I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

Upon hearing this, Temuhun became even more embarrassed.

When he proposed this method in the central command tent of the Northern Barbarian army, he knew this day would come.

However, he wasn't worried at all.

Because Qin Li wouldn't kill him; if he wanted to, he would have done so back in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

He gave an awkward laugh and said, "Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou, please calm down. We are each serving our own masters."

Qin Li, who was in the carriage, laughed and waved his sleeve, saying, "Let him go. He's an old friend, so we should treat him with courtesy."

Zhou Biao then loosened Temuhun's collar.

Temuhun stretched his shoulders and couldn't help but rub his hands together, saying, "Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou, could you please release him as well? He doesn't actually have any bad intentions; he's just following orders. Besides, he's practically one of your Great Zhou people."

"Half?"

Qin Li looked Ba Ye up and down.

To be honest, I didn't get a good look at the fight earlier, but now that I've observed it closely, Ba Ye's appearance is indeed somewhat different from that of the Northern Barbarians.

"Is your father from the Great Zhou Dynasty, or your mother?" Qin Li asked.

Ba Ye snorted coldly, turned his head away, and didn't even look at Qin Li.

Temuhun quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "Your Majesty the Emperor of Great Zhou, please calm down. This is a loyal minister, a loyal minister."

"It's alright, what I like most are loyal ministers."

……

Half an hour later, the group set off again.

However, the team, which originally consisted of only two hundred people, has now grown to more than ten thousand.

The vast majority of them were troops from the Great Zhou army who came to rescue the emperor, including more than a thousand prisoners from the Northern Mang.

The prisoners, with their hands tied behind their backs and strung together on a rope, walked slowly down the main road in several rows.

However, there was one exception: Temuhun.

Not only were his hands not tied behind his back, but he also managed to get a water bag full of water to drink thanks to his good relationships with others.

Under the scorching sun, seeing Temuhun drinking water in large gulps, especially with water dripping down the corners of his mouth, the other prisoners couldn't help but lick their dry lips and swallow hard.

However, there was only one water sac, and Temuhun could not possibly distribute it all.

"Open your mouth!"

Temuhun looked at Baye beside him.

"What are you doing?"

Ba Ye frowned.

"Just open your mouth when I tell you to. I've noticed you're so inflexible."

"I know you are exceptionally capable, so why are you still not as good as other generals?"

"It's not because of your background, it's because you're so narrow-minded."

"If it weren't for His Majesty's high regard for you, you would have died countless times over."

"A strategist? I think you're no different from Dohachi."

Temuhun couldn't help but reprimand him.

Dohachi, the fiercest general under Murong Qingcang, is recognized as having unparalleled martial prowess but is not very bright. Baye, on the other hand, is known as the wisest general under Murong Qingcang, possessing great wisdom and resourcefulness.

Although he wanted to refute Temuhun, Baye opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

He took a deep breath, opened his mouth wide, and Temuhun fed him some water from his water pouch before saying, "That's more like it. If you want our plan to succeed, you'll have to save your own life first."

Upon hearing this, Ba Ye quickly looked around and was relieved to see that the Zhou soldiers had not noticed them.

Temuhun waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned.

"It's alright, it's alright. In the eyes of the Emperor of Great Zhou, we are all insignificant little characters. Even if you shout now that we were captured on purpose to cooperate with His Majesty from the inside, Great Zhou will not believe it."

Seeing that Temuhun was in such a good mood, Baye didn't know what to say.

It seems that Temuhun is quite capable; no wonder Murong Qingcang sent him as an envoy to the capital of the Great Zhou.

"A little more water."

Ba Ye suddenly said.

Temuhun raised an eyebrow and fed him some more water: "I didn't realize you were so perceptive."

"I learned it all from Professor Tie."

Ba Ye said.

Temuhun said, "I dare not, I dare not. In this chaotic world, we civil officials are of little use and we have to rely on people like General Baye."

Chatting all the way, the group soon arrived at Xuanque Pass.

During this period, while in the Northern Mang army camp, looking out at Xuanque Pass from afar, I felt that the pass was insurmountable.

Upon arriving at the city walls, one feels even more that the city is impossibly high and difficult to conquer.

With a loud bang, the city gates opened, welcoming everyone into the city.

All the generals, big and small, of Xuanque Pass came out together to welcome the Emperor of Great Zhou.

They didn't know what happened after that, because they were pushed into the city and imprisoned.

After entering the city, there were soldiers patrolling everywhere, fully armed.

They were imprisoned in an empty warehouse, where all the previously captured Northern Mang soldiers were also held.

"Get inside, all of you, and behave yourselves!"

"Anyone who dares to cause trouble, don't blame my knife for being ruthless!"

After uttering a few harsh words, the soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty worked together to close the heavy warehouse door from the outside and put on heavy chains.

"What do we do now?"

"Is General Baye asking me?" Temuhun pointed to himself.

Ba Ye said, "Lord Tie, there's no need for modesty. My title of 'Number One Strategist' was originally coined by my men. If we're talking about His Majesty's top strategist, then it has to be Lord Tie!"

Upon hearing this, Temuhun laughed heartily, quite pleased with the praise.

He said, "In that case, I will say a few words. Now that the Emperor of the Great Zhou has just entered the city, the city's defenses are certainly even more stringent. Therefore, it is best if we do nothing, stay here obediently, and act according to the situation."

"See that? So many prisoners are locked up here. These are all our helpers. General Baye, you know what you need to do, right?"

Ba Ye nodded.

It must be said that Temuhun's suggestion was the best option at the moment.

With Temuhun's help this time, I believe the plan will definitely succeed.

……

Meanwhile, at the city gate.

All the generals knelt down and paid their respects to Qin Li.

Qin Li's gaze swept over each of the generals, and he nodded in satisfaction.

It seems that his decision back then was absolutely correct!

If it weren't for leaving behind trusted confidants to manage Xuanque Pass, it would probably have changed hands long ago.

"Rise."

No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the generals rushed forward, startling Zhou Biao so much that he instinctively drew his sword.

However, upon recognizing the Empress, Zhou Biao sheathed his knife.

The Empress rushed forward, completely ignoring Qin Li, and instead stared intently at the carriage behind him.

"Huayang?"

The Empress longed to see her daughter so much, so very much. No one could understand her feelings at that moment, but everyone understood her actions.

The carriage curtain was slowly lifted, and two women, one tall and one short, stepped out.

Bai Zhenzhen grabbed Hua Yang's hand and climbed out of the carriage.

The Empress couldn't help but open her arms wide, her face full of love: "Huayang, come to your mother quickly, let your mother give you a good hug."