strictlysupreme Chapter 257 Die Together
Chapter 257 Die Together
Ouyang Jin dared not take the blow head-on and took a few steps back: "General, you are injured."
Le Chunqiu, who was in Yan Zeyu's group, was never quite at ease with Yuan Feng. He had been keeping a close eye on Yuan Feng's movements, and when he saw this scene from afar, his heart clenched.
As Yue Chunqiu led his men to fight their way out, he shouted, "General, Feng'er... Feng'er... wake up..."
Feng'er?
Is that Father? Yuan Feng stopped her killing move, staring blankly at the person running towards her, and softly called out, "Father."
Le Chunqiu felt a pang of heartache but dared not approach her: "Feng'er, you're injured."
Yuan Feng looked down and saw blood gushing from his chest. She threw down the gun and dagger, stunned and bewildered: "He's dead..."
Le Chunqiu slowly walked towards her, reaching out to press on her wound: "Feng'er, you're injured, you need to see a military doctor!"
Yuan Feng took a step back, avoiding Le Chunqiu, and mechanically repeated, "Father, he's dead!"
There was no way to communicate anymore. Yue Chunqiu looked for an opportunity to knock her unconscious, but Yuan Feng turned around and stumbled southward.
She knelt beside Nanfei, her head resting against his chest, motionless, like a baby sleeping on its stomach.
Le Chunqiu dared not touch her and shouted, "Call the army doctor!"
Before he finished speaking, Xiaoman dragged Hua Xuan over. Hua Xuan squatted down and first pressed Yuan Feng's neck pulse, then checked Yuan Feng's breathing, and then checked Nan Fei's breathing.
Seeing Hua Xuan's actions and expression, Le Chunqiu's voice began to tremble: "Brother Hua, please think of something!"
Hua Xuan shook his head, his voice low and somber: "General Yue, please accept my condolences."
Xiaoman shouted, "What do you mean by 'please accept my condolences'? What are you mourning for? You need to save them!"
Ouyang Jin squatted down beside him: "Medical Doctor Hua, now that today's battle is over, they can live like an ordinary couple. The general has been hoping for this for many years..."
The sounds of fighting continued on the periphery, and the soldiers surrounded them in layers to create a safe haven.
All eyes were fixed on Hua Xuan. Hua Xuan felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on his head. He bowed his head and replied, "I'm so sorry!"
Hua Xuan felt sorry for Yuan Feng and also felt sorry for Nan Fei, but there was nothing he could do. A doctor can only treat illnesses and save lives, not bring the dead back to life.
Xiaoman said anxiously, "What's the use of saying sorry? You have to save them! When I was at Heaven on Earth, I heard the senior disciple in the village praise your unparalleled medical skills, but you've just been chasing after fame and reputation, and you can't even cure two people..."
"Xiaoman." Le Chunqiu still maintained his composure and interrupted Xiaoman in a deep voice: "Dr. Hua, Xiaoman is just worried and confused. Don't take it to heart."
Hua Xuan nodded: "Lord Song went to Heaven and Earth specifically to find me and asked me to be the military doctor. Just like he went to the Crown Prince specifically to ask Xiaoman to take care of General Yuan."
Xiaoman and I have different roles, but the same mission: to protect General Yuan. I understand Xiaoman; I'm also very saddened by General Yuan's situation…
Hua Xuan choked up and couldn't continue. He truly felt sorry for this reserved and stubborn girl.
Xiaoman suddenly knelt down beside Yuanfeng and cried. Xiaoman had taken care of Yuanfeng closely for the past few years and knew better than anyone how hard Yuanfeng had worked.
Orphaned and without a home after marriage, with only a husband known for his womanizing, and having to endure so much gossip, a female general leading so many rough men—it must have been incredibly difficult.
The person who suffered so much hardship and toil, the person who always dreamed of resigning from office to be a wife and mother after winning the battle, the person who was laughing and joking just yesterday...
The war was raging, and Xiaoman thought that Yuan Feng was finally going to have a good time and get her wish, but... why was God so cruel? Why couldn't He be a little kinder to Yuan Feng?
And then there's Nanfei. Although she seems to dislike him on a daily basis, it's only because she feels sorry for Yuan Feng. Deep down, she admires Nanfei and is often moved by his thoughtfulness and care for Yuan Feng.
The young master of the Nan family, the future imperial brother-in-law, was of exceptional talent and appearance, shining like the morning star, and lay before her.
Apart from Xiaoman's crying, no one spoke. Until a soldier rushed over: "Medical Doctor Hua, General Tang wants you to come over."
Life and death are common on the battlefield. The wounded are all carried away and treated by the medical team. There's no need for Hua Xuan to intervene. Unless the person's injuries are extremely serious and their status is extraordinary.
Le Chunqiu's heart skipped a beat: "Who's injured? Old Yin?"
Yin Jing's face was covered in blood, his armor shattered, and his body riddled with arrows like a hedgehog. Beside him were two severed heads, those of the Northern Rou King and the Crown Prince. His eyes were wide open, as if he had some unfulfilled wish.
Tang Bing wasn't good at pleasantries, so when he saw Le Chunqiu and Hua Xuan approaching, he immediately stood respectfully to the side. Yin Jing was a veteran general in the army, and his death in his ranks made him feel somewhat awkward.
Tang Bing was not as calm and experienced as Yan Zeyu, but he was tasked with the heaviest mission: to besiege the central army tent and kill the Northern Rou King and the Crown Prince.
Yin Jing insisted on joining Tang Bing's army, going with the determination to win and the resolve to die. Yuan Feng made a pledge; this was her last battle, and they couldn't let her lose.
Le Chunqiu knelt on one knee next to Yin Jing: "Old Yin, we won. The general... is gone too. If you see her on the road to the underworld, remember to wait for her. She was actually very afraid of being alone."
Le Chunqiu slowly closed Yin Jing's eyes: "Old Yin, remember to give my regards to the old general."
General Yuan, we are sorry, we were incompetent and failed to take good care of your Feng'er. If there is an afterlife, we hope you will be lively little swallows and proud and elegant phoenixes, free and unrestrained.
The sky over the Qilian Mountains is like something held atop the mountain and hanging from the treetops, while the sky over the southern desert is high, vast, and open. Le Chunqiu used to find life on the desert grasslands dull and uninteresting, but now he realizes that even the towering mountains aren't worth lingering over.
Having experienced countless wars, Yue Chunqiu had never felt such sorrow as he did at this moment: they had indeed won the war, but their brothers of many years were dead, the child entrusted to them was dead, that bright young man was dead, and countless soldiers had perished in battle…
This is war! It has always been so throughout history: bloody and cruel, without exception!
Historical records state that in the Battle of Tianshan, over 200,000 people, including the rulers, officials, soldiers, and their families of the Northern Rou, were massacred, with none surviving. With this, the Northern Rou kingdom was destroyed, and Dongyang unified the north.
The victors' history books do not record regrets.
Whether they were famous generals or unknown soldiers, they gave their lives for their country, but in the end, they failed to leave a significant mark on history.
As Yan Zeyu reviewed his troops and returned, everyone's faces were somewhat somber, showing no trace of the joy that a victor should have.
Two large coffins made of Phoebe zhennan wood were placed at the front. Le Chunqiu, carrying an urn, gently stroked the coffins: "Feng'er, Young Master Nan, you've come home."
Yan Zeyu said, "Uncle Le, let's go back together."
Le Chunqiu handed the token to Yan Zeyu: "General Yan, I have failed to take good care of Feng'er. I am too ashamed to return to Bianjing to see the old general and his son-in-law."
Please deliver this token to His Highness the Crown Prince, explaining that I, Yue, am too old to serve Dongyang any longer, and asking for your understanding.