As the sound of horses' hooves drew nearer, the soldiers lined up outside the camp, waiting for the people galloping into view from the darkness in the distance.
"Second General, the Great General has returned!"
When the scout returned to report, the soldiers behind him, upon hearing the news, faintly cheered.
Ning Xu was overjoyed. Before the horses arrived, he ran back to the main tent to tell Ning Xi'er so she could rest assured...
He immediately returned to the camp to welcome his elder brother and the soldiers back in triumph.
really!
A quarter of an hour later, Ning Che appeared in the soldiers' sight.
The opposing side is guarded by Jin troops; it's best not to attract too much attention...
The soldiers jumped and cheered silently.
Ning Xu personally stepped forward to help Ning Che control the horse.
The soldiers behind him stepped forward to support the other brothers.
The group returned to the military camp, even though only a small number of people knew about the night's raid...
But the soldiers were perceptive and immediately realized they were on a covert mission...
Moreover, the Great Yan mainly relied on infantry, and apart from the commander-in-chief and deputy commander-in-chief riding horses, the rest of the soldiers did not have mounts.
Therefore, there were only a few horses in the military camp, which were used only for relaying emergency messages, except for the commander-in-chief to ride in battle.
The horse that Ning Xu was leading was clearly a warhorse from the Jin state on the other side.
Due to factors such as climate and living conditions, the horses of Jin were taller and leaner than those of Yan, with backs as tall as adult men and dark brown coats...
They are easy to distinguish.
Ning Che and twenty soldiers returned to the main tent together.
Ning Xu had the soldiers bring over several plates of hot steamed buns.
Ning Che was taken aback, and Ning Xu then explained how the village chief and villagers had given him steamed buns.
Ning Xu glanced casually outside the tent...
Before Ning Che and his soldiers entered, Ning Xi'er had already disappeared, leaving Zheng Ye standing outside the tent.
The soldiers vaguely sensed that the general had a relative visiting him, and they heard it was his younger brother or sister...
Regarding the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, some soldiers whose families lived in the capital knew a little about it.
When the soldiers chatted in private, they would always get dressed very quickly.
Therefore, the soldiers in the military camp had a pretty good understanding of the family situations of General Ning Che and General Ning Xu.
Upon hearing that relatives and friends had come to visit, the soldiers were not particularly curious, assuming they were simply younger brothers or sisters from the same clan, or cousins.
After all, the children born to the concubine whom the Marquis of Dingyuan married were not close to the General, and the General was not particularly intimate with them...
How could it be? Traveling all the way to the northern frontier to visit his elder brother?
Otherwise, the two generals would never have received any letters or supplies from home all these years...
Aside from the families of the two generals' maternal grandfathers, it's said that the current Prime Minister Shen often sends clothes to the two generals...
Seeing Ning Xu's expression, Ning Che knew it must have been arranged by his younger sister, Ning Xi'er.
With the soldiers present, he didn't ask any further questions and simply told them to eat the steamed buns while they were still hot.
Ning Che did not move. Instead, he got up and walked to Ning Xu's side, showing concern for the other soldiers in the camp.
Ning Xu told his elder brother the truth: in addition to the ones given to the soldiers, there were several thousand steamed buns in the kitchen.
While the steamed buns were being heated in the kitchen, Ning Xu had the soldiers carefully count them.
Even though the village chief and villagers brought dozens of packages, with 50,000 troops stationed at the camp, no one could get even half a packet...
Perhaps, only one person can have a bite.
"Kill the horses we led back! They'll be our food for tonight!"
Ning Che made a quick decision and gave the order.
The horses they brought back had distinctive features; anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that they were horses from the state of Jin...
Even if they wanted to sell these horses to buy some grain, no merchant dared to buy them...
Even if the horses are slaughtered and sold as raw meat...
The horses of Jin were lean and thin, with little meat on their bodies, so they were of little use.
Rather than staying in the camp, wasting fodder, and giving the Jin people a handle to use against you...
Why not treat it as tonight's "spoils of war" and let the soldiers have a treat!
Since his elder brother had given such an order, Ning Xu was naturally happy to carry it out.
Hurry down and give the orders. Although there isn't much meat on the horse, the bones can be used to make soup, and with these steamed buns, everyone can get some nourishment.
The twenty men who had accompanied Ning Che finished their steamed buns in the main tent and then left to return to their barracks to rest...
After everyone had left, Ning Xi'er returned to the tent.
Ning Xu finished arranging things outside and returned.
The three siblings need to make proper arrangements for what to do next.
Such an uncertain future would inevitably lead to demoralization and allow the Jin army to exploit the situation.
Ning Che frankly admitted that there are currently two main difficulties.
First, there is a shortage of food and supplies.
As for the Jin people's probing and harassment, Ning Che was able to handle them all.
However, without food rations and with a large number of troops stationed there, it was indeed difficult to sustain.
Secondly, the imperial court was pressing them relentlessly.
In an effort to force Ning Che to return, the Crown Prince issued one decree after another...
If this continues, the Crown Prince might seize the opportunity to launch an attack and directly accuse Ning Che of treason...
Ning Xu was acutely aware of his current predicament.
In the past, I would have been extremely depressed, but the arrival of my younger sister Ning Xi'er has given me a glimmer of hope...
Ning Che lowered his eyes and continued, "These two difficulties, in the end, are just one..."
Your Highness, you cannot tolerate me.
Even though I chose to return to the capital for the sake of the soldiers...
They certainly won't tolerate your second brother. Right now, all the other garrison commanders are trapped in the capital, and the northern frontier is different from other battlefields...
"Regardless of who is sent to succeed him, and especially if they are a member of the Crown Prince's faction and a proponent of peace, it is predictable that the northern territories will soon be occupied and ceded..."
"Big brother..."
Ning Che asked earnestly, "What do you plan to do?"
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