Chapter 74 A relative came
Xiao Zhuo rode with Shen Yuexi into Xiaogang Village, but passed by the house but did not enter. Instead, he rode westward.
"Husband, aren't we going home?" Shen Yuexi looked back in confusion.
Xiao Zhuo hummed, "Let's go west and leave the village directly."
To the right are rows of residential houses in Xiaogang Village, with curls of smoke rising from their chimneys. To the left are plots of cultivated land, with tender green vegetable seedlings poking through the dark brown fields.
The men working in the fields straightened their backs and wore playful expressions when they saw this remarkable couple passing by. Unsurprisingly, some women sitting on the ridges began gossiping.
At first, Shen Yuexi was still a little embarrassed, but when more and more people looked at her and Xiao Zhuo, she became much calmer.
"This Mr. Pei really loves his wife."
"If my daughter could marry a man like this, I would be very satisfied."
"Just your girl? Forget it."
"you……"
The noisy banter of the women behind him gradually faded away with the galloping horse, and soon disappeared in the whistling wind.
Shen Yuexi turned her head and raised her slender neck to look at Xiao Zhuo, and saw a hint of warmth between his cold eyebrows.
Xiao Zhuo only lowered his eyes to glance at her dazed expression, and said in a cold voice: "Sit down."
The mount suddenly picked up speed. Shen Yuexi was nearly thrown off. She quickly turned around and hugged Xiao Zhuo tightly with both hands.
The black hair fluttered in the wind, constantly brushing against the corners of Xiao Zhuo's lips, carrying a faint fragrance, which was extremely seductive.
Xiao Zhuo galloped on his horse, looked down at her little face which was becoming increasingly pale and cold due to the wind, stretched out his left arm and held her in his arms, using his sleeves to block the chilly wind.
Shen Yuexi's little face was buried in his arms, and her warm breath brushed against Xiao Zhuo's calm heart. Xiao Zhuo's eyes seemed to be trapped by a ball of warm sunshine, which instantly melted his frosty eyebrows.
"arrive."
Xiao Zhuo jumped off the horse and held Shen Yuexi's slender waist. Shen Yuexi only felt a flash before her eyes and then she stood on the ground.
She looked forward and was surprised and delighted.
To the west of Xiaogang Village, there is actually a small camp.
Nearly a hundred white tents were neatly arranged. At the outermost perimeter of the tents stood a barricade of sharpened wood interwoven together. Figures swayed within the camp.
Although there were no battle flags, no neighing horses, and no forests of swords and spears, the heavy murderous aura emanating from the camp clearly told her that this was a military camp.
Xiao Zhuo held her hand and stood there, staring at the camp.
"The coach is here!"
With a loud shout, two men in civilian clothing moved the barricades at the camp gate. A tall, bearded man led hundreds of people out in formation and lined up in front of Xiao Zhuo.
The bearded man stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands together: "General Meng Yue greets the commander!"
"Greetings, Commander!" Hundreds of people shouted in unison.
Shen Yuexi looked at the tall figure beside her, who was still calm and composed, but the tight grip on her hand still allowed her to see the ripples in Xiao Zhuo's heart at the moment.
Although these hundreds of men were unarmed, their spirits were high and their gazes were resolute. They must have been veterans of battle.
"General Meng, stand up." Xiao Zhuo raised his hand to signal.
The bearded man, Meng Yue, stood up excitedly, his face agitated, "Your Highness, I have fulfilled my mission and finally found you!"
Ever since the Crown Prince was demoted, their brothers in the Northern Frontier have vowed to follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
At that time, the army was divided into two factions. One faction swore allegiance to the emperor. The relationship between the ruler and the subject was deeply rooted in their bones and could not be easily changed.
The other faction, like him, only considered talent and character. Whether governing the country or conducting military campaigns, His Royal Highness was impeccable, leaving even those loyal to the Emperor speechless.
Since joining the army, the prince has never been proud of his status. He lives and eats with them and is very intelligent and resourceful. Several dangerous battles were planned and organized by the prince, and he won with a small number of troops.
There were even cases of defeating the enemy without fighting and taking down the enemy city without losing a single soldier. Such talents made them willing to follow him.
"Thank you for your hard work along the way, but General Qiu will go ahead of you." Xiao Zhuo nodded.
Meng Yue was startled, then overjoyed, "Old Qiu is here too. Where is he now?"
"He and his men are temporarily stationed in the mountains east of the village. I have ordered him to go north to inquire about the movements of the Western Rong army. When he returns, your two armies will reunite."
After saying that, Xiao Zhuo looked at the crowd, tears appeared in his eyes, and then quickly disappeared into the depths.
He released Shen Yuexi's hand, strode forward, clasped his hands together and bowed to everyone: "I am deeply grateful for your following today. I will definitely live up to your expectations."
The rustling sound of falling leaves in autumn is pleasant.
The soldiers shouted in unison: "We will follow His Royal Highness the Crown Prince until death!"
The shouts resounded throughout the forest, startling the birds living in the forest and causing them to suddenly fly out from the trees.
"My lady, come here," Xiao Zhuo waved towards Shen Yuexi, called her closer, and said to Meng Yue, "General Meng, this is my wife."
Shen Yuexi knew that this time it was yet another general who had come to join her. With a faint smile, she crossed her arms at her waist and saluted Meng Yue, her voice as sweet as spring water: "General Meng, thank you for your hard work along the way."
Meng Yue had long known that the Crown Prince had married, but being at the front lines, he had no idea who the bride was. Later, he heard that someone from the Duke's Mansion had cheated and swapped the bride, and he secretly felt a deep disdain for the Duke's Mansion.
With such a family, he didn't have a good impression of people with the surname Shen, but now meeting this young lady from the Shen family was beyond his expectations.
Aside from her striking appearance, her forthright attitude had largely dispelled his negative impression. He had also heard the Crown Prince say that the two of them had supported each other along the way, and his initial prejudice against Shen Yuexi had long since faded.
He bowed respectfully to Shen Yuexi and said, "This humble general greets the Crown Princess."
Shen Yuexi moved aside and did not accept his greeting:
"General, you are too polite. Since you have come this time, my husband and I should have prepared a welcome for you. However, we have just fled here and are very poor. I hope you will not blame us for our poor hospitality."
Meng Yue laughed heartily. He was a general, so how could he care about such things? However, Shen Yuexi's words made him feel very happy. He smiled and said, "You are so polite, Princess. Please come in."
Meng Yue ordered the soldiers to disperse and return to their tents. He said to Xiao Zhuo, "Commander-in-Chief, a lady has also come with us this time."
Xiao Zhuo raised his eyebrows and replied in surprise, "A lady?"
The three of them entered the camp, and an excited voice, tinged with age, came from the front.
"Your Highness!"
Shen Yuexi looked up at the person who came and saw that it was a middle-aged woman, about forty years old, supported by a young girl.
When Xiao Zhuo saw the person coming, he was surprised. He immediately walked over quickly and supported the staggering person, with a slight smile on his face:
"aunt!"
The one Xiao Zhuo called aunt was the late queen's half-sister, the mistress of the Pingyang Marquis's Mansion, Madam Li.
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