What kind of explanation was this?
Was this another variant of using death as a threat?!
What a terrifying attack, so sharp that I have nothing to say?
"Yes!" Ji Lingxi was an intelligent person as well, coming to a realization at once. With a clang, she drew her sword and said, "Well said, Sister Yue. If you dare dodge, I'll kill myself! I'll sever my meridians! I'll bang my head against the wall and die in front of you! "
The corners of Yun Yang's lips twitched.
And now there was someone who could infer other things from one instance. If you're so capable, why don't you ascend to the heavens …
In spite of this, Yun Yang dared not make a move. He dared not resist or even dodge.
These two ladies before him were eighth brother's younger sister and eighth brother's fiancée. What if they really committed suicide in front of him?
Yun Yang shuddered.
"Alright, alright. Ask whatever you want … I'll tell you what I know, but I can't do anything about what I don't know. It's useless even if I threaten you with my life." Yun Yang looked crestfallen.
Yue Rulan's eyes glinted with amusement. "You know my question. Perhaps only you know it in this world."
Yun Yang thought about it and said, "I do know a little about it … but I can't say it here."
"Why?" Yue Rulan asked.
Yun Yang lowered his voice and said, "Sister Yue … it's only the war that has stopped now, but we can still be monitored and controlled by people with ulterior motives at every moment, and those people with ulterior motives … also want to know the answers to the questions you want to know. So it's best that we don't mention it. We'll talk about it when we reach the capital. "
Yun Yang's expression was unprecedentedly serious.
Yue Rulan and Ji Lingxi believed him at once, instinctively believing him at the same time.
Yes, the Nine Supremes had just appeared and defeated Dongxuan's army. The people who targeted them that day must have made a move. It was only natural that they, who were related to them, would be under surveillance. After all, the Nine Supremes' enemies were the pinnacle existences of Tianxuan Continent; they were even more dangerous than Lei Dongtian …
Their actions today were really thoughtless … to actually interrogate him so forcefully at a time like this.
Luckily, Yun Yang did not give in.
What if … it was too close!
The two ladies nodded repeatedly, regret and apologies written all over their faces.
Yun Yang heaved a secret sigh of relief, knowing that he had passed another hurdle.
It was obviously Yun Yang's excuse to say that he was being watched. There was no lack of such a possibility, but at least, Yun Yang had not sensed anything unusual up until now. If there was someone with ulterior motives, the information that Yue Lingxi had revealed just now was already too much for them to make a move on the spot.
The most important reason for Yun Yang to say so was that he had yet to think of how to say it.
If he told them the truth, he believed that the two women would definitely not be able to accept it.
But what should he say, what should he do, and what should he do …
Yun Yang's mind was a mess; he could not make up his mind no matter how much he thought about it.
There was still a long way to go to Tiantang City.
With this buffer time, perhaps it would be enough for him to think of an excuse and how to deal with it …
Yun Yang sighed inwardly. The road ahead was long and full of obstacles!
Brothers … how many unexplainable questions have you all left me …
But I don't dare to offend anyone …
How unlucky!
…
Right after Yun Yang left the Fortress of Resilience.
The western troop that had come as reinforcements officially bade farewell to Fu Baoguo and returned to the western border.
At this moment, every man in the western troop was carrying at least one bundle on his back, piled high on his back. Some of them were even carrying more than ten bundles on their backs. The whole troop was like this, and it was a sight to behold.
Of course, there were also soldiers who did not carry parcels. They were all injured and their injuries were not light, making it difficult for them to move. They were placed on the hundreds of carriages that had been temporarily conscripted. However, even the injured lying on the carriages still carried a few parcels in their arms.
These parcels were filled with the remains of their comrades, their brothers, and their comrades.
They didn't want to put their brothers' corpses on the cold carriages. They would rather carry them on their backs all the way back to bring their comrades back!
They were all living people, just like him, alive and well!
Sun Zihu looked at the troop behind him, his rugged face already wet with tears.
The chilly wind continued to howl. Sun Zihu stood on his horse and turned his head to look back. The return journey had begun, but he was reluctant to leave for a long time.
A hundred and fifty thousand western elite troops had come as reinforcements. Now that the war had ended, they were finally going back.
However, only thirty thousand of the one hundred and fifty thousand brothers who had come as reinforcements could go back with him!
No, to be more specific, it should be twenty-nine thousand, six hundred and fifty three people. It was not even thirty thousand!
More than a hundred and twenty thousand western warriors had been buried in front of the Fortress of Resilience!
"How do I explain this to the brothers who are waiting in the western troop?" Sun Zihu cried. "How do I explain this to the marshal? A hundred and twenty thousand brothers …"
"How do I explain this to their families?"
"You have fought for the country and sacrificed your lives here. It is the blood of men, but those of us who have survived are infinitely more miserable!"
"Brothers … our souls have returned … we have returned home …"
"Brothers, it's time to go home!"
The thirty thousand western men screamed at the top of their lungs.
Their cries were heart-wrenching, their sorrowful voices echoing above the battlefield. The clouds in the sky were low, the winds howling. It was as if the hundred and twenty thousand heroic souls were gathering and lining up in a military formation, preparing to follow their brothers home.
The bleak sound of the horn echoed on the snowfield for a long time.
The thirty thousand soldiers of the western army were all silent. Along the way, aside from the sound of footsteps, horses' hooves, the occasional neighing of healthy horses, and the fluttering of flags, no one else said a single word.
Only the formation remained orderly.
The footsteps were still majestic and high-spirited, as if the brothers who had gone to eternal rest were still in the formation, making the long journey home with him.
They were still by his side, never abandoning him.
He seemed to be able to hear their breathing and smell the strong stench of sweat on their bodies. It was a smell that he had been most reluctant to smell in the past!
They were the same as him. All of them were silent, silently moving forward, using their own footsteps to create a heroic melody!
Behind him.
In front of the faraway Fortress of Resilience.
Fu Baoguo led the remnants of the eastern troop and lined up neatly.
"Salute! Send the western brothers off! "
Fu Baoguo hollered as the entire eastern troop raised their hands in unison.
Every soldier at the eastern front stared at the silhouettes of the western front army as they walked away. Their hands that were raised to salute were never lowered.
As the western troop walked, they gradually moved further away. Suddenly, someone in the formation began to sob softly.
This sorrowful atmosphere quickly spread throughout the entire army. In less than a hundred breaths of time, the Western Army was filled with sobbing and choking sounds.
Sun Zihu continued to advance in silence, as if he didn't ask anything, but in reality, his chest simply felt as if it would explode at any moment. He panted heavily, and after forcefully suppressing it for a moment, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He suddenly roared, "What are you crying for! Are you all f * cking women? Our brothers died fighting for our country, they died a worthy death. They are all heroes! All heroes! Do you know what heroes are? Why are you all crying? We should be proud! We have such good brothers, we … "
Towards the end, Sun Zihu's roaring voice suddenly stopped, as if he had been forcefully torn apart. He abruptly rolled off his horse, sprawled on the ground, and wailed bitterly. He no longer had any image to speak of …
He clutched at his chest and felt his heart shatter into pieces. The pain pierced his heart and lungs!
"It's fine if we die together … but there are so many casualties. How are we going to explain this to the marshal when we return? Explaining to the marshal is secondary, how are we going to face our own hearts?"
Sun Zihu's tears streamed down his face.
No matter what.
They still had to walk on this path.
They had to go back, they had to go back eventually!
When the commander-in-chief heard that the situation on his side was not going well, he sent a messenger eagle to inform them that he had sold all his assets and gathered all the money of the entire army. Together with the silver he had earned from his assets, the money would be distributed equally to the families of the deceased brothers in the name of all the officers and soldiers of the Western Army after the country compensated them.
This was in line with Sun Zihu's understanding of his marshal, but at the same time, he also knew that the marshal's estimation of the war was not going well and the loss of manpower was greatly off.
He had asked in a serious tone in his letter, "Are there still a hundred and ten to thirty thousand brothers who can fight now? What are the casualties? " Why was there no report?
Sun Zihu did not reply to the inquiry in the letter because he really did not know how to reply.
If the marshal knew that less than thirty thousand of the elites of the western troop he had brought with him could follow him back in the end!
Such a tragic war, such a cruel reality. How would the Marshal feel at that moment?
If he vented his anger on Sun Zihu, that would be fine. Whether he reprimanded him or beat him up, Sun Zihu would have no complaints even if he killed him. What he was afraid of was that the commander, who had a fiery temper and loved his soldiers like his own children … would vomit blood on the spot and faint?
Sun Zihu's eyes were streaming with tears, his heart was weeping blood.
It was better to send his brothers back first before anything else …
…
When they entered the territory of Yutang's border, the towns and cities along the way gradually increased and became denser.
Whether it was Yun Yang and the western troop, when they passed by, there were countless people waiting at the entrance of each town or city, even if they did not take the same route.
There were the elderly, children, women, and the young among the people waiting.
They had prepared delicious dishes and boiled hot water. When they saw the army coming from afar, they went forward spontaneously to deliver food, drinks, and clothes to the soldiers; they had given them the best consolation they could at the moment.
There were also people who looked worried as they asked carefully, "Sir … do you know how Yutang's eastern troop's third troop is doing? My third son is there … there's no news until now … I know I shouldn't ask about this. One should be fearless when fighting for the country, but I just want to keep this in mind …"
"General … do you know about the fourth troop of the Steel Cavalry? My husband is a centurion in the Iron Cavalry. Right now, he's … Although no news is good news, we still need some concrete news. Only then can we be at ease, isn't it … You … "A beautiful young married woman with a protruding belly nervously asked.
"General, do you know Liu Sanhu …?" A young girl with a delicate and pretty face was flushed as she rubbed her braid. "I'm his fiancée. His parents are old, and they can't walk properly … I … will be thick-skinned and ask if he's doing well. I've promised him that I'll get married when I come back … "
The girl was as pretty as a flower, her cheeks flushed and her eyes watery. She was bashful, but she asked bravely. Her gaze was filled with longing … it was longing for married life …
Yun Yang felt like his chest had been hammered.
"Sir … do you know …"
"Sir, do you know …"
"General, do you know …"
Countless people approached cautiously, their faces ingratiating but their eyes were filled with apprehension.
Their questions were so humble.
Even their voices were trembling when they asked.
They were eager to know the answer, but there was fear flickering in their eyes.
While they were eager to hear news of their loved ones, they were also afraid of hearing bad news.
Yun Yang and the rest were silent, not knowing how to answer.
Yun Yang and the rest were silent, not knowing how to answer.
Countless veterans who were carrying parcels on their backs tried their best to hide the parcels, hunching their backs as they hid them in their arms.
"We've won … Dongxuan has been defeated and has retreated … The news of your families will come soon … They're all good men, good men who protected their homes and country!"
"We've won … Dongxuan has been defeated, they've retreated … News of your families will come soon … They're all good men, good men who protect their homes and country!" Marquis Yun pacified them. "There are too many people participating in the eastern defense this time. We are truly sorry that we can't recognize all of them …"
"My fellow countrymen, please don't be impatient. Heaven helps the worthy …"
"I believe that your loved ones will return safely …"
When Marquis Yun said these words, he wished he could slap himself hard on his own face. How hypocritical he was to say such words that went against his own conscience!
Being an emperor, being approachable and winning over people's hearts was a compulsory course for the royal children. Marquis Yun was no exception. However, now that he had uttered these words that were originally at his fingertips, it was so f * cking heart-wrenching!
It turned out that being approachable was actually not a compliment. It was clearly the biggest fake head!
Dongxuan had participated in this battle with almost three million men while Yutang had deployed more than a million men.
When the battle ended, Dongxuan was left with less than four hundred thousand men. It was almost a tenth of their number. On Yutang's side, there were less than two hundred thousand survivors, including the eastern and western troops and the martial world's reinforcements.
In other words, after this series of battles, there were four million men from both sides, and only six hundred thousand were left alive.
The remaining three million and four hundred thousand were all gone!
Who could guarantee that someone was still alive with such a horrifying ratio of casualties?
At this moment, the so-called comfort was perhaps the greater devastation before they received the bad news. What could be more unbearable than the despair after receiving hope?
Out of ten households, at least seven or eight of these villagers who had participated in the war, what awaited them in the end would only be sorrow and despair …
Thinking of this, the villagers could not swallow the fragrant dishes that the villagers had sent to them.
They felt like something was stuck in their throats. Despite the strong sincerity before them, they could not swallow it.
Even their own hearts were torn apart by the pain.
Facing those expectant gazes and listening to those careful and perturbed questions, everyone felt that … they were already hard-hearted enough to not burst into tears on the spot …
All the way back.
What they faced along the way was the same scene.
Their hearts were torn apart again and again, over and over again!
The army was already far away.
However, the people who were waiting at the entrance of the village were still waiting there. They looked at the road in the distance in a daze, hoping … hoping that in the next moment, their sons, their brothers, their husbands … would gallop over, covered in dust, and announce to them, "I'm back!"
They were waiting …
Waiting …
…
…
"Today, four thousand and five hundred, not even two chapters."
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