At the East Post Station, which was less than a hundred miles away from Lingyun City, the ground was covered with broken limbs and broken arms, and the smell of blood was staggering. More than a dozen corpses lay inside and outside the post station, all dressed in the uniforms of soldiers from the distant army.
Xiao Baishan's fisted hand was shaking slightly, and his chest felt as if he had been hit hard by a huge boulder. Seeing the messy and tragic scene, he was heartbroken. Leading the army to conquer the Huoluohe Khanate had been the emperor's wish for many years. Now that he has finally reached the border between the two countries with hard work, who can do it?
Thinking that the seventh prince, as the commander-in-chief, would be framed by a traitorous general, his life and death unknown, and the four lieutenants...
One of them rebelled, and the other disappeared with the seventh prince. What should he and Liang Gong do? The most fearful thing for an army is to be disorganized without a leader. If the general has an emergency, I am afraid that this expedition will end in defeat.
"General Xiao, there are fireworks rising over there!" The sharp-eyed soldier who came with him behind him saw a wisp of black smoke rising into the sky in the distance, which was really eye-catching on the vast plain.
The color of the smoke was different from that of ordinary people making fires for cooking. It was definitely not caused by a farmhouse. Xiao Baishan's heart was moved, and most of his decadence and depression were gone. His voice became much louder: "Follow me! Maybe the general and the
General Zheng!”
A group of more than thirty cavalrymen did not dare to neglect, and galloped towards the place where the fireworks were rising. Before they got close, they smelled a burning smell, which was also mixed with a strong smell of blood. Those with good eyesight took a closer look and saw clearly.
What caused him to bend over and vomit immediately after burning? The billowing black smoke burned on the two corpses. Their clothes had been burned away, leaving only black charcoal-like bones and flesh. The unpleasant smell was the smell of burnt flesh and skin.
Two corpses, could it be... Despair quietly grew, Xiao Baishan's hands shook more and more violently, and he could hardly even hold the reins.
"General Zheng, General Zheng is over there!" The cavalryman running at the front suddenly screamed and pointed a finger not far away from the burnt corpse, "General Xiao, it's General Zheng and the great general! They are still alive!"
After all, Xiao Baishan has passed his destined age, and his eyes are not as sharp as those of young people. Looking from a distance, he can only see a blurry figure standing in front of a lonely dead tree, and there seem to be many people lying at his feet. He waved his hand to signal everyone to speed up, and Xiao Baishan felt anxious.
Eight times, I silently prayed that nothing would happen to Yi Chenjing and Zheng Tai.
The distance gradually shortened amidst the anxiety, and finally it was possible to clearly see that the man standing proudly in front of the tree was Lieutenant General Zheng Tai. However, Xiao Baishan could not be happy, and instead felt a surge of sadness, anger and desolation from the bottom of his heart.
"General Zheng!"
A cry full of pathos came from Xiao Baishan's mouth. Behind him, more than thirty cavalrymen dismounted in unison, shocked.
Zheng Tai, who was standing with a long sword, was covered in blood. He had numerous deep and shallow wounds. The blood at his feet had accumulated into puddles, watering countless young grasses. At his feet, six men dressed as soldiers from the distant army were lying on grass.
Above, behind him is the commander of the distant army, Yi Chenjing, who is unconscious but unharmed.
Zheng Tai's body, which was stained red by blood, was already cold. There was an inexplicable smile on his serious face, and the slightly raised corners of his mouth seemed to be proud and expectant. His eyes were wide open, and his deep gaze was looking into the distance, towards the distant country.
, the direction of home.
The good general who had followed Emperor Yao through life and death for more than twenty years did not die on the battlefield, but died at the hands of his own clan. His body that stood tall like a mountain had countless wounds, but he stubbornly defended the young general with his own life. His blood was drained and he was proud.
He stood and died at the northernmost border of Dayao Country.
"Let General Zheng... rest." Xiao Baishan couldn't bear to look at the miserable condition of his colleagues who had known each other for several years. He wiped the corners of his red eyes, waved his hands and ordered several soldiers to put Zheng Tai down to the ground, and respectfully carried him onto the horse.
Zheng Tai is a somewhat bad-tempered, stubborn but extremely loyal veteran. Although he has complained several times in private that Yi Chenjing is too young and energetic and may not be able to convince the public, but when life and death are at stake, he still chooses to fight for his life without hesitation.
Let yourself transform into a shield to firmly protect the safety of the general. How could Xiao Baishan let his sacrifice be in vain? Without thinking, he put Yi Chenjing, who was unconscious due to high fever, on his horse. With a loud shout, everyone galloped towards Lingyun, who was not far away.
city.
It was already the second day when Yi Chenjing woke up from a chaotic sleep. As soon as he opened his eyes, his face became gloomy.
He still retains fragmented memories. In his memory, he was being carried behind Zheng Tai. Qi Tao seemed to have a dispute with Zheng Tai over something. The two had a disagreement. Qi Tao took advantage of Zheng Tai's unpreparedness and drew out his long sword and stabbed him fiercely.
Zheng Tai, the latter was seriously injured without warning. Then many soldiers from the remote army seemed to appear around. These soldiers from the remote army did not stop the vicious Qi Tao, but instead helped to chase him and Zheng Tai on horseback.
I can't remember clearly, but Yi Chenjing is very sure of one thing - someone is rebelling, and Qi Tao wants to kill him.
After asking for the whole story in a few words, Yi Chenjing clenched her fists tightly and found out that Zheng Tai had died to protect him, and her cold eyes made Xiao Baishan shudder.
"Where are the Qitao people?"
"The last general rushed here as soon as he received the blood letter from General Zheng, but did not see Qi Tao go back. Now that General Liang is in the army, Qi Tao will be captured immediately as soon as he shows up."
"He hasn't gone back yet?" Yi Chenjing was slightly surprised. Qi Tao left when those rebellious soldiers from the remote army appeared. It was probably around dawn yesterday. There were more than 20 troops chasing him. Qi Tao shouldn't be able to
Thinking that he could be safe and sound under the protection of Zheng Tai. Unless he planned to become a traitor to the country from the beginning, he should have hidden the truth and rushed back to the army at this time. How could he not go back yet? Could it be...
He suddenly took a deep breath, and his cold eyes flashed with panic.
"Where is the prince's concubine? Is the prince's concubine still staying in the army?"
Xiao Baishan was stunned, and suddenly remembered that he had never seen Bai Qige since he got the news. He opened his mouth half-open and didn't know how to answer. The blank expression made Yi Chenjing's heart sink hard, her throat tightened, and she felt heartbroken again.
His lungs were coughing, and his body, whose fever had not yet completely subsided, struggled to rush out of the room, but he was weak and collapsed the moment his feet touched the ground.
Xiao Baishan, who was at a loss, hurriedly bent over to help him, but Yi Chenjing, whose eyes were red, scolded him harshly: "Isn't it in vain that you all have gone through hundreds of battles and can't even defend a woman?! Send someone to find him immediately, even if
I will scoop up the water from the Wukue River and dig three feet into the ground of Lingyun City to bring her back to me!"
Since the expedition, Yi Chenjing has always shown a peaceful image. Even if he occasionally had conflicts with several lieutenants, he tried his best to calm things down. This was the first time that he turned against Lei Lei.
, Wei Nuo Nuo received the order and exited the door, and hurriedly ordered everyone in front of him to immediately contact the Lingyun City reserve army to look for Bai Qige outside the city.
The facts were just as Yi Chenjing guessed. Qi Tao handed over the pursuit task to his subordinates and hurried back to the remote army camp. He deceived Bai Qige into hiding without anyone noticing, and then galloped to the predetermined destination of Lingyun.
On the plain on the west side of the city, closely following him were ten killers who were carefully selected and specially assigned by someone before setting off for the expedition. They were undoubtedly not desperate gangsters who were burdened with martial arts and human lives.
The sunset was gentle, but after being refracted by the sword light, it gave off a cold light. The ten long swords were smooth and flat, pointing at the same person.
Bai Qige glanced coldly. The soldiers facing each other with swords were all strong men with ferocious faces. They seemed to know some boxing and kicking skills. It was impossible for her to escape unscathed by herself. It was not like she had never encountered a desperate situation before, where life and death were at stake.
Instead, he became calmer: "General Qi, is he planning to rebel? Your Highness treats you well. Who is behind the scenes to encourage you to make such a stupid mistake?"
"Stop talking nonsense, who ordered me has nothing to do with you." The fear of having his neck held by a dagger has not passed yet. Qi Tao gasped and glared at Bai Qige with a sinister look, "I only know how to kill you and Qi.
I am the prince who has the chance to succeed, and I don’t care about anything else!"
In fact, even if Qi Tao didn't tell her, Bai Qige could still guess who was behind the conspiracy and sneering at the chess pieces. There was only one person who wanted to cut Yi Chenjing into pieces and hated her extremely, Yi Chenxuan.
Holding the dagger tightly across her chest, her seemingly fragile body stood erect. Under the blockade of eleven gazes, Bai Qige faced the blade and made a defensive stance, silently conveying her decision - death is okay, but
She won't take it easy.
She would rather live in pieces than live in ruins. Even if she goes to hell today, she still has to let the world know that she, Bai Qige, is not a coward who is greedy for life and afraid of death!
The hand stained with his own blood was raised high, Qi Tao's eyebrows surged with a trace of evil spirit, and he swung his arm down hard, biting every word with such cruelty that he gritted his teeth.
"Kill me!"
Bai Qige had long been prepared to face a sharp blade, but the crazy killing she expected did not come. Those desperadoes seemed to have no respect for Qi Tao, and even ignored his orders, but the thin woman in front of him was not afraid.
The heroic courage of life and death shocked them.
After silent exchanges between each other, the man who looked like the leader stepped forward and lowered the tip of his knife to the ground: "When someone entrusts you with loyalty, whether it is a poor concubine or a prince's concubine, since our brothers have accepted the benefits from others,
We have to send the girl on her way. This is the most basic rule. However, how we want the girl to die is our brother’s freedom. No one can interfere." The man glanced at Qi Tao intentionally or unintentionally, and his disdain was palpable: "
We brothers are all carrying murder cases. We are most afraid of shortness of breath and least afraid of death. When we meet people with similar temperaments, we will inevitably feel sympathy for each other. Well, girl, since you are wearing armor, I will treat you as a strong-willed man. We brothers
How about ten people who will not bully the few and swarm them one on one, and you can choose whose hands you want to die at?"
"When did you still—" Qi Tao was furious. Fang wanted to dismount and scold him, but the thin and sharp blade was blocked in front of him.
"General Qi, have you forgotten that our brothers are benefiting from that gentleman, not you?" The leading man snorted coldly, turned back to Bai Qige and raised his chin, "Choose, don't waste your time, no matter what,
We need to be on the road within today."
The dramatic situation made Bai Qige feel a little uncomfortable, but after all, it was a glimmer of hope. If he grasped it correctly, he might be able to escape from the tiger's mouth. Taking a deep breath to stabilize his mind, Bai Qige pondered for a moment and then raised his hand to point to the taller and thinner among the ten people.
He frowned, raised his feet and moved a few steps towards that person.
"Me?" The tall and thin man looked a little stupid, pointing to the tip of his nose naively. As Bai Qige stepped closer, he couldn't help but reveal a smile on his face, as if he was watching his prey fall into a trap.
However, Bai Qige was not in the mood to appreciate the innocent smile of a desperado. Her target was not this man from the beginning, it was just because he happened to be standing in that position. The tall and thin man lowered his head and touched the back of the knife, his loving eyes like that knife
She was the one he loved, and at this moment, Bai Qige's figure moved quickly, and the cold light of the dagger fell into everyone's sight before the figure.