In the fourteenth year of the Tang Tianqi era, the Wild Tribe, who had been wandering in the Cold Region of the Far North for thousands of years, returned to the south and occupied the grassland of the Left King's Palace. This led to the Palace's cavalry to harass and attack the Central Plains further south. In order to deal with the unprecedented danger, the West-Hill Divine Palace issued an edict, calling on the followers of Haotian Taoism and the righteous to help the Yan Kingdom against the barbarian invasion.
At the same time, the Tang Empire sent troops from the west to aid the Yan Kingdom.
Because of the arrival of the reinforcements, the Left King's Palace's cavalry became much more restrained. Especially when the vanguard of the Tang Empire's Yan Kingdom army came to the Wilderness of Northern Yan along the eastern edge of Min Mountain, the Left King's Palace Chanyu tightened the restrictions on the tribes. It was hard to find any trace of the barbarian cavalry in the windy wilderness.
The reason why the barbarian cavalry was difficult to deal with was that they had a large grassland behind them. They would hide in the long grass once they saw something was wrong, making it impossible for them to pursue. Unless the current monarchs had the ambition of Emperor Taizu of the Tang Dynasty, there was no way to completely eliminate this threat.
Therefore, when the barbarian cavalry's invasion of the Yan Kingdom became less serious and the Left King's Palace sent messengers to negotiate, the Central Plains troops gathered in the north of the Yan Kingdom did not go north. Instead, they chose to stay and focus on the defense of the various border fortresses. The situation at the border fortress became much calmer.
The 100,000 troops stationed outside the Yan Kingdom were called the Central Plains Coalition Army. In fact, other than the young cultivators from the South Jin Kingdom and Yuelun Kingdom, they were basically the Yan Kingdom's own troops and the Tang Empire's reinforcement.
The so-called reinforcement was the elite troops of the West King's Border Army under the command of General Xiahou. This troop, known for its ruthlessness, had conquered eleven cities of the Yan Kingdom in the war ten years ago, leaving a painful memory for the Yan people. In the eyes of the Yan people, the Tang Empire's reinforcement was more abominable and terrifying than the barbarian cavalry on the grassland.
Due to such simple feelings and the contrast of power, the Yan Kingdom's monarch and ordinary soldiers all showed a certain degree of vigilance towards the Tang Empire's reinforcement in the west. Although they still sent pigs and cattle as a greeting on the surface, in fact, the Yan Kingdom's troops kept a considerable distance from the Tang Empire's reinforcement. The two sides occupied the east and west frontlines of the Yan Kingdom's northern border. They looked at each other from afar and ignored each other. They even paid great attention to each other's movements.
The young cultivators who had received the edict from the West-Hill Divine Palace naturally stayed with the Yan Kingdom's army, while the students from the Southern Academy in Chang 'an naturally stayed in the camp of the Tang Empire's reinforcement army.
It was already the end of autumn, and the northern part of the Wilderness was cold. The air turned into fog, and the grass had already turned yellow.
Somewhere in the north of Yan Kingdom, there was a meadow outside a military camp at the frontier fortress. The few trees on the meadow had already lost all their leaves. Standing there, one could easily see through the clear sky and into the distance. For example, the black smoke from some unknown object burning in the wilderness in the distance, and the injured soldiers lying on the creaking carriages.
Now that the situation at the frontier fortress was calm, it was possible that peace talks would be held soon. However, in the depths of the Wilderness, small-scale battles between the Tang cavalry and the grassland cavalry still occurred occasionally. Every few days, bodies and wounded would be transported back.
Ning Que sat on the meadow and looked to the northwest. His hand on his knee was slowly stroking a small token. The material of the token was a little strange. It was not gold, jade, stone, or wood, but it was very hard. It was given to him by Senior Sister Yu Lian before he left the Academy. He did not pay attention to it at that time, but he remembered it later on the journey. He often held it in his hand and played with it. He was a little curious about the purpose of this token, and also used it to reduce his nostalgia for Chang 'an.
There was a blurry black line under the high sky in the northwest direction. It did not look conspicuous at all. However, he had been there, and he knew how tall and majestic the undulating mountains were. Therefore, he increasingly felt that the sky and the Wilderness were indescribably vast.
The blurry black line was the majestic Min Mountain that divided the northern part of the continent into two parts. He and Sangsang mainly lived in the eastern foothills of the Min Mountain when they were young. Ten years ago, when they walked out from the western cliff, they met Zhuo Er, whose home had been destroyed. That memory was very long ago, but it was still clear.
Because he had been there, he remembered that there would be a naturally formed gap in the middle of the Min Mountain. The Min Mountain, which stretched for thousands of miles from the south to the north, divided the southern part of the Wilderness into two halves, and also separated the Tang Empire from the Yan Kingdom. If they did not want to go around the northern part of the Wilderness, the army had to pass through that gap.
Such an important military location was, of course, firmly controlled by the Tang Empire. The most elite division of the empire's Northern Road Army was stationed there. The most important military mission of the empire's Northern Road Army was not to guard the dangerous place or to threaten the Left-Tent palace or the Yan Kingdom in the eastern part of the grassland. What really worried the empire was the most powerful Golden Palace in the Wilderness, which was also the place where Princess Li Yu had been married.
The Military Fortress of the City of Wei, where Ning Que had lived for many years, was one of the Seven Citadels. The Seven Citadels belonged to the most inconspicuous frontier fortress defense line of the elite division of the Northern Road Army. At this moment, looking northwest, he seemed to be able to see the City of Wei on the other side of the Min Mountain, the hometown that truly belonged to him and Sangsang. He could not help but feel some longing and warmth in his heart.
He did not know how the old people in the City of Wei were doing now, or how General Ma was doing. He did not know if they had received the banknotes sent by the carriage and horse company in spring. If they knew that he had made a name for himself in Chang 'an, how much wine would they drink to celebrate? And when should he and Sangsang go back to see them?
"We have been stationed here for more than a month, and we have only sent some cavalry out for reconnaissance. When will we really attack? It will be winter in a few days, and the soldiers will have to pay a higher price when they enter the Wilderness. "
A young officer sat beside Ning Que, and his light armor was polished. Looking at the empty Wilderness and the wounded soldiers on the horse carriages, he frowned slightly and said angrily, "I really don't know what the General's Mansion is thinking. I heard that General Xiahou did not even enter the Yan Kingdom and is still in the Tuyang City Mansion. It is really outrageous."
Ning Que looked at him and smiled, saying, "There is no need to use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken. General Xiahou does not need to deal with the cavalry of the Left King's Palace in person. The imperial court has sent half of the Western Military Army here, which is enough to show respect to the Left King's Palace. General Xiahou stayed in Tuyang City and did not come to the frontier fortress to command in person, because he knew that the war would not start. Since there is no need to go deep into the Wilderness, what is the difference between autumn and winter? "
The young officer was Chang Zhengming, a student of the Academy. He had excellent results in riding and archery in the Military Ministry, and had once served in the Yulin Royal Guards. This time, he came to the front of the Yan army and was assigned to the northernmost and most dangerous fortress. However, he did not have any objection, and instead was eager to lead the cavalry into the Wilderness and make great achievements for the empire like his predecessors. He did not expect that they would be trapped for more than a month, and the troops did not have the intention to go into battle at all.
He had been feeling a little depressed these days, and when he heard Ning Que's words, he retorted, "The countries in the Central Plains have made such a big movement, and the Divine Hall has issued an edict, and the empire has sent out reinforcements. It would cost a lot of money just to feed the troops every day, and it took them so much effort to gather all the troops. How could they not fight?"
Ning Que said with a smile, "Then do you think they are going to fight?"
Chang Zhengming pointed at the horse carriages below the meadow and said, "Small-scale battles have been happening all the time. I don't think they are not going to fight, but the coalition forces are just arguing, and there is no way to confirm when they will start a large-scale attack."
Ning Que shook his head and said, "Small-scale battles will definitely continue, but that is for the negotiation and bargaining with the Left King's Palace. You have to figure out the ultimate purpose of the 200,000 troops in the south of the Wilderness. If you understand this, you will know why the war will not happen after all."
"Why?" Chang Zhengming frowned and asked.
Ning Que asked, "Why does the Left King's Palace want to disturb the border?"
Chang Zhengming answered without thinking, "Because the barbarians are cruel and greedy by nature."
Ning Que said grumpily, "Nonsense … Everyone is greedy."
Chang Zhengming hesitated and said, "Is it because the Desolate Men are moving south?"
Ning Que looked at the young officer and said, "The real enemy of Chanyu of the Left King's Palace is the Desolate Man tribe behind them. The West-Hill Divine Palace issued the edict to guard against the possible revival of the Devil's Doctrine caused by the Desolate Men moving south. As for the Tang Empire … The Desolate Men were crippled by us in the past, so of course we have to guard against them taking revenge after they become strong. So in the end, everyone is worried about the Desolate Man warriors in a more distant place. "
The Desolate Man had been away from the Wilderness for more than a thousand years. For the people of the Central Plains, it was a legend that was so long ago that it was hard to remember. On the journey to the frontier fortress, the students of the Academy had crammed some knowledge and roughly understood the long history. But for them and the people of the Central Plains, this tribe was still extremely mysterious.
"But I heard that there are only a few hundred thousand Desolate Men left now. Even if all of them are soldiers, they can't pose any threat to the Central Plains. On the contrary, the Left King's Palace has countless good knights. If they really move south like locusts …"
"The Left King's Palace, which is powerful in your eyes, was robbed of a large grassland by the Desolate Men. They were driven south and forced to cross the line that the Tang Empire drew for them. Now these Desolate Men, who are known as natural warriors, can do this with only a few hundred thousand people. If they are given time to stand firm in the north and multiply, don't you think it's terrifying? Why wouldn't the West-Hill Divine Palace and the imperial court be nervous? "
Ning Que said with a smile, "Don't forget, as long as there is enough food, it's always easy to have children."
Chang Zhengming asked after a long silence, "Then what should we do?"
Ning Que looked at the black smoke in the distance of the vast Wilderness and said after thinking for a moment, "Looking at the current situation, I guess the West-Hill Divine Palace and the imperial court have the same idea, which is to force Chanyu of the Left King's Palace to start a new war with the Desolate Men. We are responsible for providing him with military equipment and food, and they are responsible for fighting."
Chang Zhengming asked in confusion, "The Desolate Men are forced to move south because they can't win. Why would the Left King's Palace be so stupid to turn back and fight?"
"That's why we are here now … The Divine Hall and the imperial court have made their stance very clear. They have written a multiple-choice question for Chanyu to choose. Either you fight with us, or you fight with the Desolate Men with our support. You will definitely die in the former, but you might die in the latter. There's always a difference between certain and possible."
Chang Zhengming was stunned. He didn't expect things to be so complicated. He said with emotion, "This multiple-choice question is really hard to choose."
Ning Que patted his shoulder and said, "Chanyu thinks so too."
At this moment, dozens of the most elite light cavalry from the West Road appeared at the back of the meadow. The captain looked at Ning Que who was above the meadow anxiously, as if he wanted to get closer but didn't dare to.
Chang Zhengming looked at the elite cavalry under the meadow, as if they were facing a formidable enemy. He recognized that they should be the direct cavalry of the General's Mansion. He couldn't help but be slightly shocked and subconsciously looked at Ning Que beside him.
The Tang captain under the meadow looked up at Ning Que and said worriedly, "Mr. Thirteen, it's too close to the barbarians. It's really not safe. Let's go back to the military camp.
"Mr. Thirteen?" Chang Zhengming looked at Ning Que and asked in confusion.
Ning Que looked at the nervous cavalry under the meadow and sighed helplessly. He stood up and explained to Chang Zhengming, "They don't know who I am. They only know that I'm the thirteenth."
Chang Zhengming also stood up.
"I'm the leader of the Academy. Although I'm not responsible for your life and death, I still have to care about what you're doing."
Ning Que looked at him and said, "I'm here today to see how you're doing. Since I'm being urged, I have to leave early. I'll go to the Blue Water Battalion tomorrow. Situ Yilan and Wang Ying are there."
"Thank you for your hard work." Chang Zhengming said seriously.
"I'm just an inspector who is put on a pedestal, eating and drinking everywhere. What hard work is there to talk about?"
Ning Que laughed at himself and waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to see him off. He patted his butt and walked down the meadow.
When he reached the meadow, he looked at the border captain who had followed him for a whole month and the soldiers who were looking around vigilantly as if they would encounter the grassland cavalry at any time. He said helplessly,
"This is still the Tang military camp. Why are you so nervous? Are you really going to follow me like this every day? "
The captain replied seriously, "The higher-ups have given strict orders that we must ensure your safety."
Ning Que thought of the free and boring life at the frontier fortress for more than a month and couldn't help but shake his head. He said, "I'm just an ordinary practical cultivator. How can I be followed by dozens of elite cavalrymen every day? I'm not General Xiahou. I can't afford such treatment. "
The captain explained respectfully, "Mr. Thirteen, although we don't know your real identity, the order from the General's Mansion clearly states that your safety is more important than that of the General."
This was a very true answer.
There were not many people in the West Road Army who knew Ning Que's true identity. The reason why the General's Mansion was so concerned about Ning Que's safety was not because General Xiahou knew that he was a secret guard and had come with His Majesty's supervision mission. It was because of a very simple reason.
Dozens of students of the Academy were practicing in the frontline. They had to use real swords and spears to hone their military skills. This was the practice of the Tang Empire. Therefore, from the ministers in the court to the generals at the frontier fortress, they would only treat these young people as ordinary military officers. However, Ning Que was not an ordinary student of the Academy. He was a student of the Second floor of the Academy.
All these years, there had never been a student of the Second floor of the Academy joining the military for practical cultivation. Ning Que was the only exception. As a core disciple of the Headmaster of the Academy, if something happened to such a person in the frontline, even if he lost a hair, it would cause a huge uproar.
General Xiahou might be able to bear the anger of His Majesty, but he didn't have the courage to face the disappointment of the Headmaster of the Academy.
Therefore, after coming from Chang 'an to the frontier fortress of the Wilderness of the North of Yan Kingdom, Ning Que did not return to the familiar days of fighting on horseback. Instead, he was treated like an ancestor by the West Road Army.
The entire military camp carefully protected his safety. Whether it was drinking or eating meat, they satisfied any of his requests … but they would never let him get close to any possible danger. Therefore, apart from following the ups and downs of the frontier fortress to visit the Academy students like Chang Zhengming, there was nothing else he could do.
Ning Que looked at the cavalrymen who were respectfully waiting to escort him away. He could not help but sigh. He put his finger in his mouth and whistled. A Big Black Horse rushed out from the back of the meadow. The Big Black Horse was carrying a heavy luggage, but it still galloped and kept chewing. No one knew what it was eating that made it so happy on the meadow where the leaves had fallen and the grass was covered with frost.
…
…
(First, I strongly recommend Miss Futian's new book, The Treacherous Official. I can absolutely guarantee it with my credit. It's a good book in line with my three views and aesthetic standards. Now it's the first book on the list of new books. It's the one that's more popular than Bean.
Second, the new assistant, Pomelo, has taken office. I applaud and cheer. She's a little girl. Please help and be considerate. If there's anything wrong, it's all my fault. I cupped my hands.
Third, the beginning is really the most difficult. I started writing at 12 o 'clock today. I'm really stupid. I deleted and wrote again and again. I changed many ways and finally chose the driest way. I skipped a lot of instructions in the middle. I feel sad when I think of the money I've lost.
Fourth, it's almost Monday. I strongly need recommendation votes. Please give me your support. Please don't force me to write a single chapter tomorrow.
Fifth, I'm really scared about the second volume. I hope you can praise me and give me positive energy. I believe I can overcome the difficulties and write better and better. Good night, everyone.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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