Shielding you from arrows

The journey from Fuyang in Shanghan back to the northern border of Yanyun was quite a distance. He hadn't felt it when he came, but perhaps because he was so eager to return, the time suddenly felt incredibly long. Shanghan was hot year-round; even though Xiling might already be in winter, Shanghan was still unbearably hot. Tang Feng looked up at the scorching sun and asked, "We've been traveling for so long... and we're still not there?" "Young Master, it took you three or four months to get here too. We're almost there now... just bear with it!" Tang Feng rode his horse swaying back and forth. He caught sight of the tall city walls in the distance and immediately perked up. "Aren't we here?" Tang Feng pointed to the city walls, drew his whip from his waist, and lashed the horse's rump hard. "Giddy up! Giddy up!"

Liu Yiwan was worried that Tang Feng might throw him off again when he suddenly urged the horse on. After all, this wasn't a horse from his own family. But Tang Feng was different now compared to when he was at Lishan Academy, and he rode steadily the whole way. Just as they reached the city wall, Tang Feng pulled hard on the reins, forcing the horse to stop. "Whoa!" The soldier on guard duty was Chen Ke. Seeing Tang Feng return on horseback, Chen Ke was first startled, then excitedly told the soldier beside him, "Quick! Go and inform the young marquis that the young mistress has returned, and tell him to come quickly!" Chen Ke repeatedly checked from the city wall, confirming that it was indeed Tang Feng and the others who had returned, and immediately turned and went down from the city wall. "Young Madam!" Tang Feng had just reined in his horse to a stop when he saw the city gates wide open, and Chen Ke greeted him with a smile. "Brother Chen?" Tang Feng dismounted upon seeing Chen Ke. "Brother Chen, why did you come out?" Tang Feng was puzzled; he hadn't sent a message back at all, so how did Chen Ke seem to know beforehand and come out to greet him so quickly? "Young Madam, this humble general was on duty at the city gate today," Chen Ke pointed up, "and just happened to see you riding over, so I came down to meet you. Don't wait any longer; it's hot, hurry inside." Seeing Tang Feng covered in sweat and his lips pale, Chen Ke was afraid he would suffer from heatstroke, so he took the reins from Tang Feng and urged him to go inside and rest. Chen Ke called over several soldiers to help Liu Yiwan and the others unload the goods and then carried them into the military camp. It was midday, and the sun was scorching. Even Chen Ke was finding it hard to bear, let alone Tang Feng and the others. Tang Feng quickened his pace involuntarily as he walked along the path from the military camp towards the commander's camp. Reaching the tent entrance, Tang Feng stopped, watching the people hurrying out, and softly called out, "Ziliang..." Zhou Ziliang was startled, then looked at Tang Feng standing before him. "Little... Feng? Little Feng!" Before Zhou Ziliang could finish speaking, Tang Feng rushed forward and threw himself into Zhou Ziliang's arms, hugging him tightly, his forehead resting against Zhou Ziliang's neck, murmuring, "I'm back."

"It's good to be back. I'm so glad you're safe." Zhou Ziliang hugged Tang Feng back around the waist, spinning him around. "You haven't lost weight. Looks like you were quite comfortable in Shanghan!" Tang Feng chuckled at this unexpected remark. "Thanks to you, I didn't suffer as badly as I did with the Qiang and Hu tribes." Seeing Tang Feng release him, Zhou Ziliang grabbed his hand. "It's hot outside. Come inside and rest. Aren't you afraid of heatstroke? Your lips are pale; you're clearly dehydrated." With that, Zhou Ziliang pulled Tang Feng into the military camp without looking back. Today, Zhou Ziliang wasn't wearing armor, just a thin undershirt with wrist guards on the cuffs—a perfect martial arts performer's outfit. Tang Feng was led into the camp, found a place to sit, and seeing Zhou Ziliang pouring him water, quickly said, "I want some cold water... It's too hot!"

"No, at most it's just warm water. Aren't you afraid of getting a stomachache from drinking cold water?" Zhou Ziliang poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Tang Feng. "You didn't even tell me you were coming back. If Chen Ke hadn't seen you, were you planning to wait outside the city forever?" Zhou Ziliang frowned as he looked at the beads of sweat on Tang Feng's forehead. "Don't you even care about yourself?" Tang Feng shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "I didn't send you a letter because I was afraid you'd nag! But I wasn't planning on standing outside the city forever! If I shouted up, someone would surely answer." Tang Feng pulled Zhou Ziliang's arm, gesturing for him to sit down. "Stop asking me all these questions, like you're interrogating a criminal... I finally came back, and you keep nagging, even if you don't say anything else." Seeing Tang Feng getting a little upset... Zhou Ziliang, unable to control his temper, said helplessly, "I'm just worried about you! You're not by my side, and the weather in Shanghan is already unbearably hot. I was already worried enough about you going out to do business, afraid you'd be kidnapped. If you get sick again when you come back, wouldn't I be frantic with worry?" Then Zhou Ziliang's expression softened, and he said gently, "You must be exhausted from the journey! Why don't you rest for a while, and I'll make you something to eat." Hearing Zhou Ziliang's words, Tang Feng was indeed a little sleepy, but he still forced himself to ask, "Have Liu Liu and the others come in too?" He had rushed to see Zhou Ziliang and almost forgot about Qin Liu Liu and Liu Yiwan. Now that he remembered, he naturally had to ask to see if they had been arranged properly.

"Don't worry about that!" Zhou Ziliang pulled out the blanket and started making the bed. "With Ake there, everything will be arranged. Go and rest!" Tang Feng sat on the bed, pulling the blanket up and looking at Zhou Ziliang. After a long pause, he blurted out, "Ziliang..." Hearing Tang Feng call him, Zhou Ziliang's hands, which were busy tidying the blanket for him, slowly stopped. He looked up at Tang Feng. "Uh... It's nothing. I'm hungry. Go cook." Zhou Ziliang smiled helplessly. "I know you're hungry. Don't rush me." Then he turned and left the tent. Tang Feng watched Zhou Ziliang leave and sighed. He just couldn't bring himself to say it! Tang Feng genuinely wanted to marry Zhou Ziliang this time. After all, he felt bad for making Zhou Ziliang wait for more than a year for no reason. Also, after he went to Shanghan, Su Zili's matter was nowhere to be found. His body hadn't shown any strange problems, so he could only take it one step at a time. Returning to Xiling to get married had fulfilled Tang Feng's long-cherished wish. However, Tang Feng was hesitant to bring it up with Zhou Ziliang himself, feeling that he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Zhou Ziliang was gone for over half an hour. Tang Feng had already dozed off against the headboard, but Zhou Ziliang hadn't returned, and he was bored anyway. So he got up and went out of the tent to look for Zhou Ziliang. As soon as he lifted the curtain, he saw Zhou Ziliang standing outside the door with a food tray. "Why are you up?" Tang Feng took two steps back to make way for Zhou Ziliang. "I was pretty bored... so I got up."

Zhou Ziliang smiled after hearing this. "Eat something first! I'll take you horseback riding later." He placed the bowl on the plate in front of Tang Feng. "There's not much to eat in the north, so I just stir-fried two dishes. Just make do!" Tang Feng didn't mind and picked up his chopsticks to eat. "Not bad, your cooking skills have improved!" Seeing Tang Feng shoveling rice into his mouth, Zhou Ziliang chuckled. "Eat slowly, I'm not going to take it from you. It'll be cooler in the afternoon in the north. I'll go get two horses later, come with me for a ride!"

Tang Feng sat in the chair, rubbing his slightly protruding belly, and nodded. "Alright! I had some things I was planning to tell you." Zhou Ziliang led two horses out of the stable, then handed the whips to Tang Feng. After watching him mount, he mounted himself. Outside the tent was a desolate field. The temperature difference in the north was significant; the morning was unbearably hot, but by the afternoon a cool breeze had arrived, making Tang Feng feel quite comfortable. "Ziliang, although I didn't see Su Zili on my trip to Shanghan, I heard something incredible." Tang Feng gently tugged at the reins, bringing the horses closer to Zhou Ziliang. He then pulled on Zhou Ziliang's sleeve, signaling him to come closer. Zhou Ziliang cooperated, bending down to lean in. Tang Feng said, "I feel that the current emperor and Su Zili have a problem." Zhou Ziliang quickly interrupted, lowering his voice, "Even if there's a problem, you can't say it. This is no joke, and..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Ziliang heard the sound of arrows slicing through the air. Before Tang Feng could react, his horse, as if startled, neighed and reared up. Startled, Tang Feng gripped the reins tightly. Zhou Ziliang didn't have time to react, but after a quick glance around, he couldn't see anyone. The terrain of the northern frontier was rugged and uneven; they were currently in a basin, flanked by towering hills—the terrain was extremely unfavorable. Without thinking, Zhou Ziliang pulled out his whip and lashed Tang Feng's horse. The horse, in pain, reared up and bolted. Zhou Ziliang followed closely behind, fearing for Tang Feng's safety, but the arrows seemed to be aimed directly at him, several grazing past him. Zhou Ziliang looked up at the hills and saw at least seven or eight people on horseback chasing them. He began to suspect something was amiss. Zi Liang lashed out with his whip, wrapping it around Tang Feng's waist and pulling hard. Before Tang Feng could react, he was already sitting on Zhou Zi Liang's horse. "These people are probably after you," Zhou Zi Liang said, tightening the reins. This trip was just to relax, and Zhou Zi Liang hadn't ridden Hong Dou. Although it was also a military horse, its stamina was far inferior to Hong Dou's. Unfortunately, he hadn't brought any weapons, so Zhou Zi Liang had no choice. Tang Feng was held tightly in Zhou Zi Liang's arms, unable to move, but he was too embarrassed to say anything while they were fleeing for their lives. Suddenly, they heard a muffled thud, as if something had been hit. Tang Feng was sitting sideways on the horse and had no idea what had happened, only hearing Zhou Zi Liang's muffled groan, "Zi Liang?"

"It's okay! Don't be afraid!"