Finest Servant

Chapter 549 What Have You Done to Me?

"Blue skies above—a cloud drifts by—below it a horse runs, the whip cracks loudly all around, birds soar in unison—"

[TL: This song was sung by Hu Songhua and composed by Meili Qige, and was created in 1952. It's based on the folk tunes of Inner Mongolia, embodying a broad melody rich in national style and local color. Watch the song on youtube by searching the title: 草原上升起不落的太阳 (The Rising Sun Never Sets on the Grassland)]

Piercing and resonant singing broke the tranquility of the grassland morning. The voice was anything but melodious; its only redeeming quality was a certain hearty vigor.

Lured by this singing, a few larks appeared from nowhere, chirping and circling above the procession. They danced joyfully in the air. The first rays of the morning sun bathed the young faces of the soldiers, and the pristine dewdrops on their hair and skin sparkled, casting a pure and crystalline glow.

Lin Wanrong rode on his horse, singing loudly along the way. The songs he chose were strange tunes that no one else understood, yet they were oddly catchy, making them easy to remember. As the army of 5,000 soldiers marched slowly, they couldn't help but grin at Lin Wanrong's casual demeanor, his strikingly loud voice, and his off-key melodies. "With a voice like a broken gong, he dares to flaunt it?" Yet he sang without a break, and the crowd couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter. Gradually, everyone felt uplifted, their spirits released from the burden of war. The joyful atmosphere was infectious, making the vast grassland feel like another home for them.

"Brother Lin seems in high spirits today. Did something good happen last night?" Old Gao, riding his horse, couldn't help but ask with a tinge of suspicion.

Hu Bugui took a cautious glance ahead, then lowered his voice, "I don’t know whether he was successful last night, but the General's singing skills certainly need improvement. Old Gao, you're daring—could you please go and ask him to stop for a while? We are about to make camp and cook breakfast."

"How dare you criticize Brother Lin!" Old Gao laughed. "When he sings, it means he’s confident about accomplishing great things. That gives us peace of mind. That said, Brother Lin’s singing is indeed terrible, far worse than the courtesans in Eight Great Alleys. But we should be grateful. Listening to a courtesan costs money, while listening to Brother Lin may actually make him pay us. Ha-ha!"

Both men chuckled wickedly, indulging in their own amusement, feeling momentarily cheerful.

From a distance, a scout galloped towards them, urgently stopping in front of Lin Wanrong. It was the same scout he had dispatched last night. Previously, to ensure safety, Lin Wanrong and Hu Bugui had sent out several scouting parties ahead before attacking Dalanzha. Unexpectedly, news had returned so quickly.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the scout urgently reported, "General, we've spotted a troop of Turkic cavalry about a hundred miles ahead."

"Oh?" Lin Wanrong's eyes flashed. "Where did they come from? How many are there?"

Hu Bugui and Gao Qiu had already rushed over upon hearing about the Turkic cavalry. The scout continued, "There are over two thousand of them, but less than three thousand. We can't confirm where they came from yet, but based on my estimate, they are likely from the Ha'er Helin or Ejina tribes."

"Ha'er Helin or Ejina?" Lin Wanrong hummed in acknowledgment, nodding. "It's a possibility. Have you located the positions of these two tribes?"

The soldier shook his head regretfully, "Due to the sudden appearance of this troop of Turkic cavalry, we dared not proceed recklessly. We are still unable to confirm the exact locations of the two tribes."

With only about a dozen men in their scouting squad, there was no choice but to avoid direct confrontation when unexpectedly encountering a large enemy cavalry force. Lin Wanrong turned to Hu Bugui and asked, "Brother Hu, where do you think these over two thousand men came from?"

After contemplating for a moment, Hu Bugui nodded. "Considering the surroundings of Dalanzha, only Ha'er Helin and Ejina tribes have the power to both defend their homeland and send aid to neighboring tribes. Though not large by steppe standards, this force of just under three thousand men is not small either. Most likely, these two tribes received news of Dalanzha being attacked and dispatched their men overnight. Given that our scouts have already encountered some Turkic cavalry, they might have already reached the outskirts of these tribes. We must be cautious in every move now to avoid being detected by the Turks."

Hu Bugui's analysis was sound, and Lin Wanrong nodded in agreement. "Brother Hu, according to your judgment, if we continue in this direction without changing course, when would we encounter these over two thousand Turkic men?"

After counting on his fingers for some time, Hu Bugui spoke cautiously, "It's hard to say. The Turks are unaware of the situation in Dalanzha as well as ours. They would likely proceed with caution. If the two forces were to meet, it would be at the earliest by dusk today, when the sun sets."

"Not many hours left then," Lin Wanrong nodded. "These Turks have moved rather quickly. They could reach Dalanzha by tomorrow morning."

Hu Bugui waved his hand dismissively, smiling. "Traveling day and night is not feasible. Even if the Turks can endure it, the warhorses cannot. The Turkic people have a custom of traveling during the day and resting at night. Even though Turkic horses are swift, such intense activity leads to extreme exhaustion. The grasses of the Alxa Plains are far from sufficient. Every night they must replenish the horses with fodder and water."

Lin Wanrong simply responded with a 'Oh,' his eyes narrowing slightly, lost in thought.

Standing aside, Gao Qiu, having listened to their discussion, couldn't help but laugh. "Dispatching nearly three thousand men in one go? Whichever tribe can afford such a move must have emptied their main camp. Why don't we take this chance to set their camp on fire?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, shaking his head, "Brother Gao, if you think that way, I'm afraid you'll be walking right into their trap."

"Into a trap?" Gao Qiu widened his eyes, "Why?"

Lin Wanrong looked exasperated but before he could speak, Hu Bugui interjected, "Brother Gao, you're underestimating the Turkic people. If we're not wrong, this force of nearly three thousand should be a coalition between Ha'er Helin and Ejina tribes."

"An alliance of tribes?!"

"Exactly," Hu Bugui nodded solemnly. "Think about it, Brother Gao—If you were the chieftain of a Turkic tribe, responsible for protecting your people, yet you also had to send troops to aid others, how many would you dispatch?"

"No more than 30 percent of our force," Gao Qiu asserted.

"Exactly. To send 3,000 cavalrymen to assist Dalanzha, either the Ejina or Ha'er Helin tribes would need a reserve of at least 8,000 to 10,000 able-bodied men. While the Turks are all focused on attacking the Helan Mountain Valley, which tribe could still afford to retain a vast reserve of over 10,000 strong men? It's impossible. Thus, the over 2,000 men must certainly be a joint force from both tribes. And by my estimation, in both Ejina and Ha'er Helin, each camp must still have at least 4,000 barbarian cavalrymen remaining. To defeat them as easily as we did at Dalanzha would not be feasible." Hu Bugui sighed, a hint of helplessness in his tone.

Hearing this analysis, Gao Qiu was enlightened. Indeed, as Hu Bugui said, the Turks were not fools; they wouldn't make the same mistake as they did at Dalanzha twice.

"So, what now? Should we fight or not?" Gao Qiu was visibly troubled, hesitating. Hu Bugui looked at General Lin with the same expectant eyes, awaiting his decision.

Lin Wanrong closed his eyes slightly, lost in thought. From Hu Bugui's analysis, it was clear that either Ejina or Ha'er Helin had a force many times larger than Dalanzha's. If they attacked with their current 5,000 cavalrymen, they would not have an overwhelming advantage. Even if they managed to break the Turkic tribes, their side would suffer heavy losses. And without additional troops, these 5,000 soldiers were their most valuable asset—there were bigger tasks awaiting them. Yet, bypassing these tribes and heading straight for the Turkic capital would also require passing through these lands.

After a long moment of contemplation, Lin Wanrong suddenly brightened, a fierce light flashing in his eyes. With a decisive wave of his hand, he declared, "Fight, of course we will fight! Brother Hu, instruct our brothers up front to heighten their vigilance and report any movement from the incoming Turkic reinforcements."

"Brother Lin, do you mean to say we should first take down these 2,500 men?" Gao Qiu exclaimed, visibly delighted.

Lin Wanrong nodded, his expression stern. Hu Bugui furrowed his brows, "Defeating them may not be that easy. Our victory over Dalanzha last night was due to the Turks being completely unaware, and the encumbrance of women and children made it easy for us to wipe them out. But these over 2,000 Turks are mobile. To silently encircle them would be highly difficult. Should we make the slightest error and they become aware of our presence, they can easily flee. On the vast plains, if the Turks decide to escape, no one can stop them. That's why the chieftains of these two tribes confidently sent them to reinforce Dalanzha."

Hu Bugui's caution was not unfounded, but Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Brother Hu, you are correct. If the Turkic people want to flee, then nobody could stop them. But what if the Turkic people were without horses? Do you think they could still run?"

"Without horses, they'd be like a tiger that’s lost its fangs—naturally, they couldn’t escape. But how could the Turkic people be without horses?" Hu Bugui queried, puzzled.

Lin Wanrong flashed a mysterious smile. "Brother Hu, as you've said, the great Turkic horses can cover a thousand miles in a day. However, their food and water supplies must be assured—"

"Exactly so," Old Hu quickly nodded in agreement.

Lin Wanrong chuckled darkly, patting Gao Qiu on the shoulder. "Very well, very well! It's time for our invincible and courageous Gao Qiu to take action!"

…

After giving out all the necessary instructions, Lin Wanrong finally had time to visit Li Wuling. Yujia was tied to the carriage shaft, acting as a temporary coachman. Her resentment was palpable. When she saw him, she snorted coldly and turned her head away.

"It's time for healing; Divine Healer, please follow me," Lin Wanrong said, smiling as he untied her ropes and stepped into the carriage first. Li Wuling's complexion had visibly improved; his breathing was becoming more even, and his chest wound had started to scab over. Indeed, the medicine provided by Yueya'er had remarkable effects.

When Yujia entered the carriage, Lin Wanrong noticed two purple bruises on her delicate, white hands. "Ah, you're injured? Divine Healer, let me apply some medicine for you."

"There's no need for your concern," Yujia replied, her face cold, as she began examining Li Wuling's injuries. Concerned for Li Wuling's life, Lin Wanrong intently watched Yueya'er's expressions, gauging her reactions.

After checking Li Wuling's pulse, lifting his eyelids, and carefully inspecting his wounds, Yujia shook her head and coldly said, "He's fine."

‘Is that it? Just two words?’ Anxious, Lin Wanrong was about to ask more when Yujia interrupted, "You don't need to ask further. All I can tell you is that his condition is gradually improving. As for when he will wake up, I don't know."

She was a captive, yet also a healer. Frustrated, Lin Wanrong had no choice but to accept this. Fortunately, even if Li Wuling hadn't yet regained consciousness, his improving condition was evident to all. Lin Wanrong firmly believed that one day, Li Wuling would be bouncing around, healthy and alive, in front of everyone.

As he was about to step out of the carriage with Yujia, Yueya'er, who was sitting on the carriage shaft, suddenly spoke, "Bandit, I have a question for you."

"Could you please not give me random nicknames?" Lin Wanrong turned around, visibly irritated. "Isn't it fine to call me by my Turkic name?"

Yujia fixed her eyes on him and gritted her teeth. "Last night, I was clearly sleeping on the grass. How is it that when I woke up this morning, I was lying in your—your—"

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she couldn't finish her sentence. Her eyes were aflame with anger. "What exactly did you do to me?"

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