Chapter 175: Expelling the Hebei Nobles
Gaoliang River.

In the camp on the south bank, Xiao Yan stood at the door of the main tent with his hands behind his back, looking at the continuous heavy snow outside, and said, "What's the news from Youzhou?"

Although Youzhou is still dozens of miles away from here, the news is almost constantly transmitted here every day, so it has become a topic he must ask about every day.

He asked casually, as if he didn't care much about it, but the white-haired You Yi behind him did not delay. He reported to Han Yanhui, who was checking the baggage in the camp at his desk in the tent: "There is one thing. According to the news sent by Li Mang of Youzhou, Li Zhen wanted to make a noise for a counterattack at night. At that time, torches were everywhere in the inner city. He should have wanted to respond to the Yichang Army in the east city. However, the Yichang Army did not move in the end, so Li Zhen did not dare to really start a war. He just beat gongs and drums on the top of the city for half a night. However, it still attracted Yuan Xingqin to sit in the city in person, fearing that Li Zhen would take advantage of the chaos to break out and escape..."

He twisted his graying beard, shook his head, and said, "If I were to see it, Li Zhenying would just fight like a trapped beast. But the more than 100,000 Yan troops inside and outside the city frightened him and he dared not really act rashly. The Yichang army is now trapped in the East City and has almost lost contact with him, let alone listen to his orders. I'm afraid he can only watch the Yan army attack the city.

Besides, he doesn't know that the Yichang Army is just following your orders and has been standing still. He has failed to mobilize the Yichang Army in so many opportunities, so why is he still dreaming at this last moment? If I were to choose, with all the internal and external troubles, I would rather go out of the city and fight. No matter whether I can break out or not, it is better to be captured like this."

Xiao Yan listened quietly, looked at Mi Xue and thought for a while, then laughed and shook his head.

"This Mr. Li will not really sit there and wait for death. However, no matter how arrogant and bold he is, he should be cautious during this trip to Hebei and not be so reckless.

"Calling into battle? Even if there were followers of the Yichang Army, it would not be something a man like him would do. But since this commotion has arisen, it would be strange to say that he has no ulterior motives."

"What about what Tian Anxing said?"

"It's just a cover-up, a diversion, and I was asked to do it. That's all."

Xiao Yan answered casually, and then thought carefully for a while, and said: "Give orders to Yuan Xingqin and Li Mang to thoroughly check the four fields of Youzhou to see if they have missed anything. Also, send a message to the 1,000 Mobei cavalry scattered along the Gaoliang River, and order them to closely monitor the route. Also, have your people move, I will not allow anyone from the north to go south through the Gaoliang River."

This last sentence was a bit overbearing, even a little unreasonable. Others might not agree with it, but You Yi could only take it seriously.

He has been accompanying Xiao Yan on behalf of Fu An these days, and has long witnessed the thundering methods of this Tian Anxing. When he said that no one from the north bank is allowed to go south, he really doesn't allow even a fly from the north bank to fly over. This is not a joke. If someone carries it, it will be fatal.

Under Xiao Yan's command, the salary and rewards were very generous, but the military law was also very strict. There were bad people acting as spies and law enforcers. If someone dared to disobey the order, a bad person would hand a small notebook to Xiao Yan that day, and then his head would be hung on the gate without even having to wait until the next day.

The Yuan Cong of the Yanzhou branch of the Bad People are now doing this life-threatening work...

You Yi left immediately. Han Yanhui had already checked the military supplies transported from the villa and the expenses incurred in recent days, so he planned to report them in detail to Xiao Yan.

But just at this moment, a bad guy wearing a conical hat came riding out of the camp on horseback. Without waiting for his horse to stop, he jumped off and half-knelt on one knee facing Xiao Yan.

"Report to the captain, Li Baihu (Li Mang) of Youzhou sent an urgent letter, saying that the secret passage leading to the outside of the city has been cleared by Li Zhen from the inside. Li Zhen made a fuss yesterday and attracted most of the attention. Only this morning did he get the news that several small camps of the Yan army on the edge of the defense line were trampled down at night. After a team of about a hundred cavalrymen lost most of their lives, more than a dozen people jumped out of the encirclement..."

As these words fell, Han Yanhui, who had just stood up, pulled his beard and said in surprise: "The commotion last night was really a cover-up?!"

Xiao Yan did not respond, his expression was indifferent. He took the letter from the bad guy and glanced at it.

Beside him, Han Yanhui slightly lowered his eyes, frowned and said to himself: "Why did Li Zhen send these hundred cavalrymen out of the city? There was such a good opportunity to break out, but he didn't use it. If he could succeed, wouldn't he not have to be trapped in Youzhou anymore? It's strange, what happened that made him give up the chance to survive and send these hundred cavalrymen out of the city? It's really wrong..."

After he finished speaking, he walked back and forth again, thinking: "Could it be that he doesn't want to take risks and wants to let these hundred riders explore the way? No, no, those hundred riders did break out, but they have already lost the initiative. The people in the city will never have a second chance... Who can make him make such a decision... hiss..."

Han Yanhui suddenly stopped and looked at Xiao Yan in surprise: "Could it be that this official has mastered something?"

Xiao Yan just smiled faintly, then nodded to the bad guy and said, "Tell Li Mang that it's a small matter. Tell him not to blame himself and worry. I will take care of it."

"Understood sir." The bad man responded and left the camp in a hurry on his horse again.

"My lord, this is very possible."

Han Yanhui calmly suggested: "This official has been stationed in Hebei for more than two months. Unlike those officials who stayed in the court of Bianliang, he can always see some clues. He clearly knew that sending a hundred cavalry out of the city would not affect the battle situation, and the reinforcements would not be able to arrive in Youzhou immediately because of his hundred cavalry. On the contrary, it would reduce the strength of the city defense, but he did it anyway. It seems that he was willing to put himself in danger to send a hundred cavalry south. The purpose is probably not to deal with the Yan army outside the city... or it may be to deal with you, my lord!"

After that, he lowered his voice, with a fierce look in his eyes: "My lord, no matter what these hundred riders are doing, we must not let them return to the south alive."

"I know."

Xiao Yan smiled and continued, "Li Zhen is a smart man. It's not surprising that he can see something. What makes me curious is what he has mastered that makes him so sure that he can pose a threat to me."

After saying that, he shook his head and laughed, saying casually: "Just see it with your own eyes."

"Come here, ask Gong Yangzuo to come to the main tent to see me."

There were bad guys at the door looking for someone, so Xiao Yan and Han Yanhui went inside and looked at the map spread out on the long table.

Han Yanhui pointed at the map and said, "No matter what, after these 100 cavalrymen escaped from the Yan army, there are three fastest ways to go south. The first is to go west from Zhuozhou to Yizhou, or seek the protection of Zhao Wangrong (conferred by Zhu Wen) in Zhenzhou, and then go south to the Central Plains through Zhao. The second is to go south directly from Gaoliang River, pass Yingzhou and Wei Bo, and then go directly to the Yellow River and return to Bianliang. This is the fastest way. If you travel day and night, it may only take ten days. The third is to go east and detour to Cangzhou, where there are still some Bianliang imperial guards stationed, and the original reinforcements are also here, which may be the most likely..."

"My lord," Han Yanhui said, "It is not clear whether Li Zhen knows we are here, but if he suspects us, he is unlikely to go straight to Gaoliang River. Going west through Zhenzhou has too much uncertainty. Zhao Wangrong has always been wavering between Jin and Liang, so he may give up. So it seems——"

He pointed at Cangzhou and said, "The destination of these 100 cavalrymen is most likely Cangzhou. There are imperial guards there, which is his last hope. But we are too few in number. The disaster in Yandi has come to an end. The Yan army has taken Youzhou. If they become restless, it will be difficult to control them. Therefore, we should not rashly mobilize the army to search and block a team that may only have a dozen people left. We should change our focus and send the Mobei army to control the Cangzhou line to block all suspicious people coming from the north..."

"Makes sense."

Xiao Yan nodded, stood beside the long table with his hands behind his back, and said, "Let's do it accordingly. The main department will focus on Cangzhou, and the rest of the department will take care of the other two places."

Han Yanhui bowed and nodded solemnly.

But immediately, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "But Hebei is so big, it's not easy for more than a thousand people to capture more than ten people. It's better not to have too much hope."

Han Yanhui was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously said: "Then this should be..."

Just at this time, Gong Yang Zuo and You Yi, who had left and returned, entered the tent together and then bowed together.

"Captain, Dark Star."

The two people's ways of addressing each other were very different, probably because Gong Yangzuo was much thicker-skinned, so he just followed the local customs and called Xiao Yan "Captain" just like the bad guys in Yanzhou branch, while You Yi and the other bad guys in Yingzhou just called him "Tian Anxing".

They sent people to inquire at the Cangbing Valley, and Yuan Tiangang did not have any special instructions. Naturally, everyone in Yingzhou would go out to help Xiao Yan, but they were still embarrassed. For three hundred years, the Yingzhou branch only recognized the commander-in-chief and never called him a captain. Under this tradition, not everyone is as shameless as Gong Yang Zuo.

"Someone escaped from Youzhou." Xiao Yan didn't pay much attention to the etiquette and went straight to the point. He said to Gong Yangzuo, who was disrespectful to his elders and had a playful look, "It's not a big scale. It may be just a piece of sand and stone in Hebei. We don't have enough manpower to control all the roads and paths, so it's inevitable that there will be omissions. Now, it's your turn to show your abilities..."

Gong Yangzuo's disrespectful demeanor subsided a little, and he exchanged glances with You Yi, then said sternly, "Captain, just give your orders."

"Yingzhou has been in charge of Hebei for three hundred years. It was said that all the noble families in Hebei were controlled by you. Now, is it still possible?"

You Yi said solemnly: "Since Tian Anxing has issued the order, how can anyone in Hebei dare not do it?" Gong Yang Zuo just had an arrogant look on his face, as if he didn't want to explain too much.

Xiao Yan looked at the two of them, smiled, and nodded.

"Okay! Since you two seniors are so confident, why don't you let me see what it means to drive out all the nobles in Hebei!?

Eight days! We will travel day and night from Youzhou to the Yellow River. This is the fastest speed. Within these eight days, I want to see them with my own eyes!"

"Order."

You Yi turned around and walked away, but Gong Yang Zuo, after taking two steps, suddenly turned around and grinned.

"Captain, forgive me for being so nosy, but I would like to ask whether you want him dead or alive. If you want him alive, just pretend I never asked. But if he's dead, do you want his head or the whole body?"

mad!
So fucking crazy!
I have never heard such crazy words in my life!

Han Yanhui's eyelids twitched slightly. This man hadn't even left the tent yet, let alone where the dozen or so riders were, yet he dared to boast like that?
These words are equivalent to deciding whether you will be the top scorer or the third place before entering the examination room. This is called a certainty!
Xiao Yan was also slightly stunned, and then burst into laughter.

"Since Senior Gongyang is so heroic, how can I disturb him? Just follow your ideas and do whatever suits you."

"got it."

Gongyang Zuo Shiran stroked his beautiful beard, turned around and left.

You Yi smiled awkwardly and followed closely.

"My lord..." Han Yanhui seemed to be thinking about something, and whispered, "This is the only sharp blade I have ever seen in my life. If my lord wants to help the world, if he cannot keep it in his arms, he must..."

Xiao Yan laughed but did not answer. He stood at the entrance of the tent for a long time and said, "Mr. Han, I remember the decree from the south should have arrived by now, right?"

"Yes, I happened to pass Yingzhou yesterday."

Xiao Yan smiled gently.

"If the angel from Bianliang arrives, Li Zhen will have a hard time dying."

"I understand."

Han Yanhui immediately walked into the big tent, bent over the desk and picked up a pen, quickly wrote a letter for Xiao Yan, then stamped it and summoned a bad guy.

"General Xiao has personally ordered that Yuan Xingqin and Li Mang of Youzhou must be informed.

Within three days.

Li Zhen should be beheaded!"

------

Zhuozhou, Wuqing County.

"Click."

On the Ji Canal, the ice on the river surface was broken. Gong Yangzuo leaned over, scooped up a mouthful of icy water and drank it down with a gulp.

On the shore, dozens of middle-aged and young people in elegant clothes surrounded several old men, looking at the scene in astonishment. Some of the young people looked ridiculous and asked the middle-aged man next to them in disbelief: "Grandpa, is this man a lunatic? Or is my Fanyang (Zhuozhou) Lu family crazy, and is here to accompany such an old lunatic to make trouble...?"

The middle-aged man just had a sullen face and said nothing. He glanced at the several old men in fancy clothes at the head of the crowd and said in a low voice: "If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb!"

"Can……"

"Silence!"

Amid the crackling sound of ice under his feet, Gong Yang Zuo strode up from the river surface comfortably, with a look of joy on his face.

In the crowd, an old man in fancy clothes stroked his beard and smiled: "After so many years, Mr. Gongyang is still so healthy and strong, not like an old man. Now he is no longer the same as before, and he is very old."

"That's right." Gong Yangzuo grinned, glanced at him, moved closer, almost touching the old man's ear, and laughed: "You are indeed old, and I am old too. But today I want to let you, an old thing, see if I can still kill people after more than ten years..."

The young men on the side frowned, but they all said that although they did not hear clearly what Gong Yangzuo said, his arrogant look was really disgusting.

The old man just stroked his beard and smiled, but his smile was a little stiff.

He smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Gong Yang, there is no need to be like this. A few days ago, some of the younger generation in the clan did not know their status. It was indeed because I failed to discipline them. But who knew that you had been silent for decades? This..."

Gong Yangzuo hummed and shook his head, saying indifferently: "No, just remember it."

The old man could do nothing but smile bitterly.

At this time, a figure rode over from afar, landed and reported to the old man: "Master, there is news from the canal outlet of Lutai. Several people died in a village near Lutai. The branch there has indeed trapped more than ten riders..."

Before the old man could answer, Gong Yangzuo's eyes lit up.

He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled as hard as he could.

After a moment, several knights wearing conical hats and masks came riding on horses.

The dullness and deathly aura all over his body, as well as the vague murderous intent, suddenly changed the expressions of several young men who were about to say more.

Somehow, they seemed to feel an inexplicable sense of fear from these people.

It was a fear that came from deep in the bones.

(End of this chapter)