nucmednet Chapter 484: A Drink in Loneliness
Chapter 484: A Drink in Loneliness
Inside Shizhou's tent, the candlelight flickered, and light and shadow danced on the rough tent walls.
During the time Jiao Zan was in the forest, although his food was not rough, he always ate from a big pot and rarely had his own meal.
Even if he occasionally wanted to improve the food, he would not be willing to use a lot of spices on it.
However, the military has strict control over drinking, and being able to drink to your heart's content is simply a luxury.
At this moment, facing Yelu Qing's hospitality with wine and meat, how could he not be drooling?
Jiao Zan's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously wiped his hands under his armpits twice. Then he couldn't wait to reach out and tear off a piece of the tempting and fragrant lamb chop.
He bared his teeth, a simple smile plastered across his face, and said cheerfully, "Thank you, Great Chief, for your hospitality. This feast of wine and meat truly flatters this general. I don't know how to express my feelings."
Before he finished speaking, he opened his mouth wide, took a big bite of the lamb chop and started chewing.
Yelu Qing knew Jiao Zan very well. In Huyan Yan's army, Jiao Zan was a fierce general and was loyal to Huyan Yan's family.
"General, eat more. We won't leave until we're drunk!"
Yelu Qing was smiling and personally ordered someone to fill Jiao Zan's bowl with wine. Then he picked up the bowl and spoke enthusiastically.
Jiao Zan looked at the full bowl of wine and couldn't help but feel moved: "This Yelu Qing is so enthusiastic, could it be that he has something important to entrust to me? In any case, drink this bowl of wine first, and don't lose our heroic spirit."
Then he laughed heartily and said loudly: "Haha, I have long heard that the great chief Yelu is a generous and warm-hearted person. Today I have the honor to drink with the great chief. It is my blessing. I will drink first as a sign of respect!"
After saying this, he tilted his head back and drank the full bowl of wine in one gulp. His movements were quick and decisive, showing his heroic spirit.
"Good wine, strong enough!"
The wine flowed down Jiao Zan's beard. He wiped it casually with his hand, a happy expression on his face, and spoke loudly and cheerfully.
"As long as the General likes it, it's just our common military wine."
Yelu Qing pretended to be polite and took a sip of the wine in the bowl. In fact, it was not that he could not drink it, but the alcohol content was quite high, and he was worried that he would get drunk and make mistakes.
"I can't lose my composure at this time. I have to find a way to make Jiao Zan understand what I mean, and it would be best if he could be used by me." Yelu Qing thought to himself.
Seeing that Yelu Qing had not finished drinking, the guard beside him followed the instructions and refilled Jiao Zan's bowl with wine.
Yelu Qing looked at Jiao Zan, who was chewing on the lamb chops with big mouthfuls, his face greasy, with a look of concern on his face, and slowly said:
"I know that General Jiao is extremely brave and awe-inspiring on the battlefield. However, the situation on this battlefield has changed drastically. Artillery and other sharp weapons are everywhere, with enormous destructive power.
I specially invited the general here today to remind him to pay extra attention to his own safety on the battlefield."
Hearing Yelu Qing's words, Jiao Zan was slightly stunned and thought to himself:
"This Yelu Qing is suddenly so concerned about me. Is he afraid that I might make a mistake on the battlefield and affect his plans? Humph, I, Jiao Zan, am not the kind of person who is afraid of death. But since he said so, I have to express my gratitude."
Then he put down the half-eaten lamb chop in his hand, wiped his hands vigorously on his waistband, picked up the wine bowl again, and said sincerely:
"I am truly grateful for your care for me, Great Chief. With this fine wine, I offer you another toast!"
After saying that, he tilted his head back, gulped down another bowl of wine, and drank it all.
Putting down the wine bowl, Jiao Zan didn't even bother to wipe the remaining wine beads on his beard, and spoke directly:
"I know that these artillery pieces on the battlefield are incredibly powerful. I've seen how powerful they are, and honestly, attacking a city with them is no easy task."
Jiao Zan thought to himself, "I'll tell him about this difficulty and see how he responds. Maybe I can figure out his true thoughts."
Seeing Jiao Zan being so frank and willing to listen to him, Yelu Qing smiled with satisfaction and nodded, saying, "It's great that General Jiao has such an idea.
The battlefield certainly requires the courage of a general to charge forward, but protecting yourself is equally crucial."
Yelu Qing thought to himself, "I have to guide him slowly and make him understand my intentions. I can't rush things."
Jiao Zan sensed that Yelu Qing had something more to say, and he couldn't help but anxiously ask, "What do you want to say, Chief? Just say it. I, Jiao Zan, am not a coward who is afraid of death!"
Jiao Zan was getting impatient. He was eager to know what Yelu Qing wanted to say. "If you have something to say, just say it straight out. Don't beat around the bush."
"Well." Seeing Jiao Zan being so straightforward, Yelu Qing felt an impulse in his heart. He wanted to win Jiao Zan over to his side, so his face was full of concern, and he said earnestly:
"I truly believe that the General is a rare talent, and I cannot bear to see you get hurt on the battlefield."
As he spoke, he signaled the guards to continue pouring wine for Jiao Zan. Yelu Qing thought: "First, I'll flatter him and make him feel comfortable, then I'll slowly get to the point."
After Jiao Zan's wine bowl was refilled, Yelu Qing picked up his own and said, "I really want to make a friend like the general, so I'm telling you the truth. I'm afraid that this attack on Pingyang County will be full of difficulties and will not be easy."
As Yelu Qing spoke, he observed Jiao Zan's expression, trying to judge from his reaction whether his words had worked.
When Jiao Zan heard Yelu Qing say this, he still thought that the other party wanted him to go all out on the battlefield and exert more effort, so he picked up the wine bowl again without hesitation, drank it all, and then patted his chest and said:
"Don't worry, great leader. Jiao will fight the enemy with all his might and will never hesitate. I will never sacrifice my own life for the sake of protecting myself!"
Jiao Zan thought to himself: "Humph, you want me to fight to the death? No problem, I, Jiao Zan, am not a coward, I will definitely not embarrass you on the battlefield."
Seeing that Jiao Zan had misunderstood his meaning, Yelu Qing flashed an awkward smile on his face and hurriedly explained:
"General, you misunderstood. What I meant was that during a battle, a general must know how to wait for the right opportunity and not make unnecessary sacrifices.
After all, you are Hu Yanyan's Eastern Army. You don't need to let our warriors die in vain in the artillery fire just for the sake of a city or a piece of land."
Yelu Qing was a little anxious, worried that Jiao Zan would misunderstand his meaning. "I have to make him understand quickly that I am doing this for his own good and for the overall situation."
"Oh..." Jiao Zan suddenly realized it at this time, widened his eyes and said "Oh" softly.
He really didn't expect that Yelu Qing would think so much about him, and his heart was full of disbelief.
"I'm surprised he doesn't just want me to fight to the death. So what does he mean?"
Jiao Zan felt his head was in a mess for a moment and he really couldn't figure it out.
He sat there, his eyes full of confusion, thinking to himself:
"Ordinary people don't talk like that, not even close friends. What exactly does Yelu Qing mean? Is he really just thinking about me and my brothers? But he doesn't have much friendship with our Eastern Army."
Jiao Zan felt that his brain was not enough for the time being. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheek, but he still couldn't figure it out.