Chapter 78: Breaking the Formation (V)
Qin Jixun had just received the news, and his face looked a little unhappy. He turned around and saw the young couple coming out of the tent. He was stunned at first, and then asked, "Is Miss Ni going too?"
Ni Su was wearing a scarlet robe and armor, and her face seemed to be sallowed with powder, like a soldier. Duan Rong frowned when he saw her, "Miss Ni, this is not a joke. How can a weak woman like you follow us to the barbarian camp?"
Ni Su bowed to them, "I know the situation is serious, and I dare not cause trouble for you, but he is seriously ill, and I am his doctor. I must accompany him, so that the general and his plan can be more possible."
If she were there, Xu Hexue would not be bound by the restrictions, and there would be less risk of his ghostly body being discovered.
Qin Jixun and Duan Rong were both silent after hearing what she said.
"I'm sorry, Miss Ni, I'm too narrow-minded." Duan Rong said ashamedly.
Qin Jixun saw that Xu Hexue was also dressed as a soldier, but he was wearing a mask with green face and fangs, which completely covered his entire face.
"Mr. Ni, let's leave this matter to Duan Rong."
He said.
"General, don't you believe me?"
As Xu Hexue spoke, he put the general's cap on Ni Su's head. His movements were very gentle and almost meticulous.
“Not at all.”
Qin Jixun looked at him and sighed, "Young Master's illness has reached this stage, and there are tens of thousands of soldiers in my army, why should I ask you to take this risk? You should cherish the last..."
The last few days.
Qin Jixun didn't say it out loud, but Ni Su added this half sentence in her heart. She raised her head. The military cap was a bit heavy, and it even made her forehead feel a little uncomfortable. But the man in front of her took off his slightly loose scholar's clothes. This soldier's robe and armor were well-fitting, which set off his broad shoulders and narrow waist, and his handsome demeanor.
Although he died, his soul always maintained his appearance before his death, the appearance of a nineteen-year-old and the body of a young general.
In fact, he didn't even have his last days.
The hideous mask blocked his face. Under the dim sky, Ni Su could only see his eyes which were like a pool of still water. "I already cherish them very much."
"Tens of thousands of soldiers are waiting to kill the bandits. General, please do not hesitate at this moment. If this plan succeeds, General Qin can take advantage of the chaos to besiege Suchile. If it fails, you can also put the blame on me. At that time, please protect her well."
In fact, even Duan Rong, who had followed Qin Jixun for many years, was not sure at all that he could assassinate Song Song in the Hu army camp. He was also not sure whether this Master Ni could succeed this time. But the situation was critical now. If the Hu garrison at Juhan Pass surrounded them, both Yang Tianzhe's rebel army and his Yongzhou City would be in danger. For now, Qin Jixun could only trap Suchile first in order to delay time and seek help from the rear.
But in order to take action against Suchile, there must be a legitimate reason first, and Song Song is that reason.
Qin Jixun looked at Ni Su, "Don't worry, Master Ni. I will let Duan Rong protect Miss Ni. As soon as you sound the whistle, Dechang and I will come to your aid immediately!"
"But I just heard that Song Song changed his mind and didn't want to go alone. He insisted that Shen Tongchuan go with him."
Xu Hexue was not surprised and only asked, "Did Shen Tongchuan agree?"
"That's right."
Qin Jixun nodded.
The sky gradually became brighter. Song Song and Shen Tongchuan's carriage left Yongzhou City. Duan Rong led his men to follow them, while Xu Hexue and Ni Su were at the end of the team.
Duan Rong followed on horseback and saw Ni Su handing Xu Hexue a water bag. He thought it contained some medicine prepared in advance.
"Mr. Ni, are you okay?"
As he was about to leave the poplar forest to defend his territory, Duan Rong became more alert.
"fine."
Xu Hexue took a few sips of the reed dew. Ni Su reached out her hand, and he obediently handed the water bag back to her and put on the half-open mask again.
Duan Rong was behind them, thinking that Master Ni did not want others to see his damaged face, so he did not look at him for long. "I have said everything you asked me to say to Prefect Shen."
"Um."
Danqiu's flag was flying in the strong wind. The felt tents of the Hu people were just in the valley opposite the poplar forest. Song Song and Shen Tongchuan's carriage passed through the front of the defenders in the poplar forest. After going forward for a hundred miles, they saw Danqiu's soldiers lined up in front of them, with golden swords on their waists or holding long spears. They were like quietly lying mountains, with their black armor and inlaid fur edges fluttering in the wind, exuding a murderous atmosphere.
Song Song and Shen Tongchuan's carriage could not move forward any further, so the two were helped out of the carriage and walked forward with a group of personal soldiers and Duan Rong and others.
Ni Su was walking at the back and saw the Hu soldiers dispersing to the sides like dark clouds, gradually revealing the snow-white felt tent behind them against the sky.
Dark clouds covered the valley, leaving only a narrow path in the middle. The silent might was pressing towards the group of Qi troops coming from Yongzhou Pass under the cold and fierce gazes of the Hu soldiers.
"Prince, they are coming."
Lieutenant General Zhahe held the golden sword with one hand and whispered to the young prince sitting on the chair.
There was a falcon perched on Wuluosuqile's shoulder, and he held a piece of raw meat in his hand. When the falcon lowered its head to peck at the meat, he rubbed his bloody fingertips and opened his eyes.
"Master Song is very courageous."
He was smiling with his lips but not his eyes.
The wind blew the clouds and the dust flew. Song Song's robes were blown wildly. He lowered his head slightly and said, "Prince Suchile, I came here with the governor of Yongzhou today. Prince, this should be enough to show our sincerity."
Su Qile said with a hint of sarcasm, "Master Song, I have seen your sincerity twice before."
"There must be a misunderstanding."
Song Song remained calm, "We, the Great Qi, have signed an alliance with Danqiu to maintain friendly relations. If I make things difficult for the prince, wouldn't it damage the diplomatic relations between the two countries?"
"Okay, then Lord Song, can you please tell me what the misunderstanding is?"
"Ah, this is from the scouts we sent out earlier. They said that Yang Tianzhe's rebel army also brought some old, weak, women and children." Shen Tongchuan was stared at by Song Song, and he said, "After all, they are all Qi people. It is obvious that Yang Tianzhe is using those women and children to hold us hostage. Lord Song wanted to send troops, but he had to take into account the lives of those women and children, so he spent some time to find out the news."
Su Qile snorted and laughed, "So what information did you find out?"
Shen Tongchuan put his hands in his sleeves and cleared his throat. "The old, weak, women and children are fake, but the traitors are real. Yang Tianzhe just wants to take advantage of the opportunity to provoke a war between the two sides. Then, he can lead the rebel army to surrender to his homeland."
Su Qile narrowed his eyes and examined the prefect Shen for a moment, then picked up a piece of bloody meat and fed it to the falcon. "I believe you two adults also know that Yang Tianzhe is like a blade of grass, as you Qi people say. He is swaying left and right, and his heart is unstable. It is useless to use him. Only killing him will save trouble. Don't you think this is the truth?"
"Oh, yes, yes."
Shen Tongchuan nodded.
Song Song looked at Su Qile and said meaningfully, "Peace between Da Qi and Dan Qiu was not easy to come by. I am the military supervisor in Yongzhou, so I cannot be the one who destroys the diplomatic relations between the two countries. I believe that the prince has no such intention either."
There was no expression on Su Qile's face at first, until the falcon on his shoulder suddenly spread its wings and flew towards Song Song and others. For a moment, everyone hurriedly dodged.
Xu Hexue immediately pulled Ni Su behind him and moved a few steps with the crowd.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Suchile suddenly laughed.
Song Song's face looked a little bad. While adjusting his clothes and hat, he turned around and saw Su Qile standing up. He just held his knuckles and blew a short sound, and the falcon that was pecking at people flew back to his shoulder immediately.
"I'm sorry, Lord Song, but I, a hunting falcon, have a bad temper and sometimes I can't control it."
Su Qile's face was no longer gloomy, and he raised his eyebrows, "I am only guarding Juhan Pass under the order of my father. But you also know that General Aduorong was stationed at Juhan Pass before me. He died for no reason, and there are many complaints in the army. Moreover, he died in your Agate Lake. If I don't come to ask, how can I convince the people? You, Lord Song, dare not destroy the diplomatic relations between the two countries, so how dare I, Su Qile, destroy it easily?"
"Prince, since neither side wants to damage diplomatic relations, why would we risk murdering General Aduorong and abandoning his body in the Agate Lake? Isn't this a contradiction? This is all a misunderstanding."
Shen Tongchuan said.
Before Suchile could speak, everyone heard the neighing of a horse, and almost everyone's attention was attracted by the horse led by a Hu soldier.
The whole body is covered with snow-white hair, with almost no other color, but the mane looks a bit silver-gray, with a circle of colorful ribbon wrapped with gold thread underneath, and golden bells swing when it walks.
The brighter the sunlight, the smoother its fur becomes.
Under the mask, Xu Hexue's eyes were almost fixed on the white horse.
Shen Tongchuan 's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Prince, what a great horse."
"I heard that this is the best breed in the Western Regions, several times better than our Danqiu horses!" Su Qile looked back at the white horse, "This horse originally belonged to Aduorong. Speaking of which, it has some connection with you Qi people."
Su Qile turned his gaze back to Song Song and Shen Tongchuan, and asked meaningfully, "Do you know whose seed it is?"
Song Song and Shen Tongchuan looked at each other.
"Your Great Qi's Jade General Xu Hexue has a fine horse. It should be the only one who survived the battle at Mushen Mountain."
Suchile hid his smile.
The battle at Mushen Mountain was a battle in which both Yu Daqi and Danqiu suffered heavy losses.
The Jing'an Army of the Great Qi was completely wiped out, and Danqiu's general Meng Tuo and his soldiers were killed.
The expressions of Song Song and Shen Tongchuan both changed slightly.
At that time, Da Qi and Danqiu were at loggerheads, unlike today when they at least maintain superficial peace.
Song Song stood with his hands behind his back, "The government has stripped him of all his military honors and titles. This man is a more hateful and rebellious person than Yang Tianzhe."
"Yes, when two armies are at war, the worst thing to do is to turn against one's side in the middle of a battle."
Su Qile pulled the corner of his mouth, "If it were in Danqiu, this man's blood would be drained and used as a sacrifice in front of the battle line."
Ni Su heard their conversation. It was just some light words, but they weighed down her heart very heavily, crushing a name repeatedly in the dust and mud.
Xu Hexue beside her didn't react at all. He just looked at the horse. It suddenly seemed to go crazy and would not be restrained by the soldiers.
Suchile whipped the white horse with a whip, leaving a deep bloody mark on its body. It still neighed wildly and tried to struggle. Zah hurriedly called several warriors to subdue it.
"It's a bad breed with a rebellious nature, just like its father. Aduorong failed to subdue Xu Hexue's horse, so after mating, he simply killed the beast. I didn't expect that this little one is still disobedient." Su Qile sneered and threw the whip to Zhahe beside him. "I don't have the patience to tame it anymore. No matter how good a horse is, if it doesn't obey, fear, and doesn't know who its master is, it is a useless beast. It's better to kill it and eat its meat at night."
"Good horses are hard to come by, why don't you be more patient, Prince."
Shen Tongchuan looked at the white horse with mixed feelings.
Su Qile laughed and was too lazy to talk, but asked Song Song, "Since Lord Song is here today, please give me a clear answer. Yang Tianzhe, are you going to kill him or not?"
Before Song Song could speak, Shen Tongchuan spoke first, "Of course! Lord Song came here today to discuss with you, Prince, how to encircle and suppress Yang Tianzhe together!"
"Is that true?"
Su Qile stared at Song Song.
"Sir Song, if you decide to encircle and suppress Yang Tianzhe here today, Qin Jixun will have nothing to say. After all, you are here to negotiate today. If Qin Jixun refuses again, it will be unreasonable," Shen Tongchuan approached Song Song and whispered, "But Duan Rong beside him is here. You'd better go to the tent first and talk to Prince Suchile alone about Wei Zhan. Let Prince Suchile come out and make a statement later, saying that Wei Zhan's death has nothing to do with him. That way, everything will be fine. We can send troops to encircle and suppress Yang Tianzhe tonight. Sir Song, you don't have to worry. If anything happens, I'm still here."
Song Song pondered for a moment, stroking his beard, and felt that there was some truth in it, so he nodded and said to Su Qile, "Why don't I go into the tent with the prince and discuss the encirclement in detail?"
Su Qile was a little surprised that Song Song dared to enter his tent alone. But after hearing his promise, Su Qile's anxiety subsided a little. "Come on, prepare the wine and food!"
Song Song only brought one personal soldier with him, and Su Qile only had the deputy general Zhahe accompanying him in the tent. On the table was a roasted lamb.
The Hu woman at the side filled two glasses of wine and placed each one in front of Su Qile and Song Song.
Seeing Song Song take a sip of wine, he frowned, as if his throat was cut by the knife-like liquor. Su Qile said slowly: "Lord Song is not used to our Hu people's strong liquor, just as we Hu people can't stand your red tape. We have won the thirteen states in the north, but we have not yet fully educated the people in the thirteen states. This gave Yang Tianzhe an opportunity to rebel. We are already in such trouble in the thirteen states in the north, how can we have the mind to start a war again?"
"Besides, the previous king said that we can take the thirteen states without going deep into Da Qi. My father has always taken this as his motto, so he will never start a war again. But you, Lord Song, should also know that we, the Hu people, are easy-going by nature. There are many brave people in the tribes below. When their cattle and sheep are reduced or their pastures are in trouble, they will inevitably have some thoughts of plundering. But now that all 29 tribes have submitted to the royal court, this should be a good thing for your Da Qi. After all, with my father's supervision, the things that disturb your Da Qi's borders will become less and less."
"The prince is right."
Song Song smiled faintly, "Warfare is not beneficial to the country. It is both laborious and costly. Danqiu is willing to cultivate and recuperate with the people, and so is my Great Qi. If we can avoid war, we should still value peace."
Su Qile took a sip of the strong liquor and said, "Master Song, why don't we talk about how Qin Jixun, the general of your Yongzhou Army, plans to kill Yang Tianzhe with me?"
About a cup of tea's time passed after Su Qile and Song Song entered the tent. Shen Tongchuan and others were waiting outside. Duan Rong was feeling anxious, but for some reason, a sandstorm suddenly blew up.
The sandstorm became stronger and stronger, making it almost impossible to see.
Ni Su saw tiny particles of dust floating in the dust. She turned her head and saw his mask was cold and ferocious.
"Duan Rong, help me protect her."
Xu Hexue gave Duan Rong an instruction, but when Duan Rong turned around, he could not see his figure clearly in the wind and sand. The Hu defenders were like a gathering black cloud in the dust, blocking them behind.
No one could see clearly that Xu Hexue's body turned into mist and flowed into the big tent.
"As long as Prince Suchile says a word in front of Qin Jixun's people, as long as you and I can prove that Wei Zhan died at the hands of Yang Tianzhe, we can defeat Yang Tianzhe together tonight..."
Song Songzheng was talking to Suchile.
Su Qile couldn't help but snorted coldly, "You and I both know how Wei Zhan died. What's hateful is that Wei Dechang, even though his son died, he still listened to Qin Jixun's words."
"The Qin and Wei clans have been entrenched here for many years. The government originally took into consideration their deep-rootedness, so they allowed Qin and Wei to reside in Yongzhou together. But they are acting more and more without rules and are arrogant. Once this matter is resolved, I will definitely report them!" Song Song was very angry when he talked about Qin Jixun and Wei Dechang, a pair of brothers with different surnames.
"Are you sure it'll be okay if I say a word?"
Suchile tapped the table.
"Yes, as long as the prince has expressed his position, they have no evidence to prove that Wei Zhan died in your hands, and we can't delay any longer." When Song Song saw Su Qile stand up, he also straightened his official uniform and stood up.
In addition to Su Qile, Song Song and the other three people in the tent, there were two Hu women, but none of them saw the light mist floating and gradually condensing into a translucent figure.
Xu Hexue lowered her eyes and looked at the dagger in Su Qile's hand, which was still in her hand. It was stained with the fat of the roasted lamb and was shining under the lamp.
"Okay, then this prince will..."
Su Qile had a casual smile on his face, but it suddenly froze. He suddenly lowered his head and looked at his hand holding the handle of the knife.
His wrist bones seemed to be grasped by someone, with such force that it almost crushed his flesh and bones. He had almost no time to react and stretched out his arms uncontrollably.
Song Song's eyes widened, his smile disappeared, and was replaced by a look of disbelief.
He bowed his head.
The dagger in Suchile's hand pierced his chest, and bright red blood flowed out, soaking his official uniform.
"you,"
Song Song's beard trembled, "You..."
