The army set out quickly and soon disappeared into the vast snowfield. Soon, the hooves of other horse teams covered the chaotic snowfield. This night was not a night for a good sleep after all. When Huo An saw Zhuge Yue, it was already early morning. In the Mingxi Valley, the original 300 men were now less than 200, but they still maintained a high level of vigilance and combat effectiveness. The entrance to the Mingxi Valley is narrow, easy to defend but difficult to attack. There are abundant wild game in the valley, so there is no need to worry about food and fodder. As long as they can hold out for three days, Zhao Che will definitely notice that the number of Yanbei troops under Yanming Pass has decreased. At that time, he will take the opportunity to start a war, and Yan Xun will have to return to support. At that time, Zhuge Yue will have a good opportunity to escape.
With just a glance, Huo An understood the brilliance of Yan Xun's plan. With such terrain and troop strength, even if they attacked by force, it would still cost a huge price.
"General Zhuge, I am Huo An, a subordinate of Lord Chu and the commander of the Xiu Li Army. I have something important to tell you."
Zhuge Yue was dressed neatly, still with that shrewd and indifferent look, and even when he was on the run, he did not panic at all. He glanced at Huo An calmly and said slowly: "If I remember correctly, the leader of the Xiu Li Army should be He Xiao."
"Lord He Xiao has died in battle, and now I will take over his position." Huo An said in a deep voice with a calm look and unchanged expression.
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not ask any further questions. Instead, he looked at him calmly with his eyes, the sharp edge within him piercing him like a knife. Huo An calmed down and said calmly: "My mistress said that the general's whereabouts have been exposed. No matter what you want, please leave immediately. She has arranged a secret passage for you in Helan Mountain. If you trust her, you can take the Bian Tang route and escape from Yanbei. If you have other ways out, please leave as soon as possible, because His Majesty has sent a large army to surround you. If you don't leave now, I'm afraid you will have no chance."
"What happened to your master? Why did Commander He Xiao die in battle?"
Huo An's expression changed slightly, and he thought for a while before saying, "My master only told me to say what I just said. As for the rest, I'm sorry I can't tell you."
After saying this, he turned around and tried to leave. Zhuge Yue said, “Stop.”
Huo An did not stop. With a sharp buzzing sound, a young warrior drew out his sword and put it on his neck with great force. He said coldly, "Didn't you hear my young master calling you?"
Huo An turned his head and saw a young man of about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a cold look in his eyes that was unique to a swordsman.
"Yuejiu, don't mess around."
Zhuge Yue said in a deep voice. The young swordsman lowered his head and stepped back. Huo An turned his head to look at Zhuge Yue's calm eyes and said slowly, "General, there is a traitor among my subordinates. He harmed you and me. His Majesty wanted me to kill you, but you refused and sent soldiers to intercept the troops sent by His Majesty to kill you. You have already fallen out with the army. Now, I am too embarrassed to go back to see you and beg for your forgiveness. I only hope that the general can listen to my master and leave quickly, otherwise the nine thousand soldiers of our Southwest Town Government will have died in vain, and my master will have died in vain as well."
After saying that, Huo An drew out his sword and slashed it towards his neck. Zhuge Yue was quick to block it with his sword, but it was too late. A bloody mark was seen across the man’s neck, and blood was flowing.
Meng Feng immediately squatted down, then raised his head and said, "Don't worry, you won't die."
Zhuge Yue's face was gloomy, and he stared at the empty snowfield for a long time without saying a word. His men all looked at him, and one of them said, "General, you can't trust everything this man says."
Zhuge Yue nodded and said, “Explore.”
"yes!"
At dawn, a scout came running back and said in a deep voice, "General, we have found out that some civilians saw Lord Chu's army rushing to Yuegong City. They were very fast and just passed by an hour ago. I carefully checked the horses' hooves and they were very panicked. The hoof prints were very messy, but we have not received any warrants for Lord Chu's arrest in Yanbei yet."
Zhuge Yue nodded, but said nothing, his brain working at high speed.
After a while, another scout came back and said, "General, we have found out that the Black Hawk Army is led by Cheng Yuan. They are divided into five groups and are all following Miss Chu to capture her. There are probably more than 100,000 people."
"Master, all the counties along the way of Yuegong have sent out additional troops and set up roadblocks. The militia are conducting inspections everywhere, and Yuegong City has also frequently dispatched troops. The situation is not good."
"General, Yan Xun has also gone to Yuegong."
The wind was blowing hard, and the sky and the earth were bleak. Zhuge Yue, wearing a grey fox fur coat, stood tall. He suddenly walked to the front of the warhorse and said in a low but powerful voice: "Go to Yue Gong."
“General!” Meng Feng grabbed Zhuge Yue’s horse reins, stopped him, and said in a deep voice, “You can’t go.”
Zhuge Yue raised his eyes calmly, but did not speak. Meng Feng knew the meaning of his look too well, and he said in a serious voice, "There are many doubts about this matter. Besides, even if it is true, we should not act rashly with our current strength."
“Yes, General.” Zhuge Yue’s deputy general was named Chen Ru, who used to be a slave who fed horses. He was extremely talented and was freed from slavery by him and promoted to deputy commander of the army.
Chen Ru said in a deep voice, "I also think this matter is very strange. If it is a secret operation, why can we get the information so easily? And the timing is so perfect?"
Yue Jiu frowned, "Master, I also think something is suspicious."
"General, this is too much of a coincidence. If it is true, how did Huo An find us? If he could find us, does that mean Chu Qiao has been following us? We must be on guard against others. I also think that the best policy is to evacuate immediately according to the original plan."
“You are all right.” Zhuge Yue nodded and spoke slowly. Everyone immediately smiled happily, thinking that he had finally listened to him. But soon, Zhuge Yue frowned and looked at them seriously, saying in a deep voice, “But if what he said is true, then what should we do?”
Everyone was stunned. Yes, if it was true, then looking at Yan Xun's attitude, wouldn't Chu Qiao be dead for sure? What should we do if this really happens?
Zhuge Yue did not wait for their response, but jumped onto the horse. Everyone was startled and rushed forward to stop him. Meng Feng advised earnestly: "General, I think this matter is most likely false, Yan Xun deliberately lured you into the trap..."
"Nine out of ten are false, but what about the other one or two out of ten?"
Meng Feng was stunned.
"Is it worth risking your life just for this one or two percent?"
Zhuge Yue did not answer, but just shook his head quietly and said softly: "I still can't be completely sure..."
He did not continue talking, nor did he say that he was not completely sure of anything. The man's expression suddenly became a little vague. He quietly raised his head and looked at the heavy snow flying in the distance. Suddenly, he raised the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Besides, it is not that easy for Yan Xun to want my life, Zhuge Yue."
“Yuejiu,” Zhuge Yue’s eyes were cold, with a hint of desperate ruthlessness flashing across them, “Inform Master Yue that the stakes we planted in Yanbei can be used.”
nail? A trace of confusion flashed across Yue Jiu's eyes, but in an instant, he suddenly perked up, responded, and mounted the horse neatly.
The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away. Zhuge Yue sat on the horse's back, narrowing his eyes slightly. His gaze was calm, but there was an undercurrent slowly flowing through it. He considered everything and imagined the worst outcome. Suddenly, he seemed to see someone waving at him from afar on the vast snowy field.
If all this is true, isn't there a glimmer of hope? For her own sake, she was willing to turn against Yan Xun. Does this prove that he does have a place in her heart?
Zhuge Yue thought darkly, then shook his head silently and laughed. His weak spot was pressed by someone again.
The horses' hooves were flying as they galloped towards Yuegong City in the distance. The sun rose but was obscured by dark clouds, and the sky and the earth were dark. Yuegong, a major grain-producing city in northern Yan, ushered in another bustling event in its history today.
On this day, the entire Yanbei was shrouded in wind and snow. The strong wind was like a madman, swirling across the plains and roaring wildly. The snow was more than three feet thick, and it felt like tiny stones hitting the face, causing pain. The war horses had their bellies and eyes wrapped in leather, but they were still looking around in panic. The soldiers were wearing fur coats and hoods, but the wind made it so hard for them to open their eyes, so they could only trudge on foot across the snowy plains with difficulty.
When they reached Moli River, Chu Qiao suddenly ordered the entire army to stop. Sun Cai hurriedly stepped forward to inquire, but only saw a cold back. The young female general stood on a snow slope sheltered from the wind, gazing at the vast sea of snow in the distance. Birds were startled in the distance, and the snow and fog were hazy.
As he walked down, Sun Cai angrily pushed away the soldier who was pulling him, stepped forward angrily, and said, "Lord Chu, what on earth are you doing? The military situation is urgent, and your Majesty is in danger of life and death, but you still have the mind to sit here and enjoy the scenery?"
Chu Qiao's eyes passed over him lightly, like icicles in the dead of winter.
The girl was still very young, but for some reason, everyone who knew her would unconsciously ignore her age when standing in front of her, and would tremble and panic uncontrollably. Although the weather was so cold, sweat still oozed slowly from Sun Cai's forehead. As soon as he noticed something was wrong, Chu Qiao ordered, "Tie him up."
Without a second's hesitation, the soldiers of the Xiuli Army stepped forward quickly and tied up Sun Cai tightly in a few moves. The young officer struggled and shouted, "What are you doing? Sir Chu, are you going to rebel?"
Chu Qiao looked at him coldly, her eyes piercing sharply, and through his superficial shock and anger, she effortlessly saw the underlying panic and worry. Her heart gradually felt cold, like water flowing under the ice, eerie and chilly.
“He Xiao, take out all the explosives you have with you, blow up the Moli River, and leave 300 people to defend it. If someone rushes over from the other side before tomorrow morning, you don’t have to come to see me.”
"Yes!" He Xiao replied coldly.
Chu Qiao climbed onto the horse's back and said to her subordinates, "Let's go."
"Master Chu! Do you know what you are doing now?"
Chu Qiao slowly turned around, glanced at Sun Cai coldly, and said calmly: "Of course I know."
"You are preventing our people from rescuing His Majesty. You are committing treason!"
Chu Qiao sneered and smiled faintly, "Lord Sun, are you too naive, or am I really that stupid in your eyes? You said that you were the only one who escaped from Yuegong City, so why are there five armies chasing us now? I was returning to Shangshen on the way and set out a day in advance, so I was able to get here in time, so why did the Black Hawk Army from the headquarters get here so quickly? You said that Zhuge Yue led an army of 50,000 to attack Yuegong's food and fodder without anyone noticing, and besieged Your Majesty. Then tell me, now that it's the end of the year, Your Majesty doesn't stay in the headquarters properly, but runs thousands of miles away for what?"