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Murong Xiao initially thought he would languish in the Tang Camp until his demise. For a warrior on horseback, such a death was truly disgraceful. However, a twist of fate came when Hou Polu offered him a glimmer of hope, and he seized that opportunity. Little did he expect that Hou Polu would go back on his word!
Not long after leaving the Mass Grave, a dozen riders suddenly pursued him from behind. They were tall horses, expertly ridden, clearly the elite cavalry of the Tang Dynasty!
Murong Xiao was not someone who relied solely on brute strength; upon reflection, he sensed something was amiss. If these truly were Hou Polu's men, why would he have gone to such lengths to put himself in the Mass Grave?
Realizing this, Murong Xiao calmly turned his head, narrowing his eyes. He noticed among the Riding Team behind him a petite figure—wasn't it that tomboy saved multiple times by Xu Zhen?
"Yes! This girl must have grown suspicious of Hou Polu and followed my trail!" Murong Xiao was familiar with the Tang Army's tactics. Although the Riding Team had only a few dozen members, their spacing between horses was precise, showcasing excellent riding skills. The light armor and short crossbows on their backs, along with longbows behind them, made their identities clear!
"They are crossbowmen of the Tang cavalry! They aren’t using crossbows; it seems they intend to capture someone alive!" Murong Xiao scoffed inwardly. Although Old Horse lacked stamina, it still had enough strength to be pushed further. Having narrowly escaped death, Murong Xiao did not wish to fall into the hands of that girl. He immediately urged Old Horse forward, galloping away like the wind!
Li Dejiang watched as Murong Xiao fled desperately ahead, cold sweat continuously seeping from his forehead and mixing with the rainwater, leaving him unaware of temperature.
Li Mingda furrowed her brows tightly but did not take her eyes off the fleeing slave ahead!
Ever since Hou Junji arrived in Liangzhou, she felt increasingly uneasy about the situation. Recalling the day Chang'an was raided, she should have appeared alongside her brother Li Zhi. However, her brother was delayed in leaving the palace, which left her isolated. This led her to understand that since she did not participate in court affairs and had no enemies, her being captured was merely collateral damage; her brother Li Zhi was likely the true target behind this plot!
To verify this matter, she had wanted to confront Old Master ever since Rock Master was rescued back to camp by Xu Zhen. However, Li Daozong restricted Li Mingda's movements and authority due to Hou Junji's army's presence, preventing her from entering the auxiliary camp for confirmation.
Today she finally managed to persuade Li Dejiang to leave the main camp but unexpectedly stumbled upon Hou Polu entering the prisoner camp!
Given Hou Junji's manipulative tendencies towards her elder brother Tubo, Li Mingda had never held a good impression of Hou Family Father and Son. Thus, she secretly followed them but did not anticipate that Hou Polu would throw Murong Xiao onto a corpse cart!
Li Mingda became increasingly perplexed, wondering if Hou Polu intended to kill Murong Xiao to silence him? If so, then the collusion between Hou Family and Barbarians to capture her brother Li Zhi would be glaringly obvious!
She was not foolish and could not explain this intricate web of connections clearly to Li Dejiang. She could only implore him to assist her in following the corpse cart. To her surprise, she witnessed Murong Xiao’s miraculous revival!
Murong Xiao held the key to unraveling the mystery in her heart; Li Mingda could not possibly let him go easily. Without further thought, she urged Li Dejiang and ten or so guards to pursue him immediately.
However, they had not gone far when chaos erupted in the camp, and Li Mingda faintly heard someone shout, "The leader of the Barbarians has been set free!"
Upon hearing this, her heart sank like it had fallen into an ice cave; this was clearly a scheme devised by Hou Polu! However, with no turning back now, she could only pursue Murong Xiao to the end!
Li Dejiang's thoughts were simple, but his role as Li Mingda's personal guard was not something that had started just yesterday. He was already well aware of her identity and the power struggles within the royal courtyard; everyone in the court had a clear understanding of these matters.
Now that such an incident had occurred, Commander Li Daozong's attitude was evidently clear. However, Li Jing's family never took sides, which was a long-term strategy. If Li Dejiang waded into this murky water, his family elder Li Jing would be left with a tarnished reputation!
But now it was like getting mud on one's pants; if they couldn't bring Murong Xiao back, how could they explain themselves?!
Murong Xiao was merely a wounded cornered beast, and Li Dejiang had dozens of Crossbowmen by his side. If they couldn't even retrieve him under these circumstances, he wouldn't deserve to stand in this army.
"Capture him alive!" Li Dejiang knew clearly that if Murong Xiao died, things would become even more complicated. He immediately issued the order, and the Crossbowmen rushed forward, splitting into two sides to encircle Murong Xiao!
However, what was unimaginable was that Murong Xiao, relying on his superb horsemanship and familiarity with the terrain of the grasslands, managed to evade capture for quite some time!
At a critical moment, before Liangzhou Camp could react, a squad of Cavalry emerged from the left camp; it was none other than the Imperial Guards led by Hou Junji from Jishi Road!
"We must not let him be captured!" Li Mingda urgently shouted to Li Dejiang. Being sharp-minded, she had already figured out the underlying issues, and how could Li Dejiang be unaware of them?
If they were caught and Murong Xiao escaped, they would have no way to explain themselves!
In desperation, Li Dejiang and the others could only grit their teeth and chase after him. After all, they were Crossbowmen; it wasn't long before they distanced themselves from the pursuing troops behind them. Yet Murong Xiao, riding an Old Horse, still maintained a significant lead, which was both astonishing and infuriating!
In this chase, various forces had already exited Liangzhou and entered Kuber Prairie. Just as Murong Xiao's Old Horse seemed to be completely exhausted of strength, a group of Barbarians suddenly charged down from a small slope on the side!
"Where did these Barbarians come from? This is clearly an ambush!" Li Mingda felt a chill run through her heart as she saw despair reflected in Li Dejiang's eyes!
If she had not experienced all of this, she would have simply been the favored princess in the palace, perhaps resigned to her fate. However, at this moment, a surge of determination welled up within her as she turned to shout at Li Dejiang, "Go after Xu Zhen!"
It was as if she had reached a dead end while being pursued by Murong Xiao's Riding Team; the first thought that came to her mind was Xu Zhen!
Unbeknownst to Xu Zhen, he was currently leading his caravan deep into the heart of the grasslands. The Autumn Rain fell steadily, turning the meadows muddy. The warhorses sank their hooves half a foot into the ground, making it difficult for the brothers to move forward. Yet, none of them complained or lamented.
Whether they were Zhang Jiunian's brothers or Rouran knights, they all understood one principle: despite the unfavorable weather, the Barbarians' scouts would likely not venture out in the rain. This provided them with an excellent opportunity for reconnaissance.
Xu Zhen moved forward calmly, continuously memorizing the routes and terrain along the way. He was very familiar with the geography of the area and did not worry about getting lost in the depths of the grasslands. Even during their time in the main camp, he did not interrogate Murong Xiao because this group of Rouran people had already memorized the general location and military deployment of the Murong Clan; this visit was merely to verify their findings.
The sound of hooves approached as Caesar appeared on Xu Zhen's left side, trailing half a horse's length behind. This was her second time acting independently. She stole a glance at Xu Zhen, who seemed unconcerned and perhaps unaware that she had strayed from the group, continuing to move silently. This trust made her feel at ease.
Her experiences along this journey had only increased her interest in Xu Zhen. From initially feeling hatred and animosity to now having his name branded on her arm as a Tang person, Caesar found Xu Zhen increasingly mysterious and unfathomable.
She knew that Caesar and others had taken Li Mingda during the Xuanwu Gate Incident in Chang'an, which must have concealed a significant secret. Yet he never sought confirmation from Caesar about the details of that incident as if nothing could escape his notice.
Even though this reconnaissance mission was crucial, he was willing to place his trust in the newly allied Rouran people—a level of courage that truly surpassed ordinary individuals.
The Autumn Rain soon enveloped the surroundings in gloom. After nightfall, the caravan stopped behind a hillside, encircling themselves with warhorses to shield their campfire and tents. They arranged patrols for warnings before finally feeling secure enough to cook and rest.
Caesar's face was pale as she huddled inside her small tent, her hands and feet cold as she pressed against her abdomen. She bit down on her lower lip until it left marks; this was one reason why women found it difficult to serve in military roles—monthly cycles were an inherent limitation. Although Caesar had trained in martial arts since childhood and had a strong physique, the cold from Autumn Rain combined with long-distance marching ultimately left her in pain.
After hastily filling her stomach, she crawled into her tent to rest. However, it wasn't long before she heard footsteps outside splashing through mud. Instinctively gripping her twin blades, she quickly retreated back into her sleeping bag because her keen senses had already identified who owned those footsteps.
The person seemed concerned about waking Caesar and had removed his armor; this was not a very wise decision during nighttime marches. Caesar could even smell his familiar scent.
As he carefully lifted a corner of the blanket covering her, what entered the sleeping bag was not just the chill from outside but a gentle warmth. Caesar's heart raced; although she was already a servant of Xu Zhen and he could act however he pleased towards her, just thinking about how inconvenient her body felt these days made her cheeks flush with heat.
However, she soon realized that her feelings of embarrassment were unnecessary. After that large hand reached into the bedding, it quickly withdrew, leaving behind a warm sensation. It was a hot water bag made of sheepskin, placed under Caesar's belly, alleviating the cramping pain in her lower abdomen and easing her furrowed brow. The warmth from the hot water bag spread from her belly to her heart.
The person did not linger for long and made no sound as he quietly left the small tent, just as he had quietly arrived.
Caesar poked her head out from under the covers and saw a neatly stacked pile of palm-sized strips of white cloth beside her sleeping blanket. She clearly remembered that these were gifts from the military to newly appointed commanders. She could also discern the specific use of these strips of cloth, which involved intimacy. She should have felt shy, but at that moment, all she felt was confusion; she found it increasingly difficult to see through this cunning Tang person.
Such intimate matters were usually considered dirty and shameful by men, but for Xu Zhen, they were quite normal. As Caesar's personal female expert, if she were to be tormented by the monthly "visits from relatives" to the point of being unrecognizable, who would protect him when battle broke out?
Moreover, aside from "wasting" this small part of Caesar, he had given everything else to those Rouran people because what he needed were not comrades who merely wore the same uniform but those who could share life and death with him.
In a situation where resources were scarce, a small investment could yield significant returns. Whether one called him shrewd in calculation or genuine toward his brothers, Xu Zhen never hesitated to be generous with his comrades.
Perhaps this was an excuse he made for himself, but regardless, he was satisfied with his actions. At least he could confidently regard the Rouran brothers as the helmsmen on the ocean of the grasslands.
It was precisely because of the vigilant eyes of his Rouran brothers, sharp as hawks and falcons, that he was able to safely slip into his tent. However, after some thought, he decided to put on the Tian Ce Red Armor before resting with his long sword as a pillow.
He did not know how long he had slept when suddenly the tent of Xu Zhen was yanked open. Caesar urgently said in a low voice, "Enemy activity detected in the rear!"
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