Chapter 148: The Yan Army Exits the Pass
"no!"
After hearing what Qiu Liming said, Shen Yuexi immediately expressed her opposition.
If the other party is prepared, Qiu Liming and these thousand soldiers will all die.
With all the soldiers dead, Xiao Zhuo's family fortune was gone. No matter how much the villagers supported Xiao Zhuo, they couldn't replace these well-trained soldiers.
She really wanted to keep Xiaogang Village because it was Xiao Zhuo's base. But if the army was gone, what was the point of having a base?
Qiu Liming misunderstood her meaning and thought that the mistress couldn't bear to let them die. He was so moved that his eyes were red.
"My mistress has shown such great kindness that even if I were to be torn to pieces, I would never be able to repay her."
Shen Yuexi gave him a light hand, motioning him to stand, and said, "General Qiu, you, General Meng, and the others are all great generals that my husband relies on. If anything were to happen to you on the battlefield, my husband would be left without anyone to rely on. I won't allow you to steal our camp."
As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.
Qiu Liming said awkwardly, "But... Madam, if we don't take preemptive action, the Western Rong will surely attack from the mountains at night."
"Call all the soldiers, including the thousand men from Qianglin," Shen Yuexi said firmly. "Don't make any moves during the day. Once dark, quietly retreat to Baixiu Mountain."
Between protecting the villagers or the army, she chose the latter.
As for the villagers of Xiaogang Village, they were unwilling to leave, so they could only be left to fend for themselves.
Qiu Liming was overjoyed, as he discovered that his mistress had suddenly come to her senses.
Even if the lord were made of iron, he wouldn't be able to hammer a few nails. In a real battle against tens of thousands of enemy troops, one man's power is minimal; even standing still and being hacked away at can tire him to death. The army he controls is his foundation.
After the discussion, Qiu Liming informed the soldiers of the news.
Yang Cong had just returned from Xiaogang Village and saw the soldiers in the city packing their bags. Puzzled, he went to find Shen Yuexi and asked, "Madam, what are these soldiers doing?"
Shen Yuexi said, "The Western Rong army might come over the mountain at night. We can't stop them, so we decided to withdraw."
"Ah!" Yang Cong was shocked. "So you're not going to defend it anymore?"
"We won't defend it anymore," Shen Yuexi mounted her horse and said to Yang Cong, "You also mount your horse. Let's go to the village and tell everyone about the situation. It's up to them whether we leave or not."
If the army wanted to withdraw, no matter what the reason, they had to inform the villagers. As for whether the villagers still believed that the gods could protect them, she did not ask.
The two of them rode at full speed to Xiaogang Village. Shen Yuexi reined in her mount and looked at the bustling village in front of her.
It was noon. Smoke rose from the village, roosters crowed, and dogs barked. Children, their faces red from the cold wind, ran and chased each other in the streets.
Behind her, 20,000 Western Rong troops are eyeing her covetously. Tonight, their iron hooves will pass by here.
If she could, she really wanted to protect this place. This was the first place she and Xiao Zhuo had settled after arriving outside the Great Wall. Here, they had fought against the Western Rong army and built a village together.
Yang Cong saw that she looked a little sad and whispered, "Madam, are you reluctant to leave?"
She could see Shen Yuexi's reluctance. Shen Yuexi was different from those cold-blooded generals. She must have gone through a lot of torture before making the decision to withdraw.
Shen Yuexi nodded: "If Xirong comes, this place will become a ruin."
"Madam, I've let it go," Yang Cong and Shen Yuexi said, letting their minds wander as they walked towards the village. "As long as everyone is alive, it doesn't matter if our home is gone. We can just rebuild it. It's just that this place is too close to the Western Rong and too far from the imperial court. We're always worried. If the city at Langya Pass is built, we won't have to worry about the Western Rong anymore."
Shen Yuexi turned around and looked towards the north.
Yang Cong was right. Once the city was built, there would be no need to worry about the invasion of the Western Rong.
But building a city is not a one-day job. Even with the Big Bear running out of energy, he only managed to build a little bit of the wall. To truly build a city that can withstand enemy attacks and where the people can live is no easy task.
"Madam, what does the word 'god' mean?" Yang Cong asked seriously.
"God... I don't know any gods," Shen Yuexi shook her head and smiled bitterly, "How can I know what he's thinking?"
Yang Cong scratched his head and said, "The gods have opened up a road for us and built a city. I always feel that the gods are trying to tell us something. What is it?"
"What else could it be? The god's spiritual power has been exhausted." Shen Yuexi answered without thinking.
"Ah, Madam, how did you know?" Yang Cong opened his mouth wide, looking extremely surprised.
Shen Yuexi couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth: "I'm just guessing. Let's not talk about this anymore. We're here."
The two of them arrived at the village head's house. The head had just killed a chicken and was plucking it with boiling water in the yard. Shen Yuexi went up to the head and explained the situation to him.
As she expected, the village head gave the same answer.
"Princess, I've long said that we villagers were born and die here. Before you were here, we were constantly plundered by the Western Rong, living in poverty and destitution, yet we never left," the village head said as he plucked the feathers. "If the gods protect us, we'll naturally survive. If not, we'll die here, without complaint."
"What about the newly joined villagers? Are they leaving?" Yang Cong asked.
"If they want to leave, they should evacuate with the army. We will never leave." The village head picked up the chicken and said, "Since the Crown Princess is here, if you don't mind, can we have lunch here?"
Shen Yuexi was preoccupied with something and had no appetite, so she politely declined the village head's invitation.
The two men left the yard and came to the square.
The food and fodder that General Wei had sent earlier were all piled up in a temporary shed built in the square.
"Let's transport these food supplies as well. There are thousands of people going to Baixiu Mountain, and there will definitely not be enough food there." Shen Yuexi and Yang Cong said.
She felt a little strange.
Didn't Emperor Yongde strictly forbid the Yan army from leaving the border, and there was also Zhao Mu's military order. How could General Wei dare to brazenly transport so much food and fodder, almost taking up half the square?
Just as I was wondering, a villager came running over in a hurry, waving his hands and shouting, "The army is coming! The army is coming! Tell everyone!"
army?
Shen Yuexi and Yang Cong looked at each other and hurriedly rode their horses to meet the villager.
"What army are you talking about?" Shen Yuexi stopped in front of the villagers and asked.
The villagers excitedly pointed to the south of the village and said, "It's our army, our Dayan army!"
Without waiting for Shen Yuexi to ask again, he ran towards the village, shouting all the way, causing the villagers who were eating at home to stand at the door to watch.
The Dayan army has left the border?
The first thing Shen Yuexi thought of was: Could they be here to arrest her and Xiao Zhuo?
On second thought, it wasn't that serious. In her previous life, she and Xiao Zhuo were at best two fugitives, and there was no need to send an army to encircle and suppress them.
Yang Cong pulled her sleeve and shouted in surprise and joy, "Madam, look, there are flags of Dayan in the south, and there is another flag with the word 'Wei' written on it, and there is another flag..."
Shen Yuexi led the horse to the side of the road and watched as several fast horses came towards her and Yang Cong and pulled the reins.
A military officer in full armor and helmet was on horseback. He nodded to Shen Yuexi and said, "Madam Shen, I didn't expect you to be here. This general was just about to go to the Langya Pass in the north to look for you."
Shen Yuexi saw the spear hanging from his saddle, which was exactly the one she had made earlier. She nodded and smiled, saying, "My humble servant greets General Wei."
The general who came was none other than General Wei who was guarding the border. His surname was Wei and his name was Liang.
Wei Liang said, "This general is following the imperial decree of His Majesty and the order of General Zhao to march out of the pass to attack the Western Rong."
Shen Yuexi was stunned when she heard this.
Why did Emperor Yongde suddenly become so brave?
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