The next morning, He Yan and Xiao Jue had an early breakfast and went to Jiyang City's Martial Arts Practice Field to see the Jiyang City's army. Lin Shuanghe didn't follow them and rested in the Cui Mansion. Liu Buwang continued to track down the whereabouts of those Uto and went out at the same time as He Yan and Xiao Jue.
There were many rivers in Jiyang City, and the city was built on the water. The water cut the flat land into several large and small pieces, so it wasn't easy to find large open spaces. The Martial Arts Practice Field was built close to the Prince's Mansion for no other reason than that there was a large open space here.
When He Yan and Xiao Jue went over, they met Cui Yuezhi. When Cui Yuezhi saw the two of them, he smiled and cupped his hands, "Military Governor Xiao."
As if he could see He Yan's surprise, Cui Yuezhi patted Xiao Jue's shoulder with a smile, "Actually, I started to suspect you the second day you came to Jiyang. Even my concubine could tell that you really don't look like anyone from the Cui Family at all. How could you be my eldest brother's son? It's just that when I brought you into the Prince's Mansion, His Highness often called you in, so he must have known your identities long ago. Since His Highness has plans, I can only pretend to be stupid and not say anything. "
This Cui Yuezhi was quite smart.
He chuckled, but there was a shrewd look in his eyes on his simple and honest face, "If His Highness thinks I'm stupid, then I'll be stupid. There's nothing wrong with being stupid."
He Yan understood that Cui Yuezhi could become Mu Hongjin's confidant not only because he was brave, but also because he was Qing Mei's childhood sweetheart. It was because he was "stupid" at the right time.
With such a simple and honest subordinate, of course, she had to trust him and put him in an important position.
He was a very wise person.
Cui Yuezhi looked at Xiao Jue again, "His Highness told me that all the Jiyang City's army will listen to Military Governor Xiao's command from today onwards." His expression became serious, "His Highness has already told me about the Uto. I will do my best to cooperate with Military Governor Xiao. The citizens of Jiyang City are still under the protection of Military Governor Xiao. "
"Has Your Highness already begun to move the citizens of the city?" He Yan asked.
"From today onwards, it's just that …" Cui Yuezhi sighed, "It won't be easy."
The citizens of the city were used to living here peacefully. When they received news that Jiyang was in trouble and had to evacuate the city, they naturally panicked. The younger ones were still fine. Those who were sick, old, and had no one to take care of them could not leave. How could those who owned businesses and shops in the city be at ease to leave everything behind?
"However," Cui Yuezhi perked up, "I've always heard that General Fengyun is invincible on the battlefield. This Cui has long wanted to meet her. I didn't expect Military Governor Xiao to be so young and handsome. "He was half envious and half amazed." How can there be such a person favored by the heavens in this world? "
He Yan: "…"
This kind of experience of favoritism was probably something that ordinary people couldn't bear.
As he spoke, he had already walked to the side of the training field. As Jiyang City was close to the water and had not fought a war for many years, the soldiers did not have armor. They only wore cloth armor. The cloth armor was green, and each of them held a long spear. It was probably because they did a lot of manual labor that they all looked mighty and powerful. However, He Yan could tell at a glance that their military formation was not lethal. It was like a decorative frame, and it was a somewhat old-fashioned decorative frame.
All these years, Mu Hongjin probably didn't spend much effort on the training of the city's army. However, this was understandable. Ever since King Meng Ji's generation, Jiyang had been at peace with Le An. Not to mention fighting wars, they were even good at stealing and swindling in the city. The people were simple and honest, so there was no need to spend much effort on this.
"Be prepared for danger in times of peace." He Yan shook his head. "Jiyang's city army has been slacking off for too long."
Cui Yuezhi looked at He Yan. He had already "found out" from Mu Hongjin that He Yan was Xiao Jue's subordinate. However, he thought that the "subordinate" was Xiao Jue's servant, a "delicate wife" that was prepared to fit the identity of "Qiao Huanqing" better during this trip to Jiyang. Although he was puzzled midway and thought that this servant's relationship with Xiao Jue was a little too casual, he was curious when he heard He Yan's words. "Yuyan, do you see anything?"
"Cui Zhongqi, my surname is He, and my name is Yan. I can't see anything else, but I feel that the military formation of Jiyang City's city army is a little old-fashioned. In Shuojing, we stopped fighting like this a few years ago. "
"Miss Yan," Cui Yuezhi puffed out his chest and said disapprovingly, "When setting up a military formation, it doesn't mean that the newer the better. It also depends on whether it's suitable for use or not. This military formation is something that I came up with after discussing with my colleagues in the army. It's very suitable for Jiyang's terrain. How can you say that it's old-fashioned? "
He did not dare to boast that he was better than Xiao Jue, but he was still better than Xiao Jue's subordinates. A good military formation could only be created after many years. He Yan was not talking about a new dish. Who would be able to change it every few days just for the sake of freshness?
He Yan saw that the military formation was full of loopholes, so she did not want to criticize him. She glanced at Xiao Jue again. Seeing that Xiao Jue did not say anything, she did not have any intention of objecting. She thought for a while and said tactfully, "Let's not talk about the military formation. Just based on the movements of the city army, it looks more like they're practicing. I'm afraid that they're lacking something on the battlefield."
"What are they lacking?" Cui Yuezhi asked.
"Dauntless." He Yan said, "These city army soldiers can only deal with soldiers who are weaker than them or soldiers who are on par with them. If there are soldiers who are more ferocious and brutal than them …" He Yan shook her head. "I'm afraid that they won't be able to win."
As they spoke, they had already walked to the front of the training field. He Yan's words fell into the ears of the soldiers at the front. The young man standing at the front was holding a long spear and thrusting it forward. When he heard what He Yan said, he could not help but glance at her.
When Cui Yuezhi heard He Yan say that about his soldiers, he was a little unconvinced. "Miss Yan, you make it sound like the Jiyang army is made of tofu."
He Yan was not lying. This batch of Jiyang City Army soldiers had probably not been to a real battlefield. They were even weaker than the new recruits of the Liang Province Guards. After living a peaceful life for a long time, even a tiger's claws would lose their strength. Moreover, Uto came prepared. They would not be as weak as a lamb.
"I'm just a little worried," He Yan said.
"Miss," Suddenly, someone spoke. He Yan turned her head to look. The one who spoke was the young man who held a spear and stood at the head of the group. His skin had been tanned by the sun and his appearance was very handsome. He didn't fear Xiao Jue who was standing at the side at all. He looked at He Yan and coldly said, "What do you mean by saying that our city's army is worthless? Although Jiyang City has been peaceful for many years, the city army has been training hard every day. They don't dare to slack off for even a day. Miss, you haven't been there yet, so it's better not to jump to conclusions so easily. "
He Yan said, "I'm not jumping to conclusions so easily."
The young man did not know He Yan, nor did he know Xiao Jue's identity. He thought that Cui Yuezhi had brought his nephew and niece-in-law here to observe the soldiers. He was probably young and did not know how to hide his emotions. He also felt a little indignant, so he said to He Yan, "How can a woman understand the affairs of men in the army?"
He Yan was speechless.
He Yan thought to himself, 'If this woman really gets angry, even ten men in the army won't be enough to fight her.'
If Jiyang City's army faced Uto with such arrogance, there was no way they could win this war. She was thinking about how to tactfully destroy this person's momentum when she suddenly heard Xiao Jue's voice.
"If that's the case, you can compete with her."
He Yan looked at Xiao Jue. The soldier who spoke was also a little surprised. He did not expect him to make such a lousy suggestion.
"This … isn't good, right?" He Yan said hesitantly.
The soldier felt a little comforted. He thought that this woman was tactful. Before he could say anything else, he heard He Yan's remaining words, "You're still Cui Zhongqi's soldiers. What if you destroy his morale and he can't recover in the future?"
Cui Yuezhi was speechless.
He was also thinking that Xiao Jue's suggestion was too hasty. Now that he heard He Yan's words, he really didn't know what to say. Cui Yue Zhi was also a martial arts practitioner, but he couldn't directly touch He Yan's bone structure. Just from his appearance, He Yan was thin and weak, and he couldn't see anything powerful about him. Xiao Jue said that this girl should know some martial arts. However, compared to Mu Yi, she might be too arrogant.
Looking at her thin arms and legs, Mu Yi could easily break her arms.
He Yan looked at Xiao Jue. Under the morning light of the martial arts arena, the young man's figure was like jade. The black python on his dark blue robe was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, adding to his heroic spirit. The arrow sleeves were convenient for holding weapons. Here, he was no longer the second son of the Xiao family. He was the commander-in-chief of the right army, General Fengyun.
Mu Yi, the soldier, didn't say anything. He Yan looked at him and smiled, "What do you think? Little brother, do you want to fight with me? "
She was still wearing the red riding uniform of the women of Jiyang and black boots. The whip hanging in front of her chest was delicate and cute. She looked lively and harmless. She was no different from the countless young ladies in Jiyang who picked flowers and sniffed them in the spring.
Most young men always had a competitive spirit. If a girl provoked them verbally, and a pretty girl at that, they would always want to prove themselves. Mu Yi was the same. He thought that he had already given this girl a chance, but she didn't want to give up. He had no choice but to let her have a taste of the power of the Jiyang army.
Thinking of this, Mu Yi cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me."
He Yan faintly smiled. She flipped over and leaped up, stepping onto the wooden stake beside her. The bystanders only saw a red swallow. In the blink of an eye, it had already landed on the empty space in the center of the martial arts field. She slowly pulled out the purple jade whip from her waist and made a "please" gesture.
The layman watched for the excitement, while the expert watched for the skill. Her appearance was already unusual. Mu Yi was slightly surprised, but he didn't want to be outdone. He followed her and stood in front of He Yan.
One man, one spear, one woman, and one whip. In the blink of an eye, they were entangled in a fight.
The surrounding Jiyang soldiers had already put down their spears and were staring at them intently. Each army had its own characteristics. For example, the South Mansion soldiers were orderly and serious, the Liangzhou guards were free and straightforward, and the Jiyang soldiers were lively and lively. It was as if they were watching a show. They immediately became excited.
"Good! Good fight! "
"Mu Yi, why can't you do it? Don't go easy on her! "
"Good job, Miss. Beat this brat to death!"
For a moment, the cheers were endless.
Cui Yuezhi stared at the red figure in the middle of the fight. The whip in her hand was like moving clouds and flowing water, winding like lightning. He was extremely surprised. Mu Yi was one of the most outstanding soldiers in the Jiyang army. Not to mention how good he was in the army, he was considered one of the best among the people here. However, even Mu Yi was at a disadvantage when facing He Yan.
Others thought that Mu Yi was holding back because his opponent was a girl. However, Cui Yuezhi's eyes were sharp. He could tell at a glance that Mu Yi didn't stand a chance. The girl's whip was too fast, and her footwork was too fast. Mu Yi didn't have a chance to attack. If this continued, he would soon be defeated.
Cui Yuezhi couldn't help but ask Xiao Jue, "Military Governor Xiao, is Miss He really your subordinate?"
He couldn't find a single subordinate like her in the Jiyang army. It really made people jealous!
"It's not unfair for your subordinate to lose to the number one Liangzhou guard," Xiao Jue said calmly.
Number one Liangzhou guard? Cui Yuezhi didn't understand, but He Yan was a girl. Could it be that she had fought with the Liangzhou guard before?
On the stage, Mu Yi was in a sorry state. Beads of sweat gradually seeped out of his forehead.
The girl looked delicate and delicate, but her movements were swift and unparalleled. She predicted every move he made. Her movements were also fast, as if she didn't know fatigue. Most importantly, how could a girl have such great strength?
With a crack, the whip struck the stone pile beside him. A corner of the stone pile was broken, and the flying gravel brushed past Mu Yi's face. Mu Yi couldn't believe his eyes.
That was a stone pile. Normally, even a sword might not be able to break it, but she used a whip. Not only did the whip not break, but He Yan also looked relaxed.
What kind of logic was this?
Mu Yi naturally didn't know that when He Yan was in the Liangzhou guard, the number of days she threw stone locks was counted in "months". He Yan wasn't targeting anyone. In terms of strength, no one present was a match for her.
While Mu Yi was thinking, a long whip was already in front of him. He was so shocked that he immediately used the spear in his hand to block it. There was a crack in the air, and the spear actually broke into two pieces.
The surrounding Jiyang Army quieted down. They could only hear the girl's laughter echoing in the field.
"The last three strikes. The first strike told you not to look down on girls."
Mu Yi was flustered. He grabbed the long broken spear and continued to block.
"Crack!" There was another crack.
The broken spear in his hand broke into pieces again.
The strong girl tilted her head and sighed. "The second strike is arrogant and conceited. It's a big taboo in battle."
Mu Yi only had a spear head less than the length of a palm in his hand. He was defenseless for a moment. The third strike was already in front of him, and he couldn't dodge it.
"The third strike. Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
When the long whip rushed in front of him, it mischievously curled up and landed in his hand, taking away the spear head in his hand. When Mu Yi came back to his senses, the girl in the red dress was already playing with his iron spear head. She walked over and patted his shoulder, returning the spear head to him. She smiled and said, "There's always someone better than you. Young man, you have to continue to work hard."
She walked past Mu Yi and left with a smile.
His companions crowded around him and asked, "It can't be, right? Brother Mu, aren't you losing too quickly? Did you deliberately show mercy? How can you be so unambitious? "
"Don't talk nonsense." Mu Yi was angry. "I didn't show mercy!"
His companions looked at each other. Someone said, "Didn't show mercy? Is she really that powerful? "
"That's impossible."
Another person pointed at his face and said, "Mu Yi, why is your face red?"
The noise in the distance fell into his ears, but Cui Yuezhi wasn't in the mood to teach them a lesson. He only sighed. How fast time passed. It hadn't even been half an hour.
He defeated the most outstanding person in the Jiyang Army just like that. Cui Yuezhi could clearly see that He Yan didn't use her full strength. Otherwise, if her whip wasn't aimed at Mu Yi's spear, but at Mu Yi himself, Mu Yi would have suffered a lot.
"Military Governor Xiao has a good subordinate," Cui Yuezhi said sincerely. When he thought of what he said just now, he was a little worried. "The Jiyang Army is not as good as the Liangzhou Guards, but …"
"The Liangzhou Guards have already fought with the Uto once." He Yan happened to walk over and said, "The Uto's savagery and cunning are beyond Cui Zhongqi's imagination. They definitely won't be as merciful as I was just now. If the Jiyang Army can't win, it will be a disaster for the people in the city. "
Cui Yuezhi shuddered.
"The most important problem isn't the city guards," Xiao Jue said.
"Then what is it?"
"Jiyang has a lot of water. The Uto can only attack with water. This battle is destined to be fought on water. The reason why your army formation is outdated is because it isn't used for water attacks. "
Cui Yuezhi frowned. "Can you be more specific, Commander in Chief?"
He Yan looked at Xiao Jue. She was a little excited. She didn't expect Xiao Jue to have the same idea as her.
The young man lowered his eyes. "The boat."
The most important thing was the boat.
In the attic, the man looked away and smiled with his head lowered.
Ying Xiang said softly, "I didn't expect Miss He to be so skilled."
Although she already knew that He Yan was one of the best in the Liangzhou Guards, she had never seen it with her own eyes. It was hard to imagine that the girl who fought with others in the training field was more dazzling than when she stood quietly as a woman. Although they were both beauties, Ying Xiang felt that He Yan's beauty was especially special among all the women in the world. However, because of this uniqueness, there weren't as many people who admired her as there were people who admired the beauty of the secular world.
"Fourth Young Master," Ying Xiang said, "Princess Meng Ji has started to evacuate the citizens in the city today. Do you want to go with her?"
"Teacher sent me to Jiyang to keep an eye on Xiao Huaijin. Since Xiao Huaijin is here, how can I evacuate by myself?" Chu Zhao's gaze fell on He Yan, who seemed to be talking to Xiao Jue in the distance. He smiled faintly.
"If Military Governor Xiao stays in Jiyang, he can protect himself even if the Uto comes. However, Young Master doesn't know martial arts. It will be dangerous for you to stay in the city." Ying Xiang wanted to persuade him again.
"The more dangerous it is, the more it proves my loyalty to Teacher." Chu Zhao smiled carelessly. "Ying Xiang, don't you understand? Teacher gave me two options when he assigned this task to me. One option is to die here. The other option is to live and complete the task and return to the capital. If I don't complete the task and return alive, I will still die. Do you understand? "
Ying Xiang was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand."
"You don't need to worry." Chu Zhao looked into the distance with his hands behind his back. "Besides, I have a good friend who knows martial arts. Since she is so righteous and naive, I think … she will protect my safety. "
Ying Xiang followed his gaze and looked at He Yan in the distance. She thought for a moment, then reminded him, "Young Master, Miss He is Military Governor Xiao's subordinate."
"You also said that she is a subordinate." Chu Zhao smiled and said, "There is no such thing as an unchanging relationship in the world. A loyal partner can become a terrifying enemy in the next moment."
He had seen this kind of thing many times.
People were fickle.
In the Prince's Mansion, Mu Xiaolou jumped down the stone stairs with a box in her arms. She shouted, "Grandmother!"
Mu Hongjin was sitting in the hall. When she heard her, she looked at her tiredly. "What is it, Xiaolou?"
"Aunt Tong told me to only take the important things, but I like everything." Mu Xiaolou said, "Aunt Tong said that the carriage can't be put down. Grandmother, can you keep these for me first? When I return to Jiyang, I will ask you for them. "
Mu Hongjin smiled and opened the box. There were some small toys in the box. There was a cricket made of wood, a spinning top, a small dog made of paper, and a whistle that would sing when blown …
Most of them were things that Cui Yuezhi bought from the streets to please Mu Xiaolou. Some of them were things that Mu Xiaolou snatched from her peers who visited the mansion. These were also her treasures.
Mu Hongjin closed the lid of the wooden box and handed it to the maid beside her. "Okay, grandmother will keep them for me. When you return to Jiyang, you can ask me for them."
Mu Xiaolou nodded. "Grandmother, you must take good care of them."
Mu Hongjin laughed and tapped her forehead. "I know, miser."
"Grandmother." Mu Xiaolou jumped onto the soft couch and hugged her waist. "Why do I have to leave Jiyang? I don't want to leave grandmother. Can I not attend Uncle Wang's birthday banquet? "
"Nonsense." Mu Hongjin said, "How can you not go? You're the future Princess. Only you can represent Jiyang. "
"I don't want to go …" The little girl acted shamelessly. "How would I know what Uncle Wang looks like? How would I know if he is easy to get along with? What if he is very fierce?"
"You won't. They will all treat you very well." Mu Hongjin patted her head. Her tone was gentle but a little strict. "Xiaolou, you are not a child anymore. Grandmother can't accompany you forever. One day, you will have to take charge of many things by yourself. Grandmother can only be at ease when I see you grow up. "
"I have to grow up slowly." Mu Xiaolou was puzzled. "I am not a bamboo shoot at the mountain pass that will break through the soil overnight."
Mu Hongjin was amused by her words. After laughing, her eyes were dyed with a layer of worry.
There was no time.
Uto was hiding in the dark and had already made a move in the past few days. She had to send Mu Xiaolou out. Mu Xiaolou was the last hope of Jiyang City. She had also prepared for the worst. It was a pity that she could not watch the little girl grow up and become her indestructible protection before she became an adult.
But why were there so many regrets in the world?
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