After the incident with Rida Muzi, the Liangzhou Guards were very busy for a period of time.
After the new soldiers who died in battle were buried, their names were recorded in the military registry. When they returned to the capital in the future, they had to pay compensation to the families of the new soldiers. The new soldiers who died were all sentinels, and most of them were still very young. They had died in battle less than a year after coming to the Liangzhou Guards. Their companions who spent all their time together were also very depressed for a period of time.
However, even though they were depressed, their days still had to go on. Especially after this incident, the Liangzhou Guards were not as safe as before. Xiao Jue ordered Chief Instructor Shen to begin training the new formations. If they really encountered an enemy, the new soldiers had to learn how to set up formations to be able to kill the enemy.
Not all of the Nan Fu soldiers had arrived in Liangzhou. When Xiao Jue rushed back from Qingnan, she brought ten thousand Nan Fu soldiers with her. The Nine Flags Battalion remained in Qingnan and did not follow. Now that Liangzhou City had become the target of public criticism, it was not a good time to be in the limelight.
The Nan Fu soldiers' daily training was different from the Liangzhou Guards' daily training. Just as Xiao Jue said, the length and amount of daily training was three times that of the Liangzhou Guards'. Every time the new soldiers of the Liangzhou Guards saw the Nan Fu soldiers' daily training, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
In an instant, the originally empty training grounds became lively. At the foot of White Moon Mountain, by the Wulu River, there were soldiers everywhere.
He Yan's injuries were also getting better day by day.
Lin Shuanghe's medical skills were much more exquisite than Shen Muxue's. He originally thought that such an injury would take him a year or so to recover. Now, at this rate, He Yan felt that he could still go to the training grounds and jump around in two months.
Song Taotao placed the soup in front of He Yan. After watching He Yan drink it all, she took the bowl and left. The little girl didn't know how to cook, so she went to the head of the soldiers and used her status as a young miss to rob them. The food she robbed was to feed He Yan. He Yan sometimes felt like he was living off a woman. At first, he was a bit embarrassed, but after a while, he became used to it.
After all, the soup was delicious. It would be even better if the little girl didn't look at her as if she was looking at her own treasure.
From the other side of the room, a faint voice could be heard. It seemed to be Liang Ping's, and he sounded a little excited.
He Yan thought about it for a while, then got up and got out of bed with the help of a stick.
She took out a silver thread from her sleeve and inserted it into the lock. She had done this kind of thing many times, so it was a walk in the park for her. Fortunately, Xiao Jue turned a blind eye to her behavior and did not change the lock to a more complicated "Shi" character. Xiao Jue's important documents were probably not in this room, which was why it was so loose.
He Yan pushed open the door slightly and saw a person kneeling in front of Xiao Jue. It was Du Mao, whom he had not seen for a long time. Ever since the incident with Rida Muzi, Lei Hou's identity as a spy was exposed. As Lei Hou's relative, the original sponsor, Du Mao, had disappeared without a trace. He Yan heard Cheng Lisu say that Du Mao seemed to have been locked up. He Yan could understand. Since Lei Hou was a spy, no one could guarantee that Du Mao was innocent.
Now that Du Mao appeared here, it was probably because the injustice had been cleared.
In addition to the kneeling Du Mao, there was also a group of instructors standing in the room. He Yan saw Liang Ping step forward and plead, "Commander in Chief, Instructor Du and Lei Hou haven't seen each other for many years. He really didn't know that Lei Hou was a spy. Please, Commander in Chief, give him a way out. "
"That's right, Commander in Chief," Ma Damei couldn't help but say, "Instructor Du has been in the Liangzhou Guards for ten years and has never made a single mistake. If Lei Hou didn't intentionally hide it, he wouldn't have ended up like this. Please, Commander in Chief, take into account Instructor Du's hard work for so many years and give him a lighter punishment. "
The other instructors all agreed and pleaded for Du Mao.
Du Mao had been in the Liangzhou Guards since he was in his twenties. He had stayed in the bitter cold for ten years. There wasn't much to play around in the guard station. At most, the instructors would gather together to drink wine during festivals. What they did on a daily basis was either training soldiers or guarding the station.
The instructors had deep friendships and naturally didn't want to see Du Mao lose his life because of Lei Hou. They couldn't bear it and came to plead for leniency.
Shen Han's lips moved, but he didn't say anything in the end. It wasn't that he didn't have a deep relationship with Du Mao, but even though they had only known each other for less than a year, Shen Han knew that the Second Young Master Xiao in front of him wasn't someone who would change his mind because of someone else's words.
As expected, Xiao Jue didn't pay attention to what the others were saying. He looked at Du Mao and said, "What do you plan to do?"
He Yan still remembered that when he had first arrived at the Liangzhou Guards, this Instructor Du Mao had a good relationship with Liang Ping and often argued with Liang Ping. Among the instructors, he was considered young. Now, in just a few short days, he seemed to have aged ten years. A few strands of white hair had sprouted from his temples, and his expression had aged considerably.
Du Mao opened his mouth, unable to hide the exhaustion in his voice. "Du Mao is willing to accept punishment."
"Du Mao!" Liang Ping anxiously called out his name.
"I didn't find out Lei Hou's current status before rashly recommending him to the guard station. This is dereliction of duty," Du Mao said. "It is only right for the Governor to punish me."
"You are indeed dereliction of duty," Xiao Jue said calmly. "Because of you, many new recruits have died in the Liangzhou Guards."
The instructors who wanted to continue persuading him stopped in their tracks and didn't dare open their mouths.
"The dead cannot be revived," Xiao Jue said. "Do you understand?"
"Du Mao understands."
The room was silent. Liang Ping looked at Du Mao with a look of despair.
"I won't take your life."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the room was stunned. He Yan was also stunned.
Xiao Jue said, "You can leave."
"Governor …"
"From today onwards, you are no longer an instructor of the Liangzhou Guards." Xiao Jue stood up and walked out of the room. "You don't have to come back in the future."
His figure disappeared outside the room. After a moment of silence, Ma Damei finally came to her senses and pulled Du Mao, who was still kneeling on the ground. "Okay, okay. The Governor has shown you mercy. Hurry up and get up."
Du Mao stood in a daze and suddenly began to wail.
Everyone in the room comforted him and Du Mao's cries. The noise made He Yan's head hurt. She grabbed her clothes and casually put them on. Leaning on a stick, she followed him out of the room. As soon as she stepped out, she shivered from the cold wind and snow outside.
Where's Xiao Jue? He Yan looked around. This person had just left the room. How could she be gone now? Could she fly?
"Looking for me?" Someone's voice came from behind. He Yan was so scared that she gasped and almost dropped the stick in her hand.
She turned around and saw Xiao Jue standing behind her. She raised her eyebrows and stared at her. "What's the matter?"
"No, nothing." He Yan pretended to look at the sky. "The weather is very good. I came out for a walk."
Xiao Jue glanced at the sand-like snow outside and said mockingly, "I thought you didn't eavesdrop enough and wanted to ask me something in person."
He actually knew that she was eavesdropping? That was awkward. He Yan scratched her head. "The Governor's hearing is very good."
Xiao Jue smiled. "Not as good as yours."
"Tell me," he asked, "Why are you looking for me?"
Why was she looking for him? He Yan didn't know either. She just followed him out subconsciously. She was speechless for a moment. After thinking for a while, she said, "Governor, you still showed mercy to Instructor Du."
It was one thing for the instructors to have a close personal relationship with Du Mao, but it was another thing for Du Mao to make a mistake. He Yan thought that with Xiao Jue's personality, Du Mao wouldn't be able to escape death. She didn't expect that in the end, he would only be expelled from the Liangzhou Guards.
Xiao Jue laughed. She seemed to think that her words were funny. "Showed mercy?"
"Yes, if it were me …"
"What would you do if it were you?"
He Yan suddenly couldn't say anything.
What would she do if it were her? It wasn't that she had never encountered such a situation when she was a junior soldier, a deputy general, and then a general. In fact, General Feihong wasn't any more merciful than Xiao Jue. However, most of the time, others subconsciously ignored it. It was only because she usually fought with her subordinates that she didn't have any merciless "great achievements" like Xiao Jue.
If it were her, would she give the order to take Du Mao's life?
"If it were me, I wouldn't either," He Yan said. "Taking Du Mao's life seems like a strict military order, but in reality, it hurts people's hearts. The Liangzhou Guards just went through the Rida Muzi incident. If people's hearts are scattered, the Liangzhou Guards will be like a plate of loose sand. It will be difficult for them to stand up. "
Xiao Jue looked at her with a bit of surprise. "That's right."
He Yan said proudly, "I already said that I'm the number one Liangzhou Guards. I'm very smart. How about it, Commander in Chief, can you let me enter the Nine Flags Battalion? "
Xiao Jue curled the corner of her mouth. "No."
This person was really stubborn. He Yan was about to argue for herself when she saw him turn around and continue walking forward. He Yan followed him with a stick and asked, "Where are you going, Commander in Chief?"
"The training field."
"Are you going to watch the soldiers train?" He Yan said, "I'm going too!"
After she was injured, she naturally couldn't train with them. Every day, other than lying on the bed, she would walk two laps outside the house with a stick. It was really boring. Even though Song Taotao and Cheng Lisu took the opportunity to come over and talk to her, between the two of them, one only remembered trivial things like which girl in the capital was beautiful and which madam liked Lin 'er, while the other didn't know anything other than eating, drinking, and playing. He Yan had a hard time talking to them. The only one who could talk to her was Lin Shuanghe. He was even invited by Shen Muxue to the medical hall to help brew medicine for the injured soldiers.
Therefore, when Xiao Jue said that they were going to the training field, He Yan was a bit restless.
The snow had lessened, and it wasn't as cold outside as before. He Yan couldn't walk fast with the stick and complained, "Commander in Chief, wait for me!"
Xiao Jue couldn't help but stop in his tracks when he heard her confident tone. He asked, "Am I your servant?"
"No." He Yan came back to his senses and explained, "What I mean is, we can walk slower and talk about other things. Cough, did Lei Hou say why Rida Muzi came to find trouble with us? Wasn't the Western Qiang rebellion quelled by General Feihong a long time ago? Where did the Qiang Tribe get so many soldiers? "
Tens of thousands of soldiers. Did the Qiang Tribe have so many soldiers now? He Yan had fought with Rida Muji before and was very familiar with the Qiang Tribe's situation. He felt that something was wrong.
"It's not the Qiang Tribe." Xiao Jue rarely answered He Yan's question. "It's Uto."
"Uto?" This time, He Yan really didn't expect it.
Xiao Jue glanced at her and saw her surprised expression. She said lightly, "What do you think?"
Was she testing her? He Yan asked, "Is Rida Muzi a Uto?"
Xiao Jue was speechless for a moment before saying, "He's not a Uto, but other than Rida Muzi and a few of your trusted subordinates, the rest of the soldiers are Uto."
"Commander in Chief, are you sure?"
Xiao Jue walked forward unhurriedly. "I'm sure."
"If it's really a Uto," He Yan's voice was serious. "Then what the Uto wants is not just a Liangzhou Guard."
"What do you mean?"
"In recent years, the Uto Kingdom has raised soldiers and is very powerful. They always harass the people at the border with the intention of testing us. Now that they've come to the Liangzhou Guard, they use the Qiang Tribe as an excuse to hide themselves in the dark. They want to use the Qiang Tribe's name to run amok in Da Wei. "
"Commander in Chief, think about it. If you really went to Zhangtai and couldn't save them in time, when those Uto took over the Liangzhou Guard and took over the city, Liangzhou City would be taken over by the Uto. It would be like tearing a hole in Da Wei's border. They could go all the way west and follow the river until they reached the capital."
Xiao Jue looked up. "That's all?"
"I'm afraid there's a traitor in Da Wei." He Yan said, "This person has Uto connections and is an old acquaintance of the Commander in Chief."
Xiao Jue said, "Continue."
"To be able to secretly plant a trusted aide in the Liangzhou Guard and spread fake news in Zhangtai, this person's status is not low and he has a wide network. He knows that the Commander in Chief is impregnable in the Liangzhou Guard, so he first lured you away. This person must be very afraid of you." Therefore, "He Yan looked at Xiao Jue." Perhaps there is such a person who has a very high position in the imperial court and has fought with the Governor in the past but did not gain any advantage. If there is such a person, there is an eighty to ninety percent chance that he did it. "
Xiao Jue stared at him and said, "Then why don't you tell me who this person is?"
He Yan felt that it was really strange. Although he and Xiao Jue were classmates, it was only for a year. After that, they hadn't seen each other for many years. One was in the South and the other was in the North. Because of Xiao Zhongwu's matter, Xiao Jue was deeply embroiled in the whirlpool of the imperial court. However, she was a pure and innocent person who relied on military merits to forcefully rise in rank. Every day, she stayed in the border camp, so she didn't know much about the messy affairs of the imperial court. How could she guess who that person was?
Even if it was an examination, it was too difficult. Not everyone was like him, who could sleep and become the number one in the Xian Chang Dojo.
Thinking about Yuan Baozhen, He Yan said casually, "Xu Jingfu?"
Xiao Jue was stunned.
He Yan saw his expression and his heart jumped. "It's really him?"
Xiao Jue didn't answer.
"Xu Jingfu actually colluded with the enemy and committed treason?" He Yan was shocked. "He's crazy! He's the prime minister of the court. What good would it do him to do such a thing! "
"You can speak louder," Xiao Jue said indifferently. "If there is no evidence, I can sue you anytime for slandering an official of the court."
He Yan thought, who isn't an official of the court? In her previous life, when she was a General Feihong, she was also paid by the government.
"But, but …" She wanted to say something, but Xiao Jue had already stopped and walked forward. Not far away, the sound of soldiers shouting and getting into formation could be heard.
Unknowingly, the two of them had already walked to the practice field.
The practice field used to only be used by the Liang Province Guard recruits for daily training. Now, it was split into two sides. The east side was used by the Nan Fu soldiers, while the west side was used by the Liang Province Guard. Now that both sides were training at the same time, the difference was obvious.
The deputy commander of the Nan Fu soldiers was practicing his footwork. He didn't need anyone to direct him. Just looking at him made people feel that he was brave and invincible. On the other hand, the Liang Province Guard recruits had just started learning how to get into formation. It was inevitable that they were a bit flustered. Shen Han stood on the high platform and shouted with all his might.
He Yan looked and hesitated. "They're practicing … the Fish Scale Formation?"
Xiao Jue glanced at her and asked, "You know?"
It's here, it's here to test people again. He Yan didn't understand Xiao Jue's questions from time to time, but she thought that maybe he was trying to test whether she could enter the Nine Flags Battalion. She could only answer seriously, "They're distributed in echelons. The front part is slightly raised, and the main force is gathered in the center. Then, they're divided into small square formations shaped like fish scales. When facing the enemy, they can concentrate their forces to attack the center of the enemy formation. However, their weakness is at the rear. If the enemy breaks through from the rear, they can break this formation. It's a Fish Scale Formation, but … "She said," They're too loose. "
Too loose! If they were to slowly get into formation, they would have been killed five times over.
Xiao Jue looked at her thoughtfully. Suddenly, she curled her lips and said, "Not bad."
He Yan was very proud. Her hard work paid off. Who would have thought that she, who was the last in the Xianchang Dojo in the past, was now so familiar with the art of war that she could easily answer the questions of the first in the Xianchang Dojo. Her hair hadn't turned white in the war, and she hadn't wasted her time studying.
"You've learned the art of war?" Xiao Jue raised her eyebrows.
"I know a little."
"You know how to set up formations?"
"You flatter me."
"Good." Xiao Jue looked at the soldiers training below the stage and said, "If Da Mu Zi came to the Liangzhou Guard that day and you weren't locked in the dungeon, and Shen Han gave you command of the army, how would you fight this battle?"
She was going to give him a question so soon?
He Yan thought for a moment and said slowly, "Those Xi … Uto soldiers are strong and vicious. The new recruits of the Liangzhou Guard haven't been to the battlefield yet, so their morale is low. It's hard to fight them head-on, and it's not something that can be solved in a short time. If it was me … I would use the Carriage Formation. "
Xiao Jue looked at her calmly, "Go on."
"As the main general, I would be in the center of the formation. The soldiers outside would be arranged layer by layer. The soldiers would be scattered outside, forming a roving formation. When the battle starts, they would rotate in the same direction and take turns attacking the enemy's formation, just like a spinning wheel. In this way, if we don't constantly exert pressure on the enemy, the Uto will collapse from exhaustion. Our side will be replenished and rested by taking turns to attack, and we'll recover our fighting strength. "
"You're the main general?" Xiao Jue mocked.
"What I mean is, I'll temporarily be the main general. The one who really needs to fight is still you, Commander. The reason why I chose the Carriage Formation is to stall for time so that you can rush back to support us, "He Yan said sincerely.
Xiao Jue turned around and bent down slightly. She looked down at her and smiled, "Lady He's learned the art of war well. It's a pity that he's not a general."
No matter what, Xiao Jue had a pretty good eye. He Yan nodded and said, "I think so too. I feel that I was born to be a general. Sometimes, I even feel that I was a female general in my previous life."
Xiao Jue: "…"
"Commander, you don't believe me?" He Yan poked a hole in the snow with a stick. "Or do you think that women can't be generals?"
"I don't think so."
He Yan raised her head and looked at him. Everyone thought that women should stay in the boudoir, embroider, draw eyebrows, and wait for their husbands to favor them. Not to mention being a female general, even if they were to appear in public as a female shopkeeper, a female teacher, or a female doctor, they would receive strange looks from many people.
There were very few who could take that step. Even if they did, others would not understand.
"You can do whatever you want," the young man's eyes were lazy and the corners of his mouth twitched. "As long as you can do it, it's fine."
He Yan was stunned for a moment and stared at him without saying anything.
His gaze fell on the training field in the distance and the recruits who were training. He did not see He Yan's gaze behind him.
"Thank you," He Yan said softly in her heart.
The snow gradually stopped. The recruits led by Shen Han practiced a few times and were not as flustered as they were at the beginning. Seeing the initial results, Xiao Jue and He Yan also stood here for a long time.
A familiar voice sounded behind them. "Huaijin! He … Brother! "
He Yan turned around and saw Lin Shuanghe. Lin Shuanghe climbed up to the attic and brushed the snow off his boots. "No wonder I couldn't find you two anywhere. So you came here." He looked at Xiao Jue and smiled mischievously. "You brought our Sister He here to watch the training?"
He Yan: "… Doctor Lin, please don't call me Sister outside."
"I'm sorry," Lin Shuanghe covered his mouth with his fan and apologized. "I forgot. But there are no outsiders here. "He glanced at the stick He Yan was holding and asked," Can you get out of bed and walk so far today? How is it, does your wound still hurt? "
"It doesn't hurt too much," He Yan said. "Doctor Lin's medical skills are superb. I feel much better today."
"That's great." Lin Shuanghe waved his fan. "If I can't cure you, I will feel very guilty."
The two of them complimented each other. Xiao Jue looked on coldly from the side. She couldn't stand it anymore and said impatiently, "If you have something to say, say it."
Lin Shuanghe was stunned. "Ah! I almost forgot about the important matter. Someone from the Liangzhou Guards just came. I wanted to find Shen Jiaotou, but Shen Jiaotou wasn't here. It took me a long time to find you here. "
"Who is it?"
"Someone from the palace said that His Majesty will reward you for the great victory of the Liangzhou Guards. Oh right, there's also that, that … "He couldn't remember who it was. It took him a while to remember the name." The fourth son of Count Shi Jin's residence, Chu Zilan! That's right, Chu Zilan is here too. "
"Chu Zhao?" Xiao Jue frowned. "What's he doing here?"
Lin Shuanghe shrugged. "How would I know? They're all waiting at the entrance of the Guards. Aren't you going to take a look? "
Xiao Jue paused, then walked down the stairs. "Let's go."
"Ah, Commander in Chief, what about me?" He Yan hurriedly leaned on his stick. He wanted to follow, but he didn't know if he could. Xiao Jue didn't look like an old friend catching up.
Xiao Jue looked at him and said, "You can go back. There's no need to follow."
"Oh." He Yan obediently agreed. Lin Shuanghe waved his hand at him. The two of them quickly went down the stairs, their figures disappearing into the distance.
He Yan looked at the vast expanse of snow. He was a bit confused.
Who exactly was this person called Chu Zilan?
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