Chapter 154: Operation (Twelve) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"Brother, what should we do?"
Zhai Le felt irritated by the snoring that reached his ears.
If the enemy attacks at this moment, how many of these people will be able to immediately prepare to fight? Will they just wait to be captured and die?
He wanted to offer some advice, but judging from Commandant Yang's hostile attitude towards the brothers, he figured that intervening would only make him more disliked and criticized.
Zhai Huan didn't even lift his eyelids, and said, "Do your best."
The implication is that all that's left is to "leave it to fate."
Seeing Zhai Le looking downcast, Zhai Huan comforted his cousin gently, "The bad guys haven't shown up yet, maybe the divination was wrong."
Of course, even he himself couldn't convince himself of this.
The enemy in the shadows is definitely plotting something.
Perhaps they fell into the trap from the moment the field became slippery.
Zhai Huan lowered his eyelids and fell into thought. He didn't deny that the scout was experienced and had done his best to gather intelligence, but no matter how experienced a scout is, he can still fall into a trap when he encounters a seasoned hunter.
Everyone bears responsibility for the current situation.
He asked, "Has Commandant Yang arranged any patrols or guard duties?"
Zhai Ledao: "Yes."
When soldiers are on a night march, even if they are not on guard against the enemy, they still have to be wary of wolves and tigers, so they will definitely arrange for people to keep watch and patrol at night.
But in Zhai Le's view, these soldiers were too lax.
It's hard to say how effective night patrols will be.
Zhai Huan: "Sit down and rest, it's late at night..."
He swallowed the rest of his words.
Beyond this muddy mountain path lies the relatively wide and stable main road, significantly increasing the army's marching speed and making it much harder for bandits to intercept them. The most likely scenario is a sneak attack in the dead of night, when the soldiers are all fast asleep…
Although Zhai Huan was confident that he could escape unscathed, it was not his style to fight a tough opponent without a decisive battle; he would fight anyway.
Zhai Le nodded.
He didn't go anywhere else, but sat down next to Zhai Huan, closed his eyes to rest, and prepared to deal with any unexpected situations. The pattering rain gradually subsided, the dark clouds dispersed, and the bright moon, which had disappeared for half the night, finally peeked out shyly. The chirping of insects, which had been covered by the rain, gradually became noisier.
The two brothers were able to calm down, but Commandant Yang was different.
The anger he was holding in made him wide awake.
With nothing to do, he picked up his gleaming white broadsword and prepared to patrol the area. His subordinates fawned over him, saying, "Captain, leave the patrol and guard duties to the men below. Please warm yourself by the fire."
Commandant Yang did not refuse.
Although the heavy rain had stopped, the dampness and chill in the air relentlessly seeped into his skin. The half-dry rainwater mixed with sweat soaked the inner garment beneath his armor, feeling as if thousands of ants were crawling on his skin, making him extremely uncomfortable. He said, "Hmm."
Sitting down by the fire made me feel much more comfortable.
He asked his subordinates, "What about the brothers?"
Knowing that their superior disliked the Zhai brothers, the subordinate pointed in the direction of the group of soldiers and then curled his lip in disdain: "Sleeping over there."
Upon hearing this, Commandant Yang's dislike for Yang increased even more.
The subordinate hadn't explained clearly, so he subconsciously assumed the two were sleeping among a group of soldiers, which he considered "cowardly" and "afraid of death." Zhai Huan was one thing, but Zhai Le, a young and valiant martial artist, was also so afraid of death, lacking any of the fearless spirit of a true man.
Furthermore—
How could someone sleep soundly while sleeping outdoors at night?
Commandant Yang shook his head disdainfully and stopped paying attention.
The clothes under the armor were almost dried, but Commandant Yang still wanted to take up his sword and patrol, only to be persuaded to stop by his subordinates with a few words.
He said sincerely, "The Captain is our backbone. Why should you personally handle the night patrol? Only when you are well-rested can you lead us to strike the enemy in case of any unforeseen circumstances."
Commander Yang felt very comforted upon hearing this.
He favored this subordinate official the most, recognizing his talent and promoting him several times. And indeed, this young man did not disappoint him; he was young, intelligent, sensible, and loyal. Unlike others, who, once in power, became arrogant and forgot their roots or became conceited.
Commandant Yang patted his subordinate on the shoulder, feeling very pleased.
I had just gotten up and was halfway there when I sat back down.
The subordinates had long since figured out their boss's temperament. They would say whatever the latter wanted to hear, and they always managed to say it perfectly.
He said, "I'll mark this and then go see how the night patrol goes."
"Okay, go ahead. Report back immediately if you get any news."
The subordinate accepted the order and withdrew with a smile.
He arrested two groups of lazy night patrol soldiers, and, using Yang Duwei's name, gave them a severe dressing down. Amidst the soldiers' trembling fear and pleas for mercy, he received some bribes and reluctantly agreed to help cover for them. As soon as he walked away, the night patrol soldiers spat white saliva at him.
"Pah! What is that?!"
We are all human, and we are all on the same path.
Aren't they tired?
While others could sit down and rest, they could only drag their exhausted bodies to continue their mission. Twenty groups of two patrolled in different directions: "Damn, this whole day has been exhausting."
I finally made it to the middle of the night.
Taking advantage of the cover provided by the tree trunks and branches, a group of soldiers took a break. One of them asked his partner to keep watch, turned his back, untied his waist rope to drain the water, and then took out some dry rations wrapped in oil paper from his pocket. Although they weren't wet, they smelled slightly sour and he put them in his mouth.
"Ptooey, ptooey—damn, it's sour."
Despite complaining about the strange taste in their mouths, they still frowned and swallowed the rest—although the garrison wasn't short of pay, not every soldier could get enough to eat. Some not only had to feed themselves but also their families, so they dared not waste food.
Another person said, "Just get through tonight."
The soldiers moistened their rations with saliva and swallowed them with difficulty.
He said, "Look at this weather, it's going to rain again tomorrow."
Another person said, "We're almost at the end of this stretch of road."
He agreed.
Thinking about this makes me angry again. I don't know who chose this road; walking it once could cost you half your life.
The two men huddled together, cursing and complaining about the delayed pay, the scoundrel superiors who were always trying to take advantage of them, and how they hadn't been promoted after all these years, while a fellow villager had already climbed to the rank of squad leader, managing twenty men... But they only dared to say it in private, not daring to let a third person hear.
but--
Was there really no third person who heard it?
In the darkness, two pairs of cold eyes were silently watching their direction; they were Chu Yao and Gong Shuwu.
Unlike the exhausted soldiers under Commandant Yang, Gong Shuwu and his companion were in high spirits. They had taken a short rest and eaten and drunk their fill before coming.
Gong Shuwu asked, "Sir, shall we make our move now?"
In his view, now is the perfect time.
Chu Yao shook his head: "Wait a little longer."
Gong Shuwu: "Are you still waiting?"
It's almost dawn if we wait any longer.
Chu Yao said, "Yes, let's wait for Wu Lang and the others before we make our move."
The four people split into two groups and had no way to contact each other.
Therefore, Chu Yao was not sure where Shen Tang and the others were.
They could only wait for Shen Tang to make the first move, and then he would provide support.
A decisive blow to crush the enemy, giving them no chance to regroup.
Gong Shuwu: "..."
That's what he said, but why did he feel that Mr. Chu was unhappy that Shen Wulang had been taken away by Qi Yuanliang?
He was a dignified fifth-rank official, and he had never suffered such injustice.
|ω)
Let me revise it.
(End of this chapter)
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