A man with a weary face, wearing a dark blue fox fur cloak on his shoulders and a felt cap on his head, his nose tip red from the cold...
Upon entering the military camp, he was met with a chaotic scene.
Hundreds, even thousands, of soldiers were scrambling towards the kitchen. Wisps of smoke rose straight into the sky, unable to conceal the camp's clamor.
The man closed his eyes, took out a scroll of imperial yellow from his怀, and shouted, "Ahem, the Emperor has decreed!~"
Everyone continued to grab food, paying him no mind.
The man: "......"
Good heavens, not even the Emperor's decree garnered attention. The entire military camp was like a swarm of headless flies, buzzing noisily.
Yun Erman and Yun Sanman struggled to reach the front. Erman, having somehow acquired a broken bowl with a chipped edge, rushed to the counter and scooped a bowl of cabbage soup...
Sanman, using both hands and feet, managed to grab four or five cornbread rolls at once, carrying them in a sack.
"Who is in charge here? Come out!~" the man frowned, raising his voice.
Finding General Gu was proving to be quite difficult.
A thin and frail-looking soldier approached, asking doubtfully, "Sir, you're from the capital, aren't you?"
The man glanced at him, "That's right. May I ask if General Gu Zhenshan is in this camp?"
"No, no, this military camp is for newly recruited conscripts. General Gu's main tent is in that mountain hollow..." the soldier replied vaguely.
Upon hearing this, the man's eyes flashed. He pointed at the surging crowd, "Are they all conscripts?"
"Yes, I was also captured and forced to enlist!~" the soldier said with a hint of grievance.
Alas, if he hadn't been caught, he might be making sticky bean buns with his family right now...
He could only attribute it to his bad luck.
The man raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then, among this group, are there any named Yun Erman and Yun Sanman?"
If he didn't rescue them, he wouldn't be able to report back.
The soldier paused slightly, "N-no, I haven't heard of them!"
With so many people in the ranks, they rarely knew each other's names, often referring to each other by nicknames or physical characteristics.
For example, Big Guy, Shorty, Freckles, or Stutterer, Reckless Youth, and so on...
Upon hearing this, the man put away his imperial decree, flicked his horsewhip, and galloped out of the camp towards the mountain hollow.
Shortly after his departure, Yun Sanman, while gnawing on a cornbread roll, glanced towards the camp gate, feeling a vague sense of surprise.
"Second Brother, I think I just saw Young Master Kong!~" Yun Sanman said.
Hearing this, Yun Erman abruptly stood up, craning his neck to look around, "Where? Where?"
It would be wonderful if they could encounter Young Master Kong...
Everyone in the Yun family knew that Kong Xingzhuo was Young Master Xiao's personal guard. Since Young Master Xiao's status was noble, Kong Xingzhuo couldn't be far behind.
Yun Sanman shrugged helplessly, "He's already gone, Second Brother. What are you still looking for? Besides, it's not even certain if that person was Young Master Kong!~"
Why would Kong Xingzhuo come here for no reason?
Yun Erman handed the remaining half-bowl of cabbage soup to Yun Sanman and sighed, "Alas, what can we do? It's almost New Year, and not only did we fail to help the family prepare for the festivities, but we were also sent to this godforsaken place. If we could at least meet our uncle, it would be better, but we haven't even seen a rabbit all this way..."
He wondered if his sister and Shanshan had returned to Dashui Village.
His parents must be worried sick after such a long time away from home.
"What's the use of saying all this!" Yun Sanman angrily gulped down the cabbage soup, smacking his lips. It tasted of nothing. "From now on, let's first try to find General Gu. As long as we can see him, we'll be saved!~"
Yun Erman grunted, feeling a chill in his heart...
In the blink of an eye, night fell. The adjutant arranged accommodations. One tent was packed with over twenty people, and it was drafty, with snowflakes drifting in.
Yun Erman and Yun Sanman lay side by side on straw mats, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
One-Eyed Dragon had said that training would begin early tomorrow morning. Each soldier would be issued a spear, and whether they could kill the enemy would depend on their fate...
Meanwhile, the man on the fine horse arrived at Gu Zhenshan's main tent.
The visitor was none other than Kong Xingzhuo, who had rushed from the imperial palace. The Emperor and the Crown Prince had ordered him to reward the soldiers fighting on the front lines, boost morale, and inspire fighting spirit.
At the same time, he was to find Erman and Sanman and safely escort them back to Dashui Village...
He had expected to meet General Gu smoothly, but to his surprise, the empty tent only contained an adjutant.
"Where has General Gu gone?" Kong Xingzhuo asked with a frown.
Seeing the young man holding the imperial decree, the adjutant respectfully saluted, "General Gu has led his troops to scout enemy intelligence!~"
"When will he return?"
"Th-that, I'm not sure. It could be one or two hours, or it could be three to five days!~"
Kong Xingzhuo: "......"
So, after rushing to the northern frontier, he couldn't even meet General Gu.
What should he do now? Wait for General Gu to return, or go find Erman and Sanman?
"The orderly has arranged barracks for you. Please go and rest for a while!~" the adjutant said.
Kong Xingzhuo grunted, put away his imperial decree, and went to the barracks to catch some sleep...
After the bumpy journey, he was exhausted. As soon as his head touched the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, at the camp of Khan Han Che'er, thirty li away, the scene was one of brilliant lights and lively festivities.
Bonfires blazed in the dark night, and various roasted meats were sent into Han Che'er's tent like a flowing stream.
They had won a battle yesterday, and Khan Han Che'er was rewarding the army and celebrating with all the soldiers...
Inside the tent sat seven or eight burly men, all fierce and imposing, with full beards.
Han Che'er, over sixty years old with white hair, sat in the main seat, observing them.
Although he was over fifty, his hawk-like eyes were sharp and piercing, like two hidden daggers.
Seated next to him was a young girl with finely braided hair, about eighteen or nineteen years old, with slightly tanned skin, a high nose bridge, and delicate, lovely features...
This was Han Che'er's youngest daughter, named Han Chejiao. She was a fierce warrior who had killed countless enemies, the foremost female war god in the barbarian army.
She had volunteered to accompany the army on this campaign.
"Abu is drunk. All you generals may rest now!~" Han Chejiao snatched the wine bowl from Han Che'er's hand and announced loudly.
Abu meant father in the barbarian language.
The generals exchanged glances and, looking disappointed, filed out of the tent.
At this moment, a nimble figure slipped into the military camp and quietly approached Han Che'er's tent...