Who Was the Gatekeeper?

The Gu Clan flying cavalry carrying the Great Feng banners left the officials and staff in the hall somewhat bewildered, unable to connect the "Great Feng Army Banner" with the "Gu Clan" for a moment.

Hmm? Flying rider?

The next moment, everyone noticed the key point and turned to look at Yang Gong.

"Disarm him and let him in."

Yang Gong pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

The official received the order and left. A quarter of an hour later, the guards from the Provincial Administration Commission led the two men into the main hall.

Yang Gong, Li Mubai, and their advisors stared at the newcomer with scrutinizing eyes.

The man on the left is from Southern Frontier. He has dark skin, light blue eyes, and naturally curly hair. His clothing and explosive muscles give him a wild look.

But those light blue eyes held a gleam of wisdom.

Indeed, Yang Gong, the Heart Gu Master and the highest-ranking official of a state, maintained his stern and unsmiling demeanor, turning his gaze to the soldiers beside Tamo.

Xu Erlang's deputy.

Gu Qi immediately understood the governor's questioning gaze, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying:

"This humble servant, Gu Qi, is the deputy general of Lord Xu Xinnian."

He paused for a moment, and seeing Yang Gong nod, he continued:

"This is Tamo of the Heart Gu Clan, commander of the Flying Beast Army, and reinforcements invited by Xu Yinluo."

Li Mubai and his advisors swore that these were the most pleasant and beautiful sounds they had heard in the past ten days.

When did Xu Yinluo go to the Gu Clan in Southern Frontier again? And he even brought the Gu Clan's flying beast army?

In addition, how many flying beast troops were there, where were they located, and what were their combat capabilities? They had a series of questions they wanted to ask, but before Yang Gong spoke, everyone restrained their impulses well.

But a quiet warmth stirred within me.

Yang Gong straightened his back slightly, his gaze fixed on Gu Qi:

"Why did the flying beast army of the Gu clan come with you?"

He voiced the doubts that were on the minds of his staff.

Gu Qidao:

"The warriors of the Heart Gu tribe, following Xu Yinluo's orders, came to Songshan County to provide relief and helped the defending army repel the enemy."

As he spoke, he pulled a letter from his pocket:

"I have a handwritten note from Lord Xu as proof."

The clerk stepped forward, took the letter, and respectfully handed it to Yang Gong. Yang Gong unfolded it, read it, and nodded to the staff members who were staring at him intently.

Songshan County was saved

It was another flattering remark, and the staff were overjoyed, exchanging excited glances.

At this moment, Tamor took out a handwritten note from his pocket and said:

"This is a letter from Xu Yinluo, instructing me to give it to Provincial Governor Yang after I arrive in Qingzhou."

This time, Yang Gong simply raised his hand, remotely summoned the handwritten letter, and eagerly began to unfold it.

Unlike Xu Xinnian's neat and elegant handwriting, Xu Ningyan's handwriting is distorted and ugly, with the characters appearing to be forcibly pieced together from strokes.

Yes, it was Ningyan name Yang Gong believed it immediately and had no further doubts.

It's not that no one can imitate Xu Ningyan's calligraphy, but rather that Xu Ningyan's calligraphy is extremely rare. In the present-day Kyushu, apart from the Cloud Deer Academy and the Xu Residence in the capital, one can hardly see Xu Ningyan's handwriting.

Xu Ningyan is a man who values his reputation, so he cherishes his calligraphy and would never allow it to be circulated.

Therefore, even if someone wanted to imitate it, there was no sample to provide.

Yang Gong read on. The first half was Xu Ningyan recounting his debate with a group of scholars in the Southern Frontier, how he persuaded the Gu tribe with his unparalleled eloquence, and how he moved the Gu tribe with his noble sentiments, finally getting them to forgive and forget their past grievances and send troops north to support Great Feng.

Yang Gong believes that while eloquence may be present, moral character is questionable.

Next, we look at the number of troops each department has deployed.

"Five hundred flying beast cavalry from the Heart Gu Tribe."

Yang Gong was stunned when he saw the first line.

He suspected that Xu Ningyan had made a mistake, since the Great Feng's Flying Beast Army numbered only 1,500 during the Battle of Shanhai Pass.

Within a few years of the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the imperial court disbanded half of the Flying Beast Battalion, and large quantities of Red-tailed Fierce Eagles were sold off.

Why? Because we can't afford to raise them.

If heavy cavalry eat silver, then flying beastmen eat gold.

What does five hundred flying beast soldiers mean? They probably make up half of the flying beast army in the Heart Gu Tribe.

Continuing on, the Strength Gu Tribe has 400 warriors; the Corpse Gu Tribe has 600 corpse controllers; the Shadow Tribe has 800 elite troops, plus 500 flying beast soldiers.

Yang Gong's heart sank, filled with both joy and worry. He was overjoyed because these elite warriors of the Gu Clan could undoubtedly alleviate the current decline of the Qingzhou Army.

The concern stemmed from the fact that the Gu Clan had given so much, implying their ambitions were not small. Governor Yang worried that Xu Qi'an might make reckless promises that the court could not accept.

He frowned and looked at the end of the handwritten letter, which was Xu Ningyan's promise to the Gu Clan.

Yang Gong once again suspected that Xu Ningyan had made a mistake.

Just now I felt the flying beast army was too numerous, but now I feel the cost is too low.

It's so cheap!

Unconsciously, Yang Gong's back straightened more and more. He still maintained his dignified and rigid demeanor, but his eyes had become exceptionally bright.

He calmly put away the letter and stared at Tamo:

"Has the leader of the Heart Gu Clan reviewed the contents of the handwritten note?"

Tamer didn't understand why he asked that question, but after thinking about it, he understood and nodded calmly:

"Provincial Governor Yang, rest assured, the contents of the handwritten letter are accurate."

The intelligence of the Heart Gu Masters is generally above average, which is why Xu Qi'an handed the book to them.

If it were the Li Gu tribe, they would probably respond like this:

How should I know!

Or they might just say, "Me too!"

Tamor continued:

"We hope that Provincial Governor Yang will submit a memorial to the court as soon as possible to finalize this matter."

Yang Gong nodded:

"I understand. Commander Tamo has come from afar and must be tired from his journey. I will arrange for you to rest first, and then host a proper banquet for the commander tonight."

After having someone take Tamo away and arrange accommodations, Yang Gong slowly exhaled and turned his gaze to the staff members at the table.

These advisors, well-versed in various fields and well-read in literature, were already eager to get started.

"What did Ningyan's letter say? How many flying beast troops are there?"

Li Mubai asked the question on behalf of everyone.

Yang Gong smiled slightly, "Five hundred."

"Five hundred?!"

A scream rang out from the table, and the busy officials in the distance stopped what they were doing and looked over in astonishment.

"Show me."

Li Mubai stretched out his hand and said in a deep voice, "Come!"

The letter in Yang Gong's hand suddenly disappeared and appeared in Li Mubai's hand. He unfolded the letter and read it. As he read, his breathing became slightly rapid, and his hand holding the letter trembled slightly, but he quickly calmed down.

The letter was passed around among the staff, their hands trembling as they held it, their faces showing excitement and anticipation.

The arrival of the Gu Clan's elite forces was like a timely rain for Qingzhou at this time.

It irrigates the parched battlefield.

"For these mere costs, he managed to bring in so many elite Gu Clan members. Xu Yinluo's noble character has even moved the Gu Clan."

An aide stroked his beard in admiration.

Li Mubai and Yang Gong glanced at him, and the latter said slowly:

"Perhaps there was a price we didn't know about, which Ningyan paid himself."

The atmosphere around the table eased, and the staff members chatted and laughed, reminiscing as they spoke.

"I wonder when Xu Yinluo will be able to finish dealing with the affairs of the Southern Frontier. If he can come to Qingzhou, how can we not wipe out the rebels?"

"Even though he's not on the battlefield, he still cares about Qingzhou, doesn't he?"

Speaking of that renowned warrior, even though everyone present was a scholar, they felt only reverence. It's well known that scholars held the most contempt for uncouth warriors.

"Looking back now, we still have to thank Duke Wei. He ensured that the pillar of the Great Feng Dynasty could continue and did not collapse because of his sacrifice."

The Great Feng may have lost Wei Yuan, but it gained Xu Qi'an, and its legacy remains unbroken.

Li Mubai frowned and snorted:

"Ningyan truly lives up to his reputation as my student. His mastery of alliances and counter-alliances is unparalleled; all my years of teaching have been worthwhile."

Xu Ningyan was his student in name only.

Yang Gong scrutinized his classmate with a blank expression and said indifferently:

"Yes, I am very satisfied with Xu Ningyan as a student. He has not disgraced me after all the years of teaching he has given me."

The two great scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy exchanged a glance, and it was as if sparks flew in the air.

Two days later, ten miles outside Wan County, at the Yunzhou Army Headquarters.

Eight giant, fiery red birds flew in from the horizon, skimming over the tents and landing on the northwest side of the military camp.

At this moment, Qi Guangbo was conducting a sand table exercise with his strategists and generals from various camps.

"With our forces, we could take Wan County within ten days if we launched a direct assault. However, Wan County is overseen by the renowned scholar Zhang Shen, who specializes in military strategy and should not be underestimated. A direct assault would likely result in the loss of our elite troops."

Ge Wenxuan looked at the sand table and analyzed.

Seeing the furrowed brows of the battalion commanders around him, who didn't seem to care, he said in a deep voice:

"As I said before, the most important thing in attacking Qingzhou is to be steady, not fast. The faster we attack, the faster our elite troops will be lost. We cannot allow our elite troops to be almost wiped out by the time we reach the capital."

"Therefore, the best way to deal with Wan County is to surround it without attacking, slowly wearing it down. If the Qingzhou army comes to reinforce us, we'll wipe them out. We'll eat as many as they come."

A square-faced general shook his head:

"The premise of cutting flesh with a dull knife is that Songshan County can be captured. Only by taking Songshan County and Dongling can the Qingzhou Army be forced to do everything in its power to stabilize Wan County."

"Otherwise, they could use Songshan County as a base to send troops to join forces with the garrison of Dongling and wipe out Ji Xuan's army. In that case, Wan County would become a stubborn obstacle holding back our main force."

Finally, Qi Guangbo, the commander-in-chief of the three armies, spoke:

"Has Zhuo Haoran sent any intelligence back?"

A few days ago, Zhuo Haoran sent back an urgent report that his 6,000 elite troops had encountered stubborn resistance from the defending forces in Songshan County and requested reinforcements.

Qi Guangbo dispatched forty cavalrymen of the Vermilion Bird Army to rush to the rescue at top speed.

Logically speaking, Songshan County should have been captured by now.

"This Xu Xinnian has surprised me. Although Zhuo Haoran is not good at siege warfare, his six thousand elite troops are brave and skilled in battle. For a young man who is only twenty years old to have achieved this is truly remarkable."

Qi Guangbo laughed and said, "He's a talented general."

As they were talking, the sound of hurried footsteps stopped outside the military tent. Qi Guangbo looked out of the open tent and saw a soldier approaching from afar. He said:

"What is it?"

The soldier announcing the news shouted:

"The Vermilion Bird Army has returned to their camp with intelligence: the 6,000 elite troops that marched to Songshan County were completely annihilated. Zhuo Haoran has fled and his whereabouts are unknown. Of the Vermilion Bird Army's forty cavalrymen, only eight have returned."

As he spoke, he placed the intelligence report on the ground.

Inside the military tent, the generals' expressions changed.

Qi Guangbo narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming somewhat solemn. He strode over, took the intelligence report from the soldier's hand, and began to read it.

"General?"

Ge Wenxuan called out in a low voice.

Qi Guangbo handed over the intelligence report without any expression.

After reading it, Ge Wenxuan fell silent.

The intelligence circulated among the battalion commanders, and in the silence, someone finally couldn't hold back any longer and gritted their teeth, saying:

"The Gu Clan has formed an alliance with the Great Feng."

After Ge Wenxuan returned to the military camp a while ago and informed everyone that the alliance with the Gu Clan had failed, the high-ranking officers of the Yunzhou Army had a vague sense of foreboding.

All the generals looked at Qi Guangbo.

The supreme commander of the Yunzhou army remained silent for a long time, then let out a soft chuckle:

"Interesting."

Back when he first joined the army, he used those two words. And when he did a sand table exercise with Xu Pingfeng, he still used those two words.

The south gate of the Eastern Mausoleum has collapsed into ruins.

Initially, the Great Feng garrison and the Yunzhou army engaged in street fighting in the city, with the flames of war engulfing every inch of the city.

After six days of street fighting, the city's population had been reduced by half.

Some civilians escaped from Dongling, some were forcibly conscripted into the Yunzhou Army or Great Feng, and some died in the war.

Afterwards, the Great Feng garrison withdrew from Dongling and engaged in open battle with the Yunzhou army.

The fighting in the city had just subsided, but what followed was the looting by the Yunzhou army, who robbed the people of their money, grain, and beautiful women.

In a well-preserved courtyard, Xu Pingfeng coughed, his face pale, and blood seeped from his palms.

The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree sat cross-legged on a futon, and the temperature in the courtyard was as hot as midsummer because of his presence.

"I haven't been injured this badly in many years. A teacher is still a teacher."

Despite his serious injuries, Xu Pingfeng had a smile in his eyes.

He then glanced at the Gara tree. "But even your teacher couldn't seriously injure you."

The Garuda tree sat cross-legged with its eyes closed, and said softly:

"Back then, the first generation of supervisors couldn't harm me either. Except when I was almost killed by Shen Shu during the destruction of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, I haven't been injured for five hundred years."

"It seems the Gu Clan has joined the war."

Xu Pingfeng shook his head indifferently:

"These are all minor matters. The alliance with the Gu Clan is just a pretext. The real purpose is to send the White Emperor's incarnation to meet the Gu God. As for my eldest son, let him run wild. Only when he advances to the Dao Integration stage will he be qualified to be my opponent."

"Sigh, after all these years, I've finally resolved a long-standing question in my heart."

The tree opened its eyes and stared at him:

"What is it?"

Xu Pingfeng laughed and said, "I think I know who the gatekeeper is."