Chapter 48 The choice is clear... it's about sacrificing Wan'er first...
The fear that emanated from the tip of the blade spread rapidly and infinitely, causing a buzzing in Shi Wan's ears. She held her breath and stared intently at the other person.
A weary face, etched by the ravages of time, with deep wrinkles drooping under his eyelids, was covered by snowflakes that landed on his hooked nose, chilling him to the bone. Unsurprisingly, this caused him to shake his head in annoyance.
This person was none other than Wan Hou Fulin, who had asked her earlier if she wanted to go to the mansion ahead of time when they were setting up camp and resting. Shi Wan clearly remembered that this person was a relative of Wan Houyi.
It's rather strange that Jiang Xu's trusted subordinate, whose relative kidnapped her... A strange doubt arose, even faintly overshadowing the fear of facing life and death for a moment.
Coming to her senses, her chapped lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but only a breathy sound escaped her lips.
Seeing her terrified expression and the way she was trembling uncontrollably, Wan Hou Fulin chuckled, sheathed his dagger, and turned to call out to the side, "Tiger, get some water. This woman's been frozen senseless."
Before long, a strange man brought a water bag to Shi Wan's lips and roughly poured a few mouthfuls of water into her mouth.
How has the Prince of Jingbei treated you?
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan subconsciously and very slowly shook her head. In the cold wind, her body was extremely stiff, like the kind of puppet Wan Hou Fulin had seen in his childhood, moving step by step under the hands of the manipulator. He was immediately satisfied by this sudden emotion.
The power to control the life and death of others was indeed something he longed for, and his tone unconsciously carried a strange air of condescension, "Really?"
On the way out, Wan Hou Fulin kept thinking that if Wan Houyi ran into trouble, he could have a backup plan while holding the hostage.
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan swallowed hard a few times, a strong metallic taste rising from deep in her throat, both fishy and sweet. When she opened her mouth, her usually clear and melodious voice sounded like a broken bellows, extremely hoarse. Fortunately, she regained some of her normal voice in the next instant. "He's going to marry his first wife. He hasn't been here for a long time..."
Hu Zi, standing beside Wan Hou Fu Lin, seized the opportunity to ask, "Judging from her short-lived appearance, I hope she won't last more than a few days."
Wan Hou Fulin glanced at him, waved his hand casually, and led the person away to a more distant place. "You really think you can kill her? At the very least, you can find a doctor to take a look..." His rough, hoarse voice drifted to Shi Wan's ears along with the winter wind and snow. Perhaps it was because of the disparity in strength, or perhaps these people never intended to let her go back alive, their actions were quite rampant.
With her life hanging in the balance, Shi Wan miraculously regained her composure at this moment.
She feigned fear, lowering her eyes while secretly glancing around at the scenery.
A vast expanse of white stretched as far as the eye could see. Amidst the heavy snowfall, this place, likely a post station, had carved out a secluded haven of tranquility. At one corner, embers of charcoal fire still lingered, their flickering light radiating a faint warmth. However, this place felt more like the heart of a mountain range, shrouded in layers of mist, making it extremely difficult for outsiders to discern any details within.
Moreover, given Jiang Xu's personality... he might go looking for her, but he most likely wouldn't go that far.
Shi Wan was exhausted. She patiently observed many things and found that there were six people in the group, including herself. After she regained some strength, she subconsciously moved her fingers, but these people tied her up very tightly. Just as she was thinking, she suddenly noticed two or three blurry outlines not far away.
When she saw those people return, Shi Wan immediately began to sob softly. As they approached, she could be heard muttering a few words about how "troublesome" and "busy" she was.
But it was just something I kept saying.
As for her treatment, apart from being a bit rude, she was exactly as she expected, and never went astray.
Having temporarily saved her life, Shi Wan's tension and fear subsided considerably. Even after being blindfolded and moved several times to different locations, she maintained this trembling or sobbing posture.
The blindfold was extremely rough, like some kind of tree bark covered in grit, and it was tightly bound, mixed with the stench of stale sweat. Fortunately, the snow seeds neutralized the odor, which made her feel a little better.
It was winter, and the lake was frozen solid, its surface like jade silk. There were few people around, and it was quiet and still.
The six of them boarded a small boat and headed southwest. Before long, the air was filled with a fishy smell. Shi Wan had traveled by water before, and as soon as she smelled this scent, she made up her mind.
After the boat had been sailing for a while, perhaps because she was indeed sick and weak, and also because she felt that Shi Wan, a young woman in poor health, was bound hand and blindfolded and couldn't run away, the others started chatting casually.
As the group chatted amongst themselves, she began to notice a few clues.
Although the five were traveling together, they were subtly divided into two factions. One group of three was led by Wan Hou Fulin, while the other two seemed to be forming a clique and had a neutral relationship with the other three.
The boat arrived at its destination shortly after they boarded. Shi Wan was forced to follow and watch as the group changed boats along the way. The world was not peaceful, and the boatmen who operated the small boats were mostly illiterate. Even if a couple of clever ones saw this scene, they would just pretend not to know. They changed boats several times along the way and didn't even ask them for their travel permits.
They worked day and night for two whole days before finally returning to land from the water.
The group rented a carriage. Once inside, they could still faintly hear the two arguing outside the carriage window. The sound came intermittently. The weather was freezing, and the carriage provided some shelter, allowing Shi Wan to slowly regain her strength.
Wan Hou Fulin sat to one side, his gloomy gaze occasionally falling on her. Even without removing the strip of cloth, Shi Wan could still clearly sense that this man was probably plotting some wicked scheme.
Shi Wan waited for a moment, and then, seeing that the man seemed about to say something, she coughed first.
"Cough cough..." He curled up, seemingly trying his best to restrain himself, but he couldn't hold back for even a moment, which looked quite frightening.
The situation seems even worse than it was two or three days ago.
......
*
The snow fell intermittently, without stopping for a long time.
As soon as Jiang Xu arrived at the battlefield, the battle situation immediately began to show a one-sided trend. He had been guarding the border for several years, and the people trusted him greatly. The Tatar army was anxious and fearful as they saw the Jingbei Army arriving wave after wave.
In recent years, the Jingbei Army has clashed with the Turks several times. As the Turks' "neighbor," the Tatars had heard many rumors. When they met again after more than two years, they were still suppressed and soon showed signs of defeat.
When Jiang Xu found the right opportunity and led his personal guards to charge in, the nearly 10,000 Tatar troops had already scattered and were scattered like withered leaves in late autumn, drifting aimlessly. Before long, they were devoured by the rest of the Jingbei Army.
Only one soldier who looked like a general remained, protected by a few personal guards. He seemed to have no choice but to sound the retreat, abandoning most of his equipment, and fleeing in disarray.
Amidst the howling wind, Jiang Xu silently watched the fleeing figures. After a moment's thought, he finally put down his longbow, turned his head, and whispered a few words. Upon hearing this, his personal guards immediately shouted, "Clean up the battlefield! Do not pursue them!"
The cold wind whipped up the newly accumulated snow on the ground, and the sound of horses' hooves left behind many footprints of varying depths.
The army returned in triumph. Upon reaching the camp, Jiang Xu reined in his horse and said, "Summon Jing Yan here alone. I have something to discuss with him." With that, he dismounted and headed straight for his study.
The residents were disturbed by this, and they had to take stock of the spoils of war, repair the city defenses, and provide relief to the people. There were many things to do.
Jiang Xu sat upright at his desk, pondered for a moment, and then focused on writing. After writing carefully for a while, Jing Yan happened to arrive outside as summoned.
The night outside the window was deep and dark; it was past midnight before I knew it.
On the desk, the candlelight emitted tiny flames, as if casting a faint halo over the objects in the room.
Jiang Xu put down his pen and went straight to the point: "What are your thoughts on this Tatar attack?"
"I believe that the Tatars have mobilized nearly 10,000 men this time, which is quite a large force. However, on the battlefield just now..." Jing Yan said, as if realizing something, he looked up at Jiang Xu's expression and saw that he was extremely calm. He immediately felt a chill and spoke freely: "On the battlefield, they had no strategy and were unwilling to fight our army to the death."
In the more than one hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, apart from the valiant and skilled emperor Shengzu, the successive emperors have all been fond of literature and art, and this is especially evident in His Majesty the present.
From this perspective, His Majesty is indeed like the late Emperor, truly a father and son.
Jiang Xu had followed his father and his friends in battles since he was a child, helping the court quell rebellions by foreign tribes. In recent years, the capital had been frequently invaded by foreign tribes, and he had followed in his father's footsteps to guard the border, preventing the Turks and Tatars from advancing any further.
However, if we trace back to the source, at the beginning of the dynasty, the Turks once almost reached the gates of Luoyang, burning, killing, looting and committing atrocities. It was on this occasion that the Jiang family was almost completely wiped out. After all that turmoil, his father finally moved out with his wife and children.
Later, by a twist of fate, so many years have passed. He has been stationed on the frontier, entrenched in the north, and has grown from a child into a young man. Yet, the imperial court still seems to be the same old court.
It has remained unchanged over the years.
The gilded bronze censer with winged beast design sits quietly here, its belly cold and devoid of warmth. Only after being heated by the charcoal fire for a while does the silent chill dissipate.
Coming to his senses, Jiang Xu slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. "This time, the Tatars didn't seem to be fighting desperately; they just seemed to be plundering supplies to get through the winter. But... if they really just wanted a mild winter, why go to such lengths?"
They deliberately sent two teams of men, acting furtively and hiding, and as soon as the main army was defeated, they disappeared without a trace. This behavior was truly strange.
I'm afraid...
Jiang Xu gazed out the window at the snowflakes falling, carrying the sluggishness and coldness unique to the depths of winter. The endless snowfall was just like the scene in the imperial capital Luoyang many years ago.
Snowflakes flew everywhere, and corpses littered the fields.
The only fear is that someone within the Luoyang court might be colluding with him.
Jiang Xu remained calm, but with two matters colliding, he had to choose one to prioritize. Thinking of this, his gaze grew increasingly cold and sharp. After a long while, he finally focused and handed the papers on the table to Jing Yan.
Love for one's children is nothing compared to this.
In terms of priority, it must be...
So, we have to abandon Wan'er first?
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Author's Note: I hate it, tomorrow is that dreaded Monday again [crying emoji]
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