BLHO Chapter 77

Chapter 77 Wait for Me

A day and a night had passed. Princess Meng Ning’s ruse to deceive the Yan Zhao people, transporting the grain they bought with heavy funds to the Bei Sheng granary, must have been discovered by Yan Zhao.

To prevent them from seeking revenge, when Princess Meng Ning left, He Yuncheng and Lin Shuangxu led their troops to escort her into the city.

Outside the city gate, Princess Meng Ning turned back to bid them farewell, “Alright, see me off here.”

After a night of pleasant intimacy, the anger provoked yesterday had long subsided. He Yuncheng’s expression was relaxed, and he nodded to her.

Princess Meng Ning was decisive, about to depart, when she heard Lin Shuangxu call her from behind, “Meng Ning.”

She put on a well-behaved look, “Brother Shuangxu, is there anything else you need to say?”

“Don’t act recklessly.” Lin Shuangxu said calmly.

Princess Meng Ning raised the corners of her lips in a smile, “I told you, I’m just returning to Fengdu City to pay respects to my late mother; no one will find out.”

This girl tells ten lies for every true word, Lin Shuangxu would be a fool to believe her.

He added, “Discuss everything slowly, and don’t be rash.”

Discuss slowly… Could this be understood as him willing to help her?

“Understood.” Princess Meng Ning rolled her eyes, being quite understanding, not pressing further, and repeatedly agreed, “I will respectfully follow Brother Shuangxu’s teachings.”

After speaking, she didn’t linger any longer, and with Shen Tan, rode away.

Lin Shuangxu stood in place watching her leave until her figure disappeared from sight.

Withdrawing his gaze, he then looked at He Yuncheng. Their eyes met, and a complex emotion appeared in his eyes—sorrow, but also a certain resolve.

The opportunity to retreat unscathed had already been missed. When the court forced He Yuncheng to hand over military power, he refused to give up. Now, with the Yan Zhao problem resolved, it would be like killing the hare and cooking the hound. Even if they wanted to leave, they couldn’t.

“What are you thinking about?” He Yuncheng asked him.

No matter what Lin Shuangxu thought, his ultimate consideration was only one thing—to protect He Yuncheng.

He would do it at any cost.

“Should we set off?” Lin Shuangxu didn’t want to say more to him at this moment. Regardless of internal disputes, to He Yuncheng, all that mattered was the land beneath his feet, and the people on that land who needed his protection.

He was too pure, and so, in the impure court, he became the target of everyone.

“Yeah.”

He Yuncheng had issued a military order this morning that within three days, the territory of Bei Sheng would be expanded to the foot of YanHui Mountain, driving out the barbarians and rescuing the captives.

“Go, when you return, we’ll discuss things further.”

“Okay.”

The setting sun was like blood, dyeing the sky outside the pass red. He Yuncheng pulled Lin Shuangxu’s reins, bringing their horses close. Mindful of his subordinates nearby, he suppressed the urge to kiss him, leaning over to embrace him.

To achieve what one desires in life, is nothing more than this.

With war quelled and a beautiful person by his side, what did danger matter?

“Wait for me.”

–

The change in the supplied grain, falling into Bei Sheng’s hands, enraged the Yan Zhao people. They secretly dispatched a group to search for and assassinate Qi Dynasty merchants.

But the disguised Princess Meng Ning had already been escorted away. Unable to find her, they could only secretly remember this debt on the Qi Dynasty’s account, to be settled in the future.

In this battle with Bei Sheng, Yan Zhao had mobilized almost all of its forces, so it had to succeed, not fail.

Therefore, when He Yuncheng led his troops to encircle YanHui Mountain, they still refused to surrender, fighting and killing in the valley, resisting to the death.

The mountainous terrain was rugged, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even though Bei Sheng’s combat power had recovered, taking the position was not an easy task.

After a stalemate of two days and a night, the He family army finally broke into the depths of the secluded valley, forcing the Yan Zhao army into a dead end.

“Should we continue chasing, General?”

Entering YanHui Mountain, they had actually reached Yan Zhao’s territory. As it stood, they had not only driven the enemy out of their borders, but had become the invaders, attacking another country’s territory.

“Chase.” He Yuncheng firmly moved forward, without hesitation.

The person beside him naturally understood that even if Yan Zhao retreated again and again, back to their lair, unless the Bei Sheng captives were rescued, this battle wouldn’t be considered a victory.

No one in the He family army sincerely hoped for Han Mao’s safe return, but He Yuncheng was a general. Before the enemy, he only recognized the citizens of Bei Sheng.

Regardless of whether it was Han Mao or a member of the He family, or just an ordinary citizen who was captured today, he would rescue them to the end.

The Yan Zhao army was at their wit’s end and had no strength to fight anymore. The leading general led his troops to flee in a roundabout way, using the stone forest as cover to hide their tracks.

To prevent them from setting traps again, He Yuncheng ordered them not to approach Yan Zhao’s direction, captured the Yan Zhao army that had been cut off, and forced them to reveal the location where the prisoners of war were being held.

Following the Yan Zhao soldiers’ guidance, he led his army to a stop before a rift valley three zhang wide, and when he looked down, he saw an unfathomable abyss.

The opposite side of the rift valley was a dead end isolated by cliffs. The captured Yan Zhao soldiers did not lie. The Han family and others who had been captured were tied up and trapped in that hopeless end.

It was evident that these people had been tortured severely, especially Han Mao, who was covered in blood and was already unconscious. In the cold wind, he laboriously opened his eyes, saw He Yuncheng, and his lips moved, but he didn’t have the strength to make a sound.

There was a wooden bridge connecting the two sides of the rift valley. The bridge was very narrow, only wide enough for two people to ride horses side by side, and it didn’t seem to be strong enough to bear so many people at once.

He Yuncheng stopped in front of the abyss and looked up, scanning the surroundings. Everything was silent and there was no suspicious movement.

“All the Bei Sheng people are here.” The captured Yan Zhao soldier said to He Yuncheng tremblingly, hoping that He Yuncheng could spare his life.

He Yuncheng didn’t give him a glance. After thinking for a moment, he ordered Deputy General Qin: “You provide cover here. I’ll take people across.”

“General…”

Deputy General Qin looked at the lonely wooden bridge, with no cover at all around it, and couldn’t feel at ease.

But he understood He Yuncheng’s character. In the most dangerous situations, he was always the first to charge forward.

“You few, come with me!”

He Yuncheng chose twenty people to accompany him, shouted “Giddy up,” and took the lead, riding away.

The moment the horse’s hooves stepped on the wooden planks, everyone’s hearts jumped up.

They feared that the wooden bridge would suddenly break, and even more feared that someone would suddenly be attacked in the middle of the abyss.

Deputy General Qin didn’t dare to relax for a moment, and ordered the archers to draw their bows fully, ready to respond immediately if anything abnormal occurred around He Yuncheng.

The three-zhang wooden bridge wasn’t long, and they could reach the other side in a moment.

When they were halfway across, He Yuncheng clearly heard the sound of the wooden planks cracking.

This bridge was built to transport the prisoners to the other side. It was expected that it wouldn’t be sturdy.

Hearing the sound of the bridge being damaged, the soldiers panicked for a moment.

He Yuncheng’s gaze was calm, and he raised his voice to give an order: “Accelerate!”

After speaking, he took the lead in reaching the other side.

The people behind him closely followed his steps, successively rushing to the other side. After they all arrived, they looked back at the thin wooden bridge, which was swaying gently under the sudden pressure.

Seeing them safely cross over, everyone who stayed behind breathed a sigh of relief. The captured Yan Zhao soldiers were useless now. Without He Yuncheng’s order, Deputy General Qin would naturally not let them go back to report the news.

With a wave of his hand, blood splattered, and those Yan Zhao soldiers were instantly killed.

Many of Han Mao’s group had already been killed. At the moment, only a few dozen people were still alive.

He Yuncheng led his men, untied the ropes on their bodies, and helped them onto the horses one by one.

In a daze, Han Mao saw the war flag of Bei Sheng. It was He Yuncheng who was saving him. Realizing this fact, he used the last of his strength to open his mouth and said in fear, “Go!”

As soon as the words fell, there was a “whoosh” sound, and an arrow was shot from a crevice in the rock face.

“Cover!” The men on the opposite side immediately discovered the situation, and the archers all drew their bows towards the direction the arrow came from.

The hidden enemy was instantly shot and fell into the deep valley screaming from between the stone walls.

However, the situation was still not good.

The arrow he had just shot wasn’t aimed at He Yuncheng, but at the wooden bridge.

The arrow was tipped with fire, landing on the wooden planks, and like a fire snake, the bridge instantly ignited.

Under normal circumstances, even the driest wood couldn’t burn so quickly. Everyone instantly realized that Yan Zhao had prepared in advance, coating the wooden planks with flammable oil, which was why it ignited so easily.

Despicable.

At this moment, all the Bei Sheng prisoners had been helped onto the horses. He Yuncheng didn’t have time to think, and quickly ordered: “Cross the bridge!”

It would take some time for the wooden bridge to be completely destroyed by fire. At such a close distance, as long as they were fast enough, they might be able to retreat unscathed.

Hearing the order, everyone tensed their nerves. The soldier carrying Han Mao was the first to charge onto the fire bridge. The horse’s hooves were as fast as flying, stepping on the flames, and quickly rushing over.

With almost no gap, the second and third person followed closely, moving forward quickly.

The fire spread rapidly in a short period of time, burning from the wooden bridge to this side of the abyss.

Those who had not returned to the other side were quickly surrounded by the raging fire. The Yan Zhao people had not only tampered with the bridge, but also soaked the dry grass with accelerants.

“Quickly!”

At this moment, there was no other way but to buy time. He Yuncheng directed the men to leave, and he was the last to step onto the wooden bridge.

Just then, the bridge, consumed by flames, suddenly broke. He Yuncheng was shocked and immediately tightened the reins.

The horse’s neighing echoed through the valley, and its forelimbs, which had not had time to land, rose high.

He Yuncheng reined his horse back. In front of him, in the abyss, a warhorse that had not had time to land, along with the soldiers on top and the Han family army, fell into the bottom of the valley.

“General!”

Seeing the wooden bridge break, Deputy General Qin and the others on the opposite side all panicked.

The fire burned more and more fiercely, roasting the cold winter valley as if it were high summer.

Across the abyss, they were helpless. The fire devoured everything in front of them. They shouted, but they couldn’t see He Yuncheng anymore…

…

“Yuncheng!”

In the military camp, Lin Shuangxu woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat.

He had the same dream again, dreaming that He Yuncheng fell off a cliff, neither alive nor dead.

It was very quiet in the camp. It was already past midnight. Apart from the howling wind, there were no other messages from the front.

No news was good news.

Lin Shuangxu got out of bed, drank some water, and his pounding heart calmed down a little.

He took a few deep breaths and put the empty teacup back on the desk, warning himself not to overthink.

As he turned around, the hem of his clothes scraped against the tea set.

The teacup fell to the ground, and the sound of shattered porcelain was especially harsh in the night.

Lin Shuangxu stiffened, looking at the mess on the ground, unable to control himself, and began to tremble.

The feeling of intense cold made him feel so uncomfortable that he almost suffocated.

“Yuncheng…”

The always rational person, because of a nightmare and an unprovoked premonition, began to lose control.

The horse’s hooves galloped in the night. Lin Shuangxu’s brain was blank. Heaven and earth were swallowed by darkness. He didn’t know where the direction was.

In the vast wilderness, he rushed forward recklessly, becoming more and more anxious and more and more dazed.

He didn’t know how long he ran, but the endless darkness finally tore open a hole.

He saw the fire, covering the sky and the earth, almost turning the night sky into daylight.

That was YanHui Mountain.

Lin Shuangxu’s galloping horse stopped at the foot of the mountain, watching the dragon-like flames swirling in the mountains.

At this moment, his consciousness was blurred. He even suspected that he was still in a dream and hadn’t woken up.

He should go back, return to the camp, and wait patiently.

He Yuncheng had never broken his word. He said three days, and he would definitely return in three days.

Lin Shuangxu only felt that all the strength in his body had been drained. He wanted to leave, but he couldn’t turn his head.

He stared unblinkingly at the flames covering the mountain. The fire stung his eyes, but he still couldn’t find a familiar figure.

“He Yuncheng…”

The heat wave surged with the night wind, blowing on Lin Shuangxu’s body, and he trembled even more violently.

Reinforcements, find someone to save him… He tried to think with his remaining sanity, his trembling wrists waving the whip, and he shouted hoarsely.

Just then, he heard the rumbling of hooves.

Thousands of troops came from the mountain, trampling on smoke and dust. The overwhelming figures gradually became clear, and the war flag of Bei Sheng moved violently in the flames.

His breathing became rapid, but the more he wanted to see the situation clearly, the more his eyes were blurred by a mist of water.

The Bei Sheng soldiers rushed down the mountain, their shouts shaking the heavens and the earth.

That was the sound of celebrating victory.

A tall and upright figure rode at the forefront, getting closer and closer to Lin Shuangxu.

He could clearly see his face, but Lin Shuangxu’s heart still wouldn’t let go.

Until he came in front of him unscathed, he asked in surprise and even more delight: “Did Shaozhu know that I would return victoriously tonight, and came here to welcome me?”

Tears welled up in his eyes. Lin Shuangxu couldn’t say a word, but He Yuncheng smiled happily.

“Come on my horse.” He held out his hand to Lin Shuangxu.

That slightly cold hand was still trembling, placed in He Yuncheng’s palm, and he held it tightly.

He leaned over and used his strength, holding Lin Shuangxu tightly with one hand, and encircling his waist with the other, effortlessly bringing him onto his horse and protecting him in his arms.

Some unconventional behavior, at this moment, in the eyes of the soldiers, became a celebration of victory.

Seeing the two embrace intimately, everyone raised the weapons in their hands, the horses galloped, and the shouts became more excited.

He Yuncheng pressed against Lin Shuangxu’s cheek, feeling the wetness in the corners of his eyes, and asked him, “What’s wrong? Do you blame me for coming back late?”

Lin Shuangxu shook his head, hooked his neck, and kissed him.

That kiss wasn’t heavy, but it was too affectionate, so intense that even someone as fearless as He Yuncheng began to feel scared.

“Were you worried about me?” He hugged Lin Shuangxu tightly, asking him with guilt.

Lin Shuangxu just shook his head. He didn’t have the strength to speak.

Just now, it was like a knife had been inserted into his body, digging out his heart and lungs. If He Yuncheng had appeared any later, he might have died.