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Zhou Cang could not manage the murmurs of the Soldiers, but he relayed the situation to Zhang Jiunian. Xue Dayi, Qin Guang, and others were unaware of Li Mingda's identity; they only thought that Caesar Li Wushuang and Li Mingda were both Female Slaves in the Xu Zhen's army. This was one of the reasons why Xue Dayi had previously been dissatisfied with Xu Zhenzhi.
Such secret matters could not be widely spread, but without revealing the truth, it would be difficult to convince the crowd. Zhang Jiunian could only explain that the Xu Zhen, in order to protect many Brothers' lives, had made a deal with the enemy leader.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, many young men became agitated. They had just achieved victory and saw no need to make deals with the enemy. Although the enemy was powerful, their blood was boiling, and they were not afraid of fighting to the death.
Even the Brothers from Divine Fire Camp could not understand this. In their eyes, the Xu Zhen was an unyielding hero who always led from the front, bearing more scars than anyone else. When had she ever been so cowardly as to engage in such dealings?
A few of Hou Polu's men, who were lurking within the ranks, knew that the Xu Zhen would face enemies alone for Li Mingda's sake. They secretly spread rumors in the army, claiming that she had become a Traitor to lead away these bandits for her few Female Slaves.
The rumor spread quickly, causing many Soldiers to shout in outrage. They never expected their great hero to be such a desperate woman!
The conflict over Female Slaves between Xu Zhen and Hou Polu had already circulated within the army. With Xu Zhenzhi's name being constantly promoted, it was no longer a secret that he traveled with women. Now that Hou Polu's group mentioned it, everyone believed it and began shouting for revenge!
Zhou Cang was hot-tempered and could not tolerate anyone tarnishing Xu Zhen's reputation. He stepped forward boldly and shouted to suppress them: "You are all blind fools! My Lord is noble; how can you filthy tongues slander her? If you do not wish to follow, you may leave at once! But if you dare disrupt my Lord's affairs, do not blame me for being merciless!"
Zhang Jiunian and his Thirteen Red Armors Brothers naturally supported Zhou Cang, fearing that things might spiral out of control. They immediately stepped up to help calm the situation. Gao He Shu and Yin Zong's Brothers were steadfastly loyal to Xu Zhen and also stepped forward. Although Xue Dayi and Qin Guang joined in as well, some of the Brave Warriors Camp's Brothers began to waver.
Hou Polu's group took advantage of this opportunity to fan the flames of dissent; those condemning Xu Zhen became a majority. The Soldiers were emotionally charged, clamoring to defy orders and pursue her, yet they feared Zhou Cang's strength. The atmosphere grew tense as a riot seemed imminent.
At this moment, a vanguard from South Side arrived under a high flag—indeed, it was Gao Zhensheng's army aiming to claim credit at Ganzhou!
Hou Polu's group had prepared for this; as soon as Gao Zhensheng arrived, they incited a few bold Captains to report that Xu Zhen had sent away five thousand troops from Murong Clan for her own women.
Gao Zhensheng was one who enjoyed theatrics; he feigned outrage and seized this opportunity to win over these Soldiers' hearts. However, he had ulterior motives—he knew that pursuing them might ruin Hou Junji’s plans and delay his own return to Ganzhou for orders. Thus, he calmed the Soldiers by saying that Xu Zhen was courting disaster with tigers; whether she could return was uncertain. It would be better to go to Ganzhou and report to the Chief of Military Operations so General Li Jing could make a decision.
These Soldiers were like reeds swaying in the wind; facing one thousand against five thousand meant certain death for them. Yet they feared being blamed for cowardice and pushed Xu Zhen out as a scapegoat. Seeing Gao Zhensheng take charge encouraged them to comply.
Zhou Cang and his group remained loyal to Xu Zhen ’s orders and did not take Gao Zhensheng seriously; they insisted on staying put and waiting for her return. Gao Zhensheng grew displeased at their loyalty towards her and angrily shouted: "Do you all want to follow that Xu Zhen and become traitors?"
At his words, his Soldiers unsheathed their weapons, ready to forcibly take Zhou Cang and his men back to Ganzhou!
Zhou Cang’s group did not show fear; although only four hundred remained from their original six hundred men, each one was a fiercely loyal warrior. The murderous aura they had accumulated from countless battles surged forth without yielding an inch, intimidating Gao Zhensheng’s cowardly subordinates.
Gao Zhensheng did not want Li Jing to catch him delaying military operations nor did he wish to entangle himself further with Zhou Cang’s group. He simply ordered his men while ignoring Zhou Cang’s forces as he headed towards Ganzhou.
Zhou Cang angrily cursed for a while, and only after Zhang Jiunian's prompting did he lead many loyal Brothers across the Blackwater River to the north to meet Xu Zhen.
Although Xu Zhen had these concerns, she could not witness the ugly faces of Hou Polu and Gao Zhensheng. At this moment, she had already delved deep into the Qilian region with the Murong Clan. By evening, as dusk fell, the wind and snow had eased somewhat, but the temperature grew increasingly cold.
After walking for another two miles, they finally saw flags flying ahead; it was a large and powerful fresh army!
However, the flags were different from those of the Tuguhun, mostly in yellow and red. The soldiers displayed no signs of looseness in their formation, showcasing an extremely vigorous fighting spirit!
"Could this... be the army of Tuguhun?!!!"
It turned out that Xu Zhen's deduction was correct. After Fushi City was captured by the Tang army, Tuguhun took advantage of the situation and occupied almost half of the northern territories of the Tuguhun. It was evident what role Murong Hanzhu played in this process, as he was now receiving support and hospitality from Tuguhun.
The reason Murong Ge'erhe and his son obeyed Murong Hanzhu was that although the Tuguhun had been defeated by the Tang Dynasty and its northern territories had fallen into Tuguhun's hands, the decision-makers in this northern region would now become his Murong Family!
What Guanghua and Murong Hanzhu were truly plotting remained a mystery to them; although they were curious, they did not wish to speculate or interfere further, as these matters were beyond their control.
After communicating with the leader of the Tubo Army for a while, Murong Hanzhu ordered people to open the Prison Cart and release Caesar and others. He kept his word by providing several horses so that Xu Zhen and her companions would not freeze to death on their way.
Xu Zhen expressed her gratitude on the surface but inwardly cursed this old fox's cunning. Murong Hanzhu was certainly not a kind-hearted person; every action he took carried deep meaning.
If Li Mingda and others were killed, internal strife within the Tang court would cease. However, if Li Mingda were released, it would inevitably stir up a bloody storm.
Releasing Xu Zhen back would allow her to gain merit for her recent achievements. Moreover, letting a tiger return to its mountain would leave future troubles. With various forces behind the scenes stirring up trouble, it would surely lead to conflicts among many factions within the army. The value and benefits of this scenario far outweighed simply killing Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen had no choice but to prepare to leave with Caesar and others when dozens of riders from the Tubo Army galloped out. The leader among them was a young man in his twenties with a charming mustache who blocked Xu Zhen's path without hesitation.
The young leader looked at Xu Zhen and her companions with interest before greeting them in broken Tang Language: "I am from Tuguhun Kingdom. I admire the style of the Tang Dynasty and have heard that you are good Tang People. Why not come to my camp as guests? It would be nice to talk about Tang Kingdom's customs. What do you think?"
Xu Zhenxin felt irritated; while Murong Hanzhu did not keep him there, this Tuguhun man came to stir things up. However, he quickly changed his mind upon realizing that although this person appeared to be just a minor officer without much authority, he could independently leave his unit to inquire about them. Despite his rough Tang Language, his words were correct; he must be a noble son from Tuguhun. Xu Zhenxin politely declined: "Thank you for your kindness, but we have been away from home for too long and miss our hometown dearly. We fear we might disappoint your kindness."
The young man was not rude; instead, he spoke elegantly: "You Tang People have much to say; it is natural to miss home while traveling far. Even so, we will not stop you. May I ask for your names? Perhaps we will meet again someday."
Xu Zhen found this Tuguhun man quite interesting and quickly cupped her hands in respect as she introduced herself. She then asked for his name in return. The young man smiled freely and replied: "My name is Nong Zan. If fate allows us to meet again someday, Xu friend must not refuse."
Nong Zan is quite a remarkable person. He had several pieces of white silk sent to the necks of the Xu Zhen's horses before leaving gracefully.
The Xu Zhen was somewhat puzzled by this. After thinking it over, she realized that Nong Zan's name did not appear in the Historical Records, suggesting he was just an unknown figure.
However, halfway through their journey, Li Wushuang suddenly whispered to Li Mingda, sharing something that made the latter look enlightened.
The Xu Zhen quickened her pace to ride alongside Li Mingda, curious about what was said. The girl, while trying to maintain an air of mystery, decided not to tease her since the Xu Zhen had saved her life. She explained, "Nong Zan, actually known as Qizong Nongsan, is the new king of Tuguhun. Years ago, he even sent envoys to our Tang Dynasty seeking a marriage alliance!"
Xu Zhenxin felt a tightness in his chest. It turned out this seemingly young man was actually Songzan Ganbu, the leader of the Tuguhun dynasty! He instinctively glanced at Li Wushuang, recalling that she was to marry Nong Zan in the future. It was amusing that they met now without recognizing each other.
With this little episode, their earlier worries were somewhat alleviated. Before long, they encountered Zhou Cang and others who had come to assist them. Upon hearing about the military changes, the Xu Zhen found it hard to remain cheerful.
Li Mingda's identity needed to be kept secret; thus, she would have to bear a significant amount of blame herself. Even Li Jing might not be able to take on more for her. She only hoped they could return home soon and send Li Mingda back to Chang'an.
In reality, the Xu Zhen was being overly optimistic. At this moment in Ganzhou City, there was already a sense of oppressive calm before the storm.
(Note: Songzan Ganbu is referred to in Tang Dynasty historical texts as Qizong Nong Zan and other variations; these are transliterations. Songzan is his name while Ganbu is an honorific title. After many years of seeking a marriage alliance without success, he eventually married a royal daughter, known as Wencheng Princess.)
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