Chapter 71 Chapter 71 You're in luck

Qin Boyan suddenly appeared here, but Chen Ling'an was not very surprised. He was still the same, with a calm face and no emotion could be seen.

He just clasped his fists and said, "Prince Qin."

Qin Boyan jokingly said, "Oh, you used to look down on me when you saw me, but you've learned your lesson and now you know how to bow to me. Haha, that's what they call a person under someone's roof, one has to bow his head."

Chen Ling'an's face flushed slightly, but he refused to admit defeat. "Prince Qin has condescended to come personally to the prison camp to greet me. I must give him this honor."

Qin Boyan laughed a few times and gestured for him to sit down. "How did you find out about the attacking Northern Yuan cavalry?"

There was nothing to hide, Chen Ling'an answered truthfully. Qin Boyan immediately became interested. "You were transferred to the royal guard after less than a year in the barracks. You weren't even a scout there. How did you learn this skill of judging horses by their hearing?"

Chen Ling'an was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "The ability to survive doesn't need to be learned deliberately."

Qin Boyan's brows twitched slightly, and he stopped talking about this topic and asked him what his plans were for the future.

"I want to be a frontline soldier," Chen Ling'an said bluntly. "Your Highness saw my performance that night in Bao'an County. Please grant me your blessing."

Qin Boyan: "It's autumn now, when the Tartar invasions from the south are most frequent. The pressure on the front lines is very high. Soldiers fighting in battle are completely different from the Jinyiwei investigating and arresting people. The enemy will not take the Northern Pacification Office seriously."

Chen Lingan laughed: "Your Highness forgot that I am now a prisoner in exile."

Qin Boyan glanced outside the door and said, "We can't just listen to you. We have to listen to what others have to say."

Xiaoman stepped over the threshold and widened her eyes: Uncle Prince!

The uneasiness on her face instantly turned into surprise and joy. She ran to Qin Boyan in two steps and three steps at a time, "Uncle! My mother said you went to Peking. I didn't expect to see you here!"

Qin Boyan laughed and said, "I'm a military commander, so it's boring to stay in Peking. Come here, there are three vacancies: a clerk in the Quartermaster Department, an official in charge of salt in the merchant settlements, and a member of the royal guard. You can pick one for him and choose the right one."

Xiao Man said, "My uncle has shown me great kindness by not letting him do the hard labor of building roads and cities, digging canals and pushing earth. How can we be picky? Whatever you say is the right one."

Qin Boyan waved his hand and said, "Stop being polite. I'm only asking you once. Think it over."

Xiaoman subconsciously looked at Chen Lingan.

Qin Boyan said, "Don't look at him, I'm asking you."

Xiaoman didn't waste much time in giving the choice, "I don't want any of these. Let my uncle send him to the front line to kill the enemy."

Qin Boyan was really surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Um."

"Are you willing to do that? You've come all this way with him, only to have him go to the battlefield. Wouldn't it be better to live a peaceful life?"

"I can't bear to leave." Xiaoman forced a smile. "There's nothing I can do about it. Compared to those three safe and secure jobs, I think he would rather be on the front lines."

Qin Boyan shook his head, then nodded, raised his eyebrows and glanced at Chen Ling'an, and sighed with emotion: "You are lucky, kid."

I don’t know if it’s about errands or something else.

Chen Ling'an looked at Xiaoman, and for some reason, he suddenly doubted whether what he was doing was right.

He closed his eyes and tried his best to suppress his inner anxiety.

Qin Boyan said sternly, "Let me be frank. I won't treat you any differently. Whether you die on the battlefield or achieve great success and receive a title and a son, it all depends on your own ability."

"Of course." Chen Ling'an looked at Xiaoman, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

Xiaoman: "I will stay in the village outside and wait for your triumphant return."

Before Chen Ling'an could speak, Qin Boyan rejected the idea. "No, your mother and your aunt have already arrived in Peking. Tomorrow, Chen Ling'an will leave for the border, and you will go to Peking."

Xiaoman was stunned. The word "not going" kept rolling on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say it out loud.

If she didn't go to Peking, her mother would definitely rush to the border to find her at all costs.

Previously, her understanding of the border war was still vague. She even thought that life there was similar to that in the countryside of Xuanfu, poor but peaceful. But after passing through Bao'an County that night, she realized how naive her original idea was.

It wouldn't matter if she was alone, but she couldn't drag her mother into such a dangerous situation.

"Okay." Xiaoman took a deep breath and said with a smile, "I haven't been to Beiping yet. I heard it's not worse than Jinling. There are so many delicious things to do and so much fun. This time I have time to have fun."

After a pause, he felt something was wrong, "Aunt is coming to Peking too?"

Qin Boyan stood up and said, "Not only her, but my sons are here too." Before leaving, he gave Chen Ling'an a meaningful look and said, "I've repaid you this favor."

Xiaoman didn't understand, so after leaving the barracks, she quietly asked, "What favors did he mean?"

"I suggest that the old marquis be transferred to Yanbei." Chen Ling'an explained to her in a low voice as they walked, "The emperor plans to move the capital to Beiping and intends to personally lead an expedition to Mobei. Yanbei will become the most important defense zone."

Then the old marquis is the most important official in the army! In addition, the prince is not a coward. Even if the ancestor, the eldest princess, is gone, the Pingyang Marquis Mansion can at least be protected for three generations.

Xiao Man suddenly laughed and said, "Last year at the Marquis's Four Seasons Banquet, you were still finding ways to find fault with the Young Master, but now you act like you're doing nothing. It's really interesting."

Thinking of the scene of going to the Marquis' Mansion to get someone, Chen Ling'an also laughed, "Life is unpredictable. Who can predict what will happen in the future?"

Xiaoman said hurriedly, "I know what will happen in the future. You will kill the enemy and make great contributions on the battlefield. You will be pardoned by the emperor and return to the court. Everyone will praise you as a great hero who defended the country. Those who slandered you in the past will start to look at you with new eyes. You will revive the Chen family and become your father's pride!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, her little face flushed with excitement and her eyes sparkled.

Chen Ling'an lowered his eyes and looked at her, looking into her eyes. Every time she looked at him, there was a glint in her eyes like gemstones.

He hoped she would look at him like this forever.

"Xiao Man, I'm sorry."

"Um?"

"I like you."

"Hmph, I knew it a long time ago. You are, uh..."

He gently kissed her lips.

The late autumn sun is mild but a little chilly. Yellow and red leaves fall from the branches, spinning one after another in the wind, just like flying birds.

Xiaoman also felt like she was flying in the sky.

The figures stuck to the ground finally separated. Neither of them spoke, and they were even afraid to look at each other. One of them blushed and looked down at the ground, while the other seemed calm, but in fact, he walked a little stiffly.

Xiaoman was not used to such silence and tried hard to find a topic to talk about. When she looked up, she saw Chen Ling'an pursing his lips and seemed to be licking his lips quickly.

Two balls of fire suddenly burned Xiaoman's cheeks, making her as beautiful as a peach or plum, incomparable, and even more charming than before.

Chen Ling'an couldn't help but be stunned.

"You, you... you're so annoying!" Xiaoman glared at him coquettishly, "Stop looking at me."

Chen Lingan chuckled softly and said, "Is this annoying? I'll do more and more things to make you 'annoyed' in the future."

Xiaoman couldn't argue with him, so she simply reached out and twisted his arm, pinching the flesh on the inside.

As it turned out, the jacket was a bit thick, and she didn't pinch the flesh. She wanted to pinch again, but Chen Ling'an dodged her and didn't let her pinch him.

Xiaoman was very upset.

"Do you want to strangle me so much?" A hint of cunning flashed across Chen Ling'an's eyes, and he leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

"You are so bad!" Xiaoman was embarrassed and annoyed. She stomped her feet in anger and turned around and ran away.

Chen Ling'an smiled gently and followed her slowly.

Autumn in the north is clear and refreshing, with a high blue sky and boundless loess. She stood there waving at him, her whole body brimming with vigorous vitality. It was a kind of beauty without any embellishment, just like the poplar tree towering between heaven and earth.

The anxiety, melancholy, and uneasiness that lingered in his heart... gradually settled down. Chen Ling'an let out a sigh of relief and walked quickly towards his girl.

Then hug her tight!

Xiaoman thought he was going to kiss her again and was panicked for a moment.

Not far away is the village where the families live, and the soldiers guarding the camp gate are even looking over here!

She started pushing him.

"Actually, I'm not the calm man everyone imagines," Chen Ling'an said suddenly. "I get scared, panicked, and overwhelmed too."

Xiaoman was stunned.

"I just regretted it, I really regretted it. If I had chosen a more stable life, would it have been better for you and me? Even if I had to bear the name of an exiled official, at least I could be sure of survival. If I had gone to the battlefield, perhaps—"

"You have to come back alive!" Xiaoman hurriedly thought about his words, and the force of pushing him turned into a tight hug. "I'm telling you, I won't wait for you foolishly forever. If you don't come back, I will, I will marry someone else!"

Xiaoman sniffed, "Yes, I will marry someone else, become someone else's wife, bear children for another man, and forget you in a few years. If you don't want me to do that, come back alive!"

Chen Lingan buried his head in the crook of her neck, "Of course I will come back alive, you don't even think about marrying Liu Jinshu."

"You are so jealous for no reason." Xiaoman muttered and wiped her tears on his chest.

They hugged each other like this, not caring about other people's surprised looks, and then sat under the poplar tree hand in hand.

The sun slowly set and the moon rose. They snuggled together in the quilt, neither of them wanting to go to sleep.

However reluctant you are, the time of separation will surely come.

When the rouge-colored morning glow filled the eastern sky, the general commander named Xue Chao came over. The troops were about to set off.

"I'm leaving." said Chen Ling'an.

Xiaoman nodded, smiled, and said nothing - she was afraid that she would cry if she opened her mouth.

Chen Ling'an jumped on the horse, the sound of horse hooves clattered softly, and the horse lingered beside Xiaoman.

He looked down at her and she looked up at him, their eyes met. They said nothing, yet it seemed as if they had said everything.

In the cold air, loud trumpets sounded and the soldiers' passionate slogans filled the air.

Chen Ling'an looked at Xiaoman deeply, turned his horse's head, squeezed his legs together, and the man and the horse rushed towards the intersection of heaven and earth like flying.