Chapter 649 Tonight, One Person Guards the National Gate (5k)
The dawn had just faded and the morning light had not yet risen. The light in the courtyard behind the yamen was dim.
However, it was enough to illuminate Zhao Duan's smiling face.
Long time no see... General Zhao...
Zhao Shixiong was stunned. For a moment, he doubted whether he had woken up yet. How could the other party suddenly appear here without any sign?
But as a martial arts expert, how could he not be able to tell whether he was awake or not?
"General Zhao, won't you invite us in to sit down?" Zhao Duan said jokingly.
Zhao Shixiong finally woke up with a start and said in disbelief:
"Commander, how could you..."
Gongsun beside him said with a smile:
"I was on night patrol when I heard my subordinates report that a Liao people flying boat had been spotted outside the border town. I rushed over, but unexpectedly ran into the governor."
Flying boat?
Zhao Shixiong became more and more confused, but he also knew that standing was not the place to talk, so he hurriedly invited Zhao Duan to go into the hall.
During the process, the other "cloaked men" also revealed their true faces. Seeing that they were the three priests from the Tianshi Mansion, the "Southwest Skinny Tiger" became even more surprised, but his behavior became much more respectful.
As for Tuoba Weizhi... he had never seen her before and couldn't tell her identity, but his instinct as a strong man reminded him that this mysterious girl with long hair was extremely dangerous.
"I'm sorry for coming here. I didn't have time to inform you in advance," Zhao Duan said with a smile as he sat down in the hall.
"The last time we met, we were in Jingchuan. So much has happened in the blink of an eye. First of all, congratulations, General, on pacifying Yunfu."
Zhao Shixiong did not dare to be arrogant. This general, whose reputation in the border army was at its peak, shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"You're joking, Commander-in-Chief. I'm only trying to atone for my sins. How can my achievements compare to yours? If I'm going to congratulate you, it should be you."
These words are sincere.
The tone is even more sincere and genuine.
He was completely different from when he first met Zhao Duan.
The two met for the first time in Yongjia. At that time, Zhao Shixiong was in high spirits and looked down upon Zhao Duan as a villain.
The second time in Taicang Prefecture, Zhao Duan traveled thousands of miles to transport Zhao Qianjin and used a strategy of sowing discord to make Zhao Shixiong truly look at him.
But at that time, I was mostly just wary. How about admiration?
Nothing.
If we really want to say that his attitude changed, it was after Zhao Duan successfully assassinated Xu Jingtang.
This action really impressed the famous general.
But at that time, he was still not completely convinced. He just acknowledged Zhao Duan's skills and courage, that's all.
But afterwards, the news that came one after another made Zhao Shixiong refresh his view of this "fellow clan member" again and again.
Especially when they heard that Zhao Duan angrily broke into the Golden Palace and firmly advocated war, they imprisoned the delegation.
After signing a military order with his life.
Zhao Shixiong, who was far away in Yunfu, made an exception and held a night banquet for his subordinates and brothers in the army. At the banquet, he raised his wine bowl in public and toasted to the capital, publicly expressing his recognition and admiration for "Governor Zhao" for the first time.
But when the news came that Zhao Duan carried the coffin and fought, first took down the lake pavilion, and then killed Prince Jing, this admiration turned into astonishment and admiration.
Zhao Shixiong asked himself, he couldn't do such a feat.
From that time on, the border general truly admired the empress's lover, who was several decades younger than him.
These changes in mood are reflected in the respectful words and attitude when they meet again.
"What a pity, with a powerful enemy at the door and the alien race still determined to destroy us, how can we say the word 'happy'?" Zhao Duan sighed.
Zhao Shixiong and his wife were silent, and Gongsun took the initiative to speak:
"My husband sent a message to the capital a few days ago, using a flying eagle, reporting the Liao people's dispatch of troops."
Zhao Duan nodded and said:
"Your Majesty is aware of this matter, but His Majesty must now focus on dealing with the chaos in Xiping. Not long ago, he personally led the Western Expedition. I am here to help the General stabilize the situation. The relevant military documents will be delivered later."
His Majesty is on a western expedition? The couple was shocked.
They are far away in Yunfu and have not received the news yet.
Zhao Duan didn't give them time to think, and asked with narrowed eyes:
"I have just arrived at the border town and am not familiar with the situation. General, could you explain it to me?"
“…Okay.” Zhao Shixiong came back to his senses, swallowed the words asking how Zhao Duan arrived so quickly, and began to report the current situation.
Most of the information was the same as what Zhao Duan already knew, except that there were many more details.
Upon hearing that Zhao Shixiong planned to confront the Liao people army in the border town and curb their plan to move north, Zhao Duan nodded slightly in approval.
"Oh, there's one more important thing," Zhao Shixiong said.
"I just received news from our scouts last night that a fierce battle broke out in the core of the Liao people's tribe in Xinjiang. It's also said that the Liao people are searching for the 'thieves' who infiltrated the area, but I haven't yet learned the details."
He said worriedly:
"I'm worried that this unexpected change may affect the entire situation."
Zhao Duan said "Oh" and said lightly:
"It is true. This was done by me and several of the Heavenly Master's disciples. As for the fight, it was caused by Heavenly Master Zhang fighting against the evil god Laba."
The tone was light, as if she was talking about a trivial matter, but to the ears of the couple, it was like thunder.
The shocked couple's pupils narrowed and they were dumbfounded.
Zhao Duan pointed at Tuoba Weizhi again:
"This is the high priestess of La Garden. Don't be nervous. She has recognized me as her master."
The couple was shocked again. As the commander-in-chief of the border army, how could they not have heard of the existence of the high priest in Layuan?
Just never seen it.
Zhao Duan said again:
"This officer and his party returned from Dajiang. On the way, we eliminated some stragglers of the Liao people and captured a flying boat, which is why we were able to arrive early."
Well...the news has finally become "smaller".
The couple finally let go of their worries. They looked at each other and could see each other's uneasy mood.
"Gambling Saint" Han Zhao looked at this scene in amazement, with a smile on his face:
Hehe, finally I am not the only one who lost my composure. The border general, the half-step celestial being, his expression of surprise is not much more surprised than mine... Han Zhao felt very satisfied, as if he was the one who pretended to be so... I don't know what was going on in his mind.
“Too… to have such a thing…”
Zhao Shixiong was surprised and delighted. He looked around at the three priests with a hint of excitement.
"Has the Tianshi Mansion chosen to join the war? I wonder where the Tianshi is?"
This is undoubtedly great news.
The addition of high-end combat power is enough to turn the outcome of a war.
Yuxiu coughed, her brows calm, and her tone slightly arrogant:
"Master is fighting with Da Laba, please cover us and let us escape."
Zhao Shixiong nodded, glanced at Tuoba Weizhi, who had an expressionless face, and said tentatively:
"Commander-in-Chief, may I ask the purpose of this action?"
He wasn't sure if this was the right question to ask.
Of course, Zhao Duan would not tell him that he was looking for the key and heading to Mubei Forest. However, he had already thought of an excuse. Upon hearing this, his eyes were deep and he suddenly said:
"General Zhao, do you know why the Liao people suddenly launched an attack?"
Zhao Shixiong was startled, shook his head hesitantly, and said bitterly:
"This is exactly what confuses me. The Liao people and the Yu Kingdom haven't fought a war in a long time. If they have any intentions of moving north, there has been no movement before. The only thing I can think of is that they are taking advantage of the invasion by the Western Regions people to gain benefits, or even reaching some kind of agreement with them."
Zhao Duan shook his head and said:
"That's a good idea, but unfortunately, the truth is more complicated than that."
He paused for a moment, waiting for the couple to gaze at him intently with bated breath, before Zhao Duan unhurriedly launched another thunderclap:
"If I say that the Liao people, under the instructions of Xu Jianwen, want to seize the opportunity to seize the throne, what do you think, General Zhao?"
Xu Jianwen? !
Second Prince Jianwen?
The news of Xu Jianwen's resurrection remained a secret, known only to a few. Zhao Shixiong, who was in Yunfu, had never heard of this information.
Therefore, how can one not be shocked when hearing this suddenly?
In fact, the shock this time brought to the couple was even stronger than the previous pieces of news combined.
Zhao Duan took his time and recounted how he encountered Jian Wen at Huting and how he fought with him.
He briefly recounted how he risked his life to sneak into Xinjiang in order to find out the truth behind the Liao people's uprising and how he finally got the truth.
Of course, he omitted sensitive details, neither explaining how Jianwen and Song Zhi could drive the Liao people nor mentioning the legacy of the Qi Kingdom.
Anyway, with Zhao Shixiong's intelligence, he would understand that there are some things he shouldn't ask.
The room fell into deathly silence for a moment.
Zhao Shixiong and his wife Gongsun breathed heavily, trying their best to digest this shocking news.
After a while, the commander of the border army regained his sharp eyes and looked at Zhao Duan who was leisurely drinking tea:
"Commander-in-Chief, what are your plans?"
Zhao Duan smiled.
It's that simple to talk to smart people.
He didn't keep the secret any longer and said directly:
"My purpose in coming here this time is to help you resist the Liao people, but more importantly, to capture Xu Jianwen!"
Yes!
This is the real reason why he chose to come to the border town.
Reuniting with Zhang Yanyi was just one of the reasons. Otherwise, he could just hide in Yunfu. With Zhang Yanyi's skills, he would always be able to find him as long as he escaped.
But Zhao Duan has greater ambitions. Since he has already arrived in Yunfu, he needs to wait here for a while, so why not kill Xu Jianwen who escaped?
He had a hunch that if he continued to let Xu Jianwen live, he and Zhenbao would never be able to calm down. They would always have to be on guard against the knife behind them and would not be able to focus on dealing with Xuan Yin and the Dharma King.
Only by getting rid of Xu Jianwen can we solve the problem once and for all and force the Liao people to withdraw.
“The key to solving a problem is to find the key problem.”
Zhao Duan inexplicably recalled the "nonsense literature" he learned in the office in his previous life.
When he was young, he also complained about his leaders repeating the same old things in meetings, but later he felt that at least this nonsense was not really "nonsense".
Is the key to the Liao people's northward march to be how to defeat the Liao people army? No!
The key is to get rid of Xu Jianwen!
Without Xu Jianwen, Song Zhi would have lost the motivation to march north... Well, unless Song Zhi went crazy and wanted to avenge his lord... In order to eliminate this possibility, the best outcome was to capture him alive.
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"From what I know, Xu Jianwen will lead his troops to the border town in just over a day. I will implement the 'decapitation' plan on the battlefield. Until then, you need to conceal the news of my arrival and cooperate with me."
The couple were overwhelmed with emotion and wanted to remind the Liao people that there were many experts, but when they saw the three priests and remembered Zhao Duan's record of killing Prince Jing, they closed their mouths again, with only excitement in their eyes.
"The governor has given an order, and no one dares to disobey!"
…
…
The two sides discussed the details again, and then Zhao Shixiong and Gongsun left excitedly. Their spirits were obviously much boosted compared to before.
Zhao Duan and his group were secretly arranged to temporarily live in the back court.
"Do you really want to capture Xu Jianwen on the battlefield?"
In the courtyard of the back court.
Yuxiu couldn't help but speak, she frowned and said:
"I want to remind you that although the Liao people's masters are far inferior to those of the Yu Kingdom, they should not be underestimated."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Among us alone, there are five people in the World Realm. Add Zhao Shixiong, who is half a step away from becoming a celestial being, and the masters in the border army. Do you think there is no hope?"
"This..." Yuxiu glanced at Tuoba Weizhi, who looked like a cold-faced killer, without saying a word.
The main priestess left such a deep and terrifying impression on her, and Xu Jianwen never thought that Tuoba Weizhi would join her side.
This is the killer feature.
"Okay, didn't you see that Jin Jian was almost asleep? You guys also traveled all the way here, so go and take a rest. Don't you want to take a shower?" Zhao Duan said with a smile.
Take a bath... The three women in the team immediately showed their desire.
Even the confused Jin Jian was no exception.
After the three of them left, the "Gambling Saint" Han Zhao curled his lips and walked over. He leaned against the beads in the corridor and said:
"Brother Zhao, did you send them away? Do you want to talk to me alone?"
Very smart... Zhao Duan looked at him in surprise.
Han Zhao folded his arms in a cocky manner, raised his chin, and said proudly:
"As a gambling saint, observing the expressions and understanding the thoughts of your opponents at the gambling table is your real skill."
Zhao Duan smiled and did not deny it. He asked:
"Brother Han, your major is destiny, and your minor is the god, is it Feng Bo?"
Han Zhao was surprised and asked, "How did you figure that out?"
Nonsense, your wind control technique never stopped when you were killing people... Zhao Duan couldn't help but recall the time when he had just traveled through time and captured the spy from Prince Jing's Mansion. He and Jin Jian had dealt with a "renegade priest" on the streets of the capital. The other party's major was [Wind Master].
"Haha, I just saw a wind sorcerer once."
Zhao Duan asked as if chatting:
"I remember that the Wind Warlock has a spell called 'Hyacinth' that can convey messages through the wind?"
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
…
…
The atmosphere in the border town had changed, which was clearly noticed by many officers in the Southwestern Border Army.
Originally, the "signal" that Zhao Shixiong conveyed to the generals in the army was that they must defend the border town to the death and not retreat a single step.
In other words, even after clearly understanding the huge disparity in strength between the two sides, they still chose to fight to the death.
Despite Zhao Shixiong's immense prestige, no one in the border army said anything about it. However, the heavy and depressing atmosphere ultimately made everyone lack confidence and hope in defeating the Liao people.
But for some reason, after one night, General Zhao changed his previous tragic tone of fighting to the death and began to spread the word that the Liao people were in chaos in their rear and the situation had changed...
To sum it up, the Liao people are no match for the Yu State, and they are bound to win, with the word "win" almost welded on their faces.
The generals in the city explained this change as being caused by the intelligence that arrived last night about "chaos in the rear of Dajiang."
In short, whether you believe it or not, under Zhao Shixiong's example, the depressing atmosphere in the city has indeed been reversed, and there is even a hint of excitement.
And when the day passes, the sun sets and night falls.
The soldiers responsible for guarding the city walls have been replaced by Zhao Shixiong's most trusted personal guards.
"Who?"
On the city wall, as the last ray of sunlight in the sky gradually faded, an officer noticed two cloaked figures walking up to the top of the city wall, one in front and one behind.
However, the cloaked man did not slow down at all and continued to move straight up.
"Stop! Someone, take off your cloak! If you refuse to obey, you will be arrested as a spy!" The officer gripped the hilt of the knife and shouted loudly.
The personal soldiers guarding the city all drew their swords, as if they would join forces to suppress this man if he didn't cooperate.
In a wartime state, everyone's nerves are on edge.
Finally, the cloaked man stopped, stretched out a pair of well-proportioned hands, gently lifted the cloak, revealing his face. He smiled, and casually took out a waist badge given by Zhao Shixiong and gently threw it over:
"I want to sit on the top of the city wall for a while, please don't disturb me."
The officer subconsciously grabbed the badge with one hand, but didn't even look at it. He just stared at the face under the cloak with his eyes wide open, as if he had become a stone sculpture.
Almost subconsciously, he put his legs together, bowed respectfully, and said in a trembling voice:
“Yes…yes, sir!”
The cloaked man nodded and walked forward with satisfaction.
After the others left, the guards around them looked at the officer blankly:
"Boss, who is this man? Why do you have to be so respectful to him?"
You know, the officer is the adjutant of his own general's personal guard camp.
In this huge border town, who could make him lose his composure like this?
At this moment, as the officer straightened up and raised his head, everyone was shocked again, because the adjutant's face was flushed with excitement, and his eyes were no longer solemn as if he was about to face the enemy.
"Don't be disrespectful to this gentleman!"
The adjutant scolded, but wisely did not reveal Zhao Duan's identity.
How could he say:
When I was in Yongjia City and Jingchuan Town, I had the honor to see the face of the emperor's husband, Governor Zhao, up close?
…
On the city wall.
Night fell, the night wind was slightly chilly, and the surrounding garrisons withdrew.
Zhao Duan lifted his cloak and sat quietly on the top of the city wall. He took out a jar of osmanthus wine as if by magic, looked at the dark land in the south, and drank it quietly.
It’s as if... one person is guarding the city behind him, the... State of Yu behind him.
When the old supervisor died, he was so happy that he thought the civil war in Yu State was over. By the way, he didn't know that Xu Jianwen was still alive until his death... Zhao Duan thought silently.
Beside him, Tuoba Weizhi stood silently, like an emotionless killer.
After a long time, the priestess with dark skin and long hair suddenly said:
"Master, are you still worried about me? Don't you trust me?"
Zhao Duan drank without looking back. His figure was like a silhouette in the night. Behind him were clusters of lights in the border town.
He whispered, "No."
Tuoba Weizhi pursed his lips, his dark eyes looking up at the figure sitting casually on the top of the city wall, and suddenly said seriously:
"I'll try to prove myself tomorrow."
"kindness."
That night, no one in the entire border town slept.
On the next morning, when the dawn light tore through the darkness and the sky and the earth were bright, the sound of war drums woke up the officers, soldiers and civilians in the city.
Zhao Duan, who had been meditating on the top of the city wall all night, also opened his eyes.
In the distance, on the horizon, the black army of獠人 surged like a tide.
"Zhenbao, as the saying goes, the emperor guards the country's gates, and as a husband, I cannot be left behind. I will reluctantly take the position of guarding the South Gate."
"I have arrived outside the South Gate. Today we will fight with all our might."
(End of this chapter)
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