Offering gold
Jiang Heng stared intently at Wang Sheng's hand, while Wang Sheng muttered, "Military discipline forbids soldiers from the Imperial Household Department from meeting with the commander-in-chief's soldiers. Right now, only you are allowed to meet..." As he spoke, Wang Sheng pulled out a talisman from his waist. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a silver-plated copper talisman. A talisman is a symbol of authority, indicating that Wang Sheng was no ordinary person.
Once Wang Sheng recovered, his movements became nimble, displaying a soldier's decisiveness. He presented the talisman to Jiang Heng with both hands, saying, "I beg your assistance, sir!"
Jiang Heng had been waiting for these words. Without further ado, he took the talisman, mounted his horse, and rode straight after the army.
Wang Sheng watched Jiang Heng's departing figure, cupping his hands to his chest as if scooping up water, and said, "Heavens have eyes, heavens have eyes..."
Jiang Heng's horse is one of his father's heirlooms. His grandfather had fought on the battlefield and made great achievements, and the horse-training skills were passed down from his father.
Jiang Heng moved through the increasingly dazzling white mist, the moonlight as cold as swords, the wind rustling the grass like long knives being drawn from their sheaths. He was not afraid.
The soldiers at the back were already exhausted and didn't even notice someone approaching from behind.
Seeing that they didn't react, Jiang Heng thought he might as well run all the way to the head of the team and give the report.
Unexpectedly, he was stopped halfway by several men wielding long swords. These men were using long swords, but they were disproportionate to his height, making them appear clumsy and weak.
"Who goes there?" The question came from several long-bearded, white-haired veterans. By the moonlight, the scars on their faces were clearly visible, and the years had worn away their voices as well.
Jiang Heng raised the military tally and shouted, "I have come to provide support on the orders of the Minister of the Imperial Household!"
Unlike civil talismans, military talismans are inlaid with luminous pearls so that people can quickly identify them at night and thus allow them to pass.
The column was still moving slowly. The veterans bowed to the military tally as they walked, but Jiang Heng looked unfamiliar, so they asked warily, "Where are the reinforcements?"
"Only a horse can be provided! A thousand-mile-long, powerful Akhal-Teke, to be offered to the commander!" Jiang Heng replied.
The men looked at each other in bewilderment. They had fought wars their whole lives, yet they had never even seen a Ferghana horse.
Seeing that the group was hesitant, Jiang Heng took out his father's talisman. The two talismans were interlocked, and the golden talismans shone even brighter under the light of the luminous pearl.
"It is by the mandate of Heaven!" Jiang Heng shouted.
The veterans were quite frightened by the pure gold plaque and dared not look closely. Because of their failing eyesight, they all thought it belonged to a high-ranking official of the court, acting on the emperor's orders.
"Notify the front ranks, release them immediately!" they shouted as they sheathed their swords.
The journey was smooth and unimpeded. When Jiang Heng reached the front, dawn was breaking and the withered grass was turning green.
The leader was indeed superior in every sense, and even when wounded and exhausted, he quickly drew his sword to fight back.
That was a scimitar, difficult for ordinary people to wield. When Jiang Heng was a child, he and his father were invited to observe the military, and out of ten thousand people, perhaps only one person carried one—wait, a scimitar?
Just as he was about to strike the precious horse, Jiang Heng quickly turned his horse around, tightened the reins, and caused the horse to raise its front hooves to block.
The man, probably never having seen such a tall horse before, paused for a moment. Jiang Heng seized the opportunity to raise the talisman and shout, "This humble general has come to provide support on the orders of the Minister of the Interior!"
"Who dares to call themselves a lowly general!" the man sneered, continuing to brandish his sword. Just then, a message from the rear reached the front.
Jiang Heng smiled, tore off his baggage, jumped off his horse, threw the riding whip to the man, and remained where he was.
The man understood, and with a slight flick of his wrist, he sheathed the knife at his waist and mounted his horse.
"After this victory, please return the horse to Jiang Heng!" Jiang Heng said, bowing as he saw him off. This young General Zhao had bright eyebrows and starry eyes, and half of his face was covered in blood, which added to his fierce appearance.
The man, upon receiving the horse, was instantly filled with boundless pride, and the rosy clouds seemed to shimmer beneath its hooves. Jiang Heng, what a remarkable coincidence!
"Yes, sir!" the man replied from afar.
The man raised his whip and shouted, "A royally bestowed steed, heaven's help in our swift flight!" Seeing their commander's heroic figure, the soldiers all shouted in unison, "Victory is assured!"
Jiang Heng was exhausted and braced himself with one hand on the ground, sweat dripping from his forehead. Thinking that he had finally incurred a debt of gratitude, he fainted because he hadn't eaten for two meals.
"Young master! Are you alright?" Wang Sheng called out, and the pigeon stopped on the grass and started pecking at it.
Jiang Heng opened his eyes, and Wang Sheng's features tightened, looking as if a great disaster was about to befall him.
"It's nothing, I was just a little tired earlier," Jiang Heng replied, brushing away Wang Sheng's hand from his shoulder.
"Please ride your horse to inspect it, young master. I will wait here." Wang Sheng said, turning to fetch his horse.
"Why do you trust me so much, Brother Wang?" Jiang Heng asked slowly as he stood up.
Wang Sheng saluted and replied, "I was just tidying your luggage when I saw the Prime Minister's seal and realized your identity. A dragon begets a dragon; I was blind!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Heng looked up and saw that Wang Sheng had already hung the military tally on his waist, and his own baggage was already tied up and hung on the side of the saddle, and he understood.
Although his father had passed away, Jiang Heng felt as if he were still under his father's protection, thus ensuring his safety. But only he knew that while such protection could shield him from the sun, it was also vulnerable to being struck by lightning and shattered.
Just then, Wang Sheng somehow produced some cooked rice and brought it to Jiang Heng.
Wang Sheng said, "Young master is very righteous."
Jiang Heng swallowed his food and waved his hand, saying, "No, I'm no longer some young master." He looked at Wang Sheng, at his rough face and cracked old wounds, and continued, "I'm just fighting for my own way out. I'll crawl if I have to, otherwise I'll surely die."
Wang Sheng fell silent.
After a simple meal, Jiang Heng tidied his gear and turned to Wang Sheng, saying, "We are all common people. When we are starving, who has the energy to weep for a great cause?"
Live in the moment.
"The swift cavalry has been split in two, like a tiger losing its claws and teeth," Jiang Heng said, his words piercing to the heart. "General, do you want to see your commander-in-chief suffer such a crushing defeat?"
Wang Sheng clenched his fists: "How could this humble general not wish to follow the general? But military orders are absolute..."
“Military orders are rigid, but people are flexible,” Jiang Heng turned around, his burning gaze falling on Wang Sheng. “I have a plan that will allow the Sa Ta Cavalry to legitimately lead their troops to join the general.” He whispered, revealing the entire plan. Wang Sheng was initially shocked, but then hope gradually ignited in his eyes. He looked at the young man in front of him again and decided to give it a try.
"I'll go and speak to the young master," Wang Sheng said resolutely, looking towards the hills in the southeast.
Within two days, a secret letter was delivered to Xiao Hanjin. The letter was written in Jiang Heng's elegant handwriting, containing only a few words, yet it made him ponder for a long time.
That night, Xiao Han summoned his elite troops and announced a momentous decision—under the pretext of suppressing bandits, he would lead his forces to provide support towards Banrihua. They could not afford to lose this battle.
"Prepare the horses! The wounded soldiers will rest here for now. The rest of you will come with me out of the pass!" After Xiaohan finished speaking, everyone mounted their horses and whipped them, tacitly following his instructions to line up in front of the pass.
The black armor and the swords gleamed coldly under the moonlight. The wind carried coarse sand to the soldiers' brows, but they were driven back by the soldiers' gazes.
At the same time, Jiang Heng looked back from the mound, as if he could already see the iron army pressing down on him.
The winds of change are blowing, and everything is just beginning.
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