At the end of August in the ninth year of Jinghan in the Wu Dynasty, Hangzhou City was broken and 150,000 imperial troops poured into the city.

Fang Qifo, a general under Fang La, led the elite Zhili troops to cover the rear and engaged in street fighting with the imperial army in the city.

At the same time, Fang La and others led their troops to the west. After a fierce battle, the remnants of Yongle's army fled to the west and south.

The uprising launched by Fang La actually covered a very large area. Hangzhou was merely the capital where Fang La proclaimed himself emperor and established his country. The foundation of the uprising was still in the Qingxi County area.

After Fang La's army was defeated, the imperial army that came from all directions continued to hunt down and encircle Fang La's remnants.

In just a few days, tens of thousands of corpses were left and blood flowed like a river along the battle line of about 200 miles from Hangzhou to Qingxi County.

In the mountainous area a hundred miles northwest of Qingxi County, a defeated team mainly composed of the Badao Camp was crossing the mountains.

When the city was breached, the Badao Battalion that left the city from the south received the task of guarding the rear. They indeed completed their mission, holding back a large number of imperial pursuers and allowing many of Yongle's remnants to escape.

However, when the battle paused for a while and Liu Xigua wanted to lead the Ba Dao Battalion to catch up with Fang La's large army in the west, that place had already become the battlefield that was being pursued the most severely by Tong Guan.

Taking into account the situation of the Badao Camp with their families, Liu Xigua chose to turn around and take a detour, leaving the city from the south, bypassing Tong Guan's army, turning northwest, and joining Fang La's large army in the second half.

"Fang La is dead..."

Ning Yi looked in the direction of Qingxi County and shook his head.

Ye Zixun said with emotion: "Yes, the momentum is too great, and now it is too big to be eliminated. If Fang La could not make a decisive move and only took a thousand elite troops to the mountains to become a bandit, he would probably be played to death by Tong Guan."

Ning Yi turned his head and glanced at Ye Zixun without replying.

On the day the city was broken, Ning Yi took into consideration that Su Tan'er was pregnant and it would be inconvenient for her to travel with the army, so he asked Lu Hongti to stay with Su Tan'er to take care of her, and also asked Li Yun and Zuo Yu to protect their personal safety.

As for himself, he and Ye Zixun followed the Badaoying army to break out to the south.

During this period, Ning Yi emptied two magazines and killed many imperial generals who intended to hunt down the women and children of the Badao Camp.

On the contrary, Ye Zixun was slacking off along the way, and apart from protecting Ning Yi, he basically did not take any action.

This led to extremely complicated views of the two brothers among the people in the Tyrannical Camp, but Liu Xigua still trusted Ning Yi as always, and the strategy of the army's detour was proposed by Ning Yi.

"Hey, look over there!"

Ye Zixun suddenly poked Ning Yi, pointed at the handsome young man standing next to the girl not far away, and said with a chuckle: "I guess that pretty boy is reporting you again!"

The pretty boy that Ye Zixun mentioned is named Lu Jiang.

He was originally one of Fang La's orthodox counselors, but when the city was captured, he was swept into the Badao Camp.

Liu Xigua knew that he had some abilities, so he brought him into the army, which could be regarded as a way to gather the defeated army.

Ning Yi smiled and said, "Literati look down on each other. He is a military advisor, and I am also a military advisor. Xigua trusts me, and he is worried that he will not have his own ecological niche, so it is normal for him to dislike me."

"…Are you sure he just doesn't like you?"

Ye Zixun said with a smile.

Ning Yi understood what Ye Zixun meant, but he just smiled slightly, seeming not to care.

That evening, the Badao Camp set up camp, fires were lit, and Liu Xigua began to patrol everywhere.

Suddenly, General Lu walked out of the tent next to him and whispered something in a serious tone.

After a while, the two men walked into the tent next to them. General Lu took out a small notebook and whispered.

Suddenly, the girl stretched out her hand and clamped the man's neck. Lu Jiang struggled desperately, but it was completely useless. For a long time, until he was about to suffocate to death, the girl let go.

"What I said... is all true... is all true..."

General Lu fell to the ground, breathing hard, and handed over the small notebook while speaking.

Liu Xigua took it silently and began to look through the contents on the paper in the light of the fire.

General Lu coughed twice, got up with difficulty, and said in a trembling voice: "On the day the city was captured, in addition to the artillery factor, there was also the cause of the North Gate Guard Dong Fangyue... He allowed rumors to spread everywhere, causing the army to lose morale, and the North Gate was lost..."

"These past few days, I have been investigating and asked people in the team. Some people know that after Bao Daoyi's death, Ning Liheng was involved in Dong Fangyue's transfer. Your Tyrant Blade Camp's timber business has some relationship with Leng Gong. These operations are very clever... and they just happened to push Dong Fangyue to replace the former garrison commander Leng Gong..."

"What nonsense!"

Liu Xigua slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily, "The imperial spies in the city are also taking advantage of our power to do things. You want to blame us even though you have taken a lot of risks. A villain like you will be killed in my Ba Dao Camp. No room for negotiation!"

As he spoke, Liu Xigua quickly pulled out a steel knife.

General Lu had never expected the girl in front of him to be so cruel. He was so frightened that his teeth were chattering. He shouted in fear: "I have solid evidence... Look behind you... Look behind you!"

“…”

Seeing that General Lu looked frightened and didn't seem to be faking it, Liu Xigua couldn't help but fall silent.

She slowly lowered her head and flipped through the small notebook in her hand. She read it quietly for a long time, then slowly inserted the steel knife into the sheath.

…

…

At night, Ning Yi sat on the grass outside the tent, brewing tea and chatting and laughing with Ye Zixun beside him.

Suddenly, Liu Xigua appeared in front of them.

Ning Yi was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Would you like to sit down and have a drink?"

Liu Xigua didn't reply, but turned to look at Ye Zixun: "Brother Ye, can we talk alone?"

Ye Zixun blinked, as if he understood something, turned around and gave Ning Yi a look that told him to wish him well, then he stood up, patted his butt and left.

Liu Xigua sat in Ye Zixun's original position, staring at the jumping bonfire in a daze.

Ning Yi looked at her for a while, and suddenly said: "I still insist that no matter how the situation develops, we can't go to Qingxi County again."

Liu Xigua nodded and said, "Yes."

"There are so many people to take care of with their families. We only have 800 elite soldiers left, and the remaining 3,000 are women and children. We really can't afford to lose again... I don't have a relationship with your Uncle Fang, so we can be more straightforward about these issues. The main thing is that everyone can see that the past is meaningless. They don't dare to say these words, but I can tell you."

Liu Xigua turned his head and looked at the bright moon in the sky: "Why didn't you tell me a few days ago?"

"Just after we took over the city, you were still thinking about it. Now that you have considered it, I can tell you."

"...Chen Fan and the others are going back."

"I've talked to him. Even if he wants to go back to Qingxi County, he can't take more than ten people with him. Otherwise..."

"What else? Do you want Brother Ye to kill him?"

Ning Yi shrugged: "That won't be the case. At most, he won't be able to leave."

Liu Xigua laughed and said, "Then he will hate you for the rest of his life!"

When Ning Yi saw Liu Xigua laughing, he also laughed.

At the same time, above their heads, Ye Zixun came back and quietly sat on the treetop, looking at Ning Yi and Liu Xigua who were sitting opposite each other below with a complicated expression.

As a time traveler who was familiar with the plot, he knew what would happen next.

Liu Xigua discovered Ning Yi's identity as a spy, so naturally he had to confront him. However, during the many days they spent together in Hangzhou, the two had already formed a lasting friendship, and Liu Xigua even developed a love for Ning Yi.

Of course, it might not be accurate to say it was admiration.

Ye Zixun felt that using the word gay would be more appropriate.

Liu Xigua's original ambition was simply equality for all, until she met Ning Yi. Under the other's intentional or unintentional influence, Liu Xigua began to have a deeper understanding of the so-called democracy, freedom and equality.

In her eyes, Ning Yi is a close comrade-in-arms who shares the same aspirations as her.

And this is a closer relationship than that between the lover and the admired.

It was difficult for her to accept the fact that Ning Yi was a spy, and it was also difficult for her to take action against such a Ning Yi.

After a brief chat, Ning Yi began to talk to himself, as if he was recounting his last wishes, and told all the future development plans of Ba Dao Camp.

Liu Xigua listened in silence until Ning Yi finished speaking. Then she sang out a breath and said with red eyes: "You know...you know what I'm going to ask you tonight..."

Ning Yi glanced at her and smiled with a complicated expression.

The girl stood up suddenly, her eyes red as she shouted angrily: "You have been here for so long, have I ever treated you unfairly in the Tyrant Blade Camp?!"

"I, Liu Qianqian, have never been open and frank with you?!"

"Were all those things you said before, about freedom and equality, all false?!"

A voice mixed with anger and grievance was heard, and dense black shadows appeared around the tent.

Ning Yi glanced at those figures and easily identified familiar friends such as Chen Fan, Fang Shuchang, and Liu Tiannan.

Fang Shuchang sighed: "Brother Ning, we have known each other for such a long time, I believe you have your own difficulties. If you can prove your innocence or provide evidence to prove that you have no choice, please speak out."

Ning Yi smiled, put down the teacup in his hand, and said softly: "The 1,200 people following us are not Tong Guan's imperial guards. They are the elite of Kang Fangting's Wu Zuying. In half an hour, they will launch a surprise attack from the southeast. Uncle Nan had better prepare first."

Fang Shuchang, Liu Tiannan and others were stunned for a moment.

Liu Xigua tilted his head and said in a difficult tone: "Uncle Nan, go check it out."

Liu Tiannan nodded and left quickly with a few scouts.

Ning Yi stood up at this time, swept his eyes over everyone, and finally stopped at Liu Xigua, who had red eyes but a stubborn expression.

"Everyone has different things to do. I've been here for so long, there are some things you don't know..."

"I don't have a big relationship with the court, but there's an old man named Qin Siyuan who recently became the right prime minister. When I was still in Jiangning, I played a few games of chess with him. We are close friends regardless of age. So, after I leave here, I will go to the capital and do my part..."

Having said that, Ning Yi smiled gently and bowed to Liu Xigua and others.

"I am Ning Liheng, the Bloody Hand Slayer. Although we are on different paths, it is a pleasure to meet you all!"

Chen Fan sneered and strode out: "Can you leave?"

"call out--"

The knife flashed and nailed Chen Fan under his feet.

Chen Fan stopped and everyone looked up, only to see Ye Zixun sitting on the treetop, holding a throwing knife and looking at them with an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, everyone."

"Although Ye doesn't want to attack you, but..."

Having said this, Ye Zixun paused, then sighed: "In short, please give me some face and don't embarrass me."