late night song

Chapter 179
After escaping a lot of pursuit, Beiling and his party finally retreated safely, but they did not dare to stay any longer and rushed to the border without stopping.

Gu Yuchu was seriously injured. Although he was temporarily bandaged, the cold weather and the fact that he was traveling around the clock meant that the wound healed very slowly.

The white cotton cloth wrapped around her waist, abdomen, back, and shoulders was constantly bleeding. Although it hurt, she was very quiet and had not spoken since the imperial mausoleum.

Her eyes were red and swollen, the skin on her cheeks was dry and wrinkled with tears, and her eyes were dark. No matter how bumpy the carriage was, it could not bring her back to her confused and boundless thoughts.

Ling Buhuo sat aside and did not disturb her. He seemed to be concentrating with his eyes closed, but in fact he was secretly adjusting his breathing to dispel the remaining poison in his body.

At the same time that they arrived at the Beiling station safely, Xirong's 30-strong army had also pressed into Shacheng on the border of Hehe. They tried to negotiate passage twice, but the city gates were always closed.

In this way, Xirong was not impatient and simply camped within a radius of two miles outside the city gate to rest and recuperate to relieve the hardship and exhaustion of the soldiers from marching for days.

As early as five days ago, the Grand Sima and the Lord of the Kingdom issued two orders to Shacheng. One said to strictly guard and the other said to let them go. This made the generals who defended the city panic. Faced with the tense and silent Xirong troops under the city, they didn't know what to do. Is good.

In Qiongzhou City, although Ouyang Qunfang resisted 1 times in his heart, Lejia Pengkang threatened his life and forced him to go out of the city to meet Queen Kuosang in person with a national gift.In order to slow down the Xirong army and wait for the Dongqi reinforcements, he was planning for Hehe and was not allowed to rush to the border city of Shacheng.

On the third day after Xirong camped on the spot, the city gate opened, and Ouyang Qunfang rode four horses and a single shaft alone and drove into Xirong's camp.

"Ouyang Qunfang, the Grand Sima of Hehe State, requested to see the Queen of the Grassland on the order of the Lord!" Ouyang Qunfang, surrounded by Xirong warriors, paid homage in front of the commander's tent.

But inside the camp, his request for an audience fell on deaf ears.

"Ouyang Qunfang, the Grand Sima of Hehe State, requested to see the Queen of the Grassland on the order of the Lord of the State!"

Ouyang Qunfang gritted her teeth and bowed again, but there was still no response.

The third time, he endured the strain and pain on his waist and bowed so deeply that the Xirong people watching couldn't help but cheer and laugh.

Ouyang Qunfang endured the humiliation and bore the burden, her beard trembling when she bent down and lowered her head, which showed the deep sorrow and anger in her heart.

"Pass!" After a long time, there was a response from inside the tent.

Ouyang Qunfang stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked in without fear.

On top of the master's seat, a man stood with his hands folded and his back facing him. Ouyang Qunfang was hesitating about what to call him when the man suddenly turned around and smiled.

"Da Sima, long time no see."

"Prince Ning?!" Ouyang Qunfang was shocked.

"Da Sima, you're welcome. There is no more King Ning in this world."

"Then what should I call you?" Although Ouyang Qunfang felt resentful, he still abided by etiquette in the current situation.

"If you don't mind, Grand Sima, you can call me Ning Jue or Wei Juanqi."

"Wei Juanqi?" The indifferent expression on Ouyang Qunfang's face disappeared, replaced by unspeakable regret and sadness. He suddenly realized that the current situation was planned by the young king Lejia Pengkang without telling him for a long time. It seemed that, Hehe's demise has long been determined.

Qi Jinjue smiled and was not in a hurry to speak.

He was surprised that Ouyang Qunfang was still alive. Thinking about it, he was also surprised. Why was that woman Zhang Mengyi willing to obey him completely? She must not have risked her life for him.

Fortunately, in the current situation, Ouyang Qunfang will not hinder her plans at all.

"Where is the Queen of the Grassland? I was entrusted by the king to plan a future with her." Ouyang Qunfang did not pursue the past, but the key was to explore Xirong's plan first.

"The king and the queen have made an agreement a long time ago, and the alliance between the two countries was decided in person. But today I only see Da Sima alone. I wonder what the king of Lejia wants?"

"The old minister is entrusted by the king, so naturally he has something to say to Her Majesty the Queen in person."

"In this case, Ning Jue is not talented, but he is also entrusted by Her Royal Highness the Queen to receive Hehe's envoys. If you have anything to say, Grand Sima, you can tell me."

"You!" Ouyang Qunfang was so angry that she couldn't speak.

"Ha." Qi Yijue said calmly, "I would like to ask Grand Sima, when will we welcome the Xirong army into the city? Could it be that the king wants to break the contract?"

"The king ordered me to come here to discuss with the queen a strategy to delay the war." Ouyang Qunfang said deliberately, wanting to find out Xirong's plan.

"Delay the troops?" Qi Jinjue shook his head and laughed, "Even if the strategy is to delay the troops, we have to enter the Hehe country first. Is it possible that Lord Ouyang wants Xirong's 30 iron troops to camp outside the city? The queen loves beauty, We have been traveling day and night for several days, and if we are not allowed to enter the city before sunset to get ready and freshen up, not to mention the queen herself, not even the loyal iron soldiers outside will agree."

Ouyang Qunfang was silent, thinking about how to respond.

"Why, Da Sima thinks I'm joking?" Qi Jinjue sneered, obviously refusing to give him a chance to react.

Faced with such a threat, Ouyang Qunfang was furious, but he could not get angry at all.

Xirong Iron Horse is extremely vicious and has no regard for etiquette. If he refuses to let go, they can forcefully enter the city and then use this as an excuse to advance towards Qiongzhou.By then, Dongqi's reinforcements had not arrived, and with Hehe's military strength of less than 20, it was basically a matter of killing an egg against a stone.

But just open the city gates without any resistance and surrender without fighting?

So how should the world view Hehe?

How did He and the imperial court face the people of the country?
Ouyang Qunfang felt uneasy, closed her eyes and thought for a while, endured the huge resentment, and spoke helplessly.

"Okay! I will welcome the queen into the city now!"

"Then please ask Lord Ouyang to wait outside the tent." Qi Jinjue waved his sleeves and motioned for him to retreat.Ouyang Qunfang waited outside the camp for a long time, from noon until the sun set.

Qi Jinjue's move was nothing more than a deliberate attempt to tease and humiliate this self-righteous and stubborn old man, so that Lejia Pengkang could see clearly that he hated people who broke their promises and broke their promises.

Finally, before the sun set, the Xirong army set off, with Ouyang Qunfang driving the chariot at the front.

Behind him, there were more than a hundred Xirong warriors riding war horses, surrounded by the Queen of Xirong's chariot pulled by eight war horses, and then a mighty army of 30 troops marched towards the gate of Shacheng.

Arriving at the city gate, Ouyang Qunfang suddenly tightened the reins and stopped.

Under the gaze of He and the soldiers on the city wall, he got off the carriage and walked slowly to the Queen's carriage. The Xirong warriors in front of him automatically made way for him, but near the carriage and horses, ten The Xirong cavalry blocked his way.

"To the Queen of the Prairie, veteran Ouyang Qunfang has been entrusted by He and the Lord of the Kingdom to personally welcome Her Highness the Queen into the city." He stopped moving forward and shouted loudly.

"No need to say anything, just lead the way." Qi Jinjue came out of the carriage with his back hunched, stood on a high place, and ordered.

Ouyang Qunfang no longer bowed down, straightened his back, raised his head to meet Qi Jinjue's contemptuous gaze, magnanimous and fearless.

"But the king only asked the old ministers to welcome the Queen of the Prairie into the city, and did not strictly control Xirong's 30 iron troops." Ouyang Qunfang's voice was rich and clear, and each word was clear, which made the Xirong soldiers on the horses gnashed their teeth in hatred and pinched them one after another. Clenched his fists.

"So?" Qi Jinjue smiled at the corners of his lips, but the murderous aura in his eyes condensed.

"The Queen's chariot and escorts can enter the city, but the 30 iron troops must be stationed outside the city!"

"Master Ouyang, do you know what you are talking about?"

"It couldn't be more clear."

"What if Her Royal Highness the Queen does not agree?"

"Then the Xirong Iron Army will step over the old minister's body today!" Ouyang Qunfang shouted loudly. The loudness of his voice and the fearlessness of his tone made the air freeze, and all the soldiers and soldiers on the city wall held their breath. breathe.

Qi Jinjue looked at this old man who thought he was brave but was pedantic for a long time, and then gently raised his hand.

"Roar!" The 30 troops behind them raised their halberds and shouted in harmony. The sound resounded through the sky and was deafening. It seemed that the entire land of Shacheng was shaking. The faces of Hehe soldiers on the city wall were ashen. They could not help but hold the weapons in their hands tightly and silently Swallowed.

"Master Ouyang, if I give you another chance, can the Xirong Iron Army enter this city gate?" Qi Jinjue asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No entry into the city." Ouyang Qunfang firmly denied.

Qi Jinjue looked up at the sunset-dyed sky, clicked his tongue, waved his hand, and the queen's chariot began to move.

Immediately afterwards, the cavalry in front of Ouyang Qunfang took the lead in riding through both sides of him, but he was not afraid at all.

Then the queen's eight-horse chariot came towards us. Ouyang Qunfang still stood still, so he shouted, just like that, the reins connected to the horse knocked him to the ground. Fortunately, the horse was well-trained and did not panic too much. He just kicked the barrier blocking the road a few times.

When the carriage passed by, Ouyang Qunfang was lying on her side. When she raised her head, she saw the black Xirong army and horses surging forward.

I saw that his hair crown was gone, his head was bruised and bleeding, and the messy white hair blocked the wrinkles that crisscrossed the corners of his eyes due to the exhaustion of time and energy. But through the hair, the look of death in his eyes made Sergeant Xirong unconsciously feel chilled.

The 30-strong iron army was not deterred by this. Ouyang Qunfang was kicked to pieces by the horses, but he still stood hard and refused to bow his knees to these wolves.

Less than ten feet away from the city gate, 30 Xirong troops shouted in unison: "Open the city gate! Open the city gate! Open the city gate!"

This momentum, like a turbulent wave, frightened He and the soldiers into silence.

At this time, someone took the initiative to ask the commander of the city defense for orders to fight.

But the commander of the city defense was hesitant. Da Sima risked his own life and death to protect the country. He admired his integrity and righteousness.

If he were to let him go at this time, he would be completely ignoring Da Sima's loyalty and painstaking efforts, and he would become an eternal sinner criticized by future generations.

However, there was an imperial order from the king before, and if he did not let it go, he would be openly defying the order. Even if the foreign military orders were accepted and rejected, in the current situation, the soldiers of Shacheng fought against the odds and could not compete with Xirong's 30 iron army.

Of course, when faced with life and death, not everyone can be as frank and fearless as Ouyang Qunfang.

Some cowardly people whispered that no matter how high the status of the Grand Sima was, he was no more than the king. If he rebelled against the emperor, he would not be able to escape the execution of his whole family. Although they were not afraid of death, what should the whole family do?What's more, even if they overestimate their capabilities and die heroically today, they still won't be recognized by the court, so why bother digging their own graves?

Coach Shoucheng thought about it again and again, and finally let people open the city gate.

The door creaked open, and Ouyang Qunfang turned around in disbelief.

"Hahahahahahahaha..." He burst into tears, filled with grief and anger. He covered his injured abdomen, half-knelt on the ground and laughed like crazy, looking up to the sky and laughing to the extreme.

The soldiers and horses of Xirong looked at the crazy minister of Hehe State silently, with indifference in their eyes.

Ouyang Qunfang originally wanted to use her own life to warn the people of Hehe that they must unite as one and fight to the death to protect their homeland. He also wanted to let Dongqi and Beiling understand Hehe's determination to stick to the old alliance, and they could no longer ignore Hehe's safety. In this way, he It can be considered a worthy death.

But he never expected that this group of Hehe soldiers would be so greedy for life and fearful of death that they would be captured without even firing an arrow. The Lejia clan, which he had tried so hard to assist, would be so vulnerable that they would die.

With a sigh and a roar, he rushed towards the Xirong war horse with all his strength. The war horse was enraged, stood up with a neigh, raised its front hooves, and kicked him to the ground hard.

Then, thousands of iron hooves stepped on his body. In this way, Hehe's generation of loyalty ended his life of diligently protecting the country. His blood and soul penetrated every inch and every strand of Hehe's land, no matter who It can't be peeled off even a cent.

(End of this chapter)