Chapter 141 - 122: First Merit!
Although the Vanguard Camp paid a hefty price, suffering heavy casualties, the victory of this battle was enough to make the entire Yong’an City camp boil over.
The eyes of the soldiers were filled with admiration and curiosity, eager to know how these two thousand managed to push back the two hundred thousand-strong Turkic army.
Even the defender of Yong’an City, Li Gang, watched as Xiao Zhengfei and his men entered the city gates. He, too, with his bleary and swollen eyes, descended from the city tower to greet them quickly.
He hadn’t closed his eyes all night, his steps were unsteady, yet a joyful smile adorned his face.
Li Gang walked up to Xiao Zhengfei and patted him on the shoulder, his tone full of praise.
"Mr. Xiao, you’ve worked hard. This time you have indeed rendered great service!"
Xiao Zhengfei nodded slightly, yet his face showed little joy.
Victory was achieved, but behind this triumph lay the sacrifice of countless brothers. If it weren’t for Han Lei and the others arriving in time, they might not have made it back.
Xiao Zhengfei turned to look at the soldiers behind him, among the familiar faces, many were missing. His heart ached, but it was soon drowned out by the cheers around him.
The soldiers gathered around, eagerly asking about the battle details.
When they heard that the Vanguard Camp, taking advantage of the fatigue of the Turkic army, burned the enemy’s supplies, and Hua Tianyou accidentally shot the enemy’s main commander, the entire camp boiled again.
Especially the name Hua Tianyou, which instantly became the focus of everyone’s discussion.
"Hua Tianyou! Hua Tianyou!"
Someone shouted his name, and soon more people followed suit.
"Hua Tianyou! Hua Tianyou! Hooray, hooray."
The shouts of the soldiers grew louder and louder as Hua Tianyou was pushed to the center of the crowd, lifting his body and tossing him into the air repeatedly.
Hua Tianyou, who had never experienced such adulation, seemed to mature suddenly at this moment. This sense of honorable bravery made him suddenly feel that his previous frivolous life had been a waste.
His face carried a mixture of newfound shyness and undisguised pride. This battle inadvertently turned him into a hero in the barracks.
At the same time, it also made him determined to follow Zhao Zun closely in the future, to learn how to become a hero admired by all.
They tossed him high into the air, in the barracks, the cheers were unending, as if he were the greatest hero of this victory.
Li Gang watched this scene, a complex expression flashed in his eyes.
He knew better than anyone that Hua Tianyou’s success was merely fortuitous, the real hero of this victory was Zhao Zun, but he did not want to mention it too much.
Since Zhao Zun didn’t die in this mission as he had hoped, he only wished Zhao Zun would understand and, upon returning, continue to live as the idle Prince away from the barracks.
Zhao Zun’s presence always made him uneasy. However, the most important thing now was to stabilize the army’s morale. Since the Turkic had been repelled, Zhao Zun’s task was naturally considered complete.
As for the distribution of credit, he had his plans.
With this in mind, Li Gang’s face once again showed a smile as he loudly announced.
"Hua Tianyou, personally killed the enemy commander in this battle, earning the top merit, and I have decided to reward him with a hundred taels of silver! Report it to the court immediately."
The highest merit!
Thrown into the air, Hua Tianyou looked at the spinning sky, his heart pounding with excitement.
He came to earn military merit, never expecting to receive such significant recognition, enough to bring honor to his ancestors.
If his father, Duke Heng, knew about it in the Capital City, he would probably be so pleased that he would erect a tablet of merit for him outside the ancestral hall!
As Li Gang’s words fell, Hua Tianyou was excited, and the crowd cheered again.
However, just at this celebratory moment, a low rumbling of a motorcycle came from afar, breaking the brief joy.
Everyone’s eyes turned towards the camp entrance. Han Lei was seen riding in slowly on a sidecar motorcycle.
Because two connected carts were being towed behind, the motorcycle moved slowly.
The carts were neatly arranged with the bodies of brothers who sacrificed in this mission, including both Zhao Zun’s trusted aides and members of the Vanguard Camp.
In the motorcycle’s sidecar, a body lay askew, it was Ma Cheng’s corpse, and at his feet lay a bloody human head.
Ma Cheng’s pale face carried a look of pain, as if his nerves were still struggling in his last moments.
And sitting in the back seat of the motorcycle, Zhao Zun, looked at the just celebratory scene in the barracks, his expression somber, his gaze icy, like a statue devoid of emotion.