Chapter 173 The Corpse is Buried

Chapter 173 The Corpse is Buried

Chapter 173 The Corpse is Buried
After being bandaged, Marshal Duoyan Toluhuchar looked much more obedient.
Even though he was not tied up, he still sat there quietly.
But his eyes were so empty that one wondered if he was really crazy.

Beside him sat King Huining and King Liao.

Opposite him was Lu Yunyi, with Liu Heiying and Wu Fuliu standing behind him, their hands on their long swords, looking alert.

When the Liao king Azashili saw this scene,
Wu Fuliu paused for a moment, and suddenly a trace of sadness welled up in his heart.
After the war, the Ming people hardly hid anything, but he just couldn't point it out.

He took a deep breath, his face solemn, and spoke in a deep voice:
"I wonder what the general wants to discuss today by gathering the three of us together?"

Lu Yunyi was holding a teacup in his hand, sipping it gently. Hearing this, he smiled and looked up at the King of Liao with a strange expression:
"Doesn't the King of Liao want to meet them?"

The Liao king Azashili's face froze, and he looked a little embarrassed.
Yesterday there was still a need to see, but today
He hid his dissatisfaction and forced a smile:
"Please be frank, General Lu. If there is anything that needs us three to do, we will not shirk our responsibilities."

"it is good!"

Lu Yunyi perked up, put down the teacup, and spoke excitedly:
"Then let's not beat around the bush. Since our Ming army mediated the war between the Royal Court and Liao Wangjun, Liao Wangjun will naturally make some gesture.

I am not an unreasonable person, and I will not ask for your gold, silver, or money. I just need you three to agree to one condition of my dynasty."

King Huining and King Liao lowered their heads to hide their anger.
Marshal Duoyan, who was standing aside in a daze, still stood there motionless, with a blank expression.

"Excuse me, General Lu, what are the conditions?" It was the King of Liao who spoke again.

"It's very simple. Although Bui'erhai Lake has not been incorporated into the territory of our Ming Dynasty, it is not far away.
The Liaowang County borders the Liaodong area of ​​the Ming Dynasty. Since the Northern Yuan Dynasty has been destroyed,

Why don’t you three surrender to the Ming Dynasty and follow me to the capital to meet His Majesty!

I believe that with your majesty's kindness, you will definitely be rewarded handsomely, which is better than the three of you living in Liaowang County."

This statement was made without any hesitation, without any concealment.
Not only was King Huining of Liao stunned,

Even Wu Fuliu and Liu Heiying looked a little strange, but Lu Yunyi looked normal.

Territory is not important to the Ming Dynasty, especially the northern grasslands.

It was a remote and poor area, and as long as there were no enemies, the imperial court would not even pay too much attention to the grassland.

The Ming Dynasty was newly established, and everything needed to be rebuilt.
There is a shortage of people but not of land. The land in the interior has not been fully cultivated, so why would we go to such great lengths to open up grassland?

The northern front, at most, reaches Gyeongju.
Because there was Liaodong in the northeast, Liaowang County had to be included in it to serve as a barrier for Liaodong and guard against the Jurchens in the east and north.

It was also to protect the Liaodong iron mines and the Korean trade routes.

Otherwise, the imperial court would not have turned its attention to this remote and poor Liaowang County.

Especially after Lu Yunyi came here in person,
I feel more and more that the productivity of the Ming Dynasty is not enough to flatten these endless mountains.

There was no ability to grow crops on this land with ravines and gullies, so they could only use it as a barrier to Liaodong.

So since there is no strategic intention and no one to win over,
Lu Yunyi no longer bothered to hide anything, and the originally back-and-forth negotiations became particularly straightforward.

Lu Yunyi looked up at the three people in front of him, his tone gentle:

"I wonder if King Huining of Liao has made up his mind? Should he stay or go?"

King Liao and King Huining looked at each other, helpless flashed in their eyes, sighed softly, and said in a deep voice:
"We have longed for the Ming Dynasty, but the royal court has always prevented us from doing so.

Therefore, I have never had any contact with the Ming Dynasty. Now I can enter the territory of the Ming Dynasty and see the emperor's face. It is really a great honor.

I just don't know if we follow the general to Yingtian,

How should we deal with the overall situation of Liaowang County? When can we return?"

King Huining nodded repeatedly on the side, with a questioning look on his face.

But he did not speak, he was a defeated general, a captive,

Under the cruel rules of the grassland, being captured means losing all freedom.

Lu Yunyi did not hide this:

"The Liaowang County will set up a garrison, which will probably be divided according to your previous sphere of influence, or mainly based on your clansmen.

As for when you will return, I do not know. It will be decided by the court.

But it shouldn't be too soon. The army that went north has returned victoriously, and they have captured countless grassland dignitaries. Your Majesty wants to see them first."

“It should be.”

Sadness flashed in the eyes of the Liao King. He had lived in Liao King County for most of his life, but now he had to go to Yingtian, the Ming Dynasty.

The journey is long and I might die on the way and never have the chance to return home.
There was a faint sadness in the house.

But the King of Liao knew that this was not the time to grieve.
Your life and property are in the hands of Ming people, so you must build good relationships with them.

He smiled, with some anticipation on his face:
"General Lu, you don't know that the royal court has been bullying people too much over the years.
First there was Wu Wang Duoerji, and then there was Captain Nahachu, who made it impossible for us to live in peace and we could only survive in misery.

Fortunately, the Ming army arrived and annihilated Nahachu and the royal court.
It's a pity that we can't participate in such a grand event."

The King of Liao sighed, and for some reason a hint of flattery appeared on his old face:
"May I ask General Lu if I can participate in the battle of Buir Lake?"

Lu Yunyi nodded gently: "Of course I will participate in it. My soldiers are affiliated with the front army and are under the command of Lord Dingyuan."

"Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi?"

The King of Liao was shocked. This man's reputation as the Double-Sword King was known throughout the country, and he had heard of it many times.

"General Lu is young and promising, and he is truly a man of great talent.
But I heard that the Ming Kingdom did not give much reward to soldiers, and General Lu was wronged."

A hint of doubt flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes. When it comes to rewards for soldiers, the Ming Dynasty is much more generous than the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

King Liao smiled and continued:
"General Lu, you may not know that I have some silver ready to present to the royal court.

Now that the royal court has been destroyed, it is a relief.

It would be better if the general could deliver it to the court, so that we can repay our debt of gratitude for not serving Your Majesty for all these years."

King Huining also spoke at this time, his voice old and unhurried:

"It is the same with my army, General Lu may not know.

Every year, the money the royal court demands makes us exhausted.

Now that the imperial court has helped us get rid of a threat, we should naturally express our gratitude. I would like to ask General Lu to pass it on to the imperial court as a token of our gratitude."

Such an open bribe made the hearts of those present throb.
The silver from two major ministries, no matter how little it is, it won’t be too little.

But Lu Yunyi looked normal, and his tone remained gentle:

"Your Majesty, you have suffered so much in the past few years under the clutches of the royal court.
I will then pass it on to the court. I wonder what the two kings need, but I will certainly satisfy them."

"No, no, we are already satisfied to be able to enter the Ming Dynasty and see the essence of the world's culture."

The King of Liao waved his hands repeatedly, with some hesitation on his face:
"It's just that I have an unwelcome request."

"please say."

A trace of determination flashed across the eyes of Liao Wang Azashili. He took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and bowed slightly:

"General Lu, Toluhuchar is still young.

His rude words were unintentional, please forgive me, General.
If he offends me again, please spare his life for the sake of Liaowangjun's sincere submission."

"So that's what happened."

Lu Yunyi smiled and slowly stood up.

Seeing him stand up, King Huining also stood up and pulled Toluhuchar up.

"It's alright. Young people always make mistakes. We adults don't need to pursue them."

"Thank you, General Lu!"

Lu Yunyi nodded: "Then the two kings can take a rest for a while, and then set off back to Ming after the army is ready."

After saying that, Lu Yunyi turned around and left without looking back.

After walking out of the camp, the smile on Lu Yunyi's face quickly disappeared and turned into a solemn one.

Liu Heiying, who had been following excitedly, was stunned and asked quickly, "What happened to Brother Yun'er? Are they playing tricks on me?"

A murderous look immediately appeared on Liu Heiying's face, and Wu Fuliu, who followed behind him, was stunned by his murderous look.
I thought something had happened and he became murderous!
Lu Yunyi stood there, frowning and thinking deeply.
He found that he had underestimated these people in Liaowang County.

Judging from the information obtained from Liaodong, although the three parties belonged to the Liaowang County,

But the relationship was not good and they often fought each other.

Now that he had been defeated and captured, it was beyond his expectation that the King of Liao and the King of Huining would plead for Toluhuchar.

Lu Yunyi also knew something about their thoughts.
As long as the green mountains remain, there is no need to worry about running out of firewood.

Tuoluhuchar is the strongest and youngest among them, and he is the only one who has the chance to make a comeback.

The two Liao kings protected him for the sake of the future Liao king county.

In fact, just as they expected, it was Toluhuchar who was in charge of the re-examination of the three guards of Doyan.

Lu Yunyi felt a little regretful and felt sorry for not killing him on the spot in the battle yesterday.

Shaking his head, Lu Yunyi put the matter in his heart.

He planned to think about it after a good rest; two nights without sleep made him feel a little groggy.

He sighed and looked at Wu Fuliu:

"Have the brothers' bodies been buried?"

Wu Fuliu was still in a daze before, but he immediately said after hearing this:

"Sir, the burial has not yet begun, but the military sacrifices have been arranged, and the soldiers have all been informed, and are only waiting for you to go."

Lu Yunyi took a deep breath, and his mood suddenly became a little heavy:
"Let's go. Let our brothers rest in peace first. We also want to leave this troubled place as soon as possible."

The war ended and the banks of the Nawu River were immersed in solemn silence.

The early morning sunlight slanted onto the open area behind the camp that was temporarily set aside as a place for memorial services, adding a sense of tragedy to this beautiful place.

All around the clearing, tattered flags hummed in the wind, as if they were charging into it.

The remaining soldiers of the front army's scout unit, wearing armor covered in dust and blood, with solemn expressions on their faces, slowly gathered here.

The scene was silent, and every footstep seemed particularly heavy.

The team was not as sharp as before, but rather dull and gloomy.

The soldiers' eyes were empty, sometimes showing confusion, nostalgia, regret, and relief.

In front of the battle formation, a bonfire was burning.
Next to the fire stood a crude altar, covered with the remains of the soldiers.

Broken weapons, bloodstained helmets,
And those objects of hope that once accompanied them in their conquest of the northern border, each of them carries their thoughts and longings.

Not far away, there were neatly arranged corpses, covered with white cloth.

It was stained with blood and some smoke and dust, and their figures could be vaguely seen.

A low horn sounded,
Lu Yunyi looked solemn, wearing armor and carrying a long sword.

Holding a wine jug in his hand, he took light steps and placed it in front of the altar.

The soldiers stepped forward one by one and gently poured the wine cups in their hands onto the green grass in front of the altar.
This is a commemoration of comrades in life and death.

Some soldiers began to chant an ancient war song in a low voice, accompanied by the sad sound of trumpets and drums, and the melody echoed between heaven and earth.

This makes the morning, which should be full of vitality, particularly desolate.

A breeze blew, and the soldiers lit pieces of paper and threw them into the bonfire. The sky was filled with stars that were not visible in the daytime.

Then, an old soldier who was over fifty years old stepped forward and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Ma Zhongguang, a soldier in the front army, was born in a poor family with an old mother and a young brother.

However, when the country needed him, he resolutely joined the army.

Seven days ago, during a surprise attack on the enemy camp, our troops were ambushed.

He blocked the enemy's retreat alone and killed several of them, frightening them so much that they dared not come forward.
However, he also died while being cut off from the rear.

When he was alive, he often talked about going home to get married and leave children as soon as possible so that he could fight freely.

He lied, he didn't tie his hands,

Instead, he risked his life to save more than ten comrades. Our front-line scouts will always remember this kindness.

When our army returns, we will find an orphan and give him the surname "Ma" to be his son.

"Wang Wuheng is an expert archer in our army. He never misses a target with his arrows and has a calm personality. He has shot and killed enemy vanguards many times.

He has a virtuous wife and two children at home. He often talks about them and says he will go home to reunite with them after the war is over.

In the siege of Liaowangzhai,

In order to better protect his comrades and suppress the enemy,

He took the initiative to lead his troops forward and was hit by a stray arrow, but he did not make a sound and continued to suppress the enemy from a high position.
His comrades joked that he was weak and his shooting was not as accurate as before.

When the battle was over, he did not return to the camp, so the soldiers went to look for him and found his body and his empty quiver.

"Chu Qingquan, his name may be unfamiliar to you.

He is not a soldier of the army, but a fireman.
He has a generous personality, likes drinking and singing, and always looks happy when he is cooking.

Six days ago, twenty of our soldiers were trapped on the shore of the Nawu River, out of ammunition and food.

He was a good swimmer, so he swam across the Nawu River with the freshly steamed buns to deliver the meal.

He went back and forth three times but was discovered by the enemy, who surrounded him with bows and crossbows, and he sank due to exhaustion."

"Luo Zinan, he is also not a soldier in the battle, but a climber in the surveying team.
When surveying the terrain of Liaowang County, he encountered an earth dragon and was trapped in the mountains.

When we went to rescue him, he took the lead in putting the topographic map in the hanging basket and letting it go first.
However, the earth dragon turned over again and unfortunately died.

It was precisely because of this topographic map that our army was able to attack from behind and kill their elite troops in one fell swoop during yesterday's battle."

One by one, the old man spoke out.
The atmosphere became increasingly sad. The soldiers had tears in their eyes and kept their heads down.

Every time someone is mentioned, someone comes forward, lights a stick of incense, and places it around the altar.
The candlelight flickered in the wind, as if the immortal souls of the deceased were wandering around.

Two hours passed before they knew it. The sun was high in the sky and the weather was getting hotter. The soldiers stood there motionless.

They did not feel as tired as they did on the training ground.
They want to regain their tiredness, want to become drowsy,
But I am in high spirits and my heart is heavy.

After an unknown amount of time, the desolate horn sounded again, becoming louder and louder.
The old soldier closed the book in his hand and shouted even though his voice was a little hoarse:
"Buried!"

Following the order, the soldiers' bodies tensed involuntarily, as if pulled by an invisible force, and they all looked towards the white cloth.

The hot sunlight seemed to become soft at this moment.

A gentle breeze blew, bringing the clouds over, covering the soldiers and leaving only the open space, which was covered with a layer of faint golden light.

A group of soldiers wearing white shirts and white cloths on their heads walked slowly forward with heavy and firm steps.

There was no more smiles on their faces, only solemnity and mourning.

When the first shovel of soil gently covered the ground, time seemed to stand still.

The wind is mixed with the smell of earth, and there is also a faint fragrance that can be heard in the distance, as if telling us that life is an endless cycle.

There were no tears, no howling, only silence and solemnity, and only farewell to comrades.

After a long time, when the earth was smoothed again, the horn sounded again,

This time, it is not as heavy as before, but brings some joy.
Dust to dust to dust.

Lu Yunyi looked serious:
"Return to camp and set off!"

(End of this chapter)