Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

Page 354

So, this piece of music is Cai Yan's "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute"! Could this Han woman be her?! Yan Qing felt his hands and legs trembling with excitement, and he could barely speak. Ignoring the Xiongnu soldier, Yan Qing paced back and forth in the tent alone. He had thought the vast grasslands would make it impossible to complete the mission, but unexpectedly, it came to him effortlessly! Cai Yan, whom the entire Xiongnu army desperately wanted to rescue, was nearby! How could he not be excited! The Xiongnu soldier watched curiously from the side, and after a while, quietly left.

It took Yan Qing a while to calm down. Based on this clue, Cai Yan was likely nearby, in some tribe. Now he had two tasks: first, to escape the confinement of these Xiongnu soldiers; second, to find Cai Yan and bring her back. Escaping was easy; Yan Qing wasn't too worried… but how to find her? Although she was nearby, Yan Qing, a Han Chinese, didn't know how to ask for directions. The yurts and tents were layered upon each other; he couldn't very well politely ask each one! If they discovered his escape, the camp would surely be under martial law, making his movements even more difficult.

· 0 flowers requested ···· ······

But there's no use in just worrying here. Staying in this tent for another month won't yield any perfect solutions. Besides, Fazheng has given him limited time. Once the army reaches the front lines, Fazheng will turn on him. When the two armies are engaged in a full-blown battle, what chance does he have to save anyone? He might even be sacrificed himself. He must act quickly.

.. .. .......

Yan Qing considered his options. Sneaking out now wouldn't be worthwhile; he'd be discovered quickly, as dinner was scheduled to begin in an hour or so. The Xiongnu soldiers bringing food would surely find him, reducing his activity time. He decided to wait until after dinner, kill the gatekeeper, and then quietly slip away, allowing him to operate throughout the night. Having made up his mind, Yan Qing quickly grabbed some cold meat and began to devour it, drinking a little wine. Since it was still early, Yan Qing decided to lie down and rest, conserving his energy for the evening's activities.

Having a plan of action was reassuring. Knowing that Cai Yan was nearby, Yan Qing felt much more at ease and less anxious. He quickly drifted off to sleep.

He was woken up by the same young Xiongnu soldier, the same one from noon, who brought the exact same dinner. The soldier slowly laid out the food and drink, and seeing that Yan Qing had just woken up, yawning as he began to eat, and seemed perfectly normal, the soldier left without worry. The young Xiongnu soldier lifted the yurt lid and went outside. Yan Qing glanced outside; it was getting dark, seemingly dusk.

Yan Qing began to eat his dinner slowly and methodically. Since he couldn't go out now, and it was still too bright, he decided to wait until it got dark. After a while, Yan Qing felt it was about time, so he took out his soft arrows, ready to act. Yan Qing initially wanted to just walk out; with his speed, the Xiongnu soldiers on guard duty wouldn't have time to react before they were shot dead. However, he reconsidered and thought it best to be cautious.

Chapter Seventy-Five: Night

Yan Qing walked around inside the yurt, looking for an exit. He kicked the yurt's "walls," finding them very sturdy. It seemed the Xiongnu had planned very carefully; it wouldn't be easy to carve a hole and escape. Besides, carving one would take too much time, and Yan Qing didn't want to bother.

He straightened his clothes, placed the soft arrow against his chest, ensuring he could draw it swiftly. Then he walked to the yurt door and opened it. Good heavens! The Xiongnu were indeed very cautious, and they valued him, the Han envoy, highly. Two Xiongnu soldiers, holding curved swords, were facing the door; the one in front seemed to be an officer, standing with his hands on his hips, watching. Several Xiongnu soldiers stood around, five or six in Yan Qing's field of vision.

"What are you doing!" The Xiongnu man was also quite frightened, shouting and retreating slightly. Yan Qing noticed that his hand holding the knife was trembling slightly. "427 wine! Wine!" Yan Qing hurriedly shouted in broken Xiongnu language, while slowly bowing as he came out.

Upon hearing this, the officer hurriedly said, "Wait a moment... Hey! Don't come out! Go back!" He was about to push and shove when Yan Qing, taking advantage of the chaos, suddenly leaped up and slammed his foot hard into the captain's head. The captain fell limply to the ground with a thud. Before the other soldiers could react, Yan Qing kicked two more Hun soldiers, and the two closest to him also fell to the ground. Yan Qing looked around and saw five or six more soldiers; it seemed he had no choice but to kill them. Before the Hun soldiers could even cry out, Yan Qing had already drawn his bow and arrows, and with a few swift "whoosh" sounds, he struck them squarely in the neck or between the eyebrows, and several Hun soldiers also lay limply on the grass. The whole process took only about a minute. There were still some noises. Yan Qing quietly lay down on the grass; if anyone came, with so many people lying on the ground, they wouldn't notice him, and Yan Qing could easily shoot and escape. However, Yan Qing waited for a while, but no one came. The Huns' vigilance had been a bit lax these past few days... Was it because Yan Qing had been sleeping so much?

Yan Qing slowly rose and dragged the scattered soldiers into the yurt. The three who had been kicked were either dead or alive; even if they weren't, they were probably close to death, or suffering concussions. Yan Qing didn't bother to kill them further. He pulled out the soft arrow, wiped it clean, and put it away for later use. He then took the captain's scimitar, and under the moonlight, quietly jumped over the fence and slowly slipped into the dark grassland.

Guesthouses and military camps should be easy to distinguish; the guesthouse yurts are noticeably smaller, and the sounds of dogs and sheep can be heard intermittently. Yan Qing wandered around the clusters of yurts. Yes, that area ahead should be the residential area. But what to do? How to find Cai Yan? Knock on the yurt door and ask kindly, "Auntie? Do you know where Cai Yan lives in your village?" That doesn't seem likely…

Yan Qing sat down silently, then lay down in the grass. What to do? They say there's always a way out, but time was flying by, and Yan Qing still had no idea what to do... At dawn, the Xiongnu would surely find that several Xiongnu soldiers had been shot dead, and then he had run away.

Never mind! Looks like I have to knock on the door of a yurt. If I'm lucky, I won't have to kill anyone; a resident might give me directions. If I'm unlucky, even if I shout and scream, I'll only be able to... knock them unconscious and see if I get anything out of them. Having made up his mind, Yan Qing sprang to his feet and headed towards the nearest yurt.

Just as he stood up, he thought he heard singing.

Yes, it's singing! Yan Qing tried hard to calm himself down and listened carefully to the melody. Yes, it was Cai Yan's "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute"! There's always a way out! After the darkest hour comes the dawn!

Yan Qing held his breath and quietly followed the sound deeper into the yurt. The singing was faint, a woman's voice, almost imperceptible. But after Yan Qing walked for a while, the singing became clearer and clearer:

"Day and night I think of my homeland; of all living beings, none suffers more than I. Natural disasters and national chaos leave people without a leader; I, with my ill fate, am captured by the barbarians. Different customs and different hearts make it difficult to live here; different desires and tastes leave me with no one to talk to. I ponder my journey, but it is fraught with hardship. The fourth verse is completed, and my sorrow only deepens."

The wild geese fly south, hoping to carry their calls from the border; they fly north, hoping to hear the sounds of the Han Dynasty. The geese fly high, so far away they are hard to find; my heart aches with longing. I furrow my brows and gaze at the moon, playing my elegant zither; five cold notes, and my thoughts deepen.

......"

The song was plaintive and melodious, lingering and captivating. It seemed to intoxicate the listener.

Yan Qing could have enjoyed the song immensely, but he was incredibly unlucky; both times he heard it, he was on important missions and extremely tense. He had no time to appreciate the beauty of the music and followed the sound to a small Mongolian yurt on the edge of the area. Yan Qing circled it; indeed, the sound was coming from inside.

"The frost and ice are biting, my body is bitterly cold; I face meat and cheese but cannot eat. At night I hear the mournful sound of the Long River; at dawn I see the Great Wall, the road stretching endlessly. Recalling the hardships of my journey, the sixth beat of the melody brings sorrow, and I want to stop playing..."

Yan Qing didn't hesitate and gently knocked on the door of the yurt.

The singing stopped abruptly. Neither of them spoke.

Yan Qing knocked on the door again. Finally, there was a voice from inside the bag—a calm female voice. It was as if the originally delicate and tender female voice had been gilded with the vicissitudes of time and life, becoming peaceful and mature: "Who is it?" It was spoken in the Xiongnu language.

For some reason, Yan Qing suddenly trusted the woman inside the yurt. He spoke directly in Chinese: "Han people, Han people from the Central Plains."

A sudden silence fell over both the inside and outside of the yurt for a few seconds. Those few seconds were excruciating; Yan Qing had no idea what was happening inside. Would there be a man with a weapon? Would the woman scream?

With a creak, the door was pulled open from the inside, and the lady of the house lifted the curtain and poked her head out: "Come in quickly!" her voice was low and urgent.

Yan Qing nimbly slipped into the yurt, gripping his knife tightly, ready to draw it at any moment. He quickly scanned his surroundings; the yurt was simply and neatly furnished, with nothing superfluous. There was no one else there; it seemed she lived alone. No… perhaps there were two people. Yan Qing caught sight of a man's belt and bow and arrows. Yan Qing felt his palms sweating. He still couldn't be sure of this woman's identity.

"Who are you?" the woman asked, sitting down and staring at Yan Qing.

Yan Qing then came to his senses and looked at the Han Chinese woman before him. This woman was elegant and poised, truly possessing an aristocratic air, despite her simple attire. Most stunning of all was her beauty; she was breathtakingly beautiful.

She's a slave? It doesn't seem like it. The yurt is rather simple, but the decorations and the woman's clothing don't match. "You are... Cai Yan?" Yan Qing hesitated for a moment before uttering those two words.

Chapter Seventy-Six Meeting

“Exactly.” The woman looked him up and down curiously. “A Han Chinese from the Central Plains?” she asked thoughtfully, then seemed to fall into a memory, “The Central Plains, the Central Plains…”

"Mr. Cai Yong...your father?" Yan Qing wanted to confirm again.

"How is Father? I heard he went into seclusion, but I don't know where he is. All these years, I didn't know if he was alive or dead... We are separated by a vast distance..." As she spoke, tears welled up in Cai Yan's eyes.

“The gentleman is still alive. I visited him with Prime Minister Luo last time,” Yan Qing said hurriedly.

“Still alive…” Cai Yan murmured as if in a dream, “Prime Minister Luo? Prime Minister Luo Chen of the Central Plains?”

"Exactly." The faint barking of dogs could be heard outside, seemingly mixed with the howling of wolves. Yan Qing lifted the door and peeked out. It was still dark, but there was a faint light on the horizon. Time was of the essence; they would inevitably be discovered after dawn. Yan Qing planned to take Cai Yan away immediately and make a long march to Jiuyuan County. Now that Luo Chen and Cao Cao had reached an agreement on the ten issues concerning the Xiongnu, they should be safe. Jiuyuan County was currently the closest place to them.

Yan Qing decided to get straight to the point: "Cai Yan..." Yan Qing paused, unsure how to address her, and simply skipped over it. "Pack your things now, I'll take you back to the Central Plains."

Cai Yan looked up at Yan Qing in surprise, seemingly not expecting that Yan Qing had come to rescue her: "Take me back to the Central Plains?...Prime Minister Luo sent you?"

“Not bad.” Yan Qing nodded impatiently. He was getting a little irritated thinking about the hundred miles they still had to go. “Do you have a horse? One with better stamina.” He looked at Cai Yan’s confused and hesitant expression, feeling quite puzzled. Yan Qing suddenly realized that he hadn’t introduced himself yet: “By the way, I am Yan Qing, a bodyguard of Prime Minister Luo Chen, and a Lieutenant General.”

"You want to take me back to the Central Plains? Why? Why did Prime Minister Luo send you here?" Cai Yan still seemed confused and hesitant.

"Why?" Yan Qing had never expected Cai Yan to ask this question. It was said that the border people were all enslaved after being captured. Cai Yan should have been overjoyed and eager to be rescued by her fellow villagers.

Yan Qing thought of the man's belt and crossbow on the wall. "You... alone?" Yan Qing asked tactfully.

“Yes.” Cai Yan nodded.

"What are those?" Yan Qing pointed to the belts on the wall.

Cai Yan followed his gaze and immediately understood, hurriedly saying, "My son's, my adopted son..."

An adopted son? Yan Qing hadn't expected this situation. Should she take the adopted son with her? "How old is he?" Yan Qing asked.

“I’m already an adult, and I’m a Xiongnu cavalryman,” Cai Yan replied with no small amount of pride.

The problem was somewhat thorny. Yan Qing felt a chill run down his spine. So this female slave, captured by the Xiongnu, had trained a rider for them. Did she still hate the Xiongnu? She was probably no longer a slave; had she embraced the Xiongnu way of life? Had she forgotten the Central Plains? Had she forgotten her experience of being captured?

"Are you willing to return to the Central Plains?" Yan Qing asked blankly. But he immediately realized it was a pointless question. Whether she was willing or not, he had to bring her back; it was his mission.

Cai Yan hesitated for a moment.

Yan Qing quickly calculated in his mind: his current task was to bring Cai Yan back, otherwise she might be used as a bargaining chip by the Xiongnu. Fortunately, the Xiongnu hadn't found Cai Yan yet; otherwise, she would already be under house arrest. Now he had to try his best to persuade Cai Yan to leave voluntarily. As for her adopted son, Luo Chen felt it was best not to inform him. He could persuade Cai Yan to leave, but persuading a Xiongnu cavalryman who had grown up on the grasslands to betray his country was obviously very difficult. If something unexpected happened, such as her adopted son refusing to cooperate and instead demanding to denounce them, a tragedy could even occur.

“Your father… when we arrived, he was singing ‘Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute.’ I was drawn here by your singing just now. Your father misses you very much and hopes to see you while he is still alive.” Yan Qing pulled out her trump card. Cai Yan would not remain indifferent to her elderly father’s longing for her.

Sure enough, tears welled up in Cai Yan's eyes again: "I'm sorry, Father..."

"This is not your fault. It is because the military strength on the border of the Central Plains is insufficient to protect the people. Prime Minister Luo Chen has decided to adjust this situation," Yan Qing said.

"Prime Minister Luo Chen..." Cai Yan repeated. "So many border people have been abducted, why am I the only one?"

"Because Mr. Cai Yong was the teacher of Prime Minister Luo Chen," Yan Qing said simply.

"I escaped from house arrest." Yan Qing realized she needed to explain things quickly to Cai Yan so she would understand the urgency of the situation. "As a Han envoy, I was placed under house arrest by Zhong Ping, and I only managed to escape last night. I will definitely be discovered at dawn, and the Xiongnu will search thoroughly. The situation is quite critical, Cai Yan... I hope to take you away immediately, and escape before dawn, heading south to Jiuyuan County," Yan Qing said anxiously.

Cai Yan stood up unconsciously, as if Yan Qing's words were an order; perhaps Yan Qing's anxious expression and words had moved her. But Cai Yan looked around, seemingly unsure of what to do.

“My child…” Cai Yan was somewhat at a loss.

"I hope we can leave quietly without alerting anyone. If we alert even one more person (817), we might not be able to leave!" Yan Qing continued to urge him anxiously.

"So we're going back to the Central Plains like this?" Cai Yan seemed at a loss. "He might be with the Great Chanyu... Should we tell him?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Qing felt his vision blur and was on the verge of collapse. "I escaped from the Xiongnu chieftain, are you sending me to my death?" he said in a desperate voice. "Hurry, it's almost dawn, this is your only chance!" Yan Qing even shook Cai Yan's arm.

"My child..." Cai Yan muttered hurriedly as she tidied up.

"Don't worry, you'll have another chance to see him in the future!" Yan Qing knew that Cai Yan was afraid that this parting would mean she would never see her child again, so she casually offered a word of comfort.

Cai Yan seemed much relieved and quickly packed some miscellaneous belongings. Yan Qing initially wanted to stop her; the escape was extremely stressful, and carrying extra things would only be a burden. However, he considered that many years would pass, and some personal items were bound to be there. He didn't know when he would return, so Yan Qing acquiesced.

"Do you have horses?" Yan Qing asked. Cai Yan nodded; it seemed that every nomadic family owned a horse. Yan Qing had originally intended to steal a horse from the cavalry camp, but it appeared he didn't need one.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Escape

As many Han envoys had traveled there, their young followers often presented their knowledge to the emperor, saying, "There are fine horses in Ershi City in Wan, but they are hiding them and refusing to give them to the Han envoys." The emperor, who admired Wan horses, was delighted to hear this and sent a strong man named Che Ling and others with a thousand pieces of gold and a golden horse to request the fine horses from Ershi City from the King of Wan.

—From the Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Dayuan

Yan Qing and Cai Yan emerged from the yurt in the dark; the moon had already set. The entire residential area was still fast asleep, with only the occasional bleating of sheep pens and the low whimpers of dogs.

In the darkness, Yan Qing couldn't make out the horse's appearance, but he tested its strong leg muscles. A fine horse! A typical Mongolian horse, slightly short in stature, with robust bones and prominent, well-developed muscles. Mongolia is indeed famous for its fine horses; it's no wonder that the Mongolian cavalry had so many horses of such high quality.

The Guanzhong cavalry used horses from the Qiang people, which were of decent quality. Some of their units even used fine horses purchased from the Western Regions and beyond. Luo Chen spent a huge amount of money on buying horses every year for this. However, as Ma Teng's territory expanded and he gradually encroached on some of the grasslands of the Western Qiang, Ma Teng was able to provide a more stable supply of fine horses.

"Can you ride a horse?" Yan Qing asked, though he didn't really have high hopes. Could a woman from the Central Plains really ride a horse across the vast grasslands?

"Yes," Cai Yan replied.

Yan Qing glanced at her, somewhat surprised: "We're going to gallop across the grasslands all night, not just ride around for fun. And it has to be in the dark." Yan Qing reminded her.

"No problem," Cai Yan replied confidently.

"Really?" Yan Qing was quite surprised, yet he hesitated. In the end, he decided to trust her. The two of them each rode a horse.

"Wait a moment," Cai Yan said. She jumped off her horse and went into the yurt. The yurt was still lit, but Cai Yan ignored it and came out with several pieces of shredded sheepskin. "The horse's hooves make a lot of noise when it runs, so it's better to wrap them up," she said, wrapping the horse's four hooves with sheepskin.

The two led their horses deeper into the grassland. Fortunately, Cai Yan lived on the edge of the settlement, so they didn't have to pass many yurts. They jumped onto their horses, and the horses' hooves made a soft rustling sound as they walked on the grass.

"Oh, right!" Cai Yan suddenly seemed to remember something and, disregarding concealment, called out softly. It was particularly jarring in the darkness. Yan Qing was startled and turned around. Cai Yan quickly approached and whispered urgently, "There are sentries around."

Before the words were finished, a low, hoarse voice suddenly rang out. "May the Xiongnu gods protect the grasslands."

Yan Qing's vision went black. Damn it, there really was one! If there was a sentry, why did you shout? Just tell me quietly! If you shout, it's no wonder the sentry will notice...

Yan Qing instantly drew his bow and arrow and fired towards the source of the sound. A muffled thud echoed from the darkness. Yan Qing knew the man had been struck by an arrow and fallen to the ground. To be safe, he quickly dismounted and ran over. Sure enough, in the darkness, he could barely make out a Xiongnu soldier, a soft arrow having struck him squarely in the face.

Yan Qing, disregarding the situation, quickly returned and rode off on horseback, with Cai Yan following behind. In the darkness, only the whistling wind could be heard; nothing else hindered their movement. Yan Qing watched as the dense darkness slowly thinned and dissipated, the sky began to lighten, and the grassland gradually became clear. The morning breeze blew, and although Yan Qing was quite tired, his spirits lifted. He looked back; Cai Yan rode her horse skillfully, effortlessly and with ease. A woman from the Central Plains, even in the grasslands and desert, retained her elegance and bravely faced life—admirable and admirable!

As dawn breaks, the Xiongnu people, who are early risers, may have already discovered the lying corpse or the missing Cai Yan.

Yan Qing assumed the entire camp was asleep, and only he and Cai Yan had escaped on horseback. This was not the case. Zhong Ping had also stayed up all night, busy handling various matters, including assigning tasks to several tribal elders.

Soldiers had already reported that Yan Qing had escaped. Zhong Ping quickly calmed down and ordered a search.

Yan Qing's escape is a minor matter; the details it conveys are worth pondering. Zhong Ping is forced to reconsider: Do the Han people truly want to negotiate? Are they genuinely intimidated? Are they really so easily threatened? With Yan Qing's escape, will Fa Zheng still keep his promise? Has the negotiation broken down?

"Great Chanyu!" A soldier ran in from outside, and a tribal elder requested an audience.

"Come in quickly!" Zhong Ping hurriedly said. Cai Yan has been found? So quickly? Zhong Ping was quite pleased, after all, this was an important bargaining chip.

The elder rushed in, looking flustered and not at all like someone bringing good news… “Great Chanyu, our tribesmen have discovered a sentry lying dead next to our settlement, shot by an arrow.”

"Shot dead!" Zhong Ping was both surprised and disappointed. "And..." the elder stammered. "And what else?" Zhong Ping asked sharply.

The elder hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to Zhong Ping's ear: "Yeso's mother is gone! The oil lamp has burned out, and the two horses in the stable are also gone."

Zhong Ping's heart skipped a beat. Yeso's mother—a Han Chinese. Yan Qing had run away. Clearly, they had run away together.

"…Check the background of Yesuo's mother. Where did she live before? What was her name?" Zhong Ping said in an almost cold voice. The elder, who had never seen such a scene before, left trembling with fear.

"Eru!" Zhong Ping shouted, "Go and call Erru!"

"General Erru is leading his troops to impose martial law at the garrison," the sergeant replied.

"No need for martial law. They've already escaped!" Zhong Ping suddenly roared in anger. "Summon Erru to see me immediately. At the same time, raise all the cavalry and prepare for battle!"

"Yes..." The sergeant was quite surprised and hurriedly went to carry out the order.

Yan Qing ran away, but why did he take a Han Chinese female slave with him? Was it a chance encounter? It doesn't seem likely; Yan Qing's actions were clearly meticulously planned and had a clear purpose… We'll know for sure once we find out the identity of Yesuo's mother. However, Zhong Ping had a premonition, a worst-case scenario.

If Yesuo's mother was the talented Cai Yan, as described by the Han people, and Cai Yan ran away, what about Yesuo? The other day, Yesuo was sent to the Shuofang front to investigate the battle situation, the balance of power, and whether (Qian Hao's) retreating troops had withdrawn. He should be back soon; he probably doesn't know his foster mother has already fled back to the Central Plains. More seriously, can Yesuo be relied upon in this situation? Yesuo's loyalty is extremely important. This man is the direct commander and architect of the Steppe Wolf Cavalry Regiment. The Steppe Wolf Cavalry Regiment! If Yesuo is unreliable, eighty percent of the Steppe Wolf Cavalry Regiment is unreliable too, and they might even betray him. Wouldn't that be like forging a sword to kill oneself? What an absurd and unfortunate thing to do!

Zhong Ping prayed silently. Yesuo's mother wasn't Cai Yan… Yesuo knew nothing of this and was loyal and reliable… The Steppe Wolf Cavalry Regiment was too important, too important. Zhong Ping had never felt so panicked. Command had to be regained. How did Qiangqu die? Wasn't it because Zhong Ping had a powerful army under his control? It would be foolish to hand over such a trump card as the Steppe Wolf Cavalry Regiment to other generals; command must be firmly under his control…

Chapter Seventy-Eight: A Sudden Turn of Events

"General Yesuo requests an audience." The soldier outside the door merely made a perfunctory announcement before lifting the tent flap and inviting Yesuo in. Yesuo was Zhongping's top strategist, and could see Zhongping at any time, even waking him up late at night to report on the situation.

Today, Zhong Ping's gaze towards Yesuo was somewhat strange, somewhat evasive. He wondered if Yesuo sensed it. For a long time, Zhong Ping had largely trusted Yesuo. Although the man was taciturn and rarely interacted with others, his gaze deep and unfathomable, he resolutely carried out Zhong Ping's orders, and was devoted to planning, analysis, and reasoning—a highly relied-upon assistant. However, Yan Qing's escape with Yesuo's mother was far too dangerous. Zhong Ping suddenly realized that Yesuo had been raised by Han Chinese, a fact he had previously overlooked despite living on the grasslands. How profound was his mother's influence on him? Was Yesuo truly worthy of complete trust and entrusted with important responsibilities?

“Yesso…” Zhong Ping stammered, as if he were observing him, and forgot the task he had asked Yesso to perform.

Yesuo remained calm as usual, but a hint of anxiety flickered in his eyes. Sure enough, he spoke without any formalities, in an unusually rapid and anxious tone: "At the Shuofang front, the main force of the Han army has surged, showing no sincerity in peace talks. The grasslands need to prepare for a major battle immediately."

Zhong Ping was stunned for a moment. The number 820 was a very heavy conclusion, and although Zhong Ping was mentally prepared, he still felt a pang of panic. The thing he least wanted to happen had come to pass.