Chapter 120: The Bond Waking Within the Heart

"You mean, back then, Captain Fu saw through all the patrols deployed by Zhen Dier?"

Li Shimin chatted and relaxed by the campfire with numerous Sui generals, awaiting the regrouping and rest of the cavalry army.

"Indeed! It wasn't just the patrols that the Captain saw through. The moment that rebel general split his forces to march south, the Captain concluded that the rebel general would surely leave behind an ambush! That very night..."

Before Li Shimin, the Sui generals did not treat him as an outsider. It was not merely because these generals were easygoing, but rather because of the remarkable capability Li Shimin had demonstrated in previous skirmishes, which had won their profound respect.

As military generals who constantly lived on the edge of a blade, they had always admired those with genuine ability.

Whether it was Li Shimin leading several hundred men to rescue Taiyuan, or his previous feat of slaying a formidable enemy general, these actions undeniably earned the admiration of the generals. Coupled with the fact that their Captain held Li Shimin in high regard, the generals naturally hesitated not to shower praise upon their own commander when answering Li Shimin's inquiries.

Some even went so far as to briefly recount how, upon arriving at the east gate of Jinyang, Captain Fu was initially mocked by the scions of noble families, and how he subsequently led them to face and defeat the massive rebel army that had surrounded them.

Beside the bonfire.

The wounded Yin Tianzong, Lai Bo, and others wore expressions of deep emotion. Without Fu Zihou, perhaps at this very moment, they would either be corpses beneath the rebels' blades or prisoners of war; how could they have achieved today's standing?

Meanwhile, Cao Yong, Xiong Ruixiang, and the others felt even more profound sentiments, having followed Fu Zihou all the way from Qinghe County.

"So that's how it was!"

After listening to the generals detail everything that had transpired in Jinyang, Li Shimin realized that far more had happened there than he had ever imagined.

Gazing at the roasted horse leg meat, Li Shimin looked toward the distant youthful figure who was busy tending to the soldiers.

Looking at the assembled Sui generals before him, Li Shimin slowly rose to his feet. Passing by the various campfires and numerous soldiers, he walked toward that solitary figure.

"Captain, my mother told me to thank you for helping us back then. When the Captain returns to Jinyang..."

"We return together!"

Fu Zihou's voice brooked no argument, allowing for no dissent from the soldiers.

Looking at the dying soldiers drawing their last breaths, Fu Zihou's eyes grew somewhat red. These were men who had voluntarily followed him out of the city gates of Jinyang.

After a few breaths.

Staring at a soldier who lay with unseeing eyes, completely motionless, Fu Zihou lowered his head and remained silent for a long while.

"I will help you bury him!"

A voice sounded beside Fu Zihou. He looked up to see Li Shimin gazing at the fallen soldier with an equally sorrowful expression.

"Alright!"

Fu Zihou did not refuse Li Shimin.

On the open plain.

Following Fu Zihou's orders, the soldiers ate horse meat by the campfires, while Fu Zihou and Li Shimin personally carried the dead soldiers one by one into a long, deep trench, laid them side by side, and shoveled the earth to bury them themselves.

It was not until dusk began to darken that Fu Zihou and Li Shimin, covered in injuries and soaked in the pungent odors of dried blood and sweat, finally finished their grim task.

"Although I, Li Shimin, may not inherit the title of Duke of Tang by primogeniture, for the rest of my life, I, Li Shimin, will never forget them!"

Looking at the setting sun lingering over the distant plain, Li Shimin said softly.

These words came from the very depths of Li Shimin's heart. No matter what the future held, he would always remember these soldiers who had fallen while rescuing him, and he would forever remember the lessons of this day.

"If not for me, Li Shimin..."

Li Shimin's voice was heavy with guilt as he looked at the multitude of newly turned earth mounds where the soldiers were buried. Had they not come to save him, perhaps they would not have died.

"They died because of these troubled times!"

Fu Zihou interrupted Li Shimin, his reddened eyes staring fixedly at him.

Under Li Shimin's gaze, Fu Zihou breathed heavily, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the burial ground of the soldiers.

"Look! They are all telling me to settle their families well, and when peace is restored to the realm, to come back and fetch them!"

Fu Zihou said softly.

Knowing that Fu Zihou was only trying to comfort him, Li Shimin nonetheless felt a sharp pang in his heart at these seemingly casual words. It pierced through his emotional armor straight to his softest spot, stinging his nose and filling his eyes with tears.

Because of these troubled times!

They were all watching!

To settle their families, and when peace returned to the world, to come back and take them home...

Only a true man, fearless of the bloody battlefields and harboring vast ambitions, could truly comprehend the scorching yearning and the romantic, solemn vow hidden beneath these words.

A covenant between men, a pact between a commander and his soldiers. Looking at the fallen soldiers buried here, Li Shimin did not find relief, but rather felt the heavy oppression in his heart lifted away by these very men.

"When that day comes, I will return here with you to bring them back to their ancestral homes!"

Li Shimin raised his hands in a formal salute and made a soft vow, two lines of tears cutting paths through the dried blood and dirt on his cheeks.

Night fell.

The temperature difference between day and night began to manifest. Beside the blazing campfires, as all the soldiers completed their rest and recuperation, Fu Zihou, Hu Jingyuan, Yin Tianzong, and the other generals gathered together under Li Shimin's watchful gaze.

"Here is our current position, and here is Jinyang! Currently, the Sui imperial army is stationed at Huoyi, and the only force posing a threat to Zhen Dier is the garrison at Jinyang! Seeing the rebel scouts today, rebel general Zhen Dier must have learned of our southward march, and he will certainly not let slip this opportunity. He will seize the chance to outflank us and cut off our retreat!"

Standing before the group, Fu Zihou offered a calm and calculated analysis.

"Even if we were to clash with the rebel cavalry, given the distance, Zhen Dier's army could not possibly arrive at Jinyang before us!"

The speaker was Xue Lin, a soldier who had followed Li Shimin—one of the standout individuals in terms of martial prowess and courage among the hundreds assembled by Zheng Yuangu. Previously, whenever Li Shimin charged into battle, it was Xue Lin who protected his flanks.

Hearing Fu Zihou's words, Xue Lin was not trying to be insubordinate, but rather voicing his genuine doubt.

In Xue Lin's eyes, they were a cavalry force, and having just crushed the main body of the rebel cavalry in battle today, how could Zhen Dier's infantry and main force possibly reach Jinyang ahead of them?

"Unless Zhen Dier has ordered his entire army to abandon their supply trains!"

Li Shimin proposed a possibility, then looked around at the group, his gaze resting on Fu Zihou.

Hearing Li Shimin's hypothesis, commanders like Hu Jingyuan and Yin Tianzong were startled; the thought of abandoning supply trains was terrifyingly bold.

"If Zhen Dier abandons his supply trains in his determination to annihilate us, he must deploy his forces across the terrain. His provisions would undoubtedly be sent entirely toward Queshu Valley. The terrain of the Queshu Valley mountains is perilous and the paths narrow; he would naturally dispatch troops to block all other retreat routes..."

Li Shimin knelt on one knee on the ground. As he spoke, he saw Fu Zihou unhesitatingly hand over a wooden stick, and sensing Fu Zihou's intention, a wave of warmth washed over Li Shimin's heart.

Although Li Shimin was the son of Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, traditional rules dictated that the eldest son inherited the father's peerage. Thus, in front of Fu Zihou, Li Shimin truly had no dazzling credentials to flash at this moment.

Yet, as the nominal commander of all the soldiers, not only did Fu Zihou refuse to compete with him for leadership, but he also willingly handed the symbolic baton of command to him. For Fu Zihou to make such a gesture, it would be a lie to say Li Shimin was not deeply moved.

"Here is Jiexiu, here is Qi County, and here is Taigu..."

Just as all the Sui generals trusted Fu Zihou's judgment, Li Shimin trusted it as well. Taking the wooden stick, he drew a crude map of Taiyuan Commandery's terrain on the ground and confirmed the dispersion of Zhen Dier's forces.

Hu Jingyuan, Yin Tianzong, Lai Bo, Xiong Ruixiang, Yue Ming, and the others stared in utter astonishment as Li Shimin's analysis proved comprehensive and flawless.

For some reason, everyone felt that with both Li Shimin and Fu Zihou present, Zhen Dier's army stood no chance whatsoever.

"The enemy is numerous and we are few. If we become entangled with the rebel army within Taiyuan Commandery, we still have warhorses, but the consumption of men and mounts, coupled with combat casualties, would be disadvantageous to us..."

Analyzing the current battlefield situation, contrary to what everyone else—including Fu Zihou, who was pondering how to counter and defeat Zhen Dier's army—was thinking, Li Shimin extended a line on the ground with the wooden stick before the assembled men.

"Since Zhen Dier has abandoned his supply trains in an attempt to block our return to Jinyang and trap us within Taiyuan Commandery through encirclement, we simply will not play by his rules. I suggest we make a direct dash toward Jingxing. Taking advantage of Zhen Dier's lack of preparedness, we enter the mountains via Jingxing, travel north along the narrow ancient trails, and outflank them toward Yanmen..."

Li Shimin pointed out the route to the group, the spot marked on the ground corresponding precisely to Yanmen.

"Once we resolve the Tujue threat at Yanmen and Mayi, forcing the Tujue to retreat northward, and with the garrisons of Yanmen and Mayi backing us, the rebels' supply lines will fall right into our hands. We will transform our passive stance into an active one. At that point, forget about provisions; neither Zhen Dier nor any of the rebels will even dream of returning to Shanggu!"

Finishing his explanation with the wooden stick in hand, Li Shimin looked up at the crowd.

Hu Jingyuan, Yin Tianzong, Lai Bo, Xue Hong, Xing Ming, and the others had long been struck speechless by Li Shimin's strategic plan, thoroughly shaken by its sheer audacity.

Yet even more gripping was the breathless tension inspired by the life-or-death gamble underlying this grand strategy.

To put it without exaggeration, as long as they could successfully launch a surprise raid to the north and force the Tujue to withdraw, the crisis enveloping the entire Taiyuan Commandery would be instantly resolved. Not only would Jinyang be freed from the threat of the rebel army, but conversely, they could trap the entire rebel army within Taiyuan Commandery, waiting for their provisions to exhaust, thereby eradicating this rebel force once and for all.

So!

Battles could be fought in such a manner!

"Zihou! You make the final decision!"

Li Shimin looked toward Fu Zihou, offering the wooden stick back to him.

He was well aware of the immense perils inherent in his own plan, which was why he willingly surrendered the power of decision to Fu Zihou.

"Zihou" was the name Fu Zihou had invited him to use earlier.

"Listen to you!"

Fu Zihou glanced at the wooden stick, refusing to take it back, and instead smiled slightly as he replied to Li Shimin.

For this battle.

Fu Zihou chose to entrust it to Li Shimin, acting as his assistant!

In the eyes of a time-traveler, Li Shimin was in no way inferior to Li Jing when it came to troop command and tactical efficiency; indeed, he was peerless through the ages, and the entire empire had eventually been conquered under his command. Thus, Li Shimin was never weak, nor was he someone who could only stare in blank astonishment at others. Overshadowing the protagonist was by no means a bad thing; rather, only by serving alongside Li Shimin would Li Shimin truly understand how comfortable, reassuring, and irreplaceable it was to have Fu Zihou by his side.