Feng Luodi only knew that Situ had gone to rendezvous with the King of Xianbei, but she had no idea what they were going to discuss.
Although Feng Luodi didn"t want to gauge the heart of a man of integrity with her own mean measure, she knew that in the eyes of a sovereign king, the country"s interests take precedence over friends.h.i.+p. It was true that the King of Xianbei was once good friends with Situ, and Situ had also helped him secure his position by getting rid of the other princes coveting the position of the heir. However, since Xianbei took part in the alliance to attack the deserts of the North, it wouldn"t be inappropriate for him to seek out Situ to discuss matters at this critical moment.
"General Cheng, Situ, he…"
After hesitating for a long time, she couldn"t help but call out to Cheng s.h.i.+fei. In the middle of the inquiry she paused, not knowing how to express her nervousness. She had always believed in Situ, but she had experienced a lot of risky moments with Situ lately and this novelty kept her on tenterhooks.
"Miss Feng, don"t worry."
Cheng s.h.i.+fei had always been one to take his cue by observing one"s speech and behaviour. This time Feng Luodi followed Situ to the deserts of the North again, and he"d noticed that she had changed a lot. Compared to the loneliness that flashed across her eyes back then, the current look in her eyes was more firm and steady. She was similar to that child, Zuo Lang. He used to be so cold and detached, but now he would be moved by the people around him and the novelties he experiences in this world. Otherwise, he wouldn"t have volunteered to go to Yuyang to help Gao Ming. It seemed that Gao Ming held this child in high regard.
Their changes were derived from their feelings towards Situ, one loved him while the other revered him.
"General has always been far-sighted. Even if this meeting is a trap, General would have already thought of various ways to retreat before he went."
Cheng s.h.i.+fei turned to look at the topographic map with an a.s.sured look in his eyes.
"As the General-in-Chief, he"s aware that only by protecting himself could he protect everyone else. Besides, General still wants to return to Chang"an to hold a grand wedding, so he wouldn"t take any risks at this moment."
Feng Luodi nodded repeatedly as she listened to the first part of his speech, and she couldn"t help but feel a pang of guilt in her heart when she recalled how much the First Prince had changed after he"d ascended the throne as Xuan De Emperor. The current bond between Situ and him was so weak that it was close to invisible. Once bitten, twice shy. Thus, she couldn"t help but feel the same about this unfamiliar King of Xianbei.
When she heard that last part said with such a teasing tone, the guilt and frustration apparent on her features instantly dissipated, and it was replaced with a look of helplessness. These generals were unique in their own way, huh?
While the two were conversing, Zhang Xin suddenly barged inside. Seeing his panic-stricken appearance, a feeling of dread suddenly rushed to Feng Luodi"s heart.
"General, he…"
Zhang Xin said these two words and paused. At the same time, Feng Luodi saw a figure flit by, outside the tent.
At this instant, Cheng s.h.i.+fei"s expression turned somewhat peculiar.
"Where is Situ now?"
Feng Luodi surmised that Zhang Xin had deliberately said half of what he was going to say to accommodate a certain person"s mission.
It was true that Zhang Xin"s look of worry and unease wasn"t faked, but it wasn"t grave enough to make them panic.
"He"s currently resting in his tent, the military doctor is already on his way there."
Feng Luodi rushed out as soon as Zhang Xin"s words fell.
Cheng s.h.i.+fei followed behind her and made fun of Zhang Xin on his way out.
"Tsk, tsk, you never get to the main point."
"Then what"s the point?" Zhang Xin scratched his head and followed after him, somewhat at a loss.
When Feng Luodi ran back to the tent, she saw that Mama was about to go in with a serving tray. She waved her hand impatiently and said,
"You can leave first, I"ll take care of things here."
So speaking, Feng Luodi took over the serving tray forcefully. Seeing this, Mama had no choice but to retreat, but she merely turned a corner and halted again.
The military doctor was currently holding a silver needle to stimulate Situ"s right hand, but there was no reaction whatsoever.
"Excuse me, what"s going on here?"
Feng Luodi directly threw the serving tray on the table and rushed to Situ"s side.
The military doctor took out the silver needle and sighed.
"General has been poisoned. Since General"s right hand was injured to begin with, adding on the poison this time around, his right hand would be weak and powerless for the next two to three months."
Feng Luodi glared at Situ, who was about to say something, and hurriedly asked the military doctor, "Is there no way to cure it?"
The military doctor hesitated and said, "I can only do my best, but it will take at least a month for General"s hand to recover."
Feng Luodi was startled and she could hardly tell whether she was in a dream or facing the reality. Situ had never been in such a pitiable state before.
After listening to Feng Luodi and the military doctor converse for a while, Situ finally said, "You can retreat first."
The military doctor naturally bade his farewell and retreated. Only when he stepped outside of the tent did he realise that this scene was very familiar.
As soon as the military doctor left, Feng Luodi stared angrily at Situ and ferociously asked,
"Say, what"s going on?!"
Situ stared at her with an amused look in his eyes and then s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the faint silhouette standing outside the tent, solemnly explaining,
"I was tricked. The cup of tea handed to me by King of Xianbei was poisonous; it was colorless and tasteless, so I couldn"t detect it. He drank a sip first for fear of arousing my suspicion and then pa.s.sed it to me. In the end, he"d managed to paralyse one of my arms."
When he finished saying all this in one breath, the silhouette outside had also disappeared.
When he turned his head again, he saw the smile that wasn"t quite a smile plastered on Feng Luodi"s face.
"She left, can you tell me the truth now?"
Situ raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"You knew? Our coordination was quite good I must say."
Situ rarely spoke with such a teasing tone, but his words didn"t have an effect on Feng Luodi, instead it made her expression look worse.
"If you don"t tell me the truth, I"ll ruin your plan. General Cheng told me that you usually prepare three or four ways of retreat anyway, right? It"s just that I pity your hand, it"s been wounded in vain and paralysed now, so you can"t use it. It sure makes it convenient for a.s.sa.s.sins, huh?"
Situ had no choice but to raise the white flag.
"Okay, fine. I"ll tell you."
Only then did Feng Luodi"s anger dissipate a little.
However, as she listened to Situ explain, the anger in her heart rose once again. In the end, she flung her sleeves and turned to leave. As she pa.s.sed the bowl of ginseng tea, she childishly swept the ginseng tea to the ground. But, when the tea touched the ground, it started to cauterise, leaving behind a burn mark.
It was poisonous!
Feng Luodi was frightened by this sight and, at the same time, her expression darkened a few shades. She turned to glare at the helpless-looking Situ and then lifted the curtains, stomping away.
When one steeled themselves to protect their country and the people living there, they would realise how heavy a burden and responsibility it was. No matter how great or talented one was, when the burden on their shoulders made them unable to breathe for a moment, they would still be at wit"s end.
In the past, Feng Luodi only thought of Situ as a very powerful General, and she had always found him a contradictory person. He liked gallop across the battlefield, but also liked a free and unrestrained lifestyle. He was someone revered by many, but he also liked to spend his time leisurely in a remote corner all by himself.
In Feng Luodi"s eyes, no one could compare with Situ. When he donned white clothes, he would look unbridled and elegant. Whereas, him dressed in black would make him appear as a mysterious and dominant. He was the perfect man that could carry the entire world on his shoulders, a man that she couldn"t take her eyes off nor ignore.
No matter how angry she was at him for risking his life repeatedly, she still couldn"t let go.
The war between the Northern Army and the enemy countries" allied forces was finally about to start.
Situ , who had no way to wield a sword in his right hand, came out in person. The former general, Gao Ming, acted as the vanguard and led a cavalry of a hundred thousand straight into the enemy"s main camp. The General of the Left, Zhang Xin, led an army of two hundred thousand to another side and tried to encircle the Huns" stronghold with the a.s.sistance of the other deputy generals. Meanwhile, Situ was leading an army of four thousand to face off directly against the enemy troop, an army of one million.
This war was no longer about defeating enemy troops with a force inferior in number. This battle would determine the division of the deserts of the North"s territory in the coming decades.
Feng Luodi was granted permission to wait in the meeting tent together with the General of the Right, Cheng s.h.i.+fei, and several other deputy generals for news from the scouts. No one spoke and the current atmosphere in the meeting tent seemed like a deadly stillness.
Feng Luodi stared at the few deputy generals" solemn expression and felt her palms getting sweaty. Her ferociously throbbing heart made her speak with trepidation.
"General Cheng, what is the battlefield like?"
"The battlefield?"
Memories instantly rushed to Cheng s.h.i.+fei"s mind and images of countless wars resurfaced, after which he desolately added, "It"s a very ruthless place."
It was currently winter in the deserts of the North. The whole sky had turned overcast and gray with heavy snow piling up everywhere. It was just like the scene Feng Luodi had seen in her spirit form. Snowflakes fluttered about and the deafening sound of horns resonated throughout the horizon, In the heavy snow, the horn sound of both camps is deafening, resounding through the sky.
The yellow sand before the frontier fortress mingled with the snowflakes, distorting the soldiers" vision, but this didn"t stop them as they pushed forth. Cold wind swept pa.s.s the deserts of the North as they fought, the cold light of the swords illuminating the armour of the soldiers under the gray sky. The acc.u.mulated corpses were devoured by animals in the desert, and soon turned into white bones. Those bones were gradually buried under the yellow sand, unable to see the light of day again.
Bridles of the war horse began to fall off, and as one cavalrymen tried to hold up the enemy flag, his head was chopped off, rolling beside his comrades" with eyes closed.
The sound of horses" hooves, the sound of swords clas.h.i.+ng, the sound of horns, the sound of people roaring, and the sound of people grieving were all mixed together. This was the note that has been resonating throughout the battlefield.
When the Huns" army called forth their archers, the Northern Army immediately panicked. Everyone knew that to shoot a man one must first shoot his horse and to catch bandits, one must first catch the ring leader. At this moment, taken by surprise, no one would have thought that the man who was regarded as the G.o.d of War would topple over.
In the meeting tent, Feng Luodi picked up a cup of tea and stroked the edge of the cup with her fingers, staring off into s.p.a.ce. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. The hand holding the cup lost its strength and the cup ended up falling to the ground. The cras.h.i.+ng sound broke the stillness in the room.
Without waiting for Feng Luodi to speak, a spy covered in blood suddenly dashed into the room. He fell to the ground before he could stand firm and weeped,
"General Situ had sacrificed himself, he…he was shot by the enemy"s archer!"
Feng Luodi who just stood up, suddenly lost her balance and sat back down.