These words were spoken.
Xie Lanzhi's face immediately turned cold: "Why didn't the people around her take good care of her? What are they doing?!"
The secret agent said, "Please return as soon as possible. Her Highness... I'm afraid..."
After saying that, Xie Lanzhi grabbed a horse and rode away without hesitation.
Before the two secret agents could finish speaking, they said, "Your Highness will probably recover soon."
Unfortunately, the marshal had already run far away and couldn't hear what they were saying.
Xie Bing then received orders to destroy the Ai City Tunnel. Xie Bing placed all the artillery pieces inside the tunnel, and after detonating them, the entire tunnel collapsed, blocking the land routes on both sides of Ai City.
In the current situation within the Central Alliance, Mahon has gained the upper hand. Furthermore, Xie Ying's frequent disruptions, sabotaging military weapons and logistics, have led to the complete collapse of the Xiongnu forces both internally and externally.
Dan Yuhou and Al Na did not expect to be defeated so quickly, and only then did they think of running away.
Yelü Wen was discarded like a chess piece. He was even arrested by Xie Ying.
The situation instantly turned one-sided, and the winner was decided.
Xie Lanzhi had been traveling for five days when she arrived in Tianjing. She returned weary from her journey, the sound of her horse galloping into the capital.
The locals along the road were already used to avoiding him. Anyone daring to ride a horse on the main street was definitely in dire straits.
The students in the library and the young men in the teahouse all recognized her as Xie Lanzhi.
"Marshal Xie is back!"
"Wasn't she in the State of Lu? How come she's back so soon?"
"Could something serious have happened?"
"The central region has been stabilized by the Imperial Guards, and the first wave will soon fall as well. The two main generals of the Northern Hu and Xiongnu have already fled with their tails between their legs. The Xiongnu army has completely collapsed. By all accounts, we have won."
A group of people were discussing it.
After Xie Lanzhi entered the palace, she ran so fast that she lost her boots without even picking them up.
She rushed back to Lanzhang Palace, panting, but didn't see Si Xitong. She almost bumped into Xiao Xiu at the exit.
Xiao Xiu was startled: "Marshal, you're back? Are you looking for Her Highness? She's in the back hall..." soaking in the hot spring.
He was being treated in the back hall?! Was it that serious? Xie Lanzhi rushed to the back hall without hesitation.
Watching Xie Lanzhi's disappearing figure, Xiao Xiu was both amused and exasperated. Why did the Marshal run away before even finishing his sentence?
When Xie Lanzhi arrived at the back hall, she immediately went to the bed in the back hall but found no one there. However, she heard the sound of water coming from the inner chamber.
"Little Phoenix!" Xie Lanzhi rushed into the inner chamber, her voice trembling with worry. But she saw Si Xitong reclining comfortably by the hot spring pool, one hand on her arm, sipping wine. Her beautiful eyes clearly showed a hint of surprise when she saw her.
"Lanzhi, you're back."
"Oh my god." Xie Lanzhi's legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground. She was panting heavily, and chuckled softly, "That's great."
"Little Phoenix is alright."
Si Xitong blinked, then swam to a corner of the hot spring pool, trying to get as close as possible to her: "Lanzhi, you didn't ride a horse all the way from Aicheng back to Tianjing, did you?"
"Didn't Qiankun and the other man tell you that my illness is almost cured?"
No, she's all better now.
Xie Lanzhi suddenly looked up, her eyes somewhat bewildered. She seemed completely confused, as if she had heard of it before, yet also felt she hadn't. She was too busy rushing back to Tianjing to see her wife to pay attention to anyone else.
Seeing her expression, Si Xitong guessed that someone must have come over halfway through listening to what she was saying.
She stood up from the hot spring, draped a towel over herself, and stepped barefoot onto the marble floor, leaving misty footprints. She knelt down beside Xie Lanzhi, gently stroking her back and coaxing her, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'm perfectly fine."
Xie Lanzhi turned and embraced her, inhaling her delicate fragrance and kissing her damp hair. Then, she lifted her up, and the two jumped into the hot spring. Water splashed everywhere.
A burst of laughter and cheerful chatter, belonging to Si Xitong, suddenly echoed from the back hall.
"Don't do that. How can you wash yourself when you're still dressed?"
"I haven't slept for days. Let's take a nap inside the hall after we finish our bath."
"good."
The commotion inside the hall reached the ears of Granny Xie, who couldn't help but step back and tell the people outside not to go in and disturb the two masters.
The next day, Xie Lanzhi was still asleep in bed, not yet fully rested, when her stomach started rumbling, disturbing her sleep.
Breakfast had already been prepared inside the hall.
Si Xitong, dressed in her phoenix robes, took the initiative to help Xie Lanzhi up.
Xie Lanzhi got up reluctantly, but she took the initiative to kiss Si Xitong on the face, then withdrew her face as if stealing a kiss.
Si Xitong was a little flustered by her childish behavior, and finally said, "Get up quickly, we still have a lot of things to do today."
"Hey, model worker." Xie Lanzhi took the initiative to get dressed.
The two sat down at the table to eat breakfast. Xie Lanzhi was already starving, and she ate a bowl of porridge, two slices of braised pork, three steamed buns, and a glutinous rice dumpling before she was full.
After she finished eating, she said, "Speak, what is it?"
"Last night, the capital's garrison broke through and captured Yelü Wen alive. They also accepted the surrender of 20,000 soldiers." Si Xitong stared at her and said, "This war was supposed to be won later, but I didn't expect it to be won so quickly."
Her eyes clearly showed that she hoped Xie Lanzhi would explain something to her in person.
Xie Lanzhi put down her chopsticks and told her without hiding anything: "I met that variable and killed him."
Si Xitong wasn't surprised; on the contrary, she had already guessed it.
"Is it Aqina?"
“He’s the one who’s been hiding behind the scenes and hurting people,” Xie Lanzhi said. “As for that sorcerer, he should be unable to cause trouble anymore.”
Xie Lanzhi can now roughly deduce that the State Witch assisted Aqina because of his status as a Variable, and that she, as a Variable, was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for the State Witch. Therefore, the State Witch used them for practice and cultivation. Now that Aqina is dead, there are no longer conditions for him to continue committing evil as a Variable.
Achina is gone. Everything will return to normal.
She suddenly thought of Aba.
Si Xitong had the same idea as her: "Empress Dowager Liu Zi of the Northern Hu Xiongnu intends to support Aba Na."
"So the current Achina is just a fake with a pretty face."
"The Empress Dowager clearly knew that she wanted to support Aba Na and control the current king."
They knew what Aqina and the State Witch were doing. They were waiting for their chance to act. However, Liu Zi was, after all, from the inner palace. Although she had the natural advantage to get involved in politics, the ministers of the previous dynasty would definitely oppose her.
Even if Liu Zi has some tricks up her sleeve, she'll only waste her time on internal strife.
Hearing that she knew so much, Xie Lanzhi immediately asked, "Little Phoenix, what are you planning to do?"
Si Xitong said, "He can't go back to Aba. He can only stay in the delta. Even if he could go back, I would have to be the one to send him back."
Xie Lanzhi had some idea that this gift was intended to control Aba.
"You can take action, but how did you manage to make the Northern Desert Army obey you?" Xie Lanzhi suddenly remembered this unexpected force.
Si Xitong said, "It is Lord Wu Yue."
Suddenly, she said, "Lanzhi, I'm about to take action."
Xie Lanzhi remained silent, only nodding.
Si Xitong quickly announced his support for Aba's return to the country and succession. The Northern Xiongnu responded promptly, and Liu Zi, in order to bring her second son back, proactively made connections with the new Tianjing.
Si Xitong quickly secured a transnational collaboration with Liu Zi, creating an advantage in public opinion for Aba to return to China.
The ministers of the Northern Xiongnu collectively opposed the king's request to see him, but were refused. In the end, they could only rely on Lord Anshan, hoping he would side with them.
Anshan Jun had no choice but to bite the bullet and stand on their side.
Because of their tug-of-war between the two sides, the surrendered soldiers were completely ignored, as were the Xiongnu troops on the border of Lu and in the central alliance. Having lost their commander at the front and being neglected by their motherland, they were treated like abandoned pawns. And their king, meanwhile, remained indifferent to the affairs of state.
The Hun soldiers, who had once believed in their motherland, instantly lost all faith. At this moment, Ma Hong demanded that they surrender and not be killed. The Hun soldiers, their scalps clenched, laid down their weapons and became prisoners.
They had already captured 20,000 men, and with the addition of 30,000 who surrendered, only 50,000 remained out of the original 100,000.
Xie Ying delivered Yelü Wen to Yelü Lili, who executed Yelü Wen in the woods that same day, cutting off his head and sending it to Luochuan.
News of Yelü Lili's recapture of Yifan quickly spread throughout Luochuan and even the entire Northern Region.
At this time, the army of Mobei disagreed with Li Li's political views, and neither side recognized the other. Mobei declared independence because it was left without any support, and this independence was genuine.
The loss of Luerqu greatly disappointed the Mobei people and Yelü Mushi with the Beiluo lineage. Yelü Mushi even wanted to support Wuyuejun to replace Beiluo.
This means that Li Li's position as crown prince is also in jeopardy.
Because Si Xitong supports Wu Yuejun!
A note from the author:
It's almost over.
Chapter 219 The Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between New Tianjing and Anluo
Arna and Shan Yuhou were not captured. The highest-ranking general of the 50,000-strong Xiongnu army was Shangwei Banaro.
Fifty thousand Xiongnu soldiers surrendered, which was a considerable number. The Northern Xiongnu only sent a few letters to communicate with the new Tianjing, and their attitude towards the surrendered soldiers changed every day.
This is related to the internal divisions among the Northern Hu and Xiongnu forces.
Empress Dowager Liu Zi of the Northern Hu Xiongnu did not want to take back the surrendered soldiers for the time being, because the surrendered soldiers were officially supporting Yuan Dali Luo. Liu Zi felt that she could delay as long as possible.
A group led by the ministers of the Northern Xiongnu repeatedly tried to speak with the king. Finally, someone managed to sneak in and see him, but the king became extremely silent. When asked where the state shaman was, the king refused to answer.
Many people believe that Wang Ye took the "Xiaoyao Pill" and was subsequently held hostage by the Empress Dowager.
The ministers of the Northern Xiongnu began organizing to rescue their king. Unexpectedly, the king accused them of trespassing and plotting rebellion, arresting some and exiling others. This event shocked the entire Northern Xiongnu.
So much so that when Alna and Shan Yuhou didn't return, the Northern Hu and Xiongnu didn't care. Only the Alna and Shan families sent people to search for them.
The two were used and discarded like expendable pawns.
The fighting on the northern Xiongnu front was temporarily delayed, and Banaro's lies about the third warrior, Banatu, were exposed by Xie Bing, shattering the trust of the 50,000 surrendered soldiers in Banaro.
The prisoner-of-war camp was set up in the territory of the now-destroyed Xiong Kingdom.
None of the 50,000 surrendered soldiers rioted, and many had hoped that Banaro could lead them in a counterattack. However, Banaro himself was not clean. The secret was exposed, leading to a split within the 50,000 surrendered soldiers.