When Zhao Chun returned to his tent, he saw the bodies of his guards lying on the ground in the dim light. His heart tightened and he was about to shout, but his neck was instantly strangled by a soft steel wire. The person behind him kicked his knee and he fell to his knees. His hands were tied behind his back, and the soft wire was still tight around his neck, making it difficult for him to breathe and unable to make a sound.
The man who attacked him walked up to him and he opened his eyes wide in shock.
Duan Xu's face was pale, and his steps were a little staggering, as if the sneak attack just now had consumed his strength. He squatted in front of Zhao Chun, holding his shoulders, and smiled innocently: "Zhao Shuai, it's been a long time since we last met. You have become more and more powerful. I am dumbfounded and can't catch up with you."
Zhao Chun thought of Duan Xu's nickname "Smiling Yama" and felt a chill run down his spine. How could Duan Xu suddenly appear at the frontier
"In just one month, Qingzhou was lost and half of Fengzhou was lost. If it weren't for the death of my Daliang soldiers, you wouldn't even be able to keep Qizhou and Youzhou! What is Youzhou? It's the throat! What is Qizhou? It's a granary! What's in your head! Do you think the battlefield in the north is just a game? Do you think I can take five states in a year and a half? Can you do it too? You are the commander-in-chief of an army. How many lives depend on you? How many battles have the soldiers on the north bank fought with me? They know how stupid your orders are better than you. Did you listen to them? You want to establish your authority, but they are being pushed to death by you?!"
"Guihe Army lost 30%, Tabai Army lost 30%, Chengjie Army lost 20%. My brother..." Duan Xu's eyes turned red, his five fingers deeply clasped in Zhao Chun's shoulders, he spoke word by word: "My brother is not yet fourteen years old this year, he has been by my side for six years, and I still can't bear to let him go to the most dangerous place to fight! Unexpectedly... he wants to die for your stupidity! Thousands of arrows piercing his heart! Without him, you would have lost Youzhou! You know you are useless, even if you were to die in the Golden Palace, you should not have accepted the imperial edict of appointment!"
The Youzhou garrison followed Zhao Chun's order and took the initiative to attack, but was ambushed by the Danzhi army. Shen Ying led a team of cavalry to attack from behind, killing ten times the enemy with a thousand men, allowing the Daliang army to break through and return to the city to defend. However, all the thousand men he brought, including himself, died, and none of them returned.
Duan Xu grabbed Zhao Chun's collar, looked at his face which was gradually turning purple due to his inability to breathe, and said with a smile: "You think you are the emperor's man, and the emperor won't kill you or even blame you no matter how much trouble you make? It's a pity that the emperor won't kill you, but I dare to kill you."
Zhao Chun opened his eyes wide, whimpering incoherently and shaking his head as if he wanted to scream, but he saw Duan Xu reached out and grabbed both ends of the wire around his neck and tightened it mercilessly.
His neck tilted and he fell to the ground.
"Zhao Shuai, Zhao Shuai!"
Someone outside the camp called Zhao Chun's name, lifted the camp curtain and walked in. Duan Xu looked up calmly and met Ding Jin's eyes who was wearing armor. Ding Jin looked at Zhao Chun lying on the ground, then looked at Duan Xu, and his pupils shrank. It seemed that there was a lieutenant outside who wanted to follow him in. Ding Jin shouted, "No one is allowed to come in! Go and call General Shi Lang. Where are General Chang and General Sun brought by General Zhao now?"
"In the West Camp."
"Keep an eye on them and report back every moment."
"yes."
The captain outside the camp took the order and left. Ding Jin walked up to Duan Xu, knelt on one knee, bowed, and called out, "General Duan!"
Duan Xu patted Ding Jin's shoulder. Ding Jin looked up. The eyes of the usually cold and sharp-tongued man were red. Duan Xu smiled gently and stretched out his hand, saying, "Help me stand up."
Ding Jin was stunned for a moment, then he noticed Duan Xu's weakness, and he was even more surprised by the bodies of people who died under his hands. He helped Duan Xu stand up and let him sit on the chair next to him. As soon as Duan Xu sat down, Shi Biao walked in with a stern face, lifting the curtain, and yelled: "Looking for me..."
When he saw Duan Xu, his eyes widened. Ding Jin rushed over and covered his mouth, saying, "Don't make a sound."
Shi Biao shook off Ding Jin's hand and rushed forward, saying, "General Duan! General Duan, you are finally here! That damn Zhao Chun has never fought against the Danzhi people. He is even dumber than a donkey! When the brothers said a few words, he said that we were disobeying orders. We were badly harmed by him! Even... Even Chen Ying..."
Duan Xu's face darkened.
Shi Biao noticed that Duan Xu looked pale, and he said angrily, "General Duan, what's wrong with you? Were you murdered by that old emperor? We... we should not go back after we destroy Danzhi! Damn it!"
"Shi Biao!" Duan Xu and Ding Jin shouted at the same time.
Shi Biao was so angry at their drinking that he stopped talking. After his impassioned speech, he noticed Zhao Chun lying dead on the ground. His eyes widened and he wanted to kick Zhao Chun twice. He stood up and said, "General Duan, you decide what to do. We'll listen to you!"
Duan Xu glanced at the corpse on the ground and said, "Zhao Chun committed suicide because of the failures in the battles on the north bank. The few people he brought with him..."
He looked at Ding Jin and said, "Died on the front line."
Ding Jin bowed and said, "Yes."
"Deal with the bodies of Zhao Chun and the guards on the ground, and then call a trusted lieutenant over." Duan Xu said to Ding Jin, then turned to Shi Biao and said, "Open the map, and we will analyze the situation and discuss countermeasures."
Ding Jin and Shi Biao each took orders. The candlelight in the tent flickered, reflecting Duan Xu's tired expression. His hands were clenched into fists and never loosened.
Shi Biao spread out the map, Duan Xu stood up by the table and walked over slowly. Shi Biao told him the situation on the front line. Duan Xu had expected that Danzhi was just pretending to seek peace, so he had made some arrangements before leaving the front line, instructing the garrisons in various places to hold their ground and wear down Danzhi if he counterattacked.
But Zhao Chun's arrival completely disrupted Duan Xu's plans. Eager to make a contribution, he ordered his army to take the initiative and attack the enemy's strength using their own weakness. After several battles, the front line was full of gaps and suffered heavy losses.
Fortunately, Youzhou is still there
That was what Shen Ying saved with his life.
Duan Xu closed his eyes and clenched his fists. The pain of his fingertips piercing his flesh made him open his eyes and reorganize the battle situation. He was discussing with Shi Biao when Ding Jin came in with his men.
"General Duan, this time... in addition to our soldiers, I also brought another person with me." Ding Jin turned around and made way, and Duan Xu saw the person behind him.
Under the flickering candlelight, the man was tall, with a hideous wound on his face that ran diagonally across his entire face, and there was only pain in his eyes.
Duan Xu was silent for a moment, then called out, "Ling Qiu."
Han Lingqiu took two steps forward, his throat choked, and he said softly: "I heard about Youzhou's distress, so I rushed over, but I was still a step too late... I didn't save Chen Ying."
That kid called him Brother Han for four months and considered him half-apprentice, but in the end he died in front of him.
Just one step away. If he had gone there half an hour earlier, he could have saved him.
He pulled out a bloody token from his bosom, handed it to Duan Xu, and said, "Before Chen Ying died, he asked me to give it to you. He said... He didn't break his promise. He kept your wish."
Duan Xu looked at the blood-stained Tabai Army token, and vaguely remembered that when he was still a general of the Tabai Army, Chen Ying said that his future wish was to protect him and He Simu. He thought it was just childish talk.
But Shen Ying took it seriously.
Even after death, the obsession could not be resolved and turned into a wandering soul, appearing in the Book of Ghosts.
Duan Xu held the token, his body swayed, then he bent down and spat out a mouthful of blood. There was a burst of exclamations from the people around him, and Han Lingqiu supported him. He held Han Lingqiu's hand, raised his eyes and looked at Han Lingqiu and said: "This token, you take it."
Han Lingqiu was stunned.
"The general of the Tabai Army died in battle, and entrusted the token to Chen Ying, who then entrusted it to you. You were once the general of the Tabai Army, and now, you still are."
Han Lingqiu's eyes were red, and he whispered: "You know I..."
"I believe you." Duan Xu said.
Han Lingqiu was silent for a moment, then took the Tabai Army's military order from Duan Xu and leaned forward and said, "Yes, Commander Duan."
Duan Xu patted his shoulder, wiped the blood from his mouth, pointed at the map and said, "Look at the map."
"Now Qingzhou has been lost, and half of Fengzhou has been lost. Although Youzhou is still there, it suffered heavy losses in the previous battle, and the enemy's offensive is fierce. Let Meng Wan send 10,000 Suying troops to support, pass through Qizhou, and ask Zhao Xing for half a year's food and grass. Fengzhou and Qingzhou pretend to be defeated and retreat, and lead the Danzhi army to the valley on the east side of Heyu Mountain. Wu Shengliu will lead his men to encircle the enemy from behind and strive to annihilate them completely. If we can annihilate them completely, we will take advantage of Fengzhou's empty troops and recapture the lost territory."
The candlelight added a touch of warmth to Duan Xu's pale face. He pointed at the map and arranged everything one by one, ordering Ding Jin and Shi Biao to notify the garrisons in various places.
"Don't make Zhao Chun's death public yet. Wait until Wu Shengliu succeeds in encircling the city. Ding Jin, you are in charge of the overall situation, but the orders should be given by Shi Biao. The situation in Nandu is complicated recently. Ding Jin, you have family in Nandu, so be careful. The soldiers on the north bank are all familiar with each other. They will know what I am doing and will naturally listen to you."
Shi Biao was a little surprised to hear this. He asked, "Duan Shuai, aren't you staying?"
Duan Xu lowered his eyes tiredly and rubbed his temples: "I have no appointment, and coming to the front line without permission is a capital crime. You must not make public what I am doing here today. I have to go back to Nandu and ask the emperor to reappoint me as commander."
Shi Biao was very angry and was about to say those treasonous words again, but he heard Duan Xu say: "I don't want to fight with the court. Many of the soldiers' hometowns are also on the south bank."
After a pause, he smiled bitterly and said, "My family is still in the South Bank."
When Duan Xu returned to Nandu, it was snowing. The snow was ankle-deep and the sky was dark. As soon as he entered Nandu, he first sent the written petition to the Tongzhengsi to submit to the emperor, and then returned to Duan's mansion.
Before he returned to Nandu, he heard the rumor that "Duan Xu" had leprosy and closed his door to visitors, so he wrapped himself tightly when he came back. When he entered the house, the housekeeper almost didn't recognize him. After seeing him take off his veil and hood, he was so happy that he cried and ran back to tell Duan Chengzhang that the young master was back.
When Duan Xu walked into the yard, he saw Duan Chengzhang. Duan Chengzhang was standing under the eaves, leaning on a cane. He looked at him with a sullen face, tapping the ground with his cane and saying, "You still remember to come back."
Duan Xu's face was so pale that it seemed to blend into the snow. He sighed, rubbed his forehead, and said, "Dad, I'm very tired. Let's talk later if you have anything to say."
"Kneel down!" Duan Chengzhang said angrily.
Duan Xu looked up at Duan Chengzhang, who was pounding the ground with his cane and angrily said, "Rebellious son! Are you trying to piss me off to death? Kneel down!"
Duan Xu was silent for a moment, then he lifted up his clothes, took a step back, and knelt in the snow facing Duan Chengzhang.
Duan Chengzhang asked in a deep voice: "Where have you been during this time?"
"Sorry, I can't say." Duan Xu answered simply.
"Why didn't Fang Xianye die back then?"
Duan Xu looked at Duan Chengzhang. He seemed to have no energy to pretend. He just said calmly: "You tried to kill him twice, but I saved him. It was me who brought him to Nandu. It was me who asked him to follow Pei Guogong and serve as a general at the border. It was me who acted with him to get him to participate. We have been cooperating for the past ten years. He knows everything I have done. Luo Xian is also one of ours. How about it, is there anything else you want to know, Dad?"
Duan Chengzhang was so angry that he walked into the snow and hit him on the back with his walking stick, but was stopped by Mrs. Duan, who said, "Chengzhang! After all, we are the ones who let him down!"
Duan Xu did not avoid it, but endured it silently, thinking that the fact that his mother actually came out of the Buddhist temple showed that the family must have been in great chaos before.
Duan Chengzhang was pulled back to the eaves by Madam Duan. Madam Duan wanted to pull Duan Xu but was stopped by Duan Chengzhang. Duan Chengzhang pointed his cane at him and said, "So you have been pretending to be well-behaved and lying to us? Why are you doing this? You haven't revealed a single word in ten years. Are you still my son?"
Duan Xu looked up at Duan Chengzhang and chuckled, "How hurtful it would be if you knew."
"What nonsense. Now that I know this, doesn't it hurt me?" Duan Chengzhang shouted angrily.
Duan Xu was silent for a moment, and the smile in his eyes gradually cooled.
"If you had known earlier, it would not only hurt feelings, but you would have stopped me. If you know now... it would just hurt feelings, that's all."