Songzhi Xianling? This was a completely unfamiliar name. Fan Xian thought of a person called Songgan Zanpu. He shook his head and said, "This is the language of the grasslands …"
His brows suddenly rose. He thought that if this mysterious person had come to the grasslands from the outside, then this alias must have a true meaning. "However, it should have its own meaning."
"This is the tribal language of the brothers in the North. It is not the language of the grasslands." Hu Ge sheathed his curved knife and said seriously, "I've investigated for three months and can already confirm that this person came to the grasslands with the Northern tribes. I'm not sure about the meaning of Songzhi Xianling, but the xianling should mean twinkling."
Fan Xian's brows furrowed. Twinkling. Twinkling. Diamond, diamond, twinkling? He immediately thought of the name wrongly. He didn't think that twinkling could be an adjective or some kind of movement, such as flowers blooming?
This proved that the Hu tribes did not have a unified language and would indeed bring trouble to many people. Fan Xian's head hurt. He had too little information on hand. What use could a name have? Helplessly, he raised his eyes and looked at Hu Ge. "The brothers in the North are still moving toward the grasslands?"
Hu Ge nodded with a serious expression. "It is already the fourth year. The first year, it was the brothers in the North who came as scouts. There weren't many people. The second year, it was the warriors among the brothers in the North. This group had the most people. In the last two years, it has mainly been the elderly, women, and children who had stayed in the North. They have moved with great difficulty along the path opened to the side of the Meridian of the Sky."
"If … if Songzhi Xianling is a tribe member in the North, then what year did he come to the grasslands?"
"It should be the group from before. Although this person is mysterious, since he can influence the decisions of the King's tent, he must have the absolute support of the brothers in the North. Otherwise, who would listen to him?"
"You're saying …" Fan Xian stared into Hu Ge's eyes. "The brothers in the North have already established themselves on the grasslands and received the King's approval?"
"This is natural. They are very brave. Although there are only tens of thousands of them, almost all of them are warriors. Additionally, their tribes are more united than the people on the grasslands. Furthermore, their requests for water and grass areas are not greedy. Regardless of whether it is the King's tent or the two Virtuous Kings, they all welcome their arrival," Hu Ge said seriously.
Hu Ge said very seriously, "Also, our brothers in the north never participate in the internal struggles of the grasslands, so they are the targets of all parties. Although their voices are still steady, they seem to be getting louder and louder in our ears."
Fan Xian nodded and didn't say anything. The source of the Qing Kingdom's tight situation on the Western border was because of the continuous natural disasters to the north of Northern Qi. Heavy snow sealed the plains and forced the Northern Barbarians to migrate tens of thousands of li to the grasslands. The ruthlessness of the Western Hu and the tyranny of the Northern Barbarians combined. The pressure on the Qing border increased.
He felt a chill in his heart. If the Hu people truly united, Qing Kingdom would be in big trouble. After decades of Qing Kingdom conquest, the Hu people had long been weak. Additionally, there was the Overwatch Council's 30 years of slightly weakening provocations and evil schemes. The Xi Hu side was not a threat. No one would have thought that the arrival of the Northern barbarians would be like a shot in the arm for the Hu people. Songzhi Xianling seemed to have a way to bridge the divide between the Hu people.
"Tell me about the current situation on the grasslands." Fan Xian looked at Hu Ge in front of him. His expression was calm, but he was thinking that even if Songzhi Xianling could temporarily unite the Hu people, since he had found Hu Ge, he would certainly be able to tear open a large hole within the Hu people.
When he thought of this, he couldn't help but feel a little excited. If the plains were a game of chess, then the next step would be for him and that Songzhi Xianling to place their pieces on the board. They would go back and forth and see who would emerge victorious in the end.
Of course, it was him, Fan Xian thought. He had to win because he had acutely captured Songzhi Xianling's plan hidden in the deepest depths. He greatly loathed her thoughts.
…
…
The temperature difference between day and night in the west was great. The sun slowly moved. It was as if the temperature in Dingzhou had given some order. It gradually heated up and cooled down. When the shadow of the mud wall in the city grew longer and longer, the sun set in the west, and the temperature grew lower and lower, Fan Xian and Hu Ge's first meeting came to an end.
In his mind, he thought over the information he had obtained from Hu Ge's mouth. Fan Xian confirmed that he had benefited greatly from this trip. He then confirmed the method of contact with the other party, as well as the details of the contact, and began the final exchange of benefits.
Regardless of whether it was gold, silver, treasures, silk, tea, or porcelain, it was all transported to the grasslands and handed to Hu Ge's hands without anyone knowing. This in itself was a troublesome matter. Fortunately, although the grasslands and Qing Kingdom had fought for decades, the tribes on the grasslands had long become accustomed to paying tribute because the Qing Kingdom had always held an absolute advantage. The trade between the two sides had never stopped.
In other words, while the two sides were shooting poison arrows at each other at the foot of Tianshan, perhaps on the other side of the mountain, merchants were laboriously making their way to the grasslands to transport goods to the heart of the Central Plain in exchange for furs and other things. War and commerce did not interfere with each other.
However, it would be difficult to privately smuggle important goods like ironware, salt, and grain. Since Fan Xian had the Emperor's personal edict, he did not care about this.
Hearing Fan Xian's last words, Hu Ge furrowed his brows and said, "Commissioner, there is trust between us. That is why I am telling you this path. I hope you won't disappoint me. If you really disappoint me, believe me, I won't need the King's tent to move troops. On the grasslands, I will be able to destroy you."
Fan Xian knew what this Hu tribe ace was afraid of. He shook his head and said, "Don't worry. Although the scenery on your side is beautiful, I am not used to drinking horse wine. I have no interest in bringing an army over."
Having obtained the promise, Hu Ge relaxed slightly. He raised his wine bowl and toasted Fan Xian. He then drained it in one gulp. The wine spilled down and wet his beard and clothes.
Fan Xian smiled and raised his wine bowl, preparing to end this transaction. Unexpectedly, he heard a light whistle come from outside the shop. His brows immediately furrowed and he placed the wine bowl back on the table.
This whistle was very light, like a shepherd herding a camel. It did not attract the attention of Hu Ge's people. Hu Ge noticed that Fan Xian had placed the wine bowl back on the table. His heart jumped slightly. He thought that Fan Xian still had some conditions. He thought to himself that the Qing people were indeed cunning and always liked to make exorbitant demands.
Unexpectedly, Fan Xian looked at him and said, "Are there any problems with the people you brought?"
Hu Ge's expression froze slightly. He understood that a problem had occurred outside the shop. He shook his head and said, "They are all children of my tribe scattered to various places. There is absolutely no problem." He knew that the matter was urgent. As he spoke, he began to pack his things and prepare to flee. If the Dingzhou military and government governments knew he was in the city, they would stop at nothing to capture him.
The two sides had fought fiercely these few years. If they could capture the top ace under the Left Virtuous King's banner, Dingzhou would be overjoyed.
Fan Xian watched his movements but did not rise. He lowered his head and quietly said, "They are still outside the street. The encirclement has not formed. Leave from the back of the house. I'll hold them off for a while for you."
Hu Ge looked at him with a strange feeling. He had taken the risk to come to Dingzhou. He had not thought that the person to meet him would be Commissioner Fan of the Qing Kingdom's Overwatch Council, such an honorable figure.
It was precisely because Fan Xian had personally come that Hu Ge had placed more trust in him. This was very beneficial to their future cooperation.
"I won't see you out." Fan Xian raised his wine bowl and said, "Be careful on your journey. We'll meet again another day."
Hu Ge nodded his head heavily and accepted the heavy package Mu Feng 'er handed over. Putting his finger to his lips, he whistled. Lifting the curtain, he followed the hole in the earth toward the back of the lamb shop. At the same time, a few unremarkable Hu merchants and workers outside the lamb shop also blended into the crowd.
"They are used to hiding everywhere. After all, their tribe has been massacred for many years. If they want to restore their tribe, there will always be many things that cannot be seen in the light." Mu Feng 'er looked at Fan Xian, who had his head lowered as he drank. He knew what he was worried about and said, "I called the police early. Dingzhou will not be able to catch him."
Fan Xian nodded. A few subordinates of the Overwatch Council disguised as Central Plain merchants rushed in and reported, "The guards of the Western camp have entered the dirt street and will be here soon."
Mu Feng 'er glanced at Fan Xian, meaning to ask if he should retreat at this time.
Fan Xian shook his head. Since the Dingzhou army had their eyes on them, then the carriages they had left at the mud wall earlier were also controlled by the other party. The three of them came to the lamb shop, but they left a few Sixth Bureau subordinates behind to follow them from a distance. This was to prevent any accidents from happening. Since the two sides had met, there was no need to retreat.
For the safety of Hu Ge and his group, Fan Xian had to delay the Qing soldiers capturing the spies for a while.
"If the other party doesn't deal a heavy blow, we won't make a move."
Fan Xian took a sip of wine and spoke to his subordinates. Mu Feng 'er and the Overwatch Council officials met each other's eyes and nodded.
At this moment, there was a commotion outside the lamb shop and the startling sound of horse hooves. Countless people charged in and surrounded the shop. Faintly, one could hear an official's loud cry. It was like he had discovered that a target had left the lamb shop.
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and felt it was very troublesome. He stood up from the brick bed, turned around, and pulled out a piece of bamboo from the mat. He then walked out of the shop.
There was a murderous aura outside the shop. There were at least 200 Dingzhou soldiers surrounding the shop. The long spears in their hands were aimed at the people walking out of the shop. The tips of the spears shot out wildly. It was as if they could turn the Central Plain merchants into mincemeat at any moment.
Outside the encirclement were the well-behaved merchants. They watched this scene with curiosity and nervousness. They didn't know why the people of the General's manor would use such a large force to deal with these merchants. The clever ones had already guessed that the identities of these merchants were probably not that simple.
"I can't let anyone suspect the escaped Hu Ge because of my existence." This was the true meaning hidden in the order Fan Xian had given earlier. This spy the Overwatch Council had hidden in Xi Lake was too important. Fan Xian didn't even dare trust anyone, much less in front of so many people.
A soldier moved closer to the officer's ear and said something. The officer's eyes lit up. Presumably, he had confirmed the other party's identity. Looking at Fan Xian and his group, he said in a cold voice, "Someone, capture these spies!"
Fan Xian looked at the soldier's face and recognized him as the soldier guarding the east gate. It was this person who had examined their documents to enter the city. He immediately knew where the problem was. He couldn't help smiling helplessly and glancing at Mu Feng 'er.
Mu Feng 'er knew that he had made some mistakes in his handling of the details and had aroused the suspicions of Dingzhou. He was angry in his heart, but he was afraid of angering Fan Xian. His expression became increasingly ugly. Surrounded by countless spears, he looked at the officer with a cold expression. His gaze was as if he was about to bring a bowl of water and swallow him alive.
The officer didn't know what these merchants were thinking. Seeing that there was not a glimmer of fear on their faces, he became more and more certain that there was something strange about these merchants. As he prepared to give orders and send out a portion of his subordinates to continue capturing the people who had escaped, he urged his horse to stop in front of the merchants.
He couldn't let the Dingzhou army catch up to Hu Ge. Fan Xian furrowed his brows. Mu Feng 'er received the order. A cold light flashed through his eyes. With a push of his feet, yellow sand appeared. His entire body had already flipped up like a gray shadow. Pressing his palm against the horse's head, a short knife flew out from his sleeve. He was about to restrain the careless officer.
Since the officer dared to ride alone in front of everyone, he had great confidence in his skills. Seeing the sudden change, he was not surprised at all. Raising the sheath of his knife with one hand, he slapped it toward Mu Feng 'er's wrist. His right hand left the reins and went straight for Mu Feng' er's throat. His movements were clean and efficient. It was the authentic Ye family's grappling skills.
This officer's martial arts were indeed powerful, but he only thought that these merchants might be spies. He had no idea of their true identities and couldn't help but underestimate them.
He blocked Mu Feng 'er, but he couldn't block the black shadows that rose up at almost the same time as Mu Feng' er. With a number of swishing sounds, the shadows descended on the officer's horse at the same time. One grabbed the hand, the other grabbed the throat.
The swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau attacked. Even Fan Xian was afraid of them, much less this unremarkable soldier of Dingzhou.
With a wail, the horse suddenly realized that there were four people standing on its back. How could it withstand it? Its front hooves softened and it fell down.
A cloud of dust rose. The Dingzhou soldiers were shocked. They watched helplessly as their leader was easily captured by the spies.
Mu Feng 'er took the officer's knife sheath and placed the knife in his hand across his neck. Facing the Dingzhou soldiers charging over from all directions, he shouted, "If you're not afraid of death, then come."
The officer's face was deathly white. He had not thought that he would not be able to block one move from these spies. Gritting his teeth, he roared at his subordinates, "Capture these people!"
He now believed that these people were not only spies but very powerful spies. For the sake of Dingzhou's safety, why would they care about his life or death?
He didn't care, but Fan Xian did. If conflict truly erupted, the Dingzhou army would not be able to keep them, but how would they explain it to the court?
"We are not spies." Fan Xian walked forward and looked at everyone warmly. "We are just merchants."
With this disturbance, the officer did not have time to give the order to chase. Hu Ge and his group should have already safely escaped the encirclement. Fan Xian's state of mind had also calmed down. He indicated for his subordinates to put down the weapons in their hands. Smiling slightly at the brave officer, he said, "Sir, my subordinates are all rash people. I've frightened you."
Naturally, no one believed such words. Even the most rash of jianghu people would not attack the court's army.
The officer touched his tight throat and found that he was still surrounded by these spies. Looking at Fan Xian in the lead, he ruthlessly said, "Let's see where else you can escape to."
"We won't escape. We are truly just merchants. We just overreacted earlier." After saying this, Fan Xian couldn't help but want to cry. Hu Ge, oh Hu Ge, I have truly caused a great deal of trouble for you.
"Is that so? Which family are you merchants from? " The officer looked at Fan Xian darkly as if he was not at all worried about his safety. The Dingzhou soldiers outside didn't know what they were talking about. They only went to make an urgent report to the General's manor. At the same time, they set up the encirclement. No one paid any more attention to the people who could escape from the back of the shop.
"The Lingnan Xiong family," Mu Feng 'er said.
"Since you are merchants, come back with me to the manor for inspection." The officer gritted his teeth so hard they almost shattered. He roared angrily, "Otherwise, kill them on the spot!"
In his opinion, these spies were probably about to break out of the encirclement. However, they were controlling him, so it was inconvenient for his subordinates to act. No matter what, if he suggested that these merchants come with him to the General's manor for questioning, the other party would certainly not accept.
Unexpectedly, after the young and handsome merchant thought for a moment, he nodded and said, "Very well, we are law-abiding merchants. Of course, we are willing to explain ourselves."
The officer furrowed his brows. He didn't know what these spies were thinking. Did they not know that once they were captured, what awaited them would be endless beatings and interrogation? However, since the other party was so muddle-headed and stupid, the officer would not miss this opportunity.
"Tie your own hands," he looked at Fan Xian and roared loudly.
…
…
Fan Xian was obedient, truly obedient. He was even more obedient than he was in front of the Emperor. He obediently allowed the Dingzhou soldiers to tie him up like a rice dumpling. Furthermore, his shoulder was hit heavily by a soldier. It was truly painful.
The Overwatch Council officials under him were also obedient and obediently allowed themselves to be captured without a trace of struggle. On the contrary, it confused the Dingzhou soldiers.
Because these merchant-like spies had once subdued their immediate superior in one move, these soldiers did not hold back. As they tied them up, they secretly used some heavy blows.
Fan Xian stood by the officer's side and pleaded, "Don't hit people."
The officer glared at him. He couldn't understand how this spy could be so daring. Resisting in the street was a small matter, but he could still speak to him so calmly.
"There is still someone in the shop who has been drugged by us. Don't forget to bring him back with you." Fan Xian was more like a Dingzhou advisor.
"What's with all this nonsense? Just wait until you can't even die if you want to," he said sinisterly as he stared into Fan Xian's eyes.
Fan Xian did not get angry. He forced a smile and said, "The merchants I brought into the city have presumably also been captured by you. Please say something and don't torture them."
The officer glanced at him mockingly. He had seen countless spies, but this was the first time he had seen someone as childish and laughable as Fan Xian.
Fan Xian looked at him and said seriously, "We didn't kill you earlier. How about you return our favor?"
The officer became more and more confused. He felt a chill in the depths of his heart and wondered if he had done something wrong. He subconsciously stopped his subordinates from beating up the spies.
…
…
Something major had happened in Dingzhou. Another group of spies had been captured. Although there were spies every year and there were new ones every month, the spies captured in the lamb shop were different. First, they had come from the heart of the Central Plain. No one knew if they wanted to do illicit salt business with Xi Hu or if they had a bigger plan. Second, these spies were clearly strange.
The upper echelons of the Dingzhou army took great interest in this group of spies. They had always disagreed with the court and Overwatch Council's decisions. They thought that there was no god-like military adviser in the Western Hu King's tent. The reason the Hu people had been so powerful these years was all because someone within the court had colluded with them and provided them with large amounts of support.
These merchant spies who came from Jiangnan through Jingdou seemed to confirm this point even more clearly. This was a serious matter, so there was no time to use torture to interrogate these spies. Before the Governor's manor could reach out, the Commander of the military in Dingzhou had ordered the spies to be escorted back to the General's manor.
When it came to stealing credit, regardless of whether it was the front line or the rear, it was all the same.
The officer escorted Fan Xian and his group into the General's manor. He found that the General was personally interrogating them. He couldn't help feeling happy. He thought to himself that although he had made a fool of himself today, he had captured these important people. His merits still outweighed his faults.
"We still haven't had time to ask?" The General sitting at the top ground his teeth until they creaked. "Then what are we waiting for? First, break their legs and then flog them 30 times. Then, we can question them. "
The Dingzhou soldiers below shouted in unison and prepared to take action.
The general spat on the ground and cursed, "Motherf * cker, how dare you not kneel in front of me. You're quite unyielding … What bullsh * t Xiong Family of Lingnan? Even if you're from Xia Mingji, I'll still beat you up."
Everyone in court and the military knew that Xia Mingji was Commissioner Fan's family property. There was basically no one in this world who dared to not give Fan Xian face. Strangely, this General's tone did not sound like he was bragging.
Fan Xian raised his head with a pained expression and looked at the bearded General of the Western Expedition. He wondered why this kid was so ugly. He sighed and said, "We can't beat them."
The Western Expedition Camp's Imperial General, Li Hongcheng, was angrily drinking strong wine. He wondered why these bastard Hu people never let him relax. Suddenly hearing these words, he unconsciously looked down the hall and unexpectedly saw a familiar face.
The features on that face had changed slightly, but the mischievousness in his eyes was just as strong as it was in the past.
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