Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Farewell
Daylight comes late in winter. At five o'clock in the morning, the wilderness outside Lingzhou City is still as dark as ink, the north wind is howling, and the camp is filled with a solemn atmosphere.
The central army tent was brightly lit with candles, and the atmosphere was unusually solemn.
A group of deputy generals stood solemnly by the side, each one with an uglier look than the other. A few hours ago, they were still immersed in the joy of the celebration banquet, but in the blink of an eye, they received urgent military intelligence and it was difficult for them to recover for a while.
Xie Yunzhou made up his mind and looked up at Lu Chen. "Including the garrison troops, Lingzhou still has nearly 30,000 troops. Lu Bingyan, I'll leave you 20,000 to defend the city. With the remaining 10,000, General Wu will lead 4,000 light cavalry to evacuate the laborers and restore the supply routes. The remaining 6,000 will accompany me to aid Funing."
Six thousand?
Zhou Xiao was shocked when he heard this. He glared and said anxiously, "The Hu Liao army besieging the city has no fewer than 50,000 soldiers, 3,000 of whom are Iron Harriers. How can 6,000 men be enough, young master?"
General Wu Rong also responded from the side: "Prince, why not allocate another 4,000 from the defenders..."
Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then refused. "Lingzhou City was captured not long ago. Such a strategic location is a must-fight. There's no guarantee the Hu people won't make a feint to the east and attack from the west, using the siege of the Jingyuan army to counterattack Lingzhou. 20,000 defenders are essential."
Seeing his indifferent expression and cold refusal, Zhou Xiao suddenly felt a little angry. Just as he was about to open his mouth to refute, he heard Xie Yunzhou say decisively: "Six thousand elite cavalry are more than enough."
"Even though some men and horses were lost earlier, the Jingyuan Army still has over 30,000 elite troops left, more than enough to defend the city. Even if the city runs out of food, the war horses will help them survive for at least another ten days or half a month.
The Liao troops are better at field warfare. If they fail to capture the city within seven days, their morale will be damaged. As long as I seize this opportunity, I can personally lead 6,000 elite cavalry to tear open a gap on the flank and charge directly into the heart of the Liao troops' formation. We can join forces with the defenders from both inside and outside, and there is a chance of victory."
Although his plan was risky, it was not without reason. Everyone was stunned, looked at each other, and fell into deep thought.
Lu Chen suddenly spoke up, "What if we can't cooperate with the outside forces?"
Xie Yunzhou was suddenly stunned.
Lu Chen tapped the map with his finger, looked up at everyone, and said coldly, "Don't forget, the one commanding the army in Funing City right now is not Duke Xu, but the military supervisor Sun Xian."
After the words fell, the generals in the tent looked at each other, seeing hesitation and worry in each other's eyes, and they all fell silent for a while.
Eunuchs are ignorant of military affairs and are afraid of death. I am afraid that the Hu Liao will be frightened and hide in the city, not daring to fight, which will put the reinforcements to death.
The candle flame suddenly jumped, and with a "crackling" sound, a dazzling spark of light burst out.
A bearded general stepped forward and said solemnly, "In my humble opinion, we should send a letter urgently ordering Qinfeng, Huanqing, and Qingyuan to dispatch troops for support. Six thousand against fifty thousand is far too risky. Please reconsider, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, everyone responded.
Xie Yunzhou gritted his teeth. "From sending the letter to mobilizing troops and then rushing to Funing City, it will take at least 20 days. It's too late. Lingzhou is the closest. If reinforcements don't arrive in time, the morale of the army will be broken, and the Jingyuan army will be wiped out.
What if the Hu Liao, emboldened by this, seizes the opportunity and marches south, attacking the Great Zhou border in one swoop? Over the past three years, countless comrades have died fighting to reclaim the Hehuang region. If the Liao people strike back, wouldn't all their lives have been in vain?
"Besides, even if the army can hold out in the city for a while longer, what about the 70,000 laborers transporting grain? When the Hu Liao besiege the city, their primary goal is to plunder the grain routes. Those laborers are unarmed. Once they fall under the Hu Liao cavalry, they will be slaughtered at will. If we delay the rescue by even a day, countless more people will die!"
Everyone knew what he said made sense, but they simply didn't have enough troops. As they were hesitating, Zhou Xiao suddenly stepped out and knelt, gritting his teeth and saying, "Then let me go! I'll lead the troops and fight to the death, swearing to fulfill your orders!"
There was a sudden silence in the tent, and then the other lieutenants knelt down and asked to fight.
"I am willing to go!"
"I am willing too!"
Xie Yunzhou shook his head, "No, I have to fight this battle."
Glancing around at everyone in the tent, he raised the corner of his lips and suddenly chuckled, "When it comes to leading elite cavalry in a sudden assault, who among you can compare to me? Moreover, if I were to rush to their aid, Sun Xian might be somewhat apprehensive. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even be able to knock on the gates of Funing City."
Lu Chen stared at the map for a long moment, his eyes lowered. Finally, he looked up at Xie Yunzhou and spoke slowly, "To break through this massive army of tens of thousands is a life-or-death struggle. If you fail to knock on the gates of Funing City in time, your six thousand men will be attacked from all sides, trapped in the encirclement of fifty thousand enemy troops, with no escape route and little chance of survival. This journey is a life-or-death struggle, do you understand?"
Xie Yunzhou glanced at him and sneered, "Lu Bingyan, do you think I'm stupid?"
Lu Chen looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
"But those are tens of thousands of lives at stake, and even related to the success or failure of the Northern Expedition. Someone has to go and save them." Xie Yunzhou smiled, his voice hoarse, "Not to mention... my father is in Funing City."
Although he is not his biological father, he is a hundred times better than his biological father.
He grew up in the army and was brought up by Duke Xu, who treated him like his own son for more than twenty years, taught him martial arts and protected him. Even if it was not for the sake of the country, but only for the personal favor, he would risk his life to rescue his father.
All the generals in the tent fell silent.
"Since that's the case," Xie Yunzhou took a deep breath, seeing that there were no more objections. He looked up at everyone, his eyes like cold stars, and every word he said was resounding: "Thank you all for organizing the troops and preparing for battle."
The generals looked stern, and they all raised their fists in salute, then took the order and retreated.
The big tent suddenly fell silent, with only Lu Chen and Xie Yunzhou left.
The cold wind blew into the tent as the felt curtain was lifted. The candlelight on the desk flickered for a moment, casting two swaying tall figures on the cowhide tent wall, like two unsheathed swords crossing in the darkness.
After a moment of silence, Lu Chen raised his eyes and looked over. "Are you really not afraid?"
Xie Yunzhou raised his lips and sneered, "Hey, Lu Bingyan, this is your first day meeting me? What's there to be afraid of?"
After a pause, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he warned in a cold voice, "But let me be frank with you. Although I am leaving Lingzhou City with my troops temporarily, you must not even think about attacking her. If you dare to force yourself on her again, I will not let you go even if I become a ghost."
The moment their eyes met, Lu Chen's lips curled up with a hint of sneer, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He lifted the curtain and walked out of the tent and returned to his residence.
Orders for counting troops had already begun to pass in the camp. Countless torches hissed in the north wind. The sounds of horse hooves, shouts, armor, and footsteps were mixed together in a chaotic manner, and the entire camp was alarmed.
The big tent was cold and silent, with a crescent moon in the sky about to set.
Lu Chen sat alone in the tent, half of his face bathed in the moonlight, the other half hidden in the shadows. He lowered his eyes and stared at the map spread out on the table, speechless for a long time.
He knew better than anyone that Xie Yunzhou's trip was not just a matter of life and death, but a total of no chance of survival.
Even though the 6,000 elite cavalry were brave, 30% of them would be killed if they broke through the defense line of the Dangxiang army. The remaining troops could only hold out for one day at most in the heavy formation.
The situation on the battlefield changed rapidly. If Sun Xian had hesitated in providing support and missed the opportunity, these 6,000 men would have died in an instant.
But as Xie Yunzhou said, this battle must be saved no matter what.
Not only did it concern the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, but it also crucially affected the success of the Northern Expedition. With two fronts advancing simultaneously, the loss of both sides was inevitable. If anything happened to the Jingyuan army, the gains made in Lingzhou would be lost, and three years of hard work would be wasted.
So, is it worth risking your life for a chance to temporarily resolve the crisis?
Although the two of them are brothers who are willing to risk their lives for each other, they are also rivals in love. As long as Xie Yunzhou is by her side, she will never change her mind.
But if Xie Mingqi really died in battle under Funing City, what would happen to her?
Lu Chen's knuckles trembled slightly.
I remember her lively and bright smile that day in the wounded soldiers' camp.
Thinking of how he suddenly lost control last night, her eyes were filled with fear and tears.
Ever since we met again, her various appearances kept appearing in my mind: smiling, guarded, cheerful, distant...
妱妱.
妱妱.
After a long time, Lu Chen's throat choked and he closed his eyes in pain.
Zhe Rou slept soundly and didn't know what time it was when she was awakened by a faint noise outside the house and opened her eyes hazily.
It was still early and the light in the room was dim. She could only vaguely see a figure sitting beside the couch.
Zhe Rou's heart skipped a beat, and the remaining sleepiness disappeared instantly.
Xie Yunzhou sensed something was wrong and quickly spoke to comfort her: "Jiu Niang, don't be afraid, it's me."
Hearing his voice, Zhe Rou felt relieved, and her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
Xie Yunzhou stood up and wanted to pour her some water, but his wrist suddenly tightened.
“…Don’t leave.”
Xie Yunzhou was stunned, his heart softened instantly. He couldn't help but lower his head to look into her eyes, "Jiu Niang, what's wrong?"
Her heartbeat slowly calmed down. Zhe Rou pursed her lips, shook her head gently, and said nothing.
She didn't know what Lu Chen had gone crazy for last night. Although he woke up halfway, she was still frightened. Now that she saw Xie Yunzhou here, she suddenly felt indescribably relieved.
After a while, Zhe Rou calmed down, loosened her grip on his wrist guard, stood up from the couch, and while washing her face and combing her hair, she asked softly, "Why are you here?"
Xie Yunzhou stood aside, looking at her without blinking, and briefly told her about the battle in Funing. After a pause, he continued, "I have left enough manpower for Zhou Xiao. If you want to leave, let him secretly send you away. Lu Bingyan can't stop you."
Zhe Rou paused and looked at him blankly.
Although he said it lightly, she could tell that the battle was dangerous and that it was a life-or-death struggle.
"Mingqi..."
Before she could finish her words, Xie Yunzhou suddenly reached out, pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
The clean and refreshing aroma of soap nuts suddenly entered her nose. Zhe Rou didn't come back to her senses for a moment. She just sat there in his arms, her cheek slightly hurt by the armor on his body.
His Adam's apple rolled, and Xie Yunzhou said in a hoarse voice: "Jiu Niang, wait for me to come back."
Zhe Rou suddenly realized that this might be a farewell. The news came so suddenly that she was caught off guard. She blinked slowly, and a lot of unspeakable bitterness surged in her heart. For a moment, she had a lot to say, but she couldn't say anything.
Soon, Zhou Xiao's voice rang out from outside the door, "Sir, the troops, horses, and provisions have all been assembled. It's time to set off."
Xie Yunzhou suddenly opened his eyes, let her go, picked up the helmet beside the couch, turned around and walked out.
Seeing him walk out of the house and swiftly jump onto the horse, Zhe Rou finally reacted and hurriedly chased him out the door, blurting out: "Ming Qi!"
The snow was all around, and the young man reined in his horse and looked back.
Zhe Rou looked up at the man on horseback until her eyes, pierced by the snowy light, felt a faint soreness and swelling. Only then did she tremble and say, "Take care."
Xie Yunzhou raised his lips and smiled, "I understand."
After saying this, he gritted his teeth, didn't look back, whipped his horse and rode away.
Behind him, thousands of cavalry followed closely, the ground was buzzing and shaking, countless ink-colored flags were fluttering in the north wind, the sound of horses' hooves was breaking, and snow was splashing all over the sky.
Zhe Rou still stood there, staring blankly at the army going away. She didn't know how long she had been standing there when Lu Chen's voice suddenly rang out not far behind her.
"Why, you can't bear to leave?"
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