Dress up as a sickly person to capture the villain princess!

As the two were talking, they saw in the distance a group of dusty people, holding hoes and with bare chests, running back in a panic along the path.

"My Lord, are you going to... the front?"

"Then you better be careful, sir. There is a fight going on over there!"

"Swords have no eyes, sir..."

The people who were fleeing back in a hurry naturally recognized Xia Zhiyuan riding on horseback.

When they stayed in the village on weekdays, they had heard a lot about the bandits' burning, killing and looting, so when they saw this for the first time, they felt their legs go weak, as if the bandits would cut off their heads with a knife in the next second, take them back to the village, sprinkle them with onions, ginger and garlic, and soak them in wine!

"I already know about this. But you guys, don't be so panicked. After returning to the camp, find the soldiers stationed there and take a rest one by one."

Xia Zhiyuan looked at the river sand on their faces, their hurried steps, and their pale faces, and comforted them with a gentle voice.

"Thank you, sir..."

"Lord be careful!"

The inky black horse moved forward along the path, and the sounds of fighting became louder in the ears.

Zhao Changlin looked around vigilantly. She had already replaced the arrows in her sleeves with new ones to prevent sneak attacks.

The situation on the other side of the river gradually became clear, and Xia Zhiyuan called out to the system in his heart.

"Received the host's command——Enlarging the high-definition image for the host——50%——100%"

The scene on the opposite side suddenly became clear in his eyes. Xia Zhiyuan could see clearly that the leading men indeed had a scimitar on their waists.

But not everyone had the silver moon scimitar of the Xizhou City bandits on their waists. The rest of the people had spears, broadswords, and even axes in their hands. There were all kinds of weapons.

It is not an exaggeration to say that they are horse bandits.

But obviously, this group of desperate criminals were not all bandits who escaped from Xizhou City. They were probably the villains who later joined the bandits of Xizhou City.

"Sir, why did you come here in person?"

"It is our duty to guard the river and protect the people. Your Excellency has nothing to worry about!"

The officer holding the spear looked back at the shadow guard team riding towards him.

He immediately went to meet them. The two sides were in a tense situation, but fortunately, the people trapped in the river had been rescued.

There is no need to worry about life for the time being.

Xia Zhiyuan nodded and said to the officer, "Come and see who is this person who is so bold."

"Dare to disturb the emperor's feet."

It was indeed at the feet of the emperor. Now, His Majesty the Emperor was in Longcheng, and only the people in their camp knew about it.

However, the officer glanced around and did not see His Majesty, so he breathed a sigh of relief.

I think Your Majesty must be resting in the big tent after the long journey these days.

He said, "The other party... has not attacked yet, but has been wandering back and forth at the edge. I think there must be an ambush behind them!"

"It's easy to dodge an open attack, but it's hard to guard against an arrow from the dark, sir...why don't you go back first, and wait until we catch that little thief, then you can rest assured."

Although this garrison officer usually obeyed Xia Zhiyuan's orders, that was only regarding the expansion of the river channel. When it came to marching and fighting, he relied more on his first instinct.

Therefore, what he feared most was that the adults did not know how to deploy troops and gave random commands, thus harming the lives of his soldiers.

Xia Zhiyuan could naturally hear the distrust in the military officer's tone, but this was also human nature.

After all, this old man is old and has retired from the barbarian battlefield. It is understandable that he is a little arrogant.

"Do you really think this is a large army?"

"I think you, sir, have been through so much and must understand the principle of laying bait when fishing."

Zhao Changlin was the first to dismount. She stretched out her hands and carried Xia Zhiyuan down without saying a single word throughout the whole process.

The garrison officers had long been accustomed to the shadow guard who often appeared beside Xia Zhiyuan and did not take it seriously.

"Spreading bait when fishing... What does your Excellency mean... Did your Excellency find out something?"

The officer raised his head suddenly, glanced across the river bank again, and began to make plans in his mind.

The scorching sun at noon was a bit too hot, so Zhao Changlin opened a brown oil-paper umbrella and covered Xia Zhiyuan's head with it.

She raised her eyes and looked towards the other side.

The group of horse thieves neither retreated nor advanced, as if they were doing it on purpose to lure them into chasing them.

"Of course, I'm afraid this is not a simple robbery. They all came here with a premeditated plan."

The two men standing together had an indescribable sense of matching, and the officer then noticed the black shadow guard standing next to Xia Zhiyuan.

This man was tall and looked intimidating without even getting angry. He was not like the one who stood respectfully beside Lord Zhiyuan, motionless, like a sculpture.

It's more like... someone who has learned etiquette. The standing posture is not just upright, but also elegant.

The man stood very close to Lord Zhiyuan, with almost no sense of propriety. If it were an ordinary shadow guard following Lord Zhiyuan, he would probably have to leave an inch of courtesy.

Could it be possible? The officer began to have some guesses in his mind, but he didn't dare to think about it too much. Sometimes, it is a smart move not to say some things out loud.

If this person is really the current emperor, then my disrespectful behavior just now was probably noticed by the emperor to some extent.

But this is too random.

How can Your Majesty not take care of your health? Instead, you stay with Lord Zhiyuan.

……

"The woman on the other side is... Xia Zhiyuan?"

"Didn't they say she was seriously ill? How come she is now... safe and sound!"

Squinting his eyes, the big man used the back of his hand to block the sunlight. He looked at the army on the other side of the river, which was reluctant to come over, and he was naturally very anxious.

If they failed to complete the tasks assigned by their boss on time, they would at the very least be beaten.

"This medicine jar is indeed... just like the rumors say, it can perform witchcraft, is invulnerable to swords and guns, and is immune to all poisons... It is used to pretending in front of others, like that weak sister, panting every three steps."

"In fact, he is full of calculations and as cunning as a fox."

"The wind is tight, pull!"

The big man swung the long sword and put it behind his back again, then commanded the brothers around him to retreat step by step.

He knew clearly that if the confrontation continued, they, who could not even read, would be no match for the woman.

In the past, the young general Zhongyong Hou, who was famous among the barbarians, the arrogant pirates in Xizhou City, and even worse, the vassal kings who ruled a region, all suffered at her hands.

She persuaded the Longya Village, a major threat in the north, to surrender, which completely weakened the arrogance of the bandits. Now that the Longya Village had surrendered to the imperial court, they knew how to bully the bandits and hit them at their weakest point.

As a result, almost all the mountain beards in the north were driven south.

There are many merchants in the south. In order to prevent bandits from burning, killing and looting, many of them hire servants. Without equipment, let alone robbing others, it would be like throwing meat buns at a dog, and there would be no return.