Five, the beginning of winter

"The Golden Eagle Guard," Wu Ye commanded, "take them away. The King of Zhenye has authority over the three armies, and anyone in the military who disobeys the King's orders shall be executed on the spot!" This statement was made by Emperor Xizhan, Huyan, many years ago in public. The Golden Eagle Guard surrounded them in a fan shape, exuding a murderous aura that only those who kill without hesitation possess, and they also closed in on Xiao Zhendong and the others. The crowd looked dejectedly at Xiao Zhendong, and under the piercing gaze like blades, they had no choice but to discard their weapons and obediently gather together.

You damn it! Xiao Zhendong swung a horsewhip towards Wu Ye. Taking his subordinates away, what was he supposed to do as a lone commander? In front of so many people, a mere captain of the guards dared to retort him at every turn, showing no mercy whatsoever

Hehe, of course it is the young ladies. The northward migration is quite similar to our herdsmen's migration; they will definitely bring their wives and children, the whole family together. Just think about how many young ladies there must be in there! In Xinmi, you may not know, but the young ladies from Dayuan are truly charming. I didn't pay much attention before, but last year the prince took me to the Zhenye Wangfu, and I caught a glimpse of the princess whom the Zhenye Wang married from Dayuan. Tsk tsk tsk... truly remarkable..." Zerong wanted to find a word to describe it, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't find a suitable one, so he just shook his head and clicked his tongue twice, saying, "This time, let's pick the best ones and get a dozen for our prince."

The servant brought the roasted meat to Xiao Zhendong first. He took a big bite, chewed a few times, and said with a smile: "After eating dried meat for over twenty days, I am utterly sick of it. This time when we go to Dayuan, we must eat something good to make up for it"

With the sound of hooves, a dense mass of dark figures gradually emerged from behind the hill, numbering at least a thousand. The leader, dressed in brocade and leather, wore a hat adorned with three long pheasant tail feathers; he was none other than Prince Xiao Zhendong, the third prince of Xizhan. He rode to the highest point of the slope, reined in his horse to confirm the direction, and then shouted back: "Brothers, let’s take a break in the open space ahead; in no more than two days, we will reach Pingcheng."

Your Highness, since there is neither a royal decree nor an order from King Zhenye, you cannot deploy troops without authorization. I urge you to return swiftly.

The leader Wu Ye separated the troops, rode his horse to the front of Xiao Town, dismounted, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed, saying: "Your Highness, Wu Ye is here on the king's orders to invite you back to the original position."

Everyone in Xizhan knows about the elite guards of King Zhenye, the Golden Eagle Guard, and they are also aware that the captain, Wu Ye, possesses only average skills. In the past, the personal guards of Xiao Zhendong would jealously consider themselves comparable to the Golden Eagle Guard, believing that they received higher salaries solely because they were the personal guards of King Zhenye. However, after deeply experiencing the combat effectiveness of the Golden Eagle Guard, they are now left speechless. In the past, the personal guards of Xiao Zhendong would jealously consider themselves comparable to the Golden Eagle Guard, believing that they received higher salaries solely because they were the personal guards of King Zhenye. However, after deeply experiencing the combat effectiveness of the Golden Eagle Guard, they are now left speechless.

The sun was at its zenith, and the sound of galloping hooves came from the northern edge of the grassland. The partridges, feeding on the grass seeds on the ground, were startled and flew in all directions. The monotonous sky was momentarily pierced by these black dots, only to return to a uniform blue once again

Wu Ye remained motionless after receiving the blow, his expression still calm, and said: "Then, Your Highness, take care." After saying this, he performed another bow, took two steps back, turned around, mounted his horse, and did not look at him again. Xiao Zhendong's personal guards were in the center, while the Golden Eagle Guards surrounded them with weapons, and in a moment, they disappeared behind the slope.

One person beside him laughed and said: "Not only is it delicious, but this time our information is accurate. The new emperor of Dayuan has encouraged the residents of Guanzhong to migrate north due to the disaster in Yunchong that has left the land uncultivated. They have allocated two million taels of silver and five million shi of grain to Yunchong, along with a considerable number of craftsmen. This must be the savings that Dayuan has accumulated over many years. It will take at least another ten years to find this much silver again. We must seize this opportunity well, and we will surely return with a full load"

"Wu Ye, you are too much!" Xin Mi Li shouted as he charged on horseback towards Wu Ye, raising his spear to thrust it fiercely into his chest. A cold glint flashed in Wu Ye's eyes as he drew his curved dagger from his waist, the spear lightly touching the blade before breaking into two with a clang. The blade continued upward, slicing through the leather armor on Xin Mi Li's body, who let out a terrible scream as he swayed and fell from his horse. In an instant, his lower abdomen was drenched in blood, as if he were wearing a pair of red trousers. The blade continued upward, slicing through the leather armor on Xin Mi Li's body, who let out a terrible scream as he swayed and fell from his horse. In an instant, his lower abdomen was drenched in blood, as if he were wearing a pair of red trousers.

Xiao Zhendong commanded: "Quickly go to the high ground to take a look, the rest hurry up and mount, if it is a wild buffalo, we will retreat to the west"

Xiao Zhendong glared at the two captains of the personal guard and said sternly: "Xinmi and Zerong, listen up. This time, as we wage war in winter, do not fix your eyes on food and women; what we want are heads. Kill as many Dayuan people as possible. Such good news, yet the youngest brother insists on holding back, saying we should wait and see. How unreasonable! Why did Dayuan build border cities if not to guard against us? Hmph! We not only want to plunder, but we also want to instill fear in them. This time, it would be best to capture a few key passes. Such good news, yet the youngest brother insists on holding back, saying we should wait and see. How unreasonable! Why did Dayuan build border cities if not to guard against us? Hmph! We not only want to plunder, but we also want to instill fear in them. This time, it would be best to capture a few key passes. I want to show the Emperor that there are others who can fight besides Xiao Tunan."

Xiao Zhendong was furious and said: "I will not go back. Wu Ye, what can you do to me?"

Xiao Zhendong said: "The Emperor has just fallen ill and is not seeing anyone. How can I obtain the imperial edict? Does your prince have an edict to capture me? It is merely his word. I refuse to listen. I have made up my mind about this matter today. Go back and tell Asule to prepare the celebration feast and wait for his brother to return."

"Yes, Your Highness." The two attendants replied in unison

The three personal guards from Xinmi had turned bloodshot eyes, galloping towards him with the intent to trample him into a pulp. Wu Ye stood his ground, facing the charging horses without a hint of panic. He deftly sidestepped a long spear that was thrust at him, seized it with his hand, and with a mighty roar, he yanked the assailant off his horse using the momentum. Swiftly drawing his waist knife, he struck down the man with a single blow. Then, with a twist of his curved blade, he parried a horizontal slash aimed at him, the opposing sword snapping in two with a resounding clang. The wielder lost his balance and lurched forward off his horse. Wu Ye swung his curved blade, and the man's massive head soared into the air, blood splattering all over Wu Ye. With a cold smile, Wu Ye fixed his gaze on the last remaining opponent, who instinctively took a step back, his palms drenched in cold sweat.

Ah? Zerong, what do you think is best to say?

In a fit of rage, Xiao Zhendong swung the whip with all his might, creating a howling sound of wind. Wu Ye turned his head to the side to avoid it, and the whip struck his armor with a loud sound. The armor of the Golden Eagle Guards is specially made, lightweight yet resilient; despite receiving a fierce lash from Xiao Zhendong in his fury, Wu Ye did not feel any pain. He said in a deep voice: "Golden Eagle Guards, disarm these individuals."

Xiao Zhendong shouted hoarsely, "Get lost!" and then lashed out again, but the force was not as strong as before.

This is no longer the power of boiling water; these individuals exchanged glances, and immediately a few of them leaned down to the ground to listen. One remarked: "The sound of hooves! It sounds like there are at least several thousand; I wonder if it is a herd of wild buffalo."

Everyone was very happy, shouting as they rushed down the hillside. They dismounted one after another, placing their bundles on the flat ground, and gathered in groups of three or five to chat, their breath turning into puffs of white mist in the northwesterly wind

Wu Ye nodded and said: "Since the prince insists on this, I, being of lowly status, naturally do not dare to be disrespectful to the prince. However, before my departure, King Zhenye instructed that these one thousand personal attendants of the prince are still soldiers of the West Zhan. King Zhenye oversees the military forces of the entire nation, and these one thousand men must return with me. The prince may act as he pleases"

The dried provisions were roasted, and the laborer hung a pot over the fire, tearing some jerky to make soup. As the bubbling sound of the soup gradually intensified, the pot began to sway from side to side, shaking more violently. Suddenly, the pot tilted, spilling a large portion of the meat broth, extinguishing part of the fire, which crackled in response.

Wu Ye calmly stated: "It was His Highness's personal guards who acted first. If I did not defend myself, it would be me lying on the ground at this moment."

Another mysterious tunnel: "In Xinmi, which of these things do you think is the best?"

What kind of reincarnation are you, only knowing about good wine, when in fact you just mentioned something even better

The knife of Wu Ye is a famous treasure passed down through generations, known as the Western Glance, capable of cutting through hair and breaking blades, and is extraordinarily sharp

Xiao Zhendong shouted, "Wu Ye, you really went for it, how ruthless you are!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone turned pale. If one were to truly encounter such a vast herd of bison, the only option would be to evade them; otherwise, one would be trampled to death.

Wu Ye remained expressionless, and after he finished speaking, still said: "Your Highness, please return to the appointment quickly"

The servants responsible for cooking started a fire, using the dry rations and jerky brought by the soldiers to roast over the flames. The warm aroma of the meat wafted through the crackling fire, gradually spreading outwards.

With his call, the earth resonated with a clear tremor, and the sound of hooves echoed from all directions, swiftly surrounding the one thousand men of Xiao Zhendong. The newcomers were all clad in golden light armor, with the armor's heart-protecting mirror intricately engraved with the same pattern as the eagle with outstretched wings depicted on Xiao Tunan's mask, and there appeared to be as many as five thousand of them

In Xinmi, laughter erupted, "Grains, silk, silver, jewels... whatever you want, I am very polite, not picky at all. The wine that Zhenye Wang brought back from Dayuan last time was also quite good; although it wasn't very strong, the flavor was truly exceptional. Unfortunately, I only got a small pot the size of a bird's egg. This time, I must drink my fill!" With that, he licked his lips.

In the early winter, the northern grasslands are much colder than those in Yizhou. The grasslands have lost the intricate splendor of summer, leaving only a uniform color of sky and earth. The sky is a deep blue, with white clouds swept away by the stern northwesterly winds, leaving nothing but blue, a blue that penetrates to the ninth heaven, a blue that is boundless and infinite. Beneath that vast sapphire lies the grassland connecting the southern region of Xizhan and the cloud-covered area of Dayuan.

Xiao Zhendong looked down at him from a high position and spat contemptuously in front of him, saying: "The king's command? Asule cannot command me. When he first learned to ride, it was I who supported his backside and lifted him onto the horse. Go back and tell him not to act like the Prince of Zhenye with his third brother. Although his title is higher than mine, wherever he goes, I am still his elder brother."

Xiao Zhendong's personal guards stared in shock as Wu Ye ruthlessly killed the vice captain Xin Mili. Wu Ye remained expressionless, sheathing his sword, and simultaneously commanded: "Take the Third Prince's personal guards back to Pingyuan. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed without mercy"

Xiao Zhendong was furious, yet he found himself powerless. All the weapons of Wu Ye and the others had been confiscated. They led their horses to stand before Xiao Zhendong, bowed respectfully, and said: "This place is remote, and there is no one to attend to you left by the prince. It would be better for you to return with us."

A retainer spurred his horse up the high ground as he suddenly shouted, "It is not a cow, it is a person, it is the Golden Eagle Guard of King Zhenye. Behind... behind there are more, we are surrounded."