The north wind was light all night, and the light snow drifted for half the night, and the winter grass and wasteland were sprinkled like fine salt, which inadvertently added a few different crystals to the bleakness under the severe cold.
The next day, the sky was still full of low clouds and dark pressure, and the cold wind was blowing and rolling up the thin snow that had accumulated at night. Occasionally, when it tightened, it seemed that a slight breaking sound could be heard when it hit the robe.
Eleven stood not far from the camp tent on the right, looking straight ahead. Because of the injury on his arm, he didn't wear battle armor, but only a black tight-fitting narrow-sleeved warrior uniform. The long sword with a purple sheath on his waist was quietly placed on one side with the coldness of ice and snow embedded. It is like a sharp sword, handsome and sharp.
The grain, grass and supplies escorted by Xu Feng, the Zuoduyun envoy of the three armies, had arrived at the time of Chongmao, and were being sent into the camp in an endless stream. The long journey of chariots and horses was solemn and orderly.
Marching and fighting food and grass has always been the top priority, as the commander naturally cannot ignore it, he must personally go to the scene to inspect it. However, as always, Eleven rarely saw the so-called seriousness that a commander should have on his face. The deployment of troops and generals, and the strategy of military horses were all in that relaxed smile, which was inadvertently but ubiquitous.
At this moment, he just stood aside, looking through the waving military flags in the camp and falling on the far end of the clouds. Rather than saying that he was thinking about something, it would be better to say that he was admiring the winter scenery of falling snow in the plains. The winter in the north is getting colder and colder, and between breathing, a white fog condenses in front of my eyes.
The icy air made one's mind clearer, he raised his lips and smiled, and the battle unfolded smoothly before his eyes, handy. He has no doubts about the final result, and enjoys the process of leading to this result, strategizing and winning thousands of miles away, his eyes seem to see through the enemy's barracks that are only a few dozen miles away, and his youthful pride makes him handsome at times with a high-spirited look look.
But after a while, there was a slight sound of footsteps behind him. He didn't pay attention to it at first, but when the person came all the way to him, his heart moved slightly, and he suddenly turned around to look, which startled the person.
Standing behind him with a sable cloak on his arm, Qing Chen took a slight breath and complained unceremoniously: "I'm so scared!"
Eleven didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but seeing that she obviously didn't intend to reason, he could only say, "So I should apologize?"
"That's right." Qing Chen said, and handed him the sable cloak: "I can't find you anywhere, why are you standing here by yourself if you're not resting in the tent?"
Eleven took the sable cloak she handed over, but didn't put it on, looked into her eyes, and stretched out his hand: "Give it back to me."
"What?" Qing Chen asked perplexedly, but she was quick-witted, and then she understood what he meant, flashed the beads on her wrist in front of his eyes, and immediately hid behind her: "Why do you want to return something you gave someone?" reason?"
Eleven's eyebrows frowned: "If I knew this, I couldn't give you anything."
Qing Chen joked: "When did the majestic prince become so stingy?"
Eleven looked at the woman in white clothes in front of him, the thin snow was deep in the wilderness, and the wind passed the snow, and suddenly there was a feeling of distantness, thinking of the bizarre things Ye Tianling said, his eyes darkened a little Point: "It's just a problem for the fourth brother, pay me back quickly."
"Really?" Qing Chen looked at him nonchalantly, playing with the beads behind his back.
"What do you think?" Eleven glared at her, but finally couldn't help laughing when she saw the sly smile flashing across her eyes.
Qing Yang's laughter swayed gently between the two of them as the first snow broke through the cold winter. Qing Chen felt that she would laugh like this only when she was in front of Eleven, and was extremely happy for a while. But suddenly, Eleven looked behind her, the smile in his eyes froze, and the corners of his raised lips stopped suddenly, followed by obvious surprise.
She followed Eleven's gaze and looked back, Eleven shouted: "Zheng Zhao! Bring the people around you here!" His voice was extremely serious, even with a trace of dissatisfaction. Qing Chen was very confused, she rarely heard Eleven scolding the soldiers under the tent like this.
The two people who had just passed by not far away stopped when they heard the words, and one of them, a sergeant in a general's uniform, looked up and looked this way, showing hesitation on his face, but he didn't dare to disobey the order, and immediately came forward.
"The final general will see Your Highness!" The two soldiers saluted one after the other.
Eleven did not order Zheng Zhao to stand up, his eyes fell on the soldier behind him, and his voice was cold: "You raise your head."
The soldier trembled imperceptibly, but lowered his head subconsciously.
Doubt suddenly floated in Qing Chen's heart, and he looked at the soldier intently. Because he lowered his head deeply, most of the man's appearance was covered by the armor of the military uniform, and he couldn't see clearly, Qing Chen's eyes flicked over the man's hands and suddenly stopped, his long eyebrows were slightly drawn together, and the bottom of his eyes wavered.
Those were a pair of small hands, with slender and shiny nails, and delicate and smooth skin, which looked unusually fair on the black military armor, as if they were displaying a beautiful work of art. The leather, due to the force, faintly reveals a rose-like blood color.
"Raise your head!" Eleven emphasized his tone. When he became serious, the natural dignity and majesty were irresistible.
The soldier hesitated for a moment, and finally raised his head slowly.
When Qing Chen saw that overly delicate face clearly, he was really shocked in his heart. This person is neither unfamiliar nor familiar, she is Yin Caiqian, the first daughter of the Yin family, the cousin of King Zhan, and the appointed princess on the eleventh day.
Eleven's complexion sank, his eyebrows raised, and he asked Zheng Zhao, "What's going on here?"
Zheng Zhao hastily leaned over to apologize: "Your Highness, forgive me, this... this..."
Yin Caiqian interrupted his explanation that he didn't know how to word it: "I forced him to hide it for me, it has nothing to do with him."
Eleven glanced at her sharply: "The important place of the military camp, is it a place where you can come casually?"
Yin Caiqian also twitched her eyebrows: "I didn't want to come to the West Road Barracks, but I wanted to go to Brother Zhan!"
"Isn't Seventh Brother's army a barracks?" Eleven said coldly, "Zheng Zhao, you dare to let a woman pretend to be a soldier and stay in the army without permission, what crime should you deserve!"
This Zheng Zhao is also the son of a nobleman in Tiandu, and he often invites Yin Caiqian and other official women to go hunting on weekdays, and they have become acquainted since they came. Because the Yin family was eager to win over the Su clan's family members, they wanted to marry the eldest daughter. Yin Caiqian resolutely refused to follow this matter, and argued with her father all day long, knowing that one day she would not be able to resist, so she simply came and left. After she slipped out of Tiandu, she wanted to go to King Zhan's army, and she would not be discovered by her father if she was far away, but who knew that by mistake, she mixed into the army of food and grass on the West Road. After Zheng Zhao found her, he wanted to send her back to Tiandu immediately, but he couldn't meet her hard and soft request, so he helped her fool her all the way here.
Zheng Zhao knew that this matter could not be concealed any longer: "The general will be found guilty, please punish him, Your Highness."
"Thirty army sticks with sticks, execute on the spot!" An extremely cold voice suddenly came from behind Eleven, as if the severe cold and snow had been frozen deep, without the slightest warmth.
Ye Tianling and several soldiers arrived at an unknown time, and Zheng Zhao complained secretly. This matter may still be discussed in the hands of King Che, but with King Ling's way of governing the army, today it is considered to be a knife edge.
Qing Chen took a look at Ye Tianling, but didn't make a sound, Eleven's expression was not clear, and there was still anger.
The guards of the Xuanjia army responded immediately and executed on the spot.
When Yin Caiqian saw Ye Tianling, she was overwhelmed with surprise, but now she turned pale with shock. The sound of armor rubbing together with the muffled sound of military sticks woke her up from the momentary freeze, and the staff had already moved.
"Stop!" She stepped forward and stood beside Zheng Zhao: "You can't blame him for this!"
The punishment rod was pulled back half an inch away from her body, and the Xuanjia guard looked at Ye Tianling, waiting for his instructions.
Ye Tianling had no expression on his face, and that delicate figure came into view, without causing any fluctuations in the deep coldness in his eyes. He raised his shirt and was about to give an order. Xu Feng, the envoy of the left capital of the three armies, rushed over and gave a military salute: "The last general will see your Highnesses!"
Ye Tianling said, "Do you know what happened?"
Xu Feng glanced at Yin Caiqian, frowning: "The last general just found out."
"What should I do?"
"The end will be punished."
"Why are you punished?"
"If you don't control your subordinates strictly, if your subordinates violate the military law, the general should be held accountable."
"Okay, my king wants you to lead the thirty army sticks together, do you have any complaints?"
"No complaints." While speaking, Xu Fengfu kowtowed on his right knee, took off his armor, exposed his back and prepared to be tortured.
Ye Tianling never looked at Yin Caiqian, and said coldly, "Continue."
"Wait!" Yin Caiqian supported the military stick with her hands, and said stubbornly: "If you want to fight, I will fight with you!"
Ye Tianling said indifferently: "Do you think this king can't do it?"
The sky was cloudy and dark, and the heavy gray was pressing down on the earth. The bitter wind blew up fine ice particles, which made people's skin ache, and a heavy snow was coming.
Ye Tianling's black cloak fluttered in the wind, flashing past Yin Caiqian. The indifferent figure she had depicted in detail countless times in her dreams showed coldness and majesty under her battle robe, her whole body was as cold as a peak of ice, and the haunting and distressing loneliness in her memory was now replaced by a person who was not angry but intimidating. He is completely different from what he imagined.
Yin Caiqian didn't have time to think about it, she insisted on standing in front of Zheng Zhao: "Why punish him so severely?"
"Women kept privately in the army will be punished with thirty military sticks according to the law, and three months' salary will be deducted." Ye Tianling explained to her.
"Then he will be punished because of me, I can't sit idly by!" Yin Caiqian said: "How can you spare him punishment?"
"Military law is like a mountain." Ye Tianling threw out four short words and waved.
Yin Caiqian wanted to fight again, Ye Tianling raised her eyes and scanned, she was suddenly shocked by his sharp eyes. There seems to be a sharp edge in his eyes like dark clouds overwhelming the city, but his calm expression makes people dare not look at him, let alone talk about it.
Qing Chen blinked and sighed softly, she knew that Ye Tianling was finally angry. In the current situation, I am afraid that Yin Caiqian must be ordered to be dragged away before the military law can be enforced, but it may not be appropriate for the soldiers to push Miss Yin's family away if it reaches the Queen's ears.
She looked towards Ye Tianling, but saw that Ye Tianling was also looking at her. She raised her eyebrows knowingly, stepped forward and pulled Yin Caiqian away: "Stop messing around, this is in the army."
Yin Caiqian turned around and asked, "You are also a woman, why are you in the army?"
Qing Chen said indifferently: "I follow the army by order."
The army stick fell behind him, and the voice was crisp and merciless. Yin Caiqian was in a hurry and had no intention of arguing with Qing Chen, and turned around to stop her, but Qing Chen held her hand tightly, with moderate strength, making her unable to break free.
The eyes in front of her were slightly clear and sharp in the silence, and she heard Qing Chen whisper: "Haven't you heard that His Royal Highness is ruthless in governing the army? If the trouble continues, the Thirty Army Sticks will be afraid." If you want to become sixty, then life and death will be hard to tell."
She stopped struggling when she heard the sound, and looked at Ye Tianling hesitantly, that face that couldn't distinguish between emotions and anger was as cold as winter, and it was impossible for pity or forgiveness to show on it. Facing this cruelty, she clearly had no choice but to obey.
Zheng Zhao and Xu Feng's backs turned from white to red, from blue to purple, until the skin was ripped apart and blood spattered, dripping on the dead grass and thin snow, scorching people's eyes.
When had Yin Caiqian seen such a scene of blood and flesh flying all over her face, she was frightened, angry and frightened, mixed with powerlessness and unwillingness, tears welled up in her eyes. She turned her head away, tears fell like broken beads, she bit her lip hard and refused to make a sound.
The thirty army sticks were quickly finished, Xu Feng and Zheng Zhao gritted their teeth and leaned over: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your instruction."
"Help the two of them back to the account, and prescribe medicine for treatment." Ye Tianling said: "Long March, dispatch people, and send her back to Beijing tomorrow." After finishing speaking, he brushed his clothes and led the crowd away.
The heavy snow that had accumulated all day long finally fell down one after another. The mountains, rivers, and plains were covered with snow, and the sky and the earth were vast. In an instant, the entire military camp was covered under the pure snow color, and the scenery was solemn and solemn.
The coldness seemed to subside a little under the obstruction of the snow. Qing Chen leaned on a sable silver silk cushion, smiled and looked at Yin Caiqian who was sulking on the opposite side. The fire became more and more red.
The warmth of the charcoal fire forced the moisture brought by the wind and snow to float up into the air like the color of water, floating in the mist like flowers in a mirror and the moon in water.
Yin Caiqian sat there with her knees hugged, just staring at her eyes in a daze, maybe she was tired and said nothing. Although this journey was supported by Zheng Zhao, she also suffered a lot. The usually pampered young lady mingled with the soldiers and lived in the open air for thousands of miles. Now she would easily be sent back to the Heavenly Capital, she protested silently.
Since Ye Tianling issued the military order, it must be followed. Qing Chen thought about how to persuade her.
"Princess!" Someone outside the tent begged to see her.
Qing Chen looked away from Yin Caiqian, and said softly, "Come in."
Followed by military doctor Zheng Huang Wenshang, he bowed down and asked Qing Chen a few questions about trauma treatment. Yin Caiqian sat beside her sullenly, feeling bored, she couldn't help but look up at Qing Chen. I saw her sitting idly, with her white robe loosened behind her back, her hair lightly pulled up and her belt hanging down, her whole body seemed to be enveloped in a bookish air, peaceful and soft. From time to time, she reached out to point out some acupoints for Huang Wenshang. Her jade-colored fingertips were as blue as blue, slender and transparent, which seemed to express her calmness and tranquility better than words and demeanor. For some reason, Yin Caiqian suddenly thought of Ye Tianzhan.
The charming King Zhan, every time he talks about this woman, he always uses a distant tone, a drifting expression, a meaningful smile, and a smile that is not like him in the past, but he can't say anything. different.
She once heard Ye Tianzhan playing a piece of music repeatedly while sitting by the Xianyu Lake in the Wangfu. The sound of the flute fell on the green leaves and light lotus like moonlight, soft and bright in a trance, mellow and affectionate.
She once asked what song it was out of curiosity, but Ye Tianzhan just smiled without saying a word, and looked at the lofty sky.
However, after Ye Tianzhan got married, she never heard that song again, to be exact, she never saw Ye Tianzhan's jade flute again.
She missed the sound of the flute very much, and later Jin Hui told her that it was an ancient song "Bimu".
After Huang Wenshang left, Qing Chen felt a little tired, and leaned back to the brazier to quietly read a medical book, but seeing Yin Caiqian hesitated to speak, she raised her eyes to ask.
Yin Caiqian hesitated for a moment, and asked her, "I heard that your medical skills are very good."
Qing Chen nodded: "It's okay." His eyes were clear as he spoke, with calm confidence.
Yin Caiqian raised her eyelashes slightly: "Then do you have any better wound medicine?"
Qing Chen seemed to be able to read her mind: "You want to heal Zheng Zhao's injuries?"
Yin Caiqian nodded, feeling a little annoyed: "I didn't know that there would be such a heavy punishment in the army. I made them suffer."
Qing Chen said: "I have ordered someone to deliver the medicine, so you don't have to worry about that."
The two of them seemed to have nothing to say, and fell silent. Qing Chen pondered for a moment, then asked politely: "Did you leave Tiandu privately this time?"
As soon as this topic was mentioned, Yin Caiqian immediately became a bit on guard, and said displeasedly: "I won't go back to Tiandu."
"Could it be possible for you not to go back in this lifetime?" Qing Chen looked back at the book, and said with a smile, "Will Prime Minister Yin not be worried?"
Yin Caiqian said indifferently: "If they still force me to marry, I won't go back!"
This is exactly the same as Eleven's escaping marriage. Qing Chen raised his eyes and smiled faintly: "There is nothing wrong with Yin Xiang's move. You are the prostitute daughter of the clan, so you should be more tolerant."
Yin Caiqian glanced at him, and Qing Chen said calmly, "Of course, I don't want you to marry King Che."
There seemed to be some sarcasm in Yin Caiqian's eyes: "Daughter of the clan, that's why you didn't marry brother Zhan, did you live up to his affection for you?"
Ye Tianzhan's name suddenly aroused a bit of bitterness in Qing Chen's heart, and the traces scattered, turning into mixed flavors. She lowered her eyes halfway, with a long smile still on the corner of her mouth, and said: "I married the person I want to marry."
"I only marry whoever I want to marry." Yin Caiqian said immediately without thinking.
"Who do you want to marry?" Qing Chen asked quietly, his eyes were far away, with a little sharpness, looking into her heart.
Yin Caiqian's expression was suffocated, her apricot eyes raised slightly, but she immediately avoided the calm gaze. Qing Chen smiled without saying a word, just looked at her quietly.
After a while, Yin Caiqian asked quietly: "Aren't you afraid of him?"
Qing Chen's brows were relaxed, and he was clear and clear: "You are afraid of him."
Yin Caiqian didn't categorically deny it, she looked away with a look of confusion, Ye Tianling's coldness in berating the soldiers just now came to mind unexpectedly. However, a trace of stubbornness soon appeared on her face, and she said bluntly: "I like him."
"Oh." Qing Chen smiled lightly, but was not surprised and angry: "I don't mind if you stay in the army for a while, as long as you can disobey his orders." She took the time to turn the medical book to the next page, her face pale and translucent After the water is slightly foggy, it is like a world of glazed glass.
Yin Caiqian took a deep breath, suppressing the unreasonably fast heartbeat, almost frustrated by Qing Chen's indifference, and couldn't help feeling a little annoyed in her heart. Just as she felt slightly unhappy, Qing Chen suddenly raised his eyes and smiled, the clear stream passed the green mountains and forests slowly, the breeze was intoxicating, and the blue sky was like washing.
Like a white cloud passing by, she flicked her sleeves lightly, closed the book in her hand, and said with a smile: "You might as well get to know him better, and let's talk about your likes and dislikes. It's inconvenient for the army to be full of men, so you will be in this tent tonight." Let's rest."
The sky is dark, and the cold moon is halfway up Dongshan.
Ye Tianling returned to the tent, lowered his head and brushed off the light snow that fell on his shoulders, and Qing Chen was looking at the map of the military aircraft displayed on the case with his hands on his back.
Before the case, the familiar scent of picking clouds was lit, and light clouds came out of the Xiu, and wisps of light mist hovered in the slightly empty tent, and finally sank.
The cold light shines outside the tent, iron horses and ice swords, thousands of miles away, soaked in a distant and heroic deep cool.
This long night is like a long time, flowing through the spring and autumn. Ye Tianling can't remember how many nights he spent alone in the military tent. At this time, the warmth of An Ran in the tent still makes him somewhat uncomfortable. He was a little surprised at the idea that he could feel at home in the middle of the night.
Qing Chen raised his head and gave him a faint smile. He walked to the desk and sat down. Seeing a little tiredness in her eyes, he said in a low voice, "What are you looking at? Don't you want you to sleep first?"
There was still snow on his body, and there was an icy breath soaked in the fur robe. Qing Chen smiled and said: "Yu is now eager to win, and he can't bear it anymore. I wonder where he will attack the city from." .”
Recently, the situation in Yanzhou is delicate, and incidents unfavorable to Yu Cheng have been reported frequently. King Zhan exchanged news with Youzhou, dispatched troops and sent a general to feign a shot, and at the right time, Yu Su's second son, Yu Xiangxiao, won two battles, adding fuel to the flames.
Yu Cheng began to frequently mobilize troops and horses, and no longer blindly procrastinated before. The Youzhou camp is also loose on the outside and tight on the inside, waiting for the king to come.
The map of the military aircraft was already familiar to him, and Ye Tianling stopped looking at it, and said, "I just made a bet with Eleven, one bet on the north of the Duanshanya, and the other on the White Horse River, what do you think?"
"Slant Wind Crossing."
"Oh? Why?"
"Because neither of you wants to be here," Qing Chen said with a smile: "If I were Yu Cheng, I would go where ordinary people would never expect. Although Xiefengdu is dangerous and rapid, it is extremely difficult to march, but the terrain is hidden and easy to attack."
Ye Tianling nodded, indicating that what she said made sense, and smiled again: "No matter where he comes from, the consequences will be the same."
Qing Chen put his finger on his lips, motioning for him to lower his voice.
Ye Tianling followed her gaze: "Why is this?" The screen was faint and the curtain was like smoke, he turned his head, with a slight hesitation in his words.
Qing Chen said softly: "Since we know that she is in the army, we can't let her mix with those soldiers anymore, but it's not good to make a show of having another branch, so let's just make it a night, and I'll wrong you to go to Eleven's."
The shadow of the lamp was sparse, and Ye Tianling stared at her quietly for a while, but did not express anything wrong.
"Really send her back to Yi Ge tomorrow?" Qing Chen asked softly.
"Um."
"I'm afraid she won't."
"It's not Xiangfu's garden in the army, so how can I have her?" Ye Tianling said lightly.
Qing Chen's eyebrows were raised slightly, and there was a slightly narrow expression in his eyes. A half-arc of a chuckle suddenly appeared on Ye Tianling's lips, he shook his head helplessly, raised his hand to caress her shoulder, and said softly, "Rest early."
Qing Chen nodded quietly in agreement, and Ye Tianling took his outer robe and got up.
The camps of the two commanders were not far apart. On the eleventh day, Ye Tianling came over, and the two talked about endless military affairs.
From time to time, the sound of guards walking could be heard outside the camp, and it rang slightly, but it was silent in the deep snow.
The entire military camp is like a beast hidden in the depths of darkness, lying on the side of Youzhou City, seemingly awake, and may deal a fatal blow to the invader at any time.
Once this well-planned battle is over, the army on the West Road will completely switch its defensive position, and go hand in hand with the Chinese army to attack the center of the rebel army. Hezhou, Dingzhou, Jingzhou, Yanzhou, and Jizhou are all within sight.
Now in the imperial capital, everyone is focusing on the battle against the rebellion in northern Xinjiang. After rectifying the deficit last time, the court quietly re-arranged the chess game, and the battle in the northern border was the juncture of this new game.
Ye Tianling smiled with interest, this battle seemed to be much more interesting than any previous one.
Suddenly there was a sound of footsteps outside, he and Eleven raised their heads at the same time, the thick curtain moved slightly, bringing out a piece of moonlight reflecting the coldness of the snow, but it was Qing Chen who lifted the curtain and entered.
Seeing her frowning, Ye Tianling got up and asked, "What's wrong?"
Qing Chen sighed helplessly: "I just went to see a wounded soldier whose condition suddenly deteriorated, and Yin Caiqian disappeared after I came back."