Chapter 1357: The Demise of Qi Kingdom (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Six simple words, yet they represented something this woman had never encountered in her life, much less dared to hope for. For some reason, her eyes inexplicably stung, as if someone had sprinkled ashes into them.
If anyone else had said this, she would have dismissed it as a fantasy, but coming from the medical team, every word carried weight.
These past two days, what the woman saw most was the medical team calmly and collectedly treating the wounded and issuing various medical orders with composure. She didn't understand medicine, but she understood human relationships—the medics looked at the medical team with undisguised respect, and some even treated the medical team with the utmost respect—a woman who could earn such heartfelt respect in a military camp was no simple person.
The other party's words are naturally persuasive.
The woman asked nervously, "What if even military law can't execute them?"
She thought the medical team would be furious and storm off, but to her surprise, they simply said calmly, "Oh, the lord committed suicide himself."
The woman blinked: "My lord?"
This is the second time I've heard the name "Lord".
At first, I thought "Lord" was the garrison commander, but after clearing up the misunderstanding, I realized he wasn't. It's clear that everyone, from the medical team to the wounded, has a fervent devotion to "Lord." Someone who can command the respect of even the medical team must be a truly good person.
The woman subconsciously felt that the other person should be a refined gentleman.
She possessed a keen and discerning heart, able to see the vastness of the world above and the suffering of all living beings below. Otherwise, how could someone as insignificant as herself possibly catch the other's eye or gain even the slightest bit of pity? She exhausted her imagination trying to piece together what the other person looked like.
The woman swallowed her further questions, feeling offended even to mention them, but the medical team, contrary to their usual behavior, teased her: "If our lord were also... then you'd better be extra careful. The men and women who are jealous of you can make you lose your appetite and have sleepless nights."
woman:"……"
For a moment, I didn't know whether to be speechless or embarrassed.
Even if she didn't understand, she knew that "Lord" was far more powerful than General. She wasn't even worthy of being a General's concubine, let alone "Lord."
If she could be chosen by such a person, it would be a great honor for her.
"How could I possibly be worthy?"
The medical team said solemnly, "There is no such thing as being worthy or unworthy, only being willing or unwilling. If you are unwilling, even the lord cannot do it. What you should do is refuse, not despise yourself. If you are unwilling, it is wrong for even the imperial family to come, and the same goes for the lord."
If wealth, status, and fame were equivalent to "truth," there wouldn't be so many incompetent rulers and treacherous ministers in the world. It's one thing to refuse unsuccessfully, but even someone as insignificant as a blade of grass has the right to refuse.
"But for me, I'm willing."
Woman: "...Huh?"
The medical team couldn't help but chuckle: "This is just my personal opinion."
Who hasn't harbored fantasies about their lord?
That's our lord! As long as I can enter his inner quarters, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, I'll do it, even if it's as a concubine!
"...When I was still a young lady, I had an unexpected encounter with my lord..." She started with literature and then cultivated her literary mind, but later discovered that her talent wasn't very high. At this rate, when would she ever be able to stand by his side? So she gritted her teeth and switched to medicine! Literary scholars have a natural advantage in learning medicine, and with so many wounded soldiers in the army, she spent every day practicing her skills, so her medical skills improved rapidly.
Despite having similar qualifications, she resolutely applied to go to the front lines.
"It's truly a case of 'one glimpse and you're doomed for life'."
She didn't become her lord's concubine; instead, she became a military doctor.
Since joining the army, she had dealt with dismembered limbs and internal organs every day, seeing countless men's and women's bodies, yet she had grown remarkably indifferent to it all. She also noticed that her lord was good in every way, except he was always busy and couldn't stand seeing anyone else idle. He had to find something to do even when there was nothing to do! After a while, the medical team realized that their lives were the most important thing.
But that didn't stop her from continuing to dream.
If the lord takes a liking to me...
She's not incapable of being a 007.
The woman sighed softly and murmured, "...A man's infatuation can be explained. A woman's infatuation cannot be explained."
Medical team: "???"
The woman was awakened by the sharp sound of a whistle in the night.
The shouts of battle permeated the pitch-black night.
Her face turned deathly pale, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably, as if she had been forcibly pulled back from that day's nightmare. The other wounded patients also trembled. The usually kind and patient medic seemed to have become a different person, shouting sternly, "Anyone who dares to run away will be killed without mercy!"
"Don't run around!"
"What kind of filthy creatures dare to launch a night raid!"
The group of medics and soldiers had a fierce look in their eyes, each holding a gun and a shield, their imposing presence surpassing even the so-called elite troops the woman had ever seen.
Before long, a continuous stream of shouts and battle cries erupted outside the temporary encampment, and leaping firelight illuminated numerous figures. The clashing of cold weapons produced a teeth-grinding sound; one dared not imagine what would happen if that force struck a person. The woman leaned awkwardly on her cane, her mind a jumbled mess. One moment she wondered if the enemy would reach this place, the next she worried about the safety of the medical team.
Unfortunately, she was just an ordinary person and couldn't help with anything.
Not long after, a medic covered in blood rushed over and said quickly, "Quickly, move the patient over."
Without thinking, the woman yelled, "What are you spinning for?"
In a life-or-death situation, unnecessary burdens should be discarded!
Why would a medic listen to her?
Once a military order is given, regardless of its content, the only requirement is obedience.
The woman felt as if an unnamed fire was burning inside her, her mind almost blank. This time, she was still one of the refugees, but the difference was that she was missing a leg and had a cane in her hand, and the refugee line was not crowded or chaotic.
They fled up the mountain.
Women also piece together some truths from fragmented information.
The vanguard swept through the enemy lines, capturing another city. Seeing the tide had turned, the city's commander surrendered. The main army then marched on its next target. The former commander, however, was prepared; he betrayed the main force and led his troops to raid the supply camps. They moved with incredible speed, deploying elite troops, clearly well-prepared. Their strategy was speed; they wanted to wipe out the supply lines before the main force could detect them.
The more the woman listened, the more panicked she became, and tears streamed down her face.
how so?
"...Aren't they afraid of dying for betraying us?" The woman bit her lower lip hard, the cross-section of her severed limb throbbing with pain—in the days since losing her right leg, she always felt that her right leg was still there, just uncontrollable. The indescribable pain stimulated her nerves.
The soldier said, "In war, who's afraid of dying?"
The woman remained silent upon hearing this.
The deathly silence was suffocating.
The aftershocks of the battlefield occasionally wafted across the land to this place. The woman dared not think too much, and could only remain silent, head bowed, leaning on her cane, trying not to be a burden to others. After an unknown amount of time, the sound of iron hooves rapidly approached. Soldiers surrounded the wounded behind them, drew their swords, and drew their shields, ready for battle. From afar, someone spotted a familiar flag fluttering on horseback: "It's one of our own!"
They are our own people, not enemy soldiers in disguise.
"The crisis has been averted; the enemy has been defeated."
The woman's tears, which she had been holding back for so long, finally fell again.
"This time it's not a case of the winner taking all and the loser being condemned, is it?"
Unlike the somber atmosphere of fleeing up the mountain, the atmosphere on the way down was relaxed, and the woman even overheard soldiers talking excitedly. Upon discovering the sneak attack, the logistics battalions immediately intercepted the enemy, halting the first wave of assault. The enemy seemed surprised that a large number of elite troops were stationed in the logistics area, disrupting their offensive rhythm. They quickly adjusted and launched a second, even more ferocious, attack.
These enemies were prepared to die.
Their fighting style is fierce; they only seek to kill, not to survive.
It's easy to imagine how much pressure the logistics team is under.
Just when the front line was on the verge of collapse, the enemy's rear was outflanked.
"That's truly like divine soldiers descending from the heavens!"
"Our lord said no prisoners! Hahaha, kill them all!"
"Good riddance! These sons of bitches, they were all filial sons and grandsons when they surrendered, but when they betrayed us, they turned against their masters and ancestors... When they couldn't win in a direct confrontation, they thought of picking on the weak. Bah! Did they really think I had practiced swords and spears all this time for nothing? They should all be killed and fed to the dogs!"
For them, what happened today was quite dangerous.
"Damn it, he hunted geese all day long and almost got his eyes pecked by one."
Shen Tang suspected she wasn't used to the climate and environment of the Central Continent. Before, she was always the one raiding others at night, but ever since she came to the branch office, she'd been raided every few days. She'd suffered at Luo San's hands last time, and now someone had their door kicked in at night. Did she look like a saint?
As they spoke, a soldier brought someone over.
"Let go, I'll walk myself!"
Seeing Shen Tang's furious face, he deftly pushed the soldier away with a slight force, resisting to kneel and arrogantly raising his head. Shen Tang said, "Ha, you have a path to heaven but choose to barge into hell. You've certainly got a knack for courting death!"
When the enemy surrendered after being defeated, Shen Tang sensed something was wrong. Gu De, noticing something amiss, leaned closer and whispered: "The soldiers guarding the city don't look too bad, which means their supplies shouldn't be lacking. How could they be so easily defeated?"
Without considering the possibility of soldiers receiving salaries without working, the quantity and quality of troops in a certain area are related to their food and pay. When food and pay are plentiful, the troops are strong and healthy, and everyone looks energetic. When food and pay are scarce, either troops are reduced or the soldiers' pay is deducted, with few exceptions.
Gu De estimated the number of dead and, even after adding those who surrendered, the numbers still didn't add up, so he became wary. Despite the many despicable things Qi Guo had done, they also had a group of loyal followers. The soldiers who surrendered this time needed to be closely monitored, in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
Worried they might turn against us?
It's not impossible.
Shen Tang pondered for a moment: "Then why not play along and see if they're truly surrendering, or if they're up to something else?"
If a group of elite troops is indeed secretly hidden...
We'll be able to catch it this time!
Shen Tang didn't want to alert the enemy, so the main force of the army marched according to plan, while a group of troops were secretly deployed to lie in wait. As it turned out, she actually caught up with them and learned the enemy's true objective.
"The victor is king, the loser is villain!" the enemy general declared, his eyes wide and his neck stiff. "Kill me if you want, torture me if you want!"
"What a 'winner takes all' attitude! You think you can just kill me or torture me as you please? Fine, I hope you're really tough, not just all talk!" Shen Tang disliked indiscriminate killing, but no one could stop her from killing those she wanted to kill. "In that case, drag them away and behead them!"
With a swift stroke, the knife fell, and a head rolled to the ground.
Even after gulping down a large bowl of cold water, Shen Tang still couldn't extinguish the fire in his heart.
She wouldn't be too angry if these people feigned surrender to launch a surprise attack on her army, flanking them from both sides. The battlefield is full of deceit and treachery; it's always a contest of who is more shameless and who is better at acting. Feigning surrender and then turning against them is just one of the "games," within the rules.
Shen Tang suffered heavy injuries because she was less skilled than others.
This time is different.
This logistical support force mainly consisted of wounded soldiers, clothing manufacturers, and even musicians, along with a considerable number of civilians. Their overall combat strength was predictably weak; even with regular training, they were still inferior to the soldiers who had risked their lives on the front lines. Targeting them was something Shen Tang couldn't tolerate! As for the defectors, she didn't want to play the capture-and-release game; she'd drag them away and kill them directly. She drank several bowls of cold water to barely suppress the burning sensation in her throat: "How many losses did we suffer tonight?"
"The casualties were not significant, but many people were scattered in the chaos."
The wounded soldiers' battalion, which had just caught its breath, is about to start working non-stop again.
Gu De carefully observed Shen Tang's expression.
He hesitated before speaking, "Those civilians..."
Bringing it along would be a burden.
The number of soldiers guarding the logistics area was already limited, and having to spare time to look after them was bound to leave them stretched thin. If they were to abandon them, the losses tonight would be less. However, he knew his lord would not allow it.
Gu De changed the subject: "...We've already sent people to look for them."
"Yes, give the order to rest for half an hour before setting off."
She wasn't comfortable leaving Gong Xichou in charge of the main force. It wasn't that she doubted his command abilities, but simply that she was worried he'd be unleashed without a leash, his fighting style resembling a wild dog unleashed. Shen Tang was afraid that if she ran too slowly, she'd only be inhaling his exhaust fumes.
At this moment, a military officer scratched his head and said, "What if the enemy pulls a double trap, and we leave only to have another group appear?"
Shen Tang said irritably, "Do you think they're some kind of gourd brother?"
Do we have to send them one by one to save Grandpa?
Having come prepared to die, why would they hold back any tricks?
This elite force is truly their last trump card.
When the woman, leaning on her crutches, met the medical team, it was just before dawn. The smoke from the battlefield had not yet dissipated, and the air was still filled with the lingering stench of burning and blood. She almost stumbled as she jumped to the medical team's side, and under their worried gazes, she embraced them and burst into tears.
"Why are you crying? Aren't we still alive?"
It's fortunate to have survived a battle.
The medical team ordered the cleanup of the surrounding area, and many new faces appeared in the wounded soldiers' camp. A woman, leaning on crutches, followed behind the medical team, bustling about. She was skilled at needlework, and since the wounded soldiers' camp was short-handed, she helped with the final stitches, trying to convince herself that she was sewing cloth, not human flesh. Her stitching was so meticulous that a young man teased her, "Your Majesty, you wouldn't want to remove these stitches even if you did two more. Look at these fine stitches, you've even mixed up the tattoo! Unlike last time when you matched the snake's eyes and scales together..."
"Who told you to get such a complicated tattoo?"
"Exactly, you're lucky to have survived, and you're already grateful that someone stitched up your wounds. You want to match flowers? Who are you trying to impress?"
The soldier grinned and said, "I'm showing it to my wife."
When did you get a wife?
After he finished speaking, the air remained silent for several breaths.
The two medics took turns slapping the wounded soldier's face.
Two crisp snaps were heard.
After slapping the woman, the medic shook his hand, turned to look at her, and his eyes seemed to say, "Your leg is broken, not your arm."
Why don't you hit him?
The woman stammered, "They're all injured."
"Hmph, being injured doesn't stop you from being a smooth talker. You deserve a beating."
The wounded soldier covered his face and yelled at another medic, "It's one thing for her to hit me, but why are you, a man, getting involved?"
"It's all the same slap, what difference does it make who does the blow?"
“It’s different. My sister’s fragrance arrives before the slap.”
Laughter instantly dispelled the heavy atmosphere inside the tent.
∑(っ°Д°;)っ
After much painful reflection, I promise I won't stay up late tomorrow.
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