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Yu Baizhou stood frozen in place, stunned, "A-Ling..."
What should he do?
Should I personally send her to such a dangerous place?
Not to mention the surrounding mountains, teeming with wild beasts. Even if there aren't, it's still inappropriate for a strategist to go there... How could he possibly feel at ease?
Song Ling explained that she would disguise herself as a man and send Shi Jiu along.
Yes, there are so many talented and extraordinary people in Huailai, and quite a few of them are highly skilled in martial arts.
Yu Baizhou suppressed his many questions and finally listened to her.
She wanted him to obey.
Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't want him.
If only I hadn't called him Marquis of Wu'an, or King of Qi and Governor of Jingzhou... Yu Baizhou lowered his eyes, a hint of regret in them.
Seeing his dejected look, Song Ling sighed: "Going back to what I said at the beginning, how can I know what you're thinking if you never tell me?"
"If the general has any complaints about me, he is free to speak them out."
Yu Baizhou was somewhat surprised and shook his head slightly: "How could I possibly be dissatisfied with you..."
Song Ling devoted himself wholeheartedly to himself, to the soldiers of the Southwest Army, and to the common people.
“I just want to know,” Yu Baizhou mustered his courage, his hand gripping his clothes tightly at his side, “why did you give Shi Qingyu the pendant? Is it because you’ve already…”
"Do you like him?"
“Heh,” Song Ling stood up and called to him, “Get up and talk.”
"Why would the General care?" Song Ling asked with a smile. "Is it really that important whether it is or isn't?"
To be honest, Shi Qing is a year younger than General Yu and is also a rare military talent, but his youthful impetuosity inevitably makes him a bit rash.
Song Ling noticed this from the very first time she met him.
But it is precisely these kinds of people who are the easiest to persuade.
Whoever can win their heart and soul will follow them wholeheartedly.
Just like Shi Qing, just like Xue Hu.
Seeing that their generals seemed hesitant to speak, Song Ling shook her head slightly: "Never mind, let's not talk about this."
"no!"
"If we just muddle through today, and keep muddling through tomorrow," Yu Baizhou thought to himself, "he'll be driven to madness by all this overthinking."
"This is important...I..."
"I regret it."
He lowered his head, his ears turning bright red: "I just care about Shi Qing getting close to A Ling, I care about you giving him things, I care about..."
His voice abruptly stopped as something warm and soft suddenly entered his palm.
Song Ling took his hand and pulled him closer, asking the stunned man, "If we could go back to that day, would the general still say those words?"
The man stammered, "N-I won't say."
"Then what should we say?"
"Are you tired, girl...?"
The words that blurted out made Yu Baizhou's face flush instantly. Never before had he hated himself for being so tongue-tied: "No..."
He can actually recite love poems too...
“That’s enough, really…” Song Ling whispered to him, and also to herself: “This really is the last time, General.”
"This is the last time I'll be soft-hearted, and it's also our last chance."
Yu Baizhou was a little flustered, and carefully raised his hand to touch her hair: "I'm sorry, I've never been able to speak."
"We will definitely capture Luoyang..."
must.
Yu Baizhou knew perfectly well how much he regretted and how painful it was to think about Song Ling's deliberate distancing during the day these past few days.
He couldn't let her go, and he simply couldn't imagine her falling in love with and marrying another man...
He's definitely going to go crazy.
As soon as Song Ling saw the determination in his eyes, she suddenly felt dizzy and swayed as she grabbed his arm for support.
Yu Baizhou felt a cold fragrance in his arms in an instant, and when he realized what was happening, the person had already fallen into his arms.
Alarm bells rang in his mind, thinking that her condition had worsened, and he hurriedly went to find a military doctor.
"I just didn't sleep all night and I'm very tired," Song Ling said in a muffled voice. "General, can I lean against you for a while?"
Okay?
Okay, of course.
He couldn't have gotten what he wanted.
At this moment, he couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had taken a bath and changed his clothes this morning.
Song Ling buried her face in the man's chest, her hands gripping his waistband. She leaned against him, almost completely exhausted, and her extremely agitated state of mind gradually calmed down.
Yu Baizhou seemed to have turned into a piece of wood, not daring to move at all. His arms were initially stiff at his sides, and he didn't know what to do with them.
Seeing that Song Ling was so exhausted that she was about to collapse, he carefully reached out an arm to put his arm around her waist, afraid that she would fall.
Everything seemed like a dream.
He moved his head, staring blankly at the person in front of him—the strands of hair, the feel of the chest, the feel of the hands, and the breath…
All of this suggests that he has done something remarkable.
So, does A-Ling dislike Shi Qing?
Well, he still didn't dare to ask.
Let's ask her again in a few days; she looks really tired right now.
She was so tired she was almost falling asleep standing up. Song Ling was acutely aware that her body had reached its limit.
But this person's embrace is so warm; I'm sure I won't feel cold hugging them on a winter night.
Song Ling couldn't help but feel a little envious. Due to years of medication, her body was noticeably cold, and she was afraid of the cold. Her hands and feet were always icy cold.
Therefore, I felt a little reluctant when I left.
"If only we could really get married someday," Song Ling murmured, "I really want to hold you while I sleep..."
Song Ling thought she was only thinking it in her heart, but she never expected to say it out loud.
Yu Baizhou's heart was in turmoil. So, Ah Ling actually wanted to be with him... So how much his words that day must have hurt her.
Should I hold him while he sleeps...?
Just thinking about that scene made Yu Baizhou blush.
This time, even though his skin was tanned darker, Song Ling noticed it.
She quite naturally glossed over what she had just said.
She doesn't feel ashamed to say what she wants.
Song Ling: "Are you... alright?"
Yu Baizhou hurriedly raised his hand to touch his face, his fingers trembling from the heat...
Realizing he had embarrassed himself in front of Song Ling again, his face grew even hotter.
Song Ling raised her hand.
Realizing what she was about to do, Yu Baizhou instinctively lowered his head and moved closer to her.
Song Ling's fingers were slender and long yet strong, with a thin layer of calluses on the fingertips from years of holding a sword, and they felt cool to the touch.
Yu Baizhou thought it would land on the side of his face, just like before.
But this time, nothing happened.
It stroked the already red ear tip and gently pinched it.
The man's breathing suddenly quickened, and then he abruptly looked up and took a half-step back.
Song Ling was simply curious as to why the person in front of her always had such magical ears; they would turn red as soon as she got close, and the redness would spread after she said just a few words.
But I didn't expect him to react so strongly.
The burning sensation at her fingertips vanished instantly. Song Ling unconsciously rubbed her thumb and forefinger together, feeling a sense of loss.
As Yu Baizhou watched her movements, images flashed through his mind of her gently caressing his earlobe, his ear tip, and...
Somewhere, it stood up slowly and unceremoniously.
Realizing he had lost his composure, General Yu was furious and practically fled in panic.
I didn't even have time to give her a word of advice.
Yu Baizhou was unaware that although he had left in a hurry, Song Ling had noticed his unusual behavior at that moment.
Song Ling stood there, stunned, and raised her right hand, her fingers clenching in mid-air once more.
It was just a pinch and a touch, why does he react so strongly every time?
Are all men like this in this respect?
At this moment, Song Ling was somewhat troubled. She had no elders to teach her and was only learning by instinct and her own interest.
A slight sense of helplessness arose within me; I wasn't sure if my actions were appropriate.
*
With many thoughts on her mind, Song Ling returned to her camp.
At present, the King of Qi has no intention of attacking the city. The only thing the Southwest Army can do is to remain unchanged and adapt to any situation, and to focus on training and improving its defenses.
To the south, we must guard against the Kingdom of Wuqi; to the west, the governor of Yunzhou is of uncertain allegiance; and to the north, we must contend with the King of Qi.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were attacked from both sides.
Fortunately, Shannan Prefecture was relatively peaceful under Su Duan's governance, which allowed him to deceive and restrain Yunzhou and the imperial court for a while.
Every day before the war began, these deputy generals were extremely busy, not to mention the commander-in-chief, who was the backbone of the army.
Since their hasty parting that day, apart from discussing strategy at the main tent, Song Ling had not seen Yu Baizhou or any of the other deputy generals for two days.
Wei Yan, on the other hand, discussed many things with her several times.
Because she would be going to Shannan Prefecture in a few days, there were many things in the camp that needed to be explained.
This was the pretext Yu Baizhou gave to cover up her secret trip.
As for her following Shi Qing into the mountains, only the two of them know this so far. At most, it will just mean one more Shi Qing.
Even though it is located in the southern region, it gets dark very early in winter.
The snow that had been falling for many days finally thinned out a bit, which brought a sigh of relief to the soldiers and people in the southwest.
Yu Baizhou's claim that Song Ling was going to Shannan Prefecture was not a lie.
She was indeed going to the governor's mansion in Shannan Prefecture first to personally discuss and plan some matters with Su Duan.
Then, they headed north to meet up with Shi Qing and his group who had entered the mountains.
Having waited for half an hour, Shi Jiu asked, "Sect Master, shall we continue waiting?"
If we wait any longer, we might not be able to reach Shannan Prefecture before dawn.
Now a few kilometers from the military camp, gazing at the faint firelight in the distance, Song Ling gently shook his head and mounted his horse.
"Let's not wait any longer, let's go."
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from afar, and both of them were startled.
It goes without saying who the visitor is.
"I'll go keep watch over there." Shijiu silently tied the horse to a tree nearby, then used her light-footed skill to climb up another tree.
As for the distance, it was such that he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could still protect Song Ling immediately if danger arose.
Song Ling stroked the horse's mane and dismounted.
Just then, the person arrived.
"I'm sorry, I was too busy and couldn't get back in time." He took off a cloth bag from his body and handed it to the person in front of him: "This contains the medicine you usually take. Chu Yan asked me to give it to you."
"There are also some wound medicines, insect repellent pills... The mountains are full of dangers, so... be careful in everything."
Looking into his dark, bright eyes in the night, Song Ling felt a pang of reluctance to part.
But national affairs take precedence over family matters, and the common people value personal love more than anything else... This should be true for her and for the person in front of her.
“General, if any news about me comes, whether it’s good or bad, don’t panic.” Song Ling reached out and squeezed his palm. “You must believe that I am incredibly insightful.”
"Nothing will happen."
"In everything we do, we must put the soldiers in the Southwest first and the people in the Southwest first."
Had she foreseen something again? Yu Baizhou felt a little flustered, but he dared not ask anything at the moment.
If you don't ask, it means you don't have it.
He told himself this as if he were deceiving himself.
She had her reasons for going, so the only thing Yu Baizhou could do was to prevent the war from turning into a passive situation, so that she would have no worries about the future.
"General,"
Song Ling held the other two words on the tip of her tongue for a long time before softly calling them out: "A-Zhou..."
"I'm here."
A man doesn't easily shed tears, but for some reason, hearing Song Ling call him that, Yu Baizhou suddenly felt a pang of sadness, and the corners of his eyes reddened.
The night was utterly still. Two people with red-rimmed eyes stood reluctantly, and a cool breeze occasionally blew away a strand of hair that no one knew who had been standing there.
The snowflakes grew larger, and a few landed on Song Ling's dark hair.
Yu Baizhou noticed that Song Ling's nose was red from the cold, so he reached out and held her hands to warm them up.
Ah Ling's hands are always cold; she's afraid of the cold.
If only he were here with me.
"Let's set off early." Yu Baizhou gently pulled the person into his arms and said in a muffled voice, "Even with heavy snow, the roads will be difficult to travel."
"Ah Ling, I'm very worried about you."
Song Ling raised her hand and stroked his cheek. "Can you lower your head?"
Yu Baizhou obediently lowered his head, and the two were only about two inches apart.
Song Ling's hand, which had been covering his face, slid down to Yu Baizhou's neck, and the man allowed his most vulnerable neck to be restrained.
She pulled him closer with very light force.
Then, a kiss landed on the corner of his lips.
Beside me was a desolate wasteland, the night, flying snow, and utter silence.
Inside my body, there was the pounding of my heart.
I don't know whose it is.
But Yu Baizhou knew very well that there must be a reason behind it.
The soft, warm touch on his lips was fleeting, but the lingering heat made his whole body burn.
He clearly heard the woman's whispers.
She said, "We will meet again, my general."
That was their three-month period.
Southern Xinjiang will be their new starting point.
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