Chapter 74 Southern Jiangxi 5 She had never been so obedient in her life. ...
A thick, pungent smell of blood wafted up, and the world was so quiet that no sound could be heard except for the soft "plop" of blood droplets hitting the dust.
Cui Ying's eyes seemed to be stained red with blood as she stared blankly at Xiao Qiyu's tense chin.
She opened her mouth with difficulty, her throat dry and tight, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible: "Xiao...Xiao Qiyu?"
Was everything that just happened real?
She felt like she was dreaming.
The next moment, the crisp sound of the arrow hitting the ground startled her awake.
Xiao Qiyu threw away the arrow in his hand, and more blood seeped from the wound on his palm, dripping down his pale fingers.
But he was completely unaware of it. He merely flicked the blood off his hand and said to Cui Ying, "Hide under the table. I'm going out to check. You're not allowed to leave until I come back."
Cui Ying's eyes were still fixed on his blood-soaked hands, her throat choked with emotion, and she nodded subconsciously.
She practically crawled under the table, curled up into a small ball, hugged her knees tightly, and stared blankly at Xiao Qiyu with her big eyes, not uttering a sound, looking like a terrified rabbit.
She had never been so obedient in her life.
Xiao Qiyu glanced at her one last time, and when their eyes met, he was momentarily stunned.
His hand was bleeding, the situation was chaotic, and danger lurked everywhere.
He thought that Cui Ying was quite cute at that moment.
Xiao Qiyu quickly calmed the unease in his heart, made sure Cui Ying was hidden, and immediately turned around and strode away from the tent.
Suddenly, only Cui Ying remained inside the tent.
She held her breath, pricked up her ears, and listened carefully to the sounds outside.
Chaos erupted outside the tent, with screams and shouts, suggesting that it wasn't just one arrow that had come, but a hail of arrows.
But after the rain of arrows passed, what followed was not a deafening battle cry, but an even more eerie calm. Occasionally, the sound of footsteps swept past outside the tent, interspersed with the urgent commands of officers in hushed voices.
It's a bit like we're all ready to go to war, but the enemy has vanished.
If it weren't for the bloody short arrow still lying on the ground, Cui Ying would have truly believed that everything that had just happened was a hallucination.
Cui Ying looked at the short arrow again.
Unlike the arrows forged by blacksmiths in the military camp, this arrow was obviously very crude. The shaft was just a roughly cut tree branch, crooked and covered with burrs. The arrowhead was just a sharpened piece of iron, and the forging marks were very obvious.
They were bandits.
There is no other possibility.
The area outside the tent grew increasingly quiet.
The bandits never showed themselves. Like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, they would suddenly fire a few arrows, and after that, whether they hit or not, they would disappear back into the vast mountains and forests.
After realizing this, Cui Ying's heart did not calm down; instead, it sank little by little.
The most terrifying thing is never open combat, but this kind of ubiquitous yet elusive threat.
The flat slope where the military camp was stationed was originally a well-considered, relatively open and safe area, but at this moment it seemed to be drafty from all sides, with the enemy in the dark and us in the light.
The mighty imperial regular army, which had slaughtered the Turkic barbarians, now had no idea where the bandits were hiding, how many there were, or when the next attack would come.
More like a show of force than a surprise attack.
It was merely a show of force.
Cui Ying's heart clenched.
Recalling the words that encouraged Xiao Qiyu to come to southern Jiangxi, she felt like banging her head against the wall.
Just then, a clear argument broke out outside the tent, drowning out the noise and reaching inside.
Xiao Qiyu’s voice was steady, but with an unprecedented firmness: “Lord Chen, now is not the time for a strong attack. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, and the terrain is extremely unfavorable to our army. If we launch a rash attack, we will play right into their hands. The most urgent task is to stabilize our position, send out more scouts, and find out where the enemy is.”
"I can't care about anything else anymore!"
Chen Fengnian rudely interrupted him, furious: "Those stinking rats from the gutter, daring to harm my brothers, I will tear them to pieces! As for finding out where they are? By the time we find out, those scoundrels will have already escaped to the ends of the earth!"
"If Lord Chen truly intends to launch a direct assault, he must consider the long-term implications. Our army is not adept at terrain, and relying on maps is not a sustainable solution. The local militia are familiar with the mountains and forests; if they can be properly trained, they will surely be able to—"
"Enough!"
Chen Fengnian roared, "I am leading the imperial army, not a rabble. Since ancient times, the people and bandits have been one family. Who knows if those villagers have already secretly colluded with the bandits? Such a dangerous plan must not be carried out!"
"Lord Chen!"
"No need for further words! Pass on my order to immediately assemble our forces and launch a frontal assault. We must crush Black Cloud Stronghold in one fell swoop!"
The arguing outside the tent abruptly ceased, replaced by the heavy footsteps of Chen Fengnian resolutely leaving.
Cui Ying huddled under the table, having heard the entire argument clearly, her palms ice-cold.
The curtain was suddenly ripped open, bringing in a strong stench of blood.
Xiao Qiyu walked in, his expression as cold and stern as ever. The wound on his palm had not yet scabbed over, and blood had soaked through his sleeve.
Cui Ying peeked halfway out from under the table, her face still pale, but her eyes had regained their clarity. Looking at Xiao Qiyu's expression, she couldn't help but ask, "You...aren't you going with them?"
Xiao Qiyu walked to the basin of water to the side, scooped up some cold water with one hand, and rinsed the wound on his palm. Hearing this, he didn't even raise his head and said in an icy voice, "Only a fool would go to his death at a time like this."
The cold water stung his wound, and he quickly frowned. Then he grabbed the undergarment that Cui Ying had worn all night and had been replaced with, bit down on the fragrant chest, and tore off a strip of cloth to bandage his wound.
“I think General Chen’s insistence on a direct attack might not just be due to his distrust of the villagers,” Cui Ying suddenly said.
Xiao Qiyu was wrapping strips of cloth around the wound, his teeth clenched at one end while the other end was loosely bound. Hearing this, he paused and looked up at Cui Ying.
Cui Ying met his gaze and continued his analysis: "So many officials have failed in suppressing bandits in the past, so one more won't make a difference. Even if his massive attack is futile, the number of casualties is at least controllable. If he can't take the city, he can simply report to the court, admit defeat, say that the bandits are too powerful, and request reinforcements or a longer-term plan. Although there's no chance of promotion in the future, at least he won't suffer any severe punishment."
She paused, her tone becoming more serious: "But if he really adopts your suggestion and goes to great lengths to outwit the enemy, using local militia and subduing bandits, it will naturally be a great achievement if he succeeds. But what if he fails? The casualties might be far greater than with a direct assault, and the price he pays will be much heavier. In that case, he will not only be accused of incompetence, but also of colluding with unknown forces and causing the army's crushing defeat through mismanagement. He dares not take that risk, nor can he afford to."
Xiao Qiyu completely forgot what his subordinates were doing, his phoenix eyes fixed blankly on Cui Ying's face.
Cui Ying felt uncomfortable under his gaze and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
Xiao Qiyu then loosened his teeth, spat out the strip of cloth, and asked in a lazy and casual tone, "How long do you plan to stay in there?"
Cui Ying was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was still under the table.
She climbed off the table, dusted off her clothes, stood up straight, and glared at him: "Why didn't you remind me sooner?"
Xiao Qiyu didn't speak, and continued to bandage the wound with his head down.
Cui Ying's gaze fell on his haphazardly bandaged hand. Thinking that if it weren't for him, she might already be on her deathbed, she felt a mix of emotions. Her brows furrowed even more as she stepped forward and asked, "Did you even apply any medicine before bandaging it like this?"
Xiao Qiyu looked indifferent, as if the bleeding wound was on someone else's body: "It's just a minor injury, it won't kill you."
Cui Ying took a deep breath, as if reminding herself not to argue with him. Then she quickly found some hemostatic powder, took a few steps forward, grabbed his wrist without hesitation, pulled him in front of her, and gently untied the tangled strips of cloth.
Her hands were so white and small that they contrasted sharply with the blood-stained strips of cloth.
Xiao Qiyu seemed to want to break free, but when he looked up, his gaze fell on her tightly pursed lips and focused eyes. Looking at her long eyelashes that were fluttering slightly, he stopped and actually let her do as she pleased.
Cui Ying carefully untied the blood-soaked strip of cloth, revealing the mangled wound underneath.
She gasped, still shaken, and said, "Thank goodness the arrow wasn't poisoned."
Then, with utmost care, he evenly sprinkled the hemostatic powder onto the wound, and then found a clean strip of cloth to re-bandage it.
Throughout the entire process, Xiao Qiyu remained silent, only looking down at her.
His gaze moved from her slightly trembling eyelashes to her pale lips, and then to her noticeably more pointed chin.
He suddenly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: "Cui Ying, you've lost weight."
Cui Ying was just finishing tying the last knot when she heard this and looked up, only to meet his unfathomable eyes.
There seemed to be some emotion flashing by, like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, too fast to catch.
Her heart skipped a beat, a strange flutter rising within her. She looked away and changed the subject in a curt tone: "It's all wrapped up. Don't get it wet for the next couple of days."
Xiao Qiyu moved his bandaged hand and felt the pain subside considerably.
He walked to the edge of the curtain, lifted a crack, and looked out. He saw that the mountain mist had dissipated, the forest was lush and green, and eerily quiet, as if countless eyes were hidden inside.
“Chen Fengnian has taken most of his men, leaving the camp vulnerable. With the enemy in the open and us in the dark, it’s best to conceal our movements and avoid being easily exposed until the situation becomes clear.” Xiao Qiyu lowered the curtain, turned around, and his tone regained its usual calmness. “We probably won’t be able to leave for the next few days.”
“I know.” Cui Ying nodded, put the medicine bottle back in its place, and said in an unusually calm voice, “Besides, I don’t plan to leave.”
Xiao Qiyu's gaze sharpened as he looked at her: "Why?"
Cui Ying met his gaze, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright, and said decisively, "Because I know you won't leave."
“Although we are nothing to each other, since we are still nominally husband and wife, you, Xiao Qiyu, have to endure until we get a divorce. I don’t want to be a widow before we even get a divorce.”
She's not stupid.
Xiao Qiyu didn't go on the adventure with Chen Fengnian, not because of his words that "only a fool would go to his death," but because she was still here, and he would never abandon her.
Cui Ying understood.
As long as she was there, Xiao Qiyu would not put herself in a dangerous situation.
How should I put it... it's like putting a leash on a dog?
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Author's Note: There's a little Easter egg in this chapter, related to Xiao Yu's future fantasies [doge emoji]. Let's see who can spot it!
Also, in the next chapter I'll be using the time manipulation technique, otherwise the storyline in southern Jiangxi will take forever to write, so everyone be prepared for the transitions!
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