Chapter 81: The Difficulty of Traveling (Part 2)
The moon was cold and the wind was biting. Suddenly, the originally quiet military camp was filled with noises, the clatter of armor, the sound of footsteps, various cries of pain, and the calls of the camp's medical workers who hurriedly ordered people to boil water and find medicine for the wounds.
Xu Hexue sat quietly on the edge of the bed, and suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at the girl sleeping on the bamboo bed . Her forehead was covered with sweat again. He picked up a towel and wiped it for her. Then he reached out and pulled her sleeve out from between her relaxed fingers. He held the edge of the bed with one hand, stood up with difficulty, and put on the mask again.
As soon as he opened the curtain, Xu Hexue ran into Qin Jixun, who was covered in blood. The sword in his hand was still stained with blood, and there were knife wounds on his face and the back of his hands that had not been bandaged yet. After the collision, Xu Hexue staggered two steps. Qin Jixun immediately wanted to step forward to help him, but he saw that he was holding the curtain beside him and standing up straight.
"Mr. Ni, are you okay?"
Qin Jixun said with concern, "Have you found a doctor to take a look? And Miss Ni, she..."
"We are all fine, General Qin, don't worry."
Although the lights outside were bright, it was not lit by Ni Su himself. Xu Hexue only recognized who he was when she heard his voice.
Qin Jixun helped him walk to the fire outside and sat down. "Suqile committed suicide. His deputy general Zhahe fought desperately but was killed by Duan Rong. Most of the remaining Hu soldiers fought desperately and refused to surrender. I tied up the ones who were still alive and brought them back as you said."
"only……"
Qin Jixun's expression became more serious. "Yang Tianzhe said that Shi Manu, a general under Suchile, has led tens of thousands of elite soldiers to Rushan. If not for this, Yang Tianzhe would not have appeared behind Suchile so promptly today."
Although Qin Jixun sent people to Rushan early in the morning to deliver a letter to Yang Tianzhe, asking him to join in the siege of Suchile, Yang Tianzhe might not believe it completely because Suchile had released the news in advance. The reason why he was able to lead the rebel army here so quickly was because the Danqiu army was approaching from the rear, and he could not retreat but could only move forward.
"The people of the Nanyan tribe have always been like this. Even if you can capture Suchile alive, if Shimonu comes to the city one day, he would rather die than become a bargaining chip for the Yongzhou army to threaten Shimonu."
If Xu Hexue took Suchile away during the battle between the two armies, Zhahe and others would definitely chase him desperately, and he would not be able to break out of the siege with Ni Su.
But at that time, Xu Hexue had already expected the current result. Suchile's attitude is the same as Shi Monu's attitude. As a supporter of Suchile and a general from the Nanyan tribe, Shi Monu will understand Suchile's choice once Suchile falls into the hands of the Yongzhou army.
The Ulo royal court puts ability first. Suqile has encountered a great disaster this time. Even if he returns to the royal court alive, he cannot raise his head in front of his father and brothers.
"But according to our previous plan, we should have spared Suchile's life today, so that Shen Zhizhou's memorial would have enough time to be delivered to Yunjing, and the reinforcements from the rear could arrive in time."
The blade of Qin Jixun's sword was embedded in the dust. He rested one hand on the hilt, and the firelight made the blade shine sharply.
Xu Hexue's half-closed eyes were lifeless. He still had no expression on his face, with only one hand on his knee. "General Qin, do you regret it?"
"Over the past decade, I have regretted many things, but this is the only thing I will never regret."
Qin Jixun had just experienced a fierce battle on the battlefield, but he did not look tired at all. Instead, he was full of energy. He was like a rusty knife that had just seen blood and the rust had faded, revealing its sharp edge.
Suqile's intention to invade Yongzhou was obvious. The reason why Qin Jixun was determined to take advantage of Song Song's death to besiege Suqile was just to gain the upper hand and make the court give up its plan of living in seclusion. He also wanted to give the rear more time to dispatch reinforcements.
But now that Suchile is dead, they don't have much time left.
"General Qin, you might as well interrogate those captives. You have never fought with Shi Manu before. If you pry open their mouths, you may be able to learn something useful."
Xu Hexue raised his chin slightly, "And Yang Tianzhe, although he is the lowest official in the royal court, it is impossible for him to know nothing."
Once the Yongzhou army goes to war with the Juhan Pass garrison under Shi Monu, the superficial peace that has existed between Da Qi and Danqiu for more than a decade will be completely shattered.
Yongzhou will inevitably face a fierce battle.
"Doesn't Master Ni want to meet Yang Tianzhe?"
Qin Jixun nodded and said, "Once they are settled, I will let you two meet."
Qin Jixun did not stay long. He called a doctor to bandage the wound hastily, then got up to attend to post-war military affairs. Xu Hexue was helped into the tent by Qingqiong. Most of the candles in the tent had been burned out, and his vision was blurry.
"Miss Ni, are you awake?"
Hearing Qingqiong's sudden voice, Xu Hexue immediately turned his head to look at the bamboo bed, and saw a vague shadow. He heard her say "hmm" in a hoarse voice: "Qingqiong, please change the remaining wax on the candlestick and bring me the fire."
"good."
Qingqiong helped Xu Hexue to sit on the edge of the bed, then turned back slowly to find a new candle.
Xu Hexue couldn't see Ni Su clearly, but he felt his sleeve being pulled. He raised his eyelids and saw her blurry outline. "Does it still hurt?"
"That's what I wanted to ask you."
Ni Su coughed, her voice weak and hollow.
The person in front of her had changed his clothes. He was wearing a clean and soft light blue round-necked robe. The collar of the robe was snow-white and neat, without a single spot of blood.
After taking off the bronze mask, he wrapped himself in a long scarf.
"fine."
Xu Hexue looked calm. He reached out and groped for a bowl of hot tea on the table beside him and brought it to her.
Ni Su had no strength to get up. Xu Hexue heard the rustling sound of clothes rubbing against the quilt and her brief gasp of pain. He immediately put the tea bowl back and leaned over to help her up.
Just then he held her shoulders and back with his hands, and the cold temperature penetrated her underwear and touched her skin. She trembled a little, just a very slight tremor, but he paused and was about to let her go.
But Ni Su grabbed his wrist.
He couldn't see her face clearly and didn't know that Ni Su was looking at him unscrupulously. She lowered her eyes and her gaze fell on the back of his hand. The undulating blue veins were covered under the cold white skin. This hand was so powerful whether holding a pen or a sword.
"I want some water."
She said.
Xu Hexue said nothing, but did not take his hand back. He just wrapped the quilt around her, helped her sit up, and placed a soft pillow behind her.
Ni Su took the tea bowl he handed to her with her uninjured hand, took a few sips, and her dry throat finally felt much better. Just then, Qing Qiong came into the tent, brought back some candles, and fiddled with the candlesticks.
"And the white horse?"
Ni Su leaned against the soft pillow and asked.
"My father is feeding it grass. When I came over just now, I saw it wagging its tail while eating." Qingqiong turned around when he heard her voice and said slowly.
Xu Hexue listened quietly without any reaction.
"What was the name of your old horse?"
Ni Su asked.
Xu Hexue thought of what Wuluo Suqile said today. He closed his eyes and said, "Hanging Star."
Ni Su silently recited the name and said, "It sounds nice."
“It looks like a hanging star, doesn’t it?”
Xu Hexue nodded, "They also have silver-gray manes."
The difference is that Xuanxing's belly has some mixed colors, while the horse today is completely snow-white, without any other colors, except for its silver-gray mane.
The longer Xu Hexue stays in the army, the longer Xuanxing will accompany him.
Honor and disgrace, it is always by your side.
"Is this fate? Although Xuanxing is gone, its pony is here with you. It has such a fierce temper, but it just sniffs your clothes and then happily follows you. It knows who you are. Maybe it was born to wait for you."
Ni Su looked at him, "Aren't you going to give it a name?"
"Yes, General Xu, I don't know what it was called before, but I think it must not like the name given to it by the Hu people." Qingqiong brought the candlestick with new wax to Ni Su, blew out the fire and handed it to her.
Ni Su lit the candle, and Xu Hexue's eyes immediately became clear again. He could see her pale cheeks, her delicate and fragile neck, and the pair of eyes looking at him.
Ni Su and Qing Qiong were both looking at him, waiting for him to name the little white horse that was grazing enthusiastically outside.
"I want it to follow you."
After a while, Xu Hexue said to her.
"So the name is up to you."
"Why? Don't you like it?" Ni Su was stunned.
"no."
It was because of her love that Xu Hexue wanted to keep it by her side. She was alone in this world and always needed company.
He couldn't stay with her for long.
This was something Xu Hexue had always been very clear in his mind. He would never return to the Netherworld, nor was he willing to live in the Nine Heavens. His journey to the world of the living was a one-way journey from which he could not turn back.
"It's not impossible for me to take it."
Ni Su's voice fell into his ears. Xu Hexue raised his eyes and saw her pale lips curved slightly. She said, "If you follow me, isn't that also following you?"
Without a beating heart of flesh and blood, he only has the dust floating silently on the edge of his sleeve.
"Um."
He responded, his expression calm.
"What should I call it? It looks so clean and white, why not call it Xiaobai?" Qingqiong scratched his bald head, and felt something was wrong, "Its father's name is so scholarly, isn't it a bit inappropriate to call it Xiaobai?"
Ni Su racked her brains for a while, and suddenly she had a divine light, grabbed his sleeve, and caused the dust to float and fall on her fingers, "I remembered a poem - the sun rests on the frosty spear, the moon hangs on the carved bow."
"I once heard my brother say that its father was called Xuanxing. If it is not as good as him, then why is it called Shuangge?"
“This is good!”
Qingqiong clapped his hands.
Xu Hexue nodded under the gazes of both of them.
Qingqiong immediately turned around and went out, calling the name "Shuang Ge", and went to feed the horses with his father.
He helped Ni Su lie down again. The pain in her shoulder made her unable to lift her left arm. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead and her breathing became tight.
She felt drowsy again.
Seeing that her eyes were closed, Xu Hexue thought she was asleep, so he slowly got up by the edge of the bed, picked up a lamp and walked out.
Ni Su opened his eyes and saw the curtain move, covering his figure.
She heard him enter the next tent, and also heard him coughing occasionally. The bamboo bed made a slight sound, perhaps because he lay down on it.
He stopped moving.
Outside, the wind and sand were blowing, making a whistling sound.
In the bright candlelight, Ni Su saw the bronze mask placed on the table.
Fierce and cold.
today,
She met the best young Jinshi general in the world.
