Chapter 725 – Before the Jiamen Pass (5)
The pitch-black sky was like thick ink, with only a hint of moonlight spilling onto the ground.
The soldiers under Jiang Pengji had already geared up and quietly left the camp under the cover of night, while Yang Jian’s side was mostly the same.
Other feudal lords’ forces were still deep in revelry, continuing their previous indulgent traditions, showing no signs of the daytime quarrels.
Before departing, Jiang Pengji had informed Liu Zhi, who sent people to help cover the situation to prevent anyone from discovering the two camps were now deserted.
“It’s so cold out, and in this pitch-black night, Yang Jian actually plans to swim across the river…”
Feng Zhen, bundled up in heavy clothing, still felt cold with a new hot water bottle tucked under his arm. He couldn’t imagine how Yang Jian’s troops could brave the waters; even the best swimmers would struggle against the rushing current and frigid water, putting their lives at risk.
Thinking of stripping down and jumping into the water to swim against the current made Feng Zhen shiver, his lips turning paler.
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “Who said they have to jump into the water?”
“Huh?” Feng Zhen was surprised. “But didn’t Yang Jian choose the water route? Not to mention whether there are enough boats, they don’t have many troops—only about fifteen thousand—how can they cross successfully? Could it be that Yang Jian has something up his sleeve?”
Jiang Pengji smiled without answering, “Anyway, if they can cross successfully, we need to step up our efforts too.”
Chenzhou is considered southern territory; no matter how steep and perilous the mountains are, they are limited.
However, with mountains all around, if there isn’t a guide with a good sense of direction, it would indeed be easy to get lost.
“Thank goodness it’s still the cold season. If it were spring or summer, the miasma, wild beasts, and all sorts of creepy crawlies would be enough to give our army a run for their money.” Meng Hunyun had stripped off part of his armor to lighten his load, protecting only his vital areas. “It’s easier in this cold. Daylight would be even better; at least we wouldn’t struggle to see the road.”
Marching at night could lead to trouble; due to poor nutrition, many soldiers suffered from night blindness and had impaired vision. Even though Jiang Pengji had significantly improved the camp’s food supply and distributed torches in groups of fifty, marching remained challenging.
Jiang Pengji adjusted the strategy, positioning strong and alert soldiers at the front to clear a path, while those with weaker vision and stamina stayed in the middle and back. If the leading soldiers grew tired, another team would take over, ensuring a steady pace.
“…If it were daytime, we wouldn’t be able to hide our movements from other feudal lords’ forces.” Li Yun and Dian Yin were at the front; the silver spear, once meant to take lives, now served as a makeshift walking stick for testing the path. He didn’t even mind. “As long as we keep it from Changshou Wang’s notice, they probably wouldn’t expect us to take the risk of circumventing Jiamen Pass…”
The road was too rugged; Yang Si and Feng Zhen had already dismounted and were walking, quickly panting and sweating.
Li Yun turned back to Yang Si, “Are you tired, sir? How about I carry you?”
Yang Si remained aloof; after all, Li Yun was a frontline officer and needed to conserve his strength.
The mountain road was so rough that just walking a bit left him exhausted; if he let Li Yun carry him, wouldn’t that just tire him out even more?
So, he modestly chose to decline, but one person’s shamelessness was much thicker than his own.
Feng Zhen said, “Han Mei, that’s unfair! I’m tired too, why don’t you carry me instead?”
Li Yun blinked innocently and obediently repeated, “Are you tired, sir? How about I carry you?”
Feng Zhen immediately nodded eagerly, “Yes, yes, yes!”
Jiang Pengji hesitated for a moment and chimed in, “Chekao?”
Feng Zhen was confused, “What does that mean?”
Yang Si snorted, “It means you’re being shameless.”
Watching the two strategists about to squabble, Li Yun could only stand by, feeling anxious.
“Just carry them along, do they really need time to fight verbally?” As Jiang Pengji passed by Li Yun, she gave his shoulder a pat. “Oh dear, the combined age of the two of you is nearly fifty or sixty, and you’re still bickering. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Li Yun’s most commendable trait was his honesty; when Jiang Pengji told him to just carry someone along, he really did pick up Feng Zhen.
Yang Si: “…”
Once again, this group dynamic was proving to be quite toxic!
Even though it was the dead of night, the live stream’s viewers were fully awake and almost laughing as they watched this farce unfold.
【Hua Zhuozhuo】: Haha, Li Yun x Feng Zhen, I ship this sugary CP!
【Flying Dragon】: You fickle little spirits! Just recently you were shipping Yang Si x Feng Zhen, and now you’ve switched sides so quickly!
【No Need for More Words】: No way, streamer, you should hurry and introduce various types of girls; your team is all guys! Aren’t you afraid they might fall for each other over time? Like this quality catch, Li Yun, mustn’t let him be led astray!
Jiang Pengji looked at the barrage of comments and couldn’t help but be speechless.
She planned to tease the audience a little.
“Han Mei?”
“Your Excellency, what is it?”
Jiang Pengji asked, “How are things between you and Wan’er?”
What?
Both the strategists present and the fifteen thousand curious viewers perked up—gossip alert!
Li Yun’s gaze darted, his cheeks flushing a bit.
“Wan’er is doing well… why does Your Excellency suddenly bring that up?”
At this remark, the live chat erupted into a playful uproar of “Oh ho ho!”
“Wan’er? Isn’t she the head of the women’s division in the Administrative Hall? Did Han Mei teach her martial arts, and could it be they got together back then? There aren’t many eligible ladies of good family and talent in Wanzhou. Better act fast before someone else has them in mind!”
Li Yun forced a smile, “Sir, it hasn’t even started yet.”
Feng Zhen, lying on Li Yun’s back, smacked his head lightly.
“If it hasn’t started, then why don’t you take a pen and start it?”
Yang Si chuckled and shook his head, “Who knows? Maybe in a few months, Wanzhou will host a legitimate wedding.”
Among Jiang Pengji’s followers, the ratio of married to unmarried was roughly equal.
Yang Si was a middle-aged bachelor, yet he had impossibly high standards, preferring to remain a drifter than seek a housekeeper.
Feng Zhen, having lost his wife, had become a widower, similarly living a carefree life among the courtesans.
Of course, these days, they were either busy with state affairs or war, not even having time to find a young lady.
Jiang Pengji chimed in, “When the time comes, I’ll give you a few months’ advance pay; Han Mei, collect the gift money accordingly.”
The collective teasing put Li Yun in a tight spot; quickly, he began to feel awkward about how to walk.
Listening to the banter, Li Yun wished he could just disappear into a crack in the ground.
After a long silence, he resigned himself—oh well, might as well sacrifice himself for their entertainment.
