Chapter 37: Guimao's Defeat in the Original Trajectory
It was the second day after the Yunzhou army set out when Xie Ci learned that the commander of the Northern Army was Lu Xinyi, the Grand Protector of Andong, the Jiedushi of Fanyang and Luchuan, the Transport Commissioner, and the Governor of Fangzhou.
The commander of this Northern Frontier War was not decided until the third day after the troop mobilization order arrived and the second day after the Yunzhou Army set out, when the second imperial edict was received by flying horse.
After receiving the imperial edict, Chen Yan personally rode his horse to escort the eunuch who was delivering it. After returning, he told Xie Ci, "It was Uncle Lin who strongly recommended me."
Xie Ci raised his eyelids suddenly when he saw Lin Guojiu, the suspect who left a significant mark in the Lingzhou case.
There were also Gu Wan, Qin Ying, Zhang Qing, Zheng Ying, Chen Luo and others. Everyone raised their eyes and looked at each other.
Chen Yan exhaled, carefully rolled up the imperial edict, and placed it in his hands inside an open nanmu box. The guards carefully closed it and respectfully stepped back to put it away. Chen Yan said, "Don't think too much. Let's go to Lu'an and reunite with the army first."
At present, it is too early to say anything.
Complete the assembly first and then talk about other things.
…
Chen Yan left 10,000 defenders in Yunzhou, assembled the remaining 32,000 elite infantry and cavalry, and rushed to Luan on February 21 to complete the assembly of the Northern Army.
There wasn't much rain this spring. After the snow melted, there were only a few drizzles. Once the sun came out, the ground dried up quickly.
The flags were waving and the clinking of horses' hooves kicked up clouds of dust.
Xie Ci officially started his military career here.
The war horses were covered in armor, and the heavy Mingguang heavy armor was draped on their bodies. The thunderous sound of horse hooves and the sound of military boots hitting the ground made the entire ground tremble.
The first battle in his life came even earlier than he expected.
When passing through the southern border of Shuozhou, they met up with Qin Xianlingzhou's army, which had deliberately slowed down.
Everyone was very happy.
Chen Yan lowered his head feeling a little embarrassed, but his emotions soon disappeared with Qin Xian's hug, pat on the back and laughter. Chen Yan also hugged back vigorously with an excited smile on his face.
Then head straight east.
They were very close to Luan, only about a hundred miles away, and they would arrive in two days.
However, in the afternoon of the same day, amid the billowing smoke and dust of the marching army, the scouts in front suddenly blew a sharp whistle, followed by the blaring of a bull trumpet, and a bloody horse rushed forward, and the soldier on the horse was wearing the uniform of the Wei Qizhou army.
Qizhou Pass was suddenly attacked by the Beirong cavalry. The Qizhou defenders fought bloody battles and came to seek urgent help.
Qin Xian frowned and rode to the front of the army. He stood still for a long moment, gazing into the distance, sniffing the faint scent of gunpowder carried on the wind. Xie Ci whispered something to Gu Wan, who quickly spurred his horse forward. "Ah Ci said there was a strong smell of gunpowder and blood."
Qin Xian and Chen Yan looked at each other, and after weighing the pros and cons for a moment, they immediately ordered the left army to become the front army and march quickly to support Qizhou!
After leaving all the baggage behind, the marching speed suddenly increased.
Over the next two days, they received three urgent military orders from Luan. Without warning, the 400,000 Northern Rong cavalry suddenly sped up. The eighteen cavalry divisions, which had previously seemed to be scattered in twos and threes, suddenly merged into three groups. Before the Northern Wei army could assemble, they rushed 300 miles in a single day and re-attacked Qizhou and Yehuling on the northern border of the Wei Dynasty.
When Qin Xian and Chen Yan led their troops to Qizhou, the battle was at its most intense, with billowing smoke and scarlet blood all over the ground. The two men did not bother to say a word and immediately led their troops to charge forward.
With the sound of horse hooves, Xie Ci swept the long-handled golden sword in his hand, and several Beirong cavalrymen flew up immediately, with hot blood spraying all over his head and face.
Hot sweat broke out on the back of my spine, and the blood in my veins seemed to boil in an instant.
Xie Ci paused for only a moment, then immediately led his troops to charge forward.
…
The first battle of the Guimao year was intense from the start and lasted for half a month. In the end, Hu Yande, the King of Beirong, who failed in a roundabout attack, ordered a slow retreat because of the weather.
The northern border of the Great Wei Dynasty temporarily returned to peace.
The expected military assembly and oath-taking finally arrived after a major battle had already been fought.
Qin Xian, Chen Yan, Su Zhen, Kou Wenshao, and their generals, all big and small, quickly entered the Qizhou camp. Because of the war, Qizhou was temporarily changed to the general command headquarters.
The current commander-in-chief's headquarters, the prince's carriage, the military governor, the commander-in-chief of food and fodder, etc. are all in Qizhou City.
When Qin Xian, Chen Yan and the others arrived, everyone had already gathered together except them.
When they also stood still, the eunuch who had been waiting for a long time unfolded the imperial edict of Huang Feilong of the Ming Dynasty: "The Emperor of Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven proclaims: I have inherited the family lineage for forty-two years. I have taken care of the people, worked for the benefit of the world, and wholeheartedly cared for the people of the country. I have protected the country from danger and brought order before chaos."
The great parade grounds were silent, with only the sound of the wind and the eunuch's shrill voice. "...Now the foreign invaders have long coveted our great dynasty and have been eyeing us covetously, intending to invade our northern borders. I hereby appoint Lu Xinyi, the Grand Protector of Andong, the Military Governor of Fanyang and Luchuan, the Transport Commissioner, and the Governor of Fangzhou, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies. He is in charge of all regulations and seals to resist the invading enemy forces. There must be no mistakes. I decree..."
Lu Xinyi, who was standing at the front, immediately knelt on one knee, raised his hands and took the tiger talisman.
The tiger talisman is made of two pieces of cast iron in the shape of tigers, split into two. Normally, the left half is held by the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army, and the other half belongs to the imperial court. The two are only combined into one when the army gathers to go to war.
Lu Xinyi took the two shiny black tiger talismans. The eunuchs stepped back and he stood up. Lu Xinyi, wearing a black chain mail heavy armor and a bright red handsome cloak, turned around with the tiger talisman in his hand.
On and off the stage, except for the two nominal deputy commanders and the prince who was in charge of the army, all the generals immediately knelt down and bowed their heads to greet the commander-in-chief.
Not to mention Xie Ci, even Qin Xian felt extremely uncomfortable.
This left half of the tiger talisman was previously in the hands of Xie Xinzhong. After his death, it was taken back by the court and is now in the hands of Lu Xinyi.
He knelt down with gritted teeth.
Familiar yet strange, everything and everyone is different.
Lu Xinyi immediately raised his hand: "Generals, please stand up."
He said with a cheerful expression, "I have received Your Majesty's order and have undertaken this important mission. I dare not say a single word in vain. I only hope that you all will unite and do your utmost to defeat the invading enemy! Everyone, hold this tiger talisman and reward or punish accordingly. Anyone who disobeys military regulations or the commander's orders will be executed without fail!"
The response below was immediate.
"Let us unite as one and do our utmost to defeat the invading enemy!"
"Anyone who disobeys military orders and regulations should be executed!"
They were all clichés, empty speeches to encourage the soldiers' morale. There were many people present who were as powerful as Lu Xinyi. Qin Xian, Chen Yan, Su Zhen, Kou Wenshao, the old Xie family who had been reunited as a force, were one of them. Zheng Shoufang was also one of them. There were also He Xin, the Duke of Lu, Cheng Lizhang, the Duke of Ying, and others.
No one knew what everyone was thinking, but in short, Lu Xinyi replaced Xie Xinzhong as commander-in-chief. Everyone looked calmly towards Qin Xian and the generals and captains behind them.
——Xie Ci is the fourth son of Xie Xinzhong. He had not joined the army last year, so not many people have seen him. But even those who were not well-informed knew that the Xie family army had been reorganized.
They had some guesses in their minds that Xun was looking for Xie Ci.
Lu Xinyi was also looking for Xie Ci.
Xie Ci must be among this group of generals and captains, big and small, but at this moment, Lu Xinyi absolutely cannot do anything to wipe his face.
Lu Xinyi's gaze fixed on Chen Lang's face for a moment, and several other people's gazes were fixed on Chen Lang's face. Zheng Shoufang snorted and laughed: "Are you Chen Jiulang?"
Chen Lang immediately jumped out: "Yes, it's me, what's the matter?"
Chen Lang was also unlucky. After the incident in Yanzhou, everyone discussed it and agreed that it would be better to change Xie Ci's identity. So Xie Ci is now Zhu Jun, the fourth nephew of Chen Yan's second sister.
Chen Lang was captured by his father and continued to serve in the army.
Chen Yan immediately shouted, "Shut up! You don't have the right to talk here."
Chen Lang wanted to say, "Didn't he ask me that?" But Chen Yan glared at him, so he rolled his eyes and shut up.
The pearls on his face are not as real as this one, you can see it for yourself.
Chen Yan bowed and said, "Please forgive me, Commander. Please forgive me, Your Highnesses!"
Lu Xinyi smiled calmly: "Nothing, okay, let's ask the two princes to speak."
Then, the third and fourth princes, the two deputy commanders and military governors who had been sitting on the throne, stood up first. The third prince said, "Everyone, the Northern Rong people are now ambitious..."
The writing is eloquent, well-organized, and full of confidence.
Gu Guan rolled his eyes and his gaze fell on him. This fair-skinned young man in distinctive silver armor and a bright yellow cloak was the third prince, the stupid new emperor who would lead the army in person in the future.
As for the fourth prince, he was a boy of only fifteen years old with a much younger face.
In the rear, there are several familiar faces, one of whom is Li Yi. After he resigned from his post as the commander-in-chief of war preparations, he was appointed as one of the logistics and food supervisors.
It was also when the Northern Army gathered and swore an oath.
Xie Ci was standing in the middle and back, and some people glanced at him, but they looked away as soon as they glanced at him. Gu Wan deepened his cheekbones and eye sockets, put on a helmet, and he instantly blended in with the crowd.
Gu Wan and Qin Ying's positions were further back, at the position of the generals' personal guards, but she had good eyesight and could barely see them.
Several eyes were fixed on the stage, from Lu Xinyi to Zheng Shoufang.
Zheng Shoufang felt uncomfortable the moment he saw the man's face.
After being refuted by Chen Lang, he snorted coldly and gave Chen Lang a sinister look.
…
There is no moon and only one star tonight.
A sudden sandstorm quickly separated the two warring armies, and a day later, there was still a light mist of yellow dust in the sky.
But standing on the top of the city wall, you can already see the endless Beirong camp on the vast grassland. At the end of the sight, there is a large black mass, and the powerful and agile dormant momentum is thrilling.
"Bei Rong is much stronger than it was seven years ago."
Qin Xian couldn't help but frown, feeling a little worried.
Whether before or after the oath-taking ceremony, Qizhou has always been heavily guarded and on high alert.
Qin Xian and Chen Yan were the first to lead their troops to support, so they were stationed at an important position on the north city wall.
That night, after the complicated forces from all sides came together and Qin Xian faced Lu Xinyi and Zheng Shoufang at close range, he brought Xie Ci to the top of the city wall.
After gazing at the vast Beirong camp, which lay dormant like tigers and wolves in the darkness, Qin Xian turned around for a long moment and said to Xie Ci, "When I first went to the battlefield at the age of sixteen, the general said something to me, which I will tell you today."
He solemnly conveyed Xie Xinzhong's words of warning that he had not yet had time to say.
"Behind us lies the land where 35 million households of the people of the Great Wei rely on for survival and prosperity. This is our homeland. As a general, once we're donning armor, we must draw our swords and mount our horses, using all our might to protect the peace and tranquility of our homeland and its people!"
Qin Xian looked outside the city and said slowly, "I know you want revenge and justice, and I do too! But no matter what, we can't lose the battle."
Everything should be based on this foundation.
He turned around and looked at Xie Ci: "Fourth Young Master, do you know?"
He was wearing heavy armor weighing dozens of kilograms, a weight he had never felt before. The golden sword in his hand was heavy, not a silver spear, but after more than ten years of hard training, he finally used it on horseback.
It is difficult to describe what Xie Ci felt at the moment. He looked down at the vast grassland and the Beirong camp that was entrenched like tigers and wolves. His father and brother had once worn such heavy armor, overlooking the area and fighting bloody battles against the enemy here.
Xie Ci took a deep breath and said hoarsely, "I know."
I have never dared to forget the teachings of my father and brothers for more than ten years.
He is Xie Ci, a member of the Xie family.
He must have something else besides hatred.
Qin Xian smiled. This general, who was over forty years old, showed a trace of crow's feet. He patted Xie Ci's shoulder and said, "Okay, go back. Wan Niang is probably waiting for you."
Xie Ci turned and left, his emotions fluctuating. He walked faster and faster. He suddenly wanted to see Gu Wan very much as soon as possible.
…
As for Gu Wan, he was lying on the roof at the moment.
With his hands behind his head, he looked up at the boundless yellow sky. A few stars, a little dim, were twinkling faintly.
This was her first time witnessing ancient cold weapon warfare.
She had seen the ferocious Beirong cavalry before, and she had also seen the Beirong camp outside the city wall, circling like a tiger and a snake, in the yellow dust.
Today, apart from the unpleasant oath-giving ceremony, the four most important former generals of the Xie family army, Qin Xian, Su Zhen, Chen Yan and Kou Wenshao, finally reunited.
Very exciting and inspiring.
Just like the battle under the city that forced the Northern Rong to retreat a few days ago.
It’s a pity that Gu Wan knew that victory and draw were only temporary.
There are some things that Gu Guan has always kept in his heart and dared not tell others, and it is not appropriate to tell others.
This battle in the year of Guimao ended in a disastrous defeat.
How terrible was the defeat?
The old emperor was so angry that he died.
Almost all the generals in the northern border were defeated.
Hu Yande led his cavalry across the Yin Mountains, through the Qing Valley, and across the Yellow River, and at one point approached Zhongdu. If the plague in the royal court had not interrupted the war, it would have been unknown whether he could have caught his breath and held out for another two years.
Anyway, it interrupted the already precarious Wei Dynasty's prosperity. Later, the new emperor personally led the army to fight, and then the country was broken and completely destroyed.
Gu Guan knew Chen Yan, Su Zhen, and Kou Wenshao, all of whom died in this battle. As for Qin Xian, it was unknown whether he died in the Lingzhou case or here?
Anyway, none of the people around Gu Guan now were in the original trajectory, and all of them were lost in these brief "great defeats in the year of Guimao".
The yellow dust was light and the stars were twinkling. Gu Wan heard the sound of tiles being stepped on. She turned around and saw Qin Ying. Qin Ying easily climbed onto the roof, accompanied by the somewhat shy Qin Wenxuan.
"What are you doing here? What are you thinking about?"
Qin Ying jumped lightly and sat down next to Gu Wan.
Qin Wenxuan walked over carefully, being a little careful with her steps. As a girl from a military family, she had learned a little about keeping fit, but not much.
During this period, Qin Wenxuan worked very hard. Gu Wan saw it all. This girl, who was actually a bit quiet, was a little worried about disturbing them. "Sister Gu."
Gu Guan couldn't help but smile: "Sit down, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
Qin Wenxuan sat beside the two of them with her knees hugged.
The evening breeze smelled of dust, and the stars were not so bright. Gu Wan and Qin Ying sat side by side. She thought for a while and asked Qin Ying: "Sister Ying, if you knew in advance that something was going to fail, what would you do?"
Qin Ying was surprised: "Is there such a good thing? Doesn't that mean we know why we lost in advance? It just saves us effort and can turn defeat into victory!"
Gu Wan laughed out loud: "That's right, that's right!"
She clapped her hands. That was right. Her second sister-in-law was exactly to her liking. She was exactly what she thought!
She is not afraid of a crushing defeat and believes that she must not lose this time!
If she had followed the original trajectory, she would be farming in Tieling now.
The wind blew the clouds and the stars brightened. Gu Wan and Qin Ying looked at each other and both laughed.
Qin Ying hooked her arm around Gu Guan's shoulder and turned her head to look at the girl whose face was so painted that her mother couldn't recognize her but who had a pair of sparkling eyes. She smiled for a moment, and then, like Gu Guan, she leaned back and relaxed her hands and feet.
…
The three of them talked and laughed until Xie Ci came running in the middle of the night.
After coming down from the top of the city wall, Xie Ci rode his horse all the way. After returning to the camp, he walked in quickly.
From a little distance away, I could hear Gu Wan's clear voice.
He couldn't help but smile and quickened his pace.
However, before he jumped onto the roof, the three women spotted him first. Qin Ying looked at his eyes filled with passion and couldn't help but smile. She said, "Wait a minute, Xiao Si. I have something to tell you."
Xie Ci was stunned for a moment, then nodded quickly: "Okay, second sister-in-law."
We are all family here, and the place is very clean, so there is no need to worry too much. Qin Ying turned around and smiled, said something, jumped down, and walked shoulder to shoulder with Xie Ci along the long corridor inside the barracks.
Walking to the end of the loess road, they stood under a large willow tree. The tender green buds swayed gently in the wind. Qin Ying reached out and moved the willow branches, then smiled at Xie Ci for a moment, "Xiao Si, you like Yuan Niang, right?"
Xie Ci's face flushed, and after a while, he nodded.
My second sister-in-law already knew about it, so there was no need to hide it.
When he nodded, his face flushed with warmth, and his pair of beautiful rose-like eyes seemed to be filled with spring water, and his heart was full of pure affection and joy that seemed to be about to overflow.
Qin Ying smiled, but after a while, she slowly stopped smiling and said to Xie Ci seriously, "So do you like her, or do you love her?"
The spring scenery was like a willow. Xie Ci was stunned, and the joy and smile in his eyes froze. But Qin Ying still said slowly: "I know that the emotions of young people are always fierce and passionate. But it's not a love that must be with you."
But some things, once broken, are like mirrors, and can never be put back together.
Qin Ying has always supported Xie Ci's love for Gu Wan, but she has not forgotten that she once promised Gu Wan that if she did not change her mind after one year, Qin Ying would personally write the divorce papers for her.
After spending some time together, Qin Ying discovered that Gu Wan's feelings had not changed.
"Just liking someone isn't enough. If that's all you want, I hope you'll be careful, Xiao Si."
Who hasn't liked a few people when they were young? When youthful affection arises, they think that this is the whole world. When Qin Ying was young, she even liked an actor who was very good at singing opera. The arrogant noble lady even redeemed him so that he could sing for her alone.
When I finally met Xie Erlang, it was love at first sight.
This kind of emotion was something Qin Ying had never even thought of before.
She never thought that she could love someone for a lifetime. She would rather be alone and watch the years go by, with only his memories as company.
Qin Ying is Xie Ci's second sister-in-law and Gu Wan's sister Ying.
——She is really so good, so Qin Ying doesn’t want to disturb her just because of the first love of a young boy.
Let the relationship between Xie Ci and Gu Wan, and between the family, never go back to the way it was before.
Although Qin Ying knew that Xie Ci would not be superficial in a life-or-death situation like the one he and Gu Wan had, Xie Ci did not understand this, so she hoped that he would sort out his emotions before expressing or revealing his feelings.
"She's Ah Wan, not someone else, right?"
Finally, Qin Ying softened her voice and spoke to him.
"Give yourself some time to think it over before telling her, okay?"
Uncle Liu left. Xie Ci was stunned. Somehow, his high enthusiasm suddenly subsided. "...Yes."
He wanted to speak just now, but he opened his mouth several times and in the end no words came out.
He felt like he was suddenly thrown into a vast grassland, anxious and confused. Could there be so many differences in love?
He felt Qin Ying's care for Gu Wan, but he found that he could not answer his second sister-in-law's question for a moment.
He wanted to refute, but when he thought of Gu Wan, he was suddenly afraid of hurting their relationship.
More importantly, Xie Ci suddenly remembered something even more important: the divorce agreement. He had promised Gu Wan that he would write her a divorce agreement a year from now! ...It was already February, just four months away.
Caught off guard, his heart dropped to the ground.
The author has something to say:
Thank you: Thank you, my second sister-in-law, for reminding me of such an important thing QAQ
Xie Ci: Is being enthusiastic not enough? What else do you need?
A confession now might result in a direct rejection, and there might not even be any follow-up. Xie Ci needs to sort out his feelings first.
Sincere and passionate love is the only key to open the door of your heart, haha
Thanks to my second sister-in-law.
The imperial edict is a real example for reference, but it is too long, so we will only excerpt and adjust it.
Ah Xiu is here! Xinxin is launching~ See you tomorrow, babies! (/≧▽≦)/
Finally, I also want to thank the baby who voted for Wenwen. Love you~
Liu Guang threw a mine
Ah Dai threw a grenade
.
And the big baby who irrigates Wenwen with nutrient solution, muujiujiu haha!
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