Wild clouds covered the sky for thousands of miles, dried bloodstains connected the broken soil of the Shuoyuan, and blizzards washed away the broken corpses in the desert.
"The Qiang army finally failed to sneak into the camp." Shi Jing squatted in front of the camp and excitedly reported the battle situation. "No matter how many came, they had to crawl back. They really overestimated their own abilities."
Sima Cuo looked past Shi Jing's red face caused by the cold, and saw that the other soldiers in the camp all had wooden expressions, like puppets whose insides had long been gnawed by termites.
His heart sank, but he remained calm on the surface. "Send Ke Shouye to see me."
The daylight in the desert seemed like a last ray of light, only lasting for a brief moment, and the last ray of sunlight was swallowed up by the cirrus clouds.
Ke Shouye followed the order and entered the tent. There was only a dim light inside, which flickered and revealed the figure of the person leaning casually inside.
Sima Cuo had taken off his jet-black armor, leaving only a single piece of black clothing. His wounds were bandaged hastily, and his imposing aura had faded, making him look a little lonely and cold.
He was really good-looking, with facial features that seemed to be honed by weapons, infused with a murderous edge but without a trace of roughness. He was unparalleled in his handsomeness but lacked some humanity. Under the light, his half-closed brows concealed his cruelty but added a touch of gloom. The light could not penetrate his deep eyes, making Ke Shouye's silent observation come to nothing.
Ke Shouye's heart trembled, he withdrew his gaze and stepped forward.
"Sit down." Sima Cuo said indifferently.
Ke Shouye knelt on one knee, his knee hitting the ground with a dull sound, and said: "I am guilty of lax military discipline and passive resistance, but please punish me."
Sima Cuo leaned back and disappeared completely into the shadows, remaining silent.
The snow is falling, the lamp oil is dripping down, and the cold night is lonely.
In this cramped military tent, Sima Cuo sighed, neither loud nor soft, but only he could hear it. He scoffed, "Can I punish you? What good would it do if I did?"
"This..." Ke Shouye lowered his head, only seeing the circle of cold, hard ground. He felt uneasy when stepping on it. When this brave general who had fought for many years spoke again, his voice was choked with sobs.
"The Qiang army's repeated incursions were brief and infrequent, their intention to procrastinate was clear. Military pay and supplies have yet to arrive, and we are struggling to find food. Morale is low, and we are powerless!"
Everything he said was true. Sima Cuo had long realized the seriousness of the situation and did not hesitate to send the right deputy general He Lin to the rear overnight to urge for food and fodder.
However, more than a month has passed and there is still no response.
"Is this a reason, or an excuse? You've lost your will to fight, and you're already useless." Sima Cuo leaned forward, his gaze almost piercing, every word piercing his heart. "I hope that when Deputy General Ke Zuo, the Qiang, is promoted to a higher position in the future, he will show no mercy in the battle field against his former master."
"General!" Ke Shouye cried out in grief, "I will follow you till death. I would never dare to entertain such despicable thoughts."
"You dare not, but what's the point of keeping you? As a deputy general, you can't turn the tide, you can't appease the troops, and you can't enforce military discipline."
Sima Cuo suddenly stood up, blood seeping out from the wounds on his right shoulder and back caused by the blade. However, he stood straight, his figure looming over Ke Shouye's entire body. He said coldly, "The food and wages are in urgent need. Do you still need you to eat for free?"
Ke Shouye knelt on the ground but remained silent, like a collapsed mound of earth turned into dust.
The snow fell softly, and the crescent moon made the soldiers who were looking at the distant mountain palace look cold.
"Clang!" The sound of cups and bowls falling and shattering suddenly rang out, accompanied by someone's curses, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the tent, "Fuck you, you banging around..."
Sima Cuo's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Shi Jing."
A round head popped in from outside the tent. Shi Jing grinned and said, "Master, the midnight snack I made for you just got knocked over. Luckily it wasn't dirty, so you can still eat it."
As he spoke, he picked up the corn bun that had fallen and rolled to the sentry's feet, and placed it on the table along with the mare's milk as if offering a treasure, baring his teeth and showing a silly smile.
Sima Cuo glanced at him calmly and said, "Have you eaten?"
Shi Jing straightened his back, making his flat stomach puff up, and said, "More than that, I'm too full."
Sima Cuo's eyes slowly moved downwards, passing over the food on the table, and then stopped at Ke Shouye's bent back. He said in a cold voice, "Bring me my gun."
Shi Jing lifted his robe and knelt down, holding Sima Cuo's thighs tightly with both hands, and said earnestly: "Don't! Master, don't be impulsive. Lieutenant General Ke has no merits, but he has worked hard. There is no need to..."
"What are you yelling about?" Sima Cuo said impatiently, "Shut up!"
Shi Jing shut up obediently, but his hands didn't loosen but tightened instead.
Sima Cuo helplessly looked at Shi Jing, who was like a dog-skin plaster that couldn't be shaken off. He glanced at the sword on Ke Shouye's waist and said, "Give me your sword."
The hilt of the sword at his waist hurt Ke Shouye, and the coldness of the blade instantly permeated his body. He gritted his teeth, quickly drew his sword, pointed the tip at himself, and respectfully handed it to Sima Cuo, silent as a block of wood.
The general's order was as heavy as a mountain. Even if Sima Cuo wanted to kill him or cut him into pieces, he had no choice but to accept it.
Shi Jing glimpsed Sima Cuo's stern expression through the reflection of the blade, his heart trembling with fear. Sima Cuo's cold voice came from above him, "Let go."
Shi Jing shrank his neck and was still struggling inwardly, but Sima Cuo had already pulled out his leg with all his strength and kicked him immediately.
"I..." Shi Jing fell to the ground unexpectedly, and hurriedly raised his hands to stop him but missed.
Sima Cuo had already taken the knife, lifted the tent and disappeared, leaving the two men looking at each other in bewilderment.
There was no more fodder to feed, so the soldier on duty rested beside the leaky stable, enduring the long night with heavy breathing to greet an even more bleak dawn.
Sima Cuo walked silently across the frost-covered ground in front of the stable. He had come here before to personally brush and walk his beloved horse, Liang Jincong, and his expression softened as he looked at the horse's mane, which shone brightly in the scorching sun.
But he was holding a knife now, which was different from before.
In the battle during the day, the blade cut off Liang Jincong's leg. Its ability to move was disabled, but its perception was not dulled.
Liang Jincong opened his eyes in the night and watched his master approaching. His light brown eyes were filled with stars, and a hoarse sound that sounded both aggrieved and happy came from his throat.
The guards were awakened and hurried to add more lights but were stopped by Sima Cuo.
Under the thick darkness, the guards could clearly see the dark eyes of the young general in front of them and hear his calm and ruthless voice.
"The smoke of gunpowder is rising. The Qiang army is invading repeatedly. We, the defenders, must be on high alert. Even if we have to bury our bones in the wilderness, we will not retreat a single step."
Sima Cuo's eyes swept over the guards' withered faces, and he continued, "However, the army's morale has cooled due to insufficient food and pay, and enduring cold and hunger has become commonplace. I owe the three armies a debt of gratitude, and I will execute them today for their hard work. I hope that in the future..."
The guards stood still suddenly.
Liang Jincong tried to stand up by supporting himself with his body but to no avail. His eyes were wide open but without sorrow. Through the short fence he met Simacuo's dark eyes, reflecting his pale and gloomy face.
"Never tire of fighting a hundred battles, and never fail to advance." Sima Cuo finished speaking, and the handle of the sword turned a sharp arc in his hand.
A horse that has stumbled can no longer gallop across the border. It has lost its dignity and is about to lose its owner, but it will find pleasure under the blade.
In this moment of silent gaze, they understood and fulfilled each other.
The morning sky still bore traces of the night, and the light from the tiny red sun gave the soldiers' faces a touch of youthful energy.
The strong soldiers gathered in front of the tent in groups of two or three, holding up their bowls and drinking dry fermented glutinous rice wine while chewing on the roasted horse meat.
While everyone was laughing and talking, Shi Jing walked past with a dejected look and ignored everyone.
"Brother Shi, is the Marshal's injury better?" The strong soldier stepped forward and grabbed the man and asked.
"I don't know." Shi Jing didn't have the usual excitement of chatting with the soldiers.
"What about him? Did he eat horse meat?"
"How could he possibly eat?" Shi Jing's expression was complicated. He stared into the distance for a long moment before speaking. "He was unhappy. He didn't come back all night. I guess he went out to catch a cold."
Everyone was puzzled and wanted to ask more questions, but Shi Jing had already hurried away.
It was not until the military order issued by Sima Cuo last night spread throughout the military camp that everyone learned that the army had killed many war horses for food, including Liang Jincong!
The troops were as if they had been hit by a heavy hammer. The laxity of the past few days was completely swept away. They stood as tall and straight as pine trees when on guard duty, and shouted slogans to the sky during training, showing the surging passion they had when they first entered the camp.
This was the scene Sima Cuo saw when he returned. He watched in silence for a while, then his gaze calmed down and he turned back to his tent.
The morning sun warms those who do not return home on a snowy night.
Shi Jing brushed off the frost that had formed on his black robe, frowning and muttering, "Why don't you put on an outer coat? Do you really think you're made of iron?"
Sima Cuo didn't answer, but leaned against the couch and closed his eyes.
He sat there all night, blown by the cold wind, staring at the boundless plains until the dawn broke.
Shi Jing covered him with a blanket, and when he walked out of the tent, he happened to run into Ke Shouye standing outside like an ice sculpture.
Ke Shouye took a few steps forward eagerly and was about to speak, but Shi Jing made a gesture to keep quiet, so he hurriedly followed him to a secluded place and stood there.
Shi Jing said, "Master has gone to bed. I'll find you later if you need anything."
Ke Shouye looked up at the sky and sighed, then slowly exhaled and said, "I should bear the blame and apologize."
"Don't worry, there are plenty of opportunities. I'm not a cannibal, so I won't really do anything to you." Shi Jing looked at him sympathetically, then became worried again. "It's the sixth day of the first lunar month, so if there are any provisions shipped from Hengzhou, they should be here by now."
They were stationed near the border between the western part of Shuo Desert and the Longgai Plain, relying on Hengzhou for food and wages, but this had been cut off for several months.
Ke Shouye's expression suddenly became solemn, and he said, "The escort team just arrived this morning..."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier! I would have told you right now..." Shi Jing slapped his forehead and turned around to run but was stopped.
Ke Shouye's face looked strange, not happy at all, only gloomy. "This isn't a good thing."