Chapter 116 is about a piece of clothing that Cui Yao used...
Although it was late at night, the entire Changyang Pass was brightly lit.
The soldiers unwrapped the sheepskins, and the cartloads of golden grain made their faces shine.
Zhang Yuhuai personally took charge of the inventory and storage, and was so excited that he could hardly hold his pen.
This amount of grain could feed 50,000 people for a month, not to mention that it was obtained almost without any cost and was practically free!
The young recorder beside him had never seen the Cangzhou army so wealthy before. As he wrote, he excitedly said, "Could General Ji really be a god? How did he know that Tilan Wangyue's grain carts would arrive tonight?"
Ji Chengnin was certainly not a god, and Zhang Yuhuai knew that.
His ability to know so accurately the date when Tilan Wangyue's supplies would arrive clearly indicates that he had calculated the speed of the supply wagons' march, the distance they would travel, and even Ji Chengning's terrifying estimation of Tilan Wangyue's army's food consumption.
He's practically a born general!
Some veterans were initially dissatisfied with Ji Chengnin's appointment as head coach at such a young age, but now, seeing wave after wave of supplies being transported into the city, they were all convinced.
"Why haven't the generals returned yet?"
Someone suddenly said.
Yes, they should be back by now that they've looted the supplies. Some people worriedly wondered if something had happened to them on the way.
Thinking this, my heart jumped into my throat.
"Look, there's smoke and dust!"
From a distance, the crowd on the city wall could see the dust kicked up by thousands of horses. Because of the distance, they could not see the people clearly, but they could see that there were probably several thousand cavalrymen in such thick dust. How many infantrymen were behind them?
Could it be that Tilan Wangyue was enraged after her supplies were stolen and sent a large army to fight back?
Zhang Yuhuai's expression changed drastically. "Where is General Zhou?!"
The atmosphere on the city wall changed instantly, and the generals lined up the cannons, ready for battle.
Closer and closer, closer and closer... Zhang Yuhuai's eyes widened. Who else could it be but Zhou Mufang, the one dressed in barbarian clothes who was waving a torch so gleefully?
Everyone was stunned and couldn't help but look at Zhang Yuhuai.
Zhang Yuhuai was also incredulous. What he found most unbelievable was not the attire of Zhou Mufang and the thousands of soldiers, but rather, what they had previously thought were cavalry was actually a collection of warhorses!
The words Ji Chengnin had said before flooded into my mind.
Zhang Yuhuai felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his whole body tingling with excitement. So that's how it is, so that's how it is.
First they seized the grain supplies, then they acquired the warhorses of the Sawu tribe. What meticulous planning and powerful execution they demonstrated!
Zhang Yuhuai rushed down from the city wall.
The recorder was shocked and hurriedly ran downstairs, "Sir, sir, slow down!"
Legs, I don't want my legs anymore!
Ji Chengnin stayed behind to bring up the rear.
The arrival of horses into the city was more exciting than the delivery of grain.
Some soldiers were so captivated by the sight of such gleaming warhorses that they couldn't help but want to hug their necks and lead them to the barracks so they could sleep in the stables themselves.
The whole city was filled with joy, and everyone's eyes were as bright as lanterns during the New Year when they looked at Ji Chengning. Ji Chengning asked in confusion, "Aren't you all sleepy?"
Who can be trapped by seeing these?
A younger officer approached, "General, I think those swords of the barbarian princes are quite nice, you..."
"Yes, such a thick and broad sword, it's said that if used well, it can cleave a galloping horse in two! When will you show us what it's like?"
Ji Chengning laughed loudly, "I'll show you Tilan Wangyue's knife another day."
These words were extremely arrogant, but no one doubted them.
They all looked at Ji Chengnin with reverence and admiration, as if they had seen a celestial general descend from the heavens.
As they saw, a new king had won their hearts and minds.
After the inventory was completed, Zhou Mufang, covered in dust, clung to Ji Chengning and teased him with a grin, "If the young marquis were not in the army one day, he would surely become a bandit king."
“Thank you for your kind words,” Ji Chengnin moved his head away, “I will definitely take you with me when I go to claim territory.”
Zhang Yuhuai watched helplessly as the two spoke words that were almost treasonous.
Ji Chengning didn't let Zhang Yuhuai off the hook either, saying, "Mr. Zhang, you can be an accountant."
Zhang Yuhuai cupped his hands and surprisingly answered seriously, "Yes."
Ji Chengnin laughed and patted Zhang Yuhuai on the shoulder.
With their first victory secured, everyone was overjoyed and told Ji Chengning to go and rest.
He then carefully considered how to write the battle report.
Many people can't sleep tonight.
Unlike the euphoria of the Cangzhou army, both the Tilan and Sawu tribes were shrouded in gloom and despair.
Inside the military tent, a thick gloom was cast by the candlelight, enveloping the face of the person clutching the letter tightly. The man's eyes were blue with a hint of green, and two ancient patterns, like characters, were etched on his cheeks. His features were extremely distinct, and he was so handsome that he exuded a fierce aura. He looked to be around thirty years old, and his skin was tanned to a deep bronze color by the sun. Even his hair had a reddish-brown hue from being exposed to the scorching sun for a long time.
"You mean, this matter is also related to Sawulanh?"
...
The chill pierced his skin like needles, lingering and making his body tense and creak.
It's so cold.
This was Sawulanhe's first feeling upon waking up.
He opened his eyes blankly, and all he could see were wooden beams. This was not his tent, but... His eyes widened suddenly. The neighing of the horses, the screams of the soldiers beside him, and the lingering smell of blood from the previous night flooded his mind in an instant.
Sawulanhe's expression changed drastically.
He suddenly stood up, but as soon as he stood up, a huge wave of dizziness forced him to fall back down.
His eyes were bloodshot as he looked around in disbelief. He found himself in what appeared to be a woodshed, but with no windows on any side and only a small, cast-iron door that looked unusually heavy and sturdy.
He struggled to his feet, moved forward cautiously, and tentatively pushed the door, but it didn't budge.
Is anyone there?
Is anyone home?
He clearly heard footsteps and voices outside, but they ignored his shouts.
"Help! Help!"
The soldiers guarding the courtyard had long been ordered by Ji Chengning not to speak to the people imprisoned inside. Moreover, most of them could not understand what Sawulanhe was saying.
"I am the future Great King of the Sawu tribe! Guards! Guards, come quickly!"
"Once I get out, I won't let you go. I'll kill you all!"
The soldiers changed shifts every two hours, and the voices inside the room changed from arrogant and domineering to hoarse and muffled.
Sawulanhe was exhausted from shouting. He was hungry, cold, and full of regret. He hated the Cangzhou army, hated their commander for being treacherous and cunning, and hated Suwua. He gritted his teeth so hard they made a grinding sound. If Suwua hadn't gotten that damned letter, how could he have ended up in such a state!
That damned thing!
What to do? After today, Father will definitely distrust him even less. That bastard Sawuzhen must be laughing at him right now.
Sawulanhe thought with a ferocious expression.
If he can get out, he'll kill them all!
But gradually, he found that even his hatred began to soften.
The wound on my head felt increasingly blurry, leaving only a light, ethereal pain, as if it were behind a cloud.
"save……"
He uttered muffled words in the Central Plains dialect from his dry lips.
He found it in the mouths of the Central Plains slaves he captured, those slaves who were tortured to the point of near death and whose eyes were vacant.
Puzzled, he grabbed a relatively docile slave at random and asked, "What are they saying?"
The slave answered tremblingly, "They are begging for mercy."
It turned out he was begging for mercy.
He laughed heartily and disdainfully, his iron boots stepping on the protruding shoulder blades of the man who was barely breathing, as if he were stepping on the rugged and towering dragon vein of the Central Plains.
"save……"
Sawulanhe's voice was so hoarse it was almost unintelligible as he repeated the few words of Central Plains he knew.
"Creak—"
The door opened.
The biting cold air outside rushed in, and Sawulanhe shuddered, his previously scattered mind instantly returning to normal.
He struggled to lift his head.
He first saw a pair of black boots, and then above that, an ordinary black robe, covering the man's tall and slender body. The face was—Sawulanhe was horrified, feeling a chill suddenly rise up his spine. It was the man who had shot an arrow through his hat tassel last night!
His teeth were chattering; he could have easily killed him with an arrow, but he deliberately spared his life.
Sawulanhe suddenly couldn't understand whether his survival was a good thing or a bad thing.
The visitor bent down and asked him with a smile, "Little Prince, did you rest well?"
The young soldier who had tricked him last night, claiming to be a Le Rong man, stood beside him and translated his words into a barbarian language.
That stunningly beautiful face, which he would normally admire, approached without any hesitation, as if they weren't prisoners, but rather a hospitable host inquiring about the quality of his hospitality.
But this only made Sawulanh more and more terrified.
He instinctively shrank back, his shoulder blade hitting the wall and causing him a sharp pain.
"Who are you?"
When did such a figure emerge in the Cangzhou army?
The soldier relayed the message to the visitor.
The newcomer smiled slightly, a smile that was still gentle and bright, but to Sawulanhe it was nothing short of a demon demanding a life. "I am Ji Chengning, the new commander of the Cangzhou Army."
Ji Chengning?
If this name were given to a slightly older person, one could deduce from the fact that he had some connection with the Marquis of Yongning of the Ma Ta Man tribe.
But Sawulanhe was born too late and did not have time to experience the psychological shadow that Yongning Hou left on the various barbarian tribes of that time.
Ji Chengnin still had military affairs to attend to, and he said very directly, "Young Prince, you are still useful. I will not kill you, but I will not let you go easily either."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Sawulanhe's bloodshot eyes, but he quickly realized, "You want to use me as a bargaining chip?"
Before Ji Chengnin could speak, he sneered, "The men of the grasslands have no reason to bow and scrape before the enemy, or to wag their tails and beg for mercy!"
Ji Chengnin smiled upon hearing this.
His smile was beautiful, the kind of flamboyant and dazzling smile that hurt the eyes.
And Sawulanhe's eyes did indeed narrow.
Because, right outside that door that wasn't even fully closed, one still-warm corpse after another was dragged out like dead dogs.
His pupils dilated violently.
Someone rushed in and whispered something in Ji Chengnin's ear.
The bloodstains on his swallow-feather knife at his waist had not been completely cleaned, and as his master stepped forward, they dripped onto the ground, one drop at a time.
Ji Chengning nodded and gestured with his chin toward Sawulanhe.
The other party nodded.
Sawulanhe's body was numb on one side.
What is Ji Chengnin going to do?
He wanted to kill him?
No, no, no, he wouldn't dare. But if he really did dare, how could I risk my life?!
His mouth moved faster than his brain. By the time he realized what was happening, he had already blurted out desperately, "I promise you, I'll give you anything you want! My father is the king of the Sawu tribe, my mother is a princess, they love me the most, what do you want!"
Ji Chengnin paused in his steps as he was about to leave, revealing an extremely radiant smile. "That's more like it."
He tilted his head and said, "Bring paper and pen to the young prince. I will say it, and the young prince will write it down."
Half a day later.
Inside the tent of the Great Khan of the Sawu tribe:
Sawugu closed the letter with an extremely grim expression. The writer's hands trembled so much that he could barely hold the pen, but he could still tell that it was his son's handwriting.
The letter was simple and clear, essentially saying that His Majesty Sawu, your son Sawulanh is in my hands, and if you want him to return alive, you must exchange him for five thousand fine horses.
Five thousand horses?
Those two thousand horses were enough to make Sawugu feel so frustrated he almost vomited blood, yet Ji Chengnin actually demanded five thousand warhorses! Why didn't he just ask the entire Sawugu tribe to surrender in full armor?!
Sawulanhe is a good-for-nothing who does more harm than good.
Sawugu stared at Suwua, who was kneeling on the ground below, trembling, for a long time, and then suddenly said, "You are Suwua?"
Su Wu'a looked up in alarm, bewildered, and said, "Your Majesty, I am Su Wu'a."
Sawugu shook his head, "You are not Suwua. Suwua is a warrior of my tribe. How could he possibly lose all his dignity to deliver a message for the enemy in order to save his life? You are just a means for Ji Chengning to disrupt the morale of our army."
The next moment, Sawugu's voice suddenly became sharp, "Men, drag this Central Plains man who is impersonating Suwua away to sacrifice to the flag!"
"My lord, my lord, I am truly Su Wu'a! My lord, spare my life! I beg you, my lord, for the sake of my unwavering loyalty over the years, spare my lowly life for you... Ugh!"
With his mouth gagged, Suwu'a's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
The sound faded into the distance.
Sawugu closed his eyes tightly.
A sudden influx of tasks left him mentally and physically exhausted.
"Swish—"
The large tent was lifted.
The guards standing outside the tent greeted her respectfully: "Your Majesty."
Sawugu raised his eyes.
His wife, Shuoyeti Yunqing, walked quickly toward him. They had been married for over twenty years. Yunqing had always been dignified and majestic. The woman, who grew up on the grassland, was tall and had a tanned complexion. She was not yet forty years old and had striking and elegant features, but today she looked particularly haggard.
Khazars felt no pity whatsoever.
It's all because of this woman who gave birth to such a good son!
"You've arrived," he said calmly.
Seeing this, Shuoye Tiyunqing felt as if she had been doused with ice water, but thinking of her son, she suppressed her temper and asked, "Great Lord, when do you plan to go and rescue Lanhe?"
The letter sent by Ji Chengning was not only read by Sawugu, but she herself also heard about it—it was hard for her not to hear that Ji Chengning had sent troops to harass the area outside the camp, telling them how Sawulanhe had been captured, how many men and horses he had lost, and that he was still alive. He said that as long as the Sawu tribe provided five thousand horses, they could exchange him for Sawulanhe.
Shuoye Tiyunqing knew that these five thousand horses were incredibly precious, but when it came to the life of her child hanging over another horse, they were insignificant.
Suppressing his impatience, Sawugu sighed and gently stroked the back of Shuoyeti Yunqing's hand, "Yunqing, you have to consider the bigger picture."
It seems the dust has settled.
Shuoye Tiyunqing narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean? You don't want to save Lanhe?" Then, realizing her tone was too aggressive, she said mournfully, "Haven't I considered the bigger picture enough over the years?"
Sawugu felt as if the fire that was already burning in his heart had been ignited by a sudden burst of flames.
He snatched the letter and threw it in front of Shuoye Tiyunqing.
"Not to mention that fool caused me to lose two thousand horses for nothing, he acted on his own and was easily scattered. He was captured by the Cangzhou army, and instead of committing suicide, he shamelessly sent his confidants to ask for help. What a blow that was to our morale! That's not all, but look at this!"
Shuoye Tiyunqing picked up the letter, her slender fingers gripping it so tightly that the paper rustled, but her expression immediately changed.
Sawugu's roar continued, "Tilan Wangyue already knows about this. That newly arrived commander of Cangzhou not only cheated us out of our horses, but also robbed Tilan Wangyue of our provisions. Now Tilan Wangyue thinks that this was a conspiracy between our Sawu tribe and Ji Chengning, and they are coming to confront us!"
His chest heaved violently.
Seeing Shuoye Tiyunqing trembling, Sawugu took a deep breath and softened his tone, "You've seen how Tilan Wangyue's iron hooves crushed the heads of his enemies. Any tribe that disobeyed was enslaved after defeat, and all the adult men were killed. During the months he eliminated dissidents, even the Baicao River was dyed red, and the fish were fed to be incredibly fat. If Tilan Wangyue were to be enraged by this and want to kill us, how many people do you think would help us?"
He looked at Shuoye Tiyunqing sadly, "Yunqing, do you think we can withstand Tilan Wangyue?"
Shuoye Tiyunqing gripped the letter tightly, her whole body trembling.
Sawugu stepped forward and gently put his arm around Shuoyeti Yunqing's shoulder. "Yunqing, Lanhe is also my son. Do you think I don't feel sorry for him?"
Before she could finish speaking, Shuoye Tiyunqing suddenly looked up. Beneath her long, jet-black hair, which was almost bluish, were a pair of eyes that were red with anger, fear, and resentment.
She slapped Sawugu's hand away. "Fine, fine, I should have known my husband was a wolf in sheep's clothing! Even tigers don't eat their cubs, you're worse than an animal!"
Sawugu was furious, "You...!"
Shuoye Tiyunqing took two steps back, her hand trembling as she pointed at Sawugu's face. "My eagle slave died because of his father's stupidity, and my falcon slave will have his head chopped off and hung on the city wall by the enemy because of his father's ruthlessness. I only have these two sons, and both of my sons will die for my husband!"
"That happened seven years ago!" Sawugu roared.
“Those two are my flesh and blood, you didn’t carry them for ten months. You can have as many sons as you want, including that bastard Sawuzhen, but what about me? I only have this one child left! And now, you want to take him away from me!”
After speaking, Shuoye Tiyunqing seemed to have all her emotions drained away. She glanced at Sawugu expressionlessly and said, "Pretend I was never here today."
He turned and left.
"Yunqing, Yunqing, Shuoye Tiyunqing!"
Sawugu was so angry that he trembled all over.
He slumped helplessly against the desk, his eyes fixed on the letter from Tilan Wangyue on the table.
After a moment, he took a deep breath, picked up his pen and respectfully admitted his mistake. He gritted his teeth and promised Tilan Wangyue that he would take responsibility for the 30,000 shi of grain that had been stolen.
Outside the tent, fine snowflakes were faintly falling under the leaden sky.
Shuoye Tiyunqing walked out, and after an unknown amount of time, her arm was suddenly grabbed.
She looked up abruptly and met a pair of eyes filled with worry.
The other person was still wearing armor. "Sister?"
Shuoye Timu felt his palms were icy cold when he touched them. The old scars on his sister's hand turned red and purple in the cold wind. He quickly pulled her into the military tent.
Shuoye Tiyunqing, who had held back her tears for a whole day and night, finally let them fall.
For some reason, Shuoye Timu's gaze seemed to dart away.
Facing her only younger brother, Shuoye Tiyunqing gripped his hand tightly, "Do you know about Falcon Slave's matter?"
Shuoye Timu said dryly, "Yes, it's all my fault. I should have gone with Falconer when he borrowed the horses."
Shuoye Tiyunqing said with tears streaming down her face, "It's too late to say anything now." She wept silently.
Shuoye Timu was filled with mixed feelings. On one hand, there was his older sister, who was almost like a mother to him and raised him. On the other hand, there was Sawugu's favor and reliance. He hesitated and went to wipe away his sister's tears.
Perhaps she sensed his trembling.
Shuoye Tiyunqing swayed, and the next moment, she knelt down on the ground.
Shuoye Timu was startled and tried to pull her up, but his sister struggled like a mother wolf caught in a trap. Shuoye Timu's eyes burned and his knees buckled.
The greaves slammed heavily onto the ground.
Shuoyetimu said in a hoarse voice, "Sister..."
Shuoye Tiyunqing closed her eyes, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "Age, please help your sister. I only ask one thing of you in my life."
Shuoye Timu lowered his head in a panic, not daring to look at his sister's expression.
However, the hand gripping his arm was so strong that the old scars on it appeared grotesque and exposed.
When he was seven years old, his father whipped him. His sister grabbed the whip and knelt down in the snow with him.
That snowy day was truly cold; only the constantly flowing blood was warm, only her shivering sister, who clung to her, was warm.
Sawulanhe was not only his sister's only son, but also her life's hope.
“Sister,” Shuoyetimu heard himself say in a trembling voice, “Don’t worry, as long as I’m alive, I will save Junnu’er even if I have to break my own bones.”
Shuoye Tiyunqing's tears rolled down her cheeks. She spoke outside the tent, when suddenly she heard hurried footsteps outside.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" her guards shouted from outside.
Shuoye Tiyun raised a long eyebrow, her voice regaining its usual calm and dignified tone. She stood up, ordered the person to come in, and calmly wiped away her tears as she asked, "What's wrong? Tell me slowly."
"The Great Khan's old injury has flared up again, and he vomited several mouthfuls of blood just now!"
"What?!" Shuoye Tiyunqing subconsciously tried to get up and leave, but suddenly stopped and gave her younger brother a meaningful look.
Shuoyetimu nodded slightly.
Sawugu's old injury relapsed, and these past few days he has refused his wife's care, preferring to see Sawuzhen instead.
This obvious signal caused unrest among the Sawu tribe and even the entire Shoja region.
Sawulanhe is not coming back, but the Great Queen has a nephew named Sawusuha. Moreover, the Shuoyeti tribe and the Queen's monstrous younger brother are also watching closely. If Sawu really becomes the Great Queen, not only will the Lord and the Shuoyeti General disagree, but the Shuoyeti tribe will probably be the first to cause trouble!
The situation quickly became increasingly chaotic, with numerous factions emerging.
It's only been a few days; if this continues for a long time, who knows what will happen! Some people had a very ominous premonition.
...
Although Ji Chengning did not witness the chaos within Shuojia firsthand, he could tell from their increasingly frequent troop deployments and the fact that they even fought two battles among their own people.
It is said that Sawugu intends to pass the throne to the eldest prince, but the queen is determined to refuse. Both sides are on high alert, and only a tiny spark is needed to cause a "boom".
Ji Chengning learned his lesson this time. The officials criticized him for not seeking permission beforehand and not reporting back afterward. So Ji Chengning gave a detailed report afterward, praising everyone in the Cangzhou army and asking for credit for them.
On the other hand, his correspondence with Cui Yao continued uninterrupted.
Cui Yao's reply was extremely formal, as if the two were merely superior and subordinate. The wording was very respectful. In reporting on affairs in the capital, he also emphasized that recently, someone had been monitoring the Marquis's residence day and night.
Ji Chengnin sneered when he read this sentence.
I read Cui Yao's letter over and over again, but there wasn't a single word of tenderness in it.
Ji Chengning snorted, waiting to go back and settle accounts with Cui Yao.
He opened the things Cui Yao had sent, and besides some precious medicines, there was something else. Ji Chengning took this thing out with a puzzled look: a belt.
He remembered that his cousin used to wear this sash, and the bamboo leaves on it would reflect a light green color as she moved.
It was a belt that Cui Yao had used.
The young marquis fiddled with it for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing.
“Someone, go and tell Sawulanhe that his parents don’t want him anymore.”
His eyes gleamed, “But the young marquis is kind-hearted and willing to let him go back.”
Since the situation within the entire Shuojia is so turbulent, he is determined to muddy the waters even further!
-----------------------
Author's note: Thank you to my dear Yanshulin for the 27 Moonstones.
Hehehe, I also saw the nutrient solution and landmines that the babies watered, muah, hehehehe.
[Kiss][Kiss][Kiss][Kiss]
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