"This is General Peng's tomb."
"It's a bit shabby, but I think it's pretty good. It's open here and the scenery is nice. I think he'll like it."
"Go and pay your respects to him. He will be pleased to see you."
Chen Qian stood in front of the grave with a thousand soldiers. He stared at the empty tombstone in a daze, without shedding a tear.
"You died and thought it was over, but I still won't forgive you."
"General Han Fenghan didn't deserve to die, and neither did the cook Zhao Dayuan and the others. The 30,000 men of the Shesheng Guard defended Yanshan Pass for seven whole days! Seven days! If you had a bit more of an opinion, would Yanshan Pass have been breached?"
"The Cavalry Guards, the Infantry Guards, sixty thousand men! Wu Chang and Zheng Tietou deserve to die, even if they died in battle with the barbarians! They still deserve to die!"
"They shouldn't have listened to your orders!"
"You've forgotten the words on the stone tablet in front of the Anguo Mansion!"
Chen Qian sat down and Fu Xiaoguan handed him a bottle of wine. He did not pour the wine in front of the tomb, but took a sip himself.
"Captain of the Tiger Guards, Luo Ming, died crying. He was shot in the abdomen. That was the gun you deliberately sold to the barbarians. He died at your hands!"
"Zhonglei Captain Qi Kang escorted Luo Ming out of Xinzhou City. Qi Kang was so badly damaged that not even a hair could be found."
"I took the remaining 3,000 brothers from the cavalry and infantry guards to Pingling Mountain and found Luo Ming and his remaining troops. Before he died, Luo Ming said he could not forgive you because nearly 500,000 people in Xinzhou City died while helping us defend the city."
"Even his three thousand soldiers can't forgive you. They took off their armor and threw away their swords on Pingling Mountain. I don't know where they went. I only know that the former Northern Frontier Army is gone, their souls gone. We are like ghosts, too ashamed to live in the sun. Our backs are bent because you broke our spines with your own hands!"
Chen Qian took a deep breath. "I brought my brothers here to cut grass, hoping to wash away some of our sins. I didn't plan to come see you because I was afraid that if I saw your grave, I wouldn't be able to help but dig you up and ask you why!"
"You're lying here comfortably, but you've even let over 200,000 of your comrades be buried with you... well, you can't really say they're buried with you. They also knew they'd never be able to stand up straight again, so they might as well die."
Chen Qian was drinking and talking incessantly.
He talked about the former northern border troops, the teachings Peng Chengwu had given them, and listed the unforgivable sins committed by Peng Chengwu.
Fu Xiaoguan and others listened quietly. He suddenly turned around and looked at Tuoba Feng. Tuoba Feng's face was very dark. Only then did he truly understand that if Peng Chengwu had not obeyed the emperor's order, his 400,000 Tiandao Army would never be able to capture Yanshan Pass.
That army originally had a soul and a strong backbone. His Tiandao Army could not break up that soul, nor could it cut through that backbone.
Unfortunately... they were destroyed by their own general.
After all, the blame for all this ultimately falls on Emperor Xuan.
So Tuoba Feng also glanced at Fu Xiaoguan and thought, he is your father-in-law, can you really send troops to attack him?
Fu Xiaoguan's meaningful smile made Tuoba Feng feel a little creepy and a little cold. Then he realized that the sun had set and the wind on the grassland was getting stronger.
Chen Qian seemed to have finished speaking. He stood up and poured the wine in the bottle in front of the grave.
"I'm leaving now. I won't come to see you again. I think you're doing well down there. It hasn't been long, and the flowers in front of the grave are already in full bloom. You have over 200,000 brothers with you. Be brave down there, and don't be such a coward up there!"
He bowed slightly and turned to look at Fu Xiaoguan.
"Thank you for the wine, and thank you for helping the Northern Frontier Army bury him."
"What are your plans next?"
Intend?
Confusion appeared in Chen Qian's eyes. He smiled and shook his head. "I don't have any plans. I'll just keep doing this until one day all of us die."
"I've always thought that when Peng Chengwu received the emperor's secret order, he must have hesitated for a long time. He knew the consequences of doing so and didn't want to do it, but as a minister, he had to do it."
"He chose the wrong path, and thus destroyed the Northern Frontier Army. You are now making the same mistake. You and your people think that killing a few barbarians in this wilderness can wash away your sins. In fact, you don't realize that doing so is meaningless."
"Besides letting you die, there is no other meaning at all."
"When Peng Chengwu and I first met, I told him that everyone will die, but the way he dies can be as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai. He ultimately chose a death heavier than Mount Tai, and I hope you won't die as light as a feather."
"So... if you're willing, then join the Excalibur Army. If you're going to die, you'll have to die in a truly impressive way. For example... we could go fight the Yi Kingdom together, how about that?"
Fu Xiaoguan's words rang in the ears of this group of soldiers who were ready to die, and suddenly stirred up ripples in their already silent hearts - they were the remaining soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army, and they still had the pride of the Northern Frontier Army. They knew that dying on the battlefield was their fate, but they still hoped that their death would be more important than Mount Tai.
So, those thousand pairs of eyes all looked at Chen Qian.
Chen Qian lowered his head and remained silent for a few breaths. He turned and looked at his comrades with a smile on his face. "I think what Ding Anbo said makes sense. I hope you all join the Excalibur Army. Don't forget, we once dreamed of becoming a member of the Excalibur Army."
"What about you?" a soldier asked.
"Me? I only have one arm left. I'd be a burden to the Excalibur Army, so..."
Before he could finish his words, He Sandao clapped his hand on his shoulder, "Brother, who the hell told you that you can't kill people with one hand? Have you ever seen how a man without both hands urinates? Can he suffocate to death? I am the commander of the Third Brigade of the First Army of the Divine Sword. You are a man, and I like you very much. With just one word from you, you will be the commander of the First Regiment under my command, and these brothers will still be your soldiers!"
"Believe me, you can definitely pass the training. From now on, follow me to Cuihonglou... Oh, no, let's go to Yi Country together to kill him, damn it! Let's go together to kill him and create a bright future! This is a happy decision. When we return to Yuxiu City, I, He Sandao, will treat you brothers to a drink!"
Without giving Chen Qian a chance to speak, He Sandao dragged him away. He even waved his hand and said, "From now on, you are soldiers of my Third Brigade. Let's go! Lord Ding'an and his wife have just met. We still have a lot of work to do tonight. None of you have any sense!"
Wu Linger blushed and Fu Xiaoguan laughed out loud.
Chen Qian looked back and the flowers in front of the grave seemed even more colorful.
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