Deep in the grasslands south of the desert, the camp of the Murong tribe.
Murong Hu slammed his fist on the table, causing a few drops of kumis in the copper bowl to splash out.
There was a gleam of struggle and determination in his eyes, which eventually turned into a long sigh.
"Forget it! Chunhua, your father trusts you this time!"
Murong Hu's voice was low and firm. "Zhao Muyun has risen from a mere beacon tower soldier to the rank of Captain of the Seven Prefectures in just six months. He must have extraordinary qualities. If my Murong tribe continues to rely on King Loufan, he will sooner or later use them as cannon fodder and consume us completely!"
Murong Chunhua's eyes flashed with joy, but then he frowned again:
"Father is wise! But...how can we reach Shuozhou safely? King Loufan will never sit idly by and allow our tribe to escape his control."
"That's the rub."
Murong Hu twirled his beard, his eyes deep. "There are nearly a thousand of us, including the elderly, the weak, women, and children, plus cattle, sheep, and horses. If we move our entire clan, it will make too much noise and King Loufan will surely notice."
The tent fell into a brief silence, with only the occasional crackling sound of the tallow lamp wick.
Suddenly, Murong Chunhua's eyes lit up:
"Father! We can use the name of revenge! Last time, during the Battle of Feihukou, over half of our tribe was killed, and our people are complaining. Why don't we ask King Loufan for permission to avenge our dead and harass the border of Yuzhou!"
"wonderful!"
Murong Hu slapped his thigh fiercely. "King Loufan is well aware of the blood feud between my Murong tribe and Zhao Muyun, so he won't be suspicious! We can act in batches. First, send elite cavalry to pretend to harass Weizhou, but in reality, they will contact Zhao Muyun's men. When the time is right, we will find a way to bring our tribe south!"
The father and son looked at each other and smiled, as if they saw the hope of the tribe's revival.
However, what they didn't know was that just outside the tent, in the shadows, a soldier from the Murong tribe who was originally in charge of guarding was listening to all this with bated breath.
This man's name was Aguda, and he was a spy planted by King Loufan in the Murong tribe.
When the discussion in the tent died down, Aguda retreated silently into the night, quickly led out a fast horse, and galloped towards the court of King Loufan.
......
Three days later, King Loufan was in the Golden Tent on the Monan grassland.
"Your Majesty, Murong Hu and his son are indeed up to no good!"
Aguda knelt on the ground and reported everything he had seen and heard.
Prince Loufan leaned against the tiger-skin throne, his fingers rhythmically tapping the gilded armrests, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Han Yanshou beside him was twirling his beard in thought, with a faint sneer on his lips.
Han Yanshou just came back from King Zhelan.
Timur, who was re-employed by King Zhelan, originally went to Yinzhou to find the whereabouts of Zhao Muyun's salt lake and seize it.
However, Zhao Muyun directed Han Zhong, Wu Shangzhi and Huan Kui to work closely together and set a trap for Timur to hide in.
Timur lost seven or eight of his thousand elite cavalrymen, and he himself escaped by luck.
The defeat of King Zhelan led Han Yanshou and Huyan Gu to cooperate and prepare to bribe officials of the Dayin Dynasty to launch an impeachment against Zhao Muyun.
As long as he is transferred away from the border, King Zhelan and King Loufan can advance together to seize the Salt Lake and plunder Wei, Shuo, Yin, Yan and other states.
When Han Yanshou returned to King Loufan, he heard that Aguda had come to inform on the matter.
"Your Majesty, wasn't Murong Chunhua captured by Zhao Muyun in Weizhou? How did he get back? I suspect he was most likely instigated by Zhao Muyun to rebel."
"How dare the Murong tribe betray me!" King Loufan's voice was as cold as a knife. "Come! Mobilize immediately..."
"Wait a minute, Your Majesty!" Han Yanshou said, his eyes gleaming. "Raising an army now to accuse us would only give us an excuse. It would be better to take advantage of their own tactic."
Prince Loufan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Oh? What does Prime Minister Han have to say?"
Han Yanshou whispered a few words in his ear, and a cruel smile gradually appeared in King Loufan's eyes.
Two more days passed.
Murong Hu brought his son and several confidants to the Golden Tent of King Loufan to ask for orders.
"Your Majesty!" Murong Hu knelt on one knee, his voice filled with grief and indignation. "In the last battle at Feihukou, more than half of my Murong tribe was killed. My people have been weeping day and night. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to lead my troops to Weizhou for revenge and to comfort the souls of the fallen!"
Prince Loufan's face was filled with false sympathy. "Please stand up, Chief Murong. I understand your feelings. I am also deeply saddened by Feihukou's defeat!"
He stepped down from the throne and personally helped Murong Hu to his feet. His tone suddenly turned generous: "Very good! I grant your request! You will lead the remaining cavalry of this army to Weizhou to harass the Yin army!"
Murong Hu was delighted and was about to express his gratitude when King Loufan changed the subject: "However... the journey is dangerous. The elderly, the weak, the women, and the children should stay in Monan. I will send someone to take good care of them. When you return triumphantly, we will be reunited as a family!"
These words were like a basin of cold water poured on Murong Hu's head.
He suppressed his shock and looked up at King Loufan. He saw a cruel and satisfying look in the other's eyes, like a cat playing with a mouse. He immediately realized that his plan had been exposed!
Murong Chunhua's expression also changed, and he subconsciously tightened the hilt of the knife at his waist.
"What? Chief Murong has any objections?"
King Loufan's voice suddenly turned cold, and the sound of armor clashing was immediately heard outside the tent. Dozens of elite guards had surrounded the tent.
Murong Hu's forehead was covered in cold sweat, knowing that if he turned against them at this moment, not only would his and his father's lives be in danger, but the tribesmen left in the camp would also suffer a devastating disaster.
He forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your compassion! I will go back and prepare now, and will set off tomorrow to serve you!"
After leaving the royal court, Murong Chunhua said anxiously, "Father! King Loufan is going to hold our people hostage! We..."
"Silence!"
Murong Hu interrupted sharply, looking around warily, "Let's talk about it when we get back!"
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
