Chapter 109 Strange
The sound of horse hooves echoed across the wilderness.

Several groups of Hu cavalry climbed over the hill, riding their horses, and went straight into the camp which was still being built.

"queen."

Several riders dismounted from their horses, knelt down in front of the big tent to salute, and then handed over a letter.

Shuliduo picked up the letter paper, only to see that the handwriting on it was ugly and crooked, simply unbearable to look at.

She frowned and handed it to Serika behind her.

"Gubeikou, who took it?"

"Your Majesty, General Yaoyan has not yet found out." A scout lowered his head and said, "But the enemy is very elite. They attacked several times in the past two days and nights, and our people did not gain any advantage."

"Based on Yaoyan's ability, is it possible that there is someone on the other side who can rival him?"

"Uh..." The scout hesitated, not daring to look up: "General Yaonian has not taken action personally yet, but he has already found out that the garrison of the entire Gubeikou Pass is only a few hundred people. And it is obvious that the enemy is not from Youzhou, at least not Liu Shouguang's men."

Shuliduo frowned slightly and said, "Tell him not to waste any more time! Gubeikou is a dangerous place. A few hundred people can stop enemies several times their number. But now the king is alone in the south. How can we delay any more?"

"I only need to do one thing. When the army arrives at Gubeikou, the gate must be opened!"

The scouts did not dare to delay and immediately mounted their horses and galloped south.

At this moment, Shili Qixiang stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Queen, are you worried about..."

"This is too coincidental." Shuliduo walked slowly into the big tent, frowning and said, "Your Majesty, just as you took Gubeikou, a force immediately intervened and unexpectedly seized this strategic point between the north and the south, blocking the news inside and outside the pass."

Then, she continued, "Youzhou is in chaos, and the two brothers Liu Shouguang are fighting each other. Hebei is empty. No matter which force intervenes, it is all expected. But I have always felt something in my heart these two days. It seems that someone in the south has set a trap and wants us to jump into it quickly..."

"A trap set by the southerners?" Shili Qixiang forced a smile and said, "The lords of the Central Plains are constantly attacking each other and they are too busy to spare any effort, let alone focus on us. Queen, don't worry too much. The king has elite troops under his command. There are only a few hundred people in Gubeikou. How can they stop our army?"

"It's because they are all elite."

Shuliduo frowned and said, "Now, although the tribes are unified, the king wants to create hegemony and unite the tribes to form an order. There are already undercurrents in the tribes. This time, we went south, not only because Liu Shouwen asked for help, but also because the king wanted to achieve unprecedented achievements and shut up the khans of the tribes. If something goes wrong during this trip south, there will definitely be disputes on the grassland again."

Shili Qixiang also became serious and said hesitantly: "If the queen is worried, you might as well withdraw some of the troops first. Then even if there are any unusual movements in the various departments, they can be suppressed in time."

But at this moment, Shulido had already walked to the map hanging on the wall, thinking in silence.

Shili Qixiang followed him and said, "But again, how can Liu Shouguang and Liu Shouwen, two useless people, be a match for the king? The queen is in charge of the rear. Even if there are traps in Youzhou, they can't pose any threat to the king's 20,000 cavalry. In Hebei, these two troops are the only ones that can be considered a threat. The queen doesn't need to worry so much."

"Do not."

Shuliduo murmured softly, pointing at the mark on the map with her finger, "Never underestimate the people of the Central Plains at any time..."

"I have neglected one person from the beginning to the end."

Shili Qixiang was surprised for a moment and was about to ask a question, but Shuliduo suddenly turned around.

This time, her face was full of seriousness, and there seemed to be something that made her particularly anxious, urging her to stride out. At the same time, she said in a strong voice: "Shili Qixiang, you immediately lead a group of people to help Yaoyan capture Gubeikou!"

The latter was stunned for a moment, looked back, and saw that the place clicked by Shuliduo was the two words "Youzhou" that were specially circled.

She didn't know what it meant, so she hurried out.

"Queen, your safety..."

"Go!"

Shuliduo didn't even turn his head, but spoke in a much louder voice, revealing an unquestionable momentum.

Then, she no longer cared about Shirikika and started barking orders.

"The whole army is disbanded."

"Within three days, I will arrive at Gubeikou Pass!"

The guards outside the tent were stunned at first, then hurriedly mounted their horses and began to convey the military order to all parts of the camp.

Later, although Shili Qixiang didn't understand the reason, he didn't dare to refute at all. He immediately ordered a cavalry to drive south.

The whole camp became busy, and large groups of cavalry began to gallop, raising huge clouds of dust.

There was a deep chill in Shuliduo's eyes.

"No matter who it is, no one can ruin this queen's plan!"

------

------

Hebei, Youzhou.

There was also dust and smoke billowing in the camp outside the city.

The huge training ground was already covered with banners and flags. Looking down from the command platform, one could only see green banners fluttering in the wind, and the forest of swords and guns pouring out from the various camp gates, seemingly without end.

The burly men from Yan came out in lines, and a murderous aura rushed towards them.

"Marshal Jie, you have recruited a group of good men."

On the stage, Xiao Yan stood behind Liu Rengong with a serious expression, praising him: "Even in Bianliang, I have never seen so many warriors."

Liu Rengong wiped the sweat off his face and laughed. The weather was not hot, but his face was covered with sweat. He didn't know if it was because he hadn't put on armor for a long time, or because he hadn't reviewed the troops for many years, but just standing here made his legs tremble.

In fact, the military generals in Dingbadu did not support him very much, but Liu Rengong was his old boss after all, so he still had some face.

At least, he is more prestigious than Liu Shouguang at the moment.

"My dear, you are joking."

With Xiao Yan around, Liu Rengong was obviously under more pressure. He smiled and said, "Compared to Daliang's sharp edge, it's nothing, nothing..."

The former smiled and pushed him.

"It's getting late, let's get started."

Liu Rengong wiped his sweat again and stepped forward. Several bad guys guarding the outermost side moved to the sides to make him visible to the generals.

Fortunately, as he had been a military governor for many years, Liu Rengong still had enough presence. At this moment, he was wearing a purple robe and iron armor, looking quite majestic, and when he opened his mouth, he sounded dignified.

"I have been the governor of Hebei since I was a recipient of the emperor's grace. I have a blood fealty and I should speak out. At that time, the Tang Dynasty was in decline, and the four directions were still in turmoil. The provinces did not accept the emperor's teachings. Only I did not use weapons and made Hebei safe and secure. But now, my two sons have started a war and are determined to annex the country. They have no loyalty or filial piety at all!"

At this point, he was already deeply emotional, filled with sadness, and cursed loudly.

"When I was first imprisoned, I still considered it a family affair and wanted to educate them. But my eldest son Shouwen colluded with the barbarians and pursued other plans. He led the people of Mobei to the south, causing the people of Youyan to be displaced! How sad! My second son Shouguang secretly communicated with Hedong. In the name of fighting the bandits, he actually wanted to use Hedong to annex Yan and Ji, and give up the foundation of Hebei! Having two sons is a misfortune for my family and Youyan! Now, I want to take up arms, wipe out the evil, capture the leader of the barbarians alive, and drive out the evil intentions of Hedong..."

Behind him, Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, expressionless, just letting him do what he wanted.

Liu Rengong is now his trump card. No matter what Ding Ba thinks, there is no one in Hebei who is more legitimate than Liu Rengong. At least among the Hebei troops who still have the surname Liu, his name is more useful than Zhu Wen and Li Keyong.

Not far from the side of the reviewing platform, Ji Ruxue quietly blended into the crowd.

Here, Xiao Yan's men formed a personal guard of Liu Rengong, led by Shangguan Yunque.

"Hey, what are you doing here!?"

Shangguan Yunque complained: "What are you doing in the military camp as a woman?"

At this time, Li Mang led his men to stand opposite and looked over curiously.

He also led a group of guards to ensure that no accidents would happen after Liu Rengong entered the camp.

However, Ji Ruxue ignored Shangguan Yunque, but just frowned and stared at Xiao Yan on the stage.

"What are you looking at? Xiao Lang asks you to look at it every day, why are you in such a hurry?"

"Something's wrong." Ji Ruxue whispered, then pulled Shangguan Yunque out and blended into the crowd while no one was paying attention.

Shangguan Yunque patted his sleeves in disdain, pinched his fingers and said, "What's wrong? I think you are the one who is wrong!"

"He's eccentric."

"Who is it? Xiao Lang?" "Yes." Ji Ruxue said calmly, "Since Liu Rengong was rescued the day before yesterday, his eyes have always been black and have never changed."

"Why are you so babbling?"

Shangguan Yunque said disdainfully: "I think Xiao Lang has been too cold to you these past two days. Are you dissatisfied? People's eyes are black, what's so strange about that?"

Ji Ruxue frowned and whispered, "He has practiced the Nine Nether Mysterious Heaven Divine Art."

"Whatever magical skill he has, can he still..."

Shangguan Yunque had a nonchalant look on his face, but the next moment he was stunned and looked around.

"Nine Nether Mysterious Heaven Divine Art? The technique that the Dark Emperor practices?"

"The day before yesterday, you and I followed Li Xiaoxi as planned and never stayed by his side." Ji Ruxue spoke quickly, "But after that night, did you notice that he became even more indifferent? His murderous intent also became much stronger."

"But I asked those bad guys in Cangzhou, and they told me that Xiao Lang just killed a few more people when he was rescuing Liu Rengong that night."

Shangguan Yunque bit his nails and subconsciously lowered his voice, "We went to check yesterday. There were not many bodies inside and outside the Jiedushi Mansion."

"Do not."

Ji Ruxue's face was tense, and she said coldly: "I suspect that we have been kept in the dark."

"Oh, what you said is really scary." Shangguan Yunque waved his hands and patted his chest and said, "Don't scare me, okay? If he doesn't trust me, how can he not trust you? It's impossible for him to become a different person overnight, right?"

"You don't know, he..."

Ji Ruxue spoke quickly, but before she finished, she heard the sound of a wailing horn in her ears.

The drum beats continued, and Liu Rengong, who had finally finished his speech, waved his hand on the stage.

“Give out rewards!”

In front of the battle, piles of wooden boxes were carried out. Li Mang led his men forward and pried them open with knives.

Strings of golden copper coins were displayed in front of thousands of people.

Until this moment, Dingba, who had been unresponsive until now, finally became agitated, and everyone, including the soldiers and generals, showed joy.

Xiao Yan looked at them coldly, as if to him, these people and money were just numbers.

The rewards continued to be distributed for several hours.

Until the sun rose high in the sky, the weapons in the sky were filled with a chill and emitted a murderous aura that shook the world.

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!"

"Wan Sheng!"

With great enthusiasm, Liu Rengong laughed out loud, as if he had returned to the era more than ten years ago when he was on horseback and galloping across the world.

But his face immediately froze, because Xiao Yan stretched out a clean hand and gently placed it on his shoulder.

"Now, raise an army in Yuyang."

"As ordered, as ordered..."

Below the stage, Shangguan Yunque hurriedly squeezed over as he watched Xiao Yan and Liu Rengong being surrounded by the generals of the Longxiong Army.

"Military Envoy, do we still need to attack Youzhou..."

Xiao Yan stopped and frowned.

Because it wasn't just Shangguan Yunque, Ji Ruxue was also standing beside him, folding her arms and looking at him.

For some reason, he felt irritated and turned a cold face to avoid looking at her.

"You, send Miss Xue'er back to Bianliang."

"I am the only one here."

After saying this, he didn't even look at the two of them, and was surrounded by a group of soldiers, jumped on his horse, and galloped away.

Shangguan Yunque was indeed shocked and tried to chase after him, but was grabbed by Wang Yanzhang, who also had a stern face.

"You damn bitch, I've disliked you for a long time. Didn't you listen to the Qing army's words? Hurry up and go back to Bianliang. Fighting in the battlefield is not something you can handle!"

Then, he turned and looked at Ji Ruxue.

But this time, his fierce expression froze, and he didn't dare to say anything harsh. Because he had seen Ji Ruxue accompanying Xiao Yan in Anle Pavilion at that time, he just nodded and followed her.

……

Shangguan Yunque opened his mouth wide, shocked and stunned.

After a while, he turned his head and said with a bitter face, "It's over. We've been abandoned..."

Ji Ruxue sighed.

But fortunately, this was something she had expected, so she didn't say much. She just found a horse and galloped away.

Shangguan Yunque was shocked again and quickly jumped on his horse to catch up.

"Hey! Are you going to abandon me too?"

------

Mount Zhongnan, the valley where soldiers are hidden.

Several copper coins were scattered on the table, arranged in no particular order.

But the hoarse voice has sounded.

"The greedy wolf is in trouble, and the killing star is guarding the life palace."

"Auspicious encounters bring wealth and honor, while unlucky encounters bring bad luck..."

for a long time.

Yuan Tiangang walked out of the palace with his hands behind his back, his eyes looking towards the north.

"However, good and bad are interdependent. The so-called good and bad, advantages and disadvantages, gains and losses, depending on the person, can be a good thing."

"The heroes of the world are in this disaster."

------

Lingzhou.

Xuanduwu.

An old woman, leaning on a cane, finally walked across the hot sand dunes.

In the oasis, the lake is like a mirror, reflecting the ever-changing white clouds in the sky.

Entering from the path, you can see a herb garden.

Further in, you can see a circle of well-maintained flower beds, with even butterflies flying around and the scent is heavenly.

However, there were still many bones among the flower beds, and it was impossible to tell whether they were human or animal.

The old woman had no interest in any of this. She walked slowly up the steps, squinted her old eyes, and gently opened the bamboo door.

In the house, the swing was moving without wind, and the wind chimes were still ringing softly.

but.

There was no one inside.

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(End of this chapter)