When Luo Wei managed to push himself through comforting the rest of the city’s inhabitants, another night was already over.
“Xiao Wei, why don’t you go and sleep first?” Chang Ling asked Luo Wei.
But Luo Wei asked, “What’s happening with my big brother’s battles?”
Chang Ling became excited, saying, “It’s lucky that we didn’t listen to that useless Liu Wu Sheng! Or else we’d really be done for this time! To think that absolute garbage like him could still manage the t.i.tle of a general, it makes me laugh!”
Ning Fei had gone with five thousand soldiers to conquer Yan Xia, and broke Si Ma Zhu Xie’s food supply line. Luo Qi didn’t split his soldiers into three after that, but instead ordered them to attack as one, fighting to the death with Si Ma Zhu Xie at the western sh.o.r.e of the lake they were stationed at. The battle had forced Si Ma Zhu Xie back to Mount Wu’s southern foothills. Si Ma Zhu Xie retreated to the point of no retreat, and without enough force to make another push, he sheltered himself in the valley.
Luo Wei rubbed at his brow, “If they had taken Ye Qie, they could have escaped through the old route in Mount Wu.”
“That’s right,” Chang Ling answered, “Your older brother was scared you wouldn’t be able to hold the city!”
Luo Wei replied, “I don’t have skills enough to take a city and expand military positions, but at least I could defend one.”
Chang Ling couldn’t hold it in as he asked, “Xiao Wei, are you not scared of anything?”
Luo Wei looked at Chang Ling, “The worst that could happen is that I happen to die, what’s there to be scared of?”
“Brave kid!” Chang Ling stuck his thumb out at Luo Wei, “You’re worth your big brother’s name!”
Luo Wei’s expression was one of fatigue, and had no real reaction to Chang Ling’s compliment, “Big brother Chang, it looks like you’re going to have to guard the city now.”
Chang Ling nodded, “Yes, at your big brother’s orders.”
Luo Wei said, “Then that means I could go and see my big brother.”
Chang Ling answered, “Si Ma Zhu Xie has no way of sending anyone to attack Ye Qie anymore, Xiao Wei, maybe you ought to stay here.”
Luo Wei went on asking, “When my big brother suddenly changed tactics, how did Liu Wu Sheng react?”
Chang Ling answered, “That piece of garbage almost fought with your brother! But he’s playing nice now.”
“I kind of want to go and see the sorry look on his face,” Luo Wei seemed half joking as he spoke to Chang Ling.
“What about Huang Sha village?” Chang Ling asked.
“I heard Xu Huo killed himself before the battle,” Speaking of Huang Sha Village, Luo Wei’s expression suddenly went serious, “But it appears Si Ma Qing Sha didn’t make things difficult for the people living there. He only looted their valuables. Big brother Chang, you could send a troop to guard between here and there.”
“Xu Huo’s dead?!” Chang Ling almost jumped up from his seat.
Luo Wei shrugged, “He moved imperial troops at his own behest and lost. If he didn’t die, he’d only be waiting to be ripped to pieces by His Imperial Majesty.”
Chang Ling was dumbstruck. Luo Wei wasn’t wrong, but he couldn’t readily accept these words from the mouth of a thirteen year old like this.
Luo Wei didn’t stay in Ye Qie for long. After daybreak, he took a group of light cavalry and left the city. When the old tribe leader received news of his departure and brought the citizens out to see him off, they were only able to see a trail of dust off towards the north. The citizenry could only pay their respects to the direction of Luo Wei’s retinue, knowing that as he left, they would not see him again in this lifetime unless they were at the danger of being attacked again.
At the battle of Ye Qie, more than half of the ten thousand soldiers of Greater Zhou perished. Countless inhabitants of the city were either dead or injured. But with this, Luo Wei, Luo Yun Qi’s name became famous among the nations.
Chang Ling stood at the gate tower, watching the group of soldiers ride off with Luo Wei until they disappeared at the horizon.
“Master,” A soldier of the Chang estate stood behind Chang Ling.
Chang Ling turned around, the respectful and courteous smile that had always hung about his lips was gone, “Go back to Ling Nan for me, tell our family to just pretend that our deal with the second prince didn’t happen.”
The soldier was shocked as he heard, “But what about the elder master of the house?”
“Tell the elder master,” Chang Ling whispered, “That the Luo family may grow even more powerful in the court in days to come. If we keep dealing with the second prince, it’ll come back to bite us.”
“Understood,” The soldier took his orders.
Chang Ling drew in a deep breath of chilled air atop the gatehouse. At this moment, his mind was crystal clear. If Ling Nang’s Chang family drew their hand back from these plots now, they would still have a chance.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:
Hey guys!!! I feel like I apologize every few weeks about my disappearances… xD but work has been very busy. I have not had a day off since the last update… One of my coworkers was very sick and had to take last week off, and because of it I had to work their shifts too after mine (thankfully our shifts kind of overlap in the afternoon so it’s only a few hours more)… I keep seeing good comments about this novel! and it keeps me going a lot! : ) thank you guys for your continued support, and I will make sure to keep updating more this week!