Chapter 61: A Strong Sense of Unease
Yang Zhengshan was unaware of the matters in the main camp, and at the moment, he was worried about the food supply for the Left Vanguard of the Prefectural Banner. The army had set out too hastily, and both the Metropolitan Prefecture Office and the Provincial Administration Commission were unprepared. This time, the Left Vanguard of the Prefectural Banner only brought a month’s worth of food, not because Yang Zhengshan and Zhao Yuan didn’t want to bring more, but because the Metropolitan Prefecture Office had only given them that much.
Now, they had left the Fortress City for over half a month, which meant they only had enough food for about ten days left.
“General Zhao, we need to hurry back to the Fortress City to transport food supplies!” Yang Zhengshan exclaimed.
Yang Zhengshan and Zhao Yuan walked side by side, inspecting the remaining food in the warehouse. Zhao Yuan’s face was pale, with fatigue written all over his brows.
Military affairs were complex, and logistical matters were even more complicated. The transportation team not only had to handle food supplies but also various equipment. If they were to engage in wild battles, they would also need to take care of the soldiers’ weapons, armor, and maintenance. And if they were to attack a city, they would need to handle even more complex tasks, such as felling trees, mining, and manufacturing siege engines.
Since the campaign began, Zhao Yuan hadn’t slept well, constantly busy with tasks, and Yang Zhengshan was no exception. In many aspects, Yang Zhengshan was even more burdened than Zhao Yuan, despite Zhao Yuan having four years of military experience.
Zhao Yuan rubbed his brow and said helplessly, “The matter of transporting food can only be entrusted to General Yang. I fear I won’t be able to leave the camp.”
“I understand, General. I’ll take care of it,” Yang Zhengshan replied naturally, knowing Zhao Yuan couldn’t leave the camp.
“Alright!” Zhao Yuan didn’t waste any words and directly called over his trusted subordinate.
“Yes, General!” A young man in his early twenties with a pointed chin and prominent cheekbones rushed over.
“Take two teams and five hundred laborers with Yang Bae-hu to transport food back to the Fortress City!” Zhao Yuan instructed weakly.
“I’ll comply!” Zhao De-sheng glanced at Yang Zhengshan and quickly replied.
With Zhao Yuan’s order, Yang Zhengshan didn’t linger, leading his soldiers and laborers to leave the camp that same day.
However, after leaving the camp, Yang Zhengshan couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease, as if something major was about to happen.
He rode his horse alongside the laborers, gazing back at the fluttering command flags in the camp, his brow furrowed in worry.
The sense of unease was overwhelming, but he didn’t know where it came from.
Was it the army camp, or was it themselves?
“Dad, what are you looking at?” Yang Mingzhi rode up to him, asking in a soft voice.
“Nothing,” Yang Zhengshan shook his head, urging his horse forward.
The troop advanced, with the laborers in the middle, driving the carts, and the soldiers surrounding them for protection. Yang Mingwu and others rode at the forefront, scouting ahead.
“Dad, do you think we can win?” Yang Mingzhi asked, following closely behind Yang Zhengshan, his voice low.
It was everyone’s first time in battle, and they were all nervous and uneasy.
Yang Zhengshan grasped the reins, glancing at Yang Mingzhi, his face calm. “If we encounter the enemy, stay by my side, and don’t leave my side!”
He didn’t offer any words of encouragement because he didn’t know if they could win. It was better to let Yang Mingzhi focus on preserving his life.
For them, surviving on the battlefield was already a victory, and whether they could win the war was not something they should worry about.
“Will we encounter the enemy?” Yang Mingzhi’s body tensed, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
The rolling hills and undulating terrain merged with the gray sky, with no sign of human activity in sight.
“I don’t know, but be cautious. Go tell Mingwu and the others to be careful,” Yang Zhengshan instructed sternly.
“Okay!”
Yang Mingzhi replied, hurrying off to find Yang Mingwu and the others.
The troop advanced, but Yang Zhengshan’s concern seemed unnecessary, as they didn’t encounter a single enemy until they reached the Mountain Pass.
However, even after entering the Mountain Pass, Yang Zhengshan’s unease didn’t dissipate.
When Yang Zhengshan returned to the Mountain Pass, the Eastern Route Army set out again, leaving Black Cloud Mountain and heading towards Fuchun City.
At the same time, Yang Zhengshan received news that the Left Vanguard of the Prefectural Banner had already marched towards Fuchun City.
He had no choice but to follow the instructions, leading the food supply towards Fuchun City.
The route from the Mountain Pass to Fuchun City differed from the route to Black Cloud Mountain. To reach Fuchun City, they needed to circumvent the continuous hills, following the Songyuan River northwards from the east.
Although this route was longer, it was relatively flat, and they could move faster.
Of course, the army’s food supply route wasn’t something Yang Zhengshan could decide on his own. The main camp would arrange the route, and Yang Zhengshan’s team was only responsible for escorting the food supply, with the protection task falling on the Rear Vanguard of the Prefectural Banner.
Although the route had become flatter, transporting the food was still a laborious task. The oxen, mules, and laborers were all exhausted after continuously traveling for several days.
That noon, under the scorching sun, Yang Zhengshan ordered the team to rest by a riverbank.
Yang Zhengshan treated the laborers relatively well, at least not whipping them or starving them.
During the rest, the laborers took out dry rations to eat, and the soldiers gathered in small groups, eating cold and dry rice cakes.
“General, according to our pace, we should be able to catch up with the main army tomorrow,” Zhao De-sheng said, sitting beside Yang Zhengshan, munching on a rice cake.
Although Zhao De-sheng looked sharp-faced and monkey-like, Yang Zhengshan knew he was a reliable person.
Zhao De-sheng was not only a flag officer under Zhao Yuan but also his slave. He had followed Zhao Yuan since childhood and was one of the people Zhao Yuan trusted the most.
This time, Zhao Yuan had instructed him to follow Yang Zhengshan to transport food, wanting him to take care of Yang Zhengshan.
Although Yang Zhengshan surpassed Zhao De-sheng in ability and strength, Zhao De-sheng was more familiar with the Mountain Pass.
It was thanks to Zhao De-sheng’s efforts that they had obtained the food supplies from the Ministry of Revenue so quickly.
Yang Zhengshan handed Zhao De-sheng a piece of dried meat and said, “Eat more, you still need to take care of these laborers later.”
Zhao De-sheng accepted the dried meat, looking at Yang Zhengshan in surprise. “General, are you worried about encountering the enemy?”
Yang Zhengshan nodded silently, his brow furrowed in concern. “The closer we get to Fuchun City, the more cautious we need to be!”
“Isn’t the main army already surrounding Fuchun City?” Zhao De-sheng asked.
Yang Zhengshan took a sip of cold water, his eyes veiled with concern.
The closer they got to Fuchun City, the stronger the sense of unease in his heart.
This feeling was strange, as if it was a warning signal persistently reminding him.
The sixth sense!
It was inexplicable, but no one could deny its existence.
Especially since Yang Zhengshan had been drinking the Spirit Spring water for almost a year, strengthening his five senses. Had his sixth sense also been enhanced?
Yang Zhengshan didn’t know if this unease was accurate, but it didn’t stop him from being cautious.
“It shouldn’t be, right?” Zhao De-sheng’s expression turned anxious.
After all, he was only in his early twenties, similar in age to Yang Mingwu, and still a young man, full of fear and unease in the face of bloody battles.
Just as Zhao De-sheng finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves came from the west, urgent and rapid.
Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter