Shangguan Bing'er was naturally accustomed to the affairs of the mansion, but the problem now was that what was at stake wasn't her husband's favor, but the alliance between nations and the survival of her motherland. "Linglong, you are the only person I can trust in Beimo. I beg you to help me get some information. At least tell me honestly what happened."
Seeing Shangguan Bing'er's pleading expression, Linglong didn't have the chance to refuse: "Miss, please eat first. As long as you take care of yourself, Linglong is willing to do anything. Linglong promises you that she will do her best to get the news, and will never lie to you no matter the outcome."
"……Thank you."
Linglong couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Miss, Linglong will help you with whatever you want to do right away. So, can you eat something now?"
"Um."
...Hu Du and his colleagues, who had lost the royal seal, kept the matter secret. After reuniting with the Northern Desert cavalry, they worried about the matter being exposed. However, something strange happened: Chen Xin and his men acted as if they had never obtained the royal seal. They made no moves, nor did they utter any words that would harm them. Before leaving the capital, Hu Du even secretly visited the Duke of Liang's mansion to check on the situation. Chen Xin seemed to be busy with his daily duties, and no one of interest had come to meet him.
In this way, Hu Du's heart slowly let go. Although not being able to find the royal seal was always a hidden danger, as long as no one else knew about this matter, the royal seal would still be safely in his hands.
The cavalry's marching speed was originally very fast, but because the team was carrying heavy artillery, the journey was still a few days slower than usual.
Driving all the way from Gyeonggi to Qingliang Valley, Hu Du saw the surrounding scenery covered with layer upon layer of emerald green. While stopping to rest, he asked, "How far are we from Qingliang Valley?"
The subordinate looked at the map he had received from Wang Yanzhou, and after observing the surroundings, he estimated, "Your Majesty, it's still three days' journey."
Hu Du said that Xiahou Qing had suddenly launched an attack on Qingliang Valley. If he hadn't lost the royal seal and was worried that slowing down would cause unnecessary trouble, so he dispatched his troops early, then no matter how much Tianshu Tower urged him, he wouldn't have been able to arrive within the agreed time. "Well, pass the order to advance at full speed. The artillery escort can arrive with the artillery a little slower. Ensure the safety of the artillery; otherwise, I will be beheaded."
"yes!"
After Chen Xin and Wei Xian arranged for reliable individuals in the capital to impersonate them and handle their usual duties, they knocked out two young men from the Northern Desert, roughly their own size, from the so-called artillery escort team. Then, disguised as Qiao Zhuang, they slipped in. They'd assumed the escort team's duties wouldn't be too demanding, but in reality, while the mind didn't have to think too much, the physical strain was quite heavy. No wonder they'd knocked out the two seemingly clean-cut Northern Desert men, only to discover, when they stripped them, that their physiques were exceptional. If they hadn't been a bit slow, they probably wouldn't have fallen for it so easily.
Chen Xin wiped the sweat from his forehead and complained to Wei Xian in a low voice: "It's so hot, when can we take a break?"
As soon as the words fell, it was as if the heavens had heard the sincere prayers. Soon the captain of the guard team signaled everyone to rest for a while: "Stop, rest here!"
After a break, the guards sat together, drinking water and chatting. One of them, a burly man from the Northern Desert, spoke to the others in the Northern Desert dialect, which was incomprehensible to most people. In fact, most Northern Desert people spoke in the Northern Desert dialect when they chatted among themselves. However, since Chen Xin took over the business of Liuxiang Tavern, he had traveled a lot and seen the world, so just a few words of the Northern Desert dialect were no problem. Wei Xian had been following him all the time, and as long as the Northern Desert dialect was not too complex and obscure, he could automatically convert it into the official language that he could understand.
"Phew, I'm dying of heat! I finally have a break! I'm carrying so much stuff on the road, I feel like I'm going to fall behind the main group!"
Before the topic could be expanded, the captain of the guards, who usually didn't talk much except to convey instructions, came over as soon as they stopped and headed towards Hudu's tent. "What are you guys talking about?"
The burly man who had just started the conversation repeated succinctly, "We're saying we can't keep up with Khan."
Upon hearing this, the captain of the guard also sat down and said, "The Khan just gave the order that we can slow down a bit. There's no need to rush with the cavalry. We should rest well and just protect the artillery so that they don't fall too far behind."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. These cannons were heavy to begin with, and they couldn't ride their horses as comfortably as everyone else. Now, it seemed that the heaviness on their bodies could be alleviated a lot: "That's really great!"
The captain spoke with a few more people, memorizing the features of several of the guards. Then he stood up and ordered, "Open the boxes and curtains. I'll check them. Once you're sure there's nothing wrong, you can rest."
After carefully checking each item, the captain nodded. It was indeed better to have his own people handle such important matters. After such a long journey, there were no accidents. "...Well, keep an eye on these artillery pieces, otherwise, you will lose your heads."
Chen Xin quickly responded: "Sir, don't worry, even if we fall apart, we won't let the artillery fall apart."
The captain glanced at Chen Xin and Wei Xian beside him. He seemed to have the impression that there were two such people, but it was a little vague: "You two look unfamiliar, are you new here?"
Chen Xin replied, "Your Excellency, we are not new here. We were just transferred here recently."
At this point, the sturdy man couldn't help but think. These two men had indeed come here not long after leaving the capital. Although they looked frail, they worked without losing face for the men of the Northern Desert. "I remember now, you two were responsible for transporting military supplies, right?"
Wei Xian added, "Big brother remembers it very clearly. When we first arrived, we thought you looked familiar, so we kept following you."
After confirming the two men's identities, the captain once again instructed, "Work hard. As long as the artillery reaches Qingliang Valley safely, the Khan will not be stingy with as many cattle and sheep as you want, as long as it's not excessive."
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