The Beauties of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 136

When did this man start yelling at her so much?

Wasn't he very cold and indifferent before?

He was either indifferent or sarcastic; I'd never seen him so impulsively yell at her.

Wanlan rubbed Yu You's ringing ears while glancing at him with disdain. "He went to find the Imperial Uncle."

He's injured!

Very well, another thunderclap.

Wanlan slowly covered her ears. "It'll be done soon."

A sharp pain shot through her wrist, and he yanked her hand away from her ear. Zhao Dezhao glared at her fiercely, then turned to one of the two men standing behind him and said, "You go after them. You must find Defang and the Emperor!"

"yes!"

Wanlan only felt a blur before her eyes, and the person who had received the order had already leaped onto a horse and galloped away.

Xue Weiji?

How did he end up with Zhao Dezhao?

"Come with me!"

Staggered by the person in front of her, Wanlan frowned and glared at the two clasped hands, exasperated.

"Zhao Dezhao, let go of me! You're hurting me!"

Zhao Dezhao suddenly stopped, turned around and let go of her hand. He looked down at her already bruised wrist, his face growing increasingly ashen. But he moved his hand to her five fingers, gripped her tightly, and continued walking forward.

"Your Highness..." Lan Wu, who was standing to the side, hurriedly spoke up, "Put the lady aside first, and we can talk about it slowly."

Zhao Dezhao only glanced back at him, but kept walking towards the main tent.

Before the three could even enter the tent, a soldier who appeared to be a lieutenant general rushed over, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and cried out urgently, "Your Highness! The Emperor has disappeared without a trace, and our army is leaderless. We beg Your Highness to come out and take charge!"

Wanlan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that this one sentence had brought trouble upon Zhao Dezhao?

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

She instinctively stood in front of Zhao Dezhao, glaring at the soldier. "His Majesty was merely separated from the main army. What nonsense are you spouting here! If you can't calm the soldiers below, what kind of deputy general are you? Step down now!"

"You..." The lieutenant stared in astonishment at Wanlan, who was dressed in men's clothing. "What...what's it to you..."

Zhao Dezhao gave Wanlan a deep look, then turned to the deputy general and said coldly, "Step back! Calm down the soldiers below; the Emperor will be back soon."

"Yes, I'll take my leave." The lieutenant clasped his hands and withdrew.

Wanlan breathed a sigh of relief.

It's okay, everything will be alright.

Zhao Dezhao pulled Lan Wu into the main tent, leaving him outside to wait. Wan Lan was somewhat absent-minded, her eyes half-closed and lost in thought.

"I have something to ask you."

"oh."

Seeing her nonchalant expression, Zhao Dezhao frowned, reached out and held her face, lifting her chin. Meeting her astonished face, he suddenly smiled and said, "I have something to ask you."

"I didn't tell you not to ask."

She raised her hand to brush his palm away and subconsciously wiped her neck, unaware that this action displeased the man opposite her.

"What's the story behind you getting me a get-out-of-jail-free card?"

Wanlan was slightly taken aback, and looked up in surprise to meet his deep gaze. "Zehua told you?"

"Never mind how I found out, I want to know the reason." He tightened his grip on their clasped hands. "Tell me why you did this?"

Wanlan then realized that he had been holding her hand the whole time, and immediately pulled her hand away abruptly. "What's the reason? You know so many of my secrets. If you two ever have a fight, do you think you'll still be alive? Even though it's just a verbal pardon, my uncle is still the emperor, and he can't go back on his word."

His palm suddenly felt empty. Zhao Dezhao frowned and looked at her quietly. "I'm not asking about the use of the get-out-of-jail-free card. I'm asking why you did this? Why did you save me? I've been... pressuring you. Why did you still do this for me?"

"The person you're forcing isn't me."

Wanlan waved her hand casually, took a step back, and sat down at the low table. "You knew all along that I wasn't her. You forced her, not me. I can tell that away. Even after you found out my identity, everything you did was for Zehua's sake. I understand that. But Zhao Dezhao—"

She raised her head to meet his downcast gaze. "Are you really planning to live only for Zehua from now on? Why force him to do things he doesn't want? How are you any different from your father? If you truly care about Zehua, shouldn't you prioritize his wishes?"

"I--"

"Your Highness!"

The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and the lieutenant rushed in, shouting, "We have news of the Emperor!"

Zhao Dezhao pursed his lips, swallowing the words he was about to say to Wanlan. He turned to look at him, his expression cold and stern. "Where is the Emperor? Is everything alright?"

"I heard that His Majesty was wounded by an arrow and has been retreated towards Zhuozhou under the cover of the Prince of Qin."

Wanlan, who had just sat down, suddenly stood up. She felt a sudden buzzing in her head, and she swayed slightly before grabbing Zhao Dezhao in front of her, staring intently at the deputy general.

"The King of Qin... Where is the King of Qin? Is he alright?"

The adjutant, whose eyes were half-closed, glanced at her and said in a deep voice, "The King of Qin should be fine. I haven't heard anything unusual about him. However, it seems that Lord Xue was also injured."

Zhao Dezhao glanced at Wanlan, whose face had turned deathly pale, and made a decisive decision: "Immediately gather all troops and retreat towards Zhuozhou. Keep an eye out for the Emperor and the Prince of Qin along the way!"