Jiuxi

Chapter 743 [Innocent Heart]

Thousands of mountains and rivers, traveling day and night.

The red dress finally set foot on its homeland again.

Luo Jiujiu traveled tirelessly all the way, tiring out three horses and leaving more than a thousand warriors behind. He only took more than a dozen good fighters with him, crossing mountains and rivers, and finally reached Yunling after crossing the long distance.

Standing among the green mountains and gazing at the green hills and clear waters in the distance, Luo Jiujiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, she did not understand the major events and unpredictable circumstances of the world, but she believed in Lu Chen's judgment from the bottom of her heart. Since he said that the Jing army was targeting Shazhou, then Shazhou must be in danger.

No matter how reluctant she was, she could only hide her tender feelings deep in her heart and return immediately after a while, because Shazhou was her home and her relatives lived here. She absolutely could not turn a blind eye to the danger faced by her relatives.

Perhaps her power alone is very small, but she will definitely stand with her people in times of danger.

Looking west from Yunling, the land of Shazhou still has a simple and quiet beauty, as if no tragic changes have occurred.

Luo Jiujiu was still worried and couldn't let go. She just took a breath and continued on her journey with more than a dozen trusted companions.

Returning to the familiar Heishui Village, it seemed as peaceful as usual, but Luo Jiujiu was keenly aware of the tension in the air. She did not have time to find a random tribe member to ask, and rushed to the ancestral home to the west of the hundreds of years old locust tree like the wind.

In the main hall, Luo Yaozong and more than a dozen chiefs and elders were discussing matters. Luo Hengshan, who was tall and had the vigor of a young man, stood respectfully behind them.

The sound of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded, and then Luo Jiujiu's dusty face appeared in everyone's sight.

Luo Jiujiu looked up and saw his father, Na Yan, Yang Jin and others were all there, except Hardy, the leader of the Jinchuan tribe.

Seeing the heavy expressions on everyone's faces, Luo Jiujiu felt nervous and asked without even having time to salute, "Dad, why isn't Uncle Hardy here?"

"Sit down first, don't panic, Hardy is fine."

Luo Yaozong was somewhat surprised that his daughter came back so soon. After a quick calculation, he realized that she must have been rushing on the road and might not even have met Lu Chen. She quickly returned to Shazhou for some reason.

Luo Jiujiu followed his instructions and sat at the bottom. He asked anxiously, "Father, what happened? Did the Jing army attack us?"

Luo Yaozong sighed and nodded, "Yes, Feiniao Pass was captured by Jing's army."

Hearing these words, Luo Jiujiu felt a loud bang in his mind and his face turned pale immediately.

As the eldest daughter of the Shazhou chieftain, who has lived on this land since childhood, how could she not know the significance of Feiniao Pass to Shazhou?
For hundreds of years, Shazhou has been able to maintain relative independence and has not been annexed by the Central Plains dynasties. In addition to the friendship established between the ancestors of Shazhou and Taizu of Qi, the unique terrain here played a crucial role.

Thanks to the Yunling Mountains in the east and the Shiwanda Mountains in the north, Shazhou has avoided becoming someone else's meal.

Yunling Mountain is not that dangerous, at least there are still a few roads to be found. However, the Shiwanda Mountains to the north are steep and dangerous, with only one road accessible, which is why it is named Feiniao Pass.

At first, the Jing army had planned to seize Feiniao Pass, but fortunately Lu Chen dispatched troops to help the Jinchuan tribe resolve the crisis. Since then, Shazhou has been extra cautious, and the responsibility of guarding Feiniao Pass is not only the responsibility of the Jinchuan tribe. After becoming the lord of Shazhou, Luo Yaozong selected warriors from various tribes to be stationed at Feiniao Pass in order to guard against the covetousness of the Jing army.

Unexpectedly, it still failed to hold on.

From Luo Yaozong's narration, Luo Jiujiu learned the details of the fall of Feiniao Pass.

To be frank, Jing Jun's strategy was not complicated. They selected brave warriors with strong body and strong martial arts from the army, and spent at least half a year to figure out the terrain near Feiniao Pass, and gradually broke through the obstacles on both sides, using this slow and steady approach to build a route around the side of Feiniao Pass.

Then they used the main force to attack from the front and the surprise force to attack from the flank, and it took only two days to break through Feiniao Pass.

Luo Jiujiu couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart when she heard this.

This battle seemed simple, as if Jing Jun had easily captured Feiniao Pass, but the preparations made by the opponent in the early stages were terrifying.

Just climbing mountains and crossing rivers in the Ten Thousand Mountains, gradually establishing supply points, and finding detour routes is an extremely arduous and difficult task.

In other words, Jing Jun had spared no effort in expending endless manpower for more than half a year or even earlier just to capture that important pass.

If Jing Jun only wanted to take over Shazhou, such a price would obviously not be worth it. After all, the people in Shazhou are poor and there is no wealth worthy of Jing Jun's covetousness. However, they are obviously not just trying to take over Shazhou, but are looking at the long term.

Luo Jiujiu asked worriedly: "Father, where has the Jing army attacked now?"

Luo Yaozong replied: "After the Jing army captured Feiniao Pass, they only advanced more than fifty miles before stopping."

At this time Luo Jiujiu finally understood why Feiniao Pass had been lost, but the leaders only looked a little solemn but not very nervous, so they could sit here and discuss with peace of mind.

Because the purpose of Jing’s army was very clear, they would not advance southward to Shazhou next, but would turn eastward and advance along the gradually open and flat terrain on the south bank of Heng River, directly approaching the heart of Jingzhou of Qi State.

Luo Jiujiu suppressed his anxiety and said to everyone: "My fellow uncles, we can't just watch the Jing army occupy Feiniao Pass."

"Ahem." Na Yan, who always loved Luo Jiujiu, cleared his throat and continued, "Jiujiu, we have never thought of bowing down to the Jinglian people, but now the enemy's military strength is strong, and the troops crossing Feiniao Pass are endless. Shazhou has a small population, so it is not appropriate to fight head-on."

Luo Jiujiu couldn't help but frown.

Another respected elder, Lin Shan, said, "Miss Luo, Jing Army Commander Nan Yong sent someone to inform you that they are only borrowing Feiniao Pass temporarily and will not stay there for long."

Luo Jiujiu just couldn't believe it, and said in a deep voice: "Master Zong, do you believe the nonsense of Jinglian people?"

Lin Shan looked a little embarrassed, then he forced a smile and said, "This is not a question of belief or not, but the enemy of the Jinglian people is Qi, not Shazhou, so there is no need for them to fight to the death with Shazhou. Even if we take a step back, the emperor of Jing is rich, so how could he look down on Shazhou, a barren land? This time, the enemy of the Jing army is Qi, and their current movements can also prove this point. Although Shazhou and Qi are no longer hostile in recent years, do we have to work for Qi? Don't forget the eight thousand men who died in Yanziling that year."

Luo Jiujiu stood up and said sternly: "What about the tribesmen who died in Feiniao Pass? Are they from Shazhou? Can we watch them die under the butcher knives of Jinglian people and not help them to avenge?!"

"Ninety-nine, don't be presumptuous."

Luo Yaozong raised his voice slightly, and instead of looking at his eldest daughter who looked disappointed, he spoke gently to the uncomfortable Lin Shan: "The elder is right. Right now, the fight between Qi and Jing is in full swing. Shazhou can stay out of it for the time being and wait and see how the situation develops before making a decision."

Lin Shan couldn't help but laugh and said, "The leader is wise. Neither Qi nor Jing is a good guy. So what if we let them kill each other and blood will flow like a river? Of course, if the Jinglian people are planning to occupy Feiniao Pass, we Shazhou people will definitely not sit idly by. After all, it is much easier to attack from the south than to seize the pass from the north."

Some people nearby nodded frequently. It was obvious that Lin Shan's attitude could represent the true thoughts of some Shazhou people.

"That's it, but you all still need to be more vigilant. The Jinglian people really don't have much integrity. No matter what, we can't let them continue to advance southward."

Luo Yaozong is the lord of Shazhou after all, and everyone should at least show enough respect to him on the surface, so no one said anything.

After everyone left, the main hall of the ancestral house became empty and quiet. Luo Hengshan looked at his sister's face and tiptoed away carefully.

Luo Yaozong seemed unaware and said with concern: "Why are you so anxious, kid? You have traveled thousands of miles back and forth. Even if you are young and have a good foundation, you should make sure to rest. Look at your pale face."

Luo Jiujiu looked him straight in the eyes and said angrily, "Father, what happened at home in the past few months? Did those people in Linshan accept benefits from the Jinglian people?"

Luo Yaozong was slightly startled, then said calmly: "Most likely."

"Father!"

Luo Jiujiu's eyes were slightly red, and she said anxiously: "How can we allow them to do this? The Jing army is indeed only focused on dealing with the Qi army, but how can they spit it out after they take Feiniao Pass? Now it is not just Qi's business. If they betray the alliance at this time, how can Shazhou fight against the Jing army alone in the future? People like Lin Shan are blinded by some petty gains. Can't father see it?"

Her words came quickly and hurriedly, like a violent storm.

Luo Yaozong remained calm and said thoughtfully: "Human hearts are like this. Everyone has their own ideas and calculations. Lin Shan is not the first and will not be the last. Although I am the lord of Shazhou and Shazhou has a small population, there are also intrigues and conspiracies here, and Qi Jing is even more so. Jiujiu, don't you understand that the more people there are, the more chaos there is?"

"But……"

Luo Jiujiu wanted to say something but stopped herself. After all, she could understand her father's difficulties. The tradition of the seven tribes in Shazhou had existed for hundreds of years. Now that the seven tribes were united, it was not an easy task for Luo Yaozong to completely integrate them.

Compared with the past, he has to take into account the interests and people's hearts of all parties, otherwise Shazhou will inevitably fall apart. Perhaps this is the reason why he tolerates Lin Shan.

Looking at his daughter's gloomy face, Luo Yaozong felt very relieved. She and Luo Hengshan had not grown up astray, and had been on the right path since childhood.

Thinking of this, he slowed down his tone and asked, "Did you see Lu Chen on this trip?"

Luo Jiujiu nodded.

Luo Yaozong couldn't help but smile and said, "Since you have seen it, why are you so worried?"

These words were like a bolt of thunder that struck Luo Jiujiu's mind.

Today, she suddenly heard the news that Feiniao Pass had fallen. She was furious that some tribesmen were still plotting something at this time. She was so angry that she forgot some key information.

Seeing the indifferent smile on her father's face, she said quickly, "Father, Lu Chen told me before he left that if the Jing army broke through Feiniao Pass, we should not be too anxious. There is still a chance for this to turn around, and he will have enough backup plans to deal with it."

Luo Yaozong said: "Speak slowly and carefully."

After listening to Luo Jiujiu's retelling and thinking about the current situation, Luo Yaozong couldn't help but sigh: "It's almost the same as I expected. This young Lord Lu remained calm in the face of danger. No wonder he can rise so quickly."

Only at this moment did Luo Jiujiu realize that her father had actually already had a plan.

Luo Yaozong looked at her with pity, and his tone was sharp: "Go and have a good sleep. Don't worry, the people of Shazhou have never been afraid of strong enemies. This knife will pierce the vital points of Jingjun at the critical moment."

Luo Jiujiu felt relieved and stood up and said, "Yes, father."

She turned and left. Although her eyes were filled with fatigue, her steps were still firm.

(End of this chapter)