During the long, harsh winter, soldiers often went hunting on horseback, roasted roe deer meat around a fire, and drank strong liquor, creating an irresistible aroma.
The people of the East are skilled in mounted combat and hunting; Yueji was an excellent archer from a young age.
She and Lou Zhao rode into the woods, and in less than half a day, they hunted several pheasants and a fat roe deer.
Hidden among the dead branches in the woods, a white object flashed by.
Tsukihime spurred her horse and followed closely behind, where a snow-white rabbit darted forward.
The hare moved nimbly, rustling its footsteps on the snow and sand as it nimbly ran into the distance.
Yueji dismounted, carrying arrows on her back, and followed a few steps lightly; the hare stopped on a withered leaf, staring warily around with its gray eyes.
Fearing to disturb it, Yue Ji lowered her body slightly, slowly drew out the arrow, and pulled the bowstring to its full length.
Suddenly there was a commotion in the woods, and the wild rabbit, like a startled bird, shuddered and its ears perked up.
Tsukihime drew back the bowstring, released the arrow, and the arrow drew a sharp arc through the forest, striking the rabbit's hind leg.
She raised her eyebrows, walked closer, picked up the rabbit, and prepared to leave.
A deep voice said, "Girl, this is the rabbit I shot."
She turned around and saw a man standing nearby, holding a longbow. He wore a dark-colored robe with a python pattern, and his long eyebrows slanted upwards, giving him a handsome and sharp appearance.
Jin Lang looked at the scar on Yue Ji's face, seemingly taken aback, and stepped forward to ask, "Are you from the Eastern Lands?"
Tsukihime's attention remained focused on the hare. She countered, "How do you know it was the hare you shot? I also fired an arrow just now."
Jin Lang smiled faintly. "Pull out the arrow."
Tsukihime held down the injured hare and pulled the arrow out of its hind leg. The arrowhead was engraved with the small character "Jin".
She pouted, tossed the rabbit to Jin Lang, and said sheepishly, "Here you go."
After saying this, he turned to leave.
Jin Lang stepped forward to block her path, his brows furrowing slightly as he asked, "Are you the young general who suffered a defeat in the Battle of Xishanbu?"
Upon hearing this, Yueji was taken aback. She raised her head and carefully examined Jin Lang's appearance before she could vaguely recognize that the person in front of her was the same two people who had knocked her to the ground in Xishanbu years ago, causing her to be disfigured and humiliated.
Yueji was somewhat annoyed. She took a step back, raised her eyebrows, and said angrily, "Who suffered a defeat?! Two years ago, I was new to the battlefield and had not yet grasped the essentials. Now that we meet, why don't we have another contest to see who is better?"
Jin Lang looked at her with great interest: "You've got a tough tongue, girl."
He tossed aside his bow and arrows, clapped his hands, and then crossed his arms, laughing, "I don't bully women. Now I'm standing right here, so you can try and see if you can hurt me."
Yueji has an extreme personality and is most susceptible to provocation. With a cold snort, she pulled out a dagger from her ankle and thrust it straight at Jin Lang, who easily dodged it with a slight movement, leaving her with nothing.
After a few more rounds of fighting, Yueji gave up in despair, spreading her hands and saying, "I'm not fighting anymore. I can't beat you, I admit defeat."
Jin Lang laughed loudly, then raised an eyebrow and asked, "Aren't you afraid of being captured and taken back as a prisoner of war by a mere junior general from the Eastern Lands?"
Yueji paused, only then realizing that her identity was in danger of being exposed. She immediately turned to leave, saying, "The green hills are gone, but the green waters flow on. This farewell may be our last. I'm leaving now."
Just as she was about to leave, the sound of approaching hooves grew louder.
Lou Zhao dismounted, walked up to Jin Lang, and bowed respectfully, saying, "General."
He saw Yue Ji and chuckled, "This is the girl who saved me last time, let's call her A Zhao."
Jin Lang was taken aback, his eyes narrowing as he pondered, "Ah Zhao? She's been staying in our camp the whole time?"
Lou Zhao replied, "Yes. I brought her here today to hunt, hoping to catch some game to roast and eat."
Jin Lang turned to look at Yue Ji, who had her head down and looked somewhat nervous.
He handed the rabbit to Lou Zhao and laughed, "Hahaha, your archery skills are quite good, Miss A Zhao. This rabbit is fat and big enough." Then, he lifted his robe, mounted his horse, and rode away.
Jin Lang returned to the camp with a complicated expression and a heavy heart.
He summoned his deputy to his tent and instructed him, "There is a female general in the East who once led troops into battle. She fought me two years ago at Xishanbu and has a scar on her cheek. Send a scout to find out where she is now and what her background is."
Three days later, heavy snow fell.
Jin Lang invited Lou Zhao to the main tent to discuss matters.
"Lou Zhao, back then you were escorting the Eastern Princess back to the capital when an unexpected incident occurred, and you were ambushed by assassins. After that, the princess disappeared without a trace?"
Lou Zhaoxian had not expected that this matter would be brought up again after so long. "Yes, Lou Zhaoxian was incompetent."
Jin Lang frowned. "The Ah Zhao beside you is the princess of the Eastern Land."
Lou Zhao froze, speechless.
"The female general I fought on the battlefield two years ago was also her," Jin Lang sighed.
Lou Zhao clenched his fists.
He had once seen a painting titled "Heroine" by Jin Lang in the General's Mansion. It depicted a woman in a red battle robe, riding a magnificent horse, holding a long sword, her proud face accompanied by the high-flying military flag.
"This matter was indeed my oversight; I failed to verify the facts. If Azhao is truly a princess of the Eastern Lands, I wonder how the general intends to deal with her?"
Jin Lang tentatively asked, "You like her?"
Lou Zhao paused for a moment, then said, "She saved my life. I hope the general will consider this and not make things difficult for her."
Jin Lang waved his sleeve and said, "I will make my own decision on this matter."
Lou Zhao never entered Yue Ji's tent again, intentionally distancing himself from her.
Yueji was filled with bitterness, knowing that it was probably because her identity had been discovered. She had deceived Lou Zhao first; otherwise, she should have married Jinlang and become a general's wife.
After rolling around on the couch three times, she nimbly jumped up, rushed into Lou Zhao's tent, and demanded, "Do you like me?"
Lou Zhao looked at her quietly, and after a long while, he bowed and said, "There is a difference in rank between me and the princess. Please return to your tent."
Tsukihime raised her voice and asked, "Do you like me?"
Lou Zhao replied, "I'll ask the princess on behalf of the general: is she willing to marry him?"
Yueji swayed as if struck by lightning, her face drained of color. She bit her lip, nodded, and said angrily, "I'm willing, I couldn't be more willing."
On New Year's Eve, the soldiers gathered together, drinking and making merry.
Yueji had drunk quite a bit of wine. She staggered up to Jin Lang and said with a smile, "General Jin, A Zhao has come to ask you for a drink."
Seeing that her cheeks were slightly flushed, indicating she was a little tipsy, Jin Lang couldn't help but chuckle and ask, "How much have you drunk?"
Yueji shook her head, lowered her head and counted on her fingers: "Not many. Five jars, no, six jars."
Jin Lang shook his head and said, "You're drunk. Go home and rest early."
Yueji protested, "I'm not drunk." She turned to Lou Zhao beside her and smiled, "Military Advisor Lou, do I look drunk to you?"
Lou Zhao frowned and tried to get up.
Jin Lang, however, beat him to it, scooped Yue Ji up in his arms and carried her back to the tent, placing her on the couch.
Jin Lang dampened a towel and wiped her face, carefully tracing the scars. He always held knives and guns, his fingertips calloused, which hurt her a little.
Yueji turned her face away, "I love Lou Zhao. I don't want to marry you."
Jin Lang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do you like him?"
After thinking for a long time, Yueji said, "He is willing to die for me."
Jin Lang stared at her intently, then covered her with the blanket. "I can too."
Yueji rolled over and moved further into the bed. "If he doesn't like me, I'll go back to Xue. Why should I have to marry a man from Dali?"
Jin Lang laughed loudly, "Do you think you can leave so easily once you've come to my camp?"
Early the next morning, Jin Lang stood in front of Yue Ji with his horse in hand, saying, "Come on, I'll take you to see the frontier."
Yueji peeked at Lou Zhao, who was talking to someone nearby. He didn't even raise his head, seemingly indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with her.
Although they were only a few steps apart, it felt as if they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.
Yueji mounted her horse and said loudly to Jinlang, "Good."
Before leaving, he glanced back at Lou Zhao. Lou Zhao tilted his head slightly, the setting sun shining on his profile. He wore a blue robe, just like when they first met.
Everything seemed to have returned to the earliest years. She sat demurely in the sedan chair, dressed in elaborate palace attire, and secretly lifted the curtain a little. Beside her was a handsome young nobleman, riding a white horse with a sword.
At that time, he only regarded her as the general's wife, while she only slightly touched his heartstrings.
Before my eyes, the landscape was covered in a blanket of white snow, with rolling mountains stretching endlessly, as if I had entered a fairyland, far from the smoke and fire of war, far from identity and responsibility, with only the vast expanse of white snow between heaven and earth.
Yueji had never imagined that the frontier could have such magnificent and beautiful scenery. For a moment, she was so captivated that she could only whisper, "This place is truly wonderful."
Jin Lang leaned down slightly, looking at the girl beside him, his gaze gradually softening.
He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her lips.