24. Chapter 24: Captivity

Xiaoxiao was worried about Pei Xiuhan and Zhang Li who was far away in the frontier. She didn't have much fun. After guessing a riddle, she couldn't help but sigh, "It would be great if there wasn't a war."

This way, Brother Pei won’t have to leave his hometown during the Chinese New Year.

Pei Jing was silent for a moment.

He was actually also worried about his uncle. Pei Jing lost his parents at the age of five and was raised by Pei Xiuhan. Although Pei Xiuhan was strict with him, Pei Jing knew that he wanted him to become a useful person.

Pei Jing had been intelligent since childhood, and naturally knew that many ministers in the court were wary of his uncle. Some even wished he would die on the battlefield, but his uncle still chose to go to war. Even though it was not his first time on the battlefield, Pei Jing was still very worried.

Seeing that Xiaoxiao was also worried about him, Pei Jing felt as if he had found a confidant. While guessing riddles, he said to Xiaoxiao, "The emperor's uncle will be fine. He went to the battlefield when he was young and caught the Jin Dynasty off guard. The people of the Jin Dynasty are very afraid of him. With the emperor's uncle here, we will not lose."

Xiaoxiao nodded heavily. Although she was so convinced, they were still a little worried. They couldn't help but sighed softly. When the sighs overlapped, they turned their heads to look at each other and couldn't help laughing.

Xiaoxiao has skin as white as jade and charming eyes and eyebrows. When she smiles, her stunning beauty cannot be concealed. Several young boys couldn't help but take a second look at her.

Among them was Pei Jing's study partner, Xiao Chen. Xiao Chen was actually Pei Jing's cousin, a year older than Pei Jing. He was known for his maturity and prowess. Not only were the senior officials praising him for his natural talent, but even Pei Xiuhan praised his tenacity, declaring that he would be a truly remarkable person in his own right.

As far as Pei Jing knew, there were already several girls who were attracted to him. Seeing that he ignored those people and instead looked at Xiaoxiao several times, Pei Jing became a little angry and glared back at them.

Xiaoxiao is just a little girl. As soon as the emperor's uncle left, someone is targeting her. Do they think she has no one behind her?

Xiao Chen was stunned by the stare, his ears felt hot and he turned his eyes away in embarrassment, but he couldn't help but glance at Xiaoxiao out of the corner of his eye. The little girl was really pretty, and just standing there quietly made people feel beautiful.

Xiao Chen was only fourteen years old, so naturally he didn't have any beastly thoughts. He just instinctively thought she was very beautiful, so beautiful that he wanted to take out his painting tools and depict her facial features one by one.

Xiaoxiao didn't realize that her first appearance had attracted a lot of attention. Some people even thought that when she grew up, she would be more beautiful than Zhong Yan.

Ever since he summoned her to the palace for the first time, the emperor would call Xiaoxiao to the palace from time to time, such as on the Shangsi Festival, Pei Xiuhan's birthday, and even on the Qingming Festival.

At this time, Pei Xiuhan had already arrived at the border with his troops. When he arrived, he happened to encounter the surprise attack of Da Jin. He led his troops directly to the battlefield. After repelling the enemy, he redeployed the defense of the border.

He was very busy for more than ten days and had no time to summon Zhang Li. It was not until this day that he remembered Zhang Li and asked someone to find Zhang Li.

At this time, Zhang Lizheng was helping the military doctor bandage the soldiers' wounds.

After every battle, many soldiers would be injured. During the last defeat, Zhang Li was stabbed in the abdomen while saving his superior and was nearly killed. He rested for a whole month. During this period, because he could not go to the battlefield, he became familiar with the military doctor. Since he knew some herbs, he often came to help in his spare time.

The soldier was seriously injured and had a narrow escape. When Zhang Li bandaged his wound, he couldn't help but tear up. "I thought I was dead, but I survived. It must be because Hui Niang was at home blessing me. When I left, Hui Niang was pregnant. I don't know if she gave birth to a little girl or a big fat boy."

His words reminded many people of their families.

Zhang Li also thought of Xiaoxiao and grandma. When he left, Xiaoxiao was still sick. He didn't know how the little girl is doing now. And grandma, her legs would hurt a lot when it rained, and he didn't know if her condition had worsened.

At this moment, Zhang Li heard a soldier calling him, "Zhang Ming, the master wants you to go to the camp."

After Zhang Li bandaged the man, he stood up and went straight to Lieutenant General Li's tent.

Lieutenant General Li admired Zhang Li very much. He patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Good boy, how did you get to know the Regent? He actually wanted to see you in person."

Zhang Li was stunned for a moment.

He had naturally heard of the Regent's reputation. It was because of his arrival that they won the battle this time. No matter who in the army mentioned the Regent, their faces were full of admiration. Although Zhang Li had never seen him, he knew that such a person could not possibly know him.

He followed his superiors to the Regent's tent, feeling somewhat uneasy, thinking that his attempt to replace Zhang Ming's identity had been discovered. He heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that the Regent would not care about such a trivial matter.

After the guard informed everyone, he let Zhang Li in.

The tent was very clean. There was a large desk with a map on it. A tall man was standing in front of the map.

He was very handsome and his presence was very impressive. Zhang Li did not dare to look at him any longer and awkwardly tried to bow. "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."

Pei Xiuhan reached out and held his arm, preventing him from kneeling, and said, "Are you Zhang Li?"

Zhang Li was suddenly startled, his bright eyes shrank unconsciously, and he subconsciously looked at the Regent.

Although he was only sixteen years old this year, he was considered tall when he was in the village. After being helped up by the Regent, he found that he was actually half a head shorter than him.

Pei Xiu Han was also looking at him. The young man in front of him was much stronger than Xiao Xiao, with bronze skin. Although he also had thick eyebrows and big eyes, he looked nothing like Xiao Xiao.

Pei Xiuhan didn't think much about it and just said softly, "Don't be nervous. Xiaoxiao told me about you."

Hearing the word "Xiaoxiao", Zhang Li's eyes were filled with shock. In his anxiety, he directly grabbed Pei Xiuhan's arm and asked, "Have you seen Xiaoxiao? How is she now? Is the cold better?"

Seeing the worry in the boy's eyes, Pei Xiuhan didn't get angry. He just quietly broke free from his hand and said calmly, "She's fine."

As he spoke, he handed Zhang Li the letter that Xiaoxiao had written to him. Zhang Li's eyes sparkled with excitement and he couldn't wait to open the letter.

Xiaoxiao didn't dare tell him that her grandmother was gone. She first talked about some things that happened when he just left in the letter, and finally said that she almost met a bad guy, but Brother Pei was kind and saved her.

Zhang Li, however, was sensitive enough to sense something was wrong. She only talked about herself and didn't mention her grandmother. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. He looked at Pei Xiuhan and asked, "How is my grandmother?"

Pei Xiuhan was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Xiaoxiao said she passed away peacefully."

Zhang Li's eyes turned red instantly, his fists were clenched tightly, and the veins on his arms bulged. He obviously didn't want to lose his composure in front of Pei Xiu Han, but his body began to tremble uncontrollably. He couldn't help but punch the table, and blood instantly flowed from his hand. He never thought that he would survive by chance, but his grandmother was gone.

Zhang Li's voice was hoarse. "How long has she been gone?"

Pei Xiuhan told him the truth. Thinking that his sister must be terrified after their grandmother left, he couldn't help but clench his fists.

Pei Xiuhan said: "You are still young, I can send someone to escort you back."

Zhang Li pursed his lips tightly and stood there for a long time without saying a word. Pei Xiuhan waited for a long time before he said in a hoarse voice, "Is Xiaoxiao safe?"

After getting a positive answer, he lifted his robe and knelt down. This time Pei Xiu Han was unable to stop him.

The young man's back was straight, his expression firm, only his eyes were scarlet. He kowtowed seriously before saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving Xiaoxiao's life."

"No need to thank me, she saved me too."

Zhang Li kowtowed again, then said, "I hope Your Highness can conceal my identity. Now that I'm here, I don't want to be a deserter. Your Highness doesn't need to send anyone to escort me. We're already short on manpower. After the battle, I'll go with Your Highness to pick up Xiaoxiao. In the meantime, I'll trouble Your Highness's people to take care of Xiaoxiao for a while longer."

Pei Xiuhan nodded in agreement.

*

While the battle on the border was in full swing, things were not going smoothly in the capital either. Pei Xiuhan was a master of military strategy, always attacking the enemy unexpectedly and defeating them several times. During the few months he stayed on the border, he won several battles and gradually regained the cities lost by the Zhou Dynasty.

He was a brave and good fighter, and was a god in the hearts of his soldiers. His several victories boosted the morale of the Great Zhou. For a time, the Great Jin was losing ground.

On the battlefield, the generals of the Jin Dynasty were unable to do anything to him, so they set their sights on the capital.

May 13th was Zhong Miao's birthday. Xiaoxiao made an appointment with Mu Wen early in the morning to celebrate Zhong Miao's birthday. On that day, many noble ladies came to the Wu'an Marquis Mansion. When they saw Zhong Miao, they presented her with gifts. Xiaoxiao gave her a Duanxi inkstone.

Zhong Miao was very happy today, so he asked the maid to prepare fruit wine during the meal. When the maid poured wine for Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao hurriedly waved her hands, but the maid accidentally spilled the wine on her.

The weather had gotten warmer. Xiaoxiao was wearing a light purple thin silk shirt. After being sprinkled with wine, the clothes immediately stuck to her snow-white skin, and the snow-capped peaks that had gradually become apparent revealed a faint seductive curve.

Her skin was as white as jade, her face was as beautiful as a delicate flower, and her clothes were slightly wet, which made her look even more alluring. The girls beside her didn't dare to look at her any more, as they thought she was too beautiful. It was rare for someone to combine purity and charm in one. However, Xiaoxiao became more and more charming as she grew older, and her eyes were clearer and cleaner than anyone else's. It seemed that any bad thoughts towards her would be offensive to such a beautiful woman.

Xiaoxiao quickly pulled her clothes and wiped it with a handkerchief. When she found that the position was a bit awkward, a blush spread across her fair face.

Zhong Miao glared at the clumsy maid and told her to accept her punishment. Then he said to Xiaoxiao, "I'll take you to change clothes. It just so happens that we are the same height."

There were many noble ladies at the banquet. As the host, it was not easy for her to leave. Mu Wen said, "You entertain the guests. I'll accompany her."

Luzhu also followed, and the maid led them to Zhong Miao's residence. Knowing that Xiaoxiao was not used to being served, Luzhu and Mu Wen's maid did not go in, and waited outside with Mu Wen.

When Xiaoxiao was about to undress, a tall man appeared silently behind her. He covered Xiaoxiao's lips and nose with a cloth. Xiaoxiao widened her eyes and tried to kick the stool at her feet, but she was knocked unconscious before she could kick it.

When the sound of the window opening reached her ears, Luzhu's ears twitched and her face suddenly changed. She slipped into the inner room and saw only a black figure flash by.

Xiaoxiao was no longer in the room.