coobybook Chapter 991 On the march
Chapter 991 On the march
The 20th day of the first month of the second year of Tianxing.
A secret edict was issued from the palace, and the emperor ordered Qiongzhou Island to be officially designated as an epidemic area and placed under complete lockdown.
All operations were carried out in complete secrecy, with the official announcement that they were only continuing to clear out the remnants of the Southern Army. The medical teams also set off under the guise of supporting the soldiers on the front lines, so as not to cause unnecessary panic among the public.
On this day, outside the south gate of the capital, banners fluttered and armor gleamed.
Marquis Jiayou, Ma Zhong, fully armored, led three thousand carefully selected elite soldiers and over a hundred carriages loaded with a large quantity of medicines and supplies, quietly stationed outside the city.
This was the first time Ma Zhong had led an army into battle alone since joining the Fengtian Army.
From then on, he was no longer an ordinary general, but had the opportunity to become a commander-in-chief.
In Daqing, it is an honor and a great joy for generals to lead troops into battle.
After all, since His Majesty raised troops in Fengguo, the Qing Army has maintained a perfect record of victories in foreign wars, and leading troops into battle is a meritorious act.
Normally, countless envious glances would be directed at this person in the court.
But this time, not a single general felt envious.
Everyone knew perfectly well that Ma Zhong was not going to fight a war, but to face an opponent more terrifying than any enemy army.
It was a desperate situation with a slim chance of survival, a battlefield where the smoke of gunpowder was invisible but could devour everything.
No one wanted to accept this honor.
"The auspicious time has come——"
Huai En's high-pitched singing broke the silence of the scene.
The three sacrificial animals were offered up and their heads were beheaded in front of the military flag as a sacrifice to pray for the protection of the ancestors.
Then, the emperor personally stepped forward to perform the ceremony of appointing the general.
He solemnly handed the tiger tally and ceremonial axe to Ma Zhong, his unspoken message conveyed without a word.
Only then did the onlookers notice that the young marquis, whom the emperor had personally appointed as general, looked so young.
He was dressed in black armor, with a sword bestowed by the emperor at his waist, and his bright red robe stood out against the bleak winter day.
"Tsk tsk, this general looks a few years younger than His Majesty..."
"That's Marquis Jiayou. I heard he's a lucky man."
"Is the battle in Qiongzhou almost over? Is this place just a place to gain prestige?"
"Don't talk nonsense. It is said that this marquis is extremely good at capturing enemy generals. He catches big fish with every move. He is probably going to capture the enemy chieftain."
The people whispered among themselves, their curiosity, admiration, and envy all mixed together.
The mournful bugle call sounded, and the people stopped their whispers.
The musicians played "The Music of Serving the King and Breaking the Enemy's Formation," and the majestic music sounded with a touch of tragedy at this moment.
It's time to set off.
Ma Zhong mounted his horse, drew his sword, and swung it forward.
The army moved at the command, horses' hooves pounding the ground, wheels rolling, raising a cloud of dust.
Elite cavalry guarded the outer perimeter, while the convoy carrying medical officers and supplies was in the center, proceeding south in an orderly fashion.
In an inconspicuous carriage, Hua Chang'an couldn't show himself, since this team was nominally a support team.
He could only glimpse the figure in black robes at the city gate through the gap in the carriage curtain and offer a distant salute.
Li Che stood at the city gate, his gaze following the procession. He watched as the imperial dragon flag fluttered in the wind, eventually turning into a blurry black dot at the edge of his vision and disappearing around the bend in the official road.
The people below the city gradually dispersed, and the noise subsided, with only the cold wind whistling as it swept across the flagpoles on the city wall.
Huai En waited for a long time, but seeing that the emperor still showed no sign of moving, his figure appeared somewhat lonely in the cold wind.
He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the winter wind is strong. Standing here for too long may cause you to catch a cold. You should return to the palace first."
Li Che seemed not to hear, still gazing south.
After a long while, he slowly turned around, his face expressionless.
Li Che strode into the city, his steps slow and heavy.
He took a few steps and suddenly stopped, his voice low and muttering as if to himself: "My Great Qing is blessed by Heaven, why must we suffer so much hardship?"
Huai En was taken aback by what he heard. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer.
He could only lower his head, hold his breath, and silently follow behind the emperor.
Li Che didn't need his answer.
He raised his head, looked at the majestic palace walls of the capital and the distant rows of houses, and sighed softly.
He then suppressed his worries and continued walking forward.
. . . . . .
Ma Zhong and Hua Chang traveled south with the dragon flag, and their journey went surprisingly smoothly.
The southern prefectures and counties had just experienced the ravages of war and still vividly remembered the formidable fighting power of the Qing army. Upon seeing such an elite Qing army, they all respectfully gave way.
No one dared to neglect any supplies or provisions, and no petty person dared to cause trouble.
As the nominal supreme commander of the team, Ma Zhong naturally took over the command.
He arranged everything meticulously and professionally, from the marching speed and daily mileage to rest times, campsite locations, and the allocation of provisions and supplies.
While not exactly exquisite, it was quite standard and without any major flaws.
Clearly, this marquis did not rely on luck; behind the scenes, he had truly put in a lot of hard work studying military affairs.
Hua Chang'an was happy to have some free time and immersed himself in medical books.
Only halfway through the journey did Hua Chang'an take the initiative to approach Ma Zhong to discuss using some of the medicinal herbs stored in the convoy.
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhong raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
He naturally had no doubt that Hua Chang'an was audacious enough to resell military medicines, but as the commander-in-chief, the necessary procedures still had to be followed.
"Mr. Hua, this batch of medicinal herbs was prepared for use in Qiongzhou. What is the purpose of using them now?"
Hua Chang'an stroked his beard and explained with a smile, "So that the Marquis may know, I wish to take some out to brew some medicinal soup for the soldiers."
"Oh?" Ma Zhong was even more puzzled. "I haven't heard of anyone in the army contracting the disease."
Hua Chang'an shook his head and said, "It's not about curing the disease, but about preventing it."
"Now is the time of transition between spring and winter, when the temperature fluctuates and the humidity increases, making the human body most susceptible to external pathogens."
"If the foundation is not solid at this time, entering the epidemic area will be much more dangerous."
"My prescription can help strengthen the body's resistance and ward off external pathogens. If the soldiers take it in advance, it will greatly reduce their chances of catching a cold."
Upon hearing this, Ma Zhong found Hua Chang'an's reasons to be sound and that they concerned the safety of the entire army, so he naturally agreed.
"This is a good thing. Physician Hua, please take as much as you need. Just tell the baggage officer what you need."
Therefore, Hua Chang'an personally selected medicinal herbs, directed the accompanying physicians to set up large pots, brewed the medicine, and distributed it to the soldiers and medical team members.
At first, some soldiers found the medicine too bitter to swallow, but seeing that Ma Zhong was drinking it obediently, they also drank it.
Strangely enough, from then until they arrived in Leizhou, not a single person in the group caught a cold, and it was extremely rare for anyone to even have a headache or fever.
Although Hua Chang'an did not directly command a single soldier after this incident, his prestige within the entire army was established.
The soldiers looked at the old doctor with more trust.