Quick Wear: The first person to love the host

Chapter 433 The Substitute Bride Becomes a Reality (34)

This time, it was no longer the probing harassment of the past.

Due to the unusually severe cold this winter, countless livestock on the grasslands froze to death. In order to survive, the various Xiongnu tribes, under the strong integration of the royal court, coalesced into a frenzied torrent, pouring out of their ranks and heading straight for the border!

In just a few days, the battlefield was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

As the commander-in-chief, Qi Jinyu always led the charge, his black armor stained dark red with the blood of his enemies. His longsword transformed into a deadly blade, each swing accompanied by a sharp, piercing sound.

He did not charge blindly, but rather acted like a highly sophisticated war machine, constantly adjusting his formation according to the battle situation. His commands were clear and concise, and were accurately conveyed through his personal guards and flags.

"Left flank, wedge formation, advance fifty paces!"

"Right-wing crossbowmen, fire three volleys to cover the enemy's flank!"

"Central army, hold steady! Spear formation, thrust!"

His voice was frighteningly calm, as if he were not experiencing a life-or-death struggle, but rather engaging in a game of chess.

Only the occasional flash of blood-red cold light deep in his eyes revealed his suppressed anger and the shadows of his past life.

He remembered the location of every enemy unit that was surrounded, and every army that had collapsed due to lack of supplies. In this life, he would never repeat the same mistakes!

Every one of his orders was designed to deplete the enemy's manpower to the maximum extent possible with minimal cost.

The Xiongnu were horrified to discover that this prince of the Xuanxi Dynasty was even more terrifying than they had heard.

He was not only exceptionally brave, but also possessed a terrifying insight into the battlefield. He could always predict their movements, neutralize their seemingly fierce attacks, and even turn the tables and lead them into pre-set traps.

Inside the Xiongnu's main tent.

The eldest prince, Yelü Naidan, smashed the golden cup violently, his face contorted with rage: "That scoundrel Qi Haolian swore he had cut off their supply lines, so why hasn't the Xuanxi Dynasty's army collapsed yet?!"

The strategist Jiang Hu, standing to the side, stroked his beard with his withered fingers and gave a sinister smile: "Even the fiercest beast fears being attacked from both sides. Prince, it's time to move the thorn in their side that we planted."

-

In the rear camp, undercurrents were swirling.

The fighting at the front is intense, and news keeps coming back that the casualty figures are rising.

A sense of unease spread among the soldiers who remained behind and some lower-ranking officers. This was especially true after news of food shortages was deliberately spread, causing a small-scale disturbance.

Late at night, several figures lurked furtively in the shadows beside the supply depot.

The leader was a burly captain named Wang Biao. He whispered to several uneasy junior officers around him, trying to incite a mutiny.

"Brothers, have you heard? The granaries are empty! Qi Jinyu is playing the hero at the front, but we brothers in the rear can't even get thin porridge!"

Another person chimed in, his voice deliberately incited: "Exactly! I think that Su Ziyu, a scholar who can't even kill a chicken, only sits in that position because he's the prince's bedmate. What does he know about military campaigns? He's probably already in disarray! He doesn't care about our lives at all."

Three days later, at dawn, Wang Biao led a group of officers and soldiers, whose emotions had been stirred up, straight into the central command tent and surrounded Su Ziyu.

"Mr. Su, please give us an explanation!" Wang Biao feigned indignation, but his eyes flickered uncertainly. "We can't let everyone starve to death! If you're incompetent, you should step down to someone more capable!"

Su Ziyu, wearing Qi Jinyu's large black cloak, looked even more handsome and pale.

He listened quietly to all the clamor and doubts, his gaze calmly sweeping over several notorious and restless mid-level officers before finally settling on Wang Biao's face, which was contorted with excitement.

“Captain Wang,” his voice was as soft as falling snow, yet it brought an abrupt silence to the noisy tent, “you are right.”

Everyone was stunned.

Su Ziyu slowly rose, the hem of her cloak brushing the ground, her slender fingers pointing at Wang Biao: "It's true that we shouldn't have set off on an empty stomach, but that doesn't include you."

His tone suddenly turned stern, cold as ice: "Disrupting morale is a crime punishable by death. Execute!"

"you dare--"

Wang Biao's exclamation was stuck in his throat when the two guards standing behind Su Ziyu like shadows suddenly attacked!

The blade flashed like lightning, and a head filled with shock and resentment rolled to the ground, warm blood splattering onto the tent and the boots of the surrounding officers—a horrifying sight.

The whole process was so fast that it took everyone a while to react.

The tent was deathly silent, save for the heavy, nauseating stench of blood and the chattering of the surviving officers. They were pale, trembling like leaves, and almost collapsed to the ground.

They had been on the battlefield and killed people, but that didn't stop them from being afraid of death, especially someone like Su Ziyu, who would kill without hesitation and give no chance to react.

Su Ziyu's gaze swept over the rapidly expanding pool of dark red on the ground and the headless corpse lying there on its own. Her voice was completely flat, chillingly cold:

"Drag him out and hang his head at the camp gate as a warning to all."

"Now, get back to your posts. Anyone who dares to make irresponsible remarks about the war situation or undermine morale will be treated the same way! Now, return to your camps and discipline your subordinates. If any further chaos ensues, you will be held accountable!"

The crowd felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they scrambled out of the suffocating central command tent, barely having the courage to look at the corpse again.

The curtains were drawn, shutting out all outside sounds.

After the last guard dragged away Wang Biao's body and quietly withdrew, firmly guarding the tent entrance, only Su Ziyu remained in the vast space.

His spine, which had been ramrod straight, seemed to have all its strength drained away in an instant, and he swayed slightly. He abruptly reached out and braced himself against the cold desk, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

Su Zi slowly closed her eyes, trying to calm the burning sensation in her chest caused by vomiting and the lingering nausea.

However, as soon as I closed my eyes, the image of Wang Biao's head rolling off and blood splattering was superimposed and intertwined with the thick, overwhelming smell of blood.

"Uh..." A barely suppressed, extremely slight retching sound escaped from his throat.

Even more acute than the physical discomfort is the sudden collapse of the soft spot in my heart, from which a river called "heartache" flows.

Since arriving in ancient times, he and Qi Jinyu had survived numerous assassination attempts and thought they were used to life and death. But now, having only given the order and witnessed an execution, he felt utterly inadequate.

What about his Jinyu?

He was at the heart of a hellish battlefield, always charging ahead, personally killing hundreds or even thousands of enemies. Beneath that cold armor, those hands that once wiped away his tears and dried fruit for him, are now stained with countless sticky, warm bloodstains.

I dare not imagine the torment Qi Jinyu endured with each swing of his sword. What turbulent emotions and shadows lay beneath his calm exterior?

Su Ziyu stretched out her slightly trembling hand and tightly gripped the collar of the black cloak she was wearing, burying her face in it and breathing greedily and forcefully.

There seemed to be a trace of Qi Jinyu's unique aura still lingering on the cloak, but this aura was now covered and entangled by the imagined heavy smell of blood.

"Jinyu..." A very soft call, filled with indescribable pain and worry, escaped from his pale lips and disappeared into the empty and cold tent.