Chapter 244 Tokens
In the early March of the twenty-fourth year of the Xuanhuang era of the Great Yu Dynasty, in the northern region, the chill of the harsh winter had not yet dissipated. Although the biting wind was no longer as piercing as a knife, it still carried a chilling edge.
Mu Xi, with two thousand East Sea cavalry borrowed from Princess Qingyang, secretly infiltrated the northern border.
The northern border was scorched black by war, filled with smoke and blood.
Therefore, it can be inferred that the former Han Navy troops of the Han Dynasty would not fare well in the northern border region either.
Before setting off, Mu Xi borrowed troops from Princess Li Li of Qingyang, but she did not reveal to her at all that she would use these troops to search for "remnants of the previous dynasty".
On the other hand, since the troops were borrowed, she naturally had to pay for their upkeep herself. Therefore, she had no choice but to part ways with Qi Yingyu, heading north and south respectively, focusing on searching for Han Haijun in hopes of finding out Mu Xun's whereabouts.
As for Qi Yingyu, Mu Xi had previously written a letter and stamped it, and also sent someone back to Moyang. They were unable to find out any news about Shen Lun and Mu Xun, but they managed to safely bring out Qi Yingyu's beloved daughter and take her to the southern border.
Qi Yingyu's return to Xiangnan this time can both reunite her with her daughter and raise funds for Mu Xi in preparation for subsequent actions.
However, until three days ago, when Mu Xi accidentally stumbled upon Liu Yang's remaining troops and was terrified, she still couldn't find the whereabouts of the Han Hai Army.
Although the Northern Regions seem far from the center of Moyang, they have inevitably been drawn into the war ever since Xuanyoujun Muzong was declared a "traitor" by King Yu Muji. First, King Yu sent troops to suppress them, then pirates on the northern border took advantage of the situation to cause trouble, and finally, the Hanhai Army, which had been entrenched for many years, suddenly rose up, making it a three-pronged attack.
Xuan Youjun Mu Zong and Crown Prince Mu Sheng were overwhelmed and unable to keep up with the situation, so General Ying Yang at the front line had to retreat slightly to provide support.
It was this retreat that almost allowed Mu Xi and his East Sea cavalry to run into them head-on. Fortunately, they didn't encounter them directly, otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.
When it comes to battlefield combat, Mu Xi asked herself honestly, even with only two thousand soldiers at her disposal, it might not be enough, let alone with the addition of her inner Void Strategist personality.
This made the weight on her heart grow heavier day by day. The longer she stayed deep in enemy territory, the more dangerous it became, not to mention the double pressure of military spending and exposure.
"Young Master, this place is even more unbearable in spring than in winter, it's cold and damp, are you alright?" Liang Shuo's voice came from behind.
Mu Xi pretended to be fine regardless of whether it was true or not, and didn't respond. Instead, she asked, "Is there still no news about Peng Hai? Will we be able to contact Han Hai Army? If we continue like this, won't we be walking into the lion's den?"
Liang Shuo pondered for a moment before replying, "I've been following them all this way, and judging from the battlefield traces we've been tracking, we are indeed closer. Your Highness, rest assured, I believe Peng Hai will soon be able to contact General Tu Feng of the Han Hai Army. After all, if the Han Hai Army were so easy to find, they wouldn't have been able to operate in this place where the Northern Region meets the East China Sea for over twenty years."
That's true, but Mu Xi just couldn't suppress her anxiety.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Liang Shuo and Peng Hai. After all, she had always treated them with courtesy and respect over the past two years, and she had never treated them poorly. Moreover, she had observed that since they had followed her, they seemed to have never had any contact with Marquis Shen Lun of Yongguo.
Donghai also has Zhuming Pavilion, but when asked directly several times, Liang Shuo and Peng Hai both admitted that they knew nothing about Mu Xun's whereabouts and expressed their concern for Mu Xun, which also revealed the deep personal friendship between the two of them and Mu Xun.
Mu Xi concluded that these two people had probably never entered Shen Lun's core territory, and were indeed sent to protect her, and further, to serve as liaisons.
After setting off, Mu Xi suggested contacting the Han Hai Army to find Mu Xun's whereabouts, and the two immediately agreed.
"How much do you know about that General Tu?" Mu Xi's gaze fell on a few wisps of smoke on the horizon, blown askew by the cold wind.
Normally, Mu Xi never mentioned Shen Lun, but only inquired about Mu Xun's whereabouts.
Anyone with a brain would know that Mu Xi and Shen Lun's relationship was probably strained because of Mu Xun's affair.
Liang Shuo and Peng Hai never asked questions, pretending not to know, and simply obeyed orders.
After thinking for a moment, Liang Shuo replied, "We two have been staying at Zhuming Pavilion in the Southern Territory and are not very familiar with the situation in the Northern Territory. We only heard from my late father that General Tu Feng is a first-rate loyal and righteous man."
"That's good." This wasn't the first time Mu Xi had asked this question. Asking it again was just to comfort herself. Otherwise, if she couldn't contact anyone again and ran into that bastard Liu Yang again, it would be troublesome.
Currently, most of the troops borrowed by Princess Qingyang are camped and resting in a secluded place. Mu Xi only brought Liang Shuo, Doctor Luo, Bao Fan, and a dozen of her most agile guards, disguised as a struggling caravan of refugees, and followed ahead.
As they gradually approached a valley, Mu Xi hesitated to proceed.
Even someone who hasn't studied military strategy knows how dangerous this terrain is, let alone the fact that Mu Xi had previously encountered two ambushes in similar terrain.
Just as he was hesitating, Peng Hai led his men back on horseback in the valley ahead. Upon seeing Mu Xi in the distance, he dismounted and came forward to report: "Your Highness, the vanguard camp of the Hanhai Army is just ahead. I was about to rush back to report, but I didn't expect Your Highness to arrive so quickly."
"Are you sure?" Mu Xi glanced a few more times in the direction of the empty valley.
Peng Hai stood up, whistled behind him, and then made some kind of hand gesture.
Before long, another troop of cavalrymen in blue armor emerged swiftly from the valley, with the lead rider raising a blue banner with the character "Han" (瀚) on a fiery red border.
Having come this far, Mu Xi could not help but believe it.
She too had come in disguise, and had no choice but to risk following them into the valley to give it a try.
The group followed Peng Hai into the valley, and after passing through a narrow pass, the view suddenly opened up.
A small camp built against the mountain came into view. The wooden fence was rough and the tents were scattered, but the camp layout was strict and the sentry posts were in tricky positions, exuding a sense of solemnity that had been tempered by war.
In the center of the camp, a flag, washed white yet still stubbornly fluttering, is embroidered with the emblem of the Hanhai Army—a resilient reef standing amidst surging waves.
"Halt! State your name!" came the deep shout from the sentry behind the fence, the sound of a taut bowstring clearly audible.
Mu Xi gestured for everyone to stop.
The cavalry commander who had led the group earlier stepped forward and said a few words, and the sentry let them pass.
Not far into the distance, another checkpoint appeared.
At this moment, Peng Hai turned around and signaled to Mu Xi and her party that it was time to dismount.
Mu Xi dismounted as instructed, removed her hood, revealing a face that was slightly pale in the cold wind but still bright and beautiful. Just as she was about to walk forward, Peng Hai whispered, "Young Master, General Tu Feng is not one to easily meet people. He said that since we are old friends, there must be a token."
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