Chapter 686: Genuine Words

However, the Great King's ten thousand elite cavalry arrived at Cloud Middle Commandery, but they didn't hear any enemy invasion alarm; the main force had no choice but to first station and rest in Cloud Middle.

They thought the enemy's marching speed would be slow, but they didn't expect it to be this slow; the Great King kept wondering if the intelligence was wrong.

They said it was to wait at ease for the enemy to tire, but the Great King couldn't stay still.

He sent out scouts, but he still wasn't at ease; in a blink he set his mind on Heaven-Covering Sir. This guy, when idle, likes to tease Xiao Jin. This time White Marsh didn't come along; since Zhu Ti wasn't there, the Great King simply left White Marsh at the Purple Wei Palace. These two fellows, now lacking any deterrent, can be said to have been let loose, tossing the governor's residence into chaos—chickens flying and dogs jumping.

The Great King seized Heaven-Covering Sir and immediately lavished praise; after being praised, Heaven-Covering Sir stood tall and chest out, confidence bursting through the roof, then revealed his dagger. The Great King sent it north to see if any large forces were moving south!

"They're easy to spot—their clothes aren't as good as ours, their warhorses aren't as good as ours. Basically, just look north to see if there's any large-scale army dressed differently from ours, large-scale—you get it?"

"If you catch one and bring it back, I will know."

The Great King thought he had made himself clear, so he let Heaven-Covering Sir go. The innocent Cloud-Soaring Eagle, since the other party hadn't asked it to deliver a message, also didn't think to ask for travel expenses.

This guy, as soon as it took off and flapped its wings, left the skies over Cloud Middle Commandery. In Cloud Middle, human settlements are sparse, and even shepherds are hard to find; with its excellent eyesight it quickly locked onto the two cavalrymen of the patrol team returning to Northern Pass to report.

Heaven-Covering Sir made a sudden swerve to the west—are its clothes the same as our cavalry's?

Huh, even the horses are the same?

It must have gotten lost!

The Great King released Heaven-Covering Sir in the courtyard; before it could return, he saw Little Gold stop, step back, and following Little Gold's gaze, he exclaimed, "Good grief, it's already come back?!"

Heaven-Covering Sir thought it was one of its own that had gotten lost, and its landing motion was gentle. Unfortunately, the two border patrol troops had never seen such a sight; even flying a low circle scared them so much their legs went weak.

Heaven-Covering Sir set down the two people, and the personal guards in the courtyard immediately surrounded them. The Great King and Wei Shen rushed in excitedly, discovering… well, the armor was their own, and the faces didn't look like steppe peoples.

Upon questioning, they turned out to be the Northern Pass Garrison.

Heaven-Covering Sir stood tall and chest out, seeking praise—look, Heaven-Covering Sir went out and picked up two lost ones; this is far more impressive than the Golden Hair Monster!

Great King: "Where did you pick them up?"

Wei Shen said, "It can't speak." Turning to the two garrison troops struggling to get up, who had heard that His Majesty the Emperor had arrived personally, he asked, "Where did you pick them up? Could it be from Northern Pass?"

Indeed it was.

The Great King heard them say they were returning to Northern Pass to report; upon asking for details, they said they had captured two groups of scouts, and the company commander estimated that the steppe barbarians had advanced south again. Besides those two returning to the pass to report, the rest of their company had gone north to continue patrols. Hearing this, the Great King's heart skipped a beat—not good.

Wei Shen also realized, "Are there still fifty heading north? The Northern Bearded Ones really are advancing south—if we run into them, there's no escape!"

Those two garrison troops said that the captured scouts wouldn't utter a useful word—some committed suicide on the spot, and in the steadfast refusal-to-surrender resistance they were also killed; with uncertain information, the patrol team could only continue investigating.

Regarding the news of the steppe cavalry advancing south, Northern Pass didn't receive any this time; the Great King grew angry and wanted to lead a personal expedition—he hadn't originally planned to involve Northern Pass, nor had he expected to notify Old Li. Now it's all right: he saved three thousand taels but lost fifty men.

Heaven-Covering Sir didn't see that group return; it's possible it already met the steppe allied forces.

"Gather the troops, I will personally go out to meet the defeated enemy!"

"Whether it's late or not now, we won't wait for the Xiongnu to step into Great Jin before acting!"

The Great King sneered: "Are they gathering over a hundred thousand just for a spring outing at the border? Alive, they have no chance to step into Great Jin—I can bury them right in the border line!"

He decided to take the initiative and attack; no one could dissuade him.

The cavalry quickly regrouped, and with the frightened gazes of Cloud Middle's civilians, they struck camp and marched away.

The citizens of Cloud Middle City witnessed the army come and go like the wind; some have already been ruined.

"This… this, the Northern Bearded Ones really have come!"

"What should we do? Should we find a place to hide first?"

"No need… Your Majesty is leading a personal expedition; I heard they brought the elite cavalry of Secluded Province, haven't you seen that momentum?"

"No need to avoid, the Xuan Armor cavalry has arrived, the Northern Bearded Ones can't stand against them………"

"... not that the earlier personal expedition was useless—you all know the result, it's only been a few years..."

"... the current emperor is the Northern Border King, you forgot that the Northern Border King slaughtered tens of thousands of Northern Bearded Ones in the northern territories of Shuofang, hanging the Xiongnu Left Worthy King at the gate of his father's imperial mausoleum? Aren't the steppe peoples now paying tribute to the Northern Border King?!"

"... whether these bearded ones have healed their scars and forgotten the pain, or the steppe has also undergone a cold snap, prompting them to take risks… exactly! The steppe's frozen cattle and sheep are even more numerous than ours!" Saying this, the few merchants whispering among themselves suddenly understood.

After realizing this, everyone felt much more reassured; although ten thousand cavalry isn't many, it's still endless to the eye—ordinary people have no concept of how many cavalry have arrived. No one expected Bai Li Jing to dare lead a personal expedition with ten thousand cavalry, after all his father had mobilized two hundred thousand for a personal campaign while he himself remained in the rear.

Bai Li Hu had just rested for half a day when he was dragged onto a horse, hearing that they were to go out and meet the enemy proactively, he thought San Pangzi had gone mad.

So troublesome!

The northern wasteland of Yunzhong has no roads, yet it doesn't hinder marching; the Great King still had energy to pull out his telescope and look around. Upon reaching the border line, the Great King tossed Bai Li Hu a knife.

"Hold onto it; even if you can't kill, use it to block arrows."

Bai Li Hu glanced at the wolf‑fang spear strapped to the Great King's horse—this item had always been carried by the Light Cavalry Supply Corps, just now it had been hung on Bai Li Jing's mount, knowing he would never supervise battle from the rear like his father. Bai Li Hu gritted his teeth: "I too have studied martial arts! As for you, dying on the battlefield would just be a wasted effort!"

This Great King had something to say: "No one born can kill me."

Bai Li Hu almost choked on his own saliva, wanting to slap himself for talking too much—no need! He didn't know this wasn't bragging, but the Great King's sole genuine statement recently.

The Great King let Heaven-Covering Sir fly again, ordering it to search nearby for anyone wearing the same armor as theirs; who knew Heaven-Covering Sir had just taken off when the Great King spotted a battle ahead through his telescope.

【During a writer's block outing, I couldn't get into Beijing's Badaling, so I went to Shanhai Pass to view the Great Wall, saw where the wall meets the sea, truly magnificent.

Unfortunately the Great Wall is useless against the Great King; instead I suggest the Xiongnu, if able, build a wall to block the Great King╰(*´︶`*)╯

Today I return, will resume normal daily updates.】