Chapter 162
With a "pop" sound, the cup in Lin Shuge's hand shattered.
"What did you say?" He looked at Xie Chen with a dazed look and a hint of panic.
"Sir, Commandant Zhao is surrounded by 100,000 Xiongnu cavalrymen and cannot break out. The Commandant's Office Lieutenant has specially sent me here with an order to order the Captain of the Guards to send out troops immediately." The soldier bowed his head and replied.
"Zhongxuan, didn't they say that they just won a victory? How could it be..." Lin Shuge was panicked. Commander Zhao was the highest military commander of an important town in the northwest. Now he was besieged by the Huns and his life or death was unknown. Without the support of the Commander's Mansion, other small towns in Dingyuan County would be in danger.
Xie Chen's face turned pale, and he asked the soldier, "What happened?"
The soldier whispered, "Scouts reported that Han Houchang defeated Hu Yanlu's army, and then encountered Xiongnu cavalry and won several more battles. When they met the Xiongnu troops again, there were no strong cavalry, only scattered remnants. Captain Zhao thought that all the Xiongnu Zuo Guli King's troops had been annihilated, but he didn't expect that this was a trick of the Xiongnu to show weakness and deliberately lure the enemy deep into their territory. When our army arrived, we were besieged by the Xiongnu Chanyu at Hupo Mountain."
Lin Shuge listened to the whole story and secretly clenched his fists. He thought that they had underestimated the enemy and were advancing rashly. Now he let Zhongxuan go to meet the enemy, and he didn't know what the situation was inside the Yan army.
"Zhongxuan..."
Xie Chen smiled at him soothingly, and said to He Xin who was beside him with an anxious look on his face: "Take him down to rest first, notify the entire army to prepare food, fodder and weapons, and set out tomorrow."
He held the transfer order in his hand, "Don't worry, brother. Commandant Zhao should have drafted this order before the expedition, otherwise it would not have been sent to me now."
"You mean that Commander Zhao was worried that the war would not go well, so he planned to let you go to rescue them? But Zhongxuan, the Xiongnu were besieging them, and you led the troops to rescue them. This..."
Lin Shuge was worried. If he had taken the initiative to attack, he would not have been so worried. It would be tiring to attack from a far distance, and he didn't know what the Yan army was like. The Huns held this card, and Xie Chen was so passive. However, military orders could not be disobeyed. Captain Zhao's move was not a good thing for Xie Chen. He was very conflicted and hesitated to speak.
"Don't be afraid, brother. Since Commandant Zhao could predict the war situation, he might have a backup plan. I'm going to Huposhan this time. If I can relieve the siege, that's great. If not, my mission is to stop the Huns from moving south. Besides, there is also the County Magistrate's Mansion. If something happens to the Commandant's Mansion, Yandu will definitely not ignore it. Envoy Wei is still here." Xie Chen said softly.
Yes, there is also the County Magistrate’s Mansion.
"Brother, I'm going to Pingxiang military camp first."
Lin Shuge nodded and watched him go out. He didn't know what to feel for a moment. The Huns were coming in full force and Qingquan County was close to the border. If the Huns went south and Xie Chen was not there, he would have to protect the people.
"Someone, go and invite County Magistrate Yang and Chief Clerk Yan." Lin Shuge shouted outside.
When Xie Chen came back in the evening, Lin Shuge was holding a topographic map and looking down at it. The candlelight was dim, but he was reading it very seriously.
"Brother, keep your eyes open." Xie Chen walked over and said.
Lin Shuge looked up at him, his eyes sore for some reason. They had been separated before, but they had been almost together in the past few years, and he was used to having someone around him. But this separation was different from the past, and Xie Chen's trip was so dangerous. Although he knew Xie Chen's ability, the swords on the battlefield were blind, and the enemy was very powerful. How could he not worry?
Xie Chen raised his hand and rubbed his eyes, "Brother, do you believe me? I will definitely come back safely. I promised you many things, and there are still many things that have not been fulfilled. How can I bear to..." As he spoke, he saw some fear in Lin Shuge's eyes, and quickly changed the subject, "I also believe in you, even if I... you will protect the people, right?"
"How can you talk like that?" Lin Shuge asked angrily.
"I said the wrong thing. I'm still waiting to win the battle and come back to marry my brother." Xie Chen took the topographic map from him and saw all the mountains, rivers and streams on it. He looked at it several times. He had seen Lin Shuge's mapping skills before when he was fighting in Qiang territory, but he didn't expect that what he saw today was even more sophisticated.
"Why don't I marry you?" Lin Shuge was amused by him and asked back.
"Okay, you marry me, but brother, can you give me this as a betrothal gift in advance?" He dusted the topographic map with his hand.
"It was originally given to you, but since you said so, then let's consider it as a betrothal gift." Lin Shuge blushed, and the sadness in his heart was mostly driven away by Xie Chen's jokes.
"This map was drawn by me in my early years. Here," Lin Shuge pointed to a place, "is Hupo Mountain. Commander Zhao should be here. This place is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If the Xiongnu want to attack it, they will have to spend a lot of effort."
Xie Chen stared at one place without saying anything. Lin Shuge raised his eyes to look at him, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I just want to thank my brother. This has helped me a lot." Xie Chen put the topographic map in his arms.
"If you want to thank me, then be careful. If things don't go well, don't try to fight. Use gunpowder weapons if you can. There's no need to save money for me." Lin Shuge said with a smile.
"It's true that being rich and powerful makes a difference. It seems that I will have to rely on my brother to support me when I'm old." Xie Chen had a faint smile between his eyebrows.
Lin Shuge looked up at his face. Xie Chen had long lost his youthfulness. He was tall and handsome. Lin Shuge looked at him carefully, as if he was looking through time and space at the young man he had saved that day.
"Why that expression? What are you thinking, brother?"
"Just thinking about the past," Lin Shuge glanced at the already dark sky, "Go to bed early. When do we set off tomorrow?"
"Let's go at 1 a.m." Xie Chen undressed and lay down with him.
So early?
Yes, the military situation is urgent. If it weren't for the need to prepare food and armaments, we might have to set off today.
Xie Chen said "hmm", stretched out his hand to hold him in his arms, lowered his head and kissed Lin Shuge's forehead, "Brother."
As the departure was approaching, Xie Chen had words on the tip of his tongue but he didn't know what to say. This journey was dangerous and he couldn't guarantee that it would be safe. He could still comfort Lin Shuge with a few words during the day, but now that he was in Lin Shuge's arms, the reluctance in his heart seemed to surge out all at once.
He rehearsed the worst-case scenario in his mind: if he never came back, this would be the last night.
Lin Shuge raised his head and touched his face. "What's wrong? You can't bear to leave me." He laughed, and found that Xie Chen was hugging him tighter and tighter. He patted his back in a soothing manner. "Promise me that you will return safely. They are just the Huns, not the Trisolarans. You have a strong army under your command. Are you afraid of them?"
Xie Chen nuzzled his neck and said, "Of course I'm not afraid...what three-body people?"
Lin Shuge was stunned for a moment, "Zhongxuan, when you come back, I have something to tell you."
Xie Chen raised his head from his neck, "Are you going to tell me where my brother is from?"
Lin Shuge was surprised. "When did you guess it?"
Xie Chen also curled his lips and smiled, "Brother seems to have never concealed anything from me, no, it seems that he made up an excuse twice."
"Zhongxuan, actually I..." Lin Shuge stood up slightly and was about to speak when his lips felt hot. Xie Chen blocked his words and said, "Brother, leave me a thought. When I return triumphantly, tell me."
Lin Shuge looked at him for a long time, lowered his eyes and nodded, "Go to sleep, I will send you off tomorrow."
Xie Chen also stared at him intently, "Brother, I want..." He stroked Lin Shuge's waist suggestively with his fingers. Lin Shuge felt a little itchy and tried to struggle slightly, but was held back by Xie Chen with one hand.
Lin Shuge was breathing rapidly. He looked up and saw the lust in Xie Chen's eyes growing deeper. He just nodded randomly, and before he could react, he was pressed under him.
Xie Chen was fierce and cruel tonight. Lin Shuge felt his movements, closed his eyes and kissed him hard, but in return Xie Chen's movements became even more intense.
It was already dawn in the east when Lin Shuge suddenly woke up and shouted "Zhongxuan". There was no one else in the room. He reached out and touched his side, but there was no trace of warmth.
He got up with some difficulty and opened the door only to find that it was already daybreak. A servant came forward and asked, "Are you awake, sir?"
"When did Lord Wei leave?" Lin Shuge asked.
The servant replied, "He left before daybreak and told us not to wait on him."
"Got it." Lin Shuge waved his hand, "Wait, have someone invite the merchants in the county to come over and tell them that I have something to discuss with you."
"Yes, sir."
Xie Chen had already led the entire Pingxiang army on horseback to Hupo Mountain. The cavalry was very fast and had traveled more than a hundred miles in half a day.
"Sir, at this rate, we will be able to reach Hupo Mountain in a few days. I wonder how Captain Zhao is doing over there." He Xin rode forward and said.
Xiao Hei circled in the sky, making cool cries from time to time, then swooped down and landed directly on Xie Chen's shoulder.
"There are no obstacles ahead, keep moving forward." Xie Chen ordered.
He Xin immediately said, "Yes."
The soldiers in the rear heard the order, tightened the reins, the horses neighed, and galloped forward quickly. The horse hooves made thunderous sounds. From a distance, one could only see the flag embroidered with the word "Wei" fluttering in the wind in the billowing smoke and dust, moving forward at a very fast speed.
…
"That's right, I asked you to come here to discuss things with you. Although the county middle school is free to attend, I see that there are still many students from poor families who have a very hard life. That's why I asked you to come here to discuss something with me." Lin Shuge said slowly, looking at the merchants sitting in the hall.
Merchants in the county had done a lot of dealings with Lin Shuge, and they knew that when he said this, he must be asking them to pay money. However, Lord Lin was a kind person, and every time they paid money, they could either get fame or profit, so it was not a losing business.
Therefore, as soon as he finished speaking, a merchant took the lead and said, "Sir, please tell us what it is. If we can help, we are willing to serve you."
Naturally, others were not willing to be outdone and expressed their willingness to do their bit for Lin Shuge.
Lin Shuge smiled and said, "Since you all said so, I won't beat around the bush. I want to set up a reward system in the school. Every year, those who rank at the top of the class can get a bonus, which is called a scholarship. Another part is specially set aside for those from poor families, which is called a grant. If anyone among you is willing, I can give him a bit of honor. For example, if Boss Chen is willing to sponsor one or two, this bonus can be called the Chen Kuan Scholarship."
As soon as he said this, everyone present knew his intention. They only paid a sum of money, but what they gained was not just fame. If the students taught in the school every year had the opportunity to be recommended to the county governor's office or Yandu, they would naturally be remembered for their contribution.
Moreover, according to what Lord Lin said, if I could really name it like this, wouldn't it mean that even if I passed away in the future, my name would continue to be passed down with this school?
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