Chapter 143 How do we meet again?
Gu Xixi brought the empty wine glass to her nose and looked up at the two men in disbelief.
"It's not wine, it's clearly... plain water?"
The water was still warm.
Huo Jiang motioned Meng Chengping to explain.
Although Meng Chengping was still smiling, he was not mocking her, and his expression was extremely serious.
"Boss Gu knows the difficulties faced by the Northwest Army. The whole army has to rely on the general to pay for their meals every day. How can they have spare money for drinking?"
"There is another reason. Five years ago, when winter came, there was no rain or snow in the northwest for two months. In addition, the mountain tops were frozen and the rivers dried up. A bowl of clean, odorless hot water became the most luxurious treatment in the army."
"The general himself was reluctant to drink the water, so he reserved it for the wounded, sick, and elderly in the army."
"Others can only drink the autumn rainwater stored in the earth cellar. The water is turbid and smells like mud. There are all kinds of dirty things in it, such as horse manure, grass sticks, and insect corpses..."
"Alright, alright." Huo Jiang interrupted Meng Chengping, "Boss Gu is a girl after all, and she's also a guest. We're eating, so stop talking about those disgusting things!"
Meng Chengping smiled and made a final conclusion, "Since then, hot water has become a special way of hospitality in the army, and it is only presented to true friends!"
Gu Xixi looked at the bronze pot with mixed feelings.
"Plain water is good. I'm thirsty on the road. This is what I need to drink."
As she spoke, she poured herself three glasses of water in succession and drank them heartily.
Huo Jiang and Meng Chengping looked at each other and smiled.
Gu Xixi ate every drop of the meal, not leaving a single grain of rice or vegetable behind.
It's finally time to get down to business.
Huo Jiang took Gu Xixi to the sand table.
The moment she saw the sand table, Gu Xixi could clearly feel that the relaxation in Huo Jiang's body suddenly tightened. Compared with the person who was eating and laughing just now, he seemed like a different person.
Huo Jiang said, "I think this kid has already told you that the war will start soon."
Meng Chengping's eyes were wandering and he shrank his neck hard, wishing he could disappear right away.
Gu Xixi glanced at him and truthfully defended Meng Chengping, "General Meng only said that you didn't want me to be in danger because you were afraid there would be a war in the future, so after I met you, you asked General Meng to escort me back overnight."
"General Meng has not disclosed any other military information, nor the reason why you met me today."
Huo Jiang snorted and laughed, "Boss Gu is worrying too much. You don't need to explain for him."
"Don't I know this kid well? Even though he likes to talk a lot and is a loud speaker, he knows exactly what to say and when to say it."
Meng Chengping was obviously relieved, "General, you are too kind!"
Huo Jiang glanced sideways, "Who praised you? I mean, if you didn't have this much tact and ruined my plans, I would have chopped you up and thrown you out to feed the wolves!"
Meng Chengping felt a chill on his neck and couldn't help but shrink it again.
Huo Jiang pointed out several positions on the sand table one by one and said to Gu Xixi, "According to intelligence, Beili has assembled a large number of the main forces of the royal army this time. I won't tell you the specific gap."
"You just need to know that the enemy is generally stronger than us,"
"This area inside the pass will inevitably be lost in the early stages, and we will fall into a tense struggle."
"Boss Gu, you understand what this means."
Gu Xixi still remembers the planting area she had designated before.
She looked carefully and said, "The places you pointed out have about ten acres of alfalfa, twenty acres of oat fields, and..."
"The small hill on the east side should be my Pinellia orchard."
Huo Jiang was very satisfied with Gu Xixi's memory, "That's right."
Gu Xixi's expression became serious and she looked up at Huo Jiang.
"Once the enemy came in, the alfalfa and oats would have just grown, so they wouldn't have been able to steal them for supplies."
"But those little seedlings may not be enough to feed the Beili people's war horses."
Huo Jiang nodded, "So, we have to leave nothing behind."
He paused, "For the Northwest Army, abandoning these fields can still save the remaining nearly 100 acres of oats."
"But most of Mr. Gu's Pinellia trees are planted over there."
"It was me who lent you that hill, so I am sorry to you, Boss Gu."
Gu Xixi naturally felt distressed when she heard this.
But what she cared about was not only her own losses, but also the crops that she had grown with great difficulty.
It's such a pity to destroy it!
Huo Jiang continued, "So I asked Boss Gu to come, first, to apologize in person."
"Second, let's discuss compensation. Boss Gu just needs to calculate the price of the saplings, and I'll pay double the compensation."
When Gu Xixi was thinking about how to answer, she caught a glimpse of someone walking into the military tent. The figure and posture were extremely familiar.
She turned her head and stared, "Why are you here?!"
Mu Nanzhao glanced at Gu Xixi calmly, without even a greeting, and said to Huo Jiang, "My intelligence is pretty similar to your previous information, take a look?"
Gu Xixi recognized the bamboo tube in his hand. It was the one that Haidongqing used to transmit secret letters.
Huo Jiang took the secret letter and his expression became increasingly solemn as he read it.
He grabbed the letter and yelled at Mu Nanzhao, "Mu! You call this a big deal?"
"The enemy's cavalry outnumbers us by half!"
"Among them are archers who are good at riding and shooting! If the situation turns to their side, you will die with me!"
Mu Nanzhao couldn't help but frown at the noise, "Didn't you beg me to find out the specific number of cavalry? If you don't want it, just give it back!"
Meng Chengping also hurriedly whispered in Huo Jiang's ear, "General, calm down. My brother Mu will be of great use to us in the future. We must make good use of this ally and not offend him!"
Huo Jiang calmed down and stared at Mu Nanzhao with wide eyes, "I've seen it and I've remembered it. It's too late to regret and go back!"
Mu Nanzhao sneered, glanced away, and said in a low voice, "The whole army is full of scoundrels."
Huo Jiang said angrily, "Who are you calling a scoundrel?"
Mu Nanzhao: "If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked."
Meng Chengping was caught in the middle and was about to cry. He hugged General Huo and tried to persuade him.
Gu Xixi watched the show with great interest, forgetting her own loss for the time being.
No wonder Mu Nanzhao came in without any notification and walked in with such a swagger.
Judging from the way he and Huo Jiang get along, it’s clear that their relationship is at least equal.
Even because Mu Nanzhao has a sharp tongue, he sometimes has the upper hand.
Mu Nanzhao has always been adept at verbal battles.
During the break, he looked at Gu Xixi and asked, "Why are you here to cause trouble?"
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere in the tent, Gu Xixi raised her head and smiled falsely, "I am here at the invitation of the general to discuss something. It has nothing to do with you. Don't be so self-indulgent."
Huo Jiang was no longer angry and laughed, "Mu, you have come to this day!"
"I told you guys that you guys are all dirty-minded when it comes to playing power games. I can't beat you, but there's always someone who can take care of you!"
Mu Nanzhao was about to speak with a dark face.
A cook came to report from outside the tent, "General, something has happened to our sheep!"
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