NCCnovel Chapter 162 Dragon Soaring
Chapter 162 Dragon Soaring
When news of Liu Shan's great victory over the Shadow Gate reached the capital, the entire court was shaken, and officials submitted memorials to congratulate him.
In the imperial court, in front of all the civil and military officials, Chu Lan highly praised Liu Shan's achievements, saying, "My dear minister Liu Shan, your merits in protecting the emperor, suppressing the rebellion, and annihilating the Shadow Sect are truly a blessing to our Great Xia. You are wise and brave, and your loyalty to the emperor and your love for the country are as bright as the sun and the moon."
After saying this, Chu Lan glanced at the assembled officials and then slowly said, "I have decided to appoint Liu Shan as the commander of the Longxiang Army, in charge of an important military force of our Great Xia. I hope that you will continue to serve the country and the people of Great Xia and live up to my expectations."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Liu Shan's throat tasted of rust.
Three days ago, while patrolling the outskirts of Beijing, he personally witnessed the Wei River tributary broken into a cracked mud bed, and an old farmer kneeling between the parched ridges, digging for grass roots.
That scene was branded into his mind like a hot iron, and Liu Shan deeply realized that drought was more ferocious than a tiger!
As the court was leaving, the Minister of War blocked his way, his official robes stained with sweat: "The ice cellar of the Left Battalion of the Dragon Cavalry contains tribute wine. Commander Liu, do not disappoint the noble family's good intentions."
He glanced meaningfully at the row of blue-canopied carriages outside the palace gate, "I heard that the Cui family specially transported lychees from Jiangnan..."
"This humble general is only accustomed to drinking the bitter well water of Cangzhou." Liu Shan took off the black iron waist tag bestowed upon him by the emperor, and the words "loyalty and bravery" could be vaguely seen in the sunlight.
……
Outside the main gate of the Longxiang Army camp, the heat wave caused the banners to droop low.
Liu Shan removed his gilded helmet, revealing a hideous scar: "Order all camps to roll call at the drill ground after half an incense stick's time."
"Understood!" Guard Lü Ding swung the drumstick, and the cowhide war drum kicked up a cloud of yellow dust.
As the last drumbeat faded, the seven empty general's seats stood out starkly against the blazing sun.
Captain Cui Yan waved a bamboo fan, his jade thumb ring reflecting the cold light characteristic of a noble family scion.
Liu Shan unfastened his sword and slammed it onto the platform, the scabbard kicking up fine sand: "From this day forward, anyone who misses a shift will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane, and their superiors will also be implicated."
He suddenly kicked over the bronze ice vessel, the shattered ice hissing on the scorching sand. "Smash all this junk and make room for the wounded soldiers' camp!"
Three days later, five hereditary captains knelt on the scorching hot training ground.
Liu Shan grabbed a handful of sand and let it slip through his fingers: "Do you know how scorching the sun is in the northern desert?"
He pointed to the newly made rattan armor formation, "Starting today, train in full armor for two hours every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."
"General!" Cui Yan finally slammed down his bamboo fan. "This awful weather is going to kill us!"
Liu Shan removed his black iron armor, saying, "I will train with you all."
When the sundial pointed to the hour of Wei at noon, the blisters on his back burst under his armor, and blood soaked through his undergarments.
Seven days later, three cowhide tents suddenly appeared in the southeast corner of the drill ground.
Han Chengjia, who had just been promoted from the cook army, came with a roster and reported: "As per the general's instructions, each battalion has recommended a total of 108 poor scholars."
Liu Shan lifted the tent flap, and a wave of heat, carrying the sour smell of sweat, rushed towards him.
Eighteen-year-old sharpshooter Wang Wu was mending his quiver with straw rope when the general entered. He hurriedly tried to kneel, but the general held his shoulder down: "I heard you can shoot down a cicada's wing from a hundred paces away?"
The boy's ears turned red: "Reporting to the general, it is...it is a thinner willow leaf."
"From today onwards, you will be in charge of the crossbow battalion's special training team." Liu Shan slammed the jade pendant at his waist onto the table. "Just name your needs; all I care about is the results."
Another month passed in the blink of an eye, and the newly made black banners of the Longxiang Army were planted all over the twelve garrisons of the capital region.
That day, Liu Shan was testing and improving the repeating crossbow when he suddenly saw Lü Ding stagger into the armory: "General! Something's happened in the north!"
The urgent document, dusty with yellow dust, was printed with Chu Lan's vermilion annotations under the scorching sun: "The Left Wise King of the Northern Barbarians has led his troops to successively conquer the three cities of Yunzhong, Shuofang, and Wuyuan. The Longxiang Army is hereby ordered to prepare for departure immediately."
It turned out that, under the immense pressure of ensuring the continuation of their race, the various tribes of the Northern Di put aside their past grievances and formed a coalition army. Taking advantage of the slight instability in the Xia Dynasty due to the drought, they launched a southward invasion, crossing the border like a surging tide, capturing three cities of Xia in succession, burning, killing, and looting, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.
"Where are our scouts?" Liu Shan gripped the document tightly, his knuckles turning white.
“All communication has been cut off…” Lü Ding suddenly lowered his voice, “but a woman came to see me with some of the general’s old belongings, saying she came from the heart of the Northern Di.”
Outside the gate, yellow sand swirled, and a corner of Jiang Ruolan's plain gauze hat was lifted by the wind.
The silver bell on her wrist jingled softly, stirring up Liu Shan's deep-seated memories—the valiant woman before him seemed to still be the tiger-slaying heroine.
A look of surprise flashed in Liu Shan's eyes, and he quickly stepped forward, "Ruolan, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Ruolan smiled slightly, but her eyes revealed a hint of vicissitude and determination. "Brother Liu, I heard that the Northern Di are making unusual moves, and I also learned that you are here preparing for battle, so I came to help you."
After saying that, she took out a newly released topographical map of the Northern Barbarians from her bosom and handed it to Liu Shan.
"This map was drawn with great difficulty and may be of great use in this operation."
Liu Shan took the topographic map, deeply moved. "Ruolan, your arrival is truly a timely help."
He examined the topographic map closely, noting that the mountains, rivers, passes, and strategic points were marked in detail, clearly indicating that a great deal of effort had been put into it.
Looking at Liu Shan's focused expression, Jiang Ruolan slowly said, "Brother Liu, since I was poisoned last time... with the help of my master, I have turned misfortune into blessing and have mastered extraordinary martial arts skills. I have come back this time to lend you a hand."
Liu Shan raised his head, his eyes filled with gratitude and admiration. "Ruolan, with your help, my confidence has increased. You have suffered so much these years."
Jiang Ruolan gently shook her head, "Brother Liu, I did this willingly, just so I could stand by your side again."
Liu Shan led Jiang Ruolan into the camp and introduced her to the generals.
The generals admired Jiang Ruolan's courage and ability and welcomed her to their positions.
After a moment's thought, Liu Shan said to Jiang Ruolan, "Ruolan, you are highly skilled in martial arts and have excellent combat abilities. I would like to appoint you as my personal guard captain in the army. Would you be willing?"
Jiang Ruolan readily agreed, "Brother Liu, rest assured, Ruolan will certainly live up to your mission."
……
The luminous pearl in the Zichen Palace reflected the vermilion mark between Chu Lan's brows: "Minister Liu, I order you to lead the Longxiang Army north in three days."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost to recover the lost territory." Liu Shan said solemnly, bowing as he accepted the order.
Chu Lan nodded slightly and pressed the tiger tally onto the menacing gap in the map. "The military supervisor recommended by Minister Fang will arrive at the camp tomorrow."
Liu Shan knelt down to accept the order, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I am willing to lead the Longxiang Army to fight the Northern Barbarians to the death. I swear I will not return to the capital until the lost territory is recovered!"
Under the same waning moon, the ice chest in the secret chamber of the Fang residence emitted a chilling aura.
Fang Mingzhe held the secret letter in his hand, his brows furrowed.
He used silver scissors to pry open the wax ball, and the Northern Di characters twisted like snakes in the candlelight: "Three days later at midnight, at the pass of Baideng Mountain."
Fang Mingzhe's expression changed drastically, and he quickly put the secret letter into his pocket... As he blew out the candle, a wisp of smoke just happened to envelop the ancestral tablet.