younger sister
Weizhou City was gasping for breath in the continuous war, and the ruins were filled with a heavy smell of smoke and blood.
When Ning Lingyi entered the government office, there was still a lingering fatigue between her brows.
Still in armor and covered in battle dust, she was about to give orders to her subordinates on military matters when a figure stumbled out from the inner hall and suddenly flew into her arms like a frightened baby bird finally returning to the nest.
"elder sister!"
When she heard the crying voice, she paused for a moment, then opened her arms without hesitation and hugged the trembling body tightly.
It's Lingyao, her sister,
Previously, when she went to the capital to restore order, she was worried about failure, so she deliberately left her sister in Weizhou. But today, she finally came back.
Ning Lingyao was hugging her waist tightly at this moment, her face buried deep in her cold armor, sobbing.
"Sister, I miss you so much... I'm so scared..." Ning Lingyao's voice was filled with tears, carrying endless grievances and fear.
Ning Lingyi's heart softened instantly, and the iron-blooded heart that she had fought all the way to victory was quietly melted by this warm dependence.
She folded her arms and gently patted her sister's thin back, her voice so gentle that she herself didn't even notice: "Silly girl, isn't my sister here in front of you? Don't be afraid."
Ning Lingyao raised her head, tears in her eyes, but her little hands tightly grasped Ning Lingyi's hands, as if she was afraid that her sister would disappear if she let go.
She pulled Ning Lingyi inside, sobbing as she walked, "Sister, there's another fight in the city, and many people have died. I heard the noises outside, and it's so scary. Sister, you've been in such a dangerous place, and I've been worried about you every day and can't sleep..."
Ning Lingyi let her pull him along, her eyes sweeping over the simple, even somewhat shabby furnishings in the government office. A pang of sadness welled up in her heart, and she softly consoled him, "It's all over. Look, sister is fine."
Entering the inner room, Ning Lingyao raised her face, tears still wet, but her eyes were extremely serious: "I know, sister is doing something very important. Sister fought in the war so that she would never have to fight again, right?"
Ning Lingyi's heart trembled. She looked down at her sister's clear eyes, where her own shadow was reflected. She once again held her sister in her arms, her chin gently resting on the top of her head, and said solemnly, "Yes, that's right. Sister wants to make this world peaceful, so that our Lingyao, and all children like Lingyao, will never have to fear war again."
Ning Lingyao lay quiet in her arms for a moment, then suddenly asked in a low voice, "They say that my sister is now the regent for His Majesty. Is she still my sister?"
There was a hint of barely perceptible fear in her voice; she was still a child after all.
Ning Lingyi answered without hesitation: "Sister will always be your sister. No matter what others call me, this will never change."
Ning Lingyao seemed relieved, hugged her back with her little arms, and nodded vigorously.
Ning Lingyi stroked her hair and whispered, "Lingyao, can I have someone take you back to the capital? Concubine Jing's mother is there, and your brother Yanhe is also there. You'll be able to see them when you go back."
"Really?" Ning Lingyao's eyes lit up, and joy instantly blossomed on her face, but then dimmed again. She hesitated, twisting the corners of her clothes with her small hands. After a long moment of hesitation, she raised her head and said with a firm look in her eyes, "Mother has my brother with her...so I won't go back."
"Why?" Ning Lingyi was surprised.
"I want to stay here with my sister." Ning Lingyao said with great seriousness, "There's no one else here, and I'm worried about my sister being alone. She's so tired from fighting, she might not even have a hot meal when she comes back."
When Ning Lingyi heard this, her nose felt sore and her eyes turned red instantly.
She hugged her sister tightly again, tears silently falling.
Her Lingyao has really grown up.
Ning Lingyao felt the wetness on her shoulder, but she acted like a little adult, gently patting her sister's back. "Don't cry, sister. You used to take care of me, but I'm grown up now! Look, I measured my height, and I'm a lot taller than last year! I can take care of you, too!"
She suddenly remembered something and emerged from Ning Lingyi's arms with a little pride on her face. "Sister, I've learned how to cook! I learned from Yaya's family. I can light a fire and make porridge! I can make it for you in the future!"
Ning Lingyi looked at her sister's bright eyes, and a warm feeling surged in her heart, and all her fatigue seemed to be dispelled.
She wiped away her tears and smiled, "Okay, then Sister is in for a treat today. Let Sister see how good our Lingyao's cooking is."
The two sisters smiled at each other and went to the simple small kitchen hand in hand.
Ning Lingyao lit a fire and washed rice in a serious manner, while Ning Lingyi assisted her by washing and cutting vegetables. Amidst the smoke and the clash of knives and shovels, the sisters' whispers and occasional laughter could be heard.
At this moment, there was no regent princess, no majesty, only a pair of sisters who depended on each other.
After a busy period, two bowls of simple rice porridge and one or two plates of slightly burnt vegetables were placed on the table.
Sitting around the small table, eating the food made by her sister, which was not very delicious but extremely warm, Ning Lingyi felt that this was the most peaceful moment she had felt in months.
Ning Lingyao sipped her porridge and suddenly said solemnly, "Sister, I know you're very busy, taking care of so many things and fighting such a big battle. But I will help you. I will take good care of myself and won't cause you any trouble. I will also give you a home! That way, when you miss Empress Yu, you can come back to me!"
You see, Yaoer actually knows everything.
Ning Lingyi felt extremely relieved.
"Okay," Ning Lingyi's voice was soft but firm. She looked at her sister with warmth in her eyes.
"As long as Yao'er is here, sister has a home."
Ning Lingyao smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescents when she heard that. She nodded vigorously and picked up another piece of food for her sister with her chopsticks.
Ning Lingyi was eating the dishes her sister brought her, but she had a lot of thoughts in her mind. It was easy to say "end the war", but behind it were mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and a complicated situation.
Although Beishuo Tuoba Hong has retreated temporarily, his ambition remains undying. He is like a dormant hungry wolf and may counterattack at any time. The Western Qiang has just been defeated, the royal court is furious, and the forces being gathered should not be underestimated.
These two powerful enemies were like swords hanging over the head of the Southern Dynasty, making her unable to sleep or eat.
One of the keys to breaking the deadlock lies in the isolated army that penetrates deep into the northern desert.
Wang Mengzi...
Ning Lingyi's thoughts drifted to the north. Mengzi was brave and loyal, but Mobei was different from Heshuo. The harsh environment and unpredictable enemy situation were far beyond imagination.
Although he had smoothed out many of his edges and become more steady, the difficulty of this mission was extraordinary. He had to go deep into the barren land and his logistics would be cut off. Once he was discovered and entangled by the Beishuo garrison troops, the consequences would be disastrous.
If this surprise force fails to stir up the heartland of Beishuo as expected, and fails to force Tuoba Hong to be distracted or even return for support, then the entire Heshuo defense line, and even the entire Southern Dynasty, will be under tremendous pressure from the possible reunion of Western Qiang and Beishuo.
By then, the war will break out again, and she doesn't know how long the promise she just made to her sister of "no more war" will have to be postponed.
Thinking of this, Ning Lingyi's heart couldn't help but tighten, and her fingertips felt slightly cold.
However, this trace of worry only stayed in her eyes for a moment before it was replaced by a deeper determination, and she took a slow breath.
She chose to believe.
Believe in Wang Mengzi, believe in Pan Hao, and believe in yourself even more.
The arrow has been shot, and all we can do is believe that it will hit the bull's eye.
She withdrew her gaze and looked at her sister who was blowing the hot porridge carefully in front of her. In order to protect this warmth, she must win.
"Sister, the porridge is getting cold." Ning Lingyao reminded in a low voice.
Ning Lingyi smiled and picked up the bowl: "Okay, let's eat together."
*
At this moment, in the vast sea of sand in Mobei, two isolated armies are experiencing the same torment.
Wang Mengzi wiped the dust off his face. His lips were cracked. He looked at the endless yellow world in front of him. He anxiously punched the sand dune beside him, and fine sand fell down.
"Damn it! This damn place is even more weird than Mo Nan! I can't even find a ghost!" He cursed in a low voice.
The Beishuo people had obviously made careful preparations for this large-scale expedition. The tribes near their ancestral land seemed to have evaporated overnight, moving to more hidden and difficult-to-find valleys, and the traces they left behind were quickly buried by wind and sand.
Although Wang Mengzi is no longer the young man who only knows how to rush forward, this is his first time to go deep into such an unfamiliar and harsh environment. Faced with such a situation, he can't help but feel helpless and has no place to use his strength.
Ding Guinan, who was following behind him, was now wearing an ill-fitting Southern Dynasty military uniform. His thin body looked a little frail in the wind and sand, but his eyes were no longer filled with pure panic, but with a hint of persistence.
The journey was extremely difficult, but he gritted his teeth and did not fall behind.
Wang Mengzi kept him by his side, which was more of a test than a care, and even a bit of recklessness.
Ding Guinan was afraid, but strangely he did not want to escape like he did at first. He just followed closely, as if by following this fierce general, he could get away from the past where he was at the mercy of others.
On the other hand, Pan Hao’s situation is also not optimistic.
He led another 5,000 light cavalry, each man riding two horses, carrying limited supplies, and shot into the heart of Mobei like sharp arrows.
Although he had an old soldier who had followed his father to Mobei in his early years as a guide, the topography had changed a lot over the years, and the people of Beishuo were deliberately hiding themselves, so the search progressed extremely slowly.
The scorching sun burned the sand, reflecting a dazzling white light. The continuous sand dunes looked almost identical, making it very easy to get lost.
When the wind blows, sand and rocks fly, the sky is dark and it is difficult to tell the direction.
Pan Hao reined in his horse, unfolded the rough sheepskin map, and frowned.
The guide pointed to a few vague landmarks and said uncertainly, "General, from my memory, there should have been several small oases nearby, perhaps seasonal tribes stationed there. But now you see the direction of the sand dunes has changed. I'm afraid it will be difficult to find them."
The team moved forward in silence, the horses' hooves sinking into the quicksand and struggling to pull themselves out, draining the energy of both horses and soldiers.
The water in the water bag was decreasing rapidly, and anxiety was spreading silently.
They are like headless flies entering a huge maze. Every time they think they have found a clue, when they chase it, it is often just a mirage or abandoned ruins.
Wang Mengzi and Pan Hao were both well aware of the importance of this mission. Ning Lingyi personally led the main force to contain Tuoba Hong's army in Heshuo, creating this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them.
If we fail to directly attack Huanglong and intimidate the foundation of Beishuo, all previous plans will fail.
They have no way out; if they fail, they will die.
The two men gave orders almost at the same time, and the team split up into smaller units again, expanding the search range with smaller units, and trying to find traces of the Beishu ancestral land at all costs.
The wind and sand continued, and Mobei silently swallowed up their traces.
In war, there is no guarantee of victory.
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