Chapter 1600

Although the snow in Yongdu had stopped, the Iron Liang Mountain three hundred li north of Yongzhou was still experiencing heavy snowfall, the mountains and rivers turned white, everything covered in silver. In such harsh weather, a unit of about a hundred people still rode forward, many horses already exhausted; despite the riders whipping and urging them on, they refused to move, and one horse, having exhausted its strength, let out a mournful cry and collapsed in the snow.

The officer on horse was thrown off guard, landing face‑first in the dirt, and flew into a rage, drawing his waist‑worn saber and shouting, "You beast, dare to slack off—I'll kill you!" He swung the blade down at the horse's head; just as he raised it, a stern shout came from behind: "Mingwei, stop!"

The officer's saber hung in midair when an old commander in a black overcoat rushed up from behind—it was the Grand Marshal of Da Yong's armies, Weichi Chong, who had hurried back from Bei Jiang after hearing of the upheaval in Yongdu, intending to return for the funeral. But from the moment they set out, the weather turned foul, continuous blizzards impeded their progress; although they marched day and night, their schedule was still affected, and upon reaching Iron Liang Mountain the snowstorm intensified greatly. Here, people and horses were exhausted, nearly at the limit of endurance.

That officer was Weichi Chong's beloved subordinate Yang Mingwei; after being rebuked by the Grand Marshal, his angry mind finally calmed. Looking at the horse lying in the snow, neck outstretched and whining, he felt a surge of guilt—this horse had carried him all the way from Bei Jiang without rest, and though it had no merit, it had endured hardship; treating it this way was truly inexcusable.

That horse had clearly exhausted all its strength; despite several attempts, it still could not rise from the snow.

Weichi Chong stepped forward, dismounted, and approached the collapsed horse. He reached out a large hand and gently stroked the mane on its neck; the horse could no longer even whine, merely gasping, white puffs blowing from its nostrils with ever‑longer intervals, until its breathing finally ceased. Weichi Chong took the blanket from the saddle and lightly covered the horse's head with it.

Yang Mingwei stood aside watching Weichi Chong's every move, his guilt growing. He clenched his fists uneasily and whispered, "Grand Marshal!"

Weichi Chong raised his right hand to indicate that no explanation was needed, straightened up, and walked a few steps forward. He said softly, "Rest at the Dragon King Temple ahead! We'll move on after the wind and snow stop tomorrow."

None of the accompanying officers spoke; despite everyone being utterly exhausted these past days, Weichi Chong still insisted on pressing on, having given the order when they left Bei Jiang. For this journey to Yongdu, they must march day and night, men rest but horses do not, and notify the relay stations along the way. Prepare the horses in advance, making sure they can reach Yongdu in the shortest possible time. Although some subordinates had offered suggestions, Weichi Chong would listen to none of them. In the army, obedience is paramount; these officers had followed Weichi Chong through southern and northern campaigns, facing life and death. Though they inwardly complained bitterly, they still gritted their teeth and persevered. Unexpectedly, what finally changed Weichi Chong's mind and made him decide to set up camp and rest was the death of a horse.

Weichi Chong had traveled this route many times and was very familiar with the surroundings; he had passed the Dragon King Temple at the foot of Iron Liang Mountain dozens of times, but this was the first time he camped there. Within a fifty‑li radius there were no towns or villages, so the Dragon King Temple was the only option.

The Dragon King Temple was small to begin with, and once Weichi Chong's entire force entered it became hopelessly crowded. They drove the horses into the front hall and the side corridors; aside from the soldiers tasked with guarding the horses, everyone else gathered in the three rooms of the main hall.

Yang Mingwei had people tidy the relatively clean right-side annex and lit a fire there for Weichi Chong to rest, but Weichi Chong insisted it was unnecessary—he always ate and lodged with the ordinary soldiers in the army, never seeking special treatment, and now even less so.

Weichi Chong entered the main hall, where nearly fifty officers were crowded around the Dragon King statue; a fire had already been lit. These officers had accompanied Weichi Chong on the arduous journey from Bei Jiang, and today they finally got to rest. For them this was a rare relaxation and enjoyment, they were chatting and laughing, but upon seeing Weichi Chong approach, they immediately fell silent.

Weichi Chong chuckled, "What's up? You were just talking so happily, and now that I'm here you've all gone quiet—are you bad‑mouthing me behind my back?"

The officers all laughed at his remark, among them a young commander who had distinguished himself in the recent Black Hu invasion as the outstanding warrior Liang WenSheng; promoted exceptionally by Weichi Chong for his merit, he was not originally part of Weichi Chong's escort, but Liang WenSheng insisted on coming, claiming he wanted to return to Yongdu to visit his fiancée.

Weichi Chong, however, knew Liang WenSheng had no fiancée at all, and even his family was gone; his insistence on accompanying him was simply out of concern for him. Although Weichi Chong's return to Yongdu had met with considerable opposition, after weighing the pros and cons he still decided to come. As Bei Jiang entered the coldest season of the year, the Black Hu and Da Yong also entered a brief winter lull, and this war would not reignite until spring.

Compared to the fighting in Bei Jiang, what weighed more heavily on Weichi Chong's mind was this upheaval in Yongdu; the change of rulers made Da Yong's future prospects uncertain. The one who summoned him back was the newly enthroned Ming King Xue Daoming. Weichi Chong weighed the pros and cons carefully—he could not avoid returning. As Grand Marshal of Da Yong's armies, he had little interest in politics; indeed, ever since his adopted daughter Huo Shengnan fled Da Yong, he had grown disillusioned with the court. He had reached the age of knowing his destiny, indifferent to fame and profit. The late emperor Xue Shengkang, on his deathbed, had left him a secret edict to serve Xue Daohong and safeguard Da Yong's realm. Xue Shengkang had shown him favor; without that patronage, he would not have reached his present position.

Liang WenSheng handed over a wineskin: "Grand Marshal, have a drink to warm yourself?"

Weichi Chong smiled, took the wineskin, raised his head, and took a big gulp, feeling the fiery liquor slash his throat like a knife and then burn in his belly like flame. This liquor was spoil taken from the Black Hu people; though not as mellow as Central Plains wines, it was strong enough and better suited for drinking in such cold weather.

Weichi Chong exhaled, sensing the lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth, returned the wineskin to Liang WenSheng, and said with a smile, "Keep drinking—tonight think of nothing, drink until you're drunk, and we'll set out again after you wake up tomorrow." He had no intention of disturbing the men's drinking; although he was usually approachable, many of his subordinates still behaved somewhat formally in his presence.

Weichi Chong stepped outside the main hall; night had fallen, the snow not only did not lessen but grew heavier, the wind had temporarily ceased, and one could see snowflakes drifting down silently, as large as goose feathers.

Yang Mingwei quietly came up behind Weichi Chong and apologized, "Grand Marshal, I'm sorry!"

Weichi Chong glanced at Yang Mingwei and asked, "What?"

Yang Mingwei said: "I shouldn't have treated that horse like that just now."

Weichi Chong looked ahead and said softly: "From Bei Jiang to here we haven't stopped along the way; do you know why I chose to rest here?"

Yang Mingwei shook his head.

Weichi Chong said: "I just realized I neglected your feelings; these days you've all been exhausted, on the verge of collapse. You've followed me for years, endured countless battles without ever showing such loss of control, yet this time your emotions suddenly spiraled. It's not your fault—I pushed you too hard."

Yang Mingwei said: "It's entirely my fault, unrelated to the Grand Marshal. My previous mount died on the battlefield; this one was just replaced, so I didn't value its life—my mistake."

Weichi Chong laughed and lightly patted Yang Mingwei's shoulder: "Everyone loses control of their emotions sometimes; I'm no different."

Yang Mingwei pursed his lips and said: "Grand Marshal, why must you return to Yongdu?"

Weichi Chong raised his head, exhaled deeply, and after a moment said: "Do I have a choice?"

Yang Mingwei nodded and said: "There is a choice: when commanding troops abroad, the sovereign's orders may not be obeyed! The Black Hu garrison holds Lan Pass; Bei Jiang's situation is urgent; for the court to recall the Grand Marshal now is utterly unwise!"

Weichi Chong countered: "Which sovereign sent me to Bei Jiang? Which sovereign summoned me back to Yongdu this time? If I insist on not returning, what would the consequences be?"

Yang Mingwei said: "Aren't you afraid the court will turn against you, Grand Marshal?"

Weichi Chong chuckled: "At my age there's nothing left to fear." Then laughter from the hall caught his attention, and Weichi Chong said to Yang Mingwei: "Go, help me toast them properly—these days everyone has worked hard."

Yang Mingwei nodded, turned and left. Weichi Chong tightened his outer coat and walked slowly into the snow; the courtyard snow had reached his knees. He shook his head, judging from the current snowfall, he likely wouldn't make it back in time to attend the funeral of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Walking in such snow, each step was difficult, just like his current predicament at court. He was a general of Dakang, yet not valued by Dakang's court.

Having come to Da Yong, he had thought he'd found a wise ruler, but Xue Shengkang never truly trusted him; after Xue Shengkang's death, he had little interaction with the successor, Crown Prince Xue Daohong, who needed him to garrison Bei Jiang to block the Black Hu iron cavalry's advance for Da Yong. Now it's Xue Daoming in charge; he wonders how this new ruler will treat him.

Just returned home, Zhangyu's shoulder still not healed, he insisted on posting the First Update, not slacking; if he wanted to slack he wouldn't choose this crucial time at month's start. Although it's just the First Update, he still insists on asking for Monthly Tickets; later I'll slowly make up for it! (To be continued~^~)