Chapter 11

By the time we finally arrived, more than a month had passed. We didn't waste any time and went straight to the military camp. We were then stopped at the gate.

"We are from the capital, here to see Her Royal Highness the Third Princess." Zhixia stepped forward to communicate with the guards.

The guard took a closer look at our group and asked, "Who are you? Do you have a pass?"

I got off the carriage and stepped forward, clasping my fists. "We are from the Jing'an Marquisate in the capital. Please ask someone to inform Her Royal Highness the Third Princess that Yu Anlan is here to visit."

The guards discussed it for a moment, and perhaps because our attire and tone of voice resembled those of people from the capital, they replied, "Then wait a moment. I'll go and inform them, but you may not be able to see them."

Yes, the Third Princess must be very busy. Besides, if someone can't just come and say they know her and get listed, then they won't have to do anything else. There are countless people who need to make connections.

After about half an hour, I felt tired of standing, and then I saw a group of people walking quickly in the distance.

"An Lan, why are you here?" she asked as she approached. Unexpectedly, the Third Princess came in person. The people around her hurriedly greeted her.

I whispered, "I came here secretly, don't tell anyone." The Third Princess listened and scolded me, "Nonsense! I'll tell my aunt, and you go back immediately."

I raised an eyebrow, said nothing, walked to the back of my brother's carriage, opened the curtain, and my brother got out. The third princess had been looking at me with confusion, and when she saw my brother coming out, her eyes suddenly widened, and it seemed that her pupils were dilated.

"An Ran!" The Third Princess cried out in surprise. Then she quickly ran forward and stopped her brother from saluting.

As he asked, he led his brother into the camp. I looked at the place where I was squeezed away, curled my lips, and followed behind.

The people following the Third Princess all knew my brother and me. It seemed that they all regarded my brother as the future lord, so they wanted to greet us, but my brother stopped them.

Seeing that my brother was dressed in women's clothes, he probably knew that his identity had to be kept secret. After all, men do have many inconveniences in the military camp.

They cleverly and quickly cleared the way. The people behind them were also greatly surprised by the Third Princess's attitude. After all, it was the first time they saw her so happy and even a little flattering. The guards in Yingkou were also secretly glad that they hadn't offended us.

My brother looked back at me, and I followed him and the Third Princess into the tent. The Third Princess's guards also led the convoy, letting them into the camp first and leaving someone to guard them.

The Third Princess took her brother to sit down, and I took the initiative to find a place to sit down. Anyway, with my brother around, the Third Princess couldn't see me.

The military camp is different from the capital. The third princess poured a cup of tea for her brother and said, "You must have had a hard time on the way. Have some tea to moisten your mouth first." I also consciously poured myself some tea and gulped down several cups.

My brother replied, "Not bad. Not in a big hurry."

After her brother finished drinking, the Third Princess continued, "You haven't found a place to stay yet, right? I have a yard in the city that I don't usually go to. You can rest there for a while."

Listen, if it were me, I would tell him to go back quickly and change his words when he saw his brother.

My brother thought about it for a moment and nodded, "Sorry to bother you then."

The Third Princess asked in confusion, "Do you have something special to deal with? Why did you two come here together?" Oh, and he even mentioned me. I grumbled silently.

"Nothing, Lanlan and I are out studying. Sister Chenxi, you know that I studied medicine, I came here to help. Please help me arrange it." My brother looked at the third princess and pulled her sleeve. I suspected that my brother was using the beauty trap, and I had evidence.

The third princess was still sober. "An Lan is making trouble, and you follow her. Is the battlefield a place for fun? You can stay in the city for a few days and then go back to the capital." What does it have to do with me? I had a lot of questions in my head. It was such a big deal.

My brother let go of the sleeves in his hand and said sadly: "Do you also think that I am a man, so I can only stay at home." Ah, I couldn't help but cover my chest. My brother was acting pitiful.

The Third Princess was immediately at a loss. "No, Anran, no. You, I know you're no match for a woman. It's just that this is a battlefield after all. The conditions are harsh and dangerous."

My brother was very determined. "I'm not afraid of hardship. I want to give it a try. If I can't stand it, I will leave on my own."

The Third Princess hesitated, "Give me some time to think about it. You should all stay in the city first and rest up before we discuss anything."

After saying that, she called the guards in and told them to go ahead and make the arrangements. She looked as if she was afraid that her brother would say something else, worried that she wouldn't be able to resist and would agree immediately. This made me sneer inwardly.

My brother didn't say anything else, probably because he was too worried. Silence fell in the tent. I looked at my brother, then at the Third Princess. "Sister Chenxi, can you arrange for someone to show my brother and me around? I'm very curious."

The Third Princess stood up and said, "Come on, I'm not busy right now, I'll show you around."

The Third Princess led us through the military camp and to the training ground. The soldiers came over to greet us and looked at us curiously.

When the generals stationed at the border came over, the Third Princess introduced them, "These are the two from the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion. You can just call them Xiaoyu." She was also very cautious not to mention her brother's name. She then introduced the generals to us, and we greeted them one by one.

Coincidentally, General Zhou and his entourage from the capital also arrived. They first greeted the Third Princess, then couldn't help but smile when they saw me. "Hey, isn't this little An Lan? You've grown so tall. Why are you here?"

After all, I had made a name for myself in the capital, and the generals admired me and knew me. Plus, my mother worked hard at the Ministry of Revenue, and she never lacked supplies for the soldiers. So, everyone was very friendly to me.

"Hello, Uncle Zhou," I replied politely. General Zhou glanced at my brother again and said, "This is the eldest..." Before he could finish his words, I misstepped and coughed, and General Zhou changed the subject, "This is the eldest brother. It's been a while since we've met either."

My brother also greeted us politely. The other generals saw that General Zhou was very familiar with us and immediately became friendly with us.

"I'll show them around, you guys go on." The Third Princess said, and then she took us away. We said our goodbyes to each other.

Watching so many soldiers training on the training ground was truly thrilling. Before I could get a closer look, the Third Princess turned and left with her brother. I could only secretly curl my lips and say, "Stingy guy, drink some cold water."

The third princess took us up to the city wall. Looking at the endless emptiness in the distance and the blood residue on the ground, a feeling of loneliness and sadness came over us.

"The last battle was five days ago, and it was quite brutal. We don't have as many horses as they do," the Third Princess said gravely. My brother and I exchanged a glance.

After a short while, the Third Princess looked at her brother and said, "Let's go. I'll take you to the wounded camp."

The atmosphere in the wounded camp was very heavy. Many people were lying on simple wooden beds, accompanied by constant low groans and occasional wails. Military doctors were busy shuttling back and forth inside, and those who passed by us would just say hello and leave in a hurry.

When we came out, the Third Princess looked at her brother and said, "Think about it again." Maybe she wanted her brother to give up.

Next, the Third Princess asked the guards to take us back to our residence in the city, and she went off to do her own thing.

The courtyard was very clean and spacious, and it was obvious that it was just a place to stay. It also showed that the Third Princess had good character and did not care about the style of the rich and powerful.

The courtyard wasn't very large. The front yard was probably the Third Princess's residence and study. My brother and I lived in the backyard, both in the west wing, separated by a moderately large reception room. It was also a separate small courtyard. To the east was the kitchen, and further back were the guards' quarters.

My brother and I went into our rooms to rest for a while. Zhixia and the others had already put everything in place, and soon it was time for dinner.

The food here is very different from that in the capital. The chef came over to ask about it, then went back to make a simple meal with what was available here.

My brother and I have both eaten food from all over the world, so we're not really that uncomfortable with it. And over the years, we've put in some effort to have a good meal.

We now have a dedicated plot of land for growing various spices. Sadly, we couldn't find any chili peppers. Even the Emperor's aunt called us picky eaters, even though she's enjoying the good life with us.

After dinner, I followed my brother to his room.

"Brother, how are you? Are you able to adapt?" I asked with concern.

My brother smiled and said, "If you don't have a problem, then I certainly don't have one either. I still want to stay."

I forgot that my brother was much stronger than me. After all, everyone later even called him a hero. I just wonder if he would feel bad when he saw those bloody broken arms and legs?

I mustered up my courage, but in the end I didn't dare ask. I was the real coward.

After talking about something else briefly, I left and let my brother rest early.

After returning to my room, I washed up and lay down. I originally wanted to organize my thoughts, but I fell asleep quickly.

When I woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky. It had been a long time since I slept so long.

I crawled out of bed, wrapped in the quilt, and called Zhixia. Zhixia came in and prepared clothes for me. It was especially cold here, and fortunately, I had a strong body that was more resistant to the cold, but layer after layer of cotton clothes were quite fluffy, and the whole thing still felt bloated.

I asked Zhixia if her brother had gotten up. Zhixia replied, "The eldest son has already returned from running." I instantly felt like I had lost again. My brother is such a loser.

My brother is still waiting for me to have breakfast together. It can’t be called breakfast now, it’s almost lunch time. The days are short here, so it seems that I can have two meals today.

"Brother, you don't have to wait for me next time." I felt like I wasn't fully awake yet and was still sleepy.

"It's okay, I'm not hungry either." The brother replied, "I plan to go for a walk in the city after dinner. What about you?"

"Of course I'm with you." There's no need to think about it.

After dinner, we walked around the city. There weren't many people on the streets, and the whole place looked rather desolate. Well, it was a war, after all, so anyone who could move out had probably already done so.

We wandered around a few shops and surprisingly found a branch of our own. Kudos to Mom and Dad. We went inside and took a look. Everyone was very friendly. My brother and I didn't reveal our identities.

Then I went to the grain store and asked about the prices. They were pretty good, not much higher. I heard that nearby areas had recently transferred grain here.

There are no fresh vegetables at this time of year, which is a pity. It seems that the greenhouse should be set up.