In Yucheng, the army camp was brightly lit all night long, and soldiers were coming in and out non-stop.
Inside the tent, Huo Yan was wearing heavy black armor with delicate patterns engraved on his shoulder armor, which shone with a cold and hard luster under the candlelight.
The hem of his battle robe was a little disheveled, indicating he hadn't had a good rest for a long time.
He rested one hand on the desk and brushed the sand table with the other hand. His sword-like brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes were fixed on the battle deployment in front of him.
The charcoal fire burned in the brazier, occasionally making a crisp "crackling" sound, which made his handsome profile even more profound.
There was some stubble on his chin, and the fatigue between his brows had not been concealed, but his eyes were still as sharp as a knife.
The deputy generals surrounded him with solemn expressions. From time to time, someone would come forward to point out the key points on the sand table and report in a low voice on the battle situation in various places.
Huo Yan nodded slightly and gave instructions in a calm tone, his voice low.
"Now that we have enough food and supplies, we can take advantage of their unpreparedness..."
At this time, a report came from outside, "General, Mo Yu has arrived!"
Hearing this, Huo Yan raised his head and said, "Let him in."
Mo Yu hurried into the tent. Seeing his hurried look, Huo Yan looked at him calmly and dismissed the rest of the people first.
When only the master and servant were left in the tent, Mo Yu handed him the letter before he could ask.
"General, His Highness ordered me to deliver this overnight, saying it's a matter of great importance and must be delivered to you personally."
When Huo Yan heard this, his heart skipped a beat, and he was worried that something had happened to Yuan Zhao and the children.
He opened the envelope eagerly. The content of the letter was quite long. He scanned it quickly, his expression gradually becoming colder, and he unconsciously clenched the letter paper in his hand.
He put down the letter and pondered for a moment, tapping the desk lightly with his fingertips, making a regular sound, as if he was suppressing some emotion.
Seeing that he was silent, Mo Yu's eyes changed slightly. He didn't know what the letter said, but it was definitely not an ordinary thing that could make the general show such an expression.
After a while, Huo Yan slowly spoke, his voice low and full of forbearing inquiry.
"Nadota, is there anything unusual?"
Mo Yu thought for a moment and answered cautiously,
"When your Highness and I arrived at the oasis, Dota was still unconscious, stabbed in the heart and seriously injured. If it weren't for a local youth who rescued him, he would have died."
Huo Yan's fingertips paused slightly, his tone unchanged, "What's your Highness's reaction?"
Mo Yu was startled, vaguely aware of the deep meaning behind his words, and after a moment of silence, he finally replied truthfully.
"Your Highness brought doctors and medicine and personally tended to his injuries. He barely slept for several days. Only after Dota woke up was Your Highness able to rest properly."
After saying this, he lowered his head, not daring to look at Huo Yan's expression.
The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became stagnant. The flames in the brazier danced, reflecting Huo Yan's cold and stern profile.
After a while, he waved his hand and said calmly, "You can go down first and have a good rest tonight."
Mo Yu bowed, stepped out quickly, and disappeared into the night.
Silence returned to the tent, with only the flickering candlelight casting swaying light and shadows.
Huo Yan was still sitting there, his fingertips slowly stroking the letter, and several creases had been left on the corners of the letter.
"Duota, it's trustworthy."
Yuan Zhao wrote this at the end of the letter.
Huo Yan pursed his lips tightly, staring at these words with a serious look, his mind involuntarily recalling her attitude towards Duota - cold, wary, and hostile.
But now, she was willing to believe him and even proposed to join forces to fight against the civil strife in Northern Qiang.
He couldn't deny that this was indeed the fastest way to deal with Huo Pingchang.
But...how did she change?
When Zhizhi asked Xiaobai to deliver the letter, Huo Yan had already arrived at the front line.
Yuan Zhao kept in touch with him before and after his departure, until he entered the desert.
He also knew who she was going to save.
It would be a lie to say that he didn't care, but he also wanted to know what exactly happened in Beiqiang.
It can make Yuan Zhao change his opinion of Duota and think that this person is trustworthy enough to join forces in the fight.
Huo Yan's fist slowly tightened, and his knuckles turned white.
After a moment of silence, he finally took a deep breath, stood up, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote a reply letter.
He didn't ask anything in the letter, only said at the end,
"Take good care of yourself and your children. When the time is right, I will come and take you home myself."
…
Time passed quickly and it was October. Yuan Zhao and the children lived in this small courtyard for more than half a month.
Ever since Dota woke up, this oasis has become like a paradise, undisturbed by anyone.
The Eagle Guards secretly guarded the oasis and the courtyard tightly, but on the surface, only Duota, Yuan Zhao and a few children lived in the courtyard.
Dota and Eagle Guard would discuss important matters and go to the cabin on the other side of the lake without bothering Yuan Zhao.
After all the arrangements were made, he returned to the courtyard.
When I came home every day, I could always hear Yuan Zhao and the children laughing and talking at the door.
He often felt dazed.
Yuan Zhao didn't ask or urge him when to take action, and seemed to be more focused than when he was in Chaoyuan.
Instead, Dota was the first person to tell her if there was any progress.
He often finishes his speech and adds a sentence at the end.
"A Zhao, it's almost done, don't worry..."
Even Qingzhi noticed that Duota was acting strangely. She asked Yuan Zhao privately,
"Your Highness, why do I feel like the King has become a different person after being injured this time?"
Yuan Zhao simply lowered his eyes and explained calmly, "Perhaps after going through a life-or-death situation, one's temperament will always change drastically..."
Qingzhi laughed when she heard this, "Your Highness, the King has faced life-and-death situations many times since he was a child. Why would he change this time?"
Yuan Zhao looked at the man who was clumsily feeding Yuan Zhizhi not far away. His movements were gentle and there was a smile on his face.
Zhizhi was a little reluctant to drink the soup in his hand, but Duota carefully blew the soup cool.
Yuan Zhao heard him say, "Guaranteed, it's mutton soup... not vegetable soup..."
A gust of wind blew in from outside. Winter is approaching, and the northwest wind is getting colder and colder.
Yuan Zhizhi couldn't help but shudder.
Dota frowned and quickly wrapped her in a thick blanket.
"Zhizhi is afraid of the cold, don't get frozen."
At the same time, he stood up holding Yuan Zhizhi and walked towards Yuan Zhao, covering Yuan Zhao's legs with another blanket.
Yuan Zhao stared at his movements, only to see him carefully pressing the blanket for her, while lowering his head and giving her instructions.
"It's been cold lately. You and the children should sleep on the kang at night to keep warm... Your legs aren't in good condition, so don't walk around too much..."
Yuan Zhao didn't say anything and covered the blanket on his legs. Warmth came from his legs, and the faint pain from the bone joints subsided a little.
She suddenly understood something.
But she said nothing.
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