jdhmnovel Chapter 349: The wind blows the grass low and the cattle and sheep are seen
Chapter 349: The wind blows the grass low and the cattle and sheep are seen
It has been ten days since Ying Yang was captured alive by the Xia army. He is being held alone in a tent, which is more like house arrest.
A squad of Xia soldiers accompanied Ying Yang whenever he came and went, but Qin Shao did not criticize Ying Yang in any way, and would even cook some grassland-style food for him separately.
Yingyang understood that Qin Shao wouldn't let him return to the tribe so easily, but he still hadn't received any news that Qin Shao had agreed to the peace talks.
He had prepared for the worst: Qin Shao might not kill him, but he would imprison him for life, ensuring he could never return to the grasslands.
The thought of losing his beloved grassland and his home filled Yingyang with sorrow.
Qin Shaoguan was useless to him; he would not become a long-term bargaining chip for the Xia Kingdom in dealing with the Rongdi tribes.
To survive, the Rong and Di tribes would quickly elect a new king, and then year after year, in order to live, they would raid the borders of the Xia Kingdom.
Thinking about this, Yingyang felt somewhat disheartened. He had always dreamed of leading his tribe to a life free from worries about food and clothing, but in the end, he was still unable to achieve it?
Yingyang rose and walked out of the tent, gazing into the distance at the place where he had once lived.
This season is when the grass is lush and the cattle and sheep graze everywhere; it is the happiest time of the year for him and his tribe...
Unexpectedly, he was imprisoned in the Xia Kingdom's military camp this year.
To dispel his inner turmoil, Yingyang couldn't help but open his throat and sing loudly the songs belonging to their grassland tribe.
The sky is vast and blue, the wilderness is boundless.
The wind blows the grass low, revealing cattle and sheep.
……
The high-pitched and melodious singing soon resounded throughout the military camp.
Inside the command tent, Qin Shao was discussing peace talks with Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan.
Qin Shao was smiling, looking at the two young people in front of him with expectation and encouragement.
"You all understand His Majesty's meaning now, right?"
Having been suddenly entrusted with such an important task by his father, Gu Zhanghua felt a little uncertain and hesitated before speaking.
"But my father has entrusted me with presiding over these peace negotiations, and I'm afraid..."
Upon hearing the beginning, Zhao Xuan knew what Gu Zhanghua was about to say and immediately interrupted him.
"No desertion allowed!"
"How can this be called desertion in the face of battle?"
Gu Zhanghua smiled wryly, unable to resist trying to defend himself.
How could Qin Shao possibly be completely confident that he could negotiate something that he hadn't been able to accomplish all these years, something that had troubled his father for so long?
He takes himself way too seriously.
"The sky is like a dome, covering the vast wilderness."
The sky is blue, the wild is vast.
The wind blows the grass low, revealing cattle and sheep.
Suddenly, the powerful and vigorous song of the eagle entered the tent, and the three of them fell silent, listening intently.
Zhao Xuan suddenly raised an eyebrow, her eyes showing considerable appreciation.
"Is that the Rongdi King singing? He's so full of heroic spirit! It reminds me of the song 'Henghe Ballad' that helped Brother Shui win the singing and dancing competition. I feel like I sing it even better than Brother Shui."
For some reason, Gu Zhanghua couldn't help but feel jealous when he heard Zhao Xuan praising the Rongdi King.
"So what if you can sing? I can sing too!"
Zhao Xuan deliberately changed the subject to ease the pressure on Gu Zhanghua. Hearing this, she didn't mind, just smiled slightly, and turned to ask Qin Shao.
"Uncle Qin, Yingyang doesn't look very old, he should be under thirty, right?"
Qin Shao thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I don't know his exact age, but he's probably under fifty. His father was around fifty when he passed away."
As Qin Shao spoke, he sighed with some regret.
"The old Rongdi king did sign a peace treaty with our Xia Kingdom back then, but he couldn't control his people. Those Rongdi people couldn't bear the hardship and would still secretly form groups to plunder our Xia Kingdom's borders from time to time. And this Yingyang is the one who led the disobedience to the old Rongdi king's orders."
"There's such a thing?"
Gu Zhanghua's curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to learn more about Yingyang from Qin Shao in order to lay a good foundation for the upcoming peace negotiations.
So he asked Qin Shao.
"Uncle Qin, what else do you know about this Yingyang? You might as well tell us."
Qin Shao picked up the leather water pouch, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, thought carefully for a moment, and then continued speaking.
“I remember that Yingyang was the only son of the old Rongdi king. He was about twenty years old at the time. The old Rongdi king wanted to order his punishment, but Yingyang was deeply loved by the Rongdi people. Moreover, the Rongdi people were martial, and Yingyang was the bravest warrior in the Rongdi tribe, without exception!”
After saying that, Qin Shao smiled somewhat awkwardly.
"I fought him before, and to be honest, I only had a slight advantage even when I used all my strength. If Xuan'er hadn't come to my rescue that time, I might have lost to him if I had been careless for a moment!"
"That sounds pretty impressive!"
Zhao Xuan started cracking her knuckles, looking eager to test her skills against Ying Yang.
Gu Zhanghua was speechless. He took Zhao Xuan's hand in his own and looked at Qin Shao, continuing to ask for advice very seriously.
"Uncle Qin, is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"
Qin Shao waved his hand.
"We must expedite this peace negotiation, otherwise the Rongdi tribes will definitely send people to our aid, and then another battle will be inevitable."
As Qin Shao recounted these events, Gu Zhanghua had already sorted out his thoughts.
Avoidance, hesitation, and shirking are all unacceptable; only by facing difficulties head-on can we accomplish the task entrusted to us by our father.
"Uncle Qin! I've made up my mind. Father trusts me and has entrusted me with such an important matter. I shouldn't hesitate! I will definitely find a way to meet Father's requirements!"
Zhao Xuan put her arm around Gu Zhanghua's shoulder, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
"That's right! He's just a brute! He's definitely not as smart as my Xiao Wu! Don't worry, I'll be with you!"
Qin Shao was still not at ease, so he spoke again to give careful instructions.
“I think His Majesty must have his reasons for making this arrangement. I have been fighting against the Rongdi tribes in the north for years, and countless soldiers have died at the hands of the other side. It is inevitable that there will be hostility from the start.”
Moreover, Ying Yang would never expect His Majesty to send you to negotiate peace with him. He'll definitely be thinking of me. He might let his guard down, and then you might be able to seize the initiative!
"it is good!"
With Zhao Xuan by his side, Qin Shao as his backer, and his father's support, Gu Zhanghua was immediately filled with confidence.
"Uncle Qin, there's no time to lose, let's schedule the peace talks for tomorrow morning!"
"Now that we've finished discussing serious matters, let's talk about something casual. Shouldn't we get to practice?"
Zhao Xuan winked at Gu Zhanghua, and Gu Zhanghua's face instantly turned even more bitter than a bitter gourd.
"I have a chafed chafing on the inside of my thigh that hasn't healed yet. As the saying goes, 'haste makes waste.' Can I wait until my injury is healed before I start riding horses?"
Actually, after using the ointment given by Little Fairy Doctor, the chafed areas on his legs had healed long ago, but he discovered a very serious problem: he was afraid of heights!
It's absolutely hilarious to say!
The warhorses in Qin Shao's army were much taller than the horses he used to ride. A couple of days ago, Qin Shao lifted him onto a horse, and he immediately felt dizzy and nauseous, almost falling off the horse.
Later, I forced myself to let Ma Si lead the horse around for two laps, and then embarrassingly, my leg skin was chafed raw.
Zhao Xuan wasn't going to tolerate him. She pulled Gu Zhanghua up and walked out of the command tent, muttering incoherently as she went.
"It's torn? It's not healed yet? Take off your pants and let me see. If it's really not healed, I won't force you! You're a grown man, can't you even handle a little chafing? You're so delicate!"
Gu Zhanghua stared at the sky speechlessly.
So, when Zhao Xuan learned Gu Zhanghua's secret about being afraid of heights not long after, she almost laughed herself silly.