Chapter 166 The World Line Begins to Converge

When Wu Zetian's decree on personnel adjustments on the front line reached Pingzhou, some people were happy and some were sad.

The two unlucky guys, Yan Fei Shi and Zong Huaichang, thought they would be dismissed from office, but in the end they were safe and sound, and they couldn't help but celebrate.

Li Duozuo seemed to have anticipated his own outcome. He felt lost, yet also somewhat relieved.

Since he had been dismissed, he did not want to stay in Pingzhou any longer, so he returned to Shendu without waiting for Wang Xiaojie to take office.

Yang Xuanji was turned against Tiangang and became Zhao Ji's deputy general from Zhao Ji's main general. He should have been dissatisfied, but the old general had experienced the ups and downs of life and had long been calm and had no emotional fluctuations.

The one who had the biggest reaction among these people was Zhao Ji. His reaction was not joy at promotion, but shock.

"So, Zhao Wenhui in this world line is dead, and I am the new 'Zhao Wenhui'. The world line has come to an end..." Zhao Ji muttered silently in his heart.

Wang Xiaojie's strategy of dividing the troops into three groups is still kept secret, but Zhao Ji has already anticipated how the war will develop in the future.

If he really led the troops himself, he would not have been completely wiped out. I wonder how the Khitans and the Snake Spirit would play out.

After Li Duozuo left, Pingzhou City returned to a state of leaderlessness, and Zhao Ji became the one with the most weight in words.

Yan Fei Shi and Zong Huaichang both came to Zhao Ji to congratulate him, but they only saw Zhao Ji's dull eyes, wandering mind, and muttering to himself.

"General Zhao, Governor Zhao? Such a happy occasion, why are you so unhappy?" Zong Huaichang asked.

Only then did Zhao Ji notice that Yang Xuanji, Yan Feishi, Zong Huaichang, and even Qiu Jing had come to his side.

"Where are you all from?" Zhao Ji asked.

Zong Huaichang smiled and said, "General Li left in anger. We saw that General Zhao has been in poor health these days, so we came to visit him."

Zhao Ji took a deep breath, calmed down his emotions, and forced a smile: "I am ashamed. I have been promoted. I am afraid that I am not capable enough and have failed your majesty's kindness. I am sorry to make you laugh."

Yan Feishi and Zong Huaichang were both saved by Zhao Ji, so they showed no jealousy at this moment, and Yang Xuanji had no desires or requests. But Qiu Jing, who was squeezed in the corner, was extremely jealous of Zhao Ji's fate.

Zong Huaichang wanted to say a few words to flatter Zhao Ji as a famous general, but Yang Xuanji interrupted him.

"Governor Zhao, General Wang's army has not yet arrived, and General Li has been ordered to return to Shendu. You have to cheer up. The military affairs of tens of thousands of troops in Pingzhou City are still waiting for you to handle." Yang Xuanji said meaningfully.

The others couldn't help but glance at Yang Xuanji. Yan Fei Shi was stubborn and thought that the old general was a little unreasonable, but Zong Huaichang took it as a clever flattery.

Zhao Ji narrowed his eyes slightly and understood the implication of Yang Xuanji's words. Li Duozuo stopped the troops and was unwilling to take risks, so he did not agree with Zhao Ji's opinion.

Now that everyone else has left, Zhao Ji has temporarily become the leader of all the troops in Pingzhou City and can naturally act according to his own wishes.

"General Yan, I wonder if you dare to leave the city now?" Zhao Ji turned his gaze to Yan Fei Shi.

Yan Feishi was inspired when he heard this, and answered without hesitation: "Why not!"

Zhao Ji nodded and said seriously: "Well, please ask you and General Yang to each take 5,000 soldiers and horses to recapture the defenses, garrisons and key passes along the way from Pingzhou, Tanzhou to Yingzhou, and then set up camp in the most dangerous places."

"Especially the East and West Gorges, the Stone Valleys must be under the control of our army. If we encounter a large Khitan army, we must stop and not act rashly. We must defend as an attack."

"Understood sir." Yan Fei Shi and Yang Xuanji responded in unison.

Seeing this, Qiu Jing couldn't help but question: "General Zhao, isn't it inappropriate for you to mobilize 10,000 troops right away? Perhaps you should wait until General Wang arrives before making a decision."

Zhao Ji smiled when he heard that. The general idea of ​​that sentence was, the more the enemy opposes us, the more we must persist.

He explained: "Since the Khitans have retreated, we are only trying to recover the lost territory, not to fight against the main force of the Khitans. If General Wang is not satisfied, he can just withdraw."

"It is better for us to control the important and dangerous places along the way than for the Khitans to control them. If General Wang wants to advance to Yingzhou in the future, he will have to take these two routes."

Qiu Jing looked at Zong Huaichang, but even he didn't say anything to object, so she could only shut up in disappointment.
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The military order was as heavy as a mountain. Yan Feishi and Yang Xuanji quickly assembled their troops and each led 5,000 elite soldiers out of Pingzhou and marched northward.

At the beginning, the journey was very smooth. The two men only encountered small groups of Khitan troops along the way, and they were defeated at the first contact.

But when they reached Dongxia Shigu, the Khitans finally reacted. Li Jinzhong sent a large army to guard the southern entrance of the valley, and the Zhou army could no longer advance.

Yang Xuanji acted decisively and set up a camp at the entrance of the valley, blocking the Khitan troops' way to the south.

Seeing this, the Khitan army took advantage of Yang Xuanji's small number of troops and launched continuous tentative attacks, but they were unable to make any progress on Zhou's main camp.

After Zhao Ji learned the news, he was afraid that Yang Xuanji might be in danger, so he personally led a large army to rescue him and strengthen his momentum.

The two sides fought several times, and the Khitan army was always at a disadvantage, so the Khitan army in the valley decided to hold their ground and the two armies began to confront each other.

After this period of settling down and brainwashing, Li Kaigu has been recruited by Zhao Ji for his own use. It is very common for Hu people to surrender these days.

After Di Renjie and Shangguan Wan'er's persuasion, Li Kaigu was set as an example and appointed General of the Right Guard to observe his future performance.

One day in mid-September, Zhao Ji took Li Kaigu and some light cavalry to spy on the Khitan camp.

After walking around the camp, I saw that the Khitan army was well prepared and there was no chance for us to take advantage of.

"Why does it have to be Dongxie Stone Valley? Is it God's will?" Zhao Ji couldn't help but sigh on his horse.

Zhao Ji immediately shook his head, throwing the pessimistic thoughts out of his head.

With him around, it was impossible for Wang Xiaojie to send a hundred thousand troops. Li Kaigu did not understand Zhao Ji's sigh, he noticed another thing: "Commander-in-chief, Sun Wanrong seems to have returned from Liaodong."

Zhao Ji heard this, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Why do you think so?"

Li Kaigu explained confidently: "The governor may not know, but I recognize the flags of all the Khitan tribes, and many of them are Sun Wanrong's subordinates. I even saw Sun Wanrong's personal guards a few days ago."

Zhao Ji nodded upon hearing this, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "This is a good thing. At least this attack is not in vain. The pressure on Liaodong will be much less."

"Speaking of which, the Khitans moved so quickly. Our army was clearly unable to advance northward, yet they were on high alert. Sun Wanrong even returned to the army in person. It seems like an overreaction." Zhao Ji seemed to be thinking about something.

Li Kaigu flattered, "It seems that the battle of Xixia Shigu, the governor, frightened Li Jinzhong and others, which is why they attach so much importance to it."

Zhao Ji shook his head slightly and said meaningfully: "No, they don't seem to be waiting for me, but for General Wang. Hey, Kaigu, have you ever seen Han people in the Khitan army?"

Li Kaigu said without hesitation: "Of course I have seen Han people."

Zhao Ji immediately asked: "What kind of Han people are they? Is there anything strange about them?"

Li Kaigu replied: "They are just ordinary Han people, nothing strange, most of them are prisoners of war from the Great Zhou, and some are Han merchants who come here frequently."

Zhao Ji couldn't help but be amazed. Sheling's disguise and confidentiality work were quite good. Li Kaigu was not considered a core member of Khitan, and he didn't even know about Sheling.

With the presence of the Snake Spirit, the intelligence war between the Khitan and Zhou army was unequal.

Knowing yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. Now we are like a sieve, inherently at a disadvantage. If we don't have an absolute advantage in strength, I really don't know how we can win this battle.

At this moment, Xiao Bao rode his horse quickly to Zhao Ji's side and said, "General, General Wang has arrived in Pingzhou. Please go and meet him."

"What? So soon?" Zhao Ji was surprised. "Let's go, it's time to meet this great general."
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Wang Xiaojie had already led his army to Pingzhou, and Li Yuanfang, lightly equipped, had already arrived at the Turkic camp.

For some unknown reason, Jili Khan specially invited Li Yuanfang to meet him at the hunting ground on the top of Jinshan Mountain.

It was September, the third autumn, and the north wind was chilly and cold.

In the sky of the vast grassland, under the blood-red sunset, a goshawk is circling, chasing its prey.

After Jili Khan returned from Youzhou, he put down the Modu Rebellion. From then on, he held great power and his prestige grew.

But he looked a little tired, obviously he had encountered some troubles recently.

Jili Khan gazed at the eagle soaring in the distance and sighed: "September... General Li, do you know what September means to us Turks?"

"September is the month when eagles fly. It's the hunting season." Li Yuanfang was familiar with the customs of the Turks and answered easily.

Jili Khan nodded slightly, and then changed the subject: "Recently, there have been many voices in the Turkic country asking me to restart the war with the Great Zhou. The Great Zhou went to war with the Khitan and got into trouble. Some people think that there is an opportunity and are ready to act."

Li Yuanfang asked in a deep voice: "What did the Khan say?"

Jili turned his horse back and looked at Li Yuanfang, revealing a gentle smile: "What do you think?"

Li Yuanfang also smiled back, stretched out his hand and slowly raised a huge ring.

The ring is made of pure gold, with three tigers at the bottom and an eagle above.

It was the tiger-head flying eagle ring, which was a symbol of friendship between Di Renjie and Jili Khan, and also a symbol of peace between the Turks and the Great Zhou.

"Before I came to the Turks, the adults said that the Khan was a trustworthy and righteous man," said Li Yuanfang.

When mentioning Di Renjie, Jili Khan's eyes flashed with nostalgia: "Is Di Gong all right?"

"Very good." Li Yuanfang nodded.

"That's good. General Li seems to be a good guy, too. As for General Zhao, I've heard about his recent reputation." Jili Khan said with emotion.

Li Yuanfang couldn't help but smile: "Oh? What did the Khan hear?"

"Yes, he defeated Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong in Xixia Shigu. A few days ago, he led his army northward and broke through several Khitan formations. Now he is confronting the Khitan army in Dongxia Shigu." Jili Khan said like he knew everything.

Li Yuanfang's face turned pale when he heard this, and he asked in confusion, "How can the Khan know so much about the war between the Khitan and our army when he is in the Ya'an?"

Jili Khan sighed: "My son Mochu is very interested in the war between Khitan and Great Zhou. He is surrounded by Modu's old subordinates. They have been staring at that place and wish the Turks could get involved."

"This is exactly what Di Gong is worried about. He is afraid that the Turks will also be involved in the war." Li Yuanfang said worriedly.

Upon hearing this, Jili Khan suddenly grasped Li Yuanfang's hand and said firmly: "Please rest assured, Lord Di, as long as I am Jili, the Turks will never be the enemy of the Great Zhou."

"I will not help Li Jinzhong, and I will not allow his troops to enter the Turkic territory. However, this is all I can do."

Li Yuanfang smiled, held Jili Khan's hands tightly with both hands, and nodded heavily: "It is enough to have Khan's words! There is one more thing, which is related to General Zhao, and I need Khan's permission."

Jili Khan asked, "What is it?"

"Let me pass through!"

(End of this chapter)