Chapter 257: Assassination

"What about the other routed soldiers?"

Tuoba Wuji suddenly recalled something.

"They all fled to Feihu Pass." The Main General's eyes narrowed.

"Feihu Pass?" Tuoba Wuji frowned. "It is said that an Imperial Prince called Yan Wang is currently stationed in Yanzhou."

Although he had been busy with the war in Jinzhou, he had learned something about Yanzhou from various sources.

Including the fact that the Northern Di were defeated by this Yan Wang when they moved south.

At the same time, there were also rumors of divine Artillery.

"They all say that to take Jin, one must take Yan, otherwise this Jinzhou will be hard to hold for long. This time, the Great Song lost Jinzhou and will surely send troops to retake it. When that time comes, I want to see just how much ability this Yan Wang really has." Tuoba Wuji snorted coldly.

The Main General said, "It is just that the Northern Di were defeated by this Yan Wang's hands; presumably he still has some ability, so we must not underestimate the enemy."

"The Northern Di lost no more than half a royal tent's worth of troops, and Yan Wang was defending a city; to say he soundly defeated the Northern Di is giving him too much credit."

Walking forward a few steps, he looked back and said, "When has the ferocity of our Xiliang soldiers ever lost to the Northern Di? If not for our Xiliang territory being small and our population sparse, neither the Great Song nor the Northern Di would be our match."

"The leader is right." The Main General lowered his head.

When Xiliang was founded, its population was no more than three hundred thousand, but now it is nearly three million.

Most of this population growth was achieved through territorial expansion.

The surge in strength has given the Xiliang people a gradual, fanatical pursuit of territorial expansion.

Whenever there is any opportunity, they will seize the territory of other countries.

Qinzhou, Xian City.

A fierce argument was breaking out in the Ma Family residence.

The servants of the residence heard the voices coming from the room and shook their heads one after another.

They could hear such arguments a few times every month.

However, today the argument seemed particularly intense.

"The Northern Di have conquered Xiliang, yet Father wants to sit on the sidelines and only wait for the Imperial Court and Yan Wang to send troops. How is this the conduct of a gentleman?"

After learning that Jincheng had been breached, Ma Han came to find his father, requesting that he contact Yan Wang.

Only waiting for the Imperial Court's order to arrive, the Ma Family would then join Yan Wang in sending troops to Jinzhou.

But his father only said one sentence coldly, "In this matter, our Ma Family need only sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight."

This sentence immediately made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and then a surge of anger rose from the bottom of his heart.

"I have never considered myself a gentleman. As long as it is beneficial to the Ma Family, what is the harm in acting like a petty person?" Ma Xuan was not angry at all, just sizing up Ma Han.

"Yan Wang even saved my life." Ma Han shouted.

"That was just an unintentional act; at the time, he didn't even know who you were."

"Yan Wang also sold Armor and Weapons to our Ma Family." Ma Han said again.

"That was just business; we gave Yan Wang Silver." Ma Xuan remained unmoved.

Ma Han's chest heaved violently. "Absurd, simply absurd! If it weren't for the common defense against Xiliang, why would Yan Wang sell Armor to the Ma Family? At the time, you were humble and submissive begging him, yet now you say these heartless words."

Ma Xuan gave a light snort. "You don't know a damn thing. Cooperating with Yan Wang in the past was because the Yuan Family still kept Yan Wang in check,

Yan Wang couldn't make big waves, but now Yan Wang governs Yanzhou, defeated the Yuan Family and the Northern Di, and has such powerful fire-based Weapons as Artillery. This is a threat to the Ma Family."

"Father is wrong. As long as our Ma Family is loyal and dutiful, how could Yan Wang be detrimental to our Ma Family? Isn't it just that Father is bent on incorporating Jinzhou into the Ma Family and committing acts of insubordination!"

"Scoundrel! Slap!"

Ma Han's words completely enraged Ma Xuan; he stood up and fiercely slapped Ma Han across the face.

Ma Han covered his face, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Ma Xuan reached out to wipe it for Ma Han, but in his annoyance, he withdrew his hand again.

"Everything I am doing now is for you. Yan Wang is an Imperial Prince, representing the Royal Clan. If the Royal Clan is restored, the first to suffer will be the Rich Clans. Have you not seen what Yan Wang has done in Yanzhou? The Rich Clans were slaughtered, and their land and wealth vanished overnight."

He slapped the table and said, "If one day the Royal Clan becomes strong enough that Yan Wang can kill and seize at will against the Rich Clans of the Great Song, will our Ma Family still exist?"

"I don't understand why the Royal Clan and the Rich Clans must be so incompatible. The Great Song is weak, surrounded by foreign enemies, and there is no one in the world who can fulfill the duty of defending the land like Yan Wang. Does Father know that only with the Great Song can there be Rich Clans? Without the Great Song, what Royal Clan or Rich Clan is left?" A tear flowed down Ma Han's face.

After speaking, he turned and left.

Hearing this, Ma Xuan stood blankly for a long time.

Before long, an old servant suddenly walked in and said urgently, "Master, it's bad! The Young Master is carrying a pack and has ridden a horse toward Yanzhou. He said he wants to defect to Yan Wang's command."

"What? That unfilial son!" Ma Xuan was furious. "Follow me to pursue him."

Hurriedly leaving the residence, Ma Xuan mounted his horse and took his guards to pursue toward the east gate.

Not long after they left, a carrier pigeon took flight from the Ma Family residence and flew toward the east...

Traveling along the official road until dusk fell, Ma Han stopped at a village inn.

He had the waiter take his horse to be fed, and he asked for a room in the inn, as well as Wine and food.

Touching his still-stinging face, he drank his sorrows away even more.

Until he was tipsy, he walked toward the small courtyard inside the village inn, where the guest rooms were located.

He had not walked for long when a group of men in black suddenly broke into the village inn.

The waiter was about to ask when one of them suddenly drew a blade and held it to the waiter's throat.

"Has a young man in white riding a horse come here?"

The waiter had never seen such a scene and was so scared he wet his pants; he pointed in terror toward the small courtyard inside the village inn.

At this time, a man in black returned from checking the stables and nodded to the leader of the men in black.

Upon hearing this, the leader of the men in black covered the waiter's mouth and the blade suddenly exerted force.

At the same time, the other men in black swarmed toward the small courtyard.

The village innkeeper was just coming from the back, and before he could react, his mouth and nose were covered and his throat was slit.

After searching a few rooms in the small courtyard, the guest in black stopped in front of the innermost side room.

Under the faint moonlight, a person dressed in white was lying on their side inside, fast asleep.

The leader of the guests in black nodded, and two guests in black rushed into the room simultaneously, swinging their blades to hack.

"Ah..." a scream rang out, and then there was no more sound.

The leader of the guests in black walked in at this moment and turned the face of the young man in white toward the direction of the moonlight.

Upon seeing this, he was immediately greatly alarmed, "This is not Ma Han, continue the search!"

After speaking, he hurriedly went out into the courtyard.

He saw a white figure just climbing over the perimeter wall.

It turned out that Ma Han had been drunk and had walked to the woodshed to sleep there.

The sudden scream startled him awake, and seeing the men in black under the moonlight from the woodshed window, his Wine immediately wore off, and he hurriedly slipped out of the woodshed to escape.

"Give chase, he must not be allowed to get away," the leader of the guests in black shouted.

More than thirty guests in black immediately followed.

He lifted his foot, about to give chase, when he suddenly remembered a more important matter.

"Strip the clothes off that unlucky wretch, and also bring over Ma Han's horse."