Chapter Eleven
Yun Zhao Army Camp.
Upon hearing from his soldiers that the generals had returned, Gongliang Zhong immediately strode toward the generals' tent.
"General, this humble general has failed in his duty, Zhao Shu..." Gongliang Zhong said, half-kneeling. Before he could finish speaking, he caught sight of Zhao Shu standing beside the general. He had intended to apologize and report that Zhao Shu had suddenly disappeared into thin air, but now that he saw Zhao Shu standing right in front of him, the words he was about to say were swallowed back by the dignified and polite manner before him.
Seeing his expression, Shu Rong smiled and said, "I've brought the person back to you."
Mo Yinghuo waved his hand and said, "You may all step back. I have a few questions to ask this young master Bai."
The two spies bowed and left.
Gongliang Zhong and Shurong exchanged a glance and then went out.
When only the two of them remained, Mo Yinghuo rubbed his temples, raised an eyebrow, stretched out his palm, gazed at Zhao Shu, and said, "Where's the letter?"
Zhao Shu was stunned for a moment, not expecting her to guess so quickly. He then took out a letter from his pocket. The envelope was yellowed, but it was flat and undamaged, indicating that the letter was old and had been kept with great care by the recipient.
The letter contained only one simple line: "Yinghuo, seeing this letter is like seeing your father. The person holding this letter is a close friend of your father, a friend of the Yunxiu Kingdom. Do not doubt it. Upon seeing this letter, the Yunxiu Kingdom may send troops to fight against the Shiling Kingdom."
Mo Yinghuo read that short line of text for a long time.
At the very bottom of this yellowed letter is the jade seal of the Yunxiu Kingdom.
A month has passed, and the soldiers of Yunxiu Kingdom are still stationed on the border between Dongliang Kingdom and Yunxiu Kingdom.
Sometimes, the people of Chencheng would sneak out from somewhere and watch them from afar. On good days, they could even see these people taking a stroll. It seemed like a gesture of goodwill, yet also a provocation—"Why don't you Yunzhao Army attack us then..."
The two countries were at war, yet the fighting was remarkably peaceful and pleasant.
A soldier immediately reported the matter to the general. Mo Yinghuo, however, only said two words: "Whatever."
Without the general's order, the soldiers naturally dared not harm the people of Dongliang.
In war between two nations, no surrendered soldiers or civilians shall be killed. This was an edict issued by Emperor Zhaoming of Yunxiu on his first day on the throne. Then, on the third day, Mo Yinghuo personally led the army into battle.
Even more strangely, some girls and children from Dongliang Kingdom secretly gave the soldiers of Yunxiu Kingdom some fruits, sweets, and pastries.
When the soldiers of Yunxiu Kingdom first received the food, they were stunned. By the time they realized what was happening, the others had already run far away. How could the soldiers dare to eat such things? This was a time of war between the two countries. Leaving aside whether the food was poisonous, wasn't this blatant collusion with the enemy? This crime wasn't just punishable by death, but also the extermination of nine generations of their families!
So the soldiers, carrying pastries and water, rushed nervously to the general's tent to report.
Mo Yinghuo merely raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it poisonous?"
"General, we've checked, no poison," the soldiers replied, trembling with fear.
To everyone's surprise, Mo Yinghuo casually picked up two peaches and said, "Whatever, as long as they're not poisonous. If you have peaches in the future, give me two."
The soldiers opened their mouths wide and silently exclaimed "Ah!" as they walked out of the general's tent.
"Here you go!" Mo Yinghuo tossed a peach to the person in front of him.
The person in front was Zhao Shu, dressed in black, her black hair tied up high. She was facing away from Mo Yinghuo, intently studying a map hanging on the tent wall. The map depicted the Xiongnu Khanate in the north of Yunxiu Kingdom. She naturally grabbed a peach, turned around, frowned at the peach, then glanced at Mo Yinghuo, and said softly, "General, I don't eat peaches. Do you just throw things away when you give them to people?"
Mo Yinghuo paused for a moment, then coughed lightly, feigning seriousness, and said, "Sorry, I forgot again. Next time I'll offer it with both hands." With that, she took the peach from his hand. She was particularly careful during this process, trying to avoid accidentally touching Zhao Shu's hand.
After spending a month with Zhao Shu, Mo Yinghuo gradually came to understand his character. She felt ashamed and embarrassed by the dreams she had, and thus intentionally or unintentionally kept her distance from Zhao Shu. Therefore, the two of them had been interacting with exceptionally polite manners in the military camp recently.
Even Shu Rong and Gong Liangzhong noticed that whenever Zhao Shu was around, Mo Yinghuo's behavior always subtly exuded the dignified and polite demeanor of a young lady from a respectable family. The two of them found it awkward and strange.
After taking it, he took a bite of the peach, the sound crisp and the fragrance filling the air. Mo Yinghuo smiled and said, "I've tasted all sorts of delicacies since I was a child, but I think the most delicious fruit is still the peach. I was thinking of letting you try it."
Zhao Shu gave a soft "hmm" and turned around to continue staring at the map.
Mo Yinghuo stepped forward, biting into a peach, but his eyes were sharply fixed on the various northern barbarian countries.
The soft clatter of hooves, clatter...
Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong, riding their warhorses, patrolled the military camp one after the other, as usual.
As always, one sat upright, while the other sat slouching.
Gongliang Zhong frowned, looking at a few Dongliang people lazily strolling in the sun at the border crossing not far away. He suddenly tightened the reins, waiting for Shurong to slowly ride up behind him.
"Shurong, what exactly did you discover when you entered Chencheng that night?" Gongliang Zhong asked, glancing at the man on horseback as Shurong approached.
Shu Rong tightened the reins, rolled her eyes, pursed her lips, and said, "Gongliang Zhong, didn't I already tell you? Those few days, the general only ordered me to guard the door. Luckily, the two soldiers outside had some dry rations on them, otherwise I would have starved to death in Chencheng."
Gongliang Zhong frowned even more, sighed softly, and said nothing more.
"I'm telling you, stop frowning all the time, it's bad luck," Shu Rong said, bending slightly, one hand holding the reins and the other supporting her chin. Seeing that Gongliang Zhong still didn't speak, she continued talking to herself.
"Actually, I'm even more curious than you, especially about Zhao Shu. Tell me, how exactly did he sneak out of the tent? The guards said they hadn't seen him come out, and there was no damage to the tent. Could it be that he had some secret skill in digging tunnels with his bare hands? By the way, did you have the soldiers check the ground inside and around the tent? He couldn't have really, really, dug a tunnel to get out, could he?"
Gongliang Zhong remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. Indeed, when the cook delivered food to the tent, he discovered the man was missing and immediately went to check. He asked the guards at the gate, who all said they hadn't seen him come out, and Zhao Shu's tent was intact. The entire camp was searched, but to no avail; not a single soldier had seen him.
Just as Shu Rong had predicted, he ordered his soldiers to search the area inside and around the tents for any signs of tampering. Dozens of soldiers lay prone on the ground, scrutinizing every grain of sand and every inch of soil. The result was predictable, but it was a last resort.
"Also, have you noticed that Zhao Shu either disappears or, when you do see him, he's always next to the general?" Shu Rong whispered to Gongliang Zhong.
Gongliang Zhong nodded slightly and said, "Perhaps I'm not very familiar with everyone yet."
Shu Rong rolled her eyes at Gong Liangzhong.
Gong Liangzhong sighed helplessly. He knew that being unfamiliar with someone was not a valid reason.
"Alas, it's a pity that even when I asked the general, she wouldn't say. And those two spies, I suspect they know something, but the general never lets us ask about them." Shu Rong covered one eye with her hand, as if sand had gotten into it, and complained.
Seeing his condition, Gongliang Zhong gently pulled on the reins to slow the horse down and asked, "Are you alright?"
"It's okay, it's been crushed," Shu Rong said with a grin.
Gongliang Zhong glanced sideways and continued, "Shurong, the general is not only the commander-in-chief of the Yunzhao Army, but also the eldest princess of the current Yunxiu Kingdom and the emperor's elder sister. There are some things that are not for you or me to interfere with. Ask what you should ask, and don't ask what you shouldn't ask."
Shu Rong straightened up and smiled, "Don't worry, I understand perfectly."
Suddenly, the two heard a lively commotion ahead. They looked at each other and roughly knew what had happened. They happily rode their horses forward.
Originally, a dozen or so soldiers were practicing archery in an open area of the military camp. The army had been stationed at the border for nearly a month, and the soldiers naturally dared not slack off, taking turns on duty. Some of them had finished resting but had not yet been on duty, so Mo Yinghuo had Shu Rong specially prepare an open space in the military camp for these soldiers to gather together and practice their martial arts, archery, swordsmanship, and other skills.
"Good! Good!" The soldiers clapped and cheered excitedly.
Gongliang Zhong and Shurong arrived just then and saw a military commander holding a longbow, with three arrows stuck in the heart of a straw figure in front of the soldiers.
Shu Rong responded with a "Okay".
Everyone had been focused on the archer, but upon hearing Shu Rong's voice, they realized that the two deputy generals were also present. They bowed and greeted him, "Deputy General Gongliang, Deputy General Shu."
The military envoy, holding a longbow, was very excited to see Deputy General Shu. He hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Deputy General Shu, could you show the soldiers a skill? We are usually too careful on the battlefield to have any chance to witness your prowess."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers joined in the chorus of cheers, "Fire! Fire! Fire!"
Gongliang Zhong's brows relaxed as he looked at Shurong.
Shu Rong loosened the reins again and laughed loudly, "My hands are itching for a bow and arrow."
The Yunzhao Army had one commander and two deputy commanders, all of whom were young officers. These three had fought for five years and had instilled fear in the enemy, with soldiers watching them go with bated breath.
The image of a white moon and a silver spear, an arrow carrying a letter, a loyal sword and a righteous heart, gradually became a passionate topic of conversation among the soldiers during their monotonous lives on the frontier.
The Yunzhao Army has a 50,000-strong archer force. This archer unit is fierce, agile, and accurate, often catching the enemy off guard on the battlefield. Shu Rong is the commander of this unit, and his archery skills are comparable to those of Mo Yinghuo, the commander-in-chief of the Yunzhao Army.
Although Gongliang Zhong often said that Shu Rong was too lax and lacked proper discipline, these comments were only directed at Shu Rong's usual behavior. He had immense respect for the 50,000 archers that Shu Rong led and trained. Every archer, nodding his bow and shooting his arrow, never missed.
Moreover, archers operate in the chaotic and noisy battlefield, surrounded by the omnipresent atmosphere of death. The psychological qualities required of them are actually higher than those of infantry and cavalry. They must be able to hold their breath, remain calm in the face of danger, and not be disturbed by external factors in order to draw their bows, hit their targets, and kill countless enemies.
When Shu Rong was with Gong Liangzhong, he always had a smiling face, but as soon as he held a bow and arrow, his eyes would become sharp and he would act as if no one else was around. His bow was like the autumn moon and his arrow was like a shooting star.
The military envoy presented a longbow with both hands. Shu Rong took the bow, rode her horse a short distance, then kicked the horse's belly hard. The steed neighed loudly and galloped away like a cloud. When the horse was a hundred paces away from the straw man, the soldiers saw Shu Rong sitting upright on the horse, her hands outstretched, bow drawn and arrows nocked. The strings then began to twang.
In the distance, a soldier who had run to the straw man shouted, "Six shots, six hits!"
The soldiers exclaimed in amazement and admiration. Most of the dozen or so soldiers present were archers. As archers know, hitting a target from the back of a galloping horse is no easy task compared to shooting from a standing position. Yet, the deputy general had just fired six arrows in quick succession, hitting the target every time!
Gong Liangzhong smiled and nodded approvingly.
Suddenly, Shu Rong stopped. He caught sight of Zhao Shu passing by out of the corner of his eye and called out to him, "Zhao Shu, shall we shoot an arrow?" Without waiting for a reply, he gave the military officer a wink. The military officer understood and presented the longbow to Zhao Shu with both hands.
Gongliang Zhong knew that Shurong didn't mean to make things difficult for him, but was just curious about this person and wanted to see how skilled he was, so he didn't say anything more.
Zhao Shu calmly took the longbow and gently plucked the bowstring a few times, as if testing its tension.
The soldiers watched him silently. Over the past month, they had noticed that he always exuded a calm and detached aura when no one else touched him. He was usually taciturn and not particularly warm towards others, but he was very polite. Moreover, the general valued him highly and often summoned him to his tent for discussions.
However, the soldiers' understanding of Zhao Shu was limited to this. They couldn't discern his official rank, and he always stayed by the general's side. When the general was around, the soldiers dared not approach him to speak.
Zhao Shu rarely spoke to anyone, at most exchanging greetings with those he encountered more than three times. Sometimes, these people would vanish without a trace, disappearing from the entire army. Then, they would suddenly reappear. Therefore, some soldiers secretly speculated that he was resting in his tent, while others wondered if anyone could sleep during the day. In short, Zhao Shu successfully cultivated an image of being unfathomable and unapproachable within the army.
Seeing that the deputy general was actually asking Zhao Shu to demonstrate his archery skills, everyone was filled with anticipation and held their breath, their eyes all falling on the figure in black standing in front of the straw man.
Zhao Shu slowly raised his hands, drew his bow and placed his thumbs lightly on the bowstring. The soldiers barely saw when he changed the arrows. Even after Zhao Shu lowered the longbow, the last note of the bowstring seemed to still echo in the soldiers' ears.
With a "thud," the tall straw figure in the distance suddenly collapsed to the ground.
Shu Rong clapped her hands excitedly and exclaimed, "Bai Shi! What excellent archery skills!"
The soldiers cheered.
Gongliang Zhong couldn't help but admire him secretly. Although Shu Rong's rapid-fire arrows were slightly better, Zhao Shu's "white arrow" that pierced the target was also a highly difficult type of archery.
"Excellent archery skills!" A clear voice suddenly rang out, praising the archery.
The soldiers turned around, and their dashing figures in silver armor came into view.
"General," the soldiers greeted, bowing in unison.
Gongliang Zhong and Shurong both dismounted.
Mo Yinghuo said to the soldiers beside him, "Go, tell them to bring the straw man over."
When the three soldiers carried the straw man closer, the soldiers were stunned into silence.
Shu Rong gasped, her face filled with admiration.
The arrows on the straw figure were all split in two. The arrowheads that split these arrows in two were the arrows shot by Zhao Shu.
Mo Yinghuo looked at the straw man on the ground, a fleeting, almost imperceptible expression crossing his face. Then he laughed heartily, walked over to Zhao Shu, patted him hard on the shoulder, and said, "Zhao Shu, you've been hiding this skill all along! Your archery is comparable to that of the Yun Zhao Army!"
For a moment, the air was unusually quiet.
The soldiers gasped and held their breath, their eyes all fixed on the slender, white hand on Zhao Shu's shoulder.
Gongliang Zhong sighed silently, while Shu Rong had a somewhat gloating expression.
Clad in silver armor and black robes, he froze, as if frozen in place.
The archery range was eerily silent.
Zhao Shu glared angrily at Mo Yinghuo, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. With a snap, the longbow in Zhao Shu's hand broke in two.
Then, through clenched teeth, he coldly uttered two words: "Take it away."
Mo Yinghuo immediately realized what was happening, let go of his grip, and flashed to Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong's side, forcing a smile as he said, "Everyone, continue practicing archery. This general will take his leave now."
Having said that, he mounted Shu Rong's horse and rode away in a cloud of dust. Lately, the two had often discussed matters in the camp. Mo Yinghuo knew that Zhao Shu greatly disliked being touched, so she was extremely careful and tried to keep her distance from him. However, Mo Yinghuo was actually quite cautious in private. Just now, seeing Zhao Shu display such skill, Mo Yinghuo, who always cherished talent and admired it, couldn't help but feel overly excited upon seeing all the soldiers praising him, and forgot about Zhao Shu's peculiar habit.
Zhao Shu's brows furrowed with anger. He remained silent, slapped his shoulder twice forcefully with obvious disdain, and then walked straight back to his tent without looking back.
Gongliang Zhong and Shurong looked at each other, their expressions incredibly complex as they watched the two figures disappear into the distance.
"Everyone, continue practicing archery. Remember the key points I just explained." Shu Rong mounted her horse and said to the soldiers before heading to Mo Yinghuo's camp with Gong Liangzhong.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
