Chapter 1045 Two Carrots

Did they frighten the emperor so much that he fainted?

This is indeed something Master Han would do; if it were just to scare someone, that would be quite conservative.

Song Chunxue suddenly wanted to know what methods Master Han had used to scare her this time.

"Let's eat and chat, don't be shy." Song Chunxue tore off another chicken wing for him. "Thank you for taking care of the adults these days. Eat more, you've worked hard."

Liu Chunshu was somewhat apprehensive. "Master Song, please don't be like this. Serving Lord Xie is my duty, and besides, I am truly willing to help you solve your problems."

"Two years ago, because my child was sick, my parents allowed me to go home to take care of my wife and even asked someone to find a famous doctor to treat my child. My parents have been so kind to me."

He couldn't help but sigh, "Being able to follow Lord Xie in this life is a blessing from my ancestors, and it's also a good fortune I earned in my past life."

Sigh, this child is a bit silly.

Song Chunxue shook her head. "No wonder the adults like to take you everywhere they go."

"If you go on your spiritual journey or travel around, could you take me with you?" Liu Chunshu patted his chest. "I've been practicing boxing for the past two years to strengthen my body and be ready to charge into battle with you at any time. I won't hold you back when you travel."

"We'll talk about it later. Tell me about the major events that have happened in the capital in the past two years, and what I should be careful about when I go there." That's what she really wanted to know.

“Yes, there really are. I wrote them all down. Miss reminded me and specifically asked me to tell Master Song.” As he spoke, Liu Chunshu took out an oil paper package from his pocket. “These are all of them.”

"Okay, let me see." Song Chunxue smiled. "Yun'er is so thoughtful. How has she been lately?"

“Hmm…” Liu Chunshu smiled meaningfully, “Perhaps it’s a case of following in her father’s footsteps; she brought that young Taoist priest home with her.”

"Oh? Really?" Song Chunxue was overjoyed. "Then I'll have to prepare gifts for them. Is it a marriage into the family?"

...

They chatted for half an hour, and half a chicken was gone, but Xie Zheng still hadn't returned.

Song Chunxue then sat alone in the tent and meditated.

He returned in the afternoon, looking preoccupied.

"Why did it take you so long? What happened?"

Xie Zheng walked to the wooden clothes rack, raised his hand and took down the armor on it. "The military situation is urgent. The scouts we sent out have not returned. They may have been ambushed. I need to investigate personally. To prevent this from happening again, we also need to find out exactly how many of them there are. They are too cunning, and morale is low. We must turn the situation around."

"Ah Xue, you stay in the military camp and wait for me to come back. Then we'll go back to the capital together."

“I’ll go with you,” Song Chunxue stood up. “It’s not like I haven’t been before.”

Xie Zheng stood in front of her, staring at her with a complex expression, and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“I know you want to go and fight on the battlefield, but that was a long time ago. You’ve been cultivating in seclusion these past few years, and your mind is at peace. You absolutely cannot let the blood of those people taint your cultivation or affect your Dao heart.” Xie Zheng pulled her into his arms, his voice gentler than ever before. “Be good.”

These words hit the nail on the head, and Song Chunxue had no choice but to consider them carefully.

"Do you need an invisibility talisman, and a lightning talisman too? I guess it can scare people a bit."

"Of course I need it!" Xie Zheng reached out and took the bag. "I don't dare use these things in front of others. I only take them out when there are very few people around, otherwise it will cause unnecessary trouble."

Song Chunxue understood that excessive interference in worldly affairs by cultivators would have karmic consequences, let alone Taoist items like talismans. They might be useful for occasional surprises, but using them every day would probably be less effective than strategic deployment based on timing and location.

Seeing Xie Zheng dressed neatly, enveloped in cold armor, she finally remembered about food.

"Have you eaten yet? I saved a chicken leg for you. Eat it before you go. You'll have energy if you eat meat."

She held the chicken leg to his mouth and kindly instructed him, "How long are you going to be gone? Did you bring anything to keep warm? Pick something out of my storage ring before you go."

Even so, she was still worried.

She felt uneasy if she didn't go, because she had come and heard every detail of the battle.

This is what happens when you practice spiritual cultivation for a long time; you become particularly reliant on your intuition.

Whether she was overly concerned or just overthinking, she would follow them invisibly.

Xie Zheng hurriedly ate the chicken leg and then led a group of men away from the military camp.

Watching the dust kicked up by the horses' hooves, Song Chunxue stepped out of the military tent.

A young soldier stepped forward.

"This humble general, Zhou Huai, is under the orders of Lord Xie and will obey the commands of Daoist Song." He then pointed to a bucket of water beside him. "I've brought hot water; would Daoist Song like some now?"

Song Chunxue nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."

Half an hour later, she took a bath and walked out of the military camp with ease.

She looked at Zhou Huai, "Does that mean you'll do whatever you're told, no matter what order you give?"

Zhou Huai looked somewhat bewildered, and nodded hesitantly, "Yes... I guess so."

"Alright, prepare a horse for me to follow Lord Xie and observe the situation." Song Chunxue raised her hand to tidy her hair, a peach wood hairpin standing up her heavy hair, she would probably need to wear a hood.

“This…” Zhou Huai looked troubled. “My lord ordered me to take good care of you, not to take you out of the military camp.”

"It seems you're unwilling to follow orders. Then find me a horse, and I'll take a ride around the camp?"

Zhou Huai looked at Liu Chunshu, who was walking slowly towards him. This matter had stumped him, so he asked for help, "Manager Liu, what should we do?"

“Just obey orders, Lord Xie won’t blame you,” Liu Chunshu said in a low voice. “Even if you don’t cooperate, she has a way to leave on horseback.”

"Yes." Zhou Huai glanced at Song Chunxue before turning to choose a horse.

He had heard a little about this Taoist priest who occasionally appeared in the military camp, but the soldiers guarding the gate had never seen her. He knew that she was not an ordinary Taoist priest who could come and go freely in the military camp.

Before long, he brought over a spirited horse. When it saw people, it turned its rear end towards them and paced back and forth on its hind legs, as if it were ready to attack at any moment.

Song Chunxue did not expose his intentions. She took the reins, touched the horse's nose, and took out a carrot from her sleeve.

Fortunately, she loves to eat raw carrots, and she'll take a few with her wherever she goes to quench her thirst.

This stuff is rare in military camps, so no spirited horse would refuse it.

Sure enough, the horse, which had been restless just moments before, instantly became docile, stretched out its lips to take the carrot into its mouth, as if afraid that Song Chunxue would take it back, and turned its head to hold its head high, chewing it with relish.

Zhou Huai was surprised. This was the most unruly horse in the stable, the one that hadn't been tamed yet. It had taken him two years to become somewhat familiar with it, and he was only occasionally willing to take it out for a walk.

I was hoping she'd give up, but all I got was a carrot, and she started rubbing her head against me like a puppy.

Truly, a wild horse without principles.

Liu Chunshu smiled without saying a word, watching this scene with a hint of pride.

How could his master's sweetheart not be able to tame a horse?