Chapter 80 Chapter 80 will not separate.

In the oppressive silence and the room without a single ray of light, a slender hand with knotted veins began to move.

Xie Yun slowly smoothed out the wrinkled paper he'd pinched, his smile still lingering on his face. He whispered, "Ah Xian is a thrifty person. She must be heartbroken to have her handwritten letter torn."

It will be needed in the future, so it must be placed intact in front of the peasant girl.

It was like an arrow stabbed his heart. He wanted to just leave and have nothing to do with him anymore, but how could that be possible?

"Ah Xian is my savior. My uncle said I can't repay kindness with hatred, and I certainly won't."

"I won't kill Ah Xian, nor will I hurt Ah Xian."

"...I will definitely repay Ah Xian in a good way."

Xie Yun's eyes were filled with a dead darkness, devoid of any human emotion. He stared at the four words on the wall that his younger self had written with such longing, walked over, took them down, and tore them into pieces.

No one wants him to be a gentleman, and leaving these four words is a silent mockery.

-

At night, the bright moon in the sky is a little dim, and there are only a few stars accompanying it.

After galloping all day, Zhang Jingxian didn't have time to eat the last bite of wheat cake, so she snuggled up to the foal and fell asleep with her eyes closed.

Due to her background and experiences, she could not be a delicate person. Even without the carriage for her to rest before going to Jiankang City, she still adapted well.

He never complained of being tired or suffering during the whole journey. When he stopped at night, he skillfully picked some edible wild vegetables and fruits.

Shu Jian secretly observed her and nodded repeatedly. With such a heart, he believed what she said before. Even if he ignored her, she could return to her hometown alone now.

What’s more valuable is that she can remember the way and identify directions.

As autumn approaches, you can already feel a slight chill even if you wear only thin clothes at night.

Shu Jian ordered people to pick up some more firewood and put it on the fire. He chewed the roasted wheat cakes bite by bite. After eating several of them, he drank a bowl of wild vegetable soup to moisten his throat.

Listening to the swallowing sounds of more than ten people, Zhang Jingxian slept soundly and deeply. Then many days later, she dreamed of her past life again.

That was not long after she and Xie Yun returned to Changling from Jiankang. The Di leader who proclaimed himself emperor in the north once again gathered his troops and led a massive army of hundreds of thousands southward, approaching the Huai River.

At this time, regardless of whether they were illiterate or not, regardless of their social status, everyone in the world seemed to see a clear way forward, and this battle must be won.

If they are defeated, their rule that has lasted for thousands of years will collapse, and the land under their feet will be completely occupied by foreign races.

Prime Minister Xie in the court tried to respond to the challenge, and an imperial edict came from Jiankang appointing Xie Yun as the commander-in-chief to lead the army to fight against the Di people.

The day before Xie Yun's army set out, Zhang Jingxian had their first heated argument.

Because she was a woman and bore the title of Madam Zhang, she was not allowed to go to the front with him due to the strict military law. However, the war was about to start and conscription had begun. She had not been home for several months and was worried about her uncle and others in Xishan Village, so she decided to go back to her hometown.

At that time, Xie Yun actually wanted to lock her up in a manor and have her guarded by several loyal followers such as Xie, not allowing her to go anywhere, under the pretext of considering her safety.

But how could Zhang Jingxian agree? She liked him and wanted to spend her life with him, but she didn't want to be a caged bird at his mercy.

She was very angry, and it was the first time she told him to give up the title of Mrs. Zhang.

"I am who I am, and I have never changed. If you insist on locking me up, then I don't want to be your wife anymore. I'd rather remain the same person I was before."

Originally, she was just a peasant girl in the mountains. Although her life was hard, she always had the final say on what she wanted to do and what she didn't want to do.

If Zhang Jingxian was willing to go against her own wishes, she would not have refused to marry her cousin even when her aunt was begging her on her knees. Even after being kicked out of the house, she never regretted it four or five years later.

Zhang Jingxian clearly remembered the way he stared at her. His eyes were so dark and thick, like a ball of insoluble ink, covering her and making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Ah Xian, you're wrong. You're the woman I cherish so dearly in my heart. How could I bear to lock you up in a cage? Don't you really like the scenery and the newly built house in the manor? I'm not by your side. You're only safe and I can rest assured living here."

He said softly that he was worried about her and asked someone to protect her, but there were too many dangers on the way back to Xishan Village.

If she always felt that she was in danger, Xie Yun would not be able to rest easy on the front line.

"But the person in danger is you, my dear. I can't go with you, and I worry all the time. But we all have things we must do. Isn't it good to work hard for them?"

Zhang Jingxian seriously refuted him, saying that worry should not be a reason to restrain a person.

Looking at her, Xie Yun frowned slightly, shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Ah Xian, be obedient, okay?"

He disagreed and was stubborn, wanting to lock her up in a manor guarded by many people.

That night, Zhang Jingxian was so angry that she ignored him, refused his whisper, refused his kiss, refused his hug, refused his approach, and even refused to be in the same room with him.

She thought bitterly, he really thought he could keep her here, and once he left, she would find a way to leave the manor. She was afraid that the Xie guarding her would also be hoping she would do so. These guards all felt that she was unworthy of their own master and had always treated her coldly.

The two of them remained in a cold stalemate for a whole day and night. Later, when Zhang Jingxian woke up, she found herself not in the manor in Changling County, but in a speeding carriage.

Xie Yun's fingers slowly stroked her cheek and said to her, "I've thought about it for a long time, but I still can't be separated from Ah Xian. Compared to violating military discipline, not being able to see Ah Xian is more...unbearable."

He sighed softly and leaned forward to kiss her sensitive earlobe.

"Ah Xian and I will never be separated."

Because of these words, all the depression in Zhang Jingxian's heart disappeared. She struggled to hug his heavy body back, and by the way, she also made up her mind to ask around in the army for news about her cousin and the villagers.

"Okay, we won't separate."

…

"Xiao Ah Xian, wake up! Finish the piece of cake in your hand. What are you mumbling about in your sleep?"

The deep voice reached Zhang Jingxian's ears. She opened her eyes blankly, and saw the silent wilderness and the burning fire before her.

After a pause, she put the last piece of wheat cake in her mouth, silently feeling that everything she had done was still far inferior to Xie Yun in her previous life.

He is such a good liar.

In his previous life, he really wanted to lock her up, give her a few rooms, have a few people watch over her, and turn her into a bird in a cage.

The caged bird can no longer "coerce" him with kindness, and gradually disappears from human sight. This is the result he really wants to see.

"Now we are separated, Xie Yun. I don't know whether you are angry or happy in your heart, but I should be... happy."

After she finished her wheat cake, she opened her water bag and took another sip of the sweet honey water.

Then she fell asleep again, snuggling up to the foal's warm belly, but this time she didn't dream of him.

After three days on the road, Zhang Jingxian hadn't had any more dreams. She had become darker and thinner, but her expression had become more calm, and her eyes were brighter.

On the fifth day after leaving Jiankang City, they arrived at a city gate.

Zhang Jingxian didn't know where this place was, so she looked around. Suddenly, Shu Jian said that Ying County ahead was their destination.

"So it's Ying County. Is this the hometown of Prime Minister Xie...?" Zhang Jingxian suddenly realized that it must be Ying County. The eldest son of the Xie family must be in a safe place to secretly train his own people.

Where else could be more suitable than Ying County? This is the ancestral land that the Xie family has occupied and managed for hundreds of years!

Upon hearing this, Shu Jian smiled and agreed, telling her that the Prime Minister had spent many years in Ying County when he was young. "Later, the Grand Duke became acquainted with the Grand Marshal and recommended the Prime Minister to him. Furthermore, the then Prime Minister, the prince, praised the Prime Minister highly, so the Prime Minister left Ying County and went to Jiankang to serve as an official."

"During the years when the Prime Minister retired, he spent half of his time in Dongshan and half in Ying County."

"Oh, by the way, when the Prime Minister returned to Ying County, he brought back the envoy and several of his family's ladies and gentlemen."

Shu Jian mentioned Envoy Xie seemingly unintentionally, but Zhang Jingxian pretended not to hear. She got off the colt's horse and stood quietly in front of the city gate.

Compared with Wuling County and the capital Jiankang, Ying County, the ancestral home of the Xie family, has a completely different atmosphere.

The city gate is simple but not dilapidated. People and vehicles entering the city are in an orderly manner, as if every place is filled with a peaceful and quiet atmosphere.

Among the people of Ying County, there were quite a few who could read. When she entered the city gate, she found a man in a linen cloth robe sitting on an ox cart, holding a book and reading leisurely.

The key is that it’s not just one or two, it can be seen almost everywhere.

"Sir Shujian, the people here are very wealthy. If they can afford to buy books, why do they still wear cloth and linen robes?" Zhang Jingxian couldn't help but ask her own question. She, a commoner from a small mountain village, didn't wear rough linen clothes.

In the village, the Tu family does not wear robes made of linen, but wears fine cloth, and they also treat a few pieces of paper as treasures.

Zhang Jingxian guessed that her uncle's reply letter was probably written on paper borrowed from Uncle Tu's house, and he dictated it to her uncle.

"Hahaha!" Hearing her question, Shu Jian laughed loudly, and his beard trembled.

The oriole lay in its nest, looking at this old man who kept yelling in surprise. Look, he's yelling again, even louder and noisier than the birds.

The foal wagged its tail neither fast nor slow, accustomed to human behavior.

"Xiao Ah Xian, please don't say that in front of others. Ying County is great in every way, except for the many people who have nothing better to do and are looking for trouble. Do you think they're truly ordinary people? They're just pretending to be sophisticated, trying to make others think they're well-read hermits who are indifferent to fame and fortune!"

After Shu Jian finished laughing, he explained the trick to her. In short, these people were just a bunch of fake common people, fake hermits.

A hint of embarrassment flashed in Zhang Jingxian's eyes. It turned out to be fake. She was really looking for trouble.

She quietly touched the collection of essays she carried with her. This was compiled by Prime Minister Xie himself. If she used it to pretend to be a photo, it should be more similar to this group of people.

However, Zhang Jingxian was reluctant to take out the collection of essays. When she finally entered the Xie family's ancestral home, she deliberately showed off a seemingly inconspicuous short bow.

Catching a glimpse of her actions from the corner of his eye, Shu Jian stopped thoughtfully and let her walk in front of him.

"Xiao Ah Xian, when you come in later, start talking to them first. It doesn't matter what you say. Those Xie family elders will just play dumb anyway. It's so annoying!"

He had come back more than once or twice on the orders of Prime Minister Xie. Perhaps because he had come back so often, these people had gotten to know him better, so they often used some tricks to annoy Shu Jian.

"Yeah, I understand."

The girl agreed and walked in front of Shu Jian with a calm pace.

After entering the Xie family, the elders of the Xie family looked at her in surprise, and she gave them an extremely calm look in return.

"The Prime Minister is truly furious about this matter. You must not conceal anything about the eldest son. Otherwise, I will disregard any ties of affection or seniority and will act according to the family rules."

Zhang Jingxian didn't wait for these people to speak, and said something directly with a cold face, speaking quickly and loudly.

From beginning to end, she had only one expression, indifferent, not taking them seriously.

Furthermore, she grasped the short bow and took out the wooden arrow.

Suddenly, the elders of the Xie family held their breath.

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The author has something to say: Muah, here I come.