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After the return of Princess Jinyang and her team, they attracted significant attention. Those with ulterior motives began to inquire everywhere, while those without such intentions could also learn about Xu Zhenzhi's deeds. Although his contributions were being stripped away layer by layer, the military was well aware that the main force that had penetrated deep into the Qilian Mountains was led by this new commander.
Li Daozong paid little attention to the rumors circulating in the military and did not personally meet with Princess Jinyang. He simply allowed her team to rest well. However, unexpectedly, he met with Princess Jinyang the following day.
The rewards from above had already been issued, but there were some discrepancies compared to what Li Daozong had reported. This made him increasingly vigilant and uneasy; he sensed that things were slowly slipping out of his control.
When Xu Zhen met Li Daozong, he noticed that Li Mingda and Li Wushuang were also present, which gave him an uneasy premonition. Li Daozong did not keep them in suspense; after Princess Jinyang paid her respects, he had her sit on a footstool before speaking.
"I won't beat around the bush. My original intention was to have you escort the princess back to Chang'an, away from the battlefield. That’s why my daughter rushed over here. Initially, I submitted a request for merit on your behalf and secured you a position as Captain, allowing you to lead three hundred troops. With your two hundred elite soldiers plus my one hundred personal guards, we could ensure Your Highness's safe return to the capital. However..."
Li Daozong slightly bowed and glanced at Li Mingda before continuing, "However, Minister of War Hou Junji has recommended you for your merits in a letter, praising your accomplishments and stating that you are a rising star in the military who could be a pillar for future endeavors. When the rewards came down, I learned that the court has exceptionally promoted you to Captain Guoyi and conferred upon you the title of Brave Cavalry Commander. This is an extraordinary favor, rare in occurrence. Perhaps with war imminent, the court wishes to encourage and motivate many soldiers..."
Li Wushuang, understanding her father’s troubled expression, questioned, "Isn't this a good thing? It benefits him greatly! A newly appointed commander rising straight from a sixth rank position and receiving an honorific title—how many people dream of such an opportunity?"
Li Wushuang sneered at Princess Jinyang. She unintentionally noticed the iron ring on Princess Jinyang's finger and felt a surge of hatred; in her eyes, Princess Jinyang was nothing more than a wolf deceiving Li Mingda's innocent heart.
Princess Jinyang paid no mind to Li Wushuang because she had already sensed something from Li Daozong's tone. There was no way such a favorable situation existed in this world; even if it did, once connected with Hou Junji, it likely wouldn’t be anything good.
As expected, Li Daozong sighed and looked at Li Mingda with some difficulty as he said, "It is indeed a good thing, but orders have come down from above requiring Princess Jinyang to lead one thousand troops and report to General Li Jing in Ganzhou for defense coordination. Thus, escorting Your Highness back to the capital can only be considered later..."
Princess Jinyang gasped in shock and instinctively slammed her hand on the table angrily exclaiming, "What a clever way to kill with kindness!"
Li Wushuang jumped in surprise and shot an annoyed glance at Princess Jinyang for her rudeness; who among them wasn’t several levels above her? How dare she slam the table!
In contrast, Li Mingda remained much calmer. Initially thrilled when she heard that Li Daozong wanted Princess Jinyang to escort her back to the capital, she began to sense something was off upon hearing about Hou Junji's initiative to promote Princess Jinyang.
Sure enough, this old fox had no good intentions!
He had already seen that Li Daozong would not trust others easily and that Li Mingda would only entrust her safety to Princess Jinyang. As long as Princess Jinyang was sent to the most intense battlefront in Ganzhou, Li Daozong would never dare use anyone else to escort Li Mingda!
If Li Mingda stayed within Li Daozong's army until both forces converged, Hou Junji’s men would immediately infiltrate. At that point, unless Li Mingda stayed close by Li Daozong’s side, who could guarantee her safety?
Conversely, if Li Mingda followed Princess Jinyang to Ganzhou, although Hou Junji would be far away, if the Turquoise Hu Man managed to bypass the Qilian Mountains, Ganzhou would become a battlefield where chaos reigned. In such turmoil, even cities might not be secure; thus, Li Mingda’s situation would not be much better than staying with Li Daozong.
If Princess Jinyang disobeyed orders and secretly escorted Li Mingda back to the capital, they could be killed under the pretext of being pursued during their journey—how could they possibly return to Chang'an?
Even if they did manage to reach Chang'an safely, this newly promoted military figure would never be able to hold their head high again; moreover, it would be impossible for them to enter the capital!
Hou Junji's strategy can be described as meticulously calculated, achieving multiple objectives with one action, leading Xu Zhen by the nose. No matter what choice she makes, she cannot escape his schemes!
Xu Zhen realized her inappropriate behavior and hurriedly clasped her fists in apology. However, Li Daozong understood Xu Zhen's reaction and waved his hand, saying, "Now that it has come to this, I would like to know, Xu Zhen, how do you plan to act?"
Hearing Li Daozong's question, Xu Zhen felt somewhat helpless and troubled. The military order was absolute; they had to go to Ganzhou. She could only hope that once they arrived in Ganzhou, they could rely on the brilliance of War God Li Jing to survive the impending battle.
On the other hand, Li Mingda was more difficult to handle. If she took her to Ganzhou, with Li Jing's strength, he should be able to protect her. However, if the Turquoise Hu Man destroyed all of Ganzhou, it would become very troublesome.
It was no wonder that Hou Junji suggested letting Li Jing defend Ganzhou, while he and Li Daozong took the opportunity to infiltrate behind enemy lines and eliminate the stronghold of the Tuguhun. This way, all military achievements would belong to them, and once the stronghold was destroyed, the Tuguhun would lose its foundation. They would undoubtedly fight desperately to capture Ganzhou!
Having rarely faced defeat, Li Jing was now sixty-three years old. If he lost Ganzhou this time, it would tarnish his legacy. This would also relieve Hou Junji of his resentment since it was this old man who had snatched the position of Commander from him.
Li Daozong posed the question to Xu Zhen, but she redirected it back to Li Mingda.
"Girl, this concerns your life and death; you should decide for yourself..." As Xu Zhen was about to say this, she suddenly realized and instead said, "Your Highness, since it concerns life and death, it is better for you to make the decision..."
Li Wushuang wanted to scold Xu Zhen for lacking responsibility but knew that if her own father had given up his authority, how could she blame Xu Zhen for not being assertive?
The atmosphere immediately became heavy and silent. After a long pause, Li Mingda finally raised her head, biting her lip as she said to Xu Zhen, "I... I will go with you to Ganzhou!"
Although Li Daozong had anticipated this, hearing it directly from Li Mingda still surprised him. It seemed that this young girl was indeed very dependent on Xu Zhen. He could imagine that Hou Junji had already thought of this point as well; the journey of Xu Zhen and Li Mingda to Ganzhou carried a sense of foreboding...
However, Li Wushuang did not see the crucial point. She initially thought that Li Mingda would stay with their father but upon hearing her say she wanted to go with the trickster Xu to Ganzhou, she immediately advised against it: "Sister Si! You... you need to think this through; there will be fighting there! The forces of the Tuguhun might already be at the gates!"
Li Mingda, seemingly proud of her brave decision, let out a long sigh of relief and then smiled at Li Wushuang, saying, "Sister, don't worry! I practice martial arts every day; anyone who dares harm me will have to reckon with my sword and crossbow!"
Having followed Xu Zhen's group for a long time, she had absorbed some of the brothers' boldness. Although her words sounded somewhat naive and laughable, they were admirable nonetheless.
Li Wushuang cast a pleading glance at their father, but he remained calm. After gritting his teeth, she grasped Li Mingda's hand firmly and resolutely said, "Since you have decided, then I will naturally accompany you! With me around, no one can bully you!"
Upon hearing that his daughter wanted to accompany them, Li Daozong felt a jolt in his heart but quickly suppressed it. He looked at Xu Zhen, who could only smile bitterly in response and said while bowing slightly, "Xu will not fail Your Highness's trust!"
Returning gloomily to camp, before Xu Zhen could discuss matters with Zhang Jiunian, he had already piled a mountain of issues on the table.
First was that the military had confiscated all spoils of war. The brothers who were accustomed to mounted combat with curved sabers had all switched to standard Tang army equipment. Although the quality was not bad, it was naturally not as comfortable to use.
Secondly was regarding the settlement of the Salarian. They were not part of the Tang people; enlisting in the military itself posed a problem. While both the Qibi Helix and the Tanguts could serve in the military, it was clear that Xu Zhen did not possess such influence.
The Rouran People have already caused dissatisfaction among the military generals, making the Xu Zhen a thorn in many people's sides. Now that the generals have witnessed the bravery of the Salarian warriors, they naturally want to harness this power for themselves.
The Xu Zhen had long considered this possibility. Since Li Daozong stood by her side, he would surely seek to provide her with some advantages, believing that her brothers would not be separated.
However, Li Daozong could not prevent the arrangements from the court. If Hou Junji were to take further action, it would lead to even greater trouble.
As expected, before the Xu Zhen and Zhang Jiunian could reach a conclusion, formal military orders had already been issued. Although the Xu Zhen was promoted to Captain Guoyi and commanded a thousand troops, two vacancies among her captains had already been locked down, and those two were none other than Hou Polu and Zhang Shenzhi!
Hou Junji had calculated every possible scenario, even placing his own son and trusted aides into the Xu Zhen's ranks. As a result, not only would it be difficult for her to establish herself in Ganzhou, but it also became a problem for her to gain control over this thousand-strong force. The challenges of the Ganzhou journey were immense.
If she failed to arrive in Ganzhou on time and delayed the military campaign, she would face punishment according to military law!
Troubles seemed to pile up endlessly. Just as she was feeling overwhelmed, Li Deqian came knocking, reporting that there were issues with the project at Yan Lide's side. Although the designs handed over to him had successfully produced results, there were nearly fifty injuries on the day of the experiment. He urged the Xu Zhen to hurry to Ganzhou; otherwise, it would be questionable whether they could hold their ground there!
At that moment, the Xu Zhen felt overwhelmed but knew time was of the essence. There was no room for hesitation; she quickly instructed Zhang Jiunian to prepare for their imminent journey to Ganzhou.
With one person achieving success, Zhou Cang and Gao He Shu were also promoted in military ranks. Even Yin Zong and others received military registration and took on roles as brigade leaders responsible for managing their fellow Salar people. Everyone was excited at the prospect of going to battle in Ganzhou, unaware that the Xu Zhen was already worried enough to turn her hair gray.
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