The governor couldn't help but worry for her, but in the next moment, Wu Caiwei's head appeared with difficulty before him, startling him.
It turned out that at the moment the cloud ladder fell, she had kicked hard, using that momentum to climb onto the city wall.
The governor was only stunned for a moment, and in the next, he called for people to quickly pull her up. Looking at the man behind her, he exclaimed in surprise, "General Ouyang, why are you here? Didn't you already sacrifice yourself for the country?"
"Sacrifice myself for the country? Who told you that? Wu Guozhong?" Ouyang Chenxi couldn't help but sneer disdainfully.
"Yes, he said back then that you led an army, wanting to penetrate deep into the enemy's territory, but who knew you encountered a tornado, with no remains left." Seeing his expression, the governor knew there was more to the story and wanted to find out. After all, this was something that needed to be reported to the Emperor.
"That was Wu Guozhong and the Xiongnu colluding to trap us. Five thousand soldiers were captured because of him, and I was no exception. He was despicable and shameless, even drugging our water." Speaking of this, Ouyang Chenxi couldn't help but tremble all over, especially the humiliation he had endured over the years, which filled him with hatred. If Wu Guozhong were standing before him, he would want to skin him alive and tear his tendons.
"Your leg?" Upon closer inspection, the governor noticed that his hands and feet were unnaturally twisted.
"Anyone captured, who was determined not to pledge loyalty to them, would have their tendons severed, posing no threat to them." Ouyang Chenxi said this with helplessness. Having long since had a change of heart, he was fully aware of his condition. Even with his own treatment, he could only ensure that his feet could walk normally and his hands could hold chopsticks to eat. It was impossible to practice martial arts or read and write as before.
The generals on the city wall were all silent. General Ouyang was once a famous war god on this border. Ten years ago, he never returned, and people thought he had vanished into thin air. They never expected him to be alive, but thereafter, he was no different from a cripple. If it were them, they truly wouldn't have the courage to survive.
Wu Caiwei, forcing herself to hold on, ordered people to carry him back to her courtyard. After settling him in, she finally felt relieved, washed up, and slept soundly.
Ouyang Chenxi, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by chattering voices. When he opened his eyes, he saw several women and a wet nurse surrounding his bed, discussing him in front of him.
"He's average-looking and a bit old. I heard our young lady risked her life to save him from the battlefield. I wonder what she sees in him."
"I heard he was once a general, but we live in Jiangnan and have never seen him. How did the young lady meet him?"
"The key point is that his hands and feet are inconvenient now; he's a cripple. No matter how we look at it, he's not worthy of our young lady."
...
"You're speaking so disparagingly of me in front of my face. Is that not very polite?" Ouyang Chenxi rolled his eyes, helplessly remarking.
"Speaking the truth." The women were caught red-handed and showed no embarrassment, saying with a smile.
Seeing that Ouyang Chenxi remained silent for a long time, the women exchanged glances and quickly slipped away.
Soon, Wu Caiwei woke up. Her first action was to visit him. After they gazed at each other affectionately for a while, Wu Caiwei teased, "Your life is a bit miserable, isn't it? You can't be a great general anymore, so try to be optimistic."
"Don't worry. Having experienced so many lifetimes, I've encountered all sorts of situations. As long as we can be together, it's better than anything else. I am very content," Ouyang Chenxi smiled calmly.
They spent a few peaceful days. The governor couldn't help but come to visit. Seeing Wu Caiwei jump off the city wall regardless of her safety to save Ouyang Chenxi that day, the governor knew she was waiting for him. If it were someone else, he might have felt resentful, but Ouyang Chenxi was a household name on the border, a figure like a god of war, someone he admired. He could only bow in defeat.
"How is the situation on the front lines?" Speaking of which, Wu Caiwei had exhausted all her energy that day and had only just recovered. She hadn't had a chance to inquire about the war.
"Thanks to the lady, they dare not act rashly. For the past few days, there has been a state of truce. After all, the enemy has suffered significant losses." The governor couldn't help but smile as he said this. Although the situation was not optimistic, at least as long as they didn't foolishly charge out to fight, the enemy couldn't do anything to them.
"That's good. Then, Your Excellency must thoroughly investigate the spies in the city. No matter what insulting words they utter, do not charge out to fight. Just hold on for a while longer, and winter will arrive. The weather will be cold and harsh, and they won't be able to last long." Although Wu Caiwei had great faith in the governor's ability, she couldn't help but offer a few words of caution.
The governor nodded, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Ouyang Chenxi, and respectfully said, "General Ouyang, can you tell me about what happened back then? Wu Guozhong is currently stationed in the southwest, leading a hundred thousand troops. If he truly has a problem, I can report it to the Emperor in a timely manner, so that the Emperor can guard against him."
Ouyang Chenxi knew this was a serious matter and recalled the events of the past.
"General, good news!" Wu Guozhong excitedly came to Ouyang Chenxi's tent.
"Oh? Tell me about it." Ouyang Chenxi put down the map he was holding and looked up at him with interest.
"Our people have discovered a gold mine in Aliao Mountain. That's the Xiongnu's treasury. Even if we can't claim it for ourselves, emptying their gold would be good. It would cut off their economic source." Wu Guozhong looked at him with anticipation, waiting for his command to act immediately.
"It's good, but Aliao Mountain is in the heartland of the Xiongnu. One mistake and the entire army could be annihilated." Although Ouyang Chenxi was somewhat tempted, he knew what could and could not be done. In his eyes, the lives of his soldiers were more important than anything else.
"Don't worry. Our people who are embedded with the Xiongnu have found a small path. As long as we are careful, we won't be discovered. If the general is still worried, give me five thousand soldiers, and I will personally lead them there." Wu Guozhong was determined to earn this merit and refused to give up.
"I'll consider it." Seeing that the general was willing to consider, he was overjoyed and left happily.
Although he and Wu Guozhong had guarded the border together for many years and he trusted him deeply, to be safe, he still sent his confidant to scout the area.
Soon, he received the news, which was exactly as Wu Guozhong had said. After hesitating, he randomly chose a day, taking Wu Guozhong and five thousand soldiers towards their destination.
Along the way, they were as cautious as possible, narrowly avoiding the Xiongnu patrols several times. They finally reached a mountain opposite the gold mine, and everyone was exhausted, preparing to rest for a night and plan from there.
The next morning, everyone ate dry rations with cold water, briefly filling their stomachs, and prepared for a quick victory to avoid prolonged complications.
Unexpectedly, not long after breakfast, they all collapsed without warning. By the time Ouyang Chenxi felt dizzy, it was too late. Many Xiongnu soldiers emerged from the grass.