He Yunsheng was shocked and rushed to the rescue with his gun.
Huan Naxue was fearless, wielding her giant sword like the wind, and fought with He Yunsheng.
He Yunsheng's martial arts skills were slightly better than Xu Yunlong's, but he only lasted for more than ten rounds before Huan Naxue severed the spearhead with a single sword stroke and used the flat of the sword to knock him off his horse.
Seeing Naji's incredible bravery, the Wuhuan cavalry cheered loudly, their voices echoing through the valley.
The bandits looked at each other in bewilderment, their morale plummeting.
Huan Naxue reined in her warhorse, pointed her greatsword at Xu and He who were lying on the ground, and coldly shouted: "You mere bandits dare to block the way of my army! I do not kill nameless ghosts with my sword. State your names so I can send you two on your way!"
Just as Huan Naxue was about to finish off the two men, Huan Kui, who was bringing up the rear, caught up.
He looked closely at the faces of the two people on the ground and vaguely felt they looked familiar. Then, he suddenly remembered:
"Wait a minute! Naji! These two... seem to be Xu Yunlong and He Yunsheng, the two chieftains subdued by the Grand Commander!"
Xu Yunlong and He Yunsheng had already closed their eyes and awaited death, but upon hearing the words "Grand Commander," they suddenly opened their eyes.
Looking again at Huan Naxue's Wuhuan attire and astonishing martial arts skills, a thought flashed through Xu Yunlong's mind, and he exclaimed in disbelief:
"You...you are the wife of the Grand Commander, Lady Huan of the Wuhuan?"
Upon hearing this, Huan Naxue paused, her greatsword momentarily still.
He Yunsheng also hurriedly got up, cupped his hands and said:
"It's truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple! Madam, please forgive us! We were unaware of your arrival and offended your majesty; we deserve to die!"
The two quickly recounted how Zhao Muyun had subdued them and how he had subsequently helped them.
Huan Naxue's expression softened slightly after hearing this, and she sheathed her greatsword: "I see. Since you are my husband's former subordinates, I will spare your lives. My purpose in going here is to go to Longyou to help my husband defeat the enemy."
Upon hearing this, Xu and He exchanged a glance and both saw the excitement in each other's eyes.
Although they lived a carefree life as outlaws, they always longed for a respectable background.
Now that the Grand Commander's wife has personally arrived and is going to the front lines, this is the perfect opportunity!
Xu Yunlong immediately said, "Madam! Take us with you! We brothers are all good men, and we are willing to go to Longyou with you to serve the Grand Commander!"
He Yunsheng also said, "That's right! Madam's martial arts are superb. We are willing to serve Madam as our master, and we will go through fire and water for her!"
Huan Naxue looked at the thousands of mountain warriors in front of her. Although their equipment was messy, most of them were strong and had fierce eyes. They were a force not to be underestimated.
After a moment's thought, she said, "Alright! Since you're so willing, I'll accept you! Xu Yunlong and He Yunsheng will be my deputies for now!"
"Immediately select three thousand strong and capable men to accompany me! The elderly, weak, women, and children shall be given money and provisions and sent back to their fields!"
"Understood!"
Xu and He were overjoyed and immediately took action.
Soon, three thousand of the strongest mountain warriors were selected, and together with one thousand Wuhuan cavalrymen from Huanna Snowfield, they formed a mixed force of four thousand men, who continued their southward march with high morale.
......
When the group passed through Yinzhou, the deputy commander of Yinzhou (Tian Qing had been transferred to Yunzhou to replace Lin Feng) was alarmed to see a "foreign" army of several thousand people approaching. He hurriedly closed the city gates and prepared for battle.
As the procession drew closer, they recognized the woman at the head of the group as Huan Naxue, the second wife of the Grand Commander.
Huan Naxue didn't stand on ceremony and directly stated that she wanted to go to Longyou to assist in the war and requested Yinzhou to provide a batch of military supplies.
How could the deputy general dare to offend the "Grand Commander's wife," especially since he was going to assist the Grand Commander?
They had no choice but to open the treasury and allow Huan Naxue to "forcibly" take away a batch of fine composite bows and armor.
Upon arriving in Yanzhou, Huan Naxue repeated the same tactic, obtaining sufficient grain, arrows, medicine, and other military supplies from the Yanzhou garrison commander.
By this time, Huan Naxue's four thousand men were fully equipped and had ample provisions.
She faced two paths: head south to Xia Prefecture and join Lin Feng; or continue westward, heading straight for Liang Prefecture and joining Zhao Muyun.
Huan Naxue, with her heart set on her husband, chose to go west to Liangzhou without hesitation.
However, shortly after she ordered the group to turn west, several fast horses galloped from the direction of Jinyang and caught up with the group.
The person in the lead was none other than Fan Bingbing, the deputy commander of the Night Watch!
It turned out that Jinyang had received a report from Huan Kui's secret messenger, informing them that Huan Naxue had arbitrarily gathered her clan's troops for an expedition. Han Zhong and Fan Nan were both shocked and furious, and hurriedly sent people to intercept her.
But at that moment, Yin Yao helped the heavily pregnant Bai Ruolan to the Prince of Jin's residence to personally plead for Huan Naxue.
Bai Ruolan tearfully recounted Huan Naxue's worries about her husband and the fierce nature of the Wuhuan women; Yin Yao calmly analyzed that Huan Naxue was highly skilled in martial arts and had the assistance of Wuhuan cavalry, which could make her a formidable force.
Prince Jin, Yinji, already felt guilty for obstructing Huan Naxue. Seeing that his two wives, especially Bai Ruolan who was six months pregnant, had come to plead for him, and after being persuaded by Yinyao, he immediately expressed his support for Huan Naxue's actions.
"Lady Huan is a woman of exceptional talent, which greatly pleases me! Now that she has set out with her troops, there is no reason to recall her. We should help her succeed!"
Seeing that Yinji was determined, Han Zhong and Fan Nan weighed the pros and cons and stopped opposing him.
Fan Nan then offered a suggestion: "Your Highness, since Lady Huan has already gathered troops and her strength is considerable, it is impossible to force her to return. We should take advantage of the situation."
"Previously, Commander Han had already dispatched Murong's cavalry to support Lin Feng, strengthening our forces in the Xia Prefecture direction. Why not have Lady Huan go directly to Xia Prefecture to join the battle?"
"Liangzhou is a fortified city, and with the Grand Commander stationed there, Yang Yan is finding it difficult to take it quickly."
"If we can defeat Yang Fan in Xiazhou, or even launch a counterattack on Xijing, we can seize Yang Yan's stronghold!"
"If this strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' succeeds, Yang Yan will surely retreat, and the Grand Commander can then take advantage of the situation to pursue him, thus relieving the siege of Longyou, and even potentially capturing Xijing in one fell swoop!"
"At that time, with three strategic locations in Hedong, our great power will be secured!"
Upon hearing this, Yinji slapped the table and exclaimed in admiration, "Brilliant plan! We shall follow your suggestion, sir!"
He immediately wrote down the order, affixed the seal of the Prince of Jin, and ordered Fan Bingbing to catch up with Huan Naxue at once.
Fan Bin caught up with the group and presented Yin Ji's letter, as well as private letters from Yin Yao and Bai Ruolan to Huan Naxue.
After reading the Prince of Jin's order, Huan Naxue also read the letters from her two sisters.
In addition to expressing his support for her, the letter also subtly advised her to prioritize the overall situation and accept Jin Yang's command. She pondered for a long time.
Although she longed to fly to Liangzhou immediately to see Zhao Muyun, the Prince of Jin's order was reasonable, and her sisters' persuasion was sincere.
In particular, the strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" would be the best way to truly help her husband out of the crisis if it succeeded.
Finally, Huan Naxue took a deep breath, raised her riding whip, and pointed south: "Send the order! The entire army turns south to Xia Prefecture to assist Commander Lin in defeating the enemy!"
The four thousand iron troops then turned, carrying the hopes of Jinyang and Huan Naxue's personal concerns, and rolled southward toward the battlefield of Xiazhou.
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