Chapter 119: The Letter

Chapter 119: The Letter

Ashina said, “Mr. Hidden Dragon has always shown us kindness and offered help when we needed it most, like providing coal in snowy weather!”

Mosi Ashina listened and nodded. What Ashina said was true.

Over the years, Mr. Hidden Dragon had always offered to help them in their most difficult times without asking for anything in return.

At first, Ashina thought there were no free lunches in the world, but Hidden Dragon truly did not make him do anything he requested.

Even this message was received on the day after Hidden Dragon left, just before they launched their major attack.

Hidden Dragon said he had persuaded the Family Heads of the New Four Great Clans to follow Ashina’s commands!

And he had also had them secretly intercept and withhold the money, food, and military supplies that were being transported to them.

In return, Ashina’s only condition was that after conquering the Four Northern Desert Prefectures, he would ensure their original interests were not harmed!

Hidden Dragon would wait there for five days. If agreed, they were to reply via Raven. If not, no reply was needed.

If Hidden Dragon did not receive a letter after five days, he would have those people hand over all the withheld money and food to Han Da for delivery.

…

After Ashina found out, although he knew Hidden Dragon had good intentions.

He completely felt that Hidden Dragon was going out of his way unnecessarily. He could have managed without their help.

After all, in his eyes at that time, breaking through Yanbei City wouldn’t have taken much effort.

But, facts proved that he was wrong! And very, very wrong.

After hearing this, Mosi Ashina nodded: “Father Khan, so have you decided to agree? Those Four Great Clans control the Four Northern Desert Prefectures. If we let them keep their power, what use is capturing the prefectures for us? Wouldn’t we just be doing the hard work for others?”

Ashina snorted coldly: “Short-sighted! Our goal is the Xiao Kingdom. Once we conquer the entire Xiao Kingdom, controlling them will be as easy as picking something up with our hands!”

Upon hearing this, Mosi Ashina immediately looked enlightened.

“Father Khan, wise and brilliant.”

Ashina waved his hand: “Enough, you may leave. I need to reply to Mr. Hidden Dragon.”

Mosi nodded, cupped his hands, and withdrew.

After taking a few steps, he turned his head again: “Father Khan, Mr. Hidden Dragon previously said we would fail. But now he is willing to step in and help us! Does this mean we are certain to conquer the Xiao Kingdom?”

Ashina nodded and said: “Naturally. Mr. Hidden Dragon’s plans never miss. With his help, how can our great cause fail!”

Mosi Ashina said: “Father Khan, however, we must be careful of those people from the Helu Tribe.”

Ashina looked disdainful and full of scorn: “That hotheaded brute. I still need to use him and his clansmen. After I’m done using them, I, the Khan, can crush them with just my little finger, easily.”

After hearing Ashina’s words, Mosi Ashina’s expression regained confidence, as if he had moved on from that terrible defeat.

“Father Khan, I embarrassed you this time. Next time…”

Ashina waved his hand: “This battle had nothing to do with you. Dealing with Prince of Zhenguo Xiao Dingshan’s elite troops, no one would have fared better! Enough, don’t overthink it. The Helu Tribe is quite fierce in battle, right? They also had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill. Otherwise, with such heavy losses, would they be satisfied?”

Mosi nodded, a hint of cruelty appearing on his face: “Let’s see how great they are then, starve them…”

…

Three days later, Yanbei City.

Under Han Da’s command, all the dead bodies on the city walls had been cremated.

After all, if so many corpses were not dealt with promptly, a plague might break out.

In this battle, their own casualties numbered over ten thousand. Counting those desperate slaves, a total of twenty thousand people died.

On this day, Han Da stood on the section of the city wall facing the Four Northern Desert Prefectures, looking into the distance.

Because, ever since the day the Turks attacked until now, not a single supply cart had arrived.

It was important to know that the money, food, and various military supplies approved by Yin Pan’er for him, no matter how delayed, had arrived daily.

But for five consecutive days, there had been nothing.

Originally, he had thought that once the cement arrived, he would repair many sections of the wall that were partially damaged during the night.

But now, forget cement, not even a single grain of food or fodder had been transported over.

At that moment, Sun Qiang, with one arm bandaged, stood nearby and asked worriedly: “General Han, could something have happened? Ever since we arrived, all our supply provisions and military necessities never stopped… Now they’ve been cut off for so many days. Could there be trouble?”

Han Da shook his head: “I have already sent scouts to gather news. They should have news soon. What is the city currently short of?”

“General Han, we are currently short of medicine! As for other things, although we lack them too, they are not as critical. The refugees here have already started going into the mountains on their own to gather some herbs, pick wild fruits, and dig for wild vegetables.”

Han Da frowned upon hearing this: “Picking wild fruits? Digging for wild vegetables? Is the food here not enough to eat?”

Sun Qiang shook his head: “It’s currently enough. However, I went to ask them. They said, as refugees, they have experienced many rulers! And just before those rulers fell, things were like this here. They also think we are about to run away soon, and they are making plans for themselves for the future.”

While speaking, a horse galloped swiftly from outside the city. After a check at the city gate, it was allowed in.

Seeing this, Han Da and Sun Qiang hurried down the city wall.

Han Da rushed forward in a few steps: “Well? Any news?”

The scout cupped his hands to Han Da: “General Han! I went to several prefectures to inquire! They were all under full lockdown! No one can enter or leave any city!”

Han Da frowned upon hearing this: “All cities are locked down? No entry or exit? Why, what happened?”

The scout replied: “Reporting, General. I went to inquire. It seems a plague has appeared in various places across the Four Northern Desert Prefectures, and many have already died. The Prefectural Assistants, to prevent the plague from spreading, have temporarily stopped all movement between cities… I suspect this is the reason our follow-up food supplies and military necessities haven’t arrived!”

“A plague? How could a plague break out out of nowhere? We had so many dead here and no plague broke out… How could a plague break out over there?” Han Da muttered to himself.

Sun Qiang heard this and asked the scout nervously: “Did you come into contact with any of those plague victims?”

The scout quickly waved his hands: “Deputy General Sun, I did not! Rest assured, I only contacted merchants who were turned away at the gates and had nowhere to go. I am fine!”

Seeing this, Han Da said: “To be safe, stay outside the city for a few days first…”

The scout cupped his hands in agreement.

Sun Qiang then said to Han Da: “General Han, if it really is a plague, what should we do? A plague isn’t something that can be resolved in ten days or half a month… Our city here is isolated. If we don’t get more food supplies, we won’t even last ten days or half a month! We wouldn’t need the Turks to attack us; we would starve to death…”

Han Da’s face turned pale, and for a moment he didn’t answer. His eyes became sharper: “Yes! But a living person won’t be controlled by their own urine. If there really is a plague, we need to quickly find a way to save ourselves!”

With that, Han Da said to Sun Qiang: “Sun Qiang, go among the refugees and find some experienced people… Have them lead some of our soldiers! If so many of them have survived as refugees, we can too!”

After hearing this, Sun Qiang cupped his hands in agreement.

Han Da hurriedly headed towards his residence. He needed to write a letter to the Princess Consort to ask about the situation.

Because this matter felt too strange to him.

Just as Han Da returned to the outside of the City Lord’s Mansion, a child who looked like a beggar walked up to him.

Before Han Da could speak, the little beggar stretched out his hand and held out a slip of paper, saying in a childish voice: “For you!”

Seeing this, Han Da was puzzled and didn’t dare take it.

“What is this? Who asked you to give it to me?”

The little beggar looked around and shook his head: “That person said not to tell… It’s for you.”

At that moment, a guard beside him stepped forward cautiously to take it, but the little beggar pulled his hand back and protected the paper against his chest.

“That person said I must hand it to you personally!”

Seeing this, Han Da stepped forward. He examined the thickness of the paper. It didn’t seem to hide any hidden weapon.

At most, it might contain some poison powder, but he could hold his breath.

Saying this, he held his breath and took the slip of paper.

Seeing Han Da take the paper, the little beggar turned and ran off!

Han Da suddenly felt something was wrong. Still holding his breath, he opened the note.

Fortunately, there was no poison powder. However, the content on the note made his facial expression change repeatedly.