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Xu Zhen heard that enemies were approaching and quickly emerged from the tent, mounting her horse and riding up the slope. She saw that the Rouran patrol knights had already gathered at the camp's perimeter. Down the slope, amidst the hazy Autumn Rain, several riders rushed in, lacking flags or insignia, but dressed as Tang Soldiers. Behind them was a group of Barbarians, roughly estimated to number over a hundred, brandishing their weapons with a fearsome presence!
"Mount up! Prepare to face the enemy!"
Xu Zhen decisively commanded, and Zhou Cang, Gao He Shu, and other warriors were already eager to fight. Upon hearing their leader's orders, they spurred their horses forward, charging out with a hundred men!
Xu Zhen naturally led the charge, but her steed was not as strong as Zhou Cang's Dragon Breed horse. Gao He Shu also had intentions of competing, and the two soon pulled ahead. The Rouran knights and the Red Armored Brothers were evenly matched, and before long, they had crashed into the formation of the Barbarians, cutting through their ranks!
With a loud shout, Zhou Cang swung his broadsword, and one stunned Barbarian fell headless to the ground, blood spraying into the air as his body continued to charge forward for quite a distance before collapsing!
Gao He Shu unleashed a volley of arrows; even before he arrived, death had already claimed its victims. His Feathered Arrows whistled through the air like hissing snakes, piercing through several armored Barbarians. The powerful impact tore through their bodies, sending them flying off their horses!
The Rouran People were born warriors. Now equipped with armored horses and bows, their bloodlust was ignited. As Gao He Shu charged down, his bow drawn like a full moon, arrows rained down like locusts upon the unsuspecting Barbarians, instantly toppling over ten of them in the front line!
Seeing the might of their Rouran brothers, Zhang Jiunian and others did not hold back either. They embodied the spirit of the Heavenly Strategy Army, clad in excellent defensive Red Armor. Without regard for their own safety, they charged like tigers descending from a mountain, wielding their blades and breaking through enemy lines to carve out a bloody path!
Xu Zhen and Caesar arrived shortly after and finally recognized that the pursued Tang Soldiers were none other than Li Dejiang and his protected companion from the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Mingda!
"Quickly join our ranks!"
With a fierce shout from Xu Zhen, Li Dejiang immediately understood and led Li Mingda along with three or four remaining Crossbowmen around to the rear of her forces.
Without time for further questions, Xu Zhen swung her long knife through the air. A nearby Barbarian, shrieking incoherently, met her with his curved blade. Their weapons clashed with a shower of sparks as metal struck metal, creating an unbearable screeching sound!
The impact stung her hands, but her training with Zhou Cang allowed her to leverage her advantage. Twisting the hilt of her knife, she dragged it under the enemy's ribs. The leather armor of that Barbarian was torn apart with a loud rip, leaving a large gash that gushed blood profusely, spilling innards onto the ground!
Emerging from Xu Zhen's left side, Caesar crouched low against his horse's back to evade an enemy's horizontal strike. With his dual blades crossed in an X shape and using all his strength in a twist motion, he severed half of an enemy's arm while they still clutched their weapon tightly. Blood sprayed all over Caesar, drenching him in crimson!
The arrows of the Crossbowman had long been exhausted, and only by fleeing could he survive. He harbored a deep hatred for the pursuers who had taken the lives of his comrades. Immediately, he followed Li Dejiang back to counterattack. The enemy was thrown into disarray, and Xu Zhenbu's sudden appearance further intimidated them. At this moment, Li Dejiang and the remaining Crossbowman decimated the enemy ranks!
Zhou Cang and Gao He Shu descended like vengeful spirits. After several charges, the enemy's corpses lay scattered across the ground, while the survivors looked pale with fear, no longer daring to fight back as they howled in retreat!
In this clash of a hundred men, the outcome was clear. Not only was Xu Zhenbu well-equipped, but Zhou Cang and his companions were also highly skilled warriors, having experienced countless battles. They had been tempered in the death mines, gaining a unique understanding of life and death. The Rouran People were equally fearless in battle, giving them an overwhelming advantage in morale over their foes!
As the tide turned, the enemy had likely not even grasped the true identity of the Xu Zhen's unit before they were already terrified into submission!
Zhou Cang and Gao He Shu exchanged cold laughs, seemingly competing to see who could claim more scalps. Without needing any orders from the Xu Zhen, they led their respective brothers in another ambush, reveling in their success as they left behind a gruesome trail of blood and bodies.
Seeing that the crisis had passed, the Xu Zhen quickly reined in her horse and pointed her long knife at Li Dejiang, scolding him fiercely: "Li Lang, how foolish you are! Do you not understand the gravity of the situation? Why did you bring her out of Liangzhou Camp?"
Li Dejiang's face flushed with embarrassment, yet he showed no shame; he could only let out a long sigh. Behind him, three or four Crossbowmen were filled with grief and anger, dismounting to search for wounded comrades to finish off in order to vent their fury over their slain friends.
Li Mingda's face turned pale; it was only at this moment that a hint of color returned to her cheeks. Seeing the corpses strewn about, she felt a tightening in her throat. Hearing the Xu Zhen reprimanding Li Dejiang, she hurried forward to privately explain everything she had seen and thought.
At this time, Zhang Jiunian and others had returned. Seeing that the Xu Zhen showed no joy in victory stirred unease within them. Suddenly, they heard her thunderous reprimand: "You fool has misled me!"
Zhang Jiunian recognized Li Dejiang and felt a surge of doubt arise within him. He quickly dismounted to examine the bodies closely. After searching for a while, his expression changed dramatically.
"These are not Tuguhun Barbarians; they are Qibi from Guitang!" Upon discovering this hidden truth, Zhang Jiunian's mind raced with confusion as he looked at the Xu Zhen.
At this point, the Xu Zhen could no longer hide the truth. Even if these brothers were willing to risk their lives for her, she did not want them to die without understanding why. Thus, she laid out everything that had transpired.
To her surprise, everyone did not seem overly shocked; instead, Zhang Jiunian grew increasingly calm, narrowing his eyes as he clearly contemplated the implications of what had happened.
Qibi Clan has long returned to the Tang Dynasty, and Lord Qibi Helix is particularly favored by Sage, being stationed in Gansu and Liangzhou as the Left General. This time, he has also become one of the military leaders during the Tuguhun.
Having returned to the Tang, the Tiele tribe Qibi must dress as Tang Soldiers. How could this group of Qibi people pretend to be Barbarians?
Zhang Jiunian only needed to raise a few concerns for Xu Zhen to see the truth of the matter; this is undoubtedly the work of the Hou Family Father and Son!
Using Murong Xiao's escape to frame Li Dejiang, preventing Li Mingda from returning to camp, and then inviting the Qibi people to impersonate Barbarians, leading to Li Mingda being killed on the grasslands—who would discover any clues in such a scenario?
Moreover, even if Li Dejiang and Li Mingda found their way to him, Xu Zhen, temporarily escaping pursuit, would soon be easily accused by the Tang army of attacking fellow Comrades!
Such a cunning scheme could be said to achieve multiple goals at once!
Qibi Helix, being loyal and deeply favored by the emperor, is extremely protective of his own kin. Once he learns that Xu Zhen mistakenly killed dozens of his brothers, even if Xu Zhen manages to return safely to Liangzhou, he will likely face severe consequences!
As Xu Zhen contemplated the treachery involved, a chill ran through her heart. The Tang People are indeed ruthless when it comes to scheming. However, having witnessed too many dirty intrigues, she had some preliminary countermeasures in mind. Still, she turned her gaze toward Zhang Jiunian, sincerely asking, "Do you have any plans you can teach me? The situation is urgent, so please speak freely."
Zhang Jiunian furrowed his brow and remained silent for a long time before finally nodding and saying, "I have three strategies—some straightforward and some subtle. You may choose as you wish..."
As Xu Zhen listened attentively with a humble expression, Zhang Jiunian internally refined his words before continuing: "Although Hou Polu is narrow-minded and jealous, he is still young and inexperienced. He could not have devised such an intricate scheme on his own; there must be someone more skilled guiding him. As a general, Hou Junji, for reasons of avoiding suspicion, would not personally get involved. Therefore, it can be concluded that there must be someone facilitating communication here; thus, news will inevitably be delayed..."
At this point, Zhang Jiunian paused slightly. Having caught on to his implication, Xu Zhen realized that if there was a delay in communication, then eliminating all of the Qibi Cavalry would prevent any messages from being sent back. The chain of schemes would naturally be severed in public. However, even if she could catch up with the fleeing Qibi Cavalry, it was impossible for her to commit such heinous acts.
Seeing that Xu Zhen was slightly moved, Zhang Jiunian continued: "One strategy is to turn passivity into initiative—go against the current and charge forward. This way, you can escort your esteemed self back to camp while accusing someone of secretly releasing Murong Xiao, framing you and your brother, Li Dejiang. The latter is concerned about the bigger picture and pursues fugitives but ends up being inexplicably attacked by the Qibi Tribe Cavalry. You should request an investigation into this matter from above. However, since they are acting with intent, this strategy may lead you into a trap; it is not an ideal plan. The only advantage is that it can help avoid assassination in the wild."
"The second strategy: This chain of poisonous schemes originated from Murong Xiao. As long as we capture him, all truths will naturally come to light. However, given the vastness of the grasslands, capturing native Murong Xiao is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. If we unfortunately encounter the main forces of the Murong Clan, we cannot avoid fierce battles and losses; this is a middle-tier strategy."
"The best strategy is to respond to all changes with an unchanging approach. Regardless of the fierce winds and heavy rains, I will remain calm. The Qibi Tribe will surely retreat, and there will be reinforcements. We should lie in wait, catching them off guard. If one comes, we injure one; if two come, we injure both. We capture but do not kill, making the situation as chaotic as possible. As long as it draws attention, we need not fear further schemes or traps. If we cannot draw the enemy out of the shadows, then let us expose ourselves to the blazing sun, rendering all conspiracies ineffective against us. This can be considered a brilliant strategy!"
Zhang Jiunian's face flushed slightly; it was evident that this was his first time strategizing for the Lord, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and excitement. Upon hearing the three strategies, Xu Zhen pondered deeply and had already formed her own opinion. She immediately ordered the cleanup of the aftermath, ensuring that the deceased from the Qibi Tribe were properly buried, setting up military flags at their graves, and instructing Rouran knights to patrol the area in search of suitable resting places.
Li Mingda observed Xu Zhen's orderly command and impressive demeanor. She secretly touched the crossbow at her waist; she had just been pursued relentlessly and had been so frightened that she couldn't even fire a single bolt. Overwhelmed with shame, she felt even more anger seeing that both the Crossbowman and Li Dejiang were injured—her hatred for the enemy mingled with frustration at her own inadequacy.
After finishing her arrangements, Xu Zhen rode alongside Caesar and asked Li Mingda, "Girl, I want Caesar to protect you closely. Are you willing?"
Li Mingda's heart tightened. It was Moya and Caesar who had conspired to sneak her out of Chang'an initially. Now that the situation had reversed, having Caesar act as her personal guard made her uneasy. She looked directly into Xu Zhen's eyes and firmly shook her head; at this moment, she trusted no one but Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen glanced back at Caesar, who remained expressionless. He could only smile awkwardly and let the matter pass.
He adjusted Li Mingda's helmet before seriously addressing Li Dejiang, "Now we need to think carefully about Murong Xiao's whereabouts."
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