Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (V)

The two iron lions at the palace gate were hollow, their bellies already packed with gunpowder, their fuse buried deep within the blue bricks all the way to the marked floor tiles. Not only the lions, but also the pavilions and towers within the palace, resembling imperial palaces, held hidden secrets. Now, with that resounding explosion, they were all shattered to dust, and priceless exotic flowers and plants were tossed skyward.

Bian Hongqiu was knocked to the ground by Meng Shizhuang, and then the two of them were blown away by the aftermath of the gunpowder explosion.

He hugged Meng Shizhuang's waist and rolled around on the ground several times, gravel flying all around them. Everyone prostrated themselves on the ground in the same position. The horses on the periphery raised their hooves and neighed, their painful howls coming belatedly. Following closely behind, the horns of the Western Frontier Army, who had crossed the Huai River from Kailanzhou and were guarding the west gate of Huangquezhou, sounded the battle cry.

This is the signal for the enemy to counterattack.

Bian Hongqiu's ears were bleeding and there were bursts of buzzing sounds in his head.

It took him a great deal of effort to steady his breath and banish the noise from his mind. The horn blasts grew more urgent each time. He propped himself up on his elbows, bent his legs, and knelt beside Meng Shizhuang. He tried to pull her out, but he felt something wrong with his other palm. The dust settled, and his vision returned. He looked down to see Meng Shizhuang, his face covered in blood, his eyes closed, hunched over.

Given the distance Bian Hongqiu had been standing from the iron lion, and he was standing straight, if Meng Shizhuang hadn't tackled him to the ground, his brain would have exploded. Meng Shizhuang was lucky to still be breathing after shielding him from the attack. He reached out and touched Meng Shizhuang, and found a large patch of his hair, wet and sticky, running down his back. Most of it was burned.

His hand continued to move downwards, from back to front, and touched Meng Shizhuang's wrist.

When he grasped Meng Shizhuang's skeleton in his palm, he recalled with panic: Was he this thin before? Has he still been this thin all these years?

On that terrifying night, amidst the aftermath of battle, he once again saw Meng Shizhuang descend from the sky. He was exactly as he'd imagined him, a man of unwavering ability, regardless of age. He seemed to have forgotten that a barrage of gunpowder can only peel away skin and tendons, not "shave bones." The subtle throbbing at Meng Shizhuang's wrist tugged at his shaky nerves, and Bian Hongqiu breathed a sigh of relief, his entire body drenched in sweat.

"Where's the military doctor! Send the military doctor over!"

He roared despite feeling dizzy, picked up Meng Shizhuang's bloody face, and called out, "Ah Shi? Wake up!"

Meng Shizhuang closed her eyes, as if she was sleeping.

Bian Hongqiu didn't dare shake him hard, so he had to open the hidden buckle on his arm armor and forcefully pried the iron arm off. Leaving aside the days of nursing at the Shangyang border, he had only been on the march for ten years. Fortunately, he hadn't yet forged a strong body, so his muscles and bones were strong but not uncomfortable, just enough to hold Meng Shizhuang.

The guards still struggling on the ground responded one after another, "Your Highness, the military doctor is on the warship on the Huai River."

"Then go find a doctor!"

At this moment, the deputy general rushed in from the west city gate. He was once the most capable member of Shao Zheng's personal guards, the one who had been about to commit suicide in front of Bian Hongqiu that day. Later, Bian Hongqiu transferred him to his side. His surname was Qi and his given name was Ziyu. He rode in and shouted to His Highness amid the chaos: "Your Highness! Your Highness! I don't know from which hole those rats under King Jingxi came out..."

Bian Hongqiu was so shaken that he couldn't straighten his back halfway through the hug. He had to half-kneel and lift the unconscious Meng Shizhuang onto his lap. He didn't know if he should try to find joy in the midst of hardship. At least Meng Shizhuang didn't know about this embarrassing incident. Qi Ziyu's voice was like a bell, and it made his ears ring again. He had no choice but to shout back at the top of his lungs: "The horns are blaring, but I'm not deaf!"

He regretted it the moment he said it.

Deputy General Qi was worthy of being the biggest bully in the Prince Liang's Mansion. He immediately joined in the shouting, almost making Bian Hongqiu deaf.

Qi Ziyu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your Highness! Please listen to me! Those are from the west city gate, and some are coming from the Huai River. I saw the navy firing several flares without stopping, and I was afraid something might happen to you, so I rushed here! What should we do now? These rats are going to surround us like turtles."

He was so anxious that he started to speak without thinking.

Bian Hongqiu was deeply moved by the tone and content of these words.

Now it wasn't his turn to curse Xi Zhongting; even their own spies had become useless—oh, he weighed the people in his hands and added, acting out his own words: "Children and doctors who save lives don't count." For a full ten years, including the men sent by His Majesty, how could no one have noticed that this traitor had quietly accumulated so many troops?

This time, they attacked from the east of the Huai River, mobilizing almost the entire Western Frontier Army guarding Lanzhou. Xi Zhongting also attacked from the other side of the Western Frontier. Xi was too anxious, and he had no choice but to follow the desperate move. Otherwise, he hesitated before the battle, hoping to retain troops and strength, and in the end, he would lose everything.

The two groups of people were flanking Zuo Dan's Eighteen Continents. His side had the advantage of having more people, and they had been recruiting and training soldiers in an orderly manner over the years, and their numbers were no less than what his father had had. Not to mention Xi Zhongting's side, even if he allowed thirty people to sneak in, they could probably kill an entire continent. The people under his command were not wolf cubs, but adult wild wolves who ate raw meat and drank blood.

Even if the King of Jingxi was a hidden agent planted before Your Majesty gradually gained control of Dayu, could he really have avoided training for a single moment in the past ten years? Could it be that he had frozen all these soldiers, and the toppings he had just applied yesterday had thawed?

Bian Hongqiu half-knelt and rested for a while, and his eyes finally became clear. He stood up while holding Meng Shizhuang, and his eyes swept into the air and fell on Huangque Mountain which was still in Huangque Island.

The mountain wasn't too high, just enough for ordinary people to enjoy an outing. But the King of Jingxi sealed it off, gathering a large army to guard it. Those who entered never returned. Several men perished inside, and the last word came from the corpses: there was an underground mine. Bian Hongqiu hadn't thought much of it; a mine like that was only natural; the King of Jingxi would have some treasures.

Now that I think about it, everything is wrong.

After Emperor Xue reclaimed the prefectures, he issued a strict decree: anyone who dared to smuggle money and goods with the Western Territory would be condemned to hell. Even if the Zuodan Eighteen Continents were wealthy, they were far from self-sufficient to this degree. Ten years would have nearly depleted the entire Western Territory. This traitor possessed a vast cache of untouchable gold and stone. Besides shoving it into his woman's head for self-admiration, what else could he do?

Besides, he hadn't heard anyone report that the Western Territory was particularly rich in gems.

Otherwise, there would be a stone in the letters sent to Prince Liang’s Mansion as a tribute during every festival.

I see.

King Jingxi is very good at hiding his true intentions.

It seems that the other heavily guarded mines that Zuo Dan had heard about in the Eighteen Continents were also just a cover-up where troops were stationed there.

Off to the side, Shao Zheng also stumbled to his feet. Seeing Bian Hongqiu raise his chin toward Huangque Mountain, he immediately exchanged glances with him, a look that was difficult to describe. Although this move had dealt them a heavy blow and seemed quite calculated, they both secretly resented the King of Jingxi, thinking he was mentally ill. He had taken over the mountain as king, but who was he guarding against?

He is unwilling to openly deploy his troops to the front line, but prefers to launch counterattacks in the hole formation.

Bian Hongqiu didn't dare enter the bombed Jingxi Palace. Who knew if this cunning King of Jingxi would leave behind some hidden traps that no one could foresee? He immediately requisitioned an inn with his men. Their men suffered numerous injuries in front of the Jingxi Palace, but fortunately, no one died. The soldiers were heavily armored, and Bian Hongqiu, the only one without a helmet, was standing in the most inconspicuous position.

The guards helped each other to their feet. Liu Lang had been pushed to the outermost perimeter by Meng Shizhuang, and aside from the noise making him feel dizzy, he was fine. Song Jingyan, unarmored and securely protected by the guards, was still shaken unconscious. Bian Hongqiu summoned a few reliable spies lurking in the city to fetch a doctor. He then told Shao Zheng, "Even if the King of Jingxi can station his troops in the mountains, he won't be able to train a navy."

"The situation on the Huai River is likely just a deception, much ado about nothing. Our navy on the Huai River simply wasn't prepared for this move, and will quickly recover once they react. You go to the other side of the Huai River to stabilize the situation and present His Majesty's decree to reclaim the Western Territory as a warning. Anyone who refuses to surrender will be killed on the spot. Send a messenger to Lanzhou to bring in the two deputy governors to temporarily manage Huangquezhou's affairs. They will recount the population and each household's livelihood. Those who refuse to cooperate will be considered accomplices of the traitors and imprisoned along with the Huangquezhou officials."

The innkeeper tremblingly brought up two jars of liquor and medicine.

Bian Hongqiu glanced at him, waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to greet her, and asked, "Have you found the doctor?"

The other party didn't dare to kneel, so he bent over, bending at the angle of worshiping the dead: "Here we are, here we are. The old doctor's legs are not good, and the waiter is supporting him."

Bian Hongqiu didn't even turn around, "Tell them to bring the doctor up!"

There was a burn on the back of his neck, and the armor covering his left shoulder was pierced by a piece of iron. He stared at Meng Shizhuang without blinking, but his hands did not stop. Shao Zheng, who was standing behind him, wanted to lend a hand to help him, but he saw him grit his teeth and remove all the armor. A large piece of steaming hot skin was immediately peeled off from the back of his neck and back.

Even Shao Zheng's eyelids twitched when he saw it.

Bian Hongqiu lifted a strong liquor in one hand and poured it down his wound, oblivious to the pain. Then, he took the unknown medicine the innkeeper had sent him, uncorked it, sniffed it, and, after applying the medicine himself, began bandaging the wound. The pain was so intense he could barely open his eyes, but he still forced himself to lift them and look. Finally, he realized he was almost crying, fighting against his body's instincts. Afraid of losing face, he averted his gaze. "Go get me a good set of armor—General Qi, the rats are going to beat you to a pulp. Stop craning your neck to look at me from this couch. Follow me to the west gate to meet the enemy."

General Qi, who was carrying the old doctor up, was not embarrassed by being caught. Instead, he asked him directly and curiously, "Your Highness, who did you just carry up?"

The old doctor looked around, his gaze etched on Bian Hongqiu's crude, almost-infuriating treatment. Trembling, he extended a finger, which the discerning Shao Zheng grasped. Then, in this position, he lifted the old doctor and carried him to Meng Shizhuang's bedside. General Qi, preoccupied with gossip, left the distressed Prince Liang, who could only wrap his mouth around the bandage, distractedly asking, "Old sir, how is his injury?"

He took the time to glance at Qi Ziyu again. Although General Qi had spent several years studying in the study of Prince Liang's mansion, he seemed to have forgotten everything. He was rude to his own people, calling them "turtles" and "beasts" at every turn. He was careless and had worked his youthful, stage-worthy voice into a hoarse gong. People who could hear him from miles away often mistook him for a burly, bearded man.

In fact, he and General Shao are known as a pair of beautiful jades in the current Western Frontier Army.

After all, even after years of battle, Commander Bian Hongqiu's beautiful face, born of his parents, still held considerable influence, and it didn't quite align with the rough-hewn ideals of a commander. The soldiers privately felt that the masculine and robust features of Generals Shao and Qi better represented the Western Frontier Army.

Of course, General Qi only has his face to look at.

Bian Hongqiu didn't want to talk any more, or else this idiot would definitely ask questions, so he put on his armor and perfunctorily pushed his subordinate out of the room: "Beauty... stop talking, go get me the horse, or else the traitor's knife will scratch your neck."

After saying that, he moved to the side of the old doctor.

The old doctor, huddled in his home, listened to the sudden changes happening tonight on Huangque Island. He was then dragged from his bed, terrified beyond belief. But with his life on the line, he cast all fear aside. Noticing someone approaching, he casually tugged at the cold armor and tapped it with his fingers. "Quick, give me a hand! I need to see the wound on his back."

Bian Hongqiu was about to make a move when Qi Ziyu, who had already run out of the inn and found his horse, began his unique roar again. Suddenly, a pair of young hands reached out from behind him.

It’s Rokuro.

Liu Lang had calmed down from his sudden change, his face serene. Following the old doctor's instructions, he turned Meng Shizhuang's body to the side and said to Bian Hongqiu, "The war is urgent. I'll take care of you, brother. Your Highness, don't worry."

Bian Hongqiu left with a sigh of relief. He turned back to glance at Meng Shizhuang again, feeling that this was not the right time to meet again. He said to Liu Lang, "Take good care of your brother and wait for me to come back."