Hsieh Hyun-chen spoke casually, but he only stayed with Mu Mingtang for a while. When the sky turned dark, he left.
Any victory was not easy to come by, and the God of War was no exception.
Mu Mingtang waited for a while, but she couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep. In the middle of the night, she vaguely heard movement next to her. When she woke up the next day, she found that she had moved to a different bed.
Hsieh Hyun-chen came back last night, but left early in the morning.
For the next few days, he left early and returned late like this. The Zhao family was originally very afraid of Hsieh Hyun-chen, but after a few days, the Zhao family saw Hsieh Hyun-chen coming back every day. As soon as he came back, he would talk to his wife. He was no different from a common man. After they got used to it, they felt that Hsieh Hyun-chen wasn't as scary as the rumors said.
Mother Zhao came to deliver her homemade butter to Mu Mingtang. She couldn't help but complain to Mu Mingtang, "It's all because of those damned Khitan people. It's almost the day of the river sacrifice, because they can't do it properly."
Qinghe Town relied on the river for food. Every year at the beginning of spring, the river sacrifice was very important. In their view, this matter was related to the next year's water transportation, so it was more important than the New Year.
Mu Mingtang had never heard of this festival, so she couldn't help but ask a few more questions. She and Mother Zhao were talking when they suddenly heard a servant call from outside, "The prince has returned."
Before the servant had finished speaking, Hsieh Hyun-chen had already opened the bead curtain and walked in. When Mother Zhao saw that Hsieh Hyun-chen had returned, she immediately stood up and was about to leave.
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't pay much attention to Mother Zhao. He didn't have time these days and was afraid that Mu Mingtang would be bored alone, so he asked the Zhao family's women to come and chat with Mu Mingtang more often. When Hsieh Hyun-chen entered the room, he vaguely heard Mu Mingtang say something pitiful, so he asked, "What were you talking about? What pitiful?"
Mu Mingtang stood up to help him take off his cloak. "Nothing," he said, "Zhao Niang was telling me about the sacrificial river. I heard that the sacrifice is related to a year's peace and harvest. Now that we can't do it on a large scale because of the war, I think it's a pity. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen's eyes moved when he heard this. He stood on the ground and thought for a while before saying, "It's not impossible."
"Hmm?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen suddenly hugged Mu Mingtang's shoulder and said with some guilt, "I have to go out again. I can't accompany you. You stay here for a while. I'll be back soon."
Mu Mingtang did not know what Hsieh Hyun-chen was thinking about, but it was not a big deal for her to wait a little longer. Hsieh Hyun-chen had more important things to do outside. She tidied up Hsieh Hyun-chen's cloak and personally saw him out.
She did not know what Hsieh Hyun-chen said to the person in charge of Qinghe Town that day, but the next day, the town started to prepare for the sacrificial ceremony. They even gathered firecrackers and cannons from every household.
Mu Mingtang did not know what Hsieh Hyun-chen wanted to do. Qinghe Town really looked like it was celebrating a festival. They even lit bonfires at night and set off firecrackers. The noise was so loud that it could be heard from afar. Because of the army's presence, it was dark everywhere at night. The bonfires they lit were especially conspicuous in the night.
On the other side of the river, the guard followed behind Yelu Ji. He looked at the opposite side in confusion. "The war is imminent. The Han people are not preparing to resist. Why are they lighting fires to celebrate? What are they doing? "
Yelu Ji put down the mirror and asked, "Is there a Han festival recently?"
The Northern Tribes army advanced to the riverside. Along the way, they captured many Han people who knew both languages to lead the way. The subordinate went to ask the Han spies. When he returned, he said, "East Elixir King, those Han people said that this is a river sacrifice. They are praying that the River God will not be angry and send a flood this year."
Yelu Ji did not understand. "We have already fought here. Why are they still in the mood for a river sacrifice? Instead of praying to the River God, they should be praying to me. This year, the Yellow River will become our territory. What can a mere River God do to us? "
The Khitans laughed. "East Elixir King is right. This place is only ten miles away from the Ye court. The Han people can't even protect their emperor. What's the use of praying to the River God?"
Yelu Ji laughed loudly. He looked at the frozen river in front of him. He suddenly pulled out his sword and pointed to the other side. "I heard that the Ye court sent their best fighter, Prince Qiyang, to fight. Now, it seems that he is just a cowardly sheep praying to the Gods. Pass down my orders. When we cross the river tomorrow, I will show the world that even if there is a God, he cannot stop me! "
Qinghe Town's river sacrifice was lively for two days. On the third day, Mu Mingtang was suddenly woken up from his sleep. There was the sound of a horn in the distance. The Northern Tribes had crossed the river.
Mu Mingtang immediately woke up. At this time, there were panicked cries and shouts outside. The maids all squeezed over. They were all pale with fright. Their hands and feet were cold. "Princess, the Northern Tribes have crossed the river. They have a hundred thousand people. The Prince only brought eight thousand. What should we do? "
This scene happened when Mu Mingtang was twelve. At that time, she was so scared that she could not stop crying. Now, there were more enemies and they were closer. However, Mu Mingtang found that she was not afraid at all.
Maybe it was because she knew from the beginning that Hsieh Hyun-chen was there.
Mu Mingtang was still very calm. He said, "Why are you crying? With the Prince here, what is there to be afraid of? Go outside and close the doors and windows. Take care of our belongings. Tell the others to stay in the courtyard. Without my orders, no one is allowed to go out. If anyone dares to run around, regardless of their status, they will be flogged thirty times. "
The maids were frightened by Mu Mingtang's words. They hurriedly went out to pass the message. They were panicking just now. Now that they were strictly restrained by Mu Mingtang, the maids were not panicking.
The atmosphere in the Prince's mansion also spread to other people. The other people in Qinghe Town were also panicking. However, when they saw that Prince Qiyang's family was staying in the house, why would they run? If something really happened, wouldn't the Princess be better informed than them?
Everyone was relieved. They followed Mu Mingtang's example. They closed the doors and windows and waited together.
At this moment, Yelu Ji was leading people to cross the river on the ice river. Marching soldiers were very serious about natural barriers, not to mention such a big river. If the river was not frozen solid or if they got lost in the middle, it would be a disaster. Yelu Ji very carefully captured the locals and sent several people to explore the way. After confirming that there were no more problems, he launched the attack today.
Yelu Ji wanted to disperse the pressure and also to show off his strong military force. He had 100,000 people line up in a long row. It looked like a million strong army. Dark clouds loomed over the border and created a lot of psychological pressure on the other side.
The imperial guards on the other side of the river were indeed shocked. Even the deputy commanders were secretly worried.
There were 100,000 people and the Northern Tribes were always brave in battle. How would they fight this battle? Hsieh Hyun-chen did not seem to be in a hurry. He held the reins and quietly watched the Northern Tribes cross the middle line of the river step by step. They were getting closer and closer to the river bank.
The deputy commanders panicked. They kept looking at Hsieh Hyun-chen. They wanted to say something many times, but they were suppressed by Hsieh Hyun-chen's silent momentum. Later, one person could not help but ask, "Prince, are we still not moving?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a water column suddenly rushed up from the river. Hsieh Hyun-chen's eyes suddenly became sharp. They were here.
He did not say a word. He just reined in his horse and walked forward. Everyone in front of the formation looked at him quietly and nervously. Hsieh Hyun-chen walked to the front of the formation. He raised his hand and said, "Middle arrow formation, get ready. Draw your bows …"
His palm suddenly sank down and pointed at the chaotic Northern Tribes army in the middle of the river. "Release the arrows!"
When Yelu Ji led the people to cross the river, they were very careful in the first half of the journey. They were wary of Hsieh Hyun-chen. However, when they were halfway across, there was no movement from the other side.
Yelu Ji was relieved. He guessed that Hsieh Hyun-chen wanted to wait until they had completely crossed the river and their formation was not in order to launch a sneak attack. Yelu Ji laughed in disdain. This was the war god of Ye Dynasty. This was the person who walked the border of Ye Dynasty. He was just so-so.
Yelu Ji was filled with fighting spirit. He raised his blade and shouted in Khitan language, "Warriors of Khitan, the wealthiest capital of Ye Dynasty is not far away. Charge forward and steal their food and treasures. Then we can go back and help our parents and siblings!"
When the soldiers heard Yelu Ji's words, they were filled with excitement. They all shouted and ran forward. One of them stepped onto the layer of ice. Suddenly, the entire piece of ice shattered and fell down. He also fell into the ice hole.
In winter, the water under the ice was very cold. The soldier who fell into the water shivered and tried his best to climb up. However, after a short while, he could not find the ice cave anymore.
He was trapped under the ice. He frantically hit the ice on his head. However, this winter was very cold. The ice was very solid. He could not find an exit no matter how hard he tried. The other soldiers on the ice were also frightened by this change. They saw their comrade crying for help under the ice. They tried to hit the ice under their feet to save their comrade. However, the ice was indestructible. The person under the ice was carried here and there by the water current. Everywhere he went, every soldier hit the ice hard. However, before they could break a hole, the person under the ice had suffocated to death because he could not breathe.
The soldiers watched as their comrade helplessly hit the ice for help. In the end, he ran out of breath and suffocated to death in front of them. His body was purple and blue as he fell into the dark water.
He died painfully in front of them. Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
This was a huge blow to the hearts of the Khitan soldiers. At this moment, they heard the sound of someone falling into the water.
For a moment, the ice was filled with shouts and cries. Yelu Ji realized that the situation was not right. It was a taboo to cause chaos in the army. Before he could reorganize the troops, a rain of arrows came from the opposite side.
The Northern Tribes soldiers were already shocked by the sudden change. When they looked up and saw the arrows coming, their formation was in chaos. In the pushing and shoving, more and more holes in the ice were crushed. More and more people fell into the ice water without any warning. Cries and shouts could be heard.
Yelu Ji finally understood why Hsieh Hyun-chen stayed on the other side of the river. It was because he had secretly dug a hole in the ice, leaving only the last layer. Usually, it was not obvious that the ice was connected. However, if a grown man stood on it, he would be crushed immediately.
The number of people who died from falling into the ice water was negligible to the hundred thousand soldiers of the Northern Tribes. However, the panic caused by falling into the ice water was Hsieh Hyun-chen's true motive. The battle before the battle was about the morale of the army. If the morale of the army was disrupted, the battle would be lost.
Even Hsieh Hyun-chen deliberately lit a bonfire a few days ago. It was not really a sacrifice to the river, but to numb the Northern Tribes soldiers.
Yelu Ji knew that he had underestimated the enemy. He shouted loudly in an attempt to calm the soldiers down. Since they had seen through Hsieh Hyun-chen's trick, the next step was simple. Hsieh Hyun-chen's men would definitely leave traces behind. At first, they did not pay attention and thus missed a step. Now that they looked carefully, they would not fall into the same trap again.
Yelu Ji had great prestige in the Northern Tribes. In addition, he spoke in Khitan language with a loud voice. Soon, he gathered a group of people. Seeing more and more people moving in Yelu Ji's direction, Hsieh Hyun-chen changed his hand signal. The commanders in the square formation immediately changed flags and waved them.
After the commanders changed flags, the soldiers in the square formation followed their training and changed to another type of arrow. These arrows were tied with special paintballs, which were used for acrobatics in Tokyo. When an arrow flew out, it would leave a trail of colorful smoke. The red and green was a spectacular sight. There were also some arrows that were tied with firecrackers and water bombs. When this wave of arrows was shot out, the ice immediately exploded into a pile of colorful explosions. It was very lively.
Yelu Ji's shout was only half finished when he was suddenly covered by the cannonballs. What was especially hateful was the colored smoke. Not only was it choking, the smoke was very thick, making it hard for people to see the road ahead.
Yelu Ji was protected by his personal guards as he retreated. He angrily cursed, "The Han are treacherous! When did they develop this kind of weapon? Last year they even pretended to make peace with the War Hounds! Despicable and treacherous! "
A few days ago, everyone in court was cursing the Northern Militant for not keeping their promise and tearing up the contract. If these officials heard Yelu Ji's words, who knew what they would think.
Hsieh Hyun-chen leisurely played with a paintball in his hand and said, "During the Dragon Boat Festival, the emperor made a water show at Jinming Lake. At that time, I felt that this paintball was very useful. It released smoke quickly, had a lot of smoke, and was not afraid of water. It was a pity to leave it for the women of the palace to perform. "
Last year, when the Yelv Yan came to Tokyo to make peace, the emperor held a banquet at Jinming Lake and even performed a grand water show. It was during the water show that Hsieh Hyun-chen saw this kind of thing. At that time, he thought that if it could be used in the military, the effect would be very good.
Some people saw singing and dancing and some people saw endless opportunities.
After Hsieh Hyun-chen finished speaking, he tied the paintball to the arrow and then pulled the bowstring until the bowstring was almost pulled into a full moon.
He aimed and suddenly let go. The bowstring vibrated with a sharp sound as the arrow shot out. It drew an arc in the air and smashed into Yelu Ji's back.
Yelu Ji gave a muffled grunt. His personal guard saw this and hurriedly shouted, "East Pill King!"
"Don't make a sound!" Yelu Ji shouted. Then he endured the pain and broke the arrow shaft outside his body. He said, "They can't last long with these tricks. Charge, charge to the shore and we'll win."
"Yes."
Yelu Ji's train of thought was correct. However, he was now surrounded by the colored smoke and the people outside could not see him. To the Ye army on the other side of the river, Yelu Ji was simply a live target.
The vice commander shouted from each square, "Yelu Ji is in the yellow smoke. Wherever the yellow smoke is, he will be there!"
The rain of arrows suddenly became dense. Yelu Ji was suppressed by the arrows until he could not raise his head. Hsieh Hyun-chen saw that Yelu Ji was completely tied down and said to the vice commander, "You guys stay here and watch him. Don't let him show himself. I'll lead the right army to cut off their east road. "
"Prince!"
"No worries." Hsieh Hyun-chen reined in his horse and suddenly sped up. "There's only one person in the world who can injure me. He's still waiting for me at home."
The eight thousand Imperial Guards were split into the left, middle, and right. The middle had four thousand people, holding shields and arrows to block Yelu Ji. The left and right sides were lying in ambush. Once they received the signal, they would charge out to kill the Northern Tribes.
Hsieh Hyun-chen personally led the right army to charge. Hsieh Hyun-chen led the cavalry in front and the infantry followed behind. The cavalry's horses' hooves were wrapped in cotton cloth so that they would not slip on the ice.
Although Yelu Ji brought a hundred thousand people, they were all led by Yelu Ji alone. Earlier, Yelu Ji wanted to show off his military might and had them form a line to cross the river, stretching for a few li. This way, it looked like they had the advantage in numbers. However, because the east and west battle lines were long, information traveled very slowly.
The middle army led by Yelu Ji was obviously in trouble. The east and west wings were confused and did not know what was going on. They were suddenly separated by the cavalry. The Northern Tribes' battle lines were stretched out and were cut into pieces by the cavalry. They lost the command of the middle army and panicked. Then, the Ye Dynasty cavalry formed a circle and used the height advantage to kill them.
The east wing of the Northern Tribes had completely lost contact with them. When they showed any signs of gathering, they were scattered by the Ye Dynasty cavalry. They could only fight for themselves. Hsieh Hyun-chen even sent people to shout in Khitan that Yelu Ji was dead. The Northern Tribes soldiers did not know the truth and panicked. Their confidence was also destroyed by the Ye Dynasty cavalry and they were quickly defeated.
Those who died from falling into the water or arrows were the minority. Hsieh Hyun-chen used psychological warfare to kill the east and west wings. They were the ones who suffered the most casualties.
When Yelu Ji heard that the east and west wings had lost contact, he was so angry that he spat out blood. His personal guards were shocked and shouted, "East Pill King!". Yelu Ji knew that he had completely lost this battle and shouted angrily, "Retreat!"
Guan Ming had fought to his heart's content. He had been in the Imperial Army for many years, but he had never felt so hot-blooded and carefree as he had today. His face was full of blood and the horse was so tired that it could not run anymore. He got off the horse and saw the sun setting in the west. The Northern Tribes soldiers who were so arrogant in the morning quickly retreated.
A fellow villager saw him and rode towards him, "Guan Ming, how many people did you kill today?"
"25." Guan Ming was very proud. His fellow villager also showed a look of admiration, "Amazing. I only killed 21. I am ashamed."
After they finished speaking, they looked at each other and laughed. The Ye Dynasty's army was famous for being weak and had always been suppressed by the Northern Tribes. Even West Xia dared to look down on the Ye Dynasty. Who would have thought that one day, they would be able to vent their anger in the war with the Northern Tribes?
After Guan Ming finished laughing, he saw a person riding a horse towards him. He quickly pulled his fellow villager and the two stood by the road and bowed respectfully, "Your Highness, Prince Qiyang."
Hsieh Hyun-chen naturally did not pay attention to the two officers by the road. The commander of the right army was beside Hsieh Hyun-chen and asked, "Your Highness, Yelu Ji was injured and retreated. Should we chase after him?"
"Don't chase a cornered enemy." Hsieh Hyun-chen's expression was indifferent. His face was clean and his expression was indifferent. It was a stark contrast to the blood-soaked horse he was sitting on. "It is not safe on the ice. There might be holes in the ice that have not been discovered. If the horse's leg is broken, the loss will be much greater than killing a few Northern Tribes soldiers. There is no need to chase. Let people clean up the battlefield. Take away all the armor and weapons and return to camp. "
"Yes!"
Hsieh Hyun-chen and the commander walked away while talking. When Hsieh Hyun-chen's figure was far away, Guan Ming and his fellow villager finally breathed again. His fellow villager bumped Guan Ming's arm and asked in a low voice, "Prince Qiyang … how many people did he kill?"
Guan Ming shook his head. His fellow villager felt regretful but also understood, "You can't say?"
"No." Guan Ming said slowly, "I don't know. There are too many. I can't even estimate, let alone count. "
Qinghe Town was not peaceful for the whole day.
No one dared to go out. They anxiously waited for the sickles to fall. Mu Mingtang was frightened just thinking about it. She did not dare to look, but she could not help but listen to the movements outside.
At first, it was the cries of the Northern Tribes soldiers. Their voices were rough and she could not understand what they were saying. She guessed that it was Khitan language. Then there were all kinds of cannons outside. Then there was another wave of cries.
Judging from the sounds, it seemed to be from their side.
At first, no one dared to go out. Then the bold boys sneaked out to see. Then the strong young men also went out. In the end, even Lord Zhao and Lady Zhao could not help but go out.
The maid went out with the Zhao family to ask for information. When she came back, she was full of joy, "Princess, I heard that the Prince injured some king of the Northern Tribes. They could not win. Many people have died."
Mu Mingtang was surprised. She could not help but stand up from her seat, "Really?"
"Really."
Before Mu Mingtang could ask in detail, she suddenly heard the low sound of a gong from outside. Mu Mingtang was shocked. She quickly went out to see.
At this moment, the streets and alleys were full of happy people. Everyone was talking to each other, "The Northern Tribes soldiers have retreated!"
Some people cried as they talked. They cried and laughed at the same time. They were very excited. Not only him, most of the people on the street had the same reaction.
Yelu Ji had retreated. They had won the first battle.
Mu Mingtang's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly asked the maidservant who had asked for information, "Where's His Highness? Is he injured? "
The maid shook her head. She had also heard this from others. How could she know the details of the battle? Mu Mingtang looked at the end of the street. She could only suppress her worry and wait.
Hsieh Hyun-chen did not come back until it was very late. When Mu Mingtang heard voices in the yard, she immediately threw down the things in her hands and ran out the door. Hsieh Hyun-chen was in the middle of ordering people to feed the horses. When he turned around and saw Mu Mingtang, he immediately revealed a smile.
Mu Mingtang saw him standing in front of her without any injuries. Only then did she feel her heart settle down. Tears came out of her eyes. She did not care that there were people outside. She immediately threw herself into Hsieh Hyun-chen's arms, "Why did you come back so late? Are you injured? "
"No." Hsieh Hyun-chen reached out and caught Mu Mingtang. He naturally held her in his arms, "It took a long time to count the people, so I came back late. Next time, I will definitely have someone tell you. I won't let you wait for nothing. "
As Hsieh Hyun-chen said this, he used his eyes to signal the people behind him. Do you have any eyes? What are you still standing there for?
The attendants were tactful and quietly left. Before they left, they took the horses with them.
When the Prince was talking to the Princess, not to mention people, even animals could not be left behind.
Hsieh Hyun-chen used his eyes to scare away the unimportant people. His eyes were fierce, but his tone when speaking to Mu Mingtang was still gentle, "It's fine. I won't be injured. If you don't believe me, you can go inside and check."
Hsieh Hyun-chen held Mu Mingtang back into the room. At this time, the maidservants had already disappeared. There was only the two of them left in the room. When Mu Mingtang returned to the room, she felt that she had become emotional. She was like a child.
She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She was a bit embarrassed, "Who wants to check on you?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen was a bit disappointed. In fact, he was quite looking forward to it. However, it was fine as long as Mu Mingtang was appeased. He pulled Mu Mingtang to sit on his lap and asked, "Did I scare you today? I was too selfish. I wanted to keep you by my side. You didn't need to go through all this. "
Mu Mingtang shook her head, "No, if I didn't see you, I would be more worried. Have you eaten? "
Hsieh Hyun-chen nodded, "I ate in the barracks." After he said this, he felt that something was wrong. His eyebrows twitched, "You haven't eaten yet?"
"I was waiting for you. You didn't come back, so I couldn't eat. "
"Nonsense!" Hsieh Hyun-chen was really angry this time, "These days will be long in the future. Do you always starve yourself like this? Do you want to torture yourself or torture me? "
Although he said this, he immediately ordered the servants to set the table. This time, Hsieh Hyun-chen was angry. He was determined to punish Mu Mingtang, "I won't punish you for not learning your lesson. This time, I'll feed you. You're not allowed to be picky. Eat all of it. "
Of course, Mu Mingtang refused. She was already an adult. Why would she need someone to feed her? However, this time, Hsieh Hyun-chen refused to let her eat no matter what. Mu Mingtang had no choice but to let Hsieh Hyun-chen feed her.
Mu Mingtang was trapped on his lap and was forced to eat. Later, Hsieh Hyun-chen looked hungry and took a lot of food from her mouth. Mu Mingtang had the most difficult meal in her life. Later, she really couldn't eat anymore and said shamelessly, "I don't want to eat anymore. My stomach is so full."
Hsieh Hyun-chen immediately tested it himself. When he saw that Mu Mingtang really couldn't eat anymore, he reluctantly let her go, "Okay. I'll remember this first. We'll continue with the other half of the punishment later. "
Hsieh Hyun-chen reluctantly let go. As soon as Mu Mingtang regained her freedom, she immediately jumped up. Hsieh Hyun-chen's arms suddenly became empty. He was quite reluctant to let go.
Mu Mingtang held her stomach and digested the food in the room. She hid far away from Hsieh Hyun-chen. After a while, she walked over shyly, "Why did you change your clothes?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen looked down and said, "Oh, when I came back from the battlefield, my clothes were stained with blood. I didn't want to bring these things back to offend you, so I took a bath at the camp before coming back."
Mu Mingtang responded. Suddenly, her little finger hooked onto Hsieh Hyun-chen's sleeve and gently tugged, "Didn't you say that you'd let me examine you?"
Hsieh Hyun-chen didn't react for a moment, "Huh?"
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