Chapter 110

The army is approaching Jingzhou.

The army set up camp on a relatively gentle slope thirty miles outside Jingzhou. They did not choose a closer location to avoid harassment from distant attacks by the city's defenders, and also to allow for this last crucial rest.

Inside the central command tent, Tang Qi stood in the main seat, pointing to several key city gates and defensive points on the map. His voice was hoarse but exceptionally clear: "The general guarding the East Gate is Lang Ce Wu Juchun. Although he is an old general, he has a fatal flaw in leading troops. Knowing this, it will not be difficult to take this place. Ye An, you will lead the troops to attack directly. You will have at most an hour and a half."

"As for Yuexi Gate, it is probably the most fortified place. I will lead the troops there. As for other matters, do as I have instructed before."

His words were clear and logical, and his decisions were made decisively. Initially, the soldiers had some doubts about him leading the uprising, but the victories of the past few days had already made Tang Qi the absolute leader of the army.

Their successful attack was due not only to Ye Qian's meticulous planning and Tang Qi's rich experience, but also to His Majesty's ambition.

The main force defending Shuojing was the Wolf Army. His Majesty changed commanders, stripped the Tang family of their military power, and made it Sheng Ye's personal guard. But it was precisely because of this ambition that the rebel army captured several cities in succession.

After all, no one understands the Wolf Strategy Army better than Tang Qi.

With the deployment largely finalized, he rubbed his bloodshot eyes, looked at the darkening sky outside the tent, and said in a deep voice, "Pass down the order: tonight, reward the entire army with plenty of wine and meat!"

The order spread, and the atmosphere in the camp became even more complex. There were brief cheers, but more prevalent was a heavy, unspoken silence. Everyone knew that this might be the last peaceful meal, the last drink, for many of them in their lives.

Night fell completely, the campfire burned even brighter, the meat broth in the large pot boiled, the wine jar was smashed open, and the strong smell of alcohol filled the air. The soldiers huddled around the fire, eating and drinking in silence, many with red eyes, but no one uttered a single word.

Tang Qi, holding a bowl of wine, walked to a slightly higher mound in the center of the camp. He looked down at the familiar and unfamiliar faces below, feeling as if something was stuck in his chest.

Finally, he took a deep breath, raised the wine bowl high, and his voice clearly echoed throughout the camp: "Gentlemen!"

All eyes immediately turned to him.

"This bowl of wine is a toast to you all," Tang Qi said with a smile. "It's a toast to those who risked their lives to stay by my side all the way! And a toast to all the brothers who shed their blood for this day!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, his voice growing lower yet more powerful: "Tomorrow, we will be at the gates of Jingzhou! I know that many of you understand that once we go, we may never return."

The camp was deathly silent, with only the crackling of the torches.

"But so what?" Tang Qi's voice suddenly rose: "While we're alive, we can witness peace and prosperity; when we're dead—"

He suddenly laughed maliciously, like a child who had just pulled a prank: "This is the land of the Shuo Dynasty. Aren't we all going to die here sooner or later? What's there to be afraid of about death? What we should be afraid of is that this world will forever be a world where right and wrong are reversed, and loyalty and treachery are indistinguishable!"

"Tomorrow I will charge ahead with my sword, please follow me," he said, tilting his head back and drinking the spicy liquid in the bowl in one gulp. Then he smashed the empty bowl on the ground: "I will fight to the death!"

"Dry!"

"Dry!!"

Countless wine bowls were raised, the sound of them shattering echoing continuously, as if everyone wanted to leave themselves completely behind in this day.

Amidst this somber atmosphere, Shen Zhiqing noticed Ye Qian. He had been drinking heavily, choking and coughing, his back almost completely bent over.

"What's wrong?" Shen Zhiqing touched his back. Ye Qian coughed and waved his hand. He straightened up, smiled at her, and then stood up and said, "It's nothing. The wine was too strong, and I choked. I'm sure Yao Lao will like this wine. He doesn't like crowds, so I'll send him a jar."

As he spoke, he picked up a jar of wine and walked out.

He was thin and looked even more frail in the cold wind. Shen Zhiqing should have chased after him, but for some inexplicable reason, she didn't move and just stared at Ye Qian's back.

It was hard to describe that feeling. Even though Ye Qian was right in front of her, she felt like he had gone very, very far away.

What would happen if she chased after her? She didn't know. But Shen Zhiqing was terrified; a strange fear gripped her heart, and she didn't want to think about anything or say anything.

Everything was silent in winter.

The old man was over sixty, his hair and beard were all white, and his face was deeply lined, but his eyes were still clear.

Seeing Ye Qian carrying a wine jar as he entered, he gave him a cold look, snorted, and then turned his head away, pretending not to see him.

Ye Qian sat down beside him, the wine jar was opened, and the aroma of the wine wafted into Yao Lao's nose, making him swallow several mouthfuls of saliva.

"Come on, I'll drink with you."

After much coaxing, the old doctor reluctantly took the wine jar, glaring at him and saying, "You're the one who's watching me drink."

The old apothecary tilted his head back and drank, wine dripping from his beard. He still smiled gently, though his face was pale. After a long while, the old apothecary put down the wine jar and suddenly let out a barely audible sigh.

“Little Ye,” the old physician’s voice was dry and hoarse, carrying the deep sorrow of a doctor who had seen countless deaths but was still not completely numb: “You should stop here.”

Ye Qian looked at the old doctor, said nothing, and simply shook his head gently.

Seeing him like this, the old apothecary became anxious, his white beard trembling slightly: "Don't you know your own body? It's already a miracle that you've made it to the outskirts of Jingzhou City in your current condition. Any further, let alone going into battle, even just following the army, could... could..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

"May die?" Ye Qian grinned and continued, "Don't all people die?"

The old doctor paused, tears welling in his eyes: "Xiao Ye, stop. Just stay here. They've had enough of Jingzhou. Your body, your condition, can't continue."

“But I’m not resigned to this,” Ye Qian took a breath, forced a smile, and continued, “We’ve come this far…”

He suddenly coughed violently, and the old doctor immediately stepped forward and took his pulse. Ye Qian was panting, and his voice was weak but unusually clear: "I know I have no future. In fact, I should have died a few years ago, but fate took pity on me and let me live a few more years."

He raised his eyes, looked up at the top of the tent, and gave a bitter laugh as his gaze fell into the thick darkness: "I thought we had really made it through."

Upon hearing this, the old doctor awkwardly looked away, and when he spoke again, his voice trembled: "Your heart meridian is damaged, and your lungs and internal organs are weakened. You are already... on the verge of death."

He released his grip, his eyes trembling slightly, and said, "I can't do anything about it."

"...How much time do I have left?" Ye Qian asked in silence.

"It's hard to say, maybe a month, maybe a day, or maybe... an hour." The old apothecary looked at him again: "Little Ye, death comes quickly. Staying here, at least I can guarantee you'll leave easily. Don't go with them anymore. And what about Chen'er? Wouldn't it be better if you stayed with Chen'er?"

“But I’ve already promised them.” He looked at the old doctor, his eyes filled with an almost obsessive determination: “I promised Zhou Ziye, I promised Xiao Jin, I promised everyone that I would witness peace and prosperity for them. Qingqing too. If I’m the reason she’s stuck somewhere, I might as well leave now.”

"Foolish!" Old Yao stomped his foot and roared in a low voice, "The person is dead! You're keeping your promise to the dead and throwing yourself down with it, is it worth it?! Even if you were given a few more months to live and see the end, what good would it do?! You'd still die! You should cherish the present and cherish the time you have with Shen girl!"

“It’s precisely because Qingqing is still here,” Ye Qian interrupted him, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth again, “that I can’t stop. I want to see with her whether what we’ve sacrificed everything for can really come true. I want to see her live the rest of her life in a world where she doesn’t have to lose her loved ones and live a life of constant displacement like she does now.”

“I want to see these things with my own eyes,” he looked at the old doctor, his eyes almost pleading. “Only then can I leave in peace. Old doctor, you have a way to prolong my life, don’t you? I beg you, please let me hold on until it’s all over.”

The old apothecary's body jolted violently. He stared intently at Ye Qian, his eyes filled with an extremely complex expression. Then, he suddenly flicked his sleeve and said, "I don't have that kind of medicine! Don't talk nonsense!"

Unexpectedly, Ye Qian burst out laughing, as if he had found some martial arts secret manual, and said with a hearty laugh: "Master Yao, if someone tries to trick you again next time, you'd better be careful."

The man opposite him froze for a moment, then realized he had let something slip. Seeing that he couldn't hide it any longer, he tapped the table and said, "You—do you know what kind of medicine that is?" His voice trembled. "It's not some miracle drug, it's poison to quench your thirst! It'll drain the last bit of your life out of you!"

"If you don't take it, you might be able to last for half a month. Although you'll be weak, at least you'll have a relatively peaceful end. If you take it, it will not only forcibly prolong your life, allowing you to live for a few more months, but it will also restore your health. However, afterwards you will lose all five senses and die bleeding from all seven orifices! Moreover, this medicine cannot prolong your life for long; at most, it can allow you to last for three months."

"Three months..." Ye Qian seemed oblivious, only lowering his head and muttering to himself, "Three months... is enough."

"Master Yao, I want to eat it," he suddenly said.

The person opposite him suddenly closed their eyes, their hands trembling as if their heart was burning, and said, "It's not worth it, these extra three months aren't worth it! Xiao Ye, why do you have to torture yourself like this!"

Ye Qian stretched out both hands in front of Yao Lao, smiling like a child: "I've never actually held a sword and killed an enemy before, I want to try."

The person opposite him remained silent, but Ye Qian continued cheerfully, "I've always been someone who had no choice. Now, it's all good. I can choose how I die. And what could be luckier than dying as a normal person?"

"Master Yao, I will die without regrets."

Upon hearing this, the other person's eyes instantly reddened. It took him a long time to finally pull out a medicine jar from his waist, pouring it into Ye Qian's hand while choking back tears, "Xiao Ye, I truly love you, and I don't want to see you like that."

Ye Qian looked at the red pill in his palm, then raised his head, a calm, even relieved smile on his face: "Thank you."

After saying that, without waiting for the old doctor to react, he put the pill into his mouth without hesitation, then stood up and knelt down in front of the old doctor, solemnly bowing deeply.

"I will repay your kindness in the next life, even if it comes too late."