BLHO Chapter 71

Chapter 71: The War Drums Sound

The tracks of wheels and footprints weren’t completely covered by the snow yet, it was impossible for Han Mao to go anywhere else; the direction of his stealthy departure was still towards the border.

“He’s trying to steal our credit,” A group of people stood in the snowy field. Vice General Qin looked into the distance and said mockingly.

They had just received the good news of a favorable battle situation when Han Mao ran off with the supplies. Once the supplies arrived, the war would be pacified, and the credit for this battle would all be his.

He Yuncheng said indifferently, “If he wants it, let him have it.”

The He family didn’t fight battles for the sake of seeking rewards or merits. Han Mao taking the first step would actually leave him with some peace.

It was just that, for the rest of the journey, the soldiers would probably have to tighten their belts again.

“How much surplus food is left?” he asked.

Vice General Qin answered from the side, “Only two days’ worth of rations remain.”

He Yuncheng frowned slightly, “That’s enough. Speed up the march.”

“Yes.”

The group set off before dawn.

The further north they went, the heavier the cold became. There wasn’t the slightest sign of spring.

The long dragon-like column advanced in a winding path. The north wind blew against them, cutting like a knife, almost swallowing them whole.

Under such harsh conditions, the soldiers would suffer greatly.

They traveled day and night for three consecutive days, and the army finally entered the border war zone.

Unlike the white mountains and black waters of the previous leg of their journey, here, the desolate Gobi stretched endlessly. The yellow earth was covered with frost and snow. As far as the eye could see, there was not a single person. The desolation and hopelessness of the land were indescribable unless one was present.

Lin Shuangxu, riding on horseback, was wrapped in a cloak, but the wind still lashed at him, making it difficult to open his eyes.

The journey of the past few days had worn away the scholarly air he had cultivated in Fengdu City. The sunlight was dazzling. He raised his hand to shield his eyes. Far off, he saw among the endless yellow earth, the tattered Bei Sheng military flag fluttering in the wind. In the dirt below, half-buried, was a hand, already weathered and stiff, tightly gripping the flagpole.

That was a Bei Sheng soldier who had died in battle. No one knew his name.

Continuing forward, corpses buried by sandstorms gradually emerged into view.

As far as the eye could see, almost all of the corpses were incomplete. Some wore Bei Sheng armor, while others wore Yan Zhao attire.

Former enemies, irreconcilable in life, returned to dust together in death.

He Yuncheng took the lead in dismounting. The soldiers followed suit, slowing their pace.

Their brothers would never be able to return home; they could only silently bid them farewell in their hearts.

An overwhelming grief assaulted their will. Amidst the corpses strewn across the field, sorrow and fear were beyond their control.

This land outside the pass was too vast. Anyone standing here would become insignificant and their death would seem unimportant.

Lin Shuangxu suddenly felt that the sunlight was too dazzling. He Yuncheng’s back was right in front of him, but it swayed and blurred, as if walking further and further away.

He wanted to reach out and grab him. But then, he suddenly heard the sound of drums, shaking heaven and earth.

The crowd stopped and listened carefully to the sound of the drums.

The military advisor gazed at the dust in the distance and said quietly, “The war drums are sounding. The enemy is invading.”

This was the highest level of drum command, representing that the situation was extremely urgent and that their army had to burn their boats and fight to the death.

He Yuncheng’s eyebrows furrowed, and he mounted his horse and issued the order: “Form ranks, meet the enemy!”

“Yes!”

The military order was passed down, and tens of thousands of soldiers shouted in unison, following He Yuncheng to support the battlefield.

He had Vice General Qin send Lin Shuangxu back to the military camp first. Before leaving, he only glanced at Lin Shuangxu briefly, saying nothing more, all his tenderness hidden in his heart.

If there were any unexpected events, this glance would be the last farewell.

Hooves thundered, and the way he turned made Lin Shuangxu think of the countless days and nights he had left home.

The separations back then were not as concrete, and life and death were not as bloody and stark as they were today.

“Let’s go, young master, let’s go back first,” Vice General Qin said.

“Mm,” Lin Shuangxu responded in a deep voice.

Vice General Qin led the logistics team to escort Lin Shuangxu back to the military camp. After arriving, they found that the situation was worse than they had expected.

A large number of wounded soldiers were waiting for treatment, but the camp was short of herbs and the food had been exhausted. The wounded were all emaciated from hunger, lying on the ground as if waiting to die.

The moon-white cloak fluttered in the wind, reflecting Lin Shuangxu’s soft and gentle face.

He walked through the soldiers, like a deity pitying all living beings, bringing a glimmer of hope.

But for himself, at this moment, he was being swallowed by a huge sense of powerlessness.

The Han family’s army and supplies had not arrived.

Vice General Qin rebuked angrily, “Han Mao wouldn’t have run away with the supplies, would he?”

Lin Shuangxu remained silent with a sullen expression.

He couldn’t make a judgment on Han Mao’s actions right now. In the vast wilderness, there were too many uncertainties, and anything could happen.

Desertion was the worst possible outcome, and he dared not speculate lightly before it was confirmed.

“Give the remaining food to the soldiers to cook porridge and share,” he said to Vice General Qin, “You go and support the General. I’ll take care of things here.”

“Yes.”

The food saved along the way was very little, and it would be exhausted after today.

Now, he could only hope that He Yuncheng would reverse the battle situation as soon as possible and drive out the enemy’s iron hooves.

The border city was already empty. All the people had already been transferred, leaving only the He family’s army to defend the empty city, not giving an inch.

Outside the city wall, Head Soldier Chu Meng led the soldiers to sound the gongs and drums of war, fighting bravely against the enemy.

The Yan Zhao people were of foreign descent, with burly figures and a natural advantage in combat. In addition, the Bei Sheng army lacked food, and the soldiers were fighting on empty stomachs, their combat power was reduced, and the situation was not optimistic.

The battle situation was becoming more and more tilted. The imperial court’s support had not arrived for a long time, which not only made it difficult for the soldiers to sustain their physical strength but also brought their willpower to the verge of collapse.

Abandoning the city and fleeing was not the He family army’s style, but desperately defending it without seeing hope or meaning.

Just as the soldiers were being forced to retreat step by step, someone suddenly shouted, “The General is here!”

Chu Head Soldier was bleeding from his wounds. When he heard the sound, he looked back and saw that the reinforcements’ hooves were indeed kicking up dust, holding high the Bei Sheng military flag, rolling in.

Upon seeing this scene, the desperate people instantly ignited their fighting spirit, telling each other “The General has arrived”, mustered their morale, and stubbornly blocked the Yan Zhao people outside the city walls.

Like a divine soldier descending from the sky, He Yuncheng drew his sword and spurred his horse, the first to rush into the battlefield, allowing the injured Chu Head Soldier to retreat to the rear, leading the soldiers to fight bravely.

On one side, there was the clash of metal and the flying of flesh and blood. In the military camp, Lin Shuangxu also never stopped for a moment, distributing the cooked white porridge to the injured soldiers one by one.

There were still some herbs in reserve. He and the military doctor bandaged those who didn’t have time to treat their wounds.

He kept busy until late at night, when a notice finally came from outside the camp.

The Yan Zhao troops had temporarily retreated, and the He family’s army was withdrawing to camp.

The camp gate was wide open, and new wounded were continuously transported in.

Lin Shuangxu was anxious to see He Yuncheng, but he was too busy to move.

While taking care of the wounded soldiers, he leaned out to look, but he didn’t see He Yuncheng’s figure.

Vice General Qin walked over hurriedly, covered in mud and blood, so disheveled that he was almost unrecognizable, “Young Master.”

Lin Shuangxu saw him and asked, “Where’s the General?”

Vice General Qin said, “The General and the military advisor went to the border defense yamen with Chu Head Soldier to discuss the next steps.”

Lin Shuangxu asked, “Was he injured?”

Vice General Qin quickly said, “The General is unparalleled in bravery, so naturally he would not be injured by the enemy. The Young Master doesn’t need to worry.”

How could Lin Shuangxu not worry, but he couldn’t show it on his face. He nodded and said, “Han Mao’s supplies have not been delivered. Does the General know about this?”

“He knows,” Vice General Qin said, “The General went to the yamen to discuss a solution with Chu Head Soldier.”

As he spoke, he glanced sadly at the soldiers around him.

The morale that had been boosted all day was consumed again in the fierce battle. The large military camp was silent, and no one spoke.

“You go and rest, Young Master. I’ll take care of things here.”

Lin Shuangxu was indeed extremely tired, but he wanted to see He Yuncheng even more.

“Will he be back tonight?”

“Hard to say, it depends on the enemy’s movements.”

“Okay,” Lin Shuangxu said softly, “If he comes back, tell him I’m waiting for him in the room.”