Chapter 351: Two Groups
Autumn always comes earlier outside the Great Wall. At noon, the sky is high and blue, the sun is shining, but the wind is cold and frosty.
At Xiao Zhuo's insistence, Shen Yuexi wrapped herself in a thick red cotton cloak and a white headscarf, covering her face as well, leaving only two bright eyes exposed, and a few strands of long black hair exposed, dancing in the wind.
"Be careful, don't let the baby catch a cold," Xiao Zhuo rode alongside her, "Shengjing is just ahead."
Shen Yuexi nodded, squinting her eyes happily as she looked towards the city wall of Shengjing in the distance: "We're home."
The first thing she saw was the Xiliang Army camp. The strong wind had ripped the flags of the Xiliang Army straight up, fluttering in the wind. Outside the camp, on the training ground, thousands of Xiliang soldiers were lined up in battle formation, practicing combat. Their halberds and shields reflected a cold, iron gleam in the sunlight.
On the high platform of the training ground, Chen Lan put her metal prosthetic hand behind her back, holding an open book in her other hand, pacing the platform while reading. At first glance, it made outsiders feel a little ridiculous, as if she was an unlearned and incompetent military strategist who sharpened her weapons before the battle.
Only the Xiliang soldiers in the audience knew how powerful the woman on the stage was.
Previously, in Xiliang, Shen Lan was in charge of making plans and directing the battles, while Queen Mei Dai of Xiliang led the battles, battling King Duoma of Xirong in a relentless battle. The Xiliang army had long admired Shen Lan.
Now that the war is approaching, Chen Lan seizes every opportunity to study and does not relax even during training.
"Military Advisor," Xiliang General Geng Hong came to the stage and saluted, "Princess An and Prince An have returned."
Chen Lan put down the book, raised his eyes to look at the troops approaching, and said: "General Geng, we are training the soldiers, don't be distracted by personal matters."
Thousands of soldiers were training below the stage. She couldn't possibly leave them and go to chat with Shen Yuexi. She would just wait until the training was over before going into the city to see her sister.
Geng Hong was impressed by her ability to distinguish between public and private matters and bowed before leaving.
Shen Lan raised her metal prosthetic hand, waved at Shen Yuexi and her group, and smiled.
Shen Yuexi saw her sister waving, so she stepped on the stirrups, stood up from Xiaobai, and waved back to Shen Lan.
Xiao Zhuo smiled and said, "Sister is training the horses, so don't be distracted. Let's go into the city first."
The team passed outside the Xiliang Army camp and arrived at the outer city of Shengjing.
One-third of the outer city wall had been built. After Mei Dai returned, she asked everyone to speed up the construction of Shengjing's outer city wall, but the outer city was too large and it was estimated that it would take more than a year and a half to complete.
On the construction site, people came and went, dust flew, and the sound of hammers chiseling stone echoed. People shouted as they dragged huge stones to the base of the city wall. Thanks to the influx of people from all over, Shengjing's population had reached 70,000, making it a truly large city.
Feng Zhang and Yang Cong, who were in charge of supervision, saw Shen Yuexi and others and immediately came to greet them.
"Ahem," Feng Zhang covered his mouth with one hand and fanned the dust in front of him with the other. "My Lord and Princess, you're back. It's very dusty here. Please go into the city first."
Shen Yuexi stopped her horse and said, "Let me see."
This was the first place she and Xiao Zhuo came to after they came out of isolation. She still remembered the dilapidated houses in Xiaogang Village, where even getting water was a problem.
Yang Cong came over and said with concern, "Madam, you'd better leave quickly. If you inhale too much dust, won't it be bad for the fetus?"
Seeing that everyone was urging her, Shen Yuexi had no choice but to cross the outer wall and walk along the road of Xiaogang Village towards the inner city in the north.
As soon as they left Xiaogang Village, Mei Dai had already opened the city gate and led the crowd on horseback to welcome them out of the city.
"Sister, Prince An," Mei Dai waved and came closer on horseback. After Shen Yuexi and Xiao Zhuo dismounted, Mei Dai came forward and hugged Shen Yuexi, and then everyone went into the city together.
"King Qianglin's Western Rong army has been stationed north of the city," Mei Dai explained to Shen Yuexi as they walked. "My soldiers still have some... aversion to the Western Rong army, so this is the arrangement for now."
Chen Yuexi also understood Mei Dai's intentions. The Western Liang army had long been at war with the Western Rong, and the hatred between the two sides ran deep. Even though the Western Rong army led by Qiang Lin wasn't part of King Duoma's faction, the long-standing hostility was still there.
As long as the two armies can live in peace, that's all.
"Didn't Yunyan come back with you?" Mei Dai looked back at the team, looking for Ji Yunyan.
Shen Yuexi pulled down her headscarf in surprise and said, "Sister Ji escorted me to reunite with my husband and then left on her own. We always thought she went back to Shengjing on her own, but she didn't come back?"
Mei Dai retracted her gaze and said, "Yun Yan may have her own plans. Let's go to the palace first. Sister will welcome you."
When they arrived at the palace, Xia Lan came out to welcome everyone.
As the war was imminent, Xiao Zhuo, without taking off his clothes, immediately summoned all the generals to discuss military affairs.
Shen Yuexi returned to her room, and Xia Lan helped her change her clothes. Halfway through, Shen Yuexi remembered the big parrot. While putting on her sleeves, she asked, "Xia Lan, where's Liuli?"
When she left Shengjing, she asked Xia Lan to take good care of Liuli. Now it has been a long time since she left, and she misses her.
Xia Lan blushed and stuttered, "Liuli...it's in the cage."
"What are you waiting for? Bring it here," Shen Yuexi put on her clothes and urged while tying the belt, "I missed it."
Xia Lan got up reluctantly and went out to call the maid: "You two, bring Liuli's cage here, the master wants to see it."
Shen Yuexi saw that she was hesitant and felt a little uneasy. What happened to Liuli?
After the two maids brought the birdcage into the house, Shen Yuexi took a look at it and then shouted angrily.
"Xia Lan, how did you take care of Liuli?"
The parrot Liuli stood listlessly on the crossbar of the cage. The hair on its neck was gone, and it was as bare as a chicken's neck.
Xia Lan was startled and quickly knelt down and said, "Master, I have been taking good care of Liuli. But for some reason, it keeps plucking its own hair with its mouth..."
Shen Yuexi stood up to open the cage door, reached in, and said, "You locked it in a cage, of course it's unhappy. Liuli, Liuli, look at me."
Xia Lan said, "Master, that's easy for you to say. If we don't lock it up, it will fly out to look for you. If it gets lost, how will we explain it to you?"
The thrush she had given her earlier flew away, and Shen Yuexi cried a lot. Fortunately, Su Mo had sent a large parrot. If Liuli had flown away again, she would have been at a loss.
Liuli looked up and saw Shen Yuexi. As if recognizing her, she took a few steps on the crossbar, stepped on Shen Yuexi's wrist, spread her wings and said, "Yuexi, good luck. Yuexi, good luck."
Shen Yuexi took Liuli out of the cage and said to Xia Lan, "Stop staring blankly. Go get some peanuts that Liuli likes to eat."
Xia Lan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Shen Yuexi did not scold her. She stood up and ran to the door and told the maid to prepare bird food.
Shen Yuexi touched Liuli and said, "Silly Liuli, please stop pecking yourself. If even the feathers on your wings fall off, how can you fly? Right?"
She decided that from now on, she would take her parrot Liuli with her wherever she went.
Liuli tilted her head, rubbed her forehead with her head, and said: "Beiheng, you are sorry for me."
Shen Yuexi also replied playfully: "Beiheng, you are sorry for me."
She thought of Su Mo.
The parrot Liuli was given to her by Su Mo. The sight of it reminded her of her, and she fled from the Prince Ping's mansion, but Su Mo did not leave with her. She hadn't seen Su Mo since then. She didn't know how she was doing now. But since Xiao Beiheng had ascended the throne, Su Mo should have been in the capital. After all, she was Xiao Beiheng's wife, and now that she was the empress, she might be happy.
But thinking about the time when Xiao Beiheng slapped Su Mo in the face, Shen Yuexi felt uneasy again. After all, such a situation had happened to her sister Shen Lan.
"Master, there is bad news."
Xia Lan hurried in, placed the peanut-laden fruit plate on the table, and said, "When the lord and the Queen of Xiliang were discussing military intelligence, they seemed to be talking about King Doma leading his army to attack Nanping."
"Attack Nanping?" Shen Yuexi stood up in surprise.
Unexpectedly, King Doma was quite cunning. Knowing that Mei Dai and Shen Lan were in Shengjing, he took this opportunity to launch an attack.
"I'll go and listen." She raised her hand, put Liuli on her shoulder, and ran towards the meeting room.
When she arrived at the door of the conference room, she slowed down her pace for fear of disturbing everyone's military meeting, and heard Shen Lan's calm voice coming from inside.
"Nanping City's walls have been reinforced. Unless the Western Rong army can cut off the food supply route to the south, we can mobilize reinforcements and food supplies from the other three counties. My judgment is that they can hold out for three months without any problem. The Western Rong army should not be able to capture Nanping."
Mei Dai said, "King Doma is a threat, but King An is the most critical right now. I sent scouts to investigate the actions of the various states and counties, and they are all mobilizing their troops. Their target is definitely us."
Qiang Lin's voice said, "Just let them come. I'm planning to fight to the death with Xiao Beiheng."
Shen Yuexi was heartbroken. Madam Li and her daughter had died in the capital, and Qiang Lin had come to regard Xiao Beiheng and his mother as mortal enemies. This war was inevitable.
Everyone was talking when suddenly there was a sound of hurried footsteps, followed by a man's voice.
"I greet Prince An, Queen Xiliang, and all the generals. I have urgent military information to report from the capital."
Xiao Zhuo said, "Speak."
"Xiao Beiheng has led his army out of the capital, and they are heading in two directions. General Zhao Mu will lead an army of 100,000, while Xiao Beiheng will lead his own army of 100,000. Their attack will be towards Shengjing."
A low gasp of air was heard in the conference room.
Shen Yuexi was also startled after hearing this and leaned back with her back against the cold wall.
Whether you like it or not, this day has arrived.
Xiao Zhuo said, "I originally planned to contact the border commander, Wei Liang. But he is the general's confidant. Now that the general has led his troops to fight, I'm afraid General Wei is also a hidden danger."
Mei Dai's voice rang out, "Don't worry, Prince An. It seems the Northern Di have also sent out their troops. Even if Wei Liang wanted to help Xiao Beiheng, he wouldn't be able to do so. He needs to hold off the Northern Di's attack first. We don't have to worry about this part of the journey."
There was a low murmur in the conference room, and it seemed that everyone was discussing the border guards.
Just as Shen Yuexi was about to go back, hurried footsteps were heard in the conference room again.
"Prince An, Queen Xiliang, generals. News has arrived from the capital. Xiao Beiheng has issued a proclamation stating that Prince An sent the assassin Ji Yunyan to assassinate the emperor. She has been apprehended and there is solid evidence of treason. He has ordered all prefectures and counties to send troops to join the expedition. Both Anzhou and Yuzhou have already dispatched troops and are joining Xiao Beiheng's forces. The final force should reach 300,000 men."
Shen Yuexi was stunned. It turned out that Ji Yunyan had left to assassinate Xiao Beiheng, but failed and was captured.
An army of 300,000 is on its way to attack Shengjing.
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