free

Shen Er was unsure whether Kesh's uncle was ambitious, but Kesh's mother always had high hopes for him and was strict with him from a young age. It was because of this that he was forced to abandon his studies and take up arms, going to the border to seek peace and quiet.

"I suddenly realize that the Silver Tenon Tribe is quite a complex place," Zhu Qinghe remarked.

"If the princess is tired, why don't we elope?" Shen Er said in a serious tone, uttering these startling words.

"Don't get involved in this mess. Wouldn't it be better to live a free and unrestrained life from now on?"

Zhu Qinghe turned her head and gazed at him, meeting his dark and deep eyes. The deliberate concealment of her indifference to others gradually disappeared, and he was like a dusty sword gradually revealing its sharp gleam.

“Good,” Zhu Qinghe smiled brightly, “The princess of Jialing who is to be married off has eloped with the servant of the Shen family, who is an envoy of the Li Dynasty. The Yinshan tribe will not let this go. When war breaks out, the Shen family will be the first to bear the blame.”

"Second Brother Shen," she lowered her voice slightly, her magnetic voice possessing an astonishing allure, indescribably charming and melodious.

"You really know how to cause trouble for your master's family!"

Shen Er was slightly taken aback. His hands on his knees were stiff and cold, clenched into fists. Looking at her indifferent profile, he was filled with anger.

He desperately wanted to take her away no matter what, to escape all of this without a care in the world.

What does the matter between the Silver Tenon Tribe and the Dali Dynasty have to do with them?

However, because of his identity, Zhu Qinghe was eventually drawn into it. No matter how clever and intelligent she was, she would get tired of living in a world of deceit and intrigue every day.

He hadn't seen her smile in a long time, and his heart ached.

The sky lantern ceremony officially began. Yinluoha arrived late, followed by Adele, who was dressed in black.

Sky lanterns soared into the sky, like butterflies or shooting stars, painting the dark night with a shimmering glow. Their brilliance adorned the vast Milky Way, creating a scene of otherworldly beauty.

Zhu Qinghe was still pondering, holding the ink brush in her hand, unsure of what to write.

In the current situation, entrusting one's wishes to a small sky lantern seems too naive and irresponsible.

"If you can't think of anything to write, you can draw something," Yinluoha suggested from the side.

"A painting?" Zhu Qinghe looked at him.

His pen fell on the paper of the sky lantern, outlining a small fruit.

“Like this,” Silver Lohar smiled.

Adele, standing behind her, paused for a moment after seeing the pattern clearly. A complex mix of nostalgia and deep emotion flickered in her eyes.

Those are green juice fruits. Back then, she hid him in a tunnel, and when he couldn't find food, she would pick green juice fruits from the tree for him to eat every day.

Your Highness, having tasted so many delicacies, would you still yearn for this sour fruit?

Inspired by this, Zhu Qinghe sketched a bird poised for flight with just a few strokes of her pen.

Yinluoha asked with great interest, "Does this bird have any symbolic meaning?"

Zhu Qinghe gazed at the bird and seemed to see it soaring freely through the layers of clouds and the vast blue sky.

"Birds are free. I hope that one day I can be as free as they are," she murmured.

As the sky lantern slowly rose, she seemed to see the bird detach from the paper and escape, letting out a clear cry that soared into the sky.

From then on, the sky was high and the sea was vast, and nothing could bind her anymore.

"Master, are you tired? Let's go and rest." Yuan Qi pressed his thin fingers against his temples. Tingming, who was serving him, saw this and asked with concern.

"It's alright, I can go by myself. It's quite lively here, you stay here."

Tingming wanted to say something, but Yuanqi stopped her with a wave of his hand, and she could only watch his handsome figure gradually disappear into the distance.

Mu Chengwen had drunk some wine and was feeling a little dizzy. Since she was just a lowly maid and no one would notice her, she slipped away to the lakeside to get some fresh air.

The cool night breeze, carrying damp air, entered her chest, and she felt her mind clear up a bit.

Just as I was about to go back, I suddenly saw a sneaky black shadow flash past behind the artificial hill in the distance.

Who is it? She was on guard, and after thinking for a moment, she tiptoed after them.

"Why hasn't Chengwen returned yet? Could something have happened to him?" Liang Youan looked around, her expression worried.

Bai Qiuru said, "Given Chengwen's skills, nothing should happen. Don't be too nervous."

Liang Youan was still worried. "I'll go look for it. I'll leave this place to you."

Bai Qiuru nodded.

Tonight, their task is to observe the situation on the field, determine who is on good terms with whom, and roughly judge everyone's camp.

Liang Youan walked in the chilly night wind. The place was eerily quiet, with faint sounds of lively conversation drifting from the ceremony venue in the distance, making the place seem even more serene and secluded.

Her long shadow trailed on the ground, like a silent follower.

Dark clouds obscured the clear moon, dimming the light and shadows, even swallowing up the shadows themselves.

A dark figure darted out from the bushes like a serpent and shoved Liang Youan.

Caught off guard, she fell straight into the lake next to her.

The hem of her skirt traced messy arcs before being submerged and swallowed by the splashing water.

"Help...help...my life!" She struggled with her hands and feet, but she still felt herself sinking deeper and deeper, the water was gentle but there was no point of support.

A cold, desperate, and death-like fear swept over her, blurring her consciousness.

Dense bubbles rose in front of her, and her eyelids were too heavy to open.

A choking, stinging sensation spread through her nose and eyes; she felt her body sinking, sinking...

With a soft "splash," like a dragon entering the water, something was gradually approaching her.

It was a person, coming against the light, with countless tiny, transparent bubbles adorning his body; he descended like a god.

The man reached out his hand to her, gently pushing it towards her with a wave of tenderness.

She saw the man's face clearly; he had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a dignified bearing, but his brows were filled with anxiety.

Are you worried about me?

She smiled slightly, but her body slowly lost its strength.

Seeing her like this, Mu Chengwu knew he couldn't delay any longer.

He channeled his inner energy and suddenly sank down, grabbing her wrist and treading water upwards.

On the shore, Mu Chengwu carefully laid Liang Youan, who was pale and unconscious, flat on the ground.

He frowned and called to her, "Miss You'an, You'an?"

He sighed softly, his breath weak, and after a moment's thought, said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."

He leaned down, his warm breath resting on the delicate and beautiful face. The young general's fingers trembled slightly, and his breathing became somewhat unsteady.

He felt somewhat ashamed of his emotions and reactions, but the girl beneath him was barely breathing and pale-faced; he could not hesitate any longer.

He suppressed the erotic thoughts in his heart, and pressed his strong, thin lips against her pale yet delicate lips.

I never knew a girl's lips could be so soft, their sweet scent even more intoxicating than rice wine, making one lose their senses.

He pried open the other man's teeth and breathed into him. To avoid any embarrassing reactions, he silently recited military strategy in his mind, trying to calm himself down.

When she got to the third paragraph, Liang Youan's eyelashes trembled and she opened her eyes.

Before she could even see what was in front of her, the person on top of her sat up in a panic, his handsome face flushed, and his voice stammering nervously: "...Miss You'an, no...it's not what you think, I...I was just saving you!"

He was flustered and at a loss, gesturing haphazardly with his hands in front of his chest: "Breath transfer, you know what breath transfer is? It's supposed to be like this... no, that's not a kiss, it's more like mouth to mouth, it's a first aid method..."

Liang Youan blinked gently, her lips a deep red, still seemingly warm from the heat.

Her pale face flushed crimson, and her eyes were almost brimming with tears.

So, what was that just now...

Seeing her standing there in a daze, Mu Chengwu felt even more guilty and apologetic. He said seriously, "No matter what, this matter was ultimately my rash and impetuous act. Whether to punish or punish is up to you, Miss."

Liang Youan's heart sank slightly, but she forced a smile and said, "...Brother Mu, you don't need to take it to heart. The situation was special just now, and I didn't blame you."

A bitter feeling welled up inside her. He had only done this to save her, yet what more could she possibly want?

In any case, he was her benefactor. He had been helping her ever since she met him, and she couldn't be a burden to him.

"This was an accident, let's not bring it up again."

The pale moonlight shone down, but the two people by the lake remained silent.

Outside the tightly closed vermilion gate, hidden in the bushes, a pair of hawk-like eyes were fixed on the gate.

"You little thief, where do you think you're going!" A shout rang out from behind, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind, as someone attacked his back.

Kesh swiftly grabbed the attacker's wrist and pulled him into his arms in the next second.

The texture of his hand felt different. He looked down and met Mu Chengwen's angry expression. The two looked at each other and were both taken aback.

"Little Stone?" Mu Chengwen asked in surprise.

Kesh loosened his grip, looking surprised: "Wenwen?"

"What are you doing here?" Kesh asked.

"I saw a suspicious-looking shadowy figure and thought I'd follow to check it out, but I didn't expect it to be you." Mu Chengwen broke free from his arm and looked him up and down. "But your kung fu is pretty good."

I can't believe I subdued her in one move. I'm so embarrassed.

“You’re not bad either,” Kesh comforted her.

"What are you doing here?" Mu Chengwen's expression suddenly turned suspicious. The last time he saw him, he was sneaking around in the wine cellar.

She completely forgot that she had also sneaked into the wine cellar last time, and the more she reasoned, the more suspicious the person in front of her seemed.

This is a sky lantern ceremony; could he be a spy sent by some faction to cause trouble?

Kesh found her wary expression amusing: "Hey, what's with that look? I'm a really good person, I'm here to save people."

Mu Chengwen's eyes widened: "Save people? Save whom?"

A sound came from nearby, and Kesh pulled her down. "Shh, someone's coming!"

During the banquet, a young maidservant, whom the maid didn't recognize, slipped a note into the palm of the table as she served the dishes.

Zhu Qinghe frowned slightly, but without making a sound, she lowered her head and glanced at the document under the table.

Afterwards, she spoke to Yinluoha with a normal expression, and Yinluoha nodded.

She got up and left her seat, and Shen Er followed silently.

Zhu Qinghe clenched her fingers, crumpling the note into a ball in her palm.

The note read: If you wish to see your maid, come to the lounge.