Zhan Xinjia was already quite adept at escaping for his life.
But she never expected that this escape would last all night. She could neither lead the pursuers into Canghan's camp nor know what had delayed the imperial reinforcements on their way. The two could only try to stall for time.
Zhan Xinjia rediscovered that familiar, painful sensation of her buttocks being jolted into eight pieces.
Even if she could manage riding from sunset to dawn, the horse beneath her was in serious trouble.
"No, I can't take it anymore, bro. I'm going to throw up my dinner from last night. Ugh, wait... I haven't eaten for days."
Thinking of this, Zhan Xinjia felt even more desperate.
Even if Zhan Yinshu's body is just a shell containing consciousness, he can hold on, but he still has to consider Mei Bao's health.
Looking back, the Southern County army was still relentlessly pursuing her, their hatred seemingly boundless; this time, Pei Yi truly hated her to death. Zhan Xinjia sighed softly, racking her brains for a way to escape and shake off the pursuers, when Jide, who had been feigning death in her mind for a long time, suddenly spoke.
[Southwest direction.]
【Um? ? 】
[Stop humming, you idiot, run southwest, meow!!]
It's like a god of war who's frustrated by his host's lack of progress; sometimes, even though his host is a bit clumsy, he still worries about him.
Zhan Xinjia had no doubts. He tightened the reins, turned the horse around, and rode southwest with Zhan Yinshu. The outline of half a round sun was faintly visible deep in the snowfield. The blazing golden light illuminated the forest and the sky was bright.
Even though the border region was a harsh and cold place, Zhan Xinjia was still exhausted after running around all night. His body was covered in sweat, which was mixed with sticky bloodstains. His clothes clung to his skin and were very uncomfortable.
Not long after she rode off, she vaguely saw what appeared to be an army encamped ahead.
A quick glance suggests there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 people.
Was it reinforcements sent by the imperial court or the Canghan garrison led by General Qu?
No, the imperial reinforcements were held up by Nanjun on their way and haven't arrived yet. The Canghan garrison and the soldiers in the camp should be holding the main city of Canghan under the command of General Qu.
Whose soldiers are these?
Upon closer inspection, Zhan Xinjia nearly fainted from anger.
Good heavens, these are her father's soldiers, but the problem is that this army doesn't listen to anyone except her father's orders and the tiger tally. She's furious!
[Tiger tally, produce the tiger tally!]
In my mind, the concept of accumulating virtue was still incessantly urging me on.
Zhanxinjia has also become popular.
[Where would I get a tiger tally? Do you think my parents would just throw something this important at me to play with?! Where am I supposed to find it? What could I possibly have?! I'm too exhausted to run anymore, I might as well just die.]
Just as he awkwardly dismounted and was about to begin his sprint, Zhan Xinjia suddenly froze, lost in thought—
No, not even one percent right.
With a hint of suspicion, Zhan Xinjia pulled out the silver hairpin from her hair, held it in her palm, and suddenly fell into deep thought...
She got this butterfly hairpin from her mother after throwing a tantrum for several days when she was a child. It didn't look like a valuable item, but it was exquisitely crafted and felt quite heavy in her hand.
She didn't think much of it at the time, and her father didn't say anything, only telling her that since she had taken it, she should keep it safe and not lose it.
Could this thing be the legendary "Tiger Tally"?
He tentatively raised the hairpin high, and the silver hairpin, exquisitely carved into the shape of butterfly wings, was reflected by the light and shadow, clearly casting a phantom image of a military order on a rock under the sunlight.
In an instant, the light was dazzling and so bright that it was impossible to look directly at it.
The leading officer paused for a moment, then immediately kowtowed and knelt on one knee.
"This humble general, Zhou Xun, will obey orders!"
Zhan Xinjia chuckled awkwardly and turned to meet the stunned and bewildered look of Zhan Yinshu. "Hahaha...it seems my father loves me far more than I imagined."
On one hand, her father doted on her; during training, he beat her mercilessly—his paternal love was like a landslide. On the other hand, he didn't love her; he casually tossed such an important thing to a little kid to play with. If she had lost it over the years, her life would probably be ruined…
With the tiger tally in hand and troops at our disposal, everything is easy to discuss!
Amidst the precipitous cliffs, Zhan Xinjia stood confidently atop the highest rock, facing the morning sun. Her eyes were clear and sharp, and she strode confidently. Behind her were several rows of armored crossbowmen, ready for battle.
As soon as the soldiers from Nanjun approached, Zhan Xinjia raised his hand high without hesitation, his tone firm and powerful, displaying the composure and calmness of a commander-in-chief.
"Archers, prepare!"
"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!"
With a swift wave of her hand, a volley of arrows was unleashed, turning the soldiers of Nanjun into pincushions like a dense rain of needles. The morale of the troops led by Pei Yi was thrown into chaos, and they rode their horses wildly and recklessly through the easily defensible valley like headless flies.
With the enemy's morale shattered and the terrain advantage on our side, it's only a matter of time before we rout them.
Zhan Xinjia had no illusions about catching Pei Yi, especially since Pei Yi wasn't human at all. Even if she caught him, he could simply change bodies and continue living. Taking him back to the military camp would only cause more trouble.
I guess I'll be forced to play Werewolf then.
Moreover, Pei Yi's reckless pursuit was only due to his extreme anger; once he comes to his senses, he might have some other tricks up his sleeve.
Just because we can't catch Pei Yi doesn't mean we can't keep Yan Wuju!
That unfortunate Prince Yan, he never had a single day of peace even after his death. Even considering the kindness of that seemingly foolish old Chinese medicine doctor, it's time to let him rest in peace as soon as possible. And who knows, he might still be able to be saved.
With his mind a jumble of thoughts and his physical strength completely exhausted, Zhan Xinjia couldn't hold on any longer.
She shoved the hairpin into her brother's hand, finished her explanation, and then fainted.
To be honest, Zhan Xinjia didn't even know if she had fainted from exhaustion or hunger. She had been trapped in the dream for more than half a month, and she didn't believe that Pei Yi was so kind as to send someone to feed her every day.
Thinking about it this way, my stomach growled even louder.
In her hazy state, she only felt that she was surrounded by people, and there was a lot of noise in her ears. Suddenly, she smelled the aroma of food, and the aroma woke her up a little.
The noises that were previously inaudible can now be heard clearly.
"Quick, quick, holy crap, she's starving to death, holy crap!"
That voice belonged to Yan Yuyao.
"No, Godmother! Godmother!! The tonic!!!"
This is Cui Wanzhao.
Then someone threw themselves on her and cried, covering her shoulder with tears. Without a doubt, it was Qiaoqiao, followed by Wangcai's voice—
"The porridge is ready! The porridge is ready!! Get out of the way!"
Then came the older brother's hesitant voice.
"I still have two pieces of white sugar cake that I bought earlier..."
...
With all her might, Zhan Xinjia shakily raised one hand, her lips trembling, and managed to squeeze out a few words.
"I...want to eat...white sugar cake."
Perhaps she was starving, for she even hallucinated the voice of that idiotic, ancient-style scholar when Yan Hui returned, his voice choked with sobs and gritting his teeth—
"You brat, you're starving and still being picky about food."
In any case, at least she had some pastries mixed with warm tea to eat. Zhan Xinjia chewed them with effort, feeling so happy that she almost fainted again. In fact, she did finish eating and then fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was staring at the elderly man who was tending to her leg injury.
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