mc-med Chapter 412 Lü Xiao Heads to Hebei
Chapter 412 Lü Xiao Heads to Hebei
"In the Hebei campaign, Prince Kao Shan is not a good match for Qin Qiong, so he specially sent me to assist him."
Lü Xiao took out the letter and handed it to them to read.
Pei Yuanqing took it and read it quickly, his eyes immediately lighting up.
"I have to go!"
He was the first to respond, his voice loud and clear, as if he couldn't wait to mount his horse right now.
He'd been cooped up in Dongdu for days and was itching to practice his skills.
Moreover, the letter says that Luo Shixin and Tuoba Lang Sima are very good fighters.
He simply refused to believe that, apart from Lü Xiao, there was no one else in this world that Pei Yuanqing couldn't beat.
"Your Highness, please give the order!"
Luo Cheng, who had always been taciturn, was now filled with urgency, his voice trembling with barely suppressed eagerness.
He had waited and endured for so long in Dongdu, waiting for this day.
"We will set off tomorrow; all of you should return and prepare."
Lu Xiao glanced at the generals, his gaze lingering on each of their faces for a moment.
"By the way, Yuwen Chenglong, go to the main camp and select two thousand elite cavalry."
"Yes, sir!"
Yuwen Chenglong clasped his hands in response, turned around and left, his steps light as if he were going to a banquet.
Everyone agreed and went about their duties, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.
Lu Yan, who had been led away by his elder brother Lu Zhen but had secretly slipped back on his own, was now hiding behind a pillar, overjoyed.
Is Father going to war again?
Very good!
These days, my father is even stricter with me than my mother. I have to do my schoolwork and practice martial arts.
He's miserable because he gets nagged even when he eats a piece of pastry.
Now that Father is gone, isn't the day dawning?
"Second brother, get in here."
Without turning his head, Lü Xiao called out, his voice not loud, but it clearly reached Lü Yan's ears.
Lu Yan, hiding behind a pillar, looked around. Was someone calling him?
Besides him, there doesn't seem to be any other second son in this courtyard.
Yes, I was calling you.
The father's voice rang out again, unhurried and slow, carrying a hint that he had already seen through it all.
Knowing he couldn't hide any longer, Lü Yan scrambled to his feet, dusted off his knees, and trotted into the hall.
"How about I take you with me on this expedition?"
Lü Xiao leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
He never met his two children, Lü Heng and Lü Jing.
The second son, Lü Yan, had never met his younger siblings.
In truth, what these siblings lack is a formal recognition of each other.
Although, according to Yang Ruyi, taking Lü Yan out would affect the little guy's studies, and it would be difficult to catch up on what the teacher had taught him if he missed a few days.
But what's more important than being close to your siblings than the impact of schoolwork?
Brothers and sisters, bound by blood, this is the one thing you should never miss in this life.
"Take me with you?"
Lu Yan bit his finger in his mouth, and his clear black and white eyes began to dart around.
His mind works incredibly fast.
If his father takes him along, doesn't that mean that the teacher won't bother him anymore in the future?
No more homework, no more martial arts training, and no more being locked in the study to memorize texts every day?
This is a great deal!
"Take me with you!"
Once Lü Yan understood, he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Lü Xiao's leg.
With a kick of his two short legs, he hung on it, refusing to let go no matter what.
"Tell your older brother to come along."
Lu Xiao bent down, picked Lu Yan up from his lap, and tossed him aside like a kitten.
"Okay!"
Lu Yan landed firmly on his feet and gave a crisp and decisive reply.
Soon, Yang Guang, who was in the palace, also learned of the news.
As is customary, he went to the Prince Shuo's residence to go through the formalities.
As always, thank you for your hard work, Zi Lie. With you in charge of the Sui Dynasty, I am at ease.
The polite phrases were repeated over and over again, just a few sentences, and Lü Xiao was so tired of hearing them that his ears were practically calloused.
Then Yang Guang's gaze shifted away from Lü Xiao, and he looked around, keeping his eyes on his two grandsons.
These days, the Lü family is very strict, and the schoolwork is very demanding. He hasn't actually seen the two boys, let alone brought them to the palace to keep him company.
My beloved grandson whom I long for, I can't even see him. What kind of situation is this?
"Your Majesty, I also wish to take my eldest and second sons to Hebei."
Seeing Yang Guang looking around, Lü Xiao knew exactly what he was thinking and quickly shut him up.
"Why would you bring a child to a war? Just bring yourself!"
When Yang Guang saw that his wishful thinking had failed, he was more anxious than anyone else.
They had been eagerly anticipating Lü Xiao's departure for war, hoping to bring their two grandsons to the palace for a few days, but even that fell through.
This son-in-law is becoming less and less considerate.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, your grandson wants to visit his younger brother and sister!"
Lü Yan was extremely clever and naturally did not want to stay.
He looked up at Yang Guang with his little face, his voice soft and sweet, calling out to him in such an affectionate way.
But the meaning behind those words was clearly, "Grandfather, please don't try anything with me."
"..."
Yang Guang's lips twitched slightly. Well, he was all alone again.
Ruyi got married, and her two grandsons were about to run away.
In the end, this emperor had no one to talk to.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Yang Guang took Lü Yan out for a stroll.
I'm leaving tomorrow, so it's not unreasonable for a grandfather to take his grandson out for a stroll, is it?
Lu Xiao watched the old man and the young man leave, chuckled, and did not stop them.
The matter in Dongdu has been settled, and Lü Xiao is ready to make his move.
Meanwhile, in Hebei, the great battle between Yang Lin and Qin Qiong once again began.
This battle was somewhat different from the previous few days.
In the center of the battlefield, the Sui army formed an unprecedentedly large formation, with a strict and layered structure that firmly blocked Qin Qiong's path south.
"Traitor, do you recognize the formation of my army?"
Xue Liang rode out on his horse, swaggering and triumphantly questioning the enemy.
He puffed out his chest and held his chin high; anyone who didn't know him would think he had set up the formation.
This formation is extraordinary; it is called the Bronze Flag Formation.
This was an outside aid that Yang Lin, the godfather, had invited long ago; it was a grand formation that Yang Yichen had carefully set up here.
Qin Qiong's men were all from humble backgrounds, former subordinates of Dou Jiande and Luo Yi. How many of them had studied military strategy?
How could this formation possibly be broken?
"Brother Huchen, with such a powerful formation, you can rest easy."
Yang Yichen, mounted on his horse, stroked his beard and spoke with great confidence.
He put a lot of thought into setting up this formation, spending considerable effort just on setting up traps, tripwires, and caltrops.
This formation is incredibly ingenious. At the very center of the formation stands a bronze flag three zhang tall, which serves as the core and eye of the formation.
The flag has a golden jar, which conceals a skilled archer who, from a high vantage point, is specifically designed to shoot down any fierce generals who dare to charge into the enemy lines.
The grand formation is divided into eight gates according to the Bagua: Rest, Life, Injury, Block, View, Death, Shock, and Open. The gates are interconnected and each contains an ambush.
It was equipped with traps, tripwires, caltrops, and crossbows.
The defenses are interconnected, with each layer providing support to the others, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
With this formation, the enemy army cannot advance even half a step south.