Chapter 50

"General Ziyun!" Li You was terrified, not only because of the uncertain future without Chen Qingzhi in the envoy, but also because he had come to admire Chen Qingzhi's military talent immensely. He was unwilling to see this brilliant general meet his end.

On the right side of the road was an abyss that seemed to have no bottom, with white clouds almost level with the mountains. Below the clouds, the rocks were jagged and treacherous. If one fell from here, there would be no chance of survival... If Chen Qingzhi fell, it would be impossible to find even a complete body.

Am I going to die here! Chen Qingzhi, who had already fallen off the cliff, closed his eyes, wondering if there really was a cycle of six realms after death. Under the rule of Emperor Wu of Liang, who was a devout Buddhist, Chen Qingzhi had gained a vague understanding of these concepts.

His body fell like a large stone, then tightened around his waist, suspending him in mid-air! Chen Qingzhi slowly opened his eyes and saw a long rope tied around his waist, with the other end in Pan Feng's hands!

"Ha ha, General Ziyun! If it weren't for the lord's instructions to tie everyone together with ropes, you would have become a pancake this time!" Pan Feng, completely unaware of the shock on the faces of those around him, laughed heartily.

Phew, I don't have to die here after all! Chen Qingzhi still wanted to follow the lord back to Chang'an to meet the heroic generals Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, who had swept the Xiongnu! Chen Qingzhi slowly relaxed! But he seemed to have forgotten that even if they could return to Chang'an as quickly as possible, Huo Qubing was only a little over a year old.

"Quickly pull General Ziyun up!" Li You quickly walked up, grabbed the rope, and together with Pan Feng, slowly pulled Chen Qingzhi up.

As Chen Qingzhi was slowly pulled up, he instinctively turned his head to look down. Seeing the rocks that had fallen off the cliff take a long time to shatter on the ground, he felt a chill and quickly closed his eyes, not daring to look again.

"General Ziyun, hold on tight!" As soon as Chen Qingzhi's head appeared, Li You eagerly leaned forward and grabbed his right hand, using all his strength to pull him up.

Chen Qingzhi sat on the ground, his body already weak. This ordeal had almost cost him his life. After a long while, he finally recovered and bowed to Li You in gratitude, "Thank you, my lord, for saving me. If it weren't for your order to tie us together with ropes, I would surely have met my end!"

"Ha ha, if General Ziyun wants to thank someone, he should thank General Pan Feng first!" Li You said with a smile. Honestly, if it weren't for the incredibly strong Pan Feng in front of Chen Qingzhi, anyone else would have been pulled off the cliff long ago!

"Thank you, General Pan!" Chen Qingzhi sincerely bowed again.

"If General Chen wants to thank me, then next time, send me to lead the charge!" Pan Feng rubbed his head and laughed heartily. Since he joined the army, besides following Li You to attack Fenshui Pass and Hulao Pass, this period of fighting was the most exhilarating!

After a burst of laughter, the group continued on their way. The idea of tying each small team together with ropes was something Li You had learned from mountain climbing movies he had seen online, and it turned out to be very useful, especially with the ropes they had prepared for crossing the river. It turned out to be very important.

After this incident, the group's concern about the mountain path decreased somewhat, and their marching speed increased! However, they became even more cautious, as even with the ropes, if three or five people fell together, no one could save them.

"Lord, we have traveled much faster today than I expected! At this rate, we can cross this mountain in three days!" At night, Tang Yifu reported to Li You.

"The higher the mountain, the colder it gets! I wonder if the soldiers can withstand it!" Li You's face showed no sign of relief, but rather increasing worry. As they climbed higher, they would not only face the problem of colder temperatures but also the danger of altitude sickness. At that time, walking would become even more difficult. "And it's one thing for the men, but it will be very difficult for the horses to cross such treacherous terrain!"

"This journey to Da Yuezhi is no less than ten thousand miles. Without horses, how can we march?" Seeing that Li You was considering abandoning the horses, Tang Yifu quickly advised.

Li You closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of determination in them. "Ho, after we go down the mountain, it will be the Xiongnu territory, right? The Xiongnu live by herding, so they can't be without horses. We'll just find a small tribe and raid them!"

The Xiongnu had been raiding and plundering the Han border counties of Dai, Yunzhong, and Yanmen, owing countless blood debts. It was only right that they pay them back. Now it was their turn to taste this!

"The soldiers' burdens must be reduced! Dried meat and other things can be thrown away; we can find them among the Xiongnu after we go down the mountain. The horses should be carefully screened, and any that are sick or injured should be left behind. Silk and other heavy items should be burned for warmth, leaving only a few samples. As for water and wine... the wine should be kept! As it gets colder, the soldiers will need it to warm up, but they should not drink too much during the march!" Li You issued his orders decisively.

The next day, the group discarded all the items they could, and their marching speed increased again! After three days of arduous trekking, they finally reached the top of Wushaoling.

Despite the protection of the ropes, several soldiers still fell off the cliff. Li You recorded their names and origins on a piece of parchment and stored it with the map. When they returned to Chang'an, he would certainly request rewards for them from Emperor Wu of Han.

When they reached the top of the mountain, it was just dawn. A red sun rose from the eastern sea of clouds, turning the layers of clouds golden. The golden light shone from the east to the top of the mountain, bringing a bit of warmth to the soldiers who had suffered from the cold.

Light came from the east, dispelling the darkness in the west. At that moment, the wind and snow stopped howling, freeing the group from the suffocating cold.

Under the protection of the rising sun, the group looked back at the path they had taken over the past few days. The treacherous routes that seemed impossible to climb from below were now under their feet.

"Ha ha, Wushaoling is nothing! There is no river we cannot cross, no mountain we cannot climb!" Li You looked down at the mountains, his heart surging with emotion, and recited a couplet, "More joyful is the thousand miles of snow on Wushaoling, and the soldiers' faces light up after the journey!"

"More joyful is the thousand miles of snow on Wushaoling, and the soldiers' faces light up after the journey!" Over a hundred people recited together, breaking the thousand-year silence of Wushaoling!

"Let's go! Down the mountain to find those Xiongnu! Steal food, steal wine, and steal horses!" Li You led the way down the mountain.