Yan Sikong wanted to turn around and ask, but She Jun gave him a look, shook his head, and said in a low voice: "I'll go to the city to ask around, you wait here for me, don't contact anyone."
"What can we learn from such a small county?"
"Now that the wandering people know about it, it seems it's no longer a secret. It's not difficult to find out. Just wait for me." She Jun drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, stood up and left.
Yan Sikong froze for a moment, then continued to eat noodles with his head down, but at the same time he raised his ears to eavesdrop on the people at the next table. Actually, it wasn't really eavesdropping, as the voices of that group of people were so loud that they poured straight into his ears and he couldn't block them out.
However, they did not care much about the fact that the King of Chu sent troops to Taiyuan. They just complained that the situation was turbulent due to the possible war, and the people who sent the darts did not dare to send them, so they lost the order.
It had been two hours since She Jun left. Yan Sikong sent away group of diners after group. Even the store owner looked at him with something strange in his eyes. Fortunately, he had disguised himself slightly, otherwise his appearance alone would have been enough to attract attention.
Before dark, She Jun came back. He deliberately ignored Yan Sikong's anxious and inquiring eyes and called the waiter: "Pack ten kilograms of buns and ten kilograms of cooked beef for me, and bring a few jugs of wine."
The waiter smiled and said, "Yes, sir."
As soon as the waiter left, Yan Sikong asked, "How is it?"
"Chen Yi did send troops the day after we escaped from Taiyuan."
"How many troops does he have? How fast is he marching? Where is he now?"
She Jun frowned: "What does this have to do with you?"
Yan Sikong was slightly startled, his eyes somewhat evasive: "I just... he is too well-informed. Even if there are spies in the city, it will take at least two or three days to send the news from Taiyuan to Yongzhou. Unless, they guessed that I would escape on the day of Feng Ye's wedding?"
"This is not difficult to guess. To rob a prison, one must look for a time when the guards are lax. Besides, didn't you rob Feng Ye's prison in..." She Jun looked at Yan Sikong's gloomy face and hesitated to speak.
"Yes." Yan Sikong laughed sarcastically, "Sometimes I feel that he and Feng Ye are being played by fate. Otherwise, how could the same thing happen to us again after so many years, only the positions are reversed."
She Jun was silent, not knowing how to comfort Yan Sikong for a moment.
"But..." Yan Sikong asked doubtfully, "Shen Hexuan and Chen Yi could guess it, but Feng Ye couldn't? Do you think it was too easy for us to escape from Taiyuan?"
"Easy?" She Jun raised his voice unconsciously, but immediately realized that they were still in the noodle shop, and immediately lowered his voice, "You just performed a play in front of the city gate, of course it was easy, but I lost an intelligence line in Taiyuan and spent a lot of money."
"She Jun, that's not what I meant. I'm sorry."
She Jun curled his lips and said, "Forget it."
At this time, the waiter had prepared what they wanted, paid the money, and the two of them left without a moment's delay. Ali, who was hiding outside the city, had not eaten yet.
After leaving the city, Yan Sikong was still thinking over and over again, always feeling that things were not that simple.
She Jun couldn't help but say, "You're getting uneasy when Chen Yu comes to Taiyuan."
Yan Sikong whispered, "I conquered Taiyuan... Besides, what exactly does Chen Yu want to do? It will completely affect the overall situation of the world. How can I not think about it?"
"What's the point of thinking about it? You have already made up your mind to leave Fengye, and it is impossible for you to help Chen Yu. What does their fight have to do with you?"
"It was once related to me, how can I let it go completely now?" Yan Sikong said in a deep voice, "Now is the coldest time of the year, and few people will send troops at this time. What exactly does Chen Yi want to do?"
"Sending troops doesn't necessarily mean we have to fight a war." She Jun said coldly, "Don't forget that although the dog emperor has deposed Chen Chun, he hasn't openly promised Chen Yu anything, and Feng Ye is still loyal to the King of Chu."
"On the surface, haha." Yan Sikong laughed mockingly, "The two of them have long been aware of their intentions. Chen Yi came this time to tear apart the ties between him and Feng Ye. As long as Feng Ye refuses to give up the city, Chen Yi will immediately announce it to the world. By then, Feng Ye will be the target of public criticism."
"Since he has chosen this path, he has already made preparations. He treated you like that for his own ambitions. You are not still worried about him, are you?"
Yan Sikong lowered his eyes: "I have severed all ties with him. Whether he lives or dies, wins or loses, it has nothing to do with me anymore. However, my brother is still his vanguard general."
"He is no longer a child. Following Feng Ye was his own choice. A man should fight on the battlefield and make achievements. This is a life worth living. You can't do anything except wish him safety."
"……Um."
She Jun looked at Yan Sikong with a twinkle in his eyes: "Sikong, forget all this, otherwise even if you are alive, you can only live in the quagmire of the past."
Yan Sikong shook his head: "It's too late. Throughout my life, no matter where I go, my heart is in the quagmire."
There was hidden pain in She Jun's eyes.
——
After they found Ali, he was naturally very hungry and ate two kilograms of buns in one breath. Yan Sikong watched him wolfing down the food as if he was a child, feeling both comforted and sad.
He made up his mind that after they escaped from the Central Plains, he would settle Ali down and then arrange a marriage for him. He would never have a home in this life, and he hoped that Ali would have a home and not have to live a life of wandering and loneliness like him.
After they finished eating, She Jun urged them to get on the road. They had bought so much food in the city, including hay for the horses. If Feng Ye tracked them down here, he would probably find out that it was them, so they couldn't stay for long. Moreover, they could only go to a small town like this for supplies, climbing the mountain road to avoid people. It would be miserable in the cold winter.
After a few days, they ran out of food and had to go into the nearest city. This place was close to Pingliang, and to the west was Qingyang. If all went well, they could go south for ten days or half a month and be out of Fengye's sphere of influence.
There are more than a dozen villages of various sizes surrounding Pingliang City, but Pingliang is also a small city, and the surrounding villages are even more isolated. The villagers know each other, and outsiders like them will be targeted as soon as they enter, so if they want supplies, they can only go to Pingliang. Although it is risky, they have no other choice.
But She Jun insisted on going alone, fearing that they would be discovered.
"How are you going to bring back food for three people and hay for three horses by yourself?" Yan Sikong said, "Ali wants to stay here, so both of us have to go."
"No." She Zhun said firmly, "Pingliang is a closed city. There must be wanted warrants everywhere by now. The city gates are heavily guarded. I'm afraid you'll be exposed."
"You are a master at disguise, and it is impossible for you to be recognized. If you go alone, it won't take a few days before we have to go for supplies. If we delay like this, how long will it take for us to get out?"
"I'm afraid something might go wrong, so I'd rather go slowly and safely." She Jun said, "I'll try my best to bring back more things. You guys just wait for me here."
Yan Sikong frowned and said, "She Zhun, why do I feel like you don't want me to go?"
She Zhun calmed down and said, "Of course I don't want to let you go. I'm afraid you'll be discovered."
"No, I think it's more than that." Yan Sikong stared at She Jun with a scrutinizing look, "We just need to act separately. No matter how strict the Pingliang guards are, they can't strip everyone's face."
"Feng Ye knows that I can disguise myself, so wouldn't he be on guard?" She Jun's tone became stern, "Don't argue with me anymore, just wait for me here, I will be back before dark, if it's not enough, I will go again tomorrow."
Yan Sikong paused: "Okay."
After watching She Zhun go down the mountain, Yan Sikong looked at Ali and said, "Ali, do you also think that She Zhun was a little bit strange just now?"
Ali shook his head in confusion.
Yan Sikong was very good at observing people's expressions and could detect subtle changes in other people's emotions. He felt that it was a bit abnormal that She Jun was determined not to let him go. However, what She Jun said was not entirely unreasonable. Perhaps he was just being too cautious and was overly suspicious.
However, the two of them waited until the afternoon, but She Jun didn't come back. Yan Sikong was a little anxious. He didn't know if Pingliang also had a curfew, but since it was also a closed-off city, the rules were probably the same. After sunset, people were not allowed to enter or leave the city. Judging from the weather, it would be at most an hour before sunset.
After thinking it over, he decided to go into the city to check it out. If She Jun was really in trouble, he might be the only one who could save his life.
Ali was reluctant to let him go, but he did not dare to disobey him, so he could only watch him go down the mountain.
When entering the city, Yan Sikong saw a large portrait of the three people pasted on the city gate. He was interrogated, but because She Jun's disguise skills were so amazing, the guards did not recognize him and let him enter the city.
There were portraits of him everywhere in the city, and the bounty was as high as 10,000 taels, which showed Feng Ye's anger. Moreover, the atmosphere in the city was very tense, everyone was in a hurry, and soldiers were moving around the city in rows, transporting various military supplies, just like... preparing for war.
Pingliang is preparing for war... Could it be that Chen Yi is approaching, or has he already declared war on Fengye?
If you think about it carefully, both possibilities are unlikely. It was freezing cold and the marching speed was slow. Chen Yi couldn't have moved so fast. Moreover, compared to fighting, Chen Yi naturally wanted to talk. How could he rashly declare war before even talking?
The only possibility is that Feng Ye is already prepared to go to war with Chen Yi. Even if he appears to be submissive on the surface and does it for the world to see, in reality there is no room for maneuver.
Yan Sikong stared blankly at the soldiers wearing Feng family army armor walking past him, feeling mixed emotions.
What is about to come is bound to be a shocking battle. Although Feng Ye is known as a god-like general and has countless capable people under him, Chen Yu is also well prepared and has the help of a strategist like Shen Hexuan. Can Feng Ye... win?
He felt nervous when he thought that Feng Ye might lose. He couldn't imagine what it would look like if Feng Ye was defeated, and couldn't imagine the eyes that looked down on the world with pride turning into despair.
He took a deep breath, thinking of every word Feng Ye had said to him and every thing he had done before they parted, and the emotion in his eyes gradually grew colder.
He and Feng Ye no longer owed each other anything and went their separate ways. He no longer cared about Feng Ye's success or failure.
He was just worried that Yuan Nan would quit.
Thinking of Yuan Nanyu, Yan Sikong was really worried and helpless. But as She Jun said, why does Kunpeng swim in shallow streams? He couldn't stop a man's ambition, and he just hoped that Yuan Nanyu could get what he wanted.
Just as I was thinking about Yuan Nanyu, I heard a young general shouting to the soldiers who were transporting military supplies, "Hurry up, General Que will be in Pingliang for an inspection tomorrow! Hurry!"
Yan Sikong was startled. Did he forget to come to Pingliang tomorrow? If he could reach Pingliang tomorrow, it would mean that he had already left Taiyuan.
What is Yuan Nanyu doing here?
Yan Sikong's heart sank. Without thinking too much, he knew what Yuan Nanyu came for. Feng Ye must have sent him to guard the three cities of Qingyang, Pingliang and Fengxiang.
These three cities were originally conquered by Yuan Nanyu, so he was most familiar with them. They were also a line of defense to block Chen Yi. If Chen Yi wanted to take Taiyuan by force, he had to take these three cities first.
However, in this case, Yuan Nanyu would be the first to bear the brunt of the attack and face Chen Yu's most powerful and fierce troops.
Yan Sikong felt distressed.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed Yan Sikong and dragged him backwards. Just as Yan Sikong was about to resist, he heard She Jun's familiar voice from behind: "It's me."
Commander She dragged Yan Sikong into the alley and said through gritted teeth, "What are you doing in the city? I told you to wait outside the city!"
"You haven't come back yet, and the sun is about to set."
"If I want too many things by myself, it will easily arouse suspicion, so I have to go to several shops to buy them." She Jun's eyes trembled slightly left and right, as if he wanted to see something from Yan Sikong's face.
Yan Sikong said coldly: "You knew this, but you still insisted on not letting me follow you."
"I'm afraid..."
"You are afraid that I will know the military situation." Yan Sikong said harshly.
She Jun looked at him steadily without saying anything.
"Yu'er will arrive in Pingliang tomorrow. He has already set out from Taiyuan. You were there to gather intelligence that day. Did you hear anything?"
She Jun remained silent.
"Have you heard about it?" Yan Sikong frowned deeply, "Are you hiding it from me on purpose? You don't want me to know, right?"
"What can you do now that you know?" She Jun said coldly, "You finally escaped, are you going to go back?"
"Of course I won't go back, but Yu'er is my brother, how can I not miss him? Besides, why did you hide this from me?"
She Zhun turned away and said, "I'm afraid you'll be soft-hearted... The sun is about to set, let's go."
"Wait." Yan Sikong grabbed She Jun, "Tell me everything you have found out. If you don't, I will always be uneasy."
She Jun gritted his teeth and said, "Since you don't plan to go back, why do you still know all this? It's just adding to your trouble." With that, he walked out of the city without looking back.
Yan Sikong chased after him, but he didn't dare to argue too much, so as not to arouse suspicion, so he just asked: "She Zhun, do you know anything else? Tell me."
She Jun turned a deaf ear.
Yan Sikong looked at the sky and saw that the sun was indeed about to set. He did not dare to delay any longer and bought some more things on the way, intending to leave the city first.
Only after they left the city did Yan Sikong sternly question him, "She Zhun, are you dumb?"
She Zhun suddenly turned around and glared at Yan Sikong fiercely: "What do you want to do by asking about military intelligence? Are you worried about Yuan Nanyu or Feng Ye?"
"He's my brother!" Yan Sikong said in a stern voice, "He might start a war with Chen Yu soon. Can't I even get a little information about the military situation?"
"What do you do after you find out? If you think Yuan Nanyu has no chance of winning, what are you going to do? Are you going to help him?"
Yan Sikong said seriously, "First, Chen Yu may not start a war. Secondly, Yu'er is a wise and brave general after all. He still has a city to defend. As long as he is given enough soldiers, he will have an advantage even with Shen Hexuan. He may not need anyone's help. I want to know the military situation because I am worried about him."
"What if...what if he really needs it." She Jun looked deeply at Yan Sikong. "On the battlefield, swords and arrows are blind. Even if a battle seems to be a sure win, it is possible to lose in the end. Yuan Nanyu chose to follow Feng Ye in rebellion, which means he put his life at risk. You know it in your heart, you know that your brother may die on the battlefield, and you can't do anything about it, right?"
Yan Sikong was stunned for a moment, and he trembled and said, "I... naturally know."
"There are so many things in life that are beyond our control." She Jun held Yan Sikong's shoulders and said, "Let it go. Don't think about anything related to Feng Ye anymore."
"But..." Yan Sikong said softly, "If Yu'er is really in trouble, I will come to save him no matter where I am."
"You..." She Jun's face turned pale.
Yan Sikong grabbed She Jun's hand, and the premonition in his heart became stronger: "She Jun, are you still hiding something from me? What else do you know?"
She Jun shook off his hand, his expression grim: "Yan Sikong, let me ask you, are you willing to do anything for your brother?"
Yan Sikong said without hesitation: "He was willing to go into exile in the northwest for me, and I am willing to sacrifice my life for him."
She Jun let out a long breath, his face full of fatigue and sadness.
"She Jun, what happened? What did you hide from me?"
"Feng Ye...send Yuan Nanyu back to guard the three cities of Qingyang, Pingliang, and Fengxiang."
"I already guessed that."
"But he was only given 30,000 soldiers." She Jun closed his eyes as if he had given up.
These words came as a bolt from the blue, and Yan Sikong's mind suddenly went blank.
Feng Ye only gave Yuan Nanyu 30,000 soldiers to guard three cities against Chen Yi's 100,000 troops? !
Yan Sikong suddenly felt a rush of blood and anger in his heart. He felt darkness before his eyes, staggered, and almost fell to the ground.
"Sikong!" She Jun hurriedly supported him, "Are you okay?"
Yan Sikong clenched his teeth, his eyes were red, and his face was full of murderous anger: "Feng Ye, if you force me to go back, he will use my brother to take me away. How dare he use my Yu'er to take me away!"