Chapter 21: Ten Thousand Horses and Thousands of Troops Are Just Idle

  "You turned your horse's head and pulled the reins: 'Is the army returning to the capital today? No wonder there were few people and horses on the road from West City, I suppose they all crowded around the Shenwu Gate.'"

  Ye Tian Lie said: "You inquired about the great army returning to the capital several months ago, how come you've forgotten now?"

  "You dust is busy asking: "Where can I see the reward for the army?""

  "It's probably crowded everywhere by now, if you had said so earlier, I could have sneaked you up to the Cloud Presentation Platform in advance. Now that it's heavily guarded all around, we can't be reckless under Father Emperor's eyes."

  You lightly shook the reins, and the cloud steed let out a faint whinny. Turning its head, it galloped off towards Ming Guang Pavilion!

  At night, Tian Lie followed on horseback: "Want to see how the army is rewarded, why didn't you make arrangements earlier?"

  You slightly frowned, recently busy with the renovation of the newly purchased Songfang into a medical hall, so busy that you can't even take a break. Now this "Muyuantang" in her hands has gathered several top doctors with unique medical skills from all over the world, with a pharmacy and wards on the upper floor, and a charity clinic below, saving lives and treating illnesses every day, sometimes even covering the cost of medicine. Apart from handling the necessary affairs of the four-sided building, she almost talks about medicine and pharmacology with several doctors every day, deeply feeling that traditional Chinese medicine is wonderfully subtle and inexpressible, almost becoming obsessed with it, and suddenly realizing that time has passed quickly, and the army led by Ling Ye has already returned to Tiandu.

  A figure turning to leave in the midst of a majestic mountain range, and yet, under the autumn sun, his back appears so clearly before my eyes. "Remember, don't go out, I will definitely come back." The determined and domineering words he said while looking into her eyes at that time. He would definitely come back, but now, has he really come back?

  Ming Guang Pavilion is indeed crowded, and in fact, from the outer city's Yongmen Gate to the 39th Fang Xuanping Gate, and then to the 24th Fang Danfeng Gate all the way to the inner city's Shenwu Gate, have been surrounded and congested.

  Thousands of Iron Guards were dispatched from the Tiandu Gate, clearing a wide road, with flags and banners lining the way. The Imperial Guard marched down from the high platform of the Shenwu Gate, with one guard every ten steps, filling the inner city, their armor shining brightly, their swords and spears gleaming in the light.

  Tonight, Ye Tianlie went out without bringing any guards. The crowd was densely packed, shoulder to shoulder, and he stood beside Qingchen, protecting him in case of any accidents. Qingchen turned his head and smiled, saying: "Thank you, Your Highness."

  Yè Tiān Liáo said: "If you have an injury, wouldn't tonight's Small Orchid Pavilion be empty? I'm not worth it."

  "You're looking for something from me. No matter who you are as a guest, no one in the Four Sides Building knows my true identity as a woman, so don't expose me."

  "Suit yourself then."

  At this time, some onlookers outside saw them and asked loudly, "Is that Lord Ning over there?" Qing Chen looked around and found that several people had already squeezed open the road: "Lord Ning is going to Mingguang Pavilion?" She recognized one of them as Xiao Liu, who had come to Muyuantang a few days ago, and smiled: "That's right, I didn't expect so many people. Is your mother better now?"

  Xiao Liu hastily said: "Thanks to Doctor Ning's wonderful skills, my mother has been able to get out of bed these past few days." While calling out: "Everyone make way, Doctor Ning from Mu Yuan Tang is here."

  Downstairs, there were ordinary people surrounding them. Many of them had received kindness from Pastor Yuan's Hall and pushed their way to the front of Mingguang Pavilion. Qingchen thanked them all the way, and Yitian asked, "What have you been doing these days? Does Pastor Yuan's Hall also have a share for you? Ha! This method of passing by is not inferior to that of the guards."

  "You're just smiling and making money for fun. Don't underestimate the common people, you are a prince or a noble, can't do without relying on them?"

  The Mingguang Pavilion was packed with people inside and out, and Ye Tianyi was already impatient. He grabbed the shopkeeper and before he could speak, the shopkeeper looked up and was so frightened that he bowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, why are you still here to watch the military performance? Now upstairs and downstairs are really crowded, how can I accommodate you?"

  "Get all these annoying people out of here! When did the sky ever have so many people?"

  "You're being too overbearing, others are just trying to make a living by opening their doors for business, yet you come and make things difficult for them."

  Ye Tian Liao said, "This isn't about accompanying you to make a scene, I've been dodging and weaving to avoid going to the Shen Wu Gate, do I have to stand here for half a day? That's even more boring than the Shen Wu Gate."

  Just then, a shop assistant slipped down from the upstairs and whispered a few words in the boss's ear. The boss looked relieved and turned to say: "Your Highness, there is someone in the elegant pavilion upstairs who has invited you, saying that they are familiar with Your Highness, and would like to ask Your Highness to take the trouble to grant them this small favor."

  In front of the vermilion railing window, someone was leaning down to greet this side with a fist, and both Qing Chen and Ye Tian Li were unexpected, it turned out to be Mo Bu Ping.

  "Bring a pot of 'Qingfeng Cuiyun' and some side dishes to the upstairs room," Ye Tianli said to the shopkeeper, then pulled Qingchen along as they headed up.

  As soon as he entered, his calm eyes first fell on Qingchen's face and then turned to Ye Tianheng, saying: "The twelfth prince is well!"

  At night, Tian Yi saw Mo Bu Ping and was surprised to see that he was very polite and courteous. He smiled and said: "I heard a few days ago that you had returned to Yige and wanted to visit you, but I didn't know where you were. Today is quite a coincidence."

  "You are quite extraordinary, not only did you make Ye Tian Xuan treat you like a superior guest, even someone as arrogant as Ye Tian Hui is being extremely respectful towards you." He smiled and said: "Hello Mr. Mo!"

  Mo Ping smiled and said: "It's been many days since we last met, I almost didn't recognize you just now. Feng Niang is dressed like this, it's even more elegant than the 12th prince."

  "You glanced at Ye Tianyi and said: 'I'm more elegant than him, that's true. Just now, if it wasn't for Mr., this Mingguang Pavilion would have been in trouble.'"

  Ye Tianli didn't mind either, raised an eyebrow and sat down with a swish of his sleeves, the three of them laughing and chatting casually.

  The northern expeditionary army was stationed outside the city, with more than 200,000 soldiers unable to enter the city at the same time. Only 10,000 Xuanjia troops followed Ling Wang to Shenwu Gate to pay homage.

  The fragrance of tea in hand, the green leaves clear and bright, with a hint of misty color surrounding it. You savor the delicate taste, lost in thought as you gaze out the window, imagining the grand scene of a mighty army entering the city, yet feeling an inexplicable tension that even you can't quite explain.

  Before long, a golden drum sounded in the distance, its sound majestic and thunderous, rolling and echoing in all directions. With the rumbling of the golden drum, a low and solemn horn sounded as if from the edge of the sky, and the western city gate, Yongmen, slowly opened.

  The hustle and bustle of the entire city seemed to be suddenly erased, and the whole imperial capital was abruptly quiet, plunged into a solemn silence.

  All eyes are on one place, looking forward from afar.

  As the heavy iron hooves approached, the ground beneath shook slightly, and at the city gate, a boundless expanse of dark iron tide appeared like an illusion. The momentum that followed made the high and distant autumn sky suddenly turn solemn and stern, with a chill spreading in all directions, intimidating all eight directions.

  Against the clear blue sky, a golden dragon flag is held high, with nine-clawed coiled dragon deity embroidered on it, majestic and powerful, its head raised, riding on the clouds, fluttering in the long wind.

  The three armies, led by the two generals on white horses with silver helmets, one hundred thousand iron cavalrymen in black armor and black robes, with sharp spears and swords, formed ten squares and followed them slowly into the city.

  The military formation is solemn and majestic, the military might is stern and solemn. Everyone can clearly hear the uniform and unified footsteps landing, shaking the magnificent city of Igou.

  You involuntarily got up and stood in front of the window, wanting to see the two people leading the army. They were relatively far away, and the two were wearing armor, so they could only vaguely see their eyebrows and eyes. Her hand grasping the windowsill tightened, her body leaned forward slightly, and the person with silver armor and white tassels on the left was indeed Eleven, but the one beside him was not the other person she remembered.

  She gazed into the distance, standing frozen in front of the window, when suddenly a loud crash shocked her awake. It was the sound of tens of thousands of iron cavalrymen coming to an abrupt halt in perfect unison, their majesty awe-inspiring.

  Ye Tian Lie suddenly said with a sigh: "Fourth Brother's training of troops is exquisite, his governance of the army is strict, truly no one can surpass him."

  She gazed intently at the eleven people beside her, a sense of desolation and disappointment spreading over her heart like the vast, dark tide in the city. She turned around and asked, "Is the one leading the vanguard up ahead Ling Wang?"

  He smiled and said, "Look for yourself."

  You dusted off your gaze and cast it towards the Shenwu Gate once more, but saw that the army was silent, solemn and soundless, with only the fluttering war flags making a rustling sound. The surrounding civilians were shocked by this military might, and for a moment, they all became solemn and respectful.

  The Xuanjia Iron Cavalry has all entered the Yongmen Gate, and the horn sounds again throughout the city.

  In the original formation of ten rectangular arrays, the warriors in the last array suddenly split to both sides. A white warhorse burst out of the array, with a man wearing armor and holding a sword, riding swiftly forward, his white robe fluttering like snow, his cloak flying high and billowing in the wind, wherever he went, the arrays were split one by one, as if a flash of cold light had cut through the dark armor and iron cavalry.

  He was in the front, and immediately after him there were soldiers riding horses to fill up the gap. The whole army formation advanced slowly, with clouds of dust rising, changing positions, transforming into a complete square formation.

  Before the array, two leading generals rode side by side, then one of them reined in his horse, raised his hand, and the black-armored iron cavalry behind him quickly formed a neat military formation.

  As the man's right hand swung lightly, rows of dark colors moved in unison above, the sound of armor was sharp and loud, all soldiers almost simultaneously turned over, dismounted, saluted, and shouted loudly: "Long live my emperor, long live for ten thousand years!"

  This cry burst forth from the mouths of thousands of iron-blooded warriors at the same time, truly shaking heaven and earth, and the nine cities lost their color.

  This is the iron horse hero who has been through thousands of miles of battle, a magnificent man with a cold sword and blood.

  Only warriors who are born and die on the battlefield have such a captivating aura of murder, only brave and fearless soldiers who kill enemies can achieve such grandeur and prestige.

  There's no need to say more, Qingchen has already understood clearly. She quietly looked at the distant figure in front of Shenwu Gate.

  Tall and majestic, proudly riding his horse, gazing down at the world with an air of superiority. This man, with his legendary elite cavalry, marched south and north, conquering cities and lands, sweeping across the vast deserts of the Western Regions, subjugating the strong tribes in all directions; with his astonishingly brilliant military achievements, he dominated the universe, shook the six directions, and conquered the central plains, a million miles of rivers and mountains.

  That night, the figure on horseback seemed to merge with the silhouette in the distance, becoming a lone white speck amidst the vast army. A hint of bitterness flashed across Qing Yun's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an unusual clarity that emerged from the misty veil of the green peaks and blue clouds. Fearing that someone might see through her emotions, she casually turned around, lowered her head, and took a sip of tea: "I've long heard of General Ling's great name; indeed, he is no ordinary hero."

  No one can help but smile and look at the majestic military formation in front of the Shenwu Gate: "What a great King Ling!"

  His gaze at the Tianwu Gate was filled with a rare solemnity, as if he were shocked and admiring at the same time. With an unbridled smile on his face, there was a captivating glint in his eyes. He turned around, chuckled, shook his head, and played with his teacup: "The Fourth Imperial Brother's Xuanjia Army is invincible in battle, undefeated for many years, and has never tasted defeat. It really makes one's heart itch."

  "You seem so enthusiastic, why don't you lead the troops to battle and experience the thrill of it?"

  "Except for Fourth Brother, only Fifth Brother is truly capable of leading troops. As for me, even if I were to go, it would be nothing more than a mere formality. What's the point? Besides, Mother Empress would worry herself sick and refuse to let me go."

  "Looks like Princess Shu favors you, and is willing to put her trust in Your Highness of the 11th Palace."

  "Eleventh brother has been training with the Fourth Imperial Brother since childhood, so he's naturally different," Ye Tian Lian said with a raised eyebrow. "This time when he went to war, he kept it from the Empress Dowager until just before he left, and now that he's back, he'll definitely get scolded. He might even ask me to help him smooth things over."

  Mo Ping smiled and said, "The Turkic tribe is fierce and brave, and the Empress also pities the two princes. Moreover, even ordinary aristocratic children do not have to go far away to suffer the hardships of war in the desolate north, let alone the princes."

  Ye Tian Liao said, "That's also true. Take the Fifth Imperial Brother for example. If not for his mother's identity, why would he be so insistent on military achievements?" He saw Xun Chen's face full of inquiring questions and smiled, saying: "The Fifth Imperial Brother's mother was originally just a palace maid in the Empress Dowager's palace. I don't know why she received the Emperor's favor and gave birth to an imperial son. Now she is only titled as Cairen. Although brothers are not different, the Fifth Imperial Brother has it on his mind and pays more attention to everything than we do."

  "What about King Ling?"

  Ye Tian Liao said: "The mother of Fourth Imperial Brother is Lotus Empress."

  "How is Lotus Princess?" Qing Chen asked again.

  Ye Tian Lian lightly said with a faint smile: "Lotus Princess is a cold person." And that was all she said, without another word.

  You dust listened to his tone, seemingly unintentionally saying more, and it's not convenient to ask again. Ye Tianyi said to Mo Bu Ping: "Mr. Mo was the teacher of several imperial brothers many years ago, and the fourth imperial brother led the army, presumably also received Mr.'s guidance, but unfortunately I was young at that time and didn't have a teacher-student relationship with Mr."

  "Your Highness, you're being too serious. If it were someone else, perhaps, but I wouldn't dare say anything to instruct the Ling Wang. I recall when we were at Lin Hua Palace, and Master Fu was explaining military texts to the princes. After listening for a while, the Ling Wang said, 'The art of war is about unexpected strategies and changing circumstances. One should grasp the underlying idea without following established methods, understand the plan without imitating clever tactics.' At that time, the Ling Wang was only eight years old, and he had never read any book more than twice. Now, his military tactics are so ingenious and unpredictable, it seems as though they have nothing to do with military texts. I wouldn't dare take credit for them."

  You dust watched the Xianwu Gate in front of the black-clothed iron cavalry, Ye Tianling and other princes had already boarded the high platform to accept the reward and imperial edict. After the reward, it was all some tedious formalities, Ye Tianling felt bored after a while, and the two bid farewell to Mo Bu Ping and came out.

  Yun Yi saw Qing Chen, and trotted up to her side, somewhat restlessly circling around her.

  You stretched out your hand to pat Mo, and smiled softly: "The wind has returned, are you anxious?" After speaking, she patted it again to comfort it. Yun Cheng low voice whispered, then let her turn over and get on the horse.

  She reined in her horse and turned around, the crowd was surging forward, the majestic army had already disappeared from view, only the yellow flags on the high platform were fluttering gently, appearing and disappearing. She faced the high platform, through the layers of people, she could vaguely feel the presence of Ye Tianling, dressed in his battle armor, her memory of him seemed to be getting closer and closer, those clear and cold eyes were exceptionally vivid.

  My heart is extremely carefree, your lips curve upwards lightly, wherever I look it's a vast clear sky, the autumn is as clean as a wash.