Chapter 976 Moved (Xinyang VS Xiao Jifan)

"Little princess!"

A guard's voice came from outside the tent.

"Get out of the way! I need to see the Marquis!"

The little princess of Dongyi said in a spoiled and willful manner.

Princess Xinyang glanced at Xiao Ji, who took the towel and wound medicine from her hand, slowly wiped away the water droplets, and then began to apply the medicine.

“Zhen…” Princess Xinyang opened her mouth and said, “She’s coming in.”

“You can’t get in.” Xiao Ji said calmly, dipping his fingertip in the ointment and applying it evenly to her frostbite. This ointment was very effective, but its only drawback was its unpleasant color and stickiness; once it got on her, it was not easy to wash off.

Princess Xinyang's fingertips were delicate and she loved cleanliness; if you really made her wash them, she would wash off a layer of skin.

Soon, the sound of the little princess of Dongyi stamping her feet and shouting came from outside the tent: "You dare to stop me! I think you're tired of living! When the Marquis comes out, I'll let him deal with you!"

Princess Xinyang glanced at Xiao Ji without making it obvious. Xiao Ji carefully applied the medicine to her, but seemed to sense her doubt and scrutiny. He said calmly, "There are rules in the military camp. You cannot enter the general's tent at will."

He didn't spoil the little princess of Dongyi that much, otherwise his guards wouldn't have dared to stop her from entering.

However, others were unaware of these things, and seeing that he treated the little princess of Dongyi with great tolerance, they made some guesses in private.

“Only you and Chang Jing have come in,” Xiao Ji said.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Long Yi peeked in.

The guards...the guards couldn't stop him at all.

The medicine had been applied. Xiao Ji pulled the blanket over her feet and asked Long Yi, "Are you hungry?"

Long Yi said, "Yeah, I'm hungry."

Xiao Ji said to her, "I'm taking Long Yi to get something to eat. What would you like to eat?"

Princess Xinyang asked, "What do you have here?"

Xiao Ji chuckled self-deprecatingly. Yes, what is there in a military camp?

The east was hit by a snow disaster, and supplies and provisions could not be delivered smoothly. It was good enough to have a full meal, let alone be picky.

He said, "Take a rest first, I'll bring it to you later."

...

"My lord, it's so late, why are you going out..." At the door, the guard looked strangely at Marquis Xuanping, who was carrying a bow and arrow and riding a tall horse, not understanding what Marquis Xuanping was doing in military uniform in the middle of the night.

Could it be a night raid on the enemy camp?

But why is he all alone?

To gather military intelligence?

Why bring a bow and arrow?

Xiao Ji tightened the reins and said calmly, "Hmm, I'm going out for a bit. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach within a hundred paces of the military camp. Anyone who dissuades me will be killed without mercy!"

"Yes!" The guard bowed and solemnly replied.

Xiao Ji rode away and disappeared into the swirling snow.

He wasn't there to spy on military intelligence, nor was he going to launch a night raid on the enemy camp. Instead, he rode his horse into a deep mountain forest and hunted a wild deer.

That night, a steaming bowl of venison soup with bread was added to Princess Xinyang's table.

Princess Xinyang started eating vegetarian food a few years ago, but after becoming pregnant with Yiyi, she resumed a balanced diet of meat and vegetables to supplement her nutrition. Yiyi was weaned at one year old, and after she no longer needed to be fed, she didn't eat much meat anymore.

But in such a cold and harsh place, drinking more meat soup and eating more meat is the best way to resist the cold.

Princess Xinyang understood this as well, and silently picked up her bowl and chopsticks to eat.

Thinking of something, she looked at Xiao Ji, who was sitting to the side wiping his weapons, and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"

“I’ve already eaten,” Xiao Ji said.

After a few sips of venison soup, Princess Xinyang felt warm all over, her forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat, and her nose was glistening.

"How is it here...?" she asked.

Xiao Ji wiped his longsword with a cloth and said casually, "The battle is almost over."

"Where are Xiao Ming and the others?" she continued.

She used "them," clearly indicating she wasn't asking Xiao Ming alone.

Marquis Xuanping had two sons born out of wedlock. Princess Xinyang refused to marry him, and the old lady couldn't bear to see his lineage end, so she arranged for two concubines to be born into his family. That's how Xiao En and Xiao Ze came to be.

Although they were born out of wedlock, the old lady, who could not hope for legitimate children, doted on the two of them and raised them under her care.

Their marital relationship used to be as cold as ice; Princess Xinyang neither cared about nor paid attention to his illegitimate son.

Later, the old lady's health deteriorated, and Xiao En and Xiao Ze went to the military camp. A few years later, they came to the east and had no further contact with Princess Xinyang.

Xiao Ji said, "Xiao Ming has been poisoned and is unconscious. The antidote is in the hands of the Dongyi people. Xiao En and Xiao Ze are guarding Donglin Pass."

Princess Xinyang nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I always thought Xiao Ming was just injured."

Xiao Ji said calmly, "The Dongyi people are very cunning. The wounds look normal at first glance, but after half a month, they gradually show signs of poisoning."

Princess Xinyang asked, "Did you agree to make peace with the Dongyi people because of Xiao Ming's antidote?"

Xiao Ji paused in wiping his sword: "The Xiao family has never been threatened. Xiao Ming may die, but the backbone of the Zhao Kingdom's soldiers cannot be bent."

Princess Xinyang sensed the fighting spirit emanating from him. Her eyes flickered, and she asked, "Then why—"

"A delaying tactic." Xiao Ji glanced at the sword, its edge gleaming from being polished. The cold light reflected in his narrow phoenix eyes, casting a chilling glint in them as well. "Tomorrow I'm going to attack the Dongyi people. You stay in the military camp and don't wander off."

"Let Longyi go with you."

"Need not."

Xiao Ji sheathed his sword and, seeing that she had finished eating, took the bowl and chopsticks away.

Princess Xinyang looked at the simple tent. Marquis Xuanping had grown up in luxury, and it was hard to imagine that he was suffering such hardship on the frontier.

There were several small holes in the tent, through which sparse moonlight and cold wind fell. Suddenly, something covered those holes.

Xiao Ji repaired the tent.

Princess Xinyang sat on the hard bed, listening to the sounds of Xiao Ji talking to his soldiers outside.

"Please don't do that again next time, it's very dangerous. You might fall into a trap set by the Dongyi people!"

Princess Xinyang glanced at the piece of roasted venison that Xiao Ji had left for her on the table.

"Who exactly is that person?" the soldier asked again.

“My wife,” Xiao Ji said.

After that, the soldiers stopped muttering.

After Xiao Ji finished repairing the tent and returned to the camp, Princess Xinyang asked with a calm expression, "Where did Long Yi go?"

Xiao Ji replied, "Go to Chang Jing's tent, it's right next door."

"I'll be tonight..."

"You sleep here."

"and you……"

"Of course I sleep here too."

Princess Xinyang's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips moved a few times, but she ultimately did not utter the words that she would not allow him to share a bed with her.

Military supplies were limited, the beds were cold and hard, and the blankets were thin and damp.

Princess Xinyang lay stiffly beside him, her hands and feet ice-cold.

The atmosphere in the military camp was quite different from that in the capital. He had lost some of his carefree and unrestrained demeanor and gained more of the seriousness and sharpness of a battlefield general.

For example, at this moment, he couldn't help but tease her a couple of times.

He closed his eyes and planned out tomorrow's arrangements in his mind.

“Xiao Ji,” Princess Xinyang said softly.

"What's wrong?" He quickly snapped out of his thoughts about the battle.

Princess Xinyang's Adam's apple bobbed, she nervously clenched her fingers, and asked softly, "...I'm cold."

In the past, he would have said to her in a cheeky tone, "Qin Fengwan, just say so if you want me to hold you."

However, he did not.

He simply held her hand under the covers and, noticing how cold she was, moved his side of the blanket closer to her: "Is this any better?"

"It's still cold," Princess Xinyang said.

In the darkness, he hesitated for a moment, then reached out his strong arms and pulled her into his embrace.

His unique masculine aura wafted over her, instantly enveloping her.

He unbuttoned his shirt, letting her icy hands touch his warm chest, then shifted his legs, placing her icy feet on his warm, long legs.

"Is this better?" he asked.

Princess Xinyang's cheeks felt hot; she thought it was probably because this man was too hot-tempered.

She nodded and responded very faintly, "Mmm."

"Qin Fengwan, don't move."

"I didn't move."

Your feet.

"The frostbite spots are so itchy." She couldn't help but rub her leg against his, but that's not considered moving around, is it?

She reached down to scratch it, but accidentally bumped into a terrifying beast as she slid down. She was so startled that her face turned bright red!

Xiao Ji's voice became slightly hoarse: "I told you not to move around."

She choked, then said angrily, "I didn't touch you here!"

Xiao Ji stared intently at her in the darkness, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Qin Fengwan, are you cured?"

Princess Xinyang was taken aback.

Her illness... her inability to have contact with men...

At this very moment, she was being held tightly in a man's arms.

She did not develop symptoms.

No, it seems she's had a relapse.

Her heart was pounding, like a fawn running wildly inside.

Her mind was buzzing, her mouth was dry, and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

(End of this chapter)