The battle was in full swing, with shouts and the sounds of weapons clashing. Wei Jing stood on the slope, overlooking the battle situation below which was already showing a great trend of victory.
It was reported that Prince An was among this enemy force.
Since his side had a great advantage, he decided not to go down. The terrain was not open and the risk of being exposed was greatly increased.
However, if King An can be killed at this point, Jingzhou will lose its leadership, which will be a great opportunity to seize the opportunity.
He ordered his troops to destroy the enemy with all their strength and find the whereabouts of King An.
If he finds it, he doesn't mind going there himself.
Unfortunately, after the melee began, the big red cloak disappeared and the sentries could no longer find any trace of it.
If Wei Jing guessed correctly, Prince An must be in the front section to facilitate a breakout. But the actual area in the front section is not small, and the enemy is fighting fiercely as they are not afraid of life and death to break through. It is not easy to find someone in the chaos.
"Look for the people on horseback. Where King An is must be heavily guarded." Anyway, look for the place where the enemy troops are densely populated. If you can find a point that is tightly guarded, this must be where King An is.
Wei Jing glanced down, and his personal guards immediately passed the message down, and they and the sentries looked down with wide eyes.
Prince An, who was in the middle of the battle, saw the silhouette of that man and was startled: "Wang Tong, you all should disperse immediately!"
The other party is on the high slope, definitely not just to watch the battle!
Instantly, cold sweat soaked through Prince An's heavy shirt. He grabbed the saddle and sat firmly, shouting, "Quickly and orderly disperse! Don't be hasty, and don't crowd in again! Let some of the enemy troops in!"
Wang Tong was still a little confused, but the captain of the personal guard had already understood vaguely. However, regardless of whether they understood or not, the two of them received the order and immediately led the soldiers and guards to slowly disperse and no longer gather closely.
When enemy troops were let in, King An held up an ordinary long sword he had picked up and gritted his teeth to kill the enemies.
Blood splattered on his face and he was even stabbed in the leg, but he did not order to change the situation.
Prince An was not destined to die, so he lay dormant for about two moments. Suddenly, shouts and screams from the front became louder, followed by the sound of muffled running.
Chen Ang, Xu Cang and other generals finally broke through the encirclement. The struggling Jingzhou army was encouraged and immediately rushed through the gap.
Prince An was eventually protected and successfully broke through.
But it was tragic, only 30,000 of the 90,000 soldiers were left.
Fortunately, Wei Xu, who was walking on the other side, realized the situation earlier and ordered the rear army to turn to the front army and retreat quickly, thus avoiding falling into an ambush. He fought and retreated, and finally retreated to Jingzhou by another route with minor damage.
The two armies joined together, and King An came with an army of 200,000 men, but now only half of them were left. They hurriedly entered the pass and were finally safe.
Although the loss was so heavy, Prince An neither lost his temper nor summoned a military doctor to treat the wound. Instead, he immediately called his confidant to ask about it.
Have Zhang Da and the other arrived?
Who is Zhang Da?
The spy that King An had placed in Gucheng, Yizhou earlier.
Before, he suspected that Yang Ze was Wei Jing, so Wei Xu said that he might send a message to Yizhou. Yang Ze was stationed in Gucheng, and it was possible that their spies had seen him in person.
Prince An then sent the message.
Although Wei Jing rarely appeared in public, he was not in hiding. Two people actually saw his true face by chance.
One is called Zhang Da and the other is called Li Shi.
The two men received the order and rushed out from Yizhou, and had been waiting in Jingzhou for several days.
Prince An immediately ordered the person to be brought up.
"What does Yang Ze look like?"
As soon as Zhang Da and the other entered the tent, King An asked them a lot of questions. The two of them hurriedly greeted them and reported back.
"Yang Ze described him as handsome and tall."
Zhang Da thought about it, stretched out his hand to compare heights, and was about half a head taller than King An.
Well, the height is right too.
Prince An's eyes were gloomy: "Do you remember his appearance?"
Even though they had only met Yang Ze, a man who stood out from the crowd, once, Zhang Da and the others would definitely recognize him the first time they met him again. However, when they were asked to describe it out of thin air, they were stuck.
"...Yang Ze has sharp eyebrows, long eyes, a high nose bridge, is very handsome, and has great power..."
It was difficult for the two people who knew nothing about painting to give a specific description. They stammered for a while but didn't say anything very distinctive. The frown between Prince An's brows became tighter and tighter, so Wei Xu said, "Send the painters over and let the two of them paint his portrait."
Let the professionals communicate.
This was the best way. King An had already prepared painters and immediately ordered the two men to go down and dictate the painting.
Waiting is always a long time. Wei Xu slowly lit the stove and made some tea. The aroma of tea filled the air, but Prince An paid no attention to it. He frowned and paced back and forth, thinking.
The portrait is finally finished.
The personal guard who had just received the order came in hurriedly, carrying a roll of paper in his hand, and whispered a few words into the ear.
Prince An's eyebrows twitched and his expression changed several times. He lowered his eyes, reached out to take the portrait and slowly opened it.
The painter is the best one that can be found, with superb skills and good at detailed figures. Even though Zhang Da and the other two's memories were not very clear and their descriptions were vague, the portrait they drew was 30% similar to Wei Jing himself, especially the facial features.
The heroic man mounted his horse, whipped his horse in the wind, and casually turned his face to the side. His sharp eyes were like two cold lightning bolts, which seemed to penetrate the yellowish paper and hit the person's face in an instant.
Prince An's breath was choked, and he closed the portrait with a snap: "Yes, it's him! He is really not dead!"
Although the voice was startling, it was extremely certain. It faintly came from outside the tent and fell into the ears of Xu Cang who just walked to the front of the middle tent. His heart skipped a beat instantly.
It was a meaningless sentence, but he understood it immediately as he had been suspicious of Zhang Yong for many days.
The storm was so turbulent that even someone as steady as Xu Cang's face suddenly changed.
Chen Ang had a good relationship with him and asked curiously, "Brother Xu, what's wrong with you?"
Xu Cang's hands were shaking slightly. He recalled the trap he had to cooperate in on both sides of the Qianshui River. This must have caught the attention of His Highness, right?
His face turned pale instantly. He forced himself to remain calm and smiled: "Nothing."
Xu Cang was injured while breaking out, and his right arm was still in a sling and he couldn't move, so it was not surprising that he was in poor condition. Chen Ang didn't care. He just said a few words to the guards in the central tent and asked the latter to go in and report.
The breakout was a complete failure, with heavy casualties, and they could barely set up camp. What should they do next? Since King An did not summon him immediately, the generals came to inquire.
King An was so shaken and confused that Wei Xu arranged everything and ordered his generals to get back to work.
Xu Cangyu noticed the paper scroll in Prince An's hand. After turning around, he closed his eyes.
Inside the account.
Wei Xu frowned: "Although the King of Qi is known as the God of War, it was not you who killed his mother and brother, but the late emperor and the current emperor. If it is just about revenge, he will definitely point his sword at the emperor. Why are you afraid?"
Growing up under the dazzling aura of his eldest brother, it is not difficult to understand that he would be deeply wary of him. But if anyone is to be afraid of something, isn't the emperor more afraid? What are you afraid of?
Prince An paused for a moment, and then said, "There are high mountains separating Luojing Sizhou from Pingyang, and the barrier is difficult to cross. Yuzhou is also in the midst of a three-way war, so it's not easy to get involved. Only Jingzhou in the south is left, and I am the first choice for the King of Qi to attack, so he is wary."
"I see."
Wei Xu watched Prince An speak quietly, raised his eyebrows, and had no objection. Seeing the latter finally stop for a moment and walk towards him, he continued not to dwell on this topic and only asked: "Since Yang Ze is the King of Qi, what are your plans next?"
Should we retreat back to Jingzhou to rest? Or should he gather his troops again and wait for an opportunity to counterattack?
The two had actually discussed this issue before.
Once Pingyang was withdrawn, counterattack would be extremely difficult. Originally, King An preferred to retreat to Jingzhou to rest and look for another opportunity to fight in the future. Not only did they suffer heavy losses in an ambush during their retreat, but they also learned that Wei Jing was not dead and had already seized Yizhou and was making a comeback.
Prince An had no intention of counterattacking Pingyang, and said gloomily: "Let's return to Liling first."
He lowered his eyes.
King of Qi, King of Qi.
We must first find a way to destroy the King of Qi!
His strength alone might not be enough, and... there is no need for him to rush to the front.
Prince An suddenly raised his eyes.
"Someone come!"
…
There was a storm in Prince An's camp, but the Yizhou army was just the opposite, they were joyful and festive, and even Wei Jing's brows were filled with joy.
The former was naturally because of a great victory, while Wei Jing was because he received an unexpected piece of good news on his way back.
He was overjoyed, and rode his horse into Linxiang City, entered the government office, and excitedly went straight to the outer study: "Ah Qing, A Qing!"
When Wei Jing went to war, Shao Qing was handling official business in his temporary study. He looked up in surprise when he heard the voice.
Didn’t they say that the army would arrive at night? It's only the end of the year.
Before she could ask, she heard Wei Jingxi say, "Ah Qing, we finally found traces of my aunt and the others!"
aunt?
Shao Qing understood immediately that the aunt and others mentioned here were the family members of Wei Jing's uncle, Pinghai Hou Fu Jun, who still had a glimmer of hope of survival.
The wife of Marquis Pinghai, Mrs. Meng, had Fu Jun's youngest son Fu Pei, who was still an adult, and two daughters, one legitimate and one illegitimate.
When Empress Fu and her son suffered a tragic change, the Pinghai Marquisate was also overthrown. All the male members of the family were beheaded, and the women and children were exiled two thousand miles to the southwest.
That’s right, Meng and others were exiled at the same time as Wei Jing and Shao Qing, and they set out on the journey together.
Pinghai Hou originally had more than just these four family members, but many of them died of illness due to imprisonment, exile and the hardships of travel. By the time Shao Qing opened his eyes, there were only these four people left.
Aunt Wei Jing's younger cousin and two cousins.
But the assassination happened within two days, and Wei Jingshao Qing, who was the first to bear the brunt of the attack, was unable to pay attention to others and had no idea whether the four were dead or alive.
In fact, the possibility of death is much greater than that of life.
Most of them were killed on the spot. Even if they managed to escape into the dense forest, it was very difficult to survive in this world.
Wei Jing knew this very well. He was dejected, but no matter how slim the hope was, he sent people to look for him as soon as he met up with Qing Zhai Wei.
Later, as the power expanded, more personnel were continuously dispatched without interruption.
However, it is very difficult to search in such a vast sea of people. It has been almost two years and there has been no news.
The only hope left in Wei Jing's heart had to be wiped out by time.
However, when he had almost accepted the reality, his efforts finally paid off and the first news finally came back today.
You can imagine how delighted he was.
Shao Qing was also surprised: "Really?"
Wei Jing was rarely seen showing joy, and he took his wife's hand and said, "We are visiting a village in Wu County, northwest of Yulin, Jiaozhou. According to the villagers, seven or eight strangers came to the village nearly two years ago."
Jiaozhou was almost the southernmost state in the Great Chu Dynasty. It bordered Yizhou and Jingzhou to the north, Yizhou to the west, and Jingzhou to the east. From the regional map, the three states are connected, but in reality, the borders are surrounded by continuous mountains and are difficult to cross.
The place where Wei Jingshao Qing encountered the assassin was about two or three hundred miles away from Yulin, Jiaozhou, and Wu County was at the very edge. If we escape into the dense forest and luckily survive, it is not impossible for us to reach Jiaozhou.
"The villagers said that the seven or eight people were all girls, and there was also a boy about ten years old. Their coarse clothes were tattered, and they were covered in dirt and even blood. Their faces could not be seen clearly, but after washing, they were very beautiful, with fine and white hair."
This village is located deep in the mountains and no strangers come here all year round. Therefore, the villagers are deeply impressed by it and still talk about it with relish.
"Isn't Apei just ten years old?"
This age matches exactly that of Wei Jing's younger cousin. It is said that there was a middle-aged woman holding the boy's hand tightly, and the boy called her "A Niang". This is most likely Wei Jing's aunt Meng.
Wei Jing nodded: "Yes!"
He was excited. Although he hoped that his only remaining blood relatives were safe and sound, it would be a blessing in disguise if he could leave some incense for his uncle.
Shao Qing was also happy, but seeing how hopeful he was, he couldn't help feeling a little worried. After all, escaping from the jungle is only the first step, and the subsequent life is the big test. She certainly hopes that Fu Pei is safe, but the actual situation is hard to say.
These days, the child mortality rate is already extremely high, and if they are displaced, the possibility of survival is greatly reduced.
But Shao Qing couldn't bear to attack Wei Jing, so he quickly changed the subject: "How are the two cousins? Are my aunt and her family settled in Wu County?"
Speaking of his two cousins, Wei Jing's joy finally subsided a little, and he frowned: "I'm afraid they may not be well."
According to reports, there are indeed two girls, but the age and height of one does not match, and the existence of the other is still unclear.
This means that at least one cousin has died in the jungle.
Speaking of these two cousins, Wei Jing had never had any contact with them in the past, regardless of whether they were legitimate or illegitimate. But things now are different from the past. The remaining blood ties seem particularly rare and precious. Hearing the news of his death, he couldn't help feeling sad.
Shao Qing sighed secretly and held his hand to comfort him silently.
Wei Jing adjusted himself quickly. In the environment at that time, it was extremely rare to save two out of four or three out of four. One should not be too greedy, right?
He exhaled a breath of turbid air from his chest: "My aunt and her group did not settle in Wu County."
In fact, as fugitives, even though the villagers treated them warmly, the women were still frightened and left the village in a hurry the next day, and their whereabouts were unknown. Wei Jing's people inquired and found out that they did not stay in Wu County, but hurried eastward to Jiaozhou.
As for the follow-up, we are still investigating it bit by bit.
Shao Qing had no doubts about Qing Zhaiwei's ability. She said hurriedly, "Since we have clues, we will be able to find the person soon. We just need to wait patiently for a while."
Shao Qing didn’t know what the situation was in Jiaozhou, but since it was far away from the Central Plains and not affected by the war, it should be easier to survive. She could only pray secretly for the safety of Meng and others, and comfort Wei Jing again and again.
Wei Jing was really happy, and he and his wife recalled a lot of old stories about his uncle Fu Jun. It was easy to tell that the uncle and nephew had a very good relationship.
It started from Fu Jun’s life, all the way to Pinghai Marquis Mansion, and finally talked about his aunt Meng.
"My aunt is dignified and virtuous. Although she treats me with respect, she is also kind and gentle. She and my uncle treat each other with respect and have a deep relationship."
It was late at night. After taking a bath, the couple lay in bed, but Wei Jing was energetic and not sleepy at all. He said, "I will take good care of my aunt. I believe my uncle will be comforted in his grave."
Wei Jing felt a little melancholy, but he adjusted himself in no time. He said to his wife, "Bring your mother here someday, so they can have some company."
This is referring to Shao Qing's mother, Sun.
After leaving Yizhou, the risk of Wei Jing's identity being revealed increased. Although he had always been cautious, there was no guarantee that he would be unable to conceal it one day.
After returning from Luojing at the beginning of last year, Wei Jing personally selected people to go north in order to rescue Shao Qing's mother and brother in time if anything happened. After the profit was made, the staff was increased again, and he personally arranged and gave instructions to ensure that everything went well.
Speaking of this, he hurriedly said, "Ah Qing, don't worry, there will be no mistakes in this matter."
How could Shao Qing not believe him? She knew the arrangement and manpower very well, it was indeed thorough, she smiled and said "hmm".
But then again, Wei Jing is not suitable for disguise and makeup now. Now that he is so strong, she is always worried that he will be exposed too early.
It's not a good time in the short term.
Alas, it’s still not strong enough.
Wei Jing kissed her and said, "If an enemy comes, we will stop him; if a flood comes, we will block it with earth. Don't worry, Ah Qing. I will take care of everything."
He talked for a long time in excitement. When he saw his wife yawning slightly, he suddenly realized that it was late at night and said hurriedly, "Go to bed quickly. We will talk tomorrow."
"Um."
That's right. I don't know whether it will happen. Even if it is going to happen, I'm afraid it will be difficult to stop it. Worrying in advance will not help.
Forget it, don’t think about it anymore, just go to sleep.
Shao Qing could hardly open her eyelids. She raised her head and kissed Wei Jing's chin, muttering a few words, and soon fell into a dream under his soothing pat.
…
Shao Qing slept soundly, but what she didn't expect was that she was worried about her identity being exposed before going to bed, but it happened just after she woke up.
Early in the morning, someone delivered a letter.
The couple got up in the morning and were ready. Just after they finished their breakfast, they heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the yard.
"My lord, my lord! Something terrible is happening!"
The loud voice belonged to Zhang Yong, and there were more than one person's footsteps. Wei Jing immediately went out to take a look, and saw Chen Qi and Zhang Yong running side by side. Chen Qi was holding a letter in his hand.
He looked serious: "What's the matter?"
Shao Qing was nervous. Zhang and Chen were the most trusted ones among his trusted ones. They rushed into Wei Jing's yard early in the morning to recruit people. It was definitely not a trivial matter.
Chen Qi looked extremely solemn: "Just now, I was going to patrol the city, but when I left the government office, a little beggar ran up to me and handed me a letter, saying it was for my lord."
It was impossible for a random beggar to deliver a letter to Wei Jing. Chen Qi was so solemn that it was obvious that the letter was not simple. He said, "My lord, the little beggar said that someone asked him to deliver a letter to His Highness Wei!"
Your Highness Wei? !
Wei is the national surname, so where did His Highness come from in the Linxiang government office? You must know that Wei Jing was "Yang Ze" at this time.
Chen Qi was extremely shocked. He immediately took the letter and took the little beggar, and ordered people to search around.
There are many little beggars like this in every city. It is obvious that someone did not want this child to show up, so he was sent to deliver a message.
At the first trial, it turned out to be true. The little beggar said that his brother asked him to wait at the gate of the yamen. When he saw the general with a scar on his left forehead coming out, he delivered the letter to him and said something like this and gave him five big coins.
Chen Qi was injured last year and had a scar on his left forehead, which was obviously unique.
The little beggar said that the brother was wearing a straw hat and his face could not be seen, so he did not recognize him.
All clues were cut off. Chen Qi checked the cover while hurried over with Zhang Yong.
"My lord, I am incompetent and have not found the messenger."
This is, this is exposing the identity?
The matter was about to be revealed, and the four people present all looked solemn. Wei Jing took the letter, glanced at it, and opened it immediately.
Shao Qing's heart was pounding and he quickly leaned over to look.
"Your identity has been known to Prince An. On the fifth day of March, a postman left the camp overnight and rushed to Luojing at a speed of 800 miles."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
