Tang Yixian carried the steaming hot rice porridge with Zhengde following closely behind. In his hands were two plates of exquisite side dishes. Under the helpless gazes of the palace guards, they hurried to the study but saw that the couch was empty. Tang Yixian put down the rice porridge and walked to the door to ask the guards, "Where is my brother?"
A guard respectfully said, "Miss, Daren received an important message and hurried to see Yang Zongzhi."
Tang Yixian returned to the room disappointedly and sat down on Yang Ling's handsome chair with a pout. She grumbled, "Biaoge is not an iron man, he doesn't even let him eat. Really, the Emperor doesn't send out hungry soldiers? How can he order people around like this. "
Zhengde shrunk his head guiltily and laughed dryly. He held up the two dishes and did not know whether to put them down or what to do.
Tang Yixian glared at him and said angrily, "Put them down, are you going to hold them up until Biaoge comes back?"
Zhengde put the dishes on the table and said enviously, "A beauty washing her hands and making soup, I wonder whose son will be lucky enough to taste Miss's cooking in the future."
Tang Yixian leaned on the table and propped her chin on her hand. Her eyes were hazy as she said, "This ah … I have also thought about it. Tang Yixian's husband must be a man of indomitable spirit. He must have great ability and be able to protect me and protect the people of Datong from being bullied by the Tartars. He must be able to establish great merit and leave his name in history!"
Zhengde looked at her infatuated beauty and his heart could not help but sway. He quietly puffed out his chest and swayed it back and forth in front of her. Unexpectedly, after Tang Yixian finished speaking, she rolled her eyes at him and said, "Anyway it will not be like you. Biaoge is a scholar but he does everything personally and is not afraid even in dangerous situations. What about you?
A hero is not afraid of a low birth but afraid of a life of lowly work. Those great generals are not born as generals but if you are willing to be a small soldier for the rest of your life, then you will have no future. All you do is run around all day and only know how to serve others. "
Zhengde's face turned red and said, "When did I do that? I have also thought of establishing a career, isn't this … isn't this because Daren assigned me to you? "
Tang Yixian snorted softly and raised her eyes to look at him. Seeing his embarrassed face, her heart softened and she said, "Xiao Huang, this morning I saw you competing with the Imperial Bodyguards. Although you are young, your martial art skill is not bad. When you have nothing to do, you should read some military books. You are still young, in the future you will make great contributions, you will be bestowed the title of Marquis, it would be great to be a great general who is good at both literature and martial art.
Actually, I've always been a servant. I don't think of myself as a young lady anymore. I usually order you around just because I think you're funny. I don't have the intention to order you around. Men cannot be compared to us women. A man's glory is either to bathe in blood on the battlefield or to rule the country. At the very least, you have to be a famous scholar. You should have some ambition. "
Zhengde's heart was stirred by her words. His handsome face turned red and after a long while he said as if he was making a vow, "Miss Yixian, don't worry, I will not disappoint you. Xiao Huang will not be a small soldier forever. One day, I will stand in front of thousands of troops and horses. I will command them calmly and point my halberd at them. I will make great contributions and leave my name in history. I will be a great general. Yes! I will be the greatest great general! "
Tang Yixian laughed, her hand supporting her cheek, she glanced at him and said, "Why would I be disappointed. What does it have to do with me whether you are successful or not?"
After she finished speaking, her heart moved inexplicably. Her eyes moved again and met Zhengde's infatuated and loving gaze. Her pretty face suddenly became hot.
※ ※ ※
The wind blew and the snow covered the bows and swords.
60 warhorses rushed past the deserted streets and went straight to the Gudian Town at the north of the city.
This was the resting place of Miao Kui and Xu Tai who had just returned from the surprise attack on the Mongols.
Miao Kui and Xu Tai had successfully completed the mission of destroying the enemy's rear. This was significant. The Tatars, who had always lived as nomads, constantly raided the border. This time, the Ming army took the initiative and went deep into the Tatars' grasslands. This was a blow to the morale of the entire Mongolian tribe. Compared to killing tens of thousands of Mongolian cavalry on Ming Destiny's land, it would cause more panic in the Mongolian tribe.
And this time, the destruction would definitely cause the Mongolian tribes to start an internal war in order to survive. If Ming Destiny could take advantage of the situation, support the weak and destroy the strong, and win over the three Duoyan Guards, he could make the desert, which had just seemed to be unified, into a state of disunity again and fall into a warring state. If Ming Destiny took the opportunity to lift the ban on the rich country and train the army, then ten years later, twenty years later …
Yang Ling could not help but feel a warmth in his heart when he thought about this. There was a two-story restaurant in front of him. The red banners and lanterns were a little worn out. The blood-red Great Warlock Army Flag, as well as the Commander Flag with the Miao and Xu characters on it, indicated that this was where Miao Kui and Xu Tai were stationed.
The cavalry arrived in front of the restaurant. Yang Ling hurriedly got off the horse. The soldiers led the horse to the side and tied it up. Yang Ling shook off the snow on his robe and squinted at the vast sky.
The snow fell like mist, and the ancient restaurant was covered in a sheet of white. Only the banners and lanterns swayed slightly, bringing with them a faint red color. Soldiers constantly entered and left the tents, and from time to time, the warhorses would let out a low neigh.
Zhang Yong also got off the horse. At this time, a group of people rushed out. The person in front saw Yang Ling and Zhang Yong and hurriedly ran two steps forward. He could not help but say happily: "Mr Yang, Eunuch Zhang." He rushed forward and grabbed Yang Ling's arm.
Yang Ling looked around. Behind him were Yang Yiqing and Du Renguo. Next to them was a young general in Mongolian attire. His face was covered with dust and he had not had time to wash up. He was also smiling at him. Yang Ling had a flash of inspiration. He guessed that this person must be the Martial Examination Champion from two years ago, Datong's Brigadier General Xu Tai.
No wonder they were able to smoothly sweep through the desert. Other than the detailed information provided by the inner factory, accurate maps, and the bravery of the army, one of the reasons was that they disguised themselves as Tartars.
Yang Ling did not have the time to think carefully. He looked closely at the agitated Miao Kui. The originally tender and supple Miao Kui was now wearing a bulky robe made of animal hide. The skin on his face and hands was rough, and his skin had turned dark. There were small cracks on his skin.
Risking life and death to venture deep into the desert, suffering so many hardships. To put it bluntly, this could be called greedy for power. Then what kind of achievements did they claim to have made? What kind of achievements did they build? At this moment, Yang Ling did not have the slightest prejudice against this Eunuch Miao.
He tightened his grip on Miao Kui's hand and said with a smile: "Factory Manager, five thousand Armoured Horsemen have swept through the desert and returned safely. Your great achievement will certainly be recorded in the annals of history. Ming Destiny's achievements in expanding the territory and pacifying the Tartars will begin today!"
Hearing this, Miao Kui's eyes brimmed with tears. For almost a month, he had risked his life and marched every day in a barren land. For this hard work to be praised so highly and to receive such respect from others, he felt an indescribable emotion in his heart.
Zhang Yong was originally a subordinate of the West Factory. Seeing his former superior, he also stepped forward to say a few words of appreciation. The masked general smiled and waited for both sides to finish exchanging pleasantries before he stepped forward and knelt down on one knee. In a loud and clear voice he said: "General Xu Tai pays his respect to the two Imperial Envoy Daren!"
Yang Ling and Zhang Yong quickly stepped forward to help him up. They said with a smile: "General has worked hard and rendered great service, there is no need to be so polite."
With a smile on his face Yang Yiqing said: "Hehe, come, come. The snow is heavy outside. Let's go inside and talk."
The group entered the house. They saw a clay stove in the middle of the house. On top of the stove, there was boiling water in an iron pot. Inside the pot, there were large pieces of mutton. On the table next to the stove, there were garlic seasonings and some milk pancakes, dried rations, and a few big bowls.
It was inappropriate for Yang Ling to ask about that Tatar Kedun right away. He rubbed his hands together and said with a smile: "Big bowls of wine, big mouthfuls of meat. Very well. I am a little hungry. Come, come, let us sit around the stove and drink some wine. We can talk while we eat."
The group walked to the table and sat down. Most of the people sitting there were military officers. Although Yang Yiqing used to be a civil official, first he was a horse breeder in Western Liang, then he was the commander of the border station, so he has been assimilated early on. Other than Zhang Yong, who ate in a more cultured manner, these people wolfed down their food; they did not look like important ministers of the imperial court at all.
Miao Kui has been fighting in the desert for a month. He is long used to the smell of blood. Large pieces of mutton were cut open with a small knife. The blood vessels in the middle were still red. He put them into his mouth and chewed. Occasionally he would pick up the bowl and drink a mouthful of strong wine. His forthrightness was more manly than a man's.
Miao Kui and Xu Tai had already told Yang Yiqing about their experience in the desert. Now that they were telling Yang Ling and Zhang Yong about it, their emotions were no longer as agitated. Digging a hole to hide in the violent snowstorm, encountering a pack of hungry and savage wolves, raiding and burning the Tatar tribe at night. One by one, they recounted everything. Whether it was the close shave of life and death, the delightful killing, the tragic scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere. Right now in this warm room, it was as if they were narrating a story from the distant past.
When the two of them finished, Yang Ling heaved a long sigh of relief. He then asked, "I heard that on the way back you kidnapped a woman. She is a Khatun. Could she be … Boyan's Empress?"
Xu Tai shook his head and said, "It's hard to say. On the way back we encountered a violent snowstorm. For a moment we could not tell the direction. If we had stayed there, the whole army would have frozen to death. We had no choice but to look for a place to hide from the wind. Coincidentally we found a small Mongolian tribe on a slope. We wanted to attack them along the way so we only sent a hundred men. We did not expect that the small tribe did not have any old, weak, women or children. Although there were less than five hundred of them, they were all good warriors.
When I saw that our attack was thwarted, I immediately led the whole army to kill them. Only then did we manage to kill them. There was a Mongolian maid who hastily escaped into a large tent, calling for a Khatun to escape. My scouts understood the Tatar language and immediately led me to chase after her. I felt that this woman's identity must not be ordinary so I brought her back. "
Zhang Yong wondered, "Since she is called a Khatun, could it be that Boyan has a second Empress? Why can't we confirm her identity? "
Miao Kui smiled and explained, "Old Zhang, the Mongolians are different from us Han. The wives of the Mongolian Khans and some of the major tribal leaders are all called Khatun. In addition, the Mongolian Khans' harem uses the 'Ord' tent system. The 'Ord' tent system is a palace. Every 'Ord' can have a Empress with a number of concubines. "
Yang Yiqing continued, "That's why an Emperor can have one, two or even several Empresses at the same time. This woman is also very stubborn, and no matter how you ask her, she won't say a word about her identity, so it's very difficult to confirm. However, based on the strength of the 300 cavalrymen beside her, this Kedun's identity is definitely not ordinary. "
Yang Ling thought for a moment and said, "Where is she? Let's go and see her."
When everyone is almost done eating, Yang Yiqing stood up and said, "That woman is locked up upstairs. She won't refuse to eat but she won't say a word when questioned. I'm afraid we won't be able to get anything out of her. But this woman's identity is not ordinary. We don't know what to do with her."
They walked up the creaking stairs to the second floor. The guards at the door saw that the lords have arrived and hurriedly saluted to let them pass. Xu Tai took the lead and pushed the door open. Beside the bed sat an old woman dressed in Mongolian clothing. She has a head full of white hair and a face full of wrinkles. When she heard the noise, she squinted her old eyes and sized them up.
Yang Ling was greatly surprised. The old woman looked to be at least in her sixties, and her robes were also very ordinary. She did not look like the wife of a powerful chief of a large tribe. They were carefully sizing up the old woman, and the old woman was also carefully sizing them up with a sharp and intelligent gaze that did not match her age. She then slowly moved her gaze away.
At the side, an imperial guard who understands Tatar language said a few words to the old woman. The old woman looked at him with disdain and didn't say a word. Yang Ling shook his head and said to Xu Tai in a low voice, "Does she have anything on her that can prove her identity? For example, her three hundred imperial guards, what banner they are flying and what tribe they belong to?"
Xu Tai also said in a low voice, "What's strange is that those guards, horse accessories, tents, and armaments are all of the finest quality. In the desert, only Bayan Khagan's most trusted guards would have such equipment, but this small tribe of five hundred are all first-rate warriors, equipped with the best weapons.
Moreover, they don't seem to be protecting this woman but have the duty of monitoring her. When we broke into the camp, the maid who rushed in to shout for her to escape was killed by the Tatar soldiers outside the tent. Following that, the Tatar soldier wanted to kill this woman. This general shot him dead with one arrow … it's really strange. "
It was indeed strange. What kind of important person's wife would need these elite cavalry guards? It must be known that it was not easy for tribes to gather more than a thousand warriors, but this old woman had the protection of five hundred tribal warriors. Moreover, there were no women or children in the tribe. Clearly, there was someone else who provided everything they needed. At such a critical moment, the imperial guards dared to kill her without authorization. Just who was she? Was she being protected or was she under house arrest?
The elite equipment of Bayan Khagan's personal guards, a strange tribe made up of five hundred elite soldiers, an imperial guard who dared to kill his master at a critical moment, and a noble woman of about sixty years of age …
As the largest merchant smuggling goods between Datong and the Mongols, Han Lin had heard many secrets that were not known to others. Other than military secrets, these generals on the border did not know anything else, but Yang Ling knew everything.
He pondered for a moment and couldn't help but have an idea. He called over the imperial guard who understood Tatar and whispered to him. The imperial guard froze for a moment, then turned around and repeated what he said to the woman. The old woman was so shocked that her entire body trembled. She stood up shakily and shouted a few words in a hoarse voice. Her eyes stared fixedly at Yang Ling as if she had seen a demon.
The imperial guard's face was full of amazement and admiration. He turned around and said: "Daren, she said that Bayan is the King of the grasslands, the descendant of Genghis Khan, and will not be defeated. Even if Fire Sieve has the ambition, he will not dare to betray him. He does not have the strength, nor the prestige, but he has the wisdom to weigh the pros and cons. She said that we are talking nonsense."
The lantern flashed and Yang Ling's eyes also flashed. From the attention and reaction of this woman to his words, he had already made an eighty percent judgment of this woman's identity. Yang Ling smiled and patted the imperial guard's shoulder. He made one last test: "Tell her that I was indeed talking nonsense just now, but Bayan will be defeated by my hands sooner or later. Her Majesty, the Empress of the Mandu Sea, please wait and see!"
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