Chapter 119 Aogu
The bright white water of the Beishui River is still flowing quietly, but the river transport, which has not been used for half a year, is still paralyzed. The upstream and downstream ferry crossings are deserted and even dilapidated, with no one in sight.

But in the section of the river where the flow is the slowest, there are several bridge piles with a floating bridge on top, which is swaying up and down due to the beating of the river water.

This newly built floating bridge was built by the people of Mobei to facilitate scouts to ride to the east to inquire about the news from Yuyang. But every time they went a little deeper, they would be driven back by Dingbadu's cavalry. Because the two sides still had superficial cooperation, there was no major confrontation, but small frictions continued in the past few days.

At this moment, a whistle suddenly sounded quickly from the mountains and forests.

A few riders then galloped out from the gentle slope and looked at the floating bridge on the Beishui River from afar.

But this time, it was not the scouts from Mobei, but an ancient horse-drawn carriage, slowly galloping from the west bank.

However, what was still strange was that this carriage had no driver, and the two horses seemed to be very intelligent, moving forward in an orderly and stable manner all the way.

The riders stared at each other in blank amazement.

But before they could shoot their arrows tentatively, the sound of horse hooves was heard from the west bank of the Beishui River. It was Shili Qixiang and his younger brother Yaoyan who caught up with them.

Seeing the two men, the rangers did not stay any longer and retreated like a whirlwind.

Yaoyan's brother was a burly man, and his mount was also tall, but even so, the horse seemed to be struggling. The flesh on his face swayed in the wind, and he smacked his lips as he looked toward the hillside, asking in a deep voice, "Do you need me to catch up and kill these southerners?"

Shili Qixiang hesitated for a moment and did not answer immediately. Instead, he rode beside the ancient carriage, bowed respectfully on horseback, and asked, "Auntie Ao, these cavalrymen may expose your movements. Do you need me and the chariot to clear the way for you?"

The sound coming from the quaint vehicle was slightly soft, and a sense of freshness and clarity arose spontaneously.

"It's okay, just keep moving forward."

"Yes."

Shili Qixiang agreed as a matter of course, and seemed to think that for the man in the carriage, it didn't matter whether he was exposed or not.

Brother Yaoyan licked his lips with his tongue, feeling quite regretful.

"The queen sent you two here, but does she have any other instructions?" The clear voice sounded again in the carriage.

Shili Qixiang continued to bow and said respectfully: "The Queen said that Aogu needs to take the life of the Central Plains commander at the same time as rescuing the King."

"Do we need to prioritize these two things?"

"This……"

Outside the carriage, Shili Qixiang was stunned for a moment, and looked at Yaoyan's brother, then said hesitantly: "We must rescue the king first... But the queen said that this time, no matter the cost, we must take that man's life..."

In the car, Aunt Ao pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Drive and help me identify the person so that I don't kill the wrong person."

"Yes."

Shili Qixiang rode his horse forward, jumped into the front room, and then pulled the reins hard, causing the carriage to speed up.

Brother Yaoyan followed, carrying an eight-foot miasma horn on his back and riding two mounts.

During his trip south this time, he suffered many setbacks and was constantly embarrassed in front of Shulido, feeling extremely embarrassed.

So he couldn't wait to have a good kill.

------

Yuyang.

The office of the Jiedushi.

Standing in front of the courtyard corridor, you can still see what this government office looked like a hundred years ago. The stone brick walls, the animal mouths for drainage, and the rough and majestic carved door frames all show the glory of this important town that once guarded the north of the Tang Dynasty and resisted the Hu tribe.

Unfortunately, the Lulong Army stationed here had been almost destroyed in the civil war in Hebei led by the Liu brothers. The remaining remnants were only a hundred or so people, who were previously rescued by Liu Shouwen and incorporated into the Yichang Army.

Therefore, Xiao Yan was still thinking about what arrangements to make for each army.

He walked back and forth in front of the corridor. The entire government office was silent. Several soldiers of the Longxiang Army were lined up at the door, just standing guard quietly and motionlessly, acting as guards for their young commander.

The entire Yuyang City seemed to be completely silent, as if it had crouched at the feet of the new conqueror.

In fact, this is indeed the case. No matter how Xiao Yan gave instructions, all orders were carried out meticulously and no one dared to be careless.

For example, in the past two days, a group of Mobei captives were whipped and began to rebuild the city for the remaining people in Yuyang. They were guarded by either outsiders or those Mobei team leaders who could speak Chinese. These team leaders did not have to work, but they could eat enough, so they did their best to guard the prisoners.

In addition, there were heroes from Yan who volunteered to join the army. Those who had not yet gotten a place also volunteered to guard the prisoners for Ding Badu, for fear that someone would have other ideas.

At this time, looking from the corridor, all the soldiers outside were walking hurriedly with high morale.

And in the entire city, and even within dozens of miles, these warriors only obeyed his orders.

From now on, this is——

Yuyang belongs to him.

Xiao Yan let out a long sigh and stopped pacing. He had made up his mind and planned to split the Yichang Army into two parts. One part would be rebuilt with the remnants of the original Lulong Army and the new soldiers from Yan under Tian Daocheng, and stay in Yuyang. He would also promote a group of Yan heroes to serve as officers to help Tian Daocheng look after Yuyang for him.

The other Yichang Army would also be stuffed with some Han people from Yan, still named the "Yichang Army", and taken back to Youzhou. As for Dingbadu, he wanted to take it under his control, but this would interfere and might reduce the combat power, so he would not move for the time being.

The more than 600 cavalrymen of the Longxiong Army continued to serve as his personal troops.

Therefore, under coordination, the Lulong Army should have 7,000 soldiers, one-third of which are new recruits from Yan. The Yichang Army should have 10,000, but only one-fifth are new recruits from Yan. He has carefully considered these two divisions. When they return to Bianliang in the future, Zhu Wen will definitely have someone take over, so they can just hand them over. However, the lower-level officers are all Yan people he promoted. Maybe their friendship is not deep for the time being, but there is more or less a sense of incense.

The main candidate was Tian Daocheng, who had been noticed very early. His parents were lucky to have survived the brutal siege and stayed in Yuyang, which was a reassurance.

Dingbadu is the main part he wants to hide, which requires slow planning later.

Besides that, the Mobei captives could not escape. In addition to rebuilding the city in the past few days, he had personally inspected and selected a group of relatively honest Mobei men. If they still had the energy to finish the city, they could choose to stay and fight for their lives or return to the grassland as slaves.

After having a rough idea in mind, Xiao Yan strode into the back hall.

In the room, Ji Ruxue was folding their clothes and simply packing them in a bag, ready to leave at any time.

Seeing him come in, the girl was a little surprised, and a hint of excitement flashed in her cold eyes.

These past few days, Xiao Yan was so busy that he rarely returned to the back office during the day. She didn't want to appear too deliberate, so they didn't actually spend much time together.

"Lulong Army..."

Xiao Yan muttered to himself as he sat down at his desk, ready to grind. But the desk was in a mess, and he couldn't find where to put his pen and ink.

It was Ji Ruxue who stepped forward and found it for him from among the pile of debris.

She had a cold face, but the corners of her mouth were just a faint smile. Xiao Yan didn't allow her to touch his things casually, saying that he was afraid of disturbing his thoughts, but he himself even forgot where he put his things.

Xiao Yan was a little embarrassed, but his face became thicker and thicker, and he just said frankly: "For those who want to do great things, they really need the help of a virtuous wife..."

"Bah, shameless."

Ji Ruxue patted him lightly, frowned to hide her red ears, and turned her eyes away, "I want to be a chivalrous woman!"

The former didn't care, just laughed and prepared to write down his thoughts.

The girl had no intention of reading what he wrote, so as not to bore him. She wanted to turn around and continue to clean up, but before she could take a step, someone pulled her wrist and pulled her whole body into Xiao Yan's arms. In an instant, her light body sat on the latter's legs.

Immediately, the girl's slender back stiffened instantly and the tips of her ears suddenly turned red.

But Xiao Yan just rested his chin on her shoulder, sniffed the fragrance of the girl's hair gently but greedily, and sighed softly: "Luckily I have you..."

Ji Ruxue's stiff back instantly relaxed because of these words.

She could understand how much pressure this young man, who was only two years older than her, had to endure along the way. Especially after practicing that evil skill, he often became very unfamiliar. These things often made people feel suffocated, but he just insisted on going his own way.

It seemed as if there was some responsibility that kept driving him forward and forward, and he dared not stop for a moment.

When she thought of this, her eyes softened, and she still let Xiao Yan's breath linger on her neck, and she did not stop it. But immediately, a hard object pressed against her buttocks.

Ji Ruxue was stunned at first, then touched him subconsciously. Her face immediately turned red, and her back became stiff again. She whispered, "Your stubble has grown again, it hurts..."

Xiao Yan touched his chin and found that it had indeed grown a little.

Because he didn't want to look younger, he started shaving early to make his face look more mature. As a result, his stubble kept coming out or pricked the girl's skin.

But he reacted immediately.

Ok?
Why is it so annoying?

"..."

Xiao Yan pretended to be confused, laughed, and picked up the girl, "It has indeed grown..."

Ji Ruxue glanced at him stealthily, unable to hide the heat on her cheeks, and turned away, intending to continue packing her clothes.

The former didn't think it was a good idea, but the girl was too young, and it was really not the right time. Although according to this era and the evil thoughts in his heart, it was actually feasible...

Thinking of this, he frowned.

Why hasn't there been any news from the people who went to look for the surrendered officials?
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, wrote down what he wanted to write, and prepared to call someone to ask.

But at this moment, a sound was heard from outside.

"Xiao Lang, Xiao Lang..."

The next moment, Shangguan Yunque rushed in rashly, without reporting anything, and said anxiously: "The person you mentioned really showed up. The rangers just reported that a carriage was coming from the west. Maybe it was the great shaman you mentioned..."

In the room, Ji Ruxue, who was shaking her clothes, was startled and turned around to look.

Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows, then rolled the blood jade ring on his finger, and said in a calm manner, "Who else?"

Shangguan Yunque took a breath and said, "It is said that there are two strange Mobei guards. It was because they saw them that the cavalry returned to report. According to this, it is only twenty miles away."

"Well, let's proceed according to the plan."

Xiao Yan stood up and walked out, handing over the letter: "Let Wang Yanzhang make preparations accordingly, and then lead the Dingbadu and Yichang armies to the west."

“Okay.” Shangguan Yunque took it and was about to leave in a hurry.

"Wait, is Yu Zhong back?"

"Ah?" Shangguan Yunque thought for a moment, then he remembered that Yu Zhong was the Dingbadu general to whom Xiao Yan gave him a sword, so he pointed his finger and said, "A messenger came back saying that they had chased Yelu Abaoji to Yingzhou and gained a lot along the way."

"Use my Saker Falcon to tell him that as long as we can confirm whether Yelü Abaoji is dead or alive, we can turn back. These remnants of the Mobei army can no longer return to the grasslands."

"Okay, any other instructions?"

Xiao Yan thought for a moment and said, "Go and stop her for me for an hour."

"I?"

Shangguan Yunque was stunned. He never expected that after asking politely, he would actually be assigned an important task.

"Don't worry, she's easy to talk to."

Xiao Yan stepped forward, straightened Shangguan Yunque's collar, and said, "Be polite, at least wait until the army leaves Yuyang."

The latter made a bitter face and looked at Ji Ruxue for help, but the girl's attention was all on Xiao Yan, and she ignored him.

"Xiao Lang, don't forget to collect my body..."

Shangguan Yunque looked back every few steps, like a brave man who would never return and was unwilling to leave.

……

"what can I do?"

Ji Ruxue stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"Your mission is to follow the army and act as my eyes, monitoring them for me."

Xiao Yan turned around and took an ordinary long sword from Lan Qi. After pulling it out, he placed his palm on the sword tip and wiped it. In an instant, a thick and rolling evil spirit attached to the sword body.

“This sword will not break easily now, and it can also cause severe damage to the enemy. You should carry it with you in case of emergency.

"My Three-point Return Qi can be cultivated at any time, so don't waste it. My mission is to get the news about Yelu Abaoji to Shuliduo as soon as possible. Once you have established a firm foothold in the west of the Beishui River, you can officially join him..."

He was chattering a little, which was rare, and his words seemed to be a little dense. "Shut up."

Ji Ruxue stood on tiptoe, snatched the sword in a moment, picked up her bag and left, leaving behind a cold voice: "I didn't learn it."

Xiao Yan savored the moisture at the corner of his mouth, squinted at the sky, then turned around and walked into the room.

There was already a letter lying on the table.

“The Great Shaman of Mobei has moved south, and the royal court is in turmoil.

"I hope to know."

The letter was burned instantly.

"Queen Yingtian, you have already lost."

------

------

The distance between the Beishui River and Yuyang is only sixty miles, but after traveling nearly fifty miles, we did not see a single cavalryman.

But Shili and Qixiang could actually sense that someone was secretly watching them.

"Auntie Ao, are we being too blatant..." Shili Qixiang turned around and whispered, "Although there are only three of us and we don't seem to pose any threat, if they are cautious and try to move the king, it may be troublesome."

A clear and soulful voice was heard from the carriage.

“The king is within ten miles.

"You two can rescue the king while I am out killing people."

Serikika hesitated and said nothing more.

But immediately, the younger brother Yaoyan who was leading the way suddenly pulled the reins.

"Hey!"

As the horse neighed, both of them squinted and looked over.

On the road in the distance, flags were fluttering, horses were surging, cold light was flashing, and rows of strong and sturdy soldiers were not wearing armor, but their morale was high and murderous, with an extremely solemn and murderous atmosphere.

This endless number of fierce soldiers just kept a moderate pace and marched westward. But even so, all the cavalry and scouts were spread out far and wide, and even noticed them from a distance.

However, the two sides were not on the same road. The plain was vast and quiet, and the carriage seemed to be nothing in the eyes of the army.

Before they could be surprised, they saw figures flashing, and several people were riding horses and running towards them.

From a distance, a coquettish man dismounted from his horse, with a forced smile on his face, and pointed his finger towards me.

Brother Yaonian rode over and lowered his voice.

"Who are you!?"

"Oh, my name is Shangguan Yunque, and I was sent by Commander Xiao to welcome you."

"Welcome us?"

In the carriage, Shili Qixiang leaned forward and narrowed her eyes.

Shangguan Yunque took a few steps forward and laughed dryly, "Well, the commander-in-chief heard that the envoy from Mobei had to greet him. Didn't we agree that day that as long as the queen was willing to withdraw her troops to the west, she would send someone to see King Yelu? Everyone, isn't it..."

Hearing this ambiguous voice, Brother Yaonian turned around and glanced at Shili Qixiang.

The latter rolled his eyes and nodded slightly: "Indeed."

But she immediately pointed to the army moving westward in the distance and asked, "What does this mean?"

"Now that the battle of Yuyang is over, the commander-in-chief will lead his troops back to Youzhou. Wasn't this agreed upon long ago?"

"Then where is my king?"

Shangguan Yunque replied: "Of course it is in Yuyang City."

Shili Qixiang tilted her head and whispered to the carriage, "Augu?"

A voice came from the carriage: "He is not lying. The king is not in this army."

She was about to drive forward.

"In that case, why don't you lead the way quickly to see my king?"

Shangguan Yunque laughed and bowed: "You two can enter the city. But the people in the car need to wait."

Shili Qixiang frowned instantly: "Why!?"

"My commander said that if you want to see King Yelu, this is the only way. If not, I hope you won't regret it."

"Are you threatening us?"

Although his younger brother Yao Nian was watching him fiercely, Shangguan Yunque was more confident now. He straightened his back and snorted, "Please do as you please."

"The cunning southerner..."

Shili Qixiang cursed in a low voice, turned around and asked, "Auntie Ao, look..."

"can."

Since the plan had been discussed long ago and could help find Yelu Abaoji's location, Shili Qixiang thought everything was still under control, so he did not hesitate and winked at his brother Yaonian.

The latter immediately understood, and the two of them rode towards Yuyang.

At this moment, Shangguan Yunque finally felt embarrassed.

He led a few people and confronted the lonely carriage.

Until a moment later, a clear voice was heard from the carriage.

"How long do I need to wait?"

Shangguan Yunque glanced at the army that still needed a long time to act, and guessed that the reason why Xiao Yan did not act in the city was probably because he did not want to disrupt the morale of the army. So he added another half an hour and said carefully:
"Uh...an hour and a half?"

After saying this, he felt a little uneasy and worried that the great shaman might become suspicious.

But immediately, the people in the car responded obediently.

"it is good."

"?"

Are you really that easy to talk to?

------

Shili Qixiang and his brother Yaoyan rushed towards Yuyang City. All they saw along the way were the relics of the war in the past six months.

If you look up, you can still see the ruined camp in the north of the city.

They could recognize it at a glance, that was the style of the Mobei camp. It was obvious that Yelu Abaoji was defeated there...

The two looked at each other in silence.

When the army set out, there seemed to be not many soldiers left in the city. Many people from Mobei worked like laborers, building the city walls and dredging the moat.

That fellow was right, he actually captured many people from Mobei...

When the two saw this scene, they immediately believed that Yelu Abaoji was really in the city, so they urged him to come.

With the combined strength of the two, it would be easy to rescue the king as long as they waited for Ao Gu to take action.

Under the urging, they quickly entered the inner city.

But immediately, Shili Qixiang became alert.

"Where are my great kings? Why is it so quiet here?"

As if in response to her words, there was a creaking sound behind her. In a moment, the city gate was heavily closed.

The two men's hearts sank and they looked around vigilantly.

"Both of you."

A voice suddenly sounded from the top of the city.

Brother Yaoyan was stunned and looked back.

Fu An crossed his arms across his chest and said with a playful smile: "We meet again."

"It's you!"

Shili Qixiang was shocked and recognized the enemy from Gubeikou. He warned Yao Nian loudly, "Oh no! It's a trap!"

"I can see that!"

Brother Yaoyan spat, picked up the eight-foot miasma horn on his back and started blowing it hard.

But at the same time, hundreds of figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

On the top of the city wall, Xiao Yan walked out with his hands behind his back, looking down with his eyes lowered.

Fu An saluted solemnly: "Captain."

“Take them down.

"Let King Yingtian redeem him later."

------

The cicadas started chirping suddenly.

Shangguan Yunque was already feeling a little hot, so he sat on the grass and looked up. Sure enough, the tail end of the army was no longer visible.

He fanned himself with his hands and said to the carriage road: "Hey, I won't stay here with you to bask in the sun. I want to go back."

There seemed to be silence in the carriage.

Shangguan Yunque hesitated for a moment, and seeing that he had no objection, he mounted his horse and was about to leave.

suddenly.

The sound of wind chimes began.

A gust of wind instantly blew him off his horse.

There was a hint of anger in the clear voice.

"Your commander, are you lying to me? Where is he?"

Shangguan Yunque rubbed his butt and kept backing away: "Oh, I didn't lie to you..."

But immediately, the small eyes on the ancient mask suddenly looked towards the east.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then spoke.

"I think I recognized him."

Shangguan Yunque turned his head suddenly and saw a horse galloping towards him.

His tears kept coming out: "Xiao Lang, I knew you were worried about me..."

Lai Qi fell to the ground, and the ring on his finger flashed a blood-red light.

(End of this chapter)