kvmb Chapter 177 Blame me
Chapter 177 Blame me
In the afternoon, Nanfei discussed the Northwest expedition with everyone in the hall. He specifically called Tang Bing up and announced that Tang Bing would temporarily take command of the central army.
Tang Bing watched as Nan Fei, holding a small, withered twig, pointed at things on a map, traveling from Shanggui to Minzhou to Jincheng to Qingtang City to Suzhou...
The journey of thousands of miles was finished in the time it takes for Nanfei to burn an incense stick. Finally, the branch fell on the Qilian Mountains: "Beyond the Qilian Mountains lies the Western Regions. Let us leave some opportunities for our descendants to make achievements."
The group exchanged bewildered glances. War is not something that can be discussed on paper or easily pointed out on a map. On the real battlefield, countless soldiers would perish, and Yuan Feng was still seriously injured and bedridden.
Nanfei handed the letter of surrender to Tang Bing: "One should strike while the iron is hot, but the second will be weaker and the third will be exhausted... If you generals do not have the confidence to win, how can you motivate the soldiers? The whole army will rest for three days. After three days, General Tang will read the letter of surrender and then set off."
Ever since Nanfei broke Zhao Xiuwen's leg in public, no one dared to laugh at Tang Bing anymore. Now that Nanfei has personally given the order, Tang Bing doesn't know if Nanfei is genuinely trying to promote him or intentionally making him look foolish.
Tang Bing held the letter of surrender as if it were a hot potato: "General, I can't read."
Nan Fei said, "Since you are in the army, you should understand that military orders are as heavy as mountains. As the general in charge of the entire army, every word I say is a military order. Those who fail to execute military orders will be punished with forty strokes of the cane at the very least, and executed on the spot at worst."
Nan Fei, who is usually carefree and irresponsible, is more terrifying than Yuan Feng, who is always serious, when he gets serious.
Nanfei returned to his room and sat on a low stool by the bed, putting his hands under the covers. Once his hands were warm, Nanfei recalled how Luo An took Yuan Feng's pulse, and placed three fingers on Yuan Feng's wrist with great seriousness.
Nanfei tilted his head and lay by the bed, like a well-behaved puppy. It was an unkind thought, yet it came naturally.
Yuan Feng asked softly, "How is it?"
Nanfei asked in confusion, "What?"
Yuan Feng asked, "How is the pulse?"
Nanfei pulled her hand out from under the covers and touched the knuckles of her wrist: "I can't."
Yuan Feng was speechless: "They can't possibly be this serious anymore. Their ability to fool people is getting better and better!"
Nanfei said, "Ah Feng, I'll lead the troops to pacify Beirou. You go back to Heaven and Earth to recuperate. I'll come to pick you up after the battle."
"I'll come pick you up after the war? That sounds so easy." Yuan Feng shook her head: "No."
Nanfei hadn't expected Yuan Feng to refuse, and to refuse so decisively, without even a second thought.
Nanfei patiently said, "I know you've made a pledge. I have a decent talent for martial arts and I learn quickly. Give me your spear and white armor, and all the military merits you earn will be yours..."
Yuan Feng still refused: "No!"
Nanfei was stunned: "Why?"
Yuan Feng said, "The Crown Prince's decision to withdraw troops from Fengzhou proves that what you said on Chongming Island was correct. The war against Beirou must end as soon as possible, which is why I decided to launch a strong attack on Xifu..."
Nanfei understood what she meant: "I'll make the arrangements."
Yuan Feng insisted: "I was only injured temporarily, but my foundation was not damaged."
Nanfei sat up straight: "What constitutes damage to the foundation? Does it count as death?"
Yuan Fei sighed softly: "Is it not natural for a general to die on the battlefield? So many brothers have died, why can't I die?"
Nan Fei frowned slightly: "Why are you so stubborn? Can't you listen to my arrangements? You can go back to Heaven and Earth first, and come back after you've recovered from your injuries."
Yuan Feng's voice was gentle and calm: "I've always been like this, it's not something that just started now. You just never understood me."
Nanfei asked, "What do you mean?"
Yuan Feng hid her hands under the covers, forcing herself not to make a sound. She was a stubborn person by nature; otherwise, she wouldn't have wasted so many years on Nan Fei.
Nan Fei stared at her, his chest rising and falling slightly, and his voice rose slightly: "Are you blaming me?"
Yuan Feng replied quickly: "No."
Nanfei turned and went out, returning with a flask of wine in his hand. He opened the window, and a cold wind rushed in.
Hua Xuan had specifically instructed that she should avoid drafts during this period. Yuan Feng shifted slightly, reaching out to brush down the bed curtains, which fluttered alluringly.
Nanfei slowly closed the window, leaving only a tiny crack. He shielded his face from the cold wind, which stung like a knife.
Nanfei didn't feel any pain. He slowly drank the wine, and before he knew it, the pot was empty.
This was unexpected for him. Yuan Feng had been in the army for many years and had been injured, making it difficult for her to conceive. Just to be on the safe side, he had Hua Yijun examine her the day before he left.
Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws, and the price to pay for such oversights is too high.
Nanfei shook the empty wine jug: "Being a general doesn't necessarily mean leading from the front. Why do you always end up like this, getting yourself covered in wounds..."
Yuan Feng stared at the top of the tent, her eyes slowly welling up with tears. She clenched her fists tightly, trying to stifle any sound: Had she finally decided to blame her?
What did she do wrong? Nan Fei said he wanted to drive Bei Rou out of the Qilian Mountains, and she just wanted to do it as quickly as possible. She wasn't afraid of death, she just didn't expect things to turn out this way…
Le Chunqiu waved to Nan Fei from outside the window. Nan Fei snapped the window shut and left the room.
The moment Yuan Feng heard the door close, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. In that small space, Yuan Feng wept uncontrollably.
Every time she lies in bed during the day, it's because of her injuries. The reason she's covered in wounds is because she's not dead. If she were dead, she wouldn't be like this.
In this vast world, amidst the sea of people, she didn't know what else there was to cherish. Without her, Nanfei lived a vibrant life as always. With her, however, Nanfei felt burdened.
As Nan Fei left the room, Yue Chunqiu pulled him away, asking, "General, why not let Ouyang take command of the central army?"
"Uncle Le, you can just call me Nanfei." Nanfei said, "When Tang Bing escorted Prince Ming back to Bianjing, he caught the eye of the Crown Prince, who wanted to groom him for further training. His rise to power through military merit will further boost morale. Uncle Le, we are traveling thousands of miles, so we must be brave and decisive in our advance, and achieve a swift victory."
Le Chunqiu changed his tune: "Son-in-law, Lao Yin and the others have been transferred back to Fengzhou. Has the situation changed?"
Nanfei analyzed the situation in Nanyue and Mobei with Le Chunqiu, and also gave a general account of Xue Yunting and Qin Jiu's affairs: "Now we just need to see how long Xiling can hold out. If Xiling falls before Beirou, Dongyang will be in danger."
If they were to face the enemy on three sides, not to mention troop strength, even just supplies would be a problem. Yue Chunqiu also realized the seriousness of the situation.
Just then, Ouyang Jin and Shi Lei arrived. Shi Lei said, "Uncle Le, please ask General Tang to spare me."
Yue Chunqiu smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
Ouyang Jin: "General Tang insisted on kneeling before us to become our apprentice, asking us to teach him to read and write. There were five of us, each teaching for two hours, while he stayed for two hours to rest."
Shi Lei said with a bitter face, "You can't get fat in one bite, and you can't teach a scholar in a day. I've taught you this sentence 'Extend your heart to the world and bring peace to all things,' but you still can't remember it even after I've taught it ten times. Uncle Le, tell him to find someone else. I can't teach you."