Lou Zhao's men were few in number, and he was no match for the Eastern Dark Men who were fighting against a hundred men. These Dark Men were not only after Yue Ji, but they were also ruthless and skilled in using poison weapons. Every move they made was aimed at killing Lou Zhao, as if they had been instructed not to leave him alive.
Lou Zhao originally wanted to take Yue Ji away, but he was struggling to hold her off. He had no choice but to pull Yue Ji onto the horse, whip the white horse hard, and gallop forward.
He held the reins with both hands around Yueji and whispered in her ear, "Princess, you have been frightened. I will definitely escort you to the capital."
Tsukihime has lived for nineteen years, and she has always been the one protecting others. This is the first time she has heard someone say to her that he will protect her.
The wind whistled past her ears. Yueji slightly raised her head and saw that Lou Zhao's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his expression was restrained.
In an instant, Lou Zhao ordered, "You ride ahead on horseback."
After speaking, he leaped off his horse. With pursuers closing in, Lou Zhao's action was merely a delaying tactic, using himself to block their advance.
Tsukihime bit her lip. The white horse galloped for a while, then she reached out and pulled on the reins, turned the horse around, and cracked the whip.
When she returned, Lou Zhao was covered in wounds, using his sword to support himself, his green robe stained black with blood.
She frowned, drew her sword, dismounted, and shouted, "Who among you dares to kill him?"
The group of secret agents said with difficulty, "Your Highness, the lord has ordered that you be taken back, and none of the men around you can be left behind."
She gave a cold laugh: "I'm not going back. Go tell Stey that I'm not going back. My husband is here."
Lou Zhao had already fainted. Yue Ji helped him onto the horse and led it for a long time, but still they couldn't find anyone.
Amidst the vast yellow sands, she took off his outer robe and gently wiped his wounds.
With a severe drought and strong winds, the water in the leather bag was running low. Yueji took a dagger, cut her wrist, and transferred the blood into his mouth.
Seeing the furrowed brows on his face as he slept, Yueji's eyes welled up with tears. She reached out and smoothed his brows, then leaned down and kissed his forehead.
At that time, the two were located at the border between the two kingdoms of Xue and Er, far from the battlefield.
Smoke signals rose everywhere, and the flames of war could be seen in the distance.
When Lou Zhao woke up, it was a late autumn night. He was lying by a pool of water, and a white horse was kicking its hooves beside him.
A girl stood with her back to him, washing her long hair by the water. The cool moonlight made her hair appear as white as raven feathers.
The starry sky is vast, and the dark blue sky stretches to the horizon.
The water ripples and flows like silver.
Lou Zhao opened his lips and asked, "Who are you?"
Yueji froze, remained silent for a moment, then turned away in a panic, saying, "Ah Zhao."
Lou Zhao had never seen Yue Ji without her veil. He had only seen the neighboring princess with her veil covering her face, pretending to be reserved. He had heard at the general's mansion that this neighboring princess was incomparably beautiful and virtuous.
Lou Zhao regarded the girl in front of him, covered in sand, dressed in rags, and with scars on her face, as just an ordinary person and as his savior.
Lou Zhao propped himself up on his elbows and slowly sat up.
He put his arm around her shoulder, his dark eyes piercing into her heart, and chuckled softly, "You saved me?"
She shuddered, her heart pounding, and bit her tongue, stammering, "I...I..."
Lou Zhao looked at her with interest and said gently, "Don't be afraid, are you from Xue?"
Yueji nodded, feeling embarrassed for the first time in her life. Just moments before, she had been gently washing Lou Zhao's wounds with water. Now, his clothes were half-open, and his chest appeared even more radiant in the moonlight.
Lou Zhao tried to get up, but Yue Ji reached out to support her. He looked down and saw the cuts on her wrist. His brows furrowed, and he grabbed her wrist to examine it more closely. "You transferred your blood to me?"
Yueji looked at him, her eyes suddenly curving into a smile, and said straightforwardly, "Yes, I like you."
Lou Zhao seemed to be taken aback, covered his mouth and coughed lightly, his brows softening as he gently stroked the scar on her wrist with his fingertips.
He smiled faintly and asked her in a low voice, "Ah Zhao, would you like to come with me?"
Images flashed through Yueji's mind: her mother, her father, the vast people of the Great Xue Kingdom, the smoke-filled battlefield, and the Xue soldiers who died on the battlefield.
She raised her eyes and saw a man who could command the world with great spirit on horseback, who could create exquisite ink paintings of Jiangnan, and who would risk his life for her.
Yueji remained silent for a long time, staring intently at Lou Zhao.
A girl was clearly reflected in his eyes, with the vast desert sands and the deep night behind him.
She bit her lip, as if she had made a great decision: "Okay, let's elope."
Lou Zhao looked at her frowning and hesitant expression, and suddenly burst into laughter.
Hearty laughter echoed in the bright starry sky for a long, long time.
After walking in the desert for several days, Lou Zhao's health gradually recovered.
She saved all the dry rations she had for Lou Zhao. Yue Ji was so hungry that she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, took out a dagger, killed the white horse, and roasted the horse meat to fill her stomach.
When Lou Zhao returned from scouting, he saw her sitting cross-legged on the ground, gnawing on a horse leg with great relish.
When she saw him, she jumped up and exclaimed, "Ah, that white horse is so hot!"
Lou Zhao suppressed a laugh, raised an eyebrow slightly, and asked, "Is it too hot?"
Tsukihime thought for a moment, "Maybe it died from the sun? Or from thirst? Anyway, it died."
She wiped her mouth, solemnly furrowed her brows, and sighed, "Time flies like an arrow."
Lou Zhao teased, "You even know the characters from the Central Plains?"
Tsukihime nodded solemnly: "Indeed, as Confucius said by the river: 'Time flows on like this, never ceasing.'"
Lou Zhao laughed and leaned closer to pull her back: "I've found the way back to the military tent. You should take a shower."
Tsukihime stiffened, withdrew her hand, and remained silent.
Lou Zhao comforted her softly, "Ah Zhao, don't be afraid. Even if we return to the military tent, I will stay by your side."
She hesitated for a moment, then touched the scar on her face and said to him, "I'm afraid others will see it, so I want to find a veil to cover it up."
Lou Zhao shook his head: "Don't cover it up, you're very beautiful."
Tsukihime stomped her foot heavily on the spot and said resolutely, "No, I must wear the veil, I must."
She casually told a lie, "In our Xue Kingdom, only my husband can see what I look like without my veil."
After speaking, Lou Zhao covered his mouth and coughed, looking at her with a smile.
Yueji then realized the hidden meaning in the words and blushed slightly.
Yueji found a piece of cloth to cover herself and followed Lou Zhao back to the military tent. When the soldiers saw that Military Advisor Lou had brought back a girl with blue eyes and fair skin, they laughed and said, "Military Advisor Lou, did you bring back a young lady from the East?"
Lou Zhao smiled slightly, "Her name is A Zhao, my savior."
He turned and asked, "Was the Princess of Xue ever found?"
The lieutenant replied, "There is no trace of them. They must have been taken back to the East by those secret agents."
Lou Zhaowei frowned slightly: "What did the general say?"
"The general never wanted to marry that woman in the first place, so let her go. This marriage alliance is suspicious from the start. Those rabble in the East have no integrity whatsoever; they've played the Emperor and the general for fools. We will not withdraw our troops until we have razed the East to the ground."
Upon hearing this, Tsukihime frowned slightly.
Lou Zhao took her into consideration and settled her in the tent. "You rest here first. I'll go and give the general some instructions."
Lou Zhao and Jin Lang had a long-standing friendship. During the battle at Wenshui, Lou Zhao single-handedly rescued Jin Lang from a ten-on-one situation. Afterwards, they drank together and became sworn brothers, supporting each other.
Jin Lang was waiting in the general's mansion in the capital to marry the princess of the East, but unexpectedly, things happened suddenly. He didn't get to marry his wife and was instead sent to fight with his brother-in-law. His frustration was indescribable.
Lou Zhao lifted the curtain of the general's tent and saw Jin Lang pondering a strategy while looking at a topographical map on the table.
He respectfully replied, "General Jin."
Jin Lang put down his pen, lifted the corner of his robe, sat down at the table, picked up a wine jar, poured himself a bowl, tilted his head back and drank it down, and laughed at him, "I heard you almost lost your life at the hands of the Eastern Dark Men, how is your injury recovering?"
Lou Zhao sat down as well, nodded and said, "Thank you for your care, General Jin. My injuries have healed considerably. I failed in my duty and was unable to bring the Eastern Princess back to the General's residence. Please punish me, General."
Jin Lang disagreed and said cheerfully, "Who cares about princesses or imperial princesses? This time, the emperor of the Eastern Land has gone back on his word, and I will definitely kill him without leaving a single one alive. You should stay in your tent and heal your wounds for now. Once winter is over, we will crush him to a pulp."
Lou Zhao took a sip of wine from his cup and smiled, "What the general says is very true."
"I heard you brought back a girl from the East?"
Lou Zhao nodded in agreement, "She saved my life when I was injured in the desert. I have yet to repay her kindness."
Jin Lang asked, "Is there anyone else in this woman's family?"
"Ah Zhao is an orphan girl, without father or mother."
Jin Lang put down his wine bowl, slapped the table and laughed, "With the war raging right now, let's settle her in the camp first and have someone take good care of her."
He gave Lou Zhao a meaningful look: "After we win the battle next spring, you can thank her however you like."
Lou Zhao smiled slightly and replied, "Thank you, General."
By then it was late autumn and winter, and the fighting had ceased.