Chapter 5, Do you believe it?

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The two had not yet returned to the infantry camp when suddenly one person dashed out from the side, charging straight at Qin Cheng. Without a word, he rushed over, attempting to wrap his arms around Qin Cheng's neck. Caught off guard, Qin Cheng instinctively dodged and simultaneously delivered a swift kick. As the sky had already darkened, Qin Cheng could not clearly make out the appearance of the person in the hurried moment.

The sentries in the nearby military camp were startled by the noise from this side, and shouted over, "Damn it, keep it down for me!" They then ignored it, as such occurrences are likely not uncommon in military camps.

Is this hard to imagine? Are you suggesting that we infantry chase after the warhorses of the Xiongnu?" Qin Cheng said half in self-mockery and half casually

Oh?" Le Yi raised an eyebrow, looking at Qin Cheng with some curiosity, and then asked, "So why is it that while Dai County and Yuyang have already engaged in battle, we in Shanggu have yet to see even a shadow of a Xiongnu person?"

Le Yi brought Qin Cheng to a secluded corner of the military camp, sat down on the ground, and continued to rub his burning head with one hand. He spoke to Qin Cheng in an unfriendly tone, saying: "What happened this time? Why did you delay your return home for a family visit?"

He chuckled meaningfully, and the reason he spoke so much today was to change the impression that Qin Cheng had in Le Yi's mind as a childhood friend

Before long, a continuous stream of curses and screams erupted from a corner of the military camp, resembling the wails of ghosts and the howls of wolves

After a quarter of an hour, Qin Cheng and Le Yi lay together, their faces bruised and swollen, gasping for breath.

Qin Cheng glanced at Le Yi and said: "When the time comes, your cavalry will be the main force. I fear there will inevitably be some fierce battles, so you must be mentally prepared for that"

The person unexpectedly let out a "huh" and raised a hand to block Qin Cheng's right whip kick. Before he could make any further move, Qin Cheng's left whip kick, which was almost simultaneous, swept towards the person's head like lightning, sending him flying away!

"Then why won't they give up on invading Shanggu?" Le Yi became interested and pressed for more details.

Watch out! Le Yi, without a second thought, let out a loud roar and launched a powerful punch directly at the face of Qin Cheng

"Come on!" Qin Cheng shouted loudly, his figure flashing as he engaged in battle with Le Yi.

Qin Cheng sat down beside Le Yi and chuckled, saying, "If I said I was struck by lightning, would you believe me"

At this point, Le Yi could not help but gasp in shock, and with lingering fear, he said: "If that is the case, the Xiongnu will refrain from invading Shanggu, but once they do invade, it will be a brutal battle"

Qincheng

"Qincheng, war is about to break out." After a long pause, Le Yi lay on his back, gazing at the starry sky, and said softly. His words were quiet yet resolute, tinged with an unmistakable excitement. "The Dai County on the left and Yuyang on the right have already engaged in battle; we are caught in the middle, it is inevitable!"

"What the hell, even I can make a mistake? I..." A guard with the name of a famous general expressed his indignation, taking off his military cap and vigorously rubbing the head that had just been kicked by Qin Cheng. He glanced at Qin Cheng and suddenly realized something was amiss, exclaiming, "When did you acquire such impressive skills?"

After a long while, Le Yi looked at Qin Cheng with an unreserved gaze of admiration and slowly said: "I never expected that you would have such an understanding of this war! Originally, I thought... haha, it seems now that we might indeed be able to make a name for ourselves together in the army!"

Qincheng smiled, and with a slight movement of his hand under his nose, he realized that this was a deliberate test by Le Yi. He replied casually: "General Li, as the foremost general of our Han Dynasty's border regions, has certainly earned his reputation as the Flying General. The Xiongnu's intention to invade Shanggu is not feasible with the forces they used to invade Daijun and Yuyang. The Xiongnu are well aware of this as well. Therefore, they will either disregard Shanggu or engage in a full-scale assault with overwhelming forces."

That is good

If this were in the past, the Xiongnu might have made such a choice. However, that is absolutely not the case now. The siege of Mayi two years ago has left the Xiongnu harboring deep resentment, and given their character, they are bound to seek significant revenge. Although General Fei is renowned, the Xiongnu Chanyu is not a simple character either. Moreover..." At this point, Qin Cheng glanced at the bright-eyed Le Yi, paused, and then continued, "This time, the Xiongnu have invaded Daijun and Yuyang from both the left and the right, which certainly suggests an intention to encircle Shanggu."

When Qin Cheng and the others returned to the Qiansang military camp, it was already dusk, and the day's training in the camp was nearing its end. Qin Cheng handed the warhorse over to Dong Chu, who took two sentinels with him to return it to the cavalry department. Meanwhile, he and Wu Daliang went straight back to the barracks, leaving the matter of the deserters to be addressed later by the authorities.

Le Yi originally intended to say something more, but due to Wu Daliang's presence, he refrained from elaborating. He could only apologize to Wu Daliang first, saying, "I have a matter to discuss with him." After saying this, he took Qin Cheng and walked away.

It is almost ready

"By the way, how did you know that our cavalry would be the main force?" Le Yi suddenly asked, looking at Qin Cheng with great interest

Alright! You come! Do you think I am afraid of you? You insignificant one! Today at https://m.hetushu.com, I will let you know that I, Qin Dalang, have not wasted the past twenty years of my life! Qin Cheng, without hesitation, let go of all restraints, and in an instant, the two were at a standoff, swords drawn.

Qin Cheng knew that he absolutely could not reveal any flaws at this moment, so he deliberately put on a dissatisfied expression and shouted loudly: "You insolent fool! You may be inferior to me, yet how can you still be unconvinced? Am I destined to be less than you? Such a narrow-mindedness is truly unworthy of a gentleman!"

Are you ready? I have been preparing for this day for twenty years!" Le Yi's expression suddenly became resolute, and his tone grew more intense as he continued, "Since I can remember, I have been looking forward to this day! Xiongnu, this time I will make them pay in blood for their debts with the bow and knife in my hands!

Le Yi was taken aback, shot a glance at Qin Cheng, and said: "Whether I believe it or not is not important; what matters is whether General Li believes it."

After this statement, Qin Cheng and Le Yi fell into a brief silence. For Le Yi, it was evident that he had not anticipated that the war about to break out in Shanggu would unfold in such a manner. As for Qin Cheng, he found it inappropriate to say more, as the previous "Qin Cheng" was merely an ordinary sentinel.

"Qin Cheng, are you out of your mind? You even hit me!" The person staggered to his feet, one hand clutching his head, and shouted loudly at Qin Cheng.

"Only if you believe will there be ghosts!" Le Yi said, clearly indicating that his understanding of Qin City remains rooted in the past

Le Yi? At this moment, Qin Cheng finally saw the person in front of him clearly, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. He quickly realized that it was a disaster, hurried over to support him, and laughed, "How is it you? I didn't see clearly just now, I made a mistake, haha"

How can you still say that? Can you stop hitting on the books? Is it easy for me to have such a handsome face?

Indeed. Qin Cheng nodded, but in his heart, he had already come to understand. Observing Le Yi's reaction, it was clear that the Han soldiers were highly supportive of Emperor Wu's campaign against the Xiongnu. The previous year's defeat at the siege of Mayi had already given these border garrison soldiers a glimpse of hope for vindication. It seems that changing the long-standing imbalance between the Han and the Xiongnu is a widely shared aspiration. Even an ordinary garrison soldier like Le Yi could have such a profound understanding of the impending war against the Xiongnu—though this is largely related to Le Yi's experiences and ambitions, it also significantly reflects the psychology of the entire army.

Of course

The person let out a cry of anguish and fell to the ground with a thud

You are such a petty person! Always resorting to underhanded tricks, look at how my backside hurts, oh dear!

"Gentleman? Bah! You, a mere servant, dare to speak to me about gentlemen? Did I hear that correctly? What’s wrong with me not accepting you? If you have the ability, then confront me openly and take me down; only then will I acknowledge you!" Upon seeing Qin Cheng's smug demeanor, Le Yi was filled with rage and immediately threw down a harsh remark

At the age of eight, Le Yi's father was killed by the Xiongnu, and shortly thereafter, his mother also passed away. Le Yi's hatred for the Xiongnu was something Qin Cheng had known since childhood. It was this very hatred that sustained Le Yi in honing his remarkable skills.

Le Yi pondered for a moment, and when he raised his head again, his eyes were already shining with brilliance. "If I could defeat the renowned Flying General at this moment, it would not only avenge the great grievance of the siege at Mayi from years ago, but it would also greatly boost the morale of the Xiongnu army! At the same time, it would undermine the confidence of our Han soldiers and even the entire court in fighting against the Xiongnu!"

Well

I scoff, truly lacking in shame! The backsides of my books are more attractive than your face!

He will believe it. Qin Cheng was confident and composed.

Qin Cheng understood that Le Yi was worried about him, but he did not say much. To persuade Le Yi, it was more reliable to use actual results.

Is your sister's illness... alright?

The scene suddenly fell silent

Unexpectedly, when Qin Cheng smiled like this, Le Yi's admiring gaze suddenly turned strange. He then stood up and scrutinized Qin Cheng from head to toe, making Qin Cheng feel quite uneasy. Only then did he speak in a peculiar tone: "You rascal, it hasn't been long since we last met, yet not only has your hand-to-hand combat improved significantly, but your thoughts have also become much deeper. Who taught you all this? You might as well confess honestly!"

Qincheng said: "At that time, if Your Majesty wishes to engage in large-scale warfare against the Xiongnu, it will undoubtedly provoke considerable opposition. It is even possible that Your Majesty's plans for war against the Xiongnu may come to naught! As for our Han Dynasty, we will have no choice but to endure and seek peace through marriage alliances, just as we have in the past! This is undoubtedly the situation the Xiongnu most desire to see!"

The military camps of the Western Han Dynasty were divided into two types: one was the tent-style camp, and the other was the house-style camp. Since Shanggu is located in the north and has a relatively cold climate, the military camp of Qiansang, which serves as the permanent base for the garrison of Shanggu, falls into the latter category. The entire Qiansang military camp is divided into three divisions: the cavalry division, the chariot division, and the infantry division. Each division consists of between 3,000 to 4,000 personnel, which is roughly comparable to the situation of other garrison troops in the border regions, a common scenario during the early reign of Emperor Wu.

Le Yi's gaze became somewhat strange, as he looked up and down at Qin Cheng with an uncertain expression, and then said: "Are you sure?"

"I don't have any remarkable skills; it was merely a coincidence." In order to align his image with that of the previous "Qin Cheng," Qin Cheng had no choice but to play it down.