The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 83 Returning to Kaifeng (Seeking monthly votes)
The tent was brightly lit, but Wei Renpu added another oil lamp, sat down, spread out his brush and ink, and began writing a reply to Li Tao on behalf of Guo Wei.

Xiao Yi pondered for a moment before speaking, "Guo Wuniang asked me to take her with me to Kaifeng on the way."

Wei Renpu remained silent.

"Mr. Wei? You don't object?"

"Are you telling me this because you want me to object?" Wei Renpu asked. "Then... what are your reasons?"

"dangerous."

“The ones in danger are the officials and generals who are slow to surrender. Otherwise, if you let your sons and nephews accompany you, would the generals not care?” Wei Renpu chuckled unconsciously and said, “I can guarantee that starting tonight, some Southern Army generals will come to surrender.”

Xiao Yi said, "So, Mr. Wei agrees to let Guo Wu Niang come with me?"

Wei Renpu did not answer.

"What were Mr. Wei and Fifth Sister talking about just now?"

"I know nothing about what young people do."

Wei Renpu wrote a letter with swift, flowing strokes. Instead of immediately folding and sealing it, he pondered for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

"Liu Zhu slaughtered your entire family, a crime deserving of ten thousand deaths. You wish you could devour his flesh alive... But when you take control of Kaifeng, you can actually use Liu Zhu's fate against you. Do you understand why?"

"not understand."

Wei Renpu hesitated for a moment, then had no choice but to be more direct, saying, "If Liu Zhu slaughters the Guo family, and Your Excellency slaughters his family in return, it will be a cycle of revenge, which is not the way of a wise ruler. At that time, I will definitely advise Your Excellency to pardon Liu Zhu's family to demonstrate your benevolence and stabilize the situation as soon as possible. Therefore, you must keep Liu Zhu's family alive."

He said no more.

Guo Wei must have wanted to inflict the most severe punishment on Liu Zhu, but even though he conquered the country by marching south, his hatred and resentment were used by his subordinates as bargaining chips in political struggles and tools to gain a reputation for benevolence.

It's better to leave matters of revenge and venting anger to one's children to settle scores and seek justice, without involving anything else.

Xiao Yi couldn't help but feel a little wistful.

Guo Wei started his rebellion to seek revenge, but now he's considering the interests of the people and the stability of the situation, even though it's all just Wei Renpu's idea.

The fact that his advisors dared to have such thoughts shows that Guo Wei had the ambition to end the chaotic era.

Comparing the benevolence shown to high-ranking officials and nobles with the promise to allow soldiers to plunder the common people reveals the cruelty of the times and Guo Wei's lack of freedom...

A letter was handed to Xiao Yi.

"Go, take that box with you."

Wei Renpu casually pointed and then flipped through the military rations register, clearly still very busy.

Xiao Yi put the letter into his bosom, picked up the box by the curtain, opened it, and saw that it contained Murong Yanchao's head, which had been preserved in salt and looked lifelike.

Upon exiting the tent, Guo Xin stood there like a walking corpse, but Guo Xin was nowhere to be seen.

"Mr. Wei agreed, so if Fifth Sister wants to go, let her go with her."

"it is good."

"Let's go."

Xiao Yi didn't know what to say, and the two walked in silence through the camp where the celebratory atmosphere was in full swing.

The campsite of the 20th camp was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Hua Nong had already filled out the merit book, and even the extra rewards and pensions for the 20th Battalion had been distributed. Everyone was overjoyed, some counting the money back and forth, some discussing how to build their own businesses, and some breathing on the captured weapons to clean them.

Xiao Yi first placed the wooden box on the ground outside and froze it with snow.

"The commander is back!"

"Haha, Commander, I heard the battalion is discussing giving him a cool nickname. Some said 'Flowery Spear,' but that's not cool enough. Others said 'King of Hell Spear,' which I think is better."

"The 20th Battalion really made a name for itself this time and made the greatest contribution."

"Hehe, let's see who's not envious of us... Sanlang, why does your face look off?"

“He’s tired.” Xiao Yi glanced at Guo Xin, not wanting to dampen everyone’s spirits, and smiled faintly, saying, “Are you satisfied with this little bit of credit? Your Excellency has not yet purged the court of corrupt officials.”

“The commander is right,” Zhang Mantun said. “This little bit of merit is nothing. This country bumpkin is just ignorant.”

"Brother Tieya is indeed worthy of being from the Grand Tutor's Mansion."

Upon hearing this, Tang Jin grinned widely, unusually refraining from mockery, and instead jeered, "That silly donkey got a lot of reward money, let him buy us drinks!"

"Yes, Brother Iron Teeth, please treat us to a celebratory drink!"

"You bastard, are you sick in the stomach to come up with such a terrible idea..."

Xiao Yi raised his hand at the right moment to stop everyone's chatter, and said, "Let's postpone the celebration. Go to bed early tonight, get up at 3 AM tomorrow for breakfast, and set off at 5 AM."

He didn't specify what task he was to undertake, lest these people be too excited to sleep. He simply instructed Lao Pan privately to prepare the captured Southern army armor and leave him to care for the wounded.

Old Pan was not greedy for credit; instead of feeling dissatisfied, he believed it was a sign of Xiao Yi's trust and respect.

As night fell, many soldiers tossed and turned on their bunks, and even their snoring was much less than usual.

Xiao Yi looked over and, in the pale moonlight, saw Guo Xin lying face down, his face covered in tears…

Exhausted from the battle of Liuzibei, he slept very soundly.

When Lao Pan woke him up, Xiao Yi was dreaming that he was thrusting his spear on the battlefield, but the person he killed was not Murong Yanchao, but Wang Jun.

"Commander, it's past 3 AM."

"Where is my Imperial Guard armor?"

Old Pan was already prepared, and said, "Commander's black horse must be exhausted these days. I've found a good horse on the battlefield. Commander, would you like to test its strength?"

It was a white horse, and Xiao Yi liked it at first sight.

The horse was tall and strong, with shoulders nearly five feet wide and broad back. It was spirited and unruly, with a coat as white as fine snow. Xiao Yi tried to ride it, and at first the horse tried to throw him off, but then the two of them complemented each other perfectly, their manes and tails flying.

"What a fine horse! It has strong stamina and plenty of energy. The tack is also excellent; the saddle and headband are much better than before."

“The commander has a good eye. This saddle is made of fine mulberry wood wrapped with thick cowhide. I secretly took it from Yan Kunlun’s slave horse. I was just afraid that this white horse would be too conspicuous. After the snow melts, it might not be cheap to charge into battle.”

"It's alright, we won't charge this time, it's good to travel through the snow."

Xiao Yi was very satisfied, but not because of the fine horse. He said, "It is true that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."

Old Pan was taken aback, rubbed his hands together, stepped forward to help him up, and laughed, "There are many fine horses in the world, but few who can judge them."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Take care of yourself, Commander." "Take good care of the wounded. If additional personnel are needed, select people based on their character first."

"..."

When Xiao Yi rode up to the gate, he was once again dressed as a captain of the Imperial Guards, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse.

Guo Xin changed into a more fitting suit of armor, covering her face, revealing only her still reddened eyes. Her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, as if burning with hatred, showing a resolute strength amidst her gentleness.

She stood on her horse, followed by two strong female warriors from the Shatuo tribe, clad in armor.

Upon seeing Xiao Yi arrive, she remained silent and turned her head away.

Before long, others arrived as well. Liu Tingrang brought Cui Yanjin and Hai Jin; Li Chongjin and Guo Shouwen each brought two skilled men.

The 20th Battalion included Guo Xin and Tang Jin, while Xiao Yi led 30 men, making the entire force 43.

"Fifth Sister?"

Upon seeing Guo Xin's retreating figure, Li Chongjin paused for a moment, then spurred his horse forward and asked with concern, "What are you doing here?"

"Greetings, elder brother."

"Go back now, this is no place to play!"

Guo Xin did not answer, but kicked her horse and circled around to Xiao Yi's side.

Li Chongjin, standing across from Xiao Yi, asked loudly, "Do you perhaps intend to personally kill Liu Zhu? Don't worry, I will capture that scoundrel and hand him over to you personally. You just need to stay put."

"I'm going."

"What if something goes wrong?!"

Xiao Yi leaned back to avoid the spittle flying towards him, and looked over to see Li Chongjin's dark face filled with excitement and concern.

Guo Xin hid beside him, pulling on the reins, and remained silent.

Li Chongjin was greatly alarmed and spurred his horse over to persuade him, saying, "You..."

The two horses circled around Xiao Yi once.

Xiao Yi could only stroke the white horse's mane to soothe it, lest it get upset and kick up its tail.

"Brother Li, let Fifth Sister go. Mr. Wei has already agreed to this matter."

"Mr. Wei agreed?"

"It should be said that it was arranged by him."

"Alright then, Fifth Sister, don't worry, I'd rather die than let you lose a single hair!"

"Let's go."

Today, the clouds are heavy and the snow is thick; the sky is still gloomy at dawn.

The group did not take the official road, but headed west. This was a small path discovered by Liu Tingrang and his scouts. They traveled west along a tributary of the Bian River, bypassed Chigang, and then turned southeast.

"There are many snow holes and ditches on the path, so everyone stay close and don't get separated."

Upon hearing this, Li Chongjin deliberately rode ahead of Guo Xin to silently scout the way. He was broad-shouldered and burly, and looked very reliable.

Guo Xin, however, silently circled around to Xiao Yi's back.

We didn't see many scouts from the Southern army along the way, which shows that the Southern army generals had lost their will to fight.

After traveling for more than ten miles, Qinglinggang came into view. People rode out from the ridge, waving flags.

Liu Tingrang said, "It is Wang Chenghui's troops from Chanzhou. They think we are the Southern Army and order us to surrender or they will shoot us."

Hua Nong responded with flag signals, indicating her identity.

A short while later, a troop of soldiers surrounded them from the elm grove behind them, led by the brothers Wang Chenghui and Wang Chengxun.

"It really is Xiao Lang."

"Big Brother, Second Brother, how have you been?"

"I heard that you killed Yan Kunlun slave with your spear, showing your extraordinary martial prowess and making a name for yourself in one battle."

"It was the overwhelming force of the army that allowed me to pick up the heads."

Wang Chengxun asked, "Are you going to take Kaifeng? I envy you for having so many opportunities to make meritorious contributions."

Xiao Yi did not answer directly, but only said, "Opportunities are always earned."

"Why are you bringing a young lady with you?"

After asking the question, Wang Chengxun's face lit up with understanding. He raised his hand and gestured for Xiao Yi not to answer.

He glanced at Guo Xin, his eyes lighting up, and said directly, "I am familiar with the Southern Army's outposts and would like to show you the way."

Having said that, without waiting for anyone else to speak, he gracefully mounted his horse and led the way, his demeanor even more dignified than usual.

Everyone continued on their way.

On the way, Wang Chengxun frequently discussed military strategy with Xiao Yi, speaking eloquently and offering insightful observations. Xiao Yi learned a great deal and listened humbly.

At one point, for some reason, Li Chongjin suddenly became annoyed and shouted, "What's all the noise about? Can't you give people some peace and quiet?"

"A dark-faced brute," Wang Chengxun scoffed, "utterly nonsensical."

"What are you saying, you pale-faced, powdered-faced lad?"

Just as Xiao Yi was about to mediate, two strong Shatuo women spurred their horses forward, pushing him and Guo Xin to the back.

Soon, the two people in front stopped arguing, and the group quieted down.

Not long after, Xiao Yi sent Xihou with scouts to keep an eye on the Southern Army's movements. If anything seemed amiss, they were to report back to Kaifeng.

After traveling for three hours, the outline of Kaifeng City came into view, but the city gates remained tightly closed and the official road was deserted.

How do I get into the city?

"Go through the south gate."

Xiao Yi had a plan in mind and drove his horse straight south.

Looking up, the gray-blue city walls stand silently on the banks of the Bian River, appearing particularly eerie in the snow and mist.

They had desperately wanted to escape it, but now that they've returned, times have changed.

(End of this chapter)