novelaction Chapter 120 The whole army is in mourning
Chapter 120 The whole army is in mourning
He swallowed with some difficulty. He Chang knew the emperor's mind very well. Even a blind person could see that he would make use of Zong Yan.
The Zong Yan family is different from many aristocratic families. They are generals guarding the border and even have no side branches in the court. Such a pure clan, like water, is the best choice to assist the new monarch.
Looking back on the three generations of the Zong Yan family, without exception, every one of them was a hero who sacrificed his life for the country. Their descendants were all stationed at the border. The four words "loyal for generations" are no longer a description, but a written fact.
At a time when everyone thought that after the crown prince was deposed, the position of heir could only fall on King Xuan, He Chang suddenly felt deeply that there might be another possible outcome.
"My queen, isn't this too risky for you?" Hong Jian couldn't help but ask as she watched Gao Jiayue carefully put away the half mask.
"Only by taking risky tactics can one achieve a surprise victory." Gao Jiayue closed her eyes slightly, her palm resting on the exquisite little box. The figure of Zong Yanli emerged in her mind. She whispered with a bit of attachment in her eyes, "He Chang has the trust of the emperor. I want to let him know that I am not alone."
"The position of crown prince can only belong to Alang."
"As long as He Chang is a smart man, he should know how to make a choice."
Gao Jiayue withdrew her hand, took a deep breath and said, "Lock it back for me."
Zong Yanli was unaware of the turbulent situation in the capital. He only received letters from his mother and sister.
Zong Yanli held up the letter in his hand and read it for a long time. When Pei Liang entered, he saw his general looking dazed. He couldn't help but approach him and asked, "General, what are you looking at with the letter in your hand? Are there any flowers?"
Zong Yanli stared at Pei Liang blankly, and after a long while he seemed to have found his voice again and said, "I'm going to be an uncle..."
The letter brought good news that Zong Yanyin had been pregnant for more than three months. She had not been able to report the news in time before because the pregnancy was unstable. But now that the pregnancy was stable, she wrote a letter to tell Zong Yanli that she was going to be an uncle!
This letter from Zong Yanyin really caught her off guard. In her eyes, her sister was still a little girl, and even after getting married, she was still a child in her heart. How could she become a mother in the blink of an eye? She didn't expect that she would have gained another identity in the blink of an eye.
"Wei Songhe has concealed the fact so well!" Zong Yanyin was already three months pregnant, but Wei Songhe had written to her several times without mentioning the matter at all. Zong Yanli frowned and picked up a pen to scold Wei Songhe.
Then he repeatedly told Zong Yanyin to take care of herself and to go home and let her mother take care of her if she felt overwhelmed.
Zong Yanli wrote many words of concern, and for no reason she thought of the orphan of the Chen family. After she adopted him as her adopted son, she turned around and rushed to the war, and she never had time to ask about him again.
Zong Yanli took the writing brush and asked Gao Feilin to deliver the letter to the postman. Then he called Wen Nian in and said, "I asked you to deliver the orphan to the peasant woman in the village. How is your adopted son now?"
Wen Nian was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "I have sent money and food to the peasant woman's home every month as ordered by the general. I have also informed General Zong Yan about this matter, so everything should be fine."
"Yes." Zong Yanli nodded slightly and said, "Send someone to take a look in person. I'm afraid the war here won't be resolved in a short time."
"I obey your command." Wen Nian lowered his head and responded.
The spring chill has subsided, and the soldiers have been recuperating for a long time.
During this period of time, there was no movement in the State of Jin. Wu Jian'an was wounded by an arrow, and Shao Weiyi was also injured with a broken arm. It was really lamentable that such a huge State of Jin could not find a leader.
Donglong City was the last border defense city of Jin State. If Donglong was broken again, the army of Wu State could go through Guanzhong and head straight to the capital of Jin State. This pass was quite steep. Zong Yanli did not rush to attack, but asked his soldiers to recuperate and increase their weapons and supplies to protect the soldiers in the army without any worries.
With her father supporting her and her uncles and aunts guaranteeing her food supplies, Zong Yanli didn't have to worry at all.
In Donglong City, Shao Weiyi ordered people to forge an iron hook claw hand, which was buckled on his severed arm like a lock. The severed arm was his right hand, so he could only practice using the knife with his left hand. But how could he master it in such a short time?
"General Shao! The general urgently summons you!" There was a hint of darkness in Shao Weiyi's eyes. He practiced swordplay with his left hand day and night to adapt to the hook hand of his right hand. He turned around and saw the personal soldiers around Wu Jian'an running towards him in a hurry, with an indescribable look of impatience and fear on his face.
"Teacher!" Shao Weiyi's face changed slightly. He put down the sword in his hand and hurried to Wu Jian'an's house.
Wu Jian'an drove everyone out of the huge house. The military doctor standing at the door saw Shao Weiyi coming and said in a low voice: "The general vomited blood again. Ginseng soup can no longer prolong his life..."
Shao Weiyi's eyes immediately turned red and he strode into the house. In just a few months, the general who was so tall when he came to lead the army has now become haggard and hunched over, as terrifying as a dying skeleton.
Whenever Shao Weiyi saw this, tears welled up in his eyes. He staggered over and knelt at Wu Jian'an's feet: "Teacher..."
"You're here..." Wu Jian'an, who seemed to be mentally exhausted, slowly opened his cloudy eyes. He didn't seem to see Shao Weiyi clearly, and just slowly raised his hand.
"Why doesn't the teacher want to use the medicine?" Shao Weiyi leaned over and held Wu Jian'an's hand, his eyes full of worry.
"Hehe..." Wu Jian'an smiled. He obviously knew that he would not live long and no amount of medicine could cure his old age illness.
Wu Jian'an was in a coma most of the time, and his wounds were unable to heal on their own. It seemed that he could not delay his death any longer.
The old hand grabbed Shao Weiyi like a dry branch and said, "You, you have to remember what I'm going to say next..."
Shao Weiyi choked up and nodded, responding in a hoarse voice: "You go ahead."
"It's hard to gather strength if the army is not united..." Wu Jian'an knew our army's shortcomings very well. He said in a hoarse voice, "Zong Yanli's tactics are so cunning that we can't confront him head-on. If we defend the city and don't leave, the Wu army can't attack us. We still have a chance of survival."
"Don't lure the enemy out. Our army is at a disadvantage and should avoid fighting... cough cough!" Wu Jian'an pressed his lips and spat out another mouthful of blood on the handkerchief he was covering. Shao Weiyi was about to stand up and call for help when Wu Jian'an raised his hand to stop him.
Wu Jianan seemed to have a lot more to say, but he had no strength to say more. He grabbed Shao Weiyi tightly and said, "Donglong cannot be abandoned. If the city is destroyed, the country will perish..."
He stared at Shao Weiyi with wide eyes and said angrily: "I would rather die than surrender!"
Shao Weiyi knelt in front of Wu Jian'an, listened to Wu Jian'an's words, bowed his head and cried, nodding his head: "Students would rather die than surrender!"
Wu Jianan stared at him as if he was finally satisfied. He tremblingly took out an ink-colored brocade bag from his arms and stuffed it into Shao Weiyi's hand very solemnly, saying: "This general will give you three strategies to defend the city. Don't... let them down..."
Before Wu Jianan could finish his words, he fainted from exhaustion. Shao Weiyi called out in panic, "Teacher! Teacher!"
The outer door was pushed open, and military doctors and others rushed in, some taking his pulse and some giving him acupuncture.
"General Shao, please leave first." The people around him persuaded Shao Weiyi to leave.
Shao Weiyi retreated to the door in a daze, looking at Wu Jian'an who was carried back to the bed. He tightly grasped the brocade bag in his hand and solemnly put it into his sleeve.
In mid-April, the air force flags over Donglong City were lowered to half-mast, and the entire Jin army was in mourning.
When Zong Yanli assembled her army and approached Donglong City, she saw the fluttering white banner. Her eyes deepened as she saw the gate of Donglong City open, and Shao Weiyi, wearing a white cloth on his head and a linen robe, walked out of the city without wearing any military armor, and stood in front of the Wu army.
"My mentor has passed away, and I have come here specially to ask General Zong Yan to let me pass through so that I can bury my mentor with honor!" Shao Weiyi raised his hand and knelt down in front of Zong Yanli. This kneeling did not humiliate his dignity as a general in the slightest, and it also made everyone tremble.
Zong Yanli's eyes trembled, he pulled the reins and rode closer, sitting on the horse's back and looking at Shao Weiyi and said, "Master Wu is dead?"
Although she knew that Wu Jian'an must feel uncomfortable after being shot by her arrow, she never expected that this arrow would cause him to die. She should be happy about the death of the enemy general, but at this moment, looking at Shao Weiyi kneeling in front of the formation in a sackcloth robe, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
"All troops, listen up! Retreat!" Zong Yanli turned his head and shouted.
"Shao Weiyi, thank you for your grace!"
"..."
On the city wall of Donglong City, many generals, holding their swords tightly at their waists, had already prepared instructions in their hands, and were ready to shoot arrows to provide cover as soon as the order was given.
They had never thought that Shao Weiyi would be so bold as to walk out alone without armor or sword.
You went there just to ask the enemy to give way. What a ridiculous request. The enemy is being merciful by not killing you, so why would they agree to your request?
But what they didn't expect was that the Wu army, which they thought was extremely ferocious and terrifying, would actually retreat. The huge army retreated to both sides, leaving an extremely wide road. This scene was truly shocking.
"Lift up the coffin—!"
"Congratulations, General!"
The sky was filled with white paper falling from the city walls. A team carried a coffin out of Donglong City. The white banner erected high was so eye-catching. The sky was filled with yellow and white scraps of paper.
Such a team would not allow anyone to be on guard at all, and the heavy coffin was carried out of Donglong City step by step.
The soldiers under Zong Yanli's command glanced at Zong Yanli and saw that the general did not make any unusual movements, so they slowly loosened their grip on their swords. Thousands of soldiers stood quietly on both sides, as if clearing the way for the old general.
At this moment, the issue of life and death became extremely clear.
At this moment,
"Bang!" The motionless coffin was suddenly broken open from the inside by an extremely powerful force. The sharp spear broke through the air and brushed past the heart guard on Zong Yanli's chest with a clang.
"General——!" Monkie and others were horrified when they saw this scene. Gao Feilin, as Zong Yanli's personal soldier, jumped forward to block the knife for her without any hesitation.