Chapter 099 – The Great King Patrols the Mountain

Northwest Border Plug, Lonely City by Moraine, Cloud Sand Expanse.

At dawn, the horse’s hooves were light, and the tall Qi Practicing Grand Master pulled the reins and strangled her horse, looking at this bleak picture of the sky and the earth, her state of mind was especially peaceful. She has only two riders beside her, Wu Liuding and a woman sword servant led by the Wu family hundred riders a day ago and they parted ways, escorted by the white horse righteousness, together to Chu Lushan situated in the northern Liang capital residence, no accident, this group of the world’s top people with a sword will be used as the northern Liang border army’s most hidden sharp “tip of the sword”. As for the young party minister Xu Beihao has also ridden back. While she, Xu Fenian and Sui Shiaogu continued their journey northward, directly passing through the Liang-Mang border defenses and swaggering into the territory of the Southern Dynasty’s Longwai Prefecture. Tantai calmly stooped down and stroked the soft mane of the horse, this horse is handsome and extraordinary, indeed only Northern Liang can raise this kind of outstanding strength steed, she looked up and glanced at the young Liang King sitting on the back of the horse quiet and speechless, this journey on the way, a spying report of the military information constantly sent to his hands, Xu Fengyen read it and then casually burned it, it seems that there is not a time to intervene in the military affairs of the borders. This kind of hands-off shopkeeper, looks like doing it very easy and cozy ah, like whoever comes to sit in his position can be competent. But Tantai calm is not so well-bottomed frogs, since the Northern Liang claimed to hold three hundred thousand iron horsemen, if in the world of song and dance, not the last name of Xu can be the Prince of Peace, away from the Yang Zhao room has long been cunning rabbit dead dog cooking, not to mention the chaotic situation of the moment, the North Mang millions of troops pressured the border, for any one can not be convincing mediocre master of the Northwest Gateway, do not wait for North Mang army to light up the front of the troops, the North Liang side of the Has been more than chaos, the border army again, as long as the army is disorganized, even if you give Beiliang three hundred thousand soldiers, but also the same can not be blocked by the old woman let out of the cage of the North Mang tiger and wolf divisions.

Xu Fengnian thumb and forefinger subconsciously rubbed the coarse reins of the horse, stationed on the hillside, raised his eyes and looked out.

The fire is dead, the smoke is sinking to the right west pole, the valley is quiet and the mountain is empty to the left north level. But if the generals can fight a hundred battles, there is no need for the Son of Heaven to build the Great Wall.

This is a popular poem in the Central Plains of the border, the poet is a beautiful future of the poor, the trouble came out of the mouth, because this poem in the literary world has been “Mei Liang Mei Xu” suspicion, the poet returned to the Central Plains as an official, after wasting more than ten years in the local officialdom, never promoted, and finally depressed resignation, the silence. Xu Fengyen in the first time with the old Huang traveled the jianghu, had been to the poet’s old home, although the shyness of the bag at that time, but swollen face to buy a pot of wine to carry to visit or not a problem, but unfortunately only to see the moss full of steps do not see people. Xu Fengnian gently spit out a mouthful of turbid air, at that time only feel sure is Zhao family son of God moved, until later personally experienced some official rules, gradually clear may not be when the man sitting in the dragon chair so careful, but the lower side of the speculation of the heart of heaven’s head of the snake officials to look at the color of the words just. Not to say that far away, only to say that close at hand in Beilang, how many officials in order to flatter their own, often take the value of thousands of dollars worth of antiques and paintings with Beilang become in-laws of Qingzhou Lu’s relationship? And how many unknown backdoors have been opened for Lu’s children in the officialdom of Beiliang? Even some of the most puritanical academies in Beiliang have been eyeing the mediocre Lu Clan’s children, hoping to make a few connections with the Lu Clan and then the Xu Clan. If it is not Lu Chenyan’s opinion, Lu’s head of the family Lu Fei Edward has long taken this leap to become the patriarch of the literary world in Northern Liang. Xu Fengnian inevitably some sadness, he remembered the Lu family ancestor before his death to Lu Fei Edward’s ordinary bamboo gabion lantern, is to think that Lu Fei Edward can take over that follow the chaotic world together with the swaying lights, for the fire to be passed on to the end of the payroll. Obviously, for the clan relocation barren Northern Liang has long complained of Lu Fei Edward, in the Northern Liang roots of the process is too smooth, suddenly found Lu’s in the Northern Liang has no one to compete with the great scenery, not only Lu Fei Edward, the whole Lu’s are too fast to forget, far from being as the “royal relatives” of the old fox Wang Linquan so hide. But really let Xu Fengyen feel depressed is Wang Linquan’s peace of mind, spring Shenhu Wang family is more deliberately on the bookish family of Lu’s everywhere forbearance, how is not intentionally digging a pit to let Lu’s jump in? Wang Linquan’s Yang plotting and scheming, in fact, compared to the Lu family’s insensitivity, more headaches for Xu Fengyen.

But these sages are difficult to break the dirty, can not be said, Xu Fengyen as two families “son-in-law”, it is impossible to take the identity of the king of Beiliang leaning on the bully, probably do more than the wrong more than the end, can not escape from the argument that the other is not as thick as the other.

Good in these tricky things, is not a pressing matter, and Lu Chen Yan that woman’s disposition is also appropriate, even the second sister Xu Weixiong admitted that she could not pick Lu Chen Yan’s flaws. Between women and women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, sister-in-law and sister-in-law, these relationships, that can be bloodless swords and shadows. When a man is in one of these relationships, he will naturally suffer immensely.

Xu Fengyen, or the northern Liang’s big problem, from Xu Snapdragon after sealing the king of the vassal of the northern Liang has not changed a day, is the tiger eyeing the northern Mang.

As long as you can destroy Beiliang, bypassing the eastern border where Gu Jiantang sits, then the anointed land of the Central Plains is a pussy to be slaughtered, how can the hungry and thirsty man of North Mang not fight to the death to impact Beiliang?

Previously in Xu Snapdragon and master Li Yishan’s planning, although there is no question of defending or not defending Beiliang, but how to defend, is to live to defend, there are still enough to let the Beiliang iron horsemen rolling around the margins, can be wrapped up with the exiles retreated to the western region, but also can retreat to Xishu to the south of the imperial edicts as a support, enough to fight with the North Mang army in the end, even if North Mang hit the unfavorable after the war actively withdrew after the Beiliang, it is also a walled-off isolated land! The North Mang army’s supply line, the North Liang can continue to confront the North Mang in the border of Western Sichuan, and even in the vast western region to harass the North Mang battle line is too long. But because Chen Zhi Bao sealed the king into Shu’s sake, the whole vertical western line of Beiliang West Shu Nanzhao cut off, so Xu Fengyen and Beiliang have no strategic depth, only to die.

Xu Fengyen has some unspeakable guilt in his heart, not ashamed of the people of Beiliang, but merely ashamed of Li Yishan.

Beiliang army internal for the North Mang royal court’s backyard fire, show too optimistic, Xu Fengyen does not think this can hold back how many North Mang pressured the army’s strength, favorable word at the head, that is the trend, that old woman as long as the grace of Wei and Ji Ji, one hand is the Tuoba bodhisattva’s army suppression, one hand is the Lord of the Central Plains promised the vassalage of the real to do the will of the people of the country to go down to the south, time will not be too long.

Sui oblique valley 100 years old, the north and south of the Yangtze River, the end of the world have traveled, the emperor and generals and peddlers have seen, the world has been difficult to evoke the feelings of this one-armed old man, he was in a daze beside Xu Fengyen, really some boredom, casually asked: “I was young, I do not understand how those generals and soldiers like to fight, really not afraid of death? Spring and Autumn war is understandable, the chaotic world is not as good as a peaceful dog, life is as worthless as a piece of grass, that is forced everyone not to take life as a life, now Northern Liang is also considered to be peaceful for a long time, can really hold back the Northern Mang millions of troops?”

Xu Fengnian calmly said, “It’s very simple, give up one’s family for the sake of the country, give up one’s life for the sake of one’s family. No one is not afraid of death, just everyone has an account in their heart, our Northern Liang iron cavalry’s bravery, in addition to the Northern Liang people’s natural bravery, there is also the fact that a lot of people know in their hearts that they have no retreat to speak of, their home is in Northern Liang, as soon as they retreat, the border troops are scattered, and the Northern Barbarians iron cavalry is coming south, even if they escape from Northern Liang, their two legs can’t run as well as the North Mang’s war horse’s four legs.”

Sui Xianggu bristled and sneered, “None of you officials are good.”

Xu Fengnian laughed: “Don’t I also have no way back?”

Sui Xiangu said with blank eyes, “If you really want to kill someone, why don’t you go to Longwai Prefecture single-handedly to kill it seven times? Is it possible that Tuoba Bodhisattva and Hong Jingyan can still follow your ass every day and keep an eye on you?”

Xu Feng Nian said blandly, “I am able to kill like this, but the characters on the North Mang martial arts rating can also kill back like this, two countries at war, such a move, can’t be said to be meaningless, but it really doesn’t mean much. Of course, if there is a day when Bei Liang can no longer hold the northwestern gate, I will definitely do so.”

Sui Shiaogu was still about to speak, only to hear Tantai Calm snort coldly, and the old sword-eating monster with long waving eyebrows immediately shut his mouth.

Right at this moment, a puff of dust rose in the distance, looking at the route to drive south, probably seeing the sudden three riders on the small sandy slope, these skillful riders came straight towards the slope, but did not act rashly, instead stopping their horses fifty feet beyond the bottom of the slope, looking at the top of the slope with Xu Fengyen’s trio two by two.

Is a standard North Mang elite scouts, look at the armor and clothing, not with the North Liang crossbowmen famous crow bar son, should be the South Dynasty great general Liu Gui’s direct vanguard.

Liu Gui, once praised by the female emperor of Northern Mang as being able to be half Xu Snapdragon. Originally, he was one of the candidates expected to succeed Huang Song Pu as the king of the southern court, but he just gave that old woman’s mouth “Dong Tubby” a head start.

As a scout, regardless of whether it is North Mang or North Liang, are most concerned about the rules, unless it is the narrow road between peers, or not to disclose the tracks under the premise of the collection of military intelligence is the first priority.

However, if you can remove a few heads of the enemy with your hands, I think no one will refuse.

One of the scouts of this standard rushed out and shot an arrow from a hundred paces away, with excellent accuracy, stabbing the head of Xu Fengnian, who was in the center of the three riders on the slope. This barbarian probably wanted to determine the strength of these three riders, not to mess with the big deal is to retreat, is a pillow then kill and seize the horse.

Now that the two armies of Liang and Mang are facing each other, the first to start exchanging lives will definitely be the scouts.

Xu Fengnian skimmed his head and dodged the arrow.

That one standard scout quickly turned his horse and retreated.

Sui Xiangu asked with wide eyes, “You don’t eat the meat that is sent to your mouth? Mosquito meat is not meat?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, “Naturally, there will be a shadowy stakeout by the top Bei Liang traveling crossbowmen. Now that Beimang’s harassment looks inexplicable, and my side has already paid incalculable losses in order to obtain Beimang’s accurate motives, the marching routes of these Beimang scouts become the most valuable clues. As for who is the real bait, it depends on the strength and luck of both sides.”

Sui Shiaogu grinned greatly, “Bent intestines, really unpleasant!”

Xu Fengnian laughed: “Is it cool to ask the Northern Mang’s millions of troops to obediently hoard in one place, and then have a one-time killing session with our 30 Iron Cavalry?”

Sui Shiaogu asked in return, “You save the trouble, he saves the trouble, all are happy, whoever loses gets out, what else?”

Xu Fengnian couldn’t help but smile, “The Northern Barbarians would like Northern Liang to do this, to be honest, I kinda want it too.”

The old swordsman’s statement sounds amateurish and absurd, but if Liang Mang can really be so decisive and leave no room for maneuver, it’s really a happy ending for all, North Mang has the hope to eat a bite of the roadblock on the way south, and it’s not that North Liang doesn’t have the hope to crush North Mang’s army in one fell swoop. North Mang’s advantage is obvious, the number of people occupy an absolute advantage, but the advantage of the North Liang is that the North Mang army temporarily leaderless, Dong Zhuo, although it is already the nominal commander in chief of the army, but in addition to his command of more than 100,000 Dongjiajun, Hong Jingyan’s Zojiran Iron Cavalry, the Long Wa State Gusai state E army, Liu Gui Yang Yuanzan, including the several generals of the army, he can mobilize the South House king, but absolutely can not be done as if it were the arm of the commanders, but the North Liang is different. Beiliang is different, Chu Lushan and Yuan Zuozong can achieve absolute control of the Beiliang army, in a battle to determine the winner of the confrontation, this is where Beiliang’s opportunity lies. Only this is the same as taking two dynasties to bet on the throne of the “battle of wills”, for both sides are too extravagant.

Xu Fengnian watched those Northern Mang scouts retreating northward and softly said: “Half Xu Snapdragon? Regardless of who loses or wins this big battle, your Liu Gui’s 40,000 men will definitely die out.”

Tantai calmly asked, “What’s next? Is it to go to the capital or continue north?”

“Go and take a look at the millions of Northern Mang’s army.”

Xu Fengyen sped down the slope and galloped north.

Sui Shiaogu, who could only follow behind, indignantly said, “Didn’t you just say that this kind of behavior is meaningless?!”

Xu Fenian smiled and narrowed his eyes, turning his head to look at the tall woman, playing dumb and asking, “Senior Tantai, did I say that?”

Tantai calmly said expressionlessly, “No.”

Sui Shiaogu wanted to say something, holding his tongue.

Xu Fengnian hummed a little song to himself.

The king asked me to patrol the mountain, after the north mountain patrol south mountain yo ……

Patrolled the east mountain to kill passersby, patrolled the west mountain to see the sun. My king has three heads and six arms, and the minions have robbed the little lady on their backs, so I have to pity them for not swallowing the fat meat in their mouths, so when will they be able to turn over to be a king ……?