Chapter 1050 Nightmare Returns
Shen Tu Tai shook his head and said, "No, we received news from Xia Prefecture before we set off."
"oh?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye's eyes lit up. He placed one hand on the table, leaned forward slightly, and asked anxiously, "How is the situation over there?"
Shen Tu Tai said, "I received news when I set off that the crisis in Xia Prefecture has been resolved."
A look of joy flashed across Yuwen Ye's face, and even Mu Xian, who was standing to the side, showed a delighted expression, eagerly asking, "Then, where is the Princess Consort?"
Shen Tu Tai turned to look at him, his expression somewhat grave.
The initial joy and ease gradually faded after seeing Shen Tu Tai's strange expression and the unusual quietness of Shan Tong'er and Nie Chong. A sense of unease welled up in his heart, and Yuwen Ye slowly frowned, saying, "What is it? Is there something else?"
Shen Tu Tai hesitated for a moment before saying, "The information I received is that Zhu Xie Khan of the Western Turks led his troops south to take Xia Prefecture, besieging it for more than a month. But just a few days ago, the crisis in Xia Prefecture was lifted."
Yuwen Ye immediately sensed something was wrong.
He hadn't actually fought Ashina Zhuxie, but he had witnessed the man's methods. His desire to take Xia Prefecture was clearly a long-term strategy. Leading his troops south showed how much importance he placed on this battle. Under such circumstances, the poorly defended Xia Prefecture should have been his for the taking.
But now, the crisis in Xia Prefecture has actually been resolved...
Yuwen Ye asked, "What happened in Xia Prefecture? Or has something happened to Ashina Zhuxie?"
Shen Tu Tai said, "I heard that Ashina Zhuxie led his army to the vicinity of Xia Prefecture, but did not participate in the battle. Instead, he left inexplicably. After Xia Prefecture was defeated, his troops never appeared again."
"..."
Yuwen Ye's gaze grew even more somber.
Ashina Zhuxie led his troops south, but did not participate in the battle of Xia Prefecture. There is only one possibility: someone or something else attracted his attention and made him abandon Xia Prefecture.
As for what other people or other things...
Thinking about this, he already had a vague answer in his heart, and the solemn looks in Shen Tu Tai and the others seemed to indicate that everyone had thought of a certain possibility, but no one dared to easily speak out this most likely fact.
Yuwen Ye remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Is there any news of the Princess Consort?"
Before Shen Tu Tai could speak, Shan Tong'er, who was following behind him, immediately said, "No, we sent many people to Xia Prefecture and the surrounding area, but we couldn't find any trace of Sister Ruyi—the Princess. We don't know where she went."
He paused, then said worriedly, "Your Highness, let's send someone to look for the Princess again."
Shen Tu Tai said in a soft voice, "Ninth Brother!"
Shan Tong looked up at him and saw Shen Tu Tai frowning at him. He could only pout and take a step back cautiously.
These words shouldn't have been spoken by a child, especially since this is in the military. Sending troops out is different from usual, and a slight mistake could have a huge impact, possibly even affecting the course of the war.
Yuwen Ye glanced at Shan Tong'er, said nothing, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Military Advisor Shen is not only staying at Mengjin Pass, but if there is no further news, he is preparing to go to Xia Prefecture, right?"
"..."
Shen Tu Tai was slightly taken aback, not expecting Yuwen Ye to have figured out Shen Wuzheng's thoughts so quickly. He could only whisper, "Yes."
A silence fell over the large tent.
Mu Xian had expected Yuwen Ye to be worried or angry, and his palms, hanging at his sides, were covered in cold sweat. But after some time, he suddenly heard the rustling sound of clothes and armor being rubbed. When he looked up, he saw that Yuwen Ye had stood up from his seat, walked around the table and went straight to the entrance of the tent, and asked, "Are you tired from your journey?"
Not knowing why he suddenly brought this up, Shen Tu Tai and the others were taken aback, but they all immediately said, "We're not tired."
For these people, ordinary travel was hardly a challenge, especially since this march was lightly equipped. They all traveled with great ease and still had plenty of energy saved up for their mission.
Yuwen Ye said, "Alright, come with me to explore Hulao Pass."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment, especially Mu Xian. He almost instinctively turned around and followed Yuwen Ye out, but his heart was pounding – was Yuwen Ye going to explore Hulao Pass again? He immediately recalled the extremely dangerous scene that had occurred three days ago when they had just arrived here, after Yuwen Ye had looked at the location of Hulao Pass in the distance, and then suddenly spurred his horse and charged over.
Here we go again today?
He followed Yuwen Ye anxiously, followed by Shen Tu Tai and the others. When they reached the camp gate, their horses were already being brought out. As everyone prepared to mount, Shen Tu Tai not only instructed Shan Tong'er and Nie Chong to accompany them, but also cautiously sent several highly skilled personal guards along. Seeing that everyone in the group was strong and capable, and possessed unique skills, Mu Xian felt a little more at ease.
Moreover, Yuwen Ye had personally promised him that he would not take the same risks again.
With that thought, he finally felt relieved and mounted his horse along with the others.
They left the military camp and quickly rode to the earthen slope where Yuwen Ye had led them to explore Hulao Pass three days earlier. As they rode up the slope, just like three days before, the setting sun shone down, making the surging Yellow River appear like a long dragon burning with flames, and the steep and majestic pass next to the Yellow River looked like a fortress surrounded by a fire dragon, mysterious and dangerous.
Seeing this scene, even though they hadn't figured out the strength of the troops inside, or even engaged in combat, everyone felt a sense of danger.
Shen Tu Tai said in a deep voice, "Heroes have fought for Hulao Pass since ancient times. This place is obviously not simple."
Yuwen Ye said, "Now, most of the eight passes of Luoyang have fallen into our hands. Liang Shide also knows that if he cannot hold Hulao Pass, Luoyang will have no more external support. Therefore, he has gathered another 100,000 troops from the surrounding area and entrusted them to Shan Shiyu to guard this place. Now, there are no less than 150,000 troops here."
Upon hearing this, Nie Chong couldn't help but frown.
There were 150,000 people at Hulao Pass, but they only...
Even a warrior as skilled as Shen Tu Tai had a shadow of gloom in his eyes at this moment.
Just then, Yuwen Ye said, "But it's no use just talking about what kind of troops those 150,000 are; we need to go and find out."
Want to explore?
Upon hearing this, Mu Xian's heart skipped a beat.
They are right now—
Just as an ominous premonition flashed through his mind, he heard the familiar sound of wind again. As if a nightmare were repeating itself, Yuwen Ye spurred his horse and charged out, just like three days ago.
Mu Xian let out a piercing scream: "Ah!"
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