Chapter 141

Chapter 141

In the main hall, the candlelight burned quietly. Liu Chu and Sun Dian sat on guest seats, separated by a few steps.

Liu Chu sat on the right. Ever since Sun Dian approached the main hall, she had slightly lowered her head, her eyes fixed on her knees.

Because Sun Dian remained silent, she slowly shifted her gaze and saw his black cloth shoes under his robe, his long and sturdy calves. She dared not look any higher when she reached his knees.

The sound of needles falling could be heard in the room, while faint voices of conversation from Tong Sui and Lin Ningfang could be heard under the eaves.

Liu Chu clenched her fingers, unsure if the two younger sisters were really having a conversation or trying to prove they wouldn't eavesdrop on her and Sun Dian.

But...

Liu Chu quickly glanced at Sun Dian's face and saw him staring at her with the same intense gaze as before, so she hurriedly lowered her eyes again.

However, Liu Chu still found it strange. The old Sun Dian always had a lot to say whenever he saw her. Why was he so quiet tonight, even though he came to bid farewell?

Thinking of Third Master waiting for Ningfang to return and Aman being waited for by Aunt Tong in the eastern courtyard, Liu Chu finally asked softly, "Are you going home to see your family before you leave tomorrow?"

Sun Dian: "No need. My father has everything prepared. Eldest Brother is heartless and won't miss anyone."

Liu Chu: "Has your second brother returned?"

Sun Dian: "He came back a few days ago."

Liu Chu nodded, then fell silent for a moment before saying, "The battlefield is dangerous. Take care of yourself."

Sun Dian: "If I don't come back, will you cry?"

Liu Chu pressed her lips together, and two clear tears rolled down her cheeks.

Apart from the Xiao family, Sun Dian was the only person outside who still cared about her. When she was fifteen, he looked at her with fiery eyes; now, at twenty-five, he still looked at her the same way, unchanged.

Sun Dian tightly gripped the armrests of his chair, afraid he might rush over and embrace her without restraint.

"Liu'er, I've already missed you once."

"Unless you remarry someone else, I'll guard you for the rest of my life."

"If you really want to be a widow for life, I'll be a widower too. We'd match, wouldn't we?"

Liu Chu sobbed softly.

Sun Dian suddenly stretched out his legs and wiggled his large feet at her: "Look at these shoes. Do you recognize them?"

Liu Chu wiped her tears with a handkerchief and looked at the shoes again, finally recognizing them: "These... These are the ones I gave Fourth Younger Brother, right?"

Sun Dian smiled: "Yes, he showed off to me, so I took the shoes. They're a bit tight, but they fit well enough."

Liu Chu: "...You, you can't go to war in ill-fitting shoes. Change back to your own tomorrow."

Sun Dian: "I know. I can't bear to wear them outside. I wore them specially to see you tonight and will put them away when I get back."

Just as Liu Chu was about to speak, a fake cough from Xiao Yan came from the western wing.

Liu Chu stood up nervously.

Sun Dian also stood up, glanced outside, and finally said, "I took Fourth Younger Brother's shoes. Make another pair for him, one size larger than this, just right."

Liu Chu hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Sun Dian smiled and strode away.

As soon as he left, Xiao Yan immediately urged his wife, who was still lingering with Second Sister-in-Law under the eaves. With the imminent departure, Sun Dian had managed to see his eldest sister-in-law, so why should he have to stay alone?

Lin Ningfang squeezed Tong Sui's hand and turned to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan, seemingly impatient with her slow pace, walked up and lifted Lin Ningfang onto his shoulder, quickly disappearing into the western wing and closing the courtyard gate behind him.

Though eager, Tong Sui noticed that Lin Ningfang did not resist or push him away. Even when Xiao Yan bent to pick her up, she had already extended her arms to make it easier for him.

Tong Sui looked up at the sky, where a bright moon hung.

Tomorrow, the right flank army would split into three routes. Xiao Zhen would accompany Qiao Changshun and Sun Dian to Yin County, not joining their group.

Footsteps sounded inside the room.

Tong Sui snapped back to reality and walked to the main hall entrance, where Liu Chu had also arrived.

Tong Sui noticed Liu Chu's red-rimmed eyes and was about to speak when Liu Chu stepped over the threshold and hugged her, crying, "Aman, take care of yourselves. Look after yourself and Grandfather. Though he is brave, he is seventy years old. Try to persuade him not to fight personally."

If Lin Ningfang was a magnolia branch, bidding farewell with a smile that made people feel like they were basking in a warm breeze, then Liu Chu was a drizzling spring rain, evoking feelings of longing, melancholy, and reluctance.

"Don't worry, Elder Sister. Just our group can defeat the Li Gang brothers. Now, with General Han's army supporting us, capturing Shuozhou will be easy."

Tong Sui escorted Liu Chu back to the western chamber.

Mianmian was still awake, hugging Tong Sui and crying. By the time Tong Sui, with red-rimmed eyes, walked out of the southern room, she saw Xiao Yuchan standing at the door of the northern room.

Tong Sui's hand, raised to wipe her tears, froze mid-air.

Xiao Yuchan laughed, "What, embarrassed to let me see?"

Tong Sui didn't know whether to wipe or not.

Xiao Yuchan walked over in a few steps and used the sleeve of her middle robe to wipe Tong Sui's face, saying, "Among the three sisters-in-law, you and I are the closest. You must come back safely. I'm still thinking about the ten taels of gold you earned. Since you've been busy these days, when you return, you must give me some jewelry, so I can benefit too."

Tong Sui looked at her long, black hair and promised, "Alright, when the time comes, we four sisters will go to the jewelry shop together, and I'll give each of you a piece."

Xiao Yuchan shot a glare, "I had the audacity to ask, why should they get it too?"

Tong Sui: "If we buy, we'll buy for everyone. No one will be left out. While I'm away, you must take good care of them and not bully anyone."

Xiao Yuchan: "..."

Tong Sui smiled and went to the eastern courtyard to find her mother.

At dawn the next day, people from both the east and west courtyards were up. Three mule carts were parked on the street. Two were for the four Zhou family doctors, and one was for the Xiao family, filled with all the Xiao men and Tong Sui's luggage.

Zhou Gui accompanied Zhou Jingchun into one of the carts. During the military campaign, she would mostly assist the old man, only joining Tong Sui at night or when Tong Sui was ill to take care of her.

The army doctors were invaluable and usually traveled by cart. Zhou Gui could help treat injured soldiers without adding any extra burden.

They got into the carts, and Xiao Shouyi also led Xiao Yan and Tong Sui onto their horses. Zhang Wengong and Sun Dian had returned to the camp the previous night.

He Shi, tears streaming down her face, looked at her husband and son. Zhou Qing and Jiang Shi also gazed at their daughters.

Lin Ningfang, Liu Chu, and Xiao Yuchan stood in the back row with two children, their silence speaking volumes.

Tong Sui took one last look at these familiar faces, then steeled herself, cutting the invisible ties, and rode away.

---

Outside Wei County, as the sky began to brighten, all the troops gathered. Han Zongping rallied the troops, and they set off in different directions.

The three right-wing armies would part ways at the border between Wei County and Ding County.

Xiao Zhen, Xiao Ye, Xiao She, the Qiao brothers, Sun Dian, and Zhang Wengong all came to bid farewell to the old man.

"Grandfather, rest assured, we will definitely capture Lu County!"

"Haha, by the time you reach Lu County, we might have already taken Yin County."

"Let's make it a competition, see which of our three routes reaches Shuozhou first."

Xiao Mu said seriously, "Don't just think about winning; how you win is more important. General Han's reputation shakes the world, and the rebel king's troops are likely demoralized. Try to avoid battles at these outer passes if possible. Only use force if persuasion fails."

Qiao Changan laughed, "Understood, just like doing business, the smaller the capital, the greater the profit."

Xiao Mu nodded. He had chosen commanders who used their heads, leaving the most reckless one behind.

"Set off."

Xiao Ye, Qiao Changan, and Zhang Wengong led the first wave.

Qiao Changshun and Sun Dian also departed with style, but Xiao Zhen turned his horse and looked at Tong Sui, who was beside the old man.

He had a commanding presence that intimidated his younger brothers and even Tong Sui when she first married into the family.

But now, the look Xiao Zhen gave her, calm and sharp, hid a tenderness that made Tong Sui feel more attached than Liu Chu's tears. It seemed to convey everything he couldn't say or do in public.

Tong Sui gripped the reins tightly and silently returned his gaze until Xiao Zhen turned away, leaving only his tall, strong back.

The hoofbeats grew fainter, and Tong Sui followed the old man's ten thousand troops in another direction.

Initially, Han Zongping had given the two rebel kings three days to consider, but the army couldn't wait for a clear "no surrender" response before mobilizing. Deploying troops a day early was also a form of intimidation.

The infantry's marching speed was limited, covering about eighty miles a day. On the fifth evening after departure, Tong Sui and her group finally passed through Ding County, Cheng County, and the southern part of Ying County, reaching within twenty miles of Yanmen Pass.

The old man ordered the troops to set up camp and instructed the kitchen to add meat to the meals, ensuring the soldiers were well-fed and rested for the attack on Yanmen Pass the next day.

The rebels' scouts had already reported the movements of the Xiao army to Yanmen Pass.

Yanmen Pass was the gateway to the northwest of Dai County, and Dai County was where King Dai, Shi Yi, started his rebellion.

Now, Shi Yi was entrenched in the impregnable Shuozhou City, but he still valued the surrounding strategic locations, fearing that his generals might surrender to Han Zongping. He specifically ordered trusted confidants to guard key fortresses, including his uncle, Shi Guanglei, who was assigned to defend Yanmen Pass.

The Shi family had once been wealthy, but their fortune declined, and by Shi Yi's grandfather's generation, they had become tenant farmers, barely surviving by working the land for others.

Shi Yi's father was a simple farmer who died from years of hard labor. His uncle, Shi Guanglei, was only six years older than Shi Yi. As a child, he was sold into slavery in a merchant's household in the city. Due to his imposing appearance, he became a bodyguard and gained much experience traveling with his master. When he learned that his nephew had been forced to rebel in the village, Shi Guanglei immediately rallied a group of bodyguards, killed his master, and seized wealth to support his nephew.

Both uncle and nephew harbored deep hatred for the court and its officials, and even Han Zongping did not command their loyalty.

At that moment, Shi Guanglei was questioning the scout, "How many troops are there? Who is the commander?"

The scout replied, "About ten thousand infantry, the commander is an elderly man around seventy, accompanied by a woman, likely the old man from Wei County and his second wife. There is also a pair of father and son generals."

Shi Guanglei: "Are you sure it's only them?"

Scout: "Yes."

Shi Guanglei sneered, "Old Xiao is truly arrogant. Just because he defeated Li Gang, he thinks he's someone. With the natural defenses of Yanmen Pass and ten thousand defenders, even if he brings all forty thousand of his troops, he won't break through. To dare come with only ten thousand is sheer folly."

The surrounding officers laughed. They might fear a larger force, but attacking a well-defended position with equal numbers was like hitting a rock with an egg.

Shi Guanglei walked to the city wall and pointed to the surrounding mountains, "Rest easy, Shuozhou is surrounded by natural barriers. Even if Han Zongping himself comes, he can do nothing to us. Their main target is the court. After a stalemate, they will bypass us and head south. By then, we will expand our territory and gain the strength to challenge the throne!"

The officers were roused by his words. Why should only one family sit on the dragon throne?

Rather than surrender like the Xiao family, they preferred to rule themselves!