mtl008 Chapter 206 Farewell
Chapter 206 Farewell
Bai Zhi said mercilessly, "What a pity, Third Gu, there's no Mingxin now, only Ge Zhen. Come on, follow me to see Ge Zhen."
Escorting Gu Yan was of utmost importance. Chu Yunchuan selected several strong and skilled soldiers and asked them to disguise themselves as farmers and wives and follow Bai Zhi to secretly escort Gu Yan back to Wu County.
The soldiers went about their business, and Chu Yunchuan led Bai Zhi out of the tent for some fresh air. The sky was clear and the air was crisp, and there was a moment of silence between the two of them. Only Chu Yunchuan could silently hook his fingers with Bai Zhi's, his face filled with reluctance.
We met in a hurry and parted in a hurry.
Bai Zhi twisted Chu Yunchuan's knuckles, her eyes wandering over him, wanting to take another look. Chu Yunchuan wore a comforting cloth and iron armor. It seemed he wasn't near the battlefield, just standing there to boost morale. That was all good.
The disguised soldiers soon returned with a carriage and several horses. Chu Yunchuan knocked Gu Yan unconscious with a sword strike. The soldiers tied him up and carried him into the carriage. Bai Zhi didn't want to stay in the same carriage with Gu Yan, so she chose a docile-looking horse. The horses the soldiers brought were all good, tall and big, with stirrups that reached up to her chest. Bai Zhi couldn't get on the horse the first time she stepped on it, but she couldn't get on. When she gathered some internal strength and tried again, Chu Yunchuan placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up steadily.
After she was seated firmly, Chu Yunchuan suddenly took hold of the reins. He stared up at Bai Zhi, his eyes shimmering with light, as if he had a thousand words to say, but all that remained was a light and steady "Be careful."
It's just a temporary farewell, so there's no need to make it miserable, as if we'll never see each other again. Bai Zhi thought for a moment and teased, "If you miss me, just write to me and I'll come find you. But don't be too subtle. I almost didn't understand your last letter."
Chu Yunchuan coughed awkwardly, "The battle isn't over yet. I... cough cough, even if I can't sneak in this time, I'm going to make a breakthrough among the barbarians. By attacking them from both inside and outside, I can break the current stalemate."
"When we reach the mountain, even if there's no road, we'll force our way through." Bai Zhi glanced around the camp. She'd heard Qiao Wanwan say military funds were tight, but seeing everyone had food, water, and clothing, their enthusiasm for fighting the enemy was high. Even a penny can make a hero fall. I heard the White Tiger Army only held one or two barbarian tribes, so they couldn't afford to fight to support the war. Since the war began, they hadn't imposed heavy taxes. She wondered how Chu Yunchuan would keep going.
The dignified King Jing, a thousand years old, seems to have been worrying about money since the reconstruction.
But Baizhi didn't say anything. At this critical juncture, saying anything more would only make things more annoying.
She was lost in thought for too long, so Chu Yunchuan tugged at the reins: "Bai Zhi? What are you thinking about?"
Bai Zhi thought to herself, I want to blow up the entire Mandi to avoid disturbing anyone's peace.
But she only replied blandly, "Well... I'll tell Wei Fuguang to try her best to succeed. Although we've won a few battles, the barbarian's poison is too tricky. The longer we delay, the more trouble we'll have. It's difficult to attack from both inside and outside. If we use all our strength inside, the outside will fall without any attack. Wouldn't that be better?"
"We are inevitably passive in this matter. Moreover, the imperial court's reinforcements are about to arrive. When there is another..." Chu Yunchuan counted on his fingers, "The last time I received the secret letter was in Weizhou. It should arrive in ten days or so."
Bai Zhi was stunned. "You...you even targeted the imperial army? How many secret guards do you have?"
Although I know that Chu Yunchuan likes to stare at people, this is too exaggerated!
Chu Yunchuan narrowed his eyes and smiled: "It's up to your imagination."
The soldier driving the car packed up quickly and came over to inform Chu Yunchuan that he could set off at any time.
Bai Zhi patted Chu Yunchuan's hand holding the reins and said with a smile, "Why, my lord, come with me?"
Chu Yunchuan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly pulled the reins downwards with force. The warhorse, having been trained, leaned forward without a struggle, kneeling on its front legs.
The horse's back tilted unexpectedly. Bai Zhi grabbed the horse's mane while shouting "Ah, hey, hey", but still slid forward uncontrollably.
A pair of hands held her shoulders at the right time, and Chu Yunchuan's lips rubbed against hers in an instant.
The soldiers all turned their heads away.
Not long after, Bai Zhi rode over and cleared her throat calmly, "Ahem... Comrades, let's get going."
"Yes!"
The group escorting Gu Yan walked out of the military camp along a small path and gradually disappeared onto the main road. Before they could disappear completely, Bai Zhi turned back and glanced at the military camp from afar.
On this side, Prince Jing was also standing there, looking into the distance, his cloak fluttering, his cheeks and ears flushed red.
They had to rush from Wu County, but returning with a horse-drawn carriage meant they had to travel slowly, which was a bit more relaxing. Late at night, Bai Zhi and the soldiers arrived at the Imperial Envoy's residence and handed Gu Yan over to Wei Fuguang.
The soldiers returned immediately after completing their mission. Bai Zhi stayed a little longer, handed Chu Yunchuan's letter to Wei Fuguang, and then left the residence, hurried back to her own cabin, and fell asleep.
After she left, Wei Fuguang opened the secret letter. The more he read, the more complicated his expression became. Finally, he sighed softly, "I still have to protect Gu Yan's life... You guys are really playing too much..."
The next day, Bai Zhi wanted to sleep until noon, but she opened her eyes just after the hour of Mao.
If she got up at this time every day, she would probably have to go home and sleep until noon.
Life went on as normal. The White Tiger Army won battle after battle, conquering several barbarian tribes, but they were also occasionally targeted by the barbarian army. Rumor had it that the barbarian army had developed a powerful poison. While it wouldn't kill a thousand or two thousand soldiers in an instant like before, it was still a formidable threat.
Every day in the sick and injured quarters, Bai Zhi listened to the soldiers talk about the barbarian army's viciousness, and she also hated it with her teeth. But the soldiers hated the barbarian army for killing their comrades, while Bai Zhi was angry that these barbarians had delayed her Qiansui's return home.
More importantly, if the dispute continued, military funds would run out. War was like swallowing gold; every extra day meant a huge sum of money. Bai Zhi knew that lack of money was a death sentence. At this point, the battle was essentially a fight for military funds. If the stalemate continued, whoever ran out of money first would die first.
No matter how poor the barbarians are, they still have some assets. However, Chu Yunchuan only has the money he got from the emperor. He spent it like water on reconstruction in the past two years, and his income is not enough to cover his expenses. How much money is left for the war?
But why wasn't Chu Yunchuan worried at all? Could it be that he already had a solution? Even Qiao Wanwan, who wasn't in a high position, knew that military spending was tight, and it wasn't like she had no worries.
Bai Zhi scratched her head irritably, hoping she was overthinking it.
It would be great if Wei Fuguang could succeed in one fell swoop and end the war.
So, besides treating her illness, she would also keep an eye on the progress of the plan, visiting Wei Fuguang whenever she had time. One day, she learned that Yang Jinlang was willing to write a letter, and the next day, she learned that the infiltrator was already undergoing special training. Occasionally, she would see Qiao Banxian wandering around the mansion. Bai Zhi wondered if he was trying to do business with Wei Fuguang, but unfortunately, Lord Wei was even less impressed.