Chapter 93: One Battle to Decide (V) Update
Jin Jie seemed to be prepared for this question.
Or maybe he had been expecting Liu Ziye to ask this question since the moment he decided to confess.
If Liu Ziye hadn't thought of asking this question, and hadn't thought of this point, he would have been as depressed and heartbroken as he was six years ago.
In short, he was prepared and would take the initiative to make this point clear once and for all.
He said, "In the beginning, it was, but it's become more than that. Now it's far less important."
"Young Marquis, I am staying here now only because I want to stay, nothing else."
Liu Ziye leaned back in his chair: "Oh."
The heart that had been hanging in the air for a moment was now eaten back into the stomach.
She shifted her gaze slightly. "Alright then. Since you've taken the initiative to confess today, I'll allow you to atone for your mistake this time. This won't happen again."
Jin Jie raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "Then I won't have to wear a mask when meeting the young marquis from now on."
"What?"
Liu Ziye was surprised and turned his gaze back, involuntarily looking at Jin Jie's entire face carefully.
She couldn't help but move closer and reached out to pinch his face twice: "I mean, don't you look like this?"
However, no matter how hard she tried to find the corner of Jin Jie's face that could be torn off with one hand, no matter how she searched in front of and behind his ears, on his chin, and on his neck, she could not find the corner that could be torn off with one hand, as shown in TV dramas.
Jin Jie first let her touch and dig, but later, seeing that she probably really didn't know the way and was becoming more and more disorganized, he saw that she was about to open her mouth to check inside, so he reached out and pressed down the two claws.
He explained, "This is a secret method of the Di tribe's shamans. It cannot be removed normally and requires special potions to cleanse."
“Is that so?”
Liu Ziye pulled his hand back in frustration and leaned back in his chair. "That's right. If it was just a superficial act, you would have been exposed long ago!"
I never thought that the amazing disguise techniques described in those martial arts novels I had heard of in my previous life actually existed in this world!
She glanced again at Jin Jie who was still half-kneeling in front of her, and couldn't help wondering, since this ordinary and common appearance was fake, then what did he look like?
However, since Jin Jie confessed to her now, sooner or later he would have to show his true face to her.
After this emotional confession, Liu Ziye calmed down from the initial shock of Jin Jie's identity revelation.
She asked, "You chose this moment to confess your identity to me, but is it because of this battle?"
Jin Jie nodded, "That's right. Chi Mu has lost his trace in the Eight Tribes Grassland. My soldiers from the Xiguan Marquisate have been unable to assist him. The young marquis is also worried that our men are unfamiliar with the Eight Tribes' terrain and that sending troops without authorization might cause accidental casualties."
"I grew up on the grasslands of the Eight Tribes and am familiar with their terrain. The Di tribe is known for its expertise in terrain and guidance. If the young marquis still trusts me, I can lead the troops and unite with the Di tribe to help Chi Mu resolve this crisis."
After listening to this, Liu Ziye calmed down and thought about the feasibility.
Every soldier in their mansion is equipped with a simple positioning device and compass, which greatly reduces the probability of getting lost on the prairie.
However, if they encounter complex terrain, even if they have powerful chariots, horses, weapons and soldiers, they will find it difficult to perform.
It is necessary to have someone who is very familiar with the situation to lead the way and adapt to local conditions.
Now Jin Jie's identity just makes up for this shortcoming.
Liu Ziye looked at Jin Jie again: "Get up."
"yes."
Upon hearing the sound, Jin Jie bent his knees and stood up. His 1.9-meter height made him feel closer, like a wall blocking him, making him inexplicably nervous.
Liu Ziye also stood up from his seat, reached out and pushed him, creating some distance.
He then gestured for him to follow him to the cork board used for demonstrations. "Call Xia Wu in. Have him accompany you as deputy commander of the guards and assist you throughout the journey. I will also go with you out of the West Pass."
·
To the east of the Heil Mountains, the remnants of the troops led by Chi Mu have been running around in a panic for the past half month.
Because of his defeat and deliberate avoidance, Yao Can became more and more rampant, determined to capture alive this famous rising star of the Zhou Dynasty brought up by Emperor Shengzu.
At that time, they will be publicly humiliated and killed in front of the soldiers and civilians of the eight tribes to vent their anger after being chased by the Great Zhou and having to hide everywhere for the past three years.
In the forest, Chi Mu was squatting, taking care of his deputy general Miao Tailin personally.
Since the sudden poisoning incident of the army on the outskirts of Hell Forest that day, Miao Tailin became seriously poisoned that day.
However, in this critical situation, most of the soldiers were seriously injured and fell to the ground. He held on with all his strength, assisted Chi Mu in cleaning up the mess, summoned military doctors, and urgently detoxified and treated the soldiers.
When Yao Can discovered the abnormality, he led the Qiang and Xianbei armies to counterattack.
Chi Mu also held on, organizing the soldiers who could still move and putting up a round of resistance. After that, they had too little time to regroup and leave, and in the rush, nearly 10,000 seriously injured soldiers had to stay where they were.
To this day, Chi Mu still cannot and will not look back on what happened that day.
Miao Tailin's lips were black and blue, and dark red blood seeped from the gauze wrapped around his shoulders and thighs.
Chi Mu was treating Miao Tailin's shoulder wound, scraping off the rotten flesh with the burned sword blade.
However, even with such raw flesh and bone scraping, Miao Tailin seemed to not feel much pain.
In the past, the eyes that always looked at Chi Mu with bright eyes, full of admiration and trust, but followed him from the Wuwei Camp to today, now were dim and lifeless, and she just watched Chi Mu's actions blankly.
After a moment, Miao Tailin seemed to regain consciousness.
His dry and cracked lips opened and closed, and he seemed to say very softly, "General."
Even though it was just a very weak airflow, Chi Mu still captured it keenly.
He stopped and looked at Miao Tailin who was already in a dying state.
"I am here."
The voice seemed to be as steady as before, but only Chi Mu himself knew how much effort he had put in to control himself.
Miao Tailin just looked at him, looking at the general he had followed for many years, who was so dazzling and proud, and now looked so embarrassed and dilapidated.
His face was rough, his lips chapped, and his armor was worn and stained. The red tassel on his helmet had long been stained by blood and had become stiff, hanging lifelessly.
What made him most uncomfortable was that he saw a deep pain and disappointment that penetrated his heart in the eyes of their general.
The reason why their army was collectively poisoned that day was found out on the spot.
The problem lies in——
The second prince had just sent someone to deliver the latest batch of food and fodder.
The Second Prince, a member of the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty, in order to compete with the Crown Prince for the throne, actually resorted to such a cruel method as poisoning in front of the army in order to completely eliminate Chi Mu's military force that supported the Crown Prince!
The dispute over the crown prince and the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty should also be a dispute within the Great Zhou Dynasty.
How could they have carried out such an act of annihilation against their own army before the great battle with the foreign race? They had handed over the lives of the soldiers and children of the Great Zhou Dynasty to the foreign race!
Such behavior has crossed the bottom line.
This made Chi Mu extremely angry and disappointed!
The soldiers who were forced to stay outside the Hell Forest and could only let Yao Can slaughter them, as well as the soldiers who had been killed by poison and wounds over the past few days...
This deeply tortured Chi Mu, making him feel both pain and regret.
Miao Tailin opened his mouth, and Chi Mu quickly moved closer to listen to what he had to say.
"Don't regret it... Don't be discouraged..."
The moment Chi Mu heard Miao Tailin's intermittent and weak words, he felt as if a long spear pierced his heart.
He suddenly closed his eyes.
His mind raced back over the years, recalling Miao Tailin's constant following since childhood. He recalled how he had first met the ex-Prince Liu Ziling when he was young, and how they had become close friends ever since...
Liu Ziling was the king he decided to follow when he was young.
That day, they discovered Yao Can's hiding place. For the sake of the safety of the people of the Great Zhou and to completely end this protracted and costly war, they decided to encircle and suppress Yao Can.
He doesn't regret any of these.
Miao Tailin told him not to lose heart.
Yes, Crown Prince Liu Ziling is still in Yanjing, and his father, friends and relatives are all in Yanjing. Even if his soldiers and generals are killed, even if there are only a thousand people left, he should go back and fulfill his last duty to serve the emperor.
Instead of dying quietly in the wilderness, in a foreign country.
After a brief moment of reflection, Chi Mu opened his eyes again. The grayness in his eyes had mostly faded, and they were now filled with a desire for life.
Miao Tailin finally saw a glimpse of his former spirit in their general. Having persisted until this point, the last bit of his energy had been exhausted.
There was a hint of moisture in his gray and swollen eyes, and he tried hard to pull his lips together to smile.
Chi Mu felt the hand that had been pulling at his clothes loosen, and his deputy general Miao Tailin closed his eyes in front of him.
"General!"
The soldiers behind him reported: "More than ten miles southwest, Yao Can's troops are chasing us again! If we move now, I'm afraid we won't be able to take the injured, no matter how serious, with us..."
Chi Mu clasped Miao Tailin's hands in front of his chest, straightened his body, and tidied up his appearance.
Turn around and stand up.
"Then don't move, don't hide. Concentrate the wounded in the rear, and the rest of the soldiers will face the enemy head-on."
He wiped his sword, which was stained with the blood from Miao Tailin's wound, clean with his robe and put it back into the sheath.
"Today, either we break through or die together with Yao Can."
The soldier was stunned for a moment, but soon his expression became firm: "Yes!"
More than ten miles away, the three joint armies led by Yao Can also received reports from soldiers who were searching for Chi Mu's whereabouts.
Yao Can smiled grimly, "Alright! Don't worry. Chi Mu's men are already desperate and defeated. Have someone closely monitor their movements."
Then he said to the Xianbei King and the Tuyuhun King Khan: "Gather all the men of your tribes and blockade Chi Mu's hiding place from the northeast, east, and southwest. This time, we must seal Chi Mu off and catch him in the trap."
The Xianbei and Tuyuhun King Khan also laughed out loud.
"Okay! When the time comes, I'll have to tell my men to take a good look at this great general from the Zhou Dynasty. He's at the end of his rope, fighting like a trapped beast. Hahahahaha"
·
On the vast prairie, a fierce battle has been going on for an entire day and night.
Chi Mu had only more than 10,000 combat-capable soldiers under his command. Surrounded by nearly 100,000 grassland soldiers assembled by Yao Can, he fought tooth and nail to break through the encirclement.
However, what Yao Can did not expect was that Chi Mu's team had already been defeated. He thought he was just teasing these Great Zhou soldiers, but he did not expect to encounter such a desperate and tenacious Jedi counterattack.
Chi Mu's soldiers fought hard for a whole day, and although they had not yet succeeded in breaking through, they had caused Yao Can to lose tens of thousands of his men, and his initial arrogance was greatly reduced.
Yao Can spat out a mouthful of blood-stained spit, "He's at the end of his rope! I've blocked all the escape routes. I don't believe he can hold out for another day! Drain their energy and kill them!"
The center of the battle.
The soldier's eyes were bloodshot, his limbs trembling from near exhaustion, and he reported with a heavy gasp, "General! We've locked onto Yao Can's direction. He's in the middle of the southwest-bound army!"
Chi Mu's hand, gripping the sword and halberd, was trembling slightly. He nodded, "Alright. Everyone, move to the southwest, cover me, and kill Yao Can."
Breaking through is impossible, so he has to eliminate the main threat from these eight tribes for the Great Zhou.
Yao Can soon realized Chi Mu's intention. He smiled contemptuously and said, "Go, bring over the remains of the Zhou Dynasty soldiers we killed one by one outside of Heil Forest and pile them up in front."
He said with undisguised excitement, "Bring those who are still breathing to the front. Let General Chi open his eyes and watch carefully as we slaughter his soldiers one by one like animals!"
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