Chapter 2: Bloodshed on the battlefield and escape from the Immortal Gate
Chapter 27: Jiang Dazhi
Suddenly, Ye Feng shot three arrows in a row, which was not much different from Zhigao.
In addition to being able to fully draw the bow easily, which proves that his arm strength is indeed stronger than Zhigao, due to his lack of understanding of bows and arrows, his arrow flight posture is poor, and the actual penetrating power is even weaker.
"Let's go, we've been delayed a lot! Just wait until these corpses arrive in Dingbian City and notify the government to clean them up!"
Hong Ling shook her head and asked Zhigao to put away his bow and arrows. Then he turned over and mounted his horse.
She had nothing to be disappointed about. She had already had a hunch that the answer to that shocking shot would not be so simple, but she was convinced that it was no accident. Perhaps she could only truly understand it when Ye Feng regained his memory.
After leaving Xingxing Gorge and galloping for nearly a hundred miles, the sun had just turned west, and a huge city lay in front of us.
The two huge seal characters "Dingbian" on the city wall indicate that this is Dingbian City.
Dingbian City is the largest city in Jiang State's Western Xinjiang. The city wall is 20 meters high, the city is more than 100 miles in radius, the city has a population of more than one million, and 80,000 troops are stationed all year round. It is the administrative center of Western Xinjiang and is called Dingbian Province.
After passing Dingbian City, you will reach the hinterland of Jiang State, so this is the second line of defense in Jiang State's western frontier, a strategic location where heavy troops are usually deployed, and it is also the distribution center for military supplies at Qixia Pass.
Since it was not war time, the security at the city gate was relaxed. The gatekeepers were dozing against the city wall and basically did not check the passers-by.
When Ye Feng and others arrived at the city gate, the gatekeeper finally woke up because of the rapid sound of horse hooves.
"The border commander has been ordered to return to the capital, and he has been rushing for 800 miles. Please stay away from the rest of the crowd!"
Hong Ling didn't bother to pay attention to the guards at all. After speaking, she raised the imperial edict in her hand, and regardless of whether the guards saw it clearly, a group of war horses rushed into the city.
Ye Feng followed Hong Ling anyway, and galloped into the city with a group of war horses.
In fact, the layout of all cities is similar. The east and west gates, and the north and south gates are directly connected by Chidao, which facilitates emergency mobilization of military forces in wartime.
In the center of the city is a huge square, commonly known as the martial arts arena, where four galloping roads meet to form a crossroads.
Surrounding the square are various government offices, including the provincial governor's office, various Taotai offices, admiral's offices, post offices, etc.
Hong Ling wanted to be ostentatious, so he did not hide his whereabouts at all. When he arrived at the post office, he revealed his identity, which caught Yi Cheng off guard and rushed to receive him, sweating profusely.
Dingbiancheng is a province, with governors and admirals. Their official positions are similar to those of General Zhenyuan, but there is no need for an audience.
Moreover, Hong Ling knew that they also knew Jiang Meiliang. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Hong Ling still deliberately told Yi Cheng that General Zhenyuan was tired from the journey and was in a hurry to return to Beijing to face the saint. He would leave soon, so he did not see anyone waiting.
But even so, the admiral still rushed over.
It's not that he came to meet him for any reason, because the admiral was a first-rank official and his rank was slightly higher than Jiang Meiliang's, so he didn't come to meet him.
But Jiang Meiliang has a special status. She is the only daughter of a Taiwei, who is the marshal of the world's military and is the admiral's immediate superior.
The name of the admiral of Dingbian Town is Jiang Dazhi. He is a disciple of Taiwei and an absolute confidant. The reason for this arrangement is to ensure the supply of supplies at Qixia Pass.
Hong Ling did not know that the admiral of Dingbian City had been replaced by Jiang Dazhi. When Jiang Dazhi suddenly appeared, he was in a panic on the spot.
Fortunately, although Jiang Dazhi was born in the military, he had been an official for many years and knew everything about the affairs of the court.
When he saw Ye Feng, he understood immediately, so he didn't hesitate at all and said hello familiarly.
However, Ye Feng didn't know why and almost showed his weakness. Fortunately, Hongling came to the rescue in time and managed to get through without any danger.
"Hong Ling, you are trying to steal a dragon and turn it into a phoenix! I don't know if Meiliang has already secretly returned to Beijing, or if he smuggled across the country later."
After retreating from the crowd, Jiang Dazhi asked straight to the point.
"We haven't left yet. Our main purpose is to test. If the danger is too great, the lady will not return to the capital for the time being.
Winter is coming, and Wu State has already begun to gather troops and supplies at the border. A war is inevitable. Once a war breaks out, the border will be ownerless, and the consequences will be disastrous.
The most terrible thing is that we are seriously under-prepared. The food and grass reserves at Qixia Pass are less than one month. Seeing that severe winter is approaching, the soldiers have not yet received their winter clothes. I really don’t know what the court is thinking."
Hong Ling pretended to be filled with resentment and said.
She did not tell Jiang Meiliang that she had secretly set off. It was not that she did not trust Jiang Dazhi, but that some things in the court were too complicated and she would never take any risks when it came to Jiang Meiliang's safety.
"It's just the four of you, and you are here to test it with great fanfare. This is no different from committing suicide. It's just nonsense! And you secretly spread the imperial edict, which is a crime of deceiving the emperor. But if you are going to be punished, I think you should turn back quickly!"
When Jiang Dazhi heard Hong Ling's words, his expression changed and he said extremely seriously.
"Senior Brother Jiang, I think you are confused! The imperial edict is true, and the miss's return to the capital is true. We are just exploring the way first, how can we deceive the emperor!"
Hong Ling was always quick-tempered, so Jiang Dazhi's words were obviously problematic, so she was criticized on the spot.
Jiang Dazhi: "Then if Meiliang doesn't come to Beijing, why come to explore the way first? Aren't you just pretending to spread the imperial edict and deceiving the emperor?"
Hong Ling: "Wouldn't it be fine if we go to Beijing?"
"Well!"
Jiang Dazhi was speechless for a moment. After thinking about it, his expression softened and he said with concern:
"It's too dangerous for the four of you to explore the road. If anything happens to you, I can't explain it to the lieutenant. Let me give you some more experts to accompany you. Firstly, you can build momentum and make people believe more. Secondly, it's safe.
There’s also more protection.”
"It's not necessary. The enemy is hiding, and we are hiding. If there are more people, it will be useful. Can't Miss just bring her personal guards?"
Hongling refused directly.
Jiang Dazhi: "It's superficial. Border officers are not allowed to be summoned, so how can they leave at will? You are simply making excuses and treating your own safety as child's play."
Hong Ling: "In that case, it is a serious crime for you to dispatch soldiers without permission!"
Jiang Dazhi: "I only mobilized private guards, and I will not use military officers. What's the crime?"
"Oh! Senior Brother Jiang actually has private guards? This is feasible!"
When Jiang Dazhi said this, Hongling stopped insisting and agreed to his suggestion.
"You guys wait a moment, I will go back to my hometown to make arrangements. Remember not to see any outsiders. Meiliang is the most beautiful woman in the Jiang Kingdom. There are many people who have seen her portrait, and someone may find out at any time."
Jiang Dazhi stood up and confessed, clasped his fists and prepared to leave.
"Senior Brother Jiang, please be patient! We will not leave Dingbian City today. It is rare to see Senior Brother Jiang in the past few years. Why not have a drink and make arrangements again."
Ye Feng was stunned by Hong Ling's words, but he immediately pretended that nothing happened and respectfully tried to retain Jiang Dazhi.