Ah Hao blinked. Even if she wasn't a stunning beauty, she shouldn't look "like this." Considering Fang Rong was two years younger than her, she decided not to argue. Ah Hao still answered Fang Rong's question, lying through her teeth, "Because I tried my best."
Fang Rong was furious upon hearing this. "I tried so hard before, how come it was all for nothing?! You're lying!"
Seeing that A-Hao was having a lot of fun playing with Fang Rong, and considering that Fang Rong was almost unconscious from drunkenness, Ling Xiao figured it would be interesting to tease her a bit. So she joined in the fun, and before A-Hao could speak, she said with a sly grin, "Because you're ugly!"
Fang Rong: "...You bullied me!" She seemed utterly devastated by Ling Xiao's words, collapsing into her chair, sobbing for a while, then falling asleep...
Author's Note: I must have been carrying several tortoise shells on my back! I've finally finished writing 9,000 words, I'm so sleepy, going to bed TT
I don't think I set any flags in this chapter, right? _(:зゝ∠)_
Chapter 89 Update
Fang Rong was so drunk that she couldn't remember anything about what had happened the night before, except that she had embarrassed herself. When she saw Ling Xiao again the next day, she hesitated to greet him, but Ling Xiao turned around and greeted her first, leaving Fang Rong no choice but to pretend she hadn't seen him.
"Did you sleep well last night, General Fang?" Ling Xiao put on a smiling face and walked quickly closer. Fang Rong had no choice but to nod and say, "I slept very well, thank you for your concern, Lord Ling." She then straightened her face slightly, trying to make herself look more serious.
Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao reached out and gently patted Fang Rong's shoulder, sighing as he said, "That's good. I was worried about you..." He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, shaking his head with a look of regret and helplessness.
Fang Rong disliked people interrupting her conversations. If she hadn't known that Ling Xiao's behavior was likely related to her drunken words and actions the previous night, she would have simply given him the cold shoulder and ignored him. But she knew that being drunk wasn't a good thing... so she couldn't help but care about what happened last night, especially seeing Ling Xiao like this.
Knowing she wasn't a big drinker and never touched alcohol in public, she had unfortunately met the Empress yesterday and, feeling depressed, had lost control. The wine Ling Xiao had prepared didn't seem to bother her at first, but its aftereffects were surprisingly strong; she slept soundly through the night before waking up.
"What happened to me yesterday...?" Fang Rong asked Ling Xiao carefully.
Ling Xiao looked hesitant to speak, still sighing and shaking his head. Seeing that Fang Rong was getting anxious, he looked around to make sure no one was there, pulled her aside, and whispered to her, "Yesterday, after the young general got drunk, he hugged the Empress and cried and made a scene. No matter how hard we tried to pull him away, he wouldn't budge. He said he was very unhappy about losing the competition and that he also admired... and was very unwilling to accept it... Well, the Empress didn't hold it against him. She even told me that if she saw you today, she would try to comfort him."
"..." After hearing Ling Xiao's description, Fang Rong felt a sudden surge of despair. This was far too humiliating, even more so than losing to the Empress in the competition that day. But who did she love?
She opened her mouth as if to defend herself, but then heard Ling Xiao say, "Her Majesty the Empress also asked me to tell the young general that even though she won that competition, she was no match for him. The young general can go to the battlefield, kill enemy soldiers, and defend the territory, which is truly admirable."
Fang Rong imagined herself crying and sobbing in the Empress's arms, saying those things, and wished she could hide herself completely and never appear in public again. Right now, she was only concerned with her own embarrassment and didn't bother to investigate the truth of Ling Xiao's words. It was already embarrassing enough; if she kept asking, it would feel like she was losing face many times over.
"I'm sorry to have made Your Majesty laugh." Fang Rong gave a dry laugh, and when she looked up and saw Song Shuhao seemingly heading this way, her face unconsciously flushed slightly. Not wanting to embarrass herself further in front of Song Shuhao, she quickly made an excuse to leave, then said to Ling Xiao, "What I said last night was all nonsense, and I ask that you convey to Her Majesty the Empress that she need not take it to heart." As she passed Song Shuhao, Fang Rong bowed her head in greeting and walked even faster.
Seeing that Fang Rong seemed to be avoiding her, Ah Hao thought about what had happened the night before and figured that Fang Rong was probably just shy. Fang Rong must know how much she had drunk and acted out, and Ah Hao was already a little bothered by her, so she felt embarrassed and her face turned red. Therefore, Ah Hao didn't deliberately try to talk to Fang Rong any further.
When she reached Ling Xiao and saw the smug smile on her face, A-Hao asked, "What did you and General Fang talk about?" Ling Xiao chuckled, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Naturally, it was about helping Your Highness deal with her love rival! I just wonder if there was any reward?"
Ah Hao ignored her teasing and simply said, "General Fang's face is all red." Ling Xiao then relayed Fang Rong's message to Ah Hao. Ah Hao nodded after hearing it but didn't say anything. She quickly asked Ling Xiao about other things.
However, Ah Hao had to admit that after that drunken night, Fang Rong's attitude towards her changed a lot. Although they weren't very close, they were no longer confrontational, nor did Fang Rong deliberately look down on her. Ah Hao felt that living in peace was enough, and just as she had thought when she saw that bright gold armor, war was coming soon, and she and Fang Rong wouldn't have many opportunities to meet.
·
Zhang Yu planned to launch a surprise attack on Dayuan to seize the initiative and boost morale. After resting and recuperating, the army would secretly bypass Tongcheng and approach the border of Dayuan directly. Using the pretext that Dayuan soldiers had harmed the people of Daqi, they would launch an attack on Dayuan in the early morning when everyone should be asleep.
With one day left until the appointed day, Zhang Yu was finally going to the army. When they got up, the sky was still pitch black. Ahao helped Zhang Yu wash and groom himself, styled his hair, and helped him put on his heavy armor. Zhang Yu planned to take Lü Chuan with him, but left Lü Yuan with her for her future use, because Ahao had no one else she could rely on.
At this time of day, a somber atmosphere hangs in the air, making it difficult to smile. The tung blossoms that were in full bloom when I arrived in Tongcheng are already fading, with only a few blossoms remaining on the branches, adding to the sense of desolation. The early morning wind brushes against my face silently, carrying a slight chill.
Zhang Yu, clad in iron armor with a long sword at his waist, sat majestically on his tall horse. He gazed at Ahao with deep, penetrating eyes, and Ahao looked back at him intently. They had told each other to be careful and take care of themselves a thousand times, but now that it was time to part, neither of them could utter a word.
After a moment of silent staring, Lü Chuan reminded him of the time, indicating that they had to set off. Zhang Yu finally looked away and said, "Take care of yourself." Then, without lingering, he spurred his horse, and it galloped off. As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, his figure disappeared at the end of the long street. A-Hao didn't have time to respond to him.
After seeing Zhang Yu off, Ahao stood outside Qiwu Mansion for a moment before going directly to find Ling Xiao. Zhang Yu had his own things to do, and so did she. Ling Xiao would be taking the group of people she had trained who knew first aid to the battlefield. They wouldn't be charging into battle, but they would need to stay close behind the group and provide timely rescues. Ahao's plan to join Ling Xiao's team was something they had discussed beforehand.
At that moment, Ling Xiao, who had also gotten up, was in the study. On her desk lay a stack of letters from the same person. Ling Xiao read them all, and finally picked up her pen to write a proper letter to that person. Just as she put the letter into the stationery, A-Hao came looking for her. Ling Xiao left the study to see her, and the two had a quick breakfast before going to the military camp together.
The war broke out suddenly the next day.
Song Shuhao followed Ling Xiao's group, dressed like the others in a dark brown, narrow-sleeved robe. She carried only simple first aid supplies for the wounded and a dagger for self-defense, for ease of movement. After the battle with the Dayuan Kingdom, as the army advanced, it left behind a scene of devastation.
This was her first time facing war directly, and even participating in it. What she saw were countless corpses, soldiers of Dayuan or Daqi; what she heard were painful groans; what she smelled was the stench of blood. It was an extremely oppressive feeling, making her feel uncomfortable all over, yet she had to try her best to suppress it.
Time is of the essence on the battlefield when it comes to rescuing the wounded. As blood rushed to her head, Song Shuhao joined the others in the tense rescue efforts. Soldiers who had fallen behind the main force were either on the verge of death, missing limbs, or seriously injured. She could only endure the horrifying sights and the trembling in her heart, using the first-aid skills she had learned from Ling Xiao to provide basic wound care and have them taken away from the front lines.
In no time, Song Shuhao was covered in blood, but at that moment, no one cared about anything else. All they could think about was saving lives; every life saved meant one more chance to survive. Lü Yuan stayed by her side, helping her with the tasks and protecting her. Even so, after a whole day like this, she was completely exhausted, her body almost limp and powerless. The others were in similar condition, but they still had to check on the wounded at night, unable to truly rest.
Zhang Yu conquered the first city in just five days, and then, riding the momentum, captured three more cities in Dayuan within a month, his situation extremely favorable. After crossing the Qingxuan Mountains of Dayuan, the army finally stopped to set up camp and rest, a prelude to their continued attack. Only then could Song Shuhao and Ling Xiao finally catch their breath; she hadn't seen Zhang Yu for a whole month.
Lu Yuan was exhausted from caring for her, so the army temporarily halted, and A-Hao told him to go and rest. A-Hao and Ling Xiao shared a tent, looking out for each other. Ling Xiao was even more tired than her; as a female healer, she not only had to participate in the rescue efforts, but after the wounded were saved, she also had to examine and diagnose the wounded soldiers along with other military doctors.
Ling Xiao seemed to possess a unique set of healing methods that other doctors didn't have; soldiers treated by her recovered much faster than usual. Many seriously wounded soldiers survived thanks to her intervention. However, after a month, Ling Xiao had become emaciated, her cheeks sunken. Often, in her focus on treating the wounded, she couldn't even afford to eat a single bite of food.
There's a river near Qingxuan Mountain, and the army has settled nearby. To prevent water shortages, soldiers were stationed along the riverbank. This finally allowed them a proper wash. However, even after a thorough wash, Ah Hao still felt covered in the stench of blood. Even after a month, he still frequently saw dismembered limbs and bones before his eyes, and every rescue operation he participated in was a stark reminder of human tragedy.
She once encountered a young soldier who looked to be no more than twenty years old. He had been stabbed multiple times in the chest and abdomen and had been run over by horses countless times. His armor was torn apart, and his intestines were spilling out from beneath the shattered armor. Yet he was not dead. Despite the excruciating pain, he struggled to breathe and even tried to beg her for help, but he could not utter a word.
She rushed to his side, but didn't know what to do. He was wounded so badly, he was surely going to die. But seeing the pleading look in his eyes, she couldn't bring herself to abandon him. She applied medicine to his wounds, tried to stop the bleeding, but before she could do everything she could, he breathed his last. Even now, thinking about it, Song Shuhao can't help but sigh. But at that time, all she could do was close the young soldier's unfulfilled eyes before moving on to save others.
·
When Zhang Yu came to find Song Shuhao, she had just prepared a special meal for Ling Xiao, making several dishes just for her. Ling Xiao was extremely exhausted and had lost a lot of weight; Song Shuhao was worried she wouldn't be able to keep going. Moreover, after the army stopped, Ling Xiao washed up and went to sleep, sleeping for almost a day and a night, excluding meals and water. It seemed she had accumulated too much fatigue and desperately needed sleep to relieve it.
Setting down her food, Song Shuhao woke Ling Xiao to get something to eat, and then she heard Zhang Yu's voice. Having not heard his voice or seen him for so long, she was more sensitive than before. A moment of illusion, then clarity, and she stepped out of the tent. Zhang Yu was standing outside. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if they were still in Tongcheng, before the war with Dayuan began, as if she were studying with Ling Xiao and Zhang Yu was handling affairs at the military camp, and now he had come to take her back to Qiwu Prefecture.
But that's not really the case.
Seeing Zhang Yu, A-Hao finally smiled. It was dusk, and darkness was slowly approaching. Torches were lit everywhere outside the tents. By the light of the torches, A-Hao could clearly see what Zhang Yu looked like. He was dressed in dark casual clothes, still tall and straight, but there were dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to be in good spirits, though he had become thinner. However, she knew that Zhang Yu was not injured. Seeing her come out, Lü Yuan disappeared again, disappearing into the shadows.
Zhang Yu frowned as he watched Song Shuhao emerge from the tent. She was already thin, but now she was even thinner, her wrists so delicate they looked like they could snap at any moment. Her once waist-length black hair was now cut short and braided over her shoulder. He regretted it; he wanted to send her back immediately… but seeing her now made everything brighten up.
"Your Majesty?" Seeing that Zhang Yu was looking at her silently with a look in his eyes that she couldn't quite understand, Ahao finally spoke up and called out to him. Zhang Yu grunted in response, took her hand, and led Ahao to his tent.
Zhang Yu's tent was much larger than Ling Xiao and Song Shuhao's, and heavily guarded the entrance. Upon entering, Zhang Yu, overwhelmed by longing, pulled Song Shuhao onto the bed, cupped her face, and kissed her lips. When she couldn't see Zhang Yu, Ahao didn't realize how much she missed him; but once she saw him, all the longing that had been suppressed in her heart erupted instantly, completely overwhelming her.
Ah Hao reached out and hugged Zhang Yu back, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying her best to respond to his deep kiss. Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long, and perhaps because of all the torment they had endured, but Ah Hao felt that he seemed extremely eager. His lips and tongue seemed to be fighting, as if he wanted to sweep away and possess everything, constantly invading every inch of her mouth, sucking heavily and biting incessantly, as if he would never be satisfied. But she was still thinking about this person, and uncontrollably became intoxicated by this lingering kiss.