Ich verkaufe meine Kleidung und kaufe etwas Wein, den ich mit dir trinken kann

Kapitel 53

General Zong, though nearly seventy years old, was still vigorous and led from the front. He led a group of more than twenty riders, traveling day and night, galloping at breakneck speed—wishing they could sprout wings and fly to Cizhou. Because of the inconvenient transportation at that time, information was also scarce. We had no way of knowing about the battles at the front.

In the North, November is already a time of biting winds and frost, with everything barren and covered in a blanket of white snow—a world draped in silver. After five days of rapid travel, my strength had drastically declined, making it impossible to keep up with them. Finally, during another rest stop, I proposed to General Zong that they proceed ahead while I followed.

Zong Ze hadn't been particularly fond of my following them, and he was somewhat displeased that my presence had delayed their journey—he only refrained from giving me a hard time because of Zhao Gou's influence. Now that I had taken the initiative to make this request, he was naturally happy to oblige.

At this moment, Ah Dai showed his absolute loyalty to me—after all, he wasn't originally one of Zong Ze's men, and I was happy to have someone to talk to.

The cold winter sun shone on the thick snow, refracting a rainbow of colors. The biting frosty wind stung my face like a knife. I trembled slightly, utterly exhausted, and involuntarily leaned against the horse's back, trying to draw a pitiful bit of warmth from the ornate saddle.

Ah-Dai had been silently watching me from behind—I could feel the intensity of his burning gaze fixed on me—perhaps, in his eyes, I was a strange guy, so he had been studying me?

Seeing me kneel on my horse, he spurred his horse up behind me. Ignoring my surprised cry, he grabbed the reins with one hand and, with the other, lifted me like an eagle snatching a chick, pulling me to his chest—since leaving the palace, he'd grown increasingly audacious, no longer treating me like a master—I was never meant to be one. However, that silent concern, that warm embrace, almost moved me to tears—how long had it been since anyone had cared for me like that?!

I have no idea how skilled Ah-Dai was in martial arts. But his horsemanship was absolutely impeccable—leaning against him, I drifted off to sleep to the rhythmic clatter of the horse's hooves. For some reason, Ah-Dai's ugly appearance and silent nature eased my initial wariness and gave me a strange sense of peace—as if I had known him for a very, very long time.

Suddenly, a loud crash startled me awake. I opened my eyes and saw a tall birch tree had fallen from the roadside, lying directly in front of us. Startled, Ah-Dai's yellow horse neighed and suddenly reared up. Ah-Dai held me tightly around the waist with one hand and gently pulled the reins with the other. The horse neighed a few times, then lowered its hind legs and stopped in front of the fallen tree.

"Hey! Pretty boy, you can't ride a horse anyway, isn't it a waste to give you such a fine steed? Why don't you let us brothers have it!" Four strong young men jumped out of the woods, one of them, the darkest-skinned, said this—it was truly laughable that they had encountered bandits here. However, they seemed to lack the ruthlessness that bandits should have.

"Before robbing them, shouldn't you at least say something like 'This tree is mine, this road is mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll'? You think you can rob them so easily? You're so irresponsible!" I couldn't help but laugh at them—anyway, with Ah Dai as my super bodyguard, I don't even care about four petty thieves.

"What did you say? We're not thieves!" The dark-faced young man was burly and clearly the kind of guy who was all talk and no action. He put his hands on his hips and glared at me angrily. "We're thinking of going to Cizhou to join the army, and we're short one horse. You don't need it anyway, so giving us one wouldn't be unreasonable!"

"Tang Huai! Don't waste your breath on him! Just rob it first! When Brother Yue comes, we'll be in trouble!" another short, stout youth shouted impatiently. As he shouted, two other youths pounced on the unmanned mount.

Ah-Dai, holding me in his right arm, leaped lightly into the air. He slammed his left palm against the ground repeatedly, instantly creating a fierce wind, and the snow fell like a waterfall, rushing towards the four youths.

The short, stout one reacted with lightning speed, somersaulting backwards. His face flushed red, he grabbed a stick from the roadside and charged again. Tang Huai wasn't so lucky; being at the front, he took the brunt of the attack, the powerful gust of wind sending him flying into the woods. Ah Dai, however, remained calm, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, leading me weaving left and right, moving with ease among the four of them.

I frowned in deep thought, then suddenly snapped out of it and yelled, "Stop! You idiot, stop! I have something to say!"—Tang Huai! Isn't he the childhood friend mentioned in the Legend of Yue Fei?! That fat guy just mentioned Brother Yue, I can't believe I didn't think of him! Really!

Ah Dai didn't understand, but he still obediently leaped out of the battle circle, withdrew his palm, and stood tall with me a few feet away, his expression arrogant and disdainful of the heroes—sweeping away his usual reserved and wooden demeanor.

"You're Tang Huai, right? Is the Brother Yue that Fatty mentioned just now Yue Fei, Yue Pengju?!" I excitedly broke free from Ah Dai's hand and rushed to Tang Huai's side.

"Who are you? How do you know me?" Tang Huai stared at me blankly.

"Idiot, he doesn't know you, he knows Brother Yue!" Another handsome young man tapped Tang Huai on the head and looked at him with disdain.

"My name is Ye Qingyang, and Yue Fei is my sworn brother!" I returned his gaze with a beaming smile. "This time, it's truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple; we're family members who don't recognize each other!"

"So you're Ye Qingyang!" The short, stout man squinted at me. "I heard from Brother Yue that he swore brotherhood with two people. I thought they were some important figures. Turns out..." The rest was obvious—how could Yue Fei have a sworn brother who was completely defenseless? How embarrassing!

Tang Huai walked up to Adai, his face full of admiration. "Wow! This brother is incredibly skilled! He actually fought to a draw with the Five Tigers of Tangyin using only one hand! What's your name? Why aren't you saying anything?!"—Hehe, what a straightforward and adorable guy!

Calling it a draw is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? They were completely calm and collected, while you guys were practically begging for your lives! However, for Brother Yue's sake, I won't embarrass them. "This guy is called Ah Dai, he's my friend. He's mute, he can't speak." — I don't think being mute is anything shameful, so I said it very naturally.

"Wang Gui, Tang Huai, Zhang Xian, Zhou Jun, what are you doing? Come and see who's here!" A familiar voice came from afar—it was Yue Fei! And here he was!

"Second Brother!" I excitedly stood on tiptoe and waved vigorously—afraid that Yue Fei wouldn't see me—but why was there such a familiar-looking person among the two old men walking with him?!

"Third Brother!" "Young Master Ye?!" Two voices rang out in surprise at the same time.

"Uncle-Master, do you know my third brother?" Yue Fei looked at the elderly man of about fifty years old who was traveling with him with a surprised expression—Zhou Tianyao, the steward.

Zhou Tianyao was visibly excited. "Young Master Ye, what are you doing here? Our young master has been looking for you everywhere, didn't you know?!"

"Uncle Zhou," I greeted casually—what bad luck! Why do I keep running into that person's relatives everywhere I go? I can't avoid them!

"Fei'er, who is this young master...?" The old man beside Yue Fei had white hair and beard, a ruddy complexion, a tall stature, and a radiant spirit.

"Master, this is my sworn brother Ye Qingyang, whom I swore brotherhood with a month ago. Third brother, this is my master..." Yue Fei hurriedly introduced them to us.

"I know, he's Zhou Tong, the Iron-Armed Hero from Shaanxi!" I blurted out. "Old Hero Zhou is truly vigorous and dashing in his old age!"

After a flurry of activity, I finally figured out that the four men who had stolen our horses were Tang Huai (the dark-faced one), Zhou Jun (the short, stout one), Zhang Xian (the handsome one), and Wang Gui (the refined one). Together with Yue Fei, the five were known as the Five Tiger Generals of Tangyin. Zhou Tianyao turned out to be Zhou Tong's cousin, who was just passing through and had come to visit Zhou Tong—a perfect coincidence!

Not long after Yue Fei returned to Taiyuan to report for duty, he offended Liu Guangshi, the military governor of Pingding Army in Hedong Road, and had no choice but to resign and return to his hometown in anger. Recently, hearing that the Jin army was invading the border, he invited several friends to join him in defending Cizhou. Just before their departure, Zhou Tianyao came to visit, which delayed their meeting. Meanwhile, Wang Gui saw me and Ah Dai riding two fine horses into the village from afar on the hilltop and immediately set his sights on them, which led to the fight just now.

"Second Brother, are you planning to go to Cizhou? We're going there too, and the current garrison commander is the veteran Zong Ze. Why don't we travel together?" I suggested enthusiastically—ideally, we should leave immediately and shake off Zhou Tianyao.

“Oh, the new garrison commander of Cizhou is Zong Ze? That’s perfect. I’ve served in the same court for many years and we’re very close friends. How about I write a letter and introduce you to him?” Zhou Tong said with a smile.

"Young people are so enthusiastic about the country, even though I, Zhou Tianyao, am an old man in my fifties, I must also make a trip to Cizhou today!" Zhou Tianyao seemed completely unaware of my intentions, and actually offered to accompany me?!

So, what was originally just Ah-Dai and me suddenly became a group of six, making it eight people heading to Cizhou in a grand procession!

I had no choice but to glare angrily at Zhou Tianyao with a long face—If you want to go, then go, but please don't try anything funny!

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Zhou Tong (c. 1040-1119) was a martial arts master in the late Northern Song and early Southern Song dynasties, known as "Iron-Armed Zhou Tong, the Great Hero of Shaanxi"[1]. In the novel "The Complete Biography of Yue Fei", it is said that he was the martial arts teacher of Yue Fei, a general of the Southern Song Dynasty. Before he took Yue Fei as his disciple, he had several disciples who were characters in "Water Margin": his eldest disciple was Lu Junyi, the second-in-command of Liangshan Marsh, known as "Jade Kirin"; his second disciple was Lin Chong, the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, known as "Leopard Head" (the position of instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards was previously held by Zhou Tong and passed on to Lin Chong); his third disciple was Shi Wengong, the instructor of Zengtou City who shot and killed Chao Gai; there is also a saying that "The Pilgrim" Wu Song was Zhou Tong's unofficial disciple. -- Baidu Tieba This book was first published by Xiaoxiang Novel Original Network. Please retain this information when reprinting!

[Volume 3: War and Chaos - Chapter 16: The Lonely City at Sunset]

Amidst towering mountains and vast snow-covered plains, a solitary city stands far away. The frosty wind carries the faint, mournful sound of a reed flute. As twilight deepens, the setting sun casts a soft golden glow upon the lonely city. A sense of solemnity emerges from its desolation, and a quiet reverence emanates from its solitude.

I quietly gestured for Ah Dai to halt the horse, and silently gazed up at this ancient city: Cizhou—located at the crossroads of Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, bordered by the Taihang Mountains to the west and plains to the east. It was a crucial passage to the northern border, a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times. For me, patriotism was originally a very abstract concept. I never imagined that one day I would dedicate my youth and passion to it!

Upon entering the city and meeting Zong Ze, I presented him with Zhou Tong's letter. Yue Erge and Tang Huai were quickly assigned to the camp for intensive training. My position, however, became clearly awkward—I was a commoner, neither a retainer nor a staff member. I was neither skilled in martial arts nor adept at strategy. Out of respect for Zhao Gou, he couldn't dismiss me… Seeing his predicament, I offered to stay at an inn, thus solving a problem for him.

Sigh! No wonder people say, "You only realize how little you know when you need it!" If I had known I would one day travel to ancient times and experience war firsthand, I would have at least read a few of those military books, no matter how boring they were—or at the very least, spent days and nights browsing military websites to come up with some ideas! Even just spouting a few military terms to intimidate those ancient people would be good! It would be better than being completely clueless and annoying right now—I really don't know what I was thinking, insisting on going to the battlefield!

The only information we know now is that in October, the Jin army's eastern route marshal led troops from Pingzhou to attack Yanshan Prefecture. Han Minyi, the Song general defending Yizhou, opened the city gates and surrendered to the enemy. Wanyan Zongwang (Walibu) advanced with unstoppable momentum, leading the Jin army straight to Miyun and Gubeikou. Yanshan Prefecture was already in grave danger. By the time we arrived, Yanshan would probably have already fallen into the hands of the Jin army.

I stood alone by the window, burning with worry but helpless. The only way I could relieve my anxiety was by pacing back and forth.

"Young Master Ye, may I come in?" Zhou Tianyao asked tentatively from outside the door.