activa-t Chapter 265: The Cowardly General
Chapter 265: The Cowardly General
That night, Su Cheng'an waited for Ye Jinxuan who came late at night in a shop in Lingyun City.
"What did General Liu say?" Su Cheng'an asked directly.
"He has agreed that you will join my army tomorrow under the pretext of joining the army. You can then follow me to train with me, so that we can see the strength of the Northwest Army."
Ye Jinxuan frowned slightly, but couldn't help asking him again, "A son of a wealthy family shouldn't sit in a hall. You've already taken a risk by rushing to the northwest alone. Are you really planning to continue entrenched in the northwest army for several months?"
Su Cheng'an raised his eyebrows, curled the corners of his lips, and asked in return: "If my three brothers can put themselves in danger, why can't I come?"
"How can we compare? I'm the son of a criminal, and you're the dignified Crown Prince of Dingbei. There's really no need to take such a risk."
"Third brother, you are wrong! I, the prince of Dingbei, will soon become a traitor in the eyes of the court! Since even I in the northern border have the intention of becoming a traitor, why should I be afraid of coming to the northwest? Moreover,"
Su Cheng'an paused and smiled meaningfully, "Since you've spent so much money this time, you should let me know the strength of the army you're supporting, right?"
"Okay, if that's the case, then Prince, please stay by my side and take a closer look starting tomorrow!"
Seeing Su Cheng'an's firm attitude, Ye Jinxuan simply stopped trying to dissuade him.
He changed the subject and asked, "Are Ajin and the others okay?"
"They are all good, especially my sister-in-law Huanyan, which is even better!"
Su Cheng'an said the word "better" in an intriguing way, leaving Ye Jinxuan completely bewildered. He subconsciously asked, "How do you mean better? What happened to Huanyan?"
Su Cheng'an suppressed his jealousy towards the man in front of him and said calmly, "Huanyan is very good. She is so good that I want to give birth to many children just for you!"
Without waiting for Ye Jinxuan's reaction, he took out the letter written by Jinchu and placed it on the table: "Ajin and the others wrote this to you when you came out."
Ye Jinxuan ignored the sudden sarcastic tone of the prince's brother-in-law, reached out to open the letter, and began to read it impatiently.
He read every word of the thin pages over and over again two or three times.
When he looked up again, Ye Jinxuan's face was full of ecstasy.
He first murmured quietly, "I'm going to be a father!" Then he patted the man next to him on the shoulder, laughed and announced loudly, "See? I'm going to be a father!"
Su Chengan resisted the urge to slap him back and responded sourly, "Yes, congratulations, you're going to be a father!"
"how about you?"
Ye Jinxuan subconsciously glanced at someone's lower body, with a strong sense of doubt in his tone.
"You got married nearly half a year earlier than me, so why hasn't Ajin made any move yet? I was waiting to become an uncle, but I didn't expect to become a father first!"
The prince, who was always calm in front of outsiders, was so shocked by his uncle's undisguised ridicule that his handsome face turned cold.
He snorted in anger, full of resentment: "Ajin said she would wait until she turned eighteen before having children! Besides, you are the older brother, so isn't it normal for you to be the father first?"
"What do you mean by this?"
Ye Jinxuan grasped the important message in his words. She widened her eyes and looked at Su Chengan in disbelief to confirm again, "You mean that because Ah Jin doesn't want to have a baby soon, you're letting her avoid having children?"
"We are both still young. If she doesn't want to have a baby early, then why not wait until later?"
Su Cheng'an tried hard to save his reputation, but this uncle really didn't want him anymore!
Don't slap someone in the face!
Ye Jinxuan can question his ability to love his wife, but cannot question his physical ability!
"The prince is truly a good husband!"
Ye Jinxuan's eyes sparkled. This time he stopped patting him and instead gave him a hug. "As a brother, I'm truly touched by how you treat Xiaochu. Good brother! A true man! My sister deserves to marry you!"
Su Cheng'an stretched out his hand and pushed him far away. After trying for a while, he still couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.
If Jin Chu were here, seeing him like this, she would definitely say "A man remains a boy until he dies" again.
The next morning, Su Cheng'an, in disguise, led his Qingyun Guards into the Northwest Army's base camp, posing as Ye Jinxuan's personal bodyguard, and personally witnessed and experienced the Northwest Army's training process.
The first rays of light had not yet completely dispelled the chill of the night, but the Northwest Army camp was already bustling with activity.
Unlike elsewhere, the sound of the horn here is somewhat rough and heroic, as if it can penetrate the biting cold wind and strike people's hearts.
Su Cheng'an looked up and saw soldiers coming out one after another, their movements revealing the neatness and agility unique to the men of the Northwest.
They were dressed in heavy leather armor, the armor plates gleaming with a cold and hard luster in the dim light, with belts tightly tied around their waists and swords hanging at one side. Their postures were as straight as pine trees. Although their expressions were different, they all exuded the solemn and murderous aura of those who had been on the battlefield for a long time.
The centurions strode back and forth as usual, their eyes as sharp as hawks, carefully examining every detail, from the straightness of the helmet tassels to the tightness of the bootlaces, from the sharpness of the blades to the quality of the crossbows, and no mistakes were allowed.
When everything was ready, the captain stepped onto the stage proudly, waved the flag in his hand, and the formation training began.
The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky, their steps were uniform, and every step seemed to step on people's hearts. The raised dust filled the morning light, like a yellow dragon winding and swimming.
Su Cheng'an secretly admired that the ranks of the Northwestern Army were no less powerful than his elite troops in the north.
As soon as the formation training was over, the coach strode into the field with a long sword in hand.
The knife in his hand seemed like a living thing, and it emitted a cold light as he swung it. His moves were fierce and powerful, with wide opening and closing movements, fully demonstrating the fierce style of the Northwest Army.
The soldiers quickly engaged in combat. For a moment, the sounds of shouting and weapons clashing in the training grounds intertwined into a passionate war song, with sparks flying everywhere.
The Qingyun Guards beside Su Cheng'an couldn't help but look solemn, knowing that if they really fought, these Northwestern men would not be easy to deal with.
As the fight was drawing to a close, Ye Jinxuan came riding forward on his horse, his cloak rustling behind him.
He personally directed the tactical drills, with flags waving and drums beating rapidly. The Northwest Army quickly changed its formation, simulating various scenarios that fit local combat, such as mountain ambushes and grassland raids.
The charging soldiers were like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey, swift and fearless; the defending army formation was as solid as a rock and impenetrable.
Ye Jinxuan's eyes were as sharp as torches as he galloped back and forth in front of the formation, shouting loudly and accurately pointing out every problem. His majestic aura made the entire training ground shrouded in tension and solemnity.
The training came to a temporary end only when the sun was high in the sky.
Su Cheng'an was shocked. The Northwest Army's training was well-organized and their bravery and fierceness made it no wonder that they could stand alone in this bitter cold land and protect the peace.
If it weren't for Chen Tianyao's poor command and carelessness, which allowed the Western Rong people to sneak into Fuyun City and take advantage of the situation to obtain the city defense map, Fuyun City would never have fallen into the hands of the bandits.
If a soldier is cowardly and listless, it is only the fault of one person; but if a general is mediocre and incompetent, it will bring disaster to the entire army.
A good general has no weak soldiers under his command, while a cowardly general has many scattered warriors in his tent.
This is because a good general can boost morale, enforce strict military discipline, and with just a wave of his arm, soldiers will respond. He can turn decay into magic and make the entire army brave.
A mediocre and cowardly general will only issue empty orders frequently, which will demoralize the army. Even if there are elite soldiers, they will find it difficult to display their strengths and will be left with only sighs.
Therefore, the same group of Northwestern troops, in the hands of the former Marquis of Wu'an, were like a solid wall of steel, protecting the soldiers and civilians in the northwest; but when they came to Chen Tianyao, they could only turn into a pile of scattered sand, like a headless fly with no order, and were eventually broken through the defense line by the Western Rong people. After countless casualties, they were driven out of Fuyun City, where they had been stationed for decades, and retreated southward.
What a pity for these tough and brave men from the Northwest!
At the end of the training, Su Cheng'an and several Qingyun Guards followed Ye Jinxuan and retreated silently, but in his heart, he already had a new assessment and expectation of the strength of the Northwest Army.