Yaoying stood outside the tent and enjoyed the breeze for a while.

The wind mixed with sand blew fiercely at the flags, and there was a sound of hunting in the tent.

She called her personal soldiers to look after Li Xuanzhen, and went to the big tent to find Tanmarajya and Bisha, telling them that the main force of Wakhan Khan might be heading towards Sam Valley.

After listening to her, the two looked solemn.

"The prince is trustworthy." Yao Ying said, "But maybe what the prince saw was just an illusion. The truth still needs to be confirmed by scouts."

Tanmaraka looked at the sand table in silence.

Bi Suo didn't want to disturb his deep thoughts, so she took Yao Ying to a corner, shook her head, and whispered, "We had imagined where Wakhan Khan would fight us, and we guessed it might be Sam Valley. We had sent scouts to get information, but the scouts replied that everything was normal, so I didn't send more troops. The Regent and I discussed that if Wakhan Khan marched overnight, he could reach the foot of Daku Mountain and attack the royal court there. They could attack or defend, and they wouldn't have to worry about drinking water, which would be more advantageous for them. So we want to arrange the front and rear troops before they arrive at Daku Mountain..."

"But the prince said that there are many conflicts between Wakhan Khan and the nobles, and the tribes in the north are constantly fighting each other. So Wakhan Khan's marching speed would not be that fast. His main force is likely to be hidden in the Sam Valley."

Bi Suo wiped his forehead, feeling terrified: "Fortunately, we made preparations early... No matter where the main force of Bei Rong is, we can respond immediately."

The two of them spoke in a low voice. Tanmaragha pondered for a moment, raised his head, glanced at Bisa, and his gaze paused on Yaoying.

Yao Ying smiled at him and left the tent.

Bisha hurried forward, while Tanmarajiva was still looking in the direction of the felt curtain.

"Regent?" Bi Suo called out.

Tanmarajika withdrew his gaze, and the two discussed for a few words, then continued to send out scouts and summon generals for discussions.

Staff members and generals arrived one after another, and soon heated discussions were heard in the big tent, and the atmosphere was tense.

Yao Ying rode to visit Yang Nianxiang and the others. Although they were seriously injured, they were high-spirited and could not wait to go to the battlefield with Yang Qian to retake their homeland.

In the afternoon, she returned to her tent, and her personal soldiers told her that Li Xuanzhen had been in a coma all day, during which time a military doctor came and changed his dressings.

"His Royal Highness has wounds all over his body. His arms, legs, waist... all have cuts that expose the bones. The military doctor said that His Royal Highness must take good care of his injuries in the next few days and should not move."

The personal soldiers' tone was full of admiration. Li Xuanzhen was tenacious and always led the troops in battle. He was clear about rewards and punishments and was strict in military discipline. He had always been loved by the Wei army soldiers.

It's because he seems like a man who understands what's important... Because he seemed silent and cold when they first met, but he is actually an upright man who is brave enough to do what is right, so she has expectations for him.

If she had only regarded him as a character in a book at the beginning, she would not have tried again after repeated failures.

Because I gave my heart at first, I was completely disappointed later.

Yao Ying hummed, lifted the curtain and entered the tent, which was filled with a mixed smell of blood and wound medicine.

She glanced at the unconscious Li Xuanzhen and sat down at the desk to deal with paperwork.

After a while, Li Xuanzhen woke up, and seemed to want to move. His arm hit the small table next to him, and he couldn't help but groan in pain.

Yao Ying watched coldly and shouted for his personal soldiers to enter the tent.

The guard asked, "What does the prince want?"

Li Xuanzhen stood up and looked at Yaoying, who was still sitting at the long table, flipping through a book. His eyes were dark and he said softly, "Water."

The personal soldier fed Li Xuanzhen a few sips of water and asked him if he wanted anything else. He shook his head and the personal soldier left.

Yaoying was writing at her desk while Li Xuanzhen stared at her in silence. She hated him to such an extent that she was even unwilling to pour a bowl of water for him who was seriously injured.

There were heavy footsteps outside the tent, and a personal soldier came in to report: "Princess, the messenger said that General Ashina and his men will be here soon."

Li Xuanzhen struggled to sit up and said, "They want to discuss an alliance with me."

Yao Ying put down her pen and said, "The generals are here, please invite them in."

"Wait." Li Xuanzhen stopped his guards, looked up at Yaoying, took a few breaths, and said incoherently, "I am the crown prince of Wei, representing Wei and the royal court in an alliance. I cannot talk to them while lying down."

The bodyguard looked embarrassed.

Li Xuanzhen raised his hand and wiped his hair, saying what Yao Ying had said: "The diplomatic relations between the two countries are of great importance. Even if I am alone and trapped in the enemy camp, Wei cannot lose momentum, and the same is true when we form an alliance."

Yao Ying said to the guards, "Help the prince up and find a robe for him to wear."

Li Xuanzhen was helped by his personal soldiers. He endured the pain and sat up. He moved to the long table, tied up his long hair, put on his outer robe, sat upright, and looked dignified. If it were not for his pale and haggard face, deeply sunken cheeks, and a pungent smell of medicine on his body, he would look like a calm and composed messenger, planning his strategy.

He looked up at Yao Ying: "Are you staying?"

Yaoying turned and went out.

Li Xuanzhen looked at her back, the corners of his mouth trembled, and there was bitterness in his smile.

…

Tanmarajiva and Bisha walked into the tent one after the other.

Bishuo took a quick look around and saw a man's leather belt hanging on a shelf and a pair of long boots being dried by a charcoal brazier in the corner. His heart skipped a beat and he sighed silently.

The leather belt and boots are both from Tanmaraka.

He slept in the same tent with Princess Wen Zhao every night. Although there were reasons for this, he would rather wear thick armor and patrol the barracks all night than agree to sleep in the same tent with Princess Wen Zhao...

Li Xuanzhen couldn't suppress the pain, so he covered his lips and coughed to hide the past.

Bi Suo came to her senses and looked at Li Xuanzhen carefully. He was wearing a brocade robe, his face was pale and he looked a little tired, but his eyes were sharp and his spirit was restrained. He exuded a resolute aura and was definitely not an ordinary person.

Li Xuanzhen was also looking at Bisa and Tanmarajiva.

Bisa was dressed in silver armor, looking strong and handsome, while Tanmarajya beside him was dressed in ordinary soldier's clothes, with his mask removed, revealing a face covered with scars. Bisa had not looked at Tanmarajya since he entered the tent, and it seemed that Bisa was the leader.

But Li Xuanzhen knew that Tanmarajiva was the one who made the decision.

Bi Suo had already learned from Yao Ying that Li Xuanzhen was only her half-brother. After greeting each other, she said straight to the point, "Excuse me for being rude, but the prince is seriously injured. How can he rush back to Liangzhou in time to command the Liangzhou army to fight?"

Li Xuanzhen looked at Tanmarajiva and said calmly, "I have sent someone to deliver the order to Liangzhou. The Liangzhou army is commanded by my confidant. He has fought with me in many battles and is loyal and reliable. He can issue orders on my behalf. When my injury recovers, I can immediately leave for Guazhou and join my subordinates."

Bi Su nodded: "The royal court can contain most of the Northern Rong's forces. I hope the Crown Prince will do what he says and intercept all reinforcements from the east of the Northern Rong."

Li Xuanzhen said: "I will do my best."

Bisa unfolded a map, and Tanmarajya pointed at the routes marked on the map and said, "The cavalry of the Northern Rong tribe is good at surprise attacks, while the Central Plains Wei army is good at defending. The prince should not divide the troops. If the Northern Rong tribe rushes to support Wakhan Khan, they will probably split into three routes."

"Keji's army went west, Wanglie's army went south and passed through Guazhou, and the Wumo army crossed the mountains and sent troops from Yizhou... The prince's Liangzhou army only needed to hold Guazhou and Shazhou, and then send troops to ambush on the road leading to Yizhou, so that they could wait for the enemy to tire themselves out and intercept the reinforcements."

Li Xuanzhen's eyes followed his finger and his expression was shocked. The Central Plains had been in turmoil for a long time and the court knew little about the Northern Rong. Yet, the Regent of the Royal Court, who was thousands of miles away, knew so much about the distribution of tribes in the eastern territory of the Northern Rong and could accurately tell their troop routes and even thought of a plan on how to intercept the reinforcements!

He stayed in the Northern Rong camp for some time. The Northern Rong people, from the old Khan to the soldiers, all believed that the royal court was unable to fight. Little did they know that the royal court was well prepared, and the royal court's goal was not just to win a battle. What they wanted was to completely weaken the Northern Rong so that they would no longer be able to threaten the royal court.

The Buddhist disciples in the royal court were indeed extraordinary. They taught the masses with Buddhist teachings and intimidated the powerful with their power as the regent king.

Yao Ying was right. The war between the royal court and the Northern Rong was indeed a golden opportunity for Wei to recover the Western Regions.

The Western Regions had been in turmoil for decades, with constant conflicts between tribes, lives wiped out, people like ants, and dead bones exposed in the wilderness. During the days he went deep into the Western Regions, he saw too many separations of life and death. Only a unified dynasty could end the war in the Western Regions and allow the people to live in peace.

Li Xuanzhen nodded and said, "I will defend Guazhou and prevent the tribes east of Beirong from coming to the aid of Wakhan Khan."

There was no time to lose, so they agreed on a simple alliance, and Bisa rolled up the map.

Li Xuanzhen suddenly said, "When my sister Princess Wen Zhao was in danger, your Buddhist son rescued her from Haidu Aling and took good care of her. As her brother, I am grateful to you. Li Zhongqian and I came to the royal court to take her back to Wei. Before, I heard some rumors in the Northern Rong and misunderstood that your country would not release her. When I reunited with my sister, I was anxious and said some offensive words. I hope the Regent King will forgive me."

Bisa looked at Tanmaragha.

Tanmarajiva raised her eyes and waited for Li Xuanzhen's next words.

Li Xuanzhen continued, "I should have gone to the Holy City in person to thank the Buddha for saving my life, but now the situation is beyond my control. I have to rush to Shazhou. Please ask the Regent King to convey my gratitude on my behalf. She is young, and in order to escape, she blasphemed the Buddha's reputation. I will apologize to the Buddha on her behalf, and the State of Wei will definitely compensate the Buddha."

Bi Suo interrupted, "Your Highness, you don't have to be polite. Princess Wen Zhao is the most distinguished guest in the royal court."

Li Xuanzhen smiled slightly, "Guests are guests after all, and etiquette cannot be abandoned."

The tent suddenly became quiet.

Li Xuanzhen paused for a moment, his eyes raised slightly, "I heard that my sister and the Buddhist had a one-year agreement, and now the one-year agreement is almost up, can my sister leave the royal court early?"

Bisa was stunned and secretly looked at Tanmaragha's reaction.

Tanmo Luojia looked at Li Xuanzhen with no expression on his face: "When Princess Wen Zhao left has nothing to do with the Crown Prince."

Li Xuanzhen said: "I am her brother."

Tanmo Luojia stood up and said, "The one who allied with the royal court was not Princess Wen Zhao of Wei, but the leader of the Western Army, Li Yaoying. She once told me that she only had one brother, Li Zhongqian. If the prince is sincere in forming an alliance with the royal court, he should not interfere in the exchanges between the royal court and the leader of the Western Army in the future."

Li Xuanzhen's heart sank.

Sultan's words directly blocked all his attempts.

In terms of identity, Yao Ying was the leader of the Western Army and another ally of the royal court, not Princess Wen Zhao of Wei. He could no longer ask the royal court to let Yao Ying go as an envoy of Wei. Emotionally, Sultan Gu was clearly aware of the entanglement between him, Li Zhongqian and Yao Ying, and his identity as a brother was of no use.

He had a strong feeling that there was something special between Yao Ying and Sultan Gu.

In these years, he had never seen her so close to any man other than Li Zhongqian.

Although Sultan Gu was ugly and a foreigner, he was the regent of the royal court, had a calm and graceful demeanor, and was skilled in martial arts. Judging from his demeanor and behavior, he had an unquestionable aura in his bones. He must have been used to giving orders since he was a child...

Li Xuanzhen was in turmoil, but his face remained calm. He said, "I worry too much. I often hear the people here praise your Buddhist disciples. They all say that he is compassionate and sympathetic. If Yaoying leaves early, the Buddhist disciples will definitely not stop her."

Tanmarajika turned around and left the tent.

Bi Su followed him and looked at him secretly with a nervous expression.

Tanmaraka glanced at him indifferently.

Bi Su froze for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Princess Wen Zhao's brother is here, she must be very happy."

Tanmarajiva looked at a figure in the distance, remaining silent.

Bi Suo followed his line of sight and saw Yao Ying standing on a distant hillside with her back to them, talking to her bodyguards. In order to hide her slender figure, she stuffed a lot of cotton into her narrow-sleeved gown, so she didn't look fat, but only had a soft and spongy feeling, and her back looked adorable.

Tanmarajiva looked for a while, did not go forward, and went straight back to the tent.

"Both armies immediately moved camp, and the rear army stayed behind to transport food and fodder for support."

Bisa let out a breath, nodded, and followed.

…

While Li Xuanzhen was talking to Bi Suo, Yao Ying went to Yingnu to see if there was any reply from Gaochang.

She wanted to confirm whether Li Zhongqian had arrived in Gaochang safely.

The eagle slave said, "Princess, even the fastest carrier eagle cannot fly back and forth in such a short time. It will take at least three days."

Yao Ying had no choice but to ask Eagle Slave to report any news immediately.

The guard came over and said, "Princess, General Ashina and his men just left."

Yao Ying returned to the tent, opened the felt curtain, and saw Li Xuanzhen lying on the felt blanket with a pale face and breathing more than he breathed in.

He held on for a long time, but he couldn't hold on any longer.

Yao Ying frowned, signaled her personal soldiers to help Li Xuanzhen lie down, and sat down in front of the desk to continue reading documents.

Just after I finished reading a volume, a loud and melodious trumpet sounded outside the tent, followed by a command from a general. The voice spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and soon spread throughout the camp. Countless people repeated the command, but the sound sounded neat and clear, as if only one person was shouting.

A messenger came to tell Yao Ying: "The Wujili tribe has withdrawn their camp. Master Bayan, don't panic."

Yao Ying lifted the curtain and looked outside. The camp where the Wujiri tribe was located was moving out in an orderly manner, and the tribal flags were moving down the mountain.

The sound of horse hooves approached, and a black horse was galloping towards her tent against the outgoing team. When it got close, the young man on the horse jumped off and strode towards her. He had deep eyes and a scar on his cheek, which did not detract from his handsome appearance at all.

"Princess, I'm going to break camp."

Mo Biduo took off a short dagger from his waist and held it horizontally in front of Yao Ying.

"Princess, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life, just like a goddess in a painting. In my hometown, the blessing of a goddess can protect the warriors in my tribe. This time on the battlefield, I will face the elite cavalry of Beirong head-on. Before I leave, can the princess give me a blessing?"

Yao Ying smiled, took the dagger, and put it on Mopiduo's forehead. "Prince, you are a young hero, the bravest of the three armies. You will surely defeat the enemy and return safely this time."

Mobhido grinned and held out his hand.

Yao Ying lowered her head and returned the dagger to him.

The next moment, Mobido's hands went around her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

Yao Ying was stunned.

…

Not far away, Bisha, who was sitting on horseback waiting for someone, let out a soft cry and turned his head suddenly as he watched Mobiduo hold Yaoying in his arms.

Tanmarajiva, like him, looked in the direction of the tent without saying a word.