Emperor Zhaokang finally allowed Wu'an Hou He Yan to lead Feihong's former subordinates to pacify the Yue army to Jiuchuan to fight the enemy.

Although there were many people discussing it in the court, it eventually calmed down. Firstly, because of the Xiao family, no one dared to say anything. Secondly, even if He Yan did not leave, there were only a few people available in the court. It would be better to let Wu Anhou, who had fought against the Wutuo people, lead the troops.

Yan He led the Yan family troops to Ji County first, Xiao Jue led the Southern Army to deep into Yunzi, and the slightly older General Hu Wei led his troops and the Liangzhou Guards to fight in Bingjiang, where the situation was slightly better. He Yan led the Fuyue Army to Jiuchuan.

Among the four of them, except for General Hu Wei who was a little older, the other three were considered very young. Especially He Yan, Emperor Zhao Kang dared to hand over the military power to them, not because of gambling, but probably also because of cultivating his own confidants. Especially He Yan, if he was used well, he might not be the next "Fei Hong".

After getting the military token, they will soon set out to leave the capital. He Yan asked Emperor Zhao Kang that when she was in Liangzhou, Wang Ba and his men followed her to Rundu and cooperated with her in the night attack on the enemy camp. She wanted to ask that Wang Ba and his men could join the appeasement army when they went to Jiuchuan, and Emperor Zhao Kang agreed.

After everything was settled, there were only two days left in Shuojing.

The spring thunder is about to startle the earth. The willows have sprouted new green buds, hiding by the river, dyeing the river green.

In the noodle shop owned by Sun Da Ye in the east of the city, a girl in a blue cloth skirt was taking noodles out of the iron pot. She was young and only pretty. She was a little shy when someone talked to her. She was a quiet and shy girl.

Two young men came in. The younger one said with a smile, "Two bowls of Yangchun noodles." Then he handed over some money.

Sun Xiaolan wiped her hands with a handkerchief, took the money, and said, "Sir, please go inside and take a seat. It will be ready soon."

Xiao Mai nodded and made a face at his elder brother, but Shitou glared at him as a warning.

The two found a table inside and sat down. Xiao Mai asked Shitou, "Brother, we are going to the war soon. This time we are not going to Liangzhouwei, but to fight those Wutuo people for real. Since you like Sister Xiaolan, why didn't you tell her before you left?"

The stone said nothing.

"If you don't tell me, she's in Shuojing City. What if Master Sun arranges a marriage for her?" Xiao Mai looked at his elder brother. "We have stayed in Liangzhouwei for so long. Why are you so scared now?"

Shitou shook his head and whispered, "It is not certain that we can return alive after going to Jiuchuan. Why give people hope and delay them for nothing?"

He looked at the busy girl in the blue skirt, and a rare smile appeared on his lips, "If I can survive and come back, I will tell her my feelings..."

Xiao Mai looked at Sun Xiaolan, then at the stone. After a while, he sighed resignedly, "Okay, whatever you say is what I'll do."

The noodles were served quickly, and Sun Xiaolan said with a smile, "Enjoy your meal, both of you." Then she left quickly.

Stone looked at it for a long time before looking away.

A light rain began to fall, washing the bluestone in front of the store clean and shiny. The girl from the noodle shop went to collect the empty bowls, and when she got to the table, she saw a pot of mountain peach blossoms in front of two empty bowls of noodles.

This pot of peach blossoms bloomed early, some of them were not yet fully blossomed, some were light and some were dark, with dots of red, like red snow in spring. She was stunned for a moment, and the taciturn and handsome boy just now appeared in her mind. After a while, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she picked up the pot of peach blossoms and carefully placed it in the house.

…

The mountain is still the same mountain as before, but the bandit camp looks much more dilapidated.

The man with a scar on his face climbed up the last mound and stared at the bandit camp in front of him in a daze.

A child who was walking by the door with a cow took one look at him and was stunned. After a moment, he howled, "The boss is back—"

Being surrounded and escorted into the village, everyone called him "boss", which made Wang Ba feel like he was in another world. After staying in Liangzhouwei for a long time, he learned to obey and acted like a soldier. This kind of crowd, love and respect really made him uncomfortable.

He coughed lightly and said, "I came back today just to say that I will leave for Jiuchuan in a day! I came to see how you are doing."

Someone came forward and flattered him, "After the first boss left, not many people came to this mountain. The harvest was not good, so everyone started to farm. They also raised silkworms. Although it is not as good as when we were bandits, it is more stable. The second boss said that when summer comes, we will dig a pond in the mountain to raise fish, so that we don't have to worry about food and daily necessities in the future."

Wang Ba felt very relieved, but in his relief, he also felt a little jealous. He said with a fake smile, "It seems that you are doing well without me."

The second in command came over. He was an educated and refined man. When his family fell into poverty, he became a bandit with nowhere to go. However, he could not lift anything with his hands or shoulders. Wang Ba hoped that he could give some good advice at first, but later gave up and let him stay in the village to teach the children to read and write.

The second in command said, "At first, the boss saw that the soldiers were fighting against the bandits fiercely and it was unsafe to rob people on the road, so he went to Liangzhou to join the army. However, the outside world has been in chaos in the past two years, and everyone's life has been difficult. Now we can be self-sufficient, which is already very good. The boss is going to fight the Wutuo people. Without the boss's fighting outside, how can we have a good life. The brothers all miss you. If one day you want to come back, you will still be our boss."

Wang Ba felt relieved and snorted, "You guys have a conscience!"

He took out a few silver ingots from the bag he was carrying and laid them out one by one.

"What is this..." someone asked cautiously.

"I got this as a reward from the higher-ups for my meritorious service in the barracks!" He waved his hand nonchalantly, "I'm living and eating in the barracks now, so there's no point in keeping it. You guys take it and buy whatever you want. Don't say the boss doesn't care about your life or death!"

"This..." The second in command hesitated for a moment, "This is what you paid for with your life. We dare not accept it."

"Just accept it when I tell you to. Why are you talking so much nonsense?" Wang Ba glared at me. "You dare to talk back, don't you?"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, not daring to refute. The children nearby gathered around him and threw themselves on Wang Ba, shouting, "The boss is awesome! The boss is the best!"

Wang Ba was squeezed so hard that only his head was exposed. He said angrily, "Don't step on me. Get out of here!"

Everyone looked at the lively atmosphere here, lowered their heads and laughed quietly.

…

In the shabby thatched house, there was a rare large pot of stewed mutton on the table.

Boys aged eleven or twelve are at the age when they can eat a lot. Their mouths are full of oil and their cheeks are bulging.

Hong Shan said, "Eat slowly, no one is competing with you for the food."

"Brother," the child raised his head and said vaguely, "Next time you come back, we will eat stewed mutton again!"

Hong Shan laughed: "Okay."

The old woman beside him shook her head in disapproval: "You give in to him in everything. What if the child gets spoiled by spoiling?"

"Acheng is such a good kid, how could he be spoiled?" Hongshan smiled and touched his younger brother's head, sighing, "Acheng is now much taller than when I left. In a few years, he will be able to stand on his own."

There are only two brothers and their old mother in their family. Xiaomai and his brother are of similar age, and his younger brother is only twelve years old. Hongshan has no special ability in his life, and it is unexpected that he can enter Liangzhou Guard and meet a group of powerful brothers. However, he is willing to place all his good hopes on his younger brother, hoping that he can bring honor to the family.

"Acheng," he said, looking at the young boy who was happily eating a leg of lamb, "When I first arrived at the barracks and met Marquis Wu'an, she was even thinner than you. But later in the Liangzhou Guard, she was the most powerful one."

"Is she really that powerful? Even more powerful than her brother?" Acheng asked curiously.

Hong Shan smiled, "She is much better than me," he looked at the young boy in front of him, "She can eat as much as you. So Ah Cheng, when I'm not around, you have to work harder. Maybe in the future, you can become someone like Wu An Hou."

"Marquis Wu'an is a woman, and I'm a man, how can I be Marquis Wu'an?" The young boy said, "I want to be a man like General Feng Yun!"

Hong Shan and the woman looked at each other, then both lowered their heads and smiled.

"Okay, okay, I'll be General Fengyun." Hong Shan said with a smile, "After your brother leaves, you must concentrate on studying, practice martial arts well, and don't make mother angry, understand?"

"Got it." Ah Cheng patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, brother, I will definitely take good care of mom!"

"Ashan," the old woman looked at Hongshan with a gentle yet worried look, "Swords have no eyes on the battlefield, so be careful."

Hong Shan pushed the prepared soup in front of the old woman and said, "Don't worry, mother. I will take good care of myself."

…

Beijing Martial Arts School.

Director Jiang is competing with the young master Jiang Jiao.

Both of them were using spears. Director Jiang was a master in using the spear in the past, and now, his son, Jiang Jiao, is even better than him. Just like his name, the spear is like a dragon emerging from the sea, both beautiful and ferocious.

With a horizontal strike, the tip of the gun was against Master Jiang's neck. His red neck trembled slightly, and cheers suddenly broke out from the surroundings.

"Good! The young master is awesome!"

"Master Jiang has lost, you have to admit your age!"

Being defeated by his own son, Master Jiang was not angry at all, but showed a proud expression. Looking at the tall young man in front of him, he felt extremely relieved.

When Jiang Jiao's fiancée committed suicide for love, Jiang Jiao immediately became a laughing stock and never recovered. He locked himself in his room every day and refused to see anyone. All his relatives and friends came to persuade him, but it was useless.

Master Jiang only has this one son. He is angry and heartbroken, but he has no idea what to do.

It just so happened that Liangzhou Guards were recruiting new soldiers, and in order to temper this boy's will, they forced Jiang Jiao to join the army.

Unexpectedly, in just two years, Jiang Jiao had become a new man. He was no longer as decadent as before, and his spear skills had improved. If there was one thing that Master Jiang was thankful for in his life, it was the day he tore off the conscription documents of Liangzhou Guards and threw this stinky son into the barracks.

He pretended to be reserved and said, "Your shooting skills are quite good."

Jiang Jiao smiled and said, "It's good that my friend gave me advice."

He Yan had taught him this shooting skill. Thinking about it, he felt sad. He Yan's shooting skill was far superior to his. If he wanted to catch up with her, he would need to work harder.

Master Jiang walked into the house and took out a long stick wrapped in red cloth from the inner room.

"This is..."

"It's for you." Master Jiang said, "Open it and take a look."

Jiang Jiao opened it as he was told and peeled off the red cloth. Inside was a silver spear. This spear was more beautiful and sharper than the one he had brought with him when he went to Liangzhouwei.

"I'm afraid your original spear won't be enough for your trip to Jiuchuan. We have never lacked good weapons in our martial arts school. This spear will better suit your current spear skills."

Jiang Jiao swung the spear in his hand casually a few times, feeling that it was quite to his liking, and immediately said happily: "Thank you, Dad!"

"Since you have taken the good guns from the martial arts hall, don't tarnish the reputation of my Jiang family!" Master Jiang said in a deep voice. After a moment of silence, he added, "Of course, you must protect yourself. Remember, come back alive!"

Jiang Jiao smiled, put the gun behind his back, and said cheerfully, "Of course."

…

The drizzle was weak, and an old man in a straw raincoat was fishing in a restaurant near the river. A man as strong as a black bear was holding a big knife, stroking the Buddhist beads on his chest, and looking at the restaurant in front of him with an unusually gentle look.

This was once his home.

It was a spring day like this. Their house was near the river, and they could catch a lot of fish in this season. The brothers threw the fish into the bamboo basket, and the girls scaled the fish, cleaned them, and roasted them until they smelled delicious. His parents were still alive at that time, and the yard was always bustling with activity. The carefree days seemed to have no end, and he seemed to never grow up.

In the blink of an eye, many years have passed, and things have changed. The original family is no longer there, and the house that was once full of memories has become a wine shop.

And he was all alone, with no one to say goodbye to before leaving.

The woman selling wine greeted him warmly, "Brother, would you like a bowl of apricot wine?"

Huang Xiong looked sideways, then nodded after a while and said, "Three bowls, please."

"Okay." The woman replied with a smile.

He placed the knife on the table and waited for the woman to bring him three bowls of clear sweet wine. The wine tasted sweet and was not expensive, but it reminded him of the sweet-scented osmanthus wine brewed by his mother.

Huang Xiong raised his head. Raindrops were falling from the eaves outside the window, creating a small pit on the ground. He looked at it and suddenly shook his head and laughed.

Actually, it's nothing.

He was sitting here now, just like sitting in his old home. The care of this woman could be considered as a mother's admonition, and the sound of rain outside was like the quarrel of younger siblings. And this knife...

A close friend who will walk with him forward.

The brave man raised his head, drank three bowls of wine one by one, put down the silver in his hand, stood up and strode away.

Only the rain falling under the eaves was neither fast nor slow, and was particularly long.

…

In the Lin family of Beijing, the atmosphere is unusually cold today.

Mrs. Lin wiped her tears with a handkerchief, looked at the man in front of her, and cried, "My son, why did you have to run to Ji County for no reason? You know that there are constant wars in such places, and you don't know how to fight. What if you run into Wutuo people, what will you do... You are the only one I love. If anything happens to you, what will I do!"

"That's enough," said Lin Mu, the old master, frowning, "crying like that is not a good thing. What if the servants see us?"

Madam Lin refused to give in and directed her anger at Lin Mu, "You useless thing, go and tell the Emperor to let He'er come back. Otherwise, you go for him! You have lived for so many years, and my son is still young, ugh... He is so weak, how can he go to the battlefield..."

Lin Shuanghe: “…”

For the first time, he discovered that his mother shed so many tears when she cried.

"Mother, I asked the emperor myself. I wanted to go myself. Please don't blame father." Lin Shuanghe said, "This is a great time to make achievements. Our Lin family can't just treat women. If I make achievements this time, the Lin family will be famous in Wei."

"Who cares?" Mrs. Lin scolded, "We don't lack money!"

For the first time, Lin Shuanghe felt helpless against the woman and looked at his father.

Lin Mu frowned slightly and asked, "Have you really thought it through? That's a battlefield."

"Dad, it's not like I haven't been to the battlefield before. I met the Uto people in Jiyang before, and I was fine. You guys are worrying too much. I have always had good luck. Nothing will happen to me."

"But..." Mrs. Lin was about to say something when a voice came from behind her: "Shuanghe, come with me."

It was Lin Qingtan.

Lin Shuanghe finally found an opportunity to slip away, and hurriedly said, "Grandfather called me." Then he quickly followed Lin Qingtan.

When they got to the study, Lin Qingtan turned around, looked into Lin Shuanghe's eyes, and asked, "You insist on going to Ji County, but is it because of the plague?"

Lin Shuanghe was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Grandfather is still wise."

The Wutuo people were killing innocent people in Ji County, and the corpses were piled up like a mountain. Hearing that a plague had already appeared, Lin Shuanghe volunteered to go there to quell the plague.

"Have you really thought it through? The battlefield is not like the capital, where people can die at any time." Lin Qingtan said. Everyone in the capital knows that the youngest son of the Lin family is quite talented, but unfortunately he is in a ridiculous form and cannot achieve great things. Perhaps even Lin Shuanghe's father Lin Mu thinks so. The Lin family's expectation for this young man is nothing more than that he will not cause any major trouble in his life and live in peace. That would be enough.

"Grandfather." The young man who was always smiling and playful showed a serious look for the first time. "If it were a peaceful and prosperous time, I would specialize in women's medicine, which would be understandable. But in the emergency of war, the Lin family is still greedy for life and afraid of death, and they are running away from the battlefield. I am not worthy of practicing medicine."

"We are going to Ji County not only to treat the civilians infected with the plague, but also to treat the injured soldiers in the army."

"The battlefield is dangerous, but my grandfather also taught me that doctors must care about the lives of others and must not be selfish. I am the young master of the Lin family, but first and foremost, I am a doctor."

Lin Qingtan looked at Lin Shuanghe in front of him, his eyes flickering. After a long time, this demure old man showed a gratified smile for the first time.

"Medicine is a benevolent art. You already have a benevolent heart, which is good."

"Let's go to Ji County." He said, "Doctor Lin, that is also your battlefield."