Chapter 85 On the Eve of Parting

A pot of steaming hot meat patties came out of the pot, and the inn's kitchen was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of meat.

Zhu Mingyue picked up a piece and almost burst into tears from the heat as soon as she put it in her mouth. Helpless, she could only put it aside and wait for the pancake to cool down before eating it.

Wang Zongxiu saw that he had borrowed the inn's kitchen and was busy preparing food early in the morning. At first, he just thought that he was bored and wanted to cook for himself. However, when he and his brothers were drinking porridge downstairs, they smelled a familiar aroma of meat.

"Is Young Master Zhu making pancakes?" someone asked. They had all eaten the meat pancakes that Zhu Mingyue had brought on the road, and the taste was indeed unforgettable.

Wang Zongxiu solemnly put down the bowl of white porridge in his hand: "I'll go take a look." His back view carried a hint of urgency.

Zhu Mingyue turned around when she heard footsteps coming from the kitchen doorway, and smiled brightly: "Brother Wang, you've come at the right time. The meat patties are fresh out of the pan. Hurry up and take them out for them to try while they're still hot."

Wang Zongxiu didn't stand on ceremony and stuffed one into his mouth first. The scalding hot meat juice burst in his mouth. Wang Zongxiu had thick skin and could withstand the heat, so he only hissed twice before continuing to eat without changing his expression.

Wang Zongxiu said with a smile, "It's really different when it's hot; it tastes even better than before."

Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "It's definitely the best when it's fresh out of the pot!"

Wang Zongxiu, his mouth glistening with oil, picked up the bamboo plate holding the pancakes and said to him, "Don't bother with that, come and eat with us."

Zhu Mingyue refused, her hands still rolling out dough. "You guys go eat, I'll just eat something in the kitchen. Since the inn has a kitchen, I'll make some for Xie Pei to take to the military camp."

Wang Zongxiu's eyes lit up, and he said in a flattering tone, "If you still have time, why don't you do something for us brothers too!"

"Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you this time. I'll pay whatever you ask."

Zhu Mingyue thought about it. It would take at least ten days to get back to Ganzhou, so he really should prepare some food. He was setting off tomorrow, and he had completely forgotten about it.

"Okay, I'll make more meat patties, but only enough for three days at most, they'll spoil easily if left for too long."

"Okay, you handle it." Wang Zongxiu readily agreed, thinking that he had made the right choice in bringing Zhu Mingyue along. Just because of his excellent pancake-making skills, all twenty or so of his brothers had benefited. They never had such a treat on their usual long journeys.

The sound of horses being reined in came from outside the inn. Zhu Mingyue's ears twitched, and she knew that Xie Pei had arrived.

Pancakes were being cooked in the pan and needed to be flipped repeatedly, so he had no choice but to stand obediently in front of the stove and wait for Xie Pei to come find him.

Outside the inn, Wang Zongxiu was happily eating a bowl in one hand and a pancake in the other. When he saw Xie Pei arrive, he greeted him: "Commander, you've arrived very early. Brother Zhu is probably busy making pancakes in the kitchen and can't get away."

Xie Pei quickly dismounted, his eyes sweeping over the meat pie in Wang Zongxiu's hand, and he frowned.

Wang Zongxiu immediately felt a chill run down his spine, and explained somewhat incoherently, "He said it was pancakes prepared for you, and we just wanted to try some because of you." He was genuinely afraid that Xie Pei would think he was exploiting Zhu Mingyue so early in the morning.

Xie Pei asked casually, "Where is the inn's kitchen?"

Wang Zongxiu pointed behind him: "It's in the backyard."

Xie Pei walked past him and went straight to the backyard. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Zhu Mingyue's busy figure.

The crackling sound of splattering oil and the rising steam made him stand still for a moment, lost in thought. In that instant, he hallucinated countless scenes from his past at home, where Zhu Mingyue cooked while he tended the firewood.

Zhu Mingyue noticed the slight footsteps and turned to look at him. "You're here!" He picked up another pancake and handed it to him, urging, "Eat quickly and see how it tastes."

Xie Pei took it and ate it. It was a familiar taste that he hadn't had in a long time. Zhu Mingyue used to make it for him often, and she would always tell him to bring a few to eat before going hunting in the mountains.

"Is it delicious?" Zhu Mingyue's eyes sparkled.

Xie Pei nodded: "It's delicious."

Once he affirmed, Zhu Mingyue became even more talkative, "I also think it's delicious. I specially got up early to buy the freshest meat, specifically the shoulder and pork belly, which are three parts fat and seven parts lean, which is perfect. I don't see many people buying meat in the city, so I just bought it all."

He pointed to the bubbling earthenware pot in the corner, "Pork belly is good for braising. I remember you like it, so I made some. I'm simmering it over a low flame for lunch. If you can't finish it, you can take it with you when you return to the barracks."

Xie Pei felt as if something had struck his heart, a warm current surged up his heart and spread throughout his body, and he choked slightly, "I'll start the fire."

"Okay!" Zhu Mingyue smiled, her eyes crinkling, feeling as if the two of them had returned to how they used to be.

The day passed quickly. After lunch, Zhu Mingyue suggested that she wanted to go for a stroll in the suburbs and see the scenery of Jizhou.

Xie Pei saw through his true thoughts: wanting to see the scenery was an excuse; he really wanted to ride a horse.

So Xie Pei took him to the outskirts of the city, to a large meadow where the grass was as tall as Zhu Mingyue's calves and the wind blew through it, creating waves of grass.

Zhu Mingyue couldn't help but close her eyes, open her arms and feel the gentle breeze passing by her ears, feeling the scent of earth and grass in the air. Even the greatest worries would dissipate in this vast and boundless nature.

"Xie Pei, I think I'm starting to fall in love with Jizhou," Zhu Mingyue murmured.

Unlike Ganzhou, which seems to have countless mountains and rivers, Jizhou has vast plains and countless beautiful landscapes.

"If only the Southern Barbarians hadn't attacked," Zhu Mingyue said regretfully. If it weren't for the Southern Barbarian invasion, Ningjiang and Suiyuan wouldn't have been lost. He still wanted to see the prosperous Ningjiang that Brother Cui had described to him!

Xie Pei said in a muffled voice, "They will leave."

"I hope so." Zhu Mingyue pursed her lips. "Xie Pei, can you take me for a couple more rides?"

Xie Pei shook his head and held out his hand to him, "Come on, I'll teach you how to ride a horse."

"Me?" Zhu Mingyue's eyes widened suddenly as she pointed to herself. "Is it really possible?"

Xie Pei didn't know what to say, so he could only tell him, "It's very easy."

He thought for a moment and added, "Even Li Zhengyang can learn it."

Zhu Mingyue: ...Why do I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of confidence from the inside out?

So if Li Zhengyang can learn it, he should be able to learn it too! But isn't half a day too short?

Seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, Xie Pei placed his hand on his waist and gently instructed him: "Put your feet in the stirrups, hold onto the saddle, and use your leg strength to jump onto the horse."

Zhu Mingyue followed his instructions, albeit haltingly, and performed the movements. Although he had Xie Pei's help, it was still the first time in his life that he had mounted a horse on his own. Filled with novelty, he couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing this, Xie Pei smiled and released his large hand that was supporting him, "You can try to go up by yourself."

Zhu Mingyue dismounted and tried again. With the experience from the previous attempt, she was indeed more skilled this time.

Zhu Mingyue was overjoyed and immediately plucked two handfuls of fresh green grass and offered them to the horse's mouth: "Good horse, please be patient and let me try a few more times."

Xie Pei's horse was very docile towards him, only lowering its head to graze. Even though it was a little annoyed by his up-and-down movements, it only took a few light steps in place.

Xie Pei stood to one side, quietly watching Zhu Mingyue practice mounting the horse with great enthusiasm.

"I think I've got it." Zhu Mingyue was overjoyed, feeling like a horsemanship prodigy, and wishing she could ride a horse for 300 miles a day right now.

The next second, Xie Pei said, "Head up, chest out, stomach in."

Zhu Mingyue did as he was told, as if by reflex. After realizing what had happened, he felt ashamed. No wonder he was a former centurion; disciplining him was a piece of cake for him.

"Squeeze your thighs tightly against the horse's body." Xie Pei straightened his grip on the horse without any expression.

When his leg was touched, it felt like an electric current ran through him; the tingling, strange sensation made him involuntarily flinch.

"Don't be afraid, relax." Xie Pei grabbed the reins and led the horse for a while.

Zhu Mingyue regained her confidence: "Xie Pei, I want to try riding a horse myself."

To others, this is no less than trying to run away after just learning to stand at a right angle.

Xie Pei didn't say anything, but calmly handed the reins back to him, saying, "Ride slowly."

Holding the rope tightly, Zhu Mingyue gazed into the distance, a surge of heroic ambition rising within her. All her excitement coalesced into a single command: "Giddy up!"

Then the horse started to trot with small, shuffling steps, occasionally burying its neck in the ground to nibble on some grass, looking anything but leisurely.

Zhu Mingyue: ? ? ?

Does Xie Pei really need to give special instructions at this speed?

He bent down and patted the horse's head, complaining, "Brother, what's going on? You were able to run so fast with two people with you just now, but now that I'm alone, shouldn't you be running even faster?"

The horse ignored his words and seemed to be deliberately making things difficult for him, slowing down even further. He turned his head and found that Xie Pei had somehow walked up to his side.

It's so humiliating that a horseman can be just as fast as a person on two legs.

Zhu Mingyue's face turned bright red as she held back her anger, and finally she gritted her teeth and said, "Does it look down on me?"

Xie Pei knew he had misunderstood and was very short-tempered, so he suppressed a smile and explained, "It's not that I look down on you. It was originally a wild horse that I tamed, and it's used to being unruly."

The implication is that anyone other than Xie Pei who can ride it is doing him a favor.

Zhu Mingyue's sullen expression was impossible to hide, it was all on her face, vivid and amusing. Xie Pei watched for a while before speaking, "Squeeze in tighter."

drive--

The horse's ears twitched as it heard the familiar voice. Instantly, it became a completely different horse, galloping wildly across the plains.

Zhu Mingyue's heart pounded rapidly. He could hear the whistling wind beside his ears and see Er Ya chasing after him overhead. His blood boiled again.

The horse circled around and obediently returned to Xie Pei's side, leaving Zhu Mingyue unable to recover from the shock for a long time.

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh: "That was so exhilarating!" It was nothing compared to the way those rich kids in his previous life raced and flaunted their cars.

This intense emotion was not easily calmed down, to the point that Zhu Mingyue's legs felt weak and limp when she dismounted.

He lost his footing in the stirrups and nearly fell off the horse.

Let him fall, there are thick weeds all around, he won't get hurt.

He didn't care much, and the scene he expected of falling into the grass didn't happen. Instead, he landed in Xie Pei's warm and generous arms.

Zhu Mingyue's face flushed slightly, and he quickly broke free, pretending to be nonchalant, saying, "I'm not very good at dismounting yet." In short, he would never admit that his legs were weak because he was too excited.

Xie Pei escorted him back to the inn. Zhu Mingyue looked at the bustling city and was initially a little disappointed, but her agitated mood eventually calmed down.

He had so much fun today that he was exhausted. After packing up and washing up, he lay down on the bed, smacked his lips, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

In my dreams, I still see him galloping on horseback.

Xie Pei returned to the military camp under the cover of night, where the soldiers were eating.

Li Zhengyang picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks and stirred it into the millet porridge, then slurped it down with relish. Noticing an unfriendly gaze fixed on him, he looked up and stared back sharply, snarling, "What are you looking at!"

He saw it clearly: Li Ding was a bully who preyed on the weak. Ever since he had become more assertive after listening to Sun Kan's advice, Li Ding hadn't dared to utter a sound, and now he only dared to secretly glare at him.

Perhaps seeing how much he was enjoying his food, someone timidly asked, "Centurion, what are you eating?"

"This?" Li Zhengyang raised an eyebrow: "This is pickled vegetable, salty, it's perfect for mixing with porridge."

"Oh," the man said, feeling a little embarrassed as he waited for a long time without the man mentioning offering them some pickled vegetables.

Li Zhengyang then said, "I remember there will be a team competition in the military camp in a few days. Now that we've made it into the top five, I'll give each of you a share to try."

He actually wanted to say top three, but these guys usually lacked fighting spirit, and setting the goal too high would only make them hesitate.

Sure enough, his words were met with a few small cheers.

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Li Zhengyang's lips, hidden under the rim of the bowl, curled up wildly.

"Alright, finish your food and get some rest. Start training properly tomorrow." He quickly finished his porridge and scooped a ladle of water from the vat to rinse the bowl, which was spotless.

While everyone else had gone into their tents, he stealthily made his way to Xie Pei's tent.

A hand suddenly slapped his shoulder from deep behind, startling Li Zhengyang so much that he almost jumped out.

"What are you doing, sneaking around like that?" Sun Kan looked in the direction he was walking and said speechlessly, "Are you going to steal something from the Captain's tent?"

Li Zhengyang's forehead creased with annoyance: "Can you watch your mouth? What could I possibly be stealing? There's nothing in his tent except a desk and a bed."

Sun Kan: "Didn't the captain's sister-in-law also send some food?"

Li Zhengyang choked, "I'm not that kind of person. I think you're the one who's up to no good, loitering around outside the adults' tent in the dark."

Sun Kan remained calm despite being spoken to like that, saying, "My lord has not been in the camp for a day. I have something to report to him."

Ah, so that's how it is! In comparison, Li Zhengyang felt even more guilty, and nonchalantly turned around and prepared to go back.

However, Sun Kan was not about to give him such a chance. He held him tightly, full of wicked amusement: "Since you're already here, come with me!"

Xie Pei's upright figure was reflected in the tent. "Come in."

The tent was filled with the sweet and intoxicating aroma of meat. Xie Pei ate politely, slowly finishing the last bite, and even knew to close the lid of the jar before finishing.

Li Zhengyang beside him was already swallowing hard. Sun Kan glanced at the pottery jar on the table and got to the point: "Recently, the Southern Barbarians have become rampant again outside our Jizhou City, frequently wandering and harassing us not far from the city. The soldiers guarding the city gate are having a hard time."

Ultimately, the Southern Barbarians could no longer contain themselves. They had pulled this stunt time and time again, just waiting for them to lower their guard before launching a full-scale attack on the city.

This simple and easy-to-understand trick had been used to death long before the two armies went to war, and it just so happened to work.

Sun Kan lowered his eyes and continued, "General Guan sent someone to the camp with a message, ordering the captain to deal with the Southern Barbarians wandering outside the city within five days, as a warning to others."

Xie Pei casually picked up a book and slowly turned the pages. Upon hearing this, he slightly raised his eyelids.

"To make an example of others?" Such a method is too mild. Besides, the Southern Barbarians are determined to attack Jizhou. To think that this alone can have a deterrent effect is to underestimate these Southern Barbarians. He sneered, "I understand. Tomorrow, prepare three hundred soldiers. This time, you, Zhong Hui, and Li Zhengyang will come with me out of the city."

Sun Kan and Li Zhengyang immediately clasped their hands in acceptance of the order.

Silence returned to the tent. Xie Pei read for a while, then looked up and realized that the two men were still in the tent.

"Is there anything else?"

Sun Kan shook his head, not forgetting to tease Li Zhengyang: "It's nothing, I'll take my leave. Centurion Li just said he had something to report to you."

What could Li Zhengyang possibly be doing? Unlike Sun Kan, who not only led his hundred or so soldiers but also handled various miscellaneous tasks within the camp, Li Zhengyang was different.

Xie Pei clearly knew his nature well, and frowned: "Speak quickly."

Li Zhengyang's eyes darted around but his brain didn't work. He couldn't come up with any reasonable excuse, so he could only say truthfully, "Sir, actually, I'm fine."

That's what he said, but his eyes were never honest; he kept glancing at the jar.

As soon as he entered the tent, he smelled the aroma of braised pork. No one but Zhu Mingyue made this dish. He was overwhelmed with grief, unsure whether to be angry that Xie Pei had secretly enjoyed it behind his back or angry that Zhu Mingyue had secretly given Xie Pei a taste of her own medicine.

Li Zhengyang took one last, lingering look at the pot of braised pork before speaking, "This subordinate will also take his leave."

Xie Pei was clearly too lazy to argue with him, and said with a disdainful tone, "Wait, take your pancake and get out of here."

Li Zhengyang was overjoyed. Getting scolded for the pancakes made by Zhu Mingyue was worth it!

Xie Pei's lips twitched.