Chapter 68: Where Is Our Ideal?

  Zhongdu City is located in the central part of the Divine Continent, with convenient transportation and easy access to all directions. To the south, along the Grand Canal, one can reach the Yangtze River, and after crossing it, you will enter the territory of Chu State. From Zhongdu to the east, there is a broad and flat official road leading to the Daxia Pass at the border of Qi and Qin, which can guarantee the smooth passage of a million troops. Currently, grain and supplies from all over the country are being transported continuously through this main artery to the front line battlefield, supporting the rapid advance of the Qin army.

  If you leave from the west gate of Chang'an, walk along the main road to the west, cross the vast and fertile Guanzhong Plain, you will step onto the famous Silk Road. It can lead to the distant and mysterious Western world. However, this golden trade route gradually disappeared into the yellow sand outside the Great Wall as the two great powers at both ends of the continent fell into endless civil wars.

  If you go north out of the Guanzhong Plain, the tall trees gradually become sparse. The endless grasslands gradually become the main landscape.

  This year is a good harvest, not only the landlords in Guanzhong and Guannei have had a good harvest, but also the grasslands in the north have become more luxuriant.

  The clouds in the sky are surging, and the grass on the ground is swaying. The wind from the south blows, pressing down the waist-deep grass on the plain, revealing countless cows and sheep with their heads lowered to eat the grass. This year's pasture water grass is too lush, so these guys only eat the tender buds on the grass, and they are lazy to chew even slightly older parts.

  A low rumbling of hooves came from the south, startling these timid creatures. Millions of sheep and cattle eyes turned to gaze southward in unison.

  A team of one hundred and ten knights rode on the uniform Western Regions' Dawan horses, along the almost submerged in the grassy wilderness commercial road, galloping across the vast prairie.

  The first one was Qin Lei, who was said to be the most miserable among the ladies in Beijing, and was tortured in the extreme north. Shen Qing's guards followed closely behind him, with Qin Huaishui and Erwa following tightly behind.

  After leaving the Zhongdu in a horse-drawn carriage, Qin Lei finally got rid of his prisoner status after meeting up with Shen Qing and others who were waiting at the North Ping Gate, abandoned the carriage, rode a fine horse, and led his brothers all the way north.

  All the way, dawn and dusk, wind and rain, today is already the seventh day. Most people are exhausted, Er Wa and Qin He Shui even need to be tied to the horseback to march. But Qin Lei is still spirited, occasionally singing loudly, although his lyrics are strange and awkward, no matter how you listen to them, they are always out of tune.

  Qin Lei, regardless of others' opinions, after finishing the Kangding love song, wanted to sing a Tengger one too, but couldn't reach such high notes, and became red-faced. A burst of snickering laughter came from behind, Qin Lei turned around and glared at them fiercely, feeling embarrassed for a moment, he tightened his grip on the horse whip, the warhorse felt pain and suddenly galloped forward, carrying Qin Lei's maniacal laughter as they charged out first.

  Shen Qing knew that since Qin Lei entered the capital, not only had he not received the respect he deserved, but he was also restricted everywhere, and none of the things he wanted to do were accomplished. He even got flogged and locked up for a few days. As Qin Lei's most intimate attendant, he understood what kind of unbridled soul and proud heart lay hidden beneath his calm and gentle exterior. In the capital city without any foundation, this unbridled spirit was ridiculed, and this pride was insulted. The prince's days in Kyoto were really not happy.

  But the prairie, the most unbridled and proud place in the world, is so close to Qin Lei's heart that he can release his energy freely and swing his youth recklessly. He is happy, happy to remind people of his true age.

  Thinking of this, Shen Qing also hastened his pace and chased after him.

  Two riders, one in front and one behind, stretched out the team further and further until they disappeared into the distance.

  Qin Lei slowed down, turned his head to see Shen Qing panting and catching up behind him, and found that except for him, the entire team had not yet caught up. So he stopped urging the war horse, and let it run freely alongside Shen Qing.

  Shen Qing remained silent as usual, so silent that Qin Lei had to break it every time.

  Qin Lei looked at his closest comrade-in-arms and said softly, "Shen Qing, how long have you been following me?"

  "In ten more days it will be two months."

  Qin Lei exclaimed in surprise: "It's so short, I thought it was very long!"

  Shen Qing thought for a moment and nodded: "Like two or three years ago."

  "Are you saying it's like following me and spending years in a single day?"

  "You know I didn't mean it that way."

  Qin Lei smiled and nodded, saying to himself: "In the small courtyard of the Zong people's mansion, I thought a lot."

  Shen Qing didn't want to speak, but having followed Qin Lei for a long time, he also knew how to play along. He forced himself to say: "About that aspect?"

  "Ideal and future." Qin Lei replied briefly, then asked back: "Shen Qing, what's your ideal?"

  Shen Qing thought for a moment and shook his head: "I don't know either."

  Qin Lei gazed at the herdsman in the distance and said absent-mindedly: "It's not good to have no ideals, especially for a young person like you."

  Shen Qing thought to himself with a smile, the prince's words always sounded like those of an old man who had experienced many hardships, completely forgetting that he was only seventeen years old, one year younger than himself. Thinking of this, he asked with great interest: "Your Highness, what is your dream?"

  Qin Lei shifted his gaze from the herdsman to the horizon, where the sky and earth met. He declared loudly: "I want all my friends to be proud of me, to enjoy the glory of the world because of me! I want all my enemies to tremble with fear at the mention of my name, to suffer hellish torment because of me! I want every place illuminated by the sun to be part of the great Qin's territory! I want all the people under heaven to be subjects of the great Qin! I want the entire earth to pulsate with my breath, to change color with my movements!" His voice grew more and more passionate, his spirit more and more ardent, his momentum more and more surging.

  Shen Qing stared at His Highness with a dumbfounded expression, as if seeing him for the first time.

  As expected, the exciting atmosphere had not yet dissipated when Qin Lei suddenly turned around and said: "However, I alone cannot achieve this." Then he turned his face towards Shen Qing and seriously said: "You don't have any ideals, do you? It just so happens that I have more than enough ideals to spare, I can give you half. Don't refuse."

  Shen Qing's mouth remained open. Qin Lei continued: "I have decided to give you the two most glorious dreams."

  "What about those two?" Shen Qing asked subconsciously. After finishing speaking, he secretly scolded himself for being too foolish, wasn't this falling into their trap?

  Qin Lei patted his shoulder and said: "Divide the two easiest ones for you, where the sun shines is all the territory of my Great Qin, and the people of the world are all the children of my Great Qin. Isn't it easy?"

  Shen Qing thought for a moment and nodded, accepting this seemingly decent idea, which was indeed easier to achieve than changing the color of the sky.

  Qin Lei saw him nod, and smiled: "After you go there, don't worry about my daily life anymore. I've found someone to take over for you. Use the extra time to think about how to lead troops. In the future, it will be useful to use you."

  At this time, the team behind caught up, Shen Qing didn't say much, and could only nod in agreement.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  As the sun set in the west, Qin Lei and his group encountered a scout sent by the North Mountain Pasture. When Shen Bing, who had gone to greet them, brought the scout, dressed in black, into the tent with a smile, Qin Lei was slightly taken aback.

  That sentinel saw Qin Lei, excitedly clenched his right fist and heavily pounded his left chest, trembling with voice: "Report to the instructor, Sentinel Company Third Squad Leader Ma Zhi mission accomplished, requesting to return to the team."

  Qin Lei stood up and returned the courtesy, saying loudly: "Allowed to return to the team." This group of scouts was personally taught by Qin Lei, and at that time he had invested his heart and blood in them, no less than his own personal bodyguards. Ma Zhi was also one of the earliest squad leaders, naturally very familiar with Qin Lei. He was also the leader of the team members sent by Qin Lei to protect Shen Luo and Zhang Jian.

  At this time, after traveling thousands of miles, the two parties met on the grassland, and it was natural to be extremely excited. Qin Lei pressed down on Ma Zhi's shoulders with both hands, carefully sizing him up from head to toe, seeing that his physique was still sturdy while his eyes were even sharper, before happily saying: "Not bad not bad, it seems that traveling thousands of miles hasn't worn you out."

  Ma Zhi's eyes were slightly red as he said: "At that time, I couldn't accompany Your Highness and the brothers to storm the Ghost Gate Pass together. Even now, thinking about it still fills me with regret."

  Qin Lei waved his hand and said, "You were just following orders, no need to think too much about it. Come, sit." On the journey, everything was simple and crude. Even the prince's tent was just a thick blanket spread on the ground as a bed.

  Qin Lei pulled Ma Zhi down to sit on the carpet, and shouted loudly outside the tent: "Si Shui, hurry up, get some wine and dishes, I want to drink with my brothers."

  Qin Shui responded from outside and left. Qin Lei instructed Shen Bing again, "Go find Shen Qing and tell him the captain is here."

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  Today's first update, everyone should see that I'm a down-to-earth person. With no less than 10,000 words per day and no less than 3,000 words per chapter, without any sloppy work. Such a good comrade, shouldn't you use recommendation tickets to smash it into heaven and then bury it with collections?