Chapter 50
The two men sneaked out of the city through the secret passage and quietly went around to the rear of the Ulun army.
Ashina Yu didn't dare to delay any longer, so she put her backhand around Shen Aheng's waist, hooked her fingertips lightly, brought her close to herself, and whispered, "Hold on tight."
Before he finished speaking, he jumped up on tiptoe. His lightness was like a ghost. When his light grey robe passed through the grass and trees, not a single fallen leaf was disturbed. Even the sound of his footsteps was swallowed by the wind.
In just a moment, it had already flown dozens of miles away.
The shouting and screaming behind me gradually faded away.
Arriving at a nearby town, the two of them randomly found a ready-made clothing store. Ashina Yu picked out a gray short shirt and a felt hat and put them on, which concealed a lot of her originally cold and beautiful face. Shen Aheng also quickly changed into a plain cloth skirt, tied her long hair into a simple bun and wrapped it with a cloth towel. The spirit between her eyebrows was also covered, and she looked like a girl from the Western Regions traveling with a caravan.
After leaving the clothing store, the two men went to the town's warehouse and used their small change to buy some local raisins, spices, and rough felt. These were common goods sold to the Central Plains and were perfect for loading on horseback as a disguise.
By the time they walked out of the town, leading two fast horses, they had completely become an ordinary pair of Western merchants heading to the Central Plains.
When Ashina Yu climbed onto the horse, she did not forget to reach out and help Shen Aheng. Her pale fingertips touched her slightly cold hand and squeezed it quietly. The two horses neighed and carried the goods all the way to the southeast. They soon arrived at Feilong Pass, the border between the Western Regions and the Central Plains.
This was a must-pass checkpoint for entering and leaving the Western Regions. The two men blended in with the travelers coming and going, and were not noticeable at all. When the soldiers guarding the checkpoint checked, they saw their disguised appearance and the cargo, and did not pay much attention to them, so they passed through smoothly.
After passing the checkpoint, the scenery before their eyes gradually changed from the Gobi desert dunes to the green plains of the Central Plains. The two men threw away their goods, traveled light, tightened the reins, and the two horses spread their hooves and galloped towards the heart of the Central Plains.
The two men rode non-stop, traveling day and night. When they encountered a post station or town along the way, they would immediately change horses, rest for a night at most, and then get on their horses again the next morning to continue their journey.
The journey from the Western Regions to the capital of the Central Plains, which originally took more than half a month, was forcibly compressed to five days.
At dusk on the fifth day, the towering walls of the capital finally appeared before their eyes. The coarse clothes of the two men were already covered with dust, and even their faces were filled with unconcealable fatigue, only the anxious light in their eyes still shone.
When they arrived at the palace gate, the guards were about to question them when a eunuch in a brocade robe, who had just finished his work and was about to enter the palace, saw them. His face changed slightly and he quickly stepped forward: "Oh, isn't this Lord Lingchi and Miss Shen from Wulun Kingdom! What brought you here?"
Looking at the two people's embarrassed appearance, he couldn't help but be stunned: "What are you doing..."
This eunuch had received the envoys from the Kingdom of Ulun before and recognized them.
Without waiting for him to ask more, Shen Aheng hurried forward. His voice was a little hoarse from traveling for days, and every word was urgent: "Eunuch Li, it's a long story. Anyway, the Wulun Kingdom suddenly launched a large-scale attack on the Yuezhi Kingdom. The city was bombarded with artillery fire, and it was almost impossible to hold it! The Emperor of the Yuezhi Kingdom asked us to come to see His Majesty with a token and ask for troops from the Central Plains to help. It's too late if we are late!"
As she spoke, she quickly took out the brocade box containing the Moon Dragon Jade Plate from her bosom and handed it over with both hands.
When Eunuch Li saw this, his expression changed instantly. He didn't bother to ask for details. He hurriedly took the brocade box, waved his hand, and said, "Don't worry, Miss Shen! You wait here. I will go to the imperial study to inform His Majesty!"
After saying this, he lifted the corner of his robe and ran quickly towards the palace, even his back revealed a hint of urgency.
After a while, a young eunuch came trotting back, saying urgently, "His Majesty is waiting in the Imperial Study. Come with us!"
The two followed him through the layers of palaces and arrived outside the imperial study. The eunuch lifted the curtain, and a steady voice immediately came from inside: "Let them in."
When I walked into the study, I saw Emperor Jianye sitting at the desk, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, holding the brocade box in his hands, with a serious expression.
Seeing someone come in, he put down the brocade box in his hand, looked at the dusty Ashina Yu and Shen Aheng, and said in a deep voice: "Looking at your appearance, I'm afraid the Yuezhi Kingdom is in big trouble. Don't be impatient, talk slowly."
After Emperor Jianye finished speaking, he instructed Eunuch Li beside him, "Show us two friends a seat and bring us two cups of hot tea."
Eunuch Li responded quickly, and soon came in with a tea tray, placing the steaming teacups in front of the two of them.
The tea was steaming hot. Just as Shen Aheng was about to take it, Ashina Yu beside her had already picked up the teacup and quietly urged some internal force to lower the temperature of the tea little by little. Then he tested the temperature with his fingertips and gently handed it to her. His voice was as clear as a mountain spring: "Drink this first, it's warm, not hot."
He picked up another glass, but did not drink it. He just lowered his eyes, stroked the rim of the glass with his fingertips, and listened to her quietly.
Chen Ah Heng clutched the teacup, took a sip, moistened his throat, and then slowly recounted the whole story, saying, "A month ago, after we left the capital with the delegation and arrived in the Western Regions, the emperor of Wulun came to us. He threatened the people of Yuezhi and promised huge profits, forcing Ah Yu to pledge allegiance, saying that they would invade the Central Plains together in the future. Ah Yu was kind-hearted and did not want the people of both countries to suffer from war, so she naturally refused to agree."
"After we returned that day, the Yaochen Sect learned of this. Since he had refused to inherit the position of Sect Leader and wanted to leave the sect, they tortured him. As punishment, it was the Emperor of Yuezhi who intervened in time and rescued us. That's when we learned that A'yu was the young prince that Yuezhi had been secretly searching for for so long."
Chen Ah Heng swallowed his dry throat, his voice becoming more anxious. "Who would have thought that Qu Shuzhi would use 'disappearances in his own country' as an excuse to falsely accuse Yuezhi of hiding his people and directly send troops to attack! That wasn't just to find someone, it was clearly a premeditated ambition! To annex Yuezhi, occupy the trade route from the Western Regions to the Central Plains, and then unify the entire Western Regions! Once he had enough food, fodder, and troops, he would finally invade the south and attempt to swallow up the entire Central Plains!"
"The Yuezhi people fought with all their might, but the Wulun people have strong soldiers and cannons, while the Yuezhi people only have cold weapons. They can no longer hold out. Please send troops to help."
Hearing this, Ashina Yu's fingertips lightly grasped the hem of her clothes and looked at Emperor Jianye. "The cannons of Wulun Kingdom were secretly purchased from overseas through several other small countries in the Western Regions. Yuezhi Kingdom's city walls can't withstand a few rounds of bombardment. Father sent us here not only to request reinforcements, but also to tell Your Majesty that once they seize the trade route, they will quickly gather 100,000 dan of grain and will be able to swallow the Western Regions before winter."
Once the Western Regions are annexed, the national strength of the Wulun Kingdom will be incomparable to what it was before, and its march south to the Central Plains will be just around the corner.
Ashina Yu's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, without any extraneous emotion, but it added a bit of solemnity to the imperial study.
Emperor Jianye listened quietly, and his fingers gradually stopped stroking the jade token. His originally calm expression gradually became gloomy, his brows were furrowed, and a cold and sharp light flashed in his eyes.
The imperial study suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of the wind outside the window. He was silent for a moment before he said in a deep voice, "What a nation of Wulun! They dare to set their sights on the Central Plains and even want to annex the entire Western Regions. What a greedy country!"
Emperor Jianye placed the jade token back into the brocade box and slammed it shut. With a cold look in his eyes, he looked at the two of them and said, "Don't worry. I will never let Wulun succeed in his treacherous plot! Yuezhi is the western gate of the Central Plains. The safety of Yuezhi means the safety of the Central Plains."
He turned to Eunuch Li and ordered, "Pass on my order. Have the General Zhenxi muster 30,000 troops, prepare food and weapons, and set out from the capital tomorrow morning to support Yuezhi. Also, send a message to the garrison on the Western border, instructing them to send light cavalry to cut off Wulun's food supply and rear, disrupting their offensive!"
Eunuch Li bowed in response and hurried out.
Emperor Jianye looked at Ashina Yu again, his tone softening slightly: "Your father was able to defend the city gates in times of crisis and even sent you to deliver the message. He is a man of courage and determination."
As he spoke, he pointed to the map hanging on the wall of the imperial study, his fingertips resting on the border between the Western Regions and the Central Plains. "But Qu Shuzhi must have forgotten that his country, Wulun, can buy cannons from overseas, but don't we have any? The General Zhenxi's camp already has thirty newly cast 'Shenwei Cannons' ready. They are heavier than Wulun's cannons and have a longer range. We tested them just a few days ago, and three shots were enough to knock down a thirty-meter-high city wall. Tomorrow morning, these cannons will set out with thirty thousand cavalrymen."
He looked at the two of them, his tone more amused. "The Wulun Kingdom wants to occupy the Western Regions with a few broken cannons, but I want to show them what Central Plains firearms are! When my artillery team reaches the city of Yuezhi, I will definitely turn their cannons into scrap metal and let Qu Shuzhi know that if he plans to take over the Central Plains, he will pay a bloody price!"
Upon hearing this, Ashina Yu nodded slightly, her voice still clear but sincere: "Thank you, Your Majesty. The entire Yuezhi nation will remember the kindness of the Central Plains."
Emperor Jianye's tone softened, and he waved his hand, "You two will rest in the palace for now. When General Zhenxi comes to inspect the troops, you can return with the troops and witness for yourself how the ambitions of the Wulun Kingdom are shattered at the gates of the Yuezhi Kingdom."
The gates of Yuezhi Kingdom withstood the artillery fire and ramming of Wulun Kingdom for ten days.
Over the past few days, the originally sturdy city walls have been bombarded with potholes, three arrow towers on the city walls have collapsed, and more than half of the soldiers defending the city have been killed. Most of the survivors are injured and cannot even open their hands to draw the bows.
Ashina Lan leaned against the arrow embankment, the wound on his shoulder was wrapped in gauze and was still bleeding. He had many new and old wounds on his body, which he had randomly bandaged with gauze. He and Qiao Wanqing sat side by side on the top of the city wall. Gusts of cold wind blew up the dust and messed up their hair. Their faces were full of fatigue, but they had no intention of retreating.
"We've been guarding for ten days..."
Ashina Lan sighed softly, his voice hoarse as if it had been ground on gravel. He turned to look at his wife beside him, the tenderness in his eyes as always: "It's worth it to be able to die here with you for the Yuezhi Kingdom."
Qiao Wanqing gently wiped the blood off his face and said, "Now that Ah Yu is back and has gone to the Central Plains with Ah Heng, I have no regrets in my life."
She looked at the Wulun Kingdom camps not far from the city, her eyes calm: "I am very happy to die with you."
Ashina Lan held her hand, his palm rough yet warm, with the familiarity of years together. "It's all my fault for being careless back then. I lost our child. Over the years, I've been busy defending the city and dealing with government affairs, and haven't been able to spend time with you properly... I always feel like I've wronged you."
"What nonsense."
Qiao Wanqing's eyes were slightly red, but she smiled and shook her head, "That's not your fault. If you want to blame someone, blame the Wulun Kingdom for its rampant tyranny in the Western Regions. That allowed those villains from the Yaochen Sect to secretly commit murder. How could you have prevented it? You've blamed yourself for so many years, personally went to find Ah Yu, and defended Yuezhi Kingdom well. That's enough. But... I don't know if Ah Yu and Ah Li have reached the Central Plains yet."
"Don't worry, the two kids are smarter than us, they must have gotten out."
Ashina Lan held her hand tightly, his tone firm: "As long as you don't come back and are safe, it's better than anything else."
As soon as he finished speaking, a wounded soldier, leaning on a spear, limped up to the tower, his voice filled with panic: "Your Majesty! Below the city... Another group of soldiers has formed below the city. The Emperor of Wulun has come in person!"
Ashina Lan stood up suddenly, ignoring the pain in his wound, and leaned against the arrow embrasure to look down at the city.
Outside the main gate of the ruined city tower, a team of elite cavalrymen surrounded a tall horse. The man on the horse was wearing bright silver armor that shone coldly in the sun. It was none other than the emperor of Ulun, Qu Shuzhi.
Seeing Ashina Lan appear on the city wall, Qu Shuzhi reined in his horse, a smug smile playing on his lips. He shouted, "Old brother! It's been ten days, and your city is about to collapse, right? Why not surrender to me now? I can even make you a Marquis of the Western Regions and ensure the safety of your wife, children, and the people of this city. What do you think?"
Before the call for surrender had even landed on the ground, the city wall had exploded, and the soldiers and civilians were shouting and cursing.
"dream!"
"The bastard emperor is delusional!"
"We would rather die in battle than become slaves of a conquered nation!"
"Fuck the Spring and Autumn Dream!"
…
The dust on the city wall fell down.
Ashina Lan stood upright, leaning against the arrow embrasure. The pain from the tearing wound made cold sweat break out on his forehead. His voice was hoarse but still resounding: "We, the Moon Nation, may be small, but we all have backbone! If you want us to surrender, even if you, the Wulun Nation, hold a knife to our necks, we will only charge forward and never bend!"
Upon hearing this, Qu Shuzhi's face instantly darkened, and he glared at him with gritted teeth, "Well! You're so ungrateful! Since you insist on drinking a penalty drink, there's nothing more to say!"
He suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Attack! Break open the city gate for me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of soldiers carrying a large piece of wood wrapped in iron sheets rushed towards the city gate.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The sound of collision was dull, and the already dilapidated city gate shook, with wood chips falling down.
Ashina Lan clenched his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white. He turned to his wife and smiled, his tone surprisingly calm: "It seems that today we really will die together."
Qiao Wanqing also gripped the dagger tightly, without a trace of fear in her eyes, she only smiled gently: "I am not afraid as long as I can be with you."
"Boom--" With a loud noise, the city gate that had held on for a long time finally couldn't bear the weight and collapsed to the ground with a loud bang, raising dust.
Qu Shuzhi raised his eyebrows proudly, waved his hand and shouted "Charge" when a deafening noise came from behind him.
The troops around him did not move, and then he suddenly heard a commotion.
His soldiers turned around one after another, each of their faces filled with fear.
"What's going on?" Qu Shuzhi frowned and asked sternly.
A general beside him turned pale and replied in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty! Reinforcements are coming from behind... from behind! They seem to be... soldiers from the Central Plains!"
"Central Plains soldiers?"
Qu Shuzhi was about to scold "nonsense" when the soldiers suddenly exploded.
"It's the Central Plains army!"
"That military flag! It belongs to the General Zhenxi of the Central Plains!"
The soldiers immediately lost their composure, the momentum they had in attacking the city was gone, and many of them even began to retreat.
Qu Shuzhi's face suddenly changed, and the pride on his face was instantly replaced by panic.
At this moment, "Bang! Bang!" several loud noises exploded from the back row, flames shot up into the sky, and several soldiers in the back row were blown flying directly, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.
"ah--!"
Screams echoed from the soldiers, and someone shouted like crazy: "The Central Plains also has artillery! More powerful than ours!"
"The Central Plains' cannons are coming!"
"Hurry! Run!"
On the top of the city wall, Ashina Lan was about to rush down with his sword, but he was stunned when he saw the chaos below suddenly.
A soldier beside him suddenly pointed into the distance and jumped up excitedly: "Your Majesty, look! It's the Central Plains Army! They're everywhere! The Central Plains Army is coming!"
Ashina Lan looked in the direction he pointed and saw that behind the Ulun army, dense crowds of soldiers and horses were pouring in. The red military flag fluttered in the wind, and the three words "Zhenxi Army" on it became clearer and clearer.
Ashina Lan's shoulders, which had been tense for ten days, suddenly relaxed. His Adam's apple rolled, and he laughed a little weakly, his eyes reddened. "It's coming... It's finally here..."
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