Chapter 853: Preparing to Cross the River

"Look, the soldiers have clearly become much more stable, and they aren't as cold toward us as they were before," Chen Xi said with a smile to Fa Zheng. "Soon enough, they will come to realize that when it comes to military benefits and stipends, we won’t fall behind anyone. After that, we’ll bring their families over."

"That’s the real issue," Fa Zheng rolled his eyes.

"Quite the opposite, actually. This is the key to our control over Guanzhong. Even if just one soldier’s family is held hostage, we can take action," Chen Xi said, covering his mouth with his fan as he chuckled. Seeing Fa Zheng’s expression, he added, "But that’s just a joke. Once we secure victory in the north, we won’t need any excuses."

"Now that’s more like it!" Fa Zheng nodded proudly. "The only thing we lack is time. Everything else is trivial."

"You’ve finally understood," Chen Xi said, patting Fa Zheng on the shoulder.

"With time, it becomes clear," Fa Zheng sighed. "It’s just a shame—what’s past can’t be recovered."

"I didn’t expect you to have a moment of melancholy like this. But it’s midsummer, not autumn," Chen Xi laughed as he observed Fa Zheng’s expression, knowing exactly what was on his mind. "If you want something, you have the ability and qualifications to seize it. The only thing holding you back is here." He pointed to his own heart.

Seeing Chen Xi’s gesture, Fa Zheng remained silent for a moment. He realized he had begun to care about these small details. "As Mencius said, 'Residence changes one’s disposition, and nurturing shapes the body.' With my changing position, I’ve naturally changed too."

"So, follow your heart. Do what you want," Chen Xi patted Fa Zheng’s shoulder again, then said no more. Fa Zheng’s only issue was his pride. Having achieved success at a young age, he couldn’t help but feel conflicted when Jiang Ying reappeared in his life. With her, he felt both moved and secretly delighted. But his feelings for another woman were entirely different.

"Follow my heart, huh?" Fa Zheng muttered, pulling out an official document from his robes. It was stamped but not yet filled out with names. Sighing, he tore it up. "I’ll abandon the idea of having 'the blessings of Qi.' In this life, I’ll marry only you."

After tearing the document, Fa Zheng turned and left without another word. In truth, he had chosen a path opposite to what Chen Xi had suggested, but that didn’t matter. As Chen Xi said, one should follow their heart.

If Fa Zheng ever met his childhood sweetheart, the daughter of the Wang family, again, he would probably only sigh at the unpredictability of life. There would be no hesitation, regardless of whether he kept her as a concubine or made her one of his courtesans. But the gap between them and the woman waiting for him in the inner chambers had grown vast.

The Xiliang soldiers, after eating and drinking to their fill, and seeing their wounded comrades receiving medical care, were filled with joy.

The medical skills in Taishan were now well-practiced, particularly in battlefield medicine, treating injuries, and dealing with infections. They had ample opportunities to practice, and after tens of thousands of treatments, their experience was exceptional.

As a result, the three hundred medical officers had spent the morning treating the gravely injured soldiers, stabilizing nearly all of them. Those with weaker constitutions had likely died on the way back, but only a handful of the severely wounded were beyond saving. Most of the injured soldiers would recover, though a few might lose limbs.

When the Xiliang soldiers visited their injured comrades, they were greeted with the overwhelming scent of alcohol used for disinfecting wounds, but the sight was encouraging. Their comrades were in stable condition. The soldiers were so overjoyed they almost hugged the legs of the medical staff.

"Once their wounds are stable, move them to Juye City in Shanyang County to recover. They’ll be counted as part of the cavalry force. These are all elite soldiers, and once they have horses again, they’ll be ready to fight as cavalry without needing reorganization," Chen Xi said to Chen Chi after inspecting the field hospital.

Chen Xi was still somewhat displeased that Chen Chi hadn’t paid closer attention to the conflict between the Xiliang and Qingzhou soldiers, though he understood it was more an accident than negligence. Chen Chi had likely only led the Xiliang soldiers to the rear camp to receive armor and left them in the hands of the other soldiers before leaving himself.

In truth, most of the Xiliang soldiers’ injuries weren’t severe. It was just that the summer heat had caused many wounds to fester. Without proper treatment, the number of wounded seemed high. However, under the care of the medical officers, those wounds were quickly stabilized. Without this medical support, fewer than half of the ten thousand wounded would have survived the summer heat.

The next day, after Liu Ye had gathered enough large logs and boats, he began constructing the pontoon bridge. This blatant action was seen as a provocation by Yuan Shao’s forces on the opposite shore. Unfortunately for them, Hua Xiong’s patrol boats were guarding the river, and with his superior naval skills, Guo Yuan could do little in response.

Still, Guo Yuan began setting up ballistae on the opposite shore and sent troops in three directions to request reinforcements. His performance wasn’t particularly outstanding, but he handled the situation with caution and steadiness.

"Looks like we’ve been too obvious," Chen Xi said with a smirk, standing beside Liu Ye in his black robes and looking across the Yellow River.

"Attacking an army while they’re halfway across the river is a well-known tactic. Anyone who’s read military strategy would know this, and Guo Yuan, being Zhong Yao’s nephew, would certainly have learned a thing or two," Liu Ye said casually. "This is a normal reaction."

"Tomorrow, I want to be on the other side of the river," Chen Xi ignored Liu Ye’s explanations. He was more concerned with crossing the river than with Liu Ye’s method of bridge construction. As long as they crossed tomorrow, nothing else mattered.

"Oh, I already sent a messenger on a fast horse to notify Xingba yesterday," Liu Ye said calmly. "If we wanted to build a bridge without being noticed, we’d have to move far away. But Yuan Shao’s scouts are all over the place, so it’s better to rely on our navy to ferry troops across. The bridge is just a way to test their defenses and strength."

"Fair enough. As long as we get across," Chen Xi shrugged. If Liu Ye had sent word to Gan Ning the previous day, then Gan Ning was probably already on the river. With Gan Ning patrolling the Yellow River, there wasn’t anyone on the northern side who could challenge him.

"Once we attack from both sides, I think Xingba will be able to ferry about two thousand men across at most," Liu Ye pointed to the pontoon bridge, which was more than halfway finished. Any further construction would likely be met with resistance from the enemy, but that wouldn’t be an issue by then.

"I’ll leave it to you. Tomorrow, our forces must establish a foothold on the opposite shore. Even if they counterattack fiercely, we must hold our ground," Chen Xi said, giving Liu Ye a meaningful look. "Don’t let them push us back into the river. That would be disastrous."

Liu Ye gazed deeply at Chen Xi, sensing something more in his words, though Chen Xi hadn’t made it clear. After some thought, Liu Ye decided not to ask further. He would simply remain cautious to avoid any potential traps.

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter