Mobei Plateau, a real bitter cold place.

Ordinary herders living here usually have only one piece of clothing, which is basically taken from animal skins, most often sheepskins. Even if it is a hot summer day in the Central Plains, they wear such sheepskin jackets.

This is not only because of the cold climate, but also because of poverty. The climate is harsh, the living environment is harsh, and even the grain and other crops cannot be grown, of course, poor.

So poor that they could only capture animals, domesticate them, and graze them.

In the eyes of the Qi people, the north of the Great Wall is a wild land, and thousands of miles or even thousands of miles to the north, it is almost not a place where people can live. The more remote the place, the less resources there are to survive, and therefore the poorer it is.

The Central Plains society paid attention to male ploughing and female weaving, but here, weaving was a profound knowledge that ordinary herdsmen could not access at all, and they had neither production tools nor raw materials.

The sackcloth shirt is also a luxury for the low-level herdsmen.

That's not to mention the iron pot.

In the territory of Daqi, the market is everywhere, even in the countryside, there are also small markets, and the things that the people themselves cannot produce can always be bought in the market, and the exchange of materials is convenient because of the abundance of materials.

But this is not the case in the Mobei grassland.

Since ancient times, there has been no shortage of powerful dynasties in the grasslands, but few of them originated from the north of the desert. The once tyrannical Xiongnu, after losing Monan, was also in a slump.

But the poor mountains and bad waters may not be without amazing talents.

The cruel living environment here has tempered a nation that is brave and brave and dies lightly, and in order to survive, they rob each other of cattle, sheep and property. Especially when natural disasters struck and the tribes could not survive, they fought each other endlessly.

Killing, plundering, and making other people's living resources their own, so that they can survive the difficulties and continue to live, this is the life state that the grassland people are accustomed to.

This is exactly what is suitable for those who have great perseverance and great talent, and who have cultivated supreme cultivation and created strong exercises.

In the land of Mobei, because of the low level of civilization and the lack of education of the people, such an amazing talent may not be produced for thousands of years. But once it comes out, it is not comparable to the cultivators in the prosperous land where they are drunk and golden.

The sky is as blue as washing, the snow-capped mountains in the distance are towering, the big lake is fat, and there is a sea of white felt tents. Chalahan, the right virtuous king of the Tianyuan tribe, bowed down and stood outside the king's tent.

I don't know how long later, a young man came out of the king's tent.

This is a man like a sword peak, with a tall posture, a masculine face, and a murderous bearing, just standing there, there is an urge to worship.

Even Charahan would never dare to be careful in front of this man. Because he knew that no matter what he was thinking, the other party could immediately analyze it from his demeanor and demeanor.

Discerning, nothing more.

This is a man who has both countless military exploits and rare great wisdom in the world. Although he was only a year old, the same age as Emperor Song Zhi of Great Qi, in the eyes of the Tianyuan tribe, he was already bathed in the glory of immortality.

Therefore, Charahan only had respect in his heart, and he did not dare to offend at all.

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, what instructions does the Great Khan have?" asked the Right Sage King respectfully.

Compared to the ornate robes of the Right Virtuous King, the young man's outfit was very ordinary, and there were almost no ornaments on his body. But no one will ignore his majesty because of this.

Because he is the crown prince of the Tianyuan royal court: Xiao'er Chijun Mengchi!

Charahan rushed all the way back to the royal court from Monan, because Tianyuan Khan was in retreat, and when it was a critical period, he immediately asked to see Meng Chi and reported what he had seen and heard from this trip.

"The Great Khan didn't say much, let us take care of this matter ourselves. Tianyuan Khan's original words were to let Meng Chi dispose of it himself, and Meng Chi replaced it with "we".

Regarding the "coercion" of Daqi, Wang Ting had already formulated the direction of response, and Tianyuan Khan's words did not mean to have a more established plan.

Meng Chi took Charahan to his own big tent, and ordered someone to call Xiao Yan over halfway, after all, he was going to discuss the affairs of Daqi, and Xiao Yan was more familiar with it.

When Xiao Yan came, Meng Chi and Charahan had already sat down in separate priorities, and she briefly greeted the salute and sat down after going to the desk opposite Chalahan.

After returning from Daqi, Xiao Yan became an idler. Because Tianyuan Khan was dissatisfied with her defeat, she was not in a good mental state now, and there were many times when she borrowed wine to drown her sorrows.

She was very anxious to find out the spy Zhao Ning said, but Tianyuan Khan didn't give her this errand. Xiao Yan realized in despair that she was no longer trustworthy in the heart of Tianyuan Khan. The other party no longer trusts her abilities.

In the past few months, Tianyuan Khan has not seen her for the second time.

This made Xiao Yan miserable.

When she was imprisoned in the prison of Dali Temple in Yanping City, thinking that she would be beheaded, she was not so desperate and in such pain.

As a rare person in the Tianyuan tribe, Xiao Yan was not afraid of death, as early as the moment she infiltrated Yanping City, she was ready to die for the royal court.

But the painstaking and lonely management of the meticulous strength disappeared, lost the fruits of her struggle, and put the great cause of the royal court into a crisis, and her previous life was completely worthless.

Now that she has been treated coldly by Tianyuan Khan, she is no longer the wise princess of the Tianyuan clan, but just a sinner. No one recognized her and respected her anymore, and it made her miserable.

For a person, living a meaningless life and not being able to realize the value of his life is the greatest pain.

In comparison, it would undoubtedly be much better for her to die in Yanping City at that time, and still be remembered and praised by the tribe like a hero.

But Zhao Ning didn't give her this chance, he took everything from her, but let her live to endure the desperate torture with no end in sight.

Xiao Yan now feels terrified whenever she thinks of Zhao Ning and the scene of the meeting in the prison.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Yan was often awakened and could no longer sleep.

She really wanted to go back to Yanping City again, and go out to fight Zhao Ning to the death, even if she died in battle, as long as she could pick up the glory of the past.

But she couldn't. Her cultivation has been abolished.

She is powerless now, and she can't do anything.

She can only sink in never-ending darkness.

Many times, Xiao Yan will feel that this is what Zhao Ning did on purpose. The reason why Zhao Ning let her return to the royal court alive was to let her live this endless life of suffering.

This is the greatest punishment for her.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, can you know what the emperor of the Southern Dynasty is thinking, will the Qi army come to attack us and hinder our plan to unify the grassland?"

From beginning to end, he didn't look at Xiao Yan squarely. In his eyes, the other party was a sinner of the Tianyuan clan, and he was no longer the princess who needed him to be respectful before.

Xiao Yan felt Chalahan's contempt for her, which made her heart hurt terribly. But she knew she couldn't blame the other party. She just had a sense of self-shame, facelessness, and the urge to leave immediately.

Monchi did not answer Tsarakhan's question directly, because he did not know the answer either. He also had doubts on the road to Chalahan, and at the moment they could find out limited information, and he could not draw conclusions out of thin air.

"I just got the news today, the son of the Zhao family went to the Dadan Royal Court for only two days, and then left the Dadan Royal Court and transferred to the northeast, it seems that he is going to the Khitan Department. ”

Meng Chi's voice was low, "Moreover, Prince Dadan also took the men and horses, changed his outfit, and secretly mixed in the team of the Zhao son. ”

The Tianyuan Royal Court has a lot of spies in the Dadan Department, although their status is not high, and they can't keep secrets with Wen, but they have a good eye.

This news shocked Chalahan's heart, "Zhao Ning is moving so fast? Prince Dadan is still traveling with him? Prince, haven't they already noticed that the Khitan Department is rearming for war, what agreement has been reached with each other?"

Meng Chi shook his head, "If this is the case, the Dadan Department should immediately mobilize troops and horses, but they didn't do that. ”

"But if they didn't reach an agreement, how could Prince Dadan go east with Zhao Ning? Charahan pondered.

Meng Chi didn't continue to say anything to Chalahan, looked at Xiao Yan and asked, "You have been in the Southern Dynasty for many years, and you know them well, what do you think is going on?"

His tone was soft at this time, and his tone was full of concern and encouragement, which was not at all official and sincere when he talked to Chalahan.

Xiao Yan didn't plan to interject, with her current embarrassing status, if what she said was not listened to, it would be self-inflicted. Feeling Meng Chi's brotherhood, she steadied her mind and spoke cautiously:

"The internal strife in the Southern Dynasties was serious, so there were often some decisions that seemed unbelievable and unreasonable to outsiders. After I was exposed in Yanping City, the Southern Dynasty couldn't get by in terms of face, and we will definitely have to pay the price.

"That's why they asked the Great Khan to make amends.

"We never agreed, so they sent the Yanmen army out of the pass to show off their might, and made it appear that they were in close contact with other tribes, so that we felt pressure and forced us to comply.

"But as far as this matter is concerned, in my opinion, even if the Great Khan does not go south in the end, as long as the price we pay is enough, the Southern Dynasty will not be too persecutive.

"The internal strife in the Southern Dynasties is very serious now, and those civil officials are unwilling to provoke a war. ”

Meng Chi nodded, expressing his agreement with Xiao Yan's analysis, which made the latter feel a little better: "You mean that Zhao Ning and Prince Dadan went to the Khitan Ministry just to strengthen the relationship between the Dadan Ministry and the Khitan Ministry?"

Xiao Yan really thinks so, "Using the grassland tribes to balance the grassland tribes does not cost the Southern Dynasty a single soldier, which is the national policy of the Southern Dynasty to deal with the grassland issue."

"But Zhao Ning is not to be underestimated, he has his own opinions, the Zhao family and the Yanmen army are stationed in the border areas, and they are very hostile to us, and they will do everything possible to prepare for war, and they may have a plan.

"Zhao Ning secretly took Prince Dadan to the Khitan Ministry, maybe Zhao Ning was not satisfied, he was just acting in the grassland, he may want to broker an alliance between the Dadan Ministry and the Khitan Ministry, and jointly restrict us.

"In this way, once we make any changes, with these two tribes in front of us, it will be easy for the Yanmen Army to do whatever it wants;

"If we don't make any changes, and the Dadan Ministry and the Khitan Department form an alliance, it will not do them any harm, and the Dadan Department will have no reason to disagree. ”

Xiao Yan's words are reasonable, not only explaining the change between Zhao Ning and Prince Dadan, but also explaining the fact that the Dadan royal court has not mobilized troops and horses at the moment, not only Meng Chi feels right, but Chalahan can't find anything wrong.

"If it is really as the princess said, then Zhao Ning has made a big mistake this time, he wants to promote the alliance between the Dadan Ministry and the Khitan Department?

Charahan finally glanced at Xiao Yan seriously. Although the other party has made mistakes, he has not wasted his time in Daqi for many years, even if he has no detailed power, he is still useful to the Tianyuan Royal Court.

"No matter how smart this Zhao son is, how can he know that the Khitan Department has long been our minions?"

Meng Chi smiled faintly, "Later, I will send an order to the Khitan Ministry and let them behave like this, drag Zhao Ning and Prince Dadan, and win time for us to transfer troops." ”

Charahan laughed and said, "When our army comes out and breaks through the Dadan Royal Court, Zhao Ning's kid's face will definitely be wonderful! I can't wait to see it." ”

Xiao Yan didn't feel complacent.

Although she felt that her deduction was good, she always felt that she couldn't underestimate Zhao Ning, the wound left by the other party was too deep, and when the result didn't come, she really didn't dare to say that she was right.

"There is a premise for this inference, that is, the Southern Dynasty in our royal court did not tell Zhao Ning about our war plan!" Xiao Yan said solemnly.

As soon as these words came out, several people fell silent at the same time.

They have been investigating this detail for several months, but they have found nothing.

Now because of this incident, there has been a lot of chaos in the royal court, although it is not so dangerous that everyone is in danger, but many high-ranking and powerful people are worried and uneasy, and many official affairs have been affected to a certain extent.

"In order not to leak the news, although the troops and horses of the various departments are already mobilized, they are all in the name of hunting, and the generals below do not know the truth, and only a few people know about the complete plan. ”

Meng Chi groaned, "In the past few months, we have also sent experts to block the four realms, focusing on monitoring these people and their henchmen, and the news should not have leaked yet." ”

Speaking of this, Meng Chi paused, and his face sank, "In any case, this fine work must be found out! If this fine work does not exist, it must also be confirmed before the big war!"

"Otherwise, we are not completely sure what Zhao Ning is doing. ”

Xiao Yan and Charahan did not answer.

If this was easy, they would have done it a long time ago.

Up to now, many investigations have been fruitless, and they are already inclined to think that this detailed work is a cover released by Zhao Ning, which is used to confuse them. But in today's situation, they can't make judgments.

After all, if this fine work existed, the situation of the Tian Yuan Royal Court would be extremely troublesome. They can't afford to be wrong.

In addition to the investigation, the Tianyuan Royal Court did not take this matter, and there was really no way to do it.

But that would require the intervention of Tianyuan Khan.

And this method is not inexpensive.

"The response of the Khitan Ministry is still according to what we just said. This detailed work still has to continue to investigate. ”

Meng Chi made a decision, "If it really doesn't work, please let the Great Khan take action......"