Chapter Forty: The Fragrance of Osmanthus Fills My Heart
"Calm down! Take a few adjustments, then we'll do it again." Yang Xiao stepped to the center of the stage, looked at the soldiers below who had finished their stances, and brandished her gun. "Everyone, listen to my command!"
The clouds and mist gently dispersed, and the sunlight poured down, instantly outlining Yang Xiao, who was holding a silver spear, with a golden edge.
"one!"
"ha!"
"two!"
"drink!"
She looked up at Zhang Ping's movements below the stage, and sighed softly as if she had confirmed something. "Zhang Ping," she frowned slightly, stepped off the stage, walked to him, and tapped his gun, "you're holding that gun so far back. What will you do if the enemy twists it forward?"
Zhang Ping took a slight breath after hearing this, then looked up at Yang Xiao and said, "Even so, wouldn't this be more mobile? If the enemy shows a weakness, I can still defeat them with a well-prepared attack."
“Alright,” Yang Xiao pondered for a while, then waved her hand with a light laugh, “You have a point. But if you’re going to fight like this, your shoulder,” she raised her hand and pressed Zhang Ping’s right shoulder, “you need to sink down and get into a stable horse stance.”
“Alright,” Zhang Ping followed Yang Xiao’s lead and leaned down a bit, feeling much more relaxed. He breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and nodded to Yang Xiao, “Thank you for your guidance, General.”
Yang Xiao patted his shoulder with a smile, "What do you mean by 'give me a hint'? Didn't you come up with this yourself?"
She looked up at the sunlight hidden in a mist, then glanced at the soldiers beside her, drenched in sweat.
"That's all for today," Yang Xiao stretched her arms, turned her gun, and nodded to the members of the Eagle Team. "Go back and keep warm, don't catch a cold."
The formation suddenly loosened, and the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief as if they had been resurrected, laughter and chatter spreading out. They clasped their hands in thanks to Yang Xiao, saying, "Thank you for your concern, General."
“Okay,” Yang Xiao nodded to the crowd, “Let’s disperse.”
The crowd dispersed, arms around each other's shoulders, leaving only Zhang Ping standing there, seemingly having "achieved something from his studies."
He stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Xiao, saying, "General, please put on a couple more layers of clothing. It's getting cold, and you don't want to catch a cold."
"Alright, I'll allocate some money for you tomorrow. Find a place to make winter clothes for the brothers in advance." Yang Xiao smiled and patted his shoulder. "Then I'll take my leave."
"Thank you, General. Please take care!"
Yang Xiao waved without turning her head, touched Chi Lian's face while holding the reins, and then mounted her horse.
-
As the weather turned cooler, Chi Lian's breath could now turn into water vapor.
Yang Xiao felt a sudden surge of joy. She spurred her horse and galloped briskly towards the tent.
It seems everyone's been in a good mood lately. Knowing Xiao Yan's intentions, they're all preparing with all their might. Zhong Lishuo, in particular, has been finding all sorts of excuses to keep himself busy these past few days, paying far more attention to military affairs than before.
Yang Xiao, however, felt that Zhongli Shuo's true intentions lay elsewhere. Before Cen Xun went north, he was clearly a simple "martial arts fanatic," but lately, he had inexplicably developed a liking for military strategy and tactics, coupled with the expectant and admiring look in his eyes when he first looked at Cen Xun…
Yang Xiao nodded and smiled. So this is how obvious it is to like someone.
She sped up and ran towards her camp. As soon as she entered the gate, she heard a conversation coming from inside.
Yang Xiao became suspicious, dismounted, handed the reins to the soldier, and then frowned as she looked into the house.
Inside the room, charcoal was burning, and a stack of unidentified objects lay on a small table, conveniently obscuring the face of the newcomer.
She stepped into the room, and as soon as she lifted the curtain, she saw the person who had come in stand up upon hearing the sound.
"Yu De?" Yang Xiao looked at Zhong Li Shuo, who had just stood up, and stared at him in surprise. "Why are you here instead of going out to train the troops?"
Zhong Lishuo smiled and waved his hand, "I heard there's a place in the north of the city that makes delicious osmanthus cakes, so I brought some for you."
Yang Xiao glanced at the boxes piled high on the table, then smiled and crossed her arms, looking at Zhong Lishuo. "This is almost enough for my food for a month. There's no reason for such kindness," Yang Xiao pointed at him, then turned and sat down. "So, what exactly did you come here for?"
Zhong Lishuo sat down as well, chuckling as he touched his nose. "You've known Tongxi for so many years, you must know what she likes, right?"
"Oh?" Yang Xiao glanced at Zhong Lishuo with interest. "Tell me the truth, do you like our Tongxi?"
Zhong Lishuo looked up at Yang Xiao seriously and nodded, "Although I haven't known her for very long, but..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yang Xiao nodded. "I understand," she said, warming her hands by the fire, a wave of warmth washing over her. She paused, then asked, "Have you thought it through?"
“Of course,” Zhong Lishuo nodded with a smile, “Now that you’ve made up your mind that you like her, why not go for it? I’m not like you.”
Yang Xiao chuckled upon hearing this and waved her hand dismissively, "Why are you bringing me up again? Although Tongxi is gentle, generous, and poised, she is quite different from the Jiangnan women you imagine."
“Of course I know,” Zhong Lishuo nodded. “Although Tongxi is beautiful and gentle, she seems to have her own opinions on everything. It’s as if no one can change her mind or force her to do anything once she’s made up her mind.”
Yang Xiao nodded with a light laugh, "That's true. There was a learned, gentle and refined scholar from Jiangnan who pursued her for nearly five years, but she remained unmoved." She looked up at Zhong Lishuo, "No matter how much that person gave, Tongxi never fell for him, so there was absolutely no chance."
Zhongli Shuo nodded and looked at the stove beside him, letting the heat from the fire fill his eyes.
He pondered for a moment, then chuckled fearlessly, "So what? I can't just give up on her because she once rejected someone else, can I?"
He rested his elbows on his knees, gazing ahead with hopeful eyes. "No matter the outcome, I want to give it a try. Even if I don't achieve what I desire," he turned to look at Yang Xiao, "I will have a clear conscience."
Yang Xiao stared at Zhong Lishuo's bright expression, momentarily stunned, then chuckled and shook her head, "No wonder she's so interested in you."
"What?" Zhong Lishuo was taken aback.
"It's nothing," Yang Xiao waved her hand with a smile, then looked up at Zhong Lishuo. "If you want to give her a gift, simply catering to her tastes is far from enough." Yang Xiao stood up and slowly paced around the room like an "experienced person." "The gift you give cannot just cater to her; it must also symbolize yourself, understand?"
“It symbolizes myself…” Zhong Lishuo looked at Yang Xiao and pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh, stood up and nodded, “I understand.”
“Tongxi is fond of poetry and songs, and also has a study of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and swordsmanship. She can be described as both a scholar and a warrior, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.” Yang Xiao walked to the table and looked at Zhong Lishuo. “But her heart is set on the world and her ambition is to serve her country. She is very different from ordinary young ladies.”
“Such integrity, why not use a sword as a metaphor?” Zhongli Shuo had a sudden inspiration and clapped his hands. “I understand, thank you.” After saying that, he turned to walk out.
Seeing this, Yang Xiao quickly raised her hand to stop him. "Wait a minute, why are you running?" She smiled helplessly and pointed to a pile of snacks next to her. "Take some back with you. I didn't really help you much."
"Hey, it's already been delivered, there's no reason to take it back," Zhong Lishuo chuckled and waved his hand. "You've done me a great favor today. If you can't finish these snacks, you can share some with them." As he spoke, he backed away towards the door, then smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute. "That's all, I'll take my leave now."
Yang Xiao watched his running figure and couldn't help but shake her head with a light laugh, "These people..." She stacked the ten boxes of pastries and raised her hand to call the soldiers at the door into the room.
"General, did you call me?" The soldier stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting to Yang Xiao.
“Hmm,” Yang Xiao nodded with a smile, stuffing five boxes of pastries into his arms. “Give three boxes to General Bai, and keep two for you to share with the brothers.” She breathed a sigh of relief, looking down at the remaining five boxes of pastries. “As for Tongxi’s, I’ll take them to her myself.”
She stood at the courtyard gate, stretched lazily in the afternoon sun, and called out to the soldier beside her, "Prepare the horses!"
With a neigh, Chi Lian trotted over and carried Yang Xiao towards Cen Xun's residence.
-
As the sun gradually moved westward, the tidy room was filled with the aroma of tea. A small stove was steaming, and on the table sat an open military book and a small plate of snacks.
"Why did you just finish your military drills this morning and then come here with snacks this afternoon?" Cen Xun smiled as he poured Yang Xiao a cup of tea and pushed it in front of her.
Yang Xiao took the tea and leaned back comfortably. "I just brought some snacks to chat and relax with you." She took a sip of tea, then looked up at Cen Xun. "How are you? Are you getting used to being in the north for so many days?"
“Not bad,” Cen Xun nodded with a smile. “The four seasons are distinct here, and everyone here is easygoing and straightforward, which makes us get along very well.” She turned to look at Yang Xiao. “Besides, with you leading the way, how could I possibly feel uncomfortable?”
"That's good." Yang Xiao finished her tea in one gulp, then leaned against Cen Xun. "So your interest in him is still so strong?"
"So you were waiting for me here," Cen Xun said with a playful smile, pointing at Yang Xiao. "No wonder you kept urging me to go north back then."
Yang Xiao took a pastry, leaned back, and looked up at her. "I haven't said who it is yet."
Cen Xun nodded and gently tapped Yang Xiao's head, then picked up his tea and took a sip. "Such a dashing and heroic person is someone I have never seen in Jiangnan."
“That’s true,” Yang Xiao nodded in agreement. “He Yuan’s men are mostly sycophants and scheming opportunists; there are very few genuine people among them. So, would you say you like him?”
Cen Xun turned and smiled at Yang Xiao, "Why not? He's handsome, highly skilled in martial arts, and warm and easygoing. I've always admired people with such genuine personalities." She put down her teacup and leaned against the table, "Tell me, how do you pursue someone like that?"
"Do I look like I know anything about these things?" Yang Xiao looked at Cen Xun and helplessly spread her hands. "But Yu De is indeed not bad-looking."
"What are you saying?" Cen Xun chuckled and lightly tapped Yang Xiao's forehead. "How could you describe such a beautiful person like that?"
Yang Xiao chuckled as she poured herself a cup of tea. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I understand, I understand."
"It's not even close to being settled yet, so don't talk nonsense." Cen Xun also picked up a piece of pastry and took a bite, changing the subject: "This pastry is quite good, sweet but not greasy."
“It should be sweet,” Yang Xiao said, tapping Cen Xun’s nose in the same way. “In my opinion, the first stroke is definitely there. This ‘eight’ character is only missing the second stroke.”
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