When Yang Fan walked out of the Palace Commander's residence, he saw a carriage quietly parked at the entrance of the yamen. Yang Fan paid it no mind and was just about to walk in the direction of the inn when a person suddenly appeared beside the carriage and called out, "Erlang!"
Yang Fan turned his head and couldn't help but call out in pleasant surprise, "Brother Yan, it's you! Why are you here? Weren't you sent to Liang — "
Before he could finish the word "Zhou", Yan Zhihe had already rushed over and tightly embraced him, laughing heartily. "Erlang is indeed fine. The heavens help the worthy!"
A friendship that had gone through life and death together was often born from experiences of life and death. The fact that Yang Fan had returned to save people outside Xueyantuo City and covered their retreat alone had made this simple-minded man regard Yang Fan as his brother.
"I'm also very happy that Erlang is fine!"
A gentle and refined voice came from the side. Yang Fan turned his head and saw Shen Mu standing to the side, dressed in a plain blue cotton robe and wearing a gratified and happy smile.
"Brother Shen!"
Yang Fan happily called out. Yan Zhihe heavily patted his back twice and released him. Yang Fan turned to Shen Mu and then to Yan Zhihe, asking, "Why have you come?"
Yan Zhihe replied, "We went through untold hardships to reach Flying Fox's mouth. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we tried, that muddle-headed garrison general wasn't willing to believe our news. He even suspected that we were Turkic spies and wanted to take us to Liang Province to verify our identities.
When we arrived at Liang Province, the Chief Steward of the Heyuan Army, Lou Shide, also arrived. He even brought with him people from his army who recognized Gaoshe Chicken and Big Bear. Only then were we freed. After I escaped, I immediately went to the Huang River to see Young Master. Young Master heard that your whereabouts were unknown and insisted on coming here to wait for an answer! "
Listening to this, Yang Fan's heart was moved. He was a person who attached great importance to kinship and friendship. He was alone in the Central Plains, yet he was able to regard Ma Qiao and Mian Pian as his own brothers and sisters, not without this reason. Now that Shen Mu, as the Hidden Sect Matriarch of a prestigious aristocratic family, had personally come to such a dangerous place, it was enough to prove his affection for her.
After Shen Mu and Yang Fan parted ways at the oasis, he returned to Huangshui and coaxed Miss Qiqi back to Chang 'an. Shen Mu himself did not leave. The situation in the Western Region was unpredictable. His foundation was here, so how could he leave? He had to stay here to guard against any mishaps.
If the western regions were occupied by the Tu Jue, he wouldn't lose his position as the Hidden Sect Patriarch, but he would lose the ability to fight against the Xian Clan and would once again become a hired thug under Young Master Jiang. He had poured too much blood, sweat, and tears into the Western Regions. How could he not attach importance to it?
Little Flying Arrow, Zhang Yi, had returned to the Hexi region along his original route. That route was rather far from the Huangshui, so Shen Mu still did not know of his news. However, Yan Zhihe had returned with Gaoshe Chicken and Big Bear. After they were sent to Liangzhou, Lou Shide also happened to arrive. The generals accompanying Lou Shide confirmed their identities, so they were naturally released.
Gaoshe Chicken and Big Bear stayed with Lou Shide while Yan Zhihe quickly rode to Huangshui to report to Shen Mu. After hearing his story, Shen Mu immediately set off for Liangzhou. This was Shen Mu's uniqueness. Why were so many people willing to be used by him? Was it just because he could provide everything one needed, help one achieve one's dreams, and pave the way for one's future?
Although Yang Fan was one of his targets and did not have much value, Shen Mu still cared about his life and death. He wanted to know if Yang Fan was dead or alive!
Although it was unknown if Yang Fan was dead or alive, as long as he was alive, Bai Ting should be his only choice. So Shen Mu also came. Huangshui and Shanzhou were not far apart. When Shen Mu arrived in Liangzhou, Lou Shide had already decided to personally attack Bai Ting. Shen Mu simply went to see Lou Shide.
Shen Mu knew Lou Shide. How could he not be acquainted with the feudal officials of the Western Regions when he managed the Western Regions? He was the one who told Lou Shide about the idea of running inns like the Shanzhou Courier House and the Huangshui Courier House, so that the two sides could earn quite a bit of money for the garrison. The two sides had long been friends.
Lou Shide did not know Shen Mu's exact identity, but he knew that Shen Mu had many businesses in the northwest and had close relationships with many of the wealthy merchants there. He was a very powerful and mysterious merchant.
The great clans and wealthy merchants of the northwest all had considerable hidden influence in the area, and they even had their own private armies. These great clans and wealthy merchants, including the tribal chiefs who had defected to the Tang dynasty and settled in the Western Regions, were all 'officials of the Western Regions' with no official status.
Not only were they extremely powerful, they even had the power to enforce the law in the areas under their jurisdiction. Whether it was a civil or criminal case, the common people would habitually ask them to preside over justice and have them maintain law and order rather than seek help from the authorities. The government could only restrain these prestigious and powerful local tyrants and not suppress them. Only by doing so would they be able to gain their cooperation and support. Naturally, Lou Shide treated him with respect.
The reason Shen Mu gave Lou Shide was that he had many businesses in the Bai Ting area. If the Turks attacked, he would suffer massive losses. Thus, he needed to hurry over and see what was going on. If necessary, he might even provide some assistance to the soldiers. Lou Shide naturally agreed and treated him with great courtesy.
Walking to Yang Fan's side, Shen Mu grasped his hand and shook it vigorously, lamenting: "Erlang's journey to the Turkic Khaganate has been fraught with danger and it has been tough on you! I truly believed that you were doomed. I didn't think that Erlang would be able to pass through the desert and return safely. One who survives a great calamity is bound to have good fortune later on! Come, get on the carriage. Let's return to the inn first. Your brother has already prepared a banquet to help you calm your nerves. "
As Yang Fan followed him to the carriage, he asked, "How did Brother Shen know how I returned? Ah! You're also staying at the inn. Could it be that you've already met Lady A 'Nu? "
Shen Mu gave him a mysterious glance and smiled. "I truly did meet Lady A 'Nu. I truly didn't expect that the two of you would end up together. The affairs of the world are truly hard to predict! However, the news of you crossing the desert to White Pavilion, impersonating someone else and commanding the Flying Fox Pass army to return safely did not come from Lady A 'Nu's mouth. It was Ye Yunbao who told me. "
Yang Fan was even more baffled. Just as he was about to ask again, Yan Zhihe explained on his behalf. "My young master has a wide network in the Western Regions. He is friends with many of the generals in the army."
Upon hearing that the matter involved someone else's privacy, Yang Fan immediately shut his mouth.
The two of them boarded the carriage and the carriage headed for the inn.
Because Yan Zhihe had already told Shen Mu about Yang Fan's actions at Xue Yantuo, and the experience of commanding the Flying Fox Pass garrison to retreat had also been told to him by Ye Yunmao, Yang Fan only linked these events together and gave a simple explanation. He then moved on to the current predicament of the Ming Might Garrison.
When Shen Mu heard of Yang Fan's plan, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Erlang is truly resourceful. This plan of yours … en, it's commendable! If it's used well, I think … it won't be as simple as forcing the enemy to retreat! "
Yang Fan asked curiously, "My plan is to force the enemy to retreat. Other than that, what else can it be used for?"
Shen Mu smiled. "If the one who designed this plan was Ming Might Garrison's General Ye Yunbao, the purpose of this plan is naturally to force the Turks to retreat and relieve the siege of White Pavilion. But now that Lou Shide, who is in charge of the entire Longyou's safety, has arrived, I'm afraid it won't be so simple. "
Yang Fan's face was full of confusion. "Little brother is slow-witted, please enlighten me!"
Shen Mu patted his shoulder and laughed. "If you are slow-witted, would there still be smart people in this world? Ha-ha, you can't imagine. It's not about strategy, but about status. With strategy, one must also have the corresponding status. Only then will one stand at the corresponding height to think about things. You thought of this plan because of the danger of the Ming Might Garrison. Ye Yunbao is only guarding White Pavilion, so his thoughts naturally lie here. Lou Shide is the same as me. Our interests lie in the entire Longyou, so when we think about things, we will naturally not limit ourselves to this. Lou Shide is a famous general of his generation. If I can think of it, I believe he will also think of it. "
After Shen Mu finished speaking, he raised his leg and stamped twice on the pedals. The carriage came to an abrupt stop. The driver, Yan Zhihe, turned around and asked, "What orders does Young Master have?"
Shen Mu said, "Return! Meet Chief Steward Lou! "
Yang Fan asked, "Why did Brother Shen return?"
Shen Mu smiled. "Didn't Lou Shide say that there are two problems? One is why Mu Si secretly contacted the people of the Ashid tribe, and the other is why he revealed such a secret to the people of the Ashid tribe. Ha-ha, this Shen will help him solve these two problems, so that he won't have a good night's sleep! "
… …
Tin Aino hid in his room to eat dinner, take a bath, and change into a new set of clothes that he bought today. He leisurely sat down under the light in front of the window.
This was a woman's outfit. Although the material was ordinary, the style and color were good. When Tin Aino was outside, he always liked to wear men's clothes. Now, for some reason, he liked to wear women's clothes, so he bought it.
It was extremely noisy outside.
Lou Shide had brought another ten thousand soldiers, as well as a large amount of military supplies. They had to enter the warehouse to collect, and they had to leave the warehouse to pay. The warehouse next door was filled with loud noises. In the front hall, Huang Xuchang, Zhang Xitong, Zhang Qi, Tian Yan, Wei Tongchuan, and a few others had drunk a little too much. They were laughing loudly and arguing endlessly.
Tin Aino had long gone into hiding. Ever since Shen Mu found out that she was here, Huang Xuchang and the others knew that she was the woman who crossed the desert with Yang Fan. They all asked her questions one after another, so she found an excuse to hide.
Huang Xuchang and the others were simply a bunch of ruffians. What kind of things were they asking!? How was she supposed to answer those questions? Was she supposed to tell them that it was very, very cold in the desert, that when she went to relieve herself, her buttocks were almost frozen into two pieces? Was she supposed to tell them that in order to keep out the cold, she hugged Yang Fan to sleep for the entire night?
If these people were loathsome, then Shen Mu was terrifying. This guy who always had a cheeky smile on his face had a very powerful pair of eyes. He had only exchanged a few words with her, and there was a look of understanding in his eyes. Tin Aino was very afraid of that kind of gaze. That kind of gaze seemed to see through her, into her heart, and discover all of her secrets.
Yang Fan was still the best!
It was enough for a man to be as smart as Erlang. A crafty and crafty man like Shen Mu always gave people a feeling that he was unreliable!
Tin Aino held her chin and thought sweetly.
She thought about the past, the present, and the future. Gradually, she was immersed in her own thoughts and did not notice that the sky was gradually getting dark. The lights in the corridor were already lit, and among the laughter in the front hall, Yang Fan's voice could be heard …
… …
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