Chapter Sixty-One: Golden Scales Sweep the Ground as New Sprouts Rise
A gentle breeze caressed her face, and tiny grass sprouts seeped from the mottled soil on the ground. The slightly damp air was mixed with the fragrance of the earth. The horse's hooves trod slowly on the wisps of green grass. Yang Xiao reached out and lightly touched the mane of her warhorse, which was being lifted by the spring breeze. A smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
"What happy thing came to mind?" Bai Ming took two quick steps and turned to meet Yang Xiao's gaze.
Yang Xiao turned around, holding the reins, and saw Bai Ming riding a horse lightly beside her, his cloak fluttering in the wind, complementing his white horse perfectly.
Sunlight streamed down onto the grass and above their heads. Perhaps from gazing at Yang Xiao for too long, Bai Ming's face flushed slightly, and his eyelashes, reflecting the warm light, trembled slightly, yet he looked away somewhat unnaturally.
When Yang Xiao saw his figure, she couldn't help but recall his childish appearance from seven years ago. She held the reins, her face full of carefree smiles. "Time flies so fast," she said, looking up into Bai Ming's eyes. "It feels like winter hasn't even ended yet, and spring has already arrived."
Bai Ming also met Yang Xiao's gaze and nodded gently, "Yes." He looked up at the forest with its speckled green foliage, letting his warhorse carry him step by step, "So, it's been more than a year since we joined our lord."
"It's neither long nor short," Yang Xiao said, gazing at the orange-pink sunset, her eyes seemingly blazing with fiery passion. "I've been busy all year, fighting so many battles with my lord, yet I don't feel tired at all."
"You still have the nerve to say that," Bai Ming turned around and looked at Yang Xiao reproachfully, "You and Yu De are always rushing into dangerous situations. Others are already worried enough about the two of you."
Yang Xiao laughed and crossed her arms, teasingly saying, "We call it getting involved and then going with the flow. Besides, we have your help, don't we?"
"Lingyu, you..." Bai Ming looked at Yang Xiao's bright, flowing eyes and shook his head with a light laugh.
“Speaking of which,” Yang Xiao said, holding the reins and smiling as she looked at the rolling clouds before her, “we have known each other for seven years now.”
Bai Ming was stunned for a long time upon hearing this. His eyes, which were as vast as the ocean, rippled slightly. He looked at Yang Xiao's hot and warm eyes, and then at the silver spear in her hand that was reflecting the warm sun. His heart skipped a beat, and his cheeks flushed.
He raised his hand to touch his flushed cheek, then looked up to meet Yang Xiao's gaze, nodded slightly, and gave a barely perceptible "hmm".
He wanted to take this opportunity to speak his mind, but the words caught in his throat and he couldn't utter a single one. He gently looked away, unsure of what to do.
"Alright, alright," Yang Xiao said, shaking her head with a smile as she looked at his conflicted expression. "The ambush location hasn't been arranged yet, so why are we talking about the past?"
"I'm not..." Before he could finish his explanation, Yang Xiaole turned his horse around and looked towards the woods to the side. The setting sun shone on Yang Xiaole's flowing hair, gently brushing against Bai Ming's heart.
He immediately felt he had let Yang Xiao down, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his palms as he gripped the reins tightly. He was filled with panic and regret, and stood rooted to the spot, not daring to take another step forward.
"Zhao Qing?"
A brisk and lively voice came from ahead. Bai Ming was startled and quickly looked up. He saw Yang Xiao bathed in the setting sun. Her red robe reflected the warm light, burning like a flame in anyone's heart.
She sat on the saddle bridge, turned around and smiled at Bai Ming, her amber eyes sparkling with amusement, but without a trace of reproach.
"Why are you standing there motionless?" She looked at Bai Ming staring blankly at her, and couldn't help but reach out her hand to him. "Are you going to give up halfway and let me explore the road ahead by myself, and then go back to report to the master?"
“How could I give up halfway?” Bai Ming’s eyes stung, and tears almost welled up. He immediately understood Yang Xiao’s unspoken meaning. He smiled broadly at Yang Xiao, who seemed to be shining, and spurred his horse forward. “I thought you weren’t going to wait for me.”
Yang Xiao looked at Bai Ming running up to her and couldn't help but smile and sigh. She looked up at the forest with new buds sprouting in front of her and said, "We've known each other for so long. I can wait for you anytime. Why would I be hung up on this moment?"
She glanced back at Bai Ming's deep, affectionate eyes, then chuckled and pointed to the woods in front of her, as if nothing had happened. "Look at this woods. It's big enough for people, but there are no branches or leaves to provide cover in early spring. If you want to set up an ambush, you'll have to create some dust."
“Although this place is full of dead trees now, it will definitely become more lush after Jie Liang sends out the invitation.” Bai Ming also looked up and examined the forest dotted with tender green leaves, then turned back to look at Yang Xiao seriously. “In my opinion, we can ambush some elite troops and move according to the situation.”
Runan and Nanyang are separated by a low mountain range, which is densely wooded and can be used as an ambush site. It can provide cover and take advantage of the terrain to seize the city in one fell swoop.
However, the city is still some distance from this place, and if something unexpected happens, it will be difficult to provide support.
Yang Xiaobaiming pondered for a long time while gesturing at the hillside on one side, and finally decided to ambush three hundred crossbowmen on the north side, so that they would fire arrows as soon as they saw the signal from inside the city.
Arrows could be fired directly into the city with the help of the wind. At the same time, sulfur and gunpowder were prepared. As soon as the ambush troops on the east side saw the fire on the north side, they would immediately move out to coordinate with the troops inside the city.
Yang Xiao put her hands behind her head and let out a sigh of relief. "At that time, you will lead your troops westward, and I will meet you in the city." She smiled and pointed at Bai Ming. "In this way, Nanyang will be ours."
"Oh?" Bai Ming looked at Yang Xiao with interest. "You're going into the city?"
“Of course,” Yang Xiao crossed her arms and tossed her head, “Do you look down on me?”
"How could that be?" Bai Ming chuckled and shook his head. "It's just that this trip was too risky. How about I go into the city, and you can take over next time?"
Yang Xiao glanced back at him with a smile, raised her hand and made a sword finger gesture, "I have special skills, so why would I take any risks?"
Bai Ming looked at Yang Xiao's feigned mysterious expression, then tilted his head and asked in a cooperative manner, "You have another special skill? How come I didn't know?"
“A true skill is one that keeps its secret,” she said with a sly smile. “It’s a secret.”
Bai Ming couldn't help but recall the scene of Yang Xiao competing with Zhong Lishuo in throwing darts, and a guess immediately formed in his mind.
He nodded, feigning ignorance, "Alright, 'Hero Lingyu,' but the ambush is a matter of great importance, so let the strategist decide?"
"Okay, whatever you say." Yang Xiao looked up at the setting sun, let out a sigh of relief, and closed her eyes to feel the cool breeze caressing her body. She turned to look at Bai Ming beside her, "You've been riding horses all day, do you want to rest for a bit?"
"Are you a little tired?" Bai Ming leaned down and looked at Yang Xiao gently. "Why don't we go back to camp and rest?"
Yang Xiao chuckled softly, then dismounted, loosely tying the reins to a tree nearby. She turned and walked towards the open space, stretching lazily. "When you get back to camp, you'll probably be engrossed in reading those military books again. We're usually busy with military affairs, and it's not easy to enjoy such a beautiful spring evening. How can we not relax a bit?"
She smiled and pointed at Bai Ming, "You usually either practice martial arts and military drills or read books. Today, I'll take the liberty of giving you an hour's leave on behalf of the lord."
"Alright, then I thank General Lingyu," Bai Ming said with a smile. He turned his head and saw Yang Xiao sitting down on the ground. He followed her and asked, "Why are you sitting on the ground?"
Yang Xiao leaned back casually, looked up at the setting sun, then looked back at Bai Ming who was looking down at her, and patted the empty ground beside her with a light laugh, "How can you feel the vibrant spring if you don't sit on the ground?"
The last rays of the setting sun shone on Yang Xiao, reflected in her carefree eyes, and were deeply imprinted in Bai Ming's heart.
He nodded with a smile, then straightened his cloak and carefully sat down beside Yang Xiao, raising his eyes to quietly watch the sunset slowly sink into the misty mountains.
Distant mountains, flying birds, and the setting sun—all these scenes, along with the cool night breeze, gently caressed Bai Ming's cheeks, brushed against the cloak behind him, and seeped into his heart.
Among the mountains that stretch for thousands of miles in Bingzhou, is there a mountain peak that hides the bustling city of Chang'an behind it?
That was her long-held dream and obsession, which had subtly become her pursuit over the past seven or eight years. Chang'an was a city of great prosperity, and if fate allowed, he truly wished to leap onto that long street with Yang Xiao, to admire a bright lamp together.
A green leaf, its wings broken by the wind, drifted towards him. Bai Ming looked up and slowly raised his hand to meet the leaf.
The wind hasn't stopped; who knows where that leaf will drift to?
Thinking of this, Bai Ming couldn't help but nod and smile, as if mocking his useless actions.
But the next moment, the leaf fluttered straight toward his fingertips. He gently pinched it, and the leaf lay peacefully in his palm.
There was no sudden gust of wind, no erratic fluttering; the leaf landed squarely in his palm, and his heart trembled slightly like the falling leaf.
He gazed at the tender leaf he had picked up, and for some reason, the red leaf he had bent down to pick up for Yang Xiao after testing his darts in the forest earlier suddenly appeared in his mind, lingering there. Yang Xiao's confident and proud smile seemed to be imprinted on his heart like that red leaf reflecting the setting sun, refusing to fade away for a long time.
In an instant, his heart pounded faster and faster, and a thin layer of sweat seeped from his palms. He gripped the leaf tightly, but dared not look back at Yang Xiao, who was sitting next to him.
Bai Ming closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He clenched his fist as if he had made a decision, his eyes filled with determination and sincerity.
"Ah Xiao, actually I..."
He turned to look at Yang Xiao beside him, only to find that she had already been lying on her back on the grass. Her eyelashes trembled gently with the stars, and her chest rose and fell with her even breathing, a scene of tranquility and warmth.
All the courage he had been holding onto vanished in an instant, and Bai Ming broke out in a thin layer of sweat, his heart pounding wildly. He let out a soft sigh, then shook his head with a helpless chuckle.
“Ah Xiao, you…” He chuckled and sighed, then reached up and took off the cloak from his neck, carefully draping it over Yang Xiao.
He leaned down and looked at Yang Xiao's sleeping face. He saw that her usual liveliness and spirit were hidden in her gentle breathing, and all her sharpness had faded away. A breeze brushed her hair, like a fluffy tail brushing against his heart, and Bai Ming felt a wave of tenderness wash over him.
Bai Ming closed his eyes briefly, then chuckled and sighed, "It seems that this is the only way I can express my feelings today."
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