Chapter 131 True and False
The setting sun was like blood, and the last rays of light lingered between heaven and earth. The sun gradually moved westward and reached the top of Youzhou City. At first glance, it seemed to be motionless, but after a while, you could find that it had been covered by the collapsed city tower for the most part.

This huge city, which overlooks the north and south and stretches from east to west, was now surrounded by thick smoke and deafening cries of killing. Dense flying stones shot up into the sky from the riprap array a few hundred steps away, smashing into the thick city walls like meteors, splashing countless mud and debris with a thunderous sound.

The brick and stone tower collapsed in an instant, raising a cloud of dust. It was impossible to tell how many bodies were buried there.

After the rain of flying stones, there was a sound of horns and drums, and in a blink of an eye, the city walls were already covered with people, countless ladders and flying ladders, the brave warriors climbed up fearlessly, wearing armor and biting knives. From a distance, it seemed as if the whole city had become an ant nest, and the dense figures of people were like ants, climbing on the city walls.

Countless rockets and arrows were flying in the air, and it seemed as if fireworks were constantly exploding on all sides of the city. These rockets were the sparks that flew out. The fighting on the city walls was brutal, with logs and rocks constantly falling down, and people constantly falling down, but the empty spaces were immediately filled up by people, climbing up without fear of death.

Even though kerosene and gold juice were poured down from the city, these Uighurs, Tanguts and Tatars with exotic faces just kept climbing up like crazy, biting their knives in their mouths, and followed the ten-foot-tall giant and jumped onto the top of the city in horror.

This giant did not hold any weapon, he was only bare-handed, but the energy around him was surging, making him tougher than armor. Not to mention arrows, even swords and spears could not leave even a mark on his body.

He roared and smashed the battlements of the city wall with one punch. He easily pulled off the waist-thick wooden pillars of the tower and used them as weapons. In the dust, he leaped from one side of the city wall to the other. In a moment, he cleared a piece of open space for the Jin soldiers behind him to stand.

At the city gate, a number of ox-hide battering rams were pushed by the shield-holding Dangxiang people, gradually approaching the gate in the face of a rain of arrows, and then, with the sound of trumpets, they began to rumble against the city gate again and again. But after a while, the battering rams were doused with kerosene and turned into a pile of fire in an instant.

Some Dangxiang people could not bear the great fear and finally fled. However, groups of Shatuo people in heavy armor drew their bows and arrows and forced them back.

In the Jin army camp a few miles away, more than 30 heads of Yan's fortresses and wealthy families who had come to rely on them were staring in amazement at the Youzhou City that was being attacked from all sides. Seeing the soldiers wearing Jin army armor suffering heavy casualties but still advancing one after another, they were all shocked and frightened.

"Youzhou~ is broken~"

On the high platform, Li Cunxu wore a big red mask, walked on the stage, waved his finger and sang: "Youzhou City~ has fallen into your trap~ Liu Rengong is a loser, his death is coming~"

Behind him, several actors played music and plucked harps, while the Mirror Heart Demon, with a funny painted face, pinched his fingers and sang along: "Liu Rengong is a loser, his death is near~"

Below the stage, a group of fort owners looked at each other in bewilderment, some of them not understanding what was going on, with a sense of absurdity and illusion.

But immediately, some smart people rushed to congratulate him, saying, "The father and son of the Liu family are extremely licentious and unforgivable, and they are not like rulers. Liu Rengong, that bastard, has been levying heavy taxes and levying heavy taxes for many years, and has long lost the support of the people. His two sons fought for their father's power and caused chaos in Yan, and they are even more despised by the world. All the people in Yan hate to eat the flesh and blood of this father and son, and have suffered from the royal army for many years.

"Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has led the royal army here to kill Liu Rengong and punish the Liu brothers, it is a blessing for our Yan land. Today the city was broken, it can be said that the bandits were eliminated by heaven! But I heard that the Liu brothers are still in Liaoxi, causing trouble for Yan land. Although I am incompetent, my clan has a little wealth and nearly a thousand clan soldiers. Today I am willing to send them all out to help the Crown Prince advance eastward to eliminate the two bandits and restore peace to our Yan land!"

When the others heard this, they all secretly cursed the guy for being extremely shameless.

Previously, the nobles near Youzhou had agreed privately that they would never compromise easily, hoping to gain more benefits from Li Cunxu. But he didn't expect that when he saw that Hebei was about to change its owner, he would just become a dog.

This old man was never so shameless when he was flattering Liu Rengong!
But despite the scolding, at this moment, these fort owners had no time to consider the previous agreement, and they all expressed their sincerity. They were not fools, and the rise and fall of the family depended on such a thought. Whoever was slow might be eaten up.

But whoever shows up quickly enough may be able to move his family to a higher level in the subsequent reshuffle in Hebei. In terms of strength alone, the King of Jin is much more powerful than the Liu family.

Just look at the Tanguts, Tatars, Uighurs, and even Tuyuhun who were driven like dogs, and you can see how strong the King of Jin was. The five tribes of Yinshan in the northern part of Dai were all attached to Li Keyong. They were cheap and easy to use. If one group died outside, another group could be summoned immediately. They were like leeks that could never be harvested.

Wouldn't it be more useful to use these tribal troops to fight instead of those guardsmen who always make noise and ask for rewards?
Although Daliang is now the only powerful family in the Central Plains, the princes in the north still have to look to the King of Jin. In the future, the north and the south may face each other, and there will be another Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the future, whether my descendants will become generals, ministers, kings or marquises may be decided today.

The far-sighted head of the family thought about the distant future, and immediately gritted his teeth, willing to donate all the stored grain in the clan to provide military supplies. The clan members also went to the battlefield, which seemed to be like sending their own sons as hostages.

But there are also a small number of people who are still a little timid, as if they are still waiting and watching, and are unwilling to make a ruthless bet.

Such people will certainly be despised by other far-sighted family heads. They didn't even dare to seize the opportunity right before their eyes. They deserve that their family will fall into decline and be swallowed up without leaving even a trace in the future!

"I will report the generosity of all the heroes to my father."

On the stage, Li Cunxu sang a few lines in an operatic style, then cleared his throat, stood upright with his hands behind his back, and said slowly: "Liu Shouwen and Liu Shouguang are nothing but withered bones in a tomb. Now that Youzhou has been conquered, if they dare to return, I can capture them in one battle."

Everyone was either in awe or in admiration, and dared not speak out. If someone else said so, it might be suspected of bragging.

But who is the person in front of me?
Li Cunxu of Hedong was a natural born commander who was described by Emperor Zhaozong of Tang as being as good as his father!

Not to mention the Liu Shouguang brothers, even Zhu Wen was beaten by Li Cunxu in Luzhou and said in horror, "If I had a son like Li Yazi, I would have survived! As for my son, he is just a pig and a dog."

During this short conversation, a shocking shout suddenly came from Youzhou. At this time, the night had fallen, but the flames on the top of Youzhou City were so bright that everyone could see clearly that a large flag with the word "Jin" was dancing in the flames.

Soon, a cavalryman carrying a recognition flag came galloping like the wind.

"Your Highness, the Grand Protector has seized the city gate. The remnants of Liu Rengong's army have retreated to the inner city, but they are still struggling to survive!"

The indigenous warlords all had different expressions on their faces.

Li Cunxu really didn't boast. He said the city would fall, and he would fall without delay. And everyone knew who the so-called "Grand Protector" was. Everyone knew that there were "Thirteen Grand Protectors", but the word "Grand Protector" was given to Li Cunxiao, the Flying Tiger. This man was the strongest man in the world. He was often the vanguard of Li Keyong. He was extremely brave and invincible. Everyone in the world knew him.

It can be said that the main reason why Youzhou was able to capture the city today was because Li Cunxu sent Li Cunxiao at the most appropriate time, instantly crushing the morale of the defenders.

Li Cunxu had already expected this and was not surprised, so he waved everyone away.

He took down the opera score, held it behind his back with his hands, and looked out at the city where flames were blazing with his almond-shaped eyes.

"Mirror Heart Demon."

The clown who had been waiting by the side immediately bowed and said, "My little slave is here."

"Pass my order. It's getting late today. All camps can retreat to rest. Tomorrow morning, capture Liu Rengong. I want to use his head to celebrate my father's birthday."

Li Keyong's birthday is at the end of October, and it is only the beginning of September now. The time is just right for him to defeat Liu Shouguang and his brothers before returning.

The Mirror Heart Demon's eyes rolled around, and then he said with a smile: "Since Your Highness is willing to prepare a gift for the king, why not present a big gift? I heard that Zhu Hanbin has led the Dragon and Tiger Army to Cangzhou in the north. If Your Highness adds his head, perhaps the king will be happier..."

“Zhu Luoyan…” Li Cunxu waved his sword and said, “You are just a nobody. I am not interested in you. I will take you back when we conquer Bianzhou.”

"Your Highness's ambition~"

The demon slave Jingxin spoke in a servant-like manner.

Soon, several actors acted as messengers and entered the city to convey military orders.

"Uh... there is one more thing." Mirror Heart Demon followed Li Cunxu closely and whispered, "The cavalry reported that there seems to be a large group of Mobei cavalry in the east, bypassing Luzhen and heading north to Gubeikou. Some of them have entered the jurisdiction of Youzhou. Their purpose is unknown. The people below have had a lot of friction with them."

The latter put his hands behind his back and said nonchalantly: "Let Han Yanhui come to see me."

“Yes.”…………

As Shuliduo's envoy, Han Yanhui had been in Li Cunxu's camp for ten days. He had witnessed with his own eyes how Li Yazi had swept the entire Youzhou like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. His thunderous methods revealed the superb commanding ability of the prince of Jin.

"I have seen the prince."

"You have been staying in the camp for some time, right?" Li Cunxu said with his eyes closed, playing with the mask and sitting cross-legged on the desk.

Han Yanhui's heart paused. This prince was strong in everything except his pride. It was hard for people to get close to him.

He politely replied, "Indeed, when I came here, Youzhou City was still strong, but now, it has been taken over by the prince."

"Humph."

Li Cunxu snorted coldly, one of his eyes closed and the other half open: "I heard that you were once Liu Rengong's staff member?"

"I used to be, but now I am just an envoy of Queen Yingtian of Mobei."

"Oh? Since you are a Han Chinese, why would you act for Mobei?"

"..." Han Yanhui pondered for a moment, then said politely: "Queen Yingtian of Mobei, you have been kind to me."

Li Cunxu laughed without commenting, and it was hard to tell what he meant. But he was too lazy to ask any more questions, so he went straight to the point: "Since you told me that the queen was at the Beishui River to stop the enemy in the east, why did my people find that a large group of Hu cavalry seemed to be heading north to the grassland?"

Han Yanhui was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "The queen should want to return to the grassland to gather all the tribes, and then march south to fight a decisive battle with the Yuyang tribe. You may not know that the commander of Yuyang is quite capable, and may have defeated Liu Shouguang and Liu Shouwen. He must have returned to Youzhou to provide assistance. The queen is short of supplies, so she should be hiding for the time being."

"No need to say more."

Li Cunxu interrupted him, waved his sword and said, "You are an old official of Youzhou. Do you know who under Liu Rengong has such ability? It is obvious that your queen is afraid that I will take advantage of the conflict between the snipe and the clam, so she doesn't trust me. She wants me to help her, but she is also plotting against me. What kind of logic is this?"

"This……"

Han Yanhui couldn't help but hesitate.

The former was disdainful of explanation and waved his hand: "Go back and tell your queen. Since you want to escape back to the grassland, don't go south to seek death in the future. You must know that I, Li Cunxu, am not a rat from the Liu family who will tolerate their presumptuousness."

Han Yanhui stammered, but he didn't know what to say. As a lobbyist, he didn't have much chance to meet Li Cunxu these days. For the latter, it was not difficult to defeat the Yan army with the current situation.

As an envoy, he was naturally unwilling to accept this, but seeing that Li Cunxu didn't seem to care, he knew that no matter what he said, he probably wouldn't bother to listen, so he politely said, "I hope to see you again in the future, Your Highness."

Li Cunxu seemed to respond, but also seemed not to respond, but he never tried to keep him from beginning to end.

It was not until I reached the entrance of the tent that I heard a voice from behind.

"Also, don't forget to ask your queen to return Gubeikou to me. Since you are already a Hu official, it's best not to go south to seek death in the future."

Han Yanhui paused, then walked out of the tent.

He kept his gaze on the Youzhou City, which was surrounded by flames and smoke, for a long time. Then, with a sense of inexplicable humiliation, he turned his horse and led the Mobei Hu cavalry who had escorted him here, preparing to return to Beishui at night.

In fact, he didn't quite understand why Shuliduo suddenly wanted to return to the grassland?
Could it be that Yelu Abaoji has been rescued?

"..."

He never figured it out, but Han Yanhui knew that there was no place for him in Hebei anymore, and he would probably have to work wholeheartedly for Mobei in the future.

------

Li Cunxu threw the mask away and didn't take the matter to heart.

Jing Xin Mo stepped forward and said worriedly, "Mobei went back on its word. Does the prince need to send cavalry to keep an eye on their movements?"

"Zahuer, you have no advantage in Yandi. You have no choice but to retreat to the grassland."

Li Cunxu said calmly: "Don't focus too much on them, send all the cavalry to the east. I want to see who has the ability to defeat Liu Shouguang and Liu Shouwen before me."

"Here."

……

Han Yanhui, with his guards, headed eastward in the dark all night, feeling indescribable.

He encountered many Jin cavalrymen along the way, but fortunately he had credentials, so he didn't have any trouble.

But before daybreak they were captured.

Not only them, but also several groups of Jin cavalry were captured by the cavalry coming from the east.

Han Yanhui was horrified and could not figure out what had happened. Looking at the situation, it was as if Shuliduo had been defeated and Yuyang in the east was advancing westwards without any hindrance. Otherwise, how could they have approached Youzhou in such a short time?

But for some reason, he was managed to be safely transported all the way to a camp.

The camp was not very big, and it should be the camp of a vanguard. There were cavalrymen everywhere, and at first glance, they were all dressed like soldiers from Hebei.

A man received him.

Han Yanhui was a little dazed, and when he saw this man, he was immediately shocked.

"Zhao Siwen!?"

When he looked around, he realized that many of these soldiers looked like Hu people, but they were dressed in Hebei clothing and armor. If some of them had not taken off their hoods to reveal their shaved heads, they would have been unrecognizable.

These Hebei soldiers are from Mobei, so...

Who are the people from Mobei who returned to the grasslands?
(End of this chapter)