The blizzard continued unabated. Fine snowflakes fluttered down, pattering against the oil-papered windows, playing a cold yet simple and pure melody of winter.
In the past few days, Qin Huaiqiu had been anything but idle.
Everyone in the military camp knew that once this snow stopped, it would be the moment for the great battle to commence.
Yutian City was the closest to Zhu City. Starting from Yutian and traveling five li westward, one would reach the soon-to-be-frozen Ji River. After crossing the Ji River and going another ten li west, one would arrive at Zhu City.
Qin Huaiqiu had almost constantly sent people to keep an eye on the situation of the Ji River. He also secretly arranged multiple firearm emplacements along the riverbed, just in case.
Meanwhile, if the Ji River froze over, the road from Yutian to Zhu City was mostly flat terrain, offering little room for concealment and ambush. So Qin Huaiqiu simply summoned Nie Rong and Qin Lan, ordering them to each lead a troop. They were to march through the snow and cut directly into the rear of Zhu City from the northwest and southwest directions.
Marching in the snow was actually a major taboo in military strategy.
Not to mention the numerous difficulties of marching in the snow, just the challenge of finding the right path in the snow could easily lead to the complete annihilation of an army. Moreover, there were risks such as traveling in sub-zero temperatures and the potential for the ice underfoot to break. However, according to the intelligence from the scouts, Zhu City covered a vast area and housed almost all the main forces of the allied enemy troops. Winter warfare emphasized speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. There was no time to delay; the longer it dragged on, the more casualties there would be.
After considering various factors, Qin Huaiqiu made this risky decision. Qin Lan and Nie Rong, who were extremely familiar with the area of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West, led their troops out one after another.
Although Qin Huaiqiu's decision seemed crazy, if it succeeded, it could deal a heavy blow to the enemy alliance. Sikong Ting naturally understood this. So when Qin Huaiqiu proposed this tactic in front of all the generals, the other generals all opposed it. Only Sikong Ting sat in his seat, silent for a long time.
Qin Huaiqiu overruled all objections and finally finalized the matter with Sikong Ting's approval.
Wan Chengyan observed the celestial phenomena at night and calculated the right time. Then Qin Huaiqiu shut himself up in the military camp with Qin Lan and Nie Rong for a whole day, discussing almost all the details and estimated risks. After the discussion, Qin Lan and Nie Rong set out that very night, braving the blizzard.
"They will be camping in the snow for three days," Wan Chengyan walked up to Qin Huaiqiu and said softly. "General Qin, please forgive my blunt words. If you can't send out an effective signal two days after the snow stops, the casualties of General Qin Lan's and General Nie Rong's troops will increase rapidly."
Qin Huaiqiu looked at him, his eyes firm and resolute. "I understand."
"You've left 50,000 troops for the emperor. According to your plan, he will continue to garrison in Yutian City. But..." Wan Chengyan was a smart man. He had immediately noticed the affection between Sikong Ting and Qin Huaiqiu. Although he had been shocked for a long time, since it was a royal secret and a subject should not give advice on such matters, he had concealed his emotions and remained calm.
"... Will the emperor agree?" Wan Chengyan thought for a while and asked tentatively. "Do you plan to tell the emperor about it?"
Qin Huaiqiu paused for a moment. His expression froze slightly. "I definitely have to tell the emperor. Let me go and talk to him."
Wan Chengyan glanced at Qin Huaiqiu and nodded. "The emperor is very worried about you. So I think, General, you can first reassure him. Let him know that you are very confident this time or..." Wan Chengyan lowered his voice. "Don't tell him your real decision."
Qin Huaiqiu glanced at him and suddenly laughed. "It seems that Commander Wan has great faith in me?"
Wan Chengyan coughed. "General Qin often takes risks to achieve victory. Naturally, I will do my best. And this snow will stop tonight. If nothing unexpected happens, this battle will be a success."
"What if something unexpected happens?" Qin Huaiqiu asked.
Wan Chengyan raised his eyebrows and said meaningfully, "Hasn't General Qin already thought of a countermeasure? Otherwise, why did you specifically summon General Qin Lan and General Nie Rong?"
"Hahaha!" Qin Huaiqiu suddenly burst out laughing. "Commander Wan, after this battle, I don't want you to go back to Wu Qiuyang. With your talent as a general, you're better off following me than following Wu Qiuyang."
Wan Chengyan smiled and bowed. "Thank you for your appreciation, General."
Qin Huaiqiu stopped smiling and asked, "How is Feng Zuo now?"
Wan Chengyan was taken aback. "He's still in a coma, but his condition has stabilized."
"He has a straightforward personality. This is both his strength and his weakness. When he wakes up, deprive him of his general position and make him your deputy. Commander Wan, you'll have to spend more time teaching him," Qin Huaiqiu said.
Wan Chengyan was stunned. A few drops of sweat trickled down his forehead. "This... General Feng Zuo may not be very willing."
"This is to teach him a lesson," Qin Huaiqiu said. "In war, there's no shortage of deception. With his personality, he'll suffer a lot of setbacks. This time he lost Gengnan. Commander Wan, you should think about how to stop him from committing suicide to atone for his sins when he wakes up."
Wan Chengyan nodded and clasped his fists. "I understand. I will surely live up to the general's trust."
Qin Huaiqiu gave him an appreciative look and then turned to walk towards the mansion.
This was the Qin family's mansion in Yutian City. It had previously been used by Qin Feng as a military command post, and now Qin Huaiqiu was also staying here temporarily. As he walked in from the main gate, he felt as if he could see Qin Feng's figure everywhere.
He didn't know how long he had walked when he suddenly stopped. He stood outside the house, as still as a statue, facing the closed door with his head down, silent.
He didn't know how much time had passed. By the time a little snow had accumulated on Qin Huaiqiu's shoulders, a soft sigh suddenly came from inside the house. Sikong Ting opened the door. Leaning against the door, he looked at Qin Huaiqiu for a while, then walked out into the snow and stood facing him.
The white snowflakes fell on their shoulders. They looked at each other in silence. Sikong Ting reached out his hand to brush the snow off Qin Huaiqiu's shoulders and hair, then pulled him into his arms.
Wan Chengyan was right. Maybe Qin Huaiqiu should have concealed his battle plan, and maybe he should have reassured Sikong Ting. But Qin Huaiqiu knew that he couldn't hide anything from Sikong Ting, and he didn't want to lie to him either.
So he remained silent, saying nothing. But even so, Sikong Ting would know. Because the strength with which he was holding Qin Huaiqiu was so great that it was as if he wanted to crush him and meld him into his body.
"Have you already discussed the battle plan?" Sikong Ting whispered in his ear.
"Yeah," Qin Huaiqiu wrapped his arms around him and gently stroked his shoulders.
"Is it dangerous?" Sikong Ting asked again.
"Don't worry," Qin Huaiqiu said. "With Qin Lan and Nie Rong helping me, there won't be any problems."
Although he said so, in order to ensure a rapid deployment of troops and reduce the duration of the battle, he had chosen the riskiest plan. Although he had tried his best to deduce all possible situations, man's plans were often no match for God's. No one knew what would really happen.
"Let's go inside," Qin Huaiqiu patted his shoulder, withdrew from his embrace, and pulled Sikong Ting's hand to walk into the house.
He gently closed the door, shutting out the wind, snow, and frost outside.
There was a heating stove in the house. The warm air rushed towards them, making his heart flutter. With his back to Sikong Ting, he slowly took off his armor and said as he did so, "I plan to lead the troops to attack first after the snow stops. You should keep your troops in Yutian City and wait for my signal before sending them out."
Sikong Ting stood behind him. Hearing this, he immediately frowned. "What? I won't allow it. I want to go with you!"
"Sigh..." He knew Sikong Ting would say this.
"Without knowing the enemy's situation, if we mobilize all our troops at once, and if the enemy alliance has some preparations, it will be difficult to coordinate the large army, and the casualties will increase further," Qin Huaiqiu took off his armor and felt much lighter. He continued, "Asking you to wait in Yutian City doesn't mean leaving you alone. If something happens to me, you're my only hope, Sikong Ting."
Sikong Ting was taken aback.
Qin Huaiqiu gave a bitter smile and walked in front of Sikong Ting. He held Sikong Ting's face with both hands and said, "Do you remember what I told you before?"
Sikong Ting looked blank. He seemed to suddenly remember something. His body suddenly trembled, and his eyes were suddenly filled with a hint of pain.
Qin Huaiqiu smiled faintly and whispered, "I once said that you're the emperor of a country, and your life is the sky of Dacheng."
Suddenly, it seemed as if the wind was howling in his ears. The surrounding scenery changed rapidly. The warm house around them disappeared in an instant. Trees grew wildly around them. The narrow and cramped mountain cliff fissure suddenly rose from beside Sikong Ting. In a daze, he was once again stuck in the rock fissure of Fengquan Hot Spring. Once again, he saw Qin Huaiqiu, who was still dressed in women's clothing at that time—
"Sikong Ting! You're the emperor of a country! Your life is the sky of Dacheng. If something happens to you, what about the country? What about the people? Have you ever thought about that!"
Sikong Ting choked with emotion. In an instant, his whole body stiffened, and he couldn't say a word.
In a flash, time had passed in a hurry, but that scene was still vivid in his mind, making it hard for him to forget.
Qin Huaiqiu whispered, "Now... you're also my sky."
He slowly untied his waistband. The black-golden waistband fell to the ground with a "thud." Without the restraint of the waistband, his long robe immediately became loose. Qin Huaiqiu lowered his eyes. His long eyelashes covered his bright eyes. He slowly reached out his hand and took off his outer robe. Then, he reached out to untie the buttons of his undergarment, revealing his lean and fair chest.
"Sikong Ting," Qin Huaiqiu slowly raised his eyes. His eyes were filled with moisture. Long-term suppression and pain were intertwined in his eyes. The uncertain fates of Qin Feng and Qin Huailian had almost whipped Qin Huaiqiu's soul to pieces. He was like a man desperately in need of comfort. He shed his tough and calm exterior and showed the most vulnerable part of his heart without any disguise to the person he loved the most.
He needed him. It seemed as if ten thousand voices were whispering in Sikong Ting's ear. The eyes of the man in front of him stared intently at him. His pink lips suddenly opened and closed. "Hold me."