Wen Hemian paused slightly, exchanged a glance with Xie Lang, and read the same meaning in their eyes.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
"Don't rush, tell me slowly."
Wen Hemian looked at the person who came in to deliver the message and gently comforted him.
The man was disheveled and panting heavily.
Xie Lang sighed, but still didn't let go of her hand.
Their hands remained clasped together, as if conveying unspoken emotions in silence.
An old minister who values etiquette might look down on him.
But at times like these, no one cares about these little details.
The messenger quickly caught his breath before speaking. That's the downside of poor communication; all messages are delayed, and there are many variables involved in the back-and-forth communication.
The border region has long suffered under the rule of barbarian tribes. Their way of life is completely different from that of the Great Zhao, and they have a relatively poor ability to cope with risks. Once food is scarce in winter, they begin to plunder everywhere.
Before Wen Chengyuan went to guard the border, it was the period when they were most arrogant, causing the people to scatter and flee. To this day, there are still many abandoned villages, which shows how desolate it is.
In recent years, as the imperial court has become more stable and gradually restored contact and supplies to the border, the barbarians have almost always failed to gain the upper hand. In the last two years, they have become somewhat more docile, but they are secretly accumulating strength and waiting for this attack.
However, confronting the Prince of Huailing head-on was not their intention. Therefore, after suffering several losses, the initial 50,000-strong army turned its attention to the area adjacent to the border and marched there in a grand manner.
The border and the fiefdoms of the vassal kings have always been unrelated. Even Wen Chengyuan cannot rashly cross this area to drive the barbarians back. But if he waits for the Prince of Jia to come and ask for help in a fake manner, it will probably be too late.
The sound of those abacus beads being struck could be heard from thousands of miles away.
They had anticipated this and had prepared a response, but it was still heartbreaking when it actually happened.
"It's just that the common people are suffering." Wen Hemian sighed. "The barbarians are coming in with great force. They have suffered a lot at the hands of the border generals in the past, and they have been harboring resentment for a long time. They will definitely take revenge when they find an opportunity."
Each prince's fiefdom forms a small, self-contained region. The people outside are manageable, but as for those inside, who knows what the prince might do to them in order to complete his act?
What Wen Hemian considered were all things that would happen, things that anyone could have foreseen. Xie Lang opened his mouth, but didn't know how to say something to comfort her.
On the battlefield, casualties are inevitable.
Fortunately, Wen Hemian was just saying it casually.
Simply sighing won't stop anything; she immediately became serious and said, "Your Majesty, you need to depart as soon as possible."
Although he knew she said this out of consideration for the situation, Xie Lang still felt a little reluctant. He waved his hand, telling the messenger to leave first, and also dismissed the people around him.
"Han Shuang, I want to know, how exactly did I die in that so-called book?"
Xie Lang asked a question he had never asked before.
Caught off guard by his question, Wen Hemian was surprised and frowned slightly: "...How did you know?"
She only gave Xie Lang a vague account of the original book's contents, omitting more specific details, such as their final fate, because it was too heavy for her.
Because she was certain that if the process changed, the outcome would also change.
"I guessed it." Xie Lang said calmly, his fingertips touching the corner of the woman's eye and gently rubbing it twice. "I don't think I ever told Grand Tutor He that when you were young, every time you looked at me, your eyes were filled with unconcealed heartache."
Later, when it came to matters concerning the system, Xie Lang could guess the gist of it.
Wen Hemian remained silent for a long while before finally speaking: "You first killed the male and female protagonists, and then committed suicide as the world slowly collapsed."
According to the system, the male and female protagonists carry the destiny of the entire world. If they die, the world will gradually collapse. Whether Xie Lang dies or not at this time makes no difference.
In any case, death is what awaits him in the end.
But he committed suicide before death came.
"See?"
Upon hearing this conclusion, Xie Lang was not afraid at all; instead, he laughed: "Han Shuang, since you've said that, it means that no one can kill me except myself."
He initially felt that the content of that book was far removed from his own life, but after hearing Wen Hemian talk about it several times, he realized that it truly reflected his own experiences.
It's something he's capable of doing.
"Still trying to comfort me?" Wen Hemian said, both amused and exasperated. "It's me who should be concerned about you."
At this point, her expression became much more serious: "Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a nation, and you should never put yourself in a dangerous situation. I didn't stop you from going to the North this time; there are many considerations. But I hope you can take good care of yourself and not get hurt."
Hearing what he wanted to hear, Xie Lang chuckled softly.
He glanced at Wen Hemian's expression, which lacked its usual composure and showed more worry for him.
This situation has never occurred before.
"Did you hear me?"
Seeing that he remained silent, Wen Hemian couldn't help but pat his shoulder. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind, and with a rare bit of mischief, she leaned close to his ear.
"Let's look at it from another angle. You're not just the emperor, you're also my husband."
Wen Hemian was gentle and reserved. This was the second time Xie Lang had heard her use such words. His breath hitched, and he almost felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately pulled her into his arms.
"Han Shuang, say it again."
The emperor's deep, unfathomable eyes held desire, as well as other, more complex and profound emotions, carrying an intense sense of oppression.
Wen Hemian was used to it and wouldn't be intimidated by him. She raised an eyebrow leisurely: "You don't listen properly when we're talking about serious matters, but you always seem to understand these things?"
"Because I want to hear it." Xie Lang kissed her cheek as he pleaded softly, "Hanshuang, please call me again, okay? I will listen to you."
That dog's temper!
Wen Hemian cursed under his breath.
Since it was she who came up with this method to attract his attention, she had no choice but to comply.
"Husband," she sighed, "are you satisfied now?"
Xie Lang knew very well when to push his luck and when not to; he knew when to stop.
"I'm satisfied."
Xie Lang looked completely satisfied.
Wen Hemian found it funny.
Sometimes he's quite easy to please; a simple title is enough.
“We’ve made the arrangements in advance, so let’s rest early tonight,” Wen Hemian said. “The march has been arduous, and we probably won’t get much rest in the next few days, so let the soldiers who are going ahead prepare as well.”
She glanced at the sky outside; it was dark and gloomy, the air heavy, and flashes of lightning flickered in the clouds, suggesting an impending storm.
"good."
This matter could not be delayed, so Xie Lang immediately took out the written imperial edict, went out and handed it to Lai Xi, asking him to send it to the residences of the generals as fast as possible.
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