Chapter 107 Xiayang is the country that was destroyed.
Twenty days later it was when Zhu Hao arrived in Xiayang.
There are few stalls and shops in the city, and few pedestrians. Along the way, every town I passed through was filled with children playing, singing nursery rhymes in groups, or chasing each other and playing. Looking out at Xiayang, not to mention children, even young men and women are hard to see. Walking in the city, I only see old men with gray hair and unsteady steps, or leaning against the door, praying to the gods to protect Xiayang.
The situation at this moment is understandable. The elderly are unable to move around easily and cannot leave home in a hurry, so the innocent children who are yet to grow up should be the first choice for evacuation.
Although the saddle was covered with a thick and soft mattress, the days of running around still made Zhu Hao's legs red and swollen. Now that she had entered the city, she was lucky enough to dismount and stroll through the streets of the city, just to take a short rest. If she came across a restaurant, she would fill her stomach first and then go out of the city to the south to look for Yin.
The Ying army was stationed thirty miles outside the city, separated from the other small states by only a river called Huajiang, with gurgling water and views of both banks.
Soon, Zhu Hao saw that a soup noodle shop was still open. He was not picky and sat down in the outer room. He asked for a mutton soup noodle and heard someone inside respond in a rough voice.
The shop was quiet, but the tables and chairs were clean and dust-free. Soon, footsteps were getting closer. Zhu Hao looked up and saw a big bowl with a round bottom and a fat body placed on the table. Amidst the steam, the rich aroma of mutton mixed with bone broth rushed into his nose and went straight into his stomach.
The shopkeeper was an old woman over fifty years old. When she saw that the visitor was a young girl with a good appearance, she couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Why is the girl still staying in the city?"
Zhu Hao didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he could only tell the truth: "I am not from Xiayang."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's face suddenly changed. He hurriedly took Zhu Hao's hand and sat down beside her, saying earnestly, "Young lady, why did you come to Xiayang in such a hurry? Don't you know that there will be a war outside? The men in the city have volunteered to join the army, and the women who know a little about medicine and bandaging have all gone to help in the camp. The children have all been sent away to avoid disaster... Now, we are the only ones left in this city who are old and have no worries..."
"You are so young, have you ever been promised to anyone? Swords and knives have no eyes. If you are a stranger, listen to my advice and go home as soon as possible..."
Zhu Hao picked up the soup noodle and tasted it. It was indeed delicious. "Boss, I can also help in the camp, bandaging and applying medicine, and taking care of the wounded. I can do it."
"Just look at you and you'll know you're a pampered girl, just joining in the fun!"
Zhu Haoxin knew the old woman meant well, so she lied softly, "To be honest, my fiancé is a soldier under General Pu Shuiwen. I'm worried about him, so I'm thinking..."
Having said all this, what else did the shopkeeper not understand? Seeing that the girl had traveled thousands of miles just to pursue her husband, he knew that there was no point in persuading her to return. He could only sigh and stand up, "Miss, you don't have to pay for the soup noodles. Now that we're in Xiayang, who cares about silver or gold... If anyone comes, give it to them to warm them up, and accumulate blessings for the surviving soldiers..."
The shopkeeper said this, shaking her head and going back inside. But the little girl behind her stopped her and forced money into her hand. "Grandma, if you think this battle is inevitable and you treat gold and silver like dirt, you are wrong. Grandma, we will win, and the soldiers will return victorious. Now you just need to think of it as earning money to provide for your children and grandchildren."
The old woman was wondering how the girl in front of her knew that there was a child at home. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the tiger-head embroidery hanging around her waist. The needle and thread reflected the sunlight, and several teeth marks were visible on it. Her heart warmed, and the smile wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were wiped away.
…
Huajiang is called Huajiang because the water in the river flows gently and flowers bloom all year round. At this time of year, it is poplar flowers floating on the surface of the river. These flowers mostly grow in still water without waves, so there are only a few flowers blooming in the middle of the river, with only a few flowers appearing in the almost stagnant water, adding a touch of clearness to the lonely river.
The moon is bright and the stars are flickering.
Outside the camp, the guards were changing shifts every two hours. Just when they were changing shifts, they suddenly saw a rider coming from a distance. When she got closer, they found out that it was a young woman with a face as white as jade and beautiful hair.
The guards were stunned for a moment, then held their swords in front of them and shouted sternly, "Hurry up, whoever comes..."
"Best wishes, General Xun Yunwei."
After hearing these seven short words, the people outside the training camp looked at each other in bewilderment. One of them was the first to come to his senses and quickly stepped inside to report. Another, younger guard, stepped forward to lead Zhu Hao inside, speaking very respectfully, "I am Zhang Sa, a native of Xiayang. I voluntarily follow General Yun Wei to defend our country and protect Xiayang..."
He was still young, seemingly not yet twenty, and he lowered his head in embarrassment as he spoke, as if realizing his words were trivial and out of context. He hurriedly tried to make amends, "The general's headquarters is in the front. He gave us instructions when he arrived in Xiayang. If Miss Zhu comes, please do not stop her. We apologize for any offense we caused just now."
Seeing the boy's simple nature and the long road ahead, Zhu Hao smiled and replied, "How can I be offended? Acting rigorously is Xiayang's blessing."
"Yes, yes..." Zhang Sa touched the brim of his helmet and smiled foolishly. It was not that he was a person who liked to smile foolishly, but the young lady in front of him was really beautiful and one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen since he was a child. He wanted to take a few more glances, but was afraid of being abrupt and offensive, so he had to lower his head and nod yes repeatedly.
When they reached the shogunate, Zhang Sa bowed and took his leave. Zhu Hao called him, "My horse's name is Biaofeng. If you have enough, please add some fodder for it."
Zhang Sa agreed without hesitation.
The next moment, the thick curtain outside the shogunate was lifted, and a general covered in silver armor strode out.
It was the middle of the night, and the light in the tent was dim but still bright. The man who came was still wearing his iron armor, which showed how urgent the situation was.
"Although I knew you were coming, I didn't expect you to come so soon." Mei Lianjun led her into the tent. There were only the two of them in the tent. Although it was the shogun's tent, the furnishings were extremely simple. There was a table, several chairs, a bamboo couch, a large map hanging in the middle, and a sand table next to the long table.
The terrain of mountains and rivers is all there.
"My brother... is he alright?" Mei Lianjun's high spirits plummeted to the bottom as soon as she asked this question. Unsure whether Mei Lianjun had told her about his broken leg, Zhu Hao was unable to answer. Seeing her hesitation, Mei Lianjun knew something was amiss and pressed on, "... is he dead?"
Zhu Hao looked up suddenly. The facial features of the woman in front of him were still as beautiful as ever, but now she looked like spring water thawing, revealing a hint of subtle softness. For some reason, Zhu Hao's eyes felt a little sore. A hundred years later, in the dynasty she lived in, weapons were put into storage, the sea was peaceful and the rivers were clear, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. But in the dynasty under his feet at this time... when asking about the safety of his family, he had to sign a death contract first.
Regardless of Mei Lianqing's plans, Zhu Hao, seeing Ah Yin's current condition, was no longer willing to hide it from her. Moreover, after what happened with Li Qingrang, she knew Ah Yin was not someone who would sacrifice public service for personal gain, and would never allow personal emotions to seep into the army. So, Zhu Hao recounted the situation in prison one by one. Finally, she held Ah Yin's hand and said firmly, "Minister Mei is no longer in danger of death. When I left, His Majesty summoned him to the palace to discuss matters. I think he only needs to recuperate for a while, and he should be fine. Although from now on... Ah Yin..."
Mei Lianjun smiled with relief. How could she dare to harbor any more greed? She only murmured softly, "As long as I'm alive, it's good."
The two of them admired each other for a while. Zhu Hao took the cup of water she handed him, drank half of it in one gulp, and then stood in front of the map in the middle, carefully staring at a gap in the east corner.
"You must have a good plan when you come here?" Mei Lianjun asked at the right time.
"Of course I don't have any good strategies, and I'm even clueless about deploying troops." Zhu Hao said this, but then asked, "Ayin, what's the situation now? Can you hold on?"
The tent suddenly became quiet. Everything on the march was extremely valuable, and there was only one oil lamp lit, so it was dim. However, Zhu Hao could clearly see the loneliness that flashed across Mei Lianjun's eyes.
"Pianpian, you should already know... Daying is preparing to surrender, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
Mei Lianjun smiled faintly, "I know that since Pianpian has come from thousands of miles away, he must have a solution."
Zhu Hao paused, unable to bear looking at her. "I'm not here to surrender to Daqing, but for you, Xiayang, and Ayin. Right now, we must at least survive until Daqing leaves."
Mei Lianjun knew her intentions, and her heart was completely filled with anxiety. She forced herself to remain calm and asked, "Pianpian, do you also think... Daying has no choice but to be annexed by Qing? There's no other way out?"
"...Ayin, it's not about annexation, but..."
"What's the difference between surrender and annexation?"
Zhu Hao was speechless. Indeed, surrender was tantamount to annexation. She didn't know how to explain it to others. She really didn't establish a country with "Qing" as the name, but established a new country with "Cheng" as the name. So far, there was no border between Qing and Ying. She was a person from a hundred years later, and she was from Dacheng, which was different from the current broken Daying. Naturally, she could not stand on the high ground of the future to persuade Ayin of today.
For Yu Yingmin and Yu Ayin, it meant the destruction of their country.
After a long moment, the mournful cry of a jackdaw echoed through the silent night, and someone sighed, "I understand, Pian Pian, but the country has no soldiers to recruit and no fodder to mobilize... Even if Daqing were to march, it would take at least a month. It would take time to organize the army and it would take time to march... Moreover, they may not necessarily treat Xiayang, or us, as their own country."
Zhu Hao paused for a moment and asked, "Even with the reinforcements from Pu Shui, they can't hold out for even a month?"
"We only have half a month's supply of food and fodder left. Even if the imperial court has managed to gather some, it will still take ten days to reach Xiayang. Pianpian, the real difficulty lies..." She looked outside the tent, as if traversing the dark night, and saw the enemy troops stationed on the other side of the Huajiang River. "If they remain idle, or only engage in small-scale exploratory looting, they can easily hold out for a month. But if... the coalition forces of the various small nations decide to fight a final battle..."
Mei Lianjun didn't hear a response for a long time. She glanced over and saw that the woman was staring at a gap in the eastern corner of the map. She warned her, "This is a very dangerous and narrow valley. If you mistakenly enter it, you will be surrounded by foreign troops and your way out will be a dead end."
At this moment, the woman raised her eyes in the dim candlelight and said, "Ayin, are you willing to believe me?"
She naturally believed her. Ever since they first met, she had developed an inexplicable sense of closeness to her. Not only did she help the palace, but she also helped her brother... It was because they trusted her that the guards of the military camp did not stop her.
Mei Lianjun: "I believe it."
Zhu Hao leaned over and whispered in her ear. When he stepped back, Mei Lianjun frowned and said, "You are crazy!"
"The only chance we have is ten days from now." Zhu Hao closed his eyes, then opened them again. "To be safe, I plan to go to Lugu tomorrow. A Yin can also... Let's think about it."
…
The next day, Zhu Hao woke up to a commotion. She hurriedly put on her coat and went out before washing up.
Upon asking, she found out that it was the attendants sent by Song Xieqing to protect her who had caught up with her. Mei Lianjun stood on one side with her arms folded, smiling slightly, with a profound and strange look that said, "I understand everything."
Zhu Hao was frightened by her stare, so he had to lead the people into the camp first and teach them not to be idle and to help out in the camp.
After eating half a bowl of rice porridge and a Hu pancake with the army, Zhu Hao said goodbye to Mei Lianjun and insisted on going to Dongjiao Lugu to collect folk songs. Lugu was about dozens of miles away from here, and it would take a whole day to go there and back. Zhu Hao didn't want to cause any more trouble, so she didn't need to allocate soldiers for protection. She only asked ten of Song Xieqing's men to accompany them. However, A Yin disagreed with her, saying that no matter how skilled the people sent by Song Lang were, they knew nothing about the terrain of Xiayang. So she sent Zhang Sa, who led the way yesterday, to go with them.
Zhu Hao thought about it for a moment and didn't refuse anymore.
From morning till dusk, the group finally arrived at Lugu. Fortunately, it was not suitable for marching here, and they did not see any enemy on the way. However, they did not know whether any scouts from various small countries had seen them... Thinking of this, I wish them a good laugh. Even if someone saw them, it would not be a big deal.
This valley seems narrow, but it is not. Once you pass through the narrow road, it gradually opens up and the open space can accommodate thousands of people. However, there is no road on the back. Leaning against a cliff, Zhu Hao leaned over and looked down, and saw a shallow ravine at the bottom of the cliff. The cliff was not steep or high, about four meters, but it was undoubtedly a dead end for marching.
Zhu Hao explored again, but the stones under her feet made a rustling sound. Zhang Sa, who was standing beside her, was so startled that he hurriedly pulled her aside and said, "Miss Zhu, what on earth are you doing in Lugu? There are a lot of gravels on the cliff. What if you fall..."
Zhu Hao's gaze fell on the knuckles of his hand gripping her wrist. Zhang Sa's face flushed slightly, and she hastily let go. Then she asked, "By the way, are there any wild animals or birds within a few miles of Lugu?"
As they were talking, a masked attendant handed a water bag to Zhu Hao. This person claimed that he had a big black spot on his face, so he had covered his face since he was a child. His name was Wang Dian. Zhu Hao vaguely remembered that she had not seen this person when she left the Song Mansion... and when she saw this person came forward to hand over the water bag, he seemed to intentionally or unintentionally stand between her and Zhang Sa.
Zhang Sa said without hesitation: "Of course there are. There are many wild animals in the Lugu area..."
The conversation stopped abruptly and the two looked at each other. Although they stopped talking, they understood each other. This was because they had not seen any birds flying in the sky or animals walking within a radius of ten miles.
Zhu Hao concentrated for a moment and said, "There should be a clearing channel nearby, right? Take me to see it."
Zhang Sa took the order and led a group of people forward. They were not far away and arrived in a short while.
The canal, known for its "clear" water, was now murky. Bubbles on the surface of the water rolled up the mud at the bottom. Everyone saw Zhu Hao scooping up the filthy canal water and putting it into his mouth. Wang Dian became anxious, "Madam, let me try... do you want to drink it...?"
As soon as he interrupted her, the canal water in Zhu Hao's hand had already leaked out from between her fingers. She nodded slightly, but Zhang Sa on the side was struck by lightning when he heard the word "Madam". The few romantic thoughts that had been secretly in his mind since yesterday were also mostly faded away.
"How?" Zhu Hao asked.
Wang Dian's lips twitched, knowing that she was naturally asking about the taste of the canal water. Although he didn't understand her behavior, Wang Dian still endured the nausea in his mouth and tasted it carefully. Frowning, he replied, "...somehow, it tastes a bit bitter."
Zhu Hao turned and looked at Zhang Sa, "Is this canal always so muddy?"
Zhang Sa thought for a moment and said, "My neighbor's eldest brother came here to fish a few years ago. The water in the canal was so clear that you could see the bottom."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you."
But no one understood what Zhu Hao had figured out.
After clearing the canal, the group followed Zhu Hao and wandered around for a few miles before returning. When they were about to reach the military camp, they felt that the atmosphere was different. They could hear faint mournful cries from the camp while they were still some distance away. Everyone's heart tightened and they urged their horses to hurry up. When they got closer, they saw nearly a hundred wounded sitting or lying on the open ground through the camp fence. After asking, they learned that today, a small tribal country headed by Qiu Di led 3,000 troops and horses to bypass Huajiang River and attack the camp from the north. Although they did not penetrate deep into the enemy's territory, they took advantage of the chaos to rob some food and fodder, and even shouted provocative words on the river bank. This move was no less than a slap in the face of the Ying army and wore down its morale.
Zhu Hao did not stay for long. She had been accustomed to seeing bloody fights in recent days. Although she felt pity, she was able to maintain a normal expression. A Yin was discussing matters with the generals in the shogunate, and Zhu Hao did not want to disturb them, so she just waited outside the tent.
There are no stars or moon tonight, and the floating clouds are bleak. Fortunately, the wind is not cold. An hour has passed. Zhu Hao sees that the generals are gradually dispersing, so he lifts the curtain and goes inside.
Mei Lianjun's face was covered in fatigue, and her silver armor was still stained with blood. She usually smiled in the face of trouble, but now her brows were stern. Seeing Zhu Hao, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Did you just get back? Why are you so late? I thought you'd come back an hour ago."
"In order to be safe, I had to be more careful, so I was late." Zhu Hao saw that there was water in the tent, so he pulled out a towel from his sleeve, dipped it in water and wiped the blood off her silver armor.
When the water in the basin gradually turned red, she suddenly asked, "I wish you good luck. How sure are you?"
Zhu Hao paused twisting the handkerchief, but his eyes, reflecting the ripples of water, met her firmly, "Only me, less than 30%."
Finally, Zhu Hao smiled and said, "But if you count A Yin, it's more than 50%."
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