At the end of November of the thirteenth year of Chunxi, Mo Xiaobao and Zhong Silkworm finally took 1,500 people and arrived at the place where the Western Liao Wu'er and the Kereh Department bordered the Kereh Department after a month-and-a-half-long arduous trek.

The Tianshan Mountains run from east to west, from the northwest to the southeast of Altai, and the Wu'er, who had already been conquered by the Western Liao, were in the middle of the two mountain ranges, or at the foot of the mountains, with abundant playgrounds and rivers from the two mountains to feed the entire tribe.

Looking at the endless brown green hills, it seems like a spasm across the sky, and people can't help but want to see what is the scene on the other side of the mountain.

The withered yellow playground in front of him spreads throughout the world, mixed with rivers like jade belts, if it weren't for the cold north wind like a knife across his cheeks, cowering Mo Xiaobao, always feel that his mind can hold the whole world.

But even so, the hard work of the trek all the way still can't stop the pride and ambition for nature and the uninhibited grassland in my heart.

Facing the cold wind, he still couldn't help but claw up his chest, and the strange scream in the mouth of the Ya herdsman vented the heroic feelings in his heart.

"Compared to Lin'an, this kind of place is my favorite place for Mo Xiaobao." Retracted his head and neck into the collar again, and said loudly to Zhong Silkworm with the wind on his back.

Looking at the other people who were camping, Zhong Silkworm, who was also cowering because of the cold wind, pointed to the mountain range like a green dragon in the distance, and said loudly: "See, continue to the east along the foot of the mountain, and you will be able to enter the Qiyan Division, where there are both a desert with yellow sand and a more abundant grassland, but the people there are more fierce, and they will draw their swords against each other if they disagree." Of course, they also worship the strong, as long as your fists are hard, it is not a problem to gain a foothold here, but you have to take your tribesmen to migrate every year, looking for fertile pastures and water sources, not only to guard against wolves, but also to guard against other tribes who covet your tribe's wealth, women, and swelling during the migration. It's a world where wolves eat people, people eat wolves, and people eat people, so here, it's best to put away everything in the Great Song Dynasty, because those will only make you lose the battle on the grassland. You have to trust me. ”

Compared with Mo Xiaobao, Zhong Silkworm can be regarded as an old fritter on the grassland, looking at Mo Xiaobao with some disapproving affection, and finally patted his chest and said firmly.

The cheeks of the two of them are also cold and red, but a month and a half of trekking has made their faces appear plateau red, and their skin has become extremely dry, even the lips are bursting with layers of dead skin because of dryness.

"Then it's up to you, I'll give you a hand." With one hand, he pressed the sheepskin hat on the top of his head, and Mo Xiaobao, who was afraid of being blown away by the wind, said with a sense of the overall situation.

"Thank you." Zhong Silkworm patted Mo Xiaobao on the shoulder, and then the two of them continued to stagger against the cold wind that could blow people, and began to use their strength to eat milk, and set up a tent with others.

The sun overhead did not have the slightest heat, even if it had been busy for a long time, but the hands and feet were still cold, but fortunately, with the succession, finally against the cold north wind was about to finish setting up the tent, the wind at the foot of the mountain was a little lighter, with a melodious whimper, swept over the withered yellow grass.

"Someone's coming, alert." In the distance, seven or eight war horses were ridden, and the scouts who were released at the first time whistled loudly, which looked particularly fierce in the open grassland.

The two of them, looking at the remnant sun that was gradually disappearing into the mountain, and looking at the afterglow of the sunset as the background, seven or eight scouts riding war horses, at this moment, in their eyes, somewhat fierce and mysterious.

"Who?" After the seven or eight scouts got closer, Zhong Silkworm asked in a loud voice.

"There are more than a dozen war horses coming from our side, and they look friendly." The scout replied again.

"Stop and ask, if it's someone from the Beggar Department or the Kereh Department, don't be polite, the others will follow." Zhong Silkworm looked at the dozens of people behind him who were already fully armed in an instant, and for the sake of safety, he ordered another thirty people to follow the scouts over.

"What if it's someone sent by Princess Yelu?" Mo Xiaobao looked at Zhong Silkworm, who had a somewhat general's demeanor.

Zhong Silkworm tightened the saddle and said with a smile: "If it is a Wu'er person, it will be the one who will pick us up, but in this cold day, it is also very common for some small tribes to go out to hunt wild food, and between tribes and tribes, no one knows whether they are friends or foes." You can rob your woman today, and you can also take it tomorrow and send it back to you to make amends, but your woman has been slept with, if you are pregnant, you will wait for Lord Ye's words: You will wait to be a father. ”

"Grandma, do you want to be so brutal and rude?" Mo Xiaobian frowned.

"It's nothing, there are no weak people on the grassland, because the weak can't protect anything, your women and children, and the wealth clan will not belong to you forever, unless you can be very strong and strong, so that other tribes on the grassland are afraid of you." Zhong Silkworm turned over and got on his horse, nodded to Mo Xiaobao next to him, and motioned for him to stay.

Looking at Zhong Silkworm and rushing towards the direction of the mountain range to the west with dozens of people, Mo Xiaobao felt for the first time that not only was the climate and environment on the grassland harsh, but it seemed that the living environment between people was no longer enough to be described as harsh, it should be cruel, right?

"There are no people here, only beasts, so if you want to be strong, don't think of yourself as a human in the first place." Zhong Silkworm faced the remaining sunset on the edge of the sky, turned around and shouted to Mo Xiaobao who was in a daze again.

Mo Xiaobao listened to Zhong Silkworm's words, and couldn't help but remember that when he passed through the border of the Xia Kingdom, he saw the tattoo on Zhong Silkworm's arm, and suddenly had an impulse in his heart, should he be like him?

The night gradually shrouded the whole grassland silently, the whole world seemed to become deeper and desolate all of a sudden, and the wolf howl from time to time in the distance made the whole grassland full of wild and primitive taste.

As the sound of horses' hooves approached, the torches in the camp were instantly lit, like the starry sky overhead, began to bloom with dazzling light, Mo Xiaobao, Zhong Silkworm, and a middle-aged man dressed as a herdsman and with a full beard next to him, his head was steaming, and he walked into the camp while talking.

"This is the idea of Her Royal Highness the Princess, she wants to take the test for your immediate efforts." Even if you listen carefully to Balmy's stiff Chinese, you still need to ponder it repeatedly before you can understand what he means.

Mo Xiaobao smiled, the group of cavalry found by the scouts when the sun set was a dozen or so horsemen led by this man named Balshu, and the purpose of their coming here was to test the two of them on the order of Princess Yeluyue, whether they were vigilant enough and suitable for fighting on the grassland.

"Where is Her Royal Highness the Princess?" Zhong Silkworm rubbed his shoulder, which was still a little painful, and the fight with the Vultures just now also made him once again deeply appreciate the fierceness of these beasts on the grassland.

Even if he didn't use weapons and just fought on horseback with his fists, Zhong Silkworm's side still lost more and won less, and only he and Mo Xiaobao fell off the horse the least number of times.

But fortunately, Balshu, the first riding master of the Vultures, was also overturned from his horse once by Mo Xiaoshan, Zhong Silkworm.

"Not far from here, camp at the foot of the hill on that side, big camp, leeward there, your camp is good, but it's easy to be flanked by people from front to back." After Balshu approached the tent, he said to Zhong Silkworm and Mo Xiaobao.

Mo Xiaoshank Zhong Silkworm glanced at each other, and did not refute Balshu's comments, after all, Balshu was right, camping here is indeed easy to be attacked by the enemy from both sides, but this is just Balshu's opinion.

If he knew that the Flower Planter Army had its own killer feature, then he wouldn't think so anymore.

The rare good weather in Yangzhou, at noon when the sun is shining, the warmth shines on the body, helping people drive away a trace of cold, making people feel indescribably comfortable.

Ye Qing and Zhong Qing walked on the path under the city wall outside the city, and followed the carriage of Tao Qian's personal bridge far behind, and the farmland that could not be seen was within reach, although it was winter, but those green seedlings that were somewhat frozen and wilted, just like people, exuded vitality in the warm sun at noon.

With the completion of the thorough repair of the Yangzhou city wall, naturally, the entire Yangzhou city seems to have a little more self-confidence, even if it is the people who come in and out, looking at the tall and strong city wall, their eyes are also full of a sense of satisfaction.

"Have they arrived?" Zhong Qing was wearing a white fur coat, which was in stark contrast to Ye Qing who was wearing a black fur next to her.

"When I arrived, I was given a dismount by Yeluyue as soon as I arrived." Ye Qing laughed and said, the brain monkey couldn't help but look like Yelu Tieyi.

"Are they okay then?" Zhong Qing turned her head and asked with some concern.

took out the secret letter from her bosom and handed it to Zhong Qing, motioning for her to look at it herself, and then said: "The Tatars are more fierce than I imagined, even if I have fought with them, but now the tribes on the steppe seem to have become more bloody and strong, which shows that with the conquest of some tribes by Temujin, the formation of powerful tribes has made them more and more confident and powerful." ”

"Yeluyue actually went there herself?" Zhong Qing looked down at the letter, and suddenly looked up and asked.

"There are only 10,000 elites in Beifu's hands, and everyone's armor and weapons are all from the Xia Kingdom, this is an elite iron cavalry that has spent a lot of money to equip and form, which is the foundation of her life, presumably she wants to try it, this cavalry that has spent too much money can give her some confidence to compete with Xiao Hanli in the Southern Courtyard. What's more, if she didn't send some cavalry, how could Qu Qu Lu really go to the Tatar steppe? I can't tell where I'm going to run and go back in a circle. Ye Qing analyzed why Ye Luyue wanted to take the risk in person.

"Anyway, it's still too dangerous, you use it." Zhong Qing frowned.

"Thousands of miles away, when this letter arrives in my hand, everything is irreversible, and if I write again, I will only be said to be my mother-in-law." Ye Qingyu smiled and said.