Chapter 122 Chapter 122 When we meet again, it will be...
The tent door curtain was suddenly lifted up, and a ray of dazzling sunlight shone directly on Xie Tingyu's face. She subconsciously raised her hand to block it.
In the haze, Xie Tingyu opened his eyes and saw a familiar face.
Yuan Wangshu's face was cold as he scolded, "You, a commander-in-chief, dare to use your own life as bait." He lifted the thick mattress from her body and saw the layers of bandages wrapped around her upper arm. His face darkened even more. "How dare you treat your life and property like this..." His voice suddenly dropped. "Aren't you afraid that your family will find out and cry their eyes out?"
Xie Tingyu propped himself up with his uninjured left arm and slowly drank half a cup of hot water before saying, "Mother Wangshu, you're finally here."
In the few short months since Yuan Wangshu left Jiankang to patrol the border, the wind and sand at the frontier had already darkened her complexion. Upon receiving the news from Xie Tingyu's army, she immediately assembled the Qingluan Army and marched day and night to Xiangyang.
At this moment, a guard holding a piece of paper stood at the tent door and shouted, "Thank you, General. There's a letter for you."
Yuan Wangshu turned around, retrieved the letter, and thrust it into Xie Tingyu's hands. "It's only been a few days, and you've already received a letter. It seems your family is truly terribly worried."
Xie Tingyu carefully tucked the letter under his pillow and sat cross-legged on his camp bed. "You can't get a tiger cub without entering its den. Look, we only had a few thousand elite soldiers, but we were able to defeat tens of thousands of Qin troops. A mere arm wound is nothing to worry about."
Yuan Wangshu folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, yes, General Xie is very far-sighted and what he said makes sense. As long as General Xie takes action, there will be no enemy head that cannot be chopped off."
Xie Tingyu was surprised. "You think so highly of me now?" He said, "Wangshu, get the map and call them into the tent."
When all the generals gathered, Xie Tingyu was already dressed and standing upright in front of the sand table with his outer robe neatly dressed.
"Now that we have recaptured Xiangcheng, our army's morale has greatly increased. We should seize the opportunity to pursue the enemy."
Her fingertips swiped across the pass on the map. "When Northern Qin swept through the outskirts of Xiangyang, they already occupied the cities of Nanyang and Xinye. Now, it's time for us to strike back."
Xie Tingyu deployed the plan in an orderly manner, explaining clearly which route to take to attack Nanyang, which battalion of troops to lead, and so on.
Wang Lanzhi and others nodded and left.
Xie Tingyu took out the letter from under his pillow, which contained several pages of eloquent writing.
【From Yu Niang. 】
Xie Tingyu's eyes lingered on Yu Niang. For some reason, he suddenly felt that the word "wife" would be more catchy than "Yuniang".
Thinking of this, she sighed, Wang Zhuozhang, Wang Zhuozhang, you are right. When you provoke the most noble royal son in Jiankang City, you really have to become a general before you can marry her home.
I was overjoyed to hear of your great victory in Xiangyang. However, I was troubled to learn that you were injured in the arm, and I'm worried and sleepless. I know you need someone to take care of your daily needs, and I regret that I don't have wings and can't fly to your side. I regret that I've only learned useless skills like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If I had learned the art of medicine earlier, I could be with you in the army right now.
[Take good care of yourself on the battlefield. I know you are a master warrior, always leading the charge. However, the army has a vanguard position. If you repeatedly brave the arrows and stones, how will others have the chance to achieve success? A general should be a mastermind, not a mere woman's bravery.]
The other day, I happened to pass by the main courtyard and saw rows of green bamboos lining the pavilion. Their upright, resilient postures, their awe-inspiring character, were like the graceful demeanor of a jade lady. So, I took the initiative and transplanted a few clumps into the well-grown courtyard. Whether you like them or not, they've been planted, and when you return, you can only let them accompany you from morning to night.
This journey is long, unlike before, and the return date is uncertain. I will quietly await your return in the shadows of the bamboo trees. If you are ever concerned about me, please don't hesitate to write to me. I hope you will send me letters often.
As I rubbed it with my fingertips, I suddenly felt that the paper was a little thick. It turned out that there was another page underneath.
I live at the Yangtze River's head, you at its tail. Every day I miss you, but I can't see you. We drink the Yangtze River's water together. When will this water stop flowing, when will this hatred end? I only wish your heart would be like mine, so that you will never let me down.
Xie Tingyu put the letter away and placed it close to his heart, murmuring softly, "I only hope that your heart will be like mine, and I will never let you down."
She hadn't noticed it before when they slept on the same bed together, but now, thousands of miles apart, with only letters to express their feelings, she suddenly felt a lingering affection that had lasted half her life with Ji Lian.
Come to think of it, there is nothing wrong with getting married. She really likes the feeling of being thought of all the time.
"What does that poem say? Oh, so it goes like this..." She hummed softly again, "If love lasts forever, why should we be together day and night?"
"What about the other line? Oh, Xie Tingyu, oh Xie Tingyu, I was annoyed when Wang Zhuozhang forced me to recite a poem, but now I really can't remember it. Are you illiterate? If you don't reply with a poem, I'm afraid Lianlian will say that you have another lover in your heart, so you don't bother to write a poem."
The personal guards outside the tent heard the noise inside and couldn't help but look inside. They saw General Xie spinning around in circles like a headless fly.
Soldier A scratched his head and asked in confusion, "When did the general get a husband? Hasn't he always been a bachelor?"
The second personal soldier glared at him. "How dare you interfere more than a man? Shut your mouth. No matter what sounds come out of the general's tent, you must not let anyone know."
Xie Tingyu was still mumbling to himself in the tent, "Oh, I remember now, it's——"
She immediately picked up her pen and sharpened it, then wrote on the paper.
【Lianlian, I am so grateful for your letter. 】
The cool shade of the pond and garden is about to arrive. It's time to bid farewell to spring. It's hard to be happy now that the person I see has left. Who will share a cup of fragrant wine with me? The red railings and green bricks are all the same as before. Remember holding hands. Love lasts no matter how long we've been apart. Love will always be there when we meet again.
But just after I finished writing, a strong voice in my heart echoed in my mind: Don’t wait, don’t wait, just go back and get married!
So, she picked up her pen without hesitation and continued writing at the end of the letter using the wet ink.
[Lianlian, when you and I meet again, that will be the day we get married.]
It was definitely not enough, so she took out another piece of paper.
I still remember the last time I was a bridesmaid at Wangshu's mother's wedding. The feast was delicious. Why don't we have a hundred dishes at our wedding? But the wedding candy that day was too sweet, and the jujube paste filling was especially unpalatable. It would be better to ask the Daxu market in the east of the city to make something light and sweet without being greasy.
As for the wedding wine vessel, there's no need to be particular. No matter how fine the jade cup or silverware is, it can't be as intoxicating as using Lianlian's collarbone to hold the wine.
[Or maybe it would be great if you could hold the wine cup in your mouth and feed me.]
Suddenly, the personal soldier heard footsteps and saw General Xie holding a letter in his hand. He said with a smile, "This letter must be sent back quickly. There must be no delay."
Although Xie Tingyu's arm injury had not yet healed, he still personally rode his horse to the front of the battle line during every siege. The soldiers saw the general's silver armor gleaming in the sunlight, and their spirits soared, and their morale was greatly boosted.
Half a year after the expedition, Xie Tingyu led his army to victory after victory, not only recovering the entire Xiangyang, but also taking back all the cities in the northern part of Jingzhou occupied by Northern Qin.
Everyone in the army admired Xie Tingyu's strategy, and the soldiers all had respect and admiration for her. They even deified her to the point that they believed that as long as Xie Tingyu was in charge of this battle, they would definitely win.
Xie Tingyu felt helpless about this.
Every time the Northern Qin cavalry captured a city, the generals would force the civilians to take them in, allowing their soldiers to rob men in the streets, burn down homes, and steal money, acting like bandits. Although the Northern Qin Khan issued repeated bans, they had little effect, and the people suffered terribly.
When the Zhou army recovered the lost territory, Xie Tingyu not only enforced strict military discipline but also opened granaries to provide food relief. His army followed orders without violating any laws, and he provided relief to the orphans and the weak. The people were moved by his benevolent policies and praised him unconditionally.
The war was like a fierce, back-and-forth battle. Cities changed hands repeatedly. Northern Qin, determined to break through the Great Zhou's defenses, fought with all their might. Far from retreating, they intensified the fighting.
However, Northern Qin's original strategy of a quick attack was repeatedly frustrated by Xie Tingyu's numerous obstructions. By this point in the battle, Northern Qin's 650,000-man army had been reduced to less than 300,000 men.
Since then, it has become a two-year-long tug-of-war.
By this calculation, it can be said that it has been two years since Xie Tingyu led his army out of Jiankang and has not returned.
On a cold November night that year, Yuwen Yue, Zhang Yan, and Wang Lanzhi, acting on Xie Tingyu's orders, led 5,000 elite Northern Qin cavalrymen to a surprise attack on Luojian. They intended to secretly cross the Luo River and launch a surprise attack on 30,000 Northern Qin troops, but they were surprised to find that the enemy had already prepared for the attack and was fully prepared.
Seeing this, Yuwen Yue and Zhang Yan immediately changed their strategy, turning their sneak attack into a violent assault. The cavalry forced their way across the stream and charged directly into the enemy formation.
Among them, Yuwen Yue took the lead, drew his bow and arrow, and shot the enemy general off the warship. Then he swung his long sword and killed the enemy group as if he was in an empty space.
Following the strategy previously agreed upon with Xie Tingyu, Wang Lanzhi led his troops in a flanking maneuver, attacking the enemy's flank. The Northern Qin army's formation was thrown into chaos, and in the confusion, over ten thousand soldiers fell into the Huai River, with countless drowning.
The fierce battle lasted until dawn, and the Great Zhou won a complete victory again, seizing countless food, fodder and weapons.
In this way, Xie Tingyu led his army forward again, heading straight for Feishui.
On either side of the surging river stood the Northern Qin soldiers in crimson uniforms, and on the other, the Great Zhou soldiers in black armor. The two armies had been staring at each other for about ten days.
The standoff lasted for more than ten days. The Great Zhou wanted to cross the river to attack the Northern Qin, but the Northern Qin kept its troops in place, defending the river defenses to the death, and vowed not to allow the enemy to cross the line.
Compared to the Great Zhou, Northern Qin was already embroiled in internal strife. Now they had nowhere to retreat but to defend their position. Furthermore, during their two years of campaigning, many generals had been decapitated by the various fierce Great Zhou generals. The sheer number of severed heads was enough to fuel several games of Cuju.
Moreover, Northern Qin had been on the march for a long time, and the Jurchen, Qiang and other tribal soldiers were already exhausted from fighting. Meanwhile, the Great Zhou pressed on, leaving them with almost no room to breathe.
In the meeting hall, all the generals looked dejected and sat in their seats without saying a word. Even though there were all kinds of delicious food on the small table, they found the food tasteless.
Helian Ji's face was sullen, and a deep scar stretched from the corner of her eye to the side of her neck. It was during a fierce battle last year, when she had bravely led the charge on her steed, facing the enemy when a general suddenly charged out, wielding a red silk sword, his movements fluttering in the wind.
The two exchanged blows for several rounds, before Helian Ji was struck in the face by a sword. Had it not been for the desperate intervention of his personal guards, he would have been nearly killed. Later, it was revealed that the man was none other than Xie Tingyu, the Great Zhou commander. His bravery rivaled that of Wang Xuanji.
Helian Ji summoned everyone here today to discuss the deployment of the battle, but who would have thought that everyone had their heads drooped, and there was no trace of the ambition they had when they went to the battle.
But they clearly haven't lost yet, so why do they look so dejected?
At this moment, a man came to report, "Your Majesty, the enemy has sent an envoy, who is waiting to see you outside the hall."
When two armies fight, they do not kill envoys. This has been the common practice since ancient times.
Helian Ji said in a deep voice: "Spread it."
But Shen Yu was dressed like a scholar in wide-sleeved robes. Although he was not familiar with martial arts, he dared to cross the river alone in a boat and enter the enemy camp alone without any fear in his eyes.
She raised her sleeves and bowed, "General Helian, my commander has long heard of the rich cheese and strong milk wine of Northern Qin, and has longed for them. I have specially invited you to host a banquet. I will cross the river to come and enjoy these delicacies with you, and also discuss this war with you."
Helian Ji's eyes suddenly fixed: "She came alone?"
Chen Yu shook her head calmly: "It's just a few personal guards accompanying me."
Although these Northern Qin generals were illiterate, they could still understand some of the meaning by listening to the messages.
They were all stunned and looked at each other, unable to believe what they had just heard.
The Great Zhou commander, with only a handful of personal guards, actually wanted the enemy to host a banquet to welcome him? Was he crazy, or just stupid?
No—this person is clearly arrogant to the extreme!
After a moment of silence, Helian Ju replied in a decisive voice, "Then let's hold the banquet tomorrow night."
"I will obey your command."
Chen Yu bowed politely and left calmly.
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The author has something to say: 2500 collections!!! (At this moment, I am like a person who has never seen the world, tears streaming down my face at the number 2500
Look, woc, it's really not easy.
——
I live at the Yangtze River's head, you at its tail. I miss you day and night, but I can't see you. We drink the Yangtze River's water together. When will this water stop flowing? When will this hatred end? I only wish your heart were like mine, so I wouldn't let you down. -- Li Zhiyi, "Bosuanzi"
If love lasts forever, why should we be together day and night? -- Qin Guan, "The Fairy of Magpie Bridge: The Fine Clouds Playing Tricks"
The cool shade of the pond and garden is about to arrive. It's time to bid farewell to spring. It's hard to be happy now that the person you see has left. Who will share a cup of fragrant wine with you? The red railings and green bricks are all the same as before. Remember holding hands. Love will last no matter how long we've been apart. Love will always be there when we meet again. - "Autumn Blooms Fragrance: The Cool Shade of the Pond and Garden is about to arrive" by Yan Jidao
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