After traveling all night, dawn was breaking.
The Shadow Guard recalled the map in his mind, confirmed his current location, tightened the reins, and walked to the prince's side, saying, "Your Highness, we can return to camp in a day and a night."
Song Yanqing looked at the sky turning a pale white and gave a faint "hmm".
Listening to the wild horse beneath him panting heavily, its hooves pounding incessantly, he said calmly, "After traveling all night, the horse's pace has reached its limit. Let's find a safe place for both of us to rest for a few hours."
"yes!"
Before long, they found a grove of trees, enough to hide a dozen or so people.
There aren't many forests on the grasslands, but the closer you get to the border city of the Great Jin Dynasty, the more forests seem to spring up from the ground.
Song Yanqing drank water and ate dry rations, and after the Shadow Guards unfolded the map, he began to think as he ate.
We are not far from the border city of the Great Jin Dynasty, but the closer we get, the more vigilant we must be.
The news of his departure from the pass has already been leaked, and the Tatars will certainly not let go of the opportunity to kill the commander-in-chief. Presumably, a large number of troops will be waiting to intercept them on the way.
The Shadow Guard pointed to a path and said, "Young Master, this is the planned route before we set off, but we have deviated from it. Should we find another way?"
Song Yanqing looked at the path pointed out by the Shadow Guards. It was the fastest route, the same route they had taken to travel to the Great Yu Kingdom.
His message before leaving the pass was never leaked, and this route was undoubtedly the fastest and safest. However, now it was impossible for him to return by the same route.
He said, "This road is impassable. The two Tatar armies we've encountered in the past few days are both guarding this road."
As he spoke, he pointed to a path not far from here, "Take this route. It's a dangerous place with more woods, making it easier to hide."
The Shadow Guard looked in the direction he pointed; the path ahead was undoubtedly the safest one.
However, there was one place that was surrounded by mountains and forests on both sides, which was obviously a dangerous place.
If the Tatars had laid an ambush on both sides, wouldn't it have been as easy for them to catch a turtle in a jar?
The Shadow Guard's unwavering gaze did not dissuade Song Yanqing from her idea.
Therefore, they could only rest on the spot and wait for instructions before continuing their journey.
After resting for three hours, the sunlight was already blinding, but the eleven had to continue their journey.
The forests along the route chosen by Song Yanqing were numerous, but this was relative to the grasslands. Compared to the forests of the Great Jin Dynasty's territory, they were like plucked chickens, sparse and scattered.
The cry of an eagle came from afar, and the Shadow Guards all looked up, but they could not see the eagle spreading its wings.
Upon hearing the eagle's cry and the alarm bells ringing, Song Yanqing's back tensed up.
According to information previously sent by spies, it is rumored that the Tatar prince Tadar has tamed an eagle that can track enemies.
This eagle is ferocious by nature. The eldest prince, Tadar, tamed it with human flesh, and it was once hailed by the Tatars as the overlord of the skies on the steppe.
Any army or prey targeted by this eagle could not escape the clutches of the Tatars.
Because this eagle is intelligent and has been assigned by Tadar, it will circle above the prey it finds in the air, attracting the Tatars to lead their troops to surround and kill it. It has never failed in its mission.
With this item, Tadar was able to help his father, Dorutu, conquer the steppe and become the new Tatar king.
Tadar, who was born out of wedlock, was promoted to the position of eldest prince.
Ever since Qin Shiyu cut off the head of Tadar's younger brother Kodar, Tadar has become unpredictable, and even the Tatar king has to be wary of him.
Song Yanqing looked at the woods not far ahead and ordered, "Enter the woods!"
Having said that, he spurred his horse and galloped off, with the Shadow Guards following closely behind.
On the other side, Tash, leading two thousand elite soldiers and riding tall steeds, followed behind the Eagle Overlord, searching for the location of the enemy prince.
Seeing the eagle circling in the sky, Tash immediately understood.
The eagle has spotted its prey!
If we can capture the enemy prince alive this time, the reward will be immeasurable. Even if we bring back a corpse, the eldest prince might be so pleased that he will bestow upon us a large number of beauties and cattle.
In any case, it's a one-time solution.
Thinking this, Tash burst into laughter, "Warriors, follow me to capture the enemy prince! Make those lowly two-legged sheep submit!"
"Hahaha!"
Two thousand cavalrymen galloped across the grassland, and the tender green vegetables they trod became muddy and slippery as they walked, covered in wet mud.
As they hurried to the place where the mighty eagles soared overhead, Tash saw a forest in the distance.
He tightened the reins, forcing the horse beneath him to stop. Once it was still, he cursed under his breath, "Cunning enemy!"
The tribes all grew up on horseback, and in terms of horsemanship, ten Jin generals could not match them. However, asking them to search for enemies in the forest was something they were in a blind spot for.
The forest is full of trees, which not only obstructs visibility, but also allows cunning enemies to take advantage of the environment to stab them in the back.
In this situation, the tribe suffered a great loss, and Tash's anger surged up.
He immediately gave the order, "The forest ahead is too large. One thousand of the two thousand warriors will surround the forest, and the remaining one thousand will follow me into the forest to search!"
Having said that, he led his cavalry toward the forest area.
......
The path in the woods was difficult to walk on, so Song Yanqing dismounted and led the horse forward by the reins.
The fallen leaves here were piled up in a thick layer, and they felt soft and spongy when you stepped on them. My trouser legs were wet from the rain.
Hearing the cry of an eagle overhead, the eleven people in the forest all looked grim.
Fortunately, it had rained there, so even if the Tatars wanted to set fire to the forest, they wouldn't be able to ignite it.
After the eagle's screams ceased, the Shadow Guard looked up at the sky in confusion.
He said, "Your Highness, the eagle's cry has ceased!"
The silence was good; the cessation of the eagle's cry meant that the Tatars had arrived not far away.
Song Yanqing looked at the path on the outer edge of the woods, then glanced at the woods opposite, and closed his eyes.
Now that the Tatars have arrived, they will soon surround the forest, making it impossible to move forward. The best course of action now is to deal with them on the spot in the forest.
After a moment of thought, he opened his eyes again, a glint of light flashing in them, and said, "Let's set up an ambush here. The things that the Township Head Kang Le gave us can come in handy now."
Before setting off, Lu Qiqi gave him a bundle containing sleeping gas. This gas would create endless illusions in the forest, and if someone inhaled too much, they would perish without them having to lift a finger.
According to Lu Qiqi's explanation, if this sleeping smoke is combined with the art of Qimen Dunjia, even a highly skilled martial artist would have to suffer injuries to escape.
The Shadow Guards followed orders, distributed the antidote, and then began to set up an ambush.
The sleeping gas won't be of much use at this time; it will only be most effective in the evening.
Therefore, Song Yanqing ordered the Shadow Guards to speed up the ambush, and then they went into hiding.
Once the Tatars find this place, they can assassinate them in the smoke!
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