She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

On the other side, on the official road leading to Beiguan, dust billowed and the sound of horse hooves echoed.

Zhao Zun and his party galloped forward, finally catching up with the resting Xuzhou Army at an open area along the official road.

The long line of troops rested by the roadside, soldiers sitting in groups of threes and fours, some gnawing on dry food, some wiping their weapons, while others closed their eyes to rest, clearly exhausted from the long journey.

Zhao Zun reined in his horse, Jin Er Cong neighed and came to a steady halt.

He dismounted swiftly and walked briskly to Song Yuanqing, knelt on one knee with cupped fists, his voice loud and respectful.

”This subordinate greets the General.”

Song Yuanqing was sitting on the ground with a hard piece of bread in his hand. He had just taken a bite and hadn’t yet swallowed when he saw Zhao Zun perform such a grand gesture of respect. Quickly, he stood up, reaching out to hold Zhao Zun’s arm.

His tone carried a hint of helplessness and respect.

”Hey! Mr. Zhao, there’s no need to be so formal. A salute will do in the future, no need to kneel.”

He dared not accept such a grand gesture from Zhao Zun. He held a mutual respect for Zhao Zun.

He understood well that if Zhao Zun did not care about the people of Da Jing, he would not be serving under his command as a Deputy General.

The trusted aides behind Zhao Zun also knelt on one knee in unison, their movements orderly, clearly well-trained.

Song Yuanqing laughed, ”Stand up, all of you. Hurry and sit down to eat something. Rest well so we can continue on the journey.”

Only then did Zhao Zun sit down with his aides next to Song Yuanqing, taking out dry food and eating it with water from his canteen.

His movements were bold and swift, lacking any princely airs, resembling an ordinary soldier. The surrounding officers and soldiers, seeing this, gained even more respect for the Prince.

At this moment, a young soldier noticed that Zhao Zun and his aides all had bulging bundles on their backs, with something long and hard seemingly inside. Even as they sat to rest, they did not put down their packs.

The soldier couldn’t help but be curious and approached to ask, ”Prince, what are you carrying? Why does it look so heavy?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun patted the pack on his back with a faint smile.

He casually replied, ”These are weapons we crafted ourselves, heavy and sharp. As soon as we get on the battlefield, they’re invincible.”

The soldier’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

”Wow! No wonder you keep winning battles, Prince. Even the weapons are crafted by yourselves!”

He carefully looked at Zhao Zun and the aides, noticing indeed they didn’t carry swords or blades, and his curiosity grew.

Zhao Zun waved his hand, laughing, ”Haha, don’t call me Prince. We’re all in the army, just call me Zhao Zun.”

The soldier scratched his head, smiling somewhat awkwardly, ”Yes, Zhao... Zun, hehe.”

He paused and couldn’t help but ask, ”Then... can we see your weapons? We’re all quite curious.”

Zhao Zun took a bite of his bread, chewed a few times, and after swallowing, he smiled, ”Of course you can! But right now we need to hurry on the journey. Once we’re on the battlefield, you’ll naturally see them.”

The soldiers around, upon hearing this, showed looks of anticipation.

Another soldier couldn’t help but interject, ”Zhao Zun, do your weapons have any special features? Can you give us a little hint?”

Zhao Zun laughed heartily, patting the soldier on the shoulder.

”Special features, naturally there are. But it wouldn’t be fun to reveal them now. You’ll find out when you see them on the battlefield.”

Song Yuanqing was actually very curious too, but after all, he was the commander of the army. Seeing everyone engrossed in conversation and losing track of time, he smiled and urged them on.

”Alright, alright, don’t just chat, hurry and eat. We still need to continue on the journey after resting well! Beiguan won’t wait for us.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded and quickened their pace in eating.

After finishing their dry food and tidying up their gear, Song Yuanqing ordered the troops to continue their rapid march.

Zhao Zun mounted his horse, the pack on his back swaying slightly with his movement.

He looked back at his aides, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes, then urged his horse forward, rushing toward Beiguan.

A day later, Zhao Zun and Xiao Zhengfei, along with the Xuzhou army, arrived majestically at Beiguan Yong’an City.

From a distance, the walls of Yong’an City stood tall and imposing, with flags flying atop the city towers, presenting an aura of majesty.

However, upon entering Yong’an City, Song Yuanqing and his men were surprised to find the city and its surroundings calm, with no signs of warfare or corpses anywhere.