Chapter 145: In troubled times, righteousness comes first, Northern envoy

【Hulao Pass!】

【The majestic city of the world.】

【You assemble a thirty-thousand-strong army and begin to head north.】

【The gate of this majestic pass is pulled open with effort, and the thirty-thousand-strong army suddenly rushes out of the pass.】

【Like a long dragon leaving the fortress!】

【The flag on it, a big "Yan" character in white on a black background, snaps in the wind!】

【You look back at Hulao Pass, where there is a molten gold sun that has not yet set in the dusk.】

【Black clouds leave the city, armor light and golden scales open.】

【Iron cavalry thunders, the thirty-thousand-strong army follows closely behind, the momentum is majestic, like a mountain and a sea.】

【The next day!】

【The army arrives under Yunzhou City, the army rests slightly, and then heads north.】

【At noon on the second day, they cross the Yellow River!】

【You put on the battle armor you haven't worn for a long time, beside you is Lu Yu, behind you are Feng Haichao, Yu Xu, Xie Ling, Linghu Jian and other great generals in the Lu Army.】

【The soldiers in the thirty-thousand-strong army are all eager to try, their excitement overflowing; what man in the northern lands doesn't want to!】

【Engrave merits on Yanran, chase the dead and pursue the north!】

【Passing through Yunzhou, Yan State, crossing the Yellow River, for every mile they head north, the morale becomes stronger by one point.】

【As the army moves forward, the sound of horse hooves thunders, like muffled thunder rolling in the sky, and like the passionate drumbeats on the battlefield.】

【It has become an unstoppable momentum!】

【Behind the Yellow River is the gateway to Northern Wind—Xu State!】

【This state is mostly a vast and boundless plain, experiencing the scouring of the Yellow River and the Zhi River for thousands of years, nurturing fertile land, and is one of the indispensable granaries within the Northern Wind territory.】

【You quickly make a decision, dividing the army into two, you personally lead twenty thousand cavalry in the front, while the ten thousand infantry behind act like a solid backing, setting up heavy towns along the way to ensure the smooth flow of the grain supply line.】

【This route is both a path of advancement and a line of life and death; every step needs to be handled with caution.】

【This move undoubtedly indicates Yan land's determination to head north this time—to fight a true protracted war.】

【Marching requires the momentum of thunder, and even more the toughness of water dripping through stone.】

【The prelude to the great war has already opened.】

【On the morning of the third day, you divide the army into two routes, launching attacks on Xu State and Bo State respectively.】

【The generals thought it would be a bloody battle!】

【Only two days passed!】

【Good news came one after another; Xu State and Bo State were successfully recovered, and not a single Northern Wind soldier was seen.】

【At this time!】

【Inside Xu State City, in the camp of the Yanbei Army.】

【You sit in the seat of honor!】

【Lu Yu still stands by your side.】

【Below are the generals of the Lu Army who have changed their designation and officially become the Yanbei Army; they are all sitting upright.】

【As one urgent piece of military intelligence after another is reported, your face remains calm.】

【Yu Xu shouts according to the routine: "Those with urgent military intelligence, please report first."】

【Feng Haiping's figure walks out, and he says in a deep voice: "The five cities of Xu State are all empty cities; the people have been relocated to Yue State by Northern Wind, leaving only empty cities."】

【The act of abandoning the city, although appearing hasty.】

【But not a single person is left; the deep meaning behind it is known, as people are the true lifeblood and cornerstone of war.】

【Feng Haiping continues: "Obeying the decree of the Prince of Yan, after our army entered the city, we did not dare to have the slightest slack, and did not destroy any ancestral temples or houses; they are all intact."】

【You hear this and lightly nod.】

【At this time!】

【A high-spirited middle-aged general enters everyone's sight; his face is like a long halberd, with a full beard, and his eyes are full of heroism.】

【Xie Ling!】

【Born in the Xie family, the largest family in the northern lands, later joined the Lu Army.】

【Xie Ling's name was thunderous in the northern lands before; he used to make friends widely in the northern lands, and there were as many as eight thousand guests under his door, known as "Great Drought Sweet Rain."】

【Regarding Xie Ling, there are also quite a few popular stories, one of which is.】

【It is said that a guest under Xie Ling's door, known as a "fierce warrior," had good marksmanship, but was confused by beauty, and secretly slipped into the Xie Mansion at night, intending to steal the intimate fur coat of Xie Ling's beautiful concubine.】

【Unexpectedly!】

【This matter was bumped into by the concubine and reported to Xie Ling.】

【Facing this scene, the fierce warrior was saved by Xie Ling when he was at the end of his rope; seeing that the matter was exposed, he felt "ungrateful" and felt ashamed, preparing to draw his sword and commit suicide to apologize for his crime.】

【Xie Ling saw this and hurriedly snatched the sword from his hand, drawing a line on his thigh with the sword; the sharp sword tip instantly cut Xie Ling's thigh, and blood gushed out, staining his clothes.】

【Everyone was shocked!】

【Xie Ling seemed to be unaware, but said to the fierce warrior: "Brother, if you are wrong, then it is my fault as the big brother; I didn't teach you well, then this sword of mine can be considered a lesson for you."】

【"Beauty is like clothes, how can it compare to brothers and hands and feet!"】

【The fierce warrior could not help but shed tears.】

【After speaking!】

【Xie Ling actually disregarded his injury, personally threw the sword aside, and instead called the beautiful concubine to his side, saying to her with a gesture of generosity:】

【"Since you are fond of her, then I will give her to you. But I hope you can treat her sincerely in the future and stop doing such stealing."】

【This kind of breadth of mind and bearing moved everyone present.】

【The fierce warrior was even more grateful.】

【Since then, they have all been convinced by Xie Ling's benevolence and righteousness, swearing to work for Xie Ling and go through fire and water together!】

【The Xie family uncle heard about this and looked disdainful, his words full of blame to Xie Ling:】

【"You are a young master of the Xie family, yet you can't even protect your own family's women; it's truly a waste of the Xie family's cultivation of you, not to mention how much family wealth you have wasted on that group of three religions and nine streams!"】

【The daily meals of those eight thousand guests in Xie Ling's mansion were indeed a huge expense, including many lazy people who were idle and had nothing to do.】

【However, facing the uncle's accusation, Xie Ling was not angry, but smiled indifferently: "Troubled times are not like peaceful years; righteousness comes first."】

【The Xie family uncle heard this and just sneered.】

【Later, the Northern Wind suddenly rose, sweeping south like a tide; the Daqing defending generals fled one after another, and before the news arrived, Northern Wind had already arrived at the city gate.】

【Tuoba Shuyi ordered not to accept any surrender and to cut the grass and remove the roots.】

【The Xie family could not escape in this catastrophe and was wiped out.】

【Only Xie Ling, with the desperate rescue of the guests, was able to escape, and the fierce warrior who gave the concubine away that year died blocking arrows for Xie Ling!】

【Xie Ling, who escaped, relied on his past prestige and righteousness to gradually gather an righteous army of ten thousand people in the northern lands.】

【Finally, this force attracted Lu Chen's attention and was incorporated into his account, becoming an important force in the Lu Army.】

【Xie Ling says: "Reporting to the Prince of Yan, the envoy from Northern Wind has been waiting outside the tent for a long time."】

【"Who is the envoy?"】

【"Tuoba Shuyi's son, Tuoba Hongyan!"】

(End of chapter)