Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

After farewell, I remember meeting each other, several times the soul dream is with you.

The slightly yellowed rice paper and the rough surface with several fine creases were just cheap things that could be seen everywhere. However, because of the few words written on it, Tang Ling held it in his hands like a treasure. He recited it over and over again, recalling their meeting, and even the faint ink stains between the words seemed to become threads of lovesickness.

Tang Ling kept thinking about Qi Xiao, thinking about everything, yet it seemed like she was thinking about nothing. Qi Xiao was always before her eyes, whether she opened them or closed them. Sometimes it was Qi Xiao when they first met, glaring at him with an arrogant expression; sometimes it was Qi Xiao when he was seasick, his eyes filled with impatience and awkward arrogance; sometimes he was stubborn to the point of being childish; sometimes he was cold and stern, making one's hair stand on end...

Tang Ling always wondered what Qi Xiao would do if he were in Bashan. He would plant grass and flowers with him, drink tea and play chess with him.

Ever since Tang Ling entered Chen, ever since he met Qi Xiao, they seemed to have had few days of leisure. The most idle time was when they were on the Qin River, with a boat with nowhere to go. At first, Qi Xiao was too lazy to pay attention to him, but later when he went south from Yuanjing, he would always bother him.

Tang Ling smiled unconsciously, but the smile turned bitter in an instant.

Tang Ling carefully put the letter away, stood up and walked to the yard. The crabapple blossoms he planted had already grown buds, each one round and smooth, like a small cherry or a small bell, with light pink and light red. When the flowers bloom, they will surely be bright and beautiful.

Tang Ling sat under the crabapple tree, thinking of the hunting in Baiyan Mountain. Qi Xiao had kidnapped him from the camp and taken him into the dark forest. They made a bet and sat under the moon just to wait for the ephemeral flower to bloom.

They didn't wait that time. Qi Xiao said, there is no need to wait, and he will accompany him to watch the flowers bloom every year in the future, there is no need to rush that night.

One autumn, one spring. Now, Tang Ling is waiting alone. Will the crabapple blossoms bloom?

When sending Qi Xiao away from Bashan, Tang Ling promised to defend Bashan until he returned, and Qi Xiao also promised to come back as soon as possible.

It is almost the end of March now, and there is only one month left until Grain in Ear.

Grain in Ear, time to return home. It's time for Tang Ling to go home.

Lovesickness grew into a thorn bush in Tang Ling's heart. The longer Qi Xiao was away and the closer it got to Grain in Ear, the more aggressive the thorn bushes became, piercing him and leaving him with wounds and bleeding profusely.

Tang Ling promised to wait for him and not leave him, but he is going to break his promise again.

The Xingluo Guard's carrier pigeons arrived frequently, so Tang Ling only received two letters from Xun Anhou. The first was a letter from home delivered to him by the Xingluo Guard when he first arrived at Xingtian Pass. The second one came just yesterday.

The army of Xun'an Hou Tang He was approaching Liujiang. The general of Qi State, Fu Shouguang, was also a veteran who had fought on many battlefields. He and Xun'an Hou Tang He had been enemies for many years. They knew each other well and were originally rivals. Unfortunately, Qi State had long been at the end of its strength, and Fu Shouguang alone could not turn the tide.

The Emperor of Qi ordered the five major clans to lead their armies to the east and north respectively to support Xu Zheng and Fu Shouguang. However, except for the Meng clan who had selfish motives and sent troops quickly, the Hai clan and the Mu clan rushed to show their loyalty in the court, but were reluctant to send troops.

The Yan clan resided east of Liujiang River, and upon the arrival of Marquis Xun'an's army, they surrendered to the Great Zhou. Over thirty years ago, the Yan clan had engaged in factional strife, becoming enemies of the then-imperial Qi emperor. Upon ascending the throne, the emperor launched a sweeping purge of the court, not even bothering to fabricate charges, instead ordering the assassination of the Yan clan leader by the Office of the Occupational Secretary. Since then, the Yan clan has been alienated from the Qi emperor, and their current defection was hardly surprising; it was even anticipated by Marquis Xun'an Tang He.

In addition to these four families, there is the Feng family. They have been at odds with the royal family since the founding of Qi. For many years, they have been living in peace in the southwestern border and have been unaware of the government affairs. They are almost a country of their own. As long as they do not come out, Tang Yan has no interest in provoking the Feng family.

Tang He's letter arrived together with the military reports from Zhou and Qi. It only said one thing: that the Xingluo Guards would be waiting at Lingshan to pick up Tang Ling.

Lingshan is 600 li away from Bashan. If one rides at full speed day and night, he can reach it in five days.

On April 19th, Tang Ling must leave Bashan.

If everything goes well, on April 19th, Qi Xiao will be in Shuoliang, the imperial capital of Qi, and achieve eternal achievements.

Tang Ling stood up, approached a crabapple tree, and murmured, "Can you wait for him for me? Watch his triumphant return for me?"

A gust of wind shook the flowers and trees, making a rustling sound, as if responding to Tang Ling.

Tang Ling smiled slowly, and the ripples in her eyes spread out layer by layer with the wind, like endless sorrow.

"Sir, why are you out in the wind again?"

Qinglan's voice brought Tang Ling back to her senses. When he walked into the yard, he saw Tang Ling raising her hand to cover her mouth and nose and coughing lightly.

"Have you caught a cold? Come inside quickly."

"I'm fine..."

***

March 24th is the beginning of summer.

Qi Xiao still hadn't received Tang Ling's reply, only the military report sent by Xuanjiying from Bashan.

The Hai family assembled an army of 50,000 and marched out from Luzhou to Bashan to support Xu Zheng.

According to the laws of Qi, the number of local garrison troops could not exceed 30,000. Among Hai's 50,000 troops, 20,000 were refugees who had just been recruited.

Bashan has been captured for three months, and Xu Zheng has yet to be recaptured. The State of Chen has assembled an army of 200,000 and marched south. Now the Qi court has no other choice but to fight a desperate battle, and every man who can be counted must be counted.

If Qi Xiao had not used Hong San to raise an uprising army, most of these people would have joined the army just for a bite to eat.

Hai's wing troops looked numerous and powerful, and after joining forces with Xu Zheng's 100,000-man army, they seemed capable of fighting the Dingyuan army. However, Qi Xiao believed that Xu Zheng probably didn't want these 50,000 men at all.

Hai's wing troops had never seen the battlefield before. They might have been impressive, but if they really fought the Dingyuan army, they would have been defeated and fled in panic. Adding 20,000 refugees to the mix would have made them a motley crowd. What good would they do?

Not only was it useless, but Xu Zheng had to support them. Originally, the Meng family was going to send Xu Zheng supplies and food from Lu'an Prefecture and Quzhou, but Qi Xiao hadn't expected them to be robbed of their food and people. Luzhou had been suffering from a severe drought for three years, and they couldn't even afford to eat. Now they were bringing 50,000 people to Xu Zheng's aid. Where would Xu Zheng get all the food to feed them?!

As long as Qi Xiao cuts off Shuo Liang's food supply route to Bashan, Xu Zheng's 150,000 people will starve to death, and the crisis in Bashan will be resolved.

But... Tang Ling hadn't replied to Qi Xiao's letter, which made him very uneasy. Why didn't she reply? Why didn't she say anything to him? Not even a greeting?

Qi Xiao vaguely guessed the reason, but the thought only flashed through his mind. He didn't want to pay attention to it at all and didn't dare to believe it. Tang Ling promised to wait for him to come back, and she would definitely wait for him.

"General?" Yan Chuan stopped talking when he noticed that Qi Xiao seemed to be distracted. Qi Xiao didn't notice for a long time, so Yan Chuan couldn't help but call Qi Xiao softly.

"Hmm? Keep going."

"Ah..." Yan Chuan just said a lot, but he didn't know how much Qi Xiao had heard. Where should he continue?

Yan Chuan secretly glanced at Zong Sheng and Chi Yue, but they didn't notice anything unusual. Yan Chuan had no choice but to continue, "Hai's army of 50,000 will reach Bashan and reunite with Xu Zheng in ten days at the earliest and fifteen days at the latest."

"Well, you have just said this." Qi Xiao glanced at Yan Chuan, which made him shudder all over.

"That... Also, news has come from Shuoliang that the Mu clan's wing troops have been ordered to enter the imperial capital. The Dingyuan army is now heading south, and Xun Anhou's army is advancing from the east. The Emperor of Qi is frightened, and there's even talk of moving the capital within the Qi court."

"Move the capital? Huh? Move to where? Hide in the Feng family?" Qi Xiao scoffed. Although the Chen and Zhou allies had previously agreed to use Liujiang River and Lingshan as the boundary, preventing Xun Anhou from advancing further, the Qi Emperor didn't know. He simply assumed Xun Anhou would seize the opportunity to pursue and kill him.

"The Emperor of Qi has already issued five imperial edicts to the Feng family, but they were all rejected by the Feng family at the mountain gate. It seems that the Feng family will not interfere."

"I didn't expect the Feng family to hold such a grudge against me for a hundred years. They probably never considered me a Qi citizen. This is to our benefit, so don't worry about it."

Yan Chuan had almost finished explaining the military situation, so he asked Qi Xiao, "The Yaoshan Army has been reorganized. Every day, refugees are coming to Quzhou Prefecture, willing to join the Yaoshan Army. If this continues for less than two weeks, the Yaoshan Army will have 70,000 men. However, we have so many people that they are useless, and we don't have enough food. Do we still want to recruit more?"

The situation of the Yaoshan Army is the same as that of Xu Zheng, and recruiting refugees is not the best strategy.

Qi Xiao shook his head: "No need. Young and strong men between seventeen and twenty-seven will be retained and enlisted in the army. The others will be registered as households and given land to farm. Plant mulberry trees."

Huang Dawei had been busy reorganizing military affairs for days, only to discover that resettling tens of thousands of refugees was even more difficult than fighting on the battlefield. In just two weeks, he had nearly plucked out all his hair. A heavy look fell on his face as he softly said, "General, there aren't that many fields to divide up in Quzhou..."

Qi Xiao laughed and said, "If there is no one in Quzhou, then go to Lu'an Prefecture. Huang Dawei, I now appoint you as the Zhaowu Commandant and Yan Chuan as the Guerrilla General. You will lead an army of 30,000 and capture Lu'an Prefecture today."

Huang Dawei was stunned, and only reacted after being pushed by Yan Chuan beside him. Yan Chuan pulled him up and knelt down.

"Yan Chuan obeys the order!"

"Huang Dawei obeys the order!"

Whether the Yaoshan Army is a mob depends on the experience of the battle in Lu'an Mansion.

Meng Tao was wounded and fled, leaving less than 10,000 Meng's wing troops. Although Yan Chuan and Huang Dawei were given 30,000 troops, which seemed to be several times more than Meng's wing troops, they were not regular troops after all. If Meng's wing troops were united and fought to the death, then the 30,000 Yaoshan troops would be at best no better than 30,000 bandits.

However, after Mr. Bo's death, the Meng family had no one to help them. The Meng family's wing army had just suffered a great loss in Quzhou Prefecture. They never thought that the Yaoshan army would dare to leave Quzhou and instead attack their Lu'an Prefecture. I'm afraid they must be scared.

Yan Chuan looked up and stared straight at Qi Xiao, his face serious and his eyes filled with excitement. Huang Dawei might not have reacted yet, but he understood that Qi Xiao wanted to train not only the Yaoshan Army, but also him and Huang Dawei.

Build military merits! Seek a title of nobility!

The six thousand people who followed Qi Xiao Yandong into Fenglin Mountain were determined to die, all for these six words, and for the opportunity that Yan Chuan had at the moment.

Qi Xiao also looked at Yan Chuan and smiled gently: "Go."

Yan Chuan and Huang Dawei went out, and Yu Ran and Li Yao, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, walked in.

"Greetings to Your Highness."

"what happened?"

"The news that His Highness is not at Bashan has been leaked."

"Okay, I got it." Qi Xiao glanced at the two of them and responded casually.

"Your Highness, we have already checked the people in the Xuanji Camp and found no omissions."

Qi Xiao raised his eyes and looked at Li Yao: "Do you mean that the Xingluo Guards deliberately released this news?"

The Xuanji Camp and the Dingyuan Army were both soldiers of Dachen and Qi Xiao's men. Leaking the news that Qi Xiao was not in Bashan would do them no good. But the Xingluo Guard were Zhou people. Who could tell what they were thinking? Perhaps they were hoping for a more drastic attack from Chen and Qi, so they were using Qi Xiao as bait so that Zhou could reap the benefits.

When they first received the news, Yu Ran had urged Li Yao to just pass it on to Qi Xiao. But their speculation was just speculation, and telling Qi Xiao would most likely anger him, so it was better to keep quiet. But Li Yao refused. How could he just let such a major leak go? That wasn't the way things worked in the Xuanji Camp.

Li Yao stiffened his neck and looked at Qi Xiao without saying a word. Everything was written on his face.

Qi Xiao sighed softly. "Even if it was the Xingluo Guard who leaked the information, let it be leaked. The Xingluo Guard is not under our control or command. What can you do to them? Start a war with the Zhou Kingdom at this critical juncture?"

Li Yao was stunned and speechless. What he was thinking was that Tang Ling and his Xingluo Guards were both in Bashan, and they should be kept under control to prevent them from doing anything bad.

Li Yao had seen Qi Xiao and Tang Ling behaving intimately with his own eyes, and he didn't dare to say what was in his heart.

Qi Xiao waved his hand: "It doesn't matter. Even if everyone knows that I am in the Yaoshan Army, what can I do? I can let Yan Chuan tie me up and send me to Shuoliang to ask for credit. I can still travel smoothly all the way."

Li Yao lowered his head in silence. Even if Qi Xiao was joking, it was a good idea. Qi Xiao's scheming and adaptability were beyond his comprehension. No wonder Yu Ran told him to shut up.

Qi Xiao certainly didn't believe that Tang Ling and the Xingluo Guards had leaked the information. Otherwise, he would have directly told Qi Guo that he was in Quzhou, in Yaoshan Prefecture. He had been away from Bashan for so long and had never shown his face at the Bashan city gate. Even a fool would have noticed Xu Zheng.

But at this point, no matter what Xu Zheng discovered or how he responded, it was too late.

***

On the second day of April, the Yaoshan army captured Lü'an Prefecture, and three days later, they broke through Xiachuan. Their momentum was unstoppable, and in just half a month, they expanded from 30,000 to 60,000 troops, pressing directly towards Huaiyan Pass. If Huaiyan Pass was captured, the Qi capital, Shuoliang, would be within reach.

On the tenth day of the fourth lunar month, the Yaoshan army approached Huaiyan Pass. Panic reigned within the city walls, while the Qi army at the gates was demoralized and dispirited, with no desire to fight. They had expected to face Chen cavalry, but unexpectedly, they were facing Qi's own people, the very people they were supposed to protect. Looking back at the imperial capital, Shuoliang, the Mu clan's wing troops had just entered Huaiyan Pass a few days earlier, escorted by imperial decree. Yet, Shuoliang hadn't provided any support, not even rations or military pay, as if Huaiyan Pass had been abandoned.

When the Yaoshan army attacked Lu'an Prefecture, some scholars wrote articles and denounced the Yaoshan army as bandits and traitors. They said that in the face of national crisis, they did not think about defending their country, but instead plundered everywhere. They even had the nerve to shout "The tyrant Qi will not live long, and the unjust will be punished by heaven." They were simply crying "the thief crying thief", confusing right and wrong, aiding and abetting the tyrant, and being disloyal and unrighteous...