Qi Yuning's birthday is on the second day of August, and it will be here soon.

Lu Ze looked at Qi Yuning sideways and asked, "I'm afraid I'll have to let you down on your birthday this year. I can't hold a banquet to invite all the rich ladies to celebrate."

Qi Yuning looked at Lu Ze and said, "I have never held a banquet to invite guests to celebrate my birthday."

Lu Ze really hadn't noticed that Qi Yuning had never celebrated a big birthday. He only remembered that his mother, his four younger sisters, Lin Jiang's sisters, and Qin Feng's younger sisters always celebrated their birthdays in a very grand and lavish manner.

He originally thought that Qi Yuning would also celebrate his birthday in a grand and lively manner.

Qi Yuning said, "As for me, my only close friend is Song Heqing. Whenever I celebrate my birthday, I just walk around Shengjing City with Heqing. After Master Song left, I haven't celebrated my birthday with Heqing for three years. They just prepare an extra bowl of longevity noodles for me during the Beginning of Spring and the Waking of Insects. It's not like when Lu Baozhu celebrated her birthday, when she had to make a big fuss and let the whole city know about it."

Lu Ze reached out and gently stroked Qi Yuning's face. "Once the overall situation is settled next year, you can have a lively time."

Qi Yuning said: "I thought Lingling would be able to spend my birthday with me this year, what a pity."

Lu Ze said: "Lingling can't spend the day with you, but Lingling's father can."

Qi Yuning smiled softly.

The terrain of Chang'an City was not easy to attack. With the military supplies transported from the North City, Qi Yu'an dispatched nearly 100,000 troops, hoping to make a decisive attack in one go.

On the night of the first day of August, the city of Chang'an was filled with flames.

Qi Yuning was on a mountain outside Chang'an, looking at the arrows coated with flames flying everywhere. The sound of armed soldiers fighting below was deafening, and the torches held by the soldiers lit up the night sky.

Lu Ze stood beside Qi Yuning and said, "This battle is really difficult."

A spy in armor walked up to Qi Yuning and said, "Princess, General Zhong Ming was injured and fell off his horse. Deputy General Li has died. There is no general at the South Gate. Now the two sisters of the Lu family are leading the troops."

Qi Yuning asked: "How can the two of them do this?"

The spy continued, "There weren't many troops deployed in the South City. The prince placed the main force at the North Gate and the West Gate. I didn't expect Qin Zhen to deploy 50,000 troops in the South City..."

"The North Gate and the West Gate are also in a critical situation. I'm afraid we can't spare any troops to go and provide support."

Lu Ze frowned slightly as he listened to the Qi family army's spies coming to report the military situation.

Originally, the South City Gate was intended to contain the Qin family's military forces, but Qin Zhen would deploy nearly 50,000 troops at the South City Gate, and Zhong Ming had less than 10,000 troops.

Qi Yuning said: "There are indeed no generals who can be transferred to the North Gate and the West Gate for support. We have to hold the South Gate... and wait for the siege to enter the city."

Lu Ze asked: "How many soldiers are there in the barracks now?"

Qi Yuning said: "There are about 10,000 left."

Lu Ze said: "I will lead 5,000 soldiers to support the South Gate."

Qi Yuning looked at Lu Ze worriedly, "Are you really going?"

Lu Ze said, "My two sisters are still on the battlefield, how can I live in disgrace? The North Gate and the West Gate are in a tense situation, so I am the only one who will go there."

Qi Yuning stepped forward, hooked her arms around Lu Ze's neck, and raised her head to kiss his thin lips.

"Go ahead. I'll wait for you to come back and spend my birthday with me."

Lu Ze said: "Okay, I will definitely come back to celebrate your birthday with you."

After seeing Lu Ze leave, Qi Yuning returned to the military camp to visit Zhong Ming.

As Zhong Ming arrived at the medicine shed, his armor was covered with arrow feathers. Fortunately, the armor blocked all the arrows, but one arrow still pierced Zhong Ming's wrist. Blood was dripping. There was a piece of cloth tied in front of his wrist, which was shocking to look at.

Zhong Ming was injured in his right hand.

The military doctor came over to check Zhong Ming's wrist and said, "General Zhong, please bear with the pain while I draw my sword."

Qi Yuning said: "Where's Ma Fei San? Use Ma Fei San!"

Zhong Ming said: "Ma Fei San is precious, just pull it out, I can bear it."

When Qi Yuning saw the sword with the barb being pulled out, there was still bright red flesh hanging on it, which looked very painful.

Zhong Ming screamed and trembled in pain. The military doctor applied hemostatic medicine to the injured wrist and fixed it with a wooden board and cloth strips, saying: "You have to take good care of this hand. I'm afraid you won't be able to lift heavy objects in the future."

Qi Yuning saw the military doctor going out to stay up late, so he asked, "Doctor, Zhong Ming's hand..."

The military doctor sighed and said, "If he can still hold chopsticks in his hands in the future, it will be a blessing from the Bodhisattva."

Qi Yuning thought about Zhong Ming, a talented man who loved playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and sighed softly when he realized that he would never be able to paint again.

That night, there were always soldiers coming to the medicine shed.

Qi Yuning and several maids were helping in the medicine shed, sewing, installing wooden boards, pulling out arrows, and boiling medicine, and they were busy until dawn.

After daybreak, the number of wounded soldiers increased, arriving in batches, with no time to rest at all.

Lichun and Jingzhe brought some dry food. Qi Yuning took a quick bite and asked, "What's the situation outside?"

"The west gate has been breached, and our troops have entered Chang'an City!"

Qi Yuning was slightly relieved to hear the news, but she was also panicked for Lu Ze.

Qi Yuning couldn't leave this place and go to South City. She knew that going to the South City Gate would be of no help, so she could only wait here for Lu Ze to return.

The second day of August was spent in a busy and bloody day.

Qi Yuning was so exhausted that she returned to the military tent to rest for a while. She ate the longevity noodles that Lichun had prepared for her, but every bite tasted tasteless.

On the third day of August, the number of Qi family soldiers sent to the medicine shed decreased, while the number of Qin family soldiers surrendered increased.

They were all people from Dasheng. Some of these soldiers were forcibly conscripted into the Qin family army. Qi Yuning didn't want to watch them injured and unable to get treatment, so when he learned that there were enough medicines, he also distributed some to treat these soldiers.

After another busy day and night, early in the morning of the fourth day of August, Qi Yuning saw from afar the flag of the Qi family army hanging on the wall of Chang'an City.

Qi Yuning looked at the bright flag of the Qi family army in the distance, his heart full of anticipation.

She saw a horse coming from afar, and when she saw the person on the horse clearly, she also galloped over.

After Lu Ze's horse stopped, Qi Yuning climbed onto the horse holding the reins. Seeing Lu Ze with red eyes, she reached out and hugged his cold armor, which was still covered in blood.

Lu Ze also stretched out his hands and held Qi Yuning in his arms. He looked down at Qi Yuning's face and said, "I'm sorry, I broke my promise and couldn't spend your nineteenth birthday with you."

Qi Yuning smiled and said, "From now on, you will spend my birthday with me every year."

Qi Yuning hugged Lu Ze tightly and said, "It's been a very dirty journey. Take me to the Princess's Mansion in Chang'an City. I want to take a good bath and rest."

Lu Ze looked down at Qi Yuning's clothes which were also covered in blood. She used to be a girl who loved cleanliness. He chuckled and said, "Okay, let's go to the Princess's Mansion."

The Princess Mansion in Chang'an City was built after Qi Yuning was conferred the title of Princess. It took about ten years to build. Qi Yuning would sometimes come and stay for a while in spring and autumn.

Nothing had changed in the Princess's Mansion. This place was occupied by aristocratic families, and even Qin Zhen did not dare to enter rashly.

After returning to the room, Qi Yuning asked the maid to quickly prepare hot water for bathing and washed away all the dirt on her body.

Taking Chang'an means that Shengjing is in sight. After leaving Shengjing City for more than four months, she can finally return to Shengjing, to her Prince Qi's Mansion.

After Qi Yuning finished bathing and returned to her room, she let the maid wipe her long hair.

Seeing Lu Ze coming in with clean clothes, he was not wearing a wig. His newly grown hair was already an inch high. The messy hair made Lu Ze look even more handsome and heroic.

Lu Ze took the handkerchief from the maid and said to her, "All of you go out and close the gate. No one is allowed to disturb us."

After the maid went out, she closed the door.

Qi Yuning looked at Lu Ze wiping her hair in the bronze mirror. Her heart was beating fast. She simply stood up and hugged Lu Ze tightly.

"I've been so worried about you these past few days!"

Lu Ze hugged Qi Yuning tightly and said, "I'm also afraid that I won't be able to come back to see you."

Qi Yuning leaned her head against Lu Ze's chest, feeling his strong heartbeat. It was not until this moment that she realized that nothing in the world was more important than being safe and healthy in the arms of the one she loved. (End of this chapter)