Chapter 68: Heart Protection If it weren't for this heart armor, he would be afraid...
Liu Yeshu slowly sat down at the table, the candlelight illuminating her delicate features, adding a touch of gentleness. The food on the table was still warm, the aroma of chopped green onions and oil lingering in the air, but she mechanically picked up a piece of scallion chicken, a look of worry evident in her eyes.
Qi Yu, sitting across from her, could tell at a glance that she was distracted. He frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on her slightly tired face for a moment before finally choosing a more mundane topic: "Have you finished your spring plowing?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yeshu put down her chopsticks. She raised her eyes, meeting Qi Yu's penetrating gaze. Her tone suddenly became unusually formal, like a soldier reporting military affairs in the barracks: "General, the spring plowing of the 300 acres of land at the General's Mansion has been completed."
Her voice was clear and methodical as she meticulously recounted her recent labors. From the soil quality of each field, to the division of labor among the servants, to the irrigation arrangements, she detailed everything. When she discussed the precautions for sowing, a rare glint flickered in her eyes, clearly demonstrating her considerable experience in farming.
However, when she mentioned the farm machinery, her voice suddenly faltered, the smile on her face fading, and her slender fingers unconsciously twisted together. "General, there's one more thing..." She paused, "There's a problem with the farm machinery."
"You mean, someone deliberately destroyed your machine?"
Liu Yeshu nodded, pulled a cloth bag from her sleeve, and carefully placed the metal parts inside on the table. The parts were intricately engraved with patterns, clearly not the parts of ordinary farm tools.
"These parts..." Her slender fingers gently brushed over the fine lines, her voice lowering slightly. "They're made by the 'Fine Workshop' in the city. Butler Zhao has already verified it for me." She paused, then added, "This shop is quite famous in the city, and is particularly skilled in crafting precision artifacts."
Qi Yu reached out and picked up a component, examining it carefully in the candlelight. His eyes swept over the intricate patterns, his brow furrowing ever tighter. "Fine Workshop?" He sneered, "They wouldn't have taken it so easily if they hadn't been asking for a large sum of money."
Liu Yeshu pursed her lips tightly and whispered, "The machine was damaged so thoroughly that day. It was clearly someone's deliberate act. If it was just a prank, they wouldn't have done such a cruel thing."
Qi Yu nodded: "I'm afraid it's not just for destruction."
Although the words were not fully said, the two of them understood each other tacitly - those sophisticated parts had probably been disassembled and studied thoroughly, and the blueprints might be in someone's hands at this moment, just waiting for an opportunity to present them to the powerful in exchange for high positions and generous salaries.
A trace of pity flashed in Liu Yeshu's eyes, and her voice trembled slightly: "My younger brother has put a lot of effort into making this machine. It will be of great use in this spring plowing. Please give me some justice, General." As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched her sleeves, and her knuckles turned white.
"Do you want to use the credit of this machine to free your family from citizenship?" Qi Yu looked straight into her eyes with sharp eyes.
"That's right." Liu Yeshu met his gaze.
Qi Yu nodded slightly, the solemn expression on his face easing slightly. "Relax for now. Give me a copy of the mechanical blueprint." He turned to look at Butler Zhao who was waiting beside him. "Go call Cheng Feng over."
Hearing that Qi Yu was going to send his personal guards to handle the matter, Liu Yeshu's tense heartstrings finally relaxed a little. A trace of relief appeared in her eyes, and her voice was as gentle as the wind: "Thank you, General."
Butler Zhao bowed and walked away with a brisk but steady pace. Not long after, Cheng Feng arrived in a hurry, dressed in a tight suit and looking solemn.
Qi Yu pushed the broken parts onto the table and said in a steady and powerful voice, "Deal with the destruction of the machinery before I come back."
Cheng Feng bowed and accepted the order. A cold light flashed in his eyes, and then he quietly retreated like a wisp of green smoke.
Liu Yeshu caught the deeper meaning in his words, and a thought struck her—could the general be leaving soon? She hesitated, and the room fell silent, the only sound being the occasional crackling of the candlelight. She lowered her head, her hands resting lightly on her knees, unsure how to begin.
Qi Yu quietly stared at her profile, his eyes filled with unspeakable emotions. Under the candlelight, her features softened, yet held a hint of stubbornness. He hesitated several times before finally breaking the silence, his voice low and expectant: "Miss Liu, is there anything you want to tell me?"
Liu Yeshu's heart skipped a beat, remembering how she had offered to be his concubine a few days ago. Now that her father had returned safely, the thought of her impulsive behavior made her toes curl up in shame. She could only gently shake her head, not daring to say anything more.
Qi Yu's eyes dimmed, the hope in them fading like a candle in the wind. He sighed softly, shifting his gaze to the untouched battle report on the table. After a long pause, he said, "In two days, I will be going to the capital to report. You will come with me."
This sudden arrangement stunned Liu Yeshu. Although she had been thinking day and night about arranging for her family to be released from military service, she had never imagined that the general would personally bring her to the capital. Composing herself, she softly asked, "General... what is your specific mission in the capital this time?"
"You'll know when you go there." Qi Yu raised his eyes slightly, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
Liu Yeshu lowered his eyes in thought. Although he was full of questions, he finally suppressed his curiosity and responded respectfully.
Seeing her like this, Qi Yu knew she was secretly speculating again, and a helpless smile unconsciously curled up at the corner of his mouth. He quickly concealed his smile and said seriously, "Let's make some preparations tomorrow. After arriving in the capital, we won't just report back, but we may also receive some unexpected guests, so we need to be on guard." At this point, his voice unconsciously softened. "The capital is different from the frontier. You don't have to be on guard against everything, but don't trust others too easily either."
After Liu Yeshu left, Qi Yu stared at her retreating figure, a trace of sadness in his eyes. After the door closed, he slowly stood up, walked to the closet, and pulled out a cloth bag from the deepest part. He opened the package, revealing a tattered breastplate. Mottled blood stains clung to the cold metal, telling of the thrilling battle.
He carefully examined the breastplate in the candlelight, his gaze both solemn and profound.
The scene of swords and sabers in my memory seemed to reappear before my eyes. The life and death at that moment still made me feel scared when I think about it now.
*
A few days ago, across the wilderness, the wind and sand lashed like knives, and the drums of war roared like thunder. Yellow sand obscured the sky, stained the world in a hazy yellow. The enemy's flags fluttered in the wind, and the clatter of iron hooves echoed as they advanced with overwhelming force. Qi Yu stood before the battle, watching the overwhelming hail of arrows and billowing dust, his gaze growing fiercer.
The enemy's arrival was strange, clearly premeditated. As the first wave of arrows rained down, the camp was thrown into chaos. Torches struck by stray arrows instantly spread, illuminating the darkness. The clang of blades clashing was incessant, and the cries of killing echoed endlessly, jarring the eardrums.
Clad in armor, his spear wielded like a dragon, Qi Yu was unstoppable on the battlefield. A cold glint shone in his eyes, and each spear accurately struck the enemy's vital points. However, he knew in his heart that tonight's battle was far more dangerous than he had imagined. The enemy had clearly come prepared, each move aimed at forcing them into a trap, intending to capture them all in one fell swoop.
Just as he swung his spear to repel an enemy general, a sharp sound suddenly pierced the air behind him. The sound was extremely harsh, like the whisper of death. Qi Yu instinctively turned and swept his spear across, but in the corner of his eye, he caught a piercing cold light, heading straight for the heart, swift as lightning, deadly as a snake.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Qi Yu knew it was too late to dodge, and a bitter feeling crossed his heart. However, the expected sharp pain did not come, replaced by a heavy, dull thud. A tremendous force struck his chest, knocking him back several steps, and finally he fell to the ground in the bloody mud.
Looking down, in the moonlight, he saw a hideous crack in his breastplate, where the sharp arrow had lodged itself deeply. Blood had soaked through his inner garment, but the fatal arrowhead had ultimately failed to reach his heart. Qi Yu struggled to stand, his heart still pounding fiercely in his chest, each beat a reminder of his luck in escaping death.
"General!" Seeing this, the guards beside him hurried forward to support him, their voices filled with undisguised panic, "Are you okay?"
"That's all right." Qi Yu waved his hand, the fierceness in his eyes undimmed. He suppressed the sharp pain in his chest and said in a steady and powerful voice, "Everyone, cheer up and continue fighting." With that, he gripped the blood-stained spear again and, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, plunged it straight into the heart of the enemy camp.
Though the breastplate was damaged, his resolve grew even stronger. In that life-or-death moment, Liu Yeshu's face suddenly appeared in his mind. He remembered the look on her face when she handed him the breastplate, her eyes filled with unspoken worry, yet also with a stubborn determination to never give up.
When he received it from his personal guard, he just responded lightly. Now thinking about it, this protection saved his life at the most critical moment. Liu Yeshu's figure became clearer and clearer in his mind.
She is always like this, seemingly weak, but actually has a tenacity hidden inside, and will never give up easily no matter what difficulties she encounters.
This thought made his movements more fierce, and the spear in his hand twirled in the enemy formation like a dragon.
"Follow me and kill!"
Qi Yu roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield. At that moment, he seemed to forget the pain in his chest, his whole body filled with strength. Seeing their leader so brave, his men's morale soared, and their shouts shook the earth.
The enemy had clearly not anticipated such a formidable display of strength, and their formation began to disarray. Qi Yu seized the opportunity and led his personal troops directly into the enemy's center. Wherever their spears pointed, they were invincible. In the bloody dawn, the shouts of the soldiers echoed, shaking the entire battlefield.
This battle was crucial in turning the tide of the war. As the first rays of morning light reached the earth, the enemy army was in complete disarray, abandoning their weapons and armor and fleeing in panic. The blast of victory trumpets resounded through the sky, and the cheers of the soldiers echoed.
Qi Yu stood alone in front of the trenches, observing this hard-earned victory. The dawn light crimsoned the sky, illuminating his blood-stained battle robe. His fingers gently traced the cracks in his breastplate, his gaze penetrating. The morning breeze blew across the battlefield, carrying the scent of blood and gunpowder, yet it gave him a sense of security he had never felt before.
If it weren't for this breastplate, he would have been buried in this desolate frontier fortress. More importantly, this breastplate not only protected his life, but also preserved that person's expectations.
She must be waiting for my safe return, right?
The morning sun gradually rose in the distance, and the golden sunlight shone on the damaged breastplate, reflecting deep cracks.
These scars are no longer just marks of the battlefield, but more like a silent reminder, telling him that there are people who are silently guarding him and waiting for his triumphant return.
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