Chapter 194 Recovering Lost Territory

When the officials walked out of the imperial study, the faint smell of blood still lingered in their nostrils.

The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall looked dazed and his eyes were unfocused. He walked down the stairs by instinct and accidentally stepped on empty air.

"ah!"

"Master Wang, be careful."

Du Qingtang was quick to act and supported the old man.

The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall used the force to steady himself and patted his chest with lingering fear: "Thank you, Lord Du."

Du Qingtang said it was okay and withdrew his hand.

The Grand Secretary of Jianji Palace exhaled a breath of foul air and looked at the well-arranged palaces in front of him: "Master Du."

Du Qingtang tilted his head.

The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall rubbed his face vigorously with both hands and said in a heavy tone, "So, is there really no room for change in this matter?"

Du Qingtang didn't answer but asked, "What do you think?"

The Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall smiled bitterly.

He was not a pedantic person, but in ancient times, the feudal idea of male superiority and female inferiority was deeply rooted in the minds of the people, and the Grand Secretary of Jianji Hall was no exception.

It was okay for him to be a colleague with a woman, but he didn't dare to think about, nor could he do, making her his queen and submitting to her.

The Minister of Justice glanced at Du Qingtang, his lips moving. After a while, he still didn't have the courage to do it. Fearing that Du Qingtang would go crazy and kill someone again, he cowardly turned his eyes away and pointed his finger at Yan Tiande: "Second Minister, you are really confused!"

Yan Tiande: “?”

The Minister of Justice was filled with disappointment. "How can you stand on His Majesty's side and speak for Princess Zhaoyang? Swords are merciless on the battlefield. How can a woman like her fight for His Majesty?"

"If the world knew that hundreds of thousands of Great Xia soldiers were led by a woman, wouldn't it bring shame to the royal family and Your Majesty, and make us a laughing stock for eternity?"

Yan Tiande: “…”

He is not the only one who supports Princess Zhaoyang to lead the army in person, why is he the only one being targeted?

So you think he's a soft persimmon, someone who can be manipulated and bullied by anyone?

Yan Tiande said with a sullen face: "Has His Majesty ever changed his decision just because of our opinions?"

The Minister of Justice choked: "But..."

"No buts!" Yan Tiande looked around, a hint of warning in his tone, "Your Majesty has no children. This matter is a foregone conclusion. Why do you all do something so foolish that will neither harm others nor benefit yourself?"

The officials were suddenly scolded, their faces turned pale, and they were filled with resentment.

"If you ask me, Your Majesty is now in good spirits. You can definitely take in more concubines and have more princes. Raise them from infancy, and then choose a wise ruler from among them many years later, and let us assist him."

"Master Fang is absolutely right. It's better than a woman taking power, where a hen crows at dawn and causes chaos in the world..."

"Lord Meng, please be careful with your words," Du Qingtang interrupted. "Your Majesty strongly advocates for gender equality. As subjects, you should remember your position and obey His Majesty's orders faithfully, rather than constantly contradicting His Majesty and constantly harping on the crowing hen, attempting to provoke antagonism between men and women and spark disputes within the court."

Lord Meng was so angry that he fell backwards, pointing at Du Qingtang and angrily scolding: "Du Qingtang, don't go too far!"

"Earlier, you urged His Majesty to open the imperial examinations to women, causing chaos in the court. Now you support His Majesty in making a woman the ruler. I never argued with you, but now you blame me. Do you really think you can keep everything under control forever? You truly don't know your place!"

"Whether Du can cover up everything is up to you, don't worry about it. His Majesty will make the decision." Du Qingtang said with a half-smile, "On the contrary, you, Her Highness, are in charge of the Royal Secret Guard. No movement in Xiajing City can escape her eyes. If His Highness knew about your outrageous words just now..."

"What do I know?"

A clear female voice suddenly rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The woman not far away, wearing a long robe with narrow sleeves, with her black hair tied up high and a heroic figure, was actually Princess Zhaoyang, who had not been seen for a long time.

Du Qingtang was about to speak when Lord Meng beat him to the punch: "His Majesty was nearly assassinated by the Qi bandits just now. After escaping danger, he decided to lead an army to attack Qi, and he also intended to have you lead the army in his stead."

Princess Zhaoyang raised her eyebrows slightly: "Oh? Is this true?"

Lord Meng nodded vigorously, "It is indeed so. I thought you might not know about this yet, so I was just about to tell you the good news."

Du Qingtang: “…”

Officials: “…”

Princess Zhaoyang frowned slightly, as if worried. "I've never led an army before, so I won't do anything about it. I need to carefully discuss the expedition with my father and the generals. If anything goes wrong, I'm afraid I'll be accused of relying on my father's power to cover up everything and being ignorant of my own limitations."

Lord Meng: “?”

Why does this sound familiar?

Officials: “…”

Princess Zhaoyang stroked her wide sleeves gently, bowed, and said, "I will go ahead, everyone else please do as you please."

Du Qingtang bowed and said, "Farewell, Your Highness."

Princess Zhaoyang walked over gracefully and climbed the stairs.

The officials standing on the jade steps all turned sideways and retreated to the side.

Suddenly, a breeze blew, brushing the corner of Princess Zhaoyang's robe embroidered with cloud patterns. The rich sandalwood mixed with the smell of rust filled everyone's nostrils.

It smells like blood.

Everyone's expression changed slightly, and the words of Emperor Qingyuan forcefully entered their minds -

"I asked Zhaoyang to handle it. It should be finished by now."

Since he is a spy sent by Da Qi, he must be a vicious and cruel person and very difficult to deal with.

Looking at Princess Zhaoyang's calm and composed appearance, it seemed as if she had just gone out for a stroll, bought some rouge and powder, and some delicious food, and her hair was still neatly tied, without a trace of disorder.

Never been deep into the dragon's den or the tiger's blood, and never seen blood.

A faint smell of blood lingered in their nostrils, and everyone was terrified and frightened.

"Oh, right." Princess Zhaoyang stopped in front of Lord Meng, raised her chin slightly, and her eyes fell on the lifelike golden dragon on the Coiled Dragon Pillar. "I have a bad temper, and I hate to hear people gossiping about me behind my back."

"If you do it again, I won't mind pulling out that uncontrollable tongue of yours."

"I have a few wolfhounds in my house. They've been eating vegetarian food for a while now, so it's a good idea to give them some meat."

Sandalwood mixed with the suffocating smell of blood rushed into Lord Meng's nose fiercely. He felt as if someone had hit him on the temple. His calves trembled twice and he sat down on the ground.

Princess Zhaoyang pursed her lips and said, "Lord Meng, there is no need to perform such a grand ceremony. I cannot bear it."

Lord Meng's lips trembled, and his throat seemed to be blocked by a cork, so he could only make "ho ho" sounds in vain, and his face looked uglier than that of a dead person.

Princess Zhaoyang said this, sighed softly, and walked away.

Yan Tiande shook his head, really embarrassing himself: "Master Meng, please get up quickly."

Lord Meng collapsed on the ground, swallowed his saliva, and said in a hoarse voice: "My legs are weak."

Yan Tiande: “…”

Du Qingtang looked down upon Lord Meng's two-faced and cowardly appearance, and took Fu Ci away.

On the long and winding road to the palace, Fu Ci grabbed hold of Du Qingtang's sleeves and shook them gently. She had loved doing this since she was a student, and it hadn't changed now. "It was so dangerous before. The assassin's dagger was just a hair's breadth away from stabbing Your Majesty. I was so scared that my heart almost jumped out of my throat."

Fu Ci exhaled, awestruck: "Sure enough, not everyone can be the emperor."

As she spoke, she let out a low cry, her eyes and eyebrows dancing, unable to conceal her excitement. "Your Highness's aura just now was truly remarkable. No wonder Lord Meng was buried up to his neck in dirt. Even an old man who had lived through two dynasties couldn't stand it. He was like a tiger with sharp claws and fangs. He is worthy of being the woman who will become the empress!"

Du Qingtang smiled: "When His Highness returns to the capital, his aura will surely be even more astonishing."

Fu Ci pulled out tiny flowers from Du Qingtang's wide sleeves, muttering, "Da Qi is even more disgusting than cockroaches and bedbugs. It's only been quiet for three years, and now they're back again."

"Don't worry, this time we will be able to eradicate the problem completely and put an end to it forever." Du Qingtang looked down at the folds on his wide sleeves and snatched them back. "Fu Ci."

Fu Ci chuckled, smoothed out the wrinkles, and looked around and said something else: "The two countries are about to go to war. We will be busy in the next few days. Let's go quickly, otherwise we will have to work overtime tonight."

Du Qingtang glanced at her, and Fu Ci grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, looking very much like a Samoyed.

Du Qingtang: “…”

Forget it, so many years have passed, I should have gotten used to it.

The two chatted casually, then parted ways at the door of the cabinet, each going about their own business.

-

However, Yang Xu beat the drum to file a complaint against Emperor Qingyuan. Within half an hour, the news spread throughout the city of Xiajing.

The people had different opinions, with mixed reviews.

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler. He probably doesn't know that he has a prince living abroad, otherwise he would definitely bring him into the palace."

"Hello, Prince. The throne has been taken over by someone."

The people were eagerly waiting, but instead of waiting for the emperor to recognize the prince, they received news that the emperor had been assassinated and decided to launch an attack on Qi.

"What a thief Qi! I knew they would never give up their evil intentions!"

"I have lived for sixty or seventy years, and have been waiting for this day. We in Great Xia have strong soldiers and generals, as well as firearms. We will surely defeat the Qi bandits and kill the dog emperor of Great Qi to avenge my son's life! My son, who went to the battlefield at the age of fifteen and was hacked to death by the Qi bandits..."

"Warfare is a man's business. Why would a woman like Princess Zhaoyang get involved?"

"Have you forgotten what happened in Lijiazhai last year? What's wrong with being a woman? A woman can still beat you up and make you cry for your parents!"

"It seems that His Majesty is truly intending...otherwise he wouldn't have sent people to the battlefield to gain merit."

"I don't care who is the emperor. As long as she is not a tyrant and can provide us with food and clothing, I will acknowledge her as a good emperor of Daxia."

"That's right! His Highness Zhaoyang has made great sacrifices for Daxia, and now he is personally leading the expedition against Daqi. He is not afraid of hardship or fatigue, and he will definitely be a good emperor in the future!"

......

Emperor Qingyuan appointed Princess Zhaoyang as military supervisor, and the news of the attack on Da Qi spread like wildfire, reaching the homes of ordinary people and also the homes of princes and nobles.

"I heard that His Majesty intends to make Princess Zhaoyang the next emperor."

"That's probably true. Otherwise, with so many princesses in the palace, why did His Majesty only allow Princess Zhaoyang to be an official and to supervise the army?"

"People are so different. They have the same father, but some are about to rule the country, while others... What's wrong with your eyes? Is there sand in your eyes? Come here and let me take a look."

As the maid was about to step forward to look at the twitching eyes of the little sister, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her lower back, and her whole body seemed to be cut in half. She flew out like a piece of paper and hit the rockery, causing her head to be bleeding.

Another maid fell to her knees and kowtowed profusely, "Master, please spare me! Master, please spare me!"

Xia Qiyang took his eyes off the maid who was vomiting blood and kicked her again.

"ah!"

The maidservant was like a pink kite, flying high into the sky and then falling heavily down. She twitched twice and died.

Xia Qiyang's voice was icy: "Chop it up and feed it to the dogs."

Two personal servants responded and went forward to deal with the body.

Xia Qi Yang closed his eyes, turned and left.

After returning to his residence, Xia Qi Yang stood in front of the table, his face twitched twice, he growled, and dropped the entire set of tea set to the ground.

Fragments flew everywhere, scratching the face that looked about four or five percent like Emperor Qingyuan.

"Why? Why would you rather choose a woman like Xia Danrong than take me back?"

"I am the prince of Daxia, and I should inherit the throne!"

"Not fair! This isn't fair!"

Xia Qiyang roared hysterically, his hands on the table, his breathing heavy, his nostrils flaring, his chest heaving rapidly, and his eyes filled with tremendous hatred.

To Emperor Qingyuan.

Especially to Princess Zhaoyang.

Xia Qi Yang maintained this posture for a long time until the servant came back after dealing with the corpse. Then he moved mechanically twice and slowly stood up straight.

He looked towards the northwest, his sight seeming to penetrate through layers of bricks and stones, reaching the study and the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

A voice whispered in his ear, saying in a bewitching tone, "Get rid of her! Get rid of her, and the throne will be yours!"

Xia Qiyang followed his heart.

He drafted a letter and handed it to the servant: "Send it to Loushan Pass."

The servant took the envelope and left.

Xia Qi Yang watched the servant walk out of the yard through the glazed window, and gripped the brush tightly in his right hand. After a while, there was a "click" and the wolf-hair brush broke into two pieces.

"whispering sound."

Xia Qi Yang lowered his head and looked at the palm of his hand that was pierced by the sharp thorns. The ink and blood mixed together, making an ambiguous sound.

......

Prince Cheng’s Mansion, main courtyard.

"Master, why didn't you let me intercept the letter?"

The old man with white hair and beard was leaning on a recliner. Although it was May and the weather was getting warmer, a woolen blanket was covering his legs.

His face was pale, he coughed from time to time, and his trembling eyebrows revealed his weakness and discomfort.

"master......"

Prince Cheng waved his hand. His eyes were cloudy and dim due to long-term illness, but they could not hide his wisdom.

He held a chess piece between his fingers, staring at the chessboard, and said calmly, "Your Majesty will take care of this matter. I am old, so I will just focus on my retirement and will not get involved in Your Majesty's household affairs."

"......yes."

In the imperial study, the master and servant were also discussing the same topic.

"Your Majesty, would you like to intercept the letter?"

Emperor Qingyuan shook his head: "No need, a mere Tian Xiu, Sister Rong can handle it."

Otherwise, how can we deal with tens of thousands of court officials who each act independently in the future?

Fu Rui remained silent and poured tea for Emperor Qingyuan.

In the hall, Yujue lit the ambergris and put it into the incense burner.

The curls of green smoke slowly rise up, like clouds and mist in a fairyland.

The fragrance fills the air, filling the room with a rich and lingering aroma.

-

At the order of Emperor Qingyuan, the entire court entered a level one combat readiness state.

All departments and agencies quickly got to work, and in just one day, military supplies such as weapons, food, and fodder were ready.

During this period, Du Qingtang held a banquet in Shixiang Pavilion to see off Princess Zhaoyang.

The meal was hotpot. Both of them loved spicy food, so their lips and cheeks turned red after eating. They kept gasping for breath, but they couldn't help but eat heartily.

Before parting, Du Qingtang offered sour plum soup instead of wine to Princess Zhaoyang, saying, "I'm going on a western expedition, and my return date is uncertain. I hope Your Highness will take good care of yourself."

Princess Zhaoyang curled her lips, her eyes bright and shining: "I will."

Du Qingtang added, "Your Highness can borrow troops from Shaoqing Prefecture."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and agreed. Suddenly, she leaned forward and gently hugged Du Qingtang, her warm breath hitting her ear: "Xianyu, we will always be friends, right?"

Du Qingtang hugged her back, his palm gently caressing her thin back. Without hesitation, he said firmly, "Yes."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled slowly.

......

On May 18, Princess Zhaoyang led a total of 100,000 soldiers from three camps and 10,000 firearms troops on board a train and set off for Loushan Pass.

On that day, Emperor Qingyuan and all the officials left the city to see him off.

Looking at the commanders of the three camps and Commander Lu of the Firearms Camp standing respectfully behind Princess Zhaoyang, all the officials were secretly shocked.

After decades of ups and downs in their official careers, they have already developed a pair of sharp eyes.

You can tell whether a person is sincere or not at a glance.

At least at this moment, the respect of the four commanders was not superficial, but came from the heart.

Why would they be respectful to a princess?

An incredible guess came to my mind.

If you say——

They mean if.

What if Princess Zhaoyang was not only in charge of the Royal Secret Guards, but also in charge of the three major camps?

Only if you serve her as your Lord can you be so respectful.

They suddenly remembered that last August, Princess Zhaoyang returned to Beijing, and the next day three thousand troops also escorted the remnants of the Cao family back to Beijing from Hanzhong Prefecture.

Are there really such coincidences in the world?

The more they thought about it, the more frightened they became, and their hearts felt a chill.

When did Your Majesty decide to let Princess Zhaoyang inherit the throne?

After all the princes died?

Or even earlier?

If it is the latter, will Your Majesty participate - or allow the princes to die tragically?

They suddenly became eager to know whose name was written on the imperial edict appointing the crown prince, which was hidden behind the "Zhengda Guangming" plaque in the Qianqing Palace.

"Take care on your journey. I await your triumphant return in Xiajing."

Princess Zhaoyang and the others bowed and said, "Your subordinates will do their best to fulfill this mission!"

Emperor Qingyuan had a smile on his round and elegant face, like an ordinary father: "Zhaoyang, please take care of yourself."

Princess Zhaoyang bowed again: "You too."

Emperor Qingyuan smiled even more widely, but the officials saw the coldness and cruelty beneath the smile, and they couldn't help but feel cold all over their bodies and shivered uncontrollably.

The saying that the most ruthless people are the royal family is indeed true.

With a humming sound, a long steel dragon headed westward along the dark track, carrying 110,000 soldiers and horses to Loushan Pass.

Emperor Qingyuan watched the train go away, then boarded the dragon carriage and returned to the palace.

Everyone looked at the bright yellow carriage from afar with panic-stricken expressions.

"So... are you still against it?"

"Are you going to die?"

"......well."

Du Qingtang listened to the incoherent conversation of the officials behind him and smiled imperceptibly.

"What are you laughing at?" Fu Ci glanced at him and asked curiously.

Du Qingtang hummed softly: "I suddenly remembered a joke."

Fu Ci asked, "What a joke."

Du Qingtang shook his head: "I can't tell you."

Fu Ci's eyes widened, his face accusing: "Aren't we good friends who have nothing to say to each other?"

Du Qingtang coughed lightly. How could it have escalated to this level? He grabbed Fu Ci's wide sleeve and said calmly, "Let's go back."

Fu Ci glared at her in feigned anger.

Du Qingtang kept walking and changed the subject: "Yesterday I went to the Princess's Mansion, and His Highness said that someone would send a batch to the Duke of Haicuo's Mansion today."

Fu Ci's face lit up with a smile: "I forgive you."

Du Qingtang raised the corner of his mouth and said in a long tone: "Thank you, Master Fu."

Fu Ci snorted twice: "Hurry up and go, finish your official business as soon as possible and go home early!"

Du Qingtang cooperated by quickening his pace.

The officials looked at the backs of the two of them as they left: "..."

The Minister of Justice couldn't help but sneer: "Master Du has made a good bet."

"No wonder he's so arrogant, it turns out he's fearless."

"Ah, the great achievement of following the dragon is gone just like that."

"I won't say anymore. The more I talk, the more uncomfortable I feel."

Everyone wiped away their sad tears and took the public bus back to the city.

-

It would take at least a month to get from Xiajing to Loushan Pass by riding day and night.

But it only takes more than ten hours by train.

When we arrived at Loushan Pass, it was just dawn.

The general of Loushan Pass and a group of generals came out of the camp to greet them.

"I will pay my respects to Your Highness."

"Generals, there's no need for formalities." Princess Zhaoyang took the reins from her personal guard and mounted her horse. "There's no time to lose. Let's discuss our strategy for conquering Da Qi as soon as possible."

"yes!"

In the early years, the generals of Loushan Pass had fought against the enemy together with Du Qingtang. They were accustomed to Princess Zhaoyang's decisive and resolute style. Upon hearing her words, they mounted their horses and returned to the camp one after another.

The group entered the main tent. Princess Zhaoyang sat at the top, Pei Yuchun sat at the first seat on the left, and the other generals sat in order of their military rank.

After everyone was seated, Princess Zhaoyang got straight to the point: "General Pei, I plan to split my troops into two groups. One group will attack Changping Pass, and the other group will attack Xiangluo Mansion, Fengyun Mansion, and Hanfeng Mansion."

Pei Yuchun's green eyes flashed with contemplation, and he spoke cautiously: "Your Highness, there are many Daxia people in the three prefectures you mentioned. If a war breaks out, the Qi army is very likely to take them as hostages."

In the past, Da Qi occupied thirteen cities of Da Xia. Later, Du Qingtang invented firearms. Since the eighteenth year of Qingyuan, Da Qi has successively returned ten cities. Now there are still three cities left in the hands of Da Qi.

Since it was a city captured from Daxia, there were naturally tens of millions of Daxia people in the city.

These people lost their land and suffered from the bullying of the Qi people. Although recovering the lost land was urgent and the overall situation was more important and certain sacrifices had to be made when necessary, Pei Yuchun still wanted to protect them as much as possible and did not want them to become innocent victims.

"General Pei's concerns have certainly been taken into consideration." Princess Zhaoyang spoke with a calmness that was undeniably convincing. "Why not join forces with the people who lost their land? This would minimize casualties and win back the people's hearts. It would be a win-win situation. What do you think, General Pei?"

Pei Yuchun looked at his subordinates. Some nodded in agreement, while others remained silent.

"May I ask how confident you are, Your Highness?" Pei Yuchun asked bluntly, "Those three prefectures are heavily guarded, and no one is allowed to enter or leave freely. If you want to contact the people in the city, the possibility is not great."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled calmly, "I have a brilliant plan. I can assure you that with the combined efforts of both inside and outside, we have at least a 90% chance of success."

Surprise flashed across the faces of the generals, and they were all half-believing and half-doubting.

Someone wanted to get to the bottom of the matter, but was elbowed by his colleague next to him.

"Why are you poking me? I was just about to ask her what her plan was."

"Your Highness doesn't seem to want to talk any more. Even if you ask, you probably won't get any information."

"Tsk, so mysterious. Isn't she too confident? If she fails, won't it cause a lot of unnecessary casualties?"

When she was dissatisfied, she heard Princess Zhaoyang say, "There are people from my palace in the city."

Everyone was stunned, and then they realized what was happening, and their slight dissatisfaction disappeared completely.

"I see. No wonder Your Highness looks so confident."

"Don't you think His Highness looks too familiar?"

"...Master Du?"

"That's her! Lord Du is very methodical and considers every step carefully. This prince seems to be the same."

Most military commanders had raspy voices, so even if they lowered their voices, Princess Zhaoyang could still hear them clearly: "Is Lord Du the Duke of Wen?"

General Feng nodded rapidly, "Yes, it's Duke Wen. I wonder how she's doing in Xiajing. It's been years since we parted at Loushan Pass. I miss Lord Du all the time!"

Pei Yuchun lowered his eyes, but his ears pricked up quietly.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Lady Du is doing well in Xiajing. My father holds her in high esteem, and I, too, love her very much. Before leaving the capital, she even hosted a farewell banquet for me."

General Feng grinned, "That's good, that's good. We can barely be considered colleagues with Lord Du. If she's doing well, we can rest assured."

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and returned to the topic: "Including the firearms troops at Loushan Pass, there are a total of 12,000 people. I plan to bring..."

After some discussion, Princess Zhaoyang and the generals of Loushan Pass decided on a strategy for attacking the city.

Finally, Princess Zhaoyang continued, "I heard that Lord Du formed a female garrison in Shaoqing Prefecture. I plan to borrow soldiers from Shaoqing Prefecture, and the female soldiers will accompany me to the battle."

Pei Yuchun didn't know what was on his mind, but a flash of understanding flashed through his mind: "As far as I know, those female soldiers participated in the defense of Shaoqing Prefecture and have rich combat experience."

Princess Zhaoyang nodded: "That's very good."

Now that everything had been settled, the officers and men of Loushan Pass and the 110,000 troops brought by Princess Zhaoyang began to prepare for war.

That afternoon, Princess Zhaoyang sent someone to Shaoqing Prefecture to ask the prefect to borrow troops.

At that time, Yao Jingzhou was handing over his post to the new prefect.

Coincidentally, the new prefect Duan Yi was a classmate of Yao Jingzhou. He entered the officialdom three years earlier than Yao Jingzhou. He was originally a local co-magistrate. He made a contribution some time ago, so he was sent to Shaoqing Prefecture to take over the position of prefect.

After learning more about Shaoqing Prefecture, Duan Yi deeply admired Duke Wen's ability and courage, and vowed to Yao Jingzhou, "Rest assured, Wen Jing, although I may not reach the heights of Duke Wen, I will do my best to ensure that more people have enough food and clothing and that more children have access to education."

In this way, Yao Jingzhou was barely relieved.

Princess Zhaoyang sent someone over, and Duan Yi and Yao Jingzhou discussed and decided to lend the female soldiers out.

When the news reached the female soldiers' camp, they were overjoyed and danced with joy.

"That's great! Shaoqing Prefecture has been peaceful these past few years, and my bones are almost rusted from idleness. Finally, I have the chance to show my skills!"

"They were just a bunch of thieves. Back then, I beat them till they were pissing and crying for their parents!"

"This Princess Zhaoyang is truly a kind person, but how did she know there was a female barracks in Shaoqing Prefecture?"

"It must be Lord Du!"

The female soldiers were moved to tears.

"Master Du is so kind. He still remembers us after all these years."

"I miss Master Du, woo woo woo..."

Mu Yuanzhu's eyes sparkled, and she sniffed, "Lord Du is thinking of us. We must all cheer up and kill more Qi bandits. We must not bring shame to Lord Du."

Lin Yu nodded vigorously: "I want to kill a hundred of them!"

"I want to kill a hundred too!"

"Me too, me too!"

Seeing everyone shouting "100", one girl, unwilling to be outdone, announced loudly, "Then I'll kill 1,000!"

The crowd suddenly fell silent, and then erupted into even louder noises.

"I'm going to kill a thousand of them too!"

"I have ten thousand!"

“Puhahahaha!”

The clear laughter echoed over the female soldiers' camp for a long time.

-

That night, darkness enveloped Xiangluo Mansion, Fengyun Mansion and Hanfeng Mansion, and all things fell into sleep.

Near midnight, there was a "whoosh" sound, and an arrow shot straight into the sky.

The sound was sharp, illuminating the night sky in an instant.

Inside the city, someone stood under the eaves, gazing at the horizon.

Not until the light faded and darkness returned did the figure turn and go into the house.

......

On May 21, the female soldiers from Shaoqing Prefecture arrived at Loushan Pass.

That night, dozens of men gathered in a cellar in Hanfeng Mansion.

The bearded man's voice was hoarse, like the sound of a drum: "Everyone, I have received news that Daxia is preparing to attack Qi."

There was an astonishing light in the men's eyes, and their breathing became rapid, they could not hide their excitement.

"Seriously? Brother Hu, you didn't lie to me?"

The bearded man, Hu Lide, poked the table with his index finger and said in a muffled voice, "When have I, Old Hu, ever lied to you?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"You saved my life. If it weren't for you, I would have died under the club of the Qi bandits."

"That's right, without Brother Hu, there would be no Zhang Chunsheng!"

"Brother Hu, we trust you."

Twenty-three years ago, Hanfeng Prefecture fell and the Qi army entered the city. Hundreds of thousands of people in the city became slaves of the Qi bandits and have lived in dire straits ever since, leading a life worse than that of pigs and dogs.

Almost every day, innocent people died at the hands of the Qi bandits, beaten to death with sticks, hacked to death with swords... The ways of death varied, but were all extremely tragic.

Hu Lide was a bodyguard when he was young and had good skills. He rescued all these people in the cellar from the Qi bandits.

Six years ago, Hu Lide proposed to secretly establish the Guixia Gang to specifically help the people of Daxia in Hanfeng Prefecture.

After six years of development and growth, the gang has grown from dozens of people at the beginning to thousands of people today.

They secretly rescued their compatriots and punished the Qi bandits who persecuted their compatriots. They had a very good reputation among the Xia people, and their gang members were like saviors.

"So, can we go home?" someone asked in a trembling voice.

For more than twenty years, they have dreamed of returning to Daxia.

However, although Da Qi returned ten cities one after another, they still lived in dire straits and suffered.

Now tell them that Daxia is about to launch an attack on Qi.

Does that mean that they are about to escape from suffering?

Even after experiencing disappointment again and again, they still had a glimmer of hope in their hearts, staring at Hu Lide with wide eyes without blinking.

Hu Lide's eyes were sore, and he rubbed his face vigorously with both hands, trying to keep a calm tone: "Yes."

As soon as these words were spoken, the thirty or forty grown men present could no longer hold back their tears, which flowed down like a faucet, wetting their collars in an instant.

They didn't dare cry too loudly, for fear that the patrolling Qi bandits would hear them and follow the sound.

"Very good!"

"When the Qi bandits are gone, I'm going to go find my mother. I haven't seen her for twenty-three years. I keep dreaming about her, and she keeps asking me why I don't go find her. But the Qi bandits are guarding the city gates, and only they can get out. And I can't grow wings, so what am I going to do..."

"Stop crying, you'll be able to see her soon."

Although no one can guarantee whether his mother is still alive.

Hu Lide took a deep breath and said, "Brothers, I plan to cooperate with the Xia army from inside and outside."

"How can this be done legally?"

Hu Lide gritted his teeth and said word by word: "Kill the dog official, open the city gate!"

-

On May 22, Daxia launched its first attack on Daqi.

According to the original plan, the Xia army was divided into four routes.

Pei Yuchun and Tian Xiu led an army of 100,000 to attack Changping Pass.

The commander of the Huben Camp led 40,000 troops to attack Xiangluo Prefecture.

The commander of the Three Thousand Battalion led 40,000 troops to attack Fengyun Mansion.

The commander of the Five Military Camps led 40,000 troops to attack Hanfeng Prefecture.

Twelve thousand firearms troops were also divided into four groups and took action with the four Xia armies.

Princess Zhaoyang followed the Five Military Camps to Hanfeng Prefecture. The 40,000-strong army was like a long dragon, winding westward with great momentum.

The Qi army discovered the Xia army from the city wall and crawled forward to report it.

"Oh no! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

When the garrison commander of Hanfeng Prefecture learned of this, he immediately dispatched troops to resist the enemy and sent people to the government office to inform the prefect and others.

With 40,000 Xia troops facing 50,000 Qi troops, their chances of winning should be slim.

But who can blame Daxia for having a firearms army?

When the two armies confronted each other, the Xia army showed no martial ethics and was the first to send out 3,000 firearms troops.

"boom--"

Accompanied by a loud bang, thick smoke rose up, blocking out the sky.

Twenty gunpowder bags were fired with powerful crossbows, and tens of thousands of Qi soldiers were blown into the sky along with their horses. Broken limbs and corpses fell to the ground, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams resounded through the sky.

After one round of bombing, the muskets were fired again.

——There were only five cannons at Loushan Pass. In order to avoid accidentally injuring civilians when attacking Xiangluo Prefecture, Fengyun Prefecture and Hanfeng Prefecture, Princess Zhaoyang gave them all to Pei Yuchun and asked him to bomb Changping Pass.

After emptying both magazines, the firearms soldier retired with honors.

Mu Yuanzhu sat high on his horse, his spear pointed toward the sky: "Girls, warriors, follow me to repel the Qi bandits and welcome the people of Daxia back home!"

The commander of the Fifth Army Battalion refused to be outdone. He raised his spear high and said in a resounding voice, "Boys, follow me to charge and kill the enemy, and reclaim the lost territory!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

The Xia army, holding scimitars or spears, rushed towards the Qi army with passion and shouting, thrusting their blades into their chests and their spears into their abdomens.

Warm scarlet blood spurted out and splashed all over Xia Jun's face.

Their eyes were determined and fearless, and they repeated the stabbing and pulling movements as if they were tireless.

......

On the other side, Hu Lide and his brothers from the Guixia Gang were waiting on the road that the person who brought the news had to take to get to the government office.

As soon as the palace soldier appeared, Hu Lide, who was lurking in the narrow alley, suddenly jumped up, raised his sword and chopped off the other person's head.

Blood splattered, dyeing the sky red and attracting the attention of patrolmen.

"What are you untouchables doing?"

Hu Lide waved his hand, gripped the scimitar tightly, and fearlessly rushed towards the ferocious patrolman who took pleasure in bullying the Xia people.

Fifty members of the Guixia Gang followed closely behind, raising their scimitars high and, driven by hatred, slashing hard at the patrolmen.

Both sides had weapons and fought in an instant.

The clanging sounds of swords clashing were endless.

"What do you want to do? You want to die? Well, since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"

No!

They are not looking for death!

They are seeking freedom and a way home!

Fifty people, including Hu Lide, knew very well that their lives and deaths were uncertain on this trip.

But for the sake of their descendants, and so that more people can be reunited with their separated families, they are willing to die.

Hu Lide raised his sword and stabbed a patrolman through. At the same time, he was attacked by someone and a fist-sized bloody hole appeared in his waist and abdomen, and blood gushed out.

"ah!"

Hu Lide cried out in pain, kicked away the patrolmen who were attacking him, and mechanically swung his scimitar, killing one after another.

"Brothers, follow me!"

"Kill the dog officer and return to Daxia!"

"Kill the dog officer and return to Daxia!"

Fifty people relied on their courage to fight their way from one end of the street to the other and broke into the government office.

Along the way, shouts and screams were heard everywhere, alarming countless people of Da Xia. They hid behind windows and peeked out, with nothing but numbness and despair in their dry eyes.

"What are they doing?"

"How stupid! Do you think a few dozen people can deal with those corrupt officials? Don't forget there are still 60,000 government soldiers..."

"boom--"

There was a sudden earth-shaking movement, as the firearms army launched an attack.

"What's going on?"

"The noise seems to be coming from outside the city."

"Could it be..."

The family looked at each other, and an incredible guess came to their minds.

At this moment, someone on the street shouted: "Fellow villagers, Daxia is defeating Qi, we are going home! We are going home!"

"Stop! Don't run!"

Everyone looked out through the holes in the window paper and saw that the people running and shouting on the street were actually members of the Guixia Gang.

The yamen runners, patrolmen and palace soldiers chased after them, their blades flashing coldly.

"They saved us, and we can't just watch them lose their lives."

"Killing them will make it easier for the Xia army outside the city."

The family looked at each other and reached a tacit understanding in an instant. They took up things in the house that could be used as weapons - kitchen knives, hoes, shoulder poles, sticks, resolutely opened the door, and rushed towards the Qi army.

"If you want to kill them, you have to get past me first!"

"I remember you. You killed my son. I want you to pay with your life!"

"You dogs! You beasts! I'm going to kill you!"

"Charge! Kill them and we can go home!"

Every street in the city was filled with the strong smell of blood.

There are Xia people.

There are also troops from Qi.

People kept falling down, and people kept standing up.

In order to go home, to reunite, and to be free, they are fearless!

......

Hu Lide led his brothers from the Guixia Gang into the government office and had another fierce battle with the yamen runners.

About ten of their brothers died, but even more yamen runners died.

The dog officials of Da Qi curled up in the corner, trembling with fear and shit and urine flowing all over the place.

"Don't kill me! I can give you money, lots and lots of money!"

"I can let you go!"

"Please, don't kill me, I don't want to die!"

Hu Lide curled up the corners of his mouth and sneered: "They begged you in the same way back then."

After saying this, he cut off the prefect's head without hesitation.

The others also raised their swords and swiftly cut off the dog official's head. They ignored the deep wounds on his body that could be seen to the bone and ran straight to the city gate.

They climbed up the city wall, held the dog official's head high, and shouted in unison: "The dog official is dead, why don't you surrender quickly!"

"The dog official is dead, why don't you surrender quickly!"

"The dog official is dead, why don't you surrender quickly!"

The sound echoed in the air and reached the ears of the Qi army.

With the invincible Xia army in front and the Xia people rising up in resistance behind, the Qi army's eyes flashed with despair and they laid down their weapons one after another.

"I surrender!"

"Don't kill me!"

The blood-soaked Xia people opened the city gates and welcomed the Xia army into the city.

Princess Zhaoyang, clad in silver armor, raised her voice as the Xia people gazed at her with tears in their eyes, "Everyone, I'm here to take you home."

I don't know when a drizzle started to fall from the sky.

Tens of millions of people had wet marks on their faces, and they cried loudly in the rain, like children who had been lost for a long time and finally found their way home.