Chapter 133 The Wind Rises in the North, Snow Covers the Sky
"What?" Upon hearing this, Qi Kun instinctively straightened himself up, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain.
"A man can break through my encirclement and stand before me with neither arrogance nor servility to make his demands." The Qiang King leaned back in his chair, looking at Qi Kun with approval. "I can see your determination, and I am also aware of your master-disciple relationship with Yang Xiao."
He placed the bone flute on the table, stood up, and poured wine into his cup. "Besides, you've only known me for a short time, and that Xiao Yun sent that thing out to blackmail me. If I don't send troops now, when will I?"
Qi Kun looked at the Qiang King, and his heart finally settled down. He breathed a sigh of relief, forced himself to stand up, clasped his hands in thanks to the Qiang King, and said, "Thank you, Qiang King."
The Qiang king smiled and nodded. "No need to thank me, I truly admire you." He picked up a wine cup from the table, walked around the table, squatted down, and handed the liquor to Qi Kun. "This cup is to honor your determination, your courage, and your integrity. Drink this cup, and I will immediately send someone to treat your wounds and safely send you back to Jizhou. Afterward, I will send troops straight to Chang'an."
Qi Kun's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his eyes filled with determination, and he nodded heavily. He took the wine cup from the Qiang King with both hands, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The burning sensation traveled from his throat all the way to his stomach. He bowed to the Qiang King again, saying, "I will certainly inform my lord of your righteous act. I, Qi Kun, thank the Qiang King once again for his kindness in sending troops to help us."
-
After more than ten days of uproar, Chang'an finally calmed down. Under Xiao Yan's orders, the people of the city were packing their things and preparing to go to the surrounding villages and counties that could avoid the attack to lay low.
Yang Xiao twirled his gun, standing on the city wall and looking at the busy people in the city. He couldn't help but sigh with regret, "So you still let the people move away. I thought your Chang'an Formation could protect the people from worry."
Xiao Yan sighed helplessly, "Even so, I still can't rest easy leaving the people here." She leaned against the railing, propping her head up, "Just as you said before, I can't gamble with the safety of the people when I'm investigating Zhong Li's case."
"At least you still have some conscience." Yang Xiao twirled the gun and patted Xiao Yan on the shoulder. "I'll go down and see if there's anything I can do to help them."
“Hey, wait a minute,” Xiao Yan raised his hand to stop Yang Xiao, who was about to turn around and go downstairs. “Xiao Yun’s envoy to the Northern Qiang should be back by now. He will inevitably bring up this matter when he takes his seat in the tent later.” Xiao Yan turned around and leaned against the railing, looking at Yang Xiao. “Although you have been given special permission by me not to attend the tent, it would be better if you went to see it today.”
“Alright,” Yang Xiao smiled and looked at Xiao Yan, “Although I have special permission, when have I missed a single meeting?”
Xiao Yan smiled and patted Yang Xiao's shoulder, "Yes, yes, thank you for your protection."
“There’s nothing to say to those unreasonable sycophants,” Yang Xiao said, carrying her gun as she walked downstairs. She turned back to look at Xiao Yan with a carefree expression. “Let’s go, it’s almost time.”
Xiao Yan nodded and followed Yang Xiao past the bustling crowds, riding his horse all the way into the palace.
A commotion erupted outside the Tenglong Hall. Lu Qi, dressed in white, anxiously awaited the two, fanning himself with a fan. Seeing Yang Xiao put away his gun and walk into the hall with Xiao Yan, Lu Qi frowned, used his fan to push through the crowd, and walked towards the two.
“Your Highness, General Yang,” Lu Qichong and the other man clasped their hands in greeting, “today’s meeting will likely be very difficult.”
Xiao Yan frowned upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Qi shook his head and sighed softly, "Of the eight envoys Xiao Yun sent to the Qiang tribe, only one returned alive. Now that person is waiting beside Xiao Yun."
“That shouldn’t be the case,” Yang Xiao pondered for a moment. “In a war between two armies, envoys are not to be killed. Why is it that only one person has returned alive?”
"This only means that someone went to ask the Qiang King to send troops before Xiao Yun could. Judging from this situation, the Qiang King has probably already agreed. And the seven dead people were just a show of force from the Qiang King to Xiao Yun."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao frowned, then clenched her fist and sighed, "There's no use in us speculating any further. We might as well prepare to hold a meeting in the main hall and see what Xiao Yun says."
“That makes sense,” Xiao Yan nodded. “Have you found out who the survivor is?”
Lu Qi closed his fan and nodded slightly. "That man's name is Jiang Wen. He was the one who was hiding in the dark room when Li Xing tried to assassinate me."
"It was him?" Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and he looked up at the two people beside him. "Today's events are extremely unfavorable to both of you. When you go to court later, you must be careful and avoid saying too much."
The two nodded and followed Xiao Yan into the hall.
The civil and military officials were already lined up on both sides. Xiao Yun stood in the center of the hall, with an official kneeling beside him, covered in wounds and blood.
Xiao Yan sat in the main seat and gestured with his chin towards Xiao Yun. Xiao Yun then turned to look at Jiang Wen beside him and asked, "Tell me, why did only you return out of the eight who went? What did the Qiang King say?"
“Reporting to the General, Your Highness,” Jiang Wen slightly sat up, “This humble official and seven colleagues traveled through mountains and rivers to the Qiang land, but no one came to meet us. We could only do our best to protect the General’s personal letter and fight with those nomads. By the time we finally found the Qiang King, two of them had already died.”
"If you want to see the Qiang King, you must first break through the encirclement of his men. Why bother explaining such common sense?" Xiao Yun glanced at Jiang Wen with dissatisfaction.
“Yes, yes,” Jiang Wen hurriedly bowed and continued, “When I first entered the palace and saw the Qiang King, I saw a scholar, also from the Central Plains, already standing at the door. He had single-handedly charged to the Qiang King’s tent with a light sword, and by the time he saw the Qiang King, he was already covered in wounds and blood…”
His mind was a complete blank; he even forgot to say Qi Kun's name, and he just stammered about what had happened on the battlefield.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Xiao Yun glared at him impatiently. "What does that man want to see the Qiang King about?"
“That man… also asked the Qiang King to send troops.” Jiang Wen’s voice was a little softer as he trembled and lay prostrate on the ground.
Yang Xiao looked at Jiang Wen and felt a tightness in her chest. She clenched her fists, and sweat involuntarily seeped down her forehead.
"That person."
"What?!" Xiao Yun was furious upon hearing this. "What did you say to him? And who is that scholar?"
Jiang Wen lay on the ground, stammering and unable to answer.
"explain!"
“We…we only said that Yang Xiao and the Chixiao Palace lost the princess’s bone flute, inciting his resentment towards the Chixiao Palace. But we never expected that the Qiang King would be so furious and curse us…and you, General.”
Seeing that Xiao Yun was about to get angry again, Jiang Wen quickly added, "That scholar was Zhongli An's strategist, carrying the princess's bone flute and the blood-written letter..."
"The bone flute is in Jizhou?" Xiao Yun was shocked upon hearing this. He pointed at Yang Xiao and shouted, "Didn't you say that Song Lan took it?"
Yang Xiao laughed twice in relief, then crossed her arms and glanced sideways at Xiao Yun.
"You're not going to tell me that the bone flute was sent to Jizhou by Song Lan, are you? That's impossible!" Xiao Yun pointed at Yang Xiao angrily, then glared at Jiang Wen. "When did the Qiang King say he would send troops?"
"He had just let me go when he sent his generals to press towards the Central Plains."
“So you’ve never truly submitted to Xiao Yan,” Xiao Yun pointed at Yang Xiao, “You’ve kept us in the dark all along! What about fighting Bai Ming, shooting his flag, and insulting him? You were clearly faking it!” He grinned through gritted teeth in exasperation, glaring at Xiao Yan, “This is the kind of person you’ve always relied on.”
"I haven't even said anything yet, and you've already made your judgment?" Yang Xiao crossed her arms and looked at Xiao Yun. "The bone flute incident was just a trick to catch you off guard. Who would have thought you couldn't even see through such a simple tactic?"
She slowly walked towards Xiao Yun, "After I received fifty lashes because of you, how could I have the right to return to my previous tent and take back the bone flute? Even if I had that ability, would Jia Ding have given me that opportunity?"
"Then what crime have you committed for deceiving the officials and causing the court to fall apart?" Xiao Yun stared at Yang Xiao, gritting his teeth.
“Then kill me,” Yang Xiao said, spreading her arms wide and looking down at Xiao Yun with disdain. “In that case, you won’t even have a chance to win in the end. Just wait for your dream of becoming emperor to fall apart.”
"Someone come here!" Xiao Yun shouted angrily at the door.
Yang Song was startled upon seeing this and quickly rushed to the front of the formation, shouting, "Xiao Yun! You've gone too far!"
"What," Xiao Yun glanced at Yang Song, "you want to be killed too?"
"Oh, please don't," Yang Xiaoli chuckled lightly from the side, "My brother was also a victim in the matter of not being able to bring back the bone flute. I will take responsibility for my own actions. If you implicate my family, wouldn't you become a laughingstock to the world? What kind of emperor would you be?"
"Guards!" Xiao Yun shouted angrily, "Take Yang Xiao to prison! No torture allowed! I must keep her alive so she can witness her friends die one by one at her hands during the final battle!"
Yang Xiao chuckled upon hearing this, then nodded in satisfaction. "That's more like it." She turned to look at Xiao Yan, Lu Qi, and Yang Song, her eyes smiling as if to reassure the three of them. "Farewell, everyone."
Having said that, he followed the servant and strode out of the hall.
Xiao Yun frowned, watching Yang Xiao walk ahead, shaking off the servants, his eyes filled with resentment yet also a hint of confusion. He frowned slightly and murmured, "Why didn't the jailer take her in?"
Lu Qi smiled upon hearing this and slung the fan behind his back. "I'm afraid it's because he can't beat her and doesn't dare to make a move."
After the banquet ended, Yang Song rushed straight to Zhu Yang Palace without even changing out of his official robes. He saw the young eunuch at the gate from afar and hurriedly waved his hand, shouting, "Go and inform His Highness immediately!"
"Alright, alright," the little eunuch turned around and went back into the hall. "Your Highness, General Yang Song requests an audience."
Xiao Yan frowned and quickly stood up from his seat. "Please come in quickly."
Before the young eunuch could leave, Yang Song lifted the curtain and rushed into the hall. He anxiously clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Yan and Lu Qi, "Your Highness, Mr. Lu, Lingyu, she..."
Before he could say anything, Lu Qi stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "General Yang, don't be anxious. I just discussed with His Highness that I will disguise myself and visit Lingyu tomorrow. Those jailers are all greedy and greedy. As long as I say I am Xiao Yun's man, they won't ask any questions."
Yang Song was taken aback upon hearing this, then looked at Lu Qi with concern, "Lingyu is a thorn in Xiao Yun's side. Now that she has finally been imprisoned, she will definitely be heavily guarded, sir..."
"No matter what, I am His Highness's person. They wouldn't refuse to give me even this much face, would they?" Lu Qi leaned against the table, holding a fan and frowning in thought.
"Lu Qi, caution is paramount." Xiao Yan looked up at Lu Qi. "Although Yang Xiao is in prison, we all know her strength, and she won't cause too much trouble. Currently, Bai Ming has led his troops into Bingzhou, the Northern Qiang have also begun to send troops, and Chen Mo from Jiangnan is leading the Lingyue Pavilion northward. A decisive battle is imminent. What we should do now is figure out how to send a force to support Yang Xiao, so that she and the Imperial Guards led by General Yang Zhen can operate the Chang'an Formation together."
Lu Qi shook his head slightly upon hearing this. "The Chang'an Formation can be operated by the old general alone. Moreover, Xiao Yun's troops will certainly be deployed along with the formation to defend against external enemies. Xiao Yun does not understand formations. If he launches an attack, it may disrupt the formation. If Lingyu can restrain Xiao Yun at the center of the formation, the formation can be fully revealed to the world. Only in this way can Your Highness see whether Zhong Li'an is the person you are looking for to break the deadlock."
“Yang Xiao’s insightful comment has solved the Zhongli case.” Xiao Yan frowned and nodded. “Then we will send a team to break her out of prison and rescue her, and then confront Xiao Yun.”
"Your Highness," Yang Song hurriedly stepped forward upon hearing this, "I am willing to lead troops to break into the prison and rescue Lingyu. I hope you will grant me permission."
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