Chapter 5: The Near City

Dongshan Road was one of the seven roads of Qing, favoring the northeast, and traveling due north from the Banshan Mountains, one would dive headlong into the small vassal states secretly influenced by Dongyi City, and through those cities, one would enter the borders of Beiqi. The previous year when Fan Xian had traveled to Northern Qi, he had taken a different route, circling north through Cangzhou and entering via the North Sea, so he had not come here.

Of course, he wouldn’t be heading north today, there was nothing to attract him on the Northern Qi side for the time being.

Sitting on his horse, looking at the map in his hands, Fan Xian couldn’t help but frown, pointing to a corner of the map and saying, “It turns out that Jiaozhou is still underneath …… Tanyuzhou, what’s the party of a large blank space up here?”

At his side, was the black cavalry’s Jing vice commander, today this Jing general’s face still wore that silver mask, listening to his superior speak, said in a deep voice, “North of Tanyu state, is a large area of steep mountains and dense forests, very few people dare to go in, so when the map was drawn, it’s just a blank, and in the direct north of this large blank, is the Dongyi city that is near the gulf. ”

Dongyi City? Fan Xian sighed, thinking to himself that he would have to go and see it one day, only today did he realize that the original Dongyi City, the world’s largest city, was actually not too far away from Tanyuzhou, where he had spent his childhood, it was just that those clumps of mountains and steep ridges to the north of Tanyuzhou City Fan Xian was familiar with them, and knew that if he wanted to forage a road from those places to come, it would be basically an impossible thing to do, and also the geography of this section was very peculiar, with the coast being Moreover, the geography of this section was also very special, with the coast being surrounded by cliffs that stretched for hundreds of miles, making it too dangerous for even birds to fly over.

If the people of Dongyi City want to go to Nanqing, they can only go around …… from the west side of Banshan Mountain or through the sea.

Thinking of Dongyi City’s extremely strong sea navigation ability, Fan Xian’s eyes couldn’t stop flashing a trace of worry, although the navy in this world has no way to influence the general situation, the ability to carry out a bit of harassment is still there, if Dongyi City …… forcefully landed on Tanyuzhou?

It was only at this point that Fan Xian finally understood why His Majesty valued this matter so much and asked himself to go and do it himself, and also why, after the First Marine Division of Quanzhou had been abolished, the imperial court had insisted on keeping such a marine division in the remote Jiaozhou.

Jiaozhou was to the south of Tanyu, and the reason for stationing a strong marine division here was naturally to deter Dongyi City’s power at sea.

Fan Xian’s lips couldn’t help but spread a cold smile, nowadays he, naturally, knew that back then, that Quanzhou sailor division, in a way, equated to the private army of his mother’s lord, the imperial court did its work, and it really was dripping with water.

“Old Jing …… why don t you take off the mask?” He smiled and looked at the Black Rider general beside him, striving to soften his tone and not reveal the chill deep inside.

By Chen Pingping’s strict order, this journey of four hundred black cavalry had become Fan Xian’s subordinates since the beginning of his mission to Northern Qi, and the four hundred black-clothed, black-horse, black-faced cavalrymen had actually helped Fan Xian a great deal, such as Uesugi Tiger’s rescue of Sean, and for example, the siege of the Junshan Society in Jiangnan.

And the greatest benefits that the black cavalry brought to Fan Xian along the way were not just these. Fan Xian had not been able to extend his hand into the army because of various reasons, and the existence of the Black Riders was tantamount to his most powerful piece of force, which could add to the weight of his power, and also allow him to have a bit more backbone when negotiating with others.

In the absence of military power, having the Black Riders under his command was a very comforting thing.

It was just that Fan Xian was not very close to his subordinates along the way, because …… the Black Riders couldn’t enter the state, or even get close to the state, and Fan Xian was a person who was greedy for enjoyment, and naturally didn’t want to live in the barracks, so there wasn’t a lot of time for conversations between the upper and lower ranks, and this sense of strangeness was simply not something that could be eliminated in a short period of time.

Fan Xian understood that if he really wanted to do something in the future, this largest force under his command must be mastered, and he could not rely on Chen Pingping to master it, but could only rely on himself, so that these more than 400 cavalrymen would follow him with their hearts and minds, and take each other in from the bottom of their hearts…….

So after meeting the Black Riders from the Three Forks, he had been trying to use the same method he had used to subdue Wang Qinian and Deng Ziyue to subdue that strange, silver-masked Black Riders Vice Commander who wore a silver mask all the time.

Fan Xian smiled gently and frankly, chatting and gossiping, creating a warm and open atmosphere, and of course, not forgetting to show the composure and self-confidence that a person in a position of power should have.

However, the vice commander surnamed Jing was still as indifferent as ever, not at all touched, and replied directly, “I’m used to it.”

That’s why Fan Xian was a bit annoyed, and suddenly smiled and opened his mouth to say, “There are no more than two kinds of people who wear masks.”

Riding on a horse, the body of Commander Jing, who was following him, did not have any reaction, but Fan Xian realized that the other party’s hand holding the reins had tightened slightly, and it seemed that the other party was more interested in this topic.

Probably curious to see how the famous Little Lord Fan would comment on that mask.

Fan Xian said, “Either the face underneath the mask is born too ugly, or has suffered serious injuries, and is not fit to be seen; or …… this face is born too handsome, handsome as a woman …… ”

“Of course, I’m not being sarcastic with that statement.”

“The Black Riders are meant to go into battle and kill the enemy, and the more hideous the face, the easier it is to frighten the enemy; in this way, the former reason does not exist.” Fan Xian smiled as he looked at the silver mask that shimmered with a shimmering light and said, “It seems that General Jing must be a man of rare beauty.”

General Jing really froze, and a moment later said, “Lord Tishe really …… has it all.”

Fan Xian laughed, thinking that he had heard too many stories about King Lanling and Di Qing, so it was still possible to casually blindfold him.

But that Commander Jing still hadn’t removed his mask, making Fan Xian so curious as to whether he had guessed or not.

“Still never knew your name.” Fan Xian was too lazy to do this kind of political work anymore, and asked indifferently.

Commander Jing’s eyes were solemn as he held the reins of his horse and said with a straight face, “My surname is Jing, nameless.”

“Jing Wu Ming?” How could Fan Xian not know the name of the strongest forceful commander under his command, but he only pretended to be stunned on purpose, remembering the strange associations he had made last year when he first learned the man’s name.

“If you are Jing Wuming, wouldn’t I become Shangguan Demoness’s father?”

Hundreds of riders were arranged in a thin line, traveling in silence towards the northeast in the quiet valley, with scouts released at certain distances all around them, so they shouldn’t be able to disclose their whereabouts.

Fan Xian and Jing General’s two riders were in the center, slowly traveling through the valley, and Fan Xian was smiling again because of the association he had back then. Jing General looked at him with some curiosity, then said, “My subordinate’s surname is Jing, no name, not Nameless.”

A bigwig of the Five Divisions without a name? A Black Rider general without a name?

Fan Xian slightly opened his lips and couldn’t help but sigh, thinking that it was no wonder the world feared the Supervisory Yuan as a devil, under the cultivation of Chen Pingping, that old cripple, the entire Supervisory Yuan’s structure and the officials’ style of behavior and their births all carried a strangeness.

He knew that this general would not deceive himself, and said softly, “It’s better to have a name.”

General Jing was silent for a little while, then nodded, “Please give me a name, my lord.”

Giving a name, for the one who gives a name, this is an extremely high honor, Fan Xian was greatly surprised, somewhat unable to believe his own ears, but looking back at the general’s eyes with sincerity amidst the serenity of the piece, he knew that the other party wasn’t speaking in jest.

He slowly lowered his head and thought seriously for a long time before he smiled and said, “How about a single name, Go, and the word Zhiwu?”

General Jing was also a military hero back then, it was only because he had offended the powerful and wealthy that he was fished out by Chen Pingping and put into the Black Cavalry, and he was also a character with some ink in his chest, and as soon as he heard this name, he immediately understood the meaning of the Fan Tisi, and was extremely satisfied as he smiled and nodded his head.

The corners of the lips under the silver mask rose in an extremely nice curve.

In this way, back then, when he shot his superiors in the army and was put to death, and then magically disappeared, the stormy figure …… who had been nameless and faceless, covering his face with a silver mask finally had his own name and started another part of his life some years after cutting off the first half of his life.

“Jing Ge,” said Fan Xian with a smile amidst the clattering of the horse’s hooves, “who exactly did you offend back then?”

Jing Ge didn’t know if he hadn’t gotten used to his new name, or if he was shocked at Lord Tiji’s acumen, so he didn’t say anything for a long time.

Only after a long period of silence did he say softly, “The Qin family.”

Fan Xian sucked in a breath of cold air, the Qin family in the military has what kind of power, he is naturally clear, the old Qin has been dominated by the position of the Privy Council Minister, the young Qin has now become the Kyoto guards, even his own old man in the court, the Qin family have to be scornful of three times. It turns out that his subordinate …… was actually offended by the Qin family back then!

Once he thought about this, Fan Xian couldn’t help but feel the greatest admiration and shock for Chen Pingping. That old cripple really had enough guts to dare to use the Qin family’s enemy, and once he did so, it was for so many years, and he even allowed Jing Ge to walk into the position of Vice Commander of the Black Riders.

“I …… have a good relationship with the Qin family.” He spoke tentatively, thinking that as long as Jing Ge was willing to ask for help, he could try to make up for the enmity of that year after returning to the capital.

Jing Ge smiled, his lips exposed beyond his silver mask smiling extremely happily.

“Thank you, my lord,” these words Jing Ge said sincerely, “No need.”

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at him, as if he wanted to see exactly what this silent and strong subordinate was thinking, and only after a long time did he ask, “What exactly is your enmity with the Qin …… family?”

After Jing Ge was silent for a little while, he said in a deep voice, “In the camp, I killed the Qin family’s eldest son.”

Qin family’s eldest son? Qin Heng’s older brother? Fan Xian’s face was unchanged, but his heart was cold, the person who was killed by Jing Ge back then, if he had lived to the present …… would have been one of the top military generals in the dynasty, such a hatred …… What exactly does Chen Pingping think? Why do you want to take in a time bomb in the Supervisory Yuan?

A few bird calls came from the front.

The silent forward black rider extremely neatly stopped, not a person, is a horse …… This kind of horse harnessing is really one of the best under the sky, and I am afraid that only the king s tent army of the Western Hu has this ability.

Twilight is approaching.

Fan Xian and Jing Ge galloped forward, through the valley, halfway up the mountainside, looking down on the city below the mountain.

The city is not big, but inside there are already lights on, stars.

This is Jiaozhou.

And look to the right hand side, a sea is in the dark sky will be blue metamorphosis into black, vaguely visible a heavily guarded dockyard and dozens of warships, and those eye-catching camp.

That is the Jiaozhou navy.

“Feel free to do as you please, and kill anyone who dares to enter the city without amnesty.”

Fan Xian had already put Jing Ge’s question to the back of his mind and issued the order coldly and directly, pulling the reins of his horse, breaking away from the large force of black riders, and without taking any of his escorts with him, he single-handedly rode up the narrow mountain pass, heading towards Jiaozhou City at the foot of the mountain.