Qin Yi nodded, his tone tinged with unease, "I understand. Why did the teacher suddenly give these instructions?"
General Du said easily, "My life is coming to an end, so I can't help but say a few more words."
Qin Yi's eyes flickered, and he quickly lowered his eyelids to hide the emotions in them.
General Du looked at Nanqianyue, his aged face full of kindness towards his junior. "Girl, how about we make a bet?"
Nan Qianyue squatted down next to Qin Yi. Although she didn't understand what the old general meant, she cooperated fully. "Okay, what are we betting on?"
General Du's enigmatic gaze swept between her and Qin Yi, "I bet you two will become a couple."
The southward migration was stunned.
Qin Yi suddenly raised his eyes and looked at General Du in astonishment. Only he knew how fast his heart was beating at that moment.
General Du ignored him and looked at Nan Qianyue, asking, "Does the girl believe it?"
Nanqianyue dared not look the old general in the eye; of course, she didn't believe him.
All she wants is to go home; she has no desire to stay here. Her recent close contact with Qin Yi is merely a ploy to lower his guard and gain his trust.
But for some reason, she became less and less averse to Qin Yi's contact, and found him increasingly pleasing to the eye.
And the thought of lying to him made her feel a little uncomfortable.
"I don't know," Nan Qianyue replied cautiously.
General Du nodded slowly, saying nothing more. "I'm tired. You may all leave."
Qin Yi got up and helped him lie down, without saying a word of concern; everything was buried deep in her heart.
Outside the tent, Qin Yi gazed at Nan Qianyue and said softly, "You and Hongyi should go back to Huaxian first."
Nanqianyue could tell that he was suppressing his emotions, so she took his hand and comforted him, "Don't suppress yourself too much. You're not made of iron. It's okay to release your emotions appropriately."
Qin Yi's brows softened instantly. "Alright, I'll see you out of the military camp."
...Outside the military camp.
The woman in red led over two horses, and Nanqianyue lifted her foot to walk away, but was suddenly stopped by Qin Yi.
Before I could even react, I fell into a broad embrace.
Qin Yi held her tightly, his voice trembling, "Yue'er, will you leave me?"
Nanqian Yue's heart skipped a beat; she felt that Qin Yi was acting strangely.
"No." She lied to herself, telling a colossal lie.
Upon hearing her promise, Qin Yi's stiff lips relaxed, and a slight smile appeared on his face.
He slowly released Nan Qianyue, cupped her face, and placed a devout kiss on her forehead, his dark pupils reflecting her beautiful face.
He said earnestly, "I believe you."
Nanqianyue forced a smile. "Go and keep your teacher company. I'm leaving."
She turned and mounted her horse as if fleeing, not daring to look back, and rode away at breakneck speed.
...A night filled with complex emotions finally came to an end.
Just as Yue was about to meet Hongyi in the courtyard, a young officer hurried over, led by the steward.
His expression was sorrowful. "Deputy General Hong, General Du... has passed away. Deputy General Qing has specially ordered me to inform you."
The woman in red trembled, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. "You said..."
She felt a lump in her throat and couldn't speak.
Nan Qianyue grasped her wrist. "Don't delay, go quickly."
She could tell that the woman in red also had deep feelings for General Du.
The woman in red pulled Nan Qianyue back, saying, "Miss Nan, come with me."
Nan Qianyue shook her head and pried her hands away. "It's not appropriate for me to go. There are quite a few people in the military who have a problem with me. It's better not to let myself be affected on such an important occasion."
The woman in red nodded with tears in her eyes, "Okay, then I'll go first."
As Nan Qianyue watched the group leave in a hurry, she couldn't help but worry about Qin Yi.
General Du must have been incredibly kind to him; how heartbroken he must have been by leaving so suddenly.
But he must have kept all his sadness inside, and wasn't afraid that the anger would overwhelm him and cause him to cough up blood...
Nanqianyue sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, her eyes filled with melancholy.
At this moment, the woman in blue brought in breakfast and said with a smile, "Miss, after breakfast, we should set off."
"What departure?" Nan Qianyue was confused, but quickly panicked.
The woman in blue laid out breakfast and said patiently, "Today is the best time to escape, young lady. You should understand this."
Nan Qianyue hesitated, "But Qin Yi's teacher just left. If I leave now, it will be bad for him..."
Isn't that too cruel?
The woman in blue knelt down in front of Nan Qianyue, her voice gentle, "Miss, have you fallen for Prince Anzheng?"
Nan Qianyue's eyes widened slightly, and she stammered, "How...how could that be? I only got close to him to lower his guard."
The man in blue gently pressed down on Nan Qianyue's hand. "If you don't want to leave, we won't force you. When you have time later, our lord will take you to see all the beautiful scenery."
Travel through beautiful mountains and rivers...
Nanqianyue shook her head. What was she hesitating about?
Isn't finding a way home the most important thing?
“If you have truly fallen in love with Prince Anzheng, my master and I will bless you. You need not be troubled,” said the woman in blue, understandingly.
Nanqianyue frowned slightly. "Who says I like him? I like freedom. I want to travel to all the mountains and rivers!"
The man in blue smiled more broadly. "As long as you're happy, my lord will respect your wishes in everything."
The southward migration month is here, and everyone is getting ready to eat...
...An extremely turbulent day came to an end.
The military camp was filled with the glow of fire, yet it exuded a chilling atmosphere.
General Du lay peacefully atop a pile of firewood as tall as a person.
Cremation was his special request before his death; he wanted his soul to remain with the frontier forever.
The generals standing around the pyre shed tears, but Qin Yi suppressed his emotions and slowly approached the pyre with a torch in hand.
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