All eyes were focused on Yongzhou City.
Even the Great Zhou court, far away in Kyoto, was watching the fun in secret.
Xixia has detained Su Yunyan, and the Xie family has an ambiguous relationship with Xixia. Will Gu Nanxi clean up the family first, or will he target Xixia?
No matter which one it is, the Zhou court is very happy.
The largest gambling house in Kyoto even opened a betting pool for this purpose.
"Hahaha, Gu Nanxi has been doing well for so long, like God's own daughter, but finally it's her turn to suffer the consequences!"
"Although Xixia leader Li Gengqian's behavior is inexplicable, I still want to say, well done!"
"This is a big trouble. Gu Nanxi is troubled by internal and external troubles. If she can't handle this matter well, she will be retaliated against and will not be able to go south again within ten years."
The last one is what all the civil and military officials of the Great Zhou are looking forward to the most.
They secretly cheered for Xixia and the Xie family, not seeking to defeat Gu Nanxi, but to cause trouble for her and distract her attention.
The students of the Imperial College talked even more, simulating the war based on the terrain, troop distribution, combat motives, etc., and finally concluded that the Xie family and Western Xia were very likely to have a great impact on the spring plowing in Yunzhou, thereby delaying Gu Nanxi's journey south.
"After all, this is the Xie family that has dominated Yongzhou for hundreds of years! Without some strength, how dare they challenge Gu Nanxi?"
"That's right! That's right!"
The Xie family, which was considered to be extremely powerful, had not yet realized that anything was wrong.
The head of the Xie family is worried about how to gain the greatest benefit for himself between Xixia and Gu Nanxi.
"Does your master mean that he wants to govern Yongzhou?" Wang Anshi opened his mouth and eyes wide.
No, there’s something wrong with you, the Xie family?
We are sharpening our knives to attack the Xie family, can't you feel it?
Xie Runtian pushed a box of sapphires in front of Wang Anshi and said with a smile: "Please say something good for us, Lord Wang. Alas, Yongzhou has been separated from the Central Plains for hundreds of years, and the people of Yongzhou have their own way of survival. Yongzhou's autonomy is the idea of Yongzhou people."
Wang Anshi drank a glass of wine calmly to calm himself.
He even dares to represent all the people of Yongzhou. He is so shameless.
But why bother with a dying person?
Wang Anshi perfunctorily dealt with Xie Runtian without giving him a definite answer. Xie Runtian did not care and met with the Xixia envoy that night to ask for war horses and kite soldiers.
In a corner that they didn't notice, a simple carriage creaked westward in the night.
In the carriage, Mei Tang yawned and stared at the round moon above his head in a daze.
I wonder if the moon will be as round by the time we get to Xixia?
Under the same sky, the Jilijisi tribe moved.
The old people and children were left in the camp, and the young and strong men all rode two horses each.
They had no intention of hiding their tracks. With a loud horn, thousands of war horses galloped towards Yongzhou City.
The goshawk circled in the sky, guiding them from the highest point.
The moonlight that night was extremely beautiful, and people's facial features were clearly visible under the moonlight.
It is so clear that one can't help but doubt one's own eyes and wonder if one is dreaming.
On the wall of Yongzhou city, the soldiers guarding the city were yawning out of boredom.
Ever since Duke Yun unified the north, defending the city has become the easiest and least dangerous job.
To this end, the boss laid off half of the staff.
"Am I dreaming? Is there someone riding over there?"
His companion opened his sleepy eyes, and when he saw the group of people clearly, his teeth were chattering.
That attire, that ferocious look, isn't that exactly what a Tartar looks like?!
But where did the Tartars come from on the grassland? !
Without having time to think, the soldiers defending the city immediately blew the horn, and the enemy attacked!
The sound waves spread out layer by layer.
In the silent night, the warning sound seems to follow the dream, reach the deepest part of the heart and wake people up.
When Xie Runtian arrived at the city wall, the enemy had already arrived at the foot of Yongzhou City.
In the night, their eyes looked like those of wild beasts, reflecting a cruel and bloodthirsty light.
Are they the remaining Tatar cavalry?
No, it's the Jilijisi tribe.
After recognizing the enemy, Xie Runtian felt relieved and immediately became angry: "Jilijisi tribe, what do you want to do? We didn't drive you out of the grassland, but you are not grateful for our kindness, but instead sent troops to Yongzhou. Do you know the consequences of launching a rebellion?"
Under the city wall, a man walked out from the crowd.
His eyes were brighter than the stars in the sky, and he shouted at the top of his voice: "We are grateful to Duke Yun, not you!"
Xie Runtian: "What do you want?"
Man: "Fairness and justice! All we want is justice. Who killed Asanna? We want the murderer to pay with his life! Asanna's mother, was it an accident or was she murdered deliberately? We want the truth! Asanna's brothers are doing hard labor in the coal mine, we want them to return home safely!"
Xie Runtian took a deep breath. He did not feel afraid. The several-meter-high city wall gave him a sense of security.
Xie Runtian just felt upset. At the critical moment of bargaining with Xixia and Duke Yun, the people of the Jilijisi tribe did this. What would the Xixia people and Duke Yun think?
Would they think that the Xie family was just so-so in Yongzhou?
"Oh, the grassland tribes are rebelling?" Wang Anshi stuck his head out, his face full of gloating.
Xie Runtian's expression became more and more ugly: "It's dangerous on the wall, Lord Wang should go back to the Xie family first."
Wang Anshi waved his hand and said righteously, "I am the imperial envoy, ordered by Duke Yun to inspect the states. A rebellion has occurred in Yongzhou, so I will naturally pay attention to it. Sir Xie, you are busy, I will just watch from the side. I believe that with the strength of the Xie family, we will be able to successfully suppress the rebellion."
Xie Runtian turned his head away, not wanting to look at Wang Anshi's face again.
The men in the city were still listing various injustices, even the story of a farmer who was unwilling to pay extra taxes and went to the government to file a complaint, but was beaten to death with sticks.
Xie Runtian couldn't help but retort: "What does this have to do with you?"
Temuqile's eyes were red, and he shouted at the top of his lungs: "My shopkeeper just wanted to redress the injustice of the farmer who died unjustly. On the way to Yunzhou, he was killed by thieves! How come it has nothing to do with me? If he hadn't died, could I still work in his shop?"
Xie Runtian...
I have a dirty word for you.
Wang Anshi nodded repeatedly: "Of course not! It's tragic, it's really tragic. It seems that the people of Yongzhou are in dire straits!"
"Could you please stop making more trouble?!" Xie Runtian wanted to cut the Gordian knot quickly, so he sent the garrison out of the town to suppress the situation.
But when the people of the Jilijisi tribe blocked the city gate, they cursed loudly, and when the defenders in the city left, they actually ran away.
The grassland is vast, and the Yongzhou defenders are not Yunzhou cavalry. They can't just go around looking for the Jilijisi tribe.
If we really follow them, it will be easy to be defeated one by one.
Xie Runtian held his breath and recalled the defenders.
As soon as the city gates were closed, the Jilijisi tribe came back!
You chase, I run.
You retreat, I go back.
This happened three or four times, and Xie Run was furious! (End of this chapter)
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