"… Your Majesty personally led the army to push Tuyuhun's territory westward for 4,000 miles, and overthrew their capital city Fushi. Murong Shun, who was trapped in Chang'an, whose father Murong Fuyun was Busabo Khan, fled west in a panic. Your Majesty took advantage of the victory to pursue him, hoping to open up the Southern Silk Road in one fell swoop. He ordered four generals in the army to station in Jinshan, Qilian, Pipa Gorge, and Niling, and surrounded them from all sides. As a result, Murong Fuyun had someone impersonate him and took the opportunity to sneak away. Your Majesty was furious and ordered people to pursue him, but he was ambushed. He sent two more armies to pursue him, and they were defeated in Dadouba Valley. According to the news sent back, it was dark and windy over there, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night. I guess someone who knows magic helped Murong Fuyun. After several attacks, as many as eight generals were killed and 20,000 soldiers were injured. Master, Your Majesty may be anxious this time…"
Lu Liangsheng sat there in silence, not noticing that the rice porridge in his bowl had gone cold. He asked softly, "Did Yuan Feng come back with any news?"
“Not yet.”
"No news..." Lu Liangsheng picked up the bowl again, used his chopsticks to finish the meal in one go, and then put it on the table: "That's the best news."
The sunlight shone in the hall, pushing the shadows of the furniture to move slowly. Hong Lian and Qi You came down the wooden stairs, and feeling the atmosphere, they pursed their lips and dared not speak, and quietly retreated back upstairs.
"Yuan Feng is the least talkative of the four of you, but he is the most thoughtful. He wants to stand out so much that he dares to risk his life... Heaven does not allow cultivators to use magic to interfere with the rise and fall of the human court, otherwise he would not have almost died last time."
The scholar's voice was steady and calm, but Yuwen Tuo, who had followed his master for many years, knew that there was anger beneath his calm tone. Even as a calm man, he had to speak carefully.
"... But if something unexpected happens to Yuan Feng..."
"That's his path." Lu Liangsheng looked at the tilted bowl of porridge on the table and closed his eyes. "Before he went to the battle, he had already said that he had to rely on himself. It's not good for me to interfere. Besides, the old mother in Mount Li also warned me last time."
"Master..."
"Okay, you have things to do too, go back first."
Lu Liangsheng put the dishes and chopsticks in order and ordered them to leave. Yuwen Tuo sighed, looked at his master's attitude, sighed again, and walked out of the hall with his hands clasped.
"Master, I am going back."
After sending his disciple to the eaves, Lu Liangsheng said nothing. He watched his disciple walk down the stone steps. His eyes became serious. He closed his eyes, turned around and walked back upstairs. He ignored Hong Lian and Qi You who were guarding the aisle and called him.
The scholar walked into the room, not knowing what to do for a moment. He unconsciously flipped through the desk drawer and looked at a tattered flag stained with blood, lying there quietly.
well!
Lu Liangsheng sat there and watched for a long time, then he sighed, stood up, found a blank scroll and spread it out on the table, holding a brush in his hand, probably to draw something for one of his apprentices.
The sunlight outside the window became bright, passing through the clouds and heading west. To the farther northwest, there were mountains and ridges in a place called Dadouba Valley. The word "valley" does not mean narrow. On the contrary, it is two miles wide. The mountains on both sides are high into the clouds and covered with strange rocks. Some places are extremely cold and covered with thick snow.
Fifteen miles away from this valley, there is a military camp with a large flag with the word "Sui" written on it. Soldiers and horses are constantly coming in and out of the gate. The soldier guarding the gate saw from afar several teams of soldiers and horses escorting a carriage coming over. Just as he was about to step forward, the carriage coming over there lifted a corner of the curtain. The soldier hurriedly stepped back and subconsciously wanted to speak, but the figure inside waved his hand to stop him. Then, a group of people walked straight into the military camp.
At this time, apart from the patrolling soldiers, there were few people outside the camp. Most of the soldiers hid in the tents, warming themselves by a small fire, but they were still shivering from the cold.
"How can we fight in this horrible weather? Damn it, these Tuyuhun people have gone into this valley and can't get out. The moment we go in, the weather changes. We can't tell which direction is which. How can we shoot arrows?"
"Who isn't? Luckily, I reacted quickly and only got hit on the butt. Now I can only lie prone."
"Hey, it's better than lying down!"
"What do you think, how should we fight from now on? Will His Majesty allow us to withdraw our troops?"
"Withdraw? So many brothers and generals died. If we just leave like this, wouldn't it be a waste of our lives?!"
"Drag it on is not a solution."
"It depends on your majesty."
…
Such whispered discussions were not uncommon. In the largest tent in the middle, there was a loud crash. An armored general kicked over a long table, and orders, documents, and albums fell to the ground. He glanced at the generals in the tent with red eyes and clenched his fists.
"Zhang Dinghe underestimated the enemy and rushed forward rashly, and died in battle. We are deeply trusted by His Majesty. If we don't even know where the enemy is, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the Sui Dynasty? Everyone, how do you think we should fight this battle?"
"General, I am willing to lead another army to attack the valley and pull Murong Fuyun out of it!"
“Easy to say!”
The general glared at the deputy general who had spoken, waved his hand and told him to go back and stand still, and paced back and forth in front of the long table, "If we can win by just fighting, why do we have to stop here?!"
Among the six generals on both sides, the last one was tall and majestic in his armor. His thick eyebrows and big eyes showed hesitation. After a while, he was about to bow and stand up to ask for orders. At this time, a voice came from outside the tent: "Generals, you have worked hard. Are you still discussing military affairs at this time?!"
The generals in the tent almost subconsciously reached out to grasp the hilts of their swords. The general in front of the long desk shouted, "How dare you!" Then he stood up straight, clasped his fists and bowed his head towards the tent door.
"Right Guard General Liu Jianwu pays respect to His Majesty!"
The curtain was opened, and Yang Guang came in wearing a thick robe, bringing the cold outside with him. The generals on both sides immediately bowed their heads and shouted in unison: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"No need to greet each other."
The emperor waved to them, walked straight to the middle, and lifted up the long table that had fallen over. General Liu Jianwu wanted to help, but was stopped by Yang Guang who waved his hand. He personally picked up the scattered orders and documents on the ground, blew the dust off them, and put them on the table.
"It seems that our General Liu has set off quite a fire."
"I am guilty!" Liu Jianwu quickly knelt down on one knee. Over there, Yang Guang walked to sit behind the long desk, stretched out his hand for him to stand up and speak, and glanced at the generals present.
"I didn't come here to see you apologize. What I want is to hear that you have conquered Dadouba Valley and captured Murong Fuyun, so that I can take him to Chang'an to reunite with his son."
The generals in the army over there listened quietly. Yang Guang fiddled with a command arrow, took a deep breath, and the smile he had when he came in just now gradually faded.
“… I can’t actually laugh. A few days ago, I heard the news that several generals had died in battle, and I felt bad. But now that our Great Sui has advanced 4,000 miles westward and conquered half of Tuyuhun, how can we give up halfway? If we leave, those heroes who fought for me and the Great Sui will die in vain. I will be the first one to disagree!”
With a slight clang, the emperor threw the command arrow he was playing with onto the table. He raised his eyes and looked around: "My central army is on the way. We must take this Dadouba Valley. When you attack the valley tomorrow, I will be watching from here and see if there are any demons trying to hinder me!"
His gaze finally settled on Liu Jianwu.
"General, are you sure?"
"have!"
Liu Jianwu bowed and shouted. Among the generals behind him, the one who hesitated before strode out and clasped his fists towards the emperor sitting in the middle: "Your Majesty, I, Qu Yuanfeng, am willing to lead my troops to serve as the first line!"
Qu Yuanfeng
Yang Guang was stunned for a moment, as if he had heard this name somewhere before. However, he was busy discussing military matters at the moment and had no time to think about it. Judging from his dignified appearance and strong physique, he must be a brave man.
He nodded in agreement, slammed the table and stood up.
"In that case, General Qu will attack the valley tomorrow, and I will support you!"