NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1131: Powerless
"Not dying in battle, not removing armor, sons of the homeland."
The singing from within the injured soldiers' camp reached outside, prompting more soldiers to turn their heads towards it, putting down their chopsticks or dumpling soup, and singing loudly...
"Wearing the armor that protects me, I face the same enemies with you."
"Wielding the long sword that slays enemies, I live and die together with you."
"Guarding the rivers and mountains, protecting the people, fearless true Elite Soldiers."
"Not dying in battle, not removing armor, sons of the homeland."
The snow-covered Pingdu City was brilliantly lit, and the soldiers' singing lingered over the city for a long time, singing of the perseverance of the Bai family army, singing of their mission, and singing out the determination of each soldier in the Bai family army... to protect the people.
Yang Wuce had heard of it but had never listened to the Bai family army's song in its entirety. Seeing Bai Qingyan, Bai Qingyu, Bai Jinzhi, and Shen Kunyang singing this song with tears in their eyes, the shock in his heart could not subside for a long time.
It turns out this is why the Bai army is deeply loved by the people. Guarding the rivers and mountains, protecting the people, not dying in battle, not removing armor; with such an army protecting the people, how could they not feel at ease?
After the singing gradually stopped, Bai Qingyan looked at the soldiers whose eyes were red-rimmed and slowly stood up...
The soldiers turned their heads towards Bai Qingyan and put down their chopsticks one after another.
Only to hear Bai Qingyan speak: "This year, we are celebrating the new year outside, so let's get together and eat dumplings for a bit of cheer! For the sake of protecting our homeland and nation, thank you all for your hard work in following us to the battlefield and being unable to reunite with your families! But your efforts will not be wasted; we will drive the Tianfeng Kingdom's Elephant Army back over the snow mountains, protecting our relatives and children, and allow them to enjoy peace forever! Here... Bai Qingyan thanks you all on behalf of the people!"
The soldiers all clenched their fists and nodded.
"We are soldiers, born to protect our homeland and nation! Today is New Year's Eve, but with Your Majesty here bleeding and fighting alongside us, we are all family members! What talk is there of not reuniting with family!" A lightly injured General raised the dumpling soup before him and raised it to Bai Qingyan, "We have military law, and cannot drink when on the march, so I replace wine with dumpling soup and toast to Your Majesty! Wishing Your Majesty leads us... to pacify the world! Achieving the magnificent feat of unifying the land under Heaven! So that within the four seas... there will be no more wars! Let all the people lead stable and prosperous lives! Peace reigns over the land!"
The soldiers in the injured soldiers' camp were moved by that young General's action and raised their own dumpling soup, chanting three times...
"Peace reigns over the land!"
"Peace reigns over the land!"
"Peace reigns over the land!"
Bai Qingyan's eyes were wet with tears. She raised the dumpling soup before her, stood up with the help of Shen Qingzhu, and shouted loudly: "Bai Qingyan will not fail everyone's entrustment!"
After drinking the dumpling soup, she smiled and said, "Alright... everyone eat dumplings! There are a lot of dumplings made today! And they are stuffed with the giant elephant we all hunted together, so eat to your heart's content!"
The soldiers responded loudly and then happily began eating the dumplings.
The merriment continued until the latter half of the night. Bai Qingyan and Bai Qingyu, with Bai Jinzhi, went around for a round of inspections. Some soldiers, after eating dumplings, had already fallen asleep together. When Bai Qingyan noticed, their young general initially wanted to wake them up, but Bai Qingyan quickly smiled and stopped him.
The soldiers had fought a battle all night, and without resting, had come to clean up the mess in Pingdu City. They were extremely exhausted and needed to be allowed to rest well.
After patrolling the camp, it was already the latter half of the night. Bai Qingyu was concerned about his Elder Sister, Bai Qingyan: "Elder Sister is now pregnant, and can't stay up without rest like before; it's not good for the child. In the future, for things like patrolling the camp, Xiao Si and I will handle it."
"It's okay, I'm feeling very energetic, and the child is very well-behaved..." Bai Qingyan stroked her abdomen, "Don't worry!"
"Eldest Young Lady's health has always been weak, and this child, for our Bai family... is heaven's gift. Even if the child is well-behaved, Eldest Young Lady can't disregard it. You must take good care!" Bai Jinzhi also worriedly glanced at Bai Qingyan's abdomen, "Take good care of my little nephew or little niece!"
After speaking, Bai Jinzhi suddenly had a thought and asked Bai Qingyu: "Fifth Brother, I see Eldest Young Lady's belly growing so fast recently. Could it be two little ones?"
Bai Jinzhi didn't know Bai Qingyan's pregnancy was a month more advanced than publicly known, but Bai Qingyu did. His brows furrowed as he swatted Bai Jinzhi's hand away from reaching towards Bai Qingyan's abdomen: "Don't touch so rashly. Whether it's one or two, they're all Heaven's gifts to our Bai family!"
Bai Jinzhi chuckled and nodded.
Shen Qingzhu helped Bai Qingyan back to her room. Bai Qingyu and Bai Jinzhi walked along the corridor outwards, where Bai Qingyu handed Bai Jinzhi a red envelope, his hoarse voice tinged with affection and indulgence: "You're a year older now, you must be more mature in the future!"
The red lanterns illuminated Bai Jinzhi's delicate features as she looked up to her Fifth Brother, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled: "Thank you, Fifth Brother!"
·
The Great Shaman's disciple of the Tianfen Kingdom lay weak in a damp, moldy dungeon, covered in blood and in so much pain he felt nothing, unable to move. Beneath his matted, crusted hair, he could move his eyes slightly, looking outside at the snowflakes falling under the lantern.
It wasn't that he wasn't loyal to the Tianfeng Kingdom, but the cruel interrogation methods of the people of Zhou were unheard of in the Tianfeng Kingdom, and it would have been better to be killed in a single stroke.
But what he had divulged was significant to Zhou but insignificant to the Tianfeng Kingdom, except for the news of the jade cicada, which he could only reveal because he truly couldn't endure it any longer...
Now, without any torture, reflecting on it, for the Tianfeng Kingdom... for their king, Sal Khan, the most important thing at the moment was this jade cicada. He had even told the people of Zhou about it. He felt he had no face left to see His Majesty!
Being the Great Shaman's foremost disciple, the future Great Shaman of the Tianfeng Kingdom, he had been trained from a young age to communicate with gods and hear divine instructions. He had never learned how to resist such torturous ordeals.
Despite feeling ashamed and feeling he had let down His Majesty, he was helpless.
Just when the Great Shaman's disciple was about to faint, he heard the sound of iron chains unlocking on the prison door.
In a dizzying moment, two Zhou soldiers lifted him up. His scalp tingled with anxiety, not knowing what severe tortures awaited him this time. He wanted to tell the Zhou soldiers he had nothing more to say, but he couldn't even lift his head.
"Your Majesty, the man has been brought!"
Hearing the voice, the Great Shaman's disciple struggled to lift his head. Through blurred vision, he saw Bai Qingyan sitting on the interrogation chair, holding a hand warmer and smiling at him.