General Jiang shook his head and firmly rejected Xiao Jin's suggestion.
" Xiao Jin, I am a general who spent his whole life on the battlefields. To me, the soldiers under my command are no less than my family, they are my brothers who accompanied me in my every glory and every fall. So, how can I bear to forfeit their lives and continue to live on?"
Xiao Jin was moved to tears when he heard his words and felt proud and honoured to have served under such a brave, wise and caring general, who treated them as his own.
He was a formidable general, a War God, but in his tough heart there existed a soft corner for his soldiers.
Xiao Jin's shoulders trembled as he wept with his head lowered. For the first time in his life, he hated his kingdom so much and hated its people. He also hated those royal bloodsuckers. He hated them all.
If not for them, their general, such a great man, wouldn't have been so miserable.
Behind the glorious title of War God, how much pain and disappointment he(general) had to endure, how many sacrifices he had to make?
The royal family were just so great!!
Plotting against the general who guarded their position and their kingdom.
And the people who acted dumb were also so great!!
Supporting royal farce and helping in mass manipulation.
The general was born to fight. Whether his family died or survived they never cared. They also never cared about the lives of some cheap soldiers who died protecting them.
Wasn't exactly how it was?
The emperor decided to expand his territory and the people also supported him.
They never cared whether it was a well-schemed plot or an opportunity. They all knew was a general should fight and not question.
If he fights he is a War God, if he doesn't he is a traitor.
Wasn't it how general Jiang was forced to come here?
Even though he knew he had a high possibility of dying here with his brothers he still couldn't retreat not escape. His family was held hostage in the Capital to make this royal scheme succeed.
And people just played blind to all of this. Wasn't it laughable?
A general didn't even have the right to protect his family.
General Jiang sighed and turned around revealing his dignified handsome face, dark long arrow like eyebrows, narrow and long Phoenix eyes, a high-bridge nose and well defined slightly thin lips. He looked so young.
General felt very looking at the way Xiao Jin was crying and reached out to help Xiao Jin on his feet. After which he gave him a warm hug unlike a manly hug as he gave a gentle pat on his back.
" Xiao Jin, my brother, it must be you!" As he continued general Jiang's voice turned sorrowful, " And you know that too, once I leave all our brothers will be gone. Since the emperor can't use them he can only kill them. Also, do you think that they will let my family go once I escape from here. Once I leave here they will certainly capture my family even before I had the chance to rescue them.
Xiao Jin understood his burden and felt very heartbroken on his general's behalf. He knew the general missed his wife and daughters terribly and was eager to see them. It had been a whole since last he had seen them.
Now that the situation had turned this way, nothing was sure.
Maybe there would be a day when he could reunite with his family after everything was over, or....maybe not.
And if later was what fate had decided for him then that would be his only regret.
To not be able to his dearest wife and adorable daughters for the last time.
" Yes, general, I understand," Xiao uttered through his sobs, " Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to your family. I swear on my life!"
Xiao Jin knew there was no other way. The best way he could help his general was by protecting his family, so his burden would lessen.
" Alright, here take this." General Jiang brought out two pouches from his space ring and handed them to Xiao Jin as he instructed, " This one holds the Yue-Mei knights' ownership seal, hand it over to Yue'er. Tell her that it's my birthday gift for her and Mei'er. And the other pouch contains a teleportation talisman, it's exist is connected to a house in Wind City. It has no limit on the number of people, so take back all the injured ones. Tomorrow we are moving to the annexe the next city and I'll leave the injured ones behind to recuperate. Prepare everything well, don't leave any of our brothers behind."
" General, rest assured. I won't make any mistake." Xiao Jin gave a determined look.
"Hmm, now go back and prepare everything. Also, don't let anyone get suspicious." General waved his hand as he sat on a chair, feeling tired.
"Yes, general, then I'll be leaving." Xiao Jin bowed and retreated.
Soon after Xiao Jin left the tent, General Jiang started to feel restless. He couldn't suppress the sorrow and longing that he had for his family, so he decided to take a walk outside.
The night sky outside was very beautiful tonight. Bright and beautiful stars adorning every inch of the vast and dark velvety sky.
General Jiang stood outside his tent and looked at the sky with his titled reminiscing about his childhood and youth.
It felt such a long time had passed but somehow it also felt that everything happened just yesterday. It was a very complicated feeling, very hard to describe.
General Jiang as his eyes as he remembered the day ten years ago, when his father, Old master Jiang, had left home to go on a voyage
to fulfil his late wife's final wish.
Before he felt, he had specifically called his son to his study and to have a chat.
General Jiang still remembered vividly what his father said back then.
" Min, father will be gone a while, so you must take good care of my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Especially my baby, don't let that Xiao Jinngou's son approach her. Though they managed to force this engagement on us, I would never allow my baby granddaughter to marry that scoundrel's son."
"Min, listen carefully, we have done enough for this nation. Our four generations made so many sacrifices to serve this nation. In the beginning, when our forefathers helped the first emperor to conquer this land, our Jiang family had already done the royal family a great favour by not competing for the throne. If they did, do you think that the royal family would bear the surname Xiao and not Jiang? It's just that members of our Jiang family cherished their deeply and were interested in keeping haram. So, we never fought for that position."
" Our family is our bottom line and there is no way we would scheme against our family. And this is also the reason I don't want Yue'er going into that sort of place. My granddaughter should be loved and doted on by everyone."
" Yes, father, I agree with you. That brat doesn't deserve our Yue'er." General Jiang obviously agreed with his father. In his eyes, no one in this world was better than his daughter.
" Hmm." Old master Jiang snorted in response before continuing, the immense pride of a grandfather visible in his eyes, " Also you are aware of our situation in the royal court. So, stay alert and prepare yourself."
" Zemin, you have done enough made me very proud of you. I am very satisfied to have you as my son. So, today give you my permission, to do whatever you need to do to save yourself and your family, even if it means rebellion. As I said we have done enough."
" Everything has a limit, and so does loyalty."
General Jiang opened his eyes, a drop of tear slid down his cheek bringing him to the present as he mumbled softly, " Father, Min misses you. Where are you? Have you been doing well?....father, you were right like always. See the day has come. Father, don't worry I won't let you down I'll protect my brothers and family well."
With that General Jiang headed back to his tent.