mtl008 Chapter 304 is far from over
Chapter 304 is far from over
"General." Sang Caijie arrived at this time. There was snow on his shoulders, which melted when he stepped into the tent.
When he entered the tent, he saw Zong Yanli and Zong Yanguanghe. He leaned forward slightly and nodded to Zong Yanguanghe, then looked at Zong Yanli and said, "The spies reported that the king of Lu has passed away."
Zong Yanli's eyes trembled, and a hoarse voice came from his mouth: "Did he die?"
Sang Caijie nodded and said, "It is absolutely true. The Lu army's flag has been lowered, and the entire army has hung white banners instead of white ones."
"There have been rumors that the King of Lu is seriously ill and bedridden, but I didn't expect him to pass away so soon..." Sang Caijie looked at Zong Yanli with a slightly solemn expression and said, "I wonder who the new King of Lu will be."
"It's not important anymore." Zong Yanli lowered his eyebrows slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he said in a hoarse voice: "After the new year, we will break through Zhoujun and enter the imperial city."
"Yes." Sang Caijie's expression changed and he immediately responded respectfully.
The warm sunshine in the winter months is the most comfortable. Wen Nian made a recliner so that Zong Yanli could lie outside the tent and bask in the sun.
Lu Peibai knew that Zong Yanli was very bored while recuperating from his injuries, so he asked Sang Caijie to find a zither for her. When she had nothing to do, she would come to see Zong Yanli with the zither in her arms, and sit beside him to play music for him. In this chaotic battle, it was really soothing to be able to hear such a heavenly music.
Zong Yanli was not good at music, so she just listened to it. She was so self-disciplined that she had never indulged in wine and women. Even when she returned to Beijing, she always declined all the banquets invited by various parties in the capital on the grounds of military duties, let alone going to any romantic places.
Now, hearing such music in the army, and looking up to see Zhan Haoyue dancing to the music with a folding fan in hand, I suddenly felt as if I had been living a corrupt life.
but--
Zhan Haoyue is now middle-aged, no longer as romantic and unrestrained as before, this dance...
It's really unappetizing.
Zong Yanli closed his eyes silently, not wanting to offend Mr. Wujiu, who claimed to be an elegant guest.
"What are they doing? Are they performing a shaman dance?" Fu Jiashi and Lu Hao saw this scene when they arrived. Seeing Zhan Haoyue flicking his sleeves, they both stepped back and looked at the scene in awe, almost thinking they had accidentally walked into some large-scale exorcism scene.
"Our general is injured, not possessed by evil spirits."
"..."
Zhan Haoyue paused and glared at Fu Jiashi and Lu Hao with a dark face.
Zhuang Chengbi couldn't help laughing out loud. Zhou Cang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Zhan Haoyue finally stopped jumping. He didn't know whether the evil spirit had been exorcised or not. If he jumped again, he felt that he would be sent to death.
Zong Yanli coughed twice to break the current atmosphere, and said to Fu Jiashi and the others, "What's the matter?"
"General, we discovered an enemy troop while on patrol today. They seemed to be leaving the city for firewood." Fu Jiashi hurriedly stepped forward and said, "We followed their trail and captured a man. We got some information about the Lu army from him."
"Biensi seemed to be greatly shocked by the death of Kan Shi and the death of the king. He vomited blood and fainted. The Lu army was in disarray and seemed to be falling apart."
Zong Yanli looked slightly serious, and raised his voice and said, "This is a good opportunity. Immediately write a letter of persuasion to surrender and send it to the Lu army."
She did not expect to make the State of Lu surrender with just a letter. This letter of surrender was just a catalyst, which would make the Lu army fall apart faster and shake the morale of the army.
As expected, the letter of surrender caused quite a stir when it reached the Lu army. The soldiers, who were already in a state of panic due to the death of their king, were shaken by this. They had witnessed the strength of the Daqian army, and the uneasy feeling of the country being destroyed made it difficult for the soldiers to remain firm in their determination to protect their country.
The monarch had passed away and the new monarch had not yet ascended the throne, so the morale of the soldiers was naturally unstable. At this critical moment, the general vomited blood and fainted. Zong Yanli's letter of persuasion to surrender really hit the nail on the head.
"Get some pen and ink." Baines covered his aching heart and raised his voice to order.
"General..." The soldier beside him fetched a pen and ink, and watched Baines pick up the pen to write. After seeing clearly what Baines wrote, his whole face turned pale, and he knelt on the ground in astonishment, saying: "General, you can't do this!"
"This general has no choice." Baines slowly put down his pen, looked down at the person below him with a gloomy expression and said, "This matter is my responsibility alone. If I can save the State of Lu this time, I will ask for the emperor's judgment."
"Go, post a notice to inform the entire army." Baines closed his eyes and swallowed the bitterness in his throat.
The personal soldier below held the thin paper tremblingly, and it seemed as if it weighed a thousand pounds in his hand.
What Burns wrote was nothing but a forged 'oracle'.
The letter stated that the new monarch had already been confirmed to succeed to the throne and would send troops to support him soon. It also said that when the new monarch first established the country, those who had helped to stabilize the country would be made dukes and generals!
Once this forged "imperial edict" was posted, it instantly shocked the entire army, and the originally scattered morale was stabilized. In order to let the soldiers truly experience the "new king's" strategy, Baines sold almost all his property and used all his savings to buy food and military supplies to replenish the army.
Even though this move is just a drop in the bucket for the Lu army now, when these military supplies and food are transported to the army, it makes all the soldiers feel at ease!
They still have a king and they still have hope!
In the coldest month of winter, heavy snow fell, smoke rose from the military tents, and the soldiers gathered around the stove drinking delicious mutton soup.
The difference between the two is huge.
After Zong Yanli changed the dressing for the last time, Xiao Tianhe left many words. Although she was lucky enough to survive this serious injury, it left an indelible trauma to her body. She lost a rib forever, and the extent of damage to her five internal organs was unpredictable. It would be absolutely impossible for her to recover to her heyday.
New flesh grew on the wound on the neck, and the five fingers gradually recovered, but the scars that remained were difficult to erase.
"I am already middle-aged and cannot be compared with my youth." Zong Yanli lowered her eyes as she listened to Xiao Tianhe's words, and slowly clenched her stiff five fingers. Her voice was still so hoarse.
"The Lu army is no longer a threat. The return from the Northern Expedition is imminent. The whole world... has been given to Daqian."
"That's enough."
She slowly raised her eyes, her expression as peaceful and serene as ever, her black eyes had not changed at all, and her goal remained firm.
Xiao Tianhe looked at Zong Yanli in front of him, without saying a single word. He just raised his hand and bowed to Zong Yanli. This bow seemed to express his admiration and respect. In the past, he had a grudge against Zong Yanli because of his third brother's death, but only today did he realize how petty he was back then.
What he admired was not only Zong Yanli, but also the fact that as a woman, she had a determination that was no less than anyone else in the world. This was truly amazing.
Year after year, another year.
In order to help Emperor Qingzong Yanli recover from his serious injuries, Long Feiguang and others found firecrackers from somewhere and set them off in the first month of the new year.
Everyone covered their ears, smiling with bright eyes. This was probably the year they were most looking forward to.
Zong Yanli sat upright on a high seat, took a sip of warm tea, exhaled some hot air from his mouth, and looked at the scene in front of him through the misty white air, his heart filled with peace.
The 37-year-old Zong Yanli is covered in wounds, but her passion remains the same. She has fought in two lifetimes and never wavered in her beliefs. As a general, she should live up to the name of a general.
"General." A voice called out to him. Zong Yanli looked up, and his vision gradually became clear. He met Pei Liang's slightly worried eyes. He asked her in a low voice, "General, are you feeling unwell?"
“No.” Zong Yanli sat up slightly, his voice hoarse but indescribably calm, looking at Pei Liang and smiling faintly, “I just feel… a little tired.”
"General, if you are tired, why don't you go back and rest first." Pei Liang said softly, "The New Year is long, and it's like this every year. There is no need to guard like this."
Zong Yanli shook his head and said thoughtfully: "The State of Lu can no longer hold out for another year. When the State of Lu is destroyed, we will also return home. I don't know when the soldiers will gather here again..."
This year may be the last New Year they will keep vigil together.
We should be happy that there is no more war, but it makes people feel sad for some reason.
Pei Liang was stunned when he heard this, and then he realized belatedly that not everyone was like him, with no relatives in the world. If he were to reward his brothers based on their merits after returning to the capital, it would be difficult for them to get together again.
"If there is no war, what does the general plan to do?" Pei Liang asked, turning his head slightly and looking at Zong Yanli.
"Guard the country, raise troops, and assist the emperor." Zong Yanli smiled. She definitely could not say anything about retiring to the countryside and enjoying her retirement. Although there was no war in the world for the time being, it did not mean that there would never be war again. The continuous conquests of Daqian over the years were a great opportunity for recuperation.
She still has a family and children. If she were to retire at this time of glory, she would no longer be Zong Yanli.
Her era is far from over. Zong Yanli may die eventually, but the Zong Yan family will continue.
So her goal remains the same.
Pei Liang's eyes were clear. After hearing Zong Yanli's six short words, he felt at ease. He bowed deeply to Zong Yanli, his eyes full of praise and admiration.
At this point, Pei Liang also understood that Zong Yanli never cared about her female identity being made public, nor would she gamble with her achievements and announce her identity to the world in order to gain recognition. Her strength lies in the fact that she firmly chose the path she wanted to take.
"General, do you feel regretful?" Pei Liang didn't know what he was thinking about. He pursed his lips and looked at Zong Yanli and whispered.
"……perhaps."
"..."
The two of them fell into silence. Eight out of ten things in the world are not as planned, and no one can always get what they want. Even Zong Yanli, who was reborn, has made up for many regrets of her previous life. Doesn't she have any regrets in this life?
Zong Yanli was speechless. She just raised her hand, picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. Her dark eyes looked into the distant night sky. Thousands of words were hidden in her heart, and that was all.