Chapter 79 Chapter 79 "Ji Yang, you must survive."...
Just as he finished speaking, Lou Qi interrupted with a smile, unceremoniously placing his arm on Ji Yang's shoulders and teasing with malicious intent, "Of course he's with me. Wait, you two... haven't slept together yet, have you?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene suddenly became quiet.
Jiang Ci's cheeks flushed red and he looked away in panic.
Ji Yang choked, his ears slightly reddening. He raised his hand and pushed Lou Qi's arm away, saying in a deep voice, "Nonsense! We're fighting now, and I'm the commander. How can I bring a woman into my tent? If the soldiers see me, they'll think I'm not focused on the battle!"
Seeing that he was getting anxious, Lou Qi smiled even more happily, raised the corner of his mouth, and said in a teasing tone: "Okay, okay, whatever you say is what it is."
Ji Yang didn't bother to pay attention to him. He turned and walked to Jiang Ci, his expression softened and his tone lowered. "You must be tired from the journey. Go and rest first. I'll take you to my tent."
As he spoke, he raised his hand to lead the way, guiding Jiang Ci through rows of tents. Neither of them walked quickly, in silence for a while, before stopping in front of a slightly out-of-the-way tent.
Jiang Ci lifted the curtain and walked in. All he saw were simple furnishings: a bed, a table, a lamp, and a few volumes of military strategies piled in the corner. There was almost no extra stuff in the room.
But she didn't despise it. Instead, she walked over to take a closer look, then turned back and said with a smile, "You live in quite a simple life."
Ji Yang coughed lightly and said, "This is a temporary camp, and the soldiers are all the same."
He paused, took a few steps closer, and whispered, "It's going to be cold tonight. Did you bring enough bedding? My place is too simple, and you're weak. If you catch a cold and get sick, I..."
Jiang Ci interrupted him softly: "Don't worry, Wan Niang has prepared everything for me."
Ji Yang nodded slightly, a look of relief crossing his eyes. He said, "Then you should get some rest. We have military preparations tomorrow, and I'm afraid I'll disturb you if I move around. You probably don't want to share a room with me, so I'll go to Lou Qi's place."
After saying this, he turned around and was about to leave the tent.
Jiang Ci stood there, watching his back as he walked away step by step. The lights made the back look long and lonely.
She pursed her lips, her throat suddenly moved, and she wanted to call him several times. The surging thoughts in her heart were spinning on the tip of her tongue, but she finally stopped before he lifted the curtain and walked out.
She just murmured softly: "Actually... I forgave you a long time ago."
After saying this, she walked over to the camp couch, which had only a thin mattress, and leaned over to gently press it. Her palm touched only the cold, hard wood. Her fingertips paused, and a look of astonishment flashed across her eyes.
At this time, Wanniang came in with bedding and silently helped her make the bed. Looking at the extremely simple tent and the thin mattress on the ground, she just sighed and shook her head.
Jiang Ci said softly: "Wan Niang, you have to rest with me during these days at the front."
Wanniang put down the quilt, her eyes full of pity, and said in a low voice: "With my body, I can sleep anywhere, but it's hard for you, young lady... I have never slept in a place like this before."
Jiang Ci, however, looked calm. He only raised his eyes and looked around, then spoke softly, "But in a place like this, he has probably been sleeping for many years."
Elsewhere, outside General Louqi's tent, Ji Yang stood in armor, gazing at an unfolded topographic map, his expression as calm as a rock. Beside the campfire, the sand table remained unmoved, a fading candle flickering. Suddenly, footsteps echoed beyond the curtains, familiar and assertive.
Lou Qi walked in, a mocking smile on his face: "It's so late and you're still not resting? Commander, are you too worried to sleep?"
Ji Yang raised his eyes and glanced at him calmly: "When you wore the mask before, I didn't think you were so talkative."
Lou Qi smiled, walked over to the table, and sat down beside it without shying away. He casually tapped the sand table with his fingertips and said, "Tomorrow's battle will be the first time we fight side by side. I'm curious, do you really believe me?"
Ji Yang said: "If you want to rebel, tonight is the best time."
"Oh?" Lou Qi raised his eyebrows.
"That day at Moon Viewing Tower." Ji Yang said calmly, "Didn't you also let me live?"
Lou Qi seemed stunned for a moment, then chuckled: "I thought you would say something loyal and righteous."
He paused, then suddenly said seriously, "Ji Yang, after tomorrow, no matter who lives or dies, Liangzhou must be defended."
Ji Yang nodded, his voice low and firm: "Of course."
After a brief silence, the wind grew stronger. The two returned to the tent. Lou Qi leaned back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and murmured, "How could she be so bold? She came here alone with only an old servant."
Ji Yang did not answer immediately, but just stood there quietly.
After a long pause, he said, "She has never been one to back down. I've seen it clearly in the days I've known her. She never cares about right or wrong when doing things. She only does what she thinks she should do. Now that she's here, she must have thought it through."
Lou Qi turned to look at him: "He is indeed stubborn. I saw it in Ningling."
Ji Yang withdrew his gaze and moved a small sand table.
Lou Qi didn't say anything else, and the tent fell into a brief silence.
After a while, Ji Yang suddenly spoke: "Do you remember where we first fought?"
Lou Qi snorted and laughed, "Of course I remember. In the western part of Yichuan, the Hanbei light cavalry went around from behind, and you suffered a loss."
Ji Yang glanced at him and said, "If someone hadn't let them off, would Hanbei have been able to circumvent the enemy with light cavalry?"
Lou Qi raised his hands and bowed: "I admit it, you didn't lose that battle unfairly."
Ji Yang sneered, "The second time I saw you in Anping, I beat you all the way back to Youzhou. Your cavalry is nothing more than this."
He paused, as if remembering something, and continued, "Back then, I was always wondering why my subordinates kept saying that the Little Yan King of Hanbei always wore a mask. I also wondered if he was too ugly to be seen in public."
Lou Qi lazily stroked his chin and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Fuck you. This face of mine has charmed thousands of girls."
They both laughed, but the smile quickly faded.
Lou Qi asked in a low voice, "If you and I both died on the battlefield, what would you like her to remember about you?"
Ji Yang didn't answer this question. He simply said, "If I die in battle, I hope she forgets me."
Lou Qi's eyes moved.
He didn't say anything, but just looked down at the amulet Jiang Ci gave him.
As the night grew darker, the candlelight stretched the shadows of the two people out, overlapping and falling on the sand table.
After a while, Ji Yang whispered, "There is no way to retreat in this battle between you and me."
Lou Qi sneered and said, "Then kill them all."
The two looked at each other and said nothing more.
The next morning, before daybreak, the camp was still shrouded in the chill of the morning mist.
Jiang Ci and Wan Niang packed up the hot soup and dry food they had prepared early and personally delivered them to the front of the camp.
Ji Yang was wearing armor and a belt, and was bending over to wipe his sword, his movements as steady as ever.
Lou Qi sat aside, munching on a meat pie with his head down, smacking his lips and saying, "It's really delicious, much better than those firewood-burned pie we have in the army."
Jiang Ci handed over another bag of dry food, looked at Ji Yang, and said softly: "It's been a night wind, and hot food won't last long. You should eat something first."
Ji Yang took it, looked at her pale face, frowned slightly, and only replied in a low voice: "Thank you."
Before he finished his meal, he suddenly stood up, tied up his cloak, and took his helmet.
Jiang Ci was stunned, his heart tightening: "Are you leaving now?"
"We've received a message from the front saying the enemy might make some moves this morning. We must rush over immediately." Ji Yang spoke in a low voice, his cloak fluttering and his armor gleaming coldly in the morning light. "We're leaving today for a decisive battle."
Lou Qi stood up, put on the familiar bronze mask, and said in a cheerful tone: "Don't worry, if we join forces, Beiting and Xiliang will not be able to defeat us."
But Jiang Ci's heart suddenly tightened. She looked at Ji Yang and inexplicably felt that the uneasiness in her heart had turned into reality, blocking her chest and unable to speak.
She hesitated for a moment and called out, "Ji Yang——"
The man turned around, with a rare warmth between his brows.
Jiang Ci rushed over quickly, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him lightly on the cheek with a sudden eagerness, as if he was afraid that if he took another step, he would never have another chance.
"I'll wait for you to come back." Her voice trembled.
Ji Yang was stunned for a moment, his heart tightening as he looked at her red eyes. He raised his hand and gently stroked her hair, his tone unusually gentle: "I haven't heard you say you forgive me yet... How can I bear to die? Don't worry, I will definitely come back safely."
As he spoke, his eyes were heavy, as if he was deliberately suppressing something: "Trust me, I won't make you wait too long."
After saying this, he turned around and jumped onto his horse, his armor vibrating with his body, just like his resolute back.
Lou Qi pushed his cloak back and turned to grin at Jiang Ci: "Your meat pie is delicious."
After saying that, he shook the reins and rode away with Ji Yang. The army then set out slowly, with flags fluttering and stirring up a cloud of sand.
Jiang Ci stood where he was, watching the two people walk further and further away, their figures disappearing into the gray morning mist.
She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closed her eyes silently, and whispered:
"May you triumph and return safely."
As soon as they left, Jiang Ci could no longer feel at ease for a moment.
Despite the cold weather, she stayed in the camp to help the military doctor take care of the wounded.
The first snow fell outside, but the lights were still on inside the tent. She rolled up her sleeves, applied medicine to stop bleeding, and brought water to boil medicine. Her fingertips were already frozen red.
Every evening, when everything in the camp had calmed down, she would walk to the high slope at the edge of the camp, stand there, and look in the direction they left.
The world was cold and silent. She was wearing a cloak, and the wind blew, making the hem of her clothes rustle.
She stood there, her eyes fixed on the dark shadows of the barren mountains in the north, repeating in her mind: He might walk out of the darkness in the next moment, calling her with a familiar voice.
But every time, I only wait for a deeper night and a heavier silence.
On the other side, the cold wind blew through the forest and the war horses neighed.
Yin Shuang led a group of light cavalry and galloped through the dense forest, rushing to the front line overnight, and met up with the main force led by Ji Yang and Lou Qi west of Mengjin.
The three men stood on top of the ruined temple, armored and spears in hand. The mountain breeze shone with the flames. Lou Qi's eyes were filled with murderous intent as he said, "Since they dared to attack us, don't blame us for striking them head-on."
Yin Shuang replied coldly, "I've already led people to explore the enemy camp's food supply routes at night. They are all located in the locations shown on the map. We'll take action tonight."
Ji Yang's eyes were stern as he whispered, "Alright. When the drums of war sound, let them know that Liang Province is not a place they can take lightly."
The flames flickered, the wind and snow blew, and a bloody battle was quietly approaching.
The allied forces of Beiting and Xiliang, with a vast array of black flags, rushed southward along the mountain road. Their cavalry were like a stream and their momentum was terrifying.
Before dawn, the Liangzhou coalition forces had already deployed their troops on the predetermined battle line. Ji Yang and Lou Qi stood side by side on the high slope, gazing into the distance with cold eyes.
"Here it comes." Ji Yang whispered, his eyes as sharp as a blade.
Lou Qi bit a piece of grass and said nonchalantly as always: "They are quite impressive. Where did they get so many people from?"
"Xiliang will take the western route, Beiting will go around the northern mountains. It's a coordinated attack indeed." Ji Yang's eyes calmed as he glanced back at the formation. "Archers and cavalry, prepare to act according to last night's arrangements."
Lou Qi put away his smile, took off the spear from his back, and his eyes became increasingly murderous: "Yin Shuang is ready too. Once the enemy is trapped, we will cut off their attack."
As the sky brightened, enemy cavalry suddenly arrived.
The first surprise attack collided head-on with the deer horns and chevaux de frise laid by Ji Yang, hindering the enemy's momentum. The Zichuan army archers climbed up and shot arrows in a dense rain, instantly suppressing a wave of cavalry.
Lou Qi laughed loudly upon seeing this: "What a neat start!"
He waved his hand and gave the order, and his own cavalry charged out from the flank, joining Ji Yang's cavalry in encircling the enemy's vanguard. For a moment, the battle was deadlocked. Blades clashed, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the cries of killing shook the earth.
A moment later, scouts rushed over with an urgent report: "A team led by Captain Silver Frost of the Southwest has entered the enemy's rear, destroyed two rows of enemy food carts, and is about to attack the enemy's flank..."
Ji Yang's brows relaxed slightly, but at this moment, the second scout reported urgently: "Not good! Yin Shuang has been ambushed! Xiliang has set up a trap, and she is trapped in the valley!"
Lou Qi's expression changed: "She only brought 200 people!"
Ji Yang's face darkened, and he turned to leave, but Lou Qi grabbed him and said, "You can't go! She's already in a deadlock. If she moves the main formation now, our side will be torn apart!"
Ji Yang's eyes were cold and icy. "Yin Shuang is someone Jiang Ci cares about. If she is captured, she will be worse than death. I can't watch her fall into such a desperate situation."
Lou Qi gritted his teeth: "Are you crazy? Now is the time for the decisive battle!"
Ji Yang grabbed the reins, his eyes as hard as steel: "Either you break the impasse with me, or I will go alone."
Lou Qi glared at him and finally said, "Damn it, you always have this reckless temper." He pulled open his cloak and said, "Let's go save her."
The two men changed their strategy on the battlefield and ordered their deputy general to temporarily stabilize the main formation, while they led two hundred cavalrymen to gallop southwest.
The wind was like a knife, the dust was like a cover, and smoke and dust rolled across the valley. Yinshuang's troops had already engaged in close combat with the enemy, and the front line was surrounded and compressed to the center of the valley.
When Ji Yang saw this scene, his face turned pale. With a command, he raised his horse's hooves, pierced the air with his long spear, and personally led his troops to charge into the valley.
The enemy army did not expect that someone would break in from outside at this time, and their formation was in chaos for a while. Ji Yang used his spear to break through three rows of cavalry formations and forcefully tore a bloody path.
Silver Frost's clothes were stained with blood, but he still held a long sword in his hand and protected the remaining soldiers with two personal guards.
"Commander, don't come over here!" she shouted.
Ji Yang didn't answer, but just shouted: "Follow me!"
Lou Qi suddenly attacked from the other side of the valley entrance, and together with Ji Yang, they split the enemy forces in one fell swoop. Yin Shuang was injured and weak, so Ji Yang ordered Lou Qi: "Take her away first!"
Lou Qi angrily asked, "What are you going to do alone?"
Ji Yang had already ridden his horse into the center of the enemy army and said in a cold voice, "Cut off the tail." After that, he raised his horse's hooves high and rushed back without hesitation.
The flames of war spread, and the neighing of horses and roars of people echoed through the valley.
Yin Shuang was rescued, and Lou Qi covered her retreat. When she looked back at the valley, she saw Ji Yang leading his men to fight several enemies in the firelight. His figure was like a lone wolf, and was gradually obliterated by the smoke and dust.
"Ji Yang!" Lou Qi wanted to go back, but was held back by his men. "Prince Yan, reinforcements are coming soon! We have to hurry back, otherwise we will lose that place!"
Lou Qi had to take the overall situation into consideration and had to leave Ji Yang behind and rush back with the seriously injured Yin Shuang.
"Ji Yang, you have to survive."
…
At dusk, reinforcements arrived, killed the enemy and broke the siege, and the smoke gradually dissipated.
The valley was littered with corpses and dead war horses, but Ji Yang was nowhere to be seen.
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