On the first day of June, the tightly closed city gates of Ji County were finally opened.

Two thousand Wei soldiers entered the city first and surrendered with the Wutuo soldiers.

After the death of Yan He, the Lieutenant General of Guide, the remaining Yan army was like a pile of scattered sand, and they were unable to cope with the several attacks launched by the Wutuo people. Now that they were defeated and had no external support, it was too early for them to surrender. The Wutuo people did not suspect anything. The Wutuo soldiers on both sides of the city gate all held their swords and mocked the weakness of the Wei soldiers.

He Yan was hiding in the ranks of the Wei army. Her face was covered in dust, and her original appearance could not be seen. She blended in with the army.

These two thousand people were all personally selected by He Yan, most of whom were from the Suyue Army. It was not for any other reason. The Yan Family Army had not yet gotten used to her, but the Suyue Army had fought with her for a while, and they had a tacit understanding. This time entering the city was very dangerous, and nothing could go wrong.

After Yan He's death, the only person who had a say in the Yan family army was his deputy general Chen Cheng. At the end of the road, the Utuo general Shajit saw Chen Cheng coming forward, laughed loudly, and said, "Great Wei coward, nothing more than that!"

Chen Cheng lowered his head and asked, "If all of our troops surrender to Wutuo, can you give our soldiers a chance to live?"

"Of course, of course." Sajjit was born strong and mocked: "Since you have surrendered to Utuo, from now on, you are Utuo people. We will not attack our own people!"

"Then please ask Lord Shajit to open the city gate and accept the surrender of our Wei army." Chen Cheng replied.

Sarget's eyes gleamed. "Opening the city gate is a piece of cake, but those surrendered soldiers must do the same as you do," he pointed at the troops, "take off their weapons and tie their hands. That's the only way."

After all, he still doesn't trust Da Wei.

Chen Cheng said, "That's no problem." He said, "Please allow me to send someone back to explain the matter."

Sagit: “Okay!”

Chen Cheng walked up to a soldier and whispered a few words in his ear. The soldier nodded, turned and walked towards the city gate. When he was halfway there, suddenly, an Utuo man standing next to him drew his bow and shot an arrow, which pierced the chest of the soldier who was returning to deliver the message.

The soldier didn't even have time to shout before he fell to the ground and stopped moving. Chen Cheng was furious, "What's going on? Didn't I tell him to go back and pass on the message?"

"You are already captives, how dare you make demands on us?" The Uto man holding the bow and arrow said with disdain, "If you keep talking nonsense, I will kill you too!"

Sagit said with a smile, "Why get angry? He's just an ordinary soldier. Can't you just send another person?"

Their attitude was clearly intended to provoke the Wei soldiers. He Yan thought to himself that this was not good. Before he could warn them, a soldier from the Yan family suddenly rushed towards the Wutuo people in front of him and shouted, "A soldier can be killed but not humiliated. Fight them——"

He Yan sighed inwardly.

The general's style will affect the actions of the entire army. Yan He is brave and direct, and so are the soldiers under his command. They must not be provoked. Now, all the previous preparations have been in vain.

But so what?

The soldiers in front of them had already engaged in combat with the Uto people. They had removed their weapons before entering the city, and now they could only snatch the blades from the enemy with their bare hands.

Tragic and thrilling.

He Yan kicked away the Wutuo man who was charging towards him, snatched the long sword from his hand, and shouted loudly: "My men, follow me!"

…

On the battlefield outside Yunzi City, there were swords and spears everywhere, and blood was flowing.

The Wutuo soldiers outside the city were beaten to the point of being in a state of panic. The reason why the "Killing General" was called the "Killing General", the "Nine Banners Camp" was called the "Nine Banners Camp", and the "Southern Palace Soldiers" were called the "Southern Palace Soldiers" was because most of those who had fought against them died on the battlefield. Others could only hear from those who had escaped that how brave and invincible this team was, but only when they actually faced each other on the battlefield did they know that the rumors were less than one tenth of the truth.

Among thousands of soldiers and horses, the young man in black armor and long sword was like a messenger crawling out of hell to reap lives. The blade of the sword was as cold and indifferent as his eyes, and his jade-like appearance brought endless murderous intent.

And he wasn't fighting alone.

The iron cavalry behind him was like his shield and his spear, making the army look invincible and intimidating.

One man's army is like a wolf or a tiger, like wind or rain, like thunder or lightning, shaking the whole world.

This is a crucial battle and also the final siege. As long as we win this battle, we can take back Yunzi. The rest is just a matter of cleaning up the mess.

But for this battle, Xiao Jue and the soldiers of the Southern Palace had been waiting for a long time.

The Wutuo people in Yunzi refused to open the city gates to confront the Southern Army, fearing the prestige of the Southern Army and the Nine Banners Camp, and wanted to fight internal battles in advance. They still had reserves in Yunzi City, but the Wei army stationed outside the city would eventually run out of food.

Xiao Jue had people carrying rice and grain pass by the outside of the city every day, deliberately for the Wutuo people who came secretly to gather information to see them. This happened after one or two days, but over time, the Wutuo people began to become suspicious. Seeing that the Wei side had sufficient rice and grain and high morale, they could not help but feel suspicious and timid, and their morale declined.

But that’s not all.

Long before coming to Yunzi, Xiao Jue had arranged for several skilled craftsmen to accompany him from the Southern Army. After arriving in Yunzi, he sent soldiers and craftsmen to secretly dig a tunnel leading to Yunzi City. He also had people use strong crossbows to shoot stone arrows into the city every day to harass the Wutuo people. After a long time, the Wutuo people were worried every day. Even though the leader ordered not to leave the city, the morale of the army had already been shaken.

Sometimes, the battle of wits between generals is just a matter of who can keep calm. Whoever loses his temper first loses.

The Wutuo people who occupied Yunzi finally fell into Xiao Jue's trap and went out of the city early in the morning to engage in a head-on battle with the Southern Army.

Long-term preparation made this battle a natural victory.

Tens of thousands of enemy troops were captured, and countless war horses and weapons were seized. The remaining small number of Wutuo people escaped, so there was nothing to be feared.

At this point, the overall situation in Yunzi has been determined.

The soldiers of the Southern Palace celebrated in the city. It was a rare opportunity. From spring to autumn, it was almost half a year. Although it looked easy, only they knew that it was a difficult time. Yunzi was near the sea, and it was humid at night. Many soldiers had red rashes on their bodies. At night, they were extremely itchy. There was also military rations. They had long been running out of food. The pile of white rice that the Wutuo people saw every day was actually the same pile.

"Finally, I can go home!" A younger soldier from the Southern Palace grinned and said, "I've had enough of Yunzi. I'm going back to Beijing!"

Chi Wu passed by him and was about to scold him, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't say them. Instead, he smiled.

It sounds like a happy thing to be able to return home alive.

In the tent, the military doctor was treating the commander-in-chief.

The young man's shirt was pulled down to his shoulders, and his chest was wrapped in a thick cloth. As the commander of the right army, he was the focus of all the attacks by the Wutuo people. He was wounded by both open and hidden attacks. However, his wound was covered by his black armor, and no one saw him bleeding. Therefore, others always thought that General Feng Yun would not be injured.

"Captain, don't do anything too aggressive these days." The old military doctor with a white beard reminded, "Although the arrow didn't hit any vital parts, the wound is very deep. It's best to rest for a few days to avoid a root cause of illness in the future."

Xiao Jue pulled up his outer robe to cover the wound and nodded, "Thank you."

Just as the old military doctor left, another person came in. It was Fei Nu. He walked over quickly with a letter in his hand, looking unusually anxious. "Master, there's a letter from Ji County."

Ji County is far from Yunzi, and it had been some time since the letter arrived. The last time I received a letter from Ji County was when I learned of Yan He's death. Jiuchuan had received the victory report, and Ji County had lost its commander, so He Yan led the Fuyue Army to help.

This time, this letter was sent after He Yan arrived in Ji County.

Fei Nu handed the letter to Xiao Jue with an unhappy look on his face. Although he did not open the letter, he had already learned the news from the messenger.

This is not really good news.

Ji County is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The Yan family army has now lost its main general and its morale is unstable. If the war is not ended as soon as possible, it will only be disadvantageous to Wei. He Yan led two thousand soldiers and horses to pretend to surrender and entered the city, trying to break through the Wutuo army from inside the city. When the city is in chaos, he took the opportunity to open the city gates, allowing the Fuyue army and the remaining Yan family army to cooperate from inside and outside to kill the Wutuo people by surprise.

There was nothing wrong with the plan, but unfortunately, when the plan was being implemented, a member of the Yan family army could not resist the provocation of the Wutuo people and could not help but take action, so the plan was disrupted. The Wei soldiers led by He Yan fought with the Wutuo people in the city. Although they finally opened the city gates and won the battle, He Yan was seriously injured and his condition was very bad.

Xiao Jue stared at the letter in front of him.

The letter was written by Lin Shuanghe, and the handwriting was very sloppy, which shows how urgent the situation was when he wrote it. Although it did not specify how "bad" the situation was, it is conceivable.

Two thousand people entering the city, if they start fighting in advance, they will be like sheep entering a tiger's mouth. Without weapons, they are already at a disadvantage, and two fists cannot defeat four hands...

What was more serious was that although they had won the battle, once the Utuo people learned that their commander was injured, they would surely fight back. Lin Shuanghe did not understand the situation of the war, and the letter was not clear, so he did not know what the situation was.

Fei Nu looked at Xiao Jue's face.

To be honest, this letter came at the wrong time. The battle in Yunzi just needed to be over, and this letter at this time must have made Xiao Jue very upset, but Yunzi and Ji County were not in the same direction at all, and even if he turned around and went to Ji County to help now, he would not be able to make it in time.

It's so hard to just watch.

"Young Master, shall we set off for Ji County..."

"No need." Xiao Jue interrupted him.

Fei Nu didn't dare to speak.

Xiao Jue stood up and walked out of the tent.

Outside, the west wind blew in my face. It was almost the beginning of autumn, and the night had lost all its heat, leaving only a chill.

In the distance, the vast ocean is heard, the sound of the tide roars, and the bright moon is reflected in the clouds, dyeing the sea water white.

Nights in the borderland are always like this, with cold days, short grass, and a bitter, frosty moon. But what is the difference between the moonlight in the desert and the moonlight by the sea?

There was a dull pain in his chest, he didn't know if it was a wound or something else. He raised his eyes and looked at the cold moon in the sky quietly, and the woman's hearty voice floated in his ears.

"I want you to promise me that if there is any news, no matter what it is, do what needs to be done, do not affect the overall situation, do not stop, and keep moving forward."

Keep going.

After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, turned and walked towards the tent.

The deputy general stepped forward and asked hesitantly, "Commander-in-chief, what's next..."

"After daybreak, head north to pick up the remaining soldiers," he said.

…

The summer heat in Jiyang was finally blown away by a night of autumn wind and rain.

In the early morning, under the sycamore tree outside the temple, there was a thick layer of golden light. A few pieces of light light light light golden light fell into the pond. Occasionally, a fish would float to the surface of the water, lightly touch the golden light, and then quickly swim away, leaving only a few ripples caused by the swaying fish tail.

Mu Hongjin walked into the yard.

The maid said, "Your Highness, Master Cui is here."

Cui Yuezhi walked in from outside. He had lost a lot of weight in the past few days and looked more energetic than before. Wutuo invaded the territory of Wei. Jiyang City Army was not strong to begin with. Previously, Xiao Jue and He Yan defeated the enemy with fewer troops and turned defeat into victory. Now Xiao Jue and He Yan have gone to the battlefield. Although Jiyang is safe now, the last incident was a lesson. After the New Year, Cui Yuezhi stayed in the martial arts field every day to train the Jiyang City Army, so that if there are bandits coming one day, they will have a strong confidence to meet the enemy.

He saluted to Mu Hongjin and handed over the scroll, "Your Highness, this is the battle report between Ji County and Yunzi."

Mu Hongjin reached out and took it.

She was also a little older, but now, she no longer asked the maid to pluck out the new white hair on her head every day, so there were spots of white in her hair. However, she didn't care, Mu Xiaolou had grown up, and Jiyang City would be handed over to the new princess sooner or later.

Everyone will grow old, and aging should not be a scary thing.

She opened the scroll and looked at the words inside it for a long time. Then, she closed the scroll and sighed.

"Jiuchuan and Yunzibo have been recovered, and everything is fine in Bingjiang. Good news has also come from Ji County. Your Highness, are you worried about Miss He?" Cui Yuezhi asked.

It was indeed a worrying matter that He Yan was still alive or dead. Cui Yuezhi still remembered that the last time he saw He Yan, when she was not holding a weapon, she was just like an ordinary girl, smiling brightly and cheerfully. When she held a weapon, it was as if she was born for the battlefield. Even though they were already very clear at that time that He Yan was not an ordinary woman, they still couldn't help but be surprised when they heard the news that she led the Vietnamese army to Jiuchuan alone.

The young General Feihong was also a woman, but that one in a million woman is no longer alive. How lucky they are to be able to see another one in person during their lifetime.

But now, is this female general going to fall early like General Feihong?

The woman in the wide-sleeved red robe shook her head slightly when she heard this, her eyes looking somewhat disappointed, "I just don't want to..."

I just don't want to see lovers end up like her, with a bad ending.

It is too difficult for things in the world to be perfect. She has already come to this point, and she really doesn't want to see her lover go down the same path of separation as her.

…

In the Buddhist temple in Rundu City, the golden Buddha has kind eyes and looks down at all living beings. The women in the temple kneel on haystacks and close their eyes to pray for people far away.

These were the female captives that He Yan had rescued from the Wutuo people during the battle of Rundu. If He Yan had not stopped them, they would have become a pile of bones and would not be here today. Since He Yan left Rundu, Zhao Shiming, the county magistrate of Rundu, was entrusted by He Yan to help look after these women. Most of them were not recognized by their families, and some of them even had their families killed by the Wutuo people. Zhao Shiming found an embroidery workshop for them in the city, and they did embroidery work on weekdays to make a living.

For these women, being able to do this is already a great surprise. Although they have not yet completely gotten over their inferiority complex, they have finally found the courage to face the future again.

When the news that He Yan was seriously injured while leading troops to aid Ji County reached Rundu, the women were all extremely worried and wished they were men so they could go to the battlefield and kill the enemy with the heroine. But now, they could only pray for He Yan in the Buddhist temple, praying that the young and brave girl would get better soon and return safely.

Outside the palace, the county commander in a long robe exclaimed: "Look, how pious they are. In their hearts, they truly respect Master Xiaohe."

Beside him, Li Kuang looked at the women in the hall without saying a word.

Almost a year had passed since Qiluo passed away. Even so, sometimes when he spoke or did something, he would subconsciously look for that charming figure. Countless nights, he woke up from his dreams, always thinking of the way Qiluo looked at him that day.

There is no resentment, only doubt and confusion.

He Yan was right, he was indeed wrong, so later, until now, he spent more time on training the Rundu City Army. The mistakes he made could not be made up for, and all he could do was to prevent such mistakes from happening again.

"Lord Li has seen it now. They are alive and well," Zhao Shiming said.

When He Yan saved these women, everyone thought that her efforts were in vain, because women who had been insulted by the enemy, even if they were lucky enough to survive, could not withstand the secular gaze. The pointing and ridicule behind them would become the last straw that broke the camel's back, and leaving this world would be their early choice.

It was He Yan who told Zhao Shiming how to settle these women before she left, and even left a sum of money. She really cared about those women. And now, those women have not let her down.

Li Kuang lowered his head and smiled self-deprecatingly: "I'm not as good as her."

"How many people in the world can compare to someone like Lady Xiaohe?" Zhao Shiming stroked his beard. "I hope Lady Xiaohe can turn danger into safety in Ji County. If she is here, these women will have a place to go."

Zhao Shiming looked up at the distant sky and saw a flock of autumn geese flying by. He watched for a while and whispered, "I hope so."

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

The prototypes of the fake grain transportation and tunnel digging come from Lee Kwang-pil~