OBS Chapter 1045 Sending a Message
Chapter 1045 Sending a Message
The officers were all in high spirits, already sensing what was about to happen.
The young master has gained Vice General Yang's approval, which means...
“Last winter, Guici sent troops to harass the border. Muli Village and Qianguan Village were robbed three times, and more than a hundred people were killed or injured. Now that the weather is warmer, it’s time to teach them a lesson.”
"What do you all think of sending Yue Qi as the vanguard in this battle?"
After much preamble, Deputy General Yang finally got to the point.
Having Yue Qi train with the soldiers and fight in the arena were just minor tactics, only meant to showcase his personal martial prowess.
A military commander's true authority is always established on the battlefield; nothing is more convincing than a victory.
Participating in this battle was also the first step for Vice General Yang to delegate authority to Le Qi.
General Gu and his men were both excited and worried.
After looking at each other for a while, some people still showed compassion.
"This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, but why not let the young master command from the central tent?"
"Young master is well-versed in military strategy, so his ability to use troops must be exceptional."
Others echoed this sentiment.
Ultimately, the vanguard is still too dangerous. They can't bear to see the only son of the Le family get hurt.
Deputy General Yang sighed, "The Le family trains generals who can fight on the battlefield, not porcelain dolls sitting on high platforms."
"From General Yue to the other generals of the Yue family, which one of them didn't personally go to the battlefield and fight their way out of the bloody battles?"
He knew that if he hadn't insisted, his subordinates would have spoiled Yue Qi rotten.
The officers had nothing to say. No matter how worried they were, Yue Qi would eventually have to go to the battlefield.
"This battle will be led by Lieutenant General Gu. I will give you five thousand men to take back Houguan Village."
Houguan Village and Qianguan Village are adjacent villages, as you can tell from their names.
The two villages are separated only by a river.
For so many years, the Le family army and the Guici army have used that river as their boundary.
However, Guici occasionally breaks the rules and crosses the river, which can lead to small-scale conflicts between the two sides.
After those Guici soldiers crossed the river, they harassed the people, looting their property and food. The Le family army responded quickly and always provided timely support.
But Guici's soldiers were also very cunning; as soon as they arrived, they ran away.
Their harassment was motivated by greed for money and supplies, not by a desire to seize territory.
The Le family army would occasionally pursue and penetrate deep into enemy territory, annihilating the Gui Ci soldiers after crossing the river.
Overall, both sides suffered significant losses, but the people living on both sides of the river suffered the most.
Deputy General Yang's order this time was to occupy Houguan Village, which meant that the overall boundary line had to be pushed forward.
This is not a simple matter; the other party may not be willing to give up that piece of land.
After taking Houguan Village, the more important thing is how to defend it.
But the officers' eyes gleamed with anticipation; they had long since grown tired of this passive defense.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Gu Canjiang clasped his hands in a fist salute.
General Jin arrived at this moment, his face grim and his tone rather unfriendly.
“Deputy General Yang, your prestige is growing day by day. It’s one thing if you don’t take me seriously, but it’s another to disregard His Majesty’s decree, which is treason.”
Deputy General Yang asked sternly, "General Jin, what makes you say that?"
He winked at his subordinates, and several officers bowed and took their leave.
For a moment, only he and General Jin remained in the military tent.
The two talked about something, and an hour later, General Jin came out again. The displeasure on his face had faded, and his expression was heavy with a hint of hidden expectation.
Then he received the report.
"General, the Prince of Ning's heir has severe diarrhea. Should we fetch a doctor for him?"
A guard reported.
General Jin frowned slightly: "Diarrhea? What did he eat today?"
"Reporting to you, sir, it was delivered by the kitchen; it's pork stew with vermicelli."
The guard said earnestly.
General Jin raised an eyebrow.
A few days ago, the heir apparent of Prince Ning made a scene, saying that they were mistreating him and that he was not getting enough to eat.
General Jin was worse off; for three consecutive days, the food boxes delivered by the kitchen contained only thin porridge, as thin as water.
Even the ordinary soldiers in the Cola Family Army ate cornbread.
This was clearly done on purpose. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Qin Yan had recently developed a good relationship with several cooks.
General Jin understood...
He decided to pretend he didn't know and turn a blind eye.
Since the food was delivered by the kitchen, and Deputy General Yang didn't care about his men causing trouble, what was he worried about?
You won't die from missing a few meals.
Unexpectedly, they've changed the format today.
Giving someone who has been starving for several days meat, especially pork stew with vermicelli, and if they eat too much... it will definitely cause diarrhea.
"There's no need to call a doctor from outside; let the army doctor take a look."
General Jin thought for a moment and then gave the order.
"Yes." The guard acknowledged the order and left.
General Jin hesitated for a moment, but still sent someone to invite Qin Yan.
Qin Yan was helping out in the medical tent.
Indeed, with so many medicinal herbs arriving, the medical staff is very busy and needs literate people. He helped with the registration.
Hearing that General Jin had invited him, he handed the booklet to his sister.
"The slightly damaged herbs have been recorded. Check them in a bit to see if they are still usable."
Fang Nanzhi nodded, slightly curious.
"Brother, have you already connected with General Jin through your network?"
She knew that her brother wandered around the military camp and made quite a few friends.
Even though her brother is a reserved and aloof nobleman in the capital, he can put aside his pride and get along with everyone when he comes to the military camp.
Qin Yan tapped her forehead: "Stop talking nonsense."
When he arrived at General Jin's tent with his personal guards, he made a point of straightening his clothes before going inside.
"This humble one, Qin Yan, greets the General."
He bowed respectfully, neither servile nor arrogant.
Even just standing there, he exudes the air of a gentleman, with a face as handsome as jade, making people feel good about him.
But when he thought about the underhanded things he had done to the Prince of Ning, General Jin was speechless.
Protecting one's own is a good thing, but being too protective isn't good either.
The Prince of Ning's heir is a good-for-nothing. He still has the Prince of Ning and the Empress Dowager behind him.
"No need for formalities, please sit down," General Jin gestured.
Without much small talk, he got straight to the point: "Young Master Qin, although the Crown Prince has made mistakes, he is, after all, a member of the royal family, and he is not someone you or I can deal with at will."
Qin Yan replied with an upright expression, "The general is right."
General Jin almost laughed in anger when he saw him pretending to be stupid: "Since Young Master Qin knows, he should restrain himself in the future."
He would not allow anything to happen to the Prince of Ning's heir while he was in charge.
Qin Yan raised his head slightly: "General, I didn't do anything. It's normal that the food and supplies in the army are not as good as in the capital."
"However, life is tough, but I believe that with General Kim around, no one will try to harm the Crown Prince out of a desire to do good."
This means that his underhanded tactics are all within the "reasonable" range, and will not harm anyone's life or make things difficult for General Kim.
General Jin took a sip of tea and thought that the mouths of scholars were truly not to be trifled with.
In a single sentence, "deliberate targeting" was described as "acting chivalrously." Does that mean that Prince Ning's heir is a wicked man?
"It's good that Young Master Qin is aware of this. Sometimes, being too sharp and outspoken is not a good thing."
This sentence is a warning.
A student of the Imperial Academy who has not yet entered officialdom can be easily manipulated by the Prince of Ning's mansion or the Empress Dowager.
Why go to the trouble of offending people?
Qin Yan blinked: "I've learned my lesson."
But judging from his expression, it didn't seem like he had taken it to heart.
General Jin didn't offer much advice; he was just giving Qin Yan a warning not to go too far, as the Prince of Ning's heir was causing him trouble every few days.
Qin Yan left the camp, thought for a moment, and then accidentally wandered to the vicinity of the tent where the Prince of Ning's heir was being held.
He couldn't get close; he could only stay fifty meters away. But he could still see the guards carrying chamber pots, looking disgusted, running back and forth.
It seems we've implicated innocent people; let's try a different approach next time.
Qin Yan turned and left with a clear conscience.
That day, the medical staff were busy until late, and when Fang Nanzhi and the others returned to the post station, they were all listless.
Zheng Wanru simply went to sleep.
She had just recovered and was exhausted after a busy day.
Fang Nanzhi sat there for a while before going to rest, then realized she hadn't seen Le Qi.
Where is Yue Qi?
She hasn't given him the acupuncture yet.
"He should be back even later tonight, no need to wait," Qin Yan said, yawning.
Fang Nanzhi thought for a moment, then had someone bring her pen and ink and wrote down a prescription.
"Get the medicine. When Young Master Le returns, give him a medicinal bath; it will be good for his legs."
The excessive activity caused too much damage to Leqi's legs.
This medicinal bath can help regulate the body, but the process is a bit painful.
However, Fang Nanzhi believed that the other party could endure it.
The servant took the prescription and respectfully withdrew.
Just as Fang Nanzhi was about to go to rest, a white dove flew over the windowsill and landed.
She and her brother exchanged a glance and hurried over.
Take a piece of paper from the white dove.
The note had two large characters at the beginning: "Do not worry."
This is a message sent by Fang Nanzhi, informing her that she had offended the Prince of Ning's heir, and it was the Crown Prince's reply.
Perhaps the Crown Prince has already resolved this matter?
The notes all asked Fang Nanzhi if her journey was safe, if she had any health problems due to the change in environment, if there was any food she liked at the border, if military life was tough and if she could pay for special meals, and if she had encountered any other difficulties...
Finally: I miss you dearly, and my brother Qin.
Qin Yan looked at the last line and his lips twitched slightly. The addition of the words "Brother Qin" was too forced.
The Crown Prince was indeed up to no good. How old is his sister? He's already writing love letters to seduce her.
Indeed, in Qin Yan's eyes, this note full of concern was a love letter.
Alarm bells rang in his mind. No, he had to write back to his father and second uncle and ask them to do something in the capital to dissuade the crown prince from his idea.
Fang Nanzhi felt that Qingyan had become more verbose, but since her friends cared about her and her brother, they would definitely reply to her letter.
"Zhizhi, it's getting late, and you'll be busy tomorrow. Why don't I write the reply?"
Qin Yan observed his sister's expression without making a sound.
Fang Nanzhi readily agreed, "Brother, you're so kind. I'll leave it to you then."
She was tired, and she really couldn't be bothered to write another letter.
In addition, in her heart, her brother was the same as her, and it didn't matter who responded to the Crown Prince.
Qin Yan was pleased and said gently, "Okay, then go and rest."
After Fang Nanzhi left, he looked at Bai Ge with a ferocious expression.
The white dove seemed to sense unease, tucked its wings in, and lowered its head.
Qin Yan withdrew his gaze. With the Crown Prince's secret guards around, even if he killed the white dove, there would be another one.
Besides, the Crown Prince is still somewhat useful, so we can't completely sever ties with him.
But we can't let the branches connect.
Qin Yan snorted coldly and went back to his room to write a letter.
On the rooftop, Feng Yi and Feng Liu exchanged a glance, silently feeling sorry for the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince is probably eagerly awaiting Miss Fang's reply and is quite pleased with himself.
Sigh, it's a pity that my brother-in-law is so hard to deal with.
That night, Le Qi didn't return to the post station at all; Qin Yan brought him the medicinal bath pack to the military camp the next day.
Having not rested for a day and a night, Le Qi's legs were trembling slightly as he stood, but he showed no sign of discomfort and walked as usual, relying entirely on his endurance.
He was assigned the task of leading the vanguard, and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes right now.
Qin Yan handed him the medicated bath pack and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't push yourself too hard, or you'll end up paralyzed."
Le Qi chuckled: "Zhizhi's medical skills are superb. With her here, nothing will happen."
Qin Yan's eyes turned cold for a moment: "Young Master Le, my sister is not familiar with you."
Is it appropriate for outsiders to call her "Zhizhi"?
Le Qi was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant: "Uh, what I mean is, Dr. Fang is not only my benefactor, but he has also helped the Le family army a lot."
Qin Yan's expression softened slightly, he nodded a little, and left.
Watching his retreating figure, Le Qi scratched his head.
They came all the way from the capital to the border. They were all young people. Once they got to know each other, wouldn't it be more intimate to call each other "Zhizhi"?
Brother Qin is being a bit too sensitive.
Le Qi, carrying the medicine packet, went to General Gu's tent for a medicinal bath.
A strange noise came from inside the tent shortly afterward.
It started with groans, then turned into suppressed moans, and finally into rapid, labored breathing.
Le Qi didn't expect the medicine to be so strong. At first, she felt a dense, itchy sensation, especially on her legs.
He dared not scratch it for fear of affecting the efficacy of the medicine.
Then came a sharp, stabbing pain all over my body, a feeling similar to torture.
When the water cooled down, he got out of the bathtub, his whole body aching and sore, and even the slightest movement exhausted him.
Especially my legs; they feel like they're not my own anymore.
Even with her strong willpower, Yue Qi couldn't hold on any longer. She collapsed onto the bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep immediately.
When he opened his eyes again, an hour and a half had passed. If it weren't for the sense of urgency and vigilance in his heart, he could have slept all afternoon.
When he got up again, Le Qi felt different. He felt relaxed all over, especially in his legs, where the fatigue had disappeared.
Miss Fang's medical skills are indeed excellent, but the taste of the medicinal bath... Le Qi shuddered.
That afternoon, General Gu led 5,000 soldiers away in different directions, while Fang Nanzhi and her medical team followed behind.
This was the first time Fang Nanzhi had faced the battlefield directly. She wanted to gain experience and also wanted to give Wu Junyi and the others some training.
Zheng Wanru followed suit; she was already quite adept at assisting.
Qin Yan volunteered to follow. Although his martial arts skills were not as good as Le Qi's, he was still able to protect himself, and he also had guards to protect him.
General Gu believed that he would not be a burden, so he agreed.
It wasn't until evening that the army finally set up camp in the wilderness.
At the suggestion of the Chinese military doctors, the military doctors began to busy themselves with the medical accounts.
Meanwhile, Yue Qi led eight hundred men and left under the cover of night.
At the same time, Prince Ning, who was preparing to retire for the night, received a secret letter.
The secret letter stated that the Crown Prince had initially won over the hearts and minds of the Yue family army, and was more popular with the troops than General Jin.
Although it's still a long way from taking control of the Le family army, this is good news.
Prince Ning was in a very good mood.
"Yao'er is making good progress, and we can't delay on our side either."
"Your Highness, we have suffered heavy losses because of the assassination attempt on Yue Qi. There are undercurrents in the capital right now. Shouldn't we avoid making any hasty moves?"
"It is said by an aide."
He was worried that if his subordinates made a move, they might give themselves away.