413. The Cost of War
The battle was finally over. Although Feihong Pass, which had just experienced a fierce battle, was still filled with a faint smell of blood, it had already regained some of its former tranquility. On the streets and at the city gates, there were no longer the people who came and went leisurely as usual. The soldiers of the Mohist Army quietly cleaned up the battlefield and washed away the bloodstains on the streets. Some of these bloodstains were from their comrades, and some were from their enemies. They were mixed together and no one could tell whose bloodstains were shed, but both sides of the battle paid a very tragic price.
In the early morning, Ye Li led Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing and Wei Rui out of Feihong Pass and came to a hillside not far from Feihong Pass. When they arrived, there were already many people waiting there. Most of the people present were injured, and some were even seriously injured. Everyone had a heavy and sad look on their faces. This is where the more than a thousand Qilins rest. Seeing Ye Li coming, the more than a hundred Qilins immediately stood up and saluted in unison, "Meet the princess."
Ye Li nodded solemnly, stood up and said, "No need to be polite."
"Thank you, Princess, for coming to attend the brothers' funeral in person." A middle-aged man with a sad face stepped forward and saluted Ye Li respectfully. This was the only surviving Qilin team leader stationed at Feihong Pass. Although Ye Li could not remember all the names of the Qilin team members, she knew most of the leaders of these teams. Because most of these people were the best among the first batch of trained Qilin, and many of them were even taught by Ye Li herself. Ye Li still remembered that the middle-aged man was named Li Yu. He had the same name as the elegant and knowledgeable Li Houzhu of the Southern Tang Dynasty, but he was a completely different person. Even when facing his fellow comrades, he seldom spoke. It was indeed not easy for him to take the initiative to come forward and talk to Ye Li this time.
Ye Li smiled bitterly. "I taught them all, how could I not come? I... I'm sorry."
The taciturn man's eyes suddenly turned red. He looked at Ye Li and choked up and said, "No, it has nothing to do with the princess. Since we are soldiers... it is a blessing to die on the battlefield. But we..." Ye Li looked around. Compared with the once neat and imposing Qilin, the more than one hundred wounded soldiers now looked a little decadent and sad. More than one hundred men who had never retreated in the thousands of troops now looked at the neat rows of graves in front of them with red eyes. The people lying here were all their comrades who had been through life and death together. Maybe two days ago they were still together chatting and laughing, talking about their families, wives, children and future, but now they are separated by life and death.
Ye Li sighed softly and walked to a small open space at the front of the cemetery. She bowed three times respectfully to the cemetery and said in a deep voice, "Offer a toast!"
Behind them, Qin Feng and Wei Rui walked towards the cemetery in front, one in front and one behind, holding the wine altar. They sprinkled some water and wine in front of each grave. The Qilin soldiers beside them saw this and followed them to sprinkle wine along each grave.
A low, sobbing sound of a zither could be heard from the open space ahead. Everyone turned around and saw Ye Li sitting on the ground with a simple ebony zither on her knees. Ye Li plucked the zither with her bare fingers, and the sobbing sound slowly flowed out from between her fingers. The sound of the zither was simple, and the melodious tune played was even more desolate and sad. This was the Requiem.
Ye Li's piano skills were not top-notch, and there was not even a trace of sadness on her face. But the piano music flowing from her fingers made everyone clearly feel the faint sadness and regret. Yes, it was not pain but regret. Regret that she could not do better, and even more regret that so many excellent warriors died in that way.
Suddenly, the sound of the piano became more intense, and every string seemed to pluck everyone's heart. It made people involuntarily recall the past years. The pride and joy of joining Qilin, the countless hard training and the past of life and death, and the passion of going to the battlefield together.
"A man should know the great kindness of his country. Dying on the battlefield is a good end!" Someone shouted in a deep voice, "Brothers...goodbye!"
"Toast!" Everyone raised their wine jars, looked up at the graves in front of them and drank. In the sound of the piano, countless tears flowed down with the wine, wetting the land under their feet where countless heroes were sleeping. Brothers... Farewell... Take care on your journey!
When the song ended, Ye Li stood up and casually placed the ebony harp on the ground beside him. Looking at the soldiers in front of him with tears streaming down their faces, he said in a deep voice: "Li Yu!"
The middle-aged general named Li Yu came forward and said respectfully, "I am here!"
Ye Li looked at him and said in a deep voice, "From now on, you are the deputy commander of Qilin. I order you to take Qilin back for repairs and return to Li City immediately after everyone's injuries have recovered. Within one year, I want to see a complete Qilin. Can you... do it?"
Li Yu was stunned for a moment, and when he met Ye Li's firm and clear eyes, he quickly said in a loud voice: "I obey your order! I promise that within one year... I will give the princess a complete Qilin again!" Ye Li's order really scared Li Yu. The importance and rank of the position of Qilin deputy commander are extremely extraordinary. Even the third son of the Xu family, who has joined Qilin for several years, is absolutely first-class in terms of ability and ruthlessness on the battlefield, and he is also the cousin of Princess Ding. Even so, Xu Qingfeng is just one of the twelve commanders of Qilin. The princess promoted him to deputy commander at this time...
As if she could see what Li Yu was thinking, Ye Li said calmly: "Those who left are your brothers. I hope you can personally fill their positions again."
"I obey your orders!" Li Yu said loudly, this time with a little more excitement in his tone. Ye Li nodded and said, "Everyone's injuries have not healed yet, go back and rest early."
"Yes, I'll take my leave now!" Li Yu nodded in response, turned around and left with more than a hundred Qilin soldiers back to Feihong Pass.
"Princess, we should go back now." Zhuo Jing said softly. Ye Li shook her head and said, "I want to stay a little longer." Ye Li sat down on the ground again, put the ebony harp on her knees and played it carelessly. There was no fixed tune, just intermittent playing, stopping from time to time, which made people feel a little sad in this desolate white grave.
Mo Xiuyao and Han Mingyue stood side by side on a high ground not far from the Qilin Tomb. Looking sideways, they happened to see the calm face of a woman in plain clothes sitting on the white tomb. Han Mingyue looked at Mo Xiuyao, whose hair was as white as snow, and said, "Since you are worried, why don't you go over and take a look?"
Mo Xiuyao glanced at him and said calmly: "I know my limits."
Han Mingyue smiled faintly and said nothing. At this point, he had to envy Mo Xiuyao for his good vision. Intellectually, Mo Xiuyao was not to blame for this incident, but emotionally, no matter who it was, they would probably want to slap him. But Ye Li never said a word to blame Mo Xiuyao from beginning to end. Whether she really understood or tolerated everything about Mo Xiuyao, it was a great blessing for Mo Xiuyao. Similarly, it was probably because of Ye Li that Mo Xiuyao did not become more extreme.
Although she had no contact with Mo Xiuyao in these years, Han Mingyue still paid close attention to him. After all, besides her only brother, Mo Xiuyao was the person Han Mingyue valued the most. In these years, Han Mingyue had felt that Mo Xiuyao was losing control several times, but it seemed that every time he was on the verge of losing control, Mo Xiuyao stopped steadily. Obviously, all of this had a lot to do with Ye Li.
Just like last night, when Leng Huai brought up the matter of the captured Xiling soldiers, Han Mingyue clearly felt that Mo Xiuyao had the killing intent. But he was perfectly controlled in just a moment. Then he ordered Leng Huai in an orderly manner how to deal with these captives. It was as if Prince Ding was really so compassionate and broad-minded. God knows, Mo Xiuyao has never been a person who would treat his enemies well. And at that time, the only person present who could affect Mo Xiuyao's emotions was Ye Li. So at that moment, Han Mingyue understood why Feng Zhiyuan was so nervous about the relationship between Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li. If Mo Xiuyao is a sharp and peerless sword, Ye Li is the scabbard. If Mo Xiuyao is a top-notch thousand-mile horse, then Ye Li is the bridle that can control the horse. Neither of them can be missing.
Han Mingyue lowered her head and laughed, "Xiu Yao, you are past the age of willfulness. Other people's tolerance is not for you to squander at will. At least... you should go to the tomb of the Qilin soldiers and offer a toast. These people were trained by Princess Ding herself... a completely different type of soldiers from what you and I know. I always feel that the princess's feelings towards these Qilins are different. This time, half of the Qilins were sacrificed in one go for your plan. If someone destroyed half of your Ding Palace in one go, would you be happy?"
Mo Xiuyao was silent for a long time, and suddenly said in a deep voice: "I hate Qilin!"
Han Mingyue was stunned, and after a moment's silence, she could not help but laugh and said, "Do you hate Qilin or do you hate the fact that the princess is special to other people or other things? The princess is different from other women, and you, Ying Gao, have already understood that, right? Go... don't say that you hate Qilin. They are all the best and most admirable warriors. Don't tell me that you don't feel sorry."
As the King of Ding, Mo Xiuyao is a unique general in the world. He is destined to like all elite soldiers. How could he not like the elite among the elite soldiers like Qilin? To be honest, Mo Xiuyao still underestimated Qilin's fighting ability before this, and he didn't even think that Ye Li would send Qilin to guard Feihong Pass. After all, compared with hundreds of thousands of troops, a team of thousands of people, no matter how elite, seems too small. Originally, Mo Xiuyao had already prepared for the annihilation of the entire army at Feihong Pass, but he didn't expect that it was this team that he didn't count at the beginning that saved the entire Feihong Pass.
After a long silence, Mo Xiuyao walked towards Ye Li.
"Xiu Yao." Han Mingyue suddenly spoke from behind.
Mo Xiuyao turned around, looked at him and raised his eyebrows in confusion. Han Mingyue said, "We are still brothers, right?"
Mo Xiuyao nodded slightly and took a step towards Ye Li.
Watching someone hurriedly leaving, Han Mingyue couldn't help but chuckle. Who could have imagined that Mo Xiuyao, the person in the dream of countless spring lovers, who was free and unfettered as if not trapped by any tenderness, would be so anxious now. Thinking about himself again, Master Mingyue looked into the distance, and a calm and peaceful smile and relieved ease appeared on his elegant lips.
Mo Xiuyao landed like a flying phoenix not far behind Ye Li, without causing any disturbance. Qin Feng and the others looked at Mo Xiuyao and retreated silently. Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li sitting on the ground, walked over quietly, and sat on the ground like Ye Li.
"Xiu Yao?" Ye Li stopped playing the zither and asked in confusion, "Didn't Feng San and the others say they wanted to talk to you about something? Why are you here?" Mo Xiu Yao smiled and said, "The war is over. Even the biggest issues can be put on hold, right?"
Ye Li nodded with a smile. Now, except for Murong Shen and Nan Hou who were still leading the troops of Da Chu to fight against Xiling in the south, the Mohist Army was already peaceful. Thinking for a while, Ye Li said, "The families of the dead and seriously injured soldiers will be settled..."
Mo Xiuyao held her slightly cold hand in his own and said, "Just let Master Qingchen handle these matters. Ah Li, don't worry. I promise that every soldier who died in the battle will be properly arranged. The same goes for Qilin."
Ye Li smiled and nodded. She was not worried about Qilin. Qilin itself had a very complete system, including compensation for casualties and serious injuries. Moreover, Qilin had few people, so they just had to follow the regulations. However, the Mohist army had suffered casualties in the tens of thousands, so it was not easy to handle it properly.
Seeing Ye Li's worry, Mo Xiuyao assured firmly: "I will instruct all the generals to take care of the funeral affairs of their soldiers." Seeing Mo Xiuyao's solemn assurance, Ye Li couldn't help but smile and said: "Of course I believe you, there's no need to be so serious. I just said a few words casually."
Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly and said nothing. Ah Li's heart was too soft, and she thought too much. But Mo Xiuyao knew that she didn't think these things for the so-called kindness or noble character. She just thought it was the right thing to do. Many of Ye Li's ideas were actually incompatible with the people of this era. For example, she believed that men should respect women, she believed that soldiers should protect ordinary people, she believed that the country should take care of the afterlife of soldiers who died for the country, and so on. It's not that what she thought was wrong, but it was too absurd and difficult for people of this era to do. However, perhaps he loved Ah Li who was different from others. Mo Xiuyao knew about her magical experiences, and even felt that Ah Li must have lived a happier life in the previous world than in this world. That's why he wanted to give the whole world to her, and he wanted to make her happier than before.
Mo Xiuyao took the ebony harp from Ye Li, put it on his knees and gently plucked it. Mo Xiuyao's harp skills were actually much better than Ye Li's. It was still the song "Requiem". But in Mo Xiuyao's hands, the harp had a bit more excitement and a heart-stirring feeling. Ye Li listened to him playing the song in a daze, and finally couldn't help shedding tears.
The song ended, Mo Xiuyao let go of the ebony harp in his hand, reached out and held her in his arms, "Cry, A Li... I'm sorry, it's all my fault..." Ye Li leaned in Mo Xiuyao's arms and finally cried out.
Mo Xiuyao patted her back gently, his half-closed eyes filled with pity and care.
When the two returned to the General's Mansion, they were greeted by the almost mad Third Master Feng. Seeing the two coming hand in hand, Feng Zhiyao rushed over without a care, grabbed Mo Xiuyao by the collar and shouted: "Prince Ding! Where on earth have you been?! Do you want to stay in Prince Ding's Mansion? Are you going to deal with the documents in the study? More importantly, it was you who asked us to come here saying that you had something to deal with, but you ran away without a trace. What on earth do you want?!" Third Master Feng was so angry that he could no longer care about his inferiority. He yelled at Mo Xiuyao.
Feng Zhiyao's sudden outburst really frightened Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao quickly came to his senses, calmly released his hand that was grabbing his collar and said, "Feng San, tell me what you want to say slowly."
Feng Zhiyao sneered, "Take your time, I want to take my time, I also need to find someone. We just finished the battle, so many things have not been dealt with, so many of us put down our work to listen to your instructions, Prince Ding, but in the end we didn't even find a shadow of a person!"
Hearing this, Ye Li couldn't help but feel a little guilty. After all, Mo Xiuyao ran out so capriciously just to find her. She took a step forward and whispered to Feng Zhiyao, "Feng San, what happened today..."
Feng Zhiyao raised his hand and said, "Princess, you don't have to speak for him. Besides... we dare not blame His Royal Highness Ding, right? He just complained for no reason. Please punish him, Your Highness." No wonder Feng Zhiyao wanted to get angry. The war had just stopped, and it was not just Feihong Pass that was busy. This war that lasted for nearly a year made all places outside Feihong Pass a mess. Everyone was busier than before the war ended. But the people who should be the busiest were nowhere to be found. Not only was Mo Xiuyao missing, but even Han Mingyue, who could usually help, had disappeared. Feng Zhiyao faced the empty study and the mountain of files for a long time, and finally he couldn't help but vent.
Everyone present, except Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, looked at Feng Zhiyuan with admiration as if he were a warrior. He was really brave to be the King of the Roaring Crowd.
Mo Xiuyao was unexpectedly in a good mood and said with a smile, "Okay, I understand. I promise to take care of everything tomorrow morning."
Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, "Tomorrow morning?"
"Any ideas?" Mo Xiuyao asked.
"No." Feng Zhiyao shook his head quickly. As long as Prince Ding was willing to do it, the efficiency would still be very impressive. Why would Feng Zhiyao have any objection?
The group entered the study and sat down. Feng Zhiyao took a breath before asking, "Why did the prince call us here this morning?" He was furious just now, but now he calmed down after drinking a cup of tea. Feng Zhiyao also felt that he was a little impulsive. He was polite when asking Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao pulled Ye Li to sit down and smiled, "Nothing. I just want to talk about the treatment of the wounded and dead soldiers."
Speaking of this, Feng Zhiyao's expression also became serious. He took out a file from the pile beside him and said in a deep voice: "After nearly a year of fighting, the specific figures have not been counted yet. But the casualties of Feihong Pass have been counted. The original soldiers stationed at Feihong Pass, including Qilin, totaled 237,600. Only 13,127 survived, including 19 generals above the rank of colonel and 7 deputy generals."
Even Mo Xiuyao was speechless for a long time with such tragic casualties. In all these years, such a tragic casualty rate is the first time that there has been such a heavy casualty rate, except for the tragedy of the Mohist Army in Huifeng Valley more than ten years ago. Moreover, those stationed at Feihong Pass are the elite soldiers of the Mohist Army, not the Da Chu soldiers that Mo Xiuyao just accepted. Just one battle was so tragic, not to mention the casualties in the past six months. Roughly estimated, the Mohist Army has suffered at least 600,000 or 700,000 elite soldiers since the siege of Chujing was lifted. The elite soldiers of the Mohist Army, which originally numbered less than one million, are now only 20% to 30% left. The others were the remnants of the Great Chu that had been recovered before. The hundreds of thousands of Chu troops that Mo Xiuyao had subdued this time included new recruits who had just entered the camp from the northwest.
This battle was not a total loss, but all parties involved paid a huge price. No wonder Mo Xiuyao no longer planned to continue attacking Da Chu and Xiling.
Looking at the shocking numbers in front of them, the three of them fell silent. The atmosphere became more solemn. Mo Xiuyao pondered for a while and said, "Feng San, have someone pass on my order. All the relief for the fallen soldiers must be distributed without exception. The wounded must also be properly settled. If they have any problems, they can come to me directly."
Feng Zhiyao hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded. To accommodate so many dead soldiers and wounded soldiers was undoubtedly a huge project for Prince Ding's Palace. But this was indeed what they should do, and it was the only thing they could do. Let the dead rest in peace.
Ye Li said, "All the money we got from exchanging captives in Xiling can be used for this. If it's still not enough, you can ask Han Mingqing for it. Just come back and tell me." Feng Zhiyao thanked Ye Li quickly. Mo Xiuyao thought for a moment and raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't worry, Ah Li. We will have other income soon."
"Other income?" Ye Li raised an eyebrow.
Mo Xiuyao laughed coldly and said, "Of course. And there are also compensations from Beirong, Xiling and Dachu."
Wars are not easy to win. Winning a war does not necessarily mean you can rest easy, but losing a war is a disaster. Since ancient times, the loser has to either pay tribute or cede land and pay money. This is a custom. Mo Xiuyao has no interest in paying tribute. Since he is not sincere, there is no need to do that. However, he must pay money.
Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but clapped his hands and smiled when he heard this, saying, "Your Highness is right. I had forgotten about this matter."
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