Chapter 62 Leaving Home

Chapter 62 Leaving Home

Chapter 62 Leaving Home
Two days later,
As the New Year is approaching, couplets with the Chinese character "福" are posted on the door and big red lanterns are hung.

The snow on the steps was swept clean by the doorman, Lao Zhang.

A white horse was tied at the door, with a small red flower pasted on its forehead.

At this moment, the white horse was shaking its head helplessly, trying to get rid of the strangeness on its head, but it was helpless.

Not long after, Lu Yunyi, dressed in black clothes, carrying large and small bags, walked slowly from the end of the street, with Qiu He accompanying him.

The white horse moved its nose slightly, sniffed, and then turned its head.
When he saw it was his owner, he quickly pawed his hooves and swayed his big head left and right.

Lu Yunyi approached with a hint of surprise and immediately noticed the small red flower on the horse's forehead.

There was a hint of helplessness on the corner of his mouth, and he glanced at Qiu He who was smiling at the side:

"What did you do?"

Qiu He's eyes were full of smiles, the corners of her mouth were raised, and she answered in a crisp voice:
"Master, it's New Year's Day, let Xiaobai share in the joy,
You are always in the military camp these days, Xiaobai probably misses you,

Every night he would bark and it was annoying.”

"Really? How come I didn't know?" Lu Yunyi looked back and forth beside the warhorse with a flash of doubt in his eyes.

Qiu He snorted and pouted:
"Master, you just came home today, how can you hear it? Wait until you go to bed tonight and listen."

"tonight?"

Lu Yunyi raised his eyebrows, feeling a little strange.

Then he ignored Qiu He and walked straight to the mansion with his bags.

Qiu He's clear voice suddenly came from behind:
"Hey, Master, wait for me."

The white horse stood there in a daze, staring at the backs of the two people. Soon, it began to shake its head, trying to remove the small red flower on its head.

In the courtyard, Lu Yunyi handed the large and small packages to the doorman Lao Zhang and went straight to the main room.
When I pushed the door open, I saw the packages of Chinese couplets and Chinese characters for blessing wrapped in red paper on the table.

At a desk on one side, Mr. Lu had a serious look on his face as he wrote furiously.

As the only Juren in Gyeongju, his calligraphy appears in front of the doors of various dignitaries in Gyeongju every year.
Even posting a couplet written by Mr. Lu in front of the door was a symbol of status.

Hearing the voice, Lu looked up and glanced at Lu Yunyi, but ignored him and continued writing furiously.
Only after finishing writing this couplet did he gently put down his brush.
Then, Master Lu asked slowly, "Have you finished your work in the army?"

Lu Yunyi didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he could only nod gently:
"After the work is done, the soldiers will have a rest today."

"It's rare, the army is on the march, the soldiers have left their homes,
Soldiers stayed in the tent all day, and they were inevitably irritable.
Whether it's rest or not, you have to combine work and rest after all." Boss Lu said slowly.

Lu Yunyi knew that his father was dissatisfied with him for not returning home for a long time.

He had been a soldier in the garrison before, and had a few days off every month.

Thanks to his fatherhood, he can even stay at home every day as long as he doesn't overdo it.

But now it is not possible. After being promoted, I have endless military affairs to deal with every day.

Today is the first time I return home in more than ten days.

Thinking of this, Lu Yunyi smiled awkwardly and said:

"Father, the army will be heading north after the New Year. The army has been busy with official duties these days.
It is the child's fault that he cannot return home. "

Mr. Lu glanced at him and handed him the couplet and the word "Fu" he had just written.

Lu Yunyi understood what he meant and started wrapping it up by himself on the table.

Mr. Lu spoke slowly:
"I don't understand military matters, but I know that you should lead by example, and you did the right thing.

"I heard from Governor Liu that you have made some achievements in the military camp recently? I heard that you were appreciated by the general?"

"The boy has made some achievements and is now the commander of the front army." Lu Yunyi replied.

"Is it relying on the seal of the Sun Khan?" Mr. Lu frowned and asked.

Lu Yunyi did not speak, but put his hands into his arms.
When he took it out again, there was a bronze object in his hand, on which there were two blue bulls roaring towards the sky.

It was the seal of the Sun Khan that had been presented earlier.

"I was promoted to commander, in addition to the merit of this thing,

I also found that many soldiers in the army were troubled by nightmares every night and could not sleep well.

Then they came up with some ideas to ease the soldiers' mood.
The general thought this method could be implemented, so the child was promoted. "

Master Lu paused, frowned, and looked back and forth at the Sun Sweat Seal:
"What about this big seal?"

Lu Yunyi no longer concealed anything, sighed softly, and told everyone everything about the Tatar tribe.

After hearing this, Mr. Lu frowned even more and said thoughtfully:
"Good intentions lead to bad consequences? If this letter cannot be delivered, the Northern Yuan Dynasty may flee, and the army will be in vain."

"That's right, so." Lu Yunyi hesitated.

"So you're going to deliver the letter?"

Boss Lu's eyes were sharp. He first glanced at the seal on the table and then looked at Lu Yunyi.

For some reason, Lu Yunyi felt that his father's eyes were extremely sharp at this moment, as if he could see through him completely.

Under such gazes, Lu Yunyi could not hide it and nodded with difficulty:
"Among the army, only the child has been to Fishing Lake.

Moreover, I was the one who did this, so the subsequent credit should also be taken by me.”

"Merit? What kind of merit is this?"

Mr. Lu's voice suddenly rose, and he threw the brush at random.

He walked over from the table and stopped in front of Lu Yunyi, his face solemn:

"How do I send the letter? I want to present the letter to the Northern Yuan Dynasty court.

Or let them know that the Tatars are about to send troops.
Both are about delivering mail, but the dangers are completely different.”

Lu Yunyi raised his eyebrows. Seeing his father lose his composure like this, he suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Father, I think I can use this opportunity to get into the royal court.
Investigate the movements of the Northern Yuan Dynasty court to make it easier for the army to attack."

"Nonsense!" The voice of Lu Dangjia suddenly rose, and his brows were furrowed.

"Are you trying to use this to sneak in?"

Lu Yunyi sat there weakly and nodded gently:

"The Naiman tribe is located in the southwest of the grassland and has little interaction with the Yuan court.

If you pretend to be a person from the Naiman tribe, it will be much easier than pretending to be a person from the Tatar tribe.

You know, children never do anything without preparation.
Although this trip is dangerous, with the child's abilities, it should not be difficult to come back alive.

At worst, I can just lie dormant after arriving at Yuanting, stay for a few days and then leave.

I am only bringing my trusted followers with me on this trip. They are all highly skilled and well versed in grassland customs, so they won’t reveal their true colors.”

The expression on Lu's face gradually became complicated, and he stared blankly at the big seal of the Sun Sweat on the table:

"Have you made your decision?"

Lu Yunyi's face was solemn: "Father, General Lan Yu once told me,

How difficult it is to be granted a title in the Ming Dynasty today?

He asked his subordinates to cherish every opportunity to be independent.

I think this makes a lot of sense, so I decided to take a risk. If this is successful, we will have collected enough intelligence information for the army.

That, plus the child's contribution in exploring the Fishing Lake, will surely lead to a successful career in the future."

When Mr. Lu heard this, he surprisingly did not object:
"He's right. It's impossible to have such military achievements during the Chengping period. This battle against the Northern Yuan Dynasty has indeed become a hot topic in the eyes of many people."

After a pause, Mr. Lu's eyes became deep, and he immediately realized the key.

"If the army can wipe out the Yuan court in one fell swoop,
Then your two contributions are incomparable. Do you think the army can do this?"

If the Northern Yuan Dynasty was destroyed because of this, this incident might be recorded in great detail in Lu Yunyi's list of achievements, and his name would go down in history.

But if the Northern Yuan Dynasty managed to escape, it would be just an ordinary victory.

The difference between conquering the Northern Yuan Dynasty and defeating it is as huge as the difference between heaven and earth.

Lu Yunyi looked determined and nodded solemnly:
"Father, you always say 'Everything depends on human effort'.
For this battle, the imperial court assembled an army of 150,000, including nearly ten dukes and marquises, in order to achieve victory in this battle.

The imperial court has done its best, and the rest depends on the soldiers and commanders in the army to do their best.
As the commander of the front-line scouts, I must do my best.

Find out more information for the army to ensure a great victory for the court!
God helps those who help themselves. If I want to establish merit, I can’t let go of this opportunity.”

His voice echoed in the room, filled with firmness and a hint of determination.

Mr. Lu just sat there without saying a word, staring blankly at the red package and the Sun Khan seal on the table.
After an unknown amount of time, the bitterness on his face gradually disappeared, and he became relaxed and calm.

"When will you leave?"

"Tonight." Lu Yunyi pursed his lips. It was hard to accept that he returned home in the morning and left home at night.

Mr. Lu's eyes trembled again:

"Ah."

"Thank you father."

Lu Yunyi already knew the result.
Although my father seems strict, he has always been like this since I was a child.
As long as he made a request, his father would do his best to satisfy it, just like joining the army.

Mr. Lu still had no expression on his face. Seeing that Lu Yunyi had not moved for a long time, he smiled softly:
"It is the work of a real man to make great achievements when young. You have grown up."

The voice revealed the vicissitudes of life, mixed with a hint of relief.

Head Lu let out a sigh of relief and slowly stood up.

He picked up the Spring Festival couplets and the Chinese character for "Fu" on the table and said to himself:
"Look at them. Every time the Chinese New Year comes, they ask me to write couplets with Chinese characters for blessing, and I send them to them."

Lu Yunyi stood up and reached out his hand hastily:
"Father, I'll take it."

Lu Dangjia shook his head slightly and waved his hand casually without raising his head. His eyes remained on the couplet:

"No, go see your mother. She said she would make you your favorite fish soup this morning."

Lu Yunyi stood there in a daze, watching his father busying himself. After a long while, he gently nodded his stiff neck:
"it is good"

When the door closed, Mr. Lu's hands, which were tidying up the couplets, slowly stopped.

He relaxed his body as if somewhat discouraged, and placed his hands feebly on the table, not moving for a long time.

In the backyard kitchen, Lu Yunyi squeezed in from the busy servants and saw his long-missed mother at the back of the kitchen.

She was now staring intently at the casserole, holding the salt box in her hand, ready to season it.

Seeing Lu Yunyi coming, Liu's eyes suddenly lit up.

"My son, you are finally back."

Liu's voice was full of tenderness. She looked at her son anxiously, with a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Look at you, have you lost weight again?"

Liu just threw the salt shaker casually, opened her arms and embraced him in her arms, her eyes a little blurry.

"You kid, you've lost weight since you stayed in the military camp all day without going home."

Liu fixed Lu Yunyi there, looking him up and down, her eyes red, her expression showing her joy without hiding it,
Seeing that her son was still as heroic as before, she nodded with satisfaction, straightened up, and said with some boasting:
"My son, come and have a look, this is your favorite fish soup."

As she spoke, she showed some complaints on her face:
“The fish Liu Huaipu sent from Peking was guaranteed to be alive.

But when he brought it to me yesterday, he said that the snow and wind were too strong these days and the fish had frozen to death, which almost pissed me off to death.
This fish soup needs to be fresh. Now that the fish is dead, the taste will be wrong.
But it doesn’t matter, my son eats only coarse food in the barracks, so he shouldn’t be able to taste it.”

As she spoke, Liu opened the lid and stirred the soup back and forth with a spoon.

Lu Yunyi smiled softly and said softly: "Mom, I..."

"What do you mean by that? Just eat it. Even if it doesn't taste good, it's still made by my mother."

Liu glanced at him and suddenly realized that her son was wearing new clothes.
He quickly put down the spoon and came over to push Lu Yunyi:
"Go out first, I'm busy here."

Liu gently pushed her son, her eyes full of reluctance, "Don't let this new dress get stained with oil smoke."

"Mom, me"

"What do you mean by 'I'? I'm going to go out first. Wait until I finish making this fish soup before you talk to me."

After saying that, he pushed Lu Yunyi away without further ado.
The days of returning home always pass very quickly, and a day passes in the blink of an eye.

As night fell and a cold wind blew, the moonlight in Gyeongju City was obscured by dark clouds, making it dark.

The candlelight in the main room of the Lu Mansion was exceptionally bright, shining through the intricate windows.

Three figures could be seen gathered around the table, bowls and chopsticks in hand, occasionally chatting in low voices and feasting on their food.

Even the figure standing on one side smiled from time to time.
It seems that you can still hear faint laughter in the whistling wind.

As time passed, the sky grew darker, the entire Gyeongju fell into silence, and the candles in the lanterns in front of the Lu Mansion were extinguished.

But at this moment, the creaking sound of the door echoed softly around.

A dark shadow walked out slowly and closed the door gently.

Lu Yunyi touched the cold door latch lightly, with his bag slung over his shoulder, and glanced at the familiar door affectionately.

After a light sigh, he left resolutely.

Walking slowly, Lu Yunyi moved forward in the night, towards the unknown darkness.

There, a few figures were vaguely seen standing still, and the panting of war horses could be faintly heard.

Lu Yunyi just walked on the bluestone road.
My mood has been suppressed to the lowest point, my eyes are calm,

Not knowing what he sensed, he stood there in a trance.
Then he slowly turned around and looked towards the Lu Mansion which was already half hidden in darkness.

For some reason, he saw three figures standing faintly in the darkness.

Lu Yunyi's calm eyes wavered a little.

He stood there for a long time, until he heard the heavy breathing of a warhorse in the distance.
He then raised his head, stopped to stare at the darkness for a last time, and then left without looking back.

At the end of the street, there were already several figures waiting there.

When the familiar warhorse saw its master coming, a smart look flashed in its big eyes, and it quickly leaned its head forward.

Lu Yunyi touched the horse's head and fixed the bag on the horse.

With just a slight flip, he flew into the air and sat on the warhorse.

"Let's go."

The dark shadows around them quickly followed.

(End of this chapter)