Chapter 1094: Chapter 1088: Etched in Memory
Doctor Hong was sitting at the round table behind the screen, bandaging Murong Li’s wound. He had been injured in the right arm by the cavalry of the Tianfeng Kingdom.
Murong Li’s hand was still trembling slightly. He only realized after experiencing it that the battlefield is a place of kill or be killed. Though both his father and Ninth Uncle thought him steady, if it hadn’t been for Yue Shi today, he feared he would have perished on the battlefield.
In Murong Li’s heart, he had great respect for the Bai family who fought on the battlefield. He thought that even the youngest seventeenth son of the Bai family could go to war, and he was older and had learned martial arts from his second brother. Even if he couldn’t be invincible, he could at least protect himself.
Unexpectedly, on his first time on the battlefield, the enemy soldiers taught him a harsh lesson.
It was only then that he understood… there’s no absolute safety on the battlefield. Thinking of this… his admiration for the Bai family, for the King of Zhen, and for the Bai family’s death-defying seventeenth son only grew.
After Doctor Hong personally applied the medicine to Murong Li, he washed the blood from his hands with hot water and said, “No bones are hurt, it’s just a surface wound… It’s not serious. Go back and change the dressing properly, don’t let the wound get wet, and it will heal quickly.”
Bai Jinzhi, sitting next to Murong Li, pushed a cup of hot tea towards him, pretending not to notice his slightly trembling hand, quietly saying to Murong Li, “You’re much stronger than I am. The first time I went to the battlefield with my eldest sister, she protected me. But when we got back, I threw up terribly where no one could see. Thinking of those broken limbs on the battlefield made me so nauseous I didn’t even want to eat meat.”
Hearing the word “meat,” Murong Li’s stomach churned, but he gritted his teeth and held on, raising the tea cup Bai Jinzhi had pushed over and drinking two sips. The hot tea only intensified the churning feeling in his stomach, so he clutched his mouth and rushed outside, holding onto a lacquered pillar with his left hand as he vomited.
Seeing Murong Li like this, Yue Shi was about to get up and approach him, but then saw their master lift the cotton curtain and come out, only to kneel down again obediently.
Murong Yan was holding a cup of tea in his hands, gently patting Murong Li on the back. When Murong Li finished vomiting, he handed him the cup.
Rinsing his mouth, Murong Li straightened up, wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and called his Ninth Uncle with a guilty expression, tightly grasping the cup with his left hand, feeling utterly useless.
“It’s normal for the first time on the battlefield. Even your Ninth Uncle… even the current Emperor of Zhou felt the same when going to battle for the first time. After witnessing the harsh reality of the battlefield, you should understand that war is not child’s play, and comprehend the significance of unifying the world in peace,” Xiao Rongyan said, gently patting Murong Li’s head.
It was because Murong Yan had seen it that he understood the preciousness of peace in the world.
It was because Bai Qingyan had experienced it that Bai Qingyan understood better than anyone that achieving peace requires world unification.
Murong Li, who had been to the battlefield today, truly witnessed its cruelty and understood… when war reports come in with numbers of the dead and injured, these are not just statistics but represent the living lives of soldiers.
This was why Murong Yan allowed Murong Li to accompany him today. Words passed down orally are not as impactful as firsthand experience.
Murong Li was a highly perceptive child. Raising his head with a determined gaze, he looked at Murong Yan, “I understand, Ninth Uncle!”
“Let’s go!” Murong Yan said to Murong Li, “We must discuss military matters with the Emperor of Zhou, and you, as an emperor, cannot be absent.”
Murong Li nodded, drank the water in his cup, suppressing the turmoil in his stomach, and followed Murong Yan into the main hall.
The cotton curtain was lifted, allowing the cold wind to rush inside, causing the candle flames on the high table to flicker before brightening again.
Bai Qingyan instructed Wei Zhong to serve Murong Li a strong cup of tea, the bitter taste helping to soothe the turbulence in his chest.
“In a few days, it will be New Year’s Eve. Shouldn’t we wait until after New Year’s Eve to wage war?” Cheng Yuanzhi suggested.
Shen Jingzhong, however, shook his head. “I disagree. Elephants fear the cold, and it’s winter now… with each passing day, time is lost. Speed is vital in warfare, so we should deploy the troops as soon as possible!”
During today’s great battle, Shen Jingzhong had arrived at the tail end but witnessed the elephants’ hooves slipping and falling, allowing soldiers to swarm over them for capture.
Therefore, Shen Jingzhong believed that if there must be a war, it was better to wade early rather than late.
“But New Year’s Eve is a day for families to reunite. Many soldiers will miss their homes and loved ones. I’m afraid starting the war on the 29th will lead to dissatisfaction,” Cheng Yuanzhi argued based on his own experiences.
“That would depend on how the Emperor and the Emperor of Yan motivate the soldiers!” Shen Kunyang agreed with the quick action, raising his hand in salute toward Murong Li’s direction.
The Emperor of Yan, Murong Li, nodded, then looked toward Murong Yan’s direction, “What do you think, Ninth Uncle?”
Murong Yan pondered for a moment, then looked up at Bai Qingyan, “The Emperor of Zhou just said that the war must conclude by the end of winter. Each day of delay is a day less for us, so I agree to start the war on the 29th.”
The Emperor of Yan, the Regent Prince, the Great General Xie Xun, and the Zhou Kingdom agreed on a day for the joint campaign against Xiliang and the Tianfeng Kingdom, which was set for the day after tomorrow, with both the Zhou Kingdom and Yan Kingdom going to war together.
However, to prevent any unnecessary conflicts arising from dissatisfaction among commanders of either Zhou or Yan leading the combined forces, the two countries decided to conduct independent operations while keeping each other informed of military reports and intelligence.
After determining the various matters, the Emperor of Yan, Murong Li, along with the Regent Prince, Murong Yan, and the Great General Xie Xun, bid farewell to the Emperor of Zhou, Bai Qingyan.
Since Bai Qingyan was pregnant, Murong Yan and Murong Li didn’t want Bai Qingyan to tire herself, so Bai Qingyan’s brother Bai Qingyu and sister Bai Jinzhi escorted the Emperor of Yan and Regent Prince of Yan out of the city.
Before mounting his horse, Xie Xun turned and bowed to Bai Qingyu, “Thank you, General Bai, for saving my life.”
“General Xie, you are too kind. It’s what I should do.” Bai Qingyu stood with his hands behind his back, nodding slightly.
Xie Xun had initially wanted to ask Bai Qingyu why he was leading the Rong army, but on second thought… the Rong had already surrendered to Zhou, and with the Ghost-face Prince dead, it made sense the Emperor of Zhou would have his brother take over the Rong army.
However, since the trouble faced by the Bai family during the Xuanjia period of the Jin Dynasty, Xie Xun hadn’t heard of the Bai family’s fifth son Bai Qingyu returning home, nor had the Bai army heard of him. Even when the Emperor ascended the throne, Bai Qingyu had not returned to Dadu City. It was surprising to see him suddenly appear.
Furthermore, although the Rong had only recently submitted to Zhou, Bai Qingyu seemed to use the Rong army with great ease, leading Xie Xun to suspect that this brother of the Zhou Emperor might have been infiltrated within the Rong army for quite some time.
It could also be possible that the Ghost-face Prince of the Rong might have been killed by him.
If the Ghost-face Prince had indeed been slain by Bai Qingyu, then Xie Xun owed him a debt of gratitude.