“The soldiers in the army bullied me because I’m young and often made fun of me. They treated me as a child and played with me. I’ve never been easy to bully since 1 was young. 1 often thought of some stupid tricks and changed my methods to mess with people. I either secretly poured out the water in this soldier’s water pouch and changed it to horse urine, or cut that soldier’s pants and embarrassed him… I caused a mess in the army and made everyone hate me.”
Yu Youyao pursed her lips. Yin Huaixi had entered the army at the age of seven. She could almost imagine his smug expression after his pranks succeeded.
Yin Huaixi continued, “My father was furious. Every time he saw me, he would slap me. Every time, Uncle Ming stopped him. He even said, ‘Which good soldier isn’t a spy? I think this kid is good at marching and fighting. He’s smart. Although his thoughts are all stupid, it doesn’t matter if they’re stupid or not. It’s not simple to mess with someone.’”
“The soldiers in the army bully others. If they don’t want to take me in as a soldiers, they shouldn’t blame others after they’re tricked. If they don’t want to be tricked, they have to be more vigilant. You’re a dignified soldier, but you’re being tricked by a child. Do you still have any dignity?”
Yu Youyao finally understood that General Ming Wei had tolerated all of Yin Huaixi!s mischievousness when he was young. He had also affirmed his intelligence and never treated him as an insensible child.
This was something his parents couldn’t give him.
Yin Huaixi chuckled, but his laughter was hoarse. “From then on, the soldiers didn’t dare to underestimate me anymore, and they were also more wary of me. After all, they’re soldiers who’ve been through hundreds of battles. How can they be so easy to mess with when they’re serious? The tricks I used in the past were no longer effective,”
Yu Youyao looked thoughtful.
“l began to learn to observe the soldiers in the army, see their weaknesses, find opportunities, and wait for a chance. For example, there was a soldier who liked to drink a bowl of water before going to bed. Every night, he would wake up at night. I secretly ambushed him near the outhouse. When he was in a daze at night, I put on his black sack and beat him until his face was swollen.’
“This method made me very proud for a while. However, as the number of people who were tricked increased, the soldiers became more and more wary of me. They often moved in pairs or threes and were never alone. This method was useless.’
Yu Youyao couldn’t help but ask, “What happened next?”
“I was very indignant. I felt that they were bullying me with numbers, so I went to look for Uncle Ming. Uncle Ming asked me, ‘Have you thought carefully about why you have to choose a lone soldier to deal with? When the soldiers aren’t alone, are you helpless?’”
“l replied that because I was young, I could only choose lone soldiers to take advantage of when they’re unprepared.”
“Uncle Ming said that being young is also a form of weakness. Even if I relied on my brain to win for a moment, it often won’t last long. The effect is minimal. He said that I’m stronger than my physique and can win by cultivating my intelligence.”
“This also made me realize that it’s almost impossible to recruit soldiers who have been through hundreds of battles in the army in a short period of time. I could be considered to have calmed down and seriously followed Uncle Ming to practice martial arts and temper my body. 1 absorbed the experience of the old generals in the army who have been through hundreds of battles, removed the dregs, and preserved their essence.”
Uncle Ming had never interfered with Yin Huaixi’s growth, but during Yin Huaixi!s growth, he had taken on the responsibility of guiding and teaching Yin Huaixi. It had secretly affected Yin Huaixi’s mind and increased his horizons, methods, and magnanimity.
In the beginning, Yin Huaixi was a mischievous child who only knew how to use feces and urine. Later on, he understood how to observe and lie low, waiting for the right time. Later on, he understood the principle of strengthening his physique and cultivating his intelligence.
Uncle Ming used his tolerance and patience to guide Yin Huaixi to grow bit by bit.
He was not a teacher, but he was even better than a teacher.
They weren’t family, but they were more like family.
Yu Youyao said softly, “Uncle Ming will definitely be proud of you.” There was a long silence in the tent.
After an unknown period of time, Yu Youyao felt a slight wetness on the exposed skin on the side of her neck
Yu Youyao’s eyes welled up and her arms trembled. She gently raised them and stroked his back.
After parting in Jinzhou, Yu Youyao had not seen him for more than a month. At this moment, hugging his bloodstained and slightly trembling body, she realized that he had lost so much weight.
Yin Huaixi was the young commander-in-chief. He was not even old, but he carried the entire Great Zhou on his shoulders. He was blaming himself for General Ming Wei’s death.
Indeed, all of this was not his fault.
However, it was the fault of a commander-in-chief to suffer losses.
Madam Ming did not blame Yin Huaixi, but he still could not let it go.
Perhaps he would only really let go when he killed Meng Duo, stepped through the Northern Barbarians, and killed the people of the Northern
Barbarians. An eye for an eye!
Yu Youyao wanted to persuade him, but she did not know how.
After an unknown period of time, the person by her neck stopped moving.
Yu Youyao felt his even breathing and knew that he was asleep.
She continued to maintain this posture until her shoulders went from sore to numb and she lost her perception of her shoulder. Then, she carefully protected Yin Huaixi’s head and leaned him against the pillow on the couch. She took off the boots and socks on his feet and lifted his legs to the bed.
As the commander-in-chief, Yin Huaixi had racked his brains to win this battle, not daring to relax at all. After the battle, most of the soldiers rested on the spot. Only he and the orderlies cleaned up the corpses of ordinary soldiers on the battlefield. They collected the remains of the soldiers who had died in battle and remembered the sacrifices of the soldiers.
He was too tired.
It wasn’t the body that was tired, but the heart.
Yu Youyao quietly left the tent. General Lin, General Ning Yuan, Military Advisor Huang, and some other old men in the army were all waiting outside the tent.
Seeing that Yu Youyao had come out, they quickly lowered their voices and asked about Yin Huaixi.
Yu Youyao shook her head and took a few steps away before saying softly, “He told me many things about being taught by General Ming Wei in the army when he was young. He just fell asleep.”
When General Lin heard this, he couldn’t help but sigh. “l beat him up in front of the soldiers, hoping that he would feel better. Who knew that he…”
General Ning Yuan shook his head. “How can he not understand your good intentions? The smarter one is, the easier it is for them to suffer.’
Huang Wenxian said helplessly, “During this period of time, I’ll have to trouble the Eldest Princess to take care of him more. 1 think that His Highness feel better with you by His Highness’s side.”
Without Huang Wenxian!s instructions, Yu Youyao would also take good care of Yin Huaixi. Huang Wenxian was also worried about Yin Huaixi, so he nodded in agreement.
General Ning Yuan heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Yesterday, on the battlefield, in the chaos, His Highness shot an arrow at Meng Duo. At that time, there were many people in the Northern Barbarians who were covering for Meng Duo. His Highness was far away, so he might not have seen it clearly. However, I was closer at that time and saw His Highness’s arrow hit Meng Duo’s chest with my own eyes. I’m not sure if it hit a vital point, but in that position, if Meng Duo didn’t die, he would have lost most of his life. Even if he was still alive, I don’t think there’s anything to be afraid of..”