Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 150

Two years ago, Li Xuanzhen, Li De, and their staff discussed the possibility of reclaiming the Western Regions. At that time, they all agreed that for the Central Plains to attempt to reclaim the Western Regions was equivalent to snatching food from the mouth of the increasingly powerful Northern Rong, a fierce tiger.

Furthermore, they could not underestimate a prosperous kingdom to the north of the Western Regions. Their ruler had a renowned reputation and was deeply respected by the people. With a single command, the entire nation could follow him and march to the battlefield.

Li Xuanzhen sighed, saying, "Eleven years ago, the Northern Rong Khan was in his prime, arrogant and invincible. Yet he suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Buddhists. This ruler was gifted with extraordinary talent, and if he had ambitions of expansion, he would have been a formidable adversary... Fortunately, he is a devout high monk, wholeheartedly guarding the Buddhist realm, showing no signs of external expansion."

"Haidu Aling is cunning and scheming. I don't know if we can successfully rescue Mingyue. I will first send someone to inquire about the situation along the Gaochang route. If necessary, I will personally visit the Buddhist country, reveal my identity to the Buddhists, and request their assistance. There are deep conflicts between the Buddhist country and the Northern Rong. If I can entice them through an alliance, they may join forces with us."

"After we reach Yizhou, if things take a turn for the worse, we will each find our own way out. If we can safely escape the Northern Rong, we will meet in the Buddhist country."

Over the years, Li Zhongqian led troops into battle, confident in his strategies. Although he didn't have much knowledge of the Western Regions, with a little contemplation, he could see the current situation clearly. His mind was filled with calculations as he weighed the pros and cons, nodding in agreement.

Li Xuanzhen remained obedient throughout the journey and refrained from killing him until they secured Mingyue Nu's safety.

After rescuing Mingyue Nu, he would take action.
...

As Li Zhongqian and his group traveled the eight hundred miles through the desert, heading towards Yizhou, Yao Ying was moving south.

To avoid the group led by the Northern Rong prince, they had been rushing for several days.

With the cold weather and frozen land, everything was covered in sparkling white. Snow-capped peaks could be seen in the distance, surrounded by clouds, occasionally revealing their magnificent and rugged silhouettes, creating a splendid scenery.

The buddha's hawk followed them all along, acting as their scout and patrolling for security.

Whether it was a sunny day or a snowy day, Yao Ying often caught glimpses of its soaring shadow in the sky."

On this day, she watched as the goshawk plunged down and landed on Sultan Gu's shoulder. She thought of the matter that had been on her mind for the past few days and called Qi Nian, asking him if there were any Hu merchants selling messenger eagles.

Qi Nian pondered for a moment and shook his head. He said, "There are quite a few merchants selling eagles, but I haven't heard of any selling a messenger eagles. Does the princess also want to keep one? I can inquire about it for you."

Yao Ying shook her head, dismissing the idea.
Truly loyal messenger eagle were hard to come by. Tumoroga and Haidu Aling's goshawk were both raised from hatchlings, and messenger eagles needed to familiarize themselves with their surroundings to be useful. Even if she could buy a messenger one, it wouldn't be of much use in the short term.

She stared intently at the goshawk on Sultan Gu's shoulder, and the sharp-eyed hawk glanced at her.
Yao Ying chuckled and took out a piece of dried meat.