Jiayin naturally agreed, since she had Mu Xu and Shui Ling Shui Yun by her side, and Ye Shan and his wife wouldn't be of much use.
Now that Aunt Mei stays behind to guard the courtyard, and Ye Shan goes to take care of her godfather, she feels more at ease.
The Marquis patted Jiayin's head and smiled with satisfaction, "You must have been busy for a long time. You've worked hard. Don't worry, your father and I will definitely return safely."
Li Laosi patted his daughter on the back and instructed her, "Have fun at home, do whatever makes you happy. If anyone bullies you and you can't fight back, then write it down and Dad will avenge you when he gets back!"
"I understand, Dad!" Jiayin opened her arms and hugged her father tightly.
Li Laosi blushed for once, patted his daughter, mounted his horse, and began preparing to set off.
Jiayin turned around and hugged the Marquis again. The Marquis smiled and squatted down to make it easier for his daughter to hug him.
Jiayin whispered a few words in the Marquis's ear, and the Marquis's eyes flickered before he nodded slightly...
As in previous years, a tall command platform has been built outside the new capital.
On the day of the expedition, almost everyone in the city and the surrounding area gathered together.
Of the 100,000 troops sent to the north, 30,000 were to escort provisions ahead of the main force, and another 10,000 were to be sent to the logistics battalion. Only 60,000 elite cavalrymen remained, each fully armored and armed with swords and spears, standing tall and proud below the command platform.
Sunlight shone on the tips of the guns and the blades, reflecting a chilling light.
The people of Tianwu were extremely excited, clenching their fists and shouting loudly.
"May the Heavenly Warriors be mighty, and may they return victorious from their northern expedition!"
The envoys from eight countries gathered together, stood on the wall, and watched all this from afar, a hint of fear finally appearing in their eyes.
Perhaps Tianwu is inferior to their country in some aspects, but it has a vast territory, abundant resources, and now has such a strong and brave army. It is definitely not an existence that they can easily subdue in a short period of time!
The emperor, dressed in a bright yellow nine-dragon robe and wearing a crown, stood on the reviewing stand, his eyes filled with an inexplicable fervor.
The Marquis, clad in golden armor, knelt on one knee.
The emperor personally took the helmet and carefully put it on him.
"Marquis Xinting is sure to achieve a resounding victory and complete success in leading his troops into battle!"
Steward Yi, who was standing to the side, flicked his whisk and quickly relayed the message.
Immediately, thousands of people joined in the shouting.
The villagers from several villages in Suijintan, except for those who had to stay behind to take care of the animals, all rushed over.
They shouted until they were hoarse, and even their eyes were turning red.
"May you achieve a resounding victory and complete success!"
"You must return safely!"
May you return victorious soon!
A child waved enthusiastically, calling out to his family in the group in his tender voice, "Dad, come back soon, come back and teach me how to ride a horse!"
Tens of thousands of soldiers felt a lump in their throats upon hearing this, but they straightened their backs even more.
On the platform, the Emperor personally helped the Marquis up, and the two stood side by side. The Emperor whispered, "Cousin, regardless of success or failure, you must return safely. Don't worry about things in Xindu; I'll take care of everything."
The Marquis nodded and replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost to recover Jiangbei and return in triumph."
Chief Steward Yi urged from the side, "Your Majesty, Lord Marquis, the auspicious time has arrived!"
The emperor took a deep breath, rolled up his sleeves, took the drumsticks, and struck the huge cowhide war drum with all his might to send off the soldiers going to war.
Marquis Xinting knelt down and kowtowed again, then turned over and stepped off the command platform, jumped onto his horse, and pointed his long sword at the north bank of the river.
"Reclaim Jiangbei, annihilate the barbarians! Let's go!"
Sixty thousand soldiers mounted their horses and shouted in unison, "Reclaim Jiangbei and annihilate the barbarians!"
In an instant, a chilling aura filled the air, and banners fluttered in the breeze.
The horse snorted and pawed at the ground, ready to gallop off as soon as the rider pulled the reins.
The army surged forward like a torrent, the sound of horses' hooves like spring thunder, shattering the dust and smoke as they galloped into the distance to fight to the death!
Countless people cried out and cheered loudly!
Countless loved ones eagerly await their safe return!
Until the dust settled in the distance, and the Northern Expeditionary Army could no longer be seen.
The emperor returned to the palace, taking most of the city's residents with him, and the rest gradually dispersed.
Within an hour, even the command platform had begun to be dismantled.
On a small hill not far away, Jiayin and Muxu stood on a tree trunk, gazing into the distance.
The Northern Expeditionary Army, like a giant dragon, gradually arrived at the dock, boarded ships, and crossed the river northward.
Jiayin kept a straight face, and the worry in her eyes was almost overflowing.
She wasn't trying to boost the morale of others while diminishing her own, but she had a bad feeling about her adoptive father and father going to war this time.
However, the Northern Expeditionary Army had ample supplies and strong troops, and she had also helped prepare a lot of things. Logically speaking, she had done everything she could, and she really couldn't find any problem.
This inexplicable worry made her extremely anxious.
If it weren't for her family stopping her, and the fact that she knew nothing about military strategy and tactics and would likely do more harm than good, she would have really wanted to disguise herself as a man and go on the expedition!
Mu Xu didn't see Jia Yin's expression, but was filled with longing, and exclaimed, "I also want to go on the expedition, and with a swift stroke of my sword, slaughter all the barbarians!"
Jiayin frowned and replied, "Actually, Jiangnan is now enough to feed all the people of Tianwu. Why do my godfather and father still need to go on a war? Is it necessary to recover Jiangbei? Even if we do, it's not certain that anyone will want to go back!"
Mu Xu stopped his wandering legs, turned his head to look at Jia Yin, and remained silent for a long time.
Just as Jiayin was about to jump down from the tree and go home, he suddenly spoke.
"Princess, has the Marquis told you about my background?"
Jiayin hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently. "We've exchanged a few words, and all I know is that your parents and relatives have passed away."
Mu Xu leaned against the tree trunk, his eyes gazing northward, his gaze a mixture of longing and hatred churning within him.
"My family is from a county town 300 miles north of Kyoto. Our ancestors were scholars for generations, so we can be considered a family of scholars. My father was the eldest son. Because he disliked officialdom, he resigned and returned home to teach me to read every day."
"My mother was frail and bedridden, unable to manage household affairs, but she loved me dearly. However, I was mischievous by nature and often caused trouble, making a ruckus at home. Yet my parents never punished me, only saying they hoped I would grow up quickly."
"My father had two brothers, who were also married with children, but they did not separate the family. There were more than twenty people, young and old, and forty or fifty servants, living in a large house. They lived a rich and leisurely life. But suddenly, overnight, the barbarians broke through the border and came to our doorstep."
"It just so happened that my mother was seriously ill at that time, and my father led a group of people to go into the mountains to collect herbs with the doctor. My mother did not want to be a burden to the family, so she asked my uncle to take me away first, while she stayed behind to wait for my father. I was unwilling, and in a moment of folly, I found a place to hide. The whole family searched everywhere for me, which delayed our chance."
"So when the barbarians broke down the door, I was squatting on the roof beam and watched them kill my uncle and cousins. They also tried to humiliate my aunt. She fought back desperately and was hacked to pieces. She died with her eyes open."
“My mother was also humiliated. While she was struggling, she saw me on the roof beam. Fearing that I would jump down, she grabbed a barbarian's knife and slit her own throat. As she died, she was still shouting for me to live on…”
"My mother's blood splattered all over the bed, and my family's blood flowed all over the yard, a bright red mess, like fire, burning me as if I had died countless times."
"Later, I took advantage of the chaos to escape the city, wanting to find my father, but I saw him rushing back only to have his head chopped off by a barbarian, and his head lay right in front of me..."
Two updates today!
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