Chapter 14 He's only fourteen
Bai Hanwen looked at him with a relieved smile.
Thank you.
"Teacher, please don't say that. This is what I should do," Ling Xun said solemnly.
He wasn't stupid; in fact, he was quite intelligent, which made him all the more aware of what meeting Bai Xuerou and Bai Hanwen meant to him.
To put it bluntly, it was an opportunity to change one's destiny.
When Ling Xun came out of the Bai residence, the servant accompanying him immediately led his horse to greet him, saying, "General Wei's residence sent a letter saying that the general has something to attend to, so you don't need to go these days, young master."
Ling Xun hummed in agreement, indicating that he understood, and led his men back to the Prince's residence.
After leaving Bai Hanwen's place, he kept thinking about something that had been on his mind for a long time—
According to Bai Hanwen's observations, Bai Xuerou was unaware of all his actions towards him.
What will her reaction be if she finds out later?
Angry? Furious?
Will she regret helping him in the first place?
Thinking about this made Ling Xun feel heavy-hearted.
This matter tormented him for a long time, and he desperately wanted to find a way to satisfy both sides, but he couldn't find one.
However, Ling Xun was absolutely unwilling to give up his ambitions and willingly remain under Ling Zheng's command, spending the rest of his life concealing his talents.
He didn't think he was any worse than Ling Zheng.
After pondering this for a long time, Ling Xun could only suppress it deep in his heart once again, just as he had done countless times before.
Ling Xun ate lunch in his own courtyard. In the afternoon, he read books and practiced martial arts in the courtyard. In the evening, Ling Zheng's men came to invite him to have dinner together, so he went.
In recent years, the Prince of Zhenbei's health has been deteriorating, and his mind has become increasingly unpredictable. Ling Zheng only found out this morning that all his brothers had gone on this expedition.
He wanted to give Ling Xun some instructions at the time, but he was called away and only now did he have time to call Ling Xun over.
Unlike what Bai Xuerou said, he focused more on giving advice about things on the battlefield, implying that he hoped Ling Xun could achieve great things.
Ling Xun should naturally be the answer.
Over the past few years, the young men of the Prince's mansion, now adults, have outwardly appeared to be brothers and respectful, but inwardly their relationship has become somewhat strained. Only Ling Xun has always followed Ling Zheng's lead, acting as his staunch supporter. In the past, when he was still young, this didn't matter much, but now that Ling Xun has been allowed to go to the battlefield, if he achieves some success, it will have a different meaning for Ling Zheng.
Therefore, Ling Zheng spoke to him with utmost sincerity, and was still thinking about what he should do to win over Ling Xun even more.
Hearing Ling Xun's words, Ling Zheng's eyes grew even more satisfied. He then told Ling Xun some more about the generals so that Ling Xun would have a better understanding of the situation.
Ling Xun listened attentively, feeling very grateful.
Bai Xuerou listened with a smile, and when Ling Zheng mentioned what he wanted to prepare for Ling Xun, she agreed to everything.
"Don't worry, Sanlang. I specifically asked the master, and I have prepared everything for you."
The provisions and other supplies had already been prepared in secret. At the command of the Prince of Zhenbei, the army set off three days later.
As for the rear, the Prince of Zhenbei left several trusted confidants to oversee the situation, with Lady Wu assisting from the side.
The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion suddenly fell silent.
After the gentlemen left, only the concubines and sisters-in-law remained in the mansion.
The Prince of Zhenbei has four daughters. The youngest, Ling Shuxiu, was born to Consort Xu and married two years ago. The second daughter, Ling Shujun, also remarried at the Prince of Zhenbei's behest.
In addition, Ling Feng, the fourth son, also got married last year, and his wife is now pregnant. The two sisters-in-law mentioned above already have children, as well as illegitimate children, and are constantly troubled by matters such as raising and educating their children and concubines, making things quite lively.
Of all the sisters-in-law, only Bai Xuerou remained silent, and the courtyard was quiet, with her alone guarding the large courtyard.
Outsiders might see her as pitiful, and while they might laugh at her for being childless, they couldn't help but envy her for not having concubines to worry about. As for herself, she felt quite at ease, didn't care at all, and could even be said to be enjoying her life alone.
The Prince of Zhenbei led his army south, and the initial march went very smoothly. Caught completely off guard, Chen Bing easily captured most of Hedong Province and marched straight towards Chang'an, conquering cities and seizing territory along the way.
But by the time Chen Bing realized what was happening, he quickly mobilized troops to intercept them. He held the young emperor in his hands and also occupied the position of prime minister. Although the royal family had declined, there were still loyalists who fought valiantly to uphold the legitimacy of the Zhang family's imperial line.
The battle was at a stalemate, and the other parties quickly reacted and began to resist the Prince of Zhenbei.
The best-case scenario right now is for everyone to join forces to capture Chang'an and then divide the spoils. But unfortunately, compared to the crumbling royal family, the various forces are more wary of the Prince of Zhenbei, who dominates the north.
Once war begins, it cannot be stopped at will.
Amidst the chaos of war, whenever one faction attempted to capture Chang'an, the others would obstruct it, creating a strange balance around the city.
Unable to capture Chang'an, the Zhenbei Army turned its attention to other forces.
In half a year, they conquered more than ten prefectures and took control of most of Guannei Circuit and Henan Circuit. As for the others, they were taken over by other forces in the chaos.
By this point, the Zhenbei Army had already occupied one-third of the Great Qi.
In these battles, Ling Zheng, the third son of the Prince of Zhenbei, and Ling Xun, the sixth son, gradually rose to fame. Ling Zheng followed the Prince of Zhenbei and led his troops to several great victories, successfully capturing two prefectures. Ling Xun, on the other hand, led troops in the field. Although he did not capture any prefectures, he repeatedly won when encountering hostile forces. Because of the unicorn pattern engraved on his golden armor, he was known as the Qilin General.
Who in the world doesn't know that the Ling family's prodigy, at the age of fourteen, is invincible in battle?
When Ling Xun wrote to Bai Xuerou, he couldn't help but express his disdain for this form of address, finding it too vulgar.
But then he said the faceplate was very good.
Bai Xuerou chuckled, feeling that he was still young at heart and cared about such things.
That faceplate was a gift from her. It was made to be extremely thin and light, fitting the face perfectly without obstructing vision, while also protecting several vital areas of the face.
However, the mask was too plain, so after much deliberation, she had a craftsman engrave a qilin pattern on it.
The Qilin is an auspicious beast, and Bai Xuerou decided to selectively believe in superstition this time, hoping to bring good luck to Ling Xun.
In the past six months, it wasn't just the Zhenbei Army that was making moves.
Opportunities arose in both the southeast and the southwest, ending the previous chaotic period of internecine warfare. The east was led by Jiedushi Xue Wenxian, while the south was led by the imperial prince Zhang Jun, the Prince of Ning. The three sides stood in a tripartite balance, checking and balancing each other.
As for the west, Jiannan Road is a self-contained country, controlling Tibet to the west and being wary of the Miao people to the east. For the time being, it does not seem to be making any moves towards the Central Plains.
It seemed that the war was going to drag on for a long time. Winter was just around the corner, a time for rest and recuperation, not for fighting.
But before winter arrived, Ling Xun launched a surprise attack, capturing a key town under the control of Prince Ning and opening a breach in their defenses. Wei Yi then took action, capturing three cities in succession before being stopped by Prince Ning, who had reacted quickly.
Even so, it was still a tremendous victory.
Ling Xun returned victorious, and someone delivered a message of commendation from the Prince of Zhenbei, saying that the Prince of Zhenbei wished to see him.
He then selected several hundred personal guards and headed towards the rear area where the Prince of Zhenbei was stationed.
In his early years, Prince Zhenbei always led from the front in military campaigns, but now his health is deteriorating and he can no longer withstand long-distance raids. He has no choice but to stay in the rear and remotely control the overall situation.
Ling Xun traveled non-stop for three days on horseback and finally arrived at the camp, where he saw Ling Zheng leading his troops. The two groups of people soon met, and Ling Zheng smiled and said, "Sixth brother, you've finally arrived! Father received the news and sent me to pick you up."
He looked at his younger brother in front of him. In the half year he had been in the Self-Defense Force, the two of them had only met a few times. But every time he saw him, he could sense that his younger brother was growing up at a speed that made him feel alarmed. He could see that his younger brother was taller and bigger than the last time they met, and his aura was becoming more and more fierce and imposing.
"Thank you for your trouble, Third Brother." Ling Xun cupped his hands, a smile appearing on his calm face. Although the upper half of his face was obscured by the gold mask, the corners of his mouth were clearly upturned.
Seeing that the other person's fierce and ruthless aura, honed on the battlefield, had faded, and that he was as friendly as ever, Ling Zheng's initial wariness naturally eased, yet he also felt a little regretful.
Before this, the retainers had deduced several possibilities. The best one was that Ling Xun was arrogant because of his achievements, and that he was shallow and not a threat. The middle one was that he was as he always was and could be won over.
The worst thing was that Ling Xun became increasingly respectful, which his retainers considered the most dangerous thing to be wary of.
Hou Feng said that if this is the case, their wolfish ambitions should not be underestimated.
If he's arrogant, then it's easy to solve.
Ling Zheng's mind raced, and his smile grew even warmer. He tugged on the reins, leading Ling Xun into the tent, praising his brother's achievements. His gaze swept over the guards, a hint of surprise in his eyes. What a fierce and valiant army! He wondered how his brother had trained them.
Ling Xun couldn't help but show some smugness, and although Ling Zheng felt uncomfortable seeing this, he also felt it was only natural.
He is young and talented, and it is his prime of life. It is reasonable for him to be a little arrogant. If he can remain calm, it would only make him worry.
They returned to the main camp while chatting casually. Ling Xun followed Ling Zheng into the main tent, and upon seeing the Prince of Zhenbei, his heart tightened slightly.
It had been some time since I last saw him, and the Prince of Zhenbei had become increasingly thin...
“Father,” he said respectfully.
Prince Zhenbei laughed and beckoned him over. He looked him up and down and asked, "Why are you still wearing this mask? Take it off and let your father see what you look like now."
"I'm used to it. If Father hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten." Ling Xun said somewhat embarrassedly, raising his hand to remove his mask.
The Prince of Zhenbei looked him over carefully and saw that his facial features were more defined than at the beginning of the year, making him look like an adult, not a fourteen-year-old at all.
The more this was the case, the more he admired it.
He inquired about the details of Ling Xun's battle, praising him repeatedly. Ling Zheng chimed in from time to time, displaying a very brotherly and respectful demeanor.
The Prince of Zhenbei was even more pleased with this, and then proudly said, "My sixth son has grown up."
Ling Xun feigned embarrassment but also appeared happy, and spoke with the Prince of Zhenbei for quite a while. Seeing that someone outside was requesting an audience, he took the initiative to leave.
“Long-distance campaigns are extremely taxing on the body. You shouldn’t travel anytime soon. Stay here with your father and rest for a while,” the Prince of Zhenbei instructed, his words filled with genuine love for his son.
Ling Xun agreed. Just as the Prince of Zhenbei was about to send someone to take him to his tent, Ling Zheng spoke up and said, "Brother, let's leave the tent."
Inside the tent, the Prince of Zhenbei looked at the lowered curtain, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Ling Zheng was his favorite child. He was very satisfied with Ling Zheng's steady and reliable work. However, he also knew that Ling Zheng lacked military talent. If he were with loyal ministers and generals, he would be a perfect match. But the veteran generals around him were all seasoned veterans. Although they treated him with respect, they only respected him.
If it were Ling Zheng, even if he reluctantly obeyed, he probably wouldn't be convinced.
In this respect, Ling Xun is undoubtedly extremely outstanding. He has witnessed how Wei Yi has led his troops in battle over the past six months. With such talent, he is no less than Wei Yi. Although his subordinates rarely mention him in front of him, their admiration for him is undeniable.
He was only fourteen.
A note from the author:
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I know nothing about warfare or political maneuvering, so I'm just writing this without any real knowledge. I hope it's not too exaggerated.
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