Ein verlorenes Vermögen kann durch

Kapitel 78

Meng Yuanjing, recalling the time he and Zhu Yu had conspired to be "villains," was well aware of Zhu Yu's feelings for Junyu. However, Zhu Yu was known for his womanizing and immoral conduct, and Meng Yuanjing knew that Junyu would never like him or even glance at him, so he had never taken it to heart. Now, with his family destroyed, his home destroyed, and him exiled to a foreign land, he had become Junyu's sworn enemy, and he couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictability of life.

"You must be very careful when fighting Zhu Yu; he is not easy to deal with."

Junyu recalled Zhu Yu's parting words, "I will never show you any mercy," and was slightly lost in thought, thinking to herself, "Zhu Yu, you'd better really keep your word."

Seeing that she was silent, Meng Yuanjing knew that she was upset, so he shook his head and said, "Although we have been at odds with Zhu Yu since childhood, we never thought that one day we would fight him to the death on the battlefield."

"Sigh, yes, Zhu Yu has had a tough time too."

"He's not having an easy time?" Meng Yuanjing was a little surprised. "This kid is good at seducing and playing with women. He joined the Red Gold Clan and soon became a prince consort with military power. What's so difficult about that? We heard that he is highly regarded by Zhenmutier. I think he's quite proud of himself!"

Junyu chuckled. Meng Yuanjing's words were indeed true, and Zhu Yu's impression was indeed like that, especially after he and his son betrayed the country and were treated well, and he also made military achievements. On the surface, he really seemed to be living a life of wealth and power. But was that really the case?

"Junyu, if we meet on the battlefield again, you mustn't hold back out of old friendships!" Meng Yuanjing's heart sank when he saw her forced smile mixed with sadness. He didn't understand Zhu Yu, but he understood Junyu deeply. Seeing her expression, he couldn't help but worry that she might make the wrong decision when facing her childhood friend, ultimately hurting herself. "Zhu Yu is heartless and ruthless, sometimes more so than anyone else. The extermination of his Zhu family is a deep-seated hatred. As the commander of the Northwest Army, you are his greatest enemy. I'm afraid that even if he wanted to show mercy, he wouldn't be able to if he encountered you. You must be extremely careful."

Junyu nodded: "I know Zhu Yu is not easy to deal with, Yuan Jing, don't worry, I will be careful."

"Yuan Jing, I have another favor to ask of you."

"Go ahead and say it."

Junyu recounted the circumstances of Lin Baoshan's death in battle, and then took out some gold bars and jewelry, which were private rewards from the court that Meng Yuanjing had brought for her during his trip. She kept most of them for military expenses. "Yuanjing," she said, "take these things to Lin Baoshan's family. I hope they can be of some help to them. Please also visit them occasionally when you have time, and make sure they, as orphans and widows, are not bullied."

"Don't worry, I definitely will."

"Thank you, that puts my mind at ease."

***************************************************************************

Chapter 266: On the Eve of Tuosang's Return

As the sun rose on a new day, Meng Yuanjing had already mounted his horse and stood at the city gate, about to embark on his journey back to the capital.

He glanced at Junyu beside him and whispered, "I really don't know when we'll meet again!"

Junyu smiled and said, "We'll always meet again in life, won't we? I'll keep you informed no matter where I am."

He looked at Junyu again and said, "You don't need to see me off."

Junyu gave him a deep look and said, "Okay, take care on your journey."

At this moment, the sky was filled with the glow of dawn. Meng Yuanjing looked at the road ahead and felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. He spurred his horse and the hooves kicked up a high cloud of dust as it disappeared into the distance.

Junyu watched his figure disappear completely before retreating back into the city, sighing inwardly. She feared that the next time they met might truly be a long time coming!

Winter came exceptionally early this year. It was almost late autumn when the first heavy snow fell, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.

Junyu had been back in the Northwest Army for two years. In those two years, they had fought dozens of battles, large and small, against Zhenmutier's Crimson Gold Clan army, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats, resulting in a stalemate. Junyu knew that a significant portion of the Northwest Army was weak and easily frightened, and thus ineffective in battle. Therefore, seeing that Zhenmutier was not in a hurry, he himself was not in a rush to engage in a decisive battle. Instead, he mobilized his old troops, including Lu Ling, Geng Ke, and Bai Ruhui, to join the Northwest Army. Except for Bai Ruhui, who remained at the main camp to train the army, Lu Ling, Geng Ke, and other generals each led large forces to garrison strategic locations in the six northern provinces. Only Dongfang Jiong remained at Phoenix Village to maintain intelligence, while the village's business was entrusted to Mr. Nongying, along with Mo Feiyan and a group of new recruits.

At noon, a fast horse carrying an urgent message arrived at the commander's camp. The messenger hurriedly dismounted and reported to the marshal: "Reporting to the marshal, good news has arrived from the front. Deputy General Liu's garrison at Xintai was attacked by Ejina, the fourth son of Zhenmutier. General Zhou's timely support has already defeated Ejina's 30,000 troops. In addition, General Zhou has also persuaded the garrison commander of Jiannan to surrender and incorporated 10,000 native troops from Jiannan into his army."

Junyu was overjoyed: "Zhou Yida is truly excellent."

Zhang Yuan was overjoyed: "In this way, we can cut off Zhenmutier's ambition to conquer the southwest first."

***************************************************************************

Chapter 267: Preview

Deputy General Liu was none other than Liu Zhiyuan, the former garrison commander of Yushu Town. He was now stationed at Xintai, a strategically important and easily defensible location bordering Sichuan. Zhenmutier planned to first seize the southwest as a supply base before moving on to the Central Plains, with Jiannan and Xintai being his two chosen strongholds. He first bribed the local garrison in Jiannan with large sums of money, aiming to control this formidable location and subsequently the entire Sichuan province. Xintai, however, was guarded by the Northwest Army and could not be won over. Therefore, Zhenmutier sent his fourth son, Ejina, to support Zanghan Chila Khan in his plot to seize the area. Two years prior, Ejina was preparing to secretly lead his army to Yanmen Pass when Junyu, having received intelligence from Tuosang, urgently mobilized a large local force to ambush him. In the ensuing battle, Ejina lost most of his men and fled back.

Junyu dispatched Zhou Yida to capture Jiannan at all costs. Zhou Yida led his troops to Jiannan and besieged it without attacking. After learning of Zhou Yida's attack on Jiannan, Ejina immediately sent a large army to besiege Xintai.

Xintai was besieged and suffered heavy losses. Junyu had no choice but to send Zhou Yida, the nearest general, to its aid. Unexpectedly, Zhou Yida, after receiving the order, kept it a secret and sent an envoy to the residence of the indigenous general at Jiannan Pass, claiming that Ejina had been defeated and besieged and would not come to their aid. The indigenous general, having waited in vain for reinforcements, had no choice but to believe Zhou Yida and surrender. Zhou Yida immediately accepted the traitor and treated their families well, achieving a great victory without bloodshed. He then led his army to Xintai, driving away Ejina and lifting the siege.

Chapter 268: On the Eve of Tuosang's Return (2)

With the recent military situation urgent, Junyu has been wearing her armor for several days without taking it off. Seeing her exhausted face and bloodshot eyes, Zhang Yuan immediately said, "Marshal Jun, why don't you go and rest for a while?"

Junyu smiled and shook his head: "Having heard the good news, I should rest."

Junyu knew all too well the importance of provisions during a protracted conflict between the two armies. Back in Phoenix City, because the land within hundreds of miles of Phoenix Village was fertile, he recruited soldiers to cultivate it. In addition, he widely accepted refugees, and within a few years, the Phoenix Army was already completely self-sufficient. However, farming was difficult in the Northwest. Apart from the Hetao and Qilian Mountains areas in Hexi, where snowmelt irrigated agriculture, other places yielded little harvest.

After returning to the Northwest Army, Junyu considered the issue of self-sufficiency. However, considering the vast, flat grasslands and boundless deserts of the northern battlefield, relying on agriculture would not only be insufficient, but the troops, accustomed to farming, would be no match for the Red Gold Clan's army, capable of traversing thousands of miles in a day. Therefore, after extensive investigation, Junyu focused the army's temporary supplies on the relatively prosperous southwest and the mysterious land rich in livestock, while the Northwest garrison adopted a strategy of cavalry as the main force and infantry as a supplement, and underwent intensive training.

Chapter 269: On the Eve of Tuosang's Return (3)

This summer, the Central Plains suffered a severe drought, especially in the northern provinces where crops failed, livestock died in large numbers, and refugees were everywhere. Meanwhile, Zhenmutier, having conquered dozens of western city-states and seized vast amounts of wealth, provisions, and supplies, now commanded a formidable cavalry force of 300,000 men directly under his command, including the "Great Khan" and his sons. These successive victories greatly boosted morale, and Zhenmutier's primary ambition became to conquer the Central Plains within his lifetime. Therefore, capturing the northwest, guarded by the "Flying General of Phoenix City," and the northeast, guarded by the "Phoenix Army," became his most pressing strategic objectives.

At this time, the Red Gold Clan army was at its peak in terms of military strength, equipment, and morale. Zhenmutier seized the opportunity presented by the great natural disaster in the Central Plains and exclaimed, "Heaven is helping me!" He estimated that the Northwest Army was short of supplies and had already set up his formation, dividing his forces into four routes to deliver a devastating blow to the entire Northwest garrison.

Just then, two more messengers arrived one after the other with urgent messages, bringing news that Zhenmutier's eldest and third sons were leading large armies toward Dahongshan and Baicheng respectively.

The direction of Dahongshan is aimed at Jiayuguan and heading straight for the Northwest Army, while the direction of Baicheng is aiming to conquer the Phoenix Army's headquarters.

Junyu estimated that the victories in Jiannan and Xintai would be insufficient to stop Zhenmutier's offensive. Rather than passively defending, she decided to plan a real decisive battle. The idea for this decisive battle had been brewing in her mind for four or five years.

Zhang Yuan asked with some concern, "Marshal, the army is running low on supplies. When will the imperial rations arrive?"

"According to usual, it will arrive in twenty days."

The combined impact of the looting of supplies and the plague in the army four years ago left a deep impression on me, and I still feel lingering fear when I think about it now.

Junyu knew they were reminded of the robbery and the plague, and smiled, "Yuanjing already sent me the news, so there's no need to panic." Zhang Yuan felt much relieved to hear her confident answer. A little over a year ago, Shi Hongni gave birth to a prince, and both Shi sisters were granted the title of Imperial Concubine, with Shi Hongni even showing signs of becoming Empress. The entire family was extremely favored. At the beginning of this year, Meng Yuanjing entered the cabinet, and although he hadn't officially become Prime Minister, he had effectively seized power.

Junyu stood up and smiled, "Zhang Yuan, immediately convene a meeting of all the army's generals."

Every time Zhang Yuan saw her smile like that, it meant he was about to make a crucial decision. Seeing his commander-in-chief smile like that always filled him with a surge of excitement and boundless pride. So he shouted, "Yes!"

The meeting lasted a full day. By the time the complete battle plan was finalized, it was already evening of the following day.

The generals had already received their orders and left. Junyu slowly walked out of the commander's mansion gate, looked at the white snow covering the world, and a snowflake fell on her thick armor, not melting for a long time.

On the evening of the third day, news suddenly arrived that a small team escorting horses had arrived ahead of them.

Junyu was quite surprised. The imperial court had only sent grain and fodder this time, without any horses. Moreover, even if there were horses, they couldn't be this fast. She immediately went to the grain and fodder stables receiving office herself. When she arrived at the city gate, she saw that the team escorting the horses was all dressed in plain clothes, with only about ten people, but there were more than a thousand horses. If there weren't skilled escorts, she really didn't know how they had managed to deliver them.

When Junyu looked at the leaders, he saw that they were two petite men with delicate features. Upon closer inspection, Junyu couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

***************************************************************************

Chapter 270: The Mysterious Handsome Man (1)

When Junyu looked at the leaders, he saw that they were two petite men with delicate features. Upon closer inspection, Junyu couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

One of them secretly winked at her. Junyu immediately instructed the grain and stables to handle the reception and settlement of the grain escort team, and then said to the two handsome men, "Come with me."

The inner room of the command tent was immediately closed. Under the blazing fire, the two removed their thick outer robes and curiously looked around Junyu's room.

"Feiyan, Manying, what brings you here?"

Zhao Manqing chuckled and said, "Husband, you've been gone for two years. We've all missed you, so we came to see you specially."

It turned out that after Bai Ruhui, Lu Ling, Geng Ke, and others were transferred to the army, all the business in the village was managed by Mr. Nongying, along with Zhao Manqing, Mo Feiyan, and the new recruits they had trained. This time, Zhao and Mo traveled to the Northwest to do business, and because they hadn't seen Junyu for a long time, they made a detour to visit him. Having followed Junyu for many years, and because they missed him dearly, they were always very concerned about the war. Seeing the severe drought in the north and estimating the shortage of military supplies and horses, they simply used their earnings to buy a large number of horses and send them to the army as a "gift" for Junyu.

Junyu sighed, "Two years have passed since I returned to the Northwest Army without even realizing it. Time really flies."

Mo Feiyan looked at her carefully for a few moments: "Junyu, you look more haggard than before. You should also start planning for your future. You can't stay in the military forever."

Seeing that she was about to start rambling about her "life's most important matter" again, Junyu immediately smiled and asked, "Where did you find these horse escorts?"

"The bodyguards we hired were paid by us."

Mo Feiyan said, "Speaking of the hardships we've faced along the way, we really have someone to thank..."

"Oh, who is it?"

"We initially wanted to buy some grain and fodder in Sichuan, but the world is in a bad state right now, and it's not easy to buy a lot of things all at once. We wanted to find Sister Shu first, but she's gone out on business, and we can't find her at all..."

After Junyu returned to the Northwest Camp, Shu Zhenzhen also brought several women from Phoenix Village back to Chengdu to work on Junyu's plan to consolidate Sichuan and ensure the supply of provisions.

"Later, we arrived at the Sichuan-Tibet border and happened to come across a horse auction. There were many customers and the competition was fierce, but the mysterious seller, upon hearing our names, surprisingly sold the horse to us very readily."

"A mysterious seller?"

Manqing's eyes sparkled, her eyebrows dancing with excitement: "Yes, that man was so handsome! His demeanor, his mannerisms, his words and actions were simply indescribable. He was truly an unparalleled beauty... especially his voice, it was like celestial music..."

Junyu chuckled: "Is he mysterious just because he's handsome?"

Chapter 271: The Mysterious Handsome Man (2)

Manqing's eyes sparkled, her eyebrows dancing with excitement: "Yes, that man was so handsome! His demeanor, his mannerisms, his words and actions were simply indescribable. He was truly an unparalleled beauty... especially his voice, it was like celestial music..."

Junyu chuckled: "Is he mysterious just because he's handsome?"

Manqing raised an eyebrow and pouted, "Of course not. This person calls himself 'Young Master Jun,' isn't that mysterious?"

"What's so mysterious about that? There are countless people in the world with the surname Jun, so it's not surprising that there happens to be a handsome man with the surname Jun."

"But this person doesn't call himself 'Young Master Jun,' he says his name is just 'Young Master Jun.' And he wears a blue robe just like you, and he's almost as handsome as you. Don't you find that strange? It doesn't make sense that his name and hobbies are the same as yours, does it?"

Junyu laughed loudly: "My name is Junyu, and his name is 'Young Master Jun.' My name is different from his, isn't it?"

Seeing Manqing excitedly praising the mysterious man's good looks, and unable to get any answers from him, she looked at Mo Feiyan. Mo Feiyan smiled and said, "There are many clients, the competition is fierce. That exceptionally handsome man was initially indifferent and unwilling to sell us horses. However, just as Manqing and I were quietly discussing giving up, his expression changed the moment he heard Manqing call my name..."

"Yes, I called Fei Yan sister very softly, but he still heard me. It seems that his martial arts skills must be very high."

Then, the man immediately arranged a private meeting with them. After glancing at the two women, he immediately stated their full names and backgrounds.

"It's not surprising that he could tell at a glance that we were female companions dressed as men; maybe we weren't very convincing. It's also not surprising that he might have heard me call Sister Fei Yan's name. But Sister Fei Yan has never called my name before, and he still knows. That's really amazing."

One can imagine the astonishment they felt. This handsome stranger, thousands of miles away from Phoenix Village, actually knew their names.

"We're not as famous as you are, young master. How would he know us? And how would he know we're from Phoenix Village?"