[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling":3,"chapter-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-377":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Top Scholar of Da Ling",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289212,4475,"Chapter 377: The Reunion of the Long-Separated Couple","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-377",377,"\u003Cp>When Tukesulu had arranged everything, only Tukesulu and the guide merchant remained in the camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile on Tukesulu’s face had vanished completely, replaced by a dead, icy coldness; his lips pressed tightly together like withered branches in the depths of winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke softly, a faint hint of hidden hope leaking into his tone: “Go notify my sister-in-law. Tell her Qu Province has been taken. Have her prepare—my brother will come himself to meet her soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The merchant nodded repeatedly, bowed low, and shuffled away in haste to deliver the message. Now only Tukesulu remained at the camp gate; all around was silent, save for the occasional howling wind that whipped up dust from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Tukesulu stroll to the high vantage point and gaze upon the blood-soaked city of Qu Province. The ground was littered with severed limbs and torsos, headless corpses, and shattered walls—the horrific scene of the recent battle still vivid before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air reeked of thick blood and charred flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Tukesulu’s face showed no trace of pity or sorrow; he stared coldly at the flattened city, his eyes betraying a deeply buried, indescribable darkness and gloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Province had fallen. Bloodstained corpses lay strewn haphazardly across streets and alleys; beneath collapsed walls lay countless civilians who had tried to flee. The pungent stench of blood mingled with ash and smoke, seeping into every organ. The blazing sun high above seemed to condemn the massacre, yet no one on the ground cared anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one figure stood far away atop the city wall, clad in black armor that gleamed coldly under the sun. It was Tukesulu—his entire body caked in blood, indistinguishable whether it was enemy or his own. His expression was blank as he gazed down at the lifeless ruin below, his brow radiating endless indifference and cruelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This once bustling, prosperous city now lay in ruins, every corner marked by shattered walls and charred traces. Everywhere lay incomplete corpses, emitting the stench of decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Severed limbs and arms were piled chaotically along both sides of the roads; blood soaked the ground, footprints of varying depths hardened into black-red stains. Headless skulls lay scattered haphazardly, their sightless eyes fixed unblinkingly on the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elderly, weak, women, and children hid deep within the broken walls, trembling with terror as the sound of hooves faded into the distance. Their faces were splattered with the blood of their own people; tears carved bloody streaks down their cheeks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tukesulu stood high above, gazing down at the destroyed city like a detached observer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a muscle on his face moved; his knife-edged brows were carved with coldness. Occasionally a breeze stirred, lifting a strand of hair beside his temple, letting it drift gently in the air—as if the only flower blooming in this frozen, indifferent wasteland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The midday sun hung directly overhead, as if condemning Tukesulu’s brutality and indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he paid no heed, standing silently atop the wall as sunlight bathed his sharply chiseled face. It was a young face, yet utterly cold—lips pressed tight, deep eyes beneath thick brows gleaming with icy, ruthless intensity, like a lone wolf of the wild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only hint of softness lay in the single strand of black hair fluttering before his forehead, glowing gently in the sunlight. But soon, Tukesulu raised his hand and swept it behind his ear, restoring the chilling aura radiating from his entire being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at everything within the city, his eyes flickering with complex, unreadable light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several hours had passed, Jiang Mingyu entered the Governor’s Mansion; He Jing returned from tallying casualties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jing wore armor caked in blood, his expression exhausted, his steps unsteady, as if he had just crawled out of hell. His eyelids were swollen and purple, his bloodshot eyes streaked with red veins, his lips cracked and bleeding. Beneath his helmet, his golden hair was matted and bloody; dried clots of blood clung to his beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, we annihilated seventy thousand enemy troops; our own forces suffered over twenty thousand casualties—dead and wounded combined,” He Jing reported, voice hoarse and choked with grief. As he spoke the numbers, his shoulders trembled slightly; he clenched his teeth, fighting back tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the staggering losses, Jiang Mingyu’s heart clenched. He pressed his lips tight, his fists white with strain, veins faintly visible beneath his bluish knuckles. To have wiped out so many enemies of Da Jiang under such conditions, Tukesulu’s troops truly deserved the title “elite.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over twenty thousand charred, mangled corpses. Over twenty thousand families in wailing despair. Jiang Mingyu drew a deep breath, suppressing the storm of sorrow churning within him; his eyes reddened slightly. He shook the wide sleeve of his dragon robe, sighed heavily, and paced back and forth in the mansion, hunched over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jing stood motionless beside him, head bowed, his face streaked with blood, his armor smeared with dark red clots and dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over twenty thousand lives...” Jiang Mingyu muttered hoarsely, “I’ll remember this debt, Wei Yang—I will make your family pay in blood!” He slammed his fist into the wall; bricks shattered, tendons bulging on his fingers. Jiang Mingyu took several deep breaths, barely quelling the fire in his chest, yet his eyes still burned with merciless vengeance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sank heavily back onto the dragon throne, like a lifeless corpse. Jiang Mingyu gripped the armrests so tightly his nails sank into the velvet; he sat utterly still, as if struck by lightning, staring blankly at the black floor beneath him, eyes hollow and despairing—his whole body trembling as if on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, Jiang Mingyu suddenly lifted his head, bloodshot eyes fixed on He Jing: “All fallen soldiers’ bodies must be transported back to the capital for burial! Every family must receive condolence payments! Do you understand?!” Jiang Mingyu roared, the entire hall shaking. His clenched fist pressed so hard that blood welled beneath his five fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Jing trembled, his knees buckling as he collapsed to the ground. He banged his head against the floor like a pestle, face pale: “Your servant understands, Your Majesty! I will do everything to comfort the families and properly bury the martyrs!” He sobbed, tears streaking his face, soaking his beard. In this moment, the governor’s authority vanished—he was merely a soldier mourning his comrades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, excluding the garrison troops abandoned in Qu Province, we can only mobilize six hundred and seventy thousand troops.” Jiang Mingyu sighed to the heavens, voice hoarse, hands clutching his head in helplessness. The territories under his control kept expanding, the number of cities requiring garrisons kept growing, yet his available troops kept dwindling—this was his greatest headache now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Jiang Mingyu’s estimate, if he captured Tagang, Lingtaicheng, and Jingxiang, the troops he could still deploy might shrink to barely ten thousand. The pressure weighed heavily on him. He paced anxiously through the mansion, muttering curses under his breath. Just then, Liu Yi, wrapped in a maid’s cloak, staggered in against the biting wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu watched Liu Yi slowly enter the Governor’s Mansion. She wore a thick, wide cloak edged with white fur, its hem trembling slightly. Liu Yi was slender; the cloak wrapped her tightly, her face pale, cheeks sunken, making her delicate features even more refined. Her steps were unsteady, her body swaying as if the wind might knock her over at any moment. The icy wind rushed through the open door, stirring dust from the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi had always been petite, and these past days of braving wind and rain to come to Qu Province had only weakened her further. Wrapped tightly in a thick white cloak, she was entirely concealed beneath its bulk, leaving only her small face exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That delicate face was now as white as paper, cheeks slightly hollowed, utterly drained of its former vitality and color. Her steps faltered; her body trembled in the wind like a tiny boat about to capsize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Tukesulu and He Jing exchanged a knowing glance and quietly slipped out of the mansion, leaving the two alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu looked at Liu Yi’s increasingly emaciated face, his heart jolted; his eyes brimmed with tenderness and worry. He clenched his fists, suppressing the storm of emotion within, then stepped forward and seized her icy hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Yi, are you well?” His voice was low and urgent, thick with longing and concern. His lips trembled slightly, his gaze soft yet frantic, struggling to remain calm but unable to hide his anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi lifted her head; her once-luminous eyes were now bloodshot, exhaustion and anguish laid bare. She bit her lip, as if holding something back, silent. But finally, tears traced slow paths down her cheeks, carving through her gaunt features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu’s heart felt torn apart. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, unsure what to say. The knot in his chest threatened to split him open; all he could do was hold her frail body tightly, as if to shield her from all harm in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jiang Lang...” Liu Yi finally spoke, voice hoarse and trembling, “I... I really missed you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she finished, she stumbled into Jiang Mingyu’s arms. He caught her instantly, pulling her close against his chest. Her slender frame trembled against him; she clung to his strong arms like a drowning woman clutching a lifeline, terrified he might vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu stroked her thin back, slowly, gently, as if calming a frightened child. “I missed you too, Liu Yi. Very much.” His voice was hoarse, throat thick with bitterness. Hearing this, Liu Yi burst into sobs. She wept uncontrollably, her whole body shaking like a candle flickering in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For months, the only thing he had dreamed of day and night was this fragile woman in his arms. Amid his ceaseless labor, her smile always surfaced in his mind. But because of the war, he had been forced to march and fight daily, unable to stay by her side. This separation had been too long, too unbearable, for both of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Yi... I missed you too,” Jiang Mingyu whispered. “Really, so, so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes, savoring the familiar, beloved warmth in his arms. Hearing this, Liu Yi burst into tears again. She sobbed uncontrollably, her whole body trembling. Jiang Mingyu ached for her, stroking her hair gently, murmuring soothing words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t cry, don’t cry... I’m here.” He whispered tenderly. “From now on, I’ll spend more time with you. I won’t let you bear these burdens alone anymore...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long moments passed. Liu Yi’s sobs subsided. She lifted her tear-blurred face, a faint trace of relief in her expression. Jiang Mingyu gently brushed her reddened eyelids, his gaze deep and tender. He carefully helped her sit on a chair, then knelt before her, holding her cold, slender hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Liu Yi, surviving these months alone must have been so hard. I couldn’t be by your side. I’m truly sorry.” Jiang Mingyu stared at her, sorrow and guilt clear in his eyes. “But we had to fight this war—for you, and for our people...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi paused, blinking her tear-glistening eyes, and whispered softly: “I understand, Jiang Lang. You don’t need to apologize. You’ve already done everything you can to protect the people. This is the responsibility of countless others like us—not just yours alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu gazed at her, his eyes soft with pride. He knew Liu Yi was no frail woman; her use of “we” moved him deeply. She bore her own share of responsibility, even if her strength was less than his—her heart was just as resolute. Jiang Mingyu’s lips curved slightly; he tightened his grip on her hand and nodded solemnly: “Good. Together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu embraced Liu Yi’s frail body, feeling her warmth and weight, his heart filled with mixed emotions. These past months, she had clearly lost weight; her once-plump cheeks had sunk, her baby fat gone, her collarbones more pronounced. He gently touched her face, his thumb brushing her drooping eyelids and the heavy dark circles beneath—his heart ached. Liu Yi had always been bright-eyed and spirited; now she was dimmed, and Jiang Mingyu’s chest felt torn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi lifted her head, a faint smile in her eyes. She reached out her bony hand and placed it over Jiang Mingyu’s large one. “I’m fine, really,” she said softly, her voice lighter than before, like a wind-chime swaying gently, filled with care and reassurance for him. Jiang Mingyu held her tightly, one hand stroking her long hair, the other gently rubbing her thin back. “Promise me,” he whispered, voice thick, “don’t take any more risks. These days, I can’t stop worrying—you might get hurt...” His voice cracked. Liu Yi could feel his strong heartbeat quicken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi froze, then wore an apologetic expression. She looked into Jiang Mingyu’s eyes, seeing his deep worry and exhaustion. She felt guilty, hugged his sturdy waist, and rested her head against his broad chest. His steady heartbeat calmed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But...” she opened her mouth as if to explain, then hesitated. She knew Jiang Mingyu would understand, but she didn’t want to make him worry. Jiang Mingyu gently stroked her hair, interrupting her: “I know. Without you, I can’t do anything. Scouts have already been sent to Tagang—news will come soon. Let Feng Xi handle these matters. If you can’t stay here, why not go manage the business in Jiangzhou? You’d still be helping me, wouldn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was gentle and reassuring, calming Liu Yi’s heart. She nodded softly in his arms, cheek brushing his warm, broad chest. She opened her mouth to thank him, then pouted playfully. “Oh? I thought you were worried about me—but you just want my money!” She teased, hoping to rouse him. True to form, Jiang Mingyu was startled by her sudden affection. He quickly pinched her chin to turn her face toward him, urgently and sincerely explaining: “I am worried about you! And I need your help... I mean, if you’re in danger out there, I’ll be frantic!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi watched his anxious expression and burst into laughter. She winked at him, smiling brightly: “I was just teasing you. Of course I know you’re worried. Then I’ll focus entirely on the business—so you won’t have to worry about me every day.” As she spoke, she rose on tiptoe and kissed him lightly on the lips, making Jiang Mingyu laugh despite himself. He chuckled, kissed her forehead, and said fondly: “That’s my good wife.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yi lifted her head, playfully asking for another kiss before pulling away reluctantly. She smiled, tidying her dress and hair, twirled playfully, and asked: “Do I look pretty like this? Will I earn you plenty of silver in Jiangzhou?” Jiang Mingyu, seeing her regain some spirit, finally felt his burden lift. He reached out to smooth her disheveled hair and smiled: “My wife is beautiful at all times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu and Liu Yi wandered together in the hall, his hand gently combing through her soft hair, occasionally pressing tender kisses to her smooth forehead. That night felt unusually quiet and long. Outside, a bright full moon hung in the sky, its silver glow streaming through the windowpanes, illuminating their faces as they gazed at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Mingyu carefully lifted the light, soft Liu Yi in his arms. She gasped, her hands shyly circling his neck as he carried her toward the inner bedroom. Inside, candles flickered; their shadows danced in the dim, hazy light, tender and dreamlike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I truly missed you,” he whispered, gently touching her cheek. Liu Yi closed her eyes, her face trembling slightly, breathing softly. She rose on tiptoe and kissed him back, her voice barely audible: “I missed you too, my husband.” Her gaze burned with love and devotion. In the gentle moonlight, they kissed, their heartbeats merging into one, weaving a tender melody through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the utmost tenderness of a quiet, beautiful night beneath silver moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>",2667,"2026-06-20T03:28:18.279Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6ffa6f6ed029f77b1fc3ecaed626b810bb9c12cfbc0b512c9d1a1bd862906124","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-378","the-top-scholar-of-da-ling-chapter-376",392,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-top-scholar-of-da-ling-cover.jpg"]