Free Web NovelChapter 1402: Chapter 806: Mobilization: The Cold War Between Xie Qianyun and Xiao Luming (Part 4)
"I’ll go ask Xiao Luming." Xie Qianyun was resolute.
"His Majesty is entrusting you alone to Wu Huahao; I don’t feel at ease." Xie Ruotong spoke bluntly. "With you there, I’ll be much more at ease. When we’re attacking the Oasis, I can focus completely and not be distracted."
Xie Qianyun bit down hard on her lip.
"Qianyun, the reason I called you here isn’t for you to question this arrangement." Xie Ruotong’s tone hardened. "I called you here so you would promise me that you will protect His Majesty with your life. In the Imperial Palace, you and His Majesty are husband and wife; you must support each other through thick and thin. But on the battlefield, he is your sovereign, and you are his subject. You must use your life to shield him. To put it even more bluntly: as long as you are still alive, His Majesty absolutely must not die!"
Xie Qianyun looked at her mother, her eyes slightly reddening.
Being born into a military family truly meant far too many things were not up to you.
Even your own life did not belong to you.
"Qianyun." Seeing that Xie Qianyun still hadn’t agreed, Xie Ruotong’s tone grew even more severe. "Have you forgotten what I told you when you first came to the army camp?!"
Of course Xie Qianyun hadn’t forgotten.
She would never forget her mother’s stern admonition: Once you enlist, the Military Soul sinks into your bones. Military orders are like a mountain; the world comes first!
Xie Qianyun saw the expectation in her mother’s eyes and said, "If I die but His Majesty survives, you must go on living well."
A stab of pain shot through Xie Ruotong’s chest.
The hand hanging at her side couldn’t help tightening.
A faint mist welled up in her eyes, but she forced it back down.
She said, "All right."
"You must also take good care of yourself and not throw everything away."
"I promise you. You must also promise me that you’ll take care of yourself and protect His Majesty."
"Yes." Xie Qianyun finally compromised.
After Xie Ruotong added a few more instructions, Xie Qianyun and Wu Huahao finally walked out of the tent.
Neither of them spoke.
Xie Qianyun’s mood was very heavy.
Wu Huahao didn’t know how to comfort her. It had to be said that this campaign truly placed all the pressure squarely on the Great General’s shoulders. The slightest mistake would make her a sinner for the ages; it could be said that all the praise and honor she’d earned over so many years could not counterbalance this one battle.
Of course, he didn’t feel His Majesty was at fault in any way. His Majesty was willing to risk his own life to push the odds of victory to their peak; one had to admit His Majesty’s wisdom.
The only thing one could blame was, perhaps, the cruelty of war itself.
And the reason there is war at all is precisely to fight for peace.
So they had no choice but to endure the cruelty.
Wu Huahao took a deep breath and finally spoke. "Your Majesty, you really don’t need to worry so much. You should trust in the Great General’s abilities. Since the Great General could agree to His Majesty’s plan and acknowledge His Majesty’s strategy, it shows she’s fully prepared."
Xie Qianyun turned her head to look at Wu Huahao.
Her gaze was far from friendly.
Wu Huahao pressed his lips together and protested in a low voice, "Even if you are the Empress, you’re also my Deputy General. In the army, you shouldn’t be glaring at me like that!"
Xie Qianyun rolled her eyes.
"Relax, relax." Wu Huahao patted her shoulder and assured her, "As long as I’m here, I absolutely won’t let anything happen to you or His Majesty."
Xie Qianyun took a deep breath.
Things she had no way to resist, she could only accept.
...
Five days later.
Xiao Luming, Xie Qianyun, and Wu Huahao led the Iron Cavalry Army to march out ahead.
According to the planned route, they had to bypass the Oasis and head straight for the Tatars’ base, yet also allow their scheme to be "inadvertently" discovered by the Tatars.
Marching through the desert was even more difficult than racing across the open steppe or passing through valleys.
The most crucial issues were provisions and water.
Of course, after long drills in the desert, the soldiers had gained the ability to survive there and could effectively locate water sources and patches of grass.
But in the end, it was still hard.
Riding her warhorse, Xie Qianyun hadn’t taken the initiative to say a single word to Xiao Luming the entire way.
Someone as proud as Xiao Luming naturally wouldn’t be the one to start talking either.
After three days of marching, the two of them were more like strangers.
Off to the side, Wu Huahao felt painfully awkward.
He kept feeling that with these two acting so calm and quiet, they might start fighting at any moment.
What surprised Wu Huahao, however, was His Majesty’s adaptability in the desert.
He and Xie Qianyun had gone through a very long period of training before they could move freely in the desert and conserve enough strength. Could it be that without their knowledge, His Majesty had also trained in desert survival? Before setting out, he and Xie Qianyun had worried that His Majesty might not be able to keep going halfway.
Clearly, they had worried too much yet again.
His Majesty was an extremely cautious man. Once he decided on a plan, he would never be the one to hold it back.
It was just that this cold war between His Majesty and the Empress couldn’t go on like this either!
