CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 43 DARK NIGHT_1

From the news of the King’s army appearing nearby in the early morning, the citizens and aristocrats in Chuzhou had been eagerly awaiting the outcome. After the main force of the Earl of North Border’s army departed the city, everyone craned their necks like giraffes, anxious to see which army, under which banner, would return.

Perhaps, for the ordinary people, their lives wouldn’t be significantly affected because the Yan people were different from the barbarians, who were rumored to be fond of killing and cannibalism. The Yan people would even distribute grain—a lot of it. The common people are quite simple-minded: if you treat me well, I’ll feel good about you, regardless of whether this is a pacification policy or mere showmanship.

However, for the nobles and officials in Chuzhou, the impact would be much greater. If things went wrong, their lives and fortunes could be forfeit.

Finally, before everyone’s neck snapped from the strain, a troop returned.

When they saw the knights on warhorses marching into the city, a wave of dejection began to slowly spread throughout Chuzhou. Accompanied by the hoofbeats of the Earl of North Border’s knights, it was as if everything was being relentlessly trampled into an abyss.

The blind man stood by the roadside; behind him was Yuexin, whom he had just brought from the Wen Family. Yuexin still supported the blind man’s arm; she truly treated him as if he were blind.

When the Earl of North Border’s knights passed them, the blind man clearly felt the woman beside him begin to tremble slightly. Even the most astute woman would naturally feel fear when facing these Tiger Guards, fresh from the battlefield. This was, after all, the army of an enemy country.

On the armor of the Earl of North Border’s knights, remnants of uncleaned blood still lingered. Nearly every saddle had a severed head hanging beside it. Heads were a symbol of military achievement, a ’barbaric custom’ passed down from primitive times, yet it persisted. Because war, by its very nature, is not a civilized affair.

The reek of blood began to permeate the air, and an immense, terrifying pressure once again bore down upon the entirety of Chuzhou.

Those imposing knights, those gruesome heads, and those war flags of the Qian army—all spoke of the battle’s outcome.

The King’s army, the Qian army, had lost!

The Qian people in Chuzhou didn’t know that this particular Qian army had merely been passing through. They naturally assumed that the King’s army had been dispatched by the imperial court, by the Emperor himself, to recapture Chuzhou.

The King’s army had arrived—or rather, the heads from the King’s army had arrived, hung on saddles, and their flags were dragged on the ground like great street-sweeping brooms. Even the common folk, who knew nothing of military matters, could clearly see that the Qian army had suffered a devastating defeat.

The Yan Army seemed to have merely strolled out of the city, engaged in a hunt, and returned laden with spoils.

The clatter of hooves continued to strike the blue-brick street, each sound like a heavy hammer blow upon the hearts of everyone in the city. A belief, an emotion, something simple and innate, was being torn apart, piece by piece.

The blind man reached out and patted the woman’s hand. "Don’t be afraid."

The woman bit her lip lightly. "I’m not afraid."

She was afraid, but her fear wasn’t overly complicated because, strictly speaking, she was already half a Yan person.

At this time, Zheng Fan passed by on horseback. He noticed the blind man, who had clearly long since noticed his lord. Liang Cheng also saw the blind man and then the woman supporting his arm. The two of them stopped, riding their horses over to the street corner in front of the blind man.

"Kneel and call him Master," the blind man instructed Yuexin.

The woman obediently knelt on the street before Zheng Fan. She was very clever; seeing Liang Cheng positioned behind Zheng Fan, she instantly discerned who her husband’s true master was.

"Master." Yuexin’s voice was clear and crisp.

Zheng Fan looked utterly bewildered. "What’s going on?" he asked.

"By My lord’s grace, your subordinate has just taken a wife."

Er... I go off to fight one battle, and you’ve already married and brought your wife home?

Although many questions still swirled in his mind, the young lady had already kowtowed and paid her respects. As her lord, Zheng Fan naturally couldn’t offer nothing in return. He reached into his robes, took out a jade pendant, and, bending down, offered it to the woman kneeling beside his horse. "A welcoming gift. Please don’t consider it beneath you."

Yuexin raised her head and accepted the jade pendant. Coming from a prominent family, she was well-versed in such things. Upon seeing the pendant, a hint of surprise flickered across her face.

"What, you recognize this jade?" Zheng Fan’s tone was probing. In truth, he didn’t recognize it himself.

"Replying to Master, this is East Sea Azure. It’s said to be chanced upon only occasionally on the islands of the East Sea; it is rare and precious. Such a large piece of East Sea Azure, I... I..." Yuexin had initially wanted to say it was too valuable to accept, but after a moment’s hesitation, she continued, "Thank you for Master’s reward."

"If it’s given to you, then keep it."

Zu Dongcheng’s personal jade pendant—how could it be an ordinary item? The Zu family’s army was practically a power unto itself in the East Sea, like a lesser King of the East Sea. Not every warlord was as frugal as the Earl of North Border, who was said to begrudge even eating meat regularly. Of course, no matter how valuable this item was, Zheng Fan wouldn’t feel any regret giving it away. Chief Zheng possessed at least that much magnanimity.

"My lord, did we win?" the blind man asked a nonsense question.

Liang Cheng spoke: "A great victory. Over 20,000 heads were taken, and My lord even captured their commander, the eldest son of the Zu family."

"My lord is mighty!"