#279 - Cicadas
“Chirp, chirp ~ Chirp, chirp ~”
Outside the window, the early summer cicadas had already begun to chirp in twos and threes. The sound of the cicadas seemed somewhat perfunctory, and at first it sounded more like birdsong.
The atmosphere inside the wooden window carved with cloud patterns instantly became oppressive due to Chu Xianping's words.
Ever since Yin Xiao'e died, this was the first time Wei Changtian had seen Chu Xianping looking so unsettled.
So...
“What's wrong?”
Frowning slightly, Wei Changtian gently placed the teacup in his hand: “Did something happen in the capital?”
“No.”
Chu Xianping shook his head slightly, while glancing at Xu Qingwan.
“Changtian, Young Master Chu, you talk.”
The latter understood Chu Xianping's meaning, so she didn't say much or ask anything, and quickly turned and walked out of the room.
Only when the sound of footsteps completely disappeared did Chu Xianping take a deep breath and turn his gaze back to Wei Changtian.
“...”
Half an hour later.
In the courtyard of the new residence, Wei Changtian stood upright in a pavilion, with several lush ancient trees slanting beside him, and a small pond in front of him.
In the shimmering clear waves, clusters of emerald leaves were glistening with dew, and more than a hundred koi were slowly swimming under the lotus leaves, their fish lips slightly open, as if waiting to snatch the swaying dewdrops.
Two days ago, as the war in Yuanzhou became increasingly unfavorable, the main general of this battle, Wu Ding, decided to abandon the city and retreat, redeploying at Feng County, five hundred miles outside Yuanzhou City, a terrain that was easier to defend and harder to attack.
Abandon Yuanzhou City and retreat five hundred miles.
At first glance, it seemed like they couldn't win and were preparing to “run away”, but in reality, this was indeed a “strategic shift”.
Feng County was also within Yuanzhou, and it was a necessary route to the hinterland of Da Ning. Its strategic position was originally higher than Yuanzhou City, and what's more, it had a natural barrier to rely on, making it much easier to defend.
In fact, if it wasn't for the greater “symbolic significance” of Yuanzhou City, they should have directly abandoned Yuanzhou City from the beginning and set up defenses directly in Feng County.
So this strategic decision was not a problem.
The real problem was in the subsequent implementation.
Hundreds of thousands of troops abandoned the city and retreated, and the Da Feng army outside the city was watching covetously.
It should be known that this was a huge project, and it was definitely not something that could be done simply by saying go.
At the very least, if they wanted to evacuate as safely as possible, then someone had to stay behind to cover the retreat.
The Shu Prefecture Army and the Liang Prefecture Army were very unfortunately shouldering this responsibility.
Military orders are like mountains.
Regardless of how unwilling Liang Zhen and the Liang Prefecture generals were, since the main general Wu Ding had arranged it this way, they could only execute it.
And although staying behind was indeed dangerous, it didn't mean “being sacrificed”.
If the Da Feng side didn't react in time, or didn't want to risk chasing and intercepting, then it would most likely only mean losing a few more soldiers.
It was a pity that reality was not like this.
On April 14th, after barely resisting the Da Feng's offensive during the day, the Da Ning army exited Yuanzhou City's east gate in the middle of the night, and all the guards on the city wall were replaced by the Shu Prefecture Army and the Liang Prefecture Army.
At the beginning, everything went very smoothly, but just as the Liang Prefecture Army was preparing to evacuate Yuanzhou City, a Da Feng cavalry force that emerged from nowhere suddenly attacked, directly cutting off their connection with the Da Ning army that had retreated earlier.
The Liang Prefecture Army had no choice but to return and defend the city together with the Shu Prefecture Army, preparing to wait for Wu Ding to send people back to support them.
However, the large army that had already retreated had no intention of turning back.
In other words.
The Liang Prefecture Army and the Shu Prefecture Army, a total of 70,000 soldiers, were abandoned in Yuanzhou City.
Their only role was to hinder the Da Feng army's offensive and buy time for the main army to build a defense line in Feng County.
In order to achieve this goal, they would defend a solitary city with a force of 70,000.
Facing them were 500,000 elite soldiers and strong generals of Da Feng.
“According to the latest intelligence from the Same Boat Society this morning, Da Feng completely surrounded Yuanzhou City yesterday, and Wu Ding has indeed no intention of returning to Yuanzhou City for reinforcements...”
A gentle breeze blew, Chu Xianping, standing behind him, took a step forward, paused, and then asked:
“Young Master, should we do something?”
Do something...
Wei Changtian retracted his gaze from looking into the distance and casually picked a cicada shell from a nearby ancient tree.
It only had the form, but not the content.
The cicada shed its shell here, but the former can only live for a summer, while the latter can last for a long time.
Wei Changtian didn't know which cicada on the tree this cicada shell belonged to, nor did he know what he could do for Liang Zhen and Liang Qin at this time.
He didn't even know whether all of this was Ning Yongnian's scheme, or just an accident that often happened on the battlefield.
In the struggle between countries, on the battlefield crowded with millions of people, the power of one person or a few people was too insignificant.
Just like these summer cicadas, weak and unaware.
What's more... he seemed to have no need to help Liang Zhen and his daughter.
Now that the Liu family had been destroyed, Yun Lian was dead, Shu Prefecture was under control, and he had even married Xu Qingwan as he wished.
As long as he was willing, the long-awaited life of “wife, children, and a warm bed” would be within reach, and it would most likely continue for a long time.
But once he got involved in the Yuanzhou war...
Then all this comfort would no longer exist, and he would return to endless dangers, conspiracies, running around, and killings.
So... did he really want to be a cicada shell that could last for a long time?
“...”
After a long silence, Wei Changtian suddenly slowly walked to the edge of the pavilion and stood on the side of the pond.
The koi in the pond immediately crowded over, vying to look at this young man in black, waiting for the latter to sprinkle food.
“Crack.”
With a twist of both hands, the thin cicada shell turned into countless fragments, falling on the water surface with the wind, but not causing the slightest ripple.
Looking at the fish scrambling for food under his feet, Wei Changtian finally answered Chu Xianping's question just now.
Although summer cicadas are small, they would rather sing themselves to death than remain silent.
“Brother Chu, make arrangements.”
“We'll leave tonight.”
“To Yuanzhou.”
That night, outside Shu Prefecture City.
Several torches illuminated the faces of the crowd, and also illuminated several black carriages.
And in the moonlight not far from the crowd, Wei Changtian was saying goodbye to Xu Qingwan.
His trip to Yuanzhou must be kept secret, but after all, he wouldn't be able to return in a short time, so he couldn't hide it from Comrade Xiao Xu anymore.
“Wan'er, I know you don't want me to go, but this time...”
“Changtian, I don't object.”
Xu Qingwan forcibly held back the tears that were about to burst out of her eyes, trying to make her voice calmer.
“Uncle Liang and Miss Liang are trapped in Yuanzhou City, you should go save them.”
“I, I just want to accompany you.”
“...”
Sighing inwardly, Wei Changtian gently took Xu Qingwan's hand and didn't explain anything.
Xu Qingwan must understand why he wouldn't allow her to go with him.
“Keep this safe.”
Placing a golden tiger tally in the latter's palm, Wei Changtian smiled and said: “I'll be back as soon as I rescue Uncle Liang and the others, it'll be quick.”
“Yeah.”
Xu Qingwan held the tiger tally tightly, but in the next moment, she suddenly let go of Wei Changtian's hand and suddenly turned her back, only her shoulders were trembling slightly uncontrollably.
Just like the last time Wei Changtian left the capital, Comrade Xiao Xu still couldn't bear the pain of parting.
The stream rose, a clear breeze brushed her face, the moon set, and the stars filled the sky.
Wei Changtian looked at the thin back so close at hand, and gently brushed his hand through the latter's hair.
Thousands of black hairs poured down like a waterfall, and a section of red rope appeared in his hand.
“I'm leaving, wait for me to come back.”
In the increasingly distant sound of footsteps, the last sentence also became ethereal.
Behind him, Shu Prefecture City was silent, although it had just experienced a once-in-a-millennium flood, everything was gradually returning to normal.
On such an ordinary summer night, people who had been busy all day had already fallen asleep.
Countless young cicadas would break out of the ground at this time, they would climb up high branches, desperately break free from that wingless body, and then...
They would turn into tiny summer cicadas, and on this summer night that no one cared about, they would make their first long cry between heaven and earth.
(End of Volume 3)
