Finally, a low sigh came slowly. At that moment, she trembled all over and even thought she had succeeded. But the next second, a cold voice suddenly sounded, and Yan Xun said in a deep voice: "Execution!"
With a swish, a row of neat sounds suddenly rang out, followed by the muffled sound of heavy objects falling to the ground. The knife was too fast and too sharp, and no one even had time to let out a scream. The blood in the cavity spurted out high and sprinkled on the white snow like blooming plum blossoms.
It was so quiet, so quiet that Chu Qiao's blood ran cold at that moment, and the wind filled her limbs and bones, blowing loudly. Her hands were grasping the ground, and there was a ball of cold snow in her palms, so cold, just like her heart, which had lost its temperature.
"Commander He Xiao failed to discipline his troops strictly, and his soldiers followed him in committing crimes and ignoring military law. They will be taken away and each given 80 strokes of the cane, and then temporarily detained by the First Army."
Yan Xun's voice sounded calmly above their heads. No one spoke, and no one resisted. The soldiers all obeyed the order and moved. Their boots made a squeaking sound as they stepped on the snow.
"Sir," He Xiao's voice came from behind. He seemed to be kneeling on the ground. His tone was very calm, but his voice was filled with sadness. He said quietly, "Your subordinates have brought shame to you. Please take care of yourself."
The footsteps became farther and farther away, the crowd gradually dispersed, and the wind suddenly became stronger. After an unknown amount of time, Chu Qiao's knees became numb from kneeling, and her hands and feet were too stiff to move. However, she still maintained that posture, kneeling there, with snow falling on her body bit by bit, accumulating into a thick layer.
The white camel-hair combat boots slowly approached, and Yan Xun stretched out his hand to hold her shoulders. However, she suddenly jumped up as if burned by fire, staggered, and almost fell to the ground.
The guards stood far away with their backs to them. Yan Xun, dressed in a long black fur coat, stood in front of her. He did not speak for a long time. He just maintained the posture of supporting her, with his hand awkwardly stretched out to her from a distance.
"Ah Chu." Yan Xun called her softly, but she could no longer hear him. She stumbled back, found her horse, and jumped on.
It was so cold that day. Chu Qiao suddenly remembered that a few days ago, she had ridiculously thought that Yanbei was a little warmer than Bian Tang. But now, she suddenly found that Yanbei was so cold, so cold that it made people's hearts chill, so cold that it made people's blood coagulate, and so cold that it made people feel like falling into an icy abyss.
That night, Chu Qiao's condition worsened, and she fell off her horse before she even left the military camp. After being sent back home, Lvliu burst into tears in anxiety, stayed by her bed, and called her name over and over again. She opened her eyes dazedly and wanted to tell her not to worry, I won’t die, I still have a lot of things to do. But when she opened her mouth, no words came out.
When she woke up in the middle of the night, the little maid was still guarding her side. Seeing that she woke up, she smiled and shed tears. After taking the medicine, it was already the second watch. Lvliu told her that Yan Xun had returned a long time ago, but did not come in. He had been standing in front of her door for six or seven hours.
"It's still snowing heavily outside." Lvliu said in a low voice, secretly glancing at Chu Qiao with the corner of her eyes.
Chu Qiao lay there, many things flashing through her mind one by one. Those past events were like running water, with dancing cold waves. In the ups and downs and hardships of these eight years, they merged into a winding river one by one. She thought she understood, and had no complaints or resentment. All that remained was cold disappointment.
In Zhenhuang City, on the northwest land, on the city wall of Chidu, and on the battlefield of Beishuo, the officers of the Southwest Town Government wrote their loyalty with their blood and young lives. The young and handsome Feng Ting, the calm and steady Murong, the resourceful Wu Danyu, the persevering Wen Yang, the warriors who use corpses as rolling stones and their bodies as shields, they are not saints, they have made mistakes, and their fathers have betrayed Yanbei, committed heinous crimes, and owed countless blood debts. But since the beginning of Zhenhuang City, from the day they followed their own flag, they have put their lives and future in their own hands. Yan Xun was right, they were not loyal to him, they were loyal to her, Chu Qiao, but she was unable to protect them.
She shouldered the hopes of this isolated army, and she promised to wash away the shame for them. She once shouted on the top of the Red Cross City that as long as they fought bravely and kept Daxia out, they would become heroes of Yanbei, and their names would be engraved in the military merit list of Yanbei! So, they followed in her footsteps, protecting the Yanbei land that hated and despised them, and unyieldingly fought against enemies that were dozens of times larger than them.
However, today, her sculpture has been included in the Yanbei Loyalty Hall and she has become a household hero, but they died at the hands of the people they loved most.
What did she do? What did she get in exchange for those young lives?
My heart felt like it was being pressed down by a huge rock, and my throat tasted fishy and sweet. The soldiers fell behind her, but she didn't even have the courage to look back at them. When she left, she looked back in panic, but only saw a pool of dirty blood.
"Girl! Girl!" Lvliu nervously pried her hands open. The palms of her hands were already covered in blood, and her nails dug into the flesh with such force.
"You go out first and leave me alone." A deep voice sounded in the room, extremely hoarse.
Lvliu hesitated for a while, and finally retreated. The room suddenly became quiet.
The moon was high in the sky and the wind was getting stronger outside. She knew that the man was still there, and he would always be there if she didn't go out. He has always been such a stubborn person. When he was young, he followed her to learn sword skills. It was such complicated skills, but he managed to learn it within a month. He practiced all night long, and his hands and feet were covered with blisters, but he never stopped. Until now, she can always recall the original courtyard, where he stood in front of the pillar, moving and chopping, his eyes as tough as a tiger.
He had too many heavy things in his heart. She once thought she understood it all, but now, she was gradually confused.
His eyes gradually became cold, but there was a tenacious light flashing in them. She suddenly got out of bed, wearing only a single piece of clothing, stood there, and took two deep breaths. Then, she suddenly ran to the door, opened it, rushed out, and threw herself directly into that strong embrace.
The moment he felt her body temperature, Yan Xun was suddenly stunned. He didn't expect her to come out, or he didn't expect her to calm down so quickly. It wasn't until he felt the slender arms tightly hugging his waist that he suddenly reacted. Then, he hugged her back even harder.
"Ah Chu!" He sighed softly, "I hurt your heart."
Chu Qiao fell into his arms, hugging him tightly, but did not speak. Yan Xun whispered, "I am not suspicious of you, nor do I hate the Southwest Town Envoy. They are less than 2,000 people now, and their organization is seriously incomplete. It is inevitable to cancel their numbers. Unfortunately, they are too unruly and actually attacked the First Army camp. If I don't take action, the military prestige will be difficult to maintain."
Chu Qiao said sadly, "I understand, I understand everything, Yan Xun, it's me who made it difficult for you."
Yan Xun lifted her chin, looked into her eyes and said, "It's okay. I'm just worried that you'll be sad. I'll be relieved if you're willing to come out and see me."
Chu Qiao's eyes were red, and she pursed her lips and said, "The Southwest Town Envoy has saved me many times and has been very kind to me. Yan Xun, I really can't bear it."
Yan Xun frowned slightly, and finally said helplessly: "Okay, I will let He Xiao and the others go, but if they violate military regulations again, I will not show mercy."
Chu Qiao nodded, "Yan Xun, thank you very much."
It was a dark and windy night, and the crescent moon emitted a pale light. The two of them hugged each other under the moon. They were so close, yet they felt so far away.
After Yan Xun returned to his room, Chu Qiao also returned to her room. As soon as the door was closed, her face turned cold. She took two steps quietly and sat down holding the bedpost.
Unsatisfied with the staffing? Cancel the number? Seize the military flag? Rebellion? Yan Xun, how could you bully me like this?
For a soldier, what a shame it is to have his military number cancelled? During war, even if there is only one person left, he must protect the military flag. As long as the flag is there, the army will not disperse. How simple is it to recruit personnel to supplement the establishment? The First Army has more than 300,000 troops. Can Wen Yang and his thirty-odd civilian officials bravely rush into the First Army, seize the military flag, and then escape from the city? The people of the Southwest Town Envoy are going to be executed, so He Xiao and others should be controlled first. How can they be allowed to enter the execution ground and make such a commotion?
It would be better for you to say that you are jealous of the Southwest Governor for having betrayed Yanbei, rather than saying these words to deceive me.
A line of clear tears fell slowly, the moonlight shone in from the window, and the room was covered in silver. She sat quietly against the head of the bed, a thousand thoughts flooding her mind, but she didn't know where she went wrong. At this moment, a cold jade tablet suddenly fell from the bed to the ground. She picked it up and saw that it was a blessing jade tablet for her longevity. It seemed that Lvliu had just forgotten it here. Thinking of the longevity tablet that Fengzhi and Lvliu had brought before, her heart suddenly turned cold, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her head.
In any case, He Xiao and others are safe for the time being.
She smiled bitterly. She never expected that she would have to use this method. Her tears fell in the darkness, like beads that had broken off the string.
Yan Xun, Yan Xun, what's wrong with you?
The night was long and she finally couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears.
It was late at night. Wild birds flew overhead, the phosphorescence of dead flesh gleaming on their claws. Horses' hooves made a clattering sound as they tapped on the ice that had accumulated for who knows how many thousands or tens of thousands of years. The wind blew from afar, bringing with it a dry and cold breath. The weather was getting colder. The north wind was like a mad tiger, howling all day long. Chu Qiao sat on the horse's back, retracted her neck, licked her dry lips with her tongue, and followed the lights in front of her from a distance, but did not get close.
I don't know how long it took, but the team finally stopped. Chu Qiao turned over and jumped off the horse. She felt that the muscles on her face were almost frozen. She rubbed them with her hands, unloaded the bag from the horse's back, untied the big bundle, and started collecting firewood to make a fire.
At the same time, not far ahead, wisps of smoke rose from the dark army.
The fur curtain of Yan Xun's tent moved, and Ah Jing walked in with a head full of snowflakes. Seeing a young general standing next to Yan Xun and reporting something in a low voice, her face immediately became a little ugly.
Yan Xun glanced at him lightly, his eyes were dull and it was impossible to tell what emotion he was expressing. He just listened to the man quietly and nodded from time to time. Ah Jing stood at the door awkwardly, his face slightly red. After a long time, he finally coughed deliberately and said loudly: "Your Highness, I have something to report."
Yan Xun seemed to have just noticed his presence. He raised his head, looked at him calmly, and then said calmly, "Go wait outside."
Ah Jing's face suddenly turned even redder, and he looked at the person next to Yan Xun angrily. I saw that man bending over, looking respectful and humble. When he saw me come in, he didn't even raise his eyes. Ah Jing was immediately filled with anger. He agreed in a muffled voice, turned around and walked out of the tent, his boots falling to the ground with a thumping sound.