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Kapitel 113

Whether it's before or after the New Year, it seems like the fox's marriage is a done deal. I didn't know what to feel—anger? Furious? Jealous? I took a few deep breaths and headed towards the commander's camp. Xi Lan and Qing Lin seemed to have just finished talking. When I reached out and lifted the tent flap, I saw them walking out. I took a few steps forward, pulled Qing Lin back inside, and we went back in.

"Weimian?" Xilan's voice.

I turned around, pulled him out of the tent, and said, "Xi Lan, I'll stay here."

After saying this, she didn't dare to look him in the eye, threw herself into his arms, hugged him, buried her head in his chest, and mumbled, "Xi Lan, take care, Xi Lan, you must take good care of yourself."

I felt a slight tremor in the chest against mine, or perhaps not just in his chest, but his entire body trembled slightly. He reached out, didn't speak, but simply tightened his grip on me, then released. I looked up at this person, always dressed in white, always ethereal and otherworldly. His long, ink-black hair was still casually yet neatly draped, his clear eyes, his gentle smile that felt as warm as spring sunshine, his slightly upturned lips—Xi Lan, Xi Lan! My vision blurred, but a wide smile spread across my face, and I instinctively hummed the lyrics, "When I miss you, I look up and smile, do you know that?"

"Weimian..." he began, as if trying to call me, his mouth opening and closing but no sound came out. His clear eyes dimmed instantly, his expression tightened, and he didn't say much, just nodded, then turned and left. I watched his retreating figure, then looked up, forcing a smile, but tears still streamed down my face.

Clouds Drunk and the Moon Slightly Asleep (Revised Edition) Volume Four: A Hidden Melancholy and Resentment Sparks the Fire

Chapter word count: 7240 Update time: 08-12-24 13:00

gunpowder

When I went back in, Qinglin was already sitting in his command seat, head down, writing something. I walked to the opposite side of the table, leaned in and took the pen from his hand, then crumpled the half-written paper into a ball and calmly asked, "Is Big Brother getting married?"

Qinglin's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. My heart sank. Could it really be true? The fox is really getting married, but who is he planning to marry? If Hanxing is going to be destroyed, it shouldn't be that Princess Qianhui, right?

"Whom did you marry?"

"Qianqian, your second brother will send someone to take you back." He didn't answer, but looked at me and said seriously.

But judging from his current expression and words, I know this news is true; otherwise, Qinglin would definitely have defended the fox. So, is it in the next few days, or sometime next spring? If he really is getting married, and the bride isn't me, what should I do? Go back and confront him, go back and beg him, or pretend nothing happened?

"No." I refused outright.

"Qianqian, you mustn't be willful. Military campaigns are no child's play; they're too dangerous," he said, his face slightly flushed, seemingly both reproachful and concerned.

I rolled my eyes at him and said coolly, "Isn't Second Brother also on the battlefield?"

"Marching and fighting is my duty, how is it the same as yours? Besides, you have no martial arts skills, so you can't act recklessly."

"Second Brother, there's no point in saying more. I've decided to stay, and you can't change my mind. I'll stay by your side. Just send a few people to protect me. Besides, I still have the Heavenly Silk Armor you gave me. I cherish my life very much, so don't worry, Second Brother." I had already been frank with the fox before—it was either nothing or everything—and he understood my feelings. Love is important to me, but I won't compromise for it. Or rather, I won't compromise on matters of principle. The fox and I have expressed our feelings for each other, and I think he understands what I'm thinking. So, whether his marriage is objective or subjective, voluntary or forced, it's a problem he must face, just as I did when I returned to Xiu Ruo and became a princess. No matter how many unavoidable circumstances I faced, no matter how much I was powerless to change, from the day I stepped out of Long Yao, I was prepared to face all difficulties. To be with the fox, I will face it positively, I will strive, I will fight for it, and I will not give up. If I'm caught in a situation beyond my control, that's my problem. Similarly, if he's being forced into marriage, that's his problem to solve. When he faces such trouble, all I can do is remain steadfast, wait patiently from afar until he's dealt with it. I won't rush him, I won't pressure him, I won't cry or make a scene, and I won't add to the chaos. All I want is a result. If the result is what I desire, that would be wonderful. If not, I'll make other plans. Yes, hearing that Fox is getting married, and seeing that Qinglin didn't defend him, I can't help but feel something. But deep down, I prefer to believe that Fox will handle everything well. Perhaps the outcome of such matters won't be known until the very last moment. I wonder if, if I were in Longzhou, I would live in constant torment, suspicion, distrust, willfulness, and folly—all of which would be detrimental to the situation. Fox hasn't contacted me for a long time. Perhaps he's planning to wait until everything is settled before coming to pick me up, rather than having me go back and cause trouble.

"As long as Qianqian trusts her brother and, like him, never gives up or runs away no matter what happens, that's enough." The fox's words echoed in my ears that day. Trust each other, never give up or run away from problems—that's what he said, and that's what I promised him. So now, I shouldn't have any doubts or suspicions. I must believe that he will handle everything properly.

"Shallowly..."

"Second brother, I know you've always been good to me. Please grant my request this time. Do you think it's a good thing for me to go back now? Rather than watching it cause you distress and heartache, it's better to pretend you don't know anything, and then face the final outcome when the time comes."

"Shallowly..."

"General Mu, stop dawdling and let's set off. Two hundred thousand troops are waiting for your orders." I said as I ran to his side, reached out and struggled to pull him up, and then pushed him out.

"Qianqian, if you stay here, you must listen to me and stay by my side. Don't run around." He pulled me from behind to the front, composed himself, and regained his composure as a great general. Seeing me nod, he took the lead and walked out of the tent.

I obediently followed behind him. Oh, Erlinzi, how could someone as well-behaved and sensible as me run around causing you trouble? You really don't understand me at all. I pouted at his retreating figure, feeling utterly frustrated.

As the army marched on, I transformed into the personal bodyguard of the Grand General of Longyao Kingdom. Just like back in Tianqing, I was surrounded by more people than the Grand General himself. I had no objections, and there were no strange looks from those around me. As for the two generals beside Qinglin, General Anyuan Xu Dingyuan and General Chen Zhu, regardless of whether they considered me Prime Minister Yun or Councilor Yun, they looked at me with respect and no longer displayed their classic dumbfounded expression.

As night fell, Tianqing and Longyao's armies successfully crossed the border of Longyao and encamped in a no-man's-land between Longyao and Yecang. Tianqing was on the left, and Longyao on the right, with their camps separated by several hundred meters. Since Xilan was leading Tianqing's army, there shouldn't be any trouble. Besides, since Fox had agreed to let Tianqing's army advance, he must have made thorough plans. Although I had firmly believed this from the beginning, I still breathed a long sigh of relief when things turned out as I expected.

I think subconsciously I was too afraid of conflict between the fox and Xilan.

This place wasn't too far from Cangzhou; it was only a half-day's journey. The area was quite large, with rolling hills on one side and grassland on the other, though the grassland was desolate in winter. That night, I nestled in Qinglin's command camp, brazenly taking over Qinglin's large bed. Poor Qinglin made a makeshift bed on the floor, rolled up a blanket, and lay down. In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt a disturbance. I abruptly opened my eyes and sat up. By the light of the camp's lamps, I could vaguely see two people standing not far away where Qinglin had made his makeshift bed.

"Uh, Second Brother?" I called out hurriedly, wrapped tightly in the blanket. Good heavens, there was more than one extra person in the commander's camp in the dead of night, and the guards outside didn't utter a sound, and Er Linzi didn't make a sound either.

"Shallowly".

"master."

The two people standing there instantly appeared in front of my bed. Hearing the sound, I breathed a sigh of relief, threw off the covers, jumped out of bed, grabbed the shirt of the slightly thinner and shorter man, and angrily said, "You brat, you've been missing for so long, and now that you've finally reappeared, you don't even bother to greet or care about your master. Instead, you immediately went to find someone else."

He let me hold him, without saying a word. Qinglin had already lit the candles on the table, and the camp was instantly illuminated. I was able to see the slightly embarrassed expression on Yefeng's face.

"Hey Xiao Ye, you haven't gotten yourself into the wrong bed or mistook your master for someone else, have you?" I squinted, mimicking a fox's manner as I scrutinized his strange expression. If Xiao Ye knew I was at the Longyao military camp with Qing Lin, his sudden arrival in the middle of the night would likely lead him to assume, based on common sense, that Qing Lin was sleeping in the large bed in the middle, and I was sleeping on the floor. Thinking of this, I immediately grinned mischievously, "Hey Xiao Ye, my second brother didn't mistake you for a pervert, did he? Hahaha, probably not. You didn't pull back the covers, did you? Wait, wait, did you kidnap me?"

Oh dear, I can't take it anymore! Just thinking about this possibility, and how Qinglin and Yefeng reacted just now if that were the case, made me let go, squat down, hug my stomach, and burst into laughter.

"Qianqian..." Before I could finish laughing, Qinglin's helpless yet doting voice rang in my ears. As he spoke, he put his hand on my shoulder, gesturing for me to get up.

Looking at Ye Feng, who was pretending to be calm but still had a strange expression and wouldn't look at me, I suddenly felt a pang of pity. I quickly suppressed my smile, wiped away the tears that had welled up in my eyes, and took Ye Feng's hand, saying, "Little Ye, you're finally here. You're finally by my side again."

"Master." The boy finally spoke again.

"Thank you, Night Breeze." I said seriously, my heart filled with gratitude and appreciation. Appearing in the middle of the night, she must have rushed here as soon as she heard my news. "You must be tired from your journey, right? Little Night, I'm fine, I'm alright, I'll be fine here. It's late now, you should stay here and get some rest."

I turned to Qinglin, who had been watching us without saying a word, and said, "Second Brother, you should get some rest too. From now on, I'm afraid you won't be able to get a proper rest day or night for a long time. Sleep as much as you can."

The two of them didn't say anything more. Erlinzi went back to his makeshift bed, and as usual, Yefeng suddenly disappeared from my sight. I turned off the light, lay back down on the bed, and went back to sleep, feeling happy inside. I was just afraid that if Yefeng appeared now, the guards Qinglin had assigned to me should arrive by tomorrow or the day after at the latest. With them protecting me, I was completely at ease about my safety. That way, I could also spare Qinglin some worry.

The next day, as expected, I saw Mu Mo and the others appear. My entourage was then replaced by the four of them plus Ye Feng. After breakfast and a walk, we returned to find Qing Lin, Xi Lan, and several generals entering the command camp, presumably to discuss marching routes and strategies. I was too embarrassed to follow them in and could only sit outside the tent, lost in thought. The weather wasn't too cold, and the sun wasn't too strong. I sat on the withered grass, gazing at the sky, lost in thought. I hadn't intended to use my brain, but then I thought that since I was idle anyway, and my intelligence had always been particularly outstanding here, it seemed like a waste not to use it. So, I started letting my mind wander.

Ye Cang is the most powerful among the six kingdoms, both militarily and strategically. In this backward region, they don't even have that; they fight hand-to-hand combat—it's incredibly brutal. Of course, Xi Lan is an exception, and a minority, so it's fortunate that he's on our side again this time.

With 400,000 troops from both countries attacking Ye Cang, there is no absolute chance of victory. Moreover, if the situation turns bad and the casualties become too heavy, reinforcements will not arrive as quickly as Ye Cang. The most important thing is to stabilize public morale and prevent a nationwide mobilization of men, women, and children to resist, otherwise this war will become extremely difficult.

When Zhan Yan, Duan Sheng, Xu Dingyuan, and Chen Zhu came out, I stood up, and then I saw Xi Lan slowly walking out of the command camp. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, his clear eyes giving me a deep look before walking past me. Zhan Yan and Duan Sheng followed behind him, and no one spoke. Upon entering the camp, I saw Qing Lin studying something on a map on the table. When he saw me come in, he looked up at me.

I gave him an awkward smile and said, "Second Brother, is there something I should say?"

Actually, what I've thought of, perhaps Qinglin, or rather the fox, has already thought of a long time ago. But since I've already thought of it, I'd better give you a heads-up, otherwise, if we miss it, it will be too late to regret it.