With Cheng Wuting's case, Xue Shao's Hebei crisis journey this time can be regarded as coming to an end.

The military crisis has been resolved, but the whole thing is not completely settled. Xue Shao knew in his heart that when he returned to Chang'an, there might be a bigger dilemma waiting for him.

Regarding Wu Zetian's personality, Xue Shao actually knows better than Cheng Wuting. Cheng Wuting said that the Queen Mother would not let him go, and Xue Shao knew earlier than him. Although Wu Zetian repeatedly emphasized in the court that he would not be "convicted for words", it is completely possible to be convicted because of "heart".

In other words, Cheng Wuting once had an antipathy towards the Tang Dynasty (or the Empress Dowager Wu), and this alone was enough to make him die without redemption. Xue Shao and Cheng Wuting both know this, and they don't need to find fault with anyone to fool anyone.

But under this premise, Cheng Wuting still agreed to Xue Shao to return to Chang'an with him, which was tantamount to letting go of a grudge and handing over his life and the survival of the Cheng family to Xue Shao.

Xue Shao asked himself, if he was in such a situation, he might not be able to achieve such a frank and righteous and generous attitude as Cheng Wuting.

"All my life, I will live up to it!" All of Xue Shao's emotions were only condensed into these eight words.

"The young marshal is serious." Cheng Wu smiled nonchalantly, "The young marshal is certainly a little bit of a favor to me, but Cheng Mou did this qiē only by his own conscience." What the future holds, a qiē is left to fate. Whether it is the rise or fall of favor or humiliation, it is a choice made by me and myself, and it has nothing to do with others! ”

The more Cheng Wuting said this, Xue Shao felt a little uncomfortable. But no matter how much persuasion or oath you want to do, it will seem hypocritical, and it is not like what should be said between Xue Shao and Cheng Wuting.

"Let's go back to Chang'an!" Xue Shao asked.

"Okay!" Cheng Wuting answered neatly.

Three days later.

Before leaving, Cheng Wuting, who is the gate of the northern country, must hand over the military affairs in his hand before he can leave. Xue Shao, who inspected the important military and political affairs of Hebei, selected a person who temporarily took over the heavy burden of Cheng Wuting, that is, Xue Ne, the governor of Yunzhou. Cheng Wuting had no opinion on this, but during the last reconnaissance of the enemy's situation, something happened.

The scout reported urgently that a large number of soldiers and horses were gathering in the area of the Turkic Nanya Khan's tent Heisha City, and their behavior was abnormal, as if they were heading south.

It seems that returning to Chang'an is not so easy to become a trip that is just about to go.

"It's okay, let them come!" Cheng Wuting was excited when he heard the news, "When you leave, do a big job!" ”

Xue Shao frowned, he didn't doubt it at all, if there was really a big battle to fight, Cheng Wuting would definitely take the lead in charging into battle. If he could get a blood-spattered horse leather shroud, it would be the result he wanted most.

"Evil comes, don't be impatient." Xue Shao said, "In today's Tang Dynasty, the Yangzhou rebellion is turbulent, the whole country is panicked, and the northern soldiers are nervous. If we fight this battle again, whether we win or lose, it will not do us any good at all. ”

"Then if the Turks come to the door, will we still refuse to meet the enemy?" Cheng Wuting asked rhetorically.

Xue Shao pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I have my own strategy to retreat from the enemy!" ”

"Would you like to hear more about it?" Cheng Wu was very curious.

Xue Shao laughed, "If the secret of heaven is not revealed, you will know when the time comes!" ”

"Even the expression of your wisdom bead in your hand is very similar to Pei Gongzhi's life!" Cheng Wu was a little angry, "Pei Gong is really partial, Cheng has been with him for so many years, why haven't I seen him officially accept my protégé?" …… Could it be that Cheng is really stupid? And you are the same kind of person as his old man, both reincarnated as a thousand-year-old fox fairy? ”

Xue Shao laughed on the spot, "Evil, your imagination is quite rich, it's a pity not to write a novel!" ”

……

On the same day, Xue Shao ordered to transfer the right guard cavalry stationed south of Bingzhou to rush north to Daizhou to deal with the Turks who might invade at any time. In addition, Xue Shao also issued orders to Yunzhou, Shuozhou and other border towns in the name of Qincha of Hebei Province, telling them to strictly guard against the Turkic invasion. The military towns of the prefectures must maintain communication with each other at all times, and all military operations are subject to Xue Shao's unified command.

When Cheng Wuting was "about to rebel" before, almost all the armies in Hebei were filled with a negative feeling of fear, suspicion and turmoil. But now, all the swords and arrows are back in the desert north of the Great Wall, the soldiers are high-spirited, and the spirit of this iron-blooded army has completely returned.

In an instant, the entire border defense line in the north of the Datang River was re-twisted into a rope by Xue Shao.

Cheng Wuting looked at it and sighed in his heart, it turned out that he ...... There really is no one who wants to fight a civil war! There really is no one who wants to be a traitor!

A few days later, Dang Jinbi and Guo Dafeng were ordered by Xue Shao to bring 80,000 foot cavalry from Bingzhou. Xue Shao asked the second general of the party Guo to lead the 80,000 foot cavalry to garrison Daizhou, and he and Cheng Wuting's headquarters went to the front line of Shuozhou together.

On the day of arrival in Shuozhou, Xue Shao asked Cheng Wuting to order the whole army to be stationed on the city pass of the Great Wall, and made a positive battle with great fanfare.

"Young marshal, in recent years, the Turks are no longer like the wandering bandits of the past, they generally come prepared with careful planning." Cheng Wu asked curiously, "Now that you are bluffing like this, I'm afraid it's not so easy to scare them away, right?" ”

Xue Shao was noncommittal, and just smiled: "The enemy who can be frightened away is either particularly timid or particularly cunning. What kind of Turkic people do you think today? ”

"The latter, of course." Cheng Wuting frowned deeply and pondered for a long time, "However, last time the young marshal and Xue Laoshuai teamed up in Yunzhou and beat them severely, they have been gritting their teeth with hatred and seeking revenge." Now that they have all gained momentum, I'm afraid it's not so easy to stop. ”

Xue Shao frowned lightly and looked at the vast desert in the distance, and said: "The cavalry of the northern nomads has always been difficult to entangle, relying on fast horses and scimitars. Now they are more difficult than before, because in addition to the fast horse and the scimitar, they have ...... Brain! ”

"You mean Ashed Yuanzhen?" Cheng Wu said.

Xue Shao nodded, "In just a few years, the Turks swept through the northern steppes and established their own khanate, and it is absolutely impossible to rely on force alone. Yuan Zhen is a very strategic person, and he has a strong wrist. In addition, the Turkic Khan Ashina Gu Dulu had great trust and respect for him, and he would obey his words, which even caused the jealousy of Gu Dulu's brother Mo Si. The last time the Turkic army was defeated in Yunzhou, it was because of Mo Si's jealousy of Yuan Zhen. According to my investigation, Mo Si was seriously injured by the old marshal himself, but luckily picked up a life, and after returning to the sweat tent, Gu Dulu cut off his military power and let him recuperate. From then on, the soldiers and horses under the command of Mo Si, that is, the most elite Khan descendants of the Turkic Khanate, attached to the wolf cavalry, were under the command of Yuan Zhen. Now, Yuan Zhen is already a powerful minister and commander of the Turkic Khanate above 10,000 people. Most of the troops and horses in Black Sand City in Nanya must have been made by him. ”

"Coincidentally, you and Yuan Zhen are both the same young people, they are amazingly talented, and even their appearance is the same handsome and dignified, but they were born at the same time, each of them is the master!" Cheng Wuting said with a smile, "In this way, the duel between the two of you can really be called a chess opponent!" ”

Xue Shao smiled indifferently and did not respond, but he was thinking in his heart: If I and Yuanzhen still have personal entanglements and grievances because of a woman and a child, then how should it be calculated?

Whether it's an opponent or a good talent, it's just a nice thing to say. Now the two of us must be thinking the most in our hearts - kill each other!

"Newspaper—"

The scout let out a long howl, interrupting Xue Shao's deep thought.

Cheng Wuting personally strode forward to inquire about the room, and the scout said that the Turkic army in Heisha City was conservatively estimated to be no less than 200,000 people, and it was now roughly assembled, and it was counting the grain and grass and taking care of the baggage, and it was very likely that he would move south.

"The dog is raised by the mother, I'm afraid he won't come!" Cheng Wuting shouted angrily, "The evil has been idle for too long, and the bones are going to grow hair!" - Brothers, cheer me up, we're going to do a big job! ”

"Roar-!!"

Nearby was Cheng Wuting's pro-xun robe, and he roared loudly and loudly.

Xue Shao just smiled secretly, what a big deal? …… Do you guess Yuanzhen, will it be as you wish?

The next day, Xue Shao invited Cheng Wu to go out of the Great Wall and shoot.

Cheng Wu was a little stunned, he was still going to shoot and swim in the big war? This kind of frivolous behavior is not like Xue Shao's usual style.

"What, don't you appreciate my face?" Xue Shao said with a smile.

"Since the young marshal is interested, Cheng should accompany him!" Although he had doubts, Cheng Wuting didn't ask much, "Let's go!" ”

Xue Shao laughed, "I just like you!" ”

The Turkic army was about to invade, and the north of the Great Wall could encounter enemy scouts at any time. Cheng Wuting didn't dare to be careless, and ordered the most elite Chinese army under his command, the Yue Cavalry Commandery, and three thousand iron cavalry accompanied Xue Shao out of the pass to shoot and hunt.

After leaving the customs, Xue Shao except for occasionally sending an arrow or two at the roe deer rabbit in the grass, the rest of the time he only cared about riding his horse and galloping north. His mighty dragon treasure horse is not an ordinary arrogant horse, and Cheng Wuting and the others are both struggling and worried about chasing - if they continue to run like this, they will enter the sphere of influence of the Turkic army!

When he was three hundred miles out of the customs, Xue Shao stopped and asked Cheng Wuting to set up camp and rest to raise horses.

Cheng Wuting was puzzled and asked: "Young marshal, don't say it's hunting, even if you go to heaven and earth, I Cheng someone will definitely accompany you." But after you left the pass, you ran for three hundred miles without stopping, and now you are almost close to the attack range of the Turkic army's Black Sand army. What's in your mind? ”

Xue Shao smiled mysteriously, took out a letter and handed it to Cheng Wuting, and said, "Send a scout who is proficient in Turkic to send it to Heisha and hand it to Yuanzhen." ”

"The letter you wrote? For Yuanzhen? Cheng Wuting was surprised.

"Yes." Xue Shao said, "To be precise, this is a war letter!" - I want to ask Yuanzhen to fight to the death here! ”

"Huh? You are crazy?! Cheng Wuting patted his knee and sat up, "If you want a decisive battle, you won't let me bring more soldiers and horses!" With only 3,000 men and horses, how can they fight a decisive battle with his 200,000 army? ”

"I'm not crazy." Xue Shao smiled and said, "Just do what I say, don't worry!" ”

“…… Feel relieved? Cheng Wu straightened his eyes, "Cheng, how can you rest assured?" ”

"Evil, why can't you trust me again?" Xue Shao smiled, "He has an army of 200,000, and we have very few people. But if we can't beat it, can't we run away? ”

Cheng Wuting smiled bitterly, "Okay, listen to you!" ――I'll send someone to give Yuanzhen a war letter! ”