"What a good move to lure the tiger away from the mountain!" Song Qingshu had to admit that this was not a conspiracy but an open plan. Even if you knew his intentions, you had no choice but to jump into the trap.
"Why don't we go to Yangzhou first? Your name is known to the world. With you there, the morale of Yangzhou will be greatly boosted. Xia Quan and the others might retreat." The yellow-shirted woman suggested.
Song Qingshu shook his head. "There is no such thing as guarding against a thief for a thousand days. If we don't get rid of this hidden danger, they will use the same trick again in the future. I will have to leave with my nose pinched."
"But Xia Quan has many soldiers and food under his command. He also has Liu Gu as his backer. How can we get rid of him in a short time?" The yellow-shirted woman did not doubt Song Qingshu's ability. Whether it was breaking the Qing Dynasty or killing Li Kexiu, he had displayed excellent military leadership. Xia Quan was definitely not his match.
But the key problem was time. The emperor was about to go to Wudang Mountain. After Song Qingshu killed Xia Quan, the flowers would probably wither.
"Xia Quan looks powerful now but he is actually in danger. He only needs one fuse to completely collapse." Song Qingshu paused and then said, "Let's go find Yang Miaozhen!"
"Not going to Yangzhou? What if... "The yellow-shirted woman was worried.
Song Qingshu looked in the direction of Yangzhou and said lightly, "I believe in Zhiruo's ability. She can definitely defend Yangzhou for me."
At this time, in Yangzhou, a woman as elegant as a fairy was methodically dispatching troops. Her ice-cold appearance carried a dignified bearing. Her aura shocked the soldiers in the room.
"Mistress, we are outnumbered. We should defend and wait for the ninth princess' reinforcements. When the time comes, the enemy's encirclement will naturally collapse." A general stepped forward and said.
The woman was naturally Zhou Zhiruo. She was clearly very satisfied with the other calling her mistress. "Xia Quan's army is just a motley crew. Right now, all the factions have just united and have not been completely absorbed. We need to take advantage of this time to attack them before they can stabilize their footing. As for Liu Gu, he clearly does not dare to openly attack Yangzhou. Before he can react, we must first defeat Xia Quan. Otherwise, when both sides surround us, although we can defend Yangzhou, the other prefectures and counties will be easily broken by them. "
During this period of time, Zhou Zhiruo had been very skillful in managing Yangzhou, she had already built up enough prestige. Everyone saw that what she said was indeed reasonable, so they no longer had any objections to her decision.
Although Yangzhou's soldiers were few, they were all elites. Even if they were outnumbered, they still had the confidence to launch a surprise attack on a mere Xia Quan.
As for Song Qingshu and the yellow-robed woman, they were heading north. Fortunately, the yellow-robed woman had scouted for information beforehand and finally found Yang Miaozhen's group deep in the mountains.
It was a pity that Yang Miaozhen was not in the headquarters. At first, her subordinates were tight-lipped, but after learning of Song Qingshu's identity, her subordinates revealed a joyful expression and finally replied, "The Fourth Lady has arrived at Mount Moqi."
"Flag Polishing Mountain? What's she doing there? " Song Qingshu didn't understand. Shouldn't Yang Miaozhen be thinking about revenge now? Why did she run to Mount Moqi, which was completely unrelated?
The subordinate sighed, "The First Master was killed, and the Red Coat Army fell apart. Then, that dog Xia Quan took advantage of the situation and invaded. Now, the Fourth Lady only has a few thousand defeated soldiers under her command. In order not to be annexed by Xia Quan and to avenge the First Master, she had no choice but to seek help from Li Quan. This trip to Mount Moqi is to meet with Li Quan and agree to that bastard's conditions …"
Seeing him gnash his teeth, Song Qingshu doubtfully asked, "What conditions?"
"Of course it's to marry him!" The subordinate said hatefully, "When Li Quan came to ally with the First Master, I knew he didn't have any good intentions. Now that the First Master's corpse hasn't even turned cold, he has already gathered troops to establish his own independence and use this to threaten the Fourth Lady." There weren't many women in the Red Coat Army, and there was only one who was as beautiful as Yang Miaozhen. Thus, the entire army viewed her as a goddess. Now that they knew she had no choice but to give herself to another man, how could these people not be filled with righteous indignation?
The yellow-robed girl was instantly enraged, "Who does Li Quan think he is? How is he qualified to receive Sister Yang's favor!"
However, Song Qingshu felt that Li Quan's timing was very good. He took advantage of Yang Miaozhen's desire for revenge, and at the same time threatened her when she was at her weakest. If there were no other changes, he would most likely be able to win the beauty's heart. After marrying her, he would then be able to take over the Yang siblings' former power. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.
However, admiration was one thing, and agreement was another. Thinking of the few times he had fought with Yang Miaozhen in the past, he did not want to see her end up like this. Moreover, there was also the relationship between the Tianbo Yang residence.
"Let's go to Mount Moqi, we must stop her from doing such a stupid thing!" The yellow-robed girl had been raised in the Tianbo Yang residence, and had deep feelings for the Yang family. Naturally, she did not want to see Yang Miaozhen compromise and marry a man she did not love.
"Can you stop her if you go to Mount Moqi? The Fourth Lady's power shakes the world, and she has her own thoughts and decisions. Since she has made such a decision, she must have considered the whole situation. She wants to use Li Quan's power to take revenge. If you stop her, can you take revenge for her? Xia Quan has tens of thousands of troops under his command, how can you take revenge for her? "Song Qingshu said lightly.
The yellow-robed girl's martial arts were very high in Jianghu, but martial arts masters were not very useful on the battlefield. There were enemies on all sides, and the movement and dodging skills that they had learned in their lives were meaningless. They were not as powerful as a group of strictly trained ordinary soldiers who worked together to cover each other. Of course, martial arts masters were not completely useless. They could be used as special forces, and when their martial arts reached the highest level, it was not impossible for them to take the head of a general in a crowd of ten thousand.
The yellow-robed girl also understood this, but she still could not accept it. "But we can't just watch her jump into the fire pit."
"I didn't say we won't save her. It's just that we are not going to Mount Moqi, but to Yi City." Song Qingshu said as he beckoned the yellow-robed girl to go on their way.
"Why are we going to Yi City?" The yellow-robed girl asked in confusion.
"To find Zhang Lin. Hyah ~" Song Qingshu casually replied and urged his horse to run northeast.
The yellow-robed girl was full of doubts and hurriedly chased after him. "Who is Zhang Lin?"
"A general under Li Quan," Song Qingshu answered.
"Why are you looking for him?"
"You'll know when we get there."
The two of them galloped, and after two hours, Song Qingshu suddenly stopped. "No, this is too slow." At this speed, when Yang Miaozhen and Li Quan were at Mount Moqi, what was done was done. What was the point of everything?
"This is already the fastest speed." Looking at the horse that was already panting, the yellow-robed girl could not help but feel pity for it.
"Next, I will directly use Qinggong to rush to Yi City. You will go north from here to Mount Moqi. Don't say too much, and don't stop them from getting married. But you must delay the entire process and keep Li Quan's energy there." Song Qingshu said. His current Qinggong speed had already surpassed that of a horse. Furthermore, a horse had to take a roundabout route to travel, but Qinggong could travel in a straight line as much as possible. Naturally, his speed was much faster.
The reason why he still rode a horse most of the time was that it was too tiring to travel with Qinggong. Secondly, it was a problem of stamina. It should be known that riding a horse could bring a few more horses and recover the strength of the previous horse. However, it was not the same for humans. Unless one's inner strength was endless, and the recovery was always greater than the inner strength used when running, it was destined that one would not be able to use Qinggong to travel long distances. This was also the reason why many martial arts masters in Jianghu could sprint for dozens of miles, but would choose to ride a horse or take a boat for a journey of hundreds of miles.
For example, when Qiao Feng mistakenly thought that Xiao Yuanshan was a great villain, he madly chased him for less than thirty miles before both parties came to a tacit understanding. As for when Zhou Botong chased Qiu Qianren for tens of thousands of miles from Jiangnan all the way to the Western Region, he was not rushing at high speed. Instead, he had sprinted for a certain distance, and both parties tacitly stopped to rest, eat, drink, and go to the bathroom before continuing on their journey. Therefore, although they had rushed for tens of thousands of miles, they had still spent a considerable amount of time.
However, now that Song Qingshu's martial arts had reached a high level, his inner strength was endless. In addition, he was originally an expert in Qinggong. As long as he did not use Imminent Skyline, a martial art that consumed a large amount of inner strength, he could theoretically continue to travel. However, there was a limit to a person's energy, and he would eventually tire out. It was just that in terms of rushing at high speed, he could already last much longer than other top experts.
Although the yellow-robed girl boasted that her Qinggong was very good, compared to the man in front of her, there was still a large gap. She knew that if she insisted on rushing with him, she would only become a burden. She could not always let him hug her and fly together, could she?
Thinking of that scene, the yellow-robed girl could not help but blush. What nonsense was she thinking about?
"What's wrong with you?" Seeing that the yellow-robed girl was silent and revealed a strange expression, Song Qingshu could not help but ask.
"No … nothing." The yellow-robed girl's heart jumped, and she hurriedly said, "Okay, I'll wait for you at Mount Polishing Flag."
Song Qingshu was startled. Looking at her back, he thought to himself, why did he have a feeling that he was running away? However, since time was pressing, he also used his Qinggong and began to hurry on his journey.
The journey was as fast as lightning, and they finally arrived at Yi Du at dawn the next day.
As a general under Li Quan's command, Zhang Lin controlled nearly three thousand people. However, he was born in the Lulin Forest after all. The defense of his residence could not be compared to that of the Imperial Palace. Even the guards of many gangs in Jianghu were much tighter than his.
With Song Qingshu's martial arts, it did not take much effort to sneak into Zhang Lin's bedroom. After all, Zhang Lin had lived a life of licking blood on the edge of a knife. In his sleep, he was alarmed and quickly opened his eyes, "Who is it?"
"Don't be nervous, I have no ill intentions." Song Qingshu poured a cup of tea on the table and drank it. He was exhausted from the journey.
Zhang Lin subconsciously wanted to grab the knife next to his pillow. Song Qingshu casually flicked his finger as he drank the tea. The knife in Zhang Lin's hand flew to the wall.
Seeing that the waist knife that was half stuck in the wall was still trembling, Zhang Lin subconsciously swallowed his saliva. If that flick from the other party had landed on his body …
"May I know your name?" Zhang Lin did not shout for help. He knew that with the other party's martial arts, it would be a piece of cake to take his life.
Song Qingshu drank a few cups of tea and felt comfortable all over. This time, he revealed his background.
"So it is Prince Qi who has come. My apologies, my apologies!" Zhang Lin thought that it was no wonder that he had such high martial arts at such a young age. "May I know what business Prince Qi has with you?"
"It is no big deal. I just want you to join the Golden Snake Battalion. What does General Zhang think?" Song Qingshu leisurely asked.
Zhang Lin was speechless. Was this not a big deal? He hurriedly replied, "Prince Qi, General Li Quan has placed me in an important position. It is not good for me to switch sides."
"Important position?" Song Qingshu looked at him with a smile that was not a smile. "A few months ago, Li Quan's brother, Li Fu, used his brother's power to ask you for a few salt pans. You did not give them to him. He became angry and said that he would teach you a lesson sooner or later. Is this true?"
Zhang Lin's expression changed and he fell into silence.
Song Qingshu continued, "Zhang Fu has no ability. He only relies on his brother's protection. He is very greedy and vulgar. He orders passing merchants to use the Li Family's carriages and ships. At the same time, he has to pay half of the taxes. From time to time, he sends troops in disguise to rob merchant caravans. So, the merchants would rather take a detour through the Jin Kingdom or the Golden Snake Battalion's territory. Without merchants to rob, he has his eyes on the salt mines in your hands. Even if you ask him to extract salt, he is not satisfied and insists on the ownership of those mines. Am I right?"
Zhang Lin smiled bitterly. "Prince Qi's intelligence network is really powerful. He even knows these things clearly."
Song QingShu smiled. It was impossible for him to barge into the North without a plan. Along the way, he had mobilized various intelligence networks and already had a clear understanding of the internal situation of the various forces. "You are one of the strongest generals under Li Quan, but Zhang Fu actually dares to bully you. Is he really that bold? Is it really not Li Quan's intention? "
This time, Zhang Lin's expression really changed. At first, he only secretly cursed Li Quan for being vulgar. He did not think of this. Now that Song Qingshu reminded him, he suddenly realized that this might be … no, Li Quan was definitely slowly usurping his authority.
It should be known that he was not a direct descendant of Li Quan. He was originally a local officer of the Jin Kingdom. At that time, when the revolutionary army rose, he took advantage of the situation and gathered a team to seek refuge with Li Quan. Because he was not a direct descendant, the two sides had always been in a state of harmony. This time, when he went to Mount Flag Grinding to meet with Yang Miaozhen, he was not even brought along.
Seeing his expression, Song Qingshu continued, "You and Li Fu have become enemies. Li Quan also views you as a thorn in his side. If you continue to stay in his hands, what do you think your fate will be?"
Zhang Lin broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly kowtowed to the ground. "This subordinate is willing to seek refuge with the Golden Snake Battalion. I hope that Prince Qi will accept me!"
Song Qingshu was startled. He did not think that it would be so easy to persuade him. He originally had to put in a lot of effort. However, on second thought, in history, this fellow was also forced by Li Quan and his brother to seek refuge with the Mongols. Now that he had personally invited him, it was a wise move for him to seek refuge with him.
"Good. After joining the Golden Snake Battalion, you can keep your salt mines for yourself. I will also not have any designs on them. In the future, your stage will be very big. You will not be limited to this one mu of land like you are now." Song Qingshu helped him up. He still had to show the proper attitude.
"My lord is indeed not an ordinary person!" Zhang Lin was overjoyed. He was originally worried that the other party would be like Zhang Fu and covet the salt mines. It should be known that in this era, salt mines and gold mines were no different. He did not expect that the other party did not even care about it. As expected, he was worthy of being a ruler of the world.
"How can this subordinate be of service to my lord?" Zhang Lin hurriedly asked. He was eager to show his value by changing his allegiance.
"Now that Li Quan has brought his main force to Flag Grinding Mountain, you should take the opportunity to lead your men to attack his headquarters. At the same time, you should control the families of his soldiers." This was the purpose of Song Qingshu's visit.
Zhang Lin was somewhat hesitant. "But Li Quan has more than ten thousand men. If he returns, my men will not be a match."
Song Qingshu indifferently said, "With me around, he will not be able to return."
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