In May of the sixth year of Jianping, Xiao Du led 10,000 troops from the capital, and with the military token given by Emperor Wen, he gathered tens of thousands of troops from Yanzhou and Youzhou, and rushed to Pingdu Pass to join Xiao's army. After fighting hard for half a month at Pingdu Pass, Xiao's army finally waited for Hou Ye to personally lead troops to reinforce them. For a while, the morale of the army was high, and they shouted that they must drive the barbarians back to their hometown.

However, the 200,000-strong black cavalry coalition formed by Mu Rong and the Wu Kingdom gathered the best soldiers of the two countries, vowing to avenge the previous humiliation and take Pingdu Pass, and trample the Central Plains under their iron hooves. The two sides fought for several months, each winning and losing, and the war situation continued to be stalemate.

On this day, Xiao Du led his troops to a great victory over the Black Cavalry, forcing them to retreat 500 miles outside the city. After more than ten days and nights, he was finally able to lead his troops back to the city. At the same time, he ordered the soldiers to speed up the repair of the city walls and dig deeper trenches to prevent the enemy's next attack.

Afterwards, Xiao Du rushed back to the mansion without taking off his armor. In the bedroom, Yuan Xi was mending a robe with her head down, the sun shining through the window sill on her face, the needle and thread in her hand dancing with fine dust, her slightly bent body reflecting a peaceful and warm picture in the golden halo. Xiao Du couldn't help but curl his lips, leaning against the door with his arms folded, watching the scene in front of him quietly. The battlefield was ruthless, he walked out of the blood and killing, and only by seeing her could he cleanse the sin in his heart and find a sense of belonging.

Yuan Xi heard some noise at the door, looked up and saw Xiao Du, who was covered in weather and looking at her with a smile. She quickly put down her needlework, ran into his arms, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips. Xiao Du's heart was beating fast, but he quickly separated from her and said, "Don't, I'm dirty."

Yuan Xi touched his face and smiled, "My husband is a great hero. This is not dirty, but a sign of your victory." Then, she hugged Xiao Du and was very gentle with him, before reluctantly ordering the maid to fetch a bucket of hot water and pushing him to take a bath.

The steam surged, the white mist rose, Xiao Du soaked his whole body in the hot water, humming comfortably. This battle was very difficult, but fortunately he personally led his troops to encircle the left wing of the Black Cavalry, and defeated the enemy army with the encirclement, killing tens of thousands of the enemy's soldiers. However, winter will come in a few months, and the Black Cavalry coalition's food and grass are in the rear, so they can retreat to the grassland at any time, but if there is a problem with the supply in the capital, Pingduguan will be in danger. He couldn't help but think of the tragic scene five years ago, and his heart was suddenly annoyed, and his brows were tightly frowned.

At this time, a pair of gentle hands came from behind and smoothed his brows. Yuan Xi picked up a towel and wiped his back, and said softly: "Now that you are back, take a good rest first, and we can slowly plan other things later."

Xiao Du looked back at the face he had been longing for day and night, and her hands were rubbing his skin from behind. He suddenly felt his whole body hot, and a fire was rising in his stomach. He took her hand and kissed it on his lips, and suddenly pulled her into the wooden barrel. Water splashed up, and Yuan Xi was startled. When she reacted, she was already sitting opposite Xiao Du, and her whole body was soaked. Xiao Du grabbed her waist, pressed her body tightly against his, and said with a wicked smile: "You should wash together."

Yuan Xi puffed up his cheeks angrily, "You can't even take a bath properly, I won't go crazy with you!"

But she was no match for Xiao Du in strength. Before she could even struggle, she was pressed against the edge of the bucket and kissed fiercely. She was kissed until she fell limp in his arms. Xiao Du sighed and whispered in her ear, "Xi'er, I miss you so much. It would be great if I could tie you to my side and take you everywhere with me, but the battlefield is so dangerous, I'm afraid..."

Yuan Xi found his childish words a little funny, but she felt a little distressed when she thought about how he was on the verge of life and death every time he went to war. So she laid on his shoulder and played with his wet hair, saying, "When you win this battle, we will never be separated."

Xiao Du's eyes dimmed. Even if they finished the battle and drove the wicked people back, they could never go back to the capital. Since it had come to this, to return to the capital, they had to fight the imperial city and regain the position above millions of people. He suddenly felt very tired. Only the warm body in his arms could comfort him. So he greedily inhaled her fragrance, impatiently tore off her clothes, and kept biting on her smooth and soft skin. His big hands also wantonly went all the way down, causing water to swirl and heat to ripple.

Yuan Xi had no time to resist, and was teased by him until her whole body softened, and she let him succeed in a daze. For a while, the only sound in the room was the splashing of water mixed with heavy breathing. Xiao Du had been holding back for too long, and in his excitement he had forgotten that they were still in a small wooden barrel, and he just kept attacking. Finally, the wooden barrel under the two of them could not bear the torture and exploded with a "bang", splashing water everywhere, and the two people who were in the excitement fell out along the water flow.

The guards outside the door heard the sound and knocked on the door and shouted, "My Lord, what happened?" Xiao Du hugged Yuan Xi and fell to the ground awkwardly. Fearing that someone outside the door would break in, he quickly pulled the cloth hanging on the rack to wrap Yuan Xi's body, and shouted loudly, "It's okay, don't come in yet."

The guards outside the door stared blankly at the water seeping out from the crack in the door, scratched their heads and couldn't figure out what was going on. But since the marquis had said they were not to enter, no one dared to act rashly, and they could only stand back by the door, muttering to each other.

Xiao Du heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no movement outside the door. Yuan Xi, who was under him, was already blushing with embarrassment. She covered her face and glared at him through her fingers, saying, "It's all your fault! You didn't even know where to go when you went crazy. How can we clean up now?"

Xiao Du hadn't seen her blushing and shy like this for a long time, and he couldn't hold back any more. He simply picked her up and carried her inside, "Okay, let's pick a good spot and continue."

Finally, after several twists and turns, Yuan Xi was exhausted and sore all over. She fell asleep in Xiao Du's arms. When they woke up again, it was almost sunset. Yuan Xi opened her eyes lazily and saw the water stains on the ground in the dim light. Then she remembered that the outside was still a mess. The bath tub was broken into several pieces. The two of them hid in the room for a whole day. Outsiders would definitely guess what happened. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but cover her face and sigh: she would be too ashamed to face people in the future.

Xiao Du, however, never cared about these things: he was just being intimate with his wife, so he could be where he wanted, in whatever position he wanted, and he didn't care about what outsiders said. The sky was about to be filled with sunset glow, and he suddenly remembered something, and hurriedly pulled Yuan Xi to sit up and said, "Hurry up and put on your clothes, I'll take you somewhere!"

Yuan Xi didn't understand what was going on yet, but she saw him looking at her excitedly. She had no choice but to put on her clothes and ride with him to the street. Yuan Xi was a little afraid of the bumpy ride, but when he held her tightly in his arms, she felt extremely safe.

The two rode all the way to the foot of Daixia Mountain in the west of the city. Xiao Du helped Yuan Xi dismount from the horse, tied the horse to a big tree, and led Yuan Xi along, saying, "Let's go up the mountain to watch the sunset. We should still be able to catch up now."

Yuan Xi had heard him say that the sunset at the border was extremely beautiful, and now she followed him up the mountain without caring about being tired. Xiao Du walked a few steps, turned around and saw Yuan Xi following him with great effort, holding up her skirt. He simply squatted down and pulled her onto his back, "I'll carry you up."

Yuan Xi leaned on his broad back, curled her lips and smiled. Xiao Du was afraid that he would not catch up with the sunset, so he carried Yuan Xi on his back and quickly climbed up the mountain. Halfway up, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Yuan Xi felt a little distressed, and while wiping the sweat off him, he said, "Why don't I climb down by myself?"

Xiao Du laughed and said, "Just lie down. Your husband dares to fight against hundreds of thousands of troops, but he still can't carry a little girl like you." He suddenly remembered something, turned around and said softly, "I said I would carry you for the rest of my life, how can I give up halfway?"

Yuan Xi leaned her head on his shoulder and felt that all the wild flowers on the mountain were blooming in her heart, and the stream water was flowing through her heart, leaving behind a sweet taste like honey.

Finally, before sunset, Xiao Du carried Yuan Xi to the top of the mountain, then fell to the ground and gasped for breath. Yuan Xi quickly took off the water bag he carried with him and fed him water. Xiao Du drank a few sips from the water bag, and suddenly a cunning look flashed in his eyes. He pulled her and said, "I want you to feed me."

Yuan Xi was stunned for a moment before she reacted. Seeing that he was acting like a rogue who would not drink unless she fed him, she could only sigh and shake her head, holding her saliva in her mouth and leaning over to feed him. Unexpectedly, Xiao Du drank the water but still held her tongue tightly. Yuan Xi was angry and amused, and struggled to get up, but Xiao Du gently held her head, turned over and pressed her down to continue kissing. The two of them were just entangled for a moment, when Xiao Du suddenly raised his head, led Yuan Xi to sit up, and said, "Xi'er, look."

I saw the round, bright red setting sun sinking slowly into the river, reflecting the winding river in a radiant glow. The setting sun dyed the distant grassland golden. An eagle spread its wings and soared over the rolling ridges and mottled city walls. This must be the setting sun over the long river and the lonely smoke in the desert mentioned in the poem.

Yuan Xi was a little infatuated. Xiao Du held her head against his shoulder, and the two sat side by side on the top of the mountain to quietly admire the magnificent scenery. It was not until the light was swallowed up by the river that Yuan Xi said softly, "It's beautiful. This sunset is really beautiful."

Xiao Du let out a breath and said, "Xi'er, will you regret it? If it weren't for my identity, you could have stayed in the capital and enjoyed a life of luxury. You wouldn't have to suffer in the border area and live in fear."

Yuan Xi held onto his arm and leaned on it, saying, "If it weren't for you, I would have spent my whole life as a lady trapped in a small place, or a lady who only cared about protecting her husband and raising her children. A'Du, I like this place. Even if I accompany you to herd sheep in the frontier and become an ordinary herdsman couple, I would be happy."

Xiao Du hugged her tighter and asked hesitantly, "Have you ever thought about becoming an empress?"

Yuan Xi raised his head quickly and said, "I don't want you to start another war in the Central Plains just to fight for that position, and become a sinner who makes the people suffer."

Xiao Du held her hand tightly and sighed heavily. He didn't want to do this, but the reality was cruel. If they didn't try their best to climb to the top, that person would definitely not let them go. In this life, can they choose for themselves?

The last ray of golden light gradually disappeared, and the golden crow was replaced by a jade rabbit hanging high in the sky. Luo Yuan looked at the moonlight shining on the city wall, and led the soldiers behind him into the city gate.

After helping the people of the Marquis' Mansion escape from the capital, he lived with them in the city. Xiao Du didn't want to bury his talent, so he made him a nominal military advisor without telling Zhao Yan. Although Luo Yuan had never experienced the battlefield, he was familiar with military books and loved to study. After he cracked an enemy's military formation and defeated the Black Cavalry, the commanders who were suspicious of him finally looked at him with new eyes and respectfully called him Mr. Luo. Today he led a team of people to build a dike by the river, and did not return to the city until dark.

He first went to the General's Mansion to report today's progress to Xiao Du, but he heard that the Marquis had taken his wife to Daixia Mountain, so he had to go to the hospital to see the wounded soldiers rescued in this battle.

The clinic was filled with wailing and crying. Luo Yuan sighed heavily and was about to go inside when he suddenly heard someone in a room shouting, "Really! I really saw the miracle doctor in the mountains with my own eyes. It is said that he is like the reincarnation of a god and there has never been a disease that he cannot cure." Luo Yuan's heart moved and he immediately thought of someone, so he stopped abruptly...