A small settlement in the west of Luoyang City

Yan Xing led two personal guards and the servants who led the way, walked slowly into the settlement in the pale moonlight. This was his second time here. Yan Xing still remembered that the last time he met Li Ru, he was also in this small settlement.

Although that was not the end of the year, now returning to his hometown makes Yan Xing feel like he is a different world.

When I first came here last year, I heard the sound of drums, and every household looked like a lively scene of exorcising Nuo and worshiping the gods. But now, everything is silent, the village is ruined, and I can’t see the shadow of half a living person. Only their own footsteps are like walking in a ghost.

After walking for a while, Yan Xing and others turned to the house they met last time. The wood door had been opened and there were two soap-clothed servants in the yard. Hearing the sound of people and horses, he immediately moved out to greet them. One of the servants knew Yan Xing and he respectfully said to Yan Xing:

"Yan Jun, the head of the family is already waiting in the house, please!"

Yan Xing nodded without saying a word, handed over the reins to the guards, letting them stay outside to guard, and then stepped in.

The empty yard was still the same as before, but under the pale moonlight, the mottled and sunken earth walls were interspersed in black and white. Combined with the deadly atmosphere that was deserted, even though Yan Xingyi was brave enough to walk into it, he still felt a little chill on his back.

This time, there was neither warm wine nor delicacies in the house, nor food nor food. Even the tables, beds, and wooden racks were moved cleanly. Only a choking firewood candle was lit. Li Ru was facing the dim candlelight, facing the door of the house. The flashing candlelight made his figure change back and forth, while he stood with his hands behind his back, without moving.

"Mr. Li!"

Yan Xing saw Li Ru's figure and his heart moved, but he did not stop. He walked straight into the room and bowed to Li Ru and said.

"Yanming is here."

Hearing Yan Xing's voice, Li Ru also replied, and finally slowly turned around. Yan Xing, who had just finished the ceremony, raised his head and saw Li Ru's turn face.

Li Ru's horse face looked a little thin, which made his cheekbones even more protruding. His black and white eyes were spinning in the dim candlelight, and he seemed to be thinking about something in his heart.

After Yan Xing took a look, he quickly withdrew his eyes and looked at the nose and the heart. Li Ru began to slowly glance back and forth on Yan Xing. After a while, he spoke casually:

"Yanming is in a military battle and goes to all sides. Ordinary people talk about the pain of fighting, but I think Yanming is still very excited, and only then do I know that he is born with a seed, and his qualifications are different from those of ordinary people!"

Yan Xing lowered his head slightly, with a modest attitude and said lightly:

"Mr. Li praised it. He was originally a person who was a vain person. He was used to riding a horse and driving, so he didn't think it was a pain. However, his qualifications were still the same as those of ordinary people. How could he be called a general of heaven?

After hearing Yan Xing's words, Li Ru shouted and sneered.

"I am not a general, but I have the courage to disobey military orders, go deep into the army alone, burn the enemy's food and grass, and make merits. Could it be that I have made plans long ago?"

As soon as Li Ru's heart-killing words came out, Yan Xing's face changed instantly, and the faint smile on his face disappeared. He quickly bowed and said:

"I have had a relationship with General Xu Zhonglang, but I shouldn't have made a fuss with Mr. Li, who was the first to do something to do when he entered the army!"

Looking at Yan Xing who was bowing down, Li Ru also put away his sneer. After a while, he seemed to have thought of something again, and then said lightly:

"Forget it, now is different from the past. You are now in the position of lieutenant general. Although Xu Rong is a long-time general in the army, I know the fact that you are a private party member and suppress dissidents. You have the original general, but you can't learn much military strategy even if you fall below him. Now you are downgrading you to Hedong, which is also a good thing. You will defeat strong enemies and have no faults. There is no need to be too polite!"

Yan Xing respectfully stood back to his original position when he heard Li Ru continue to ask:

"This time I sent you to Hedong, I recommended it to the prime minister. Because of the care of the state, the prime minister did not personally call you to give you an opportunity in person, but you also need to make preparations. Now, the white waves in Hedong are coming in a fierce manner, and the situation in Hedong is in danger. Do you have the strategy to calm the chaos in your heart?"

Hedong was originally the first choice for Yan Xing to establish a foundation. He had considered how to quell the chaos in Hedong many times before. Now he heard Li Ru ask about it. Although he didn't know whether it was Li Ru's original intention or Dong Zhuo's instruction, he answered quickly:

"The Hedong Rebellion has been endless for many years, and the rise of Baibo is not a rebellion by a small bandit. This time, Baibo came back and the military power was even better than the past. He continued to cross the city of Yong'an, Yangxian, Xiangling, Pingyang, Linfen and other cities, and even Puzi and Beiqu were successively occupied. The Pi family's main jin was in danger. If the Pi family lost, Baibo could threaten Fenyin, Jiexian, Anyi and other places in the south, and cross the river to enter Sanfu in the west, harassing Guanzhong's main territories."

"After the prime minister's trust, Li Gong was well-behaved, and he was able to command the brave and fierce. After rushing to Hedong, he should work together with General Niu Zhonglang to fight against the bandits. There are tens of thousands of thieves in Baibo, and there are many desperate people who dare to die. Now he has been hit by several cities in a row, and his momentum is in full swing."

"The meaning of "acting is to lead the army to stabilize the defense line, stabilize the morale of the army, wait for an opportunity to find the gaps in the thief, break the enemy's morale, and destroy Baibo. When Baibo's troops decline, they will recover Linfen, connect the east and west, and finally lead the troops to advance together, and regain the northeastern border of the river together."

Yan Xing talked freely and told the situation in Hedong one by one. Li Ru heard it in his ears. Although he didn't say anything, he nodded secretly, knowing that Yan Xing had done some effort.

"Fight with determination, avoid the real and attack the virtual" is Yan Xing's usual combat style. Using him as a general, he dare not say that the chaos in Hedong can be completely calmed down, but at least it can stabilize the situation and not let the war continue to corrupt and threaten the safety of Luoyang and Chang'an.

Thinking of this, Li Ru also spoke out:

"Okay, I will naturally tell you about your military strategy to the Prime Minister. Now it is a turbulent time. If you are leading troops to fight against the thieves, remember not to let other chaos happen in Hedong."

"Okay, understand!"

When Li Ru saw Yan Xing respectfully agreeing to the promise, he nodded with satisfaction. He turned to say:

"After all, General Niu Zhonglang is the chief general. Although the Prime Minister has ordered him to appoint former military affairs to you, you must also act cautiously and serve the emperor humbly. You must not have the previous incident like Xingyang again."

"The court has moved westward to Chang'an, and Hedong is only separated from Sanfu. If a large army is sent from Hedong, the army will be able to reach the city of Chang'an within ten days. This is the place where the lips and teeth are dead. This is also the reason why I strongly recommend you to Hedong. Do you understand?"

Yan Xing noticed the profound meaning of Li Ru's words and felt aroused in his heart. He saw Li Ru's solemn look. Knowing that this matter is of great importance, he nodded quickly and said that he would quell the chaos in Hedong as soon as possible. At the end, he expressed his loyalty and admitted that he would command the troops and that only Li Ru's orders were followed in Hedong.

Li Ru was still worried about the situation in Chang'an, which was a precaution. He would not speak too much to Yan Xing. Seeing that Yan Xingnuo expressed his loyalty again, he smiled and said:

"I already know that Yanming is the country's heart. The matter in Hedong is related to the overall situation and cannot be misunderstood. You have gone to Hedong to quell the rebellion, but what other requests do you have?"

When Yan Xing heard that it was finally his turn to make a request, he thought about it and began to say:

"This time, Hedong suppressed the rebellion, after all, he defended first and then attacked, and transferred to more than a thousand troops under his command. He wanted to use a song to guard against the White Bo bandits."

When Li Ru heard that Yan Xing did not ask for anything else, he wanted a song of Zhang Shi. After thinking about it, the weapons in the Luoyang arsenal were all under the control of Dong Jun. The crossbows had already equipped many soldiers. It was not difficult to allocate a song of Zhang Shi to Yan Xing's troops, so he quickly agreed.

Finally, just after Yan Xing thought that everything was explained, Li Ru suddenly changed his mind and said with a smile:

"Yanming, I heard that you have a concubine in Luoyang?"

When Yan Xing heard Li Ru's words, his eyes rolled and responded:

"That's right, I don't know Mr. Li—"

"Hedong was in a state of chaos and uneasy. How can you take care of your family? Chang'an has been in Kyoto, and Guanzhong has the danger of huhan. You can place your family in Chang'an to protect both sides. I wonder what you think?"

Yan Xing was silent when he heard this, hesitated for a while before he said reluctantly:

"Mr. Li is kind and everything is in accordance with the public's will."

"Haha, okay, then you go to Hedong tomorrow and send your family and enter Beijing with the families of other generals. Don't worry, I will send someone to properly resettle your concubine in Chang'an. After you return successfully, your family will be reunited and your wife will be honored. Wouldn't it be wonderful!"

After saying this, Li Rucai finally explained everything, and Yan Xing immediately bowed and said goodbye and left this house that looked like a ghost.

After Yan walked, Li Ru stood in the house with his hands on his back. At this time, he spoke again:

"Come out!"

As Li Ru's voice sounded, another person turned out from the dark inner room on the side. He had just been hiding in the darkness of the inner room and was listening to the conversation between Li Ru and Yan Xing.

He is short and fat, and has a yellowed complexion, just like Zhou Liang.

"Can Yan Xing's concubine really make him worry about it again and again?"

Facing Li Ru's question, Zhou Liang smiled and quickly replied:

"This concubine of Yan Jiaowei is a person he likes. She was already worried about her in Xingyang before. This time she went to Hedong to take her to Anyi to settle her."

After hearing Zhou Liang's affirmative reply again, Li Ru raised the corners of his mouth slightly. Yan Xing was now in his prime and knew his lust. Mu Shaoai's age was so normal that he was worried about his children. He could take advantage of this and tie half of his heart, which made him feel a little worried, and Li Ru could be completely relieved.

Looking at Zhou Liang who was smiling, Li Ru couldn't help but smile:

"You were originally a pen-written official in my tent. Now under Yan Xing's command, is he suspicious? Can he avoid you in his actions?"

"Yan Jiawei Zhiliang was originally a man under Mr. Li's tent. He treated each other with courtesy and did not specifically avoid Liang. However, occasionally there were some things that he only discussed with his confidant military officers."

After hearing this, Li Ru nodded. He believed that Yan Xing also knew that Zhou Liang was the one he kept by him. Being able to do this proved that he was still loyal to him and had no intention of being apart. As for some things, Li Ru didn't think it was strange if he didn't discuss with Zhou Liang.

If Yan Xing discussed everything with Zhou Liang, that would be a strange thing. I am afraid that Li Ru would not dare to recommend him to Hedong to quell the rebellion.

"Yan Xing is available, but he also needs to prevent more problems. From the fact that Xu Rong can also tell that this person is a tiger and cannot be used in his own way. He will eventually break free from the shackles and run into the mountains and forests. If you are by his side and do things, I don't need you to do anything. You just need to report his daily behavior to me as usual. I have recorded all your credit!"

"Okay, thank you Mr. Li!"

"Okay, it's not too early, so you can go back early, so as not to cause suspicion!"

"Yes, Mr. Li, take care of him, Liang said goodbye!"

After Li Ru finished the explanation, he sent Zhou Liang back. After Zhou Liang saluted respectfully, he turned around and retreated.

However, after quitting the house, Zhou Liang's respectful look immediately became a little playful. His chess piece buried by Li Ru next to Yan Xing has now turned black and white, and he thought to himself in his heart.

"Mr. Li, you are also a wise man. Unfortunately, your plan will eventually fail this time. A fierce tiger, haha, dragon walking and tiger steps, how can you treat him like this by simply using the method of subduing the tiger? Hiding the dragon in the abyss will definitely be the nine heavens. Zhou Liang is not talented, and he must also follow the dragon and trench. Before leaving, you should take care of him!"

···

Yan Xing, who returned to his camp, pondered for a while after dismounting the horse. Instead, he walked towards another tent as usual.

When he walked outside his "concubine" tent, Yan Xing suddenly stopped again.

Because, he saw that the lights in the tent were still on.

From outside the tent, Yan Xing could see the outline of the busy figures of the people in the tent.

I guess she is also busy packing her luggage and preparing to leave Luoyang tomorrow and follow her to Hedong.

From the beginning, Yan Xing used her to use her. Her escape from the sea of ​​suffering was simply because Yan Xing had a temporary intention in the Nu Lu, intending to use this to confuse Xu Kun and even Xu Rong.

He exposed the flaws he wanted to expose to others, and he told others that he was no different from other Dong Jun generals and school students. He would make meritorious and be fond of beauty.

Now, Yan Xing has succeeded. Not only has he confused Xu Kun and Xu Rong, but he also exchanged a woman who met by chance to exchange for Li Ru's peace of mind.

However, because of herself, she will also fall from one sea of ​​suffering to another, and that sea of ​​suffering will be even more dangerous later.

Yan Xing didn't even know her name. Originally, Yan Xing planned to let her remove her confusing identity after she arrived in Hedong and become an ordinary maid. She served Yan Wan, who was not very stable in her mood. Now it seems that she can't do it any longer.

Yan Xing sighed, left his personal guard outside the tent, stepped on the curtain, and walked into the tent.

The person in the tent was indeed busy packing his luggage. He was accidentally shocked by the person coming. He finally calmed down a little after seeing that it was Yan Xing. But then a blush flew on his face again.

"General, why are you here? I'm packing my luggage and the tent is a little messy. Please sit here. I'll give the general warm soup!"

Just as Yan Xing didn't know her name, she still hasn't figured out Yan Xing's real official position in the army.
To be continued...