Chapter 84 Chasing After His Wife
West of the city.
Tonight is the second night that Ni Chiwen's cavalry has been stationed outside the city. It hasn't been long, but he is extremely anxious because the supplies will run out after the second day.
He had been marching at breakneck speed, confident he could reach the city immediately, so he carried only a day and a half's worth of provisions. Now, the provisions were exhausted, and Xia Gu was unable to enter, leaving him in a dilemma.
Ni Chiwen had no choice but to consider leading his army back.
We have no choice but to go back; we've run out of food.
But that's for tomorrow; let's get a good night's sleep tonight.
In the middle of the night, Ni Chiwen, who was sleeping directly on the ground, was startled awake. He was using the saddle as a pillow and his cloak as a blanket, which was quite makeshift.
Because he fell asleep with his head resting on the saddle, Ni Chiwen, who was more awake in the middle of the night, was jolted awake by a rumbling sound coming from below his ear.
At first, he thought it was thunder, that it was going to rain in the summer, but after he turned over and lay flat on his back, the rumbling stopped.
Oh, it wasn't thunder.
Just as he closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep again, Ni Chiwen felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer on his temple, which shocked him so much that he sat up with a jolt.
He quickly lay down again, listening intently.
There was indeed a rumbling sound, like ten thousand horses galloping at once. But just by listening, it was impossible to tell whether it was coming from the east or the west.
Ni Chiwen woke Li Huai Ren and asked him, "Besides us, has the Third Young Master notified any other allies to join the campaign against the Northern Lands?"
"What other allies? There aren't any..." Li Huai-ren mumbled, confused.
Ni Chiwen gasped, then shouted in a booming voice, "Get up! Enemy attack!"
His voice was as loud as a bell, waking up a group of soldiers.
The soldiers who had just woken up all jolted awake.
What? Where is the enemy attacking?
Wasn't it said that reinforcements from the north wouldn't arrive for at least ten days?!
They straightened up one by one, but all around them were the sounds of their own people. Looking into the vast darkness of the night, there was clearly no firelight.
Enemy attack? You must be mistaken.
With their nerves tightening and relaxing, many people yawned repeatedly, and some even collapsed after seeing that everything was settled.
Ni Chiwen flew into a rage, "Anyone who dares to sleep again will be dealt with according to military law!"
The soldiers opened their eyes again, but Ni Chiwen didn't need to say anything more, because they had all heard the commotion.
A muffled sound came from the east, like waves crashing one after another, growing more and more astonishing as it drew closer.
This time, even without Ni Chiwen mentioning it again, the soldiers of Sizhou were all greatly alarmed.
There really is an enemy attack!
The Xuanxiao Cavalry is equipped with the best horses from the north, especially after Qin Shaozong conquered the northern kingdom, he acquired all the finest breeds there. The best of the best are now with the Xuanxiao Cavalry.
As for Sizhou, everyone had assumed that reinforcements from the north wouldn't arrive for at least a few days. Well, if that's the case, then it's not a state of combat.
To make sleeping more comfortable, everyone took off their saddles and used them as pillows.
It was easy to disassemble and relatively comfortable to sleep in. But now, with the surrounding light dim and only a few braziers placed on the edge to ward off wild beasts, it won't be easy to quickly put the saddle back on.
Just finding the horse and looking at the buttons is a huge undertaking.
Now that he had been exposed, Qin Shaozong simply roared, "Follow me and kill!"
Under the cover of night, this black-armored cavalry seemed to transform into a pack of wolves, powerful and vicious wolves charging into the flock of lambs, tearing their prey apart with their fangs and claws.
Screams rose and fell, and bright red blood splattered, splashing onto the ground and seeping into the soil, staining it with a strange color.
Heads rolled off, their eyes still frozen in a look of wide-open terror.
Ni Chiwen was in a state of panic, trying to organize a counterattack while searching for the enemy leader.
The wind picked up at night, blowing away the dark clouds and revealing the full moon.
The bright moonlight returned to the world, and from a distance, Ni Chiwen saw a man with a red cloak billowing behind him not far away.
The man was tall and imposing, riding an exceptionally robust chestnut horse. As the moonlight fell, his taotie-patterned gold helmet cast a small shadow.
Ni Chiwen could only vaguely see the other's angular profile, with high-arched eyebrows, a straight nose, and a smooth, sharp jawline, like a drawn sword.
Suddenly, a man not far away looked over.
Those brown eyes seemed to be tinged with the eerie green of a wolf, and in the next instant, Ni Chiwen saw the other person curl up the corners of their mouth.
After Qin Shaozong led his troops into the enemy camp, he kept searching for the generals of Sizhou.
To catch a thief, first catch the king. What's the point of killing the henchmen? Take out the leader first.
Qin Shaozong originally thought it would take a while to find them, since the light was not bright and they did not have military tents, so they could only search slowly.
As a result, the moon came out, and there was a person staring at him not far away, with a red cloak at the person's feet.
Qin Shaozong curled his thin lips into a smile, "Heaven is on my side!"
The red dragon and its master were of one mind. With a kick of its hoof, it kicked aside a Sizhou soldier blocking its way and headed straight for Ni Chiwen.
Qin Shaozong raised his spear and struck.
The silver spear clashed with the sword. One man rode on horseback, holding the silver spear high above; the other stood on the ground, raising the sword with both hands.
Ni Chiwen's arm went numb from the impact, but before he could catch his breath, a second blow came. Although the silver spear only had one point of attack at the tip, its length made it much stronger, and he was now being completely beaten one-sidedly.
When Qin Shaozong went there, the gleaming spearhead was like a snake with venomous fangs, swift and agile, making Ni Chiwen tremble with fear.
One advanced, the other retreated, and in the blink of an eye, Ni Chiwen's back was pressed against the tree trunk.
There is no way to retreat.
Ni Chiwen knew something was wrong, and then he saw the spearhead adorned with red tassels attack again. He had nowhere to retreat, so he could only hold the hilt of his sword with one hand, lay the long sword horizontally, and use the other hand to support the back of the blade to block.
The spearhead struck the blade, and the point subjected to the immense force began to crack, the cracks quickly spreading across the entire blade.
Something shattered with a "crack".
Ni Chiwen's eyes suddenly widened, and his gaze, which had been fixed on the person in front of him, shifted slightly downwards, landing on the silver spear connected to his throat.
A line of bright red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. He opened his mouth, but could not make a sound. He could only watch helplessly as the man in front of him pulled his arm back, taking with it the silver spear that had pierced his throat.
Qin Shaozong coldly looked at the fallen Ni Chiwen, drew the ring-pommel sword from his side, and swiftly beheaded him. Then, he used his silver spear to lift the head from below, saying, "Your leader is dead. Those who surrender will not be killed!"
Under the moonlight, Ni Chiwen's raised head came into view for many.
There was a moment of silence, then suddenly a few clanging sounds, as if someone had thrown down their weapon.
As more and more people surrendered, Qin Shaozong ordered his men to light fires for illumination.
Soon the firelight blazed up, landing on the northern soldiers clad in black armor, each one covered in blood, like wolves baring their blood-stained fangs.
The night raid was a blitzkrieg, quick in and quick out. After a headcount, only four-tenths of the Sizhou soldiers remained; their horses, scattered in fright, were more numerous than theirs.
Qin Shaozong confiscated all the weapons and horses of the surrendered soldiers, and then called out the commander of Nantun to step forward. "Bai Jianping, you will lead three hundred men to escort these surrendered soldiers back to the city first, and then lead the troops out of the city to the west, along the official road of Sizhou."
Bai Jianping's heart skipped a beat.
Head west, along the official road of Sizhou?
Does Your Excellency intend to swallow up the reinforcements from Sili Province in one fell swoop?
Qin Shaozong reorganized his army and marched westward without stopping. He truly intended to seize the opportunity and wipe out the Sizhou army behind them.
This cavalry force didn't even set up camp, so they must have marched quickly to the western suburbs. There must be an infantry battalion carrying supplies behind this vanguard.
A victory has thoroughly awakened the soldiers' fighting spirit. Why not take advantage of the momentum and take over the rest?
The Xuanxiao cavalry quickly split into two, with the main force following Qin Shaozong westward. He did not know the distance of the infantry behind Sizhou, but the Sizhou cavalry had arrived in the western suburbs two days earlier, so it couldn't be far.
It wasn't far at all; it was only an hour's march at top speed. As dawn broke, Qin Shaozong could see the camp not far away.
As tents were set up, Qin Shaozong noticed a resemblance to the meat buns his wife had invented. The skin was thin, the filling plentiful, and a gentle cut was all it took to taste the delicious meat inside.
The man curled his lips into a smile, his eyes brimming with excitement.
...
By the time Bai Jianping escorted the prisoners back to the city and then hurriedly arrived with three hundred men, the battle had already ended.
Broken halberds lay askew in the ground, longbows were snapped, some military tents collapsed, and faces were covered in bloody welts. The ground was a mess; the wooden frames that had once supported braziers were scattered and no longer resembled their original state.
Needless to say, there were countless corpses, and the land itself had changed color. The granary area that was once managed by the Sizhou cooks had now been taken over by someone else.
Qin Shaozong did not burn the granary. Instead, the Sizhou side, seeing the situation was not good, and not wanting the enemy to gain an advantage, attempted to burn it down, but was stopped halfway.
Upon seeing Bai Jianping arrive, a soldier rushed forward and said, "Commander Bai, a rough estimate of the enemy is about three thousand men. This time, our army has killed more than half of them and captured more than two hundred head of cattle and sheep, and three hundred bushels of grain..."
Bai Jianping thought to himself, "That's strange. Why do I need to report all this to you, Lord?"
"The Lord has led a group of men south, saying he is going to fetch Lady Dai. He has entrusted all matters here to you," the soldier said.
Bai Jianping was stunned and blurted out, "Your Excellency left so quickly?"
He had just eaten the infantryman from Sizhou, and before he could even swallow it all, he hurriedly went to another place.
*
Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou left the small mountain village at dawn and continued south.
Mo Yanyun followed, but as soon as he left the small village, he discovered that his horse... had a problem.
His horse had severe diarrhea, becoming so weak that it could barely walk and slowed down.
Mo Yanyun initially tried to turn the tide, but failed, and his horse eventually collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Seeing the rider ahead quickly widening the distance between him, Mo Yanyun was sweating profusely with anxiety. "No, how can you be so disrespectful to martial ethics!"
After saying that, I realized it wasn't right.
He secretly tipped off the lord, and broke his promise. Wait, they attacked his horse—did they discover his scheme?
"Madam Dai, please wait!" Mo Yanyun shouted.
The two men in front paid no heed, and the horse went further and further away until it was just a small shadow.
Mo Yanyun felt as if struck by lightning, her heart filled with despair. "It's over, it's over, I'm going to lose them again..."
Unlike last time, which was not far outside the city and could be walked back, this place was a whole day's journey from Xia Gu. By the time he finally made it back to the city, the two people there had long since disappeared.
So Madam Dai did it on purpose, right? She deliberately chose to do it in this desolate wilderness.
Oh, it's not exactly a desolate wilderness; at least there's a village behind it, so at least he has a way out.
Since the horses were not available for the time being, Mo Yanyun scratched his head and finally decided to walk back to the village to borrow a donkey.
Lady Dai and the young master rode together, and even though the horse was fine, it wasn't as fast as a solo rider. He borrowed a donkey to catch up; although he knew he wouldn't succeed, at least he wouldn't be left behind.
Nobody lent him his donkey.
He was a complete stranger to the villagers; how could they easily lend him such an important asset as a donkey?
He can't afford to buy a donkey; he doesn't have enough money.
Mo Yanyun broke down and huffed and puffed as he walked back to the sick horse. Remembering the herbal medicine that Mr. Ding had given him when he was unwell, he muttered, "I'll try anything, even if it's a dead horse, there's no other way."
He opened his eyes wide and searched in the surrounding bushes.
Sure enough, he found a familiar-looking plant, and immediately fed it to the horse, and also gave the horse water from a water bag.
Mo Yanyun waited and waited, an hour passed, then two hours passed...
After the sun reaches its zenith, it slowly begins to set in the west.
Just when Mo Yanyun was about to despair, his horse recovered, whether from taking herbs or simply on its own, and in any case, the horse seemed more energetic.
Mo Yanyun quickly mounted his horse and continued south along the official road.
*
Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou have already traveled quite a distance. It is now the beginning of the 11 PM. If nothing unexpected happens, they will cross the border of Sizhou and enter Nanyang County in two hours.
Once they enter Yuzhou, Qin Shaozong will never be able to recklessly send troops to search for people.
Summer weather is like a child's face; it can change in an instant. Just a moment ago, the sun was shining brightly, but now a thick, dark cloud has suddenly appeared, and it looks like it's going to rain.
Dai Li looked up at the sky and was surprised to see a bird circling overhead.
The feathers were white with a hint of brown. Although it was far away, Dai Li estimated that the bird's wingspan was more than half a meter.
At over half a meter long, it's considered medium-sized for a bird.
Dai Li looked up for quite a while, and Qin Yanzhou followed suit.
"Zhouzhou, is it just my imagination? I always feel like it's always above us," Dai Li murmured.
Birds are much faster than horses, and birds of prey generally don't circle the same place if there's no food. This bird is quite strange.
Qin Yanzhou stared at it for a while, then said, "That looks like a gyrfalcon."
Upon hearing this, Dai Li's expression changed. "A gyrfalcon? Zhouzhou, are you sure?"
Qin Yanzhou said yes.
“This is a bird of prey that only exists in the Northeast region. We’re almost entering the territory of Yuzhou. Logically, it shouldn’t be here. Did Qin Shaozong catch up with us, or is it a griffin raised by the Qinglian Sect?” Dai Li asked nervously.
Before Qin Yanzhou could answer, Dai Li vaguely recalled a memory, "I think I've seen it before, it's the griffin that Qin Shaozong keeps!"
What's there to be confused about? It must have been Mo Yanyun who brought this gyrfalcon over.
"Zhouzhou, it seems we have to travel in the rain," Dai Li said solemnly.
Heavy rain would weigh down birds of prey, and generally no bird would fly in heavy rain. Taking advantage of the gyrfalcon's inability to fly, they quickly left.
Once they get into the city and blend into the crowd, the bird will definitely not be able to find them.
Qin Yanzhou comforted her in a low voice, "Mother, don't worry. As far as I know, the infantry from Sizhou with battering rams and ladders will arrive at Xiagu today. Marquis Wu'an only has so few men, he will definitely be too busy to take care of himself and won't have the extra energy to deal with others. We've already shaken off Mo Yanyun, and once we enter the city, we can shake off this gyrfalcon on our heads too."
Dai Li responded.
Her son's words made a lot of sense, but for some reason, her unease grew stronger, as if something terrible was about to happen...
Author's note: See you tomorrow! [shrug]
Oh, by the way, those who have subscribed to the current batch should receive a refund for the nutrient solution. I'm begging for that nutrient solution! [starry-eyed]
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