Chapter 33: Home (Part 1) Update
Two hundred miles away, the valleys of the Yansai Mountains southeast of Xiguan County were also not spared from the heavy snow.
Chi Mu's army, having run out of firewood and charcoal, dispersed and hid in caves in the valleys or on the leeward side of the hillsides for four days.
By the fifth day, all the firewood available for lighting had disappeared, and the soldiers' limbs were frozen stiff and numb in the heavy snow, and they had almost lost the ability to move.
Chi Mu was a major general and one of the four commanders of the imperial guard of Yanjing. Although he had extensive experience in leading troops, he had never experienced such severe cold and heavy snow, which was like a white dragon descending to the earth.
Even though they took shelter in an area with shallow snow and leeward, their tents were still submerged up to their waists.
Thanks to the well-organized rescue efforts of the imperial guards day by day, they used their swords and all the tools they could get their hands on to reserve a small open space at the exit of each tent to connect adjacent tents, exchange what they had, cook and burn firewood, and go out to explore.
In the face of overly harsh natural challenges, even the most battle-hardened soldiers seem so small and powerless.
The thousands of outer court guards in Yanjing of the Great Zhou Dynasty were like helpless chains in the sea at this moment, even though they used all their strength to keep each link connected under the impact of the waves.
But without Yiping at both ends, all that awaits them is the fate of being overturned on the seabed.
This morning, when Chi Mu was waving the command flag, reorganizing the troops, and counting the soldiers as usual, no one was clearing the snow in front of one-third of the tents, and no one responded to the military order.
The clearing was filled with snow again.
Chi Mu had never thought about this before he led his troops to Xiguan County.
He had a great future ahead of him, but his life came to an abrupt end in such an unknown valley.
There was no glory of dying for the country, no earth-shaking momentum of fighting on the battlefield, he just died silently under the desolate snow.
As he watched the soldiers and horses fall one after another and struggle to stand up again, Chi Mu's heart was also filled with deep resentment and despair.
Chi Mu dragged his frozen legs and insisted on organizing the soldiers who were still able to move around, working or training to keep their bodies warm as soon as he woke up.
However, he could barely see into the distance from the cave in the valley, and saw a dead land.
Even if the snow stops, how can they survive?
Just when he, who never gave up easily, was about to give up his last hope, Chi Mu stood high up in the valley and saw from afar rows of black dots moving faintly above the snow in the northwest valley.
Chi Mu thought he was hallucinating because he had been staring at the reflective snow for too long, so he lowered his head and closed his eyes to rest for a while before opening them again.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the row of black spots again.
He could even feel that this row of black spots was closer to the valley where he was.
He suddenly realized that this was definitely a living creature moving quickly on the snow!
The snow had been coming for days, and whatever was coming was the only sign of life they could see.
Chi Mu perked up. He had a vague premonition that these approaching black spots would bring them their last chance of survival.
The deputy generals and guards who were still breathing also saw the sudden changes on the snowy land.
Those who were still able to stand and move rushed to the mouth of the valley, staring into the distance in unison.
As the black dots got closer, people with sharp eyes finally saw that they were a group of people driving sleds!
The sled was very large, about seven or eight feet long and four or five feet wide.
There is also an extremely conspicuous sail in the front, whose angle changes with the wind direction.
There are strong winds in Xiguan all year round, and this sail is undoubtedly an excellent help.
“Someone!! Someone’s coming!!”
Cheers rang out intermittently, and finally waves of cathartic shouts echoed through the valley.
"We are here!! Come and save us!!"
Although Chi Mu did not cheer as wildly as his guards, the experience of escaping from a desperate situation was still unforgettable for him.
He could imagine that he would continue to ruminate on it at many moments in his life.
Jin Jie brought dozens of the marquis's private guards and stopped on the snow slope in front of Chi Mu's guards, with the sound of iron rubbing against the frozen snow and brakes rubbing against it.
He took off the hood that protected him from the wind and snow, and a brim protruded above his eyes, specifically to protect his eyes, the only part of his face exposed.
As he beat the snowflakes, they fell from his leather jacket and pants, which were warm and windproof, to the ground. The 'heat packs' that were stuck all over his body were still emitting residual heat.
During this snowy trek, dozens of them relied entirely on the magical equipment and "heat packs" invented by the young marquis to protect themselves from the wind and snow. At night, they set up two quick-install honeycomb tents. The thick double-layered felt tents were firmly embedded in the snow with iron claws, blocking out the strong wind and snow.
The imperial guards saw the private guards of the Xiguan Marquis Mansion appear before them like heavenly soldiers and generals.
If these high-ranking and dignified Wuweiying Imperial Guards of Xiguan Commandery weren't completely exhausted, they would have wanted to lift their entire team high into the air, expressing their enthusiasm in this uniquely military way!
Chi Mu used his sword as a handrail to support himself and move forward. The excited guards consciously made way for him.
He looked at the leading private guard of the Xiguan Marquis Mansion with a complicated expression.
Just a few days ago, when the captain of the Marquis's private guards brought his small group of soldiers and generals and attempted to confront his own guards, Chi Mu didn't even bother to give him a disdainful look.
Now, his soldiers have lost their prestige and become a remnant and defeated force with little vitality.
Then face this vigorous private guard of the Marquis' Mansion.
Chi Mu loosened the scabbard that supported his body and tried to keep his body as straight as possible to face the person coming.
"Jin Jie."
Although he had never cared about it, Chi Mu remembered the name of the captain of the marquis's private guard at this moment.
Jin Jie jumped off the snow wall cleared by the imperial guards and landed lightly three feet in front of Chi Mu.
He replied, "Major General Chi."
Chi Mu: "I didn't expect that we would meet again so soon."
He looked at Jin Jie's long team, which was obviously loaded with a lot of supplies and had special-shaped sleds.
He asked, "Why is Captain Jin here?"
"I, under the orders of the Young Marquis of Xiguan, set out on the second day of heavy snow in Xiguan County, specifically to pursue Major General Chi."
Chi Mu couldn't hide his surprise. "The young Marquis of Xiguan sent you here just to find me?"
"Exactly."
Jin Jie replied frankly, "On the second day of the heavy snow, an old man familiar with the weather in the border areas of Xiguan said that this heavy snow might be a punishment from the Thunder God, and the White Dragon would turn over. If the White Dragon is not allowed to vent its anger and devour enough of the loose lives, it will be difficult to stop. The young Marquis of Xiguan immediately thought of General Chi, who was leading the troops in the wilderness. He immediately recruited all the private guards and servants of the Marquis's mansion and organized a death squad of over 40 people. They brought supplies and pursued General Chi all the way."
"So, whether it's you, the young marquis or Captain Jin, when you set out in the heavy snow, were you already prepared to be buried in the snow? The young marquis of Xiguan sent you to carry out such a one-way mission, and Captain Jin was willing to accept it?" Chi Mu asked.
Jin Jie saw the hesitation in Chi Mu's attempt and just smiled faintly when he heard it.
"We are people with few options for survival but unable to leave our homeland, so we naturally have few scruples. The young marquis is concerned about Yanjing and General Chi's safety. As citizens of the Great Zhou Dynasty, we are honored to be able to carry out such a mission. Besides, aren't Jin and the others still alive and have successfully met with General Chi?"
Chi Mu looked at the captain of his private guard, whom he had never taken seriously, and tried to find the answer he wanted from his words and eyes.
However, in the howling winter wind, under the dome in the wilderness, Chi Mu discovered—
Captain Jin is like the severe winter in the northwestern frontier, seemingly monotonous to the extreme and vast to the extreme.
He couldn't find the answer.
"Young Marquis Xiguan has been so kind and has saved my Yanjing Imperial Guards from a desperate situation. Captain Jin, please convey my gratitude to Young Marquis Xiguan on my behalf."
Chi Mu finally said.
He held the scabbard of his sword in front of his chest and, as a major general of the Yanjing Imperial Guard, solemnly performed a military salute to Jin Jie.
Jin Jiefu bowed again in greeting.
Then he waved to the team he brought with him to start dismantling the supplies on the sled.
Among the supplies they brought via dozens of sleds, the most important were charcoal and dry firewood.
Then there are cotton-padded clothes, leather jackets, and woolen boots to keep warm, various herbs to dispel the cold, such as dried ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, sufficient coarse salt and lard to treat frostbite, and finally some grain-based foods.
In a short while, under the coordination and cooperation of Jin Jie and Chi Mu, dry firewood was used to build a fire, and pot after pot of ginger soup and hot porridge was cooked. The imperial guards who still had a chance of being treated were given emergency treatment...
The list of supplies brought by Jin Jie was all drawn up by Liu Ziye himself.
Some were for the personal use of Jin Ji's team in the Marquis' Mansion, and some were prepared for Chi Mu's imperial guards.
She carefully considered what was necessary to save lives and what was temporarily inappropriate to appear in front of the people from Yanjing.
That day, the Wuwei Camp guards finally gathered around the fire to warm their frozen bodies. They soaked their frostbitten feet and hands in warm salt water, wiped them clean with warm, dry cotton cloth, and then applied moisturizing pig and sheep oil ointment...
Jin Jie and his group shuttled between tents.
Distribute supplies to them and help care for and treat soldiers who have difficulty moving.
These private guards of the Xiguan Marquis' Mansion, who still did not have any decent guard uniforms or weapons, were the focus of the Yanjing Imperial Guards' attention wherever they went, and received their warm attention and welcome.
The imperial guards expressed their gratitude generously, and cast grateful glances at every move of the visitors from the Marquis' Mansion.
Jin Jie stayed in the valley where the Imperial Guards were temporarily resting for five days, until he was sure that the Imperial Guards had enough power to repair themselves, and then he came to say goodbye to Chi Mu.
Jin Jie said, "The young marquis said that after the supplies are unloaded, thirty of the forty sleds should be left for General Chi to help his guards escape the snowy area. We will use the remaining ten or so, which will be enough to carry everyone back to Yucheng."
"but……"
Jin Jie paused for a moment before continuing, "The young marquis also instructed that after General Chi's men successfully exit the snowy region, they should leave these thirty sleds where they are and not take them away from Xiguan. My Xiguan Marquisate will send someone to retrieve them when the roads are clear."
"Oh?" Chi Mu was not quite clear.
"Our young marquis said that it was extremely difficult to build these carts, and they cost a lot of materials and money. After winter, the marquis's mansion will still be counting on the wood and iron materials they can dismantle to make some money to make ends meet."
Jin Jie repeated what Liu Ziye had told him in an emotionless tone.
Chi Mu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.
The Xiguan Marquis Mansion had no foundation to begin with, so it goes without saying that the things brought to them this time took a lot of effort and went through extreme weather conditions before they were delivered to Chi Mu.
"Okay, Chi will definitely live up to your trust and will not allow the Xiguan Marquisate's property to be lost for no reason. Captain Jin, please convey the Imperial Guards' Wuwei Battalion's gratitude to the young Xiguan Marquis on Chi's behalf!"
Jin Jie nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard Chi Mu call him, "Captain Jin, wait a moment."
After saying that, Chi Mu personally led Jin Ji to one of the caves where they were taking shelter temporarily, and pointed to several well-preserved black lacquered wooden boxes stacked in the corner.
"Captain Jin, please take these things back. And please rest assured, Young Marquis Xiguan, no one else in Yanjing will know about the existence of these boxes of gold and silver."
Jin Jie looked at the boxes of gold and silver that Chi Mu had taken away from the Marquis's mansion a few days ago after an inspection. He hesitated and said, "It's just that these gold and silver are what the young Marquis of Xiguan wants to offer to His Majesty and the Crown Prince."
Chi Mu snorted lightly and said disapprovingly, "Your Majesty and the Crown Prince don't need a few boxes of gold and silver at all."
"Even a random mid-level official in Yanjing would have more than this amount of savings. It is sufficient for me, Chi, to convey the young Marquis of Xiguan's intentions."
What he didn't say was that the emperor certainly had no shortage of it.
What His Majesty wants is nothing more than for the King of Xiguan and the young Marquis of Xiguan to be trembling with fear and rarely get what he wants.
The wealth that these Xiguan Marquisates had accumulated through great efforts, when it arrived in Yanjing, was just a reward from the Emperor to a favored servant.
Jin Jie was still pondering when Chi Mu said, "We both know the current situation of Xiguan Marquis Mansion. The role of these gold and silver in Xiguan Marquis Mansion is far greater than that in Yanjing."
At this point, Jin Jie could only nod in agreement for the time being: "Okay, thank you, General Chi, for your kindness. Then I will take it back and leave it to the young Marquis of Xiguan to decide."
·
"Xiying, go call Butler Liu to come and check the storage."
Liu Ziye looked at the boxes that were brought back intact. Of course, he did not refuse them as Jin Jie had said to Chi Mu. Instead, he very naturally asked the steward Liu Biao, who was always worried and overwhelmed, to collect them.
In the courtyard of Xiguan Marquis Mansion, Jin Jie and the dozens of private guards and servants who accompanied him to chase Chi Mu were lined up in front of Liu Ziye to report.
These people looked so miserable and shabby that no one could bear to look at them.
However, beneath their shabby appearance, they faintly reveal the aura of a true warrior and an unprecedented self-confidence that comes from within.
Liu Ziye paced a few steps in front of a group of people.
She knows.
Her only ragtag army completed its first transformation.
On the second day of the fierce snow, they packed up their supplies and left the mansion. Along the way, they were faced with biting cold winds and heavy snow.
In such weather, even wild animals have disappeared and are quietly staying in places sheltered from the wind and snow, not daring to challenge the extreme natural climate.
But these people set out without hesitation, and all came back alive to stand in front of her.
It can be said to go against the will of heaven.
This kind of superb willpower training, as well as the psychological impact of the status reversal when facing the imperial guards of the Wuwei Camp of the Outer Court of Yanjing, created the spirit of this group of people who, even when they were extremely tired, still had straight backs and bright eyes.
When Liu Ziye sent them out, even though he gave Jin Ji a method of keeping warm that the Yanjing Imperial Guards were not aware of, Liu Ziye knew very well that once people arrived in such a snowy wilderness, they had no way of predicting what kind of changes they would face.
When she made this decision, although she knew that there was a high probability of success, she could not guarantee that it would be foolproof.
At that time, Du Hui had clearly expressed her disapproval of Liu Ziye's decision.
From Du Hui's point of view, he thought that given the current reserves of their mansion, there was no need to take such a risk.
However, Liu Ziye was not just unable to give up the gold and silver taken away by Chi Mu.
If this is accomplished, the significance it brings will go far beyond just the eight lacquered wooden boxes being returned intact.
In the end, Jin Jie set off with this group of people who had never experienced any formal marching training.
Although Liu Ziye took great pains to design and consider every possible problem, he could not know exactly what the team had experienced in the past few days and nights.
It is also impossible to find out where the will that supports them to continue every day comes from.
There is no doubt that the supplies she carefully prepared for this team are the key to their ability to complete their mission.
But in the end, everyone returned home safely. It was also crucial that the leader of this group maintained strong willpower and adaptable leadership throughout the mission.
Liu Ziye's eyes turned and fell on Jin Jie who was at the front of the team.
But I found that Jin Jie was just looking straight ahead naturally.
This silent captain of the private guard seemed to have seen through the guilt deep in his heart, so he deliberately avoided looking at him.
Both he and the people he took away were safe and sound, and no one was missing.
This saved Liu Ziye from the pressure and self-blame that he would have to bear if casualties occurred.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Liu Ziye shifted his gaze and scanned everyone in the team equally.
Dozens of people looked ahead and said in unison: "It's not hard!"
Du Hui, who rushed over to greet the team upon hearing the news, did not expect to see such a scene.
However, Du Hui was only briefly surprised. Seeing that their young marquis only said such a simple sentence, he did not say anything else and could not help but step forward to smooth things over.
He stepped forward and patted Jin Jie's shoulder lovingly: "You've worked so hard, so hard. The young marquis has already instructed housekeeper Liu to prepare hot water, hot soup, and hot food, just waiting for you! Is anyone feeling unwell? The doctor has been called. Let him examine you carefully first. Those who need treatment will be treated, and those who need rest will rest! From now on, everyone in our mansion can spend the winter in peace and quiet. You have made great contributions!"
"Thank you, Mr. Du." Jin Jie thanked Du Hui calmly.
Du Hui nodded again. He walked past the dozens of private guards and servants of the Marquis' Mansion one by one, expressing his sincere gratitude and words of comfort as if they were free.
Du Hui is a scholar after all. Not only does everything he says differ from the others, but everyone can see that what he says is not clichés to fool people, but comes from the heart.
There were two or three people who were too shy to even blush at what Du Hui said. They grabbed their hair and kept saying, "Sir, there's no need to be like this..."
Du Hui accompanied dozens of people to see the doctor. He asked and recorded the conditions of each person in detail. He and Hao Wenchang, Liu the housekeeper and others made proper arrangements for them. After they had rested, they went back to prepare other details.
After such an open-air journey of more than ten days, these people were almost exhausted. After washing and resting, they fell asleep as soon as they touched the pillow.
The next day, when the sky was bright and the sun was past three in the afternoon, Jin Jieren stood in front of the study door of the Xiguan Marquis Mansion.
Liu Ziye was waiting for him in the inner room.
When the door to the study opened, Liu Ziye looked up from his open book and his hand-drawn drawings and said, "Come in."
Jin Jie pushed the door open and walked in.
The cold wind rushed into the room with him, but was quickly isolated outside. Jin Jie said, "Young Marquis."
Liu Ziye put down his pen and paper, looked at Jin Jie standing at the door, and pointed to the chair opposite him: "Well. Sit down."
What was different from every previous meeting was that when Jin Jie was called in the past, either Du Hui, the housekeeper, Xiying, or Ahuan and Abi were there, but today he was the only one there.
He pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Liu Ziye, waiting for Liu Ziye to speak.
However, in the study room where charcoal fire was burning, Liu Ziye put down his pen and paper, sat opposite him, but remained silent.
Jin Jie came in from outside. He had never lived in a room with such a strong charcoal fire as this one. Fine beads of sweat soon began to form beneath his thick winter clothes.
But he remained calm throughout and showed no signs of discomfort or anxiety.
"I thought you wouldn't come back."
In the quiet room, Liu Ziye finally spoke.
Upon hearing this, Jin Jie finally turned his gaze towards the young Marquis of Xiguan: "Young Marquis, why..."
Liu Ziye looked at him and said, "Back then, when I asked you to do such a risky thing, didn't you hesitate? Didn't you ever think of resisting me? If I were you, I might have taken the supplies I gave you and made my own way. Even if I didn't leave now, after getting those boxes of gold and silver from Chi Mu, I certainly wouldn't have returned to Xiguan Houfu."
Judging from the information obtained from Du Hui or the old housekeeper, Jin Jie was not someone who had received favors from the Prince of Xiguan in the past.
Even so, he still stayed at the Marquisate when Eunuch Liu and Pan Yi first arrived and the Marquisate was in great trouble. After that, even though he no longer had the official title of a palace guard, he still performed his duties as a palace guard diligently, just like Du Hui.
However, Du Hui has a close relationship with the King of Xiguan, and Liu Biao, Xiying, Ahuan, Abi and others have a friendship in the King of Xiguan's Mansion. She even has information about the experiences of these people in the original world line to support her judgment.
Where is Jin Jie?
When Liu Ziye was about to promote him as the captain of the Marquis's private guard, he asked Du Hui whether this man was trustworthy and whether he could be entrusted with this position.
Du Hui replied: "If you don't abandon me even in times of great adversity, you should be used."
But perhaps it was his nature, Liu Ziye could never equate Jin Jie with Du Hui, Liu Biao, Ahuan, Abi, or even Fu Zhener.
Jin Jie's trust level is naturally lower than hers.
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