The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 649 Tonight, One Man Guards the Nation's Gate (5k)

Dawn had just faded and the first light of day had not yet risen; the courtyard behind the government office was dimly lit.

However, it was enough to illuminate Zhao Du'an's smiling face.

Long time no see... General Zhao...

Zhao Shixiong was stunned. For a moment, he wondered if he was still dreaming. How could the other person suddenly appear here without any warning?
But as a martial arts expert, how could he not tell whether he was sober or not?

"General Zhao, won't you invite us in for a seat?" Zhao Du'an asked jokingly.

Zhao Shixiong suddenly snapped out of his daze and said incredulously:

"Commander, how could you..."

Gongsun, standing nearby, smiled and said:
"I was patrolling at night when I heard my subordinates report that they had discovered the flying boats of the Liao people outside the border city. I rushed over there, but I never expected to run into the governor."

Flying boat?

Zhao Shixiong was increasingly confused, but he also knew that standing was not the place to talk, so he quickly invited Zhao Du'an to the hall.

During the process, the other "cloaked figures" also revealed their true identities. Upon seeing that they were three officials from the Celestial Master's Mansion, the "Skinny Tiger of the Southwest" became even more surprised, but his behavior became much more respectful.

As for Tuoba Weizhi... he had never seen her before and could not discern her identity. However, his instinct as a powerful person reminded him that this mysterious girl with long, flowing hair was extremely dangerous.

"I apologize for the intrusion; I did not have time to inform you beforehand," Zhao Du'an said with a smile as he sat down in the hall.
"The last time we met was in Jingchuan County. In the blink of an eye, so much has happened. Congratulations, General, on pacifying Yunfu."

Zhao Shixiong dared not be presumptuous. This general, whose reputation was at its zenith in the border army, shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"You flatter me, Governor. I am merely trying to atone for my sins with good deeds. In terms of merit, how can I compare to you, Governor? If anyone should offer congratulations, it should be to you, Governor."

These words are sincere.

His tone was sincere and earnest.

She was a completely different person from when she first met Zhao Du'an.

The two first met in Yongjia. At that time, Zhao Shixiong was handsome and looked down on Zhao Du'an.

The second time, in Taicang Prefecture, Zhao Du'an transported Zhao Qianjin from afar and used a divisive tactic to make Zhao Shixiong truly take him seriously.

At that time, however, there was mostly fear; as for admiration?

There's nothing wrong with it.

If we're talking about a change in attitude, it was after Zhao Du'an successfully assassinated Xu Jingtang.

This action truly impressed the renowned general.

At that time, he was not entirely convinced; he merely acknowledged Zhao Du'an's skill and courage, nothing more.

However, subsequent news repeatedly changed Zhao Shixiong's perception of this "fellow clansman".

In particular, upon hearing that Zhao Du'an had stormed into the Golden Palace in a fit of rage, resolutely advocating for war, and had the delegation imprisoned.

After signing a military pledge with their lives.

While far away in Yunfu, Zhao Shixiong broke with tradition and held a banquet for his subordinates and fellow soldiers. During the banquet, he raised his wine bowl to the capital, publicly expressing his recognition and respect for "Governor Zhao" for the first time.

When news came that Zhao Du'an had fought while carrying a coffin, first capturing Huting and then killing Prince Jing, this admiration turned into astonishment and admiration.

Zhao Shixiong asked himself honestly, and he knew he couldn't do such a feat.

From that time on, this border general truly admired the empress's male favorite, who was decades younger than him.

These changes in feelings are reflected in the respectful tone and manner of our reunion today.

"Unfortunately, with a formidable enemy at hand and the alien races still determined to destroy us, how can we possibly utter a word of joy?" Zhao Du'an sighed.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhao remained silent, and Gongsun spoke first:
“A few days ago, my husband sent a message to the capital by flying eagle, reporting on the Liao people’s military expedition.”

Zhao Du'an nodded and said:

"His Majesty is aware of this matter, but His Majesty must now focus on dealing with the chaos in Xiping. He recently led a personal expedition to the west. I am here to assist the general in stabilizing the situation. The relevant military documents will be delivered later."

The couple were astonished: "His Majesty has gone on a western expedition?"

They, who are far away in Yunfu, have not yet received the news.

Zhao Du'an didn't give them time to think, and asked with narrowed eyes:
"I am new to the border city and am not yet familiar with the situation. Could the general please explain?"

“…Alright.” Zhao Shixiong snapped out of his daze, swallowed the question he had asked Zhao Du’an about how he had arrived so quickly, and began to report on the current situation.

Most of the intelligence was the same as what Zhao Du'an already knew, except for many more details.

Upon hearing Zhao Shixiong's plan to confront the Liaoren army at the border city and curb their northward advance, Zhao Du'an nodded slightly in approval.

"Oh, right, there's one more important thing," Zhao Shixiong said.
"I just received a message from the scouts last night, saying that a battle between celestial beings and humans has taken place in the core area of ​​the Liao people tribe within the Great Frontier. It is also rumored that the entire Liao people tribe is searching for the 'thief' who has infiltrated the area, but I have not yet found out the details."

He said worriedly:

"I am concerned that this unexpected change may affect the entire situation."

Zhao Du'an simply said "Oh," and casually remarked:
"It is true that this happened. It was done by me and several disciples of the Celestial Master. As for the battle, it was Zhang Tianshi who fought against the evil god Da Laba."

The tone was light and casual, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, but to the couple, it was like a thunderclap.

The couple's pupils constricted as they stared in disbelief at the explosion.

Zhao Du'an then pointed to Tuoba Weizhi:
"This is the high priestess of the La Garden. There's no need to be nervous. She has now acknowledged me as her master."

The couple were astonished once again. As the commanders of the border army, how could they not have heard of the existence of the high priest in the La Garden?

I've just never seen it before.

Zhao Du'an said again:

"Our group returned from the Great Frontier. On the way, we wiped out some scattered Liao soldiers and seized a flying boat, which allowed us to arrive ahead of schedule."

Well... this news has finally "shrunk".

The couple finally breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance, and saw the unease in each other's hearts.

"Gambling Saint" Han Zhao watched this scene with awe, a wide smile spreading across his face:

Hehe, finally it's not just me who lost my composure. What border general, what half-step celestial being, their surprised expressions weren't much better than mine... Han Zhao felt extremely satisfied, as if he was the one who had put on a show... He didn't know what he was thinking.

"How...how could this be..."

Zhao Shixiong was both surprised and delighted. He looked around at the three priests, slightly excited:
"Has the Celestial Master's Mansion chosen to participate in the war? Where is the Celestial Master?"

This is undoubtedly great news.

The addition of high-end combat power is enough to turn the tide of a war.

Yu Xiu coughed lightly, her expression calm, and said in a slightly arrogant tone:

"Master is locked in a fierce battle with Da Laba, covering our escape."

Zhao Shixiong nodded, glanced at the expressionless Tuoba Weizhi, and tentatively asked:
"General, may I ask what the purpose of this action is?"

He wasn't sure if it was the right thing for him to ask.

Zhao Du'an, of course, wouldn't tell him that he was searching for the key to go to the Mubei Forest. However, he had already prepared his explanation, and upon hearing this, his gaze deepened, and he suddenly said:
"General Zhao, do you know why the Liao people suddenly launched an attack?"

Zhao Shixiong was taken aback, hesitated, shook his head, and said bitterly:
"This is precisely what perplexes me. The Liao people and the Yu Kingdom have not been at war for too long. If they intend to move north, there has been no movement before. The only thing I can think of is that they want to take advantage of the Western Regions' invasion and even reach some kind of agreement with the Western Regions."

Zhao Du'an shook his head and said:

"That's a good idea, but unfortunately, the reality is much more complicated."

He paused briefly, waiting for the couple to look at him with bated breath, before Zhao Du'an calmly dropped another bombshell:

"If I were to say that the Liao people were instructed by Xu Jianwen to seize the opportunity to take over the country, what would General Zhao think?"

Xu Jianwen? !

The Second Prince (brief text)?
The news of Xu Jianwen's resurrection remains a secret, known only to a select few. Zhao Shixiong, residing in Yunfu, was completely unaware of this information.

Therefore, how could one not be shocked upon hearing such news so suddenly?
This time, the shock and disbelief felt by the couple was even greater than the combined shock and disbelief from the previous few pieces of news.

Zhao Du'an, unhurriedly, recounted his encounter with Jian Wen at the lakeside pavilion and their subsequent battle.

He briefly recounted how he risked his life to infiltrate Xinjiang in order to find out the truth behind the Liao people's uprising, and finally obtained the truth.

Of course, he glossed over the sensitive details, neither explaining how Jianwen and Song Zhi were able to drive the Liao people, nor mentioning the legacy of Qiguo.

Anyway, given Zhao Shixiong's intelligence, he would understand that there are some things he shouldn't ask.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Zhao Shixiong and his wife Gongsun were breathing heavily, struggling to process this shocking news.

After a long pause, the border commander's eyes regained their sharpness as he looked at Zhao Du'an, who was leisurely sipping his tea:
"Commander, what are your plans?"

Zhao Du'an smiled.

Talking to smart people is that simple.

He didn't keep them in suspense any longer and said directly:
"My purpose in coming here is not only to help you defend against the Liao people, but more importantly, to capture Xu Jianwen!"

Yes!

This is the real reason he chose to come to the border town.

Meeting up with Zhang Yanyi was only one reason; otherwise, even if he hid in Yunfu, Zhang Yanyi, with his skill level, would always find him once he escaped.

But Zhao Du'an's ambitions were even greater. Since he had already arrived in Yunfu and needed to wait here for a while, why not kill the escaped Xu Jianwen? He had a feeling that if he continued to let Xu Jianwen live, the "behind him" of him and Zhenbao would never be quiet. He would always have to be wary of the knife from behind and would not be able to deal with Xuan Yin and the Dharma King with all his might.

Only by eliminating Xu Jianwen can the Liao people be forced to retreat once and for all.

"The key to solving a problem is to identify the key problem."

Zhao Du'an inexplicably recalled the "nonsense literature" he had learned in the office in his previous life.

When he was young, he used to complain about his boss saying the same old things in meetings, but later he realized that at least this seemingly pointless statement wasn't actually "nonsense."

Was the key to the Liao people's northward expansion how to defeat their army? No!

The key is to get rid of Xu Jianwen!
Without Xu Jianwen, Song Zhi would lose the motivation to launch the Northern Expedition... Well, unless Song Zhi goes mad and wants to avenge his lord... To eliminate that possibility, the best outcome is to capture him alive.

Zhao Duan said calmly:

"As far as I know, Xu Jianwen will arrive at the border city with his troops in a little over a day. I will be carrying out the 'decapitation' plan on the battlefield, and you need to keep my arrival a secret until then and cooperate with me."

The couple were filled with excitement and wanted to remind the Liao people that there were many experts among them, but when they saw the three priests and remembered Zhao Du'an's achievement of killing Prince Jing, they shut their mouths and their eyes were filled with excitement.

"The Commander-in-Chief has given the order; none dare disobey!"

……

……

After discussing the details, Zhao Shixiong and Gongsun left in high spirits, their morale noticeably improved.

Zhao Du'an and his party were secretly arranged to stay temporarily in the back office.

"Do you really intend to capture Xu Jianwen on the battlefield?"

In the courtyard of the rear office.

Yu Xiu couldn't help but speak, she frowned and said:

"I must remind you that although the Liao people's experts are far inferior to those of the Yu Kingdom, they should not be underestimated."

Zhao Du'an smiled and said:
"There are five World Realm experts among just the few of us. Add Zhao Shixiong, a half-step Celestial, and the experts from the border army, do you think there's no hope?"

“This…” Yu Xiu glanced at Tuoba Weizhi, who looked like a cold-faced killer, and remained silent.

The high priestess left a deep and terrifying impression on her, and Xu Jianwen could never have imagined that Tuoba Weizhi had joined her side.

This is the trump card.

"Alright, can't you see Jin Jian is almost asleep? You've all had a long and arduous journey, go and rest. Don't you want to take a shower?" Zhao Du'an said with a smile.

Taking a bath... The three women in the group immediately showed their desire.

Even the confused Jin Jian was no exception.

After the three left, "Gambling Saint" Han Zhao curled his lip, walked over, leaned against the beads in the corridor, and said:
"Brother Zhao, did you send them away because you want to speak with me alone?"

"You're quite clever..." Zhao Du'an looked at him with surprise.

Han Zhao crossed his arms smugly, raised his chin, and said proudly:
"As a gambling master, the ability to read between the lines and discern the thoughts of one's opponents at the gambling table is his most essential skill."

Zhao Du'an smiled, neither denying it nor denying it, and asked:
"Brother Han, your main focus is on destiny, and your secondary focus is on deities. Are you perhaps the Wind God?"

Han Zhao asked in surprise, "How did you figure that out?"

Nonsense, your Wind Control Technique never stopped when you were killing people... Zhao Du'an couldn't help but recall the time when he had just transmigrated and captured the Jingwang Mansion's spies. He had once fought against a "rebel priest" with Jin Jian on the streets of the capital. The other party's main cultivation was the [Wind Master].

"Hehe, I only met a wind sorcerer once."

Zhao Du'an asked casually:

"I remember that the Wind God sorcerer possesses a spell called 'Hyacinth,' which can transmit information using the wind?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

……

……

The atmosphere in the border town had changed, a fact that many officers in the southwestern border army had clearly noticed.

Originally, Zhao Shixiong's "signal" to the military commanders was that they must defend the border city to the death and not retreat an inch.

In other words, they chose to fight to the death even after clearly understanding the vast disparity in strength between the two sides.

Despite Zhao Shixiong's immense prestige, no one in the border army said anything about it, but the heavy and oppressive atmosphere ultimately made everyone lack confidence and hope in defeating the Liao people.

But for some reason, after one night, General Zhao changed his previous tragic demeanor from a desperate battle and began to spread rumors that the Liao people's rear was in chaos and the situation had changed...

In short, the Liao people are doomed, while the Yu Kingdom is destined to win; the word "win" is practically welded to their faces.

The generals in the city explained this change as being caused by the intelligence report sent the previous night that "there is great chaos in the rear of Dajiang".

In short, whether you believe it or not, Zhao Shixiong's example did indeed change the dull atmosphere in the city, and even subtly revealed a sense of excitement.

And when daylight passes, the sun sets, and night falls.

The soldiers responsible for guarding the city walls have been replaced by Zhao Shixiong's most trusted personal guard battalion.

"who?"

On the city wall, as the last rays of sunlight faded, an officer noticed two figures wearing cloaks walking up the wall, one after the other.

However, the cloaked figure did not slow down at all, continuing straight upwards.

"Halt! Men, lift your cloaks! If you refuse to obey, you will be arrested as a spy!" The officer gripped the hilt of his knife and shouted.

The city guards around him also drew their swords, as if they would join forces to suppress him if he did not cooperate.

In wartime, everyone's nerves are on edge.

Finally, the cloaked figure stopped, extended a pair of well-proportioned hands, gently lifted the cloak to reveal a face, smiled, and casually took out a waist token given to him by Zhao Shixiong, tossing it over lightly:

"I want to sit on the city wall for a while, please don't disturb me."

The officer instinctively grabbed the waist badge with one hand, but didn't even glance at it. He just stared intently at the face under the cloak, his eyes wide open, as if he had become a stone statue.

Almost instinctively, he brought his legs together, bowed respectfully, and said in a trembling voice:

"Obey...obey!"

The cloaked figure nodded and walked forward with satisfaction.

After everyone left, the guards around him looked at the officer in bewilderment:
"Boss, who is this guy? Why are you treating him so respectfully?"

You should know that the officer was the adjutant of his own general's personal guard.

In this vast border town, who could make him lose his composure like this?
At this moment, as the officer straightened up and raised his head, everyone was stunned again, because the adjutant's face was flushed with excitement, and his eyes had lost all the solemnity of facing the enemy.

"You must not be disrespectful to this sir!"

The adjutant reprimanded him, but wisely did not reveal Zhao Du'an's identity.

How could he possibly say:
I had the honor of seeing the face of the Imperial Consort Zhao up close when I was in Yongjia City and Jingchuan County.

……

On top of the city.

Night fell, the night wind was slightly chilly, and the surrounding guards withdrew.

Zhao Du'an lifted his cloak, sat quietly on the city wall, and magically produced a jar of osmanthus wine. Gazing at the dark, gloomy land to the south, he quietly began to drink.

It was as if... one person was protecting the city behind him, and behind him... the Kingdom of Yu.

When the old supervisor died, he was overjoyed, thinking that the civil war in Yu Kingdom had ended. Oh, right, he didn't know that Xu Jianwen was still alive until his death... Zhao Du'an thought to himself.

Beside him, Tuoba Weizhi stood silently, like an emotionless killer.

After a long while, the priestess with slightly dark skin and long, flowing hair suddenly spoke:

"Master, are you still not at ease with me? Don't you trust me?"

Zhao Du'an drank his wine without turning around. His figure was like a silhouette in the night, and behind him were clusters of lights in the border town.

He said softly, "No."

Tuoba Weizhi pursed his lips, his bright black eyes gazing up at the figure casually sitting atop the city wall, and suddenly said earnestly:
"I will try my best to prove myself tomorrow."

"kindness."

That night, no one in the entire border town slept.

The following morning, as dawn broke through the darkness and the world brightened, the sound of war drums awakened the soldiers and civilians in the city.

Zhao Du'an, who had been meditating on the city wall all night, also opened his eyes.

In the distance, on the horizon, a massive army of black-clad ravenous men surged forth like a tidal wave.

“Zhenbao, as the saying goes, the emperor guards the nation’s gate, and I, as her husband, cannot be inferior. So I will reluctantly take on the task of guarding the south gate.”

"I have arrived outside the South Gate. Today, let's fight to the death."

(End of this chapter)