The pass road outside Huaibei City, the wind and dust are slaughtered, and the yellow sand swept under the dawn, a long queue like a long dry rope is slowly moving forward on the long desert like smoke. The wind was lonely, the crows swept by, and the long withered rope left a deep inlay on the dry desert, desolate, lonely and cold......

Wolf Ziguan was defeated, Xue Qiang's troops had to return in vain, and now it is under the city of Huaibei, although it is unwilling, but it can be regarded as the main force of the army, and there is still capital to plan and renegotiate. But the morale of the whole army has fallen into a trough, especially Xue Qiang himself, as the Taishou of Huaibei, comparable to a humiliating battle, Xue Qiang has indescribable anger in his heart. He was a dignified and loyal general, but he was shocked and frightened by Zhao Zichuan alone, he will never forget it in his life, like a nightmare cage that can never break free, entangled around all the time......

"My lord, we have arrived at ......" The soldier beside him reminded, and even his tone was weak, which showed that Wolf Ziguan was defeated by the soldiers of Meng Yuan.

Xue Qiang looked up at the old and broken city pass in Huaibei, accompanied by the whistling of wind and sand, and looked around at the messy horseshoe prints under the city, which had not been completely covered by the wind and dust, such a bleak scene, and couldn't help but feel sad: "It's really strange, after a defeat, there are more chaotic horseshoe under the city of Huaibei...... Could it be that the general trend of the Mengyuan court will not last long......" Obviously, for a while, Xue Qiang felt a trace of despair about the future of Mengyuan Jiangshan.

"My lord, you must not say such a thing-" The soldiers beside him saw that Lord Taishou was a little self-defeating, and hurriedly dealt with it, "It's just that the wolf Ziguan was defeated and fell into Zhu Yuanzhang's trap." Now the main force of our army is still there, and we will wait until we have a rest. We will turn over and fight to the death! It's just one Zhao Zichuan, and the officers and men of our army will fight to the death!" His words were exhilarating and passionate.

However. I don't know if Xue Qiang listened to it, the whole person still had a somewhat decadent expression. He didn't bother to take care of the messy horseshoe prints in front of the city gate. led the team to the city of Huaibei......

"Open the door, Lord Taishou is back—" The trusted general rode forward and shouted.

But there seemed to be no response from above for a long time, and even the soldiers guarding did not see a few.

Xue Qiang couldn't help but feel a little weird, looked up at the guards above the city gate, and found that many soldiers not only had unfamiliar faces, but also stood in a very different position from before. Looking along the afterglow of the unlit sky of the city wall, a thick sense of gloom was reflected, and Xue Qiang couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition......

"Hey, the people above are deaf? Lord Taishou Xue is back. Still not open the door?" The general was a little impatient, the expedition was tired and defeated, and he was already in a bad mood, and now the soldiers guarding the guard were slow to react a few times, and the general even wanted to run to the city pass and shout a few times.

"Squeak-" Finally, with the heavy sound of the city gate in front of him, the gate of the city gate finally opened.

"Just give a few orders, don't use foul language......" Xue Qiang's tone was very calm, and he also instructed his generals to speak with a demeanor. In fact, he himself was not at peace with anyone else......

The city gate was opened, and the army still entered the customs as usual, Xue Qiang was still at the forefront, followed by a tired army of more than 20,000 people. However. The moment he entered Chengguan, Xue Qiang seemed to notice a trace of strangeness - the market area that looked at from the gate of Chengguan did not see half of the common people. When the troops were sent from Chengguan last night. The same was the case, but at that time it was to gather troops and go on the march. It should be so, but now it is still back to the city, and there is no war or war warning in Huaibei. But there are still no ordinary people in the city, it is a little unreasonable, and what comes into view is only rows of dead and silent bungalows like tombs, which makes people feel a little chilled to see.

"What the hell happened, could it be that after I left, what did Uliang Todo do......" The more Xue Qiang thought about it, the more strange it became, and he even suspected the target on Uliang Todo......

However, although it was strange in the city during this time, nothing happened. As usual, after the army returned to the city to recuperate, everything was fine, nothing happened......

"Where is General An, I'm going to see him now-" Xue Qiang did not rest as soon as he returned to the city, but went to the deputy general in the city to discuss affairs with An Chaocheng.

"Lord An is now in the General's Mansion, waiting for you and the generals to go. The guard said as ordered.

Xue Qiang didn't say much to him, and went with the generals who went out on the expedition. The general's palace in Huaibei is just above the city pass, Xue Qiang is one of the few "affairs" in the Mengyuan court today, loyal to the imperial court, rigorous and serious in his work, although the defeat of the wolf pass this time, but it does not affect his good habits of dealing with the world - the general's palace is located on the pass, once there is a war outside the city, he can command the battle while strategizing......

"Lord Xue and a few generals came with me to ......," the soldier continued, leading Xue Qiang and the generals behind him to the door of the general's mansion.

However, before entering the door, Xue Qiang felt a chill. Around him, the eyes of countless strange soldiers stared at him like a cold cold light, making it impossible for him to escape. The unexpected silence in the city seemed to indicate that a nightmare was coming, but nothing happened, and the mysterious sense of fear and depression had never lingered in Xue Qiang's heart, and Xue Qiang even felt that his life could not be held in his hands in the next moment......

"Squeak-" With a cold sound, the gate of the General's Mansion opened, and An Chaocheng stood in front of him and waited, the layout inside did not change, but it became much colder, and it made people feel even cold when they walked in.

"Go in, Lord Xue......" Xue Qiang was slow to enter at the door-in fact, he was the only one who felt this cold discomfort-the general beside him reminded.

Xue Qiang puffed up his breath, and finally took the lead in entering, thinking that as the Taishou of Huaibei, he had nothing to fear......

"You can be considered to have come back safely, Lord Xue-" An Chaocheng stood in front of the table in the mansion - that was where Xue Qiang usually stood - and said with a smile, but there was a hint of strangeness in his smile.

None of the people present noticed it, only Xue Qiang noticed it. An Chaocheng has always been his most trusted subordinate and has been with him for the longest time, Xue Qiang naturally knows him best, and he can notice the slightest change.

"I'm back, but General An, you've changed......" Xue Qiang didn't hide it, and replied coldly.

"Oh, why did you say that...... Your Excellency asked, turning to a smile.

"The battle of the wolf. Regardless of victory or defeat, our army will return to its own exhaustion. General An did not greet him at the city gate, but waited at the general's palace for me to wait for the return of the generals. Isn't it strange......" Xue Qiang endured the incomparable suffocation coming from all around, and smiled calmly, "It's okay if you don't go out to greet you in person, and let me wait to see you in person......"

"Listening to the tone of the adult, it seems that he knows the purpose of the general......" An Chaocheng's smile changed again.

"No, no one knows you better than I do to you......," Xue Qiang continued, "The position you stand now is where I stand on weekdays. And you're standing there now, isn't it obvious what you're trying to do?"

"What do you mean?" An Chaocheng continued to ask knowingly.

Xue Qiang raised his head, looked at An Chaocheng, and said with a chuckle: "The intention is that you want to usurp my throne!"

As soon as these words came out, all the generals behind them were shocked.

"Is that all?" An Chaocheng's smile became more pronounced as he continued to ask.

"Of course ......not," Xue Qiang continued, "The horse's hooves outside the city, the emptiness inside the city, obviously you are trying to usurp the throne. Even launched a mutiny, right, while I and other generals led the main force to attack the Wolf Pass......"

"Smart, worthy of Lord Xue-" An Chaocheng also simply said, without concealing it. "But if it's as you say, I can kill you before you enter the city. Then do you know why I went to such great lengths to bring you into the General's Mansion?"

Xue Qiang knew that the overall situation had been decided, so he simply smiled indifferently: "Hmph." The reason is simple, because I still have value in use. Didn't you lead us into the cage of this general's mansion to capture us alive......"

As soon as the words fell, there was an earth-shattering movement inside and outside the gate of the General's Mansion - inside the mansion, from behind the screens on both sides, dozens of soldiers carrying spears suddenly appeared, and the mansion was suddenly crowded; and outside the mansion, the mutinous soldiers completely blocked the gate of the General's Mansion, and it was impossible for Xue Qiang to get out of this gate no matter whether Xue Qiang was alive or dead today.

The generals who loyally followed Xue Qiang were taken aback, they didn't expect that this was actually a trap for An Chaocheng to rebel and lead him and others into the urn.

"And there must be someone else who intends to capture us alive......" Xue Qiang seemed to have guessed a long time ago, and he did not have any fear when he was dying, but he had to be very calm at first, and continued, "If I still have use value, of course it is Zhu Yuanzhang's people...... General An, you took refuge in Zhu Yuanzhang, and when our army was out of the city, you opened the door to lead Zhu Yuanzhang's troops into the customs, and then bowed down to the courtiers, right?"

"That's right, it's really worthy of Lord Xue-" An Chaocheng finally showed his true face and sneered, "Lord Xue, I didn't expect you to have today, right?"

Xue Qiang was unmoved, and his expression was completely different from that in the defeat of Wolf Pass, and Chong'an Chaocheng chuckled disdainfully: "Hmph, you are my Xue Qiang's most trusted subordinate, I really lost my eyes, you actually betrayed the court and became Zhu Yuanzhang's lackey...... Anyway, the defeat of the wolf pass is a sign that my life is over, and before I die, I can see your true eyes clearly, and it is not a blind ......."

Xue Qiang is very calm, but the generals behind him who followed the birth and death don't think so, now there are heavy troops inside and outside the mansion, and they also know that they are in a catastrophe today, so they simply scolded: "An Chaocheng, you traitor, you actually became Zhu Yuanzhang's lackey, I won't let you go!"

After saying that, a general desperately drew his sword and headed towards An Chaocheng.

As the soldiers on both sides saw, the spears were intercepted in a staggered manner...... As a result, it can be imagined that the blood stained the ground, the general's whole body was poked into a hole, and he died on the spot, and before he died, he still looked at An Chaocheng with angry eyes.

Not only the generals on Xue Qiang's side, but even An Chaocheng himself was taken aback, and he didn't come back to his senses for a long time. Only Xue Qiang's expression remained unchanged, there was both despair and indifference in his eyes, and no one could guess what he was thinking at the moment of death......

After a short bloody silence, a person slowly walked out from the side of the screen, this person was wearing heavy armor and holding a long sword, and he was righteous and awe-inspiring - it was Xu Da, the general under Zhu Yuanzhang's tent.

It is conceivable that the troops ambushing Xue Qiang and others here are all Xu Da's subordinates. Xu Da stared at Xue Qiang, who was defenseless, and said short but powerfully: "Surrender and avoid death!"

"Hmph......" Xue Qiang sneered a few words, did not immediately pay attention to Xu Da's words, but walked slowly in the direction of An Chaocheng.

Seeing Xue Qiang's movements, the soldiers on the side pressed each other with spears. But because Xue Qiang's appearance didn't look like he had the intention of attacking, he just forced each other, but he didn't do anything.

"Okay......" Xue Qiang agreed softly, and everyone on the side listened to it, but they didn't know who to say it to.

Finally, Xue Qiang slowly walked to the table and walked to An Chaocheng. An Chaocheng was startled, thinking that Xue Qiang was going to do something to him, and was stunned for a long time. However, Xue Qiang didn't seem to have any "malicious intentions", but it made An Chaocheng feel a little relieved.

Xue Qiang smiled, patted An Chaocheng's shoulder, and said in a surprising tone: "Okay, since you want to sit in my place so much, then let you sit down, after all, you are my most trusted subordinate, it turned out to be, and now it is also ......"

An Chaocheng didn't know why Xue Qiang would say such things to himself, after all, he betrayed him. And Xu Da and the other generals on the side also didn't know what they meant, and threw a strange look at Xue Qiang.

"You have betrayed me now, and even want to kill me, which means that I have committed my own mistake and trusted you for such a bad result......" Xue Qiang leaned forward slightly, leaned into An Chaocheng's ear and said, "Since I have made a mistake, then I will make up for it myself-"

A cold light flashed, and An Chaocheng seemed to realize something, but it was too late......

After the sharp pain after the coldness, a sharp blade simply pierced An Chaocheng's abdomen, and blood flowed all over the ground.

"Ah......" An Chaocheng was also stunned, he didn't expect Xue Qiang to want to die with him.

The soldiers on the side finally knew the truth, but it was too late to step forward to stop it......

"I, Xue Qiang, Meng Yuanzhongliang I, can't deal with Zhao Zichuan, but not because I can't deal with you, a traitor......" Xue Qiang sneered and said, "Since you want to sit in the position of Taishou so much, then go to Huangquan with a sweet dream——"

After speaking, Xue Qiang pulled out the sharp blade in An Chaocheng's abdomen, An Chaocheng's eyes widened, and finally fell to the ground and died, but the eyes that looked at Xue Qiang before dying were very frightened......

As soon as the scene of the drama came out, the soldiers inside and outside the mansion were completely moved, and Xue Qiang was still holding a bloody blade in his hand, and Xu Da's entire army naturally did not dare to take it lightly.

However. Xu Da's warrant to stop stopped the soldiers. Xu Da is still very patient, anyway, the sovereignty is in hand, there is no need to be anxious. Immediately, Xu Da still said coldly: "It's still the same sentence, surrender and avoid death, as long as you submit to us, you still sit in your position as the Taishou of Xuzhou, and we will discuss the plan of the Northern Expedition to Mengyuan!"

Xue Qiang held a bloody blade in his hand, and said to Xu Da with a smile: "Hmph, one minister does not matter to the second master, if you want to kill or chop, listen to the respect, I, Xue Qiang, will do my best for the Mengyuan court all my life, and I will never rebel!"

Xu Da looked at Xue Qiang's firm eyes with strange eyes, and then said, "I admire people who are not afraid of death, and they are loyal to the Lord...... But war is cruel, and since it is the enemy, it must not be soft-"

After speaking, Xu Da made an execution gesture to his soldiers......

The moment the morning sun rose, the Huaibei Chengguan was stained with blood......

"It's dawn, let's go......" In a place on the mountain behind the Huaibei Chengguan, Wuliang Tuoduo was looking at everything in the city, as if he realized something, closed his eyes and chuckled.

The servant on the side turned to ask, "My lord, the battle in Wolf Ziguan is not over, why are we leaving now?"

Wuliang Tuoduo smiled and said: "Hmph, the war is not over, but the situation has been decided-I said before, the Huaibei Mutiny was the first to fall, and the next one will be Xuzhou's turn...... Huaibei and Xuzhou will be broken, and the barrier of Shandong will not be guaranteed, and the war will be burned. My targets are only the children of the Zhao family and the second sword of Qiankun, there is no business for me here, so I don't need to continue to stay here and waste time......"

"And where are we going now?" the servant continued.

"Go back to Luoyang, return to Lord Timur, and say that Xue Qiang has been removed, and Yan Jitai will not be far away, and the party members of the imperial court tribe will be eliminated......" Wuliang Tuoduo just replied simply, but his tone was unusually cold...... (To be continued.) )