Chapter 1 Calling one’s job title while working
Chapter 1 Calling one’s job title while working
In the first month of the 20th year of Hongwu, there was heavy snow in Qingzhou, and the whole place was bleak.
Snowflakes fell like goose feathers, covering the whole world in silver.
The cold wind was so fierce that it hurt people's cheeks, but it could not stop a group of cavalrymen from rushing from the north.
They were dressed in black armor, red helmets, cloaks, and carried spears and crossbows on their backs. They held the reins of their horses in one hand and held the long swords at their waists with the other!
The sound of horse hooves was drowned out by the whistling sound of the wind and snow, and the hoof prints left behind were also buried by the wind and snow.
In the heavy snow, their figures seemed blurry, as if they were real or illusory, like floating boats.
"Brother Yun'er, I'm a little confused about the direction." A black-faced young man in the team narrowed his eyes, looked to his side, and shouted.
There was a handsome young man riding a black horse. His face looked a bit childish, but his eyes had a maturity that did not match his age.
Lu Yunyi keenly caught the faint sound from the whistling cold wind. He turned his head and his eyes suddenly focused. Then he raised his right hand holding the long sword, and tightened the reins with his left hand at the same time!
"Shut up!"
The tall horse under him felt the force coming from his neck, snorted, slowed down his pace, and finally stopped.
The same was true for the dozen or so riders around!
"Brother Yun'er!!! I'm a little disoriented!!" The shout was heard again, and the cloth covering the black-faced boy's face could not cover the crack.
Lu Yunyi, who was standing in the center of the front, frowned slightly, and a trace of helplessness appeared on his handsome face. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, probably because of the wound caused by the wind and sand, and he couldn't help but twitch a few times.
He licked his cracked lips, and a loud, hoarse voice followed.
"Brother Yun'er, how many times have I told you to use your job title when you're working?"
The black-faced young man had just pulled off the cloth covering his face when his body suddenly stiffened. He looked embarrassed, lowered his head slightly, and spoke in a lower voice:
"Got it, Brother Yun'er."
"No, no, no, Mr. Lu."
"That's more like it." Lu Yunyi nodded, exerted a little force on his waist and hips, then fell off the warhorse, stepped on the snow-covered ground, raised his feet and stomped hard.
His tall and strong body was much taller than the other horse, and his face showed some signs of being exposed to the wind and sun. With the wind and snow blowing in his face, he looked like a dream or a painting.
Such a scene made the black-faced man scratch his head, think for a while and then speak:
"Mr. Lu, you are so beautiful."
"."
Lu Yunyi suddenly felt a chill, and a gust of wind blew past, causing him to shiver:
"Yes, very handsome."
"Yes, yes, so handsome, I forgot again." The young man was a little embarrassed and scratched his head. The other soldiers did not dismount when they saw this, but smiled at each other, and then looked around vigilantly.
Standing in the snow, Lu Yunyi frowned and looked around, then stomped his feet hard on the ground, and then gently used his toes to push away the snow.
The withered yellow ground was exposed, and then he looked up at the rare sun in the gloomy sky. His body kept moving, as if he was trying to determine the direction.
No one disturbed the process, and the soldiers did not dare to breathe.
The reason they were able to return alive from the Northern Frontier in the past few months was thanks to Brother Yun'er's superb positioning skills.
In fact, it would be fine if they didn't gain anything from this trip. It wouldn't matter if they got lost. As long as they found a sheltered place and waited until spring to return to Mingjing, it wouldn't matter if they died outside.
People in the military have long put life and death aside.
But it is not possible now. What they have gained from this trip is enough for them to be promoted three levels. From then on, they will no longer have to worry about food and clothing. They must go back.
Just as I was thinking about it, the hoarse and loud voice came again,
Lu Yunyi drew out the long sword from his waist, and a cold light shot out. The dark red blood on it seemed to have not yet dried.
"The direction is correct. We are just too slow. If everything goes well, we should be able to return to Gyeongju in another hour."
"Very good!!!"
It was not until then that the soldiers realized they could breathe. They heaved a sigh of relief, their faces excited.
The black-faced man shouted even more excitedly, his dark fists clenched tightly, his eyes full of determination!
"Brother Yun'er, we have made great contributions this time. We may even be summoned by the Marquis of Yongchang. If we can take advantage of the opportunity to join his army, we will be very successful."
The dark-faced young man's eyes revealed a trace of yearning: "I heard that the general is the most protective of his subordinates. If I become his subordinate, I will definitely be able to subdue that old man Liu, and Brother Yun'er will be able to reunite with his sister-in-law."
The soldiers around him could not help but show a trace of yearning when they heard the black-faced young man talking to himself. Who in the army does not want to follow the famous general of the time?
In today's Ming Dynasty, the only ones who are in the limelight are Marquis Yongchang and General Lan!
He is also the uncle of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Following him, one will surely have a bright future and rapid success.
For a moment, more than ten soldiers became excited.
Lu Yunyi, who was standing in front, took in all their expressions. A hint of helplessness flashed across his eyes. He smiled bitterly in his heart but said nothing.
I just hope that this time when I return to Gyeongju, I can stay away from Lan Yu. It would be best if I have no contact with her or any involvement with her.
If you join his army, not only will you not be able to marry a young lady, but you may even lose your life.
"Alright, alright, let's go quickly and bring the news back so we can rest for a while." Lu Yunyi waved his hands, pushed his feet hard, and immediately jumped onto the warhorse.
He whipped the horse whip gently, and the tall horse neighed, kicked off with force, and leaped out. Its hooves stomped the ground, stirring up clouds of snow and mist.
In less than an hour, the snow was getting heavier, but Lu Yunyi and the soldiers couldn't help but get excited. At the end of their sight, a vicissitudes of life city full of ancient atmosphere was looming in the wind and snow! When they got closer, they could see the large golden characters on the black plaque hanging on the top of the city.
“Gyeongju.”
He is back, really back. The soldiers were a little bit unbelievable, and their noses were a little sour. This time he had gone more than a thousand miles.
There were more than fifty people when they left, but only more than ten came back. The hardships they went through are beyond the imagination of outsiders.
However, they were lucky enough to have accomplished their mission.
"Who is coming?" a loud shout came from the city wall.
Lu Yunyi looked up, but couldn't see anyone clearly in the snow, so he just shouted:
"Qingzhou Guards General Lu Yunyi, we have been ordered to go to Mobei to investigate the traces of Beiyuan. Open the city gate immediately!"
"Someone is back!" There was a commotion on the city wall.
Not long after, the long-sealed city gate creaked and slowly opened, revealing the clean and tidy bluestone pavement inside.
In the middle of the road, dozens of soldiers had been waiting for a long time. One of them, who looked like a general guarding the city, looked at Lu Yunyi and his group, nodded slightly, and waved to his subordinates.
The soldiers immediately understood and moved the three rows of barricades away.
Seeing this, Lu Yunyi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, General!"
"You're welcome. You are the first group to come back. Did you gain anything?"
Lu Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly, tightly grasped the reins in his left hand, and silently grasped the long sword with his right hand. The soldiers behind him also silently grasped the long swords. This was the tacit understanding gained from months of fighting!
"Please forgive me, General. I cannot tell you about this important military matter."
Seeing Lu Yunyi being so cautious, the city guard couldn't help but smile:
"I'm just asking why you're so nervous. Bring me your identity documents and ivory tokens. Once you've verified your identity, you can enter the city."
"Please take a look, General." Lu Yunyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and winked at the black-faced young man. He immediately stepped forward, took out the document and handed it over.
"Okay, go into the city and have a good rest. It's very cold in Mobei, don't get frostbite." The general defending the city handed the document back with a much better attitude, and he did not forget to remind everyone.
"Thank you, General! May I ask whether the army of Marquis Yongchang has arrived?" Lu Yunyi bowed and clasped his fists.
"The main army has not arrived yet. Only a vanguard has arrived first. If you have any gains, you can go to the military camp in the city."
"Thank you, General!"
The general saw that he was so young and had such good conversation. After a little thought, he knew who this person was.
He was the best archer in the Qingzhou Guards. He made great contributions to improving the horseshoe and was awarded the position of general flag.
What made him famous was a romantic affair with the youngest daughter of Liu Zhizhou.
Unexpectedly, he came back alive from Mobei and it seemed that he had gained something.
After hesitating for a moment, the general defending the city turned sideways to make way for Lu Yunyi and others to pass!
Before leaving, he said loudly: "Mr. Lu, I heard that the second young lady of the Liu family has been crying all day long. You'd better go and see her as soon as possible."
Lu Yunyi's body froze, and he resisted the urge to cover his face. He forced a smile and said, "Thank you, General."
When he turned around, he saw that the soldiers around him were all looking at him with great envy, including a few familiar faces. He immediately became furious.
"What are you looking at? If you have the ability, go to Mobei and try your luck. There will definitely be a rich lady who will take a liking to you."
One of the tall and thin soldiers curled his lips and said, "Sir, you are making sarcastic remarks. If we had the ability, why would we still be here to defend the city? We would have already followed the army and made meritorious contributions."
"That makes sense, but it's a pity that we even have difficulty riding a horse." Another soldier added quickly.
"You bastard, close the city gate quickly. Gyeongju is now the front line, we must be extremely cautious and don't let the spies from the grassland sneak in." The general defending the city cursed and took the lead to push the heavy gate.
"Sir, a war is really about to begin." The soldiers hurriedly lent a hand.
"Of course. The order for Yongchang Marquis to recruit new troops has already been issued. How can it be fake? In my opinion, the war will take place in the first half of the year." The general guarding the city sneered at the eager look of his soldiers:
"Just defend the city honestly. The new troops recruited by Yongchang Marquis are first and foremost cavalry archers. You can't even ride a horse, so don't dream of a great future!"
The tall and thin soldier's expression darkened, as if he remembered something, and he raised his head with a wicked smile on his face:
"Then Miss Liu will be in tears again."
"Of course. Now that Lu Yunyi is back, the new army will definitely need him."
Soon, Lu Yunyi led a group of soldiers to the Qingzhou Guard Camp and met Shangguan Yansan, whom he had not seen for several months.
Yan San was a man in his forties, with dark skin and a sturdy build. His big belly made his armor bulge.
Although he walked unsteadily, Lu Yunyi did not dare to underestimate him. With such a physique, he looked like a general. He could withstand a few blows from the sword and not die.
I heard from some old men in the army that Yan San followed the current commander in his battles and experienced over a hundred battles, big and small. He was able to survive to this day, and his flesh and blood had done a great job.
At this moment, Yan San was wielding a sword with his upper body naked, slashing back and forth. Although his moves were simple, his force was so great that Lu Yunyi knew he could not take it.
"You are the first to return. What have you gained?"
Yan San glanced at Lu Yunyi while swinging his sword and said, "You are too scheming. If I find out that you just went for a stroll, I will not let you off."
"Sir, I led fifty-five soldiers on this trip north, but only sixteen came back." Lu Yunyi frowned and retorted unwillingly.
"Hmm?" Yan San paused as he swung his sword, his momentum suddenly stopped. His expression became serious, he looked around, and walked straight into the military tent:
"Come in and talk."
Entering the military tent, Yan San put his long sword on the sword rack, picked up a short shirt and put it on, then walked to the table, picked up the teapot, took a big sip, and then sat down, smiling and looking at Lu Yunyi and others:
"Tell me what you have gained."
Lu Yunyi did not keep the secret, cleared his throat, straightened his back, and said loudly:
"We found traces of the Yuan court near Buir Lake and the Khalkha River."
(End of this chapter)