Chapter 48 Collapse

With a "thump".

The arrow in Yu Wanyin's hand pierced the stem of a blade of grass not far away.

She let out a soft sound, seemingly surprised that she had actually won.

It's hard to believe that "shorter range would make things simpler."

She was asking Rong Si.

However, when she didn't hear a response and turned to look at him, she found him sitting to the side, staring at her intently.

When their eyes met, his amber pupils trembled slightly.

But she still didn't answer her question.

Actually, he looks a bit serious.

Yu Wanyin thought that her movements were too rough.

She examined the light bow in her hand again. "Is that so?"

Rong Si then came to his senses.

He concealed the strangeness in his eyes, stood up, walked forward, and took Yu Wanyin's hand directly.

The back of my hand was burned by his touch.

Yu Wanyin remained motionless as he adjusted the fingers holding the bow.

Rong Si remained silent, prying her fingers apart one by one and then putting them back together in their proper positions.

He had smoothed every inch of the space between his fingers.

“It’s not much different from what you just did.” Rong Si stood behind her, took her other hand, nocked an arrow, and helped her draw the bow.

He squinted slightly, aiming at the grass stalk not far away.

Yu Wanyin instantly felt a powerful force surge into her hands.

It replaced her and supported her, pouring into the light bow in her hand.

It was like pouring it into her body.

He drew the bow with much more force than she did.

Yu Wanyin's body was also opened by this force.

He applied force with his hands, pulling back the bowstring little by little, taut and ready to be released.

Rong Si's dark eyes were half-closed.

A faint scent of lily of the valley wafts into my nostrils.

With a "snap".

The bowstring snapped!

Yu Wanyin: "..."

She turned to look at him.

Rong Si looked at the string that he had broken and touched the bridge of his nose.

He had never used such a light bow and arrow before, and he didn't know whether he had lost control of his strength or had been distracted. He wasn't trying to exert force on the bow and arrow, but on someone else.

"I'll get you a new one, I'll be gentler next time."

Yu Wanyin watched him walk to the side with the broken bow and felt that something was off.

These past few days, I've been receiving a steady stream of letters from Long'an.

It's simply about the recent garrison situation in Long'an and Taixi.

Judging from this, they still haven't given up on the idea of ​​inviting them over.

Fortunately, there has been no disturbance in Daizhou recently, nor any of the provocative actions of the past.

The correspondence was answered by Yu Wanyin.

Rong Si completely trusted her and wasn't worried that she might give the wrong answer.

He said his handwriting was bad, and there had to be someone with good handwriting to reply.

Yu Wanyin gave instructions to Long'an, saying that although Daizhou had not engaged in any provocative behavior, everything seemed to be going well.

But the quieter they are, the more vigilant we should be about their behind-the-scenes moves; it would be best to have scouts ahead to investigate.

As long as they do not intend to withdraw their troops, there will be a risk every day.

The recruitment and training of soldiers in the city must not be neglected.

Since no suitable spies could be sent from Long'an, the village would temporarily use them as substitutes.

After all, they also need to gather information about the situation outside.

The bandits disguised themselves as refugees from Daizhou and mingled in the current territory of Daizhou.

Occasionally, you can hear some gossip on the street.

It is said that Helen was scolded by the King of Dai and forbidden from easily launching military campaigns again.

Helen tightened his control over the available troops and sent his brother Hechen to oversee the situation.

This is tantamount to being demoted from his official position.

The He family had a bad relationship.

It was a crucial period for vying for power and profit, and He Chen's arrival to oversee things made He Lun increasingly irritable.

Who will become the head of the family will depend on who has the most merit after this great chaos in the world.

As a result, Helen began to investigate Long'an's background extensively.

They dispatched many informants to investigate the area inside and outside Long'an.

The sheer number is staggering.

The scout was walking down the street when he suddenly overheard people talking.

"Are those bandits really that powerful?"

He froze, walked to the side pretending to buy groceries, and squatted down to listen to the news.

"It's absolutely true. The commander sent a lot of people to find out. The prefect of Long'an County hired a gang of bandits to help him."

"They're so desperate they'll use anything, even bandits."

"Don't be surprised, those bandits are really wild, they have a lot of arms. But it's good to know, the commander is going to find a way to deal with that gang of bandits. Once the bandits are wiped out, Long'an will be no problem."

Before the scout could listen any further, the group of men entered the barracks.

It's unlikely they would reveal military secrets on the street.

The scout squatted there for a while, then got up and decided to send the message back first.

He mingled in the crowd, preparing to leave the city.

However, they found that the city gates were more strictly inspected than when they arrived.

Almost no one was allowed to leave the city without permission.

The scout pressed down on his straw hat, then turned back and chose a secluded, steep mountain path to return.

There are hardly any roads on this mountain; it's all steep cliffs and slopes layer upon layer.

Extremely difficult to pass through.

After all, the scouts had trained in the bandit camp for so many days, and their specialty was walking mountain paths.

He moved swiftly, traversing the mountains and cliffs.

Unexpectedly, he had just jumped down a hillside.

Suddenly, without warning, a net of grass rose up from the ground and completely trapped him!

A melodious voice came from not far away, "Today's harvest is good."

*

A thin mist hangs over the deep mountains in autumn, and wisps of smoke rise from the eaves and disappear into the mist, swirling among the forests and clouds.

The villagers got up early to prepare breakfast and begin their tasks.

When Yu Wanyin got up in the morning, Qingsong helped her wash up, then took the water out and went out to fetch breakfast.

Rong Si always woke up earlier than most people in the village; whenever she woke up in the morning, he had already left.

As she came out of the bathroom, she could faintly hear noises coming from outside.

They were probably preparing a meal. There were guards outside their house, and at this time, the only person who could enter her house without announcing their presence was Qing Song.

Yu Wanyin returned to the bed and saw the clothes neatly folded on the bedside table.

She reached out and took the clothes to change.

A small piece of lotus-colored fabric slid out from inside.

Yu Wanyin stared at it for a long time.

Only then did I realize that it was a new piece of clothing.

However, she didn't have this in her previous clothes.

Yu Wanyin instinctively assumed that Qing Song had gone down the mountain to buy these items for her in the past two days.

The style seems to be similar to what she wore before.

The stitching is a bit rough.

It's nothing serious.

Yu Wanyin tried it on, the slender straps hooking around her neck.

Some parts are smooth and slippery to the touch.

Footsteps could be heard outside.

Yu Wanyin's arm was slightly sore, and she called out to her, "I can't tie this anymore, can you help me?"

She heard the footsteps behind her stop for a moment.

Then he placed something on the table next to him and walked towards her.

Yu Wanyin vaguely heard that the footsteps sounded different; some were heavy and some were deep.

She felt uneasy and subconsciously pressed her hand to her chest.

When the person walked to the bedside, Yu Wanyin already knew who it was.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she held her breath, instantly tensing up.

He carried that familiar scent of morning dew on his body.

She had smelled it up close just last night; it was so familiar.

Rong Si reached out and hooked the rope hanging behind her neck, his rough fingertips inevitably touching her bare back.

Immediately afterward, the area he touched began to turn red.

Rong Si glanced at her casually and saw her sitting on the bed with her back to him.

The bath dress was piled up at the waist, as if it had been half-undone and was about to be changed into a new outfit.

Her long hair was parted to one side, revealing her slender, fair back.

The lines are soft and delicate, with only a few thin ribbons hanging down the back.

Yu Wanyin could feel waves of burning gazes sweeping across her back.

Rong Si tightened the rope and tied a knot.

Then he took the two ropes from her waist.

As he tightened, Yu Wanyin couldn't help but exclaim, "Too heavy, too heavy."

Rong Si raised his eyes, then slowly released his grip. "Like this?"

Yu Wanyin hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's alright."

To be honest, she felt that the size of this heart-shaped garment was... a bit small.

Rong Si, holding the middle of the rope, pulled her along, the rope and the piece of clothing gently tugging at her moist skin.

He didn't do anything extra; he simply tied the knot.

Yu Wanyin remained with her back to him, still pressing her chest.

Rong Si watched for a while, then leaned down slightly.

His voice came from right behind her ear, "Why is your waist all red?"

Yu Wanyin instantly felt that not only her waist was red.

She was almost completely ripe.

She made up a story, saying, "It might be a bit hot."

Rong Si was curious, because she had been menstruating lately and had been feeling cold.

"Has your period ended?"

Yu Wanyin replied reflexively, "No."

Actually, she had been gone for two days. After saying that, Yu Wanyin felt a little guilty. "You're so annoying. Qing Song will be back in a little while. Get out."

“She’s not coming.” Rong Si found a place to sit. “You’re my wife, not hers. Do you need her to always serve you?”

Yu Wanyin's cheeks were still flushed. Seeing that he really wasn't leaving, she could only pull down the bed curtains.

She realized that he seemed very concerned about his dominance over her.

The bed canopy was still the red wedding curtain used for weddings.

The gauze curtains are sheer and clear.

Rong Si watched her put it down, and was also glared at by her.

His glare is so intense it makes your heart itch.

Through the gauze curtain, one could vaguely see her figure as she draped her clothes over herself.

When Yu Wanyin came out, she saw him and their eyes met.

It's likely that it never left my body for even a second.

This blatant possessiveness is completely undisguised.

Yu Wanyin got off the bed and walked to the table. "So how do you plan to serve me my meal?"

Rong Si chuckled twice upon hearing this.

He walked over and sat down next to her.

Yu Wanyin had just sat down when she suddenly felt one of his hands gripping her chair.

Then a strange feeling of weakness swept over her from the chair, pulling her and the chair right next to him.

Rong Si went to get the bowls and chopsticks as if it were the most natural thing in the world, saying, "Feeding you is like feeding a little bird."

"A few bites are enough to fill me up."

Both the top and bottom are small portions, so they fill up quickly.

I don't know what's so difficult about it; someone else has to do it.

Rong Si felt that all he needed to do was feed her an extra bite at each meal.

She can eat more.

As expected, Yu Wanyin was full after eating just one bowl of wontons.

He complained that he couldn't eat anymore and got off the table.

Rong Si took the new bow and arrow and gave it to her to try out. He also had someone select a young foal of just the right age and bring it over so that Yu Wanyin could feed it a few carrots to get it used to the new horse.

This foal is young, gentle, and calm.

After Yu Wanyin fed it carrots, it started rubbing against her.

Horses also know which ones they feel comfortable being around.

Rong Si saw this scene as soon as he came out.

Yu Wanyin showed it to him, “It is indeed quite docile.” Rong Si walked up to them.

For some reason, I pulled it apart.

Yu Wanyin was still intrigued. "What are you doing?"

Rong Si didn't tell the truth and changed the subject, saying, "If you raise it from a young age, it will be more affectionate towards you and will only listen to you."

This is a white thoroughbred horse.

She is beautiful, but because she is not yet an adult, she is not very tall.

It doesn't seem as difficult as Rong Si's horse.

Rong Si helped her attach the reins and saddle, and lent her one hand, saying, "Try it."

Yu Wanyin hesitated before stepping forward, glancing at the foal beside her and then at Rong Si.

Will it drop me?

"If it hurts you, I'll stew it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the little white horse snorted at him and began to grind its hooves.

"I won't stew you, I won't stew you." Yu Wanyin took the reins, stroked its mane, and looked at Rong Si. "Don't be so fierce."

Rong Si's eyelids twitched.

How did he become an outsider?

Yu Wanyin tried to prepare for a while, and she wasn't afraid to mount the horse.

After all, Rong Si had taken her riding many times.

It's simply that they haven't grasped the essentials.

It was a bit difficult on the first try.

But the horse Rong Si chose was indeed very well-behaved.

She tried two or three times, and each time she stood there obediently waiting for her to adjust her movements before going up.

She didn't start moving around until she could sit comfortably on it.

Just then, A-Zheng came out of the house yawning, carrying a bamboo basket on her back. When she saw Yu Wanyin sitting on horseback, her eyes lit up. "Madam can ride a horse now."

Ah Zheng was eager to try, "I'm going to gather herbs in the back mountain today, Madam, why don't you come with me?"

Rong Si frowned upon hearing this.

Seeing his master's expression, Su Fang tugged at A Zheng and said, "I'll go with you."

A-Zheng was even happier than she understood. At this age, she just loved being with lots of people. "Okay, let's all four of us go together."

Rong Si: "..."

He took a deep breath, about to refuse, when he heard Yu Wanyin say something.

"good."

He shut his mouth again.

Rong Si settled Yu Wanyin on horseback, whistled to call his own horse over, and said, "I'll take you there."

He then mounted his horse and led the way.

Rong Si didn't travel fast, the place wasn't far, and the roads he traveled were mostly flat with little bumpiness.

Yu Wanyin pulled on the reins and let it walk slowly.

A-Zheng also rode a small pony beside Yu Wanyin, chatting with her.

Su Fang was behind.

Yu Wanyin didn't remember Azheng ever riding a horse before. "When did you learn to ride a horse?"

“Just a while ago, very quickly,” Ah Zheng said, now very familiar with the situation, “I used to ride an ox at home, almost like a horse.”

Rong Si listened and wanted to fall behind and walk alongside Yu Wanyin, but found that he couldn't squeeze in.

Yu Wanyin didn't seem inclined to pay him any attention for the time being.

Why didn't she talk to him so much on ordinary days?

They walked for about half an hour, rounded a hill, and were greeted by the fragrance of wildflowers covering the entire mountain.

Osmanthus and peonies are planted at varying heights, interspersed with bouquets of violets and crabapples.

Flowers bloom profusely, covering the sky and earth.

As the wind blows, petals cascade down, carrying with them a tranquil and delicate fragrance.

Yu Wanyin stared blankly for a moment.

This was quite unusual for someone who had grown up in the orderly imperial city, surrounded by royalty and nobility.

However, the three people around him seemed quite used to the painting.

They quickly rode their horses into the sea of ​​flowers.

It blends seamlessly with the sea of ​​flowers.

Azheng dismounted decisively, took her medicine basket, and when she turned around and saw that Yu Wanyin had not followed, she reached out and beckoned her over.

Rong Si gave Su Fang a look, and Su Fang immediately stepped forward, "What kind of herbs do you want to gather? I'll help you."

Ah Zheng's attention was quickly diverted, and she unfolded the list of herbs in her hand, "Look, these."

Rong Si pulled on Yu Wanyin's reins and reached out his hand to her.

After a moment of probing, Yu Wanyin grabbed the horse's mane, braced herself against his arm, and used the leverage to dismount.

Rong Si intentionally gave her a ride.

Sturdy and stable.

As Yu Wanyin landed, something made a soft "snap" sound.

Stray hairs, rising and falling with her movements, brushed against the corner of her lips.

Yu Wanyin felt a subtle strangeness about her body, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it for the moment.

Rong Si brushed a strand of hair from the corner of her lips. "You learn pretty quickly."

Yu Wanyin looked up at him and realized that she was still holding his wrist.

Yu Wanyin casually let go of her hand, changing the subject, "Do you come here often?"

"Fortunately, this mountain hasn't been cultivated yet. Letting it grow on its own will allow it to produce a lot of good things."

Rong Si brushed aside the wildflowers beside him, picked two lemongrass leaves, and handed them to her, "Try them."

Yu Wanyin had always known that he loved to chew on these flowers and herbs.

There was also a hint of curiosity.

She took one and bit into it.

Lemongrass has a refreshing lemon aroma when you bite into it; it's sweet and fresh.

It does indeed have a very unique flavor.

Yu Wanyin bit her tongue for a while.

A Zheng called out to her from not far away, "Madam, there is a spring over here."

Upon hearing this, Yu Wanyin walked over while chewing on lemongrass. Azheng sat on a large rock by the spring, her basket of herbs placed to the side.

The spring water gushes out from a rocky hollow in the mountains not far away.

We were some distance away from them.

The overflowing spring water formed a clear pool, so clear that you could see right to the bottom.

Scattered osmanthus blossoms floated on the water's surface. Sunlight shone through, casting their shadows on the pebbles at the bottom of the spring, swaying gently as they passed.

Yu Wanyin walked over and sat down next to Azheng.

A cool breeze caressed my face by the clear spring.

A-Zheng was a child who grew up in the mountains. She skillfully took off her shoes and socks, rolled up her pants, and went down to pick goldfish algae.

The snapdragons here grow clearly and beautifully, nestled in the crevices of the rocks, with occasional small fish darting in and out.

Yu Wanyin was a little surprised to see Azheng take off her shoes and socks outside like that.

Be careful.

"Don't worry." Azheng stepped on the pebbles and walked towards the small patch of goldfish algae.

The water was no higher than her knees.

Yu Wanyin sat to the side, hesitated for a moment, and then became restless.

In Shang'an City, women could not simply take off their shoes and socks outside.

But this is not Shang'an City.

Yu Wanyin bent down and slowly took off her shoes and socks, placing them aside.

I braced myself against the stone wall and tentatively tried to wade in the water.

The cool spring water seeped in from her toes, slowly enveloping her.

It is very gentle and comfortable.

Occasionally, fallen osmanthus blossoms would drift down the spring water and flow past her toes.

She hung on her body as she rose and fell.

Rong Si stood at a distance, watching, and picked a basket of lemongrass.

While we were at it, we also picked some of the most beautiful osmanthus blossoms.

Osmanthus tastes different from lemongrass.

The fragrance of osmanthus is stronger in autumn.

Rong Si chewed on the flower juice, watching her wading in the water not far away.

Yu Wanyin waded through shallow water, gently swaying her legs to create delicate ripples.

Keep a low profile and avoid causing trouble.

As Rong Si watched, he suddenly realized something.

The autumn water is cold; these past few days, she's been menstruating, and she complains of feeling cold whenever she touches cold water.

What's wrong today...?

Rong Si's movements as he ground the petals between his lips and teeth became slow and deep.

He pressed down the petals to hold back the juice, causing them to overflow with fragrance.

Yu Wanyin was having a great time and had no idea that her secret had been discovered by the beast behind her.

After getting used to the water temperature, I put both feet into the water.

Azheng picked a basket of goldfish algae.

I walked back and chatted with her.

Wild geese circled overhead, and the long cries of birds echoed across the sky from time to time.

About half an hour later, they came down from the water.

Yu Wanyin quickly changed her shoes and socks, and as she stood up, she felt a soft "snap" sound on her body again.

This time, I felt no different from last time.

When Yu Wanyin regained her footing, she suddenly realized that a certain part of her body was no longer restrained.

Her head buzzed...

It seems so...

The heartstrings snapped?

It broke open?!

Some things, once realized, are easily beyond repair.

She had just discovered that the rope around her waist had broken; the rope around her neck had already snapped long before.

Yu Wanyin then realized where the slight unease she felt when she dismounted came from. That piece of clothing was now irrelevant to her.

It has completely lost its binding and fixing function.

Yu Wanyin didn't dare to move an inch for a moment.

She was ten steps away from him.

Rong Si was walking towards her.