Chapter 326: Choice

He Lanxiong turned over and dismounted, staggered, and almost fell to the ground. He Lanrui, who was guarding outside his tent, strode forward and barely supported him, "Patriarch, why did you drink so much wine?" He asked in a low voice.

"Go get me a basin of cold water." He Lanxiong said, "By the way, call me the swallow by the way."

"Yes, Patriarch!"

Back in the big tent, he untied the scimitar casually and threw it in the corner of the tent. He Lanxiong sat down cross-legged, but he was thinking about Gao Yuan's proposal earlier.

what to do? This is an opportunity to save the tribe, but at the same time, it is also a shackle, a noose around the neck. Once he complied, he would no longer have the opportunity to develop independently, and would be forever reduced to Gao Yuan's subordinate, a vassal of the Fufeng Army.

"Patriarch, the water is coming!" He Lanrui put a basin of cold water in front of He Lanxiong, and He Lanxiong suddenly buried his head in the basin, the cold water finally made him feel a little clearer, and he raised his head Come on, look at He Lanrui drippingly: "Where's the swallow?"

"Brother, it's so late, you're still awake, why did you ask me to come over?" He Lanyan lifted the curtain and entered, looking at He Lanxiong's appearance, she said in surprise: "What are you doing? You made it like this?" He brought a cloth towel, wrapped He Lanxiong's head, rubbed it vigorously a few times, a strong smell of alcohol made He Lanyan frowned, "Why do you drink so much wine?"

"I'll be with Gao Yuan at night!" He Lanxiong whispered.

"What? Gao Yuan came to Juli to lock up?" He Lanyan cried out in surprise, and jumped in front of He Lanxiong, almost knocking the water basin to the ground. "This guy is really disgusting. He came to Juliguan without making a sound, and he can't even look at me?"

He Lanxiong raised his hand and waved it, and He Lanrui knowingly stepped forward and picked up the water basin. go outside.

"Ah Rui, go and inform the elders, and let them all come to me."

"Yes, Patriarch!"

The curtain was lowered, and He Lanxiong looked at He Lanyan, "He is going to get married, and I heard that the wedding date is set on the first day of the new year. In Fufeng, Ye's envoy has already discussed all the details with Cao Tiancheng. It won't be long, Gao Yuan He is about to set off from Fufeng to meet his bride."

He Lanyan's head lowered slowly.

"Swallow!" He Lanxiong stretched out his hand worriedly. Gently stroking He Lanyan's black and beautiful long hair. He Lanyan raised her head suddenly, with a smile on her face, "It's nothing,

I already knew, brother, why are you telling me this? Is it because of this that you specifically called me here? "

If He Lanyan was sad, shed tears or even got angry because of this, He Lanxiong would feel more at ease. Seeing He Lanyan's usual demeanor at this moment, he became even more uneasy.

"Are you OK?"

"What can I do!" He Lanyan's tone seemed very relaxed, "Brother, when he left Fufeng for Yuyang, he and I made it very clear, I know, there is no possibility between us .”

"I hope you really let go!" He Lanxiong sighed. "You know. Did Gao Yuan talk to me about something today?"

He Lanyan shook her head.

"He invited me to join the Fufeng Army!" He Lanxiong said, "It's joining, not the previous alliance. Swallow. What do you think about this matter?"

He Lanyan was silent for a moment, "Brother, you must be very sad!"

"Yeah, I'm very sad." He Lanxiong said: "When we formed an alliance with Gao Yuan, the strength of both sides was about the same, and we were even stronger than him, but now, look, in just two years, Gao Yuan has already become a big Yan’s General Zhengdong has thousands of elite soldiers under his command, the territories of Fufeng and Chima counties, Juliguan, a base for making weapons for him, and Sihai Trading, a trading company that created wealth for him. And we, what do we have now? We are all lost dogs now!"

There was sadness in He Lanxiong's voice.

"Brother!" He Lanyan moved to He Lanxiong's side, reaching out to hug his arm, "Brother, you don't have to belittle yourself, you are also a hero, it's just bad luck, brother, the chaos on the grassland is on the verge of death, and it is dangerous There are many things, but it is not without opportunities. Maybe we can use this opportunity to increase our strength. Brother, don’t you want to be a hero who dominates the grassland? Maybe, now is the opportunity. Clans, go, go, decline, decline, no longer the behemoth it used to be."

He Lanxiong laughed miserably, "I used to think so too, but the conversation with Gao Yuan today made my heart completely cold. Sister, I will never succeed. The Central Plains countries will not tolerate the appearance of another powerful Hun tribe. Which one stands out, which one is the target of their attack, Gao Yuan said, even if it is him, he will attack."

He Lanyan was stunned for a moment, "Gao Yuan said, he will also make a move? If this person is you, will he also make a move?"

He Lanxiong was silent, and said after a long while, "Wuzhi saw this clearly, so he ran away, Yanzi, in the next time, which tribe has the willingness to replace the Wang Ting and gather the Xiongnu tribe again, will welcome them A violent blow from anyone!"

"They all want the Xiongnu to continue in this chaos?" He Lanyan trembled.

"Yes, only if the Xiongnu continue to be in chaos like this, will they not pose a threat to them." He Lanxiong closed his eyes and said.

"Patriarch, the elders are here!" He Lanrui's voice came from outside the tent.

He Lanxiong sat up straight, rubbed his face, "All elders, please come in."

He Lankang, He Lanjie, He Lanmin and other elders of the Helan tribe filed in. In the past two years, as the Helan tribe got rid of the fate of perishing at any time and turned to flourishing, their power was being suppressed. He Lanxiong stripped it away bit by bit. Now, it is purely an honorary title.

The army, the lifeblood of the Helan tribe's survival, was firmly controlled by He Lanxiong.

"Patriarch!" Several people sat cross-legged on He Lanxiong's lower head. In the past two years, they have been tempered by He Lanxiong.

"I believe everyone is clear about our current situation. What is the future of the Helan Department? I wonder what the elders think?" He Lanxiong asked straight to the point.

Several people glanced at each other, all a little surprised, He Lankang coughed, "In the past, the patriarch was the master, but now, we naturally follow the patriarch's orders."

The others all nodded and said yes, "We will do what the patriarch says."

"As long as you have a stutter and can safely herd sheep and cattle, we have no problem!"

He Lanxiong heard the trace of sourness inside and outside the words, and couldn't help being agitated. "Everyone, let's be honest, our Helan tribe has reached the critical point of life and death. One wrong step will lead to the death of the whole family. At this moment, we should work together instead of pushing."

The three elders were silent for a moment, and He Lankang said in a low voice: "Patriarch, can't we live here all the time? With our backs against the lofty Fufeng Army, there should be no problem in terms of safety."

He Lankang started, He Lanjie and He Lanmin nodded repeatedly, and said in agreement: "This is reasonable, we will stay here. Now the grassland is in chaos, and we only have 500 cavalry left. If we rashly intervene, It will inevitably lead to the disaster of extermination of the clan, didn't the sentry cavalry come back today to report that even tribes like Yiqu, which are stronger than us, have now been wiped out?"

Looking at the three elders, He Lanxiong asked: "Have you thought about it, what obligation does the Fufeng Army have to protect us? This is their territory. Can we stay here forever? Now that the trade route has been cut off, there is no more. Money, how do we live?"

He Lanmin looked at the few people in the room, and said: "Patriarch, haven't our two families been united in the past? It's amazing and it's the same as before. We help them fight for the Fufeng Army, and they provide us with land, food, and weapons. How long will it be like this?" In the next year, our Helan Department can also recuperate and grow stronger."

"This method can be considered." He Lankang and He Lanjie immediately echoed, "Anyway, when we return to the grassland, we still have to fight, and we don't know whether we will live or die, and the outcome is hard to determine. Helping the Fufeng Army to fight, even if there is backup, no matter what. Lack of weapons."

"Gao Yuan proposed joining, not forming an alliance!" He Lanxiong's deep voice sounded from the tent, "What do you think about this, elders?"

"What's the difference? The left and right are just helping them fight!" He Lankang said.

"Of course it's different. With an alliance, we have a lot of independence, but if we join, we will become part of the lofty Eastern Expedition Army." He Lanxiong sighed, "We will lose our independence."

There was silence in the tent, and after a long while, He Lanjie stood up, "Patriarch, with all due respect, I know your ambitions, but now the situation is too late, this road will not work at all, if you don't agree Gao Yuan's request to join, I'm afraid we have to leave Juliguan, but if we leave here, I'm afraid the whole family will die. For the sake of the whole Helan tribe, for the sake of the old, weak, women and children in this big camp, I ask the patriarch to agree Join the Eastern Conquest Army."

Inside Juli Pass, Gao Yuan and Bai Yucheng still didn't take a rest. Instead, they made some new dishes and sat down for a drink. Not at all down.

"General, He Lanxiong is different from me. He has great ambitions. Will he join?" Bai Yucheng asked.

"Tiancheng has already done a lot of work." Gao Yuan smiled, "The elders of the Helan Department now have shares in the Four Seas Commerce."

Bai Yucheng said dumbfounded: "It turns out that the general has already made arrangements."

"Not to mention the layout. He Lanxiong doesn't have many opportunities to choose. If he doesn't agree to join, he can only leave Juliguan. He is not so thick-skinned. After rejecting me, he still stays here. But leaving means I believe he will make the right choice."

"But if he is forced to join by the situation, maybe there will be repetitions in the future."

Gao Yuan laughed and toasted, "He is a strong horse, but I am a better horse trainer, and, with the military system I used to conquer the Eastern Army, do you think he has a chance to repeat it?" (To be continued. .)