Chapter 117 Queen
There was a breeze flowing through the fields along the Beishui River. Although it was summer, there was a sense of freshness amid the rushing river.

Xiao Yan specially brought a jar of good wine. The wine was not strong, but it was fragrant and sweet.

He drank leisurely, sitting with his legs up among the grass stems, as if he was going on a picnic.

The other side was preparing for battle as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"Queen, please don't stoop to take risks!" Shili Qixiang grabbed the reins of Shuliduo's mount and dared not let go.

She kept looking around. To the east of the Beishui River, the mountains were undulating, the shadows of the trees were swaying in the wind, and there was mist across the jungle. The whole picture presented a kind of lush, desolate, vast, deep, and heroic beauty.

But that flag, that table, and that figure gave people a particularly weird and strange feeling.

Next to him, Yao Nian's brother said nothing. He had seen the objects in the wooden box with his own eyes. It was nothing more than a severed finger and a blood jade ring, but as one of the leaders of the royal court's attendants, he knew very well what this meant...

It was also at this time that Yaonian understood why Shuliduo kept heading south.

Behind him, the army had already dispersed on alert, fearing that they would be ambushed.

But Shili Qixiang had no idea what was in the wooden box, and was particularly surprised and suspicious at this moment.

All the way from Gubeikou, the road was smooth and smooth as the army rushed southward. It seemed that there were no defenders in Yan area, and they were left here until they saw the scene before them.

You have to remember that they were only a vanguard of 2,000 light cavalry, and there were tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry behind them. In comparison, the man in front of him was as small as an ant. If it weren't for the several feet of water in the middle, he would have been submerged by the cavalry.

"Queen, please allow me to cross the river and meet this man."

Shili Qixiang led the cavalry to the riverside, eager to try and force a crossing. At the same time, he asked someone to fetch a large bow and suggested: "Let me shoot this man with one arrow. We will know what tricks he has hidden. There is a big river in the middle, so there is no need to worry about ambushes on the other side!"

But from beginning to end, Shulido just had a solemn expression, staring at the other side with her beautiful eyes, frowning and saying nothing.

Without her order, the former did not dare to act rashly, so he could only stare at the small table, somewhat shocked and angry that Xiao Yan was too arrogant.

After a long time, Shulido gently squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse slowly moved forward.

"Shili Qixiang, you go and row the boat."

The latter was also being dragged along because he was holding the reins. Hearing this, he was frightened and urged: "Queen! The army has come so far south and still needs your command. You are worth a million dollars, how can you treat your own safety as a joke!?"

Shuliduo just looked down at her with a cold face and frowned.

"go."

Shili Qixiang was trembling all over when she saw this, and subconsciously dared not speak again. But even so, after hesitating for a moment, she still gritted her teeth and said, "Since we have to cross the river, at least we must take the slave and the chariot with us!"

At this time, Yaoyan's younger brother also pushed aside the guards, strode over, and said in a buzzing voice: "Queen, although that guy looks vulnerable, you are one of the two masters of the grassland, you dare not take risks."

Shuliduo didn't even look at the two of them, but she knew in her heart that Shili Qixiang, as a close attendant brought from her mother's clan, would not easily compromise this time. Although her younger brother Yaoyan was from the Yaoyan tribe, the Yaoyan tribe had now been completely incorporated into the Yelu clan, and had almost become one with the Yelu clan, so she didn't dare to let her fall into danger, lest the grassland be turbulent and the Yaoyan tribe be annexed again.

After thinking for a while, she slowly rode to the riverside, looked at Xiao Yan from a distance, took a deep breath, and said seriously: "Central Plains people, how about we have a conversation across the river?"

The distance between the two was almost two hundred steps. Brother Yaonian was afraid that Xiao Yan couldn't hear clearly, so he wanted to repeat it loudly.

But immediately, he saw the figure opposite him raise his hand and make an invitation to the table.

Shili Qixiang's face turned ugly.

It is imperative to let the queen cross the river.

But immediately, Xiao Yan raised his hand again, pointing at Shili Qixiang and his younger brother Yaoyan, indicating that they could go with him.

Shuliduo then shouted, "Hurry up and row the boat."

Shili Qixiang couldn't understand why the queen was so anxious, but she was now much more relieved. She used her lightness skills to jump onto the boat and row it over.

But Brother Yaonian had no qualifications to ride on the boat with Shuliduo, so he just waded in the river and pushed the boat to the other side.

Afterwards, thousands of riders ran back and forth, all staring at the opposite bank without blinking, fearing that a large number of ambushes would suddenly jump out from the mountains.

Fortunately, until the two men escorted the queen for hundreds of steps, the mountains and forests were peaceful.

"The two of them, stay there."

When they were still about ten feet away from the small table, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke.

This young voice surprised Shuliduo. She could tell from a distance that the man was not an elderly person, but she did not expect that he was only a young man in his twenties.

Judging from his appearance alone, she even suspected that he was a generation younger than her.

"queen……"

Shili Qixiang's back was tense, his face was alert, and even the sharp blade in his sleeve was ready to slide out at any time.

The younger brother of Yaonian was holding an eight-foot-long miasma horn, with a hint of ferocity and disdain on his face. If he had not seen the king's blood jade ring, he would have torn the boy into pieces and eaten him like a two-legged sheep right after crossing the river.

Shulido raised his hand slightly, indicating that the two of them didn't need to follow.

She slightly covered her beautiful eyes, not worrying at all about the ambushes around her. She just looked at the bronze mask on the table and the armor on the young man, and began to think.

"I've heard for a long time that a heroic woman has emerged on the grassland. After meeting her today, I find that she is no less capable than a man." Xiao Yan did not stand up to greet her, but still extended his hand politely, inviting her to sit opposite him.

In the distance, Shili Qixiang couldn't help but get furious.

There was only a table on this flat ground, without even a carpet, how could the queen sit there! ?
But Shulido didn't seem to mind at all. He lifted his cloak and sat down cross-legged.

The breeze blew, making the ribbons on both sides of her felt hat flutter. There was a teardrop mole between her beautiful eyes, which was quite resolute. But this mole fell on the corner of her eye, making her look more heroic.

What is even more amazing is that at this critical moment when Yelu Abaoji's life or death was unknown, she still maintained a dignified demeanor and a steady tone.

"Are the elite troops from Gubeikou your men?"

Xiao Yan just smiled and asked instead of answering, "What does the Queen think?"

Shuliduo nodded, "They have good coordination and strong morale. They are truly one in a million. If all the troops in the Central Plains are like this, Mobei will probably have to stay outside the Great Wall forever."

"The queen is indeed someone who knows the military." Xiao Yan was not polite. He took a sip of wine, closed his eyes and tasted it for a moment, then said lightly: "I don't know about other places in the Central Plains. But at every pass of the Great Wall, I can station such troops."

An indescribable sense of threat arose spontaneously.

Shuliduo did not refute, but said coldly: "Based on my understanding of Yan, Liu Rengong is probably not capable of training such a strong army. I guess you are not from Yan, right? The Central Plains is in chaos, and even this remote Yan is inevitably watched by various princes...

"No matter who you belong to, I guess you are only following orders to go north, and you will eventually lead your army back. The war in the Central Plains is far more intense than outside the Great Wall. Are you really willing to station such a sharp force at the Great Wall?
"Your Excellency can hold off Mobei for a while now, but can you hold off Mobei forever?"

She spoke Chinese very fluently. If it weren't for her exotic appearance and grassland-style dress, one might even mistake her for a native Han Chinese.

With just these two sentences, she seemed to have overwhelmed Xiao Yan's aura.

The latter just smiled faintly and pushed the wine glass to Shulido's hand.

"The queen has a sharp eye and has indeed seen through my shortcomings. But hasn't the queen heard that cutting one's feet to fit the shoes is a way to lose the big picture? I guess the queen should also understand where your foundation is. Although the Central Plains is good, it's a pity that it is not the queen's. It's not now, and there will be no chance of it in the future."

Shuliduo's eyes moved.

Xiao Yan waved his finger, and the wine jar slid gently to Shuliduo's side. But the latter did not move at all, and had no intention of drinking with him.

He didn't take it seriously, just smiled and continued, "The Queen saw the letter I left behind at Gubeikou that day and hurried here. It should be clear who knows who better, me or the Queen."

Shuliduo's hands, which were hidden under the table, finally clenched uncontrollably.

Although the young man in front of me didn't seem to be aggressive in his words, his few words were enough to make me speechless and unable to refute him.

When she thought about it carefully, she felt a little horrified.

What the young man said was right. All his motivations for going south seemed to be driven by an invisible hand. Whether it was going to Gubeikou or going south from Gubeikou, he had already deviated far from the original plan... This young man seemed to be able to guess what he was thinking all the time!
Looking back at myself, not only have I begun to have a vague idea of ​​the situation in Yandi, but I have not even understood the young man in front of me at all until now...

A huge sense of crisis began to grow in my heart.

At this time, Shuliduo finally said in a deep voice: "What exactly do you want to do? "

"When the queen saw the blood jade ring, she should be able to guess that your king has fallen into my hands." Xiao Yan supported his hand on the table and said in a calm voice: "The queen is a smart person and should know better than me what King Yelu means to the grassland."

Shuliduo's eyebrows trembled, and the hand on the table subconsciously clenched the wine glass. Then he lowered his voice, as if he was worried that the two attendants behind him would hear him, and said in a deep voice: "What did you do to him?"

Her tone did not seem to be very agitated, as if she had been mentally prepared, but her words showed that she was particularly concerned about Yelu Abaoji's life and death.

"Don't worry, no one is dead."

Xiao Yan tapped the table with his finger and smiled: "I came here only because I thought of the queen who had traveled thousands of miles. If you are tired from the journey, you don't have to go to the city of Yuyang."

Shuliduo was a very rational person, and she had no intention of caring about why Yelu Abaoji was defeated. Although she was only 29 years old, her years of political acumen had allowed her to sense that there seemed to be a chance for negotiation with the young man in front of her.

She sat more dignifiedly and said in a deep voice: "If you have any requirements, just tell me directly. As long as it is within my power, I will definitely grant them!"

"The queen is really quick to understand. I love working with smart people like her." Xiao Yan laughed quietly, pointed at the table, and finally said in a serious tone, "How many troops did the queen bring with her when she went south this time?"

Shuliduo did not hesitate and immediately brought out the tray: "Each unit has 10,000 light cavalry and more than 10,000 infantry, a total of 20,000 soldiers."

After that, she covered her beautiful eyes again, as if to remind her, or to raise the stakes, and said, "I have left two thousand guards at Gubeikou."

Xiao Yan nodded slowly. He had given up Gubeikou for the time being, so he didn't think of sending troops to take it back. On the contrary, the more troops Shuliduo brought, the more relieved he felt.

He smiled and asked again: "Is the Queen really willing to do anything for King Yelu?" Shulido narrowed his eyes.

The young man's gaze was very aggressive. Although he was looking at her at this moment, she always felt that there was evil hidden in his eyes.

She pondered for a moment, raised her hand, and signaled Xiao Yan to state his conditions.

"My request is very simple." Xiao Yan nodded slightly and smiled faintly, "In the west of Yanmen Pass, there is an old friend whom I have long admired who has led his troops into Hebei. The Hebei defenders are defeated and may have allowed them to approach Youzhou. I am alone in the east, so I need to ask the queen to go west and stop them for me."

"what for?"

"It's very simple. The queen only needs to confront him for half a month. After I return to Youzhou, we can retreat back to the border." Xiao Yan added: "By then, I will not only hand King Yelu over to the queen safely, but also return all the nearly 10,000 captured warriors from Mobei."

Shuliduo looked up in thought, but was immediately surprised and said, "Are you not from Jin?"

"The Queen is only responsible for her consent."

"How can I trust you?" Shuliduo smiled coldly and said, "I don't believe that you can easily hand over the king and nearly ten thousand men to me after all the effort you put in."

Xiao Yan just laughed, and with his height advantage, he leaned over and said coldly: "Queen, do you have any other choice now?"

In the distance, Shili Qixiang and the other two were facing a formidable enemy and seemed to be about to rush over immediately.

Shuliduo frowned, but suddenly raised his hand to stop the two people's actions.

She tapped the table and thought for a long time.

During this period, Xiao Yan did not urge her, but just waited quietly.

"I need to see the king."

"Yes, but not now." Xiao Yan put his hands on his raised knees and pointed at the thousands of cavalrymen on the other side with his chin, saying, "When the queen can withdraw her troops to the west, I will let her see the king."

Shulido stared into his eyes, but the latter had a calm expression, without any flaws.

She frowned. After seeing the blood jade ring, she could believe that Yelu Abaoji was captured, but she wanted to confirm it. However, this person seemed confident and didn't seem to be faking it. And with the blood jade ring as ironclad evidence, she couldn't help but believe it.

After a long while, she frowned and said, "I agree, but you need to meet one condition of mine."

She took the blood jade ring out of the wooden box and pushed it to the center of the table. Then she stared into Xiao Yan's eyes and said in a deep voice, "This ring must be worn by the king."

Xiao Yan didn't say much, just put it in his arms.

Then, he smiled and raised his glass, "Then, may the queen and I have a pleasant cooperation."

Shulido snorted coldly, then picked up the jar of wine beside him and poured himself a full glass. Then, without any fear that the wine might be poisonous, he raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.

"The queen is very courageous." Xiao Yan's words were indeed sincere praise.

Shuliduo wiped the corner of his mouth and said thoughtfully: "Your Excellency, you dare not reveal your identity until now?"

"Your Majesty, just remember that my last name is Xiao."

"General Xiao is such a young hero, but he can only serve as a commander in the hands of the princes in the Central Plains..." Shuliduo stood up, smiling, and said, "General Xiao is such a hero and a brave man, but he was born in the Central Plains, which is really unfortunate for us in Mobei. This queen loves talents. If General Xiao is interested, this queen is willing to let the king appoint a king facing the south in the future to let Xiao..."

"Your Majesty's kindness, Xiao appreciates it."

Xiao Yan interrupted her with a smile, and then thought for a moment, and said, "To be honest, in private, I have another name, Xiao."

"People close to me like to call me 'Li Yu'. Therefore, I cannot accept the Queen's kindness."

After saying this, he didn't care whether Shulido heard it clearly or not, and ignored the two guards who were eyeing him eagerly, and just blew a whistle.

The cry of an eagle, accompanied by the sound of two horse hooves, came from the east.

Shulido was still in a daze, but the noise interrupted his thoughts and he looked in the direction of the sound.

A cool girl slowly emerged from behind the hillside riding a horse.

She also held a mount in her hand.

A Saker Falcon was circling in the air, its eagle eyes looking down, as if it was alert to the thousands of cavalrymen on the opposite bank.

Xiao Yan picked up the big flag with one hand and walked slowly towards the hillside.

"..."

Shili Qixiang hurried over. She now understood what had happened, so she leaned over and whispered, "Queen, this man may have some status among the southerners. Why don't you let me keep him and replace the king directly?"

On the side, Yaoyan's younger brother had a fierce look on his face. He just stared at the figure of the girl and smacked his lips.

Shuliduo covered her eyes slightly, as if she was thinking.

But Yaoyan's brother understood what she meant and began to follow her with big strides, holding the eight-foot miasma horn in his hand, looking extremely fierce.

But after only two steps, he suddenly stopped.

In the sight, Xiao Yan didn't even turn his head, but just waved the flagpole and pressed it backwards with gravity.

"boom……"

A thick evil spirit raged and swirled through the grass. Wherever it passed, the grass stems withered instantly, exposing a large area of ​​mud. If Yaoyan's brother had not stopped in time, he would have been attacked by this evil spirit.

Behind him, Shili Qixiang's eyes jumped suddenly, and he instantly protected Shuliduo behind him.

The latter was still hesitating, but was not frightened.

"You two, are you confident in facing this man?"

At this time, Shili Qixiang was already beginning to feel scared. Her back was covered in cold sweat. She stared at the figure with some disbelief and inexplicable embarrassment in her voice: "Please forgive me, Queen..."

The flesh on Yaoyan's brother's face trembled, and he came back dragging the miasma horn, "Queen, please forgive my incompetence. However, this man's skills should be able to rank among the best in the world..."

Shuliduo was stunned.

Then, she stood with her hands behind her back, looking into the distance at the deserted hillside, and remained silent for a long time.

"Really, this is not the blessing of Mobei..."

After saying that, she turned back resolutely.

"The army will temporarily retreat twenty miles."

Shili Qixiang hurriedly followed, feeling ashamed and puzzled, and asked, "Queen, are we not going to Youzhou?"

"This boy is cunning. Since he is not from Mobei, I will get rid of him!"

Shuliduo's face was full of coldness.

"The leader of the Jin army is Li Cunxu, also known as 'Ya Zi'. He wants me to go and block his army. He just wants to reap the benefits." She sneered, with determination in her eyes.

“Stand in camp and wait for Aogu to come south.

"As long as the king wears the blood jade ring, Aogu will be able to rescue the king."

Shili Qixiang was terrified and hurried to catch up.

But in front, Shuliduo suddenly stopped.

She closed her beautiful eyes, turned back to the east, her eyes flashed, and then she murmured to herself: "Last name Li?"

"This child must die."

------

Heading east, the two riders galloped along the road.

"Have you stopped the queen from moving eastward?" Ji Ruxue turned her head away, but her cold tone was mixed with a hint of unpredictable admiration.

"Queen Yingtian is indeed worthy of her reputation." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and said, "No matter what, we have to drag her back to the frontier."

"Is there no need for her to stop Li Cunxu?"

"She can fight if she wants to, and it doesn't matter if she doesn't. The goal of preventing her from advancing eastward has been achieved."

Xiao Yan paused and said, "These few days are enough for me to capture the remaining troops of Yuyang."

Ji Ruxue smiled with her eyes curved.

From the beginning to the end, their goal was not to cooperate with Shuliduo, but to delay her and then annex the remnants of Yuyang. Because at this time, the troops they had were only enough to besiege the city, and if Shuliduo intervened, it would be extremely difficult.

And now...

Xiao Yan took out the ring and put it on his hand.

As long as Shulido is stabilized, the final loser will only be the Queen Yingtian.

You must know that the royal court far away in Mobei has begun to fall into chaos...

(End of this chapter)