Chapter 642: Watch the Wind and Move
Early morning, mass grave on the outskirts of Luoyang.

Zhao Yuan stood alone among the broken graves. From the darkness on all sides came the sound of wild dogs gnawing at corpses.

He was like a clay sculpture, standing facing the wind, looking up at the sky, wondering what he was thinking about.
"Your Excellency is about to make an unprecedented contribution to the Song Dynasty. Yun would like to congratulate you."

Suddenly, a dry and hoarse voice sounded from behind Zhao Yuan, instantly pulling his thoughts that were dancing in the night sky back to reality.

"Saint Lord Yun, you know that fortune and misfortune are interdependent, and life and death are unpredictable." Zhao Yuan said without turning his head, "Tomorrow, I may be in high office and be remembered in history. Or I may be beheaded and cursed for eternity."

"Oh?" Yun Zhuiyue looked around at the scattered bones and asked with a half-smile, "Why are you so depressed, sir? Are you afraid that you are no match for Luo Tianjin?"

“No! My opponent has never been Luo Tianjin, nor has he ever been in the martial arts world.” Having said that, Zhao Yuan pointed at the white bones in the distance and said self-deprecatingly, “Maybe one day, my body will be like them, wrapped in a straw mat and left to the wilderness, becoming a meal for wild dogs.”

"After death, all that's left is a rotten body. What's the point of building a magnificent mausoleum for you? It's just deceiving yourself." Yun Zhuiyue said, "It's annoying to fight for fame and fortune when you're alive. Do you still have to compete after death?"

"Saint Lord Yun's words are profound and meaningful. I admire you!"

"Don't worry, my lord. Luo Tianjin has reached his peak and is about to decline. He will die tomorrow." Yun Zhuiyue comforted him, "Right now, as long as Ling Xiaoxiao doesn't regret it before the battle, Luo Tianjin will have no chance of turning defeat into victory."

"Ling Xiaoxiao's love turned into hatred, she will definitely not regret it. Moreover, now that things have come to this, even if she regrets it, I'm afraid Luo Tianjin will not let her go. Ling Xiaoxiao understands this better than you and me." Zhao Yuan pondered, "Now, this marquis is not worried about Luo Tianjin's fate, but I am worried about how Luo Tianjin will end up after his death?"

Although Zhao Yuan's words were very obscure, Yun Zhuiyue still heard his hidden meaning, so he said straight to the point: "My purpose is very simple, to put Luo Tianjin to death. As for other matters, Yun has no intention of interfering, nor does he want to interfere. Therefore, as soon as Luo Tianjin dies tomorrow, I will lead my people to leave Luoyang City. As for anything that happens later, it has nothing to do with Yun and Longxiang Mountain."

Hearing this, a cunning look flashed across Zhao Yuan's eyes. He looked into Yun Zhuiyue's eyes and hesitated for a while before a gratified smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He praised, "He who knows the current situation is a hero. Lord Yun is indeed a smart man."

"As the saying goes, 'a strong guest cannot overpower the host'. How dare I compete with you for credit?" Yun Zhuiyue said modestly. "I know myself well. I know that Longxiang Mountain is isolated and far from being a match for the imperial court. Therefore, I dare not act smart in front of you. It is getting late and the night is cold. Tomorrow is the key to success or failure. You should conserve your energy and rest early."

Before he finished speaking, Yun Zhuiyue's figure had mysteriously disappeared from the spot. The cold wind was blowing gently and the night was still dark, as if he had never appeared.

Zhao Yuan took a deep breath and prayed silently in his heart: "May God bless me and help me to successfully wipe out the rebels tomorrow and support the Song Dynasty."

……

At dawn, the guest house of Prince Xian's mansion was as quiet as death.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A low knock on the door suddenly woke Yeluqin from his deep sleep.

When he suddenly opened his eyes, he saw that it was still pitch black all around him, and a hint of hesitation flashed across his brows.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

When Yeluqin was about to turn over and go back to sleep, there was another hurried knock on the door. Yeluqin was startled and his face changed, and he sat up instantly.

Looking at the looming shadow outside the door, Yeluqin felt a sense of inexplicable uneasiness in his heart, and asked cautiously: "Who is outside?"

"Prince Ning, I am Xunzhen!"

A familiar voice came from outside the door, which immediately made Yelu Qin breathe a sigh of relief. He got out of bed and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand.

"It's still dark, why are you looking for me?"

When Yelu Qin rubbed his sleepy eyes and slowly opened the door, the scene in front of him surprised him.

At this moment, not only Xunzhen was outside the door, but also Abaolu, Su Hu, Xiao Yang, Xun Budao and several other masters from the Western Regions.

What surprised Yelu Qin even more was that, instead of showing any sign of sleepiness on their faces, they looked full of energy. They were all neatly dressed, carrying bags on their shoulders, and looked as if they were about to go on a long journey.

"What are you..."

"Prince Ning, come in and talk!" Before Yelu Qin could speak, Xunzhen pushed open the door and led his men into the room at high strides.

Although Yelu Qin was completely confused, he knew that Xunzhen and his companions would not murder him, so he closed the door, wrapped his cloak tighter around him, curled up his slightly cold body, and walked tremblingly to the table to light the candlesticks.

"Why are you dressed like this?"

"Prince Ning, please forgive me for being so brief. Pack your bags quickly and we will leave Prince Xian's Mansion for the time being!"

"what?"

Xunzhen's answer shocked Yeluqin. He paused for a moment and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Recently, strange things have happened in the Xianwang Mansion. Luo Tianjin and others have been behaving abnormally, and the air is filled with a sinister atmosphere. I am worried that the Xianwang Mansion will soon encounter a major change, so I want to temporarily go out of the spotlight." Xunzhen said quickly, "The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is approaching, and there are more and more guests in the mansion. It is hard to guarantee that there will be a mix of good and bad people. If I continue to stay here, I am afraid that it will cause unnecessary trouble."

"No way?" Yeluqin hesitated, "Even Luo Tianjin treats us as honored guests, who would dare to cause trouble for us? What's more, Zhao Yuan has left..."

"We are in the open, while the thieves are in the dark. It is easy to dodge an open attack, but it is hard to guard against an arrow from the dark." Xunzhen was serious, and every word was as sharp as a knife. "Don't forget that although Zhao Yuan left, Liu Xunyi is still in the mansion. Therefore, I am worried that Zhao Yuan's sudden departure is actually a tactic to make a feint to the east and attack in the west. He is very likely to come back with other plans."

"You mean... Zhao Yuan and Liu Xunyi are going to attack Luo Tianjin?" Yelu Qin asked in surprise, "If that's the case, we can't leave. If Luo Tianjin gets into trouble, our efforts will be in vain, and the plan of the young prince will also be affected."

"Luo Tianjin knew that Liu Xunyi was a traitor in the court, but he still stayed by his side. This shows that he had already thought of a countermeasure and was just waiting for Zhao Yuan to fall into his trap." Xunzhen analyzed, "We are living here as strangers, and we are outnumbered. Luo Tianjin's helpers will not be much more or less. But I am sure that if the Song Dynasty court takes action against Luo Tianjin, we will be one of their targets."

"That's right!" Abaolu agreed, "Killing us will definitely affect the cooperation between Shao Qin Wang and Luo Tianjin. If I were Zhao Yuan, I would definitely do it on two fronts. On one hand, I would send people to eliminate Luo Tianjin, and on the other hand, I would send people to deal with us."

"I'm worried that once the situation gets out of hand, Luo Tianjin won't be able to take care of us at all." Xunzhen said worriedly, "With only our troops in Luoyang City, it may be difficult to protect ourselves. Therefore, when Luo Tianjin knew that Liu Xunyi was a traitor but still let him go, I secretly contacted Abaolu and prepared for evacuation. Yesterday evening, a variety show troupe suddenly came to the Xianwang Mansion. There were a lot of people, which was very strange. After entering the mansion, they went straight to the East Courtyard to meet Liu Xunyi. I was worried... these people might be arranged by Zhao Yuan, so I summoned Abaolu overnight and asked him to lead people to help us leave. Regardless of whether the Xianwang Mansion is good or bad, we should stay away from places of right and wrong to protect ourselves. I made the decision on my own without discussing it with Prince Ning. I hope Prince Ning will forgive me!"

"Xunzhen is innocent!" Yeluqin frowned, and after a little thought, he understood the pros and cons of the matter, and nodded slowly, "Your worries are not unreasonable. Among the guests who have arrived at the Xianwang Mansion recently, I don't know how many of them have evil intentions and murderous intentions towards us. In this way, it makes sense to stay away from the limelight for the time being."

"Prince Ning, you will understand!"

"It's just that..." Yeluqin changed the subject and continued, "We are on the same boat with Luo Tianjin, and he treats us well. If we know that Liu Xunyi has problems but turn a blind eye, or even leave without saying goodbye, I am worried that he will be dissatisfied and thus damage the relationship between the two families. In my opinion, should we tell Luo Tianjin..."

"Absolutely not!" Xunzhen said firmly, his tone unquestionable, "First, last time I exposed Liu Xunyi's identity, Luo Tianjin not only did not punish him, but almost threw me into the frying pan. If we speak rashly again, I am afraid that Luo Tianjin will not be grateful, but will think that we are meddling and ruining his plan. Second, 'running away is the best strategy' relies on being silent and retreating quietly, and the key is the word 'secret'. If we say goodbye to Luo Tianjin, regardless of whether he agrees with our departure, our whereabouts will be exposed to the public, and it is bound to arouse the suspicion of people with ulterior motives. By then, I am afraid that some people will not be able to suppress their hostility towards us and take action in advance. Therefore, we must leave suddenly, and without anyone noticing. In this way, we can escape. Right now, no one expects us to leave without saying goodbye, and it is the perfect time to leave."

"But if Luo Tianjin investigates..."

"It's okay. We will only take some personal belongings with us, and the rest will remain in the Xianwang Mansion. If Luo Tianjin asks about it in the future, we can just make up some excuse. I don't think Luo Tianjin will delve into it."

"This……"

"Don't worry, Prince Ning. We don't need to go far. We can just find a hidden place near Luoyang City and observe the situation in the Xianwang Mansion." Xunzhen knew what Yeluqin was thinking, so he comforted him, "And we don't need to leave for too long. After the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the heroes of the Central Plains will leave one after another. If the Xianwang Mansion remains peaceful, it means that Luo Tianjin has solved all the problems. Then, it won't be too late for us to show up again."

"This……"

"Prince Ning, we must act without delay, or else something bad will happen!" Abaolu urged, "It will be dawn soon, if we don't leave now, we may not be able to leave."

"All right!"

After repeated persuasion from Xunzhen and Abaolu, Yeluqin finally made up his mind and nodded in agreement: "You are right. If we lose our lives, what great cause can we achieve? I will pack up immediately and leave with you."

"Su Hu, Xiao Yang, go and summon the carriage to the outside of the west courtyard wall. In an incense stick of time, Prince Ning and I will meet you there. Remember, no matter what, we must leave the city before dawn!"

……

　In a peaceful world, the world is in turmoil. With the cultivation of culture and military preparation, the country will be rich and the army will be strong!

　　Today's military parade is exciting and heart-stirring. I wish our great motherland prosperity on its 70th birthday!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)