The author

Chapter 352: Our appointment, let's go to the banquet and listen to the piano music (asking for monthly tickets)

The atmosphere in Xiyi City was quite strange. The joy and relief that had been felt when Duke Li returned was gradually disappearing. Regarding this battle, the Duke had already sorted out the files and reported them to the court. All the generals had been rewarded.

However, these generals did not talk about the many situations of the war in the Western Region in detail. They all kept silent when it was mentioned. However, when the army from Anxi City came with a large force, the atmosphere in the city became a little tense.

When facing an army of 100,000 before, such a brave general was the guarantee of his troops' survival and an absolutely important ally. But when Li Guanyi charged into the battle alone, he was a warrior and the highest honor that a general desired most.

Filled with enthusiasm, they will naturally go forward to help and plunder the enemy.

But now, they have all returned to Xiyi City. They are no longer generals or captains, and their lives and deaths are no longer tied to the same rope. Instead, they are the heads of this family and the legitimate sons of that family, all of them are nobles.

The person who charged into the formation was the one who killed Li Xuanye.

This moment, that moment.

All come for benefit, all come for benefit.

When they needed to rely on the power of this brave and powerful merchant general, they naturally resented Li Xuanye for making trouble out of nothing.

But by this time, they had all returned to the magnificent city on the border of Ying State. They began to recall the good times they had with Li Xuanye in the past, listening to music in brothels, drinking tea and discussing the world. They began to feel that the traveling merchants from the Central Plains were being willful and too rude.

People's minds are so contradictory that it has come to this.

However, despite this, Duke Li showed extreme enthusiasm and courtesy to this group of allies who came here. He personally went out of the city more than ten miles to greet them and prepared fine wine to welcome the guests.

Duke Li laughed loudly and said:
"Hahaha, nephew, you've kept me waiting for so long!"

Seeing the troops led by Li Guanyi again, he praised them highly and said:

"Good military appearance, good spirit."

Li Guanyi's troops, Fan Qing's and Qibili's troops were in the front, each of them wearing extremely sophisticated armor and holding weapons. Li Guanyi dismounted and looked at the old Duke with great grace. He glanced at Li Zhaowen over there, and Li Zhaowen smiled and nodded.

He immediately grabbed Duke Li's arm and said with a smile, "Duke, you are in good spirits."

Duke Li laughed loudly, "Hahaha, all thanks to my nephew."

"You, Tianger, saved me from the enemy, so that I can continue to drink and enjoy myself here. Otherwise, I would have become a dry bone in a tomb long ago. How could I be here to welcome you?"

"Come, come, I have prepared a banquet here, waiting for you to enter."

"These brave soldiers have also arranged their own accommodations."

Fan Qing took the initiative to speak, and said solemnly: "We are armed and armed, and cannot enter this big city. Please give us an area outside so that we can rest here."

Duke Li tried to persuade him again and again but failed. He looked very approving and praised him repeatedly, saying that he had the demeanor of a famous general and wise man in ancient times. However, he was very alert and had a headache in his heart. With this army outside, he had no worries at all once Li Guan entered.

So Li Guanyi's troops were allowed to station not far from here, and food and wine were supplied to them in the greatest possible way. Fan Qing and others only accepted food and supplies, and did not open a single jar of wine.

Duke Li sighed for a long time, but also praised: "Such a character is just like a good general in ancient times."

He personally ordered that a set of armor and a spear of precious weapon grade be selected from the armory and given to Fan Qing. After consulting Li Guanyi, Fan Qing respectfully and politely accepted the armor and weapons.

The people and officials of Xiyi City were a little shocked when they saw the solemn and orderly appearance of the Tianger army of Anxi City and thought of the legendary battle achievements. Even if they had other thoughts in their hearts, there was nothing they could do. For a while, the atmosphere was peaceful.

The banquet at the Duke Yu's Mansion was a great success for both the host and the guests. Duke Li talked, laughed, sang and wrote poetry as usual. He even played the pipa himself and asked the singing girls to dance and sing. But when he was in high spirits, he thought of his old age and burst into tears.

Many staff members of the Duke's Mansion and officials from Xiyi City went to persuade them.

Only Xiahou Duan was sighing and drinking alone. When he looked at Li Guanyi, Li Guanyi raised his glass to toast him from a distance. Xiahou Duan then lowered his head again, with an even more sad look on his face.

After the banquet, Li Guanyi and Li Zhaowen talked. Li Zhaowen first congratulated Li Guanyi on his famous military achievements, then looked Li Guanyi up and down and raised his hand to pinch Li Guanyi's shoulder.

But he paused, feeling a sense of hesitation.

But suddenly my heart paused and I felt something was wrong.

In the past, I wanted to see how such a brother was doing. What was wrong with that? Why did I hesitate?
So he patted Li Guanyi's shoulder calmly, grabbed his arm, and pressed his fingers on Li Guanyi's pulse. He was quite calm and bold. While taking Li Guanyi's pulse naturally, he asked, "I heard that Brother Li met the Wolf King. It is said that you fought with him for more than ten rounds. Were you injured?"

Li Guan nodded and stretched out his hand. Several days had passed since the battle, and his breath was still a little unstable. The wolf king was so arrogant and powerful that he must have wanted to capture Li Guan and that's why he didn't launch a surprise attack at the beginning.

Li Zhaowen grabbed Li Guanyi's arm, his eyes piercing:
"I wonder what Brother Li thinks of the Wolf King?"

Li Guanyi was silent for a long time, then replied, "If it was a one-on-one fight, I would use all my skills, with the help of my great-grandfather's swordsmanship and the magic weapon in my hand, and I might be able to escape with serious injuries; if it was an army, I'm afraid I would be defeated even more thoroughly."

"Erlang, what's the news after the Wolf King?"

Li Zhaowen said, "In the past few days, after the Wolf King fought with you, he deliberately publicized your methods. The leader of the Tangut State died suddenly during a banquet. The nobles in the city learned from the battle report that the Wolf King was not there, so they thought this was their greatest opportunity."

"After several attempts, we found no sign of the Wolf King coming back, so we tried our best to lead the elite guards to charge out, and sent out several secret orders to contact the elite Tanguts in the area occupied by Wolf King Chen Fubi who still did not accept the rule of the Wolf King."

"We plan to cooperate with the outside forces to break through the Wolf King's army."

"Everything went smoothly at the beginning. We even had a slight chance of winning in the first battle. The Tanguts were overjoyed and thought they could leave the problem behind and leave safely. But later..."

Li Zhaowen paused.

Needless to say.

Li Guanyi said: "The Wolf King took the opportunity to fish them all out?"

Li Zhaowen said softly, "Yes, any nobles who try to go out during the Tangut counterattack will be killed regardless of gender, age, or good or bad. People from the Central Plains will be taken into the army and their lives will not be harmed."

"Every village and town they passed through was set on fire. This time they killed the nobles and officials, but not the common people. They relocated all the Tanguts and burned down their original towns."

"The Dangxiang State was terrified and did not dare to disobey. The Western Regions coalition forces knew about the Dangxiang King and rushed forward rashly, eager for merit. They had already reached the pass guarded by Xiao Wuliang and were ambushed. A fight broke out between them."

"Xiao Wuliang fought several battles with generals and personally killed more than ten generals. The momentum of the Western Regions tribes was slightly relieved. At this moment, the resistance in the Tangut country was getting weaker, and the Western Regions tribes were forcing their way forward because of the news that 'the Wolf King had left Tangut country'."

"I've been involved in a fight with Xiao Wuliang, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to get out for the time being."

Li Zhaowen said: "The situation in the Western Region is almost coming to an end."

"The Dangxiang were killed, all the Dangxiang nobles were killed, the 19-tribe coalition army advanced recklessly, Xiao Wuliang occupied the pass, and the Wolf King left in a hurry this time, and then immediately launched a surprise attack, catching both sides off guard. Under such circumstances, he deliberately held back and waited for the right opportunity."

"At this moment, we are controlling the border of the Tangut Empire and the throat of the desert. Our army is huge and powerful, and we already have the potential to dominate the world."

“Its name is getting more and more fierce.”

Li Zhaowen was silent. She clenched her hands. She was obviously very excited about the turbulent changes. Her face flushed and her eyes were bright and colorful. She said, "Brother Li, do you know why the Wolf King returned so quickly?"

Li Guanyi looked at his palm and said with self-mockery:
"Because this is my life-saving money."

Li Zhaowen said: "Hmm?"

Li Guanyi recounted what happened that day, saying, "With such a good situation in the world and Li Guanyi's head on his neck, I don't need to say more about what the Wolf King will choose. If he fights me, regardless of the losses, if I die, Anxi City will join forces with those tribes."

"And when all the forces in the Western Regions are targeting him, Jiang Su will not miss this opportunity. The Duke's Mansion should take advantage of the situation to send troops. With such an opportunity, Chen Guolu, the old turtle, will advance slowly."

Li Guanyi clenched his five fingers together and said softly, "This is the general trend. Military strategists follow the trend and attack the enemy's plans, the next best is to attack their alliances, and the next best is to attack their troops."

"What I did was to break off diplomatic relations."

"Although the Wolf King is strong, he has no foundation. I am here, and Anxi City stands here. I am hostile to the seven tribes of the Western Regions. The Qiang, Dayuan, and Shatuo all need to be wary of me, and I also need to be wary of them. The Ying Kingdom is allied with me, but it also checks and balances the Chen Kingdom from a distance."

"What the Wolf King needs is this fragile balance."

"On the contrary, if King Dangxiang had not died and the Dangxiang state was stable, the tribes in the Western Regions would not have been so anxious. If he had captured me, the situation would not have taken such a sudden turn."

Li Zhaowen looked at Li Guanyi and said with a smile:

"Does the Dangxiang State's affairs have anything to do with you?"

Li Guanyi said: "I guess so."

Li Zhaowen clapped his hands and smiled, "So that's how it is. This is how heroes rise and fall with the tide. Such turbulent times are also related to you and me. However, if Brother Li is in trouble, Li Zhaowen will not sit idly by."

"Don't worry, don't worry!"

Li Guanyi laughed: "We have a brotherly relationship, so I believe in you."

Li Zhaowen said: "What you said is also what I think."

"However, where are you going to go next, Brother Li? The Western Region is so powerful that if you want to stand in the Western Region, you can't stop. Once the Wolf King really gathers momentum to rise, then he will be truly unmatched."

Li Guan nodded.

Everyone knows that he escaped from the Wolf King unscathed.

But only he knew that he was the one who finally saw it——

How terrifying it is that they can gather military forces and attack and kill the top generals in the legend of the world. The old Wolf King is like this, and Yuwen Lie can gather people to fight against the Immortal Guest. Then what kind of style and courage does Jiang Su, who is the number one general in the world, have?

In this world, every famous general who has set foot on the list of divine generals.

Before encountering the existence of the top grid.

Everyone has their own story of being unrivaled in their success.

This is the ultimate opponent of the Western Region.

Li Guanyi clenched his five fingers together and felt his heart beating vigorously under his chest. After defeating the enemy all the way and sweeping across all directions, his weight in the Western Regions finally came into contact with the most powerful existence in the world.

But this is only part of the world.

In addition to the Wolf King, there is the cruel and ruthless Jiang Su, the ambitious Jiang Wanxiang, the Great Khan who commands eighteen Khans on the grassland, and Gao Xiang, the third god general who is unparalleled in the northern frontier's archery.

The arrogant Yuwen Lie and the night rider galloping in all directions.

In such a world, heroes rise up, biting and colliding like dragons and tigers, which is the swan song of this chaotic world.

They are at odds with each other and no one is happy to get along with them.

The Wolf King has indeed grasped the general trend and has the aura of a hegemon. Li Guanyi cannot stop, he must keep on marching and galloping across the world. The Wolf King's martial arts are at the ninth level, and he has 50,000 Gray Wolf Riders under his command, as well as hundreds of thousands of other types of soldiers and horses.

If Li Guanyi wanted to confront the Wolf King.

You need to have truly elite troops under your command, or even a larger army.

"I won't stay in Xiyi City for long."

Li Guanyi looked at Li Zhaowen and said, "I came back this time just to take a few people with me and say goodbye to you, Erlang. Besides that, I have to give you this thing." Li Guanyi put a piece of jade in Li Zhaowen's hand:

"How to deal with this thing is up to you, Erlang."

Li Zhaowen nodded with a smile and said, "Is it a gift?"

Li Guanyi looked at her and said, "...I guess so."

Li Zhaowen went to stimulate the jade.

But gradually, the calmness on her face disappeared. The expression on the face of this genius who was born with outstanding literary and martial arts skills solidified bit by bit, and finally the magic of the jade dispersed. Li Zhaowen was quiet for a long time. Li Guanyi looked at her. This good friend who was full of spirits and gave him a noble aura like a dragon and a phoenix since they met seemed a little dazed. The light in her phoenix eyes was a little dim. After a long silence, Li Zhaowen put the jade away.

He forced a smile to Li Guanyi and said, "…I'm sorry to have made you laugh at my family affairs, Brother Li."

Li Guanyi looked at him and said, "You and I are good friends and brothers."

"No need to say such things."

Li Guanyi stood up and said, "I only showed you this jade."

Li Zhaowen felt relieved, put the jade into his sleeves, calmed down, and said with a smile: "What a pity, if you, brother Li, gave this to my father, given my father's temperament, he would definitely give you a lot of gold and silver to shut you up."

Li Guanyi considered his words carefully and said, "Duke Li is both bold and calm, has the experience of a politician, and the bearing of a noble family. I respect him very much."

He paused, then said frankly:

"But my ally is not Duke Li, but you, Erlang."

"I will give you this naturally."

Li Zhaowen paused and said with a smile: "Really?"

She stroked the jade with her fingers and smiled slightly, "Then I will accept your offer as an ally. Don't worry, I will persuade my father to report to His Majesty and bring troops in my name when the time comes for you to fight the Wolf King."

"The Wolf King is a divine general from the previous era."

"You and I are both still young. Our combined ages are not as old as the Wolf King. It is only natural for the two of us to join forces."

"In that case, then, do you want to add a covenant?"

Li Zhaowen extended his hand and said with a smile: "When you fight him, I will personally lead the army to meet you. If you alone are not able to fight against such a famous general and legend of the last era, then I will fight with you."

"You and I join forces and fight side by side."

"On the battlefield, is there anything that cannot be fought?"

Li Guanyi: "Then what should I do?"

Li Zhaowen thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "If one day I have to do something that is unacceptable to the world and scolded by the secular world, I hope that at that time, you can be behind me."

"At least, please don't think that I'm the unforgivable kind of person."

Li Guanyi looked at his friend who didn't seem as high-spirited as before, and said slowly:

"it is good."

"The world is so big, wherever Li Guanyi is, there will always be a place for you, Erlang."

Li Zhaowen smiled: "Then I am looking forward to it."

The two raised their hands and high-fived three times.

Li Zhaowen tossed the jade in his hand and said with a smile: "Forget it, forget it. This may just be my own fantasy. It may not happen. It may not even get to that point."

"Brother Li, when will you leave this place?"

Li Guanyi replied: "Of course the sooner the better."

Li Zhaowen looked at him and teased him casually as usual: "Well, Brother Li, now that you have seen how big the world is and have known about the peerless generals, you are unwilling to stay in Xiyi City and chat with my good friend?"

"But it's okay. The world is so turbulent and I'm trapped here. Brother Li, please go and check for me. If you need me, I will go with you, even if it means crossing thousands of mountains and rivers or thousands of troops."

The two agreed to deal with the Wolf King together.

Li Guanyi went forward again and met Hao Yuanxia, ​​the only descendant of the royal family of the Dangxiang Kingdom. The young prince began to feel confused at this moment. He saw Li Guanyi coming and smiled reluctantly, "You are here."

Li Guanyi sat down, Hao Yuanxia brought him tea. Li Guanyi was silent and said:

"Your father is dead."

Hao Yuanxia remained silent for a long time, then sighed:
"I don't know how to call him. He is my father, my biological father, but when I was little, I grew up with my mother."

"My mother is gentle and beautiful. To me, my father is the one who comes back every once in a while. He is the bravest warrior in the tribe and a man who stands tall and proud. After all these, he is my father."

"When I was a little over eleven years old, he sent me to a place thousands of miles away from my hometown as a hostage. My mother bid me farewell with tears, and he married the princess of the State of Chen."

"By the time I returned home, my mother had passed away for more than a year, and the queen had become the princess who was not much older than me. I heard that my mother missed me for too long, so she cried until her eyes went blind and died of weakness."

"But when I read the history books in Chen State, the timing of my mother's death was just like those of the queens who lost their value in the past dynasties. When I was sent to Chen State, perhaps, in his eyes, I was already dead."

Hao Yuanxia was silent for a long time, closing his eyes: "How ridiculous, lord! Someone who shouldn't have died died. Someone who wanted to be immortal died earlier than my son."

"I want to go back to the Dangxiang Kingdom. Please take me there and bring out the people of Dangxiang." Hao Yuanxia's cheek twitched, and he whispered, "I want to see that father, that enemy, the enemy who might have killed my mother."

"The one who killed my father and left behind only an enemy called 'Emperor Wu of the Great Xia Kingdom in the Western Regions'."

So Li Guanyi asked for his resignation from Duke Li, and refused to accept any of the treasures.

Duke Li was cunning and shrewd. He knew that Li Guanyi's goal was to conquer the world. At this time, the Wolf King had already laid the foundation for his hegemony. If Li Guanyi wanted to turn the tables and confront the Wolf King, he would need to occupy the rest of the Western Regions at this time.

Every day's time is extremely precious and not a moment can be wasted.

Duke Li was unwilling to do so, as this situation was not in line with Yingguo's strategy. Li Guanyi could not fall, but he also could not have the courage to compete for the Western Regions and the world.

From Ying State's perspective, Li Guanyi cannot be weak, but he cannot be strong either.

He hoped that Li Guanyi would sink into depravity and never show up again, and he wanted to invite Li Guanyi to drink and have a banquet for several days.

At banquets, gold, silver and utensils are often given as gifts.

He also introduced many beauties and famous people to Li Guanyi, who was very happy but refused to let him go.

Li Guanyi opened Pojun's third brocade bag, which contained a detailed inference that if Li Guanyi had made great military achievements, with Duke Li's experience, he might be able to guess the identity of his lord.

Then see their reaction.

If he lets the lord leave, it means that this person has not guessed it.

If he used various reasons to delay time and insisted on making his lord stay here, it meant that he must have guessed his lord's identity; Duke Li was unwilling to fight by nature, so he used this method to wear down his lord's courage and make his lord stay here for a long time and miss the opportunity.

Negotiation is not an option at this time; it is better not to negotiate.

Only at the two ends of the general trend, sometimes, not following the choice given by the rules is also a choice.

He is like Pojun who rolls up his sleeves and draws his sword.

Li Guanyi laughed, thought about it, and then went to visit Duke Li in person with some wine. After drinking for a few hours, Li Guanyi asked for his leave.

Duke Li seemed to be drunk. He smiled and said, "My dear nephew, please go now. Come back tomorrow. I have found a gem coral tree from the South China Sea. It is several feet high. If you hold a candle to watch it at night, its appearance is very beautiful. Don't miss it!"

Li Guanyi smiled and said, "When I say goodbye, I mean I am leaving Xiyi City."

Li Guanyi had already made up his mind and was going to overturn the table and leave.

He decided to go all out, so he said, "The Duke promised me gold and silver, as well as the reward from the Emperor of Ying. Can you give me an advance? I'll be leaving soon. I haven't done business for a long time, and I'm a little worried about not going back for such a long time."

Duke Li laughed and declined politely, "It's not convenient now. Your Majesty is in charge of the country and has the ambition to conquer the world. In addition, there are many government affairs, and it involves such a big matter as the Western Regions. There is no way to get a reply so quickly."

"Besides, I can't take out so much gold and silver."

"My dear nephew, I am poor!"

The old duke who just mentioned the existence of the coral tree was playing dumb.

Then he held Li Guanyi's arm affectionately and persuaded him:
"My dear nephew Tianger, why don't you stay here for a while? Our Xiyi City is vast, and we have everything from fine wine to beautiful women. My dear nephew is handsome and a hero. Why would it matter if you leave this city and go to the desert to suffer?"

"A good man is famous all over the world."

"Can't you just enjoy yourself?"

Li Guanyi said, "Are you really not allowed?"

Duke Li laughed and said, "My dear nephew, don't be anxious."

Li Guanyi's smile gradually spread, his eyes warm, and he held Li Guogong's hand: "In that case, please call me by another name."

Then, Duke Li woke up from his drunkenness all of a sudden.

He looked at Li Guanyi, was silent for a long time, and said:
"My dear nephew Tianger, why do you have to do this?"

After a pause, he asked, "How much do you want?"

Li Guanyi said: "The reward is 70%, just as I said before."

Duke Li looked at him and said, "I'll give you 90%."

"We've been getting along well these past few days, haven't we?"

"Although I really want to keep my dear nephew Tianger, it's a pity, unfortunately, there is no such opportunity. Okay, okay, you must drink more with me next time, haha."

Before Li Guanyi left, he had planned to go to the Duke's Mansion to say goodbye to Li Zhaowen.

Zhangsun Wuchou sent a letter with clear words written in Li Zhaowen's freehand handwriting: "Brother Li, do you still remember the appointment we made that day? The most beautiful woman in the world played the martial music I composed myself."

"Come and see you off."

Li Guanyi said: "I'm just playing the piano and listening to music, why is it so troublesome?"

"The eldest grandson is coming too?"

Zhang Sun Wu Chou looked at his nose with his eyes, and then looked at his heart with his nose. This sentence gave him a stomachache, and he said, "I won't go."

"Second Master, please go there in person."

Li Guanyi smiled and said:

"Okay, you're still keeping me in suspense."

"Then I'll listen to my brother's music."

"I want to see how he can surprise me!"

Li Guanyi rode on Saluzi carelessly.

Go happily.

(End of this chapter)