In that instant, Song Anxin felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. It was precisely because of the pure and passionate hearts of these soldiers that they were able to live peacefully in this region. They were the ones who were carrying the burden for the country and its people.
Yan Shuping, seeing this, smiled and said, "Madam Hui, Huo Liuzi is not just talking big. He is extremely brave on the battlefield and is now a centurion in the army. If he makes further contributions, he can become a captain with a rank."
"Liu Zi, you're so amazing! Your family will be so proud and happy for you when they find out." Song Anxin said with sincere admiration in her eyes.
Huo Liuzi was a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Hehe, I never thought I could become a centurion. I'll just send a message to my family this time."
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out, and a soldier rode into the camp at high speed.
"Report... The Huns on the northern front have launched a sudden attack and urgently need reinforcements!"
"Damn it! They can't even let people have a peaceful New Year. I'm going to kill these Hun bastards!" Lu Pianjiang slammed down his wine bowl and stood up.
A group of generals and soldiers immediately donned their helmets, grabbed their weapons, and stood ready for battle.
"Mother, I'm going with the General too. You can wait for me here." Lin Fenghe stood up and said to Song Anxin with a serious expression.
Knowing the urgency of the situation, Song Anxin nodded: "Okay, don't worry about Mother, just be careful."
General Yan led his officers and soldiers out of the camp quickly, leaving only a few stationed soldiers and their worried relatives in the once bustling camp.
The war in the northern frontier will come, but the year must go on. Those who remain eat and drink as usual, but their faces are not as happy as before, and a gloomy atmosphere hangs over them.
They knew that this might be the last New Year's Eve dinner for some of the people leaving, and they themselves didn't know if they would be able to have such a dinner next year.
Yan Ping'er poked the campfire in front of her with a stick and said through gritted teeth, "These Huns are unruly. They actually launched a surprise attack on us during the New Year. It must be because we defeated them a few times that they are now desperate!"
Song Anxin sat by the campfire without speaking. She looked up towards the northern front, as if she could hear the sounds of soldiers fighting on the battlefield.
As darkness fell, a group of dark figures began to appear not far from the camp; it was General Yan leading his soldiers back.
Their bodies and faces were stained with blood; they supported each other as wounded soldiers were being helped back, and even the bodies of other soldiers were being brought back...
"Ah... my son, my son... your mother came all this way to spend the New Year with you, how could you leave like this? Wake up... my son..."
An old woman saw her son's body on a cart and immediately rushed over and wailed.
Then more soldiers' relatives arrived and discovered the bodies of their loved ones.
"Honey, sob... Didn't you say you were going to come back alive to see our son's wedding? How could you leave us like this...?"
"Waaaaah... Daddy... Daddy... wake up...."
"....."
The camp was filled with sorrowful cries for a time.
Song Anxin was already in tears as she looked at the scene before her. The vibrant lives that had just been eating and drinking with her were now cold corpses. For the first time, she, who had lived in a peaceful era, experienced the cruelty of death in war.
Lin Fenghe's clothes were also stained with blood, but it wasn't his. He walked up to his mother and whispered, "Originally, the dead soldiers would be buried on the battlefield, but the general said that since their relatives have come, let them see them one last time."
Song Anxin choked up and couldn't speak. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face among the soldiers' corpses. Her heart broke down, and she covered her mouth, resting her head on Lin Fenghe's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
...He said he was going to write to his family to tell them he had become a centurion; he said he wanted to be a great man who would protect the people; he said he would fight the enemy relentlessly... She still remembers the gleam in his eyes, but now his eyes are closed, forever buried in this northern frontier... Huo Liuzi...
Song Anxin slept very restlessly all night. In her dream, she saw the lively laughter of soldiers, the scene of soldiers fighting on the battlefield, and then everything turned red with blood and corpses.
Finally, she saw Huo Liuzi pierced through the chest by a spear, blood gushing out. He looked at her with a smile and said, "Hui Gongren, tell my mother I've become a centurion. I can't be by her side to fulfill my filial duty in this life, but I'll be her son again in the next..."
Then that blood-covered face slowly transformed into Lin Fenghe!
Song Anxin suddenly woke up from the bed and sat up, only to find that her face was covered in tears and her hair was soaked.
She sat there for a while to calm herself down, then raised her hand to wipe away the tears on her face and gently walked past Granny Wei, who was sleeping on the other side of the shop, towards the tent.
It was just dawn, and most of the soldiers were still asleep after last night's battle. Some soldiers were patrolling the camp, and they didn't stop Hui Gongren when she came out.
The north wind was biting. Song Anxin wrapped her coat tightly around herself and went to the very edge of the camp. The cold wind gradually calmed her down. She gazed at the boundless, desolate land in front of her for a long time. The sun gradually peeked out from the horizon, and the earth was instantly bathed in golden light.
The first day of the Lunar New Year was a sunny day.
"Mother, so you were here."
Lin Fenghe's voice suddenly rang out. He went to the camp but didn't see his mother. He asked the patrolling soldiers along the way and found her. When he saw his mother like this, he was very worried: "Mother, what's wrong? Were you frightened yesterday? It's okay, we will send someone to escort you back today."
Song Anxin didn't answer him. Looking at the rising sun, she asked, "Feng He, are the Huns very powerful?"
Lin Fenghe followed her mother's gaze to the red sun on the northern border and replied, "Yes, there are 50,000 Hun cavalry stationed on the northern border. They are all brave and skilled in battle. Although our dynasty has 70,000 soldiers on the northern border, our troops are far inferior to the elite Hun cavalry. Our previous victories were only achieved through careful planning."
After a moment of silence, Song Anxin turned her head, a hint of determination appearing in her sorrowful eyes. She said, "Fenghe, Mother will not go back for now. Take me to see the General."
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