Why Does Mr. Xie Favor Me? Chapter 49
byChapter 49 Different roads lead to the same snow
Who is buried in a snow burial?
Guzang City’s plan surged like an undercurrent, and finally opened a crack.
The emperor readily agreed to Xie Heng’s request at the court meeting.A labor mission led by the royal family and the inner court was immediately formed, carrying the first batch of urgently raised grain and winter clothes, and marched northward at starry night.
As expected, Wu Bing Cao and Du Zhi Cao did not dare to neglect, and subsequent supplies were also shipped one after another.The land banditry disappeared after the Embroidered Clothes Envoy’s accidental visit, and the sealing order of Changlong’s semicolon was quickly lifted by officials who understood the holy will.
When the news reached the northern camp, it was already the beginning of winter.On the makeshift school field outside Yunzhong City, soldiers were taking advantage of the rare sunny day to practice.Although the city has been recaptured, the traces of Huqi roaming outside the city have not been cut off, and the atmosphere in the camp is still tense.
Xiao Jue stood at the top of the city, overlooking the vast snowfield in the north. Wen Boyan behind him was reporting on the amount of grain stored in the camp.Although the supply line has been opened due to Xie Heng’s efforts, it still takes time to reach the front line, and the inventory is only enough for half a month.
“General, the scouts reported,” Zuo Yunci climbed up to the top of the city, his young face flushed by the cold wind, “The main force of the Hu people has regrouped at the Yinshan Pass. There are about ten thousand people. What’s even more strange is that yesterday, when a small group fought, the strength and accuracy of the opponent’s arrows were different from those of ordinary Hu cavalry.”
Xiao Jue didn’t look back, he just asked: “In your opinion, what are they waiting for?”
Wen Boyan lowered his head and said, “Wait until heavy snow blocks the road, wait until our army’s food supplies run out, or wait until we underestimate the enemy and advance rashly.”
But Zuo Yunci tightened his grip on his saber: “General, they have nothing to fear from their defeated general!”
Xiao Jue finally turned around. His eyes first fell on Wen Boyan’s face, and then turned to Zuo Yunci. His voice was cold and hard: “You two, one wants stability and the other wants progress. Let’s talk about it. What should we do?”
Wen Boyan pondered for a long time: “The general believes that we should rely on Yunzhong City to consolidate the defense line, and wait until there is sufficient food and winter clothing before heading north. Going deep into the snowfield at this time is too risky.”
Xiao Jue looked at the leaden sky in the north, “When are we not going to take risks when fighting in the north? When the spring comes next year, the Hu people have established a foothold in the pass. How many lives will be lost if we attack again then?”
He walked down the city, his cloak rustling in the cold wind: “Send the order, three days later, I will personally lead five thousand elites, carrying ten days of dry food, march lightly and rush straight to the Yinshan Pass. The army will then move slowly to meet them.”
“General!” Wen Boyan hurriedly chased a few steps, “Ten days of dry food, just in case…”
Xiao Jue kept walking, “Just pass the order.”
Wen Boyan froze in place. When Zuo Yunci walked past him, he whispered: “Bo Yan, the general is right, the fighting opportunity is fleeting.”
Wen Boyan didn’t respond. He just looked at Zuo Yunci’s back as he chased Xiao Jue, his hand unconsciously pressed on his chest, where there was a small old sachet and a box of unopened ointment placed close to his body.
On the eve of the expedition, a snowstorm was about to come.
Wen Boyan sat alone in the tent, with a map of the Northern Territory spread out in front of him.The candlelight flickered, casting his tired shadow on the tent wall.His fingers wandered around the Yinshan Pass, and finally stopped at a winding dotted line, which was the hunting trail marked on the secret map provided by Lady Zhou.
The curtain was gently lifted, cold wind poured in, and Wen Boyan suddenly rolled up the map.
The man who came in was the veteran who had been with him for many years. He was taciturn. He didn’t say anything. He just placed a wax pill sealed with paint on the table and then left.
Wen Boyan stared at the wax pill for a long time before crushing it with trembling fingers.
The thin silk was unfolded, and the handwriting was beautiful, but the tone was cold: “The time has come, Xiao Jue must die in the north, and he must not survive. Regarding the Yinshan Pass, you should do it cheaply so that you can achieve full success.”
Zuo Yunci’s voice suddenly came from outside the tent: “Bo Yan, are you asleep?”
Wen Boyan quickly brought the silk fabric close to the candle. The moment the flame licked the fine silk, a corner of the curtain had been lifted.Zuo Yunci poked his head in, holding a stoneware bowl in his hand: “I made some ginger soup. Today…”
He paused as he spoke, and his eyes fell on the burning silk in Wen Boyan’s hand.
Wen Boyan’s expression remained unchanged. After the silk was burned, he calmly swept the ashes into the charcoal basin. He raised his head and asked, “It’s so late. Is there anything wrong?”
Zuo Yunci hesitated for a moment, then walked in and put the ginger soup on the table: “Look, the light in your tent is still on… we will set off tomorrow. You have an old wrist injury. It’s freezing cold today, so I’m afraid it might hurt.”
He paused and said in a lower voice, “The ointment… have you used it?”
Wen Boyan looked at the steam rising from the bowl, and then looked at Zuo Yunci’s cheeks that were red from the cold and his concerned eyes. He felt as if something had hit him hard somewhere on his chest.He looked away and said calmly: “I used it, thank you.”
Zuo Yunci seemed to want to say something else, but in the end he just scratched his head: “Then you should rest early and be careful on the road tomorrow.”
As he turned to leave, Wen Boyan suddenly said: “Yun Ci.”
“Huh?”
Wen Boyan’s Adam’s apple moved. What did he want to say… to remind him to be careful?Tell him not to work too hard?Or… let him stay in Yunzhong City?But when the words came to my lips, they eventually turned into: “Put on some clothes when you go on patrol at night.”
Zuo Yunci smiled, and that smile was so clean and dazzling under the candlelight: “I know, you should go to bed early.”
The curtain fell, cutting off that smile. Wen Boyan sat alone in the dim candlelight and didn’t move for a long time.He reached into his arms and took out the box of ointment and then the old sachet.
This was a token given to him by Lady Zhou herself when he left that place.She said that as long as he ran his errands well, his future and freedom would be given to him.
But the future he has now has something else mixed in with it.Zuo Yunci’s unguarded trust, Xiao Jue’s seemingly stern but yet trusting gaze, and the team he watched with his own eyes grow from stragglers to an iron army.
In the charcoal basin, the ashes of silk have completely cooled.
On the third day of the expedition, the weather changed.
Dark clouds were coming from the north, and the shoal of wind blew up the snow foam, lashing people’s faces painfully.The team’s march slowed down significantly.Xiao Jue ordered that the rest time be shortened and that they must pass through the valley ahead before nightfall.
Wen Boyan rode his horse behind Xiao Jue, his eyes constantly scanning the mountains on both sides.He recognized this road. There was a tiny cinnabar mark on Mrs. Zhou’s map, with the word “Dangerous Land” written beside it.
The guide led the way in front and kept looking back to ensure: “General, after passing through this valley, you will be able to see the pass in half a day. This road is hidden and the barbarians would never expect it!”
Zuo Yunci rode his horse to catch up from behind the team and walked side by side with Wen Boyan: “Bo Yan, the weather is not right. Do you want to suggest that the general find a place to camp in the lee of the wind and wait for the wind and snow to pass?”
Wen Boyan looked at the entrance of the valley ahead. The mountains on both sides were steep and covered with snow.According to secret orders, he should remain silent at this moment and let the team enter this natural trap.
But he spoke: “General, I will be watching the sky for fear of heavy snow. Is it…”
Xiao Jue reined in his horse, looked back at the sky where snow had begun to fall, and frowned.At this moment, several shrill bird calls suddenly came from the valley ahead, and a group of jackdaws flew up in fright.
“Speed up and pass!” Xiao Jue no longer hesitated, “Send the order, move forward at full speed, and be sure to get out of the valley before the snow falls!”
The military orders were like a mountain, and five thousand cavalrymen urged their horses to rush towards the mouth of the valley.
Wen Boyan followed the team, his palms covered with cold sweat.He saw the guide touching the bell on the horse’s neck unintentionally before entering the valley. That was the agreed upon signal.
The horse’s hooves made a dull sound on the snow.The wind howled in the valley, rolling up snow foam all over the sky, and the visibility became increasingly lower and lower.Just when the forward was about to rush out of the valley mouth, the first muffled sound came from the top of the mountain.
It’s not thunder, it’s the groan of cracking snow.
“Avalanche——”
Someone shouted loudly, and the next moment snow mixed with rocks poured down from the mountain tops on both sides, instantly swallowing up the valley mouth in front and the rear troops who had no time to retreat.
Wen Boyan strangled the frightened horse tightly in the chaos and watched the snow waves sweep past the rear of the team. Dozens of his comrades disappeared into the white torrent, with their screams mixed together.
“Hold on! Retreat to higher ground on both sides!” Xiao Jue’s roar penetrated the wind and snow.
On the hillsides on both sides, black shadows appeared, bowstrings rang, arrows splashed down, mixed with special heavy arrows, and the sound of breaking through the air was shrill and harsh.Most of these arrows were concentrated towards the Chinese army and towards Xiao Jue’s banner.
“Shield! Form a formation!”
The officers screamed, but under the chaotic terrain and the continuous rain of arrows, the orders were carried out in fragments.People kept falling down after being hit by arrows, and blood bloomed on the white snow.
Xiao Jue waved his sword to block a few stray arrows, “It’s not Hu Qi! It’s a dead soldier!”
Wen Boyan waved his sword to protect Xiao Jue, mechanically blocking the arrows.Everything went as planned, he just needed to make sure Xiao Jue died here accidentally.
But… his eyes couldn’t help but search for that figure.
Zuo Yunci was gathering a small group of soldiers who had been scattered, and shouted loudly for them to move closer to the central army.He held a shield in one hand and wielded a sword in the other. With quick and precise movements, he deflected the arrows fired at the soldiers one by one.
The rain of arrows subsided, and the ambush seemed to need to be reorganized. Xiao Jue seized this short gap, quickly gathered the remaining troops, and retreated to a relatively leeward stone wall in the valley.
After counting, only a thousand of the five thousand elites were left, most of them were injured, and all the baggage was lost.
Xiao Jue’s left arm was cut open by falling gravel, and half of his sleeve was dyed red with blood. When the accompanying military doctor hurriedly bandaged it, his face was gloomy: “How are the casualties?”
“About 3,000 people were killed and missing, and nearly 100 were seriously injured, and the rest were all slightly injured.” Wen Boyan reported the numbers in a dry voice, “The food reserves… are only enough for three days. If we use them sparingly, we may be able to last for five days.”
There was deathly silence under the stone wall, with only the sound of the wind howling and the snow foam pouring in.
Zuo Yunci’s face was stained with blood and snow foam. After carefully surveying the surrounding terrain, he came close to Wen Boyan and lowered his voice with a hint of suppressed excitement: “Bo Yan, look at the texture of the rock wall on the east ridge and the cracks exposed after the snowfall… I suspect there is a gentle slope or crack behind, which may be a way out!”
Wen Boyan’s heart skipped a beat.
On Mrs. Zhou’s secret map, there is indeed an almost forgotten ancient hunting trail marked there.It is winding and steep, but it leads to the outside of the valley.That is the only door to life in this dead land.
He kept a calm expression on his face and held Zuo Yunci’s shoulders with great force: “Stabilize the position first. The general is injured and the morale of the army is uncertain. If we rush to explore the road at this time, if we are ambushed again or trigger a second avalanche, we will be in catastrophe.”
“But…”
Wen Boyan interrupted him and looked at the snow-filled valley entrance, “When the snow lightens up, the rear army may be able to clear the way. If not, we have to wait until the soldiers recover some strength.”
Everything he said made sense. Zuo Yunci looked at the shocked comrades around him, and then at Xiao Jue who was closing his eyes in deep thought. He finally swallowed his words and whispered: “Then… I will go and count the wounded.”
Wen Boyan looked at his back as he turned and left, his hands unconsciously pressed on his chest.The box of ointment is still there, close to my heart.
Waiting is the most painful punishment.
On the first day, the snowstorm showed no signs of letting up.More than a thousand people huddled under the stone wall, surviving on the remaining dry food and melted snow water.The moans of the wounded continued intermittently in the cold wind, like a dull knife cutting into everyone’s heart.
Xiao Jue summoned the remaining officers to discuss, and Wen Boyan once again became the backbone of the cautious faction, criticizing every possible direction as full of danger.
“The cliffs on the west side are steep and slippery, and the snow is not stable. Climbing there is a risk of death.”
“The collapse at the south side of the valley is too large and cannot be cleared by manpower without equipment.”
“The north side is the direction where the barbarians may ambush. Attacking at this time is exactly what you want.”
When Zuo Yunci once again proposed to explore the east ridge, Wen Boyan sounded stern: “The structure of the rock wall is unknown. If climbing at this time causes another collapse, it will affect the entire army! Yun Ci, how can a general be so reckless?”
Zuo Yunci’s face turned pale after being scolded in public. He stared at Wen Boyan and moved his lips. In the end, he said nothing and just retreated to his original position silently.
That night, when Wen Boyan was patrolling the night, he saw Zuo Yunci sitting alone in the corner of the stone wall, with a small pile of weak bonfire, slowly wiping his knife with his fingers red from the cold.The firelight reflected his young profile, which showed confusion, grievance, and a stubbornness that Wen Boyan couldn’t understand.
Wen Boyan walked over and sat down next to him.
Zuo Yunci did not raise his head, but continued to clean the knife, his voice muffled: “I just want everyone to survive.”
He reached out his hand and wanted to pat Zuo Yunci on the shoulder. Halfway through, he flicked the bonfire instead, “I know, but some things can’t be rushed.”
“But can we afford to wait?” Zuo Yunci finally looked up at him, his eyes flashing with fire, “The food is only enough for three days, and the wounded can’t afford it.”
Wen Boyan avoided his gaze: “The general will make a decision.”
“What if the general’s decision is wrong?” Zuo Yunci’s voice was very soft, but it was like a needle piercing Wen Boyan’s heart.
Wen Boyan didn’t answer. He just looked at the bonfire and said after a long time: “Go to sleep.”
Zuo Yunci looked at him for a while, put away the knife and lay down silently.Wen Boyan sat there until the bonfire burned out, then got up and left.When he turned around, he saw Zuo Yunci curled up in his sleep, his brows furrowed.
The next day, things got worse.
Food was strictly rationed to a handful of fried rice per person per day, and some of the wounded began to die from cold and blood loss.The number of people suffering from frostbite increased, and morale was gradually eroded by hunger and despair.
Zuo Yunci came to Wen Boyan again. This time he didn’t mention exploring the road. He just put half a piece of frozen cake into Wen Boyan’s hand: “You didn’t eat anything yesterday.”
Wen Boyan looked at the half piece of cake in his hand, which was Zuo Yunci’s own ration.
“I’m not hungry.” He wanted to stuff it back.
Zuo Yunci held his hand. The young man’s hand was cold but strong, “You have to live.” He paused and his voice was lower, “If something happens to you…I…hey”
Before he finished speaking, he turned and left.
Wen Boyan held the half piece of cake and stood there for a long time without moving.The pancake was hard and cold, but it felt hot in his hand.
That afternoon, Xiao Jue convened another meeting. Wen Boyan still insisted on waiting for help, but for the first time, there was wavering in his voice that he was not even aware of.
At night, Wen Boyan dreamed of Mrs. Zhou. In the dream, she still looked like she had been many years ago. She smiled gently at him: “Bo Yan, if you handle this matter well, you can leave that place completely.”
Before he could answer, the dream suddenly changed. He saw Zuo Yunci standing in the snow, with an arrow stuck in his chest, and the blood dyed the white snow red.Zuo Yunci looked at him, his lips moving, as if asking: “Why?”
Wen Boyan woke up with a start, his underwear soaked in cold sweat.
He got up and walked out of the temporary snow shelter and saw Zuo Yunci patrolling the night.The young man was wrapped in a shabby cloak and walked step by step in the wind and snow. His back was straight, like a tree that refused to fall in the snow.
Wen Boyan stood there and looked at it for a long time.
In the early morning of the third day, disaster struck again.
Continuing extreme snowfall and low temperatures, coupled with pressure changes caused by the valley’s special topography, finally triggered the second avalanche.This time the scale was much smaller, but it hit the stone wall where they were hiding accurately.
By the time the low roar woke everyone up, it was already too late.
The snow flow mixed with ice and debris poured down from above, heading straight into the area where the wounded were concentrated and the few remaining material storage points.
“Avalanche! Get out of the way!”
Wen Boyan was helping to transfer a seriously injured person when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of frozen soil as big as a millstone, which was caught in the snow flow and hit the back of his head.
He dragged the wounded, unable to escape.
Time slowed down at that moment, and he could even clearly see the rough texture on the frozen soil, and could hear his heart beating rapidly.
Then, he heard the familiar roar, “Wen Boyan──”
Zuo Yunci pounced from the diagonal stab and used all his strength to knock him and the wounded away.
“Bang——”
There was a heavy muffled sound accompanied by the clear sound of bones cracking. Wen Boyan fell into the snow. When he turned around, he saw that Zuo Yunci was hit firmly on his left shoulder and back by a block of frozen soil. He flew out and fell heavily on the snow several feet away, and was half buried by the subsequent snow.
The world lost its voice at that moment.
Wen Boyan rolled over and pounced, frantically clawing away the snow with his hands.The snow was bitingly cold, and his fingers soon became numb from the cold, but he couldn’t feel it.There was only one thought in his mind, find him, find him, find him——
When Zuo Yunci was dragged out, his body was twisted in an unnatural posture.The left shoulder blade collapsed obviously, and blood mixed with bubbles continued to pour out of his mouth and nose.His face was as gray as a sheet and his eyes were blurry, but when Wen Boyan’s face came into view, he struggled to gather the last bit of light.
“Wen…Bo…yan…” Every time he uttered a word, blood foam came out and stained Wen Boyan’s hand red, “You…didn’t…”
“Stop talking! Stop talking!” Wen Boyan’s voice was trembling.He saw a deep gash on the side of Zuo Yunci’s neck cut open by an ice edge. Blood was gushing out and he couldn’t cover it up.
The second avalanche brought new casualties, and the remaining medical officers were exhausted.
Wen Boyan tore off his undershirt and tried to bandage it tremblingly, but the wound was too deep and the blood soaked through layers of cloth, but he still couldn’t stop it.He could feel the temperature of the body in his arms cooling rapidly as life passed by.
“No… no… Yun Ci, look at me! Look at me!” He hugged Zuo Yun Ci tightly, as if this could keep the dissipating heat, “Hold on… I order you to hold on…”
Zuo Yunci seemed to be unable to hear. His eyes began to drift to the snow-filled sky, and his lips moved weakly.
Wen Boyan hurriedly put his ear close to his bloody lips.
“…Dongbian…” Zuo Yunci’s breath was as weak as a gossamer, but with a kind of calmness, “…you always…know…right…”
Wen Boyan was shaken all over.
Zuo Yunci used his last breath of strength to turn his gaze back to Wen Boyan’s pale face.There was no anger or resentment in those eyes, just bottomless sadness and a kind of realization that finally made sense.
“It doesn’t matter…” he said very softly, as if a huge burden had been lifted off him, “…it’s okay if I can… block it for you…”
The words disappeared in the cold wind, and the eyes that always followed him slowly closed.The last tear mixed with blood, slid down the temples and disappeared into the snow.
Wen Boyan knelt stiffly in the snow, holding Zuo Yunci’s completely cold body, motionless.
The wind and snow roared past, picking up the snowflakes on them.Soon a thin layer of white covered Zuo Yunci’s blood-stained cheeks and clothes, and Wen Boyan’s frozen fingers.
Wen Boyan looked at the young face in his arms and would never open his eyes again, never look at him with that trusting look, or clumsily hand over a box of ointment or half a piece of cake.
He suddenly remembered that Zuo Yunci secretly learned to write and wrote the three characters “Wen Boyan” crookedly. When he discovered it, he blushed with shame.
I remembered the unconcealable fondness in Zuo Yunci’s eyes every time he looked at him.
It turns out he knew everything.
Turns out he knew all along.
But he didn’t say anything until he died. He just used his last strength to block the blow for him, and then said it didn’t matter.
Wen Boyan lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against Zuo Yunci’s cold and blood-stained forehead.This action was almost gentle, just like how he tested Zuo Yunci’s body temperature when he was sick.
“It’s better to die.” He murmured to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it.
The wind and snow swallowed up his words.
“If you die, you won’t look at me like that again. I don’t like you.”
“If you die, you won’t know…how dirty I am.”
“If you die… you won’t get in the way.”
When Xiao Jue walked over with the support of his personal guards, he saw this scene. Wen Boyan was kneeling in the snow holding Zuo Yunci’s body, motionless, like a snow-covered sculpture.
A trace of sadness flashed across Xiao Jue’s face, and he pressed Wen Boyan’s trembling but stiff shoulder: “Bo Yan… I’m sorry.”
Wen Boyan slowly raised his head. There were no tears on his face, only a calmness frozen by the wind and snow.But Xiao Jue saw the desolate silence in his eyes.
Wen Boyan gently put Zuo Yunci down, his movements extremely gentle, as if he was afraid of disturbing a fragile dream.With trembling hands, he very carefully brushed off the snow foam and blood stains on Zuo Yunci’s face, just like he had wiped the dust off his face countless times after the war.
He took off his torn cloak, covered Zuo Yunci, and tucked every corner.
After doing all this, he stood up, picked up the knife that fell in the snow, and turned to Xiao Jue.
“General.” His voice was extremely smooth, without a trace of ripples. “Scout Zuo…when he was in a daze before his death, he mentioned intermittently that there might be something abnormal on the east ridge. The general requested that he immediately lead a group of dead soldiers to climb the east ridge to investigate the way out for the army.”
Xiao Jue stared into his stagnant eyes, frowning slightly.He was keenly aware of something strange.Wen Boyan was too calm, abnormally calm.
But in this desperate situation, any glimmer of hope is worth fighting for.
Xiao Jue said in a deep voice, “Yes, be careful.”
“Yes.”
Wen Boyan bowed to accept the order, and when he turned around to select the manpower, his eyes glanced at Zuo Yunci’s remains that were gradually covered with snowflakes for the last time.
The young eyebrows were looming under the snow, as if they were just sleeping.
Wen Boyan’s knuckles holding the knife turned white, and his nails dug deeply into his palm, leaving crescent-shaped blood marks. Then he turned around decisively.
Heading towards the road that he has known for a long time but has concealed until now due to selfishness and betrayal.
Every step he takes steps on Zuo Yunci’s uncold blood, his own fragmented soul, and this tragedy caused by his own hands.
The wind and snow got stronger, covering his back and the young body on the snow.
There is only a vast expanse of white left between the sky and the earth, and the silent whistling wind.
[The author has something to say]
Idiot cloud words:
The snow is red and the wind is mute.The ointment you gave me is still burning my heart, just like your last ridiculous body temperature.I lied to you, I always knew which way out.
You said you always believed me in everything?Are you all waiting for me?It’s hopelessly stupid.
Every piece of paper I burned, every harsh word I said, every touch I pushed away from you was all true.But when you pounced on me, why were you still laughing?You should hate me, you should see through the filthy liar that I am.
Okay, now you finally won’t look at me like that anymore, that’s good.
The wind and snow in this desperate valley will erase everything, including the traces of you lying here.Yun Ci, once you see some things, you can see them even if you are blind.
Go to sleep, I will walk this dirty road for you.If there is a real danger of death, don’t look back.
——Wen Boyan