GSY Chapter37

“General, the people have been resettled.” The deputy general reported respectfully.

 

Cen Yi looked at the mountains in the distance. The morning sun was rising, the sky was getting whiter in the east, and the bleak grass and trees were covered with white frost, exuding a desolate coldness. This reminded Cen Yi of the day when his little uncle died. Cen Xi was severely injured by Xuan Ge, his lungs were injured. He was sick for half a month and died before the plum blossoms in the yard bloomed.

 

Cen Xi coughed all night that night, and the blood he vomited was black. No matter how hard he and Cen Yelan tried to wipe it off, they couldn’t get it clean.

 

From childhood to adulthood, Cen Xi was like a god in Cen Yi’s eyes. He was not only the god of war in the north but also the god in his heart. He was invincible and would never fall.

 

But his god is now dying and in great pain.

 

Ten years later, when Cen Yi thought of it again, he still felt a sharp pain in his heart.

 

Later, Cen Xi suddenly woke up, as if he had a flash of light. He opened his eyes, looked at Cen Yi, and said in a hoarse voice, “Yi’er, why are you crying?”

 

Cen Yi choked up, “Little Uncle… don’t leave.”

 

Cen Xi smiled with difficulty, raised his hand, and touched Cen Yi’s cheek, and tried to wipe his tears with his cold fingers, “You are already a general, why are you still like a child?”

 

Cen Yi was in great pain, tears streaming down his face. Cen Xi sighed softly and turned his gaze to Cen Yelan, who was standing beside the bed. The youth was always reserved, but his eyes were red, as if he was enduring great sorrow.

 

Cen Xi said, “Yi’er, go out first. I have something to say to Ah Lan.”

 

Cen Yi was stunned, tears hanging from his eyelashes, and he looked at Cen Xi helplessly, “… Little Uncle.”

 

Cen Xi closed his eyes and said, “Be obedient.”

 

Cen Yi looked back at Cen Yelan, pursed his lips, stood up, and slowly left the room. When he closed the door, Cen Yelan was already kneeling beside the bed, and Cen Xi’s thin and pale hand was on Cen Yelan’s shoulder.

 

Cen Yi stood outside the door. In the yard, there were only an military physician, Gu Baiyou, his apprentice, and a few servants. He was with these outsiders. It was still dark, and the winter night’s cold wind was extremely bone-chilling, sobbing and hanging, making people feel depressed.

 

Cen Yi blankly looked at the red blossom trees in the yard, feeling cold all over. He had followed Cen Xi since he was very young. When his father died in the war, Cen Yi was only five years old. He grabbed Cen Xi’s robe and asked him, “Little Uncle, where is Father?”

 

Cen Xi was dressed in mourning, squatted down, gently held his hand, and said, ‘Yi’er, your father has left, he went to a very far place. Can your Little Uncle accompany you in the future?’

 

Cen Yi didn’t understand and said, ‘Father won’t come back?’

 

Cen Xi’s eyes were slightly red, and his voice was a little hoarse. He said, ‘He won’t come back anymore. We will be the only ones left in the future…’

 

Cen Yi opened his eyes wide, but he was able to keenly feel Cen Xi’s sadness. He panicked, raised his hands and hugged Cen Xi in his small arms, and said, ‘Little Uncle, don’t be sad. Yi’er won’t ask any more questions. Yi’er will stay with Little Uncle’

 

After so many years, Cen Yi thought, His little uncle was also going to abandon him.

 

But the person his little uncle wanted to see most before he died was not him.

 

A ray of morning light in the east broke through the darkness. Cen Yi only heard Cen Yelan call “Adoptive Father” from inside. His mind suddenly went blank. He pushed the door open abruptly. Cen Xi looked calm. He had passed away suddenly.

 

Cen Yi froze completely, and for a moment, he seemed to have died.

 

Cen Yi could never accept Cen Xi’s death. He dreamed of Cen Xi every night and thought about him so much that he went crazy. He was depressed all day until Cen Yelan pressed him in front of Cen Xi’s tombstone and angrily asked, ‘Do you want to let Adoptive Father see what you look like now?’

 

Cen Yi trembled and pressed his forehead against the cold tombstone, as if touching Cen Xi’s hand. He blocked his face, and then he saw Cen Xi’s tomb, and he also saw Cen Yelan.

 

At that moment, he developed a feeling of resentment towards Cen Yelan. For years, it was like a deep-seated disease buried in his bones, and it all burst out.

 

Cen Yi hated Cen Yelan.

 

Cen Yi looked at the red sun between the mountains and wondered, now that day had dawned, are Cen Yelan and Yan Le already dead?

 

Cen Yi knew that Yan Le wanted to kill Cen Yelan even in his dreams. Beicang Pass was now an empty city with its gates wide open. He would not miss such a good opportunity.

 

Cen Yi did not speak for a long time. The deputy general spoke anxiously, “General?”

 

Cen Yi said, “It’s nothing.”

 

The deputy general said, “Young Master is hiding with the people, should we leave a few brothers behind…”

 

Cen Yi said calmly, “No need.”

 

When he raised his eyes, he saw those young men from the capital staring at him intently. They were all Yuan Zheng’s personal attendants.

 

Fang Jing said, “Cen Yi, I will report your actions today to His Majesty!”

 

Cen Yi was unmoved and said, “Go ahead ah.”

 

Fang Jing kicked a stone in frustration, but a scout came to report, saying, “General, we found many horse hoof prints ahead. Judging from the traces, they are from the Hu people.”

 

Cen Yi frowned and asked, “Hu people?”

 

Fang Jing said, “Why are there Hu people here?”

 

But in a moment, Cen Yi’s expression changed drastically, and he cursed, “Idiot!”

 

Cen Yi suddenly jumped on his horse and said, “Pass the order down and quickly organize the army to return to Hanzhou.”

 

“Yes, General!”

 

No one expected that there would be rebels in Beicang Pass.

 

The city gates were wide open, and a large number of Hu people had already poured into Beicang Pass. A fire had started somewhere, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

 

Cen Yelan and Yuan Zheng were almost in a desperate situation.

 

Of the thousands of soldiers defending the city, only a hundred survived, fighting and retreating all the way. It was already winter, and the northern border was dry, and the fire gradually burned.

 

Suddenly, an arrow shot at him. When Yuan Zheng narrowly dodged it, the arrow scraped across his cheek, leaving a cold sting. He wiped it with his fingers, and blood was already seeping out of his face.

 

Yuan Zheng took a breath and looked up. The long street was wide, and there were shops lined up around it. The once prosperous Zhuque Street was now in ruins due to the war.

 

In the distance, the Hu army was gradually approaching. The leader was not Yan Le, who had been besieging the city, but Shu Dan, the eldest prince of the Hu people.

 

Cen Yelan’s face was ugly. The red tassel on the spear in his hand was soaked with blood, and blood was dripping.

 

“Why is it Shu Dan?” Yuan Zheng still couldn’t figure it out. There were traitors in the city, and the city gates were wide open. Shu Dan happened to enter the city at this time. Everything was really too coincidental. Taking over Beicang Pass and killing Cen Yelan and him was a great achievement. How could Yan Le easily give this credit to Shu Dan?

 

But if Shu Dan is here, where did Yan Le go then?

 

Cen Yelan’s face was as gloomy as water, and he didn’t speak. The cold wind rushed into his nose with the smell of blood and gunpowder. He frowned and said, “…What is this smell?”

 

Yuan Zheng was stunned for a moment, his expression suddenly shifted. Cen Yelan also reacted, both of them had a look of surprise on their faces. “…Gunpowder!”

 

The air was filled with the smell of saltpeter and gunpowder, mixed in with the burning smoke. It was very faint, but it could not be hidden from Cen Yelan and Yuan Zheng.

 

There was a loud bang, and a house somewhere exploded. The sound was like a wave, sweeping over. The Hu army immediately panicked, their horses jumped in panic, and screams rang out one after another.

 

There were several loud noises in succession, and the fire was spreading. In a blink of an eye, it was about to engulf the huge Zhuque Street.

 

Gunpowder was not widely used in Dayan, especially among the border troops.

 

But how could there be gunpowder in Beicang Pass? And so much of it was buried too?!

 

It was as if they had known this would happen.

 

Cen Yelan’s face suddenly turned pale and his body trembled. Yuan Zheng seemed to have sensed something and was about to say something when he keenly heard some strange noises in his ears. He opened his eyes wide and only had time to say “be careful”. He subconsciously grabbed Cen Yelan’s wrist and rolled to the side. A silk shop nearby suddenly exploded, and a huge fire was approaching!

 

Yuan Zheng felt a buzzing in his ears, his eyes went dark, and his back was burning from the fire. He instinctively grabbed Cen Yelan’s hand and hid him under his body.

 

With a few creaking sounds, the beams of the house exploded and fell to the ground, and the surrounding houses collapsed.