After Murong Ke sent Qingqiu to the Lingxian Pavilion of Penglai Mountain, he did not return to the northern border.

She went to Jinwu City to meet Shangguan Yunfei. All kinds of foreboding made her feel that the North Underworld needed helpers and friends more than ever.

Shangguan Yunfei had never met Murong Ke. But he only glanced at it, and confirmed that the person in front of him, who was dusty and only accompanied by an ordinary peasant woman, was the real lady of the Northern Underworld.

No matter how clever a liar is, he cannot disguise his innate nobility and the precipitation of years of aristocratic life.

"Do you want me to send troops?" Shangguan Yunfei asked.

This middle-aged man who is almost the same age as Murong Ke has a handsome appearance, but also has a laziness and decadence that does not match his age, as if he doesn't care about anything in the world, and he doesn't bother to pay attention to it. Murong Ke noticed this, and his heart was cold.

"No, I'm not talking about asking you to send troops, I hope that at a critical moment, you can help the Northern Underworld. "Murong Ke knows that this world has always been the icing on the cake, and no one is in the snow.

If the North City of the Underworld is doomed, there is no one willing to help.

"Lady Buyang, since you brought Qingqiu to Lingxian Pavilion when you were sick, you have brought war to our eastern border, and now the Qingqiu family's Chen Bing is at the three-way intersection, maybe he is rushing to the eastern border. Shangguan Yunfei said,

"No, they're here for the North Underworld, and they're waiting to fight the Buyang family to the death. Murong Ke said.

"A lot of times, I don't know who to help, it says that your husband has committed treason, and now his whereabouts are unknown, I don't know who in the Buyang family can still lead the army to fight, I'm not sure if you can win, I can't drag the eastern border into the abyss anymore, do you understand? ”

"We have a proverb in the north that if an avalanche happens, no snowflake is innocent. Murong Ke has forgotten many times that she is a woman from Wanghai City in the south, and since she has the news of her husband's misfortune, she has linked her fate to life and death in the North Underworld City. "If the northern city of the underworld is killed, the eastern realm will not be spared. ”

"Maybe we can declare our allegiance to the royal family, isn't it the case in all the feudal kingdoms of the past?"

"Your allegiance will be worthless to them at that time, and the Seven Kingdoms will be a counterweight to each other, and their only consideration will be how to completely annex the Eastern Frontier. Murong Ke looked at Shangguan Yunfei calmly. "When the time comes, what will you do when the people can surrender?"

"This, this ......" Shangguan Yun flew up, if the ancestral inheritance of hundreds of years was destroyed on his own unsuccessful child, it would indeed make him embarrassed. He paced back and forth, thinking that it would be good if his younger brother Shangguan Yunxiang was there.

"Maybe you have any idea?" Shangguan Yunfei asked.

"My eldest son is the heir of the North Underworld, and he is sixteen years old, and he is old enough to marry. Although Murong Ke has not consulted Bu Yangfei on the marriage, his parents have not consulted him on the marriage. The marriage of the Seven Kingdoms was a power game. "If Lord Shangguan is interested, our Buyang family and your Shangguan family can marry. ”

"Haha, this is very coincidental, the message from Ling Immortal Pavilion said that the host of the Great Lei Yin Temple in the Western Realm brought the prince of Flame City to propose, and you came to Jinwu City to propose marriage. It's a pity that I only have one daughter. Shangguan Yunfei stretched out his hands to Murong Ke and said, "Madam, you must have heard that my daughter Shui Ling'er didn't have my surname, and she may not really listen to me." ”

"It's a good thing that a good woman asks for a family, but I still hope that Lord Shangguan will give more consideration to my son in the Northern Underworld. Murong Ke saw that Shangguan Yunfei couldn't get a clear answer to many things, so he couldn't help but be disheartened. "There's still a lot going on in the north, and I can't stay in Jinwu City any longer. ”

"Although there are many things that cannot be answered by you, Madame, my people will escort Madame safely to the North Underworld. Shangguan Yunfei said.

"North Underworld?" No, my son has gathered his vassals and set off with a large army, and there is a battle for life and death here, what am I going to do when I go back to North Underworld?" Murong Ke had obviously made up his mind, "I'm going to join my son." ”

"No problem, ma'am. Shangguan Yunfei looked at this stubborn woman, and only then did he understand the reason why the Northern Underworld City had never been breached since it had ever been. But where will a war go without Bu Yangchen's leadership and participation?

Thanks to the escort of the generals of Jinwu City all the way, Murong Ke's journey to meet his son was not difficult.

The marching army left the Beiwang Gorge and camped in the deserted swamps.

Although the distance was still far away, he couldn't see the pattern on the banner clearly, but through the fog, Murong Ke could still see that it was a white flag, and the dark color in the middle could only be the Buyang family's wailing snow wolf head.

After continuing to walk forward for a while, Murong Ke grabbed the reins of the horse, and Murong Ke was sure of this.

It was not far from the eastern border here, and Murong Ke was a little relieved to see that his son was also guarding here.

The Qingqiu family's army was still south, but it was only right that Bu Yangfei could act so cautiously.

Bu Yangfei will summon vassals to lead the army, Murong Ke still finds it incredible, in her eyes, her son has always been a child who has not grown up. Now, the sixteen-year-old boy rides like a warrior with a sword.

Is there anything in this world that makes a mother more gratified than seeing her son grow up?

Soon, the outposts along the North Underworld saw them and hurried to pay homage to the Mistress.

Murong Ke sent back the escort team to the eastern border of the capital and continued to move forward with his own men.

The ground beneath the horses' hooves was squishy and sloppy, slowly sinking as they were trampled. They walked through smoky tents, rows of horses, and wagons laden with grain and grass. On a high outcrop rock, they passed a lord's tent made of heavy canvas. According to the Maple Leaf Dance emblem on the tent, Murong Ke knew that it was where the Shentu Palace of the Shentu family lived.

A little farther away, through the mist, she caught a glimpse of the high-walled towers of the swamp...... Or rather, the desolation of high-walled towers. Pieces of black basalt as large as a house leaned in all directions, like children's building blocks, sinking in the mud of the squishy moor. The walls of the city they had built, which were once as high as the Northern Underworld, have completely disappeared, and now there is not even half a piece of wood left, and there is no trace of its glory anymore.

There are only three towers left of the majestic fortress that the ancestors of the Buyang family once built in the swamp, and legend has it that there were no less than twenty here.

The "city gate" looks fairly intact, with a low wall of tens of meters extending to the left and right.

All three towers were covered in moss, and one tree grew out of a crack in one of the stone walls to the north, tangled in roots and covered in ghostly pale necrotic bark.

This is the swamp, and it looks unremarkable, but Bu Yangchen has repeatedly told his family that this place is far easier to defend than it seems. Now it seems that Bu Yangfei has not forgotten this lesson.

The swamp is like a death trap.

The remnants of the three towers controlled the causeway from three directions, and any enemy of the northern mountains had to pass through them, as the swamp was full of quicksand and pits, and poisonous snakes raged in the middle of it, making it impossible to cross. To attack one of the towers, the army had to wade through waist-deep black mud, cross a moat with a cold undercurrent, and wait for the moss-covered, slippery walls to be exposed to the rain of arrows from two other archers.

Murong Ke swept his eyes and looked around at the scene in front of him, and his heart was a little calm.

She soon found her son, surrounded by northern vassals, coal-burning in a black furnace, sitting at a large stone table with maps and papers in front of him, discussing strategy with Tai Shi An and Kun Wurong.

Bu Yangfei didn't notice his mother at first, but Beifeng noticed it first. The big bad wolf was originally lying on the side of the fire, and as soon as Murong Ke entered the door, it raised its head, and its golden eyes met hers.

The vassals fell silent, Bu Yangfei noticed something strange and raised his head. "Mother!"

Murong Ke restrained his urge to hug his son, after all, in front of so many vassals, she didn't dare to do this, she had to defend her son to play the role of a man, this was the moment when he established his prestige.

So she walked to the end of the long table. Snow Wolf got up and walked lightly across the hall to her side. She had never seen a wolf this big.

"Fei'er, you're as tall as your father. She said. The north wind sniffed her hand.

Bu Yang Fei smiled shyly, "Mother, it's good that you're back." ”

Lord Yuwen Cheng first followed the snow wolf through the hall of the room to greet her, and he knelt down on one knee in front of her, "Madam, it is very reassuring to see you in this time of great war. Other lords and vassals also came to pay their respects. Tai Shi An was the last, and he had the same cold eyes as ever, "Madam, I didn't expect to see you here." As he spoke, he fell to one knee.

"The world is unpredictable, isn't it?" Murong Ke picked up Tai Shi'an and said to everyone, "None of us expected that one day we would come to this swamp that has been abandoned for hundreds of years, but we are here. ”

"What about my son Yuwenguang?" asked Lord Yuwencheng, "I hope he didn't trouble you, Madame." ”

"No, your son is excellent, he has fulfilled his mission. Murong Ke told him, "I have sent your son Yu Wenguang back to the Northern Underworld, and he will help defend the Northern Underworld until we return." Although Master Su Beihe is very knowledgeable, he is not good at war after all. ”

"Venerable Madam, you don't have to worry," Duanmu Shan replied in a loud voice, "the Northern Underworld will be fine. And it won't be long before we stab the asshole of the Qingqiu family with a sword, alas, please forgive me for speaking rudely, and then, let's go all the way into Guangming City and rescue Lord Buyang. ”

"Madam, if you don't seem to be surprised, I have a question for you," the voice of the Lord of the Gloomy Castle, Taishi'an, was very quiet, but when he spoke, no matter how tall he spoke, he would listen quietly. He was embroidered with a black skull, and his pupils were surprisingly pale in color, and it was rumored that they were caused by the enemy's body as a meal, and his eyes were even more disturbing. "I heard that you have arrested the ugly son of the Qingqiu family, I wonder if you have brought him with you? I promise you, as long as you hand him over to me, I will let him make the most of it. ”

"I did catch that Qingqiu was ill, and I didn't want to cause trouble to the Northern Underworld at that time, so I handed him over to the Eastern Lingxian Pavilion, but I didn't expect things to develop like this. ”

"If he's here, maybe you can trade him for the Lord of Buyang. It's a shame. Tai Shi An's words were slightly regretful, but his voice was as one tone as always, full of coldness.

"Even if Qingqiu is sick in our hands, I'm afraid Qingqiu's spiritual power will not be exchanged with us. "Murong Ke already knows too many things on this trip south. "They even look forward to the ugly ghost's death more than we do, yes, that's it, I find it as incredible as you are. ”

The northern vassals were anxious to inquire further about the news from the south, but Murong Ke raised a hand. "We'll have time to talk later, but I've just returned from a long journey, so I ask your adults to allow me to talk to my son alone, after all, I haven't seen my child in a long time. ”

She left them with no choice. So the vassals saluted and took their leave.

Seeing people leaving, Murong Ke regained his mother's side. "You're only sixteen now, sixteen, and you're leading an army into battle, can you understand my concerns?"

"There's no one else but me. Bu Yangfei's eyes became stubborn.

"No one else?" said Murong Ke, "Tell me, who are those people I saw a few minutes ago? ”

"They are not the Buyan family. Bu Yangfei said.

"But they're all adults, and any of them have been on the battlefield longer than you. Last year, you were still practicing with a wooden sword. ”

Hearing this, Bu Yangfei's eyes flashed dissatisfaction, but he saw it at a moment's notice. In the blink of an eye, he was a big boy again. "I know," he said embarrassedly, "that you are ...... Mother." Are you going to send me back to the North Underworld?"

Murong Ke sighed, "I should have sent you back, you shouldn't have left in the first place, but now I don't dare to do this." You've come to this point, and one day you'll become the vassals of these vassals, and if I send you back like a child now, they'll keep it in mind and make fun of it behind their backs. And what you need most is their respect, even fear, and ridicule is the poison of fear, and I will not do that to you, even though I only want you to be safe. ”

"Thank you, Mother. "It's a relief.

"Child, in fact, I have been looking forward to the day when you will ride a horse and lead the army, but earlier than I expected, but I think maybe you can cope with it. Murong Ke encouraged his son.

"Mother, you just came from the south, do you have any news?" asked Bu Yangfei.

"Your father's life and death are unknown, your grandfather's Wanghai City is besieged, and I asked the Shangguan family in the eastern border for help, but they didn't give a clear answer, Fei'er, this is the news I know. ”

Bu Yangfei was deeply hit. "Mother, what are we going to do? I have gathered this army, but I don't ...... I'm not sure......" I looked at her, tears glistening in my eyes, and the young and vigorous lord disappeared without a trace in an instant, and he turned back into a sixteen-year-old boy, hoping for his mother's guidance.

"Fei'er, what are you afraid of?" Murong Ke asked softly.

"I'm ......," he said, turning his head to hide the tears he had left behind. "If we march...... Even if you win...... My father and sister are still in their hands, and they will be killed, right?"

"The Qingqiu family wants us to think like this all the time, do you understand?"

"I know, but how can we turn a blind eye to this?"

"I don't know, step by step, I just know that you don't have a choice. If you swear allegiance as your sister said in the letter, you will never come back; if you flee back to the Northern Underworld with your tail between your legs, the vassals' original respect for you will be wiped out, and it will invite rebellion; our greatest hope is that you are disappointed that you can capture Qingqiu's spiritual power alive, then the exchange of hostages will really be feasible, in fact, the exchange of hostages is not important, the important thing is that as long as your strength makes Guangming City tremble, then your father and sister will be safer. The Qingqiu family is not stupid at all, they may need your father and sister in exchange for peace. ”

"What if I lose?" Bu Yangfei asked, "What will happen?"

Murong Ke had no choice but to hold his son's hand. "Fei'er, if you are defeated, then we have no hope at all. ”

"Well, then, we can't lose, Mother. Bu Yangfei's hand shook her hand hard, expressing determination.

"Now, tell me all the things you've done. She said he wanted to know if he was ready.

"There were a few skirmishes in the early stages, and there were small groups of troops harassing us, but there were no worries. The worst thing is that Qingqiu's spiritual power repeatedly detours with the real main force, and it is said that the scale is much larger than Qingqiu's brave siege of Wanghai City. ”

"Are you going to wait for him here?" asked Murong Ke.

"Unless he really wants to come north here, but we all don't think he will. Bu Yangfei said, "I have sent a letter to my father's old friend, Patriarch Shuo'an, that if the soldiers and horses of the Qingqiu family try to cross the swamp, the Zedi people will make it difficult for them to move forward and suffer heavy losses. The vassals all thought that Qingqiu's spiritual power would not come here, so I was going south to meet him. ”

This thought alone made Murong Ke feel terrified. How could he, a sixteen-year-old boy, compete with an experienced battlefield veteran like Qingqiu's spiritual power?

Legend has it that the king of the ancient north could repel ten times as many enemies as he needed to defend the swamps. ”

"That's right, that's what I said, but we can only waste food and grass here, what if he doesn't come?"

"Okay, then what about your arrangements for going south?" Murong Ke couldn't find a suitable reason to refuse his son's southward journey, so he had to consider it all.

Bu Yangfei pulled out an old leather map with faded lines and laid it flat on the table, one corner of which was curled up from the long roll, and he held it in place with a dagger.

"I intend to allocate a small number of troops to stay and defend the swamps, with archers as the core, and then move the whole army south. Bu Yangfei said, "After crossing the Heishui River, I divided my troops into two routes, the infantry continued to go south by the official road, and the cavalry took the waterway, through the Fengling Ferry, to the bottom of Wanghai City. Bu Yangfei pointed to the map and showed it to his mother, "Once the Qingqiu family's army learns the news of our army's southward movement, they will lead the army to engage our main force, and then our cavalry will be able to rush to the ferry without any worries." ”

Murong Ke frowned tightly and looked down at the map. "You keep a river between your own armies. ”

"But it's also between Qingqiu Youyong and Qingqiu's spiritual army!" Bu Yangfei said eagerly, with a smile on his face. "Mother, look, the only crossing of the entire river is Fengling Ferry, which is far away, and this ferry is in the hands of the Xiahou family. He's a vassal of my grandfather, isn't he?"

The Xiahou family, who was late, thought to himself. "He was," she admitted, "but your grandfather never trusted him, and you shouldn't trust him." ”

"I'll be extra careful. Bu Yangfei assured him, "What do you think of this plan?"

Despite her worries, she had to agree that it was a brilliant plan. "Which team are you going to command?"

"Cavalry," Bu Yangfei replied immediately. It's also like walking in the dust, a dangerous task, always carrying it yourself.

"What about the other team?"

"Elder Duanmu Mountain said that we should attack Qingqiu's spiritual power head-on, and I want him to lead the army. ”

Murong Ke realized that this was the most fatal mistake his son had ever made.

She had to make him understand right away, without hurting her son's self-esteem.

"Why did you choose him?"

The north wind bit off two of his fingers, but he laughed, he was a guy who was not afraid of death. ”

"Your father is not fearless," Murong Ke told his son, "and he is always in awe, which is completely different. ”

Bu Yangfei carefully reflected on his mother's words, "The infantry army is the only barrier that can block Qingqiu's spiritual power from entering the Northern Underworld City, so I shouldn't let a fearless person lead the army, right?"

"That's right, I think you should be level-headed, not brave. ”

"Then let Tai Shi'an go. Bu Yangfei said, "I'm afraid of this man, and legend has it that his castle is full of enemy skeletons. ”

Murong Ke smiled lightly. "Then let's pray for good luck with Qingqiu's spiritual power. ”