Chapter 103: The Tears of Gu Qinghe (2/3)

By the banks of the Guqing River lies a city built close to the water. It has no name, for no one considers it a true city.

In every conflict, it is reduced to ruins. In reality, the land and structures on both sides of the Guqing River, though nominally belonging to the Xu Kingdom, are merely defined by the boundaries settled after the last war, situated closer to the Fenggu Pass.

The only reason such a place remains prosperous is that the Chenzhou Basin is, in fact, a fertile land. Desperate refugees come here to scratch a living from the soil. Furthermore, due to the constant presence of the two nations' armies, no local criminal syndicates dare to take root. Whenever one emerges, General He Jiang apprehends them to claim credit from the Emperor, using the rewards to treat his soldiers to extra meat. Over time, the underground forces that ordinary people fear have become the "fat" that the soldiers of Desheng Pass eagerly crave.

The Guqing River is a place without governance, yet under the shadow of the military, it has become a bustling hub for honest folk. Besides farming, those who come here trade with the troops; with so many bachelors in the barracks, the red-light district naturally thrives.

However, all this beauty begins to shatter today.

Although the Guqing River is not a primary defensive priority for the Xu army, it is, after all, Xu territory. The Xu people have tried every possible way to defend it, and that method is to lay down a grand formation—a massive array designed to protect the people within.

The urgent matter Chen Mingguang mentioned is that the Li army has begun to charge the formation. It is a crude and brutal offensive tactic, but one that strikes directly at General He Jiang’s greatest vulnerability.

In the command hall of the defensive fortress, the difficult choice once again confronts He Jiang—a dilemma that previously belonged to Gu Feng.

"A formidable stronghold like Desheng Pass is nearly impossible to take by force; the best strategy is to lure us out. The Li army surely knows that while the main battlefield is at Xingyuan, I must hold the pass and refuse to leave. Yet, this makes the Guqing River the most dangerous place."

The hall is filled with members of the Luyang Academy, and General He Jiang speaks his mind so that these dignitaries might offer advice, though he knows there are few good options.

The Seventh Princess grips her fingers. She loves her people dearly, yet she suddenly realizes that the safety of Desheng Pass and the lives of those living by the Guqing River have become mutually exclusive.

"When this was Li territory, what did they do?"

"Gu Feng abandoned it. He did not let a single soldier leave the pass. It was precisely because of this that he held Fenggu Pass."

There is no need to ask further. The Xu army is no more merciful than the Li army; there is no mercy on the battlefield, only life and death. Therefore, the people of the Guqing River back then inevitably became ghosts under the blades of the Xu army. Now, everything must be repaid.

"Huff, huff..." In the corner of the hall, General Ji Lan is whittling something with a small knife, seemingly indifferent to what is happening.

Chen Mingguang and Wu Gang can offer no better solutions. They are unwilling to simply give up, as they lack the cold resolve of these two battle-hardened generals. Wu Gang, in particular, is currently consumed by hatred for the Li army.

"General, I know that dividing our forces to guard the Guqing River is unwise, but that is our land, and those are the people of the Xu Kingdom. They have always taken comfort in the fact that the soldiers of Desheng Pass stand behind them. Now that the Li army is charging the formation, if we abandon them, the thousands of soldiers in this pass will feel their hearts turn cold."

"Easier said than done," Ji Lan sneers. She sits on the steps, one slender, firm leg crossed over the other, her dark hair falling to obscure her profile. "The Li army is charging the formation now with such crude simplicity precisely because they are waiting for us to take the bait."

"It is an obvious trap. You speak of saving them, but to go is to face certain death, for there will be no reinforcements. So, who goes?"

Though a woman, Ji Lan speaks of life and death without much sentiment, yet her question shocks Wu Gang. Clenching his teeth, he declares, "I will go! A man born between heaven and earth, what is there to fear in death?" His voice rings with vigor, the echoes lingering in the hall.

Ji Lan stands up and approaches him. "I know you are not afraid, Wu Gang. Your death might not matter, but you are one of the few 'Soul-Guarding' cultivators in Desheng Pass. Sending one or two to guard the formation is useless; sending a hundred or two hundred is a wasted sacrifice; and sending a thousand or two thousand is equivalent to handing over Desheng Pass. In the end, those who go to guard the formation are the ones sacrificed."

"General He and I cannot bear to sacrifice even one Soul-Guarding cultivator. If we commit too much there and Desheng Pass falls, the number of people killed by the Li army will be far greater!"

In truth, the answer has long existed in the hearts of the two generals. Gu Feng even provided a perfect demonstration. But human hearts are made of flesh; at least by discussing and struggling before giving up, they can find excuses to justify themselves when facing those faces of wailing, weeping, and death.

"I wish so much that I could trade my own life for theirs," the Seventh Princess says. For the first time, she faces a choice regarding human life so cruel that her resolve is shattered.

This is a battlefield, and Ji Lan is impatient with a woman's tears. "If you cannot bear the sight of blood and fire, retreat into the pass. With me, Ji Lan, here, Desheng Pass will hold."

She sighs. Look at these three—if she tells them the difficulties, they have nothing useful to say; if she says nothing, they complain that she doesn't respect the people from Luyang Academy. Among them, she actually prefers the boy who gave them the spirit talismans the other day; at least his gaze was bold and his smile confident, unlike these two boys who, despite their cultivation, lack any wildness or edge.

"General Ji is right," Wu Gang says after pressing his lips together. "But I still believe that since this is Xu land and those are Xu people, Desheng Pass cannot send no one at all."

"I understand, General. Every student of Luyang Academy is a precious asset for the Emperor to protect the nation, and should not be wasted on needless sacrifice. But I have already lost an arm; my strength is impaired, and there seems little hope for me to reach the 'Return to Nature' realm."

"It is most cost-effective for me to go. Using my life to trade for the people's trust in the Xu Kingdom, for their trust in the Emperor, to gain the people's hearts, and to boost the soldiers' morale—in your eyes, General Ji, is this still a loss?"

"Wu Gang! Shut up!" Chen Mingguang pushes him. "Why are you acting the hero at a time like this?"

"Then what do we do?! We cannot let their hearts turn cold!" Wu Gang bellows. "There are so many people there waiting and hoping. Can we really just watch?"

Ji Lan is slightly moved. Perhaps these children from Luyang Academy are not mature enough to understand the battlefield, but they do not lack courage; they do not fear sacrifice; they face death head-on.

"Everyone, calm down," the Seventh Princess urges. "Though we come from Luyang, we must listen to the two generals regarding matters of war."

He Jiang clenches his fists and looks at Ji Lan. Though nothing is said, everything is understood.

The downsides of abandoning the Guqing River are clear. If the Xu army does not protect the Xu people, regardless of the reason, it will strike a blow to the morale of the people and the army. This is not the best choice; it is merely the least terrible one.

"As Deputy General of Desheng Pass, I ask you: Wu Gang, are you truly prepared?" Ji Lan’s tone is uncharacteristically serious.

Chen Mingguang is terrified. "What are you doing?! He is Wu Gang of Luyang Academy!"

Ji Lan offers a cold, ironic smile. "What? Our soldiers can die, but the dignitaries of Luyang Academy cannot?" She is making the decision most beneficial to the Xu Kingdom.

Wu Gang stands straight, his gaze resolute. "I will go to guard the formation!"

Ji Lan also values his background—the death of a Luyang Academy student in the defense of the people will ignite the indignation of the army and the populace. It is just one more sacrifice, but the effect will be entirely different.

As Wu Gang turns to leave, having obtained what he wanted, Ji Lan’s tone softens with a touch of feminine tenderness. "Come back alive. Though the odds are slim, try your best to find a way... to come back alive."

Chen Mingguang glares at her, his voice strained. "You are the one who sent him to his death."

Ji Lan, her back to him, looks up in silence, closing her eyes. She tries not to think of the look in Wu Gang’s eyes—the look of a young man who has just left the academy, still full of ideals. What the children do not understand is that while it is true she sent them into danger, it is even more true that she hopes they return alive.

"General Ji," the Seventh Princess says softly.

"Hmm? Are you going to blame me too, Yu'er?"

The Seventh Princess bites her lip and shakes her head. "If there comes a time when I must do the same, I will be willing."

Ji Lan smiles, not responding directly. Instead, she says, "Life is already so difficult; do not torture yourself."

"Perhaps I am being overly optimistic, but I always feel that Gu Yi and Shu Le will not die."

Recalling the scene before dusk, of the handsome boy from Luyang laughing with the female soldiers, Ji Lan feels a rare sense of happiness—a scene seldom seen on the border.

"In truth, I hope more than anyone that each of you survives."