Blutbefleckter Tod

Kapitel 72

Before falling asleep—

"Holly, tell the baby a story!"

"Isn't this what you always do?"

"Okay, baby, I'll give you a riddle. Twenty-six years ago, on the eighth day of the tenth lunar month, was your father born. So, what day was the eighth day of the eleventh lunar month twenty-six years ago?"

"...It's neither a holiday nor a special occasion, and nothing major seems to have happened."

"It's for the baby to guess, not for you to guess! Baby, have you guessed it yet? That's right, your daddy's one-month birthday!"

"…………"

That afternoon, Song Xiaohua urged Lu Ziqi to dress Song Wuque in the dog cloak she had just made, but this was met with strong opposition.

Lu Ziqi believes that although the bond between the person and the dog is developing at an incredible speed, it has not yet reached the point where they can hug each other's necks and put their arms around each other's shoulders.

So he gently coaxed the dog while holding the clothes, "The dog's fur is already the best clothing it can wear. What you're doing is not only unnecessary, but also goes against its nature. Look, even Wuque doesn't want to do this!"

At this moment, Song Wuque crouched three steps away, his expression wary, baring his fangs, and making a low 'groan' sound from his throat...

Song Xiaohua pouted, "I put in so much effort to make this, I have to see how it turns out." Her eyes darted around, and she sauntered into the kitchen with a big smile, her pregnant belly sticking out. When she came out, she was carrying a wine jar.

Lu Ziqi and Song Wuque rushed forward together, but Lu Ziqi's target was the people, while Song Wuque's target was the wine.

He took the wine jar from Song Xiaohua, who was already quite large, with one hand and the other, carefully supporting her: "Tell me what you need. What if you hurt your back, have a miscarriage, or fall?"

"Stop rambling, I don't need to tell you what to do next, right?"

He could only sigh helplessly at the large dog that was wagging its tail and drooling, saying, "Don't cause me any trouble when you wake up. It's your own fault for having such a strong drinking problem."

Lu Ziqi slapped open the seal, and the aroma of wine immediately filled the air. Song Wuque's eyes gleamed with greed, and he was about to pounce when a figure suddenly appeared from the side, snatching the jar away: "You still dare to drink? Are you out of your mind?!"

She twirled in the air and landed gracefully, her movements elegant and beautiful. But before she could even regain her footing, she was forced to stumble by the sudden appearance of a dark shadow.

At the same time, an orange flash appeared, and with a gentle hook of the foot, two loud clanging sounds were heard, and the world fell silent for a moment.

Then, a series of deafening barks, accompanied by panicked cries for help, sent the remaining snow on the branches fluttering like willow catkins. Interspersed among them seemed to be a faint, intermittent child's voice: "Uncle Huo, Auntie, wait for Ling'er!"

"Brother-in-law, sister-in-law, how have you been?" Xue Yuhan greeted the two people who were still reeling from the series of sudden changes as if nothing had happened. Her smile was gentle, her demeanor graceful, and she was the epitome of a well-bred young lady.

Song Xiaohua couldn't help but secretly admire him: This guy is even better at pretending than I am...

Lu Ziqi looked puzzled and uncertain: "Xiao Han, I think I just heard Ling'er's voice?"

"Huh? You heard it too? I thought it was my imagination."

"Ling'er came with us, she should be here soon."

Clinging to the last glimmer of hope: "Who will stay with me?"

"It's his own path! There's only one way up the mountain, he won't get lost."

If she weren't too exhausted to jump around, Song Xiaohua would have jumped up and down long ago: "You let a five-year-old climb a mountain by herself?!"

Xue Yuhan said calmly, "Boys should be raised with a rougher upbringing. Besides, since Ling'er wants to become a great general in the future, he no longer has the right to be pampered."

Song Xiaohua was taken aback, while Lu Ziqi, who had been silent all along, smiled and pointed, saying, "Our future general has arrived."

Lu Ling was originally dressed in a brand-new, light green cotton coat and a small white cloak, looking like a tender green onion in a greenhouse. However, now he was covered from head to toe in a black mess, a mixture of mud, water, sweat, and unmelted black snow, looking like an old vegetable scrap that had rolled around in mud...

She was panting and her steps were unsteady; she looked disheveled and exhausted, but her watery eyes shone brightly in the sunlight: "Ling'er greets Father and Mother." Then she grinned: "Auntie, Ling'er has finally climbed up."

Lu Ziqi and Xue Yuhan simply nodded, while Song Xiaohua rushed over, cupped his dirty little face, and cried out in distress, "Silly boy, you just climb because they tell you to? Why don't you give up if you can't climb anymore? What if you get hurt? What if you get exhausted..."

Lu Ling patted her hand and then touched her belly: "Mother, don't worry, Ling'er can do it. Ling'er wants to be a role model for the baby. In the future, Ling'er will be a great general to protect Mother and the baby!"

How could there be such a wonderful child in this world! Song Xiaohua burst into tears...

At this moment, Huo Nan scrambled back, followed by Song Wuque, who exuded murderous intent.

"Is your dog or a wolf? It's incredibly fierce!"

Song Xiaohua snorted coldly: "It's a wolfhound."

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As the sun sets in the west, it stretches all the shadows obliquely, and the ice and snow gradually stop melting and freeze again.

Lu Ziqi tightened his white fur coat, while Huo Nan, with white steam rising from his head, pulled his collar down a little further.

"You've really made something of yourself now. Not only do you fight with young girls every day, but you can even fight with dogs with great enthusiasm."

"This is called 'fighting against heaven and earth is not as good as fighting against interesting people.'"

He bowed half-heartedly, saying, "Thank you for your kind words. On behalf of Wuque, I would like to express my gratitude. I just wonder how Xiaohan will react to these words."

He shrugged nonchalantly: "What else can I do but throw a punch?"

In a serious tone: "That's because you deserve a beating!"

He looked completely innocent: "You're just blindly protecting your own!"

"She's Tong'er's sister, which means she's my sister too. If I don't protect her, am I supposed to protect you? Don't blame me for not warning you beforehand. If you dare to bully her in the future, I will not let you off the hook!"

"It's always her who bullies me, okay? Besides, with you and the eldest son of the Xue family around, even if the King of Heaven himself came, he would only have the right to obediently let that brat slaughter him."

Suppressing a laugh: "Those who understand the times are the heroes."

He sighed, "A true hero goes with the flow."

"Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

"If it's painful, then don't dwell on it."

"Have you decided?"

Extend your right hand, clench your fist: "Take it down before you leave!"

"What arrogance!"

"This is the confidence of a grown man."

With a half-smile, he glanced sideways and asked, "What if it doesn't succeed?"

"Do as you please!"

"A pledge of military order?"

"Can!"

After three claps, Lu Ziqi suddenly turned to the side and punched out, but Huo Nanlang laughed and advanced instead of retreating.

One was as graceful as the wind, the other as fierce as a tiger; in the blink of an eye, they exchanged more than ten blows. The figures on the ground merged into one, then separated again in an instant.

"Your approach has changed again."

"There are many skilled people in the army, and I've learned quite a bit of everything. But your skills haven't changed at all."

"Just say I haven't improved at all."

"However, his breathing is no longer so weak, so he has recovered quite well."

"I told you long ago that there wouldn't be any serious problems."

"Yes, you're fine, it's the Yuan family that's in serious trouble."

Lu Ziqi took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead before walking to an open space.

Looking into the distance, the mountain ranges appear and disappear amidst the heavy mist.

A gust of wind rose, causing the fur coat to flutter wildly: "Is it settled?"

Huo Nan stood beside him, dressed in coarse cotton clothes, his hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, his nose as straight as a cliff, seemingly unconventional and unrestrained, but in reality, he was upright and dignified: "Treason and collusion with the enemy, the evidence is conclusive. The main culprit will be executed in the autumn, and the accomplices will be dealt with accordingly. The Yuan family has been defeated."

How much money and grain was recovered?

"Less than 40%"

He pursed his lips tightly: "For his own selfish gain, he did not hesitate to secretly collude with the enemy country. Even if he were to die ten thousand times, he would still be guilty!"

His voice deepened: "The vacant positions were mostly filled by Xue family cronies. The Lu family wasn't affected much, but your eldest brother has already submitted his resignation."

"The eldest son of the Xue family is now in charge. He fought his way up on the battlefield and has a fierce temperament. In the future, he should be able to work with me in military affairs, rather than hinder me. As for my elder brother..." A dull, indescribable pain suddenly welled up in his chest: "I will certainly not let him down!"

Huo Nan paused for a moment: "To be honest, I've had my share of opinions about your elder brother over the years, but after this incident, I truly admire him. If it weren't for him, the remnants of the Yuan family couldn't have been eradicated in one fell swoop, which would have inevitably left future troubles. Moreover, he willingly gave up the opportunity to protect himself and even get promoted..."

"His bright future will pave the way for my official career." Lu Ziwang looked at the dark clouds rising on the horizon: "With the great changes in the Song Dynasty court, the Liao and Xia countries will inevitably take action one after another."

"Especially the Xia Kingdom, we have eliminated their biggest spy and ally in one fell swoop, they will definitely not let this go. Oh, by the way, according to reports, that kid Li Yuanhao has recently been made crown prince."

She smiled slightly and said, "It's a pity I can't congratulate him in person."

"I've always wanted to ask, how did you come to know Li Yuanhao?"

Just as he was about to answer, Song Xiaohua led Lu Ling, who was dressed in pink again, as they swayed over. Lu Ziqi raised the corners of his mouth and eyebrows: "Because of her."

"Have you two finished your emotional exchange?"

Lu Ziqi rubbed his forehead. How come what seemed like perfectly normal brotherly affection sounded so distorted in her mouth? "Looking for us if you need anything?"

"It wasn't me, it was your son who contacted you."

“Father, there are a few lines of poetry that I don’t quite understand. I asked Mother, but she said Father won’t let her teach me.”

He quickly bent down and picked him up: "That's right, Ling'er, remember this, and come to Daddy for any questions you have in this regard in the future."