I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

Several days later, on the city wall.

Qin Li watched the procession go further and further away.

They were all returning to Liangzhou, and some were returning to the Western Regions.

"Can Cao Quan, the top scholar, shoulder this responsibility?"

Pei Qingluan, who was accompanying Qin Li, had a rosy face and asked.

Unlike Wang Bao's return to Liangzhou to bury Wang Long, and unlike the Western Regions Allied Forces' return to the Western Regions.

Cao Quan is going to Liangzhou to oversee the opening of trade routes.

But Cao Quan is still young, and Pei Qingluan worries that he is not up to the task.

If the opening of trade routes is not handled well, what will happen if the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions return?

Her concerns were not unfounded; the court should send someone more stable and experienced than Cao Quan.

Qin Li grasped her hand and said, "How will we know if we don't try? We should give young people a chance."

After watching the procession disappear from sight, Qin Li led everyone back to the palace.

……

More than three days!

The weather was fine and sunny.

"Your Majesty, we've just returned to the capital, why are we leaving again?"

Outside the city that day, Zhou Biao looked at Qin Li with a puzzled expression.

Qin Li had changed out of his heavy and elaborate dragon robe and was wearing very simple clothes.

He rode a warhorse and had a sword at his waist; it seemed he was heading north, where the war was still raging.

Qin Li mounted his horse, turned it around, and said, "Enough talk, get on your horses and follow me. I will not be at ease until the Northern Barbarians are dealt with."

"Once I've cut off Murong Qingcang's dog head and brought it back, you can stay in the capital as long as you want!"

Despite saying that, Zhou Biao still asked, "Your Majesty, the situation in the capital is not yet fully stable, and the remnants of Wang Long's faction have not been completely eliminated. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to stay in the capital for a while longer before heading north?"

Qin Li turned to Zhou Biao and asked, "Kid, are you reluctant to leave because you're attached to your concubines?"

Upon hearing this, the others burst into laughter, some nearly falling off their horses.

Zhou Biao was most famous for two things: first, he was Qin Li's head bodyguard; second, he had countless concubines, surpassing many court officials. As a result, some officials even submitted memorials to impeach him.

Zhou Biao's face flushed red as he mounted his horse. "Your Majesty is too kind. I, Zhou Biao, am willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty's great cause, even unto death!"

After saying that, the group sped off to the north.

The group traveled day and night, hurrying as fast as they could.

After an unknown number of days, they finally caught up with the army that was marching north.

However, what they caught up with was not the vanguard battalion leading the charge, but the supply train following behind.

The supply train was moving very slowly, so Qin Li told everyone to take the opportunity to rest for a few days.

Once we've had enough rest, we'll press on and catch up with the vanguard battalion at the very front.

However, a few days later, a fast horse came galloping towards them.

With a clear objective, they went straight to Qin Li's side.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

The man dismounted, his face flustered, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "The General sent me to deliver a message to His Majesty: General Wei has been ambushed and captured by the enemy."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically.

Zhou Biao quickly jumped off the grain cart, went to the soldier, grabbed his collar, and said fiercely, "Say what you just said again, what do you mean General Wei has been arrested?"

It's important to understand that Wei Hongying's identity is more than just that of a general.

After the war is over and we return, she will definitely be made a concubine.

Faced with Zhou Biao's anger, the soldier dared not hide anything and had no choice but to repeat what he had just said.

"Explain clearly, what exactly happened?"

The soldiers still dared not hide anything and truthfully told the whole story.

It turned out that after the army entered the grassland, it was like a pack of wolves that had smelled blood, relentlessly pursuing the retreating Northern Mang army. They made gains every day, and on several occasions they even saw Murong Qingcang's banners, almost capturing him.

Three days ago, Wei Hongying led the vanguard battalion to a place called Wild Wolf Valley.

The Northern Mang army had laid a trap here beforehand, and Wei Hongying, without careful consideration, stepped into the Northern Mang's encirclement.

When Wang Hu led his troops to the rescue, only corpses remained at the scene; Wei Hongying was nowhere to be found.

Moreover, the Northern Barbarians also sent someone to tell the Great Zhou army to stop pursuing them, or they would kill Wei Hongying immediately.

Wang Hu had no choice but to halt the army's advance, unsure of what to do next.

Upon hearing that Qin Li was in the rear supply train, they immediately sent someone to inform him.

Upon hearing what had happened, someone anxiously asked:

Qin Li didn't speak, but just frowned, unable to figure it out.

Wei Hongying was not a rookie general; she had been training on the battlefields of the northern border for many years. Logically, she would not have acted rashly, so how could she have been captured alive?

Unable to figure it out, Qin Li told everyone to mount their horses and head to Wolf Valley to see what was going on.

They sped along and soon arrived at Wolf Valley.

The territory of the Northern Wilderness is not entirely vast grasslands; it also includes valleys and various terrains.

From a bird's-eye view, this place is a natural encirclement.

Then Wei Hongying would be even less likely to act rashly.

"Your Majesty, you have finally arrived."

Upon seeing Qin Li, Wang Hu was filled with remorse.

It was his poor command that led to Wei Hongying's arrest.

Qin Li did not blame him; if anyone was to blame, it was the Northern Barbarians for being too treacherous.

"Let's go down to the bottom of the valley and take a look."

Qin Li had Wang Hu lead the way, wanting to see where Wei Hongying had been ambushed.

Wang Hu nodded and led the way, and the group followed the path all the way down to the bottom of the valley.

At the bottom of the valley, the signs of a fight were still visible, but the blood had long since dried.

"Are you sure he's been arrested?"

Qin Li asked.

Wang Hu nodded. "The other side has already sent people over, and they even brought General Wei's silver spear."

"Bring the person over here."

Soon, the Northern Mang soldier who had come to deliver the message was brought over.

These past few days, everyone has been taking great care of the patient, serving him the best food and drink, treating him like a king.

Every day, I see the Northern Barbarian soldiers living a leisurely life.

Everyone was filled with hatred, so much so that their teeth itched with rage.

And that silver spear was delivered to Qin Li; it was indeed Wei Hongying's.