Yang Fan dragged his tired body to the hut where he was hung up when he first arrived at the stronghold. He sat down on a pile of grass. Just as he took a breath, the one-armed Miss Lianxin brought him a pancake and put down the water basket on her shoulder. She said to him with some embarrassment, "There's not much water left …"
The water basket was very light. Yang Fan felt it as soon as it was put on the ground. Looking at Miss Lianxin's chapped lips, Yang Fan's voice became very gentle, "I'm not thirsty. You and Miss Xun Er can share the remaining water in the basket."
"No, no, no …"
Lianxin hurriedly shook her head, "This is for you and Miss Xun Er. You are fighting at the front and need it more than me … I mean, I've already drunk it."
At this time, Xun Er and Gao Qingshan exchanged a few words and walked in. Yang Fan grabbed the water basket and handed it to her, saying, "Here, you and Lianxin can share it. Quickly finish eating and rest. The next wave of attacks should not take too long."
Lianxin refused and was dragged to sit down by Xun Er. Yang Fan took a hard bite of the pancake. The oatmeal pancake was actually quite fragrant. Normally, without any dishes, Yang Fan could happily swallow a few pancakes. But now his throat was smoking and the pancake could not melt in his mouth. When he swallowed hard, his throat felt like it was being cut by a knife.
Xun Er took a wooden bowl and poured the water in the basket into the bowl. There was only half a bowl of water.
Lianxin was a little uneasy and whispered, "I'll go get some more."
Xun Er sighed, saying, "Forget it. The entire stronghold is short of water. If we drink more, others will have to drink less. "
Lianxin said, "But … you are a chieftain and Brother Yang is an imperial envoy. It's not the same."
Xun Er said, "What's the difference? Come, you drink one-third first. I'll share the rest with Brother Yang. "
Lianxin hurriedly refused again. Yang Fan said, "Lianxin, you are injured and need water more than we do. Don't refuse. If you don't drink your share, Xun Er will not drink. "
Lian Xin had no choice but to take small sips of water. She drank a little of the water in the bowl and passed it to Xun Er. Xun Er also took three small sips and passed the bowl to Yang Fan.
Yang Fan did not refuse. He held the bowl and took a sip, feeling the sweet water flow slowly down his throat. Every cell in his body seemed to sigh with joy. People who were not extremely thirsty would never be able to experience this kind of taste.
After tasting it for a long time, Yang Fan took another sip. He could not bear to swallow it immediately. With the water in his mouth, he handed the bowl to Xun Er. How could Xun Er take it? The three of them were pushing each other for a small bowl of water. Gao Qingshan was like a bull whose butt was on fire.
"Brother Yang, Brother Yang, they retreated, they retreated, hahaha …"
Gao Qingshan grabbed Yang Fan's shoulders and shook him so hard that the water in the bowl spilled out and splashed all over Yang Fan.
Lianxin was anxious. He hit his brother's shoulder and said, "Brother, be careful, the water is spilled … What? What did you say? "
Lianxin's fist stopped in the air. He suddenly realized something.
Xun Er, who was struggling to swallow the baked wheat cake, also looked at Gao Qingshan in shock.
Gao Qingshan beamed and said, "Wenhao retreated! They retreated! "
Xun Er and Lianxin rushed over and asked, "Is it true?"
Yang Fan gently put the bowl to the side and suppressed the joy in his heart. He asked in a low voice, "Are you sure? Could they have used some kind of deceitful tactic? "
Gao Qingshan laughed and said, "We are on the mountain, and they are at the foot of the mountain. Looking down from above, we can see everything. What is the use of them pretending to retreat? Who can they fool? Haha, they really retreated!"
"How is it possible? Why would they retreat for no reason? "Yang Fan muttered to himself, but there was a smile on his face.
Wen Hao and Yun Xuan had hurriedly retreated. They didn't even have time to tear down the large tents that the generals were living in. The direction they retreated in was not Yao State City, but the wilderness. They fled downstream along the great river. There was a suspension bridge a dozen or so li downstream, but that road did not lead to Yao State.
A few clever men were sent down the mountain to scout around. After confirming that they had really retreated, they immediately sent someone up the mountain to send a message. At the same time, they sent two people to follow the direction of Wenhao and the others.
After hearing the news, Yang Fan, Gao Qingshan, and Xun Er hurriedly went down the mountain. They walked around Wenhao's encampment twice and saw that it was a mess. There were many things that they did not have time to take away. It could be seen that they had left in a hurry.
As the three of them analyzed the reason for Wenhao's retreat, dust billowed in the distance like a long dragon. The momentum was so great that they could feel it standing at the foot of the mountain. However, the people in charge of the lookout on the tree halfway up the mountain did not send out any warning signals. Just as they were surprised, a person in charge of guarding the perimeter ran back and shouted from afar, "The chieftain is here! Our chieftain is here with his troops! "
Xun Er was overjoyed and immediately rushed over to that person. Yang Fan and Gao Qingshan looked at each other and followed behind Xun Er.
"Where is that bastard Wenhao? What! He escaped! Long Fei, take some people and chase after him! "
Xunqi ordered in a thunderous voice. He ordered the second housekeeper, Long Fei, to lead the vanguard in pursuit. He also ordered one of his sons to quickly ride to the rear to urge the troops to chase after Wenhao. He then jumped down from his horse and quickly walked over to Xun Er.
Xunqi pulled his daughter into his embrace and hugged her tightly. He then let her go and looked her up and down. Seeing that his beautiful daughter now looked like a little beggar, he couldn't help but say sadly, "My poor daughter, she was actually bullied to this extent by that bastard Wenhao."
Xun Er rolled her eyes at him and said, "Father, what nonsense are you saying? What do you mean your daughter was bullied to this extent by Wenhao?"
Gao Qingshan rushed to Xunqi's side and bowed respectfully. "Gao Qingshan greets chieftain."
Xunqi glanced at him and then his gaze locked onto Yang Fan. After examining him for a while, his gaze became sharp. "He is …"
Xun Er wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and said to Xunqi, "Father, he is called Yang Fan and is an imperial envoy sent by the imperial court. He is not on the same side as that imperial censor Huang. When I sent people to ask for reinforcements, I mentioned him. He can help us … "
Xunqi sneered and a hint of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth. He said, "He can help us? Right now, I have helped him. If I didn't come, he probably wouldn't even be able to keep his life. Hmph! That imperial envoy Huang has mobilized troops from three provinces and has Wenhao and Yun Xuan listening to his orders. What does he have as an imperial envoy? "
Xun Er furrowed her brows and said unhappily, "Father, how can you say that? Big brother Yang … imperial envoy Yang is very powerful. How can that fellow surnamed Huang compare?"
Yang Fan smiled and stopped her. He took a step forward and cupped his hands at Xunqi. "Yang Fan greets Chieftain Xunqi. Chieftain is right. Huang Jingrong has the support of Chieftains Wenhao and Yun Xuan, but what if Chieftain Xunqi and Chieftain Zhe Zhu are willing to support me? My power will naturally be greater than Huang Jingrong's, won't it? "
"As for the reinforcements from three provinces sent by the imperial court …" Yang Fan shook his head and said confidently, "They have only been deceived by Huang Jingrong. Right now, they don't know that I am here. If they knew, I would tell them to watch from the sidelines and not interfere in the affairs of the provinces. They would definitely listen. "
Xunqi laughed loudly. "Forget it. This old man doesn't trust you anymore! Now that you are not here, haven't the soldiers of the imperial court and that Huang Jingrong been forced to flee by me? Since you have helped this old man guard the stronghold, this old man will let you go. Otherwise, I will not let a single person from the imperial court go. If it weren't for you, how could Wenhao and Yun Xuan have such ambitions and drag Yao Prefecture into the chaos of war? "
Yang Fan said, "Wenhao and Yun Xuan have ambitions. Even without Huang Jingrong's arrival, they would still find an opportunity in the future. Chieftain Xunqi is trying to pin the blame on the imperial court for this matter. You've won now, but what do you think this momentary victory means?
You once chased Wenhao out of Yao Prefecture. When the army of the imperial court arrived, you quickly retreated back to your territory. Now that you are attacking Yao Prefecture again, what will you do when the imperial court's army returns? To put it bluntly, Chieftain Xunqi, you can defeat Wenhao and Yun Xuan and chase away the few soldiers from the imperial court that have come to reinforce you. However, if the imperial court truly sends an army, you won't be able to withstand a single blow! "
Xunqi was infuriated. With a clang, he pulled out the scabbard and said sternly, "You have to test the sharpness of this old man's steel blade!"
Xun Er panicked and quickly moved in front of Yang Fan. She spread out her arms to protect him and angrily said, "Father! You have just arrived and you are already going crazy. This is an imperial envoy of the imperial court. If you kill an imperial envoy, it will confirm your name as a rebel! "
Xunqi angrily said, "Damned girl, you are siding with an outsider! Move aside. What's wrong with an imperial envoy? Huang Jingrong is also an imperial envoy, but hasn't he been forced to flee by me? If he had left a moment later, I would have cut him down! "
Xun Er said, "Brother Yang is different from Huang Jingrong!"
Xunqi said, "What is the difference?"
"He … he is our friend!"
"Miss Xun Er, let me say it!" Yang Fan placed his hand on Miss Xun Er's shoulder. The women of the barbarian tribes were not as strict as those of the Central Plains. This was not the first time that Miss Xun Er's body had been touched by a man. However, when Yang Fan's warm and powerful hand pressed down on her shoulder, the heat from his palm seeped into her and Xun Er's body became slightly weak.
Yang Fan gently pushed her to the side and took a step forward. Facing the pole in Kun Qi's hand that could cut through iron as if it were mud, he calmly said, "Chieftain Kun Qi has won a battle and seems to have forgotten himself. In your eyes, the army of the imperial court is only so-so, right? Haha, Chieftain Daren should remember what your stronghold was like in the past. With just this stronghold, how many troops can it block?
A few days ago, you sent a group of troops to help the stronghold, but they were defeated by Wenhao. When they returned, they should have told you just how many troops were attacking the stronghold. And this stronghold, before you arrived, had always been in our hands. Wenhao attacked the stronghold day and night, but he could not do anything to us.
Why are we able to defend the stronghold? The warriors in the stronghold are not afraid of death and dare to fight. On the other hand, it is because I have made some changes to the stronghold, and my ability to lead troops in battle is not worth mentioning among the generals of the imperial court.
Do you think you can easily defeat the imperial court's troops? Who knows if it is because the imperial court's troops do not want to help the tribes in Yaozhou? Otherwise, with over ten thousand elite troops, Chieftain Daren will have a hard time. If Chieftain Daren does not stop while you are ahead, and the imperial court sends more troops, how will you deal with it? "
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