——
A full moon hangs high in the night sky over the northern Liang pass.
The campfires lit up the camp, and Qin Ze sat by one of them, warming his slightly cold hands.
At this moment, a rider came from beyond the pass; it was Zhi Xiong, one of the Eighteen Riders of Yanyun.
After dismounting, Zhi Xiong, led by a soldier, approached Qin Ze and respectfully said:
"Reporting to my lord, Tongwei City has fallen!"
Qin Ze remained calm and composed, looking at the flames and saying indifferently, "Did you encounter any obstacles when you breached the city today?"
Zhi Xiong smiled slightly and said calmly, "They'll crumble with a single blow."
Qin Ze hummed in agreement, then asked, "Where's Jin Li?"
"My leg was broken by General Dian Wei. I await my lord's judgment."
Qin Ze shook his head and chuckled, saying, "Then it's better to kill him sooner rather than later; there's no point in keeping him."
Zhi Xiong scratched his head, "I thought the lord might be of use, so I didn't kill him."
"My lord, the city has been captured. May you return to the city tonight?"
Qin Ze glanced at his increasing points, rubbed his hands together, and said, "I'll go back tomorrow morning."
After saying this, he pondered for a while and then said, "Tongwei City is close to Beiliang, and there aren't many troops here. The next city we need to go to is Anyang County, so we'll have to launch a frontal attack."
——
The next day, at dawn.
Outside the camp, Qin Ze used his points to exchange for 24 million catties of grain.
This grain, along with the grain previously seized from Hu Ma, was enough to feed Yue Fei's troops for several months.
A few months later, Qin Ze was not worried that they would run out of food.
Someone will bring food.
At the pass, Qin Ze looked at the imposing Yue Fei before him, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:
"Pengju, the Northern Liang is now in your hands!"
Yue Fei straightened his expression and immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, my lord!"
"With me here, Chang'an of Northern Liang will be secure!"
Qin Ze nodded, said no more, and rode away with Zhang Liao and Zhi Xiong.
Yue Fei, who was behind him, quickened his pace and shouted:
"My lord! I await your triumphant news from the capital in Beiliang!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ze turned around and laughed loudly: "Good!"
"Once I rebuild this land from scratch, I'll create a bright and clear future for it!"
As the sun rose in the east, the snow-covered ground began to melt. The three men rode their warhorses across the snow, leaving behind mottled hoofprints.
We are getting further and further away from Beiliang, and closer and closer to Tongwei City.
At the pass, Yue Fei turned around, looked at the soldiers in front of him, and pursed his lips slightly.
——
"Good sir, please...please spare my life." Jin Li lay on the ground, his face deathly pale, his lower body a bloody mess, barely breathing as he looked at Dian Wei.
Since being injured by Dian Wei yesterday, Jin Li has endured the most unbearable night of his life.
His injuries, combined with the cold of the night, made him tremble all over, and his voice became soft. If it weren't for his fat body, he really wouldn't have made it this far.
Dian Wei sat upright in his chair and glared at him fiercely upon hearing this.
"Hmph, begging for mercy? Now you know how to beg for mercy?"
"You son of a bitch, you sent troops to attack Beiliang twice while we were away. You've got a good plan."
"If it weren't for the fact that my lord hasn't spoken yet, I would have sent you to your death with a single blow."
At this point, Dian Wei sneered, "Fine, let you suffer for a day, so I can enjoy watching it."
Upon hearing this, Jin Li's vision went black, and he almost fainted.
He took a few deep breaths, then said in a trembling voice:
"Do you know what the consequences of killing me will be? I am the prince's nephew, what are you doing...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Dian Wei raised an eyebrow and said with a smile:
"Your Highness? When did our lord acquire a nephew like you?"
"Don't try to claim kinship with strangers."
Hearing this, Jin Li trembled with anger, but his weakened state forced him to defend himself in a low voice:
"I am Jin Li, the nephew of the current King Ganqing."
"I am a member of the Jin family! Do you understand? If you lay a hand on me, you will inevitably..."
Just then, a cold voice came from outside the hall:
What will happen?
"Are the Jin family members unkillable? Or do they think I wouldn't dare to kill them?"
Upon hearing this voice, Dian Wei's face lit up with joy, and he immediately stood up and strode outside.
"My lord, you've arrived!"
Upon hearing the word "My Lord," Jin Li's pupils contracted, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
He struggled to lift his head and looked outside, and saw a tall figure slowly approaching, surrounded by several people.
This was a young man with a cold and stern face, eyes like stars, handsome and dashing, wearing a white cloak, and an imposing aura between his brows.
Several years ago, Jin Li had met Qin Ze in the capital, and at that time he thought he was just a young general who had become famous at a young age.
But upon seeing those cold eyes again, Jin Li didn't dare to breathe, his heart pounding, as if he were facing a man-eating tiger or a ferocious wolf.
He dared not meet that gaze any longer, and hurriedly lowered his head, his face growing paler and paler.
Qin Ze slightly raised his chin, his face expressionless.
"Jinli, please continue."
Perhaps because he had been frozen all night, Jin Li's jaw trembled as he spoke, his voice trembling:
"Qin..."
He had just uttered the word 'Qin' when his fingertips inexplicably trembled, and he quickly corrected himself:
"Your Highness, His Majesty knows that your Qin family has made great contributions and is loyal, which is why he granted you Beiliang as your fief. How could you... how could you plot... to do such a thing!"
"It's not too late to turn back now. If you remain stubborn and refuse to see the light, you will not have a good ending."
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