Chapter 245 |
Chapter 245 A Letter from Home
From Pei County to Feng County, a distance of several dozen li, it had taken them four to six hours to traverse. Upon reaching an area about ten li away from Xu Wei's main camp, they suddenly heard the sound of several cannons firing. Racing towards them from the front were about a dozen elite cavalry. Leading them was an elderly man, his beard streaked with white - none other than Xu Wei, the supreme commander leading the campaign against the White Lotus Army. Following him were several individuals, clad in armor and radiating an aura of deadly intent - evidently, these were all high-ranking generals under Xu Wei's command.
Xu Wei and his men dismounted from their horses from a distance and walked hurriedly toward them. Xu Wei, clasping his hands in a traditional salute, said, "Little Brother Lin, I trust you've been well?"
After a few days apart, Xu Wei seemed to have aged somewhat; it was clear that the campaign was taking a toll on him. Lin Wanrong shook his head and replied, "Mr. Xu, look at my brothers behind me. Do I look unharmed? I am, indeed, harmed. Very much so."
Xu Wei noticed that the soldiers under Lin San's command had worn and tattered uniforms. All of them bore scars of battle - the evidence of last night's fierce combat was ubiquitous. Hastily gesturing with his hand, he ordered his men to take over and carry the severely wounded soldiers into the camp for treatment.
Heaving a sigh, Xu Wei turned to Lin Wanrong with a bitter smile, "Little Brother Lin, the battle last night was truly beyond my expectations. I had ordered a strict defense on Lake Weishan, yet I never expected that the enemy would bypass our defensive lines so cunningly."
Strict defense? Hundreds of small boats, thousands of soldiers spread out on the lake's surface, simply counting heads would show a sea of men. Even a blind man could see the reality. How could Xu Wei's navy have been so negligent?
Anger welled up inside Lin Wanrong, but seeing the elder's worn-out expression, his hair seemingly whiter, he couldn't find it in himself to lash out. He grunted and decided to remain silent.
The generals following Xu Wei were surprised that the person their Marshal had personally gone to greet was a young military strategist barely in his twenties.
Seeing the Marshal hold Lin San in such high regard, the generals courteously responded with a salute, "An honor to meet you!"
‘What honor indeed,’ Lin Wanrong thought, understanding his own position. These generals, each commanding troops, were ferocious individuals who wouldn't readily admit inferiority. They might be saying 'an honor,' but they probably didn't even bother looking at his face.
Xu Wei introduced Lin San to each of the generals in turn. Lin Wanrong, with a good memory, quickly became familiar with their faces. Among these generals, he paid particular attention to Tong Cheng, the leader of the cavalry camp. The reason was simple - Zhai Canghai, the man whose leg he had broken and mouth he had smashed the previous night, was Tong Cheng's deputy. These generals, all men of high standing, naturally felt a degree of contempt towards a young military strategist receiving such attention from the Marshal. Their faces couldn't help but show a hint of pride.
Having developed a keen understanding of human nature, Lin Wanrong was well aware of their thoughts. He chuckled coldly and, gesturing grandly to his men, Hu Bugui and others behind him, ordered, "Bring it forward—"
Hu Bugui and Du Xiuyuan strode in, their steps resolute as tigers, and threw a corpse in front of the gathered generals. The corpse bore a fierce countenance, with a gaping hole in the chest the size of a baby's fist. It was an alarming sight.
"Meng Du? Is that Meng Du, the bravest warrior of the White Lotus Sect?" A few of the generals who had previously crossed swords with Meng Du exclaimed in unison, their faces pale with shock.
"Oh, so this is Meng Du, who is reputed to be able to tear tigers apart alive?" Xu Wei glanced at the corpse and said.
"Marshal, this is indeed him. Meng Du is a native of Yanzhou, born with tremendous strength. He once tore a fierce tiger to pieces on Jingyang Ridge, earning him the title of the bravest warrior of the White Lotus Sect. Our forces battled him just a few days ago, during which several of the generals under my command fell to him. I didn't expect to see his dead body before us today," the man speaking was the left flank general under Xu Wei, whose name Lin Wanrong remembered was Zuo Zongyou.
Zuo Zongyou bowed slightly toward Lin Wanrong and said, "Brother Lin, was it Meng Du who launched a sneak attack on your camp last night?" He had initially displayed a certain arrogance, but upon seeing Meng Du's body, his demeanor had changed significantly, his words now carried a hint of respect.
Pride was an inevitable part of being a commander, which Lin Wanrong understood all too well. He nodded and said, "Indeed, it was him. Last night, he led thousands of elite White Lotus soldiers to sneak attack our camp from Lake Weishan. Fortunately, we were able to detect them in advance. After a bloody battle, we were finally able to slay him."
Many of the generals around Xu Wei had heard of Meng Du's reputation, some even having personally battled him and understood his prowess. His men were the most loyal and fearless elites of the White Lotus Sect, known for their ferocity. It was hard to believe that a supply convoy could not only defeat such a larger force but also slay Meng Du.
A look of admiration appeared on Zuo Zongyou's face, "Brother Lin, your military strategies are extraordinary. I am impressed. But I am curious as to what kind of weapon inflicted this wound on Meng Du. I've been in wars for many years, but I've never seen such a wound."
"Oh, it's the result of my family's secret technique - the One Yang Finger. I may have practiced it too intensively, which increased its power. During the chaos of last night's battle, I inadvertently caused this large wound. I apologize if it's alarming," Lin Wanrong said with a straight face.
[TL: One Yang Finger, one of the supreme skills in the novel Condor Heroes by Jin Yong]
Gao Qiu, hearing his flippant lie, chuckled internally. It was clearly a hidden weapon; this Brother Lin was quite good at bluffing.
Everyone else seemed astounded, indeed, this military strategist was unfathomable.
Lin Wanrong pointed to Hu Bugui, Du Xiuyuan, and Li Sheng and said, "Marshal Xu, in last night's bloody battle, these three brothers were at the forefront, their contribution was the greatest. I would like to request a merit for them."
Xu Wei laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, it should be so. The battle last night not only wiped out the elite of the White Lotus Sect but also killed Meng Du. It is the greatest victory since our army began the suppression campaign, greatly boosting our morale. Brother Lin, leading a weak troop, achieved such a brilliant result. He should indeed be rewarded. Pass on my order: the three whom Brother Lin recommended shall each be promoted two ranks, and appointed as a thousand-man commander (commander of 1000 soldiers). Troops will be reassigned to them tomorrow. The rest shall each be promoted one rank, reward them according to their merits."
"Thank you, General!" Hu, Du, and Li were overjoyed and quickly saluted in gratitude.
"Little Brother Lin, you've brought me quite a significant gift," Xu Wei said, leading Lin Wanrong towards the main camp, his face full of deep emotion. In recent days, Xu Wei's forces had indeed pushed the White Lotus Sect back to the Jining front, but the White Lotus army had used its familiarity with the terrain and avoided direct confrontations with the government forces. As a result, the progress of the suppression campaign had been very slight over the past few days.
Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Of course, if I were the White Lotus army, I would also avoid going head-to-head with the government forces. However, once we have them surrounded, there's no need for daily battles. We just need to progressively advance, slowly shrinking the encirclement, leaving them no room to maneuver. Then we attack and occupy Jining, capturing their base and cutting off their retreat. By the time the harsh winter arrives and the heavy snow falls, the White Lotus Sect will inevitably collapse."
Xu Wei was elated, "Little Brother Lin, your thinking aligns perfectly with mine. My choice for a military strategist truly couldn't have been better."
As Lin Wanrong followed Xu Wei into the main camp, he saw countless tents stretching out into the distance, so many they seemed to blur into the horizon. Teams of soldiers were engaged in rigorous training, with several elite units patrolling the camp's perimeters - the defenses were extremely tight. Seeing this army of tens of thousands, their weapons gleaming and troops in high spirits, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but nod in approval. This old Xu Wei might look frail and scholarly, but he was indeed adept at leading an army. The title of the number one scholar in the world was not unjustified.
Xu Wei led him into a tent, chuckling, "Brother Lin, you fought without rest last night and attended the meeting today. There's no need for you to join in the camp's duties today, rest well. I apologize for the simplicity of this big tent."
Lin Wanrong thought wryly, ‘If I were to complain, would you provide me with a mansion?’ He then asked Xu Wei, "Mr. Xu, how have my brothers been settled?"
Xu Wei gave him a thumbs up, "Little Brother Lin, you are truly a man of integrity. Rest assured, these soldiers are all heroes of great merit. I will not treat them unfairly, the best things in this camp will be given to them."
Lin Wanrong finally relaxed. Although he was brash and cunning, he was absolutely genuine when it came to these brothers he had fought and bled alongside. Xu Wei continued, "Little Brother Lin, with your care for your subordinates and your exceptional talents, why not consider a permanent position in the military? Your brothers would be overjoyed. I would certainly recommend you to the Emperor."
Lin Wanrong was taken aback. ‘Damn, did this old man understand his lofty aspirations?’ His playful bouts with the Eldest Miss of the Xiao family, his clandestine activities with the Second Miss - these were pleasures Xu Wei couldn't comprehend. Xu Wei had no ambition!
"Let's discuss that later," Lin Wanrong replied, yawning. After the battle of the previous day, a sleepless night, shedding blood and tears, and carrying stretchers over 50 miles this morning, he was utterly exhausted.
Seeing Lin San's fatigue, Xu Wei sighed and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. He pulled out a letter from his robes, "I almost forgot something, Little Brother Lin, here's a letter from your home."
"A letter from home?" Lin Wanrong's eyes widened in surprise. ‘Could someone have written to me? Could it be Qiaoqiao? Impossible!’ That girl had no idea why he had left, even if she had a million thoughts, the letter couldn't have reached Xu Wei.
"Mr. Xu, are you sure there's no mistake? I left Jinling less than ten days ago, my wife at home doesn't even know where I went. How could there be a letter from home?" Lin Wanrong asked, skeptical.
"There's no mistake!" Xu Wei replied, handing the letter to him with a smile. "Little Brother Lin, you'll know once you look at it."
What was this old man up to, being so mysterious? As Lin Wanrong watched Xu Wei's retreating figure, he stood in a daze for a long while before he finally shifted his gaze to the envelope in his hand.
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