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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Shenzhi was not a heroic figure. He followed Duan Zan and Hou Polu, leading a thousand Soldiers to assist Qibi Helix. Although the battle was nearing its end, he still dared not move too far forward, only pursuing a few straggling enemy troops under the protection of his personal guard.
At this moment, both Li Jing's Ganzhou Garrison and the reinforcements from Qibi Helix were bravely advancing, chasing down and eliminating the remnants of Asena Lier's forces.
However, at this time, he heard that Xu Zhen was rallying Soldiers to head towards Zhangye, which filled him with confusion. He quickly reported this to Duan Zan and Hou Polu. The three exchanged glances, knowing that Xu Zhen must have some ulterior motive. They immediately took a hundred men and blended into the crowd, heading south towards Zhangye.
Xu Zhenxin was concerned about Li Mingda's safety and did not think too much about it. His own six hundred men were intact with minimal casualties. Worried about Murong Ge'erhe's strong military presence, he called upon the Garrison's young men and gradually gathered over a thousand people. They scoured the battlefield for warhorses and hurriedly set off towards Zhangye.
Meanwhile, Li Mingda had only over two hundred elite guards hesitating at the foot of Dragon Head Mountain, waiting for news from Qibi Helix. Once the battle was over, they planned to return to Ganzhou City to settle down.
By noon, the snowfall intensified. Although the troops were sheltered from the wind, they could hardly withstand the biting cold. Li Mingda, wearing leather armor and winter clothing, still felt his cheeks turn red from the cold and shivered uncontrollably.
Just as he hesitated whether to send someone to scout ahead, his elite guards suddenly became alert. Before they could draw their swords, countless enemy troops surged from three sides, surrounding them heavily at the foot of the mountain!
Murong Xiao galloped out from his army, raising his sword and striking from a distance. His knights charged forward with a roar!
The elite guards were greatly alarmed but had no idea where this band of enemy troops had come from. Seeing the dire situation, they could only fight desperately to protect Li Mingda, Moya, and Li Wushuang while clashing everywhere but unable to break free from their encirclement; instead, they were gradually slaughtered by Murong Xiao's men!
Murong Xiao sneered repeatedly, having instructed his subordinates not to harm Li Mingda and others. It was like a cat playing with a mouse; ultimately, all those elite guards were killed off completely, leaving only a few key figures like Li Mingda.
He was no fool; after experiencing several life-and-death situations, his temperament had transformed. This time he did not go to support Asena Lier due to Murong Hanzhu's strategy rather than any distraction on his or his father's part.
Murong Hanzhu had received military reports indicating that Fushi City had already been captured by Hou Junji and Li Daozong's forces. King Qinghe Nuohebo had surrendered and sent a letter of submission to Chang'an.
Hou Junji and Li Daozong launched a long-distance assault into the heart of the Tuguhun, killing countless enemies and seizing vast amounts of military supplies and resources. They also acquired over two hundred thousand cattle and sheep as well as more than ten thousand excellent warhorses—a complete victory. After Nuohebo submitted, it was likely that he would have to pay a hefty compensation to the Tang Dynasty. Thus, even if the Tuguhun did not perish completely, it would be left in a state of mere existence.
This also meant that Asena Lier and Murong Ge'erhe's troops had become rootless drifters—now on an expedition far from home with no way back; everything depended solely on themselves.
Murong Ge'erhe and his son were not indecisive individuals. It was thanks to the guidance of Murong Hanzhu that they were able to rise again, which is why they were completely obedient to him.
Last night, after Asena Lier set out, Murong Hanzhu secretly ordered the retrieval of Princess Guanghua. Accompanied by Murong Ge'erhe's five thousand troops, they marched towards Zhangye, circumventing the Qilian Mountains before heading west. With these five thousand troops, they managed to preserve a flicker of hope.
Furthermore, Murong Hanzhu was well aware of Li Jing's cunning and strategic prowess. This old man would rather hold out for over two months than engage in battle outside the city without absolute certainty. Therefore, even if Asena Lier did not suffer defeat in this battle, it would only result in a pyrrhic victory, leaving no strength to restrain Murong Ge'erhe's forces.
Asena Lier was unaware of the key factors at play, while Murong Hanzhu was secretly making moves with the Tang side. As long as they could capture Li Mingda, there would be no worries about being unable to leave the Tang border.
Caesar struggled desperately but ultimately was outnumbered and captured by Murong Xiao's forces. There was no need for further binding; several individuals were directly escorted before Murong Hanzhu.
Guanghua sat atop a large cart concealed by curtains, her eyes shining as they fell upon Li Mingda. She felt an inexplicable connection, as if she were seeing her younger self from years ago when she too was a princess—just a princess of the Sui Dynasty.
"Han Zhu, is everything settled in the north?"
Upon hearing Guanghua's voice, Murong Hanzhu nodded slightly and ordered that Li Mingda and Caesar be confined in the Prison Cart. He was too lazy to clean up the aftermath and decided to take all the military supplies from this small team. They planned to cross the Blackwater River and retreat north towards the Tuguhun, where they could receive reinforcements after bypassing the Qilian Mountains.
However, just as they were about to set off, a cavalry unit emerged from the direction of Ganzhou, cutting through the snowstorm and stopping three hundred paces away from their main camp.
Murong Xiao's eyes suddenly lit up as he recognized the leader of this thousand-strong force through the snowstorm—it was his arch-nemesis, Xu Zhen. He immediately ordered a state of alert. After a moment passed without any reinforcements arriving for the enemy, he finally felt at ease.
Although Xu Zhen had just achieved victory and held a favorable position, Murong Xiao believed that with his five thousand troops, it would only be a matter of time before he could annihilate Xu Zhen's thousand soldiers.
Unexpectedly, Eternal Sky favored him by delivering his destined foe right before him just before his northern escape. If he did not avenge this grudge now, when would he?
Murong Xiao drew his sword and gazed into the distance, ready to engage in a life-and-death duel with Xu Zhen. However, Murong Hanzhu rode over and halted Murong Xiao's impulsive actions.
"If we fight to the death, even if we achieve a great victory, time will still be delayed. Although Gao Zhensheng is not a brave general, he is a cunning snake. By now, he must have already left Zhangye, eager to rush to Ganzhou to claim credit. If we do not hurry to leave, once Gao Zhensheng's forces arrive, we will not be able to escape."
Murong Hanzhu's words were reasonable, and Murong Geerhe and his son also reflected on this. However, they understood very well how important Li Mingda's identity was. Even if they did not want to duel, the Xu Zhen would not allow them to leave.
As expected, the Xu Zhen appeared anxious but managed to control her emotions. She did not command her army but carried a corner flag herself and rode swiftly towards them. In just a few hundred steps, she reined in her horse and did not look at Murong Xiao but directed her gaze at Murong Hanzhu.
Murong Hanzhu narrowed his eyes and glanced at the Xu Zhen. Seeing her composed demeanor and stable bearing, reminiscent of a Tiger General, he could not help but admire her.
Caesar and Li Mingda observed from within the Prison Cart. Upon seeing the Xu Zhen approach alone for negotiations, hope surged in their hearts. However, they were also worried about Murong Xiao's wolfish heart and unpredictable temperament, fearing he might act rashly and harm the Xu Zhen.
The Xu Zhen lightly nodded towards the Prison Cart but did not dare dismount. Instead, she leaned slightly from her horse and performed a bow towards Murong Hanzhu, which was a gesture of respect typical among scholars rather than warriors.
Murong Hanzhu, hailing from the Cui Clan with generations of scholarly tradition, recognized the Xu Zhen's gesture of civility and returned the bow. He then heard her greet him: "I am the young Xu Zhen. It is an honor to meet you, sir."
Having collaborated daily with Zhang Jiunian on plans regarding the recent actions of the Murong Clan, he had already discerned some underlying truths. Although Murong Xiao possessed bravery, he lacked wisdom and was certainly supported by someone behind him. Now that he saw Murong Hanzhu's true form as a scholar from Central Plains, he realized that this was the mastermind behind it all and began negotiating directly with Murong Hanzhu.
"Young Lord Xu is indeed talented and formidable. Every time I hear of your deeds, it evokes admiration. Today’s meeting is truly fortunate."
Murong Hanzhu was not lacking in courtesy either. Unlike Murong Geerhe and his son who were worried about Gao Zhensheng's reinforcements, he was merely trying to deter Murong Xiao. In truth, he understood that even if Gao Zhensheng's troops arrived, they might not dare to attack recklessly because the high-ranking officials of the Tang army were aware of Li Mingda's identity; they would have some understanding of the situation. If Gao Zhensheng disregarded Li Mingda's safety, his own motives would become evident, and he would certainly not act so rashly.
The Xu Zhen was different; in order to rescue Li Mingda, she would likely exhaust her thousand troops and would probably cling to the Murong Clan without letting go. If that happened, they would be unable to reach the north in time to meet with their reinforcements, leaving the five thousand troops of the Murong Clan without a foothold.
In such circumstances, both the Xu Zhen and Murong Hanzhu were clear about their positions. Since everyone was pressed for time, there was no need for unnecessary entanglements. The younger Xu Zhen straightforwardly stated: "Sir, my few friends are not military personnel; they are merely relatives who follow me. In battles between two armies, we should avoid harming innocents. You are not one who delights in bloodshed; why not release my friends? I will surely remember this kindness."
Murong Hanzhu chuckled lightly and replied insincerely: "So it turns out they are your relatives; this is indeed a misunderstanding. However, your generals behind you may not share this sentiment. To be frank, we have been on campaign for quite some time now and feel homesick. We do not wish for a fight to the death either. How about we make a deal? I will release your friends if you can restrain your subordinates from unnecessary entanglements; does that sound good?"
As the conversation progressed, the two were almost ready to open their hearts. If they could retrieve a few of Li Mingda's people, why bother with the thousand Brothers behind them?
"Indeed, you are reasonable, sir. That is excellent. I will remember this kindness. Please have your Brothers release my friends, and I will naturally leave without any further insistence."
Murong Hanzhu shook his head with a smile and said to Xu Zhen, "It's not that I am overly suspicious; I am genuinely concerned that Xu Lang's men might not be able to control their bloodlust. It would be better if Xu Lang accompanied me for a while to escort us out of the Border. Can I trust you, young one?"
Xu Zhen cursed inwardly but maintained a smile on her face, graciously replying, "Even so, what difficulty is there? I am confident that you are not someone who would go back on your word. I shall certainly see you off."
Hearing Xu Zhen agree without hesitation, Murong Hanzhu couldn't help but admire her courage. However, he knew they could not linger and ordered the Murong Family father and son to command the troops as they headed north.
Naturally, Xu Zhen followed along, while Zhou Cang and others grew anxious. He ordered many Soldiers to stand by in readiness while he raised a flag and pursued from behind.
Seeing only Zhou Cang remaining, Murong decided not to obstruct him since Xu Zhen needed to give some instructions. After a few words about the situation, Zhou Cang finally turned his horse around.
He certainly couldn't explain that Xu Zhen was willing to become a hostage to save Your Highness and send this enemy force away amidst the scrutiny of many Soldiers. He merely suppressed his anger and instructed everyone to remain on standby.
The others were naturally confused; after rushing for dozens of miles, they watched as their Commander followed the enemy. What kind of situation was this?
Zhou Cang had no explanation, and discontent brewed among the troops as discussions erupted, causing unrest!
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