Chapter 202: Leaving in Honor

When a prison warden NPC walked out of the main dungeon, Shangshan Ruoshui, A Wisp of Morning Light, Yang Yang Yang, Qin Liangyu, and two other male players immediately stepped forward.

“Is it you who want to break into the dungeon?”

“Follow me. You only have one censer of incense time.”

The warden glanced at the six people in front of him, said only two sentences, and turned back to walk away.

The six people following him looked at each other a little more than usual.

What did this mean?

After working so hard to get this chance, they still had to share it with others?

“This is interesting.”

Yang Yang Yang glanced at his “competitors” and stepped into the dark dungeon corridor first.

Shangshan Ruoshui and A Wisp of Morning Light quickly followed behind him. The last two male players looked at each other, then walked in with serious faces.

They had spent a huge price on bribes, only to find out it wasn’t a single-person spot. It was no wonder their faces looked so unhappy.

When the six people followed inside the prison, they stopped very quickly at the innermost layer.

When the warden opened the very last door, Shangshan Ruoshui and the others finally saw Yu Dayou sitting on a straw mat, wearing white clothes, and reading a book by the dim candlelight.

“In one censer of incense time, the Small Banners will return. You will have to watch the time yourself.”

After saying this, the warden closed the door and left.

As for what the three groups would talk to Yu Dayou, he did not care to manage. As long as he got his share of the benefits, that was enough.

“We bow to General Yu.”

Although it was a bit different from what Yang Yang Yang had imagined, she quickly adjusted her mood. She put her hands together and greeted the Ming Dynasty Great General in front of her.

Yu Dayou frowned and put down his book for the moment: “Who are you people?”

“General Yu, we are here to save you out of here.”

Before anyone else could speak, one of the two male players spoke first: “The prison is lax right now, so it is the best time to break out. I have arranged for help outside the prison. As soon as we save the General, you will lead us to fight the Wokou.”

“Fight the Wokou? Just because of you?”

Yu Dayou heard these words, and his frown grew even deeper. He turned his side to face the group: “You leave. I will not go out with you.”

Yu Dayou’s direct refusal left the two male players speechless for a moment. A Wisp of Morning Light immediately picked up the conversation: “The Wokou are attacking now, which is exactly the time for a General to show his skills. Why stick to this small prison cell?”

“The Wokou are invading. The Imperial Court will send soldiers and generals to handle it. You actually dare to plot a prison break? Just leave quickly. I will pretend I never heard these words. If you want to fight the Wokou, you can join the army. I am not the only one who can lead people against the Wokou.”

Yu Dayou’s cold indifference was something no one expected.

From A Wisp of Morning Light’s point of view, even if they could not take Yu Dayou away today, at least they had to make a good impression on him and his younger brother.

But looking at it now, Yu Dayou seemed to have no favor towards these players at all.

“When the fighting outside is deafening, would a General really be willing to sit in prison?”

Yang Yang Yang spoke again. Her words went straight to Yu Dayou’s heart: “You fought for the Great Ming Dynasty with your life several times, yet you were trapped in jail over and over again. Does the General feel no grievance at all?”

“Grievance? What grievance?”

Yu Dayou heard Yang Yang Yang’s question. While speaking, he stood up: “If I feel grievance, do the soldiers who died in front of me feel no grievance? I have fought for many years, yet the Wokou border trouble has not stopped. Instead, it has become worse and worse. What grievance do I have?”

“As long as the Wokou trouble is not removed, soldiers like me only feel guilt. We are guilty for failing the Emperor’s heavy trust, and guilty for failing the people’s trust. Where is any room for grievance? You several do not need to speak further. Leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the Jinyiwei arrives, you might find you cannot even walk away.”

Yu Dayou not wanting to leave was the hardest part of this big problem.

This was embarrassing!

Looking at Yu Dayou standing there with his sleeves waving, Yang Yang Yang pondered for a long time, then finally nodded slowly: “Little lady understands now. If the General wants to leave, it must be walking out in an upright and honorable way. I will do my best to make this happen. After all, the border crisis is here now. A General like you really should not hide in prison enjoying leisure.”

“That’s right. If the Imperial Court keeps refusing to release anyone, I will defeat the Wokou first. At that time, even if I give up all military merits, I will get the General out of prison.” Shangshan Ruoshui spoke at the same time. He was not a fool and immediately thought of other ways to “pick up leftovers.”

“Defeating the Wokou is not something you can do by just talking, young man.”

Hearing what the two of them said, Yu Dayou let out a low laugh. Then he bent down and picked up the book on the straw mat: “This is a bit of my usual thoughts and insights. Take it back and read it carefully.”

Yu Dayou’s notebook of insights?

Wasn’t that the essence of Yu Dayou’s entire skill set?

Seeing Shangshan Ruoshui take the small notebook, even Yang Yang Yang felt it was unbelievable.

Why?

Why would Yu Dayou give it to him?

…

The yellow sand was vast, and the dust filled the sky.

If leading troops to rush to Pengcheng and Guangling during the Battle of Guandu had already worn Mo Xiaobai down to half a life, then starting from the Fortress, crossing the Ruoshui River, passing through Jiuzhou, reaching Dunhuang, and exiting the Yumen Pass, covering nearly a thousand kilometers, Mo Xiaobai did not even know how he had survived it all.

Thirteen days!

Apart from resting for one day in Jiuzhou and one day in Dunhuang, the remaining eleven days had rest times that could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

When Mo Xiaobai led his troops out of the Yumen Pass, the warhorse under him was already the third one he had used.

The warhorse obtained when he first exchanged for the rank of Colonel had unfortunately been worked to death. Mo Xiaobai left it in Jiuzhou, and he did not know if it would ever see the battlefield again.

The others were in much the same situation. Originally a team of two people riding three horses, they could now barely ensure one person per horse. The remaining horses were no more than a few dozen.

However, what surprised Mo Xiaobai the most was not the loss of the horses, but the Fatty Luyu.

Although the Fatty complained all along the way, he had gritted his teeth and held on.

900-plus kilometers!

On average, they traveled at least 170 li per day. This period also included time lost on complex terrain, such as crossing rivers and climbing mountains.

Leading troops out of the Yumen Pass actually meant formally stepping onto the Silk Road. It also meant entering the Western Regions.

At this point, Mo Xiaobai had to be cautious. He gave an order for the cavalry in the front and back lines to contract, ensuring they kept each other covered from head to tail.

Leading his subordinates to continue north, Mo Xiaobai spoke: “From now on, we will slow down our marching speed. We can reach Yiwu City within five days. Also, Maogong and Flying General, you need to formulate a strategy for this battle. I do not hope to see too many casualties in our first battle in the Western Regions.”

Hearing this, Li Ji immediately nodded: “According to Hu You, Yiwu City is just a temporary stop for the Xiongnu to travel to the Western Regions. There are no big rivers nearby, so the Northern Xiongnu tribes living there are not large. It is just a mid-sized tribe of over a thousand people, and the number of Xiongnu archers will not exceed 300.”

“Three hundred men are not few. Besides, the Xiongnu, young and old alike, can all ride horses. We must not be careless.”

“My Lord speaks the truth. On this journey, we can first observe the terrain of Yiwu City. The Northern Xiongnu are already past their peak. As long as we surprise them by showing a strong attack posture, the Xiongnu inside the city will certainly flee east. Then, by surrounding three sides and leaving one open, with the Heavy Halberd Soldiers ambushing on the east side, a total victory over the Xiongnu will not be difficult.”