Northern Expedition
When Lu Chang led his army north, Cui Dongchi learned of his departure and the unrest in the other prefectures and counties he had occupied. Cui Dongchi had no choice but to send Lu Chang to the northwest first, so that he could guard the vast land south of the Pingyuan River and quell the unrest in the Central Plains.
When scouts from the northwest relayed the news of Ningzhou's movements to the northwest, Li Ling hurriedly reinforced his troops at the three ferry crossings on the Pingyuan River to prevent Lu Chang from crossing the river.
If we don't go north across the Pingyuan River, we will have to pass through Bing and Yan prefectures, which are under Li Ling's jurisdiction. If we waste our troops and supplies here, it will be detrimental to the northern expedition. If we want to avoid the Pingyuan River, we will have to go west around the majestic Zhongting Mountain and then go east. The marching route is too long, which is also not conducive to the northern expedition. The only option is to cross the Pingyuan River.
The Pingyuan River runs east-west for hundreds of kilometers. To its left is Zhongting Mountain, and to its right are the two prefectures of Yan and Bing. Those who come from the north to pass through the Central Plains either cross the river or pass through Yan Prefecture.
Now, Li Ling has added troops to the three crossing points across the river. Some of his advisors are worried that the river will be difficult to cross, but one of them says that this is the best time to march north and fight.
The speaker was named Chen Min. He was originally a failed scholar who sought refuge under a leader of refugees when chaos broke out in the Central Plains. It was only after Lu Chang, following Gongsun Jiadao's suggestion, subdued several refugee leaders that Lu Chang discovered this gem.
This man traveled extensively with his father since childhood, gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience. Although a scholar, he was adept at using terrain in warfare. Much of the credit for Liu Ce's rise to power in the Central Plains was due to Chen Min.
When his staff asked Chen Min why, he glanced at Lu Chang and said, "The Northwest is your homeland, General. You know best when is the best time to fight."
Lu Chang glanced at Chen Min and said only, "Speed up the march, there can be no delay."
The army of 100,000 marched north, attracting crowds of onlookers.
On horseback, Lu Chang couldn't help but touch his chest. Jing Wan's little silver bracelet was still on his body, just as it always had, resting securely against his heart.
He always thought he had hidden Jingwan well, but he never expected that she would still be in danger.
I originally planned to tell her about the Northern Expedition after she returned from the Gongsun family, but I didn't expect Li Ling to make the first move.
Unaware of his commander's anxiety, Lu Chang could only sleep for two or three hours a day since her disappearance, waking up in terror every night, even hearing her cries in his dreams.
He dared not let himself rest for a moment; whenever he stopped, he would think of her.
She's so timid; I wonder how terrified she must be right now.
There are three ferry crossings across the Pingyuan River: Shiting Ferry, Qijing Ferry, and Haizhu Ferry.
At this moment, the Pingyuan River is in its dry season, which is conducive to the army crossing the river. Even if Li Ling sends soldiers to guard the crossing, it can be breached by a direct attack.
This is one of the best opportunities Chen Min mentioned.
The night was deep, and the southern army was right across the river. The troops guarding the three crossings dared not relax their vigilance. Not a single light was lit on the opposite bank; the silence was eerily quiet.
After the commotion at Qijingdu in the middle was first amplified, with the sound of gongs and drums filling the air and smoke signals being lit, the southern army attacked Qijingdu first.
First came the cavalry on horseback, then the infantry. Remembering that Lu Chang had brought 100,000 troops, the general guarding the ferry sent people to the east and west ferry crossings for help in order to get more troops.
The soldiers at the Shiting Ferry and Haizhu Ferry crossings rushed towards the center, and the troops were dispersed. The Southern Army took advantage of this and seized the two ferry crossings.
The reason why the troops dared to send out troops at both crossings was because the scouts found that no southern troops were crossing the river. They guessed that Lu Chang was concentrating his forces to attack the central region. When the crossings were captured, they did not know where the southern army came from.
By the time the two armies on the left and right reached Qijingdu, it was already dawn. The Northern army then discovered that the Southern army at the ferry crossing numbered only a few thousand.
The crowd realized they had fallen for a diversionary tactic, but it was too late to turn back. Lu Chang's troops attacked from both sides, and all three crossing points were captured.
The 100,000-strong army arrived in batches, crossed the ferry first, and continued north with Lu Chang. Before leaving Qijingdu, in the military tent, Chen Min held a pen, which was already stained with ink, but he dared not put a single stroke on the white paper.
"General, I believe that it is most prudent for Mr. Gongsun to station troops at the three ferry crossings. It would be inappropriate to send General Cui's soldiers instead."
Lu Chang knew what he was worried about. He wiped his face clean, casually tossed the handkerchief into the wooden basin, and replied, "Do as I say."
Chen Min already knew Lu Chang well; the fewer words he spoke, the stronger his resolve. He could only obey Lu Chang's orders and write to Cui Dongchi, instructing him to send troops to take over the ferry crossing.
With the loss of all three ferry crossings, a gaping hole had been breached in the barrier to the Northwest. When the news arrived, Li Ling was shocked, instinctively feeling that the loss of the Northwest was only a matter of time.
But he was still not satisfied.
He didn't even know why Lu Chang had suddenly attacked, so he could only keep sending troops south to try to slow down Lu Chang's army's advance.
News that the Southern Army had crossed the Pingyuan River quickly spread throughout the Northwest. Li Changying looked at her father's increasingly anxious face and knew that the situation was difficult. But what she feared most was the plight of the people in the Northwest.
Li Ling often stayed in the army and did not observe the local customs, but Li Changying often traveled around the northwest when he had nothing to do.
The common people, unaware of her status as a princess, treated the young girl with kindness and warmth. Li Changying was particularly fond of the straightforward and generous nature of the people of the Northwest.
Lu Chang's army was right at the gate, but unlike the civilians facing war, Li Changying didn't see their panic or fear. She could even see a hint of excitement and anticipation on their faces.
She suddenly realized that Lu Zhi had been dead for more than ten years, but the people of the Northwest still remembered him!
Now that his son has brought troops to the Northwest, they feel more welcome than fear—welcome to the son of their old friend returning to his homeland.
The late emperor and Yang Fujin, one killed Lu Zhi and the other tried desperately to erase Lu Zhi's traces in the Great Wei, but now it seems that they have achieved nothing.
Feeling uneasy, she lost all interest in sightseeing and returned home. When she asked about Qin Ziyou, the maid replied, "General Qin has not returned and has been staying in Ru Garden."
Ruyuan was another place Qin Ziyou found for himself. After the Qin family came from the south, Qin Ziyou brought his maternal grandfather and mother to live in Ruyuan, and did not let them live with the other members of the Qin family.
Ever since he got his hands on Ruyuan Garden, he never went back to Li Changying's place again.
She disliked the madwoman and forbade Qin Ziyou from taking her into his home. Now it seems she made a mistake; if the madwoman had been there, Qin Ziyou would probably have stayed with her every day.
Li Changying considered whether to bring Qin Ziyou's mother over. She thought that at worst, she could let her live in the side courtyard and prevent her from causing trouble in front of her.
Meanwhile, in Ru Garden, Jingwan was combing Qin Ziyou's mother's hair.
She was mentally unstable, and if no one was watching, she would pull her freshly combed hair into a mess. Once, a maid had put a hairpin on her, but she pulled it off and scratched her face. So Jingwan could only braid her hair into flower braids, wrap them up, and then wrap them with a brocade ribbon as wide as a finger.
She disliked strangers, and only when her father held her hand and stood by her side could she calm down.
Uncle Gong sat beside her, his smile tinged with apology: "Thank you for your trouble, Jingwan."
His voice was not as strong as before, and his face had more fine wrinkles.
Gong Shu has aged a lot.
Jingwan felt a pang of sadness and shook her head: "Uncle Gong, you're too kind."
She never forgot the kindness Gong Shu had shown her during the Pingdu period.
The woman had been sitting for quite a while, and she began to complain, fidgeting and trying to get up. Jingwan quickly persuaded her, "Auntie, please wait a little longer, I'll be done soon."
As she spoke, her movements became even more swift, and she quickly wrapped the ribbon around her hair and tied a knot.
Uncle Gong took out a piece of candied fruit to comfort her: "Here, have some candy, have some candy." Her anxiety was immediately calmed down, and she happily licked the sugar frosting on it, but did not take a bite.
Jingwan saw her clumsily break open the candied fruit and hand half to Uncle Gong.
After being imprisoned for more than a decade, when she was released, she couldn't even speak properly anymore. All she could do was imitate Uncle Gong, saying, "Eat, eat, eat."
Gong Shu took it, and only then did she begin to eat the candied fruit.
“When she was little, her family was poor and couldn’t afford good food, so I made this candied fruit for her. She couldn’t bear to finish it all and always shared half with me.”
Gong Shu looked at his daughter with affection; in his eyes, she was still the child who had never grown up.
Although she has gone mad, she still remembers her father and the comforts of her childhood.
Jingwan looked her over; the woman, who was in her thirties, had graying temples, but one could still vaguely see the beauty she had in her youth in her face.
Qin Ziyou's features all resembled hers; he actually looked a lot like his mother.
"Splash—"
Jingwan turned around and saw that Chunlai had accidentally knocked over the brazier used for boiling water. Jingwan quickly ran over, took Chunlai's hand and looked at it; the center of her palm was red.
"I'm fine, it'll be alright in a bit." Chunlai put her hands behind her back, looking timidly at the culprit who had burned her.
Qin Ziyou had been there for an unknown amount of time, and had been standing at the threshold watching.
Jingwan subconsciously stood in front of Chunlai to prevent him from being frightened again, but then she saw the person in front of the door smile at her and slowly walk over.
Uncle Gong came over, holding a small medicine jar in his hand: "Quickly, apply the medicine, or you'll get blisters on your hands."
He held the bottle very close to his eyes, and only after squinting did he realize he had taken the wrong medicine: "Sigh, my old eyes are failing me. Wait here, I'll go find the medicine again."
After decades of working with jade and using his eyes every day, Gong Shu's eyes became quite cloudy, and his vision was not as sharp as it had been in Pingdu.
Jingwan looked at his hunched back and quickly pulled Chunlai to follow behind, saying, "Uncle Gong, we'll go with you."
She didn't want to be with Qin Ziyou.
Qin Ziyou knew what she was thinking, so he didn't argue with her. He simply walked slowly to the woman in the courtyard, squatted down, and gently swept away the sugar crumbs that had fallen on her clothes.
"Mother, is it delicious?" Qin Ziyou asked her.
The woman didn't respond, nor did she even glance at him. She wasn't affectionate towards her son, but she no longer avoided him as she had with fear of strangers.
Qin Ziyou was already used to it, and he didn't need her to answer. He simply leaned gently against her knees and murmured to himself, "Mother, I'm so happy!"
With his loved ones still by his side, and his beloved combing his mother's hair, he was so happy that he dared not disturb them.
Two lines of tears slowly flowed down his face. Someone was gently stroking his head, one stroke after another. He gritted his teeth, not daring to cry out loud.
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