Chapter 50
◎Others insult you, slander you, or covet you◎
To avoid slowing down the army, the entire army carried only ten days' worth of rations. The imperial court dispatched special envoys to urgently transfer grain from nearby granaries and deliver it directly to the prefectures along the army's route.
With the precedent set by the Divine Wind Cavalry, Xie Yutang's top priority was the issue of provisions. Since his rebirth, he had been secretly making arrangements, ensuring that the army was surrounded by his own people throughout the prefectures and counties, and that there were no problems with provisions along the way.
Despite their hurried pace, it still took them two months to reach the front lines.
A cold wind swept across the grasslands and forests, and the distant mountains resembled the spines of crouching beasts, their ridges cracked with bluish-gray frost.
Battalion Commander Chen Biao reported: "Snow Wolf Pass is just ahead. Should we set up camp here first, conceal our whereabouts, and wait for the brothers to make preparations before proceeding?"
Although it was a question, there was no room for negotiation in his tone. Xie Yutang glanced at him and said, "So be it."
A snow eagle flew in from behind. Xie Yutang dismounted. The eagle circled halfway in the air and landed on her wrist. Xie Yutang untied the note bound to the eagle's talons and unfolded it.
Su Lu tied the horse up for her: "Did the secret guards send a message?"
Xie Yutang nodded, his fingertips trembled, and the note instantly turned to dust: "Everything is arranged."
A makeshift camp had already been set up ahead. Xie Yutang was about to go inside with Su Lu to discuss the deployment when they overheard several veterans cutting down trees talking amongst themselves in the woods.
"They're not really going to fight, are they?"
"Fight my ass! A mere girl, ignorant and arrogant, trying to risk our brothers' lives to seduce the emperor. If you want to go, then go ahead. I'm not going to die in vain!"
"childish."
"Do you really think fighting a war is as easy as embroidery?"
"Once the cannon fires, let's see if this little girl won't be so scared that she'll cling to my leg."
The group looked at each other and burst into laughter.
Su Lu lowered his eyes and was about to go over when Xie Yutang stopped him: "Go inside first and set up the sand table."
After the Daomaguan Incident, almost all of the middle and upper-level generals of the Divine Wind Cavalry perished on the battlefield, just like the Xie family. Only a few, like Wen Zhong, managed to escape. The remaining ordinary soldiers were scattered and reorganized.
The once fearsome Divine Wind Cavalry, which struck terror into the hearts of their enemies, has now quietly sunk to the bottom.
After receiving the soldier roster, Xie Yutang checked it immediately and found several soldiers who had previously belonged to the Divine Wind Riders. He secretly noted down their names.
Apart from these very few former subordinates of the Xie family, the rest of the soldiers never had any contact with her.
The general is ignorant of his troops, and the troops are unfamiliar with their general.
Along the way, although no one said it outright, Xie Yutang knew that few people truly respected her, and those who thought like the old soldier in the forest were far from few.
Xie Yutang ran his fingertips along the sword at his waist for a moment, glanced at the dense forest, and then strode into the tent.
The sand table was already set up in the tent, with the map hanging behind it, and the three characters "Snow Wolf Pass" were circled in vermilion ink.
The first strategy Xie Yutang had decided on before setting off was to capture Snow Wolf Pass first.
There are two reasons.
Firstly, the city is traversed by the Heihe River, making water transport convenient and its commerce and trade the most prosperous among the cities in northern Mongolia. Reclaiming the city would allow us to utilize its resources and use it as a temporary base for the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Secondly, Yuncheng, less than 100 li behind Xuelang Pass, is a vital passage connecting the northern plateau with the heart of the Central Plains. Once Yuncheng falls, the Hu people can advance unimpeded and threaten the capital of Dayan.
"I intend to make this city the first battle of the Northern Expedition, but..."
Xie Yutang held a slender wooden stick and traced it along the artificial mountain range in the sand table. "It is located at a natural pass in the break of the Jianmen Mountains. It is flanked by high mountains and forests, and the road in the middle is narrow. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we want to take it by force, it will be difficult."
The stick was suddenly caught between two long, slender fingers, moved an inch to the left, and landed in the woods.
Xie Yutang turned his head and saw the boy's long, narrow eyelashes. The boy's pleasant voice came close to his ear: "High mountains are indeed an obstacle, but if used properly, they can become a weapon to win hearts and minds."
Xie Yutang checked the specific siege plan with Su Lu again. When he looked up, he saw that the young man's eyes were lowered, and although he still had a respectful appearance and answered every question, the gentleness in his tone had faded a lot, and a coldness was overflowing.
Xie Yutang pondered for a moment, then seemed to understand: "Unhappy?"
Su Lu asked, "Why won't Master let me teach them a lesson?"
It is a major taboo in the military to speak ill of superiors, especially since those veterans were saying such harsh things. With a major battle imminent, it is hard to imagine how lax the military discipline would become if they were not severely punished.
Xie Yutang was slightly taken aback.
Everyone says that the young master of the Muqing Prince's Mansion has a very cold temper and is not an easy person to get along with, but he is always gentle and soft in front of her. He can be amused by her words and his ears turn red. Xie Yutang really can't imagine that such a person can be angry and cold.
Now it seems we've finally glimpsed some of it.
She thought of something amusing and tapped her finger on the edge of the sand table: "Everyone says you're my plaything, my male concubine, but why don't you ever show it?"
Forbidden.
Male concubine.
This is a fact that everyone knows, including Xie Yutang and Su Lu, but for her to say it so directly to his face was still a bit hard to handle.
Su Lu's icy demeanor froze for a moment, and he turned his head away somewhat awkwardly: "...How can that be the same?"
We were talking about serious business, why did she interrupt like that?
"How is it different?" Xie Yutang pressed on, getting more and more agitated. "You get so angry when others say a few words about me, but what about you? Others insult you, slander you, and covet you, but I have never stood up for you, not even uttered a single word of criticism against them—aren't you angry? Doesn't your reputation matter?"
Su Lu was cornered in the tent by her, and seeing that he had nowhere to retreat, Xie Yutang hooked his arm around his waist and suddenly pulled him closer to her.
This face was so beautiful that the coldness melted away, his long, dark eyelashes trembled, and two strands of hair fell down his temples, making one feel that such a beauty was really easy to bully. Xie Yutang slid two fingers along his cheek to his chin and turned the boy's face back from the side: "I'm asking you, you are so beautiful, back in the army, was no one ever disrespectful to you?"
In his previous life, the young Prince Muqing fought his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Anyone who dared to look down on him because of his face paid a terrible price.
"Anyone who dares to disagree, let their strength speak for itself."
Xie Yutang received the answer he expected and smiled, "That's what I was planning to do too."
Su Lu was taken aback.
"I know you're worried about me, but some things in this world can only be fought for and done by oneself; no one else can do them for you," Xie Yutang said. "If I can't even subdue this army, how can I lead troops into battle, and how can I avenge my father?"
Su Lu's eyes flickered slightly, and he was about to speak when a loud "Report!" rang out from outside the tent.
Battalion commanders Chen Biao, Wu Shiwei, and Chen Bingliang entered, lifting the curtain. After counting the number of men in their respective battalions, they were supposed to report back, but they never expected to see such a thrilling scene. Even the three well-traveled men showed a rare look of panic.
The affair between Xie Yutang and Su Lu was an open secret, and they had all heard about it to some extent. However, they did not expect that Princess Ning'an would be so impatient as soon as she entered the tent.
The three of them turned their heads away, covered their eyes, and were about to leave when Xie Yutang said, "Come in and let's talk."
His tone was normal, and there was no trace of embarrassment on his face.
The three exchanged a glance, then pretended to have amnesia and reluctantly reported the situation of each camp. Xie Yutang listened attentively before leaving the tent.
The soldiers cleared a clearing in the forest and were setting up camp with fires and cooking pots. Xie Yutang glanced at the crowd, gripped his sword hilt, walked up to the high platform in front of the camp, and raised his voice: "Is there anyone willing to fight alongside me and take Snow Wolf Pass?"
The noise in the camp gradually subsided. The battalion commanders of the third battalion who had come out exchanged glances and remained silent. The soldiers were busy with their tasks and acted as if they hadn't heard anything.
"Your Highness, war is no child's play. Your health is naturally protected. But we are different. Snow Wolf Pass is easy to defend and difficult to attack. How can we fight?"
“My life, Wu Laogou’s life, is not as precious as yours, but I also have an elderly mother, wife and children, and people who are looking forward to my return home. I am just a worthless life, and I deserve to go and die?”
A burly man with a beard spat and added some firewood to the fire.
"How dare you! How dare you be so insolent in front of the princess?" Battalion Commander Chen Biao shouted angrily, then turned to Xie Yutang and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, Wu Laogou is a straightforward and outspoken man, please don't take him seriously."
Xie Yutang was personally appointed by Emperor Chongde as the General of the Red Cloud Guard, but Chen Biao and Wu Laogou kept calling her "Your Highness," clearly showing that they didn't take her, a general, seriously.
Xie Yutang smiled and said, "Not at all, Battalion Commander Chen, you flatter me."
Chen Biao was about to laugh.
"They've been acting so presumptuously for so long, and you only spoke up to stop them after they finished speaking—if a battalion commander behaves like this, his subordinates will follow suit, which shows that he can't lead any bad troops."
Chen Biao's smile froze on his face, his complexion turning red and white in turns. He couldn't contradict him in public, so he could only give a forced laugh, thinking to himself, "He's got a sharp tongue."
Xie Yutang looked at everyone.
“My Xie family had a total of 108 members, and all of them except me perished under the iron cavalry of the barbarians. War is cruel, and the blade has no eyes. How could I not know that?”
The calmest tone, without any intention to elicit sympathy.
Old Wu was taken aback.
"I hereby swear that I will not fail those who follow me wholeheartedly, and I will never let any of them die in vain on the battlefield."
"I have made meticulous plans and arrangements for the battle of Snow Wolf Pass. If we win this battle, I promise that all those who fight will be richly rewarded, and I will take care of the wives, children and elderly of those who sacrifice their lives."
His words fell silent, like a stone sinking into the sea; no one responded.
Xie Yutang seemed to have expected this, his expression remained unchanged, and he raised his hand to make a gesture behind him. Immediately, people carried the large wooden crates over one after another.
The chests were transported from the last post station. There were five large chests in total, and each chest had to be transported by oxcart. No one was allowed to approach them. People assumed it was part of Princess Ning'an's entourage and that they were probably filled with gold, silver, fine fabrics, fragrant silks, and brocades. No one expected that she would bring them up now, and everyone looked on with curiosity.
When the five chests were opened, they were found to be full of silver ingots.
"Those who follow me into battle will each receive ten taels of silver."
These words caused an uproar in the audience.
The three battalion commanders, including Chen Biao, looked at each other in disbelief, too shocked to speak.
Most of the soldiers in Dayan were self-employed farmers who grew their own food. They were only conscripted into the army, so their salaries were very low. They were lucky to receive a few strings of silver a year. Even Chen Bingliang, who became a censor in the capital, only received twenty taels of silver a year.
Now, just by fighting a battle, one can receive half a year's salary as a court official. Who wouldn't be envious?
"There will be a great reward after the city falls."
Xie Yutang stood on the high platform, his eyes clear and bright.
"Whether you choose to live a life of obscurity or to fight for fame and fortune is entirely up to you."
"Those who are willing to fight alongside me, step forward."
Without grand ambitions or inspiring words, she simply presented the choices to everyone equally.
Where there's a good reward, there will be brave men.
"I'll go."
A burly man spoke up, "I'm a soldier trained by General Xie, I trust him. Besides—"
The burly man looked at the chest full of silver ingots and exclaimed, "I've never seen so much money in my life! If I'm lucky enough to survive, I'll definitely spend it to my heart's content!"
The burly man stood up abruptly amidst the gazes of the crowd, walked up to Xie Yutang, and became the first person to stand in her line.
"I'll go too."
“My brother is a member of the Kamikaze Riders. He says that none of the Xies are cowards. I’d like to see if he’s telling the truth.”
"And me too. I'm all alone, no one will care if I die, but if I'm alive I'm really lucky, I'll take a gamble."
"Count me in..."
"Count me in too."
Soldiers stepped forward one after another, and the line in front of Xie Yutang grew from one person to two, then from two to seven or eight... gradually extending and lengthening, forming rows and columns.
"General, I'm going too!"
A loud shout made everyone turn around.
Xie Yutang looked up and saw a scarred, burly man walk around the queue, stand at the front, and pound his chest. "General, do you still remember me?"
Xie Yutang looked at him for a moment: "Tieshan, how's it going at the patrol camp?"
Tieshan laughed loudly: "I knew the general would remember me."
He turned around, pointed to the hideous scar that covered most of his face, and said to everyone, "At the beginning of the year, I signed up to join the army, but because of this thing on my face, I was rejected by all the battalions. Only General Xie, who was still a princess at the time, took a look at my military register and said, 'This face can ward off evil spirits, so go to the patrol battalion.'"
His voice was loud and clear, and everyone in the camp could hear it clearly.
“From childhood to adulthood, I’ve been bullied a lot because of this scar. That day, the general only glanced at me, but I knew she didn’t hold any prejudice against me. They say a scholar will die for one who understands him. If I, Tieshan, were to die here, it would be a relief.”
...
Nearly four thousand people volunteered to join the fight.
Xie Yutang was quite satisfied with the result and instructed his deputy to register all the names of these people. Just as he was about to deploy the specific battle plan, a burly man suddenly lifted his armor and threw it heavily into the muddy water, shouting, "I can go to the battlefield, but I ask General Xie to put the armor on me!"
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