The City of Wei was his hometown. The closer he was to the City of Wei, the more timid he felt.
Looking at the dusty city in the distance and thinking of the years he spent here, even someone as indifferent as Ning Que could not help but feel a little emotional. He looked past the City of Wei and continued to look south. He knew that there was Min Mountain, Hebei Prefecture, Chang 'an, the Tang Empire, and the Academy.
That was his and Sangsang's homeland, but they could not go there. Or rather, they did not want to go there. Because they did not want to bring the heavy dark cloud over their heads into the Tang Empire and bring disaster to the Tang Empire.
The black carriage stopped outside the City of Wei for a while and then set off again. It went around to the east, avoiding the Seven Stockaded Villages and the border patrolling cavalries of the Northern Military Camp.
The Northern Expedition Army had been stationed at the frontier all year round, responsible for monitoring and deterring the powerful and ambitious Golden Palace. They were well-trained and had fought countless tough battles. Whether in terms of armaments or military quality, they were the strongest among the four border armies of the Tang Empire. They were even stronger than the tens of thousands of cavalries under Xiahou's command.
Ning Que used to be a member of the Northern Expeditionary Army. Of course, he knew how difficult it would be if he was discovered by the border patrolling cavalries. He had no confidence to escape from the Northern Military Camp.
Moreover, he did not want to fight with his comrades. So he became extremely cautious and accurately followed the route planned on the military map. He kept walking in the buffer zone between the Tang Army and the Golden Palace. Relying on his familiarity with the Wilderness and the Northern Expeditionary Army, he passed through without any danger.
As the escape continued, spring became deeper. But the two in the black carriage felt colder and colder. The walls of the carriage were covered with a thin layer of frost. It had nothing to do with the Hot Sea freezing and the approaching night. It was mainly because Sangsang's body was getting colder and colder, and her breath was like ice.
And the black carriage kept going north.
…
…
The Min Mountain, which stretched across the entire northern continent, was divided into two parts by a narrow gorge. People in the Central Plains used to call it the north and the south of the Min Mountain. People in the Wilderness and some Taoists used to call the south the Min Mountain, and the north the Tianqi Mountains, meaning the mountains abandoned by Haotian.
At the western entrance of the narrow gorge that separated Min Mountain from the middle, there was a magnificent stronghold more than a thousand feet high. It was called Helan, so the narrow gorge was also called the Helan Mountain Gap.
Helan City was located in the depths of the Wilderness, very close to the Golden Tribe Royal Court. However, it still belonged to the Tang Empire. It was the furthest territory of the Tang Empire. To be more precise, it was an enclave.
This place was more than a thousand miles away from Chang 'an. If they wanted to transport supplies from the Tang mainland, the journey would be long and costly. Moreover, they needed many cavalrymen to protect them from being robbed by the Horse Gang or the fake Horse Gang. Even so, the tens of thousands of cavalrymen of the Golden Tribe Royal Court could still cut off the supply route at any time.
After spending so many resources and taking such a big risk, the Tang Empire still struggled to maintain the existence and normal operation of Helan City. It was not because of the psychological malady of the Tang Empire, but because Helan City was very important to the Tang Empire.
This magnificent stronghold far away in the Wilderness was the symbol of the Tang Empire's power and spirit in the Wilderness. It was the confidence of the Tang Empire's business groups in the Wilderness. Most importantly, this magnificent stronghold guarded the only passage to the Eastern Wilderness, which was very important to the Tang Empire's trade. It was like a sharp and thick knife inserted between Tianqi Mountain and Min Mountain, separating the Golden Tribe Royal Court and the Left King's Court. It was of great strategic importance.
Looking at the towering city wall between the two cliffs, Sangsang thought of Chang 'an. However, the city wall of Helan City was built between the cliffs, which was more shocking.
The cold wind blew in. She coughed and looked at Ning Que, asking, "North or east?"
If they went north from here, they would go deeper into the Wilderness along Tianqi Mountain. The cold land was sparsely populated. If they went further north, they would reach the Front Gate of Devil's Doctrine. If they went further north, they would reach the snowfield that few people had been to.
If a place without people was the safest place, Ning Que should have taken Sangsang north to the snowfield. In that case, no one could find them except the Great Divine Priest of the West-Hill Divine Palace or the eminent monks of the Xuankong Temple.
But for some reason, Ning Que chose to go east.
The further east they went, the closer they were to Helan City and the mountain. The white hair on the top of the mountain gradually turned into clear snow, and the steep cliffs gradually revealed themselves.
Dark clouds covered Helan City. White clouds floated above the towering city wall. Hundreds of Tang soldiers appeared on the city wall. They could even hear the sounds of nooses being pulled and crossbows being pulled.
There were thirty or forty heavy carriages under the city wall. However, for some reason, the city gate was closed and the caravan was not allowed to enter. The atmosphere was very tense.
Ning Que looked at the dark clouds above his head and naturally knew why Helan City was closed. He thought that it was impossible to sneak into the caravan and pass the gate.
The wheels of the carriage rumbled, but the ice and gravel on the ground did not scatter. Below Helan City, the attendants of the merchant group were hiding in their carriages to avoid the cold. They were thinking about how to contact the general in the city and quickly enter the city. Hearing the sound of the wheels of the carriage, they could not help but look back curiously. When they saw the black carriage, their expressions changed.
Through the edict of the West-Hill Divine Palace and the portrait annotations of various imperial courts, this black carriage was now very famous. Everyone knew that the legendary Daughter of Yama was in this carriage.
Helan City was in a panic.
The shouts of the merchants and guards rose and fell one after another. The horses that were tired from the long journey neighed in fright. Someone saw the opportunity and ran to the foot of Helan City, banging on the city gate with all his might.
The gate of Helan City was wedged deep into the mountain. It was made of iron and wood and was extremely heavy and thick. When the merchants' palms fell on the gate, it was like a mosquito's wings flapping on a stone. It could only make a very faint sound.
Even if the soldiers in the city heard the sound, they would not open the gate at this time.
When the dark clouds approached Helan City, the city gate was closed and no one was allowed to enter or leave. They were guarding against the black carriage. How could they give it a chance to rush into the city?
The black carriage passed by the caravan of the caravan of the caravan. The frightened caravan hurriedly pulled the reins and moved the carriages further away to make way for the black carriage. After a moment of chaos, there was absolute silence, even dead silence.
Ning Que did not care about the merchants and guards who were on guard. He drove the carriage to the front of the mountain and walked to the city gate. He looked up at the two mountain-like gates.
On the city wall, the sound of the crossbows gradually subsided. Several crossbows struggled to adjust their angles and aimed at Ning Que. Hundreds of archers and crossbowmen aimed at the black carriage a little further away, ready to shoot at any time. Even the sound of burning oil and stones could be heard. The Tang army in the city actually treated him as a troop to attack the city!
Faced with so many well-trained Tang soldiers, even if all the cavalries and priests of the Golden Tribe Royal Court came out, they would not be able to attack the city in a short time. Ning Que knew that he could not be forced.
"I am Ning Que. I want to pass the city." He looked up and said.
His voice was not loud, but it clearly spread to the top of the city wall and into everyone's ears. Then he continued, "I used to be a member of the Northern Expedition Army. I have made countless military achievements, which can be found in the archives of the Military Ministry. I don't want to fight with you. I just want to exchange my military achievements for a pass."
…
…
Helan City was extremely important to the Tang Empire. The highest military officer in the military was habitually called General Helan. His position was second only to the four generals and a few old generals in Chang 'an City.
The current General Helan was named Han Qing. He had been stationed in the bitter cold city for more than ten years. He was half barbarian, but he was deeply trusted by His Majesty and was given such an important task.
Under the protection of more than ten shield-bearers, General Han Qing came to the city wall. He looked down at Ning Que and said, "Tang soldiers are ashamed to talk about asking for rewards! Don't even think about bringing the Daughter of Yama into the city! "
"I don't want to enter the city. I want to cross the city."
"This road is blocked."
"Why not?"
"As a general of the Tang Empire, how can I let you bring this demoness into the city of Tang?"
"In your eyes, my wife will bring disaster to the world, so you don't let us pass?"
"That's right."
"If the carriage passes the city, it will be out of the Tang Empire. Even if it is a disaster, it will only bring disaster to others. Why not? If I go to the East Wilderness, I will accept my fate. But I don't want to be killed in my own country. "
General Han Qing seemed to be touched by Ning Que's last sentence and remained silent.
A deputy general beside him said anxiously, "General, what are you hesitating for? This person is so stupid that he dares to curse under the city wall. Quickly release the arrows and stones and seize the opportunity to kill this person! "
Another deputy general frowned slightly and said, "Is Ning Que so easy to kill?"
"No matter how powerful a cultivator is, he can't be killed. “
"I said it's not easy to kill, not that he can't be killed, but in the Tang Empire, no one is willing to do it! Don't forget that he is Mr. Thirteen of the Academy. These days, when the dark clouds came, the Military Ministry and the Northern Military Camp were extremely quiet and did not seriously search for this black carriage. Why? Because he doesn't want to bear this responsibility! Do you want us to bear it? "
"Are you really going to let him bring the Daughter of Yama into the city?"
"Of course not, but this is a cultivator's business. If we want to kill him, we have to wait for the Imperial Center Administration and the Southern Gate Temple to come."
"The Daughter of Yama will destroy the whole world. This is not a cultivator's business, it is all our responsibility! As soldiers, how can we be so timid and give in! "
"Stop arguing."
General Han Qing scolded coldly, "Whether it is to kill or let go, or to block him outside Helan City and wait for those cultivators to come, it is not something we can decide ourselves."
"General, what are you going to do?"
"Of course I will ask His Majesty."
…
(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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