PDLP Chapter 274: Breaking into the Southwest Border
Chapter 274: Breaking into the Southwest Border
Their excitement attracted a group of soldiers.
The leader was a deputy general. Seeing a group of people who looked to be skilled in martial arts gathered together, he shouted, "Who are you? Don't you know this is a strategic military location?"
Song Si quickly took out the token of His Royal Highness Prince Ning.
"Your Highness Prince Ning has come to visit the soldiers on the southwestern border and to inspect the situation there. May I ask who you are?"
Deputy General Yang Tianbao was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a face full of flesh. If he was not a general on the southwest border, looking at his appearance, one would mistake him for a butcher.
He noticed the imposing Zhu Jinyou at a glance and dismounted to return the greeting.
"Your humble servant, Yang Tianbao, may I ask why His Royal Highness Prince Ning has come to inspect this matter?"
Qin Bingrui said disdainfully, "Of course, I'm here to check on your battle situation. Are we also here to ask if you had a good Spring Festival?"
The deputy general was so angry that his face turned red. He pointed a long knife at Qin Bingrui and said, "What are you talking about?"
"What I said is fair. Come and fight if you don't agree!" Qin Bingrui showed his weapon. He was eager to have a fight with someone.
Zhu Jinyou then slowly stood up and returned to the carriage, his tone very majestic: "Deputy General Yang, take us to the military camp. I want to see your General Cai."
Yang Tianbao bowed and led the way with a dozen of his men.
Qin Bingrui and the other two immediately got on the carriage and followed them.
Entering the mountains is one thing, but you have to understand the terrain and conditions first. You can't just rush in and fall into an ambush.
Besides, it is better to put the carriage in the military camp than to abandon it.
After walking for a few kilometers, we finally saw a flat land among the mountains and valleys. It was actually like a valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and one side was the only exit in and out of the forest.
Qin Bingrui took one look at the terrain and said with a smile, "This location is good, but it's also bad. If a large tribe from the mountains attacks from three sides, wouldn't they be ambushed?"
When Yang Tianbao heard this, he was unhappy. Anyone who dared to say that there was a problem with their defense meant that he didn't want to live.
"We send different people to patrol the mountains every day. How could we not know if they are setting an ambush? Besides, this is the only exit of the fortress. Those barbarians must pass through this entrance if they want to leave. Otherwise, they can't get out even if they cross the mountains and ridges."
"The mountains and forests have everything, so what if we can't get out?"
Yang Tianbao was too lazy to argue with this man. How could there be a traitor who wanted to boost others' morale? Are the people under Prince Ning so unreasonable?
Could it be that they were sent by the imperial court to spy on them, thinking that the Murong family's army had secretly formed an alliance with the barbarians and was planning to rebel?
He uttered a cold, disdainful sound.
Qin Bingrui chuckled. If he had his own troops, he would definitely put on camouflage uniforms and take all the equipment to fight a guerrilla war in the mountains and conquer those barbarians.
When Luo Yu came, he did see a turbulent river surrounding the mountains. The other side was full of cliffs, and people could not get out. Only this fortress was in a wide position. If it was well defended, it could at least prevent the barbarians from entering the city and causing harm.
However, just defending without actively attacking is not the best approach.
Looking around, there were about ten acres of flat land, all occupied by the army.
There were many tents neatly stationed on the flat ground. The general's large white tent was at the outermost edge, with many sentries standing guard around it.
At the entrances and exits of the mountains, there are several rows of soldiers wearing armor and holding spears or swords guarding. The soldiers in the front row are holding bows and arrows at the built barriers, and a new group of people will be replaced every hour.
There are several beacon towers built on slightly higher platforms, which will issue warnings in time if any situation occurs.
An army of twenty or thirty thousand people seems to be enough to deal with the barbarians on the southwestern border.
General Cai was surprised to hear that it was His Royal Highness Prince Ning who had come in person. He hadn't been informed of this matter by his superiors. A few days ago, someone from the Murong family had come to report that Prince Ning and his group would be visiting the southwest border. He had thought they might be coming for some romantic pleasure, but they had actually come to this remote mountainous area.
Although General Cai is the son-in-law of the Murong family, he was actually adopted by the Murong family since he was a child. He is now thirty-five years old. He is a loyal person and is highly appreciated by Mrs. Murong.
When he saw Prince Ning, his expression did not waver at all.
From beginning to end, he just greeted a few people politely.
Finally, he set his sights on the three girls.
The letter from the Murong family also mentioned that three girls would come to the southwest to look for their master and would need his care. I believe they were the ones in front of him.
Although General Cai is tall and mighty, he does not look rough, otherwise the second lady of the Murong family would not have taken a fancy to him.
In addition, he had two little daughters at home, who were the apple of his eye. When he saw the three girls, his expression immediately relaxed and became much friendlier.
"I suppose you three are the Miss Bai, Miss Qin, and Miss Xia that my nephew Huaijin mentioned? Are you here in the forest to look for your master?"
"General Cai, my name is Qin Bingrui. We grew up in these mountains, so we are quite familiar with the environment. This time, I returned to my hometown specifically to find my master and to see if there are any other relatives there."
General Cai finally understood that they wanted to go into the mountains.
"What's your master's name? I'll help you find out."
Luo Yu's eyes lit up and he said, "Our master is an otherworldly expert. No one knows his real name. Miss Qin and I have only called him Master since we were young and have never known his real name.
However, Master has a magical, movable house, all white, like a cocoon. I wonder if the general has heard of it?"
Zhu Jinyou looked at her with a half-smile, his eyes were stained with a faint mist, and it was unclear what was mixed in them.
When General Cai heard this, he was a little confused.
Yan Xuan was curious: "The whole white house looks like a cocoon. How did that person live in it?"
Qin Bingrui explained: "It's huge, about 30 or 40 feet tall and 50 or 60 feet long, and very hard. An object this big should be easy to spot."
General Cai shook his head.
"I've never heard of it before, but it's possible those barbarians simply don't recognize it. They admire ghosts and gods, so they must have mistaken it for something divine."
Luo Yu nodded and said, "If that's the case, they certainly won't easily tell outsiders."
"Are the three girls going to look for your master's residence?"
"Well, only when we find the residence will we know where the master has gone. If the master is no longer in this world, we also want to say goodbye to him in the place where we lived together."
These words caused the others to fall silent.
"Well, it's not too early today, so you can rest in the barracks for a day. Tomorrow, I'll have someone take you to the mountains. There's a shortcut through the gorge and into the barbarian tribe. However, once you enter the gorge, you'll find the real danger. The birds and beasts there are rampant, and the mountain roads are extremely dangerous. Even those of us leading troops wouldn't venture through them lightly. Also, the barbarians' settlements are actually scattered, but their leader is extremely prestigious. If you can find the leader, it wouldn't be a problem."
Although General Cai said this, he believed more that the barbarians only wanted to skin them alive. It was commendable that a few women wanted to break into the primitive mountains and forests. As for whether they had the strength, he could only do his best.
"Thank you, General Cai. My sister and I are from the inner circle. This is nothing to us."
Although he said this, Qin Bingrui was actually unsure. After all, in the real world, they traveled directly in unmanned helicopters.
"Master, are we still going to follow Miss Qin and the others into the forest?"
Luo Yu's smile never faded as he turned to Zhu Jinyou and said, "Your Highness Prince Ning, there's no need to follow us into the forest. There's only one entrance and exit. If you're afraid we might escape, just wait here quietly."
Zhu Jinyou raised the corner of his lips.
"The more Miss Luo Yu says this, the more I want to give it a try and follow you to explore the primitive mountains and forests."
"..."
Luo Yu knew that to deal with this kind of person, he had to say the opposite of what he meant.
With so many expert guards protecting them, they are definitely better off than the three of them fighting alone.