This woman, Hua Ruo, knew that the most elite unit of the Jinyang Army, the Dragon Shadow Guard, was in her hands.
Xia Chanyi had just returned to the city from the mountains, planning to escort Ji Xin back to the medical clinic, when she felt someone's gaze upon her.
Turning to look, she saw Hua Ruo patrolling with her men, and she smiled in greeting. "Captain Hua."
She knew of this female general who was said to have followed her father onto the battlefield since childhood.
At the time, she'd been focused on the siege and hadn't paid much attention to her fighting, but judging by her record, she was indeed formidable.
Barring any accidents, Hua Ruo would soon be promoted; all she needed was a few more battles under her belt.
Hua Ruo returned the salute. "Captain Xia."
The next morning, snow began falling from the sky once again.
When Nan Wen arrived at the South Gate watchtower, the pyramid of skulls from before had disappeared. He sighed. "I wanted to look at it for a few more days."
A guard laughed. "Those deaths were all sorts of gruesome, gives one the creeps to look at."
Nan Wen kicked him. "We of the Jinyang Army are righteous and brave. What's there to fear from a bunch of corpses?"
The soldiers burst into laughter.
The atmosphere at the county office was relaxed as well.
"The bodies are finally dealt with. Next step is to start digging the tunnels and underground granaries," Qiu Liao said, stroking his beard.
Jiang Jin nodded and asked, "Is your heated brick bed done?"
At that, Qiu Liao still felt a bit embarrassed. "Ha, yes. They even added a hot wall for me. I don't know how they did it, but now it's warm the moment I step into the room."
"It's just a pity there isn't enough time, or we could rebuild all of Lin County and give the people a warm winter."
Jiang Jin reassured him. "No rush. Once it warms up next year, we can rebuild."
Looking through the glass window at the white snow drifting outside, she sighed. "I hope the snow lets up tomorrow. We need to get back to Gefeng as soon as possible, or the roads will be hard to travel."
Meanwhile, in Gefeng, snow was also falling, accompanied by howling winds.
Yao Ji looked at the white expanse outside, his brow slightly furrowed.
Yun Ci took a sip of hot water and let out a satisfied sigh. "Are you worried about our lord?"
Yao Ji let out a breath. "Hmm. Going by the timeline, Lin County should be just about done. It's just this snow... I'm afraid the journey will be difficult."
Yun Ci nodded. "Snow isn't so bad for sea travel, but strong winds are. The waves get too rough."
Reminded of something, he asked, "I heard there's a horse ranch in Shantong County?"
Yao Ji smiled. "That's right. There are over a thousand horses there. With the long winter ahead, we might as well let Qu Zhao feed and care for them for us."
Yun Ci stroked his beard. "Indeed, there's no rush. Our lord has plenty of horses already. By next year, the entire Donghu Commandery will be ours."
The next day's snow didn't let up as Jiang Jin had hoped; it grew even heavier, forcing them to stay in Lin County.
She thought it over and decided to visit the temporary medical clinic again to check on the wounded.
The clinic had been outfitted with heated walls and brick beds. The warm environment not only made the wounded more comfortable but also aided their recovery.
It was especially beneficial for changing dressings and checking injuries.
After making her rounds, she arrived at the medical room where Ye Shang and Wen Ping were staying.
When Ye Shang and the others saw her, they began to rise to salute. "Our lord."
Jiang Jin pressed her hands down. "No need for formalities. How are you feeling?"
Ye Shang shook his head. "I don't feel like anything's wrong."
Wen Ping chimed in. "Right, right. I feel fine too. Better than I've ever felt."
Suo Qian snorted. "Took two arrows in the body, got slashed with a saber, and even had chunks of flesh torn from your backside when the armor came off, and you call that nothing?"
Wen Ping's facial muscles twitched. He gritted his teeth. "I... am... fine."
Jiang Jin smiled. "Don't rush. Stay here in Lin County and recover properly. We'll talk about everything else once you're healed."
"You know the terrain well. If anything unexpected happens here, help out as you can."
Ye Shang and the others nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, our lord."
They talked for a while longer before Jiang Jin left the medical room. She was about to head next door when she heard Suo Qian's voice.
"Over here are Ji Xin and Li Qian."
Jiang Jin paused mid-step. It took her a moment to remember the two men Ye Shang had mentioned before. She thought about it, then pushed the door open and walked in.
Ji Xin was surprised to see her and quickly stood up. "You... you've come?"
Li Qian's entire right leg was wrapped up like a zongzi, and his face and neck were also wrapped in gauze, leaving only his nostrils and eyes exposed.
He was momentarily stunned, but quickly recognized her and struggled to get up.
Jiang Jin waved her hand. "No need. I just came to check on you. If you need anything, just say so. Warriors who hold fast to our Han territory deserve respect."
Those words made both Ji Xin and Li Qian's noses sting with emotion.
"It's shameful. You saved us twice, and we've never been able to thank you in person," Ji Xin said apologetically.
Jiang Jin waved it off. "It was nothing. Don't dwell on it."
Li Qian hesitated for a moment, then said earnestly, "I don't know if the Jinyang Army would accept us, but I'm willing to serve under your command."
Because of his injury, he hadn't been able to go out and see the changes in Lin County.
But through what Ji Xin and Suo Qian had told him, he'd learned a great deal, and combined with the shock the Jinyang Army had given him during the siege, he couldn't help but want to join.
Ji Xin followed. "I too wish to serve under your command. Please accept us."
Jiang Jin looked at them both, then after a moment, said, "Granted."
Li Qian and Ji Xin were overwhelmed with excitement, the weight lifted from their shoulders. "Thank you, our lord. We swear to follow you to the death."
The snow fell again through the night, finally stopping at dawn. Jiang Jin led her people out of Lin County.
Standing atop the city wall, Qiu Liao watched the departing column with complex emotions. "By the time we meet again next year, everything will be different."
Nan Wen laughed. "That's right! Our territory will be even bigger by then."
Qiu Liao glanced at him sideways. "The colder it gets, the more vigilant we must be. We're an isolated city, reliant only on ourselves. We can't afford a moment's slack."
"And don't expect too much from Daqing Commandery," he added.
Nan Wen scratched his head. "I know. Don't worry."
Qiu Liao wasn't reassured. "Our lord left us more than two thousand Jinyang soldiers. That's enough to defend a city. Aside from those on rotation, training can't stop."
"In a while, we'll recruit more people from the city. Recruit as many as we can. These few months can't be wasted. We must train our troops hard!"
Jin Feng, who had followed the Jinyang Army out of the city, tightened his military greatcoat around him, a proud look on his face.
This coat was a gift from Ambassador Dong, given to him after he and his men had worked diligently for several days for the Jinyang Army.
The Jinyang Army was truly wealthy. The lining of this greatcoat was made of cotton!
Even as one of the five great generals under the Left General of Daqing, he'd never had the chance to wear clothing padded with cotton.
He didn't know how they made it, but the coat was warm and soft, smooth and flat, and simple to put on.
The coat was also long, keeping even his lower body warm.
And that wasn't all. The armor of the Jinyang Army was different too.
They called it quilted armor. Not like their own heavy, cold plate armor — this was light and warm, yet no less protective.
Fighting while carrying forty or fifty jin versus carrying ten or twenty jin was a completely different ballgame.
The mobility, the speed — everything was on another level.
Then there were the weapons the Jinyang Army used. The repeating crossbows went without saying, but even their sabers were far superior. They could easily cut through their own blades with a single swing.
It was so luxurious it made him want to cry.
At least they weren't enemies now. Otherwise, there would be no fighting this war at all.
He thought for a moment, then quietly moved closer to Dong Si, who was not far away.
Dong Si turned his head to glance at him but said nothing.
