A place of longing for each other

Gu Zi'an Winter Solstice Personal Extra

Winter always comes early in the border areas.

The past two months since I came to the border have passed exceptionally quickly.

It seemed as if he had just said goodbye to His Majesty outside Tiandu City yesterday, but when he opened the military accounts today, the outside was already covered in snow.

"General."

The soldiers waiting outside the tent saluted respectfully, then stood guard with serious expressions.

The mountain peaks in the distance were no longer visible, and the sky was filled with white snow. The hot air did not even have time to circle in the air before dissipating, and it was impossible to detect even a trace of it.

Today was a rare day of free time, so after inspecting the camps as usual, Gu Zi'an took out his red-threaded silver gun and sat outside the tent, polishing it carefully.

The silver tip of the gun gleamed with cold light, reflecting his timid and murderous features.

He wiped it bit by bit, very carefully.

There was blood on it.

*

There are endless yellow sand and vast Gobi Desert.

A troop of about a hundred light cavalrymen marched along the bleak and rocky beach, with nothing around them and nowhere to rely on.

From a distance, it looks like an ant crawling in the desert, so tiny.

"Please——"

Gu Zi'an tightly grasped the reins in his hands and pulled the warhorse under his crotch. The soldiers following him also stopped marching one after another.

In the distance is a medium-sized sand dune, standing abruptly, psychedelic and silent in the floating wind.

Gu Zi'an glanced at the dry riverbed beside him. The scattered rocks looked a withered yellow under the sunlight. He raised his eyes and gazed at the distant mountains with a frown on his face.

An experienced hunter can identify a wolf pack dozens of kilometers away by the smell of fish in the wind.

But he had just arrived in this desert, and he should have enough respect for this land.

He knew that the seemingly peaceful and lifeless vast expanse of sand in the distance might only take a cloud to appear. Before he could figure out which cloud was casting its shadow on the sand dune, the cold wind would suddenly blow and countless barbarians might appear all around.

Coming from the mountain tops, from the river valleys, and from the horizon not far away.

Between the grasslands and the deserts, the Hun cavalry were like wolves roaming in the shadows, able to tear people into pieces in an instant and disappear in the next instant.

Gu Zi'an looked back at the team behind him, and the hand holding the gun unconsciously exerted force, and the purple meridians on the back of his hand also bulged slightly.

These were the soldiers he had carefully selected. There were less than two hundred of them in total. In this exposed flat sandy land, their chances of winning were less than three percent.

Retreat?

In three days, they only needed to rush along the river valley for three days to reach the source of the Dari River, which was the Xiongnu's nearest granary to the front line.

And now, they have been working non-stop for a whole day and night.

The turning point of the war was just around the corner, and he couldn't just give up.

Absolutely not.

“Keep going.”

Gu Zi'an withdrew his gaze from the distant mountains, turned around and waved his hand decisively.

In the absence of scouts to explore the way, he made an extremely bold decision to deviate from the original route by three miles.

The glaring sunlight made it impossible for the soldiers behind him to see his expression, nor did they know that they were standing at the dividing line of fate, waiting for their own end.

At the moment he raised the whip, he didn't know what the road ahead would be like. He just bowed his head slightly towards the gray quicksand and prayed devoutly in his heart.

May the gods of this land forgive his arrogance.

Forgive him for taking a gamble that he can't undo.

He can't lose, there are people waiting for him.

*

As soon as the sunset leaves the distant horizon, the cold night will quickly sweep in, leaving no room for turnaround.

Wild grass in the desert and bright moon over Tianshan Mountain.

The scorching flames are as obvious as stars in the vast desert, giving people hope and despair.

Because they were riding lightly, the soldiers' luggage was thin and could not keep out the biting cold. But in order to avoid being discovered by Hu Bing, they could only gather around a small fire, relying on the meager firelight and the body temperature of the people around them to keep warm.

Gu Zian sat aside, his eyes passing through the dancing flames and circling the tired faces of the soldiers. Everyone had an expression of anxiety about the future and was breathing softly.

The flames climbed up in a tangle, casting bright and dark embers on his face. Gu Zi'an picked up a branch and fiddled with the fire. The flames jumped and crackled but could not cover up the sound in his heart.

According to the reconnaissance of the scouts on both wings of the team, they just barely missed the wolves that were eyeing them hungrily today. This was truly a blessing in disguise.

If this army were defeated here, even if he could return alone, he would be powerless to save the situation.

Being a general is not an easy job, let alone being a general appointed in times of crisis, otherwise he would not be the only one willing to accept the order in the court that day.

Even though he has the reputation of his father and the support of Qu Chuan and others in the northern border, this desert is cruel and indifferent. The sound of Hujia floats in the sky above the prairie year after year, and the soldiers here only care about the weight of blood and fire.

Tomorrow will be a turning point in this war, and also a turning point for all his plans in the northern border.

Gu Zian picked up his gun and left the fire. He often stood on the hill and looked down at the land. Today they had passed through the desert. Before him were sparse trees and bushes, withered and dry, standing out like sharp blades.

He had never seen such a desolate and hopeless scene in the first twenty years of his life. The leaves of the trees in Tiandu would fall one day, but even the bare branches were soft and gentle, as if emerald juice would still drip out if pinched.

Looking at the trees before him, he even suspected that they had forgotten the taste of water in the long desert, otherwise why would they look so murderous?

But this just proved that their direction was correct. Although the riverbed was still dry, at least there was life. Clusters of wild grass stretched into the distance, and it was not too far from the source of the Dariq River.

The soldiers will have a night's rest today, as they will face an unpredictable tomorrow.

Gu Zi'an raised his head and looked at the night sky high above him. The waning moon was slowly approaching fullness, and the stars were sparkling brightly.

In the extremely lonely and deep starry sky, the bright Sirius in the southeast shines like a long lamp guiding soldiers back home.

Gu Zi'an gripped the spear tightly in his hand, looking at the stars with a distant and determined gaze.

That is the light that brings him home.

*

On the banks of the Darrig River, Muna Grassland.

The snow-capped mountains in the distance are hidden in the clouds, and a green area spreads out from the foot of the mountain, like a emerald hidden among the mountains.

Xu Fuyan took off the bow hanging from his waist, slowly aimed it at the flying geese in the blue sky, and held it tightly with his palms.

"call out--"

The white arrow feathers spun with unstoppable sharpness, hitting the target accurately.

"good!"

The soldiers gathered around burst into cheers, and the wind from the grassland blew over, bringing up waves.

"The captain's archery skills are still as superb as ever!"

Hearing the compliments around him, Sugonobu smiled with great enjoyment. He patted the shoulder of a little soldier beside him and threw his wine bottle over to him.

"Yes, it's a reward for you."

"Thank you, Captain!"

The young soldier was overjoyed and quickly took the wine bottle and took a gulp. However, the strong liquor made him cough, which made the soldiers next to him laugh again.

The grass is green and the sky is blue. Only here in the northern Xinjiang can you find such an intoxicating scenery in October. The sheep are scattered on the grassland, with their heads down, concentrating on eating the last meal of grass before the cold winter comes.

The peaceful and tranquil wind blew gently until night fell and bright bonfires lit up outside the tents.

The dark night, the melodious sound of the hujia and the unrestrained sound of the horse-head fiddle, and the sound of horses' hooves approaching quietly hidden under the joyful songs.

In the darkness, metal armor occasionally collided with each other, making crisp sounds.

“Hmm!”

The silver light of the dagger flashed by, like a lamb to be slaughtered, without even time to cry out for help. Gu Zian slowly put down the soldier whose throat was cut.

At the same time, the guards of several granaries were eliminated one after another, kerosene was spilled all around, and the group quickly left under the cover of night.

When he was a hundred meters away from the Hun camp, he rode on horseback and slowly drew his bow and arrow.

“Sizzle—”

The arrow rubbed against the flint on the bow, emitting dazzling light as it spun rapidly, lighting up the dark night as well as the frightened faces in the night.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Where did you come from?"

"Put out the fire!"

Xu Boyan heard the commotion outside the tent and rushed out with a long sword in hand.

"Why are you panicking?"

He grabbed the attendant by the collar, with a fierce light in his eyes.

"Let everyone put out the fire!"

"No... we can't all go..."

If the person who set the fire is not caught, Shan Yu will not let him go, and he and his tribe will suffer together.

Thinking of this, his hand holding the long sword trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind that he would never let the man get away like this.

"Let Savasi take the troops and follow me!"

…

In the vast night, the smell of burning fire gradually faded away, and frightened beasts ran across the flat sand.

Xu Boyan held his warhorse tightly and rushed to the front, followed by a hundred rough men wrapped in fur coats. The galloping horses brought up the sound of hunting.

"Catch one and you'll get a reward of three hundred cattle and sheep!"

He stared at the figure in front of him, his eagle-like eyes slightly narrowed, and with his left hand he drew a few sharp arrows from the quiver. His swollen muscles tensed and trembled as the bow was pulled.

The sound of an arrow breaking through the air came from his ears, brushing past Gu Zian and about to pierce the chest of the soldier in front of him.

At the critical moment, Gu Zi'an threw out the spear in his hand and bent over his waist to cut off the flying arrow.

"General, be careful!"

Just as he rode over the corpses and tried to pull out the spear that was nailed to the ground, a second stray arrow came suddenly with a cold gust of wind.

The arrow pierced his right arm, and before the tearing pain came over him, he had already swung his hand to cut off the arrow shaft.

"Retreat! Don't fight!"

There is no turning back, there is no turning back for any of them.

On the bumpy horse's back, the sharp wind carrying the smell of blood whizzed past like a sword, and he tried his best to put the chaotic sounds of weapons behind him.

He tightly gripped the reins in his hands, blood splashed into the wind and disappeared into the vast yellow sand. In between violent coughing, he finally turned around with difficulty and looked behind him.

What kind of scene is that?

The sky was full of fire, burning from one side of the sky to the other.

The flames rising into the sky were reflected in his eyes, as if they had turned into a burning sea.

In the mountains and deserts, when you are at the end of your road.

…

“Ahem!”

The hundred-mile-long run seemed to have no end. The warhorse neighed and suddenly fell to the ground, and Gu Zian was thrown to the ground like a wolf.

He did not get up, but just lay on the yellow sand and stared at the dazzling Sirius in the dimly lit sky.

The stars are still shining, and he is still alive.

There were countless wounds on his body, which healed and tore apart during the long journey home. Blood seeped out of his armor and dyed the ground beneath him red, as if responding to a believer's memorial service.

"hehe……"

He bit the strap on his wrist guard and tightened the rope even more. Blood soaked through the rope and dripped between his lips and teeth.

The pain made him more awake, and he even laughed uncontrollably. His chest vibrated with the laughter, beating with vitality.

The laughter became louder and louder, and he couldn't suppress it anymore. It agitated his injured body and he started coughing violently again.

Amid the shocked and puzzled gazes of the exhausted soldiers around him, Gu Zi'an stretched out his hand as if to gently touch the distant stars, and whispered the name that he had never said before.

“Ash…”

His Ash, his Majesty...

And in Tiandu, thousands of miles away, a thin figure on the city wall stood facing west, also looking at his hero from afar.

*

The days at the border were cold and busy, and he had little free time. When he had some free time, he would sit outside the tent and wipe his spear. This was also the time he reserved for himself to think about His Majesty without restraint.

I guess by the time his letter reached Tiandu, it would have been almost the winter solstice.

With this good news, Your Majesty may be happier during this year's Winter Solstice, and maybe even eat a few more bites of rice.

The heavy snow that had just stopped fell again, and stopped at the tip of his gun.

Gu Zi'an reached out and brushed away the fallen snow on the silver gun. In the cold reflection, he could see his own appearance clearly.

Silent and sharp, like a sharp sword.

A knife that is too sharp hurts others more than yourself.

On the day his father's belongings were returned home, his mother also went with him. For a moment, all the shackles of love and hate on him seemed to have dissipated. He thought he could finally be his true self and live for himself, not for his parents' expectations.

But when he actually did it, he didn't know what he should look like. It turned out that the shackles on his body were broken, but the shackles in his heart were still there.

But there was one thing he knew very well, and that was His Majesty.

He thought that this would be his life, assisting the crown prince, guarding His Majesty, and protecting the world of Daxuan.

But he didn't expect that the sky would change.

Amidst the wind and rain, he saw that the young Majesty could not even hold up the heavy dragon robe, so how could he hold up the world?

In times of crisis, he could have just been a general, like he had been for many years, a trustworthy and reliable brother to His Majesty.

But he was driven mad by that delusion and not only hurt His Majesty, but also himself.

He doesn't care about others, but since his own knife has injured His Majesty, it is not a pity for him to die a thousand times.

This body is only for the country, for the world, and also for the king.

In this world, only Your Majesty is his scabbard.

He cleaned his gun over and over again, and when he stood up to put away his gun, the snow and dust on his body fell off.

He thought.

He has no regrets.