Chapter 684 - One Hundred and Thirty-Three Frosty Long Street
Chapter 684 of "Red Heart Patrols the Sky" begins revealing surprises: 684: Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three: Frosty Long Street 684: Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three:... Read on to find out!
684: Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three: Frosty Long Street 684: Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three: Frosty Long Street The night had fallen, and the sky was lit with a bright moon and numerous stars.The entirety of Yun City was as bright as day.
The phoenix lanterns floated all over the sky, their silhouettes gliding on the lantern walls.
The flower-decked parade floats, the Cloud Platforms displaying rare and exotic treasures, street performers, lantern riddle guessers, street vendorsâŚ
The streets were bustling with people.
Jiang Anan sat inside the biggest phoenix lantern, with the shadows of phoenixes before her, the expanse of stars above her, and the worldly festivities below her.
In the past, she had celebrated New Yearâs Eve in Fengxi Town, which was also lively, with delicious foods, red lanterns, and the sounds of firecrackersâŚ
Last New Yearâs Eve was spent on a desolate mountain, where her brother set off fireworks for her.
This was her first experience of such grand festivities, like being in a dream filled with glittering lights, making her reluctant to leave, completely forgetting her sorrowsâfor a moment, she couldnât even remember the endless writing practice she had to finish.
For the current Jiang Anan, those writing practices were her only source of worry.
Ye Qingyu stood guard by her side, occasionally pointing out interesting sights to her and sometimes using his Daoist arts to sprinkle down a shower of light, joining the people of Yun City in celebrating the New Yearâs Eve.
Jiang Anan smiled radiantly with joy, and amidst the bustle, she still took a moment to ask, âWhere is my brother?â
âI donât know,â Ye Qingyu replied with a hint of confusion, âCould he be preparing a New Yearâs gift for you?â
âOh!â Jiang Anan said, her face lighting up with anticipation, âI want to prepare a New Yearâs gift for my brother too.â
âWell, after we play for a while, letâs go down and buy him oneâŚ
Look over there!â
âWow, how beautiful!â
Innocent children, carefree and untroubled.
The sword-bearing youth sped through the night, flying over Fenglin City which had become a land of death, soaring over the eight hundred li of the Qing River, passing Wangjiang City, and heading towards Hualin County.
In Zhuang Country on New Yearâs Eve, there wasnât much of a festive spirit to speak of, as the entire nation was enveloped in a solemn mood.
The people harbored deep hatred towards their northern neighbors; the battle in Yong Countryâs Yiyang Prefecture weighed heavy on every heart in Zhuang Country.
They anxiously awaited the outcome, fervently hoping for resolution.
Zhuang Country had deployed an army of three hundred thousand, calling upon nearly all military forces available aside from the necessary border defenses.
Once the vanguard had breached the enemy lines, the main forces rapidly followed.
Initially, using minor skirmishes with Mo Country as an excuse, they repeatedly drilled their troops in Hualin County, but perhaps only now could the observant perceive the true reason behind these maneuvers.
Zhuang Gaoxian had long harbored plans for this war with Yong Country.
And Mo Country, having ceded ten cities after a battle, was no longer regarded as a significant opponent by Zhuang Country.
If it werenât for Mo Countryâs court paying a steep price to gain the support of Qin Country, Zhuang Gaoxian would have long since breached the Mo Royal Palace.
Therefore, from the beginning, the skirmishes on the Zhuang-Mo border and the trials for the new recruits were nothing but a blindness spell, all preparations for the campaign against Yong Country.
While it was said that the troops on the Zhuang-Mo frontline were rotating and drilling in Hualin County, only the high ranks of Zhuang Country truly knew the status of the garrison in Hualin, the details of their deployments, their routes, and how many were stationed in Qinghe County.
Before the war even began, using the guise of rotation, they had moved large numbers of troops to Qinghe County.
On one hand, Zhuang Gaoxian furiously shattered his dragon throne, and on the other, the armies of Zhuang Country descended like tigers from the mountainâŚ
Such preparation couldnât have been accomplished overnight.
It may have even begun many years ago, while Zhuang Gaoxian lay hidden, recuperating within the deep palace.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain such unity, such efficiency.
Xinâan City.
Inside the Wen Hua Pavilion, tall candles burned continuously, with people coming and going constantly, be they eunuchs or guards, passing on various kinds of information.
Six rows of desks were arranged in the pavilion, three rows on each side.
Officials of Xinâan City who had a say were all here, diligently writing, completing one official task after another.
During wartime, the plethora of affairs could be overwhelming.
Maintaining the operation of an army of three hundred thousand was no simple matter.
Only the most important matters would be summarized and delivered to the man with the short beard sitting at the highest position.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Zhuang Country sat upright and proper, with no unnecessary words or smiles; the occasional move of his eyes seemed as if they could see right through peopleâs hearts.
Standing behind him was a young cultivator holding a sword.
Everyone in the pavilion knew that this cultivator, with his clear and handsome features, was Li Jianqiu, the direct disciple of Deputy Prime Minister Dong Ah.
It was said that the two had shared a mentor-apprentice bond since their early years at the Fenglin City Taoist Academy and that Li was highly regarded by the Deputy Prime Minister.
The fact that Dong Ah would occasionally quietly seek his opinion while dealing with official affairs showed how much effort was put into his cultivation.
This made many people secretly envious.
As Deputy Prime Minister responsible for penal affairs, Dong Ah held real power and his status was just below that of the Head of the Procuratorate.
No matter how one calculated, within the entire power structure of Zhuang Country, he could be firmly ranked within the top ten.
This time, as Zhuang Country waged a full-scale war, Emperor Zhuang ordered Dong Ah to stay behind in Xinâan City to oversee the rear, indicating great trust.
Many saw this as a signal that he would take over as the next Prime Minister, his status already surpassing the Head of the Procuratorate.
Looking across all the civil and military officials of Zhuang Country, he was probably only below Prime Minister Du Ruhui and Great General Huangfu Duanming.
Given that Du Ruhui had contributed so much to Zhuang Country, working tirelessly for a long time, enjoying the countryâs prosperity but burdened even more by its responsibilities.
Now that Zhuang Country was rising powerfully, it was time for such a supreme divine presence to lay down his heavy duties and focus on his cultivation.
If he were to break through to Dongzhen, it would be even more fortunate for Zhuang Country.
Du Ruhui himself had also expressed several times that he intended for Dong Ah to succeed him as Prime Minister.
Favored by such a powerful figure, one can imagine the envy directed at this youngster named Li Jianqiu.
âThere should be nothing else.
Leave ten to stand guard; the rest of you can go back and rest,â Dong Ah said, after reviewing the last official document, standing straight and walking out first: âIâll go inspect the state of the city.â
He knew that if he didnât leave first, no one would dare to rest.
A civil officer immediately stood up and said, âHow can we trouble the Deputy Prime Minister with such trivial matters?
Your subordinates can take care of them.â
Dong Ah waved his hand to stop him: âThis war will determine our countryâs fate for a century.
All of you are the pillars of our nation.
In this historical moment, fulfilling your own duties is the greatest contribution to the country.
I will do what I can myself.â
The officials were already familiar with the Deputy Prime Ministerâs personality, knowing his decision would not change and that he was straightforward and disdained empty courtesies.
So no one insisted further.
They left ten officials to stand guard and dispersed.
Although called rest, in reality, none could truly rest, as each official had his own pile of responsibilities.
This time Zhuang Gaoxian had staked all on the war, even deploying the White Feather Army to the front lines, leaving Xinâan City at its most vulnerable.
Dong Ah took it upon himself to personally inspect the cityâs affairs, fearing that everyoneâs focus on the battlefield with Yong Country would lead them to neglect domestic matters.
The elusive Head of the Procuratorate was now quietly presiding over the front lines near Zhuang Mo, to prevent Mo Country from taking advantage by invading.
Should Mo Country dare any hostile actions, they would undoubtedly encounter a tough bone to chew.
On the border with Cheng Country as well, troops were ready.
As Dong Ah walked through the broad streets of Xinâan City, his mind was full of complex thoughts.
Li Jianqiu, following behind, seldom spoke, usually answering only when Dong Ah asked a question.
The long street stretched into the distance, with a row of houses plunged in darkness.
However, there was one house with red lanterns hanging at the door.
In Xinâan City, engulfed in the atmosphere of war, these two red lanterns welcoming the new and bidding farewell to the old seemed somewhat out of place.
A festive celebration untimely for the season.
âTonight is New Yearâs Eve,â Dong Ah remarked.
Upon the frosty long street, Li Jianqiu made a sound of acknowledgment.