Chapter 52 She actually came to him on her own initiative

Wen Ning nodded, and lightly touched Xi Bao's warm cheek with her fingertips. Tears couldn't help but flow down, dripping onto his little hands that were as soft as dough.

The little baby was still ignorant and just looked at her with his black eyes, grabbing the cloak in front of her.

In the study, Qingfeng and Qingmang stood in front of the desk with their hands hanging down.

"Master, those people from the Liu family each had two broken ribs and an arm removed. They should have already run back to report to their master."

The slender fingers pinched the ring and turned it half a circle, and the jade face instantly reflected the cold light in the man's eyes.

"I went to the Ministry of Revenue to submit a document stating that the official silver and military pay that the Liu Family Escort Team was transporting had been robbed several times. In reality, they were sharing the spoils with bandits, causing a delay in the delivery of military rations to the northern border.

Then submit the Liuji standard crossbows and arrows found during the previous bandit suppression, along with the military roster and the bandit leader's confession."

"And!" His eyes flashed coldly, "Since Liu Mingjing loves to play 'hunting', then find him a cage and lock him up in it. That will satisfy his 'interest'!"

"Yes! I'll do it right away!"

…

The night was dark. Wen Ning washed off her messy clothes and changed into clean clothes.

After much hesitation, he went to see the Marquis.

But at this hour the study was empty, not even the candles were lit.

She was stunned and was about to find someone to ask, but she happened to meet Qing Feng and Qing Mang in the corridor.

Qing Feng was sharp-eyed. He saw that she was holding the Marquis's cloak in her hands and stepped forward with a smile. "Miss Wen, are you here to deliver clothes to the master?"

Wen Ning nodded slightly, her ears slightly red, and whispered: "Yes..."

Just as she finished speaking, she remembered something and looked up at the two of them. She bowed slightly, and her tone was filled with genuine gratitude, "I haven't thanked you two for rescuing Xibao yet."

Seeing this, the two of them quickly moved aside. Qing Feng waved his hand and said, "Miss, you can't do this. This is the master's order and our duty. Miss, don't worry about it."

Wen Ning pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Did the Marquis go to the inner room?"

The two of them looked at each other after hearing this, and then Qing Feng sighed and said, "The master has left."

"Gone?" Wen Ning was startled. "Where did he go?"

"The emperor has sent a decree stating that the war in the northern border is urgent, and he has ordered the master to supervise the battle." Qing Mang answered quickly, adding, "The decree was issued two days ago, and we were supposed to leave in three days. But for some reason, the master left tonight."

Upon hearing this, Qing Feng elbowed Qing Mang in the waist with enough force to stop him from talking.

Wen Ning's fingertips trembled, and her heart felt like being stabbed by something.

He must be tired of her and annoyed with her.

He left at night without even saying a word.

"Then... when will the Marquis be back?"

Qing Feng shook his head. "I'm afraid he won't be back for a while. The situation in the northern border is dire. Once a war breaks out, it's common for it to last for a year or two."

Wen Ning didn't ask any more questions. He thanked the two of them and went back to the house.

Qing Mang tutted his words, his tone clearly filled with resentment, "Whenever the master went on a long journey, he always took the two of us with him. Even if he was in a hurry, he would at least leave one of us with him.

This time, not only us, but even his usual team of personal guards are missing."

Qing Feng listened and glanced at him sideways, "Don't complain. First, the border town really can't be left without someone. We have to wait until the temporary garrison general arrives to take over before we can leave. Secondly..." He leaned close to Qing Mang's ear, "The master is still worried about Miss Wen."

Wen Ning lived in Xianfengyuan for about half a month. In her spare time, she mended clothes for Qingfeng and the others, washed their battle robes, and made some light soft armor.

Qingmang refused at first, but later found that this soft armor could actually reduce three points of the sword's force, and he couldn't help but respect the girl a little.

As the weather got warmer, she folded their winter clothes neatly and packed them into camphorwood boxes.

Then he took Xibao and the nanny back to the farm.

…

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Xibao has learned to take his first steps and can run around the yard unsteadily.

Sometimes he would inevitably sit down and squat, but he would not cry. He would get up by himself and not forget to brush off the dust on his pants.

"Mom! Mom!" he called in a baby voice.

During these days at Zhuangzi, Wen Ning was not idle.

The villagers nearby knew that she knew medical skills, so anyone who had a headache, fever, or injury would come to her for help.

She is good at taking pulses and the prescriptions she prescribes are cheap and effective.

After a while, the villagers all remembered her kindness.

Occasionally, news came from the northern border, mostly about the tense war situation.

Therefore, she always slept uneasily at night, and often dreamed that he was poisoned on the battlefield, curled up in pain but no one could relieve him. Every time she woke up in a cold sweat.

Until that day, Mammy came in hurriedly with a basket of vegetables on her shoulder.

"The Marquis is back! The army has reached the border town!"

"Girl, the Marquis is back!"

Wen Ning was bending over to dry herbs in the yard. The moment she heard these words, her fingertips trembled, and the sounds around her suddenly faded. Only her own violent heartbeat remained in her ears.

…

Xianfengyuan.

The moisture behind the screen had not yet dissipated, and Xie Jinglan was being helped by a servant to change into his regular clothes.

The navy blue brocade makes his shoulders and back look more upright, and the face reflected in the bronze mirror is still as handsome as ever, with his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes unchanged.

The wind and frost of the northern border left some marks on his face, but added a sense of toughness and solemnity.

I just soaked in the bathtub for two or three hours before I was able to suppress the poison that almost killed me.

When the servant was tying the jade belt for him, he subconsciously shrank back, probably because the old wound on his waist was touched, and a very light groan rolled through his throat.

The servant was so frightened that he quickly retracted his hand and stepped aside in a hurry.

He slowly raised his hand, signaling him to leave.

In fact, the war in the northern border could have ended three months earlier. At that time, the enemy army was already showing signs of decline. However, he suddenly became poisoned while pursuing them, giving the enemy a chance to catch their breath.

After a year of hard work and the injuries from the poison, he knew that his body was no longer the same as before.

He lowered his eyes slightly, hiding the fatigue that lingered in them.

Qing Feng came to the door and reported, "Master, Miss Wen is here."

He was just raising his hand to press his brow, but his fingertips paused when he heard the words.

"who?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Feng replied, "Master, it's Miss Wen."

Wen Ning! She actually came to him on her own initiative!

His Adam's apple rolled slightly, and a glimmer of light suddenly flashed in his eyes, but was quickly replaced by a deliberately suppressed wave.

"Got it. Let her wait for me in the study." There was no emotion in his voice, but his fingertips subconsciously rubbed across his jaw, and his fingertips rolled over the rough stubble that had not yet been trimmed.

In the study.

Wen Ning was wearing a light green fine cloth dress, with her black hair half tied up, which made her neck look as slender as jade.

Her face was still as beautiful as before, but with a more tranquil beauty than before.

After not seeing each other for a year, as soon as Xie Jinglan stepped into the door, their eyes met and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.