Chapter 22: Lately Been Feeling Annoyed

  Delighted, he led his troops on a fifty-mile sprint before stopping, arriving at this moderate-sized depression under Zhang Shun's leadership to rest.

  At this time, the sun had already slanted to the west, with the remaining sunlight resembling blood, illuminating the western sky into a fiery red.

  The remaining mist disperses into thin threads, the calm river is as still as a mirror.

  Looking at the west, a vast expanse of red, the colorful sky, in front of the quiet flowing small river, suddenly remembered Xie Tiao's "Late Ascent to Three Mountains and Looking Back at the Capital" this sentence.

  After everyone dismounted, without needing to be assigned tasks, some people voluntarily kept watch around the perimeter, some looked for food to prepare dinner, and the rest seized the opportunity to rest on the spot. All of the Qi army were conscientiously carrying out their orders, not a single one was in disarray; after two months of training, these things had almost become second nature to them.

  Soon, a strong fragrance wafted over, and dinner was ready, but it was wild vegetable soup. For these soldiers who were agile, had powerful crossbows, and had long been trained to survive in the wilderness, hunting for game was not difficult at all. Perhaps the cruelty of the previous killings made them somewhat afraid of fresh blood, and they dared not eat meat.

  Looking at the plain wild vegetable soup in front of him, he understood that there was still a shadow of the previous slaughter in everyone's heart. After all, they were just newbies who had just come out of their nests, and it was their first time killing someone, which was inevitable.

  Gao Xingchong smiled warmly and said, "Thank you. Tell everyone to finish eating and get some rest early tonight, no need for vigilance."

  Shang Buxi looked at Gaoxing in surprise, but Gaoxing had already started eating enthusiastically. Shang Buxi could only return to the crowd and announce Gaoxing's orders.

  After dinner, all the soldiers lay on the ground, but they couldn't fall asleep for a long time. The faces of the dead soldiers before Chen's army seemed to keep appearing in front of their eyes, and the tip of their nose seemed to smell the faint bloody smell again. Their faces couldn't help but turn ugly again, holding back the feeling of vomiting.

  Suddenly, a gentle singing voice rose up, as warm as spring breeze, as clean as fine rain, lightly brushing over and slowly falling on the hearts of the soldiers, gradually blowing away their discomfort, and quietly cleaning up the bloodstains before their eyes.

  "The moon is bright, the wind is still, the leaves cover the window frame. The cicadas chirp, like the sound of a zither string."

  "The sound of the zither is soft and pleasant, swaying gently back and forth. Mother's baby closes his eyes and falls asleep in a dream."

  "In the night sky, satellites fly, singing 'The East is Red'. Ah, little baby sleeps in a dream, flying into outer space."

  Ride on that moon, straddle that star, and fly freely in the universe.

  "My daughter's baby has made a great vow to climb that scientific peak."

  "The alarm clock rings, dong dong, it's late at night and people are quiet. Little baby, grow up quickly and make great contributions to the motherland."

  "The moon is bright, the wind is still, gently swaying back and forth. Mother's baby is sleeping in a dream, with a faint smile on his face."

  The singing voice became softer and more gentle, also becoming lower, like the soft whisper of a gentle breeze, like the warm hand of a mother's gentle caress. The gradually calming soldiers seemed to have returned to their childhood, once again throwing themselves into their mother's arms, seeing their mother's loving gaze. Slowly, their eyelids became heavy, and finally they fell deeply asleep, with peaceful smiles on their faces.

  The singing stopped, and with his back to the crowd of cavalrymen, he sat on a mound of earth with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, asking softly: "Buqi, why didn't you rest?"

  The footsteps sounded, and soon Shang Buqi appeared in front of Gao Xing, bowing. His complexion had improved a lot, with some confusion and doubt in his eyes.

  Gao Xing gestured for him to sit down beside him and said softly, "Ask whatever you want."

  "General, that singing just now..." Shang Buqi's voice was somewhat hesitant.

  Hehe smiled and said, "This is a lullaby. You are all first-time killers, and it's inevitable that you feel some discomfort in your hearts. The warmth of a mother's embrace is undoubtedly the best medicine to dispel the shadows in your hearts and recover quickly."

  Not yet abandoned, the heart is also more moved and admired. As a soldier, killing people is an early or late matter. Happy with a song, it easily dissolves the discomfort on everyone's mind, and also allows the soldiers to get enough rest, not affecting the next task due to poor sleep, and even less likely to lose their lives. What more can be asked for from such a caring general?

  The night deepened, the stars twinkled across the sky, and with a joyful gaze cast afar, his voice was somewhat ethereal: "Buqi, today's order, do you blame me?"

  He didn't refuse, nodded his head and replied: "I understand, General. It's for the safety of everyone and for the entire Da Qi."

  He smiled silently and said, "Whether they are people from Chen, Zhou, or Qi, whether they are Han, Turkic, or Xianbei, they are all human beings, born of their fathers and mothers, and are lives. There is no difference between them. Since the beginning of humanity, war has never truly ceased. From ancient times to the present, how many withered bones and lonely souls have been created by the flames of war?"

  The heart that has not yet given up also feels a bit heavy, putting aside the passion and heroic dreams in one's heart, war becomes a bare tragedy, with only intense sorrow and endless desolation.

  "Chen Jun is making a big move, and the Zhou state is also watching with keen interest, probably waiting for an opportunity to strike. In the north, there's still the Turkic wolf-like ambition of the great monster. As for our Great Qi, the emperor has no worries, the ministers have no way. From top to bottom, all they know how to do is eat, drink and make merry, engage in intrigue and struggle, harm loyal officials, embezzle and corrupt, and oppress the common people. The foundation of Great Qi is rapidly collapsing, even if the surrounding enemies don't come, internal chaos will eventually erupt!"

  He had not yet abandoned all hope and was startled and alarmed, cautiously looking around him, fearing that these words would be overheard by others and bring about disaster.

  Delighted to see Shang Buqi's actions, he couldn't help but chuckle and say: "Don't worry, there are no outsiders here." Just as Shang Buqi had let out a sigh of relief, his heart suddenly skipped a beat and almost jumped out of his chest.

  "Just then, Gao Xing suddenly said with a serious expression: 'Bu Qi, I want to end this chaotic world and let all the people in the world no longer suffer from the hardships of war and live a peaceful and happy life. Are you willing to follow me?'"

  Shang Buqi suddenly lifted his head, looking at Gaoxing with a shocked expression. Seeing that he was serious and solemn, with piercing eyes, it was clear that this was not a joke. For a moment, he didn't know what to say, his mind went blank, and he just stared at Gaoxing in a daze. Gaoxing's intention was already very clear, which was to contend for the world, what kind of ambition and shocking idea was this?

  He didn't say anything else, and his gaze fell back onto the distant dark horizon. The night grew darker and more oppressive, and the cicadas couldn't bear the sultry weather, chirping incessantly. But to Gao Xing, it wasn't noisy at all; instead, he felt that this was the true reality of the world.

  From the moment he came into this world, unifying China had been his ideal and pursuit. He also believed that this was the mission of his coming to this world.

  When he started to make a little plan, working towards that direction, Gao Xing was delighted to find everything so difficult. Although Gao Changgong and Zheng's meticulous care gave him the warmth of the family he had been longing for, his soul came from the future after all, and it wasn't easy to fully integrate into this world, his heart was very lonely.

  A butterfly flapping its wings can create a terrible storm; with such a big man, in just three months, he has kicked history so many times, and what kind of variables will be produced, he has no idea at all.

  The northern giant, Yang Jian, who was as ruthless to himself as he was to his son, stood in front of Gaoxing like a mountain. The word "fear" did not exist in Gaoxing's dictionary, neither in the past nor now. But now, he was no longer the laughing Buddha with magical sword-fighting skills, wandering alone in the dark night. His ideals were too grand to be achieved by one person and one sword; he needed to tread carefully, step by step.

  He is always eager to speed up his pace, fearing that the course of history will outstrip his imagination. He not only wants to grasp the throat of fate but also hold the pulse of history.

  After a long while, Shang Buo finally came back to his senses from the shock. He looked at Gao Xing's face under the dim starlight, which was solemn and serious. He saw the bitter and helpless smile on the corner of his mouth, with a hint of sadness. Suddenly, Shang Buo felt that Gao Xing's straight back, like a spear, had become slightly curved since their first meeting.

  "Ah," he let out a long sigh, turned his head around, the smile on his face still warm and gentle. "It's too early to talk about these things now, you're also tired, go rest, I want to calm down here for a bit." As he spoke, he lightly patted Xiang Zixuan's shoulder.

  Still not giving up, the excitement of everything done for the people of Xuyi City in the past three months floated in his mind. Countless refugees were able to have land to farm, food to eat, and clothes to wear outside the city. Inside the city, there were no evil tyrants or corrupt officials, and the citizens lived peacefully and happily. People all said that Marquis Xuyi was kind and benevolent, but they didn't know that it was all thanks to this young man's efforts. The soldiers were able to eat meat every day, read books, and watch plays, no longer just struggling to survive, understanding the glory and responsibility of being a soldier, all of which was due to Xing's efforts alone.

  At this thought, Shang Buxiao suddenly stood up, knelt down on the ground, and looked at him with a serious face, saying loudly: "General, I, Shang Buxiao, have been determined to join the army since childhood, guarding my home. It is my great honor to meet you, a general who cares about the people and is kind and generous. Without you, I might still be just a small school lieutenant today. Your kindness is something that I will never be able to repay in my lifetime. From now on, I, Shang Buxiao, will follow you wherever you go, and I am willing to sacrifice my life for you!" His voice was loud and clear, his words were sincere, his eyes were red-rimmed, filled with deep admiration and gratitude.

  Looking at Shang Buqi's face full of determination, he felt both moved and excited. He quickly stood up, helped Shang Buqi up, patted his arm vigorously, and said loudly: "Great, great! From now on, we'll work together to strive for a peaceful sky for this world!"

  "Yes, General! I still wish to be the sharpest sword in your hand!" Shang Buzhi exclaimed loudly.

  "Alright, you've had a good fight today, you must be tired, go take a rest, there's still a mission tomorrow!"

  He didn't refuse and walked down the slope, happily taking a look at the peaceful sleeping Qi military soldiers, smiling and sitting cross-legged, starting his daily unchanging cultivation.

  The night grew darker and the gentle breeze brought a hint of coolness, the cicadas had cried themselves hoarse and also went to rest, and for a moment the world became very quiet.

  "Lately I've been feeling really annoyed, it feels like life is a bit extreme... If Huang Fei Hong were to sing this song, he would definitely belt out a tune and express his emotions."

  Huang Fa recently was indeed more annoyed, seeing the morale of Yangping City's soldiers low and the city walls damaged, just one more push would be enough to break through. But somehow Wang Lin used some method, the defending army inside Yangping City suddenly had a surge in morale, like they had taken medicine, each and every one bursting out with fierce and fearless energy, bringing great difficulty to their own attack. In just three days, two thousand Chen soldiers fell under Yangping City.

  Huang Fa's life was in danger, he wanted to stop the attack, but General Wu Mingzhe also sent an order to speed up the attack and capture the land south of Huai River before winter.

  What's been giving Huang Fa a headache is that the military reserve of grain and fodder is insufficient, only enough to sustain for three days. The grain and fodder that were supposed to arrive at the camp yesterday did not come. Thinking about the intensity of Yang Pingqi's resistance these past few days, a layer of gloom crept over Huang Fa's heart.