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墨書 Inktalez
Xue Dayi's heart raced, and his hand, secretly gripping the bowstring, trembled. His arrow was aimed at Yin Zong's back, yet he could not release the bowstring!
Although he did not have a fondness for Xu Zhen, he had witnessed her deep bond with the Soldiers during their journey. He had also observed the new Colonel Murong Xiao's amiable leadership style, as well as the various novel tactics employed by both Xu Zhen and Colonel Murong Xiao.
During their time in Ganzhou City, Xu Zhen, Zhou Cang, and Gao He Shu charged forward valiantly, using strange fire and thunder to break through enemy lines. Their impressive display had already earned the respect and admiration of Qin Guang and Xue Dayi.
However, Xu Zhen and her Brothers did not have an easy path; there were many envious individuals in the army who conspired against them. While it was easy to dodge open attacks, hidden ones were much harder to defend against. Nevertheless, Xu Zhen and her Brothers maintained their innocent hearts, forging paths through mountains and filling bridges over water. They grew stronger day by day.
Yet Xue Dayi never expected that the one plotting against Xu Zhen this time would be none other than his benefactor uncle, Xue Wanjun, who had promised to treat his branch family well!
Xue Dayi was not a fool; he could see through the schemes of Consort Du He and Xue Wanjun.
They were no different from Gao Zhensheng, who wanted to push Old General Li Jing off his horse. With Hou Junji launching a long-distance attack to capture Fushi City, it was only a matter of time before this achievement would elevate Hou Junji's status.
Once Li Jing lost Ganzhou and the national gate was breached, his lifetime of reputation would be ruined in an instant. If Hou Junji then intercepted their retreating route and annihilated the Ashi Na Army, he could seize the opportunity to rise to power. At that point, he would be able to call upon the wind and rain, achieving anything he desired.
However, if Gao Zhensheng received Li Jing's Secret Letter, he would be unable to openly defy the Commander's military orders or deliberately delay action. With Gao Zhensheng and Qibi Helix's troops timely supporting him within Ganzhou City, they would surely be able to launch a pincer attack on the Ashi Na Army, preventing them from coordinating effectively.
The key to making Li Jing bear the responsibility for losing Ganzhou lay in that Secret Letter!
If the messenger were killed along the way and the Secret Letter failed to reach its destination, Gao Zhensheng would naturally be unaware of military developments and lack initiative in deploying troops. In such a scenario, Li Jing would inevitably find himself trapped in Ganzhou. When the time was right, Gao Zhensheng could coordinate with Hou Junji to eliminate the Ashi Na Army attacking Ganzhou completely. This great achievement would then belong to everyone involved.
With matters becoming so clear-cut, Xue Dayi felt shaken but had to face two choices: one was to assassinate Yin Zong. Taking advantage of the chaos among the messenger's Death Warriors after his death, he could rely on his own strength to shoot down a few more; with only one or two left, they would pose little threat and could be dealt with one by one.
By doing so, he could firmly establish his position within his uncle Xue Wanche's network. The future prospects of his branch family would naturally rise steadily.
The second option was to betray Xue Wanjun's trust and remain loyal to Xu Zhen by assisting Yin Zong and others in delivering the Secret Letter to Zhangye, successfully bringing reinforcements to defend Ganzhou as a national gate for Tang Dynasty!
Although this could preserve one's integrity, it went against Xue Wanjun's wishes. As a result, the family would inevitably face greater oppression, and there might never be a chance for advancement in the future. His own future was completely tied to the Xu Zhen.
Thoughts flashed through Xue Dayi's mind like clouds and lightning, stirring his emotions. Just as he was about to loosen the bowstring and shoot Yin Zong, he recalled the earnest expectations of his master when naming him.
What is righteousness?
To betray the Lord for personal comfort and advancement, disregarding the open gates of the nation for the sake of family wealth, sacrificing countless soldiers' lives, and even shooting down comrades from behind—how could there be any talk of righteousness?
Xue Dayi felt increasingly ashamed of himself. Gritting his teeth, he put away his bow and spurred his horse to catch up with Yin Zong, quietly reminding him, "There's something strange on the slope ahead; Brothers should be careful..."
Yin Zong straightened up and respectfully thanked Xue Dayi, saying, "The Brothers do not understand Tang Language; I thank you on their behalf, Brother Xue!"
Xue Dayi was slightly surprised. In his eyes, Yin Zong and Gao He Shu were all uncivilized brutes who knew nothing of civility and only relied on brute strength. It was rare to see someone so polite.
"We are all Brothers with important responsibilities; we should support each other. There's no need for such formalities!"
Upon hearing this, Yin Zong did not back down either. Stubbornly, he bowed to Xue Dayi and explained, "Before we set out, I was summoned by the Lord, who entrusted me with saying that the success or failure of this mission rests on Brother Xue. If Brother Xue supports us, I must express my gratitude..."
Xue Dayi's heart jolted at these words. It turned out that Xu Zhen had already anticipated his dubious actions! Thinking this way made his face flush with shame.
However, Yin Zong chuckled, revealing his clean white teeth, and conveyed to Xue Dayi: "The Lord also instructed me that if you ask about it, I should tell you that he trusts you and hopes you won't let him down."
"So he knew about this matter all along and entrusted the lives of many Brothers to me. With such trust in me, if I were to commit an unjust act, how could I ever find redemption in this life? Even if I died, I would fear being sent to hell to have my face devoured by evil spirits!"
At this point, Xue Dayi finally became convinced of Xu Zhen's intentions and became a staunch supporter of Xu Zhenzhi. The Brothers successfully crossed the slope and dealt with the scouts as they made their way toward Zhangye. There were many obstacles along the way, but they chose not to mention them.
The brothers hurriedly arrived at Zhangye without even resting, and immediately paid their respects upon hearing that there was a military order from Ganzhou. Qibi Helix and Gao Zhensheng each gathered their men and convened in one place. Xue Dayi quickly presented the secret order and explained the urgent situation in Ganzhou.
Just when they thought they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, having lived up to the expectations and not disgraced the trust of the Xu Zhen, they were interrupted by Gao Zhensheng's loud shout: "Someone! Arrest these thieves!"
"What!!!"
Xue Dayi and Yin Zong had not yet grasped the situation when they were already bound tightly and thrown to the ground!
Qibi Helix frowned, feeling displeased. However, many in the Court questioned his background, and aside from the current Sage, few trusted him. Thus, he dared not cause any trouble and simply asked patiently, "Why is the General acting this way?"
Gao Zhensheng sneered, "Since Ganzhou is trapped, how could these thieves escape the city? With scouts and sentries along the way, if they came through unscathed, they must be spies sent by the enemy to lead us to our deaths!"
Yin Zong's subordinates, Salar and Rouran experts, did not understand Tang Language, but seeing the expression of this high-ranking official showed he had no good intentions. Having followed the Xu Zhen for a long time, Yin Zong was used to such tricks and merely observed coldly. However, Xue Dayi could not contain his anger and retorted, "How dare you insult us like this! We are loyal to our countrymen, swearing to defend our borders with our lives. We risked everything to deliver this message only to receive such treatment. How can you recklessly occupy this position!"
Gao Zhensheng had already devised a scheme. Seeing Xue Dayi and others come to deliver a message made him realize that Xue Wanche had misjudged the situation and chosen the wrong people. Thinking he had no reason to deal with these messengers, he felt overjoyed upon hearing Xue Dayi's insults and shouted, "The wolf's ambition has finally been exposed! Take them away to prison!"
Xue Dayi was instantly filled with rage as his personal guards seized him. Just as they were about to take him to prison, Qibi Helix shouted, "Wait! Is the Governor being too arbitrary in this matter? If they are indeed true messengers and we miss an important military opportunity, Ganzhou will surely fall! Moreover, Zhangye is my territory; do you intend to rob me of my face?"
Qibi Helix had already learned about the underlying issues from the Xuanwu Gate Incident and could not sit idly by seeing Gao Zhensheng act so openly.
Gao Zhensheng coldly retorted, "What great authority you have leading your troops! Since it’s your territory, you should just believe these thieves' words and go rescue Ganzhou. But if you encounter an ambush along the way, don’t drag my Gao Family down with you!"
"You!"
Qibi Helix's chest heaved with anger; he was genuinely furious. It wasn't that he was afraid to rush to Ganzhou's aid; it was because Your Highness was still in Zhangye. If he left now, abandoning His Highness would lead to serious trouble.
Selfishly speaking, the Tang Dynasty has been waging wars everywhere this year, achieving victory after victory, with all corners submitting. Even if cities are lost, they can be reclaimed, but the Xuanwu Gate Incident is just one such case. If anything goes wrong, His Majesty cannot bear the consequences.
He had already sent the Secret Letter regarding the Xuanwu Gate Incident back to Chang'an. His Majesty said that he must send relatives to welcome them; if decisive action is taken, it can only be done with the princess accompanying them. If something were to happen on the way, how would he face Your Majesty?
Under such circumstances, he did not dare to act rashly and could only ask for Your Highness's opinion. However, he was extremely anxious and deeply resentful of the court officials' infighting; it was far more satisfying to fight bloodily on the battlefield!
Gao Zhensheng was also a cunning hypocrite. Seeing Qibi Helix furious and speechless, he forced a smile and tried to mediate: "The general in charge is concerned about Ganzhou. It is only natural for concern to lead to chaos. Why don't we do this? Let's detain these bandits first and send people to Ganzhou to investigate and gather evidence before making a decision. What do you think, General?"
Upon hearing this, Qibi Helix became even angrier. Investigating and gathering evidence in Ganzhou would take too much time, and there would be numerous difficulties along the way. By the time they verified the results, Ganzhou would have already fallen!
Seeing Gao Zhensheng's demeanor, Qibi Helix had had enough of this kind of frustration. He kicked over the table and left in a huff, while everyone else dispersed unhappily, leaving the matter aside for now.
Meanwhile, Qibi Helix went to consult Li Mingda regarding the Xuanwu Gate Incident, while Xue Dayi and Yin Zong were imprisoned in the county jail. When the jailer brought food, he recognized Yin Zong's face and immediately returned to report.
It turned out that Xu Zhen had sought help from Qibi Helix that day to settle the people of the Salar and Rouran tribes. She also mentioned Xie Anting, the deputy of Shandan County, and Yang Wen, the county magistrate's bravery and intelligence. Appreciating talent, Qibi Helix transferred both men over; Xie Anting was tasked with guarding Wei Gong's outer security while Yang Wen oversaw the relocation of the Salar and Rouran tribes.
The jailer had received special care from Xie Anting, so he returned to report. Upon hearing this news, Xie Anting hurried to the prison and indeed found Yin Zong and others imprisoned there. After some exchanges between them, filled with righteous indignation and recalling Xu Zhen's kindness towards Shandan as well as her recommendation, Xie Anting resolved to rescue Yin Zong and his companions!
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