Chapter Seventy-Four: Blood and Bone Merged, Hearts Clear
Yang Xiao smiled as she accepted the command, then nodded to Zhong Li'an, "Don't worry, my lord, we won't lose."
"Zhao Qing." Zhong Li'an's gaze fell on Bai Ming behind Yang Xiao, and he nodded slightly to him.
Bai Ming also stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhong Li'an, saying, "Here."
Zhong Li'an handed over the token from Bai Ming beside him, saying, "On this trip, you will serve as Ling Yu's deputy. You need to be adaptable and act according to the situation."
"Understood."
“We don’t know Xiao Yan’s intentions right now,” Qi Kun leaned against the table and looked up at Yang Xiao, “but she wouldn’t send Yang Song to fight without a reason. The various reasons are probably hidden in the battle formation.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao nodded to Qi Kun, "Master, rest assured, I will definitely fight with all my might." After saying that, she turned and smiled at Bai Ming, "But it's you."
Bai Ming smiled as he watched Yang Xiao walk forward, "What about me?"
"In the midst of battle, being distracted is a major taboo."
Bai Ming was taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled and shook his head. "Ah Xiao, why are you still worried about me?" He lowered his eyes and gently tapped Yang Xiao's nose. "This time we are fighting the enemy together, and I have absolutely no chance of being distracted."
“Oh, right,” Yang Xiao turned to Zhong Li’an as if suddenly remembering something, “My lord, where is the battleground? Should I go and scout the terrain?”
Before Zhongli An could speak, Zhongli Shuo teased with a smile, "Lingyu, you can't keep drawing maps like this. If you keep doing this, even the guide officer will be dismissed."
Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Zhong Li'an chuckled and handed the challenge letter and terrain map to Yang Xiao together, saying, "You don't need to worry about the terrain. You two just need to prepare for battle and conserve your energy."
"Alright, thank you, my lord." Yang Xiao took the map, nodded to Zhong Li'an, then spread it on the table and sat down to study it carefully.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, her gaze following her fingertips as they moved slowly. She traced the fork in the road, watching it branch off from the main road and then rejoin it. Her fingertips paused for a moment at the point where the two roads met, then she suddenly looked back at Bai Ming as if she had just remembered something. "Bai Ming, look."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming looked down and followed her fingertip. He saw Yang Xiao lightly draw a circle along the fork in the road, and he immediately nodded as if he understood. "I understand. If the situation changes, you will feign defeat at the front of the road, and I will go around to meet you from behind, right?"
"As expected of you." Yang Xiao nodded approvingly at him, then stood up and nodded confidently at Zhong Li'an, "With Zhao Qing's support, victory is assured."
The sunlight outside the window was tinged with red, and the shadow of the bamboo curtain grew longer and longer, seeping through the rosy clouds and spreading onto Zhongli's table. He looked at the tea beside him, which was now cold and reflected the sunlight, and looked up at the people in front of him. He couldn't help but sigh softly, "I just came from Nanyang today, and I will be going to Chenliu to fight again in just two days."
He took a sip of the tea that had long since gone cold, his eyes trembling slightly as he watched the ripples in the water. "I wonder when this chaotic world will end, so that this endless toil can be put to rest soon."
“My lord, you are overthinking this,” Yang Xiao said with a smile as she walked to Zhongli An’s table and poured him a cup of hot tea. “It is already an honor for us to have such a wise ruler. How could we let you worry about this? Look,” she said, squatting down in front of the table and counting on her fingers, “Look, in the past two years, you have pacified Ji and Yu, taken over Qing and Xu, formed an alliance with Jiangnan, and even recovered Nanyang County. In just two years, you have gone from a county magistrate to a regional hegemon. Looking at it this way, is it too late to recover the whole country?”
Zhong Li'an smiled as he looked into Yang Xiao's eyes, which reflected the setting sun, and shook his head with a light laugh. "You're so good with words. After this battle is over, you should all get some rest."
"Thank you for your concern, my lord," Yang Xiao said with a smile, cupping his fist towards Zhong Li'an. "But my lord, please don't forget the 'Locust Tree Pact'."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an was taken aback. Just as he was about to raise his hand to tap her, he saw Yang Xiao suddenly run behind Bai Ming.
Everyone burst into laughter at the sight. Bai Ming, caught off guard, turned around and looked at Yang Xiao with a smile, teasingly saying, "Why did you offend the lord and then use me as a shield?"
“You silly child,” Zhong Li’an said with a smile, pointing at Yang Xiao who was peeking out. “I should have been more cautious when you were saying nice things to me back then.”
Yang Xiao emerged from behind Bai Ming, smiled, and clasped her hands in a fist salute to Zhong Li'an, saying, "My lord, you are so magnanimous to spare me. I still have to fight for you to conquer the world."
“It’s getting late,” Bai Ming said, bowing to Zhong Li’an. “We’ll take our leave now and go back to reorganize our troops. We’ll set off tomorrow.”
Zhong Li'an also stood up with a hearty laugh, "Go and rest well, I won't keep you any longer. I wish you both a successful start and a great victory."
"Farewell, everyone." Bai Ming nodded slightly to the crowd, then turned to look at the lively Yang Xiao beside him.
"Thank you, my lord!" Yang Xiao ran to the bamboo curtain, waved to Zhong Li'an, and then ran briskly out the door.
With a flick of her wrist, the setting sun burst into the hall, casting a fiery glow on the table. Zhong Li'an looked up at the two figures moving about behind the bamboo curtain, then looked down at the steaming tea in the glow of the sunset. He chuckled softly and gently picked up the teacup.
As the hot tea entered my throat, all my worries and anxieties were calmed by its fiery warmth. My heart felt as if a giant wave was crashing against the shore, cleansing away the filth of the world, and suddenly I felt a sense of openness.
-
With a formidable enemy at hand, Yang Xiao abandoned his usual relaxed and carefree pre-battle demeanor. Instead, he took his silver spear and practiced on the training ground for most of the day, even while traveling. As soon as they set up camp, he practiced without stopping, as if afraid of being even slightly inferior to Yang Song on the battlefield.
Seeing her so serious, Bai Ming's heart tightened even more. He kept staring at the ambush rendezvous point, almost wearing out the terrain map.
The more they valued it, the faster time seemed to pass. On the night before the battle, Yang Xiao and Bai Ming slapped the crumpled map onto the table one last time, confirming it was correct before returning to their respective tents under the stars and moon.
Yang Xiao pulled the covers up, her heart pounding with nervous excitement, and finally let out a long sigh before drifting off to sleep.
The night flew by, and before we knew it, dawn was breaking, and we rode our horses to the front lines.
The day has finally come.
The sound of horns swept across the yellow sand, and the morning glow draped the heads of millions of soldiers. Amid the sounds of wind and drums, two banners bearing the character "Yang"—one black and one red—were positioned at opposite ends of the battle formation, fluttering in the wind.
The drumbeats grew increasingly urgent, urging the two generals to meet on the battlefield. Yang Xiao, her face beaming with confidence, watched the general charging out from the opposite side, then turned to Bai Ming and nodded, "I'll go and meet him."
“Okay,” Bai Ming nodded slightly to Yang Xiao, “Go ahead, I’ll be there to meet you.”
Yang Xiao smiled and nodded, then flicked his whip and spurred his horse toward the front of the formation.
The thunderous sound of war drums suddenly rose, and Chi Lian ran forward with its head held high and chest out, the bells around its neck ringing vigorously with its steps.
Yang Song looked up and was momentarily stunned. Before him stood a spirited young general bathed in the glow of the rising sun, her silver spear twirling confidently in her hand, gleaming with a golden light. Her eyes, brimming with confidence, held the arrogance of a newborn calf, burning as brightly as the rising sun.
Such a fiery aura instantly ignited a long-dormant imprint in his heart.
They look so alike.
He had seen that expression on his mother's face countless times.
Yang Song's heart tightened suddenly, followed by a surge of countless emotions.
Looking at Yang Xiao, whose fighting spirit was boiling, he immediately understood what she meant.
A hint of satisfaction crossed his face, and he couldn't help but smile broadly as he spurred his horse to meet the enemy at the front.
Yang Xiao raised her eyes and smiled at the battle flag fluttering in the wind behind Yang Song. She turned her gun and pointed it directly at him, "State your name, General!"
"My name is Yang Song," Yang Song pulled on the reins, stopped in front of Yang Xiao, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to her while holding his spear, "I welcome your guidance."
“Come on,” Yang Xiao nodded, raised her eyes and smiled, her eyes full of unyielding sharpness, “Let’s exchange a few moves!”
After saying that, Yang Xiao spun the gun in his hand and thrust it at Yang Song without saying a word.
Yang Song felt a strange sense of pleasure as he watched the silver spear hurtling straight at his face. He dodged Yang Xiao's attack by tilting his head, raised his spear to block the tip of Yang Xiao's spear, and used the momentum to deflect it. Her spear immediately lost its edge, flew around his head, and went to the side.
Startled by his abrupt turn, Yang Xiao quickly turned back and sat firmly on the saddle bridge, giving Yang Song an approving look.
"Well done, you've got some skills!" The fighting spirit in her eyes intensified, and she gradually increased the force in her hand. Gathering all her strength, she swung the spear back and slashed at Yang Song again.
Yang Song gritted his teeth slightly, but a smile appeared on his lips. He met Yang Xiao's attack head-on, resisting her sharpness, but he did not lose the upper hand in the slightest.
The war drums grew increasingly intense, and the spears of the two men on the field intertwined like swimming dragons, each move aimed straight for vital points, yet each was unexpectedly and perfectly countered before it could even reach its target.
Two pairs of bright eyes met repeatedly with each move, and the moment they met, they understood each other perfectly.
This is what it means to meet a great general.
At this moment, they are siblings reunited after a long separation, generals who are evenly matched, and the sharpest weapons of the two factions in the Central Plains.
Every move and stance embodies a long-standing family tradition, the experience of venturing out alone, the first clash of opposing viewpoints, and the first confrontation between Zhong Li'an and Xiao Yan's strategies for governing the world.
The sharp and imposing moves kicked up wisps of dust, which shimmered and shone under the rising sun. The sounds of drums and bugles, along with the shouts and flag-waving of the soldiers on both sides, surged towards the center of the battle formation like waves. The fierce and evenly matched contest resembled a young dragon and a phoenix locked in a battle between heaven and earth, drawing onlookers to stop and watch.
"Yang Xiao, you scoundrel, stop your arrogance!"
Just as the two were arguing, a commotion suddenly broke out behind Yang Song, with the sound of drums and horses' hooves rising abruptly. Yang Xiao frowned upon seeing this and forcefully shook Yang Song's spear away.
Looking up, she saw a warhorse charging straight at her, with a fierce general on it already raising his broadsword high and smashing it down on her head.
This man was none other than Deputy General Cheng Feng.
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