Chapter 11 Entering the camp
The 100,000-strong army camped on the south side of Heique Mountain, and less than a hundred miles behind was Yanliang Pass.
The army led by Shen Zhongan was like a shield, cutting across the middle between the Western Jue people and the people inside the pass.
Chen Yu followed behind the team. The group of people walked to the temporary military parade ground and stood in a wide area.
Chen Yu was tall, and stood out among the women, but she was not so noticeable in front of a group of men in the military camp.
The person in front was half a head taller than her. He looked back at her, then turned back again after a while.
Chen Yu touched her face. When she sneaked in, she had deliberately painted her face black and thickened her eyebrows to make herself look rougher.
The man in front turned around for the third time, and Chen Yu's hands hanging by her side were ready to move. If he called out to Chen Yu in public, she would be exposed. As long as the man made a move or opened his mouth, she would have to knock him out first.
The man frowned and looked at him for a long time, then pointed his index finger at her, "Your name is... you are that mountain punk, right?"
Chen Yu: “…” You are a country bumpkin, your whole family is a country bumpkin!
But he smiled and said, "Yes, it's me."
"You were assigned to us?"
Shen Yu nodded.
"Why are you standing here? Come forward." The man pulled her, pushed her to the front, and stood in the position where Chen Yu was just now.
There are a large number of people coming and going in the military camp. People die in battle every year, and conscription is carried out every year. After each battle, the troops are reorganized and the casualties are replaced.
Some people you just met may disappear the next day, so it is common to not remember them.
They had just fought with the Western Jue people two days ago, resulting in thousands of casualties. The casualties of the Western Jue army were even more serious. Shen Zhongan ordered their troops to pursue them for ten miles and then set up camp on the spot.
Even the most spineless man will be filled with fighting spirit after this battle.
The roars in the parade ground shook the heavens. Soldiers lined up to take a head count. When Yang Bang was called, the man behind him shouted, "Here!"
The roar was so deafening that it almost pierced Chen Yu's eardrums.
She rubbed her ears and saw a man riding a tall horse, the horse's hooves pacing slowly between the various formations. The horse's sharp gaze slowly shifted from the thousands of troops to the
Sweep through.
Chen Zhao was blurry at this distance. Knowing that he couldn't see her, Chen Yu still subconsciously lowered her head to hide. If she was caught by Chen Zhao, he would definitely tie her up and send her back to Shengjing.
Shen Zhao stopped on the platform, turned his head and said something to the deputy general beside him. The deputy general nodded, and then Shen Zhao rode his horse down the platform.
Shen Yu's eyes followed Shen Zhao all the time, and she didn't even notice that the queue had moved. The man behind her pushed her and whispered, "Hurry up, move."
He muttered again: "Why are you so frail? You will fall down if the wind blows. Why do you want to join the army?"
Chen Yu moved with the queue and replied absentmindedly, "There is no food at home. If I don't join the army, I will starve to death."
Yang Bang said: "That's similar to me. All my family members died and I'm the only one left. I thought it would be better to go to the battlefield and kill a few Western Jue people. If I die, I'll take a few Western Jue barbarians with me."
While they were talking, Shen Yu lost focus and lost sight of Shen Zhao.
Shen Zhao rode his horse all the way to the main tent, dismounted, and entered the tent with the whip in hand.
It was broad daylight and the lights were on in the tent.
Shen Zhao sat down and said, "I'm afraid it's going to snow."
Shen Zhongan asked: "The food and supplies have been late for ten days, right?"
"It's been eleven days," Shen Zhao drank a sip of hot tea. This was the only old tea left in the army. The taste was not very good, but it was refreshing.
His brows were knitted tightly together. "I don't know what those people in the baggage team eat. I counted them this morning, and the remaining food and grass are enough to last for two days."
As the saying goes, "The army does not move until the food and fodder have been sent ahead." The Ministry of Revenue had already begun to allocate food and fodder as early as when the army set out from Shengjing. However, apart from the first batch of food and fodder arriving on time, there was no further news.
Shen Zhongan frowned, "I'm afraid something happened on the road. If it snows, the grain and horse roads will be even harder to travel. Send a team of soldiers to meet them, and send a scout out to investigate."
Chen Zhao threw aside his whip and said, "I have borrowed another batch of grain from Ganzhou Prefecture. It should be delivered tomorrow, but this is the last batch. This year is not a bumper year, and their warehouses don't have much grain. They also have to consider saving seeds for next spring plowing. The borrowed grain can only sustain us for five more days at most."
Ganzhou Prefecture is located inside Yanliang Pass and is the largest city near the pass. If the prefecture's granaries don't have much grain in them, it would be even more difficult for ordinary families.
Shen Zhongan sighed, "I hope the baggage train can arrive as soon as possible."
Chen Zhao has been feeling uneasy these past two days. He said, "General, we have to make preparations. If we cannot make Xijue withdraw within seven days, we will be in a very passive position if we don't get enough food and grass."
Although the two were father and son, they still addressed each other according to their positions in the military camp.
"What do you think?" Shen Zhongan asked.
…
There is not much training today, mainly counting the number of people and resting the entire army.
As soon as the team dispersed, Yang Bang hooked his arm around Chen Yu's shoulder and walked towards the tent. "We are short of people in our tent. We lost two brothers in the past two days. Now there are seven of us including you."
After saying that, he drew aside the curtain.
There were already four or five people sitting in the tent. Fortunately it was winter, so no one took off their shoes because they were too cold.
Chen Yu once entered a camp during the dog days of summer. The soldiers inside were all shirtless and barefoot. The feeling was so touching that it could make people cry on the spot.
Yang Bang introduced them one by one, "This is You Dazui, this is Ah Hu, this is..."
After introducing them one by one, he patted Shen Yu's shoulder again, "This is Shan Paoer."
"Who gave you this nickname?" asked You Dazui.
You Dazui’s name is as good as his mouth, which is so big that it can swallow a person.
Chen Yu also wanted to know why Yang Bang had to remember him as a bad boy when he could remember anyone else.
"Where are your things?" Yang Bang asked.
Chen Yu's bag was still hidden under the tent next to the main tent. It contained some daily necessities and it was not convenient to take it out. Besides, she would not stay here for long. After five days, when the war in her previous life was over, she would withdraw.
"I don't have anything."
Ah Hu looked her up and down. "You are so thin, can you bear the knife?"
Shen Yu looked at him, "It's no problem to carry you."
You Dazui laughed when he heard it, and his mouth opened even wider, with all 32 teeth visible, as if he could swallow the sky.
Yang Bang pointed and said, "Stop laughing, or you might scare the newcomer."
Yang Bang was a kind-hearted person, and he even went to get a bed, quilt and a set of clothes for Chen Yu.
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