The Beiliang King Juqu Mengxun can be said to be a heroic hero. His ancestor was Zuo Juqu of the Xiongnu, so he used "Juqu" as his surname. Although he is a barbarian from the north, he has a wealth of history books, is proficient in astronomy and geography, and has a strong political mind and is good at balancing the situation. Beiliang was established by him.
In the future, Liangliang and Nanliang disappeared, but Beiliang became stronger and stronger, and cut off the main road between east and west, becoming a rare and prosperous country in the west.
When Juqu Mengxun became famous, Tuoba Tao didn't know where he was. And when he was getting old, the Northern Wei Dynasty had already swept away Hu Xia in the west with an irresistible gesture. Juqu Mengxun was forced by the situation. A daughter, Princess Xingping, took it for a kiss, and finally got a temporary peace.
With Beiliang's current national strength, he can support him for a while, and he may not be able to survive until Liu Song and Wei go to war and the fisherman benefits.
Even Tuoba Tao himself once said, "If Juqu Mengxun doesn't die, Beiliang is not desirable." He thought it was unwise to attack Beiliang while Juqu Mengxun was there.
He was only in his early twenties, and Juqu Mengxun was already in his sixties, so Tuoba Tao could kill all the old heroes in the north.
Juqu Mengxun had been showing signs of bad health since a few years ago, so he sent the third prince to Wei to make a covenant and submit a request for "harmony". No one knows whether he is paving the way for his son's political path, but everyone knows that there is another queen's direct son Juqu Boti in Beiliang. His identity and strength are enough to claim the throne.
Therefore, when He Mulan and Li Shun learned that Juqu Mengxun was seriously ill, the first impression in their minds was that "the princes of Bei Liang are about to start fighting infighting."
Thinking of this, Juqu Muqian was in a hurry to return to China, and he even tied himself to a horse, one can imagine the reason.
You're welcome to say, if the people of Wei intend to make things difficult for Juqu Mujian, or to retaliate for his previous procrastination, they can deliberately slow down now. Maybe when Juqu Mujian arrives in Guzang, not only is Meng Xun dead, but the new king has already succeeded to the throne. He really doesn't have any pants to wear.
Fortunately, He Mulan was a person with general knowledge. He knew that the most important thing right now was to rush to Beiliang as soon as possible. Letting the princes fight infighting would be more conducive to the situation of Wei than the dust settles. Quickly drag him to Liang Kingdom.
Really once the rapid march began, the envoys of the two countries began to complain, and Juqu Mujian even fainted and woke up. The scorching sun was heading west again, and many soldiers even suffered from heat stroke.
Seeing that this was not possible, Li Shun hurriedly stopped in Xihe County and rested again, but Juqu Mujian and his party of Beiliang envoys were unwilling to delay for a day, so they went on the road first.
There were about 5,000 Wei envoys to Beiliang. In addition to the 3,000 Tiger Ben army to protect the safety of the road, the other 2,000 were various logistics personnel.
Once these 5,000 people left the border of Wei State, they would rely entirely on the envoys of Liang State to guide the way, be responsible for supplies along the way, and arrange related matters. Now they have run away all of a sudden, even Li Shun only scolded his mother, and could not wait to Juqu Mujian Halfway through the run, Juqu Mengxun hangs up.
Not even one-fifth of the journey was completed, but a lot of things happened. Juqu Muqian was delayed for a lot of time, and the soldiers suffered from heat stroke. Even He Mulan felt that he forgot to read the almanac when he went out, so he did this. Bad luck.
"General Hua, otherwise we will wait in place and see what orders are from Pingcheng..."
Li Shun frowned, "Juqu Mujian has a big stake in the overall situation. It's absurd for him to leave Beiliang's many guards and go on the road like this. He even bothered General Hua to bring someone to chase him. Knowing the direction he is leaving, in case Juqu Muqian has an accident on the way, we can rescue him."
He Mulan and others are really scolding their mother now, but Li Shun is right. At this time, the world is very chaotic, and pirates are rampant everywhere, and Juqu Mujian is a weak chicken who will be tied to a horse when he is on the road. Once he died in the kingdom of Wei, and the King of Beiliang didn't die again, then he really lost a worthless prince. In exchange, the kingdom of Wei was untenable in terms of justice, and there was no more excuse to send troops.
It is necessary to compensate Bei Liang a little.
Li Shun was the main envoy, and he arranged all the itineraries, so no matter how unwilling He Mulan and the others were, they could only order 500 elite soldiers and chase them in the direction of Beiliang.
There were more than 50 people who left first such as Juqu Mujian and the others. No matter how fast they ran, the three-horse team that He Mulan was chasing would surely catch up, but they didn't catch up all the way. After exploring the traces along the road and inquiring about the surrounding people, Juqu Muqian and his party actually went to Luliang Mountain.
He Mulan also came with Na Luohun, Gai Wu and Chen Jie. Man Gu was left to protect Yuan Fang and the goods brought by Yuan Fang. Because he was worried, He Mulan took Zheng Zong with him. .
Poor Zheng Zong thought that He Mulan valued him, but he didn't know that He Mulan had the intention to kill him and didn't want him to leave for a moment.
"What should we do, let's go into Luliang Mountain to find it?" Na Luohun said worriedly: "Luliang Mountain is so big, what are they doing in the mountain?"
"Did you go to Fomen for help?"
Zheng Zong, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up.
"Buddhist? How come there is Buddhism here?"
Zheng Zong went to Beiliang as an envoy and spent many years in Honglu Temple, and he had a lot of knowledge that even He Mulan didn't know. It is also true that if this Zheng Zong had no goods in his stomach, he would not have been favored by Tuoba Tao when he became an eunuch later, and he had been in the position of Zhongchang Attendant all the way.
Hearing He Mulan's question, Zheng Zong explained somewhat flatteringly: "Many nobles in our country believe in Buddhism, and the monks who preach in our country persuade them to open Buddhist caves and make more statues of Buddha. Luliang Mountain is rich in strange stones, so there are also many such mountains. Many Buddhist monks have been 'enshrined' and opened Buddhist caves here."
"Open Buddha Cave?"
He Mulan was a little stunned.
"Yes, it is the opening of the Buddha Cave. If I remember correctly, since ten years ago, three or four great monks and thousands of monks have been building new Buddhist temples and digging Buddhist caves in the mountains. The hole is probably almost done."
Zheng Zong nodded.
"Most of the great monks in our country came from the Western Regions and Tianzhu to the east. Beiliang is the place where the eastward crossing must pass. Juqu Muqian may recognize one or two monks and know that they are opening a monastery here, so they came to ask for help. Buddhism has a lofty position in the west and is protected by monks. Even if there are horse thieves and robbers on the road, they will not rob them. There are few of them, and if they disguise themselves as monks and go on the road, they are indeed much faster than our large group."
"It's just nonsense!" He Mulan reprimanded, "No matter how safe the monks are, how can we have the safety of my Wei army? This Juqu Muqian is so ignorant, I really don't want to worry about it!"
"Then shall we return?"
Gai Wu remembered the Tan Yun who he met before, who vowed to "equal all beings in the world", and was a little afraid of Buddhism.
For Gai Wu, the Beiliang prince Juqu Mujian used his clan to kill them without success. Gai Wu killed him by himself, it was normal. If He Mulan hadn't persuaded him to stay calm for the sake of the overall situation, In the future, when the army is calm, he will have the opportunity to avenge him. Gai Wu may have already chopped up the weak chicken at night.
At this time, he saw that He Mulan was very angry with Juqu Muqian, and he couldn't help but have a glimmer of hope.
It's best if Master can return to the main camp, whether he Juqu Muqian will die or not!
"How about we don't go into the mountain first, and send a few soldiers to inquire? If the third prince of the Northern Liang Kingdom is really in the Buddhist temple in the mountain, we will make a decision?"
Luo Hun was also embarrassed, "Li Shijun wants us to bring back the third prince, but if he really doesn't come back with us, he can't be tied back, right?"
He Mulan didn't want to risk her own life. She always felt that Juqu Muqian's entry into Luliang Mountain was very strange. It is very difficult for such a weak person to climb the mountain road, and the process of finding Juqu Mujian all the way is too smooth, and the smoothness is like someone deliberately guiding him.
She was only politically incapable, but her vigilance and reasoning ability was no weaker than anyone else's. She ordered Chen Jie to take out a pen and ink, hurriedly wrote a letter, and pointed out that a few soldiers took her letter into the mountain, and asked the people in the mountain to take her letter. The monks passed on books.
These monks preached in Wei State and held offerings from the nobles of Wei State. As long as they had a clear mind and read her letters, they would persuade Juqu Mujian to go back.
As long as no one helps him return to China, unless he really takes the risk, he can only go back obediently and rely on the army.
He Mulan walked decisively, and the group left immediately after walking in a circle from the entrance of Luliang Mountain Range, which made the guards along the way dumbfounded.
"What should I do, boss, they left and didn't enter the mountain..."
A man in white dashed down from a height with a surprised expression on his face.
"They actually just left, regardless of Juqu Muqian!"
Hearing that, the man known as the "leader" climbed to a high place and looked in the direction of He Mulan and the others who were traveling far away, and was surprised.
"This man is very cautious, no wonder he has become famous at a young age. How many people do they have?"
"About five hundred or so. Boss, Hua Mulan is very brave and brave. We may not succeed in ambushes on the road. Is it okay to forget it and look for opportunities on the road?"
"There are fewer opportunities on the road." The leader in white shook his head, "He brought 5,000 people out of Beijing, all of whom are brave and good at fighting. This time, he brought 500 people out with Li Shun's help. It’s so easy to get rid of. If he died in the territory of Liang Kingdom, it would give Foli an excuse to send troops, and he must be allowed to die in Wei territory.”
"Then what should I do? I can't beat him, and he can't be fooled..."
Several other men in white looked at the leader.
"I don't know if Hua Mulan is with that kid Gai Wu this time."
The white-robed leader gritted his teeth.
"I can only bet on the reputation of the Tiantai Army, let the brothers of the Ge family go!"
"it is good!"
***
It was said that He Mulan gave up entering Luliang Mountain, and only sent a dozen soldiers into the mountain to investigate. Since they were waiting for news, they could not go too far. They could only station not far from Luliang Mountain and wait for the scouts to return.
Living in the open air was a common occurrence for the Hu Ben Army from the Montenegrin Army, but it was simply miserable for Zheng Zong.
At this time, tigers and leopards were still infested in the mountains and forests, and there were often reports of large insects in the mountains coming down the mountain and accidentally killing people. It would be better if a few thousand people camped. It was a simple leather tent, which could only sleep one person. Zheng Zong's heart trembled suddenly, and he approached He Mulan to keep testing before it got dark.
"Do you need someone to be on duty when the general rests at night? Colonel Chen Jie and the left guard should have a good rest. It's useless for me to stand up and down, so let's just watch the night."
He was planning to join He Mulan, and it was the safest place in the entire camp. This was the legendary man who could compete with tigers and leopards!
Therefore, Zheng Zong would rather stay up all night and hold He Mulan's thigh.
The tents that everyone in the Hu Ben Army carried were single-person tents, which were usually dismantled and placed on the back of a horse. Even if He Mulan was the head coach, the tent was no different from other people.
If Zheng Zong wanted to go into the tent for the night, he would definitely sit beside her for one night. With such an untimely bomb, how could He Mulan dare to let him in
She was about to refuse, but saw Chen Jie's brows glaring and ready to curse, but she nodded immediately and said indifferently, "Then let Chen Jie and the others have a good rest tonight, you can stay on duty at night."
"General, how can he be on duty at night when he accidentally binds chickens!" Chen Jie almost jumped up when He Mulan agreed, "Of course I am on duty at night..."
It was him who always came to be on duty at night!
How dare this thief-eyed boy dare to compete with him!
Zheng Zong had an apologetic expression on his face, but he was overjoyed.
Seeing him leave briskly, He Mulan couldn't help showing a sneer at the corner of her mouth.
Be happy, I will suffocate you when you fall asleep in the middle of the night. In the morning of the next day, your body is already cold, and if I report a "sudden death", no one will hold you accountable.
She was worried about not having a chance to start, and Zheng Zong came up to him, of course she was happy.
Chen Jie was originally puffed up, but when he saw He Mulan's expression, he couldn't help shivering.
"General, do you hate Zheng Zong?"
He Mulan suddenly recovered and shook his head.
"No, what?"
"You scared him so much when you saw him, and now you smile so terribly at him. Although this kid is crazy, he is generous and knows a lot. You have always been generous, how would you treat someone like this? That's why I'm worried. Did he offend you somewhere..."
Chen Jie touched his head.
"Or did I guess wrong?"
He Mulan looked at Chen Jie in surprise, secretly shocked by his sharpness.
He gets along with her day and night, knowing that she is a woman but maintaining it in every possible way, no need to mention her loyalty, if there is any change in her, Chen Jie, who is the person beside her, can see it is nothing.
Chen Jie was looked up and down by He Mulan, and his face became more and more red.
"You, why are you looking at me like that?"
"I found that you are very powerful." He Mulan said with emotion: "You are also very careful."
Chen Jie's face turned even redder, and he hummed loudly: "Be careful, there was an opportunity in front of me, but I didn't cherish it..."
"What did you say?"
He Mulan didn't hear clearly.
"I said, I'm going to prepare dinner for the general!"
Chen Jiejie screamed with a neck, and trotted away.
The Hu Ben army is already very skilled in marching and camping. After everyone has hurriedly eaten dinner and drank some hot soup, they will perform their respective duties, vigil for the night, and rest for rest. Because they are in the wild and the weather is not cold, everyone is dressed in uniform. While sleeping, the sword is at hand, and you can get up and fight at any time.
This has been the habit of the Montenegrin Army who had been trained after fighting the Rouran people for a long time. Zheng Zong has been an official in Pingcheng. Every time he sees them like this, he is amazed. The army even did not hesitate to transfer all the elites to Beijing to reorganize the army.
So did He Mulan. She took off her protective leather armor and slept in only a single coat, with the rock at hand, the saddle as a pillow, and the dagger under the pillow.
Zheng Zong had already made up his mind not to sleep tonight. Tomorrow he would find a Hu Ben army to take him on a horse. He was sleeping on the horse, so he just sat at He Mulan's feet and looked outside the tent.
"Sword Comes"
Where can He Mulan sleep? She closed her eyes and fell asleep, but in fact she was waiting for Zheng Zong to stay up in the middle of the night before he could go to sleep.
Zheng Zong was actually very timid. He heard the sound of the wind blowing outside like a wolf howling, and when he saw the shadows outside, he frightened himself. , almost got together.
He Mulan closed her eyes, only to feel a warm body coming up close to her straight legs, and she kept touching her calf for a long time, and her heart suddenly became happy.
She tried to move her legs, but felt that Zheng Zong's body was shocked, and he backed away as if frightened. After she didn't move, she touched it again.
Obviously he was afraid of something, and he had to be next to him to feel at ease.
How dare you be so timid, how did you do so many outrageous things
The two did not dare to fall asleep, and they didn't know whether it was He Mulan who had a hypnotic aura, or whether it was because of He Mulan's heart that he could rely on him. Probably in the second half of the night, Zheng Zong couldn't help but fall asleep.
At this moment, He Mulan felt her legs sink, and she was immediately shocked, and suddenly opened her eyes!
She quietly sat up and looked at Zheng Zong without moving. There were no lights in the tent, only the campfire outside reflected in it. But because He Mulan wanted to attack today, he had already instructed the soldiers on duty not to keep watch outside, and the campfire was so weak that it hardly illuminated anything.
Zong Ai, who was asleep, looked a little feminine. His eyebrows were very light and his lips were narrow. These are the looks of a person with a cold nature, but at this time, he was sleeping with his knees tilted and his head tilted, and he looked pitiful.
He Mulan stared at him for a while, not knowing what to do.
She has always felt that she is not a person of the Weak Virgin, and she also has the intention of killing him, but at this moment, she only needs to stretch out her hand...
No one could escape in her hands, and she was strong enough to strangle him, let alone just cover his mouth and nose to make him suffocate.
But she just couldn't reach out.
After a long time, or maybe only a few seconds, He Mulan quietly stretched out her hand and accurately covered Zong Ai's mouth and nose!
Probably because he had been sitting still, Zheng Zong's face was very cold, and the tip of his nose was even colder. He Mulan's warm palm covered his nose and mouth, and suddenly felt cold in his palm, and the cold stabbed her. Her heart went away, and she couldn't help shivering when she was so cold.
Then the hot air from Zong Ai's nose made her palm itch again, as if it was directly on her heart, and then spread like a fire.
This mess is actually mostly He Mulan's feelings after being nervous, but her hesitation really made it impossible for some things to come true.
Zheng Zong opened his eyes.
Zheng Zong was timid, so he slept lightly. He Mulan covered his mouth and nose, and he woke up immediately.
This kind of thing happened in the middle of the night was extremely terrifying. Zheng Zong's first reaction was to scream. Unexpectedly, he just moved his lips, and He Mulan's hand immediately pressed down even more vigorously!
Why should…
What the hell happened, General Hua wouldn't let him speak!
Zheng Zong didn't expect He Mulan to kill him at all. He was just thinking about what would happen if he made his voice, so he asked him to cover his mouth and nose so fiercely.
The air was a little thin, and Zheng Zong began to struggle desperately.
"Night attack! All get up!"
The sound of the gong spread throughout the camp.
With the sound of the gong, the sound of the horses stomping on the ground became clearer.
He Mulan withdrew his hand as if relieved, leaving Zheng Zong panting in shock.
"General Hua, you don't have to do this if you want to listen to the movement, just tell me not to let me talk..." Zheng Zong complained about He Mulan's rudeness while panting.
"You almost suffocated me!"
He Mulan glanced at Zheng Zong, and finally mentioned Rock without saying anything and walked out of the tent.
"General Hua, don't go! I don't know how to fight!"
Zheng Zong heard that Ye Raid was glad that he died today and begged Bailai to be on duty for Hua Mulan at night. Seeing that he stepped out of the tent with long legs, he quickly chased him out.
"Don't go! Take me with you!"