Chapter 1 A Particularly Noisy Royal City

Tonight, Wangcheng was unusually noisy.

The leaders of the various tribes of the desert gathered here with their nobles, and the old barbarian king officially announced his abdication, letting his son inherit the great cause of the barbarian revival.

The Heir Apparent of the Zhenbei Royal Mansion personally helped the barbarians light the altar fire.

While bringing the cheers of countless barbarians in the city to the highest peak, it also attracted the Zhenbei Army, who were sharpening their knives.

Thirty thousand iron cavalry,

Thirty thousand veterans,

They had not experienced the casual southward advance into the Qian Kingdom, nor the bold and unrestrained feat of turning the tide in ten days and shattering half of the Jin territory. They had not seen the corpses of wild men filling the Wangjiang River, nor had they witnessed the night in Yingdu when the fire turned the night into day.

But they were not idle. Like their fathers, their grandfathers, and their ancestors, they had been wandering on the edge of the desert, facing the sky full of wind and sand, vigilantly staring at the nation that, although declining, still had extremely strong foundations.

Li Bao, Li Fusheng, and Li Lianshen, all three garrisons had deployed.

And this garrison, as the close guard of the Marquis’s mansion, was the true essence of the 300,000-strong Zhenbei Army.

The Jingnan Prince entered the capital, bringing 10,000 elite troops with him, but he didn't take any back, leaving them all in the capital, and even giving the royal decree to Zheng Fan.

Without discussing the various reasons, the most fundamental reason was that it was unnecessary to bring them along.

Because in Beifeng County, there was a more suitable army.

They were accustomed to the climate and sandstorms of the desert, accustomed to riding and fighting on the desert, inheriting the horsemanship and archery skills of the previous generation, and they had never neglected their training in the slightest.

To a certain extent, this Zhenbei Army was more like barbarians than the barbarians themselves.

The old barbarian king had just said at the ceremony,

The previous generation of Zhenbei Marquis really liked to lead troops into the desert to forcibly start wars and fight when nothing was happening. That period was truly humiliating.

With this generation of Zhenbei Marquis, it was much better.

In the eyes of the old barbarian king, this was because this generation of Zhenbei Marquis stood with the emperor of the Yan Kingdom. Their goal was no longer to defend against threats from the desert, but to unify the various Xia tribes of the East.

But the emperor of Great Yan never took his eyes off the desert for a moment.

The Marquis of Zhenbei of Great Yan also never forgot his family's ancestral instructions.

Yes,

After Li Liangting succeeded as the head of the Marquis's mansion, he was much quieter than when his father was around.

But in reality, the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion's infiltration of the desert was even stronger.

The years of using swords and horses to declare strength had passed, and what needed to be proven had long been proven. Therefore, what Li Liangting was doing was weaving a net in the desert.

It was under Li Liangting's leadership that the Zhenbei Army began to extensively absorb foreign races into the army for service.

Gou Moli, the Wild Man King of that year, was able to become an auxiliary soldier under the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion and learn the art of military formations because of this opportunity.

At the same time, the relationship between the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion and the desert naturally began to become closer.

Before the trampling of the aristocratic families, knowledgeable people had submitted letters saying that the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion was raising bandits to gain self-importance. The Marquis's mansion, which was originally suppressing the barbarians, had begun to get closer and closer to the barbarians and the desert, and its intentions were punishable!

But it was precisely because of this net, this layer of relationship,

That,

These 30,000 elite soldiers of the Zhenbei Army were able to enter the desert silently, bypass the west side of the royal court, and launch an attack.

This involved the Marquis's mansion's collection of information on the desert's geography, terrain, and other aspects over the past hundred years. After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is essential for victory.

But even more important was the profound relationship that had been established, which played a huge role at this time.

Some tribes helped to conceal their tracks,

Some tribes prepared and supported them with food and grass in advance,

Some tribes were originally responsible for guarding the royal court, but they deliberately turned a blind eye.

In fact,

Before the Yan Emperor's death, the reason why Sixth Prince was able to detect his father's intention to use troops against the desert early on was because of the trade routes.

During this period, merchants, especially multinational merchants, often carried the meaning of official spies.

They were responsible for colluding with local dignitaries and building good relationships with barbarian nobles, and these relationships were always there, waiting for the day they could be realized.

For a hundred years,

Pressure from the East and the West had made the loosely organized barbarians consciously begin to integrate.

The barbarians were much larger than the wild men. As a powerful race that once stood above the East and the West, they had more ambitious people.

They saw the way out for the barbarians, which was unity.

But unfortunately,

In any race, in any country, there would always be rats, always be short-sighted people.

Eternal foundations were too far away; they were only willing to live for the moment.

Moreover,

The barbarian royal city had never really been repaired.

The barbarians themselves were not all like Sha Tuo Queshi in the past, shouting loudly: I am a barbarian from the desert.

And the royal court, in order to flaunt its military strength, sent 50,000 elite troops to the east to exchange pieces with Li Chenghui.

At the same time, it further drew on the outer defensive forces, trying to prop up the strength of the royal court. This also weakened the royal court's perception and vigilance of the periphery to a certain extent.

In addition, there was one point that the two princes had not anticipated.

That was that throughout the entire day today, the warriors loyal to the royal court, learning from the Yan people, had conducted a lengthy military exercise in neat formations. After a day of tossing and turning, and rehearsals that had been going on for a long time, they were already extremely exhausted.

Many people fell asleep directly after it was over. Those who didn't sleep were already drunk and in a mess, taking advantage of the wine distributed by the higher-ups today.

So,

Yes,

This was indeed the moment when the barbarians were about to become stronger,

But at the same time,

It was also the moment when the barbarians were at their weakest.

Normally, these 30,000 iron cavalry, no matter how elite they were, were not monsters with three heads and six arms, nor were they all experts of high rank. When the two sides lined up their troops and faced off, it was impossible for a team of elite soldiers to directly take the head of the opposing commander.

Zu Zhuming had submitted a memorial to the Qian Emperor regarding the affairs of the three borders. He said that he admired the response tactics of General Nian Yao of the Chu Kingdom.

He also said that the Southern Prince Tian Wujing of the Yan Kingdom had been invincible since he started using troops, but he had fought the most difficult battle under Zhennan Pass. If it hadn't been for the spies in the Chu Kingdom and the Marquis of Pingxi's detour, Zhennan Pass would have been enough to wear down most of the Yan people's vitality.

But tonight,

On this boundless desert,

These 30,000 Zhenbei Army iron cavalry were a sharp steel knife. As the first batch of knights charged into the outer barbarian camps, it marked that the steel knife had entered the flesh!

"Kill!"

"Kill the barbarians!"

"Kill the barbarians!"

At this moment, there was no need to cut, nor to make detailed tactical plans. All that needed to be done was to kill, to chop down the barbarians running in front of your horse's head, and clear a path to advance towards the interior of the royal city.

The barbarian warriors on the periphery were either still in their dreams or drunk. Facing the suddenly emerging Zhenbei Army iron cavalry, they had no ability to resist at all and were directly crushed and trampled under the night.

The first batch of Zhenbei Army knights charged into the royal city almost without encountering any obstacles.

The walls of the royal city were really just a joke. Some places had been dilapidated for years, some places could be jumped over with a single leap on horseback, and there were large areas of gaps. Some military tents were erected there on weekdays just to make a gesture, and there weren't even any city gates.

In the past, the capital of the Chu Kingdom, Yingdu, was too large and too prosperous, so it was easy to attack but difficult to defend.

And today's barbarian royal court was too broken and too incomplete, making it impossible to defend at all.

The Zhenbei Army soldiers who had entered the royal city ruthlessly wielded their sabers.

Men,

Women,

Children,

In their eyes,

All those who could move, cry, or shout,

Were all targets of slaughter!

There was no mercy here. Mercy had long lost its space to survive in the centuries-old blood feud between the Yan people and the barbarians.

Here,

There was no benevolence or righteousness either.

Eternal achievements and great deeds recorded in history were cherished like gold, and a ruler and a country could not afford to waste the words benevolence and righteousness, as they were far too extravagant.

Sun Ying, while accompanying Marquis Zheng on his journey to the capital, had proposed to Marquis Zheng the conjecture that the Yan Emperor intended to send troops against the barbarians, based on his father's instructions.

Marquis Zheng did not feel any abruptness about this, nor did he think that suddenly sending troops to launch a surprise attack under the premise of affectionate marriage alliances and agreements was any kind of unbenevolent or unjust act.

Because Marquis Zheng remembered that in another time and space history that he was familiar with, when Emperor Taizong of Tang destroyed the Turkic people, he enthusiastically negotiated peace with Khagan Ilterish, agreeing to his surrender, while ordering Li Jing to take advantage of the opportunity to launch an iron cavalry raid to destroy the Turkic people.

How could creatures like emperors care about this? After thousands of years, it would be nothing more than the winner being crowned king and the loser being condemned. Who would cling to this little bit of black material? Furthermore, how many people would remember this not-so-glorious detail?

The youngest daughter of the old barbarian king was married to the eldest prince of the Ji family.

The daughter of the little prince was also married to the heir apparent of the Li family.

But this further illustrated that relying on women and marriage alliances was impossible to obtain so-called peace and recognition.

This point,

The barbarians were clear about, and the Yan people were even clearer about.

The barbarians were afraid of the Yan people becoming strong, even to the point of truly unifying the East, because the Yan people who became strong would inevitably come to seek revenge.

The Yan people would not allow the barbarians to unite either. The Yan people still remembered how much pressure the united barbarians had put on Great Yan.

What is a blood feud?

As long as I have the opportunity, as long as I have the strength, I will definitely draw my knife against you!

The shouts of killing,

Came from all directions of the royal city.

Li Fei stood on the altar,

He was like an observer, watching the barbarian nobles who had been cheering and dancing happily before, and watching their current panic and fear.

Before leaving, his mother and sister were extremely worried about his safety, and he himself was actually a little apprehensive.

But at this moment,

He suddenly felt that his own safety was unimportant.

Being able to see this scene was worth dying for.

Even,

His new wife, the brother-in-law to whom he had sent a dagger, that Yi Gu Xie who had previously thought of helping him cover up a bit and taking his place to light the fire,

He didn't care much anymore either.

He just wanted to sit here and wait for death.

Not because he was tired, but because of the catharsis of reaching the peak of his spirit, his mind had begun to become numb to other things.

Once again,

He regretted that he didn't have the talent of the Marquis of Pingxi,

He couldn't write poetry, nor could he paint.

What a waste of such a good scene.

However, what was surprising was that at this time, the barbarian nobles below seemed to have ignored the Heir Apparent on the altar.

Not everyone had forgotten; some people remembered, but they didn't bother to pay attention.

Because that Heir Apparent was right there. If the Yan army really cared about the Heir Apparent's life or death, they wouldn't have thrown him here in advance. He was being used as a consumable.

Therefore, using this Heir Apparent to threaten the Yan army was a joke. His father didn't care about his life or death at all. What was the point of threatening him?

The Yan army's speed was very fast, and the shouts of killing were very close to here all of a sudden.

The nobles could now only use the guards around them, even the barbarian little prince was the same.

The outer army couldn't be mobilized at all at this moment. You didn't even know where they had scattered to.

Li Fei remembered that the old scholar had taught them many previous wars in the books. What Chen Xianba couldn't understand the most was why, when the army was suddenly attacked, the main general would actually run away in a panic, abandoning his army?

That was too useless; it was simply a waste.

The old scholar didn't understand military matters and couldn't explain it.

But today,

Li Fei understood.

It wasn't that the main general wanted to run away, but that at this moment, even though he knew that he had more troops around him, he simply couldn't mobilize them. What was the point of having more troops?

The nobles below were preparing to break through.

Li Fei also stood up.

With one kick,

He first kicked over the big iron basin in front of him, letting the flames fall freely.

Then,

He picked up the wooden stick and tore off the half-blackened horn of the pixiu.

It was a pity that,

The Heir Apparent of the Li family didn't know martial arts and was still a cripple. He wanted to try to save the horn, which symbolized the Yan people's totem, but instead, he missed his footing on the altar.

In that instant,

Li Fei felt extremely ashamed.

Under this good situation,

Even,

Under the situation where no one cared about him,

He could have sat there and continued to hide, but instead, he was about to fall to his death!

This Heir Apparent of his was really letting his ancestors down.

He didn't catch the horn, and he fell down.

Fortunately, Li Fei hadn't yet cultivated his mind to the point of seeking benevolence and obtaining it. He grabbed wildly with both hands, breaking whatever he grabbed, but in the end, he slowed down the momentum of his fall a lot. When he finally smashed down, he even smashed into two sheep that were used as sacrifices.

But even so, his body was still jolted, and he almost fainted.

"Husband, husband…"

Yi Guna immediately came over to help Li Fei up.

Li Fei's consciousness was finally restored. The detached emotions he had felt on the altar had vanished in an instant. He immediately grabbed Yi Guna's hand,

And said:

"Let's hide, let's hide first. You won't be okay, Yi Guna, you won't be okay."

The calm decision and the scene of entrusting his family that the Zhenbei Prince's Princess and the County Princess had guessed did not appear, because at this time, the old barbarian king and the little prince had already been crowded away from here at the first moment of the riot.

At this moment, there was no need to care about family members or children.

Yi Guna was also extremely flustered at this time. She could hear from the shouts of the surrounding tribesmen that the Zhenbei Army had come to kill, but she instinctively grabbed her husband's arm, pulled him up, and took him to hide in a tent.

Outside, it was chaotic, with shouts of killing and screams everywhere.

Li Fei was held in Yi Guna's arms.

Yes,

The posture was correct.

"Husband, is it your people who have come to kill?"

"It's my father's people who have come to kill. Don't worry, I will protect you. Mother also said that she would accept you as her daughter-in-law, and my sister also said that."

"So, husband, you already knew that this scene would happen, right?"

"Yes."

"Grandfather was right. The Yan people are more cruel than the most cunning wolves on the desert."

Just then, a commotion of fighting came from the entrance of the tent, and then, a teenager was kicked in.

"Protect the young master!"

"Protect the young master!"

Outside, there were more shouts of killing from the barbarian warriors.

The teenager who fell in raised his head and immediately saw his sister. His face immediately lit up with joy, but then, when he saw the man in his sister's arms, his face immediately showed anger.

"Yan dog, I will kill you!"

The teenager had an arrow wound on his chest, but at this time, he still clenched his knife and slashed at Li Fei.

Li Fei wanted to dodge, but at this moment, he was held tightly by Yi Guna.

"Husband, don't dodge. I will die with you."

"........." Li Fei.

Li Fei didn't want to die. To be precise, he really had a feeling of inner ascension when he was on the altar, but after falling down, he wanted to live, he wanted to live with the woman beside him, and with this brother-in-law in front of him.

This was a war between two countries, no, two races. Ethics and morality, killing and salvation, were often so distorted and complex, and even incomprehensible.

"Bang!"

Suddenly,

A Zhenbei Army knight's warhorse had its leg broken, and the warhorse and the man smashed into the tent together.

The tent was overturned,

Splintered wood flew everywhere. Li Fei closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he found that his brother-in-law had also fallen to the side, spitting blood.

At this moment, the Right Guli King Saboduo with red hair appeared and lifted Yi Gu Xie with his left hand.

"Young master, the king sent me to save you and leave here."

Then,

Saboduo's gaze fell on Li Fei, who was curled up in the corner with Yi Guna in his arms.

"Little bastard, you dare to deceive my barbarians!"

With a flip of his right hand, a bone club fell into his palm, and he smashed it directly at Li Fei!

Saboduo was the Right Guli King, and his strength naturally didn't need to be said. With this club down, not only Li Fei, but also Yi Guna beside him, would be turned into a puddle of minced meat!

Yi Gu Xie, who was being held by Saboduo, immediately shouted:

"Don't!"

He didn't want his sister to die a tragic death either.

But Saboduo didn't stop. Yi Gu Xie was a male member of the royal family of the Golden Tent, so he was naturally important. Yi Guna was just a woman who had been sent out.

"Bang!"

"Boom!"

Suddenly,

The bone club in Saboduo's hand was knocked away,

And his whole body retreated several steps in a row.

Li Fei thought he was dead for sure. When he opened his eyes, he saw a majestic man with white hair wearing gilt armor and holding a long saber standing in front of him.

Tian Wujing held Kunwu,

Looking at the Right Guli King in front of him, who had Western mixed blood,

Said:

"Who is more like a bastard?"

——————

There is another chapter tonight!!!