Chapter 99: Gu Changxiao’s Admiration
Zheng Yun could only imitate Yan Jiu’s words and cup her hands, saying:
“The overall situation is paramount. If the Tartars don’t block outside the border city, they will attack Yanzhou City. Two thousand troops’ provisions and fodder, what is that compared to our wealth?”
After Zheng Yun finished speaking, she took her leave to prepare supplies. Li Heng then persuaded several other family heads who were going with the flow. The troublesome Zhou Family was the last to reluctantly agree.
Because Li Heng used the Li King’s rogue tactics and said to him:
“If the Head of the Zhou Family is unwilling to provide these provisions, then after the Li King’s troops enter the city, they will have to stay at the Zhou Family’s residence.”
The Head of the Zhou Family was so angry he puffed out his beard and glared, but in the end, he agreed to provide the provisions to maintain peace.
To Jin Sui’s surprise, Yan Jiu actually came out of the city specifically to see her.
“Your Highness is well. Yan Jiulang admires Your Highness’s ambition, but the Yan Clan cannot help with the battle against the Tartars.”
Jin Sui smiled and said, “Jiulang, by taking the lead in responding to this King’s request, you have already helped greatly!”
“Yan Jiu congratulates Your Highness on a victorious campaign!”
At the same time, the Imperial Commissioner Group received news that the Tartars were coming to Yanzhou. The Imperial Commissioner Group received news that a Tartar army had passed through several cities at high speed, heading directly northeast.
From the map, it was deduced that the Tartars’ destination could only be Yanzhou!
Uh, they automatically ignored the border city because, in the eyes of the Imperial Court and outsiders, the border city was not a city at all, merely a camp for border soldiers.
The Tartars would naturally give up attacking there, and the Li King would surely enter Yanzhou City.
Imperial Commissioner Liu calculated the Tartars’ speed and immediately decided:
“Do not advance further. We will go to Yanzhou after the Tartars retreat.”
He was afraid of dying!
Although his mission as Imperial Commissioner was to quickly obtain the prescription from the Li King to save the people of Luocheng.
But the lives of the people of Luocheng were important, and so was his life! Once the Tartars arrived, Yanzhou would surely be in chaos. It wouldn’t matter if it were an Imperial Commissioner or even the Emperor.
Preserving his life was paramount! Tomorrow, he would feign illness and delay for a few days on the road.
The one who discovered the Imperial Commissioner feigning illness to delay the journey was Hao Duojin. He was always sharp-witted. After bribing him with silver, he learned the reason from one of Imperial Commissioner Liu’s attendants.
Hao Duojin immediately called his other four brothers. After discussing it, the five of them unanimously decided to abandon the Imperial Commissioner Group and rush to the border city at the fastest speed.
At the same time, Hao Duojin also brought a message to Gu Changxiao. He had long discovered Grandpa Ling and the other two, and knew they were the three Taoists the King was looking for.
He had originally invited the three to go with them, but Gu Changxiao firmly objected, saying they should secretly follow the Imperial Commissioner Group and not let Imperial Commissioner Liu know of their existence.
This was because Imperial Commissioner Liu knew the Li King, and a single mention would expose them.
The reason Gu Changxiao had been following the Imperial Commissioner Group was that his secret guards had discovered that there were death warriors planted by Prince Yu within the Imperial Commissioner Group.
Needless to say, these death warriors were surely here to assassinate the Li King, but the secret guards had not yet discovered exactly who they were.
Therefore, Gu Changxiao had also been secretly investigating along the way. If forced, he would rather reveal himself to draw away the death warriors than let Little Taoist Ji be assassinated.
His original plan was to find Little Taoist Ji three days before the Imperial Commissioner Group arrived in Yanzhou.
Together, they would set up a net to capture all these death warriors.
He hadn’t expected things to change so quickly, hearing that the Tartars were attacking.
Gu Changxiao pondered what Little Taoist Ji had done after arriving in Yandi. He asked Grandpa Ling:
“Do you think Little Taoist Ji will retreat to Yanzhou City for safety, or will they defend the border city to the death?”
Grandpa Ling was still contemplating when Jin An answered first:
“My brother is so brave, he fears nothing, and he certainly won’t fear the Tartars!”
“She won’t hide either. She will definitely lead troops to counterattack the Tartars!”
Grandpa Ling slowly nodded. If it were Jin Sui of the past, he could confidently say she would definitely enter Yanzhou City.
But he really couldn’t guess the current Jin Sui!
Of course, if it were Jin Sui of the past, she wouldn’t have been able to impersonate the Li King.
“No matter what, let’s assume Suisui did not enter Yanzhou City to seek refuge, but is defending the border city to the death. What should we do?”
Gu Changxiao stood up: “Daoist Ji, you and Jin An follow the Imperial Commissioner Group’s convoy slowly. I will go ahead!”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely protect Little Taoist Ji and reunite you with your grandchild.”
Grandpa Ling opened his mouth, and in the end, only said: “You take care too, and be safe.”
Jin An said anxiously, “Grandpa, let’s go with Brother Gu! I can protect my brother too.”
Given his previous record of running away, Grandpa Ling quickly grabbed his arm: “Don’t cause any more trouble!”
“Can you carry a gun, or wield a saber?”
Jin An was very wronged: “But Brother must be very scared. If we go to accompany her, she won’t be scared anymore.”
Neither Grandpa Ling nor Gu Changxiao believed this. Given what Ji Sui had done after arriving in Yandi, she was not someone who would be afraid!
Gu Changxiao left with Hao Duojin and the other four. Each had two horses, and they rode at full speed in a forced march towards the border city.
When they reached the Yanzhou territory, there was already a feeling of an approaching storm. No civilians were seen moving about, and the city gates and checkpoints were all tightly shut.
Fortunately, Hao Duojin had the waist token of the border soldiers, otherwise, they really wouldn’t have been able to get back.
At the same time, they also received confirmation that, as expected, the Li King had not chosen to enter the city to avoid disaster, but had chosen to resist the Tartars!
This news didn’t require much probing, as the garrisons at each checkpoint were discussing it.
Moreover, Gu Changxiao could hear that while they spoke of the Li King being reckless and ignorant of the Tartars’ ferocity,
their tone also carried admiration.
After all, for many years, the sixteen prefectures of Yandi had not chosen to confront the Tartars head-on; they would pay some money and provisions to avoid disaster.
The Li King truly had extraordinary courage!
Hao Duojin and the other four were very excited: “I knew our King wouldn’t abandon the border city and flee!”
“Damn it, the Tartars are just people with two eyes and a nose, what’s there to be afraid of?
If they could come to the border city to extort us before, after this year, our border city will be their forbidden territory!”
“Quick, let’s rush back to help the King. If we get back early, we can still kill a few Tartars. If we’re late, those guys will have definitely slaughtered all the Tartars!”
Gu Changxiao felt a different emotion upon hearing this. In his and Grandpa Ling’s eyes, Ji Sui was a reckless troublemaker.
But in the eyes of the border soldiers, she was so admired.
He couldn’t help but ask: “Do you respect the Li King greatly?”
Hao Duojin said matter-of-factly: “Of course! Daoist Gu doesn’t know, but before the King, no superior treated us border soldiers like people.”
Another soldier said solemnly: “If the Tartars attacked before, we border soldiers would only scatter and flee. But now, we are willing to fight to the death with the King!”
Hao Duojin nodded: “Yes! Following the King, even if we die, it will be a worthy death!”
Gu Changxiao’s mouth twitched. I’ve become a Daoist.
And the real Little Taoist Ji, the Li King who is followed and respected by the soldiers.
He seems more suited to be the Li King than I, the real Li King!
Ever since hearing that Ji Sui led troops to defend the border city and resist the Tartars,
in Gu Changxiao’s heart, his previous absurd actions, such as forging the personal seal of ‘Li, the Boundless King’, making the Li King’s impotence widely known,
kidnapping Zheng Family’s beautiful concubine, and having an ambiguous relationship with Yan Twelve Niang, etc., all became insignificant.
All that remained in his heart was admiration. Although Little Taoist Ji had physical imperfections, her backbone was harder than that of any man in the sixteen prefectures of Yandi!
