"Songzhi Xian Ling? " This was a completely unfamiliar name. Fan Xian thought of someone named Songtsen Gampo and shook his head, asking, "This is a language from the grasslands..."

His brow suddenly arched. He thought that if this mysterious figure came to the grasslands from elsewhere, then this alias must have its own true meaning: "However, it should have its own meaning."

"This is the tribal language of our brothers to the north, not the language of the grasslands," Hu Ge said earnestly as he sheathed his curved saber. "I've been investigating for three months and have confirmed that this person came to the grasslands with the northern tribes. I'm not entirely sure what 'Songzhi Xian Ling' means, but 'Xian Ling' should mean 'flickering.'"

Fan Xian frowned. Flickering… shiny, shiny diamonds? He immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion, not associating flickering with a descriptor, or some kind of implied dynamic, such as flowers blooming?

This proved that the Hu people tribes had not yet completely unified their language, which would indeed bring trouble to many. Fan Xian had a bit of a headache. The information at hand was too little. What could be achieved knowing only a name? He helplessly raised his eyes and looked at Hu Ge, saying, "Are the brothers from the north still migrating to the grasslands?"

Hu Ge nodded solemnly, "This is the fourth year. In the first year, the brothers from the north came to scout the way. There weren't many people. The second year, the warriors among the brothers from the north arrived. This batch had the largest number. And in these recent two years, it's been mainly the old people, women, and children who stayed in the north, migrating laboriously along the passage opened on the side of Tianmai."

"If...if 'Songzhi Xian Ling' is a member of the northern tribes, then in which year did he arrive on the grasslands?"

"It should be with the previous batch, because although this person is mysterious, since he can influence the decisions of the royal court, he must have the absolute support of the northern brothers behind him, otherwise who would listen to him?"

"Are you saying..." Fan Xian stared into Hu Ge's eyes, "The northern brothers have gained a foothold on the grasslands and have been recognized by the royal court?"

"This is a natural thing. They are very brave. Although their numbers are only in the tens of thousands, almost everyone is a warrior. Also, their tribes are more united than the people on the grasslands, and they are not greedy for water and grass areas. Both the royal court and the two wise kings welcome their arrival."

Hu Ge said very seriously: "Moreover, the northern brothers never participate in the internal strife on the grasslands, so they are the target of all parties to win over. Although their voices are still calm, in the ears of people like us, they seem to be getting louder and louder."

Fan Xian nodded and said nothing. The source of Qing Yu Nian's tense situation in the western regions was because of the continuous years of natural disasters in Northern Qi, with heavy snows sealing off the plains, forcing those northern barbarians to migrate thousands of miles to the grasslands. The ferocity of the Western Hu and the strength of the Northern Man combined put great pressure on the borders of Qing Yu Nian.

He felt a chill in his heart. If the Hu people really united, Qing Yu Nian would really be in big trouble. Originally, after decades of conquest by Qing Yu Nian, the Hu people had long been weakened, and with the Surveillance Institute's thirty years of unwavering instigation and poisonous schemes, the Western Hu were not a cause for concern. No one would have thought that the arrival of the Northern Man was like injecting a shot of adrenaline into these Hu people, and that Songzhi Xian Ling seemed to have a way to bridge the divisions between the Hu people.

"Tell me about the current situation on the grasslands," Fan Xian said, looking at Hu Ge in front of him, his face calm, but thinking in his heart that even if Songzhi Xian Ling could temporarily unite the Hu people, since he had found Hu Ge, he would definitely be able to tear open a big hole in the Hu people's interior again.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help feeling a little excited. If the grasslands were a game of chess, then next would be him and that Songzhi Xian Ling making moves, back and forth, to see who would win in the end.

Of course, it would be him, Fan Xian thought. He must win, because he keenly caught the deepest calculations hidden by that Songzhi Xian Ling, and greatly loathed the other party's intentions.

…

…

The diurnal temperature variation in the western regions was extremely large. The sun moved slowly, as if issuing some kind of instruction to the temperature of Dingzhou City, gradually becoming hot, gradually cooling. When the shadow of the earthen wall in the city grew longer and longer, the sun went down to the west, and the temperature became lower and lower, Fan Xian's first meeting with Hu Ge also came to an end.

Recalling the information he had obtained from Hu Ge, Fan Xian confirmed that the trip had been very rewarding. After confirming the method of contact with the other party, as well as the details of the contact, he began to make the final exchange of benefits.

Whether it was gold, silver, and jewels, silks and satins, tea bricks, or porcelain, it was a big hassle to transport them to the grasslands and deliver them to Hu Ge without anyone knowing. Fortunately, although the grasslands and Qing Yu Nian had been at war for decades, because Qing Yu Nian had always occupied an absolute advantage, the tribes on the grasslands had long been accustomed to paying tribute, and trade between the two sides had never stopped.

In other words, while the two sides were shooting poison arrows at each other at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, perhaps on the other side of the mountains, merchants were working hard to set off for the grasslands, transporting goods from the heart of the Central Plains and exchanging them for furs and other things. War and commerce did not hinder each other.

It was just that it was a little difficult to smuggle important materials such as ironware, salt, and grain privately, but since Fan Xian had His Majesty's personal edict, he naturally didn't care about these things.

Hearing Fan Xian's last sentence, Hu Ge frowned and said, "Lord Supervisor, I only told you this route because there is trust between us. I hope you won't let me down... If you really let me down, believe me, without the royal court mobilizing troops, I can eliminate you on the grasslands."

Fan Xian knew what this Hu expert was afraid of and shook his head, saying, "Don't worry, although the scenery over there is beautiful, I'm not used to drinking horse milk wine and have no interest in taking an army over there."

Having received the promise, Hu Ge relaxed a little, picked up the wine bowl, toasted Fan Xian, and then drank it all in one gulp. The wine spilled down, wetting his beard and lapel.

Fan Xian smiled, picked up the wine bowl, and prepared to end the transaction, but unexpectedly heard a very slight whistle coming from outside the shop. His brow immediately furrowed, and he put the wine bowl back on the table.

The whistle was very soft, like a shepherd herding camels, and did not attract the attention of Hu Ge's people. Hu Ge noticed that Fan Xian had put the wine bowl back on the table, and his heart shivered. He thought the other party still had some conditions. He thought to himself that the Qing people were indeed cunning and always liked to demand exorbitant prices.

Unexpectedly, Fan Xian looked at him and said, "Are there any problems with the people you brought?"

Hu Ge's expression froze slightly, realizing that there was a problem outside the shop. He shook his head and said, "They are all lads from the tribe scattered all over the place. There's absolutely no problem." Knowing the urgency of the matter, he began to pack his things, preparing to escape. If the military and political authorities of Dingzhou City knew that he was in the city, they would definitely try to capture him at all costs.

The two sides had fought fiercely in recent years. If they could capture the number one expert under the Left Worthy King, Dingzhou City would be overjoyed.

Fan Xian watched his movements but did not get up. He lowered his head and said softly, "They're still outside the street. The encirclement hasn't formed yet. You go from behind the house. I'll hold them off for you for a while."

Hu Ge looked at him, feeling somewhat strange. He had risked coming to Dingzhou today, but he never thought that the person meeting him would actually be Fan Supervisor of the Qing Yu Nian Surveillance Institute, such a distinguished figure.

But precisely because Fan Xian had personally come forward, Hu Ge placed more trust in the other party, which would be of great benefit to future cooperation between the two sides.

"I won't see you off." Fan Xian picked up the wine bowl and said, "Be careful on the way. We'll meet again another day."

Hu Ge nodded heavily, took a heavy package handed over by Mu Feng'er, put his fingers into his lips and whistled, lifted the curtain, and burrowed into the back of the mutton shop along the earthen cave. At the same time, some inconspicuous Hu merchants or shop assistants outside the mutton shop also mingled into the crowd at the same time.

"They are used to hiding everywhere. After all, the tribe has been slaughtered for several years. If they want to restore the tribe, there are always many things that can't be seen in the light." Mu Feng'er looked at Fan Xian, who was drinking with his head lowered, knowing what the lord was worried about, and said, "They reported the crime early. Dingzhou won't be able to catch him."

Fan Xian nodded. At this moment, the Surveillance Institute subordinates dressed as Central Plains merchants hurried in to report: "The school guards of the West Camp have entered Earth Street and will be here soon."

Mu Feng'er glanced at Fan Xian, meaning to see if they should withdraw at this time.

Fan Xian shook his head. Since the Dingzhou army had targeted his group, the caravan previously left at the earthen wall was also under their control. The three of them came to the mutton shop, but left a few Sixth Division subordinates behind, following from afar, in order to prevent any accidents. Now that the two sides had met, there was no need to withdraw.

Moreover, for the safety of Hu Ge's group, Fan Xian had to delay these Qing Yu Nian troops who were arresting spies for a while.

"If the other party doesn't make a heavy move, we won't move."

Fan Xian took a sip of wine and said to his subordinates. Mu Feng'er and the few Surveillance Institute officials looked at each other and nodded.

At this moment, all they heard was a chaotic noise outside the mutton shop, and the sound of horses' hooves rang out in alarm. He didn't know how many people had rushed over and surrounded the shop from the front and back. He vaguely heard an official shouting loudly, as if he had discovered that a target had already left the mutton shop.

Fan Xian frowned, feeling very troubled. He stood up from the earthen kang, turned around, pulled open a bamboo slat on the cool mat from under his buttocks, and walked outside the shop.

Outside the shop was a scene of murderous intent. As many as two hundred Dingzhou soldiers surrounded the shop, holding spears aimed at the few people who walked out of the shop. The tips of the spears shone with cold light, and it seemed that they could stab these Central Plains merchants into mincemeat at any time.

Outside the encirclement were the law-abiding commoner merchants, looking at this scene curiously and nervously, not knowing why the people from the Great General's Mansion would mobilize such a large formation to deal with these few merchants. Smart people, of course, had already guessed that the identities of these merchants were probably not that simple.

"Don't let anyone suspect the escaped Hu Ge because of their own existence." This was the true meaning hidden in the order that Fan Xian had previously given. This nail that the Surveillance Institute had hidden in the Western Hu was too important, so much so that Fan Xian didn't dare to trust anyone, let alone be watched by so many people.

A soldier approached the school officer's ear and said something. The school officer's eyes lit up, presumably confirming the other party's identity. He looked at Fan Xian and his group and said in a cold voice, "Come on, take down these spies for me!"

Fan Xian looked at the soldier's face and recognized that the other party was a soldier guarding the city gate at the east gate. It was this person who had reviewed the documents of his group entering the city. He immediately knew where the problem was and couldn't help but smile helplessly, looking at Mu Feng'er.

Mu Feng'er knew that some loopholes had appeared in his detail handling, which had aroused Dingzhou's suspicion. He was extremely annoyed and afraid of angering the lord. His face became even more ugly. Surrounded by countless spears, he looked at the school officer with a cold face. His eyes looked like he was going to bring a bowl of water later and swallow the other party alive.

The school officer didn't know the psychological activities of these few merchants. He wasn't afraid of the other party's expression at all. He was even more sure that these few merchants were strange. While preparing to give the order to send out some subordinates to continue to capture the escaped people, he urged his horse and came to the merchants.

He couldn't let the Dingzhou army chase Hu Ge. Fan Xian frowned. Mu Feng'er received the order, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and his feet rubbed against the ground. The yellow sand appeared three times, and the whole person had already turned up like a gray shadow. He pressed his palm on the horse's head, and a short knife flew out of his sleeve, and he was about to subdue the extremely careless school officer.

Who knew that since the school officer dared to come before everyone alone on horseback, he naturally had great confidence in his skills. Suddenly seeing the change, he was not surprised at all. He lifted the scabbard with one hand and patted Mu Feng'er's wrist, and his right hand left the rein and went straight to Mu Feng'er's throat. His attack was so clean and neat that it was actually authentic Ye family grappling skills.

This school officer's martial arts were indeed strong, but he only thought that these few merchants might be spies, and he didn't think of their true identities at all, so he was inevitably a little careless.

He blocked Mu Feng'er, but he couldn't stop the few black shadows that rose up almost at the same time as Mu Feng'er. All he heard was a few hissing sounds, and the few shadows arrived on the horse that the school officer was riding at the same time, grabbing the hands, strangling the throat...

The swordsmen and assassins of the Sixth Division broke out and attacked, which even Fan Xian was a little afraid of, let alone this inconspicuous soldier in Dingzhou City.

With a wail, the horse suddenly realized that there were four people standing on its back, where could it bear it? Its front hooves softened and it fell down.

A cloud of smoke rose up, and the Dingzhou soldiers were shocked. They watched their leader being easily captured by those few spies.

Mu Feng'er grabbed the school officer's scabbard, held the short knife in his hand across the other party's neck, and shouted to the Dingzhou soldiers rushing over: "Come over if you're not afraid of death."

The school officer's face was pale. He didn't expect that he couldn't stop these spies with one move. He gritted his teeth and shouted to his subordinates: "Arrest these people!"

He now believed that these people were not just spies, but very powerful spies. For the sake of the safety of Dingzhou City, how could he care about his own life and death?

He didn't care, Fan Xian cared. If a conflict really broke out, the Dingzhou army would certainly not be able to keep his few people, but how would he explain it to the imperial court in the future?

"We are not spies." Fan Xian stepped forward and said to everyone gently: "We are just merchants."

At this time, being disturbed like this, the general's order to pursue was not sent out in time, and Hu Ge and his group should have safely escaped the encirclement. Fan Xian's mood also stabilized a lot. He signaled the people under his command to put down their weapons and smiled at the brave school officer: "This military master, my subordinates are all reckless people and have startled you."

Naturally, no one believed this kind of statement. No matter how reckless the Jianghu people were, they would not dare to attack the imperial court's army.

The school officer touched his tight throat and found that he was still surrounded by these spies. He looked at the leading Fan Xian fiercely and said, "See where else you can escape to?"

"We're not escaping. We're really just merchants. We just overreacted earlier." After saying this, Fan Xian couldn't help but want to cry. Hu Ge ah Hu Ge, this young master has caused a lot of trouble for you.

"Is that so? Which family's merchants are you?" The school officer looked at Fan Xian gloomily. He didn't seem to worry about his own safety at all. The Dingzhou soldiers on the periphery didn't know what was being said here. They just rushed to report to the Great General's Mansion and arranged the surrounding encirclement matters. Naturally, no one paid attention to the people who might have escaped from the back of the shop.

"The Xiong family of Lingnan," Mu Feng'er opened his mouth.

"Since you are merchants, come with me to the mansion for inspection." The school officer's teeth were about to be crushed. He roared angrily, "Otherwise, you will be killed on the spot!"

In his opinion, these spies were probably about to start breaking out, but because they were controlling themselves, it was inconvenient for those subordinates to take action, but in any case, he proposed that these merchants go back to the Great General's Mansion with him for questioning, and the other party would definitely not accept it.

Unexpectedly, the young and handsome merchant nodded slightly after thinking for a while and said, "Okay, we are law-abiding merchants and are naturally willing to explain ourselves."

The school officer frowned, not knowing what these spies were thinking in their hearts. Didn't they know that once they were caught, what awaited them was endless beatings and interrogation? However, since the other party was so confused and stupid, the school officer would naturally not miss this opportunity.

"Tie your own hands," he shouted loudly, looking at Fan Xian.

…

…

Fan Xian, this merchant, was very well-behaved, really well-behaved, even more well-behaved than in front of the emperor, obediently letting the Dingzhou soldiers tie him into a zongzi, and he was even hit hard on the shoulder by a soldier, which really hurt a bit.

The Surveillance Institute officials under him were also very honest, obediently surrendering without a trace of struggle, which made the Dingzhou soldiers a little confused.

Of course, because these merchant-like spies had once subdued their immediate superior with one move, these soldiers were not polite and secretly used some heavy hands while tying them up.

Fan Xian stood next to the school officer and pleaded, "Don't hit people."

The school officer glared at him, unable to figure out how this spy had such great courage. It was a small matter to resist on the street, but at this time, he could still talk to himself so calmly.

"There's still someone in the shop who was knocked unconscious by us. Don't forget to take him back together." At this time, Fan Xian was more like a staff officer of the Dingzhou army.

"Where did so much nonsense come from? You just wait to want to die but can't." He stared into Fan Xian's eyes and said viciously.

Fan Xian wasn't angry either. He smiled wryly and said, "The few merchants I brought into the city must have been caught by you, too. Please say a word and don't torture them."

The school officer looked at him mockingly, thinking that he had seen countless spies, but this was the first time he had seen someone so naive and ridiculous.

Fan Xian looked at him seriously and said, "We didn't kill you earlier, so how about you return us a favor?"

The school officer became more and more confused and felt a chill in his heart. He wondered if he had done something wrong, but he subconsciously stopped his subordinates from beating the spies.

…

…

Something big happened in Dingzhou City. Another batch of spies was captured. Although there were spies every year and new ones every month, the spies caught in the mutton shop today were different. First, they came from the heart of the Central Plains. It was unknown whether they wanted to do private salt business with the Western Hu or had bigger plans. Second, these spies were obviously strange.

The upper echelons of the Dingzhou army were even more interested in this batch of spies. They had always disagreed with the imperial court and the Surveillance Institute's conclusions. They believed that there was no god-like military advisor in the Western Hu royal court. The reason why the Hu people had been so powerful in recent years was entirely because someone inside the imperial court was colluding with them and providing them with large amounts of support.

And these merchant spies from Jiangnan and Kyoto seemed to confirm this even more clearly. This matter was of great importance, so before they had time to torture and interrogate these spies, the commander of the military in Dingzhou City today ordered the spies to be escorted back to the Great General's Mansion before the Governor's Office could reach out.

Snatching credit is actually the same in the front line or the rear.

The school officer escorted Fan Xian and his group into the Great General's Mansion and found that the interrogation was being conducted by the Great General himself today. He couldn't help but feel happy, thinking that although he had made a fool of himself today, he should still have more merit than fault for capturing these important figures.

"Haven't had time to ask yet?" The Great General sitting above ground his teeth grinding, "Then what are you waiting for? First break their legs, then give them thirty big boards, and then you can ask questions."

The Dingzhou soldiers in the hall shouted in unison, and they were about to take action.

The Great General spat and cursed, "Damn it, they don't even kneel in front of this general, and they're still so tough... What the hell is the Xiong family of Lingnan? Even if you're from Xia Mingji, this general will beat you without hesitation."

Both the imperial court and the military knew that Xia Mingji was Supervisor Fan's family property. There was basically no one in this world who dared not to give Fan Xian face, but strangely, the Great General's tone didn't seem like he was bragging.

Fan Xian raised his head with a bitter face, looked at the large bearded Western Expedition Great General, and thought to himself, how could this kid grow up so ugly? He sighed and said, "You can't beat me."

The Western Expedition Camp's Imperial Great General, Li Hongcheng, was drinking strong liquor in indignation, thinking to himself, why do these bastard Hu people always make it difficult for him to relax? Suddenly, he heard this sentence, and subconsciously looked down at the hall, but unexpectedly, he saw a somewhat familiar face.

The facial features on that face had changed somewhat, but the mischievousness in his eyes was as strong as it was back then.

Great General Li Hongcheng was stunned in the hall, standing there for a long time, and then spat out a mouthful of wine, spraying the face and body of that confidant school officer.