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墨書 Inktalez
The discord among the leaders can directly lead a nation to decline. If there are conflicts between the commander and the deputy during a military campaign, even the strongest army cannot escape destruction. The Qin State clearly recognized this, allowing only a single voice in military matters. Whether right or wrong, whatever the commander says must be absolutely obeyed. In other words, the nominal deputy is not much different from the soldiers, with the only distinction being that they do not have to be on the front lines wielding weapons.
Luzi was naturally aware of this and would not let personal biases lead to the downfall of the Qin Army. This was a living force of one hundred thousand! Did they think it was just three hundred thousand cabbages? It would be ideal to bring them all back home, but was that possible? In war, people die; no one can avoid it. Back in the day when King Wu attacked Zhou, over a hundred officers above the rank of lieutenant died in battle. That was a war involving divine beings, and yet so many fell.
Mortals cannot soar through the clouds...
Thinking of this phrase reminded Luzi of that day’s flying adventure with Chuchu. If he were to tell others about it now, would anyone believe him? The truth of events often allows only a select few to know.
As for the truth of history? Which is real and which is false?
Chuchu's expression when she learned that Luzi was going to war and insisted on following him still lingered in his mind; it had already been over two months. He wondered what she was doing now—was she still planning to restore that great bird? Since the Wooden Sparrow crashed, Luzi had asked her about it. Chuchu's answer was simple: she could assemble it, but making it work was impossible because she couldn't find any craftsmen or blueprints. This kind of craftsmanship seemed simple but was actually extremely complex; even a slight error would ruin everything.
It would be better if it were simple! In the future, they wouldn't even need to fight for cities; they could just fly straight into them from the mountaintops!
Luzi shook his head with a smile, then fell silent as he gazed at the burning city in the night. The distant sounds of battle were faintly audible; the siege had been ongoing since afternoon and continued until now. Countless lives had vanished in an instant; it was no longer just a city but an entrance to hell.
“General Lu!”
As calls rang out, a group of soldiers from the front line staggered forward, supporting each other. Occasionally, wounded soldiers bore enemy heads tied around their waists, unwilling to give up despite their injuries.
Seeing this scene, Luzi sighed deeply within himself. He nodded at everyone and signaled for his personal guards to help carry the severely wounded.
The medical tents were already overcrowded, filled with heart-wrenching cries of pain. The pain relief medications had long been exhausted; he distinctly remembered thinking that what he brought would be enough.
When the morning star appeared in the night sky, exhausted people had fallen into a deep sleep, and the wounded also entered dreams, temporarily forgetting their suffering. At this time, the fighting at the front was nearing its end; apart from thick smoke, no red flames could be seen.
A dozen soldiers carried someone out quietly from the tent. Not far away lay a rectangular pit that had already been dug, ready to welcome its occupant.
There was no sorrow among those sending him off because that person had once said that tears never change anything; they only make you weaker. Only hatred! Deep-seated hatred! Could allow them to live bravely and have a chance to avenge their fallen brothers!
A dozen people carefully helped each other to place the fallen comrade into the grave, as if fearing that even the slightest movement would disturb the Brave One. After arranging the body, they gently laid a half-sheathed Bronze Longsword beside him. The circle of onlookers bowed their heads, gazing at the familiar face, and a few could not hold back their tears, hastily wiping them away with their sleeves.
"Salute!"
At the command of the Sergeant, the dozen Soldiers surrounding the pit straightened up simultaneously. They wrapped their left arms around their Crossbows and then tapped the bow twice with their right hands.
The wooden shovel scooped up clumps of yellow earth, separating life from death. Finally, a few could no longer contain their sorrow and knelt down, weeping loudly.
The Sergeant shouted, "What are you crying for!? Get up!"
As the Soldiers rose, tears secretly fell from the Sergeant onto the ground. He raised his hand to signal the Soldier responsible for filling in the grave to wait a moment, then removed two severed heads hanging from his waist and jumped into the pit to place them beside the Officer. He spoke softly, "If it weren't for you, all of us brothers would have died at the City Wall. This worthless life of mine was given by you, so naturally, the Merit belongs to you." After saying this, he stood up and placed his right hand over his chest.
Farewell! My Centurion!
After completing the salute, the Sergeant was about to leave when he saw the surrounding Soldiers unfastening their own severed heads and handing them over...
Watching this scene from behind a tent, Luzi felt an itch on his face. When he raised his hand to touch it, he realized it was tears streaming down. He turned to his bodyguard and quietly said, "Make sure to record all of this; I will vouch for them when it comes time for rewards."
"Yes! My lord!"
Luzi feigned displeasure and said, "I've told you several times! There are no lords here, only generals!"
"Yes! General!"
"Who is calling both a general and a lord over there?" A familiar voice rang out as a soot-covered Bai Qi rushed over. Upon seeing Luzi, he exclaimed, "General Lu! The city has fallen!"
Seeing his overly excited demeanor, Luzi asked irritably, "Did you go up there yourself again!?"
Bai Qi looked around disdainfully and said, "These fools! Even if they fight until noon today, they might not be able to break through!"
Everyone knows that the longer a siege drags on without success, the greater the casualties will be. A swift resolution is often more beneficial in reducing losses. Prolonged battles only lead to more deaths.
After a long period of adjustment, Luzi began to reassess this person who was portrayed by outsiders as a demon. A typical case of a sharp tongue but a soft heart! When Bai Qi scolded others, it was often because he was frustrated by their shortcomings. He rarely ate in the Main Tent but instead shared meals with the Soldiers. When he saw someone fall in battle, he would find a place to secretly shed tears. When he saw someone injured, he wished he could share in their pain.
Perhaps this is what it means to love one's soldiers like children, to share life and death together!
Luzi took the leather water pouch handed over by his personal guard and gave it to Bai Qi. "General Bai has conquered nine cities in a row, and it's always like this. The entire army relies on you as our backbone; if anything happens to you, won't the Morale be thrown into chaos!?"
Bai Qi took it and gulped down a large mouthful, immediately causing tears and snot to flow. "Spit! Spit! Alcohol!? Ugh!"
In ancient military campaigns, the prohibition of alcohol was still debatable. Generally speaking, drinking was allowed unless there were strict orders against it. The supplies for rewarding the troops often included liquor, indicating that the Sovereign had never explicitly banned drinking.
Luzi hurried over to pat Bai Qi's back, feeling quite surprised. "You say you're a general who has been out on campaigns for years, yet you can't drink?"
Bai Qi suddenly turned beet red, raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and explained, "My master forbade me from drinking, so I've never dared to touch it."
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