Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 608 The waterfall behind Beishan
"Your Highness, be careful."

From the bottom of the back mountain, a group of guards protected a woman, walking around the mountain path and climbing to the top of the mountain. Although it was a road, it rained heavily last night and the mountain road was slippery and muddy. The only trace of the trail was gone.

She was dressed in clean plain clothes, which had long been stained with filth. Her long riding boots were already entangled with mud. Her confidant Liu Yue was following behind to support her. Yue Ru, the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue, held a dragon-headed crutch in her hand and kicked her deeply. Qian walked up the mountain.

He looked at Jing'an Temple from above with firm eyes. He didn't know if he could look at the Holy Master again.
"Yu Lan, tell me about Marquis Luo Yun. It is true that he is very popular in the capital now. The elite men under his command are really as unbeatable as the common people say? I don't believe it!"

The eldest princess really didn't believe it. They were all the same soldiers. No matter how elite they were, they couldn't be equal to ten. Could it be that they were the same as the border troops? They were exaggerating. I remember Yuan Kui once said that in the pass, no matter how elite the soldiers were, When caught in a tight siege, just like ordinary soldiers, the side with more people has an overwhelming advantage, and the so-called elite soldiers have become a joke.

Yu Lan and Liu Yue were following behind them, walking awkwardly on the mountain road, and it was not easy to take care of His Highness. When he heard His Highness's question, Yu Lan shook his head and didn't know how to answer. After all, he had never seen those warriors before. ,

"Your Highness, the people of Marquis Luo Yun are not as rumored. I don't know. After all, I have never seen them. There are many rumors among the people, but their arrogant appearance cannot be faked. They must have someone to rely on, but I think they can beat women. Real people are always real.”

Yu Lan has been staying in the capital for His Highness, and is in charge of the capital. How can he know about those things in the military? Thinking that His Highness's words must be correct, he echoed,

"Okay, you don't have to agree with me. Although what I just said is somewhat conjectural, after all, I haven't seen it with my own eyes. After all, it is true that the great victory outside the pass is true. How barbaric the Jurchens are is true, so even if the rumors are not true, , there is some truth to it, then Marquis Luo Yun has the ability to be arrogant, so after bidding farewell to the abbot, just stand on the edge of the cliff and look down the mountain. "

From the bottom of her heart, the eldest princess still wanted to see what Marquis Luo Yun's swing looked like, and whether it was true to the name or just a boast.

Not to mention being well-trained, this kind of consistent command on horseback is rare in the world. The general can only do it after hearing about cavalry on the grassland."

"Yes, Your Highness, Luo Yunhou's subordinates are called 'Ghost Faced Riders,' because they wear heavy armor and have masks, so they are called so."

After getting up,
Stop and look for a while,
He turned around and led everyone down the cliff, then sat down at the pavilion on the south slope.
Looking down the mountain,

Since Luo Yunhou's men have arrived, I guess the Queen Mother is not far away. I asked for words, but there was no reply for a long time. I looked back in confusion and saw Wei Liang's face was solemn, and his eyes were fixed on the cavalry at the foot of the mountain.

As the largest temple in the Central Plains, the incense is prosperous and the money is naturally abundant. All the main halls are built with brilliance. Under the high glazed tile roofs, hundreds of pagodas and temples are arranged in an orderly manner, as if A smart and solemn city, in the quiet atmosphere, you can instantly feel the inner peace and tranquility.

"Well, I'm fine now. I'm getting old after all. Just for a while, I couldn't even sit comfortably."

The official road at the foot of the mountain comes into view vaguely.

"Wei Liang, you can see something."

Liu Yue wiped the sweat from her forehead with one hand and pointed to the open space not far ahead. It was surrounded by monks seeing him off, and even masters collectively recited scriptures.

"Princess Zhou Xiangxue, Princess Wu, bids farewell to the abbot. I will keep the past feelings in my heart."

"What, what you said is true."

"It's true that your words are pleasing to the ear. Along the way, the Ai family was wondering if what you encountered on the way to Beishan was too much of a coincidence."

Then he leaned against the carriage of the Queen Mother and whispered,

After a while, a messenger came to report.

"Stop, alert."

"In that case, Wei Liang, what do you think of those people at the foot of the mountain?"

While thinking,
There was a rapid sound of horse hooves from the bottom of the mountain. It was Duan Hong who led three thousand cavalry and ran quickly. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they continued to go west. After a hundred steps, they immediately shouted,

"Since the abbot has passed away, is the next successor of Jing'an Temple Master Wu Hai?"

I thought that the people in the capital were exaggerating and exaggerating, but I didn't expect that the confidant of the guard, Wei Liang, actually said the same thing. The eldest princess asked in confusion,
"How did you see it."

Zhou Xiangxue, who had just sat down, was startled. She was not Master Wu Hai. In this way, many things in the future would be facilitated by Jing'an Temple. I don't know if it would be possible.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"The cavalry coming down from the mountain are under the command of Marquis Luo Yun."

Zhang Jinyu had been following the Queen Mother's driver. When she heard the report, she became energetic. Good guy, we have been tired all the way and finally arrived.

"I know, follow me down the mountain to the front slope of Maple Leaf Valley."

Seeing His Highness asking questions, Yu Lan stretched his head and looked down, and saw that all the cavalrymen who came had lowered their masks, and then replied,

moment,

The Queen Mother opened the curtain and looked out. There was nothing unusual everywhere, but she still felt uneasy in her heart. She didn't know if it was caused by the previous bell or the trumpet sound just now.

Wei Liang clasped his fists and replied,
"Your Highness, let's take a look. Whether a soldier is elite or not, the first thing to look at is the armor on the outside. The cavalry at the foot of the mountain are all wearing special heavy armor, and the horses under his command are all the best horses from the grasslands outside the pass.

The Queen Mother didn't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, she complained a little, how could Zhang Jinyu dare to agree randomly, she smiled and said,
"The Queen Mother is joking. It's all my fault. I walked in a hurry and the road was bumpy, which made you tired."

Seeing that the captain of the guard spoke eloquently, Zhou Xiangxue had some impression of the domineering Marquis Luo Yun, who was difficult to deal with.

Liu Yue, who was behind him, replied in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

"Queen Mother, we have arrived at the foot of Beishan Mountain."

The distance was too far and the number of people was large. In order to avoid suspicion, the eldest princess did not come forward. She just kowtowed to Abbot Xuannan from a distance.

"Report, Lord Marquis, Beishan has arrived."

"Well, Your Highness, you are not Master Wu Hai. I heard that he is Master Wu Xin who came from Hanshan Temple. He is a close disciple of the abbot and he will take over."

"call"

"Here we are, Your Highness,"

"Back to Your Highness, it's rare in the world. I never thought that Luo Yunhou would have such elites under his command. Unless he is surrounded ten times, it will be difficult to hurt him in the slightest."

Jing'an Temple occupies a very large area, covering the entire top of the North Mountain. Due to the large number of monks and the fact that some members of the royal family were ordained here, the cleansing site on the back mountain has also been repaired countless times.

The three thousand elite cavalry immediately stopped, and even the war horses were silent. The scouts immediately continued to explore westward. The entire team was like one person, which was breathtaking.

At the end of the muddy path, you can see steps paved with bluestones, winding all the way to Jing'an Temple.

Zhang Jinyu saw the Queen Mother's expression changed, and knew that there was something in the Queen Mother's words, but behind her was the Queen Mother's carriage, so she thought that there were some things that she couldn't say more.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely protect Your Majesty and there will be no mistakes!"

Seeing Luo Yunhou's decisive answer, the Queen Mother reached out and patted Zhang Jinyu's arm.

"Okay, then the Ai family can rest assured!"

After speaking,
The queen mother stopped talking.

Only Zhang Jinyu looked around with some strangeness. On both sides of the official road, the lush woods were quiet, with only the sound of the hooves of his own horses. Then he looked at the surrounding Forbidden Army and Imperial City Guards. They were all riding horses to protect the surroundings. Nothing unusual, just be careful.

but,

Who in the capital is so bold as to dare to touch the Queen Mother's arm? Just thinking,

When the motorcade arrived at the foot of Beishan, there was the gate tower of Jing'an Temple. The magnificent gate tower stood at the foot of the mountain. Even ordinary people knew that Jing'an Temple must be rich.
Chunhe saw the place,
"Mother, we have arrived at the foot of the mountain,"

"Well, let everyone get out of the car and walk up the mountain with us,"

"Yes, ma'am."

Chunhe opened the curtain, walked out, and then shouted,

"Luan drives up the mountain and follows him on foot."

then,

With the help of their wives, all the ladies in the capital got off the carriage shakily and waited at the foot of the mountain. The Queen Mother also got off the carriage with the help of her nanny.

After the ladies paid their respects, they walked towards the gatehouse at the mountain gate without any delay.

That's the entrance to the mountain.

at this time,

In the dense forest on the opposite side of the hill, there are vaguely a pair of eyes looking at Luan Jia at the mountain gate.

"Shang Palace, the Queen Mother's Luan has got off the carriage. Most of Luo Yunhou's troops are in the west. Can we move now?"

Upon closer inspection, the speaker turned out to be General Yue who was in the eldest princess's palace, and the woman opposite was the female historian Wei Shuyun in the eldest princess's palace.

"There is no rush for now. We will wait until the Queen Mother reaches the mountain road. Moreover, Luo Yunhou's men and horses are not simple. The retreat route has been arranged."

Wei Shuyun looked at the gate of the mountain. The Queen Mother and the Empress had just got off the carriage and had not yet gone up the mountain. They were holding it down for the time being. His Highness explained that it was only used as a suspect. It could not really hurt anyone, and it could not be too fake. The importance of it was still important. You need to figure it out yourself.

"Shang Gong, do you want to use the arm crossbow you brought?"

General Yue obviously didn't realize His Highness's intention. He saw that the cavalry escorted by the opponent were all heavily armored, and ordinary bows and crossbows might not be able to break through armor, so he had this question. Unexpectedly, Wei Shuyun glared at Yue Feng,
"General, just listen to the order. If the arm crossbow is fired, the court will definitely investigate it. It is a weapon in the army."

suddenly,

The sound of footsteps of a large number of people came from the west, and everyone panicked. They turned to the west and saw a densely packed large number of soldiers coming from the north.

Although she didn't know where the soldiers and horses were, Wei Shuyun suddenly had a suspicion in her mind.
"General Yue, ask all the brothers to use long bows, aim at the troops coming from the west, and ask a small number of people to face the foot of the mountain and follow orders."

"This is Shang Gong."

Although he had doubts, Yue Feng did not dare to disobey. After all, this woman was a confidant of His Highness. He clasped his fists in agreement and went to make arrangements.

And at the foot of the mountain,
Zhang Jinyu had already jumped on her horse, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Ningbian, lead the guard camp to protect the mountain pass, and the rest will follow."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The cavalry behind them moved according to the order. The Imperial City Guards and the troops of the Forbidden Army only protected the Queen Mother and the Queen's Luan as they drove up the mountain road. Many married women also crowded up with panic-stricken expressions.

Only Princess Beijing and Princess Dong followed behind with their guards.

"Sister, this is really strange. Who did you say came?"

"Sister, you'd better walk faster. The sword has no eyes, so don't get hurt."

Princess Zhen retorted angrily, "How long has it been, and she is still in a strange mood? Of course, she still has doubts in her heart. Who is so bold as to lead troops to surprise Luan Jia? It seems that there are many people."

On the mountain road at the foot of the mountain, only the Queen Mother looked as still as a mountain. She walked up the bluestone steps one step at a time and suddenly asked,
"Yu Qing, look at the scenery in the mountains. Isn't it beautiful? It's very different from the scenery in the palace."

The Queen Mother pointed to the back mountain. Although there was a dense forest blocking the view, the beautiful scenery in the distance could not be obscured. Looking from a distance, the steep and precipitous mountainside spiraled upwards. On the thick moss, a white ribbon hung like a silver rope. The water spray rolled down from the cliff and turned into thousands of mist in the air, falling into the green round lake below. This is the summer palace of Maple Leaf Valley. I haven't been here for a long time.

"It's been a long time since I returned to my mother. This place is comparable to Jinghu Lake in the south of the Yangtze River. Although it's not big, it's better than being quiet."

My mind was spinning, I couldn't figure out what the Queen Mother meant, the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue lived there.

"In this case, when summer comes, I will come here often. I can't let that girl Xiangxue dominate this place all year round. What will happen."

There was a chatty tone, but the firmness in the words made the queen not know how to speak for a moment. This was to invite the eldest princess to return to the capital. What did the queen mother mean?

I can only beat myself up.
"Mother, it's still early for summer to begin. We're not in a hurry. We don't know what's going on in the west yet. It's best to go up the mountain first."

"Haha, okay, it's better to go up the mountain first, but it's already April now, and summer starts earlier in the capital, and there are only a few days left."

Before leaving, the Queen Mother said a few more words, and with the help of her nanny, she went up the mountain road. Following behind were the matrons and matrons of the Duke's Mansion, who seemed to have not heard and lowered their heads in silence.

Seeing the queen move, she followed her.

With the support of Yuanyang and Wang Xifeng, Jia Mu from Rongguo Mansion arrived at the place where the Queen Mother had just stayed. She looked at the waterfall toward the back mountain and took a breath. Wang Xifeng had not been here many times and looked at it curiously.

"Old lady, what did the Queen Mother mean just now?"

Jia Mu quickly reached out and grabbed Feng Yatou's wrist and glared at her.
"This is not a house, how can you speak freely."

After looking at the people around him, no one paid attention here, then he got closer and whispered,

"The eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue lives there, I understand."

After saying that, he pulled Wang Xifeng and continued walking up.

But Wang Xifeng obviously didn't understand. The eldest princess had not returned to her fiefdom, so how could she be here? She was confused and wanted to ask again, but the ladies behind her all followed her. As a last resort, she continued to help the old lady go up. Walk.

Although there are bluestone steps and the road is wide, after all, they are all ladies of the imperial court, most of them are elderly, and they stop and go, which is very procrastinating.

And at the foot of the mountain,
Zhang Jinyu's troops had already blocked the official road and were waiting with the cavalry at the west foot of the mountain.

Looking into the distance, I saw a large group of soldiers swarming on the official road. I don't know what was going on with their embarrassed appearance.

It was strange. Where did the soldiers come from? They were all covered in mud. They might have fallen into the water.

"Ningbian, do you know where the defeated army on the other side came from?"

Behind him, Ning Bian stood up on his horse and looked to the west. He saw a group of soldiers with tired faces. They had all taken off their armor. Most of their clothes were wet. They had obviously come from Anshui Ferry. ,

Who is the one!

(End of this chapter)