As Li Suining mounted his horse, more than two thousand of his subordinates followed him.
Behind them is a small tribal camp. This is the third Beidi tribe that Li Suining led his troops to capture along the way.
Every time they passed a tribe and started again, the advancing team shrank, from nearly five thousand people at the beginning to more than two thousand at this time.
First, because of the casualties of the soldiers, the seriously injured ones were ordered by Li Suining to stay in the tribe to recuperate. Second, because the captured tribes needed to be guarded as temporary military strongholds - as previously expected, Beidi's invasion was vigorous this time.
Almost all the young and strong men in each tribe went out. There were not many young and strong men left in the tribes behind, usually no more than a thousand, and the rest were mostly old, weak, women and children.
Therefore, Li Suining led his troops all the way here, taking advantage of the surprise attack, and was invincible.
Her soldiers did not kill the weak indiscriminately. They confiscated a large number of supplies, livestock, and horses, and most of the old, weak, women, and children were temporarily under guard.
And the further forward, the more dangerous it becomes - Li Suining has a clear goal, and the place he is going to is where Beidi's tent is.
Yazhang is the royal court of Beidi.
It can be expected that as the front approaches the royal court, the crowds and tribes gathered will become denser, and the patrols and defenses will gradually become tighter. Under this premise, the larger the team, the harder it will be to hide the traces.
Furthermore, Li Suining calculated the time, and despite the relatively slow transmission of news in the desert, the news that she led her troops to enter the country on a surprise attack would most likely reach Beidi Khan's ears by now.
The road ahead, blocked by the cold wind, is doomed to be dangerous. The murderous intent is increasing step by step, but the team is shrinking.
This place is far away from the country's homeland, and these prosperous soldiers often feel that they are rushing on a strange picture, becoming isolated figures in the picture.
In this vast picture, they lost their way more than once.
Comrades died almost every day, either under the crossbows of the Beidi people, or in the increasingly harsh and unfamiliar weather, and there were also many injured...Behind the mountains of frost-white grass and trees, among the dry Gobi gravel,
There is a danger lurking in every step. Even if you are hit by a knife at night, you must be prepared to fight to the death.
It was difficult to deliver the news. They did not know what was going on elsewhere, and they were not sure whether the soldiers sent back to report the news made it out of the desert alive.
But no one, including A Dian, thought about retreating.
The names of each of them were personally selected by Cui Jing. Their physique, will, and loyalty are all undoubtedly outstanding.
Surrounded by the cold wind, their skin became rough, but their eyes became more determined.
On horseback, Li Suining stared ahead intently.
She was never distracted when marching and fighting. She didn't need to worry about those distant disturbances. Fighting and winning the battle in front of her and surviving as long as possible were the only things she needed to consider at this time.
Her eyes could only accommodate the target ahead - to raid the Beidi Royal Court and kill the Khan at all costs.
The leader's goal is the military order. Along the way, the soldiers have faithfully and resolutely followed the military order. On this desert where no army has ever set foot, they have left their heroic and fearless footprints with blood.
At the same moment, in the royal court of Beidi, King Khan heard the urgent report. After hearing the urgent report, he became furious and bluntly wanted to accuse Asteh Yuanli: "... He was not able to march well, and he actually allowed his army to enter the territory of our great khanate! Kill my Khan!"
The people of the country!"
How did those Sheng army come in, how did they march in the desert, and how did they capture three tribes along the way!
If we hadn't known that the information was correct, it would have been unthinkable... a broken country that couldn't take care of itself, unexpectedly invaded his land without anyone noticing!
King Beidi Khan almost gritted his teeth and asked: "Who is the leader!"
"It is said to be a young woman!" the messenger said: "...Early this morning, a spy from the Sheng Kingdom reported that the Crown Princess Dasheng personally led the army deep into Beidi. It was not clear whether it was true or not at first, but now it seems that it is very likely that she is that person.
Li Suining is gone!"
"What a beautiful princess of the Sheng Kingdom!" King Khan suppressed his anger and sat on a low couch covered with sheepskin. Murderous intent burst out in his eyes, and he said in a hoarse voice: "Although she is a woman, she is very courageous.
Po...is she going to attack and kill me?"
Amidst the noise in the tent, a tall man stood up.
He has a broad face, half of which is covered by a golden mask, and he bends his arms in front of him to salute.
King Khan looked at his only younger brother: "Tilie——"
Ashina Tilie had a pair of wolf-like eyes, and there was a chill in those light-colored eyes. He volunteered to lead his troops to stop and kill Mrs. Dasheng.
King Khan looked at him for a moment and said: "Tilie, I will give you five thousand horses."
Ashina Tilie bent his arms in front of him again and promised as if he swore an oath: "Tilie will bring back the head of Princess Dasheng before the coming of Lent and present it to Brother Wang!"
King Khan nodded and watched his brother retreat.
After the officials in the tent left one after another, Queen Beidi on the side tried to remind: "The royal court currently has less than 10,000 horses. Is it too risky for the Khan to ask Tilie to take away 5,000 horses? What if..."
Before she finished speaking, King Khan stood up and slapped her with his backhand without warning.
The queen turned pale with fright, raised her hand to cover that side of her cheek, raised her frightened eyes, and met a pair of eyes full of evil aura.
"Your brother's incompetence has not yet been investigated by me! You still dare to make false claims to drive a wedge between me and Tilie! Tilie doesn't even have a wife, how can it be your turn to question his loyalty to the king!"
"I originally wanted to let Ti Lie lead the army, but I believed your lie, saying that Ast De Yuanli was familiar with the Han people's art of war... But at this time, he allowed the Han people to approach the royal court and take my life! This is his art of war.
Really? Or, he is just fooling me by being soft-hearted towards Da Sheng because he is half Han Chinese!"
"When Ti Lie retrieves the head of the Dasheng Princess, if Ash De Yuanli still fails to attack the Dasheng Pass, don't blame me for not caring about her kindness!"
King Beidi Khan stared at the eclipsed young queen, with disgust gradually appearing in his eyes: "... Useless fool, how can I compare to your sister!"
What he was referring to was his last queen, who also came from the Astektun tribe. Most of Beidi Khan's queens came from this tribe.
The previous queen died early and left behind a son. He was the only son of Beidi Khan. She was standing aside and watching quietly at the moment. He looked like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.
But now this queen has only given birth to one daughter, who is only ten years old this year.
The queen lowered her eyes tremblingly and admitted her mistake to her husband, but did not dare to speak out to defend her brother.
King Beidi Khan left with an angry look, and his son followed him. Before leaving, the young man cast a mocking glance at the young queen who he had never regarded as his mother.
His father had never loved anyone he respected, so naturally he did not deserve his respect - this cowardly and incompetent woman was just lucky enough to be of the same race as his biological mother, otherwise how could she be qualified to be the queen.
After the father and son left, the queen stood alone until a girl ran into the tent: "...Kedun!"
The queen came back to her senses, looked at her daughter who was holding on to her dress, reached out to touch her daughter's face, and comforted her: "It's okay, don't be afraid."
Looking at the finger marks on her mother's face, the girl tried not to show fear, held back tears in her eyes, and just asked: "When will uncle come back? Is the war over?"
As long as her uncle is here, she and her mother-in-law don’t have to be afraid!
"Your uncle will be able to come back whenever my mother asks her to come back." The queen looked at her daughter and whispered softly: "You don't have to wait until the war is over."
There was innocent expectation in the girl's eyes: "Really?"
The queen nodded lightly and looked outside the tent with her reddish eyes, which were already calm.
The Beidi Khan was obviously very angry and fearful of the incoming Sheng army. Five thousand Beidi cavalry were quickly prepared and ready to go.
Before launching the army, animals were prepared to be sacrificed to heaven. Ashna Tire picked up his short knife and killed two sheep with his own hands, letting the hot blood stain his hands.
The blood seemed to dye his eyes red, and for a moment, he vaguely saw the Han princess who was always dressed in plain clothes, and the eagle that suddenly swooped down.
Haunted by memories, he suddenly closed his eyes for a moment, and the scars left on his head and face seemed to be dripping with blood again. When Ashina Tilie opened his eyes, he suddenly thrust the short knife into the sheep's neck to vent the emotions surging in his heart.
Hatred and violence.
Without wiping the blood on his hands, he mounted his horse and led his troops out of the royal court with murderous intent.
At the winter lunar solstice, gray clouds floated, bringing with it the smell of first snow.
At dawn, in the palace of Prince Rong of the capital, Li Yin stood in the attic window wearing clothes, quietly looking at the tiny snow particles floating in the air.
It's ridiculous to say that he had a nightmare and was woken up.
He seldom dreams, and has never been frightened in his dreams.
He dreamed of Ashang.
To be precise, what he dreamed about was Li Suining. He had never seen Li Suining. In the dream, her face turned into that of Ashang.
Or just thinking about it every day...
News came back from Taiyuan that the empress refused his "welcome" and said:
[Whether Dasheng will be safe or not depends not on the capital, but on the northern border.]
[I am the Son of Heaven, and if the northern territory is not at peace for a day, I will stay in Taiyuan for a day.]
[When the war in the north is successful, I will return with the crown prince.]
In his words, he not only rejected Prince Rong's proposal to welcome her back to Beijing, but also dispelled the rumor that the crown princess had been buried in Beidi, and more and more firmly recognized and supported Li Suining's identity as the crown princess of the Li family.
The emperor's words were widely spread and discussed everywhere.
Among the officials in Taiyuan, some people have secretly defected to Prince Rong and sent a message to inform him that the empress did not act under coercion but took the initiative——
Li Yin became suspicious from this.
He knew Empress Ming very well and naturally thought about the possibility of her refusing to return to the capital. However, Empress Ming's firm and unyielding attitude was not only a way to compete with him, but also seemed to firmly believe that Li Suining would definitely come back alive...
The Ming Dynasty has never been willing to be a wedding dress for others. It is her style to fight to the death. Now that she is gone, she should know that she has no chance to regain the imperial power, but she still takes the initiative and firmly pave the way for Li Suining... because she believes in Li Suining.
Will she definitely be left with a way to survive in the future?
Faced with the battle for imperial power and life, why did the Ming Dynasty trust Li Suining so much?
If you think about it carefully, from the very beginning, Empress Ming seemed to have unfounded trust in Li Suining...
People who have never trusted others dare to trust others, and they trust an ambitious threat person... Why is this? Because Minghou feels that she can control the other person? What can she use to control?
As far as he knew, the last person who was "fortunate" to be treated with such an attitude by Ming Hou was Ashang.
Li Yin instinctively wanted to deny that absurd possibility, but at this moment, thinking about the dream and the "secret matter" mentioned by Min Luo, he couldn't help but think - he wanted to avoid the inner demon so as not to be disturbed by it.
Judgment, is it because of this that we ignore and miss some truth?
Li Yin suddenly fell into a strange and contradictory feeling of coexisting calmness and illusion.
He looked at Taiyuan and the northern border in the distance, and slowly made a decision in his heart.
Maybe he shouldn't underestimate the enemy, and shouldn't assume that Li Suining will never come back alive...
He was curious about the truth, but he didn't intend to confirm it himself.
Many times, the so-called truth is the biggest bait in the world. When you walk in front of it, you fall into its trap and it is too late to resist.
He finally made it to the capital. At this last moment, he should not allow any more mistakes to occur...
Whether "she" or the Ming Dynasty, as well as the truth... everything should stay in Taiyuan and the north.
It won't be too late for him to confirm with Ah Shang in person when they meet under the underworld someday.
People who die can only meet again after death.
Li Yin's always calm eyes silently gathered a storm of snow, trying to bury all unfavorable accidents with this wind and snow.
At dawn, Li Yin returned to his room and wrote a reply.
When Luo Guanlin came to see him, a guard came out of the pavilion.
Luo Guanlin glanced at the retreating guard calmly.
After his observation, he found that this person was a confidant of King Rong, and was only responsible for delivering important letters to and from Jiannan Road.
At such an early hour, I am definitely not here to deliver a letter to King Rong, so I am going to deliver a letter for King Rong back to Jiannan Road...
But what important thing happened in Jiannan Road at this time that King Rong could write a letter in person?
Luo Guanlin looked to the west, Shannan West Road, Jiannan Road... and beyond Jiannan Road, there was a foreign land.
Luo Guanlin's eyes moved slightly, and combined with what he knew secretly and the current situation, an almost crazy guess quickly emerged in his mind.
"Mr. Luo."
A servant came out and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, sir, please come in."
Luo Guanlin nodded and stepped into the pavilion.
The wind and snow were drifting, and the sky was an endless gray sky.
The heaven and earth are like a furnace that is going out, and the snowflakes are like ashes floating on the furnace.
After more than half a month of searching, Ashina Tilie finally found traces of Sheng's army.
This is the boundary of Beidi, and there are roads leading to the royal court. No matter whether it is light or dark, Ashina Tilie knows every one of them. The weather is not good, and the snow is not too big or too small, just enough for horses' hooves to leave traces, but not so much.
It was quickly covered up.
Under the siege of the Beidi army, the two sides finally met and confronted each other on a mountain road.
A head was thrown over, leaving a dazzling trail of blood in the snow.
Li Suining sat on the horse and looked at the head that was thrown. After a moment, he moved his eyes forward, raised his eyes, and focused on the leader of the other party.
Looking at the half of the golden mask, covered by the fox velvet hat, she showed an expected expression.