The Khitan cavalry under Wuyuan City were suddenly attacked and suffered heavy losses. The remaining ones all fled in all directions in a panic, like a flock of sheep attacked by wolves, and they only regretted that their parents had not given them a leg.
This sudden change made Yanmujin and Yuelixin, the two women who were surrounded by the Khitan generals, feel their hearts beating fast and their faces turned cold. What they felt more was shock and fear.
I didn't expect that Zhu Li was so insidious that he could even predict the defeated army's mind so accurately, causing them to lose another game.
"Tap tap, tap tap..."
Before the two girls could feel emotional, they heard the sound of horse hooves approaching rapidly in the distance. It was obviously the Yue cavalry led by Zhu Li, chasing after them.
"My two men, please leave quickly. Zhu Li is going to kill us all." A Khitan general, with a terrified face and crying like a cuckoo, pleaded with Yanmujin and Yuelixin.
"Yes, we are definitely not Zhu Li's opponent. My two lords, please leave quickly." Another general immediately echoed.
"Sanmoge, there is a good saying from the Tang Dynasty, 'As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.'" Yue Lixin also looked at Yanmujin anxiously and advised her. She didn't want to die, she had to live, she had her reasons to live.
... ...
In an instant, there was no Khitan general to comfort him, which made Yan Mujin's beautiful eyes full of bloodshot. She turned her head and looked at the Khitan warrior who was fleeing in panic under the rain of arrows. She suppressed her grief and said in a hoarse voice: "Let's go. I will get this back from Zhu Li sooner or later."
Without waiting for the Yue cavalry led by Zhu Li to approach, Yanmujin and Yuelixin, together with several Khitan generals and two or three thousand frightened Khitan cavalry, quickly bypassed Wuyuan City and galloped towards the northwest.
In fact, the Tang army on the city wall only shot out three or four waves of arrows in a hurry. Their total number was only more than 5,000, and there were only more than 1,000 infantry archers. The casualties of the Khitans were at most 2,000 or 3,000. By this calculation, there should be only 7,000 or 8,000 people left under Yanmujin's command.
But the fleeing soldiers could not bear the fear of death. Faced with death, many Khitan warriors no longer cared about the direction. As long as they could escape from the rain of arrows, they turned around and fled, not caring where to go.
In addition, Zhu Li was chasing so quickly that Yanmujin, Yuelixin and others had no time to gather everyone together. They could only ride away, and the remaining cavalry had no time to pay attention to them.
Zhu Li rode his horse to Wuyuan City and saw the bodies of Khitan people scattered all over the ground. He frowned slightly. He hurried but still arrived a step too late. He waved his hand and called down a captain from the top of the city. He pointed at the Khitan cavalry who were fleeing in all directions like headless flies and said solemnly: "We can't let these people wander around Fengzhou. Arrange people as soon as possible to eliminate them."
"Yes," the captain bowed and responded firmly.
After instructing the captain again, Zhu Li immediately led the Yue cavalry to chase in the direction where Yan Mujin and others fled.
Yanmujin had only one direction to escape, which was northwest.
Because only there is a passage out of the pass, and the rest of the place is all rolling mountains. Zhu Li doesn't think that in such a critical situation, Yan Mujin and others will abandon their horses and cross the mountains.
A nation on horseback, how much fighting power would be left without their war horses? Yan Mujin would definitely not be that stupid.
The Rock Mother galloping on horseback
Jin's face turned purple, of course not out of excitement, but out of frustration. This attack on Fengzhou was a huge disgrace, and it also caused his aunt's family to be captured by the Tang army.
With the fall of Wuyuan, Yelu Lupo's fate is self-evident. One can imagine how Yanmujin feels now, it's terrible.
Yue Lixin also felt bad. Her husband was killed, and her situation among the Khitans was also very embarrassing.
She was not a Khitan noble, but an ordinary shepherdess who grew up with Murong Ba. Murong Ba was extremely talented and climbed to the position of Tamarinshali. She had her current status because of her husband's status, but her husband died in the war, making her situation embarrassing.
"Sanmoge, where are we going now?" Although she was full of bitterness, the most important thing now was to escape. Yue Lixin's child was not yet an adult. If she died inside the pass, who would take care of her child? She must not die here. Thinking of this, she asked Yanmujin.
"Take the Gaoque route and head straight to the northern frontier. The desert and grassland are our hunting grounds. As long as that Zhu Li dares to chase us, I will make him pay with blood in the northern frontier." Yan Mujin gritted his teeth and responded as if he wished to eat Zhu Li's flesh and blood alive.
Upon hearing this, Yue Lixin and several Khitan generals nodded repeatedly. The grassland was the hunting ground for the cavalry. At the very least, if they could not defeat the enemy, they believed they could still escape.
Since entering Fengzhou, these Khitan elites have been led by Gao Su. Not only have the advantages of the cavalry not been brought into play at all, but they have all been used as sword and shield soldiers, which makes them feel very depressed.
Yanmujin's words aroused their inner pride. These Khitan warriors believed that in the grasslands and deserts, they were still the warriors that made their people proud.
As long as Zhu Li dares to enter the northern frontier, it will not be difficult to defeat the enemy with his familiarity with the vast wilderness and the yellow sand. This is the confidence of all Khitan people, but it is not known whether it can be fulfilled.
Since Yanmujin had made such a decision, all the Khitans agreed. They headed northwest and headed straight towards Gaoque.
Gaoque is the gap between the Big Wolf Mountain and the Small Wolf Mountain. There is a valley in the middle that leads to the northern frontier.
According to historical records, "The mountain is interrupted by a gap, with two towers on both sides, which are good at lifting clouds. From a distance, it looks like a horse with a broken gate, and its joints are in the shape of a star, so it is named Gaoque."
During the Qin Dynasty, the great general Meng Tian once led his troops out of Gaoque and attacked the Huns in the north. Gaoque was a key fortress on the Central Plains border.
However, this fortress was breached by Yanmujin and Shulü Pogu when they came to attack the gate, together with Li Renfu who was hiding in Fengzhou. Now it is useless. Even the Khitans do not have a single soldier stationed here.
The figures of the remaining Khitan soldiers disappeared into the deep valley of Gaoque, making Zhu Li's face even uglier. This woman Yanmujin was so slippery, even more slippery than a loach. It seemed that it would not be easy to catch her.
Going out of the deep valley of Gaoque Fortress is the northern frontier, which is a plain at the northern foot of Yinshan Mountain. According to the information obtained by Guiwei, there is a Shiwei tribe entrenched there, and the Di people among them are very cruel, barbaric and ignorant.
When they arrived here, Zhu Li stopped his horse, with a rare hesitation on his face. Gao Siji saw this look and thought that Zhu Li was going to give up the pursuit, so he immediately bowed and said, "General, it is hard to predict the outcome of this trip to the frontier. In my opinion, it is better to give up now. The Khitans had 30,000 elite troops who invaded Fengzhou, but now only two women are left, who fled with more than a thousand people. I think they will not dare to attack easily again in the future."
Zhu Li heard this,
With a bitter smile on his face, Gao Siji was right. The Di people suffered a great defeat in the battle of Fengzhou. But how could the other side know the importance of Yanmujin
This woman was the mother of the future hero Yelu Abaoji. If she was captured, she could at least influence the growth of that hero. People from later generations know that children who lack parental love are mostly incomplete inside.
Zhu Li only detained Yan Mujin, and this hero would not be able to grow up healthily. As long as there were flaws in the other party's character, the general of the Central Plains, as the great enemy of the Khitans, could follow his weaknesses, defeat and kill that person. Of course, this was only the most intuitive result.
The one most deeply affected is the tribe to which this hero belongs. Zhu Li has no doubt that a tribe led by a mentally flawed leader will not be able to develop healthily.
If they let this woman go, Zhu Li would have a grudge against her for killing her husband, and even more so against that future hero for killing his father. How could this mother and son let this go
If they don't give up, how can the Heshuo region under Zhu Li's control live in peace
As long as Yanmujin escapes, this situation will almost certainly become a reality. The Khitans' respect for filial piety is no less than that of the Han people. In fact, in many aspects, they do better.
Didn’t you see that after Meng Juehai killed Li Guochang, Li Keyong and Zhu Li became enemies to the death? The hatred for one’s father’s murder is irreconcilable. For the ancients, the hatred for one’s father’s murder is irreconcilable and can never be reconciled.
If Zhu Li could capture Yanmu Jin, he would undoubtedly have a trump card to rely on for the future Khitan hero.
Even if he had to ride his horse to the northern border, he must catch Yanmu Jin. This risk was well worth taking. Zhu Li made up his mind.
"Gao Siji, listen to my orders." Once he made a decision, Zhu Li would not hesitate and gave the order immediately.
"I'm here." Gao Siji was stunned for a moment, but he immediately straightened his body and mind and bowed in response.
"I order you to lead a thousand soldiers to guard Gaoque Pass, and also to look after Jilushai, which is a few miles away, until Gao Su and Zhang Jingda send people to take over the two places."
"During this period, this place must not be lost. Can you do it?" Zhu Li turned his head and looked at Gao Siji solemnly.
"Yes, I will guarantee my life. As long as the person is in the pass, he will be there." Gao Siji promised generously.
The location of Gaoque Pass is very important. During the Warring States Period, King Wuling of Zhao, the initiator of the Hu clothing and horse riding, built the Great Wall to Gaoque. This was a fortress for the Central Plains to attack the Di people in the north. "One man guarding the pass, ten thousand men cannot open it" is no empty saying.
The importance of Gaoque Pass was not realized by King Wuling of Zhao alone. In the countless years that followed, emperors of all dynasties attached great importance to this place, which was a fortress of great significance.
There were more than 2,000 Yue cavalry, and Zhu Li left more than 1,000 to Gao Siji. Even if Yan Mujin could not be captured, Gaoque Pass could not be captured again. With the pass in hand, the Di people in the north of the Great Wall were like running dogs. This is the significance of Gaoque Pass.
Zhu Li's words, asking Gao Siji to stay here, were very clear in his intention. He wanted to chase after Yan Mujin. This made Gao Siji very puzzled. He didn't understand why Zhu Li attached so much importance to those two women.
Although he knew Zhu Li's intention, he still bowed and asked, "General, do you want to continue chasing the Khitans?"
"Yes, I must catch Yan Mujin. This woman is too important." Zhu Li responded casually as Gao Siji couldn't explain it clearly in a few words.