Although he was dissatisfied with inviting the Rong family to come back to preside over the overall situation, Zhong Yuanshan also had to admit that holding the profit was indeed not a decision made on impulse, on the contrary, it was not difficult to see from the various arrangements before she left that she should have deduced this move countless times in her heart.

The day after the final negotiation with the Rong family, Zhiying "fainted" in the Ming Hall, and with the help of the imperial doctor, successfully faked the illusion that she was unwell, and when the ministers sent representatives to ask her to rest, Zhiying said that she "doesn't matter, the government is important".

This trick is really beautiful to retreat into play, the ministers were not very satisfied with her listening to the government, persuaded her not to listen, and then at this time the Rong family sent the palace maid to "express condolences", and promised to recuperate, but I hope that the Rong family can take care of the prince on their behalf for a period of time, and the affairs of the court and politics do not have to worry too much, just leave it to the ministers.

So the Rong family's showmanship was gladly accepted by the ministers - the biological mother of the former deposed emperor and the favorite concubine of the current saint, naturally the former is easy to deal with and humiliate, and does not interfere in politics, so let the eldest grandson take care of his illness, and it is best to raise it until the emperor returns.

In order to make her recuperation seem more real, Zhiying also arranged for Cheng Fengyi and Nian Jiaojiao to enter the palace from time to time to visit the patient.

It was Dai Ping who was responsible for escorting her to Liangzhou, and there were less than 100 people accompanying her, disguised as a caravan to facilitate her movement.

Everything was ready, but on the fifth night after receiving the letter, Zhiying changed into men's clothes and sneaked out of the palace under the cover of night, Dai Ping led people to wait not far outside the palace gate, and Cheng Fengyi took Xiao Cui Xian to wait in front of the city gate to see her off.

Xiao Cui Xian's face lost the laughter of the past, but she didn't cry either, just silently watched her mother and Cheng Fengyi explain the rest of the trivial things, and grabbed the cloth rabbit that Cui Yi bought when she was in Yanzhou, and rubbed it around.

"Wang's side also needs my sister to worry more, her current body is not ordinary, she must not be frightened, this matter must be hidden from her, I don't worry about other people, it's just that Jiaojiao has always been open-mouthed, you have to remind her from time to time, or don't let them meet, maybe it's safer." Zhiying lowered his voice and said.

Cheng Fengyi nodded, and touched her cheek distressedly: "I will deal with these little things, don't worry about it anymore, you have to be more careful along the way, write to me immediately if you find the emperor, don't be reckless when you encounter danger, you have to remember that your child is still waiting for you in the capital, you can't help but come back." ”

Zhiying smiled, unspeakably sad.

When she went to Liangzhou this time, she actually went with the heart of death, and even the Rong family knew this very well, otherwise she would not have agreed to help her so easily. Although it is very selfish to do this, maybe even more selfish than the Rong family and the Fan family, but if she wants to let Cui Yi die alone outside the gate, she can't do it anyway, in this life, their fates have been tightly entwined together, and without each other, no one can live alone.

Zhiying kissed her daughter's little face, and Xiao Cui Xian said in a thin voice, "Mother come back early." ”

"Obediently listen to Aunt Cheng and Aunt Nian, the mother concubine will come back soon." Zhiying reluctantly touched her pigtails again, and then ruthlessly boarded the carriage.

The city gate slowly opened, and Dai Ping led the soldiers disguised as a caravan to escort Zhiying out of Zizhang City.

Liangzhou, Taulgan Desert.

After the sun sets, the temperature in the desert drops sharply, and the sun burns people's eyes during the day, and it is a violent storm at night, and look like this, the wind and snow will continue for several days, Cao Qian patrolled around the neighborhood, and when he came back, the wind was too strong to ride a horse, so he could only go down to the ground and lead the horse one foot deep and one foot shallow to go back.

More than 20 days ago, Cui Yi led more than 10,000 people, chasing the desert cavalry of the Humeng Nursery people all the way in the wind and snow, and was unknowingly introduced into the largest desert in Liangzhou, the Humeng Nursery people had already premeditated, and they were more familiar with the terrain and climate laws of the desert than they were, and after bringing them into the trap, they immediately dispersed and evacuated, and the storm became the best cover, and the rebel army could not even find their footprints and horseshoe prints, so they were lost in the snowfield.

Most of the people who lost their way in the desert died of thirst, but they did not have to worry about drinking water for the time being, because the intermittent wind and snow provided them with a source of unclean but barely usable water, and the soldiers searched for their way during the day, and when they stopped to rest at night, they filled them with snow and roasted them into water near the campfires for use.

Drinking water is not a problem, but food is getting less and less, although Cao Qian ordered everyone to save food and drink from the first time he found out that he was lost, but more than 10,000 people chased after him, carrying not much food, plus walking during the day and more need food to provide calories in winter, the few grains are still being consumed at a faster rate than planned.

Some horses with poor physique and unable to walk were slaughtered, but they could only save the moment, and if they could not get out of the Taurgan Desert, they would run out of ammunition and food sooner or later, and starve to death in the desert.

Back in the camp, Cao Qian's beard and hair were covered with ice ballast, and while rubbing his cold cheeks, he got into the handsome tent: "Your Majesty." ”

Cui Yi sat cross-legged on the general's couch, and raised his head to look at him when he heard the sound.

"The wind and snow outside are getting heavier and heavier, I'm afraid I won't be able to go again tomorrow, maybe the tent will be flooded tonight, the last general found a village ruins not far away, I don't know what age it is, most of the houses have collapsed, but there are a few walls to shelter from the wind and snow, is it now the order to pull out the camp and move over there?" There was no fire in the tent, Cao Qian rubbed his cheeks, and began to dust the snow off his body again.

Cui Yi simply said "um", his feet fell to the ground, but he didn't get up.

Cao Qian looked at him puzzled.

Cui Yi's expression was unprecedentedly solemn, and he said, "Zhongxing." ”

Cao Qian didn't understand what he meant, and responded: "What does the emperor command?" ”

Cui Yi said in a low and slow voice: "I'm sorry for you, if it weren't for my insistence on going my own way, not listening to Mr.'s persuasion and insisting on coming to chase after the Monter's cavalry, everyone would not have been trapped in a blizzard, or even ...... If I hadn't thought of going to the expedition, those who died in battle, died of illness, and froze to death along the way would have been able to live well. ”

"Your Majesty, don't say that!" Cao Qian hurriedly said, "The soldier dies for his confidant, and the emperor has the grace of knowing the last general, and the last general has the consciousness of dying on the battlefield for the emperor very early......"

Cui Yi interrupted him: "But you still have a wife at home and a child who has not yet been born, not only you, but the soldiers who accompany the army, who have no wives and children, but because of my momentary thoughts, they will leave their hometown and be born and die." The king should love his people like a son, but I have done a terrible job. ”

Cao Qian was not good at words, and he didn't know how to enlighten him, so he was hesitating to phrase it, but Cui Yi stood up again: "Let everyone pack up their things and go." ”

The god of war of Great Chu began to understand the cruelty of war, Cao Qian couldn't say whether this was a blessing or a misfortune, it was a good thing to be sympathetic to his subjects, but if there was a feeling of cowardice because of this, it would be really bad.

There was a commotion outside the tent, the soldiers were packing up their things and preparing to go on the road, more than 10,000 people have come to the present, and there are more than 1,000 people who have died and lost their way, and if they continue like this, I don't know how many people will bury their bones in the desert snowfield. Cui Yi put on the big coat, took the reins of the golden crow, and stroked the mane of the foal, the golden crow snorted and arched him.

"Old man, if I can go back, I will reward you with the entire hunting ground, so that you can also take care of your old age." Cui Yi muttered to himself and patted Jin Crow's head.

The blizzard lasted for three whole days, the sky and the earth were the same, the snow was vast, there was almost no difference between day and night, the bonfire could not be lit, everyone could only gnaw on the cold and hard dead dough cakes, eat snow to quench their thirst, many people had chilblains on their hands and feet, swollen like pickled radish, and their hearts hurt when they touched it, and more people were frozen with fever and runny nose, and their spirits were listless, and they fell in three steps.

If the Humeng Torr cavalry comes to attack at this time, I'm afraid that less than one percent of the people will be able to meet it, right? Cui Yi thought sadly.

Fortunately, no one braved the blizzard to attack them, and after three days of heavy snowfall, the sky gradually cleared again, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly tore out all the wet clothes and bedding and exposed them to the sun.

Cao Qian suggested: "It is said that old horses can know the way, or let's untie the reins of a few horses and let them run in front, and we will follow behind, maybe we can get out." ”

Cui Yi nodded, in fact, if it hadn't been for the bad weather before, and with a hint of luck, maybe he would have been able to go out by himself, he would have done this a long time ago.

I thought that there was an old horse to guide the way, and I should be able to go out quickly while the weather was good, but unfortunately I still couldn't get my wish, and when I came, the wind and snow were all over the sky, there was no reference in the desert, and even the horse couldn't tell the road, and everyone turned around like a fly for a few days, and finally gave up in frustration.

None of the coalition forces came to attack them, perhaps because they decided that they would not be able to get out of the Taurgan Desert and did not need to make any effort to kill them again.

Cui Yi looked at the identical scenery around him, and finally sighed, turned around and went back to the camp to write a suicide note.

But just as he turned around, there was a sudden commotion in the camp, and the soldiers, not knowing what they had discovered, shouted like madness, waving whatever they could.

"What's the hustle?" Cui Yi strode forward.

No one paid attention to him, Cui Yi followed everyone's line of sight and looked into the sky, only to see a small black dot approaching in the clear blue sky like glazed tiles.

His eyes widened in disbelief and he almost felt his breath hard.

That's an eagle hovering in the air!

At the same time, a black line appeared at the end of the snowfield, and the shouts came vaguely - it was reinforcements!

All the people who were already desperate were crying with their heads in their arms, and the wounded and sick forgot the pain and shouted hoarsely in response.

Less than half an hour later, Xu Cheng and Bailizan arrived with 20,000 people.

"The minister's rescue is late, and the sin deserves death!" Bailizan let out a sad cry, dismounted and fell to his knees.

Cui Yi no longer knew whether he was happy or angry at the moment, his throat choked, and he couldn't say a word for a long time.

The next moment, an even bigger surprise came.

"Yingrong!"

A man on horseback was helped down by Xu Cheng to the ground, shouted his name and galloped over, and threw himself into his arms.