Young Master Liu finally led 10,000 cavalry to the outside of Mingzhou City. The movement brought by the 10,000 cavalry was not trivial. Dozens of torches lit up on the Mingzhou City Wall that had closed the city gate, and they looked outside the city.
.
"Who are you? Don't you know that the city gate is sealed an hour after dark?"
Liu Mingzhi gently shook the horse's reins and walked towards the city gate.
"I, Commander Liu Mingzhi, have urgent matters to move into Mingzhou City. Please open the city gates as soon as possible."
"Dingguo Gong Liu Mingzhi?"
"Um!"
"I'm humble enough to see the Duke. I've heard about the Duke's name, but I don't know the Duke's true face. The imperial court has explicitly prohibited you from opening the city gate at night unless it's a military matter."
"Please wait a moment, sir. I will go and ask the governor to come."
Liu Mingzhi understood the court's prohibitions better than the soldiers on the city wall, and he didn't want to ruin his job by arguing with a pawn.
Nodding silently: "Go and inform Zheng Ming, Governor Zheng, he knows me."
"Yes, sir, wait a moment."
The soldiers held torches and ran towards the bottom of the city wall. The remaining dozens of torches were still shining on the city wall, fearing that Young Master Liu and the unseen soldiers and horses behind him would do something terrible.
For a moment, the only sounds left inside and outside Mingzhou City were the sneezing of war horses and the sound of burning torches.
In the blink of an eye, Liu Mingzhi, who was sitting on the horse with his eyes closed and concentrating, suddenly opened his eyes.
He had vaguely heard the clear sound of horse hooves coming from the main road in the city, and Liu Mingzhi waved to the guards beside him.
"Light the torch and let Governor Zheng see my handsome face clearly."
"Got the order!"
In an instant, more than twenty torches were lit in front of the city gate, illuminating the dim city wall. Liu Mingzhi's appearance could be clearly seen from the city wall.
A moment later, a middle-aged man wearing the robe of a governor on the city wall leaned out and looked down the city. When he saw the appearance of Young Master Liu clearly, he hurriedly waved to the soldiers who were reaching out.
"Open the city gate and let Duke Ding enter the city!"
"yes!"
The city gate creaked open, and Zheng Ming, the governor of Mingzhou, hurriedly walked out: "I am going to be the governor of Mingzhou, Zheng Ming, and see Duke Dingguo."
Young Master Liu turned over and dismounted, looked at Zheng Ming with a smile and returned the salute: "Master Zheng, without courtesy, it is really helpless to march at night. It is really annoying to bother you to get up in the middle of the night to greet me."
"Mr. Dingguo is joking. You must be traveling under the stars and at night to have a major military event. How dare I turn you and the soldiers away?"
Liu Mingzhi smiled lightly and patted Zheng Ming on the shoulder: "Master Zheng has done his duty faithfully and has a bright future."
Zheng Ming was stunned and nodded excitedly: "I hope you will give me more support in the future. Your Majesty has been marching in a hurry all the way. It's freezing cold. Let the brothers go to the city and have a cup of hot tea."
"Thank you, Lord Zheng. The place where we will be stationed will be the school grounds where we were when we last returned. Remember not to disturb the people."
"I understand, I understand, my lord, please."
"Han Peng, lead the brothers to station in the city."
"Got the order!"
After a few sticks of incense, Liu Mingzhi dismissed the evidence that he still wanted to continue to be attentive. He took Han Peng, who had changed into regular uniforms, and dozens of personal guards who were also in regular uniforms and quietly left the military camp and headed north of Mingzhou City.
Rush towards the door.
Along the way, Liu Mingzhi held his breath and scanned the surrounding civilian courtyards, leading Han Peng and others around Mingzhou City.
Han Peng and the others had already noticed that something was wrong. Although the moonlight was not bright, they could still tell after walking through some streets three or five times.
Knowing that the marshal was being cautious and being followed by someone behind him, dozens of people fell silent, slowed down their steps, and looked at the surrounding alleys and the houses on both sides.
After walking for about half an hour, Mr. Liu and his party finally stopped in front of an extremely inconspicuous house in the west of the city.
Liu Mingzhi glanced around gently, raised his hand and knocked on the courtyard door rhythmically a few times.
After a pause, a deep voice came from behind the door.
"The dragon was killed in the shallows."
Liu Mingzhi cleared his throat and whispered.
"It's not that the tiger won't come down the mountain!"
The sound of the door bolt being pulled was heard. As soon as the courtyard door opened, a man in casual clothes came out and looked at Young Master Liu excitedly.
"Huang Yan, a humble official, meets the commander-in-chief."
"Excuse me, how are you doing, noble lady?"
"I'm fine, but I'm in a bad mood and a little lost."
"Take me there."
"Commander please!"
Liu Mingzhi turned back and nodded to Han Peng. Han Peng responded and waved to dozens of guards, who then took out stringed hand crossbows from behind and surrounded the people's court.
Upon seeing this, Liu Mingzhi straightened his robes and walked towards the courtyard in a hurry.
After a while, dozens of well-built men in civilian clothes walked out of the people's courtyard and knelt down on one knee, looking at Young Master Liu respectfully and whispering.
"For humble positions, please see the Commander-in-Chief."
"Brothers, thank you for your hard work. Be careful."
"yes!"
Liu Mingzhi walked towards the main room in the courtyard and gently knocked on the door.
"who?"
A slightly panicked female voice came, and Liu Mingzhi knew the voice was that of Concubine Chen Jie.
"Emperor's sister-in-law, my brother Liu Mingzhi, can you come in conveniently?"
"Brother-in-law, you are finally back."
Chen Jie's voice of surprise came, and the door opened in response. The lights in the room were dim and dim, reflecting Chen Jie's fragrant and haggard face. It was clear at a glance that Chen Jie had been worried a lot these days.
"My younger brother Liu Mingzhi meets the emperor's sister-in-law."
"Brother-in-law, please wake up quickly."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law."
"Sister-in-law, where are the eldest son and Princess Jingyao?"
"I'm already asleep. Come in quickly. I thought you were here"
Chen Jie didn't say the next words, but Liu Mingzhi also understood what she wanted to say.
Such a huge change in the palace was really frightening for a woman like her, and an ordinary person might have collapsed.
Liu Mingzhi hesitated for a moment, and finally stepped gently into the door and looked towards the simple bed on the left.
I saw brother and sister Li Ye and Li Jingyao sleeping soundly with their heads covered with brocade quilts. However, the faces of the two children were a little thinner than when I first met them.
It seems that they have suffered a lot these days.
There was a rough pillow placed on the chair next to it. Judging from the dents on it, it can be seen that Chen Jie should have given up the bed to her children, and she sat on the chair and fell asleep for half the night.
Liu Mingzhi thought this, and when he saw another bed with neat quilts, he realized that he had thought wrong.
Chen Jie was guarding her two children from falling asleep.
I sighed silently, how pitiful the hearts of parents in the world are.
"Sister-in-law, please wake them up, pack up and follow your younger brother back to the military camp to rest. We will set off back to Beijing early tomorrow morning."
"Strive to have the eldest son of the emperor ascend the throne as emperor within three days to stabilize people's hearts."
Chen Jie nodded in surprise: "Okay, okay, I'll wake them up right now."
Following Chen Jie's push, the brother and sister sat up in shock, like frightened birds.
After the brother and sister saw Liu Mingzhi clearly, Li Ye watched in surprise as Young Master Liu ran towards Young Master Liu.
"Uncle, you are finally back."
Liu Mingzhi gently pressed Li Ye's shoulder and chuckled.
"Son, do you believe your uncle?"
"Well, Ye'er believes in uncle."
"Okay, go back with your uncle. My uncle will help you ascend the throne and become emperor."
"Uncle, where are the rebels? I'm afraid!"
"With my uncle here, there is nothing to be afraid of. Let's go back to Beijing."
"good!"
"Emperor's sister-in-law, Princess Jingyao, let's go without further delay."
Chen Jie nodded hurriedly, took the packed baggage, took Li Jingyao's wrist, and followed Young Master Liu towards the main camp in the city.
After a few sticks of incense, Liu Mingzhi arranged for Chen Jie and the others to walk out of the tent.
An eagle stood on Han Peng's shoulder and hurried towards Young Master Liu.
"Commander, a letter from General Cheng."
Young Master Liu took the note with a smile on his face: "Did you catch a lot of big fish?"
Han Peng shook his head with a complex expression: "Commander, you'd better see for yourself."
Liu Mingzhi was startled, and he hurriedly opened the note and looked at the touched brazier. For a moment, Liu Mingzhi's face darkened, and the note was clenched into a ball.
“They’re all decoupled!”
"Commander, let's"
"Han Peng, please go back and rest first. I want to be quiet!"
"Okay, I'll take my leave now."
After Han Peng left, Liu Mingzhi ignored the snow on the ground and sat down cross-legged, placing the Heavenly Sword across his legs and staring at the moonlight in the sky with a complex expression.
Who is it that is against me?
These huge black hands are a bit scary!
ps: I am out for personal matters, two updates, will be made up tomorrow.
The reward has been received and will continue to be added until it is paid off!