Jiaohua

Chapter 1695 Shen Lie is addicted to her
Xia Zhaoxue's men parked the carriage directly at the gate of Heyan Mansion.

Tao Lan was dragged up, her mouth stuffed with a thick cloth, and taken away from He Yan's residence.

Xia Zhaoyi, Xia Zhaoxue, and Zhili left a little later, from the other side.

Although the commotion at Heyan Mansion was quite loud, the mansion occupied a vast area, and since Heyan Jin had brandished his knife at Tao Lan, disputes had erupted there every day. As a result, the people around had long since become desensitized to these sharp cries.

By the time they left the city, it was already broad daylight. Xia Zhaoxue's men had prepared the horses early, and after mounting their horses, they suddenly asked, "Second Brother Xia, how do you raise all these men?"

In the past, Xia Zhaoxue would have spoken without any hesitation.

Now, he finds it difficult to speak.

His younger sister returned with a heart as pure as ice, like fresh snow among the pines, but he had changed.

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Zhili, you want to raise him too?"

He stammered, "I don't need to raise any. If I want subordinates, I'll just ask Wang Fengnian, hehe. As for Zhao Ning and Madam Qu, I can ask them without hesitation, and Brother Du Xuan too, they've all been extremely good to me!"

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Then let's go."

Xia Zhaoxue knew that his sister was trying to help him out of a difficult situation.

After a pause, Xia Zhaoxue said, "I saved them on the battlefield, and they were grateful to me. But I took advantage of their gratitude and used persuasion to make them willingly work for me and pledge their loyalty. First, I escaped the army by threatening to die, and then I secretly went to Huangmenhai."

Zhili was taken aback and looked at him.

Xia Zhaoyi frowned slightly, remaining silent.

Xia Zhaoxue's eyes were fixed on the long road ahead under the dawn, his tone still calm and nonchalant: "As for the money to support them, I robbed them. I went to Qingquan Town several times by myself, and each time my target was gold. The garrison at Qingji Pass is suffering, but I didn't give them the gold; I pocketed it."

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Second brother, let's go. We'll have to squeeze in time to rest from now on."

Xia Zhaoxue smiled and nodded gently: "Okay, little sister."

Xia Zhaoxue was certainly skilled, but he couldn't do what Xia Zhaoyi and Zhili did—climb mountains and traverse cities.

Due to Xia Zhaoyi's tight schedule, they eventually parted ways at the Delan Ancient Road.

When they parted, it was just dawn. Xia Zhaoyi and Zhili went northeast, while Xia Zhaoxue went east.

Xia Zhaoxue did not immediately whip the horse; he held the reins and watched the girl's figure disappear into the distance.

This scene was familiar, just like when she was about to return to Liling. He would always get up early and take her to the post station on the official road outside Yong'an City.

She whipped her whip and drove away, while he stood watching her go.

The difference is that in those years, the pavilion was shaded by willows, carriages and horses were bustling, wine flags hung low, and young people traveled together.

Now, a swift horse gallops through the wind, a lone wild goose flies across the desolate frontier, a dilapidated building stands amidst the wisps of smoke, and I am like a boat adrift at the ends of the earth.

Xia Zhaoxue suddenly burst into tears.

He had been holding back these past few days, but now these emotions could no longer be hidden in his eyes.

But he was also very happy that his younger sister was back. She had supported countless people with her own hands, and she was doing very well now.

And he has family again.

Xia Zhaoxue wiped away his tears, looked away, pulled on the reins, and whipped the horse in his direction.

Fifteen days later, Xia Zhaoyi and Zhili returned to the Falcon Camp.

Before she set off for Mingfang City, the main force of the Xia family army and the Zhanbao Battalion were borrowed by Ouyang Jun again, as he simply did not have enough troops on his side.

Not only that, he also transferred a portion of Bi Family Army and 8,000 Yan Army soldiers from Qingji Pass.

As soon as Xia Zhaoyi returned, Zhao Lingxiu and Tu Xiaoxi came to find her, saying that someone had been waiting for her for a long time. They did not say who they were or where they came from, but they were holding Yan Jun's token.

Xia Zhaoyi didn't have time to bathe; she just changed her clothes, washed her face, and went to meet the guest.

The newcomer was a woman, nearly thirty years old, with striking features and a medium height, but broad shoulders and arms, making her look quite robust. Her face was clean, but her skin was not any whiter than those of the people who had been exposed to the sun and fighting.

She was wearing a silk gauze shirt with a sky-blue cloud pattern, tied with a moon-white dyed silk skirt. The material was of superior quality and the style was fashionable. A pearl hairpin with jade tassels was in her hair.

Judging from her figure, she looked like someone who did manual labor all year round, but her clothes were those of a wealthy young lady.

Long Yuejie sat upright, and upon seeing Xia Zhaoyi, he stepped forward with a smile: "Sister! We've been waiting for you!"

Xia Zhaoyi asked, "Sister?"

"You take the lead, I'll take the subordinate! We're both the general's men!"

The expressions of the surrounding soldiers all changed.

Shi Baijin and Lin Shuanglan rolled up their sleeves, ready to go forward and hit someone.

Long Yuejie, feeling confident, showed off the Yan Army token in her hand: "This was given to me by the general himself. Sister, we must work together harmoniously and serve the general well. You must never be a jealous woman."

Xia Zhaoyi lowered her bright eyes slightly and said with a smile, "I know who you are. You are Liang Jun's cousin, the only daughter of the magistrate of Long County, Wan Hong Town, Tanzhou, Long Yuejie."

"..."

After a pause, Long Yuejie said, "General Ali, you still remember me."

"I went west to Hechuan from Tanzhou. All the members of my Xia family who were exiled there back then went there. I have never stopped searching for them over the years. Along the way, I have also learned about some important state officials, their families, local gentry, and some Jianghu forces."

Long Yuejie snorted coldly: "I know, that bastard Liang Jun betrayed me."

Xia Zhaoyi asked, "What brings you here, Miss Long?"

"I'll send you a horse, and a few messages too!"

"Send a horse?"

"A total of six thousand horses, all top-quality steeds. Shen Lie sent people to Hechuan to order them for you at the beginning of last year. At that time, Lin Jianrui even personally led troops to escort them to the Hechuan horse market and the Weihan horse farm! The horses of Langfeng County are the best in the world!"

"..."

The girls around them, who had been indignant just moments before, all turned from anger to joy and were overjoyed.

Long Yuejie continued, "As for the news, we've heard that Yi Shurong has hired ten armies from Xiyitang, Xiqiang, Hechuan, and Wanrong, totaling 60,000 men. They are all strong and most of them are former bandits, very skilled in mounted combat and raids. You'd better be prepared."

She paused for a moment, then whispered, "Back then, when Shen Lie led the Yan army to clear the borders of Panyu and Ningsi, he slaughtered these bandits. Among them, the Yehe family of Xiyitang was a prominent clan. The brothers Yehe Li and Yehe Chen were renowned on the grasslands for their formidable fighting prowess. However, both brothers died at the hands of Shen Lie. The Yehe family was filled with anger and shame, and had been powerless to take revenge. This time, they took the initiative to seek out Beiyuan."

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Shen Lie did a good job killing him."

Long Yuejie said, "Yes, the people of Panyu have suffered from these bandits for too long. When Shen Lie swept them away, the people on the border of Panyu lived a good life that they hadn't had in a long time! But even though we kill them, we must also be able to withstand their fire of revenge."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Thank you for telling me this, Miss Long."

"That's all, nothing else. It's better to know in advance than to be caught off guard."

Both of them had traveled a long way to get here; Xia Zhaoyi was exhausted, and Long Yuejie was also tired.

The two didn't talk for long and quickly ended their conversation before going to rest.

Xia Zhaoyi had a very good sleep. After waking up, she sat down at her desk and finally had time to write a letter to Shen Lie, telling him about Ming Fangcheng.

I was halfway through writing the letter when I heard a noise outside.

Xia Zhaoyi paused, looked up, and was overjoyed.

Perhaps it was fate, but her ears were always able to pick up his voice with remarkable accuracy!

Shen Lie is here!

He said he would come in the middle of the year, and it's almost the middle of the year now, but it hasn't arrived yet.

He did it again, quietly arriving ahead of schedule.

Xia Zhaoyi put down her pen and was about to leave when she thought for a moment. She then tiptoed back to her cot and lay down.

They waited and waited, but Shen Lie still didn't come in.

He left after asking about her recent situation.

Xia Zhaoyi laughed.

However, now that Shen Lie has come, she can share her thoughts in person, so there is no need to write another letter.

So she decided not to get up and just waited for him there.

About half an hour later, Shen Lie finally came in.

Xia Zhaoyi quickly closed her eyes.

She tried to pretend to be asleep to see his reaction, but her self-control crumbled the moment she caught his scent.

Her eyes were still closed, but her lips were already smiling.

It's all ruined.

Xia Zhaoyi opened her eyes, and Shen Lie's dark eyes fell on her face, a bright smile on his lips: "So you were awake all along."

"So you went to take a bath." She caught a whiff of his delicate soapy scent.

Shen Lie was the cleanest person she had ever met; he was always fresh and had a light fragrance lingering around him.

Shen Lie sat down on the edge of the bed, gently cupped her face, and kissed her lips.

His soft lips parted, a gentle drizzle lingering, his affection was deep and tender. Xia Zhaoyi raised her arm, hooked her neck and pulled him down, then turned to hug him.

Her cot wasn't spacious, and Shen Lie was tall, so the narrow bed suddenly felt cramped, making the two of them press tightly together.

"I have something to tell you," Xia Zhaoyi said, "a lot of things."

“I have one too,” Shen Lie said, embracing her. “Sending a letter is not as fast as me coming here. I’ll tell you in person.”

"So, who wants to speak first?"

"You first, I want to know how you've been these past six months."

Xia Zhaoyi laughed and deliberately leaned close to his ear: "Okay, then listen carefully."

Her breath tickled him, causing Shen Lie to hold her tighter, but his smile became even brighter: "I'm listening, tell me slowly."

The two of them lay on the bed like that, talking until dark, until their mouths were dry.

As visibility decreased, Shen Lie got up to light a lamp and casually took Xia Zhaoyi's water bottle, saying that thankfully there was still half a bag of water left.

Xia Zhaoyi took a sip and finally finished saying what she had to say.

Shen Lie said, "It's not easy for Second Brother Xia to get to where he is today. He's suffered a lot inside." Xia Zhaoyi said sadly, "Several times, I couldn't help but want to tell him the truth."

Shen Lie said softly, "The decision is yours. Whether you say it or not, I will support you."

"My second brother suffers in his heart, but he endures it. I suffer in my heart, but I can still confide in you."

“But Ali, you used to have no one to talk to either, and back then, you also had to endure it.”

Xia Zhaoyi smiled gently: "It's your turn. What do you want to say to me?"

"Nie Huimo wrote to me, asking me to send troops to Guangzhui and Songzhou simultaneously to contain Jin Hongkang. He also asked me to connect him with Yun Bozhong, so that Yun Bozhong could cooperate in Mouye. This is because he wants to take action against Tian Dayao, and he is afraid that Jin Hongkang will take advantage of the situation once Tian Dayao falls."

Xia Zhaoyi was deeply surprised: "Nie Huimo wants to deal with Tian Dayao? He's actually willing to do that?"

Whether Tian Dayao should be removed from office or killed remains to be seen.

Xia Zhaoyi asked, "So, did you agree?"

Shen Lie looked at her intently and said, "What do you think?"

Xia Zhaoyi chuckled: "That's true, you have no choice but to agree. We all want Tian Dayao to be finished, and we don't want to see Jin Hongkang have an easy time either. It's a good thing for us that Nie Huimo is willing to step forward and be the knife to deal with Tian Dayao."

“Nie Huimo must not have been happy these past few years. Now, Tian Dayao’s forces are complicated and he is no longer as simple and pure as he was when the uprising first started.”

At this point, Shen Lie paused slightly, then continued, "Once they are in complete chaos, it will be the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters..."

Xia Zhaoyi instantly knew what he wanted to say.

Shen Lie replied, “Perfect. I can stay here and clean up the mess I left behind back then. When I was suppressing the bandits, my forces were limited and my soldiers were incompetent, so I couldn’t completely eradicate them. Now that I’m more powerful, I’ll settle things with them.”

Xia Zhaoyi said, "That's not a mess. You did a great job back then."

Shen Lie pressed his forehead against hers: "They hate me, so this mess is mine. Let me stay, okay?"

Xia Zhaoyi smiled helplessly: "Judging from your appearance, if I say it's not good, you will definitely have other reasons to say, or one day you will suddenly appear with your troops."

"Then you agree."

"Alright, alright! But this will make you very tired. If there is any change in the Central Plains, you will have to lead your troops back thousands of miles away."

"Therefore, the war on both sides needs to be resolved as soon as possible, as it has been going on for many years."

As he spoke, Shen Lie leaned close to her neck. She also had a pleasant fragrance. She had taken a bath after talking with Long Yuejie yesterday before going to sleep. The floral soap and essential oil fragrance were also made by Du Xuan, specially made for her, and sent directly from Hengxiang by Wang Fengnian's caravan.

Named Yue Lin, it is made with agarwood, wood incense, and cloves as its base, with a small amount of jasmine, amber, and lotus stamens. At first, it smells cool, ethereal, and clear, but as you savor it, it gradually becomes warmer, and the aftertaste is detached.

Du Xuan said that this fragrance is like the breath of a divine beast, noble and mysterious, sometimes far and sometimes near, hence the name Yue Lin.

Smelling the fragrance, Shen Lie felt a pang of heartache for her resurface.

He knew she didn't need anyone to pity her, but seeing her so tanned, it was impossible for him to remain unmoved.

They were of one mind, and beauty and ugliness were no longer important. However, she was tanned so badly that it was worse than when they parted at the beginning of the year, far more so than any of the other female soldiers he had seen today, which showed how hard she had worked in the past six months.

Once he started sniffing, Shen Lie couldn't stop, opening his mouth to gently nibble.

She had a good figure and a supple waist. Every time she was in the throes of passion, she would display an expression completely different from her usual self, like a beautiful scene that only he could see.

This beautiful scenery was like a curse to Shen Lie, making him addicted and hopelessly obsessed. When he thought of it late at night, he would often feel as if he were burning with desire.

"Ah Li, are you hungry?" Shen Lie asked, looking up at her.

Xia Zhaoyi could easily see the emotions tinged with his dark eyes. She clung to him, saying, "Are you hungry? Play this for me first. I miss you."

More than an hour later, Xia Zhaoyi regretted her words.

Shen Lie was energetic and had excellent physical strength. Once he encountered her, it was like a wildfire spreading and endlessly growing.

She had been starving for a day and a night, and when it was finally over, she was exhausted, feeling as if all the bones in her body had been removed.

Also, because it was a tent, she had to do her best to control her voice and movements to avoid being heard, which was both thrilling and exciting.

However, once she went outside, she learned that her guards had already begun evacuating the crowd the moment Shen Lie entered the tent.

The area around the camp is quiet now, with only Feng Ping and Wu Shaoning waiting for orders fifty paces away; everyone else has gone to do night drills.

Shen Lie took out a beautifully packaged pastry and asked her to eat a few bites first while he went to cook.

Xia Zhaoyi wanted to go with him.

The two went far away from the military camp and went to the countryside to catch river fish.

After they finished eating, they walked back under the moonlight, chatting about Xi Yitang and the Qiang people, as well as the marching and laying of lines in the second half of the year.

When they got back, they found that the cots in the main tent had been widened.

Xia Zhaoyi was very happy; she could sleep without feeling crowded.

Shen Lie was very unhappy and asked who did it.

Xia Zhaoyi went out and dragged him back in: "Let's continue talking about serious matters, don't cause trouble for my soldiers."

Two days later, Zhili returned from his horseback riding adventure, his horse laden with bags and bundles full of delicious food and fun toys.

Long Yuejie accompanied him, and when they returned, they were followed by a caravan and warhorses from Tanzhou.

Lin Gong sent Wang Xudu and Lin Yiping to accompany the team, and Lin Jianrui also sent Aishan north.

Upon hearing that Shen Lie was here, both Zhi Li and Wang Xudu were overjoyed.

It was Wang Xudu, Lin Yiping, and others who traveled all the way from Tanzhou to Zuilu to extend a warm invitation to Shen Lie, who had just fallen out with the Guo family, to go to Tanzhou.

Lin Gong had his eye on more than just Shen Lie, but Shen Lie was undoubtedly the most accomplished among those he invited.

In just a few years, Shen Lie quickly became the most outstanding young general in the world. He has never been defeated so far. Even if he were to be recorded in history, he would be able to compete with those famous generals who have made great achievements in the annals of history.

Xia Zhaoyi hosted a banquet, and the female generals of the Falcon Battalion occupied 70% of the seats. Sun Bichun and Yan Ziyan became the people with the best drinking capacity in the whole room.

The two with the lowest alcohol tolerance are Shen Lie and Zhi Li.

After the warhorses were delivered, Wang Xudu and his men stayed for two more days before finally setting off.

Xia Zhaoyi didn't linger there.

The reason why the Falcon Camp was stationed here was twofold: first, to wait for the latest news from Ling Daicheng; the "medics" she and Shen Lie had sent had been very successful in the past six months, having rescued at least two hundred Han Chinese slaves.

Secondly, she was still waiting for the movements of the Chimen Army and Liu Zhaojiang's reply.

Last year, Liu Mo lost an arm in a direct battle with Xia Wenbing from Xia'er's family. The current commander of the Crimson Gate Army is Liu Mo's son, Liu Zhaojiang.

Liu Zhaojiang's military style was completely different from Liu Mo's; sometimes he was timid and hesitant, and sometimes extremely reckless. He had won major battles, but also suffered devastating defeats.

At the end of last year, when Xia Zhaoyi and Shen Lie disguised themselves as a merchant caravan to Lingdai City, Liu Zhaojiang avenged his father's loss of an arm. Xia'er Wenbing was also seriously injured and died after half a month.

Afterwards, Xia'er's family launched a large-scale revenge. The garrison at Qingji Pass where Xia Zhaoxue was stationed was the Zhenwu Camp under the Chimen Army. Most of the Yan Army that Xia Zhaoyi left at Qingji Pass was thus targeted by Liu Zhaojiang.

Shen Lie didn't have many friends, but he had known Liu Zhaojiang for many years. When Liu borrowed this batch of Yan soldiers, he was extremely shameless, begging and pleading, even crying and making a scene.

During this time, Xia Zhaoyi was waiting for his answer, wondering when he would return this batch of Yan soldiers.

Ouyang Jun also borrowed troops, but at least he returned what he borrowed, while Liu Zhaojiang was a scoundrel.

Now they finally received news that Liu Zhaojiang was willing to return the money, but he couldn't make it back in time, so Xia Zhaoyi had to go to Fengle River Valley to retrieve it herself.

Xia Zhaoyi and Shen Lie saw through Liu Zhaojiang's intentions at a glance; he wanted to drag the Falcon Battalion into the mess and launch another major attack.

However, despite seeing through their intentions, Xia Zhaoyi's goal was to fight against the Northern Yuan army, so she simply went over there herself.

Shen Lie happened to be there too, and Yan Jun was originally his, so it was a good opportunity for him to take over.

The Falcon Battalion set off, and in mid-July, Xia Zhaoyi arrived at the Fengle River Valley.

Liu Zhaojiang had no idea that Shen Lie was there, let alone that Shi Baijin was there as well.

Shi Baijin could completely restrain himself when facing Guan Chi, Fan Yu, Liang Dechang, and the others, but Liu Zhaojiang and his former lovers had actually slept together.

Upon seeing Shen Lie, Liu Zhaojiang's face turned pale; upon seeing the murderous Shi Baijin, Liu Zhaojiang only wanted to turn around and run away.

Shi Baijin didn't stand on ceremony with him. She shouted "Stop!" and chased after him, scolding him for making him go through all that trouble to come all this way.

As Liu Zhaojiang ran, he shouted, "General Ali, why don't you say anything and control your men?"

Xia Zhaoyi watched the show with amusement, while Shen Lie observed it coldly.

Shi Baijin chased after Liu Zhaojiang and ran far away, leaving Liu Zhaojiang's deputy generals and strategists to awkwardly take over from their commander to entertain Xia Zhaoyi.

Moreover, even Liu Zhaojiang found it difficult to say these things, but now that Liu Zhaojiang had run away, they had no choice but to say them, albeit reluctantly.

It turned out that Liu Zhaojiang planned to ambush Xia'er Wenqin on the north bank of the Baihe River in the Fengle River Valley.

Xia'er Wenqin was the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Xia'er family. After Xia'er Wenbing died, Xia'er Wenqin was the one who retaliated against Liu Zhaojiang the most fiercely.

Fearing Xia Zhaoyi might refuse, the strategist added after speaking, "Meng Jinci, under Yi Shurong's command, is probably also there."

Shen Lie raised an eyebrow: "Approximately?"

"Yes, the Xia family is related to Shang Taiyu, and their cousin Xia Erhu is Shang Taiyu's strategist. As for Meng Jinci, the two generals should be familiar with him; he is Yi Shurong's man. However, the Xia family and the Meng family have been friends for generations. This time, we received news that they met on the north bank of the Baihe River. One reason is to ease the conflict between Yi Shurong and Shang Taiyu, and the other is that they are probably going to target Long Chang and Juezhou, thus diverting our attention and relieving the pressure on their front lines."

Shen Lie frowned slightly and looked at Xia Zhaoyi.

Xia Zhaoyi happened to be looking at him as well.

Their eyes met, and they instantly understood each other's thoughts.

Xia Zhaoyi whispered, "It seems like you can't refuse?"

Shen Lie's smile was extremely faint, and even a hint of coldness: "I want Meng Jinci dead more than anyone else."

Regardless of whether Meng Jinci will actually come, Shen Lie doesn't want to let go of any possibility, even if there's only a one percent chance.

Shen Lie then said, "Ali, go find General Ouyang first, and wait for my good news."

"It's alright, I'll send someone over."

Xia Zhaoyi's original plan was to lead her troops to find Ouyang Jun to discuss matters concerning Xi Yitang and the mercenaries of Xi Qiang, and to prepare for an ambush and interception in advance.

However, Mengjin Ci is equally important, and its significance far surpasses that of Congmu Tu.

If Meng Jinci could be killed, it would be tantamount to cutting off another arm of Yi Shurong.

What Shen Lie and Xia Zhaoyi didn't expect was that this military meeting on the north bank of the Baihe River was actually Meng Jinci's conspiracy.