In the early morning light, Song Liyun and Zhao Tingduo stood by the Zabu River, looking at the gradually disappearing convoy of people and horses.
My brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews are gone, and I don’t know when we will see each other again.
Xiao An heard that Lao Ma Yijin of Salt died of old age a year ago, so he asked his second sister for Ju Qingma to take back to Broken Gold Town.
He felt that Ju Qing and Hei Jin were around him. With these affectionate animals, he had family around and he would not be lonely.
The two stood for a long time, until nothing could be seen. Zhao Tingduo took Song Liyun's hand and said, "Ayun, if you can't let go of your brother and brother, go and live in Wuchao for a while!"
Song Liyun turned around and smiled: "It's not that I can't bear to leave, I just lamented that it seemed like it was just a blink of an eye. Xiao An grew up and I also had a few more children.
It’s just us, and nothing has changed.”
Zhao Tingduo smiled and said: "Yes, we have not changed, and we will never change in our lifetime."
Song Liyun looked down at the big hand holding her, tilted her head playfully: "Take me to ride a horse!"
"good!"
The two horses approached, Zhao Tingduo put his arms around Song Liyun's waist, pulled him over the horse, and nestled him against his chest.
Behind the two men, the guards followed silently.
The cool morning breeze made her hair fly, and also blew away Song Liyun's sorrow of separation.
She closed her eyes, like a petrel taking a short rest in the waves, quietly experiencing the ups and downs of the horse's running.
It was already dark on the way back, and as soon as the two of them arrived at the city gate, they saw Abu looking anxious and waiting eagerly.
"What's the matter?" Zhao Tingduo slowed down his horse.
Abu stepped forward and whispered: "Boss Jian has sent a letter. It was sent by Hecheng from the rest station via carrier pigeon to expedite it."
The horse bandit Jian Fangtong had someone who knew how to raise homing pigeons, so several pairs of pigeons were sent to Hecheng.
It's just that the grassland is vast, the distance is too far to rest, there is no food on the ground, and there are hawks and falcons chasing high in the sky, so the number of carrier pigeons is too high.
But you can fly from various rest stops along the way, and the distance of a hundred miles is faster than a horse.
Now it seems that Zhao Tingduo and Song Liyun should have received the news just after they left the rest stop.
Returning to the study room of the City Lord's Mansion, except for Mr. Yu and several lieutenants from Lei Ziying, everyone looked solemn.
As soon as he saw Zhao Tingduo coming back, Mr. Yu couldn't wait to say: "Third Young Master, Pingliang Fort has been lost, and Qing'an Mansion in Yunzhou is besieged!"
Zhao Tingduo's eyes twitched.
Since the war started in Xuyang Grassland, Hecheng ordered the Zhenbei Army in various guard posts to strengthen their alert.
Pingliang Fort was lost to the Xuanwei Army five years ago. It was Zhao Tingduo who used the strategy of "driving wolves and tigers away" to drive out wandering tribesmen and attack the fort where the Xuanwei Army was stationed.
As soon as the fort was defeated and chaos gathered at that time, thousands of troops from the Di Clan and the royal court took the opportunity to enter and march southward, burning, killing and looting several counties in Yunzhou, until they approached the imperial city.
The late emperor was so angry that he fainted and suffered a stroke in front of all the courtiers in the palace, so that the then prince was able to supervise the country.
It was also this opportunity that allowed his father, Zhao Yanjiao, to regain full control of the military and drive the Xuanwei army out of Yunzhou, which was the direct line of the eldest prince with impure motives.
After that, Pingliang Fort was under the control of the Zhenbei Army. It had been fine for several years. How could it be lost again now?
Mr. Yu took out a thin roll of paper and Zhao Tingduo unfolded it. On it were densely packed small characters with mosquito heads.
Looking all the way, his face suddenly changed in shock. He only condensed for a moment before saying to Wu Dan who was waiting next to him: "Please come here, Madam!"
After Pingliang Fort was lost once, not only did the defenders increase, but they were also renovated to make them stronger and stronger.
But the military households inside were barely alive after the last defeat.
Wan Youyou's family and the prisoners in the capital were assigned here four years ago.
The problem lies with these criminals.
Although these people were trapped in the border guard station, their minds never stopped.
Even under the nose of the Zhenbei Army, he was not honest. On the one hand, he contacted old people in the capital, and on the other hand, he obtained information from the sergeants.
It's just that the Zhenbei Army's military discipline was very strict, so they didn't succeed.
Fast forward three years, during the Xuyang Grassland War, the Zhenbei Army tightened the gates of the guard posts and had to extract military households to work in the grasslands to collect soil and build walls.
With a slight oversight, someone contacted the Di tribe.
Different from the one that broke through the border five years ago, the Zhenbei Army guarding the border this time responded quickly, not only killing the military households who collaborated with the enemy immediately, but also repelling the tribesmen who wanted to make a sneak attack.
But these actions also gave the tribes in Xuyang Grassland some reminders that they could find this gap and then enter the pass to plunder.
then……
Not long ago, at night, three thousand tribal cavalry rushed to Pingliang Fort like trapped animals regardless of sacrifice. All three hundred defenders were slaughtered, and five hundred military households were plundered into the grassland.
After the Di cavalry occupied Pingliang Fort, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack, they rushed into Anqing Mansion with all their strength...
Song Liyun, who came in a hurry, changed his expression after hearing the whole story.
Even if the Zhenbei Army has chased those Di cavalry out of Yunzhou, the imperial court will frantically impeach Zhao Tinlei.
"Why is this happening?" Song Liyun didn't believe what she heard.
Since the chaos broke out in Xuyang Grassland, the Zhenbei Army has strengthened border management. How could such a big mistake happen?
Mr. Yu's face was pale and his eyes were cold as he said: "The five thousand soldiers who opened the mine...were drawn from the Zhenbei Army!"
Song Liyun felt her heart tighten...It's over, something happened!
Because of the need to open mines and burn cement, Zhao Tinglei, the garrison of Hecheng, detached 5,000 sergeants from the Zhenbei Army to work as coolies.
Although these sergeants work hard in the mines, apart from military pay, everyone receives high subsidies, and the sergeants are also satisfied.
In the next two years, cement pig iron was sent to Hecheng to be processed into weapons and armor, and the guards and forts were repaired. The equipment of the Zhenbei Army was completely renewed.
But it also takes a huge risk, that is, deploying troops privately.
This was unacceptable to both the Wu Dynasty and the Dilu Royal Court.
It's just that Zhao Tingting personally ordered the Zhenbei Army, and the sergeants were willing to do so, and no one reported it.
The Dilu Royal Court was in chaos at the time and had no time to take care of things here.
The princesses sent by the Wu Dynasty for marriage were returned to the Wu Dynasty in the first year. Each tribe did not recognize each other. The Wu Dynasty royal family had no way to force the marriage and could only condemn them.
After three years of negotiations, battles, killings and annexations, the royal court has roughly divided its powers.
The original four tribes became two, and the royal court that worked together had its first king.
Obviously, they can free up their hands to deal with the Wu Dynasty.
Once things get serious in Pingliangbao and the Zhenbei Army privately mobilizes troops into the grassland, it will be impossible to hide them, and it will be a big war.
Pingliang Fort must be eliminated as quickly as possible, and Hecheng must be preserved.
Zhao Tingduo said in a deep voice: "Stop the mine immediately and bring the sergeant back."
This is not difficult at all. The sergeant is managed by a military camp in the mine and is on duty in four shifts. Once he returns to Hecheng, he will immediately return to combat strength.
Mr. Yu nodded: "There is still room for maneuver in this matter. We just need to block the entrance to Pingliang Fort from the grassland, and ride horses to catch the turtles in the jar and catch them all."
The purpose of writing a report to the capital was to find out that an official had committed treason, and he planned to use it as a plan, so that the general would not be afraid of impeachment."
The key here is that it takes time. The Di tribe cannot be allowed to escape back to the Xuyang Grassland on horseback, nor can they be allowed to plunder and kill within the Wu Dynasty.
After Mr. Yu said this, he said to Zhao Tingduo: "Third Young Master, the general will definitely intercept it within the territory, and we still need your cooperation on the grassland side!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the study suddenly became tense.