods such as grain, cloth, and ironware to the areas under imperial control. Some merchants affiliated with these clans also began hoarding goods and creating panic.
"General, Cui Hong is putting up a stubborn resistance inside the city, and supplies outside the city are running low. Some soldiers have not yet been provided with winter clothing," the staff officer reported to Lin Ping.
Lin Ping stared at the map, her brow furrowed. She knew Cui Hong was trying to cripple her logistics to force her to retreat. "A simple military strike isn't enough; we must break their economic blockade."
She immediately made arrangements: on the one hand, strengthen the siege of Zhao Prefecture, cut off its internal and external communications, and deplete its grain reserves; on the other hand, send capable agents with some "hard currency" (such as glassware, fine fabrics, and other commodities scarce in this era) purchased from modern times to secretly infiltrate the surrounding areas, contact small and medium-sized merchants who were not wholeheartedly attached to powerful families, purchase urgently needed supplies from them at preferential prices, and promise them the protection of the imperial court and future commercial benefits.
This is a war without gunfire. The people Lin Ping sent out not only had to deal with businessmen, but also had to evade the eyes and ears of powerful clans. Among these, the most crucial element was intelligence.
As night fell, the brothels of Zhao Prefecture were bustling with activity. Lin Xiaoyan and Bai Jie, disguised as top courtesans, wore revealing bodices, their graceful figures and stunning beauty attracting the attention of numerous guests.
They danced gracefully on the stage, as light as fairies, their singing melodious and beautiful, like heavenly music. The guests were captivated, applauding and cheering for them.
While entertaining guests, Lin Xiaoyan and Bai Jie displayed superb skills and captivating charm. That night, Lin Xiaoyan learned crucial intelligence from one of the Cui generals she was serving. At that moment, the general was kissing Lin Xiaoyan's cherry lips, and Lin Xiaoyan breathed softly, "My lord, I'm so hot!" As if receiving a command, the general quickly stripped off Lin Xiaoyan's last remaining undergarment, pounced on her on the bed, and began to caress her entire body. Soon, the two entered a state of ecstasy, and Lin Xiaoyan's soft moans filled the air. She groaned, "General, has anything unusual happened lately?" The general replied, "Lord Cui has arranged a secret mission for me..." Lin Xiaoyan continued to feign intimacy with him, but in her heart, she was thinking about how to get Bai Jie and the other women to pass on the intelligence.
So Lin Xiaoyan and Bai Jie, who had infiltrated the brothels of Zhao Prefecture disguised themselves as top courtesans, delivered important intelligence to Lin Ping through a pre-arranged secret channel: Cui Hong had close ties with the Wang and Xie families of Jiangnan, and the Wang family was preparing to transport a batch of "special goods" to Zhao Prefecture via a secret canal route—believed to be a batch of counterfeit, low-quality firearms and ammunition that they had painstakingly obtained.
"Trying to turn the tables with this?" Lin Ping looked at the intelligence report and sneered. She immediately devised a plan of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
She dispatched an elite squad of "Night Owl Guards," disguised as members of the canal gang, to secretly travel to the canal wharf mentioned in the intelligence. At the same time, she deliberately relaxed the siege of a certain direction of Zhao Prefecture City, creating a defensive loophole.
Sure enough, a few days later, a fleet disguised as ordinary merchant ships stealthily docked at the designated pier and began unloading wooden crates. Just when they thought they had gotten away with it, Lin Ping's elite "Night Owl Guard" squad suddenly appeared and quickly took control of the situation. The wooden crates were opened, revealing, as expected, some crudely made muskets and inferior gunpowder.
"General, we've caught them red-handed!" The squad leader returned with several stewards from the Wang family to report.
Looking at these "spoils of war," Lin Ping said to her men, "Send these things, along with the prisoners, back to the Wang family's ancestral home in Jiangnan. Tell them that the Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't provoke trouble, but it's absolutely not afraid of trouble either!"
This operation not only intercepted the enemy's "aid," but more importantly, it served as a warning, demonstrating the court's intelligence capabilities and determination to strike other ambitious powerful clans. The chain of economic blockade began to loosen.