After the Beginning of Summer comes the Grain Full Moon. After the Grain Full Moon, the weather becomes hotter and hotter, and the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching.

The Yue army led by Wu Anhou recaptured Jiuchuan, and the news of victory continued. 100,000 Wutuo soldiers were defeated, and the remaining soldiers fled westward and were annihilated by the Yue army. So far, He Yan led the army for nearly three months to win the desert and recapture Jiuchuan.

The people of Jiuchuan cheered every day, celebrating the hard-won victory. No one in the Fuyue army dared to look down on this young female marquis anymore. She used victory to prove her bravery and wisdom.

He Yan sat in the house, counting the results of the battle. It was the last great victory, with many prisoners and gains. The deputy general walked in from outside and said respectfully: "Sir, the Lord of Jiuchuan City wants you to stay and leave after the Dragon Boat Festival."

The Wutuo soldiers of Jiuchuan had no chance of counterattack. She was going to return to the capital immediately after sorting out the things here. However, probably out of gratitude to the soldiers of the Suyue Army for driving away the Wutuo thieves for them, the people hoped that they could stay for a while longer.

Especially the female general.

She was majestic and intimidating on the battlefield, but she was extremely patient and kind to ordinary civilians.

He Yan asked: "How many days until the Dragon Boat Festival?"

"Five more days." replied the deputy general.

He Yan was silent for a moment, "Okay, we'll set off right after the Dragon Boat Festival."

The people who have just experienced war need a little hope. Staying here may give them strength to better face the future where they need to start over.

Apart from fighting, this is all she can do for the people here.

The house was simple and clean. When the Wutuo soldiers occupied Jiuchuan, they burned, killed and looted in the city. All valuable things were looted and burned. Even the house she lived in now had half of the wall burned.

He Yan looked at the map on the table and sighed inaudibly.

After all, Jiuchuan was taken back.

There was no news from Yunzi and Ji County, but there was news from Bingjiang, and it looked like the situation was good. Jiuchuan was able to win the battle so quickly, and it was all because she led the army to suppress the rebellion of the Western Qiang. Mo County had a similar terrain to Jiuchuan, and the Pacification Army had been in Mo County before, so she was able to capture it so smoothly.

I don’t know how Yan He and Xiao Jue are doing now.

As she was thinking, someone came in. It was Wang Ba. Wang Ba took out a letter from his pocket and said, "There's a message from Ji County."

After his brothers died in battle one after another, Wang Ba has calmed down a lot and it is rare to see the domineering and arrogant look he had when he was defending Liangzhou.

He Yan took the letter and opened it impatiently.

The last time I received a letter from Ji County, I only knew that the plague was not a good thing. It has been so long, and I wonder how they are doing now.

The letter was not long, only a few words. He Yan looked solemn as he read it.

Wang Ba noticed that she looked a little strange and asked, "What's wrong? Are those Wutuo people difficult to deal with?"

He Yan shook his head: "Something happened to Yan He."

The letter was written by Yan He. Although he only mentioned a few things in passing, every word made He Yan tremble with fear. Ji County had been very close to the Wutuo people in the past few months, but it was generally good. The only bad thing was Yan He. The letter said that he had been poisoned by the Wutuo people and heard that Jiuchuan had been taken back. Yunzi and Bingjiang were not in the same direction as Ji County. The only one who was slightly closer was Jiuchuan.

Yan He said that he was afraid that he didn't have much time left, and was afraid that there would be no one to lead the troops after he left, so he asked He Yan to come to help. At the end of the letter, he even had the mind to make a few jokes, saying that He Yan had asked him for help in Rundu, and he led the troops to come, and now, he should repay the favor of saving Rundu.

Although he was still joking, He Yan knew that the situation must not be too good. You know, Lin Shuanghe followed Yan He to Ji County. If it was an ordinary poison, how could Lin Shuanghe not be able to solve it? Yan He said in the letter that he didn't have much time left...

She stood up suddenly.

Wang Ba asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Pass the order down. I can't wait until after the Dragon Boat Festival. We will organize our military today and set off for Ji County tomorrow."

…

The grass and trees are lush in the summer, and after a night of rain, the soil is filled with a damp and fishy smell.

By the river, a man in sackcloth was crushing the herbs in front of him, carefully mixing several herbs together.

A soldier passing by kindly advised: "Doctor Lin, you have been busy here all night, take a rest."

Lin Shuanghe raised his head, revealing a bearded face. He looked very haggard, and because he had been busy all night, there were bloodshot eyes. At first glance, he looked scary.

He raised his head and squinted his eyes as if dazzled by the sunlight. After a long while, he shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "No."

The patrol soldiers were a little puzzled. They didn't know what was wrong with Doctor Lin. He had been busy preparing some herbs day and night since a few days ago. Logically, the plague had been quelled, so he didn't need to work so hard, but he was in such a hurry. No one knew why.

However, Lin Shuanghe refused to listen, and he had no choice but to shake his head and leave.

Lin Shuanghe lowered his head and looked at the herbs in the clay jar.

Almost two months have passed.

He did not develop an antidote, and what was worse was that Yan He's poison had penetrated deeper and deeper, and he had already started to vomit blood. He found some herbs, but they could only temporarily make Yan He look less haggard, so as to avoid being discovered by the Yan family soldiers. The poison in the wound had already penetrated into his internal organs, and Lin Shuanghe knew very well that Yan He did not have much time left.

He worked day and night just to find a solution, but no matter how hard he tried, Yan He's poison had no effect.

He had to admit his own powerlessness.

In the past, although he was a "holy hand in white", he treated women with complicated diseases, and they were not worried about their lives. The biggest thing in life is life and death. As long as there is life, it is not hopeless. But now, he has to watch his friend getting closer to death day by day, and as a doctor, he is helpless.

Lin Shuanghe lowered his head and mashed the herbs, muttering, "Faster, faster..."

The juice of the herbs in the earthenware jar, being pounded by the iron pestle, splashed all over. Some of it splashed onto his face, with a bitter aroma. As he pounded the herbs, a huge feeling of powerlessness and sorrow swept over him. He stopped what he was doing and his eyes suddenly turned red.

He had never been so eager as he was right now. If he could improve his medical skills a little bit more, he could save Yan He, instead of doing things that had nothing to do with the itching like he was doing now.

But the people around him didn't know that every time their commander fought, he paid the price with his life.

Lin Shuanghe stood up, washed his hands by the river, paused for a while, and walked towards Yan He's tent.

A suppressed low cough was heard, and the moment Lin Shuanghe opened the curtain, he saw Yan He wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.

"You!" he cried out in surprise.

"Keep your voice down." Yan He shook his head at him, "Don't let anyone see you."

Lin Shuanghe lowered the curtain, took a few steps forward, grabbed Yan He's wrist and took his pulse. Yan He quietly let him do it. After a moment, Lin Shuanghe let go of his hand and looked at him with trembling lips.

Yan He asked, "How long do I have?"

Lin Shuanghe did not answer.

"Then it looks like it will be these few days." Yan He smiled, with some reluctance in his smile, but also some relief. "Calculating the time I sent the letter to He Yan, I estimate that she should be here in a few days. The time is just right. I wonder if I can still see her."

"...No," Lin Shuanghe said subconsciously, "I can still make an antidote. Wait for me, I can definitely do it. Besides, those Wutuo people must have the antidote... As long as we find them, we will definitely get the antidote!"

"You are as stupid as ever. Even if you have never fought in a war, you should have some brains," Yan He said disdainfully. "Those Wutuo people saw with their own eyes that the arrow hit me. It was very difficult to get rid of me. How could they possibly hand over the antidote? Believe it or not, even if I caught their commander now and offered his life in exchange, they would not hand over the antidote. There is only one possibility. If I am willing to surrender and be controlled by them, I might be lucky enough to save my life, but I, a son of the Yan family, will not do such a thing."

"A Lieutenant General of Gui De..." Yan He smiled, "Even if they lose this battle, it won't be a loss."

"And you," Yan He frowned and looked at him, "If you could make an antidote, would you wait until now? Forget it. You are just a doctor, not King Yan. How can you decide life or death? Don't think too highly of yourself. You should keep your life and wait for Marquis Wu'an to save you."

Lin Shuanghe looked painful.

Although he and Yan He used to quarrel with each other verbally and dislike each other, they were classmates who grew up together. Although he hated Yan He's arrogance and aggressiveness, and Yan He looked down on him for being unlearned, after all these years, they could still be considered "friends".

"You don't have to look so sad." Yan He looked at his expression, as if he was disgusted. "As doctors, you are used to seeing life and death, so why are you not as open-minded as I am? You don't have to feel bad at all! You will still have to come down to accompany me in a few decades. I will go to find that classmate who is dressed as a man to discuss things with first."

How come he still wants to compete at this time? Lin Shuanghe couldn't help laughing, but after laughing, he felt even more sad. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Have you ever thought about what will happen to your sister-in-law and Mucha in the future?"

Yan He's originally heartless expression suddenly froze.

He thought of the woman who always smiled gently and looked forward to him before she left. She was so considerate, and after learning about him...she would probably cry and be very sad.

Yan He suddenly became sad as well, as if a ball of wet cotton was blocking his chest, making him feel suffocated and depressed.

After a long time, he slowly spoke: "Before I left, I promised Chengxiu that I would try my best to go back and see Mucha for the first time."

"But now it seems that I have to break my promise."

He lowered his head and smiled self-deprecatingly: "Chengxiu hates people who don't keep their promises the most. If I don't go back, she will be angry. Lin Shuanghe, if you go back and see her, please tell her that I didn't mean it."

"I have a bad temper. On the surface, everyone respects me, but I know that in reality, no one likes me, just like you, Xiao Huaijin, and He Yan. I am not a good friend, but I am a good husband. I originally wanted to continue to be the best father in Shuojing, but..."

His voice was low: "No chance."

Lin Shuanghe wanted to speak, but when he opened his mouth, he didn't know what to say.

"I originally thought that if Chengxiu gave birth to a daughter, she would be named Mucha, and if it was a son, he would be named Liangjiang. But now I think if it's a son, he can also be named Mucha."

"I originally wanted to watch her grow up with my own eyes, and when she grows up a little, I would teach her that a good general does not cowardly die in order to escape, and a martyr does not destroy his integrity in order to survive. Now there is no way, but I also think that there is no better way to teach her than this. In the future, when she grows up and knows that her father died on the battlefield, she will understand it herself without my teaching."

When he talked about the unborn Mucha, his eyes finally softened, with a nostalgic and gentle look.

Lin Shuanghe closed his eyes.

These last words were like countless sharp needles piercing into his heart.

"You don't have to feel sad or heartbroken for me. Dying on the battlefield is the best destination for a general. Although I have regrets, I don't regret it." Yan He stood up, walked out of the tent, and looked into the distance, in the direction of the city tower.

"Everyone who goes to the battlefield is ready to die here."

"There are still a few days left," he said. "Go on and look forward."

…

When He Yan arrived in Daji County, he saw a Lin Shuanghe who was completely different from the past.

The elegant young man who always wore a white robe and held a folding fan and was always graceful and elegant, looked haggard and unrecognizable. His clothes were stained with blood and mud, and his face looked like he hadn't washed for several days. His beard was untidy and he looked so emaciated that He Yan almost didn't recognize him at first glance.

"Brother Lin..." She dismounted and walked forward to ask.

"You're here," Lin Shuanghe's dim eyes finally showed a little anger, and he said hesitantly, "Come and see Yan He."

Yan He died on the battlefield.

He was poisoned by an incurable poison, and knew that intense activity would make the poison spread faster and deeper, but he refused to stop because of the war. He was like a candle with only a fragment left, burning desperately until he finally burned himself out.

He had just won a battle before his death.

The young general was lying in the tent, the stains on his face had been wiped clean, his hair was tied up high like when he was young, and the silver spear was placed at his side. He could vaguely see his high-spirited appearance in the past, but when He Yan walked over, he no longer had a scowl and an arrogant attitude to challenge her to a duel.

"He knew that he didn't have much time left, so before he left, he asked me to give these to you." Lin Shuanghe handed the box to He Yan. He Yan opened it and saw that it was full of written documents. Yan He had already counted all the battle conditions and troops in Ji County and written them all down, so that when He Yan came here, he would not be confused.

He was very thoughtful and probably still had the war on his mind until the last moment of his life.

"How is Ji County?" He Yan asked.

Lin Shuanghe shook his head and said in a low voice, "After Yan He left, the morale of the Yan family army was greatly disrupted. The Wutuo people took advantage of this opportunity to attack twice in succession. Without Yan He, the Yan family army was like a ball of loose sand and could not form an army."

He Yan said: "It's not the fault of the Yan family army. The location of Ji County is easy to defend but difficult to attack. They occupy the advantageous terrain. It is extremely difficult for Yan He to attack the city, not to mention that they used such a despicable method."

"Now then..."

"I need to meet the deputy general of the Yan family army right now to discuss the matter." He Yan replied.

Lin Shuanghe nodded silently.

He Yan turned around to leave, but suddenly remembered something. He stopped and looked back at Lin Shuanghe.

"Brother Lin," she said in a calm voice, her eyes seemed to have the power to soothe people, "It's not your fault that you didn't save Yan He."

With just one sentence, Lin Shuanghe finally had an outlet to vent all the self-blame and guilt he had been feeling for the past few days.

"No," his voice was trembling, and for the first time he showed a vulnerable look in front of He Yan, "I didn't find the antidote..."

After Yan He left, his subordinates finally learned that Yan He was poisoned. They blamed him for not finding an antidote as a so-called miracle doctor and failing to save their general. Countless accusations and curses filled his ears all the time, and even Lin Shuanghe would wake up from nightmares at night.

The woman in red armor looked at him and spoke softly, "You are a doctor, not a deity. You can only cure illnesses and save lives, but you cannot decide life and death. Yan He was shot by a poisonous arrow from the Wutuo people. If you want to avenge him, you must win this battle."

"You need to cheer up, Doctor Lin," she called him by another name, "I need your help."

"Ji County needs you."

…

In the tent, Yan He's deputy general Chen Cheng blurted out, "What did you say, surrender?"

"It's a false surrender." He Yan said, "Since the Wutuo people already know that General Yan is not here, the Yan family army is leaderless, and they will definitely take advantage of the victory to pursue us in the next few days. Rather than being restrained by them like this, it is better to pretend to surrender. After our people enter the city, the Yue army and the Yan family army will follow the rear and take advantage of the chaos to break through the city gate."

"When the general was here, we always confronted the Wutuo people head-on. The men of the Yan family never surrender, even if it's fake!" Chen Cheng refuted.

He Yan was not angry, he just looked at him calmly, "You have been here for so long, you should know the terrain of Ji County very well. If you don't break through the city gate, it will only be a waste of time to camp outside the city. Yan He led you to fight head-on, and you won many times and killed many Wutuo people, but what happened in the end? In the end, Ji County City was still occupied by Wutuo people. If you can't enter the city, you can't win this battle!"

"What do you know?" Chen Cheng was excited. "You don't understand General Yan at all. You and that Lin Shuanghe are in the same group. You are just in name only and will only cause trouble!"

Yan He's death was a heavy blow to everyone in the Yan Family Army. They hated Lin Shuanghe for not telling the truth earlier, but they were completely unaware of Yan He's painstaking efforts.

He Yan's eyebrows turned cold.

The deputy general of the Yue army who was beside him scolded: "What do you mean by vain title? Lord He just led his troops to recapture Jiuchuan and won a victory. Why do you look down on him?"

The Yan family army had never seen He Yan's ability on the battlefield, but the Yue army saw it clearly. If He Yan was all show and no substance, there would be few generals in the Wei Dynasty who could "live up to the name".

"I'm not discussing this with you," He Yan said coldly, "I'm giving you orders. If you don't listen, what will happen if you disobey military orders?" She drew out the long sword from her waist, the sword light was as cold as ice, "You can give it a try."

"You..." Chen Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "You are leading the Yue Army, not the Yan Family Army. The Yan Family Army's master is only General Yan. What right do you have to command us?"

"It is because your general handed the military order to me. It is because your general personally asked me to lead your troops!" She raised her hand, and the military order in her hand fell into the eyes of everyone.

"Now," the woman said with a clear and calm look, "do you have any objections?"

With the military token in hand, she can now command the Yan family army. Even if Chen Cheng is extremely unwilling, he can't say anything at this moment.

He gritted his teeth and said, "No."

"I know you guys are not convinced," He Yan said, "so I will personally lead the vanguard troops who pretend to surrender."

Chen Cheng was stunned.

The first group of soldiers to enter the city was undoubtedly the most dangerous, like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth. The Wei army was outside the city, surrounded by Wutuo people. If the Wutuo people suddenly changed their minds and killed people...

This group of people is just going to die.

"Are you... sure?" Chen Cheng asked doubtfully.

He Yan glanced at him. For some reason, Chen Cheng's face turned red at his glance. The woman's voice was calm and calm, "Leading by example is what every general will do, not just your General Yan."

"Also," she said, "Doctor Lin was also following the orders of your general. If you want to put all the blame on a doctor and ignore the Wutuo people who actually caused your general's death, I have nothing to say if you can't distinguish right from wrong. It's just that," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "if your general saw this, he would be very disappointed in the army he built."

"I..." Chen Cheng was about to speak, but the woman no longer paid attention to her and walked out of the tent.

As soon as He Yan came out of the tent, she was stunned. Lin Shuanghe stood outside the tent, staring at her in a daze. It seemed that what she had just said inside was heard by this man.

It didn't matter what she heard; that's what she thought anyway.

"Thank you." After a moment's silence, Lin Shuanghe took the initiative to speak. He smiled bitterly and said, "However, by speaking for me, you will be disliked by them as well."

"I'm just telling the truth," He Yan looked into the distance, "You followed Yan He here, fighting the plague and healing the wounded along the way, you've been tying your head to your belt. But," she smiled, "you shouldn't hate them, they're just too sad, they're just distracted for a moment, after a while, they'll understand."

"I don't hold a grudge against them." Lin Shuanghe took a deep breath and changed the subject: "I just heard you say you wanted to pretend to surrender?"

"The camp of the Vietnamese army is not close to here. Those Utuo people probably haven't noticed our arrival yet. They are confident that if we surrender now, they will believe us and open the city gate. Only by opening the city gate can we have a chance to capture all the Utuo people."

"Is the vanguard that entered the city gate first in danger?"

The wind blew, and the woman's long hair was blown gently.

Her voice was firm, calm and without any hesitation.

"The battlefield is always dangerous," she said, "I'm not afraid of danger."