He Mulan, who was expected to be side by side with him, was now racking his brains trying to figure out how to get hold of Li Shun and expose him completely.
Because further ahead is the border of Beiliang, He Mulan wrote a letter overnight and sent it back to Pingcheng through the last inn before the border, telling him what happened all the way to Beiliang and what Li Shun had done along the way. for.
She didn't hide the matter of embezzling Li Shunjin, she knew that Tuoba Tao would not care about such trivial matters.
However, it took a long time to go back and forth. It would take at least two months. He Mulan wrote a letter in almost ten days, but it probably didn't take long for the previous letters to arrive in Pingcheng.
Li Shun was very careful. Whether it was to bribe Gai Wu or Zheng Zong, there were no other parties involved. Gai Wu and Zheng Zong are both her people, even if they say that Li Shun communicates with foreign countries, no one thinks that she is biting.
You can't be soft-hearted when dealing with this kind of person. Anyway, others have already felt that they are being rude to Li Shun. He Mulan simply sent a 100-strong team of tigers to "protect" Li Shun, and even followed him to eat and go to the toilet. The opportunity for him to interact with outsiders.
Zheng Zong and Gai Wu also acted as if they were "acting people with their tails between their tails". Although Li Shun was angry and angry, he had no choice but to be controlled by others because of his arm injuries. endured.
'I make you crazy, you will cry in the future...'
Li Shun, who was guarded by the Hu Ben army day and night, was scolded in his heart, and he simply regarded them as really "protecting" and recuperated with peace of mind.
The mixed team of caravans and embassies traveled very quickly, and it didn't take long for them to arrive at "Haiziying", the first town to enter Beiliang.
Of course, Haiziying does not have a sea, but it is the name given to a larger oasis by the people in the desert. This town is located near such a large oasis, not only with water and fields, but also rich in a delicious lamb, tender and beautiful, and its cheesecake made from goat's milk is more fragrant than cow's milk.
Along the way, He Mulan heard merchants from all over the world compliment the lamb's deliciousness. She didn't think so much about it, but everyone under her command drooled when they heard it, and the envoy of Bei Liang said that the kingdom of Liang welcomed Wei. His army had already arrived at Haizi Camp, and as soon as the mission arrived, they would immediately escort them to Guzang. He Mulan couldn't help but look forward to Haizi Camp.
There were almost no dangers along the way. Although the horses were not as good as camels when they walked on the sand, they did not enter the hinterland of the desert. They had enough food, grass and water, so they could see the city wall of Haiziying without much problem.
It is said that it is a city wall, but it is actually a wall that is about the same height as a person. Because it is built on the oasis, most of the walls are open, resulting in many gates in the entire city, there is no way to defend it, it is just a symbolic meaning.
He Mulan had never seen such a city before, and the officials in the team who were responsible for recording the topography along the road and the city's guarding situation had already begun to draw a map in their minds and inquired about the armed forces of the entire city.
Before they approached, they heard the horns blaring in unison, and the sound of joyous songs sounded, and then they looked closely. From the countless gaps in the wall, many men, women and children and officials from the Liang Kingdom came out, singing and dancing to welcome the mission of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
He Mulan couldn't understand the language here, so she couldn't help asking Cixin, Gai Wu and others around her: "What are they singing?"
"We are welcoming us here." Gai Wu paused, "Wait for someone to offer you wine. I don't know if there is anything mixed in it. You'd better not drink it."
"This… "
She looked at the many orchids who came forward enthusiastically, and smiled bitterly: "This is probably not easy, right?"
Sure enough, a group of women from Bei Liang sang and danced in front of He Mulan. He Mulan got off the saddle and drank the goat milk wine they handed over.
Seeing that He Mulan also drank it, the other envoys and the generals of the Hu Ben army dared to take the wine and drink it. The women were even more delighted when they saw that everyone had drank it. Swimming through the embassy, many of the bachelors who hooked up drooled, wishing they could follow the flying skirts and chase them all the way.
The envoys from Beiliang greeted He Mulan politely and asked about Li Shun's situation.
They all knew that Li Shun was the ambassador of this mission, and they had all dealt with Li Shun. At this time, they were all very surprised to see He Mulan coming out as the ambassador to accept their welcome.
When He Mulan said that Li Shun was injured and she was temporarily the envoy, the envoys sent by Lord Liang looked at each other in dismay, not knowing how to continue.
"Then please let the advanced Haizi Camp rest first. The army and caravan can be stationed near Haizi Camp..." A more experienced envoy named Mo Gan first invited the people in the embassy to rest in the city, and then pointed to the south of the city. direction.
"There are lush water plants over there, which are the most suitable for horses to rest and eat."
He Mulan didn't dare to be careless when he got here, even if he was in the cool land, because he had met Li Shun's plots many times before, he brought three hundred guards into the city, and the rest of the army was stationed outside the city to protect the embassy. The dowry also includes the caravan attached to the embassy.
He Mulan's real task was to find out the national conditions along the road of Liang Kingdom, including how many guards were in the city, how the people lived, and how many men could fight.
The results along the way were astonishing. The small Haizi camp actually had hundreds of guards on every opening, and the total number of people was definitely more than 500.
You must know that even in Wei State, such a small town, there will not be more than 500 guards.
He Mulan was really strange, so he asked Gai Wu and the others around him, but he turned around with a smile, accompanied by one of He Mulan's envoys with pointed ears:
"Haizi Camp is rich in cattle and sheep, and it is in an oasis, so it is often attacked by sand pirates. In fact, there are more than so many guards in Haizi Camp. Some of them are out on patrol and will not return until evening."
He Mulan nodded knowingly, but heard Yuan Fang quietly lowering his voice next to him: "He's lying."
"what?"
He Mulan also lowered her voice and asked him.
"Why?"
"I paid attention when I went over just now, and found that these guards were not familiar with each other. One guard wanted to call another person's name, but he opened his mouth several times and didn't call out. It can be seen that they were all temporarily dispatched here. Yes." Yuan Fang smiled mockingly, his voice even lower: "Juqu Mengxun was afraid of our country's attack, so he deliberately made such a small city look like it was strong, so as to show off its national strength."
He Mulan was dubious about Yuan Fang's words, but from her experience as a general, a city with many gates due to geological reasons was not suitable for garrison defense, because it was not a town that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
If the envoy just now said, this place is quite suitable as a supply point for the patrol.
Thinking of this, He Mulan couldn't help but smile.
In the face of a national disaster, Beiliang, from the state lord down to the officials, tried to find ways to make the country survive for a longer period of time.
Compared with the Rouran people who were defeated in one blow, Datan burned the king's tent and fled, Juqu Mengxun was still a hero of a generation, but the hero was too late, and he happened to meet Tuoba Tao.
It’s good to have a quiet corner, but Beiliang guards the east and west. The geographical location is too important, and no neighboring country is willing to let it develop.
The army of three hundred tigers followed He Mulan into the city, and with her were Master Cixin, Gai Wu, Zheng Zong and Na Luohun. Li Shun's arm was injured, and Li Shun's deputy accompanied He Mulan into the city together with the envoy of the Wei State.
Chen Jie and Man Gu were left to guard the big tent. He Mulan was not planning to spend the night in the city, and was worried about what Li Shun would do with the opportunity. it is good.
Haiziying really lives up to its reputation, not only the lamb is plump, but also many melons and fruits. Perhaps it was because these Beiliang envoys were more familiar with Li Shun, or because they didn't know He Mulan's spleen and stomach. All in all, the hospitality of a dinner party was not enthusiastic until the girls from Haiziying came out to dance and toast. Just got a little easier.
"I don't know if the third prince of your country has returned to China?" He Mulan asked about Juqu Mujian while drinking, "I am really worried that he left the group on his own halfway."
"Huh? Didn't our third prince stay in Wei State? The letter received in the country said that His Royal Highness had a sudden illness and had to stay in Wei State to recuperate..."
The Bei Liang envoy was so shocked that his eyes widened, "Why did you leave halfway?"
A group of envoys from the Wei Kingdom burst into an uproar.
"Obviously he left by himself! Didn't you send an urgent letter saying that the king was seriously ill and asked Prince Juqu Mujian to return as soon as possible?"
"Also said, I have been sick all the way, either a headache or a fever, and I don't want to ask him to recuperate, and he has to follow us to drag the trip!"
"How is your country's lord now?"
He Mulan's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly felt that Juqu Mujian's departure might be strange.
The envoys of Beiliang always thought that the lord of the country was seriously ill, so the prince abandoned the mission and only left with the deputy envoy Bai Guangping and the guards. The grievances and grievances can be imagined. Now that they heard the envoys of their own countries say this, they all began to whisper.
"I don't know where the general came from, but our country's lord is in good health, and there is no serious illness..." An envoy said displeasedly: "This is no different from a curse, so please be careful."
"Then I dare to ask you, is it possible that the third prince has returned to the country, but you don't know?" He Mulan's heart became more and more heavy.
"If he returns to the palace, the king will definitely summon him to inquire about the envoy, but we have never seen him come back. But we all came from Guzang, and it's been half a month since we came here, so we can't guarantee that we won't be here. I've been back for a month and a half."
Mo Gan, the envoy of Northern Liang, replied succinctly.
"Maybe there is some misunderstanding in it, not necessarily."
If there is any misunderstanding, it is also caused by Li Shun, who is the ambassador.
At this moment, He Mulan was extremely grateful that she had put Li Shun under house arrest.
The other envoys probably also noticed the strangeness, and they all kept secret.
The first dinner party in Beiliang was going on like this. He Mulan almost didn't know the essence of the food he ate, and even the plump lamb had no taste.
The rest of the people are also similar, each one is like a soul wandering in the sky.
It wasn't until He Mulan got up to go to the toilet midway, and went out to meet an innocent and cute little girl.
No matter where He Mulan went, Luo Hun and Gai Wu were inseparable. The three of them are adults, and they are not charitable, and most people will avoid them when they see them.
When the little girl saw He Mulan, she did not shy away from her and greeted him. As soon as she saw He Mulan, she spit out a long sentence, saying that He Mulan was stunned for a moment, and she could only stare at Gai Wu blankly.
She could not understand Lu Shuihu.
"She asked us if we came to marry their princess as the wife of the lord of the country, does that mean we won't fight."
Gai Wu looked up at He Mulan with a complicated expression.
"She said that people all over the city are afraid of war, so she came to see you secretly and ask."
For a while, He Mulan was stunned in place.