Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Lianlian, wait for me to come back!

On the day of departure, there is usually an oath-taking ceremony to boost morale.

At dawn, the sky and the earth were still shrouded in the blue-gray morning mist, and everything was still asleep.

Suddenly, torches lit up one after another, gradually illuminating the training ground like a spark that sets the prairie on fire.

Thousands of soldiers stood with their heads held high and their chests puffed out, their black armor reflecting the cold light and their long spears pointing to the sky.

On the stage, Huan Zhanyue was wearing a bright iron armor. The cold iron armor shone with a cold sharpness in the morning light. His eyes were like lightning under the beast-head helmet, slowly sweeping across the military formation below the stage.

"All soldiers, listen to my orders!" With a clanging sound, Huan Zhanyue drew his sword from his waist and pointed it straight into the sky.

"This action is to punish the traitors and protect the country! Anyone who kills the rebel leader will be rewarded with a thousand gold coins. Anyone who shrinks back will be subject to military law!"

The blade flashed down, and a shout shook the heavens: "Great Zhou will win!"

"Great Zhou will win! We will definitely win this battle!"

The soldiers of the three armies shouted in unison, the sound was like thunder, shaking the flags in the training ground.

"Great Zhou will win! We will definitely win this battle!"

A murderous aura swept across the entire venue like a wave. The soldiers shook their spears to the ground, and the sound of metal clashing resounded through the sky, making people's blood boil and excited.

Cui Yuanying, who was standing on the side of the reviewing platform, was deeply shocked by the atmosphere. At this moment, he felt the reality of joining the army.

Cui Yuanying couldn't help but turn his head to look at Xie Tingyu beside him, and saw that his waist and back were as straight and upright as pine and cypress, and the black iron scale armor of the cavalry captain was tightly wrapped around his body, outlining a sharp outline, and his scarlet cloak fluttered in the morning breeze.

"Why does she look like a mere cavalry captain when she wears this outfit? Instead, she looks like a general commanding thousands of troops." Cui Yuanying couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Two days before leaving for the battle, Cui Yuanying went to Wuyi Lane and called Wang Lanzhi and Xie Tingyu out for a drink. Although Xie Tingyu drank a few glasses of wine and chatted and laughed with her, for some reason she felt that he was a little depressed and his mind was not on the alcohol at all.

Thinking this way, Cui Yuanying didn't dare to ask or guess.

At this time, Huan Zhanyue had completed the oath-taking ceremony and was waiting for the auspicious time to arrive before the three armies set out immediately.

Xie Tingyu mounted his horse, reins in hand, and silently rode to the front of the column. The horse, Treading Moon, snorted loudly and glanced warily at the riders approaching from his side.

"Thank you, Er." Yuan Wangshu urged his horse closer. "You've been showing off your skills in front of the emperor recently. Are you feeling proud?"

Xie Tingyu lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced at her, then yawned. "If you're here to provoke me, you can shut up now."

Yuan Wangshu's grip on the reins tightened, his face turning pale. "I haven't forgotten how you came to my garden and beat me up that day. Let me tell you, this time I'm going to chop off the bandit leader's head with my own hands. Just stand by and watch."

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Suddenly, three voices urged him on. One of the riders squeezed in between Xie Tingyu and Yuan Wangshu, while another one was riding close to Xie Tingyu's side.

Cui Yuanying put her hand on Yuan Wangshu's arm. "Haven't you had enough of being held captive by the Jinwu Guards yet? You've only grown older but not learned more, haven't you?" She grinned. "If you want to cause trouble for Xie Er, you'll have to get past me first."

Yuan Wangshu glanced coldly at Xie, Wang and Cui, sneered, and said, "Are you three rats? How can you huddle together?", then rode away.

At this time, only hundreds of war drums could be heard beating in the training ground.

The soldiers of the three armies slammed their halberd handles into the ground one after another. The sound of metal clashing was like thunder, and each strike was full of power. They shouted in unison, "Raise the might of our Great Zhou army!"

The ceremonial officer, who had been waiting for a long time, announced loudly: "The auspicious time has arrived! The army is on its way!"

With soldiers leading the way, Xie Tingyu and Wang Lanzhi rode side by side on the official road.

When the people gathered on both sides saw Xie Tingyu and Wang Lanzhi, they couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Thank you, my Lord! My Lord! You must cut down the enemy's head and bring glory to our Great Zhou!"

"May the Bodhisattva bless General Xie to return safely!"

Some even couldn't tell the difference between the great and small princes, and called Xie Tingyu "General Xie," causing Huan Zhanyue to turn around and look sideways. Xie Tingyu could only bow and clasp his hands in greeting.

Wang Lanzhi couldn't help but chuckle, "That guy wasn't wrong. I think when we return triumphantly this time, you'll probably be promoted again based on your military achievements."

Xie Tingyu didn't take up the conversation. She looked around and suddenly asked, "Where's Qiwu? Where's your husband? Isn't he coming to see you off?"

The husband she was referring to was Wang Lanzhi's concubine, a member of the Hedong Pei clan. The two had married at the end of last year and were said to be very much in love.

Wang Lanzhi's ears flushed, a rare sight, and her eyes shifted, "My Pei Lang said goodbye to me last night. Qi Wu did too."

Such familiar words, but a different person.

Xie Tingyu was startled when he heard this. He couldn't help but glance at Wang Lanzhi's collar and asked, "Could it be that your family member also gave you half a bronze mirror?"

"Ah? Not really." Wang Lanzhi slowly stroked the collar of his clothes, his face full of tenderness. "Pei Lang sewed a peace charm inside my shirt."

Xie Tingyu clicked his tongue.

The army marched in a long line. When they looked back ten miles out of the city, they saw that the official road was filled with a sea of ​​soldiers, with no end in sight.

Starting from Jiankang City and heading northwest, you can look up from the foot of the mountain and see the golden roof of Ci'en Temple gleaming in the sunset, a unique and dazzling beauty.

On the mountainside, there is a hexagonal pavilion, hidden among the green pines and cypresses, with the eaves half-hidden, making it difficult to see what is inside.

Suddenly, a rippling sound of piano poured out from the pavilion like a waterfall, and everyone stopped to listen.

The melody was passionate and indignant. The tune was first passionate like iron cavalry, and then sad like a lone crane crying to the sky.

This was none other than the long-rumored Guangling San. Ji Kang had played it before his death, but the music faded as the crowd dispersed. Fortunately, a musician had memorized the score, which later, through various twists and turns, was brought to the imperial palace. Today, only a few people can still perform it. Cui Yuanying, a longtime musician, heard this piece, and upon hearing it, his eyes lit up, clapping his hands in admiration, "Excellent! To hear this final strain of Guangling before leaving for battle is truly a blessing!"

She turned to Xie Tingyu and said excitedly, "The late emperor found this piece too solemn and put it away for many years. I wonder which master is playing it here? Could it be that he heard we were leaving for the war and is waiting for us?"

Before he finished speaking, the sound of the piano suddenly dropped, and it made people feel as if they were there. They only felt that their ears were filled with the sounds of shouting and killing, and before their eyes was the magnificent scene of thousands of soldiers fighting in bloody battles.

Suddenly, Xie Tingyu felt a strange throbbing in her heart. She looked up to see who was in the pavilion, but could only catch a glimpse of the corner of a purple robe.

But just with this one glance, Xie Tingyu suddenly felt a surge of emotion in his heart. He squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, turned his horse's head without saying a word, and headed straight for the hillside where the hexagonal pavilion was located.

Everyone shouted when they saw this.

"Thank you, Captain, where are you going? Hey!"

"Thank you, Captain! Thank you, Captain!"

"Thank you, Captain! Leaving the team without permission will result in punishment by the military! Thank you, Captain! Come back soon!"

"Hey, Xie Er, where are you going? Hey! Xie Er! Xie Er!"

Cui Yuanying, who was riding a horse beside him, couldn't even shout to stop him. He could only watch as Xie Tingyu rushed towards the hexagonal pavilion like a sharp black lightning with the speed of thunder.

Is it you? Could it really be you? Xie Tingyu asked in his heart.

The melody reached its climax, the strings pounding like a torrential downpour, the clatter of swords and iron horses echoing through the mountains. As Xie Tingyu rode closer, the clatter of his horse's hooves harmonized wonderfully with the rhythm of the zither. It was as if two figures, far out in the desert, were dancing with swords beneath a withered tree, their advances and retreats, their every move perfectly coordinated.

Faster, faster, faster.

He squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, the horse neighed and he stood up. When Xie Tingyu reined in his horse and stopped in front of the pavilion, the sound of Guangling music came to an end, leaving only a wisp of clear sound lingering in the air.

The man playing the piano was still wearing a long robe of calamus purple, with a mountain blue palace sash tied around his waist, outlining his narrow waist, and the hem of his robe meandering like flowing water.

Cold——

The moment Ji Lian raised her head and met Xie Tingyu's eyes, her heart tightened and her fingertips couldn't help but pluck another string.

She's coming, she's coming, she's really coming.

Ji Lian subconsciously bit her lower lip, gathered her sleeves, and stood up, solemnly performing the gesture of a noble man meeting a noble lady. A thousand words rolled through her throat, but in the end, only three words came out.

"You're here."

"I didn't know it was you." Xie Tingyu approached slowly, his eyes blazing. "I vaguely remember His Majesty praising your extraordinary zither skills. Someone just mentioned that the Guangling music score was kept in the palace, so I wanted to take a look."

"I didn't expect it to be His Highness."

He had been practicing this Guangling tune for quite some time, originally intending to send her off before going to war, and also thinking how nice it would be if she could come up and meet him.

He had rehearsed the words thousands of times in his mind, but when the person actually stood in front of him, he couldn't say a word.

Ji Lian lowered her eyes and nervously plucked the strings of the zither, deliberately not looking into her eyes that were as clear as a pond. She said half-truthfully, half-falsely, "I play this for you, and also for the soldiers below."

"I don't know any medical skills, so I can't go with you. I can only sing a song to send you off." Ji Lian played the strings a few more times, her voice barely audible. "I just hope you don't forget me while you're away."

"How could that be?"

Xie Tingyu had already reached Ji Lian and whispered, "This trip will take no more than two months. Your Highness is so lovely, how could I forget you?" His sharp eyes caught sight of a sachet of sachet sewn with gold thread placed beside the guqin. "What is this?" A sudden realization struck him, his eyes lighting up. "Is this for me too?"

A bony hand held it up and awkwardly held it in front of her. The voice was like an ant, "If you don't mind, then it's prepared for you."

When they opened it, there were only two small items inside. One was a peace amulet blessed by the abbot of Ci'en Temple, and the other was a jade comb carved with twin lotus flowers.

"Lian" (pronounced as "lian"), means "lotus" in Chinese, and he hoped that whenever Xie Tingyu used the jade comb, she would think of him when she saw the lotus flower on it. This was a secret thought he was reluctant to reveal.

Combing, on the other hand, can help you think, so it is a way to express your longing for her. He hopes she understands, but also hopes she doesn't.

Looking at the amulet, a warm current flowed out from Xie Tingyu's heart, with small bubbles popping out, making his chest feel hot.

Wang Zhuozhang’s words, “How can you understand the feeling of being missed by others?” are still fresh in my mind.

Who said no one cared about her? Who said she didn't understand what it felt like?

“Hahahahahaha!”

Wang Zhuozhang, I understand! How could I not understand! How could I not understand!

Xie Tingyu couldn't help but burst into laughter. His clear laughter startled the birds living in the mountains and echoed on the mountainside for a long time.

Ji Lian didn't know why she was like this, but the next moment, she was pulled into his arms and held him tightly. A very light kiss fell on his earlobe, and he heard her whisper with a smile, "Lian Lian, how can you be so good?" The arm around his waist tightened, "How can you be so good, so cute?"

"I..." Ji Lian hugged her back, her voice trembling, "When you came to the palace to look for me that day, I happened to be out. Were you annoyed that I wasn't there when you left? I came here today because I was worried that you wouldn't come to see me."

"How could this be?" Xie Tingyu hugged him tightly.

In his arms was a warm, fragrant jade, and at the tip of his nose was the refreshing fragrance of green lotus. Xie Tingyu wished time would stop, but time passed like sand in his hands. If he continued to hold her like this, he was afraid he would really be beaten with a military stick when he returned.

Xie Tingyu pecked the corner of Ji Lian's mouth lightly, but felt it was not enough, so he bit his lip mischievously, and then rubbed his ears gently and tenderly for a while, then tied the sachet around his waist, jumped on his horse, and rode away.

Ji Lian stood at the entrance of the pavilion and saw the man suddenly rein in his horse, turn around, and wave goodbye to him. Her smile was unrestrained under the bright sunlight.

The mountain breeze brought her clear voice.

"Lianlian, wait for me to come back!"

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The author has something to say:

Difficult to write.

I don't know if I should take Tuesday off. If Monday is so busy, I can come back at night to write, get up at 5 o'clock the next day to continue writing, finish a chapter, and send it before 9:00. Then, no matter how busy the work is next, I can handle it. If I take Tuesday off, I will post a leave note.