Chapter 164: A Very Fierce Wanwan
This large bowl of mutton soup left Hebo dumbfounded.
The soup base was a rich white, surely simmered with care. The soup cakes were cut into small pieces, evenly absorbing the savory broth, expanding just right—soft on the outside, chewy on the inside. Floating on top were green garnishes and large slices of gray-white mutton…
This is the Wei army’s rations!?
Even a sick person’s meal would be considered wasteful like this.
But he clearly heard “ladle from the pot,” not “go to the stove and make it fresh.” Hebo felt that with his identity, the Wei army wouldn’t cook separately for him. That meant the food here was exactly this.
How did it come to this?
Is the Wei army really rich enough to leak oil?
The taste of the mutton soup had completely captivated Hebo. His taste buds exploded with savory flavor. He gulped it down, barely chewing, almost wanting to swallow his tongue along with the bowl.
As he ate, he felt vitality return to his body. After finishing, he handed over the bowl, licked clean, and under the somewhat surprised gazes of the Wei soldiers, forced an honest, thick smile:
“Thank you… thank you, big brother.”
The Wei soldier nodded slightly, leaving two men to guard outside the tent, while the rest left expressionless.
The felt curtain swayed, and the tent fell silent.
Ashina Hebo savored the last of the meat soup. After the satisfaction passed, he began to consider his future. His little finger lifted a slit in the tent curtain.
He didn’t see vast stretches of marching tents outside. The terrain was high, surrounded by mountains. In the distance was a watchtower. It was an outpost.
Hebo let out a long sigh of relief. An outpost meant no one recognized him. The barbarian generals recruited by the Wei army wouldn’t be here. He could keep pretending.
Emboldened, his mind raced, wanting to gather more intelligence. So Hebo went out, only to see two crossed weapons blocking him firmly:
“Go back—”
Hebo said urgently, “King Shunyi… whew, King Shunyi has urgent matters for me to report…”
There must be a communication channel between Antang and Wei Wanlan. The soldiers at the Sunit outpost didn’t know, so they were half-skeptical of Hebo’s words: “What’s the panic! Someone has already gone to report to the Master.”
“Then why haven’t I been summoned?”
“The Master isn’t someone you can see easily. Say no more, go back and lie down!” Saying this, they controlled him back inside.
Hebo was almost pressed back into the tent by the soldiers using the flat of their blades. His eyes darted around, feeling more and more that this outpost was full of oddities and differences compared to ordinary Wei outposts.
The soldiers at this outpost were all martial experts…
The supplies the outpost received far exceeded its regulations…
The outpost also had a “Master” in charge. He had fought the Wei army with his Father Khan before but never heard of any important figure being placed in an outpost. Could it be a change in Wei military strategy?
He had to find out!
While the battle between the coalition and the Wei army was undecided!
Hebo emboldened himself to barge out again. It was still those two soldiers blocking him. This time they really got physical. The back of a blade slapped him, making a heavy thwack, followed by a kick to the chest. Hebo sat back down in the tent on his butt: “Ouch… ouch…”
“Come out again and we’ll kill you!”
“Peeking is also death!”
Even stranger.
Hebo ignored the pain, but deliberately put on a painful expression. Hypocritical Wei people always feigned sympathy.
Sure enough, the soldier who kicked him looked guilty. He didn’t use force again, only his tone softened: “The Master has no time to see you now. When he has time, and we confirm you’re safe, we’ll take you to see the Master.”
—There is a very important person here.
Hebo’s mind trembled.
The one commanding the front lines was naturally the Regent King, but he didn’t believe the Regent King would stay at an outpost. Who could it be?
Hebo slowly caught his breath, pretending to be submissive again. He knelt piously, prostrating toward the outside of the felt tent:
“No matter what that Master is doing, I can wait. I have very important matters.”
The two guards looked at him, thought he seemed like an honest barbarian, and nodded.
The sky over the Sunit outpost was filled with stars.
Night covered the towering smoke columns in the distance, and the rumbling cannon fire was gradually ceasing. The sky grew darker. The observation post didn’t light lamps for concealment. A soldier climbed down first, steadily helping Wei Wanlan down.
The Little Emperor had been wrapped in a quilt watching the battle from afar all day. Walking down the steps, his limbs were a bit stiff. The Little Emperor yawned and said “Thank you” to the soldier.
“Master is too polite; how dare this subordinate accept it!” The soldier steadied Wei Wanlan and hurriedly bowed.
Wei Wanlan shook his head weakly, sighing lightly: “You kneel at the drop of a hat. If an outsider came, a careful look would reveal what’s going on.”
The soldier, trembling with fear, quickly got up and helped Wei Wanlan back to the tent.
This tent, in terms of materials and furnishings, was the best in the entire outpost. Its comfort level was no less than a golden nest built in the ice and snow.
Wei Wanlan was settled into the little golden nest. It was warm inside; smokeless charcoal had been burning all day and was quickly removed before Wei Wanlan rested.
Wei Wanlan sank into an eggshell-shaped “lazy sofa,” curling his legs. Inside the golden nest was a smaller nest.
The smaller nest was soft, lined with the thickest cashmere rug. Lying in it, it didn’t collapse, and it supported Wei Wanlan’s exhausted body slightly.
The “lazy sofa” was something Wei Wanlan had drawn based on his modern memories and ordered the Regent King to make.
He had been very bad to the Regent King lately.
Yes, very bad. Wei Wanlan felt he was a bit bad and a bit guilty.
He couldn’t help throwing tantrums for no reason.
But the soldiers at the Sunit outpost were innocent. They were kind and respectful to him. Wei Wanlan couldn’t take his anger out on them, so he could only wait for the Regent King to come and vent on him.
Methods of venting included punishing him with work, doing this and that, and punishing him to make a lazy sofa for himself.
He knew this was wrong. He felt very sorry for the Regent King. The Regent King had been busy with military affairs for so long, yet he had to come to Sunit to do hard labor.
But the only person he could completely rely on now was the Regent King.
He was grateful that the Regent King could still tolerate his bad temper and actually managed to replicate a lazy sofa, stuffing his whole self inside. He even installed rockers on the outside, turning it into something that could rock for fun, a giant toy to relieve boredom.
The Regent King teased him from outside the sofa, rocking it while teasing, pinching his face:
“A Wanwan.”
“One.”
“A.”
Wei Wanlan would bite people. Very fierce, still very bad.
But when he felt he was thoroughly bad, he would also cry and say, “Zhen is sorry to the Regent King, Zhen can’t control the temper.” Fortunately, Su Jingzhi’s emotions were always stable. No matter what he did, he was always gentle, treating him well, visiting him whenever he had time.
“By the way. Master…” The soldier’s voice came from outside the tent again, sounding urgent. “This afternoon we saved a man claiming to be King Shunyi’s subordinate. He has a token given by King Shunyi and says he has important matters to report to our army.”
Wei Wanlan half-opened his eyes in the small nest, adjusting his posture:
“This afternoon I heard the scouts report on the front-line military situation. The main force pushed west along Iron Mountain, driving Murong Bohan’s army all the way. Now Tuyuhun and the Turkic remnants have been completely separated.”
“Yes,” the soldier responded. “Without the Turkic cavalry’s support, Tuyuhun is completely unfamiliar with fighting our army. Our army pursues relentlessly. Killing Murong Bohan or wiping out the Tuyuhun army is only a matter of time.”
Wei Wanlan rocked the lazy sofa creak, creak: “The war on the front lines is going smoothly. Solving Tuyuhun is only one step away from the decisive battle. Why did Hebo send someone? Is there something that prevented him from sending a war eagle?”
“This… this subordinate does not know.” The soldier was troubled.
Any unexpected situation would cause Wei Wanlan deep unease, making him uncontrollably hate himself and want to cry.
Wuu. Why has it become like this?
Wei Wanlan rubbed his temples: “I should see this person.”
The soldier was about to prepare.
“Wait.” But Wei Wanlan stopped him. He dismissed the idea.
He knew his identity was special. If anyone had ill intentions when meeting him—poison smoke, poison gas, hidden weapons… or a suicide attack—it could endanger the front-line situation.
Before the decisive battle, no strangers would be seen.
Wei Wanlan ordered: “You ask clearly on my behalf what the matter is, then report to me. Treat him and send him away.”
See how cautious the Little Emperor is.
The soldier outside the door felt greatly relieved. His guard duty suddenly lightened a lot. If that stranger really met the Little Emperor, the entire outpost’s soldiers would have to stand guard.
The soldier hurriedly said: “Yes.”
At this moment, the camp gate of the Sunit outpost opened.
Having just reported to Wei Wanlan, the soldier heard the noise and thought it was the Regent King braving the wind and snow to see His Majesty again. He was about to welcome him, but didn’t see the travel-worn, handsome, and upright Regent King in the snowy field.
He saw two soldiers pushing a Red Coat Cannon inside—Regent King Destruction Edition.
“This…” Why send it here?
The messenger soldier was overjoyed, his voice unknowingly rising a few notches, patting the delivered cannon with a flushed face:
“Ha, it has performed a great service! The Prince chased Murong Bohan, and an iron cannonball landed right next to him. The cannon startled the Murong clan’s horses!”
“The warhorses, trying to flee west, panicked and ran back, carrying Murong Bohan right into the Prince’s hands. He knocked him off his horse with the back of his blade and tied him up…”
“Just mentioned Tuyuhun, and the Tuyuhun King was caught?”
“Caught, caught!”
The soldier continued to share the joy loudly, not minding the volume, nor knowing the outpost harbored an outsider: “Come lend a hand, this cannon is really heavy!”
“O-okay.” The soldier joined the guards to push the cannon into the outpost.
The rumbling of the gun carriage wheels echoed through the small camp, passing right by the small tent where Hebo was detained. The guard of the tent also went to help. Outside the tent, they talked about the coalition war situation.
Hebo immediately got up from the bed. Eavesdropping inside the felt tent.
Over there, the soldier continued: “The Prince took Murong Bohan’s saber and seal. The tokens were sent fast horse to Tuyuhun, demanding a letter of surrender!”
“Will Tuyuhun surrender? Isn’t Murong Bohan very arrogant?”
“This time he has no choice! Old Murong is in our hands, and thousands of Tuyuhun soldiers are also trapped by us. If the surrender letter doesn’t come, those thousands won’t return. Tuyuhun has no one in charge. Their territory isn’t big; they can’t afford the loss…”
The Sunit sentry was overjoyed: “Does that mean Great Wei will subdue another vassal state?”
“More than one! I heard people in the camp analyzing that the Turks and Tuyuhun are all loyal to His Majesty. Gaochang and other small Western Region states certainly won’t dare be arrogant anymore. Before long, they will all submit to Great Wei!”
Hebo’s hand gripping the felt curtain grew tighter and tighter, sweat seeping from his palm. His chest heaved, breathing faster and faster. Such an unfavorable war situation reminded him that he might never get revenge.
Conversation drifted in from outside the felt curtain again:
“Don’t you think Ashina Shali is stupid?”
“He actually gathered all the northwestern neighbors for us to beat. What a satisfying fight! Once they are all dealt with, Great Wei will probably gain over twenty vassal states of various sizes… Success or failure depends on the final battle between the Prince and Ashina Shali.”
“Where is the Prince?”
“The Prince is probably discussing surrender terms with Tuyuhun. He sent General Tang and General Li to continue attacking Ashina Shali. Ashina Shali doesn’t have many troops left; he’s doomed. Great Wei is about to win.”
“His Majesty is wise, the Prince is brilliant. Long live Great Wei!”
Crack—
It was the sound of Ashina Hebo’s knuckles popping. He gripped the felt curtain, his large joints turning white. The fire burned his heart as if it were about to explode. Hebo swallowed heavily. He didn’t believe it. He had finally gotten news of his Father Khan.
Sinister light flowed before his eyes.
The Wei people outside seemed to turn into evil ghosts. He hated that he didn’t have the strength to tear their flesh. But since he was in the Wei rear, he continued to listen, pricking up his ears, wanting to get some valuable news at the end.
Those soldiers outside set up the cannon: “This is the Prince’s order. Mount the cannon on high ground. In case a blind small unit stumbles into Sunit during the decisive battle, blast them hard!”
Sunit really was hiding some big shot…
Someone the Regent King had to worry about constantly… could it be…
The outpost soldiers agreed.
The soldier commanded loudly again: “Hey, don’t touch it out of curiosity. The Master hates smoke the most recently. Even when our Prince reports military intelligence to him, he has to wash his hands and change clothes before approaching.”
As if a Red Coat Cannon shell exploded in Ashina Hebo’s mind. This person could have the Regent King report military intelligence to him.
—The big shot hiding in the Sunit outpost is very likely the Little Emperor!!!
Hebo figured it out in an instant.
The Regent King feared he would be in danger on the front lines, so he put him here. Everything made sense.
So, now that the Regent King was away accepting surrender, what could Hebo do about this?
Ashina Hebo’s heart pounded in his chest thump-thump. Suddenly, he pressed his chest tightly and laughed abruptly, sinisterly, somewhat hysterically and maniacally:
“Ha, haha, hahahaha…”
This was the chance Heaven gave him and his Father Khan to turn the tables—letting him know the location of the Great Wei Emperor!
If his Father Khan could spare a troop to raid Sunit, as long as they rushed up the cliff against that cannon, the Little Emperor would surely die. The Wei army would inevitably fall into chaos. They were going to win!
Yes, do it like this, do it like this…
Hebo’s hands trembled. He tore a piece of bed sheet, bit his finger hard, and briefly wrote Wei Wanlan’s location in Turkic on it.
A falcon had been circling near the Sunit outpost. Hebo took advantage of the Wei soldiers’ inattention to call the falcon in, then hurriedly released it outside the tent, passing on the heavy news that could overturn the war between the two countries.
He knew that falcon was his Father Khan’s falcon. It had its own way to fly back to his Father Khan.
Hebo finished all this and lay back on the bed pretending nothing happened.
At this time, the sentry who asked on Wei Wanlan’s behalf settled everything and finally had time to lift the curtain to find Hebo. Upon entering, he said:
“My Master asks you, what important matter do you have?”
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