"General, are you joking? Would you like to join me for a drink?"
Lu Duling was surprised by this response, chuckled, and extended an invitation.
Have you ever heard the saying?
"What did you say?"
"Raising a cup to drown sorrows only makes them worse; drawing a sword to cut water only makes it flow more freely. If wine could relieve sorrow, the world would be full of happy people."
Jun Jianchou smiled slightly, clearly disagreeing with Lu Duling's suggestion.
"General Wang has a profound understanding. I, Turin, am completely impressed. Very well, I will now take my leave."
Lu Duling now understood that this person did not want to talk to him anymore, so he tactfully took his leave.
Jun Jianchou did not stop him, but turned and ran to a grove of trees to practice his swordsmanship. His every move was sharp, domineering, and resolute. He poured all his resentment into the tip of his sword.
He was still reciting Li Bai's poem about the autumn wind:
The autumn wind is clear, the autumn moon is bright; fallen leaves gather and scatter, startled crows perch and then perch again. When will we meet again, my beloved? This moment, this night, is filled with unbearable sorrow.
Entering the gate of my longing, one knows the bitterness of my longing; long is my longing, long is my remembrance; short is my longing, yet it is endless.
If I had known it would cause such heartache, I would have preferred never to have met you.
After a stunning sword dance, the ground was covered with broken branches and fallen leaves.
With a sinister smile, Jun Jianchou wiped the blood from his mouth and then staggered down the mountain.
The next day, when Jun Jianchou returned, he saw that Cen Xi and Shen Jinchen had already packed their things.
As soon as Cen Xi saw him, she asked:
"Where did you go? We're leaving. Have you packed your things? If not, have someone pack them right away."
"No need, Ah Xi, you go back to the capital with him. I won't go back. I want to stay here to mourn Yan Niang and spend more time with her."
Jun Jianchou's face showed neither sadness nor joy; he truly did not want to get involved in Cen Xi and Jun Jianchou's affairs anymore.
"You've fallen in love with her?"
Cen Xi felt that Jun Jianchou was acting strangely, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"No, I just feel sorry for her. She died for me, so I should do my part."
Jun Jianchou spoke these words with great seriousness; he was genuinely moved by Zhu Yanniang's life.
Choosing to stay is truly because I don't want to torture myself anymore.
He thought that if he ever missed Cen Xi again, he would never go to the capital.
"Okay, then take good care of yourself. Write me a letter now and then, so I don't have to worry about you all the time."
Cen Xi understood Jun Jianchou's gaze and didn't ask any more questions. In fact, she knew that after this parting, it would probably be difficult to see each other again.
"good!"
Jun Jianchou glanced into Cen Xi's eyes and agreed.
"Let's go, it's getting late. Jun Jianchou, do you not want to keep your position as Grand General King anymore?"
Seeing that Jun Jianchou had already made his decision, Shen Jinchen interjected with a question.
"Yes! Take good care of Cen Xi and don't let her get hurt in any way. That's my bottom line."
Jun Jianchou was always assertive in front of Shen Jinchen, wanting to tell him that he would always be Cen Xi's strongest support.
He would take her away no matter where he was, as long as he treated her badly.
"I will protect my woman myself. You don't need to worry about her. You should take good care of yourself and not let my woman always worry about you."
Shen Jinchen gave him a complicated look, and his tone was not polite.
"Let's go! Jun Jianchou, remember to write to me."
Cen Xi didn't want to listen to the two men's threats anymore, so she grabbed Shen Jinchen's hand and walked towards the carriage.
Shen Jinchen didn't say anything more, but obediently got into the carriage with Cen Xi.
Then a large group of people left Miao territory in a grand procession.
Jun Jianchou clutched his aching chest and watched them leave.
Originally, they thought they would leave smoothly, but they were stopped at the village entrance. Lu Duling stood at the front of the group and asked Cen Xi for people.
“Your Highness, you may leave at any time, but please leave my people behind. Tian Ying cannot go to the Central Plains with you. In Miao territory, men and women who have already consummated their marriage are considered husband and wife. You cannot take my wife away.”
Inside the car, Cen Xi glanced at Tian Ying, indicating that she should handle the matter herself. She also told Tian Ying that this was a test, and if she didn't do well, she wouldn't be able to be her maid. Her maids had very high standards; she didn't want someone else's wife.
Tian Ying stared at the baby face for a long time, hesitating, before finally lifting the curtain and standing at the front of the carriage to confront Lu Duling.
“Commander Lu, it is true that we have consummated our marriage, but when I handed over the King of Ten Thousand Gu, I already stated that I was going to exile from Miao territory. I am no longer a girl from Miao territory, so why should I abide by the rules of Miao territory? Therefore, I am not your wife, and you have no right to stand in front of me and say such things.”
"Tian Ying, are you really determined?"
"Yes! My mind is made up. I will have no further dealings with Miao territory, including with you."
“Alright, if you really want to leave Miao territory, I will go with you, Aying. Everything I, Lu Duling, do and every decision I make is because of you, because I want to marry you. How can you hate me so much? From now on, I will change myself step by step according to your requirements.”
“If you banish yourself from Miao territory, then I am no longer a person of Miao territory. I will follow you wherever you go. Don’t even mention separating from me; I will not agree to it.”
Seeing that Tian Ying remained resolute, Lu Duling did not press her further, but simply stated his decision in a calm tone.
"Depend on!"
When Cen Xi heard Lu Duling's words in the carriage, she couldn't help but rub her forehead.
At the same time, Tian Ying rolled her eyes in anger, unsure of what to do next.
If someone wants to follow her, she can't sever their tendons or ligaments, nor can she tell them not to follow, because it's all useless; it's all just empty talk.
There's nothing you can do to stop him.
"Tian Ying! Fine! You can't shake off this piece of trash no matter what. Let him follow me if he wants. I want to see how sincere he is in pursuing you."
Cen Xi smiled and got up to pull Tian Ying into the carriage. Judging from the way she was acting, there was no way she would let go, so what was the point of all this talk?
"Commander Lu is quite skilled. He can come with us. How about he spar with my subordinates along the way to build some rapport?"
Seeing that the farce had finally ended, Shen Jinchen smiled and invited Lu Duling to travel together.
"Yes, thank you for letting me stay, Prime Minister Shen."
Lu Duling pretended not to understand the implied meaning of his words and readily nodded.
"Oh, that's good. We've been lingering in Miao territory for too long. Now that something's happened at the border, Commander Lu, are you going to the border with us? If so, you'll have to become one of my men. You'll have to do your part once we get to the border."
Shen Jinchen nodded as if satisfied, then told them where they were going and waited for Lu Duling's next reaction.
"Since you have agreed to follow you, Turin will naturally obey orders. Minister Shen, please feel free to give me your orders."
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