In pursuit of the pursuers, General Zheng Lun broke away from them and followed the traces left by the Su family father and son. He chased after them all the way.
As the enemy who had plagued the Shang army for three months was about to be executed, the inspector of grain revealed a satisfied smile.
Deng Chanyou quietly left, without even touching the ground's bound immortal rope.
She seemed to be a good person who would come to the aid of others when they were in trouble.
"Lord, what about this rope?" Zheng Lun asked with a hint of meaning.
After the aftermath, Su Hu was exhausted and could only gasp for air.
The death of Tu Xingsun is both a blessing and a curse.
The good aspect is that no one will pursue him like a mad dog anymore. If he falls into the hands of other Xici generals, he believes he can survive, but for Tu Xingsun, it's not certain, as he is just a mediocre person.
The bad side is that he won't be able to go to the west for a while. In his heart, Su Hu very much admires Ji Chang. Previously, when the two armies clashed, his attitude was mostly just going through the motions. However, he never expected to encounter a complete defeat of the entire army.
At this moment, facing Zheng Lun's question, he slightly stabilized his emotions: "General Zheng will take it if it's useful."
Zheng Lun was overjoyed. He had a unique skill and a mount, but all he lacked was a magical treasure. This immortal-binding rope would be of great help to him. He could use the unique skill to knock an enemy unconscious, then tie them up with the rope, or do it in reverse order as well. The rope was a perfect match for him.
"Thank you, Lord!"
The Su family father and son, together with Zheng Lun, barely gathered a thousand or so remaining troops and defeated generals.
With this small army, it would not be enough to fight against Xici. It would be a waste.
Go back directly to Ji State? King Zhou would issue an edict to chop off his head at any moment, and it wouldn't be surprising if his entire family was executed.
Now on the north side there is Marquis Chong, and there's no doubt that he would collude with Fei Zhong and shift the blame for the military defeat onto Su Hu.
On the west side, there is Xici. Su Hu had just killed Tu Xingsun, so it would not be convenient to join them.
Ji Chang's famous words were "Who you are is not important, but who you are is."
Good heavens, as soon as he heard this, Chong Hei Hu even betrayed his own brother and slashed Chong Hou Tiger's back. He was determined to conspire with Ji Chang and Su Hu had a son and a daughter, so he was a little afraid of the "Greatzhou Sorceress".
To the east, there's the Shang Dynasty, and there's no way back.
What should we do? We can only head south.
Su Hu was preparing to find a mountain peak, take over the realm and become a king. He would spread rumors that the Su family father and son had died, while secretly sending trusted subordinates back to Ji State to quickly bring out his wife, children, and old people. In his view, being reunited with his family was more important than anything else.
......
After solving Tu Xingsun, Deng Chanyou felt infinitely comfortable.
One of the two tasks of descending the mountain has been completed, and the remaining one will have to wait.
She rebuilt the "Yu Tai Tea House" in the city of Zhao, having read many series of books on the Yellow Emperor. After reading so much, her medical skills gradually improved without her realizing it. She constantly adjusted the recipe of the cold tea, trying to find a way to control the epidemic.
After waiting for ten or eleven days, she still had no news of Ji Ziyu, and she felt bored. She thought of herself, or rather, Xie Taijie, also known as Daijiayi. She immediately set off for the city of Ji State.
......
Su Hu was renowned for his ferocity, but he was by no means a fool. He had a good grasp of the minds of King Zhou, Fei Zhong, and Marquis Chong Houhu.
When the news of Su Family Father and Son's sacrifice for the country reached Zhao City, King Zhou did not blame them for their defeat. Instead, he scolded Fei Zhong for trying to defend Marquis Chong Houhu.
King Zhou issued an edict, scolding Marquis Chong Houhu, and told him to continue gathering troops and provisions in the north. After that, he should atone for his sins by attacking Xici.
Marquis Chong Houhu dared not refuse and began to excessively exploit the northern vassal states, causing immense suffering to the smaller feudal lords.
Staying put is death, going to Xici is also death, let's wait for death. Alright, let's go join Yuan Hong!
Wen Taishi severely beat Yuan Hong, adding to the previous losses of the Seventy-Two Vassal States, only about fifty-eight remained. Marquis Chong Houhu's attempts to go against the grain resulted in many people, with their families and households, joining Yuan Hong. It seemed as though he might eventually have gathered enough to make up one hundred and eight vassal states.
The north was thrown into chaos, like a pot of porridge. After winning the victory, King Ji Fa did not continue the attack but led his troops back to the city of Xici.
In the original timeline, Bo Yicao died early and did not show much ability. In this timeline, he had a stage to showcase his abilities.
Bo Yicao was excellent in agricultural practices, bridge construction, flood control, the selection of officials, and the encouragement of childbirth.
Xici City closed its gates tightly, dedicated itself to refining its administration and accumulating strength, preparing for a decisive victory over the Shang Dynasty in the future.
......
Su Hu's men climbed mountains and crossed rivers secretly, returning to Ji State.
Upon hearing that her husband had suffered a military defeat, Su Hu's wife fainted right away.
Su Hu's second son, Su Quanxiao, secretly organized people to flee with their families!
In the chaos of war, Daijiayi is also at the mercy of circumstances.
Because of her appearance, over the years she has caused a lot of trouble for her family. She lived alone outside the Su household. Now, looking at the full blooming white peonies and white lotus flowers in the courtyard, she sighed silently. She seemed unlikely to be able to enjoy the cold incense pill next year. She took on a new name and left Ji State, not knowing when she would see her good friend Deng Chanyou again.
She and her trusted servant woman packed their belongings, placing all the valuable and inconvenient items in the courtyard. Whatever fate brings, may it be those who are meant to receive it.
"Miss, we really have to go to the south? I heard there are many savage tribes there who eat people," the maid named Ping said pitifully.
Daijiayi was also in a state of turmoil. Fortunately, she had been to the southern capital before and knew that it was quite prosperous, not to the extent of eating people.
"Don't spread rumors, Deng Girl is from the south. The people there are very good."
After gathering the Su family members, they didn't run immediately.
Now that Su Quanxiao has inherited the title of Marquis of Ji State, he didn't say anything about secretly meeting his father and brother at a location, then ambushing them with archers, shooting them like porcupines, and burying them deeply underground with no witnesses to incriminate him. He returned with a content smile to continue being the Marquis of Ji State. People in those days were relatively simple-minded, and they hadn't reached the point where they thought filial piety was so powerful.
He just opposed the idea of the whole family running out of Ji State City abruptly, as it would be too conspicuous and the timing was not suitable. Although Zhou did not have the Secret Service of Su Family Father and Son's death, with his understanding of the local control in a slave society, he was not a fool. The disappearance of the whole family after their father and son's death was too obvious.
Su Quanxiao proposed that the family members should go outside one by one, occasionally showing up, and finally causing a fire, war, or something similar. They would then break into smaller groups and run away.
Su Hu's wife and Daijiayi had no idea what to do, so they immediately followed his plan. The heads of the family were still in the city, while peripheral members gradually moved to farmhouses outside the city. Daijiayi followed the first group of people as they transferred out of the city.
......
After moving into the farmhouse outside the city, Daijiayi felt her head constantly spinning and became ill within two days.
Knowing that her clan members were about to leave their hometown, and with a myriad of troubles at the moment, she didn't want to trouble others because of her frail health. So she bit her teeth and endured it, but her condition grew worse day by day.
By the third night, a glimmer of understanding arose in her heart: she was indeed near death.
Her vision grew increasingly blurred, and she felt her body growing lighter, as if it were about to take flight.
"Sue Ji Daijiayi, your days are numbered. Come with me." The lights in the room went out instantly, and the dark, airless room was enveloped in a deeply somber voice that echoed beside Daijiayi's ear. She was confused and felt something was amiss, but she didn't know how to resist.
