Dark clouds covered the sun, and the pale sunlight shone weakly on the battlefield where the north wind was howling.
Time passed incomparably slowly, and the early autumn wind, carrying the unique chill of Yanbei, swept across the vast wilderness. From early morning to noon, and from noon to dusk, blood flowed all over the fire thunder field. The bright red fire cloud flowers bloomed wantonly, and the blood-stained petals danced ostentatiously, like flowers of enchanting red. The vibrant lives that had been jumping around in countless mornings were now like wheat with its roots cut off, lying in large tracts on the cold ground.
The land has lost its original color. Eagles were circling in the sky, ready to swoop down at any time to enjoy this rare feast. The plain was filled with corpses, and the wounded soldiers lay in a sea of corpses as high as a hill, wailing and wailing like lone wolves who had lost their homes, letting out sad howls. But more often than not, they could not even scream and could only lie on the ground like dead dogs. Occasionally, when kicked by medics looking for the wounded, they would groan to indicate that they were still alive.
In the evening, it started to drizzle. The drizzle was as heavy as cow hair and fell on the body with a cool feeling. There were still flames on the corpses in the trenches, and the raindrops hitting them stirred up a layer of white mist.
Cheng Yuan walked over, stepping on the corpses. Years of fighting had given his slightly feminine face a tough, bloody glow. His thigh was wounded by a stray arrow and was tied up hastily with white cloth, so he walked with a limp.
On a low earthen slope, a man in black stood upright under a poplar tree, the eagle flag of Yanbei fluttered gently above his head, and the withered yellow hay was dancing under his feet, swirling from time to time. There was a blank space in his eyes, as if he was looking at something, but his gaze seemed to go beyond the battlefield, beyond the blood, and beyond the floating clouds in the sky...
Cheng Yuan was suddenly dazed and stood there quietly without moving forward.
"Cheng Yuan? Come up."
Yan Xun did not turn around, his voice was calm and comfortable. Cheng Yuan walked forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the Xiuli Army has broken out from the defense line of the Xuanyu Army in the southeast. The Xuanyu Army is a second-line army that just arrived. They were hastily formed and could not stop Lord Chu's attack. The Xiuli Army's cavalry avoided the frontal attack of the Imperial Guards and directly penetrated the defense line of the Xuanyu Army. By the time we wanted to stop them, it was too late. The Xiu Army fled from the left wing and is now heading northwest."
Yan Xun nodded quietly and said nothing.
Cheng Yuan licked his dry lips and continued, "I have sent a message to General Gao and General Lu, ordering them to intercept at Yudao Pass. The First Corps will also send 30,000 defenders to intercept in batches in the northwest. Longyin Pass is also ready for battle. The southern Xinjiang waterway leading to Bian Tang is also under strict surveillance by us. Even if the Xiuli Army has wings on their backs, we can shoot them down."
Yan Xun still didn't say anything, just stood there, as if he was oblivious to everything that was happening around him. Cheng Yuan was a little nervous and asked tentatively in a low voice: "Your Majesty?"
"Go on."
"Our army suffered heavy casualties. The Third and Seventh Corps were completely wiped out. The commanders of the Fourth, Eighth, and Eleventh Corps were killed, and more than half of their soldiers were killed or wounded. The Thirteenth Corps led by General Du Ruolin refused to fight. The senior officers have been detained and controlled, but the lower-level officers and soldiers still refuse to obey orders. Not only are they useless here, but we have to allocate troops to guard them..."
Yan Xun turned his head slightly upon hearing this, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Refuse to fight?"
"Yes... yes." Cheng Yuan swallowed his original words and said in a gentler way, "The officers and soldiers of the Thirteenth Army are all from the Shangshen Plateau."
The cold wind blew and the drizzle hit Yan Xun's nose. He nodded slowly and stopped talking.
"Your Majesty, it is only a matter of time before we stop the Xiu Li Army again, but I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it or not."
Yan Xun said expressionlessly: "Speak."
"Yes. If our army succeeds in encircling Lord Chu, then may I ask Your Majesty, how should we attack? An all-out assault, or a roundabout siege? Kill him, or capture him alive? Please let Your Majesty know."
The wind beside his ears suddenly grew stronger. He stood there quietly, the cold wind blowing across his body and blowing up his robe sleeves. There were still small flames on the battlefield in the distance. A whole day of fierce fighting had taken away the soldiers' fighting spirit. At this moment, they were tired, exhausted, and their clothes were tattered. There were a total of 20,000 guards, and three 10,000-man army reinforcements. Although one army withdrew from the battle halfway, they were still defeated by the Xiuli Army. Chu Qiao led nine thousand beautiful soldiers and cut through his encirclement like a knife. What the 30,000 Fire Cloud Army of Huan Huan failed to do, she accomplished with ease. Yan Xun had to admit that in terms of military affairs, Achu was a rare genius. Her grasp and control of the battle situation, her prestige and status in the army were beyond even his own reach.
He exhaled slowly, and the heaviness in his heart rose up layer by layer like waves. At this moment, he didn't know whether he should be glad that she finally escaped, defeated him and escaped without any emotional or sentimental feelings, or whether he should be sad that she finally left him completely and would never look back.
There was a feeling of irony in his heart, which made him unconsciously want to sneer. He looked at Cheng Yuan calmly and suddenly said, "Cheng Yuan, do you know why I still want to use you even though so many people have advised me that you are not worth using?"
Cheng Yuan was shocked when he heard this, and immediately knelt on his knees and kowtowed, saying: "Your Majesty, I will never be able to repay your kindness even if I die a thousand times."
"Because you are a lot like my old self."
Cheng Yuan suddenly raised his head and looked at Yan Xun in shock, but stopped talking.
"I know that your parents and relatives all died in the war. Your wife and sister were captured by the Daxia army and made into prostitutes. Your brother was also a general of Datong, but he died in an internal assassination."
Cheng Yuan's eyes gradually turned red. He knelt on the ground without saying a word, his lips turning pale.
"I know what you're thinking, just like I know what I'm thinking."
Yan Xun raised his head and looked at the blood-red light of the setting sun penetrating the dark clouds in the sky, casting a tragic red. The corners of his mouth curved slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "A person can have many wishes, but he must live first. If he dies, none of his wishes will be fulfilled."
Cheng Yuan's eyes suddenly felt hot, tears blurred his vision. He clenched his fists tightly and lowered his head deeply, as he was called a despicable villain by the whole of Yanbei.
A large pale bird flew across the sky and passed through Yan Xun's field of vision. Yan Xun looked at it with a distant gaze, like a long thread that had lost its target and could no longer find a focus. He was silent for a long time before he said in a deep voice: "The Xiuli Army is too powerful, and it is not advisable to stop them head-on. Open the border and pass the news to Zhao Yang and Wei Shuye. Winter is coming soon, so let A Chu help us break the stalemate in Da Xia."
Cheng Yuan was slightly startled. Even with his calmness, he could not hide the shock on his face. After a long while, he whispered, "The troops of Daxia gathered at Yanming Pass are all heavily armored soldiers, and the troops led by Lord Chu are all light cavalry. I am worried that Daxia will not be able to stop Lord Chu in a hurry."
"Then hold her back." Yan Xun turned around and walked towards the majestic Beishuo City. The dark warhorse followed him, the setting sun shone on him, casting a long shadow. A low voice came slowly, like the wind that roamed the grassland all year round, "Notify the people in Beishuo, Shangshen, and Huihui Mountain, and tell them that their Lord Xiu Li is leaving Yanbei."
The strong wind blew up the corners of his clothes, and the sword at his waist reflected the blood-red light. The man's footsteps were so heavy, and he slowly walked into the dark and towering cage step by step. It seemed that there were golden shackles locking him up. Black smoke was rising in the distance, screams and wails were heard continuously, and deathly silence enveloped the sky above the Fire Thunder Field.
Achu, I once said that everyone can betray me, but you can't, because you are my only source of light, the sun that illuminates my dark sky.
Now, my sun is out.
When you are surrounded by enemies, attacked from all sides, isolated and helpless, with no way to escape, will you think of me?
Achu, I'm watching you from behind.
The battle came without warning, and the various armies in northern Yan remained transparent about their arrival. Chu Qiao initially held on to a naive fantasy, thinking that Yan Xun couldn't bear to hurt her and would eventually let her go. However, outside Longyin Pass, when she saw the people carrying bags and dragging their children, her heart suddenly fell into an icy pond, filled with complete despair and death.
In the morning light, the dense crowds of people looked like a long dragon. Some people pushed carts filled with large and small boxes, and pots and pans were clinking; some people were waving whips to drive their own herds of cattle and sheep; women were holding their crying children, sitting on rocks with half their chests exposed, feeding their children in the cold wind; and some people were carrying shoulder poles filled with sweet potatoes and corn, and they would sit down to eat a meal after walking a certain distance.
They were tired, exhausted and in a panic, but when they saw the flag of the Xiu Li Army, they all cheered at the same time. The people rushed forward and shouted to the army: "The master is here! The master is here!"
An old man with white hair and beard pulled his grandson to the front. The child's face was red from the cold. They shouted to Chu Qiao, "Master, where are we going?"
"Yes, sir, where are we going?"
"No matter where we go, I will follow you. I can't let you go alone."
"Sir, why didn't you tell me before you left? I haven't harvested my crops yet. Fortunately, I walked fast, otherwise I would have been lost."
…
The soldiers of the Xiu Li Army stood quietly in the open field. No one spoke. They all turned their heads to look at Chu Qiao. The girl was wearing a green cloak and sitting upright on the horse's back, like a sharp javelin. Her expression was very calm, without any sign of shock or panic, so the soldiers all felt relieved, thinking there was no need to worry, as the lady was very smart and must have planned it long ago.
"My lord." He Xiao rode his horse forward and called softly in her ear.
Chu Qiao slowly turned her head. He Xiao was so close to her that he noticed the momentary trance and confusion in her eyes. He suddenly felt sad and regretful. After years of getting along, he no longer blindly believed in the ability of the girl in front of him as he did in the past. In the past two years, he saw so much, saw her depression, saw her crying, saw her weakness, and saw her confusion. She is not the invincible legend in the legend. Most of the time, she is just a young woman who stubbornly and foolishly bears too much responsibility and pressure. Even when she cries, she has to hide in a deserted corner. But all this did not affect his loyalty to her. Instead, it gave rise to a more complex feeling in him, like a relative, like a brother, like a subordinate, and even more like a confidant.
He stretched out his hand, gently grasped her shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Sir, He Xiao is here."