#707 - Before the Beginning of Winter
Five days later.
The second year of Taichu, March 15th.
Daning, Jin Province.
The midday sun was golden and bright, and the spring breeze from north to south seemed to blow from winter to summer, shaking the tender leaves on the withered branches.
"Rumble..."
The dull and crowded sound of horses' hooves and footsteps trembled the earth, and the long official road was full of soldiers marching with their heads down.
The blue "Shu" flag and the yellow "Ning" flag fluttered in the sky, and the scales of the armor shone with dazzling cold light, and the entire wilderness was filled with a suppressed rumbling noise.
Only five days had passed since the sudden change in the situation in Xinfeng, and the reinforcements to Xinfeng had traveled 1,500 miles, from Liang Province to Jin Province.
Jin Province to the west is Ji Province, and then Yuan Province.
After Yuan Province is Ning Yongnian's burial place, the former Dafeng Huailing Prefecture.
However, now Huailing Prefecture has been归了大宁 (returned to Daning) and has also changed from the "Prefecture System" to the "Province System", named Ling Province.
And Ling Province to the west is the boundary of Xinfeng.
From Jin Province to Xinfeng, even with rapid marching, it will still take about ten days.
Although I don't know if Xu Sui Sui can hold on until then, this is already the fastest speed for these three hundred thousand people.
That's right, this time, Ning and Shu sent a total of more than 300,000 people to reinforce Xinfeng.
Among them were 100,000 Shu troops, 200,000 Ning troops, and nearly 30,000 Tiangou troops.
As for the remaining 200,000 Daning troops, they remained in Liang Province to guard against Dajue's comeback.
Three hundred thousand people will face nearly one million troops from Qian and Hui in Xinfeng.
Coincidentally, the difference in military strength between the two sides is exactly the same as it was during the Battle of Shu Province.
At that time, the Shu Kingdom only had seventy to eighty thousand people, but the army for the suppression had 300,000, more than three times the difference.
Although Wei Changtian perfectly achieved the victory of the weak against the strong by weakening the enemy threefold in the Battle of Niutou Mountain.
But at this moment, no one thinks he can replicate all of this.
Because these two battles are not comparable at all.
Three people against ten people, thirty people against a hundred people, thirty thousand people against a hundred thousand people, three hundred thousand people against a million people...
Although the above are all three times the number of people, the difference in absolute numbers is obviously getting bigger and bigger.
Then, the difficulty of winning the weak against the strong will increase exponentially.
After all, during the Battle of Shu Province, Wei Changtian only needed to find a way to eliminate the difference of 200,000 people.
And this time, he has to eliminate 700,000.
Seven hundred thousand people, this can never be solved by an ambush.
Thirty miles south of Jinzhou City.
On the official road in the distance, the neatly lined soldiers were still marching slowly westward.
Turning his head and glanced at the dark, dense dragon, Wei Changtian withdrew his gaze and looked at Liang Qin in front of him, whose eyes were filled with tears.
"Okay, stop crying."
"This time it's my fault. I promised to accompany you back to Da Shu to recuperate, but I couldn't do it."
"It's just that I can't help it. After all, if I don't go to Xinfeng in person, I'll always be worried..."
"..."
This time, Liang Qin, who was already pregnant, would definitely not be able to go to Xinfeng together.
Although she had traveled with the army for five days, she had to "part ways" with Wei Changtian here in Jinzhou and continue south back to Da Shu.
"Changtian Gege (Brother Changtian)"
Crying and throwing herself into Wei Changtian's arms, Liang Qin felt a thousand reluctance in her heart.
In fact, if it had been before, although she would have been reluctant, she would never have shown it so clearly.
And now, perhaps because she was pregnant, her relationship with Wei Changtian had an extra layer of connection, and she couldn't help it now.
"Wuwuwu, I, I've only been pregnant for a month..."
"I don't want to go, go back..."
"Wuwuwu, I want to be with you..."
"The child's name, we, we haven't decided on it yet, wuwuwu..."
"..."
Tears were streaming down her face, and Liang Qin cried and said many incoherent words, which made the people around her sigh.
Everyone could understand her mood at the moment.
Especially Wei Changtian, if he could, of course, he would be willing to go back to Da Shu to accompany Liang Qin.
But what can be done?
After all, there will definitely be a fight this time. If Liang Qin has any mishap, it will be too late for him to regret it.
"Okay, I will send you a letter every three days to report that I am safe."
Rubbing Liang Qin's hair, Wei Changtian gently persuaded: "Besides, Wan'er and the others are all in Shu Province. With them accompanying you, you shouldn't feel bored."
"Drink tea every day, practice your sword, play mahjong, and I'll be back soon."
"For our child, I'll have to wrong you for a while..."
"..."
Wei Changtian was not impatient, but just comforted her sentence by sentence.
And as soon as she heard "child", Liang Qin's crying gradually stopped.
Indeed.
Even if it was only for the sake of the child in her belly, she should not take the slightest risk.
"Okay, I understand..."
Wiping the corners of her eyes, she looked up at Wei Changtian.
"Changtian Gege, I will take good care of myself after I go back, don't worry."
"But you promise me that you must go back before the New Year this year."
"Okay?"
Before the New Year.
Liang Qin was pregnant in mid-February, so if nothing unexpected happens, the date of delivery will be around the time before the New Year this year.
Wei Changtian naturally understood what she meant, so he immediately nodded in response:
"Okay, I promise you."
"I won't wait until the New Year, I will definitely go back before the beginning of winter."
"Okay."
Liang Qin sniffed, a little aggrieved, and a little worried, she told him: "This time you are not allowed to break your promise again."
"Don't worry, I definitely won't."
Smiling, Wei Changtian took Liang Qin's hand and walked to the carriage.
"Okay, get in the car quickly."
"If you don't leave, I'm afraid you'll be even more reluctant."
"I'm already reluctant now..."
Liang Qin muttered in a low voice, but she also knew that no matter what, she would have to leave sooner or later, so she gritted her teeth and got into the carriage directly.
"Chang, Changtian Gege..."
Sticking her head out of the car window, she looked at Wei Changtian outside the car, and the tears that she had finally stopped welled up again.
"Don't cry!"
Wei Changtian put on a straight face and said deliberately seriously: "Didn't the doctor say that you should not be too happy or too sad now, otherwise it will be bad for the fetus in your belly!"
"I, I..."
After being reminded by Wei Changtian, Liang Qin instantly remembered this.
She bit her lip and wanted to hold back her tears, but she couldn't help it. The way she frowned and her eyes were full of tears looked a little silly.
And Wei Changtian took a step to the car window and smiled and whispered something.
"..."
Hearing this sentence, Liang Qin suddenly widened her eyes and froze.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wei Changtian quickly winked at the coachman, who immediately waved his whip with understanding.
"Pa!"
After a crisp whip sound, the carriage moved slowly, and the hundred or so guards around him also urged the horses under their crotches.
The sky was cloudless, and the warm midday sun shone down with golden light.
In this way, the convoy finally set off and headed south, and after a dozen breaths, only Liang Qin's belated shout was left in the air.
"Changtian Gege! Dad! Sister Liu Shi!"
"Go back earlier!!!"
"..."
In the increasingly faint shouts, the carriage in the distance quickly turned into a black dot.
And at this time, the people who stayed in place also withdrew their gazes.
"Gongzi (Young Master), what did you say to Liang Meimei (Little Sister Liang) just now?"
Standing next to Wei Changtian, Yang Liushi asked curiously: "Why did she stop crying all of a sudden?"
"This ah..."
Wei Changtian leaned close to Yang Liushi's ear and lowered his voice to say mysteriously:
"I won't tell you."
"..."
"Hahahahaha!"
In Yang Liushi's astonished eyes, Wei Changtian laughed and turned around, walking triumphantly towards the carriage not far away.
The sunlight fell on him, and there was a kind of childishness of "succeeding in a trick" in the laughter echoing in the wind.
Yang Liushi stood there blankly, and after a moment, she suddenly "puchi" laughed.
Then she picked up her long skirt and quickly chased after that figure.
