Zhao Yang didn't notice, and was attacked by Yan Xun and Chu Qiao from both sides. The Southwest Army, Northern Alliance, and Batuha Army were defeated like water. Yan Xun chased after him, killing more than 200,000 enemies along the way. Except for Zhao Yang's Northwest Army, almost all the main forces of the other three armies were disabled. Yan Xun led his troops to chase all the way into the northwest inland of Daxia, and did not stop until Yanming Pass. Subsequently, the Black Eagle Army set up camp north of Yanming Pass. Looking across the river, Zhao Yang saw that the northwestern part of the empire had been completely occupied by the Yanbei army, and all the officials and nobles in the northwestern part surrendered. In a panic, they spurted blood on the frozen Chishui River.
With this, the first Northern Expedition came to an end. The Yanbei Army lost as many as 400,000 troops under the two cities of Beishuo and Chidu. Chidu City was turned into a wasteland, and countless refugees died during the migration. Yanbei was not rich in finances, and it was even more difficult.
Compared with Yanbei, Great Xia’s damage is simply incalculable. Not only did the Northern Expeditionary Army lose more than half of it, a prince was killed in front of the formation, and half of the northwest mountains and rivers fell into the enemy’s hands. Shuo, maybe even the imperial capital has been captured. The eyes of the entire Simon Continent were focused on it. In the northwest sky, a magnificent red sun slowly set. The three hundred years of glory and dreams of the Great Xia Empire were heading towards an unstoppable decline.
After Zhao Yang returned to the imperial capital, the Daxia royal family was furious, and the Council of Elders quickly and unanimously approved a resolution to put Zhao Yang in prison. Three days later, the empire quickly dispatched 300,000 troops from the Southeast Army, the Northeast Army, and the family armies of the major families, led by the Seventh Prince Zhao Che, and sent them to the northwest battlefield again.
And Zhuge Huai, the young master of the Zhuge family, who served as the chief dispatcher of the reserve force during the first Northern Expedition, was also implicated by this defeat. Zhuge's family was excluded and impeached by the Presbyterian Council. In desperation, Zhuge Muqing had no choice but to use his fourth son, Zhuge Yue, as the chief dispatcher of the reserve army and the commander of military supplies for this army. He followed Zhao Che's footsteps and rushed to the northwest.
It is conceivable that another big battle is about to start. The house was silent, and occasionally a jackdaw flapped its wings and flew past the window at night, the wind blew the snow and rustled, and the moonlight shone on the ground through the window lattice, enveloping a candle, which was a dim light after all.
When Yan Xun came over, it was already very late, and the sound of sparse footsteps sounded like the drums of the night, quietly coming from a distance. The sound of crushing.
"Your Highness, the girl has already fallen asleep." The maid's voice was faintly filled with awe and timidity.
The wind seemed to pick up suddenly, faintly covering the unconcealable silence and embarrassment, the trees shook, the moonlight was dim and uncertain, and there was only a faint gray shadow, silently thrown from between the panes, the gray shadow stood in front of the window, not speaking, Did not leave either.
"Did the girl sleep well?" After a while, a mellow voice sounded faintly, without obvious joy or resentment at being stopped outside, just asked calmly, "Did the doctor come to see you?"
"The girl suffered some minor injuries, but nothing serious." The maid replied obediently.
"Oh." Yan Xun replied, then asked again, "What did you have for dinner?"
"I only drank half a bowl of porridge."
Yan Xun nodded silently, "She might be hungry at night, you guys have prepared some food to keep warm, stay alert, don't fall asleep."
"The servant knows."
Yan Xun stood under the porch, his figure was flabbergasted, the weather outside was so cold, the wind and snow swirled on the ground, wandering back and forth, the moonlight was hazy, showing a white field. He stood in the middle of the light and shadow, lowered his head slightly, and whispered to the closed window: "Ah Chu, I'm leaving."
A small wind blew up, blowing the black hair on the man's temples, Yan Xun turned around, and stepped down the steps, lifting his feet lightly, but landing heavily.
The people outside gradually walked away, Chu Qiao was lying on the bed, the sky was cold and the moon was like a hook, it seemed that it was still the bend in the Shengjin Palace many years ago, in the dimly lit Yingge Courtyard, there was residual red blood dripping on the Between the fingers, the child's dark eyes are like shining stars, the whites of the eyes are red and the eyebrows are furrowed, and the coolness emerges from the bottom of his heart, like lingering water. Years are far away, but people's hearts have never disappeared, and he is not the only one who has changed
She suddenly became flustered, threw off the quilt, ran out of the inner room barefoot, and slammed the door open with no clothes on. The strong wind suddenly blew up the messy black hair, and the maids all screamed, and before they could stop her, the woman in a white soft shirt rushed out of the courtyard.
"Girl!" The maids chased after her in panic, their voices were so loud that they startled the man walking in front.
But just turning around, a slender figure suddenly threw himself into his arms with such force. Yan Xun staggered slightly, but his face was full of surprises, but what he could touch was thin clothes, Yan Xun frowned, and lightly reprimanded: "Ah Chu, why did you run out with so little clothes on? "
Chu Qiao said nothing, but stretched out her hands to hug the man's waist tightly, and leaned her forehead firmly on his chest. The familiar smell echoed between her breaths, and it was so warm that she almost fell asleep, her eyes were moist, and tears fell down, moistening the clothes on his chest.
She raised her head, her eyes were red, and she just looked at him fixedly. The man wore plain clothes and long eyebrows, and he still had the familiar face, but it was a little more dusty and tired. Suddenly withdrawing the camp before the battle, violated the taboo of military strategists, how much effort and energy will it take to be safe and return to Yanbei quickly? These things are all unknown to her.
"You're back?"
Yan Xun smiled slightly, the corners of his mouth were soft, covering up all the tiredness and hard work one by one, just nodded quietly, "You are here, I will not not come back."
Vaguely, it seems to have returned to that snowy night eight years ago, like a young man who was hunted down and led his troops back to rescue the little slave who fell into the hands of the old master. Facing the child's questioning, he just smiled and said: " If I don't come back, what will you do?"
Time flies, eight years, so many things in this world have changed, but they are still standing together, still holding hands side by side.
As soon as he was light, he was picked up by Ling Kong, Yan Xun frowned slightly, lowered his head and said to Chu Qiao in his arms, "Ah Chu, why have you lost so much weight?"
Chu Qiao raised her head, gently grabbed Yan Xun's lapel with her fingers, and said softly, "Because I miss you."
Yan Xun's expression froze slightly, not without shock. Over the years, even though they stayed close to each other, they seldom spoke like this, and the warmth finally covered layer by layer, like boiling water. He wrapped Chu Qiao in a cloak, and said with a light smile, "I've lost weight too."
The servants all breathed a sigh of relief, and the wind stopped, Yan Xun strode into the room with Chu Qiao in his arms. After several days of military service, after returning, he had to make overall arrangements for the pursuit of Xia Bing and the internal city defense. The affairs were complicated. Even if he missed him so much, he had to come here in such a late night. He took off the cloak outside, but the clothes inside were full of dust, ordered his servants to boil hot water, and the two of them sat facing each other in the room, talking a thousand words, but they didn't know where to start.
"Ah Chu..."
"Needless to say!" Chu Qiao hurriedly stopped him, as if she didn't want to mention it, her voice was slightly jerky, "It's enough if you are willing to come back."
The light shone on the girl's pale face, and Yan Xun suddenly felt cold in his heart. How much hardship has she endured these days
"In the end, I still lied to you, sorry."
"Why didn't I threaten you?" Chu Qiao smiled faintly, "I really thought so at the time, I will stay here and refuse to leave, to see if you come back."
Yan Xun nodded and smiled, "Since I was young, I have never won against you once."
Great Xia conscripted troops, the army came to attack, Beishuo Thunder started the war, and Yan Xun led the army to the inland of Great Xia. During this period, how many people died in the flames of war, how many people died, how many soldiers could no longer see their lovers and children in their hometown, blood Penetrating the earth, the bones tower into mountains. Such a battle, which is enough to reverse the fate of the entire continent, is just a few words in the two people's mouths.
"Ah Chu, I have something for you."
The hot water was brought in, and buckets were poured into the huge bathtub. Chu Qiao stood by the pool and tried the water temperature with her hands. When she heard Yan Xun's words, she couldn't help turning her head, and said, "What?"
It was a very plain ring, without any gorgeous style, made of white jade, with a circle of fine patterns on it, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be simple crape myrtle flowers.
"When did you buy it?"
"I don't remember." Many years ago, after hearing her occasionally talk about the customs and etiquette of her hometown, she often polished that piece of Hetian jade in her free time. One year, two years, three years, five years, it was already done, but I never had the courage to give it to her, just because I was too weak at that time, I had nothing but hatred, so I just waited, waited, I wanted to find the right time and the right place, but I waited for so many years.
Chu Qiao put it on the ring finger of her left hand without thinking about it, then held it flat, looked at it stupidly, and said with a smile: "It's so beautiful."
The curtain was drawn down, Yan Xun was taking a bath inside, and Chu Qiao was sitting outside waiting, like many years ago, when a person was taking a bath, his defense was always at his lowest, so they were always used to one of them taking a bath while the other was in the shower. Watch out.
There are layers of curtains, and there is a pleasant fragrance. There is no wind in the room, but the curtains still move slightly. Yan Xun's voice came from inside, "Ah Chu, face scarf."
Chu Qiao quickly picked up the white face towel, stretched her arms across the curtain, and lightly touched her fingertips together, it was scalding hot, Chu Qiao quickly withdrew her hand, and asked with some embarrassment: "Is the water hot?"
"fine."
There was a sound of rushing water, Chu Qiao sat outside with her chin resting on her hands, and the two of them chatted casually.
"Yan Xun, are you injured this time?"
"No, I didn't go to the front."
Water vapor spread out from inside little by little, and the room was warm.
"Why did Huai Song cooperate with us to conduct military exercises on the border? Do you know their eldest princess?"
The man said: "It's just that we met a few times, I can't say we know each other, but I have a friend in Huai Song, and he got involved in this matter."
"Oh, that's how it is."
"Ah Chu, are you seriously injured? Where are you injured?"
"Nothing important, just a few minor scrapes."
The room gradually became quiet, and after a long time, Chu Qiao suddenly said, "Yan Xun, if you have something to do in the future, don't hide it from me anymore."
The people inside didn't speak. Chu Qiao waited for a long time, but there was no answer, so she couldn't help calling again, "Yan Xun?"
Still did not answer, Chu Qiao became a little anxious, opened the curtain and ran in barefoot. But Yan Xun just sat in the pool, fell asleep with his head leaning against the wall, his brows were slightly frowned, his face was full of exhaustion.