weaving

Everything is proceeding according to plan...

On the sixth day of the third lunar month, at dusk, the strong wind gradually subsided, the dust settled, and the vast earth returned to its usual tranquility. The tender green grass blades swayed gently in the breeze, making a soft "rustling" sound, as beautiful and melodious as a symphony of the earth.

However, beneath this beautiful melody lurked an extremely dangerous killing intent. Tens of thousands of Ming and Qing troops were hidden in a vast area stretching twenty miles outward from the west bank of the Shu River and thirty to forty miles from north to south, and war was imminent.

Starting from Sanguanmiao and Wenguanzhuang in the north, heading south to Cuzhuang and Xiaodunzhuang, and further south to Xiejiazhuang and Dongfengling, this vast expanse of green land is filled with the atmosphere of war and death.

Even in some inconspicuous corners, scouts of unknown origin lurk among the green grass, watching the enemy's every move.

Small-scale skirmishes between the scouts of both sides also occurred from time to time...

However, with a major battle imminent, the main task of the scouts on both sides was to monitor the enemy's movements, and killing enemy scouts was not their primary responsibility. Therefore, the battles between these scouts were mostly probing.

The two sides kept a distance from each other, mostly engaging in long-range chases and entanglements, with very few direct close-quarters combat. The Jurchen side, in particular, seemed quite afraid of the Yongyi Army's short guns and dared not get too close, mostly fighting from fifty paces away.

…………

"Dejie, were you speaking sincerely just now?" Marquis Yongning, Zhang Cheng, looked at Liu Tichun with a face full of surprise and regret.

Although Liu Tichun was now dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, he no longer had the heroic bearing of his past. He was noticeably thinner than before, and his face was full of haggardness.

Only his eyes were now shooting out two cold glints, as if reminding everyone that he was once a fierce general whose name was known!
“Erhu has been quite comfortable these days thanks to the care of the Earl of Yongning. Since he has no way to repay him, he will give up his life to kill a few Tartars for the Earl of Yongning.”

The Earl of Yongning smiled slightly and said, "That won't do. You said before that your life already belongs to me, and you can't just give it up as you please, understand?"

When Zhang Cheng said those last three words, his expression changed immediately, and his tone became very serious, showing no sign of joking at all.

Liu Tichun was slightly taken aback, only then recalling that after returning to Xuanfu with the Earl of Yongning, he had been drunk every day, drinking himself into a stupor. However, when he heard the news that the Earl of Yongning was going to lead his army into the capital to kill the Tartars, he did indeed ask the Earl of Yongning for permission after drinking to go into the capital with him to kill the Tartars.

At that time, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, saw that Liu Tichun's body had been weakened by alcohol and his spirit was listless, no longer possessing the vigor of his youth. He originally did not want to take him to the capital to defend the emperor, but he could not resist Liu Tichun's persistent pleas, so he made a condition...

Liu Tichun can follow the army to the capital to defend the emperor, but he must strictly abide by military orders in all his actions, and he must not act recklessly on the battlefield. He, Liu Tichun, has already died before, and his current life belongs to the Earl of Yongning—he can only die when the Earl of Yongning commands him to!
Liu Tichun agreed to these conditions on the spot, and the next day, after he sobered up, Marquis Yongning Zhang Cheng confirmed them with him again in person, which is why Liu Tichun remembered them.

Moreover, Liu Tichun was indeed a man of his word. Since leaving Xuanfu to join the guards and serve the emperor, Liu Tichun had not drunk a drop of wine. He maintained a regular daily routine and spent his free time practicing martial arts and swordsmanship. Occasionally, he would ride his horse around the camp.

Although Liu Tichun is not as good as he was at his peak, he is still quite formidable!

What is even more commendable is that Liu Tichun truly obeyed orders. Without the military orders of the Earl of Yongning, he would practice boxing and swordsmanship on his own, or ride horses and shoot arrows to hone his skills in killing enemies on the battlefield.

As it happened today, Liu Tichun did not throw a tantrum or act like a rogue. Instead, he respectfully asked the Earl of Yongning to allow him to fight. From this point of view, the Earl of Yongning was quite satisfied with him. Liu Tichun bowed and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Please rest assured, Earl of Yongning, I will not hand over my life to the Tartars for no reason."

Zhang Cheng nodded and said gently, "Dejie, you don't have your own troops in the army. Although I trust and admire you enough, the soldiers may not all think the same way I do."

As he spoke, he paced back and forth in the command tent, head bowed, as if deep in thought. No one dared to disturb him; they could only watch from the sidelines.

In the Yongyi Army, someone like Chen De would definitely not be suitable. He and his father, Chen Yongfu, had been defending Kaifeng for a long time, and he already had a grudge against Liu Tichun, so it would be impossible for them to lead troops in the same camp. On the other hand, Hu Zichen had followed the old commander Hu Dawei in fighting against the bandits for many years, and his hatred for them was also considerable.

After much deliberation, Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, realized that only the elite battalions of the Yongyi Army could possibly accommodate Liu Tichun…

"Dejie, you will temporarily serve as a deputy general in the Tengshe Camp. Follow General Zhice to familiarize yourself with the camp structure and tactics of my Yongyi Army. When the Tartars attack, you will definitely have your chance to kill the slaves."

Upon hearing this, Liu Tichun immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general, Liu Tichun, obeys the order!"

Lieutenant Zhang Mingyuan whispered a reminder to him: "General Liu, when receiving orders from the commander in our Yongyi Army, you must answer 'Yes, sir.'"

Liu Tichun was taken aback at first, but quickly realized what he meant and hurriedly clasped his hands in greeting again, saying, "Yes!"

Zhang Cheng smiled slightly: "It's alright. You've only just joined my Brave and Resolute Army today, so it's normal that you're not familiar with my military rules and regulations."

He turned to look at Zhang Mingyuan beside him and instructed, "Mingyuan, go and summon General Zhice over here."

"Yes, sir." Zhang Mingyuan accepted the order and left.

Hu Yiwen then stepped forward, smiled, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Congratulations to the Commander-in-Chief on gaining another valiant general."

Liu Chengzhu also said with a smile, "It is truly gratifying to see General Dejie like this."

Yuan Fucheng stepped forward and came to Liu Tichun's side, saying to the bandit who had once ravaged the Central Plains: "Dejie has always had loyalty and righteousness in his heart. Today he has been able to abandon darkness and embrace the light. In the future, he will surely become another great general under the command of the commander-in-chief."

Liu Tichun suddenly knelt down on one knee again with a serious expression, clasped his hands and said, "Commander, Erhu has another request, I hope the Commander will grant it."

Everyone was surprised by this sudden turn of events, wondering what Liu Tichun was really up to.

Marquis Yongning, Zhang Cheng, remained calm and smiled as he said, "Dejie, please speak freely."

Liu Tichun seemed somewhat embarrassed to speak. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before mustering his courage to say, "Commander, although Erhu has left King Chuang, he dares not disregard our past relationship. I hope the Commander can understand Erhu's situation and prevent me from encountering King Chuang's army on the battlefield." (End of Chapter)