Chapter 95 Sickness
After another half a month, Zhao Fangye's troops finally arrived in the northwest.
This vast and barren land became their temporary shelter.
As soon as Zhao Fangye's army entered the city, the people in the city came out to greet them.
Every citizen had a warm smile on their face, and they were holding some food in their hands, waiting for the soldiers to come and pass it to them.
However, under Zhao Fangye's rule, military discipline was strict and soldiers were not allowed to take things from the people without permission. Due to military regulations, the soldiers did not respond and only verbally thanked the people along the way.
Such a harmonious scene between the military and civilians is rare in the capital. The common people in the capital city all have a fear of joining the army.
The Song family also lifted the car curtain to look. Although it was the barren northwest, the people here were not as miserable as they had imagined.
On the contrary, the people are very warm and simple, without any sense of the uncivilized barbarism of a barren land.
Everyone was dressed decently and had healthy and rosy complexions.
Song Zigen lifted the car curtain and looked at the people from the northwest, nodding slightly with admiration in his eyes.
It was not easy for Zhao Fangye to manage such a barren and wild land in the Northwest in an orderly manner and protect the people from foreign invasions. This shows that Zhao Fangye was not as cruel and ruthless as rumored.
It's nothing more than those censors in the capital city who are slandering people without any basis in reason.
As soon as they entered the northwestern city, Zhao Fangye immediately deployed troops with several of his subordinates.
The prince was in his hands, so General Xiao didn't dare to act rashly for the time being. But we won't just sit there and wait for death.
Zhao Fangye knew very well that his military force was not enough to overthrow the entire court.
What those ministers said in the court in the past, that he had a million strong army, was nothing but nonsense.
The imperial court has been weaker than usual in recent years. The power of the aristocratic families is intertwined. This time, Zhao Fangye wants to eradicate their generations of glory.
These maggots attached to the corrupt dynasty will never allow anyone to end their hotbed and shake their power. His power alone is definitely not enough to compete with the court.
Therefore, Sikou Lanfeng, who was guarding the south, came into his sight.
Lan Feng comes from a family of generals. He is brave and good at fighting and has a high prestige in the army. His father was also a fierce general in his early years. But he has retreated to the background in recent years.
If she could be won over to his camp, the troops under her command would undoubtedly be a powerful aid to Zhao Fangye. Thinking of this, Zhao Fangye immediately wrote a letter to a famous person and sent it to the south at full speed.
This time, Sikou Lanfeng's arrival not only drew a large part of the troops from the south, but also brought a handwritten secret letter from the old general.
In the study, Zhao Fangye gave instructions to all parties and asked everyone to go down and handle the matter. After everyone left, Sikou Lanfeng looked at Zhao Fangye who was standing in front of the topographic map and said, "Your Highness, my father ordered me to bring a letter. He said it was for Your Highness to personally review."
As he spoke, Sikou Lanfeng took out a secret letter sealed with wax from his arms and handed it to Zhao Fangye.
This letter was the one her father asked her to bring to Zhao Fangye before she left. She had no idea what was written in it. She just followed her father's wishes and kept it safely until she presented it to King Ning in person.
Hearing this, Zhao Fangye turned around. His eyes fell on the letter in her hand. His face was still expressionless. But I already understood it in my heart.
To be able to agree so readily to help me, he must have some ulterior motive.
I think he has retired to enjoy his retirement, and power and wealth should not be among what he seeks.
This is the only...
Zhao Fangye's gaze fell on Sikou Lanfeng. He reached out to take the letter and opened it. The content of the letter was concise, consisting of only a few words.
Sikou Lanfeng was standing behind him and sneered when he saw Zhao Fangye finish reading the content. There was a hint of mockery and disdain in that laughter.
Seeing this, she wondered if there was something offensive in the letter, so she knelt down and apologized: "My father..."
Before she could even say the words of apology, she saw Zhao Fangye's light eyes falling on her without a trace of warmth. His tone was indifferent and no emotion could be heard. He said calmly, "It seems that he has considered you, his daughter, very carefully."
After saying that, he threw the letter on the ground and turned around to continue looking at the topographic map on the wall.
Sikou Lanfeng felt vaguely uneasy about what Zhao Fangye said. He hurriedly picked up the letter on the ground, read it quickly, and broke out in a cold sweat.
His father is really getting senile!
She even dared to propose to Zhao Fangye the ridiculous statement that he wanted to make her the queen. Anyone with a discerning eye can see how important Princess Ning is in Prince Ning's heart these days.
Isn't it courting death to ask her to interfere like this? What's more, she finally had the opportunity to fight on the battlefield, so how could she be willing to return to the palace and live in the harem!
"Your Highness! My father is old and confused! Lan Feng would never dare to covet the position of Queen. Moreover, my ambition and ideal is to fight on the battlefield and build merits for the country. Please forgive me, Your Highness! Don't take my father's foolish words to heart."
Sikou Lanfeng spoke sincerely and then bowed to the ground after he finished speaking. However, she felt a little uneasy, wondering whether Zhao Fangye would accept what she said.
Zhao Fangye's eyes were still on the topographic map on the wall, even though Sikou Lanfeng's heart had been up and down for several rounds. On the other hand, he still had his usual indifferent expression, as if this was just a trivial matter.
Finally, after Sikou Lanfeng’s heart was in his throat for who knows how many times. Zhao Fangye's gaze finally moved away from the topographic map and fell on Sikou Lanfeng who was kneeling on the ground.
Still in a calm voice: "General Lan Feng, don't be nervous. The old general just loves his daughter. How can I punish you? What's more, I still need General Lan Feng's help. It's understandable that the old general asks me for a favor."
Upon hearing this, Sikou Lanfeng hurriedly said, "I only hope to be able to fight on the battlefield and make my own achievements. Although I am a woman, my ambitions and ideals are no less than those of men! Love is not what I seek, I hope Your Majesty can allow me to realize my ambitions!"
"I didn't expect General Lan Feng to have such ambition and foresight. What a woman who is as good as a man. How can I not help you? In this case, I will grant you this grace." Zhao Fangye's face was indifferent, but his sharp eyebrows were still cold. There was only a barely perceptible smile at the corners of his lips.
He was very satisfied with Sikou Lanfeng's sensibleness.
Because he had to start the rebellion, Zhao Fangye went out early and came back late during this period. Song Huaixi was bored staying alone in the city, so she liked to go find Sikou Lanfeng to play.
In comparison, Sikou Lanfeng has fewer things to do. Every time Song Huaixi went to see her, she was always happy to take time out to play with him.
Ever since Song Huaixi met Sikou Lanfeng, she has been attracted by her special temperament. He had never seen a woman like her. So tough and so cool.
She perfectly combines the softness of a woman and the firmness of a man. She is powerful, strong and confident. His face is always filled with the joy of pursuing his dreams and ambitions. No fear, no social exhortation.
So free and unrestrained.
Song Huaixi admired her very much and felt that she was like a sister sometimes and like a hero sometimes.
On the vast grassland, Song Huaixi sat astride a young mare, his eyes flashing with excitement and nervousness.
Lan Feng stood aside, with an upright posture and a bright smile.
"Huai Xi, don't be nervous. Riding a horse is like walking side by side with a friend." Lan Feng stood beside him holding the reins and encouraged him, his voice gentle but firm.
Song Huaixi sat on the horse, took a deep breath, nodded, and touched the pony's fur soothingly. Then hold the reins tightly.
Lan Feng patiently instructed him: "Relax your body, feel the horse's rhythm, and gently kick the horse's belly with your feet to make it move forward."
Song Huaixi followed Lan Feng's instructions and tried carefully. The horse began to move forward slowly, and his mood gradually relaxed.
"Well done, Huaixi!" Lan Feng praised with a smile, "Now you can slowly speed up and feel the wind."
The mare carried Song Huaixi and ran slowly on the loess. He held the reins tightly and felt the wind whistling in his ears. His heartbeat quickened and his body began to tremble.
It was a new, exciting feeling that I had never experienced before. Later he realized that this was called courage.
"Don't be afraid, Huaixi!" Lan Feng saw that he was a little nervous and shouted from a distance, "Believe in yourself, you can do it!"
Hearing her voice, Song Huaixi seemed to feel some strength in his heart, and he also wanted to be as powerful as Lan Feng.
Song Huaixi straightened his back and rode the horse to jog across the plain.
Lan Feng watched Song Huaixi's increasingly skillful movements and was filled with surprise. She didn't expect that Song Huaixi didn't seem to be the dodder she had imagined.
If you must say it, it's more like a blade of grass that can thrive anywhere. The grass can bring vitality and greenery to people.
"Huai Xi, you are amazing!" Lan Feng said to him loudly with a smile, "Keep up this state, you will succeed."
Hearing the praise, Song Huaixi turned around on his horse, his eyes filled with a strong smile.
He really thinks General Lan Feng is great!
After returning to the city, Song Huaixi went to find Zhao Fangye with a food box. Passing by a window, I overheard two maids gossiping.
A faint female voice came from the window sill: "Do you think our young lady and Prince Ning are really a good match?"
"Of course, they are a perfect match. When the prince ascends the throne in the future, our young lady will become the queen." Another person echoed.
"Become the queen? Who told you that? Isn't there already the Princess Ning? How can it be the young lady's turn?" Another maidservant obviously didn't believe it. Being a good match is one thing, but being a queen is another.
Being questioned, the maidservant became unhappy and said, "You don't know, I saw it with my own eyes when I went to serve tea to the master on the day the young lady left. The master said that when the prince ascends the throne, he must make our young lady the queen. Otherwise, why would our young lady help the prince fight!"
"That's right. Princess Ning is just an idiot. How can she compare with our general?"
"That's right, the mother of a country can't be an idiot."
The two people's voices gradually faded away, and Song Huaixi suddenly lost his appetite while holding the food box.
He stopped walking and turned towards his room.
Queen? Song Huaixi remembered that Zhao Fangye clearly wanted her to be the queen. But Sister Lanfeng also wants to be the queen.
My heart felt like it was hit by a heavy hammer. I can't describe how it feels.
Sister Lanfeng is so nice, but when he heard others say that Lanfeng and Zhao Fangye are a good match and that he is a fool, his heart uncontrollably became sour.
What they said was obviously right, so why did I still feel so uncomfortable after listening to it?
After returning to his room, Song Huaixi couldn't eat.
He thought about those words and felt more and more sad. In addition, he had just arrived in the northwest and was not used to the climate there, so he felt a little unwell.
Suddenly I fell ill.
When Zhao Fangye heard from his servants that Song Huaixi had fallen ill, he ignored everything else and stayed by Song Huaixi's bedside, taking care of him for a whole day and night without taking off his clothes.
Song Huaixi was lying on the bed, his face pale, and his tightly closed eyes slowly opened. Zhao Fangye was sitting beside the bed. When he saw him wake up, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and his eyes were a little dark.
"Huaixi, are you awake?" Zhao Fangye asked softly, reaching out and touching Song Huaixi's forehead. "Fortunately, you don't have a fever."
He carefully helped Song Huaixi up and let him lean on his shoulder. Zhao Fangye picked up a bowl of fragrant porridge that had been prepared nearby and stirred it gently with a spoon.
"Come, Huaixi, eat something." Zhao Fangye scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew it cool, and brought it to Song Huaixi's mouth.
Song Huaixi opened his eyes slightly and looked at Zhao Fangye. He frowned gloomily: "I don't want to eat."
"Be good, you've been sleeping for a long time and you feel uncomfortable without eating." Zhao Fangye coaxed gently.
Listening to his gentle words, Song Huaixi felt a lump in his throat and opened his mouth to eat the porridge slowly, but he felt very uncomfortable in his heart.
Zhao Fangye stayed with him patiently, wiping the soup from the corners of his mouth from time to time.
"I want to sleep." After finishing his porridge, Song Huaixi closed his eyes and spoke weakly.
"Okay, go to sleep, I'll watch over you." Zhao Fangye tucked in the quilt for Song Huaixi and patted his shoulder gently.
Zhao Fangye sat quietly beside the bed, looking at Song Huaixi's pale face. Zhao Fangye felt very distressed and thought that he was not used to the climate in the northwest.
Lan Feng also came to visit Song Huaixi.
When she saw Song Huaixi's sickly appearance, she felt distressed. How could he suddenly fall ill?
Seeing that he had fallen asleep, Lan Feng sat in front of the bed and said to Zhao Fangye, who looked a little tired, "My Lord, I heard that you have been guarding the princess for a day and a night. You should go and rest quickly. After all, all the soldiers are still relying on you to lead the overall situation."
Hearing this, Zhao Fangye looked at the sleeping Song Huaixi and said, "Tell someone to take good care of him."
When I woke up again, Lan Feng was the only one left by the bed. Song Huaixi couldn't hold back the bitterness in her heart any longer when he saw her.
"Sister Lanfeng, could you please not take Zhao Fangye away? I know I'm a little fool and not as good as you. But I really like Zhao Fangye."
Song Huaixi sat on the bed and sobbed, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
Lan Feng was stunned for a moment and was shocked to find out that this was the reason why Song Huaixi fell ill.
Who is so blind as to dare to gossip in front of him! What would I do if Zhao Fangye found out about this?
She quickly squatted down, tightly grasped Song Huaixi's hand, wiped his tears and said anxiously: "Huaixi, don't misunderstand that there is nothing between me and the prince! It's all said by others! I don't like the prince! The prince is yours and no one can take him away!"
After hearing what Lan Feng said, Song Huaixi asked seriously with a pair of red and swollen eyes: "Really?"
Lan Feng looked at him, smiled and said, "Really, really! Song Huaixi. I admire the prince's courage and responsibility, but I don't have that kind of feeling for him. You have to believe in the prince's love for you. He is willing to become an enemy of the court for you. This deep affection will not change easily."
After listening to Lan Feng's explanation, Song Huaixi slowly stopped crying.
Lan Feng watched him calm down and said quickly, "Huai Xi, can you please not tell the prince about this? Just keep it as a secret between us, okay?"
If Zhao Fangye knew this, he would become ill because of this reason. That would definitely be another bloody storm. People who gossip will surely suffer a terrible fate.
What's more, she already had a rough idea of who had passed the news to Song Huaixi's ears.
When Song Huaixi heard her request, he was a little confused at first. But later I realized that I had misunderstood and felt a little embarrassed. So I happily agreed to keep the secret.
He childishly stretched out his hand and made a pinky promise with Lan Feng: "Pink, stick to it for a hundred years! We can't tell anyone about it from now on."
Lan Feng was amused by him and couldn't help but said, "Okay! Huai Xi should get better soon!"
With the knot in his heart untied, Song Huaixi, like a little grass, began to regain vitality.
The court was very panicked when it learned that Zhao Fangye had already established himself in the northwest, and began to send a large army to encircle and suppress him, ordering that the prince must be rescued at all costs.
General Xiao had been afraid to attack because the crown prince was in the hands of Zhao Fangye. At this moment, he could not withstand the pressure and planned to attack the city in the northwest.
The war was about to break out. Zhao Fangye stood on the high platform, staring at the high-spirited soldiers below with his light eyes.
"Purge the emperor's entourage and restore peace! Purge the emperor's entourage and restore peace!"
The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.
Standing at the foot of the city, Song Huaixi looked at Zhao Fangye with worry in his eyes.
It was his first time experiencing war, and he knew it was a very bad and terrible thing.
But Zhao Fangye was going to do such a terrible thing.
Lan Feng stood behind Zhao Fangye and clenched the sword in his hand.
The war broke out and the smoke of gunpowder filled the battlefield in the northwest. Zhao Fangye commanded the army and engaged in a fierce battle with the imperial army.
Lan Feng led her elite troops, charging into battle, like a sharp sword, piercing the enemy's heart.
Song Huaixi was waiting behind. He didn't know why his heart was in a knot as he was worried about Zhao Fangye and Lan Feng.
He could only make a wish to the Buddha, hoping that Zhao Fangye and Lan Feng would be safe and sound.
On the battlefield, the situation changes rapidly. Zhao Fangye's army was very brave, but the imperial court's military strength was not at an advantage.
However, Zhao Fangye and Lan Feng led the soldiers to fight all the way with great momentum, repelling the enemy's attacks time and time again.
Just when the battle was getting intense, Lan Feng keenly discovered a flaw in the enemy. Without hesitation, she led a cavalry unit and launched a fierce attack on the enemy's weak link.
This sudden move completely disrupted the enemy's position, and Zhao Fangye took the opportunity to command his army to launch a full-scale counterattack.
After the smoke of gunpowder cleared, corpses were lying all over the battlefield and the blood dyed the ground red.
But the joy of victory was on everyone's face. Zhao Fangye and Lan Feng walked off the battlefield tiredly and returned to the city in triumph.
Song Huaixi, who was anxiously waiting at the city gate, hurried over to greet them as soon as he saw them. She suddenly threw herself into Zhao Fangye's arms.
"Dirty... Huaixi." Zhao Fangye hugged him helplessly, touched his head and said softly.
He looked at Zhao Fangye, who was covered in blood, with tears in his eyes.
"Zhao Fangye, you are finally back. I was so worried about you." Song Huaixi choked up.
Zhao Fangye gently hugged Song Huaixi and wiped his tears, comforting him: "Don't be afraid, we won. I'm back."
Lan Feng looked at them, his eyes also filled with emotion. But she knew this was just the beginning.
Through this war, Zhao Fangye further consolidated his power in the northwest. He also began to prepare for a counterattack against the imperial court and completely bring down this corrupt dynasty.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
