The next morning, He Yan and Xiao Jue had their meal early and went to the Jiyang martial arts arena to see the Jiyang city army. Lin Shuanghe did not follow them and rested in Cui's house. Liu Buwang continued to track down the whereabouts of the Wutuo people and left at the same time as He Yan and the others.

There are many rivers in Jiyang City. The city was built on the water, and the water flow cut the flat land into several large and small pieces. Therefore, it is not easy to find a large open space. The martial arts field was built near the palace for no other reason than that it was the only place with a large open space.

When He Yan and Xiao Jue passed by, they met Cui Yuezhi. Cui Yuezhi saw them and smiled and bowed: "Commander Xiao."

As if he saw He Yan's surprise, Cui Yuezhi smiled and patted Xiao Jue's shoulder: "In fact, I started to have doubts the second day you came to Jiyang. Even my concubine noticed that you really don't look like anyone in my Cui family. How could you be my eldest brother's son? But later, when I brought you to the palace, His Highness summoned you to the palace from time to time. I think he already knew your identities. His Highness had a plan, so I had to play dumb and couldn't explain it."

This Cui Yuezhi is quite smart.

He laughed twice, and his eyes, though honest, were a little shrewd: "Your Highness thinks I'm stupid, so I'm stupid. There's nothing wrong with being stupid."

He Yan understood that the reason Cui Yuezhi became Mu Hongjin's confidant was not only because of his bravery, nor because of his childhood friendship with Mu Hongjin, but because of his perfect "foolishness".

Having such an honest, loyal and brave subordinate, of course one must trust and make use of him.

He is a very wise person.

Cui Yuezhi looked at Xiao Jue again: "Your Highness told me that all the troops in Jiyang City will obey the command of Commander Xiao from today on." His expression became more serious. "Your Highness has already told me about Wu's request. I will fully cooperate with Commander Xiao. The people of Jiyang City still rely on Commander Xiao for protection."

"Your Highness, have you started to evacuate the people in the city?" He Yan asked.

"Starting today, it's just..." Cui Yuezhi sighed, "It's not an easy thing either."

The people of the city were used to living here, so when they heard the news that Jiyang was in trouble, they naturally panicked and evacuated the city. It was okay for the younger ones, but the sick, the elderly, and those without anyone to take care of them could not leave. How could those who had family businesses and shops in the city feel at ease and leave everything behind?

"However," Cui Yuezhi perked up, "I have always heard that General Feng Yun is invincible on the battlefield, and I have long wanted to meet him. I didn't expect that Commander Xiao is younger than I thought, and so handsome," he said with half envy and half sigh, "How can there be such a person favored by God in the world?"

He Yan: “…”

I'm afraid that ordinary people cannot bear this kind of preference.

As they were talking, they had already walked to the edge of the martial arts arena. Because Jiyang City was close to the water and had not fought a war for many years, the soldiers had no armor, only cloth armor, which was blue, and each of them held a long spear. Probably because they usually did more physical work, they all looked mighty and powerful. However, He Yan could see at a glance that their formation was too weak to kill, just like a flower stand, and a somewhat old flower stand at that.

In recent years, I'm afraid Mu Hongjin has not spent too much time on training the city army, but it's understandable. Jiyang has been peaceful and harmonious since the generation of King Mengji. Not to mention fighting, even theft and kidnapping in the city are not bad. The people are simple and honest, so there is no need to spend too much effort on this.

"In times of peace, be prepared for danger. If you are prepared, you will be safe." He Yan shook his head. "The city army of Jiyang has been slack for too long."

Cui Yuezhi looked at He Yan. He had already "known" from Mu Hongjin that He Yan was Xiao Jue's subordinate, but he thought that this "subordinate" was Xiao Jue's maid, a "beautiful wife" that was necessary to prepare for the trip to Jiyang to be more in line with the identity of "Qiao Qingqing". Although he had doubted halfway, the relationship between this maid and Xiao Jue was a little too casual, but now that he heard what He Yan said, he was a little curious: "Did Yuyan see anything?"

"Cui Zhongqi, my surname is He and my given name is Yan. The Yan in the poem means peace and tranquility. I can't see anything else, but I think the formation of the Jiyang City Army is a bit old-fashioned. In Shuojing, we didn't fight like this a few years ago."

"Miss Yan," Cui Yuezhi puffed out his chest and said indifferently, "The newer the formation, the better. We also need to see if it is suitable for use. This formation was developed by me and my colleagues in the army at that time. It is very suitable for the terrain of Jiyang. How can it be called old?"

He didn't dare to boast that he was better than Xiao Jue, but he was still better than Xiao Jue's subordinates. It takes years to refine a good battle formation. What He Yan said was not a new dish. Who could change it every now and then just for the sake of freshness?

He Yan saw that the formation was full of loopholes, and it was difficult to attack. She glanced at Xiao Jue again, and seeing that Xiao Jue didn't say anything, that was, he didn't mean to oppose her. She thought about it, and then said tactfully: "Let's not talk about the formation. Just looking at the movements of the city soldiers here, it's more like a drill. I'm afraid they are still missing something when they go to the battlefield."

"What's missing?" Cui Yuezhi asked.

"Brave." He Yan said, "These city soldiers can only deal with soldiers who are inferior to them, or soldiers who are on par with them. If there are soldiers who are more fierce and brutal than them..." He Yan shook his head, "I'm afraid they can't win."

As they were talking, they had already reached the front of the martial arts arena, and what He Yan said was heard by the soldiers at the front. The young man standing at the front was thrusting forward with a spear in his hand, and upon hearing what he said, he couldn't help but glance at He Yan.

Cui Yuezhi was a little dissatisfied when he heard He Yan say this about his soldiers: "Miss Yan, what you said is as if our Jiyang Army is made of tofu."

He Yan was not lying. This batch of Jiyang City soldiers had probably never been to the battlefield before. They were even worse than the new recruits of Liangzhou Guards. A tiger's claws would lose their strength after living in ease for too long. Moreover, Wu Tuo was well prepared and would never be as soft as a lamb.

"I'm just a little worried." He Yan said.

"This girl," someone suddenly spoke. He Yan turned around and saw that the person who spoke was the young man holding a spear and standing in the front. His skin was tanned by the sun, but he looked very handsome. He was not afraid of Xiao Jue who was standing next to him. He looked at He Yan coldly and said, "You said our city army is worthless. What do you mean? Although Jiyang City has been peaceful for many years, the city army has been training hard every day and dares not slack off for a day. The girl has not been there yet, so it is better not to jump to conclusions about some things."

He Yan said: "I don't jump to conclusions lightly."

The young man did not know He Yan, nor did he know Xiao Jue's identity. He thought that Cui Yuezhi had brought his nephew and his wife to watch the soldiers. Perhaps because he was young, he did not know how to hide his emotions. He was also a little angry, so he said to He Yan, "How can a woman understand the affairs of men in the army?"

He Yan: “…”

He Yan thought to himself, if a woman really gets angry, ten soldiers might not be enough to beat her.

You know, if the Jiyang City Army dealt with the Wutuo people with such an arrogant attitude, there would be no hope of winning this battle. She was thinking about how to tactfully destroy this man's momentum, when she suddenly heard Xiao Jue's voice.

"In that case, you compete with her."

He Yan looked at Xiao Jue. The soldier who was speaking was also somewhat surprised, as if he had not expected that he would come up with such a lousy proposal.

"Isn't this... bad?" He Yan asked hesitantly.

The soldier felt a little relieved, thinking that this woman was quite considerate. Before he could even walk down the slope, he heard the rest of He Yan's words: "After all, he is Cui Zhongqi's soldier. What if his morale is broken and he never recovers in the future?"

Cui Yuezhi: “…”

He was originally thinking that Xiao Jue's suggestion was a bit too hasty, but when he heard what He Yan said, he really didn't know what to say. Cui Yuezhi was also a martial artist, but he couldn't just touch He Yan's bones. Judging from her appearance, He Yan was thin and weak, and it was hard to tell what was so powerful about her. Xiao Jue said that this girl should know some kung fu, but compared to Mu Yi, she might still be too arrogant.

Looking at her thin arms and legs, Mu Yi could easily break her arms.

He Yan looked at Xiao Jue. In the morning light of the martial arts arena, the young man's figure was as beautiful as jade and as graceful as a spring willow. The black python on his dark blue robe with its fangs and claws bared added a bit of heroic spirit to him. The arrow sleeves were convenient for holding weapons. Here, he was no longer the second son of Xiao, but the commander of the right army, General Feng Yun.

Mu Yi——Before the soldier could speak, He Yan had already looked at him and smiled: "How about it? Brother, do you want to fight with me?"

She was still wearing the red riding suit and black boots that the women of Jiyang wore. The whip hanging in front of her chest was cute and lovely. She looked lively and harmless, just like the countless young ladies picking flowers and sniffing them in Jiyang on a spring day, not a bit different.

Most young men are always competitive. If a girl provokes them, especially a pretty girl, they will always want to prove themselves. Mu Yi is the same. He thought he had given the girl a chance, but she insisted on not giving in. He could only let her experience the power of the Jiyang City Army.

Thinking of this, Mu Yi bowed and said, "I'm sorry."

He Yan smiled slightly, turned over and flew up, stepping on the wooden stake beside her. Others only saw a red swallow, and in the blink of an eye, she had landed on the open space in the center of the martial arts field. She slowly pulled out the purple jade whip from her waist and made a "please" gesture.

Laymen see the excitement, experts see the tricks. His appearance was already unusual. Mu Yi was slightly surprised, but not to be outdone, he followed and rushed to the opposite side of He Yan.

One man had a gun, the other had a whip, and in the blink of an eye they were entangled in a fight.

The surrounding Jiyang City soldiers had already put down their spears and were staring at this side intently. Each army has its own characteristics, such as the Nanfu soldiers are disciplined and serious, the Liangzhou guards are unrestrained and bold, and the Jiyang City soldiers are lively and lively like a theater, and they immediately became excited.

"Good! Good fight!"

"Muyi, why can't you do that? Don't be too lenient with me!"

"Good job girl, beat this guy to death!"

For a while, the sound of cheering was endless.

Cui Yuezhi stared at the red figure in the center, who was moving with ease. The whip in her hand was flowing like water and winding like a trace of lightning. He was extremely surprised. Mu Yi was an extremely outstanding person in the Jiyang City Army. Not to mention how she performed in the formation, she was also one of the best among the people here. But even Mu Yi was at a disadvantage when facing He Yan.

Others thought that Mu Yi was showing mercy because his opponent was a girl, but Cui Yuezhi had sharp eyes and could see at a glance that Mu Yi had no chance at all. The girl's whip was too fast, and her footwork was too fast. Mu Yi had no chance to attack, and if this continued, he would be defeated soon.

Cui Yuezhi couldn't help but ask Xiao Jue: "Commander Xiao, Miss He, is she really your subordinate?"

He couldn't find a single subordinate like him in the Jiyang City Army. It was really enviable!

"It's not unfair for your men to lose to Liangzhou Wei Diyi." Xiao Jue said calmly.

Liangzhou Guards are number one? Cui Yuezhi was puzzled, but He Yan was a woman, could it be that she had fought with the Liangzhou Guards?

On the stage, Mu Yi described himself as a wolf, with beads of sweat gradually oozing out of his forehead.

This girl looked delicate and weak, but her movements were swift and invincible. She predicted his every move with great ruthlessness. She also moved quickly, as if she was tireless. Most importantly, how could a woman have such great strength?

With a "snap" sound, the whip hit the stone stake beside him, breaking a corner of the stake. The splashing gravel scratched Mu Yi's face. Mu Yi simply couldn't believe his eyes.

That was a stone pile, which might not be broken even with a sword. She used a whip, and not only did the whip not break, but He Yan also looked quite relaxed?

What's the reason for this?

Mu Yi naturally didn't know that when He Yan was in Liangzhou Wei, the days of throwing stone locks were calculated in "months". It wasn't that He Yan was targeting anyone, in terms of strength, everyone present was no match for her.

As Mu Yi was thinking, a long whip was swung in front of him. He was so surprised that he immediately used the spear in his hand to block it. There was a "snap" sound in the air, and the spear broke into two pieces.

The surrounding Jiyang troops fell silent, and only the girls' smiling voices could be heard echoing in the field.

"The last three whips, the first one is to tell you not to look down on women."

Mu Yi was in a panic and grabbed the longer broken gun to continue resisting.

"Snap", another sound.

The broken gun in his hand was shattered by another blow.

The powerful female warrior tilted her head and sighed, "The second whip, arrogance is a taboo in a fight."

There was only a gun head less than the length of his palm in his palm. Mu Yi was unarmed for a moment. The third gun had already flown in front of him with a strong wind, leaving him with no way to avoid it.

"Don't be afraid of the third whip. I won't hurt you."

When the long whip rushed in front of him, it playfully rolled up and fell into his hand, sweeping the gun head away from his hand. When Mu Yi came to his senses, the girl in the red dress and black hair had already tossed his iron gun head up and down to play with it. She came over and patted his shoulder, returned the gun head to him, and said with a smile: "There are always people who are better than you, young man, you still have to keep working hard."

She walked past Muyi and walked away smiling.

His companions crowded around him, asking one after another, "Really? Brother Mu, you lost too quickly? Did you show mercy on purpose? How can you be so lacking in ambition!"

"Don't talk nonsense," Mu Yi said angrily, "I will not show mercy!"

The companions looked at each other in bewilderment. Someone asked, "No mercy? Is she really that powerful?"

"Impossible?"

Someone else pointed at his face and said, "Muyi, why is your face red?"

Cui Yuezhi heard the noisy voices in the distance, but he had no intention to teach them a lesson. He just sighed at how fast time passed, less than half an incense stick of time had passed.

Just like that, they defeated the most outstanding man in the Jiyang Army. Cui Yuezhi could clearly see that He Yan did not use her full strength. Otherwise, if her whip had been aimed at Mu Yi himself instead of his spear, Mu Yi would have suffered a lot.

"Commander Xiao has a good subordinate." Cui Yuezhi said sincerely, and then he felt a little worried when he thought of what he had just said. "The Jiyang Army is not as good as the Liangzhou Guards, but..."

"The Liangzhou guards have already fought the Wutuo people once," He Yan happened to walk over and said, "The Wutuo people are so cruel and cunning that Cui Zhongqi can't imagine. They will definitely not be as merciful as I was just now. If the Jiyang City Army cannot defeat them, it will be a disaster for the people of the city."

Cui Yuezhi shuddered.

"The most important issue is not the city defense army." Xiao Jue said.

"What is that?"

"Jiyang has a lot of water, and the Uto people only know how to attack by water. This battle is bound to be fought on water. The reason why your troops are outdated is because they are not designed for water attacks."

Cui Yuezhi frowned, "Could you please explain it more clearly, Governor?"

He Yan looked at Xiao Jue, feeling a little excited. Unexpectedly, Xiao Jue had the same idea as her.

The young man lowered his eyes: "Ship."

The most important thing is the boat.

…

In the attic, the man withdrew his gaze, lowered his head and smiled.

Ying Xiang said softly, "I didn't expect Miss He's skills to be so outstanding."

Although she already knew that He Yan was one of the best fighters in Liangzhou Guards, she had never seen it in person. It was hard to imagine that a girl fighting in the martial arts arena would be more eye-catching than when she was standing quietly and gracefully. Although they were both beautiful women, Ying Xiang felt that He Yan's beauty was particularly special among all the women in the world. But precisely because of this specialness, the number of people who could appreciate her was not as many as those who appreciated the beauty of the secular world.

"Fourth Master," Ying Xiang said, "Princess Mengji has already started to evacuate the people in the city today. Do you want to come with her?"

"The teacher sent me to Jiyang just to keep an eye on Xiao Huaijin. Xiao Huaijin is here, so how can I leave alone?" Chu Zhao's gaze fell on He Yan, who seemed to be talking to Xiao Jue in the distance, and he smiled faintly.

"If Commander Xiao stays in Jiyang, he can protect himself even if Wu sends someone to attack. But you don't know martial arts, and it will be dangerous if you stay in the city." Ying Xiang wanted to persuade him again.

"The more dangerous it is, the more I can prove my loyalty to the teacher." Chu Zhao smiled indifferently, "Ying Xiang, don't you understand? The teacher handed this matter to me, which gave me two paths. One path is to die here, and the other is to survive and complete the matter and return to Beijing. If the matter fails, I will be dead even if I return alive, do you understand?"

Ying Xiang was silent for a moment and said, "I understand."

"You don't have to worry," Chu Zhao put his hands behind his back and looked into the distance, "Besides, now I have a good friend who knows martial arts. Since he is so righteous and innocent, I think... he will also protect my safety."

Ying Xiang followed his gaze and looked at He Yan in the distance. After thinking for a while, she reminded him, "Sir, Miss He is a subordinate of Governor Xiao."

"You also said they were subordinates." Chu Zhao smiled and said, "There is no such thing as an unchanging relationship in the world. A loyal partner can become a terrible enemy the next moment."

He has seen a lot of things like this.

People are fickle.

…

In the palace, Mu Xiaolou jumped down the stone stairs holding the box, shouting, "Grandma!"

Mu Hongjin was sitting in the hall. Hearing this, he looked at her with a slightly tired look in his eyes: "What's wrong, Xiaolou?"

"Aunt Tong told me to take only the important things, but I like every one of them." Mu Xiaolou said, "Aunt Tong said there's not enough space in the carriage, so grandma, can you put these away for me first? I'll ask grandma for them when I return to Jiyang."

Mu Hongjin smiled and opened the box. Inside the box were some small toys, a wooden cricket, a spinning top, a paper puppy, and a whistle that would sing when blown...

Most of them were things Cui Yuezhi bought from the street to please Mu Xiaolou, and some were snatched from other kids of the same age who visited her house. These were also her treasures.

Mu Hongjin closed the lid of the wooden box and handed it to the maid beside her, saying, "Okay, Grandmother, please put it away for Xiaolou. When you return to Jiyang, come and ask me for it."

Mu Xiaolou nodded, "Grandma, please keep it carefully."

Mu Hongjin laughed and tapped her forehead: "Got it, money-obsessed."

"Grandma," Mu Xiaolou jumped onto the couch, hugged her waist and acted coquettishly, "Why should I leave Jiyang? I don't want to leave Grandma, can I not attend Uncle Wang's birthday banquet?"

"Nonsense," Mu Hongjin said, "How can you not go? You are the future princess, and only you can represent Jiyang."

"I don't want to go..." the little girl said, "How would I know what Uncle Wang looks like and whether he's easy to get along with? What if he's really fierce?"

"No, they will all treat you well." Mu Hongjin touched her head, her tone gentle yet a little stern, "Xiaolou, you are no longer a child, and grandma can't be with you forever. One day, you will have to stand on your own and take on many things on your own. Only when I see you grow up, can I feel at ease."

"You have to grow up slowly," Mu Xiaolou was puzzled, "You are not the bamboo shoots in the mountain pass that can break through the soil overnight."

Mu Hongjin was amused by her words, but after laughing, a layer of worry appeared in his eyes.

There is no time.

The Wutu people were hiding in the dark and had already made some moves in the past few days. She had to send Mu Xiaolou away. Mu Xiaolou was the last hope of Jiyang City. She also made the worst plan, but it was a pity that she could not watch the little girl grow up and become her indestructible protection before she became an adult.

But why are there so many regrets in this world?

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

Follow the plot. If you feel bored, you can read the novel. This copy will probably be finished at the beginning of next month.