?

  The two armies merged and entered Wuwei County in the late afternoon. Jing'an

  The Wuwei County is extremely large, from Wuwei County to Wuwei City, it takes a full four days.

  This county near the desert is desolate and barren, it takes a long time to walk before you can see a village.

  However, all the villagers lined up on both sides of the official road, kneeling down to welcome the emperor.

  After joining forces with Gao Changgong, Yuwen Yong had been silent all along. At this moment, he was sipping the warm wine steamed with cloud and mist, his eyes opening and closing from time to time.

  Suddenly, Yuwen Yong said: "A Gui."

  Zhang Qi raised her head.

  Yuwen Yong didn't look at her, but instead said lightly: "Tell me about Gao Changgong."

  Zhang Qi was taken aback for a moment and saw the bright light in Yuwen Yong's eyes.

  It seems that he has developed a love for Gao Changgong. Almost suddenly, Zhang Gui thought: Could it be that he wants to recruit Gao Changgong? But Gao Changgong is a member of the imperial family of Qi, and it's not easy to get him to come over. That would require something that could move Gao Changgong's heart.

  Thinking of this, Zhang Qi suddenly felt a little frightened in her heart and didn't dare to think about it anymore.

  With her eyes cast down, she said softly: "Gao Zhanggong is a man who values his self-respect and confidence, attaches importance to honor, and keeps himself clean."

  Yuwen Yong was still staring at her.

  "He's very stubborn and once he makes up his mind, it's hard to change."

  Zhang Qi stopped talking, Yuwen Yong smiled and said: "Is that all?"

  Zhang Qi lowered her eyes and said, "I am ignorant."

  Yuwen Yong's mouth twitched, and he said in a low voice: "It's useless to say these things now." Indeed, it was useless. At this time, the power of Zhou Guo was still in Yuwen Hu's hands, and Yuwen Yong himself was also hard to protect.

  To say nothing of Yuwen Hu's ability to command troops, even a hundred Gao Changgong would be unable to bring their talents into play.

  Yuwen Yong let out a quiet sigh at this thought.

  At this time, the front became noisy, and Yuwen Yong turned his head to look. He saw that Gao Changgong, who was wearing a mask on his face, was surrounded by several high-ranking generals under Yuwen Hu's command, and he didn't know what they were saying. The group of people were making a big commotion.

  He waved his hand. Yuwen Yong said: "What are they making a fuss about? Call them over and let me judge."

  After his order was given, in a short while, several generals rode over on horseback.

  Yuwen Yong glanced at several people, then turned his head towards Gao Changgong.

  Gao Changgong sat on a black horse, perhaps because he was wearing a mask, his expression seemed particularly cold and stern. His figure sitting upright on the horse's back was straight as a pen. There was a kind of solemnity like a mountain.

  Although he was just an ordinary prince of the imperial clan, Yuwen Yong suddenly felt that in front of him, this Prince of Langya also had a shocking presence. This person was born with a natural charm that attracted everyone's attention.

  "Withdrawing his gaze, Yuwen Yong smiled and said: 'Ministers, what are you discussing? Why are you so agitated?'"

  A week later, he went to Yuwen Yang and bowed, saying loudly: "Your Majesty, this Gao surname came and said that the Turks and Rourans had been fighting for many years, and their hatred for each other was even greater than that of the Qi and Zhou countries. He told the Grand Chancellor that if the Grand Chancellor was willing to give him power, he would take command of all 250,000 elite soldiers and use the enmity between the two tribes to drive the Turks out of the city within three months at most.

  They all got angry at this point. Another general also sneered: "Who does he think he is? A young boy from the state of Qi, trained for a few days and already thinks himself a somebody?"

  "Pffft——"

  "How ignorant of the heavens' height and the earth's depth!"

  Among the sneers and ridicule, Yuwen Yong turned his head and glanced at Zhang Qi.

  He remembered that Zhang Qi had just said the same thing a moment ago.

  A delicate and weak woman in a boudoir. Does she really have insight? Or has someone revealed something to her before?

  Yuwen Yong turned to Gao Changgong with a smile and raised an eyebrow, saying: "Is the King of Lanling so confident?"

  Yuwen Yong hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright. This time, let's not bother with who is the superior or inferior. You lead those 50,000 troops and go fight against the Turks on your own, no need to defend Wuwei City with us."

  "Good!"

  Gao Zhang Gong held out his hand and bowed slightly, responded with a "yes", turned around and rode off on horseback.

  Watching him leave, Yuwen Yong suddenly called out: "Gao Changgong!"

  Gao Changgong turned his head back.

  Yuwen Yong gazed at him and said in a gentle voice, "I think that Zhang Chong is a rare talent, I want to keep him for the sake of Zhou Guo. If you have any requests, feel free to speak."

  "But with a request, you can come and go" As soon as the four words came out, swish, swish, swish, all the eyes around, unexpectedly looked at Zhang Qi together.

  Chang Gong's body on the horseback was also stiff. After a while, he said in a low voice: "The Chang Gong family is only in the state of Qi, and I dare not accept the emperor's favor."

  Having said that, he kicked his horse's belly and galloped away.

  Looking at his receding back, Yuwen Yong let out a long sigh.

  He waved his hand, indicating that the generals dispersed, and then picked up the map again, studying it.

  Zhang Qi lowered her head and stared motionlessly at her own hands placed on her knees.

  Yuwen Yong suddenly asked: "How did Ah Qi know that Tujue and Rouran are not harmonious?"

  Zhang Qi said in a low voice: "I heard Su Wei mention it last week."

  "Su Wei?" Yuwen Yong nodded, looking ahead and saying slowly: "If it were entirely up to me, I would be willing to hand over these 250,000 troops to Gao Changgong!"

  Jian Zhen looked at himself in surprise, and he smiled slightly, "Didn't Ah Gui say it before? This person attaches great importance to honor and integrity?"

  "He is this kind of person."

  Yuwen Yong was obviously very interested in Gao Changgong, and he suddenly said to the figure far away merging into the black waves: "Does Ah Qie think that at this moment he is leading his troops to leave the team or following us to Wuwei?"

  As soon as his voice fell, Zhang Gui said without hesitation: "Of course we will go to Wuwei."

  "Oh? Tell me about it?"

  Zhang Qidao said: "Half of the Turks are concentrated in Wuwei City. He must have seen it with his own eyes and judged it before deciding what to do next."

  "Aiqi really understands him."

  Yuwen Yong turned his head and saw Zhang Qi lower her head again. He stared at her with piercing eyes, no longer speaking.

  Divider line

  On the fifth day in the morning, 250,000 troops entered Wuwei City.

  The city wall of Wuwei City is very strong, with a height and width of 20 zhang. Under the city wall, four horse-drawn carriages can run at the same time.

  But now, this tall and unshakeable city wall is also covered in scars, with several-meter-deep holes visible everywhere. The wall surface also bears the marks of fire and blood stains.

  Opposite the city of Wuwei, there were dense white tents. Seeing Yuwen Yang staring at those tents, a military general said: "Your Majesty, these Turks have been looting for three consecutive months. Except for Wuwei City, all small cities north of Wuwei City have been breached, and the people's property in the city has been plundered. The three small cities on the other side were even burned to ashes by their fire."

  Yuwen Yong had known this for a long time. But standing on the city wall of Wuwei, looking at the desolate scene, with three or four tenths of the city already destroyed, his face turned extremely gloomy.

  Wuwei County can be said to be the largest county within the borders of Zhou, if this city is broken, the Turks will have no more obstacles in Wuwei County. It can be said that whether or not to defend Wuwei County means whether or not to keep half of the mountains and rivers of Zhou.

  Yuwen Yong was deep in thought, and Zhang Gui slowly walked out.

  She knew he was actually a very strict person. In military and national affairs, he disliked women standing by to listen.

  Her gaze moved away from the Turkic tent, and Zhang Gui searched her memory. In her memory, there were only a few things about this battle. However, she was just a woman, and still a woman who had an affair...

  Thinking of this, Zhang Qi turned around and took a step forward.

  She walked along the city wall with her head down, and when she arrived here, Zhang Qi had already changed into a jingpao cloth skirt. She put on a gauze hat, but even so, it still made those soldiers who hadn't seen a woman for a long time frequently look at her, although they tried to restrain themselves, they were all stunned, their ugly expressions revealed.

  Under the gaze of those sharp eyes, Zhang Qi's head hung even lower. As she was stared at by the crowd with fervent attention, her footsteps became somewhat disordered and increasingly faster.

  Although she was used to being in the spotlight, this kind of gaze that seemed to want to swallow her whole, and those rapid, urgent breaths that could no longer be concealed, still made Zhang Qi's heart flutter.

  It's better to hurry back to the courtyard in the city that Yuwen Yong has vacated, where there are eunuchs and palace maids!

  Just as Zhang Qi rushed down the city wall, she was walking with her head down and accidentally stepped on a stone. Her ankle twisted, and her whole body tilted downwards, and her body fell uncontrollably!

  Below is Shi Tou Lei Cheng's twenty-zhang-high stone ladder, this stone ladder is so steep that with just one roll, she might break all her bones!

  Just as a few cries came from afar, Zhang Qi's feet slid uncontrollably down the stone stairs for over a dozen levels, her body tilting, and she was about to roll over when she let out a sharp cry.

  Just as she was screaming and rolling down uncontrollably, her body suddenly crashed heavily into something.

  How fierce was the momentum of the fall? She heavily bumped into something and heard a muffled groan, then her body felt light as she was lifted up to stand steadily.

  Someone saved her!

  Zhang Qi raised her head.

  She met a pair of extremely familiar eyes.

  He had taken off his helmet, and as soon as she stood firm, he hastily withdrew his hands. At this moment, those hands were stiffly placed on his sides. Their eyes met, and he turned his head to gaze quietly at the pattern of the city wall in front of him...

  A footstep sounded, followed by a young clerk dressed in official attire calling out: "Chang Gong, why are you rushing so suddenly? What's this?"

  That man glanced at Zhang Qi, first revealing a hint of surprise in his eyes. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something, let out a quiet sigh, and retreated several steps back.

  Gao Chang Gong lowered his eyes and slowly backed away. As he retreated, Zhang Yi stumbled a few times before steadying herself, her face expressionless as she watched him turn abruptly and stride down the mountain. Before long, he mounted his horse, galloped off, and disappeared into the dust.

  That aide was stunned, and suddenly shouted: "Chang Gong, why did you throw me away?" As he shouted, he rushed to his horse, climbed onto its back, and hastily chased after him.

  Until the hoofbeats could no longer be heard, Zhang Gui slowly raised his head.

  She quietly watched the direction in which the figure had disappeared. After a glance, she lowered her head and slowly bent down to pick up the gauze hat, carefully putting it on her head.

  Such a simple action, she did it with a bit of stiffness, her hand trembling slightly out of control.

  After putting on her veil, Zhang Gui walked quietly back home.

  ###

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