Chapter 0102: Go

Chapter 0102: Go

On the other side of the camp.

On the battlefield, Yuan Baifu's horse was injured in the leg by the enemy. The injury wasn't severe, but due to the pain, at the most critical moment of the battle, the horse reared up and threw Yuan Baifu off.

Such incidents were common during battles. To soldiers, horses were like an extension of their bodies. Some soldiers had stronger bonds with their horses than with their comrades because, in crucial moments, comrades might not be able to reach you, but your horse would always find a way to save you...

However, Yuan Baifu's situation was entirely different. His horse threw him off, and while all generals boasted about their harmony with their horses, his horse tossed him to the ground merely because of a minor injury.

Although Yuan Baifu wasn't physically hurt, he felt extremely uncomfortable after returning to the camp.

Unclasping his armor, Yuan Baifu walked heavily to the mud stove and poured himself a cup of water. But as soon as he took a sip, he realized it was cold.

Yuan Baifu: "…………"

Holding the half-filled cup of cold water, he stared at it, lost in thought. At that moment, his personal guard announced, "General Yuan, General Qu has arrived."

Yuan Baifu was taken aback. Why would Qu Yunmie come here? Since they left Yanmen Pass, Qu Yunmie hadn't visited him once.

He instinctively stood up, but the person who entered after lifting the curtain was Qu Jin. ... Yes, if it were Qu Yunmie, the guard would have said, "The King has arrived." Ever since Qu Yunmie became king, no one called him General Qu anymore.

Even before Qu Yunmie became king, he didn't allow his subordinates to call him General Qu. The title of Great General belonged to his father, and General Qu to his brother. He kept those titles to honor them. As for Qu Yunmie himself, he preferred his subordinates to address him by his official positions, such as General Exterminating the Enemy or Grand General of the Northern Pacification Army.

In his youth, Qu Yunmie enjoyed giving himself many flashy titles. None of these were bestowed by others or officially recognized by Southern Yong, but he had the ability to make these titles well-known throughout the land, gaining public recognition and eventually forcing everyone, including the court, to acknowledge them, even begging him to accept imperial decrees.

So it was strange why hearing "General Qu" made Yuan Baifu instinctively think it was Qu Yunmie.

No one knew this, and Yuan Baifu didn't ponder it either. He simply asked Qu Jin, "Why are you here?"

Qu Jin wasn't under Qu Yunmie or Yuan Baifu. Qu Yunmie had assigned him to Wang Xinyong's command as Left Commander, a position second only to the main generals. After Wang Xinyong was sent to lead troops to Qingluan Ridge, Qu Jin took over his duties, leading the rear forces.

Previously, he was punished with military caning by Gao Xunzhi for speaking out of turn. Despite his high status, he still had to rest in bed for several days. By the time he recovered, Qu Yunmie's injuries had also improved significantly. After much hesitation, he personally went to apologize to Qu Yunmie.

Qu Yunmie didn't hold a grudge against him, as he too often offended others with his words. They shared the same surname, which might be a family trait. So Qu Yunmie told him to redeem himself through actions and deducted a year's salary from his military merit.

This was essentially no punishment at all, given Qu Jin's position. Even if he did nothing, he would still accumulate military merit. This is why everyone dreams of becoming a great general; accumulating merit is much faster than for lower-ranking soldiers, who must kill many enemies to advance.

This was Qu Yunmie's favor to Qu Jin, but Qu Jin didn't realize it, or perhaps he didn't care. All he remembered was what Qu Yunmie said when he apologized.

"Is it your place to criticize my actions? Did you stop being the Left Commander and become my strategist while I was unconscious?"

"My parents are also your elders! If you can't distinguish between closeness and distance, between seniority and juniority, then go back and copy our family genealogy three hundred times! Also, your salary will be deducted for a year and settled with your military merit after this battle. You need to learn your lesson!"

After that, Qu Jin was dismissed. Xiao Rong, who witnessed the scolding, couldn't help but ask, "Does the Qu family have a genealogy?"

Qu Yunmie slowly turned his head. "We've been around for four hundred sixty years, spanning twenty-eight generations. One of our ancestors served as Chancellor of Longcheng State."

Xiao Rong looked puzzled. "I've never heard of Longcheng State."

Then he suddenly realized, "Isn't Longcheng a small city in Liaoxi Prefecture, formerly Beiping Prefecture, known for sightings of flying dragons over the sea?"

Qu Yunmie lightly hummed in acknowledgment.

But Xiao Rong's next reaction made him frown. "Such a small place could become a state? Hahaha, this prince must have been very unpopular. It's practically exile, hahahaha—"

Halfway through his laughter, Xiao Rong stopped when he saw Qu Yunmie's dark expression. He then said seriously, "Though small, it has its merits. The auspicious signs seen hundreds of years ago reflect today's circumstances. Longcheng never had a true emperor, indicating it was meant for our ancestor and for Your Majesty. It's late-blooming, but it finally came to fruition. How coincidental, fitting perfectly with the Qu family's situation."

Qu Yunmie: "…………"

You really know how to spin things. ...

No one paid attention to Qu Jin after he was dismissed. They shouldn't have, as Qu Yunmie's words weren't harsh and made sense. Qu Jin deserved the scolding.

However, Qu Jin didn't see it that way. He went to Qu Yunmie thinking he was apologizing, but deep down, he hoped Qu Yunmie would help him regain face. Gao Xunzhi had ordered his punishment, and he resented it. The only person who could command Gao Xunzhi was Qu Yunmie.

Gao Xunzhi had a high opinion of Qu Jin because he didn't cause trouble like Zhang Biezhi. He was always steady and didn't use his family name to oppress other generals or brag about his relationship with Qu Yunmie. So Gao Xunzhi thought Qu Jin was a good person.

In fact, Qu Jin was indeed good, except for one issue: ingratitude.

Qu Jin came to see Yuan Baifu, initially just making polite conversation. Gradually, the topic changed. He expressed his dissatisfaction with Gao Xunzhi and Qu Yunmie, trying to get Yuan Baifu on his side. He didn't know where Wang Xinyong was, but he knew he was on a special mission, a task usually assigned to Yuan Baifu.

Qu Jin grew increasingly agitated, turning dissatisfaction into resentment. What Xiao Rong didn't know was that despite sharing the Qu surname and having some skill, Qu Jin was less famous outside the Northern Pacification Army than Dong Fangjin. Staying in Wang Xinyong's unit made him equally obscure.

Therefore, history books don't mention Qu Jin.

Thus, Xiao Rong didn't know that when Yuan Baifu betrayed, he had an accomplice: Qu Jin. He shared the Qu surname and was more composed and approachable than the vengeful Qu Yunmie. If the Northern Pacification Army had to serve a Qu family member, why not Qu Jin?

Following Yuan Baifu, some loyal to Qu Yue might struggle, but if Qu Yunmie had issues and they had to abandon him for another Qu family member, their guilt would lessen.

However, Qu Jin had no thoughts of betrayal. He and Qu Yunmie were from the same clan. A family divided among various factions was rare, and everything Qu Jin had came from Qu Yunmie. How could he think of independence?

He came to Yuan Baifu because Yuan Baifu treated him well. Among the four generals, he favored Yuan Baifu the most. He hoped Yuan Baifu would support him, seeing him as rational and fair. Qu Jin believed his arguments were sound.

Lastly, though Qu Jin hadn't thought that far, his actions aimed to form a faction to counter Gao Xunzhi.

Who better than Yuan Baifu? He was the King's most trusted man. Though the King wouldn't listen to him, he had never harbored murderous intentions toward him.

Poor Qu Jin, hoping he realizes the importance of updating intelligence in his next life. ...

Under Qu Jin's influence, Yuan Baifu recalled recent events, none of which pleased him, making him angry and frustrated.

Despite Qu Jin's efforts, Yuan Baifu didn't express any complaints as expected. Disappointed, Qu Jin left, and Yuan Baifu, after a moment of silence, stood up.

He went to the stables to check on his horse. When the horse was first injured, others thought its leg was severed, but it was just a cut. The bone was intact, so with proper care, it could still be useful, though maybe not for battle, but as a mount.

After all, horses were expensive, and people wouldn't give them up unless absolutely necessary.

The veterinarian had already examined the horse's leg injury and used anesthesia to prevent the horse from kicking. This medicine wasn't cheap; ordinary horses didn't receive such treatment. But this was Yuan Baifu's horse, and a general's horse was more valuable than some people.

Yuan Baifu nodded at the soldiers outside and instructed one of them to fetch some fodder. Once he left, Yuan Baifu went inside and immediately saw the horse lying on the ground. This horse had been with him for four years, since it was two years old. During those four years, they had fought many battles together, and the horse had saved Yuan Baifu from certain death several times.

Yuan Baifu squatted down, stroking the horse's smooth mane. His gaze fell on the bandaged leg, and he stared at it for a few seconds before untying the cloth. He stood up, raised his long knife, and without hesitation, slashed fiercely at the wound.

Due to the anesthesia, the horse did not wake up, but it convulsed violently, its head slamming into the back fence, startling the surrounding horses. The pain made the horse breathe harder, and Yuan Baifu watched as it calmed down slightly. Then he squatted down again and retied the bandage.

On the third morning, Xiao Rong woke up and went to find Qu Yunmie. According to their prearranged plan, Qu Yunmie would fight today despite his injuries. Although everyone could see he was pushing himself, he still managed to push the Xianbei back another mile with sheer determination.

Xiao Rong entered and found his seat. Soon after, Yu Shaoxie arrived. Yu Shaoxie had been even more anxious over the past two days than Xiao Rong, as Xiao Rong knew where Qu Yunmie was, while Yu Shaoxie had no idea if Yu Shaocheng was safe. They would only know when Yu Shaocheng sent a scout back to report.

Yu Shaoxie sat down and asked the guard beside him, "What's for breakfast?"

The guard replied, "There's meat soup today. The cook prepared it early and kept it warm for you both."

Xiao Rong asked curiously, "Did you slaughter a sheep this morning?"

The guard shook his head. "No, it turns out the veterinarian made a mistake. General Yuan's horse indeed had a broken leg and wouldn't live much longer. So, General Yuan decided to have the cook slaughter it and make meat for everyone to eat."

Xiao Rong: "..."

In the military, an incurable horse was often turned into a meal. No matter how good or bad the meat tasted, after spending time in the army, any meat was considered delicious.

Xiao Rong had tasted horse meat before and found it not as bad as others claimed. It was edible, at least.

But he didn't want to eat it today. Whether it was because he didn't feel like eating meat in the morning or because the guard mentioned that it was Yuan Baifu's decision, he simply had no appetite.

Yu Shaoxie didn't care. After finishing a bowl of meat soup, he belched loudly. Xiao Rong ate his pickled vegetables and suddenly turned to Qu Yunmie, asking, "If your horse were injured, could I taste what it's like?"

Qu Yunmie: "..."

After a moment of silence, he said, "I'll find you its sibling or a close relative. You can taste them."

Xiao Rong: "..."

He looked away but couldn't help glancing back at Qu Yunmie a moment later.

Ha, a good answer.

Initially, it was a simple and brutal plan, but now it had become a complex and brutal one. Regardless of how meticulously it was executed, the core remained unchanged: Qu Yunmie would personally climb the city wall, advance using his own strength, and ultimately open the gates to let the Northern Pacification Army in to wreak havoc.

The Xianbei were unaware of the Northern Pacification Army's cunning and didn't realize they had fallen into a trap. However, they knew that even without any strategy, within ten days, the Northern Pacification Army would be at the gates of Sheng Le.

Surprisingly, Qu Yunmie's acting was excellent. His portrayal of being at the end of his rope was convincing, causing the Xianbei to gather and discuss their next move. Should they risk everything and engage the Northern Pacification Army in a decisive battle?

The Northern Pacification King seemed driven by rage. If they could provoke him further, he might destroy himself without their intervention.

However, they had no other bones to offer. How could they further enrage the Northern Pacification King?

Han Qing's strategy gave them an idea. The Northern Pacification King cared deeply about his family.

Coincidentally, although they had no bones of the Qu family, they had Qu Yunmie's enemies.

Upon hearing this, a man sitting below stiffened.

Murong Qi, a noble of the Murong clan and a trusted aide of the Xianbei general Murong Wei, who was also his childhood friend and brother-in-law.

Murong Wei and Murong Qi weren't blood brothers, but their bond was stronger than blood. Once they decided to use him, the other nobles quickly formulated a plan. They ordered Murong Qi to stand in front of the main force tomorrow and recount how he had killed Qu Yunmie's elder brother, speaking arrogantly. If that wasn't enough, he should insult Qu Dong loudly. This way, Qu Yunmie would surely be provoked.

Qu Yunmie was enraged by the desecration of his parents' bones, so insulting his deceased brother would be even more unbearable. Qu Yunmie didn't remember his parents, but Qu Dong had always been there during his upbringing.

The more they thought about it, the better the plan seemed. Since they were already at odds with the Northern Pacification Army and King, further offending them mattered little.

If they won, it would be a miracle. If they lost, they would send their children and the emperor away.

The emperor, hearing he could survive, immediately agreed. The other nobles felt righteous, willing to die for their cause, regardless of those who disagreed.

After the meeting, Murong Qi clenched his fists and followed Murong Wei back. Once the door closed, he shouted uncontrollably, "No one asked me! Why should I die for them? Qu Yunmie will kill me on the spot. This isn't a viable plan; they just want me dead!"

He appeared furious, but Murong Wei knew he was terrified. Who could blame him? Even the nobles admitted winning was unlikely, and losing meant Murong Qi's death.

Murong Wei gripped his shoulders tightly, trying to calm him down. "Don't worry, I won't let you die!"

Murong Qi looked at him, and Murong Wei stared into his eyes. "Others want to protect their children, and the emperor wants to protect himself. These cowards don't deserve to continue the Murong lineage. You and I are the ones who deserve to live. Even if living becomes painful, we must endure!"

Murong Qi was stunned. "What do you mean?"

Murong Wei released him and stepped back. "Once, the Han bowed to us, but now we must bow to them. I know you don't want to submit to the Han, but remember, this is temporary. The Murong clan will never be slaves. We are the masters, with divine right. Those who wronged us will be crushed and turned into fertilizer. I will do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means betraying the Murong clan. I will kneel at Qu Yunmie's feet like an animal until I find a chance to cut off his head."

Murong Qi: "Betray... you mean..."

Murong Wei: "I will offer the emperor to him. If that's not enough, I have other things to persuade him."

Murong Qi's breathing quickened. Handing over the emperor was not just betrayal but a level of treachery that would earn the hatred of all Xianbei.

But... he was willing to do it.

The Murong clan had risen to power by killing the previous emperor and the entire royal family. Now, with the Xianbei facing extinction, why should he care about other Xianbei's opinions?

Moreover, Murong Wei was right. Such survival was more challenging than death, which was what a true Xianbei warrior should do.

Murong Qi and Murong Wei agreed, and they began planning how to avoid tomorrow's fate. Murong Wei needed help, and Murong Qi didn't want to die.

They discussed late into the night, until the moon was high in the sky, before Murong Qi left. Murong Wei pondered the details further before heading to the camp with his guards.

Both men were troubled, unsure if Murong Qi would survive the next day. But soon, they would discover they had worried too much.

For neither they nor the Xianbei had a tomorrow.

When Murong Wei went to the military camp outside the city, something sharp emerged from one of the walls of Sheng Le.

It was the tip of the Snow-Drinking Revenge Spear, covered with a black cloth by Qu Yunmie to prevent it from reflecting light.

The spear tip appeared first, followed by Qu Yunmie's hands gripping the wall. He held his breath and listened carefully to the surroundings until he was certain no one was around. Then, he gathered his strength and flipped himself up onto the wall.

His movements were light, but even so, they made a slight sound in the quiet night. He looked around vigilantly before pulling out the bird whistle that Xiao Rong had personally hung around his neck.

Three short whistles followed by a long one—it was the call of the shrike, signaling that it was safe to proceed.

If anyone had passed by, they would have noticed something odd about this section of the wall. When the mist cleared and the moonlight shone down, they would see that there were five people hanging on the wall, lined up in a straight line, motionless as if they were part of the wall itself.

Hearing the bird call, the five men immediately relaxed. They did not have the physical endurance of The King to hold themselves up on the wall for so long. If The King had not blown the whistle, they would have fallen off soon.

Climbing the wall turned out to be easier than they had imagined, much like climbing a tree. They all quickly scaled it. However, it wasn't because they were particularly skilled; it was because Qu Yunmie had made it easier for them.

This was a wall built with rammed earth. If it had been constructed with stone bricks, there would have been gaps, making it less difficult to climb. The Xianbei had used rammed earth specifically to prevent climbing. But Qu Yunmie, being unique, had dug out handholds at each step with his bare hands, then pounded them with his elbows and brushed away the loose dirt, creating footholds.

Once the last person climbed up, Qu Yunmie headed north. However, after only a few steps, a door nearby suddenly opened.

This should have been where weapons were stored on the wall. Qu Yunmie hadn't expected anyone to be there and had no time to think. He swiftly drew the Snow-Drinking Revenge Spear from his back and thrust it forward—embedding it in the man's throat. The man could not scream, only gurgling sounds escaped his lips.

Fortunately, he was close enough; if he had been farther away, even Qu Yunmie couldn't have prevented him from screaming.

The five men behind him exchanged glances. In the blink of an eye, The King had taken a life without needing their help. ...What were they here for?

They still hadn't figured it out by the time they approached North Gate. Most of the unexpected situations along the way had been handled by Qu Yunmie. Even when some of the deaths were caused by the other five, they believed that The King could have managed without them.

Everything went smoothly until they neared North Gate, where pursuers finally appeared after the patrol discovered the bodies.

Qu Yunmie instantly sped up. Upon reaching the gate, he didn't use the stairs but jumped directly from the building. The five men above watched, and saw Qu Yunmie already engaged in slaughtering the North Gate guards.

Yes, it wasn't a fight; it was a one-sided slaughter.

The five men: "…"

They hurriedly joined the battle. As the guards were nearly defeated and the pursuers from above were about to descend, Qu Yunmie roared, "Open the gate!"

Simultaneously, he took out the bird whistle and blew it with all his might. The shrill sound pierced the sky, waking the birds and beasts in the forest and the sleeping Xianbei in the city.

The five men finally understood their purpose. One person couldn't open the gate alone; several people were needed, even ten to push it open.

But it didn't matter because more than just the five of them had arrived; there were fourteen thousand others waiting outside.

With their combined effort, the gate began to creak open. The pursuers above saw this and almost burst with rage. It was too late now; the heavy gate groaned louder as the reinforcements arrived, hundreds of hands pushing it, accelerating its slow movement. Yu Shaocheng was the first to rush in, laughing heartily as he charged toward the pursuers.

Dong Fang Jin and the others were not as reckless as Yu Shaocheng. They first found Qu Yunmie, confirmed he was unharmed, and handed him his horse.

But Qu Yunmie did not mount the horse immediately. He pulled out a white cloth from his chest, one that Xiao Rong had distributed to all the soldiers, keeping one for himself. He had forgotten why he hadn't used it earlier, but clearly, saving it for today was right. Today was the true day of revenge.

He meticulously wrapped the white cloth around his hand, covering the small wounds from climbing the wall. After securing it tightly, Qu Yunmie looked at the fierce battle in the distance and smiled slowly. "Go, kill them all, but remember not to destroy anything here. From this moment on, this city is ours."