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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 24
Li Deqian may be a weakling on the front lines, but he is undoubtedly a skilled hand in logistics. He has effectively arranged the Rouran People, ensuring that everyone is utilized according to their abilities and that their basic needs are met without any shortage.
Hou Junji's camp has been completed, located to the left of Liangzhou Camp, forming a strategic position to prevent the Tuguhun Barbarians from invading again.
The arrival of Hou's troops seems to signal the official commencement of the campaign against the Tuguhun, moving beyond previous skirmishes. As a result, the soldiers train diligently every day to enhance their capabilities for achieving merit on the battlefield.
Li Daozong spends his days discussing military matters with Hou Junji, while Xu Zhen enjoys a more leisurely time practicing her swordsmanship with Zhou Cang. She deals with inquiries from Yan Lide and Li Deqian and occasionally checks on Li Mingda, who is training under Li Dejiang. She also exchanges insights and techniques about Illusion with Moya, leading to a satisfying daily life.
A few days ago, she had boasted in front of Caesar about how this beautiful sister had once used a small crossbow, considering Xu Zhen's Crossbow as a divine weapon. However, the cunning Tang People had no intention of gifting the Crossbow to her.
Not long after this pleasant routine, military achievements were finally recognized. To Xu Zhen's surprise, she was promoted from Personal Guard Captain to Brigade Commander!
Moreover, it was unexpectedly approved that seventy or eighty Rouran Warriors would be assigned under Xu Zhen's command. With Zhang Jiunian and Caesar among her brothers, her quota of one hundred personnel was nearly filled.
Xu Zhen is not foolish; noticing that Hou Polu had not enforced any penalties for failing to fulfill military orders, she could guess that her promotion was likely the result of discussions between Hou Junji and Li Daozong.
Li Daozong had already hinted to her that the plan to send messages from Chang'an had been completely shelved. Xu Zhen could deduce that perhaps Hou Junji had brought back some news from Chang'an that led Li Daozong to change his mind.
However, she did not let her guard down. This is why she frequently visited Li Mingda. Regarding Xu Zhen, she believed that this little girl was not merely a stepping stone or a bargaining chip for Xu Zhen's rise; from the beginning, it was never just that. Xu Zhen altered this girl's fate and felt compelled to continue protecting her; otherwise, it was hard to predict what kind of major incident might occur.
Sure enough, shortly after Xu Zhen became Brigade Commander, orders were issued for her to lead her troops out of camp to confirm the exact location of the Tu Gu Hun Murong Clan!
This should have been a task for the reconnaissance unit but fell upon Xu Zhen instead. The underlying motives were clear even without much thought.
Xu Zhen had appointed Zhang Jiunian as Recorder of Military Affairs and assigned Zhou Cang and Gao He Shu as Captains and other minor leaders. Although they were low-ranking officers, this at least granted them formal titles and allowed them to break free from their previous status.
In this way, Xu Zhen's foundation began to take shape; though small like a sparrow, it was complete in its essentials. The only concern was the shadow lurking behind this military expedition.
As the chief strategist, Zhang Jiunian quickly unraveled the relationships involved, and his thoughts coincided with those of Xu Zhen. The key lay with the Hou Family Father and Son. Of course, Xu Zhen could not disclose the matter of Li Mingda to Zhang Jiunian; at least, it was not the right time yet.
Xu Zhen had always regarded Li Daozong as her protective shield. With such an incident occurring, she naturally wanted to confront him about it. However, he avoided her, and as a mere traveling commander, Xu Zhen could not storm into the Central Army Tent to beat him up, so she had to return in frustration.
Just before setting off, she received news that this time she was not alone in her campaign; there were also 3,000 cavalry from Duan Zan providing support. However, this did not alleviate Xu Zhen's worries; instead, it made her feel that Hou Junji had grander schemes in mind. Li Daozong's ambiguous attitude towards the situation was truly vexing.
Moreover, there was no discrimination against Xu Zhen's troops within the army. Various military supplies were abundant, and the horses, armor, and weapons were all well-equipped. As a commander, Xu Zhen had better armor and weapons than others. Since she already possessed a mysterious treasured sword and the Tian Ce Red Armor, she handed her equipment over to her attendant Caesar.
Caesar bore Xu Zhen's name on her arm. Ever since Xu Zhen rescued members of the Rouran Tribe, her attitude towards Xu Zhen had softened considerably. Although still somewhat indifferent, she had clearly accepted her identity as Xu Zhen's close guard.
Xu Zhen was never stingy with her own people; otherwise, she would not have gifted Murong Xiao's Dragon Breed warhorse to Zhou Cang or given the Golden Silk Armor to Li Deqian.
Duan Zan had a very good impression of Xu Zhen and even came to see her off when she left. He casually mentioned that Xu Zhen's sword was a rare treasure and advised her to cherish it. This added another layer of caution to the naturally suspicious Xu Zhen.
Still uneasy about Li Mingda, Xu Zhen considered whether to bring the girl along or secretly send her back to Chang'an under the guise of a mission. However, this thought quickly passed as she realized how significant this matter was; with her current power, there was little she could do.
On the day of Xinyou, during the Autumn Rain, Xu Zhen donned armor and prepared to leave camp for her mission when Li Mingda stealthily slipped into her tent.
Xu Zhen was not surprised by the girl's arrival. Looking at Li Mingda's slightly darkened complexion from exposure to the elements, Xu Zhenxin felt a pang of pity.
"Come here," Xu Zhen beckoned.
Li Mingda turned away reluctantly, seemingly putting on airs as a princess. However, it wasn't long before she succumbed to her inner thoughts and approached Xu Zhen.
Xu Zhen took out a clean cloth and roughly wiped away the rainwater from Li Mingda's hair. The action was clumsy and lacked tenderness, yet Li Mingda did not get angry.
After drying her hair, Xu Zhen solemnly placed her Crossbow into Li Mingda's hands and looked directly into her eyes as she said earnestly, "Wait for me to come back."
Just like an elder brother instructing his younger sister, it was unquestionable yet filled with concern. Li Mingda had not yet come to her senses when the figure of Xu Zhen had already disappeared into the rain.
Li Mingda had witnessed the power of the Crossbow wielded by Xu Zhen multiple times. Like everyone else, she had an extreme desire for this weapon, but she, like Caesar and others, never expected that the miserly Xu Zhen would part with it so generously.
However, she did not anticipate that Xu Zhen would actually give her the Crossbow. This surprised her and warmed her heart, but at the same time, she felt an increasingly obvious danger surrounding her.
Gritting her teeth, this girl who loved to bicker and compete with Xu Zhen dashed back into the rain.
Just as Xu Zhen was about to mount her horse, the corner of her armor was tugged at. Li Mingda said nothing as she took off her iron ring and placed it on Xu Zhen's ring finger before running away with her head down.
The autumn rain was cool, but Li Mingda's heart was burning with warmth; her face was flushed, and even after returning to the tent, her chest continued to rise and fall rapidly.
Xu Zhen turned the ring on her finger and smiled faintly, feeling delighted as she murmured to herself, "This deal is not a loss!"
Nearby, Caesar heard Xu Zhen's muttering and couldn't help but wonder when this cunning Tang person had ever spoken the truth. It was a disgrace to bear the name Xu Zhen; however, he had to admit that sometimes this man’s lies were not entirely bad.
Seeing Xu Zhen's team set out, Hou Polu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Taking advantage of the rain, he arrived at the prisoner camp where Murong Xiao lay pale on a tattered mat. His wounds had festered and rotted, yet this hero from the Tuguhun did not moan; instead, he stared blankly into space.
A foul odor permeated the air. Hou Polu could not help but fan his sleeve before approaching Murong Xiao. He stepped on Murong Xiao's head with his boot before squatting down.
"You claim to be descendants of wolf blood; why do I see nothing but decaying jackals? Since your Murong Family has an agreement with that person, I won't make things difficult for you. But whether you can escape depends on your own abilities."
Murong Xiao gritted his teeth against the excruciating pain, yet there was no shame or unwillingness on his face. In his eyes shone only the light of survival; as long as he could live, what could not be reclaimed?
His mind raced with plans, but the pressure from the boot on his face became overwhelming. His neck went numb as darkness encroached upon his vision.
When he awoke, he found himself lying in a deep pit, several foul-smelling corpses pressing down on him—these were captives who had succumbed to their injuries. At the edge of the pit stood several Tang Camp soldiers digging while cursing the damned autumn rain weather.
A flame suddenly surged within Murong Xiao's heart. He scanned the surroundings; to avoid the spread of disease, this place was far from the main camp and there were no soldiers guarding it. It was the perfect moment to escape!
At that moment, a short and sturdy Gravedigger seemed to discover something among the pile of corpses. He quickly jumped into the pit and began to search the body.
Murong Xiao took a deep breath, suddenly sprang up, and tackled him down. His legs wrapped around the Gravedigger's waist like iron bands, his right arm tightly encircled the man's neck, while his left hand covered the man's mouth and nose!
The Gravedigger had wrapped his mouth and nose with a cloth to avoid the stench of death, but he did not expect that this damp cloth would become the weapon that suffocated him!
Murong Xiao was a valiant general who could defeat ten men. Although he was injured all over, killing an unarmed civilian was not difficult at all. In just a short time, the Gravedigger's neck was snapped with a crack!
Murong Xiao searched the man's belongings and crouched by the pit's edge, watching for any signs of danger. Ignoring the blood gushing from his torn arm, he suddenly leaped to the ground, grabbed an iron shovel, and swiftly moved forward to strike down another Gravedigger. The crude iron shovel smashed the latter's skull into pieces!
The remaining seven or eight Gravediggers felt their limbs go cold at this sight, thinking that the dead had risen from their graves. Seeing Murong Xiao, who looked neither human nor ghost, holding a blood-soaked iron shovel like a fierce demon, they were filled with fear and scattered in panic!
Murong Xiao did not pursue them. His eagle-like eyes scanned the area and soon spotted a corpse transport cart not far away. He hurried over to unhitch the Old Horse. Though it was nothing compared to a Dragon-Blooded Steed, he regarded it as a treasure. He mounted the horse, squeezed his legs together, and the Old Horse sprang to life, leaping over the wooden fence beside the pit of corpses and galloping away with Murong Xiao!
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