Chapter 166 Discussion
Two soldiers passed by side by side not far away. They were puzzled as to why the Seventh Prince was standing blankly in front of his tent, but they thought he must have his reasons for doing so.
As expected of the Seventh Prince, he is so profound that ordinary people cannot easily understand him.
As they passed by the Seventh Prince, two soldiers saluted and said, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
They were known for their rudeness and loud voices, which startled not only the Seventh Prince but also Xie Mianmian, who was struggling inside the tent.
His eyes sharpened, signaling them to leave quickly.
"Plop," the handkerchief fell into the water with a soft sound.
The next moment, the two looked at each other through the heavy curtain, and gradually, their heartbeats began to synchronize.
The seventh prince's tightly clenched hands hung down behind his back, his gaze returning to the front, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.
Xie Mianmian picked up the wet handkerchief again and wiped away the last trace of blood, her toes curling up.
Why... is he still outside and hasn't left?
Xie Mianmian opened the wound medicine, sniffed it a few times, and realized it was a top-quality wound medicine.
She held the small porcelain bottle above the wound and gently tapped the bottle with her index finger, the fingernail striking the porcelain with a crisp tinkling sound.
White powder was sprinkled onto the slightly red wound, and intense pain continued to surge through the wound.
It's like rubbing salt into a wound, and you feel like you're roasting meat on a hot plate, with the wound sizzling.
"Um……"
Even though Xie Mianmian had bitten the hem of her skirt, a painful groan still escaped from her throat.
Hearing the bitter taste on the tongues of those outside made his heart ache.
After finally applying the medicine, Xie Mianmian lay exhausted on her back on the bed, raising her arm to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead.
After resting for only a short while, she struggled to her feet, straightened her clothes, and went out.
The man was nowhere to be seen outside the tent, only a soldier stood there, grinning and saying, "Greetings, Princess. His Highness and the others are in the main tent. Shall we go over there?"
Xie Mianmian nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."
The soldier led the way, as if he had been instructed beforehand. He walked slowly, turning back every few steps, and occasionally pointing out the location of the camp.
"That's the wounded soldiers' camp over there, and the mess hall is on the right. Princess, please look ahead, we'll reach the main tent."
Xie Mianmian looked over and saw two burly soldiers guarding the entrance to the main tent. As soon as they saw her, they took the initiative to lift the curtain wide.
She walked in, and a very noticeable gaze fell upon her.
Xie Mianmian avoided looking at the man, trying to ignore his gaze, and while responding to everyone's greetings, she walked to the Sixth Princess's side.
"Mianmian, are you alright?"
The sixth princess asked worriedly, admitting that she was indeed not attentive enough and was even less caring than the seventh prince, who was a cold-faced monster.
Seeing that the seventh prince had taken Xie Mianmian away, the sixth princess could only stomp her feet in frustration.
It seems that from childhood to adulthood, there has always been someone silently standing between her and Xie Mianmian, and it is self-evident who that person is.
"After applying the wound medicine, I'm all better now, and I can practically walk like the wind," Xie Mianmian said with a smile.
The Sixth Princess placed a cup of brewed tea next to Xie Mianmian, saying, "Are you thirsty? The tea is at just the right temperature now."
Xie Mianmian picked up her teacup and gulped down a few mouthfuls to soothe her parched throat. "Where were we?"
The Seventh Prince withdrew his gaze and said, "Since yesterday, the Northern Rong beast army has disappeared from the battlefield without a trace. Today's battle between the two armies is more like a small skirmish. We advance while the enemy retreats, and we retreat while the enemy advances."
The strategist continued, "That's right, so we suspect that the Northern Rong may be plotting something."
The Seventh Prince pointed to the map on the table and said, "They may head southwest to conquer Chai City, which is a grain-producing area. The Northern Rong have harassed it several times before."
His finger moved to another spot, "This southeast, our scouts found what appears to be traces of the beast army in this direction."
"Yes," the lieutenant said. "The most important thing right now is to find the trail of that beast army. Their destructive power is too astonishing. If the beast army flanks us from behind when the two armies are fighting, we will probably suffer a crushing defeat."
The strategist said, "Fortunately, the Mian Army assembled by the princess has arrived, so we don't need to be so afraid of the Northern Rong."
Xie Mianmian asked, "How many beastmen do they have, and what is their combat strength?"
"Their numbers seem endless. In every battle, that beast army is a densely packed mass, yet they show no signs of damage. As for their combat strength..."
The lieutenant said with lingering fear, "They fought with increasing ferocity, as if they would never tire. Even when our soldiers knocked them down, they would still use their last bit of strength to bite our necks."
Upon hearing this, everyone pursed their lips solemnly.
The strategist said, "Then next, we can focus on Chai City, set up an ambush there, and severely damage the Northern Rong. What do you all think?"
"What about the southeast? The beast army might have gone there," the lieutenant said, scratching his head.
The strategist replied, "Of the important places to go southeast of here, it is Yuancheng. It is a small city with limited resources, and the people in the city mainly rely on collecting and selling medicinal herbs for a living."
"Moreover, Yuancheng is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is unknown whether those traces were left by the beast army. In comparison, we should pay more attention to Chaicheng."
Xie Mianmian and the Sixth Princess exchanged a glance, both thinking of the footprints from last night.
“We also found some footprints when we came here, and I have already sent scouts to investigate.” Xie Mianmian frowned. “Speaking of herbs, do you remember that the Northern Rong relied on poison to control wild beasts? I think Yuan City must be on guard.”
“Mianmian is right,” the Seventh Prince nodded.
The Sixth Princess clicked her tongue lightly, and was about to speak when the sycophantic Seventh Princess beat her to it.
The strategist stroked his beard. "In that case, we'll have to wait for the princess's scouts to return before we discuss this further."
The group continued their discussion, analyzing the battle more thoroughly and trying to find a breakthrough.
Before we knew it, the last rays of the setting sun disappeared on the horizon, and a dim, misty blue enveloped the earth.
A large bonfire was lit in the open space of the military camp, and orange-red specks of light floated into the air, like stars adorning the sky.
The soldiers and the Mian army sat on opposite sides. It was called a celebratory banquet, but it was really just a meal eaten together. The soldiers were given extra meat at most.
After a long time, they could drink a little wine, savor the taste, and chat together.
The soldiers were racing against the grim reapers; if they didn't drink and make merry now, they might have regrets when they closed their eyes for the last time.
Unlike the soldiers who were eating roasted meat, the Mian soldiers would grab a piece of raw meat from a beast, turn around, find a pleasing spot, squat down, and devour it.
The two armies couldn't communicate because of the language barrier, but they both ate until their faces were flushed.
However, there were exceptions in the Mian army, namely the three high-ranking officers, who believed they had already escaped the life of wild beasts eating raw meat and drinking blood.
Three birds sat around a small fire, with a plump pheasant perched on top.
The tail tip gripped the branch stuck in the chicken, and it slowly shook it to prevent the flames from licking the chicken black.
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