That day, I slept soundly. He gently held my hand by the bedside until I fell asleep. In my dream, a seven-year-old girl, squinting, paced back and forth, jokingly saying, "Picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I leisurely gaze at the southern mountains." The boy, holding a book, gently patted the girl's hair: "It's not that eastern fence!"
Tao Qian taught me his poems, and back then, I loved to use this line of poetry to tease him.
He opened his eyes, his hands were empty, and he quietly curled up in the blankets. Well, he was a general after all, with many duties to attend to.
His outer robe was still covering me on the blanket. I reached out and touched the area around his chest; it was dry and hard. It was indeed the black robe he wore last night. I frowned and looked closely; there was a slight dark red tinge. Suddenly, a muffled sound went through my mind. Yesterday, when he held me, the dampness in his palms was from this! He was injured, but he hadn't told me a thing.
She wanted to get out of bed to see him, but a sharp pain in her back stopped her in her tracks. Seeing him like this would only worry him. Besides, he was probably not here right now. If yesterday's Basilji Yu was an imposter, then the real one must be on the battlefield, where he would inevitably have to deal with him. He probably left without a word after falling asleep yesterday.
He put on his clothes and went out to investigate, but he couldn't find him anywhere. Only Mao Tui Er was guarding outside, his thin and small body holding a large knife as tall as a person.
"Madam." He waved when he saw me come out, but his usual playful expression was gone. Yes, Big Guy went yesterday. Thinking of this, I didn't say much. He was as talkative as ever, but now there was no one to respond.
"Really, both Lao Pao and Ma Shun'er went, but the general won't let me go." He shrugged helplessly. "Madam, you should talk to the general. I need to get back Da Ge's share too."
There's no rush.
I looked in the direction of the sound and saw it was Dongli from Jimo.
"We launched a night raid on Basiljiyu and burned his supplies, which can be considered revenge for Big Guy." He patted Hairy Legs on the shoulder.
The latter chuckled sharply, "He must have thought the general was too scared to go because he was injured, so he wasn't on guard at all!"
Ji Mo's eyes changed slightly. He glanced at me, but seeing that I didn't move, he didn't say anything and just sent Mao Tui away.
"Don't listen to his nonsense." He helped me inside, but I took a step back. I just wasn't used to it. Even though we were so close last night, I am still me, someone who has never been too close to anyone before.
"Mr. Xu left yesterday. I saw that you two were quite close, and I wanted to wake you up. But he wouldn't allow it, so I didn't come."
Fu Xi is gone. I heard his words clearly yesterday. Neither Ya Zi nor Qiu Niu will be spared. They were meant to leave; if they were truly dragon sons, why should they concern themselves with these trivial matters of the mortal realm? I only wonder what impact this departure will have on Ji Mo Dong Li. But if he truly possesses the Mandate of Heaven and enjoys the support of the people, then there is ultimately nothing to worry about.
Fu Xi said that he should take good care of Jimo, and also take good care of himself.
I looked up at the man in front of me. He was tall, strong, and sturdy. Although he was injured, he was deliberately hiding it from me. Why would he need my care? Without Yazi Fuxi, wasn't he full of energy yesterday when he went to rob Basiljiyu?
He met my gaze and slightly raised the corners of his mouth: "Basilji Yu is trying to trap me, how can I let him gain the upper hand? Now, let him taste the bitterness of being caught in a dilemma."
I frowned. He was only making it sound easy. The war had been going on for months, and considering how long he had defended Fuyan Pass, even with his collusion with the Guifang, I didn't believe he hadn't suffered any losses. He understood the Guifang, which was why he could catch them off guard. In future battles, if the Guifang also figured out his tactics, wouldn't that be disadvantageous for him? For some reason, after only one glance at Basilji Yu, I knew he possessed such abilities. Even Fuxi said he was no ordinary person, and it wouldn't hurt to be more careful.
He strolled into the tent and followed behind, saying unhurriedly, "Don't worry about things in the army. I'll take care of things after all. A man's body should be strong enough to bear the burden. You just need to recover from your injury."
I glanced at him. On the battlefield, a single misstep could cost tens of thousands of lives. I had no intention of interfering or bearing that responsibility. Since the man was willing to defy the world and start a war, the woman should simply observe quietly.
I was truly prepared to watch coldly until the army was stationed in the south and reached another prefecture.
Byeolsu has been a vital passage between the north and south since ancient times. Travelers from all over the world would be sent here and then eventually part ways, hence the name Byeolsu.
If Jimo could be captured, the Southern Imperial Court could further squeeze the Guifang, and the increasingly narrow territory might force Basiljiyu to abandon the city and flee back to the desolate mountains and wilderness of the far north. However, how could they let him escape so easily? Occupying another prefecture, the Guifang would have no way to escape. However, this also gave rise to worries.
The other prefecture was too important; Jimo valued it, Basiljiyu valued it, and the royal families in the south valued it even more.
The Guifang people are brave and brutal, daring to send troops only because they were able to launch a pincer attack on Fuqi's royal family from both the north and south via Jimo. It was also because they needed to form a pincer movement with Jimo's forces that they watched helplessly as Biezhou fell into Guifang's hands. Now, if Guifang's withdrawal is utterly defeated, and Jimo occupies Biezhou, it's likely that Fuqi's princes and grandsons will never be able to set foot in the northern imperial court again. Pingjing is ultimately just an old capital city, but the capital, though ravaged by war, has been somewhat repaired and remains a prosperous and wealthy place. The pampered royal family will inevitably covet it. Jimo's ambitions are now common knowledge; how could those nobles who yearn to return to the glory of the capital easily hand over Biezhou to Jimo?
Ji Mo hesitated for a long time, wondering if there would be any support from the south this time.
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