While the royal court scouts were sending back letter after letter of intelligence, intelligence from the Northern Rong spies was also delivered to the Wakhan Khan one after another.

The judge said, "The four armies of the royal court have just gone through a turmoil, and the morale of the army is unstable. The generals who took over the four armies are not yet able to win the support of the people. Now that the Sultan has died, there is no regent to govern the country. The Buddha is busy with government affairs. In addition, his birthday is approaching, and envoys from various countries and civilians are flocking to the Holy City. The Holy City is bustling with singing and dancing. I guess the royal court is busy with this matter and has no time to care about other things."

Wakhan Khan pondered for a moment, then called several of his sons and Haidu Aling to analyze the situation.

The sons also felt that since the royal court had just experienced internal turmoil and its defenses were weak, it was a good opportunity to launch a surprise attack on them. As for the excuse to break the covenant, they could just capture a group of herdsmen and kill them.

Only Jin Bo looked a little strange.

Wakhan Khan sent his other sons away, leaving Kimbo behind and asked, "What do you think?"

Seeing that there was no one else in the tent, Jin Bo took two steps forward, put on a smile, and said, "Father Khan, the royal court saved my life... one of their caravans saved me..."

Wakhan Khan rolled his eyes and said, "Idiot! How could everyone in the caravan be so skilled? The person who saved you must be someone important. A Ling's assassination plan could be carried out at the same time, and it would have been impossible without their help. Besides, this winter is particularly long, and we must find a way to feed all the tribes, otherwise they will rebel again!"

Jin Bo scratched his head and said, "But I promised to repay the king's kindness, Father Khan. I am your son. How can the descendant of the wolf god go back on my word?"

Wakhan Khan's eyelids twitched: "We are a tribe of wolves who grew up on horseback. Plunder and conquest are our means of survival. Gratitude is gratitude, and resentment is resentment. Facing foreign enemies, all alliances are only temporary. Your promise to repay the favor does not mean that the Northern Rong will not raid the royal court."

Jin Bo looked bewildered: "Father Khan, didn't you always teach me to keep my promises?"

Wakhan Khan sneered and said, "Jinbo, when you are a strong man, you will have the qualifications to keep your promise. We Beirong people only want strong men, not the virtues of dead people. Wait until you defeat the royal court, then you can fulfill your personal promise."

Jin Bo was stunned: So this is what his father Khan meant by keeping his promise! Defeat the opponent first, then forgive him mercifully.

Wahan Khan looked at his youngest son who had never led an army to fight alone, thought for a while, and said: "Your brothers will go with me. A Ling will lead 3,000 people to launch a surprise attack. I will give you 4,000 cavalrymen, and you will guard the Sand Sea Road."

Jin Bo said disappointedly: "I also want to go to war with my father Khan."

Wakhan Khan shook his head and said, "Since you owe the royal court a favor, please avoid this surprise attack. You must guard the Shahai Road and do not neglect it. If the battle goes badly, I will lead the central army to retreat from here."

Jin Bo hurriedly responded respectfully, secretly wondering if the caravan guard who saved his life would go on the expedition.

If he meets his benefactor, he will still have to keep his promise.

…

While the Northern Army was marching, Bi Suo was also busy mobilizing troops.

Because he was afraid that the news would leak out and allow the Beirong people to spy on their plans, after finishing his military duties every day, he would go to the martial arts field as usual to compete with warriors from other tribes and steal the show.

That day, he had just finished a horse racing with Mo Biduo at the archery track when his personal guard brought him a message from Yao Ying, asking him to go outside the city.

He didn't care about being tired, changed his clothes and rushed out of the city.

It was the day after the snow had stopped, the sky was as clear as a gem. In a valley sheltered from the wind, dozens of large carts wrapped in thick felt cloth were crowded together on the snow, forming a dark mass. The imperial guards and caravan guards in leather jackets were busy unloading cloth bags from the backs of camels.

Yaoying was wearing a light veil on her face and a lambswool lapel and narrow sleeves gown. She looked elegant and graceful. She walked forward on the snow. Her eyes fell on the person who was walking with Bi Suo, and she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.

This brown-eyed young man with braided hair and a shawl was the one who won the Bisha in the martial arts arena that day.

Bisha said, "His name is Mobito. Princess, don't worry. He is a man the king can trust. He is also included in this expedition, otherwise I would not have brought him here."

Yao Ying nodded and signaled her personal soldiers to continue transporting the goods. She had heard of this young prince. He had made great contributions not long ago and was now one of Tanmaragha's guards.

Mobhido leaned forward, raised his hands, and saluted her in a funny way.

Yao Ying returned the gift in the Ujiri language and said, "I have long heard of your great name, Prince."

Mo Biduo was stunned, with a look of surprise in his eyes.

Bi Su was also somewhat surprised: "How come the princess knows the etiquette of the Ujiri tribe and also knows their language?"

Yao Ying smiled and said, "I'm not going to lie, General. When I was with the Northern Rong slaves, I learned the etiquette, customs and languages ​​of dozens of tribes, big and small."

In the Gobi Desert, you often can't see any human habitation even after running for a hundred miles. Every oasis deep in the desert may be a small country with complex power among tribes of all sizes. Each tribe has its own language. When she learned the Hu language, she also learned the customs of different tribes. On the one hand, it would be easier for her to blend in with the locals when she escaped, and on the other hand, it would avoid accidentally offending any tribe.

Mo Biduo looked straight at Yao Ying and said, "The princess has learned very well."

Yao Ying smiled and said, "I only know a few simple greetings. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Prince."

Bisha laughed: "How is your Sanskrit learning going, Princess?"

Yaoying gets a headache whenever she mentions this. A few days ago, Tanmarajiva asked her about her Sanskrit learning progress, and Prajna suddenly became very excited, wishing she could teach her hundreds of Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures within a few days.

"The master wanted me to become a monk. Prajna would chase me around with a bunch of scrolls every day, forcing me to study hard. Recently, I would avoid Prajna whenever I saw her."

Bi Suo paused, a strange look flashed across his eyes: "The king wants to make the princess a nun?"

"The Master mentioned..."

Yao Ying nodded and noticed that Bi Su had a strange look on her face and her eyes were fixed on him.

"Is there something wrong?"

Bisha's face quickly returned to normal, and he shook his head and said, "The king has always been like this. When he sees someone with wisdom, he wants to convert him to become a monk."

As he spoke, the guards untied the felt cover of one of the carts. Bisha and Mobito went forward and found that the cart was filled with black longbows and bundles of arrows.

Mobhido picked up a longbow, stretched the bow to test its strength, frowned slightly, grabbed a handful of arrows with his big hands, walked to an open place, bent the bow and shot arrows. With a few whooshing sounds, the arrows were as fierce as a meteor chasing the moon, and each arrow hit an empty cart.

The soldier ran forward and took a long time to pull out the arrow, which was greeted with cheers.

Mobiduo did not look proud. He handed the longbow to Bisha and said, "The bow force of this bow is nearly two stones. It is very strong."

Bi Su's eyes flashed as she looked at Yao Ying.

For marching and fighting, a bow with a bow force of one stone is considered a strong bow. Usually when attacking a city, a one-stone bow is used to shoot at the arrow battlements on the opponent's city walls, while when riding a horse, a seven-barrel bow with a slightly smaller bow force is used.

A bow with a force close to two stones, and a range close to that of the bow/crossbow cart of the royal court.

Yao Ying met Bi Suo's serious gaze and said, "The royal court's crossbows are powerful. When used to defend the city, they can stop the Northern Rong cavalry. However, the crossbows are heavy and difficult to move during battles. They are mostly used to defend cities and formations. Although these longbows do not have as long a range as the crossbows, they have strong pulling force. When used in a battle formation, they can penetrate three layers of armor."

Bisuo looked around, his heart trembling. If dozens of large carts were filled with arrows, the total number might be tens of thousands!

"Where did these weapons come from?"

Yao Ying replied: "From the Northern Rong."

Biso opened her mouth wide.

Yao Ying explained: "The Northern Rong have conquered many tribes in recent years. Some people were unwilling to surrender to the Northern Rong and fled everywhere, becoming desperate criminals. A chieftain named Ale gathered the remnants and exiled warriors and formed a mercenary army. As long as you give them enough money, they will work for you."

"I hired A'er before to guard my caravan. When I came back from Gaochang, I asked him to cut off Haidu A'ling's supplies while the Northern Rong were in turmoil. These weapons were stolen from a Northern Rong camp that was poorly defended."

One of the reasons why Haidu Aling had no chance of winning and chose to plead guilty directly was that his people in the dark were harassed by Chief Ale all day long and were exhausted.

Finally, Yao Ying added: "General, rest assured. Chief Ale has done a good job. The northern Rong people don't know where the bows and arrows are. They pretended to be a caravan transporting cloth and did not leak the news along the way. Even if something happens, no one will know that it was my order. It will never cause any trouble for the royal court."

Bi Suo looked at Yao Ying and couldn't close her mouth for a long time.

On the way back from Gaochang, they encountered an ambush. Princess Wen Zhao even remembered to hire servants from the exiled tribes to weaken Haidu Aling?

Yao Ying looked calm and continued, "The archers of the Northern Rong are well-trained. Each of them is equipped with three war horses and can use short bows and long bows. Their short bows are suitable for long-range combat, while their long bows can be used for both close combat and long-range combat, with a range of up to 400 steps."

Bi Suo recovered from his shock and said, "Yes, the Beirong people grew up on horseback. All of them have been shooting arrows since childhood, and their arm strength is very strong. All of their archers can draw their bows and shoot arrows while running fast. Once an attack is launched, a few hundred people can capture a camp."

He weighed the longbow in his hand. "The bow of the Northern Rong people may look ordinary, but it is strong and durable."

Yao Ying said, "I have seen them making bows. They also have hyperbolic bows. The bow base has been improved. The inner layer is made of boiled ox horn, and the outer layer is wrapped with boiled ox horn tendons. The bow base is soft and strong. The bowstring is made of tanned ox and sheep tendons and can withstand great tension. The arrow shafts are mostly made of birch. This kind of bow is not difficult to make. As long as you collect all the materials, both men and women can make it skillfully."

Bi Suo frowned slightly, "It's not difficult to make... so their archers can be equipped with such weapons, and everyone can use them skillfully. Everyone is a archer."

The Beirong people are barbaric, but this barbaric tribe is powerful.

Mopido said, "Since the princess said that their improved double-curved bow is not difficult to make, can we find a craftsman to make it?"

The manufacture of a bow/crossbow cart is complicated, the materials are expensive, and it requires the cooperation of several soldiers to operate it. If it is damaged, it is troublesome to repair it. The royal court only equips important cities with crossbow carts. Bows and arrows are simple to make, do not rely on craftsmen, and can be equipped by soldiers in the army. If they can be improved, it will be twice the result with half the effort.

Bi Suo shook his head and said, "We already know that the Northern Rong people have improved the hyperbolic bow, but it is not that easy to make an identical one..."

Even if they obtained the weapons of the Northern Rong people now, it would be impossible for them to imitate them in a short period of time.

Yao Ying interrupted him and said, "My craftsmen can do it."

Bisha was startled and almost choked by her own saliva.

Yao Ying signaled his personal guard to bring a stack of papers wrapped in silk cloth and handed it to Bi Suo, saying, "I have mentioned the improved hyperbolic bow to the craftsmen before. They have been trying to improve it for many times, but none of them are as good as the bows of the Northern Rong people. Not long ago, they finally developed it. Just when this batch of weapons arrived, they have compared and tested it. It is similar in power to the hyperbolic bows of the Northern Rong people, but the toughness is not strong enough. The advantage is that the materials are easy to obtain and can be manufactured in large quantities."

“This is a drawing.”

Bi Suo was so happy that she said, "It would be best if we could produce them in large quantities!"

The bows used by the army are not necessarily the stronger the better. The best ones are those that can meet the needs of the soldiers, are cheap and durable, and can be equipped in large quantities.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "These weapons and manufacturing blueprints are all obtained by the princess with great effort. Are you just going to give them to the royal court like this?"

Yao Ying smiled and said, "Since we are allies, we must contribute to the royal court when facing a powerful enemy."

This kind of hyperbolic bow is not a rare weapon that is hard to find in the world. Facing the powerful enemy Beirong, the allies should unite. Moreover, the royal court has always traded with the former Central Plains dynasty, and there is no conflict of interest between the two countries.

Bi Su stared at her for a long time, took the silk cloth, and asked his subordinates to send someone to hand over the weapons.

After the soldiers had unloaded all the goods, Yao Ying went aside to talk with her personal guards, explained a few things, and then mounted their horses.

Bhisatta and Mobhido were waiting for her on the mountain path.

The three of them walked side by side. Halfway through the journey, Yaoying looked back at the long queue of carts leaving in the distance. She sighed and said thoughtfully, "The Beirong cavalry are not only skilled in riding and shooting, but also have close coordination and can launch rapid attacks at any time and anywhere. Moreover, each of them is equipped with several war horses. Their horses are all good and have great endurance. It would be even better if A'er could help me grab a batch of war horses..."

The corners of Bi Su's mouth twitched. She was silent for a while, then shook her head and chuckled.

Mobhido looked at him sideways and asked, "General, what are you laughing at?"

Bi Su glanced at Yao Ying, moved away from her, and whispered, "I'm thinking, if Haidu A Ling knew what Princess Wen Zhao had done in the past two years, he would regret it to death."

Mobhido followed his line of sight.

Princess Wen Zhao had a veil on her face, so her appearance could not be seen clearly, but just by looking at her bright eyes and figure, one could tell that she was as beautiful as the rumors said, as bright as the moon.

The people of the Holy City looked down on the Ujiri tribe, and Princess Wen Zhao was the first woman in these days who did not laugh out loud when he saluted.

Mopido suddenly asked, "General, is the rumor about Princess Wen Zhao and the king true or false?"

Bi Suo smiled and said, "How can you take rumors seriously?"

After saying this, his heart skipped a beat and he looked at Mobido.

Mobido looked at him with a calm expression, and a sharp edge flashed on his young face.

Bi Sa frowned.

The three of them returned to Wangsi together. Yuanjue happened to be walking out from the direction of Talin. When he saw Yaoying, his face changed and he coughed a few times, saying, "Didn't the princess go out of town today? Why are you back so early?"

Yaoying looked up. The sky was filled with sunset glow, the setting sun was shining obliquely, and a layer of golden light was floating on the tall tower.

She came back early?

Yuanjue's face flushed slightly and his eyes avoided.

Yaoying thought about it and guessed that someone might have come to the temple. She had to avoid it and said, "I'll go back from the torture hall."

You won't meet outsiders there.

Yuanjue didn't say anything and his face turned even redder.

After Yaoying and her guards turned around and left, Bisu took a quick look and asked, "Who's here?"

Yuan Jue let out a long breath and whispered, "Princess Manda from Tianzhu is here! She's in the main hall and hasn't left yet."

Bisa's brows furrowed even more tightly.

The author has something to say: The description of weapons in this article refers to relevant articles and has been exaggerated to a certain extent.