The war drum was a specially made cowhide drum, which required soldiers with exceptional arm strength to strike it and produce a deafening and powerful sound.
She raised two drumsticks as thick as her arms and began to beat them.
The snow was still falling, and she stood tall and straight in the wind, gradually increasing the speed, controlling the exciting rhythm, and forcefully striking the drumhead, boom boom boom boom boom boom... In a wave of black and white, her light-absorbing silver armor was so conspicuous and bright.
When the Ye army heard the inspiring drumbeats sound again, one of the generals turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that the lady?"
More and more people noticed that when Yuwen Sheng, who was bravely fighting the enemy, turned around, he also saw behind the soldiers that a slender and upright figure was standing in front of the tall military drum, striking it vigorously.
She was telling him in another way that she was always with them, fighting alongside them.
Yuwen Sheng finally felt that his heart, which had been empty all along, was now filled with something.
——
"If we leave—"
As a seasoned general, Hou Feiqing had a thorough understanding of the outcome of the battle. With Yuwen Sheng's meticulous planning and Zheng Quchi's genius-like cooperation, he knew that the outcome of the battle was already decided.
The enemy was riding high, while they were exhausted and defeated, their morale collapsed and their confidence gone. They had already lost this battle.
He intended to take Gongshu Jiruo away, but then saw him take out a bamboo tube, and he immediately exclaimed in horror, "No—"
Why not?
When Hou Feiqing met Gongshu Jiruo's seemingly calm but actually sinister and ruthless gaze, his heart skipped a beat.
Although I knew he wasn't exactly a saint, I had never seen him so angry that he had completely lost his mind.
"You plan to use the Gongshu family's secret forces, right?" Hou Feiqing asked.
He remained silent.
"You know perfectly well that the King of Beiyuan has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Gongshu family's interference in politics and military affairs. Your use of the iron cavalry without reporting it has already put yourself and the Gongshu family in a dangerous situation. If you were to secretly deploy troops again, do you want the King of Beiyuan to completely turn against the Gongshu family?"
He understood the reasoning, but Gongshu Jiru looked at him with a wavering gaze: "But if I give up this time, I will never have another chance..."
Hou Feiqing understood that some people, once they fall in love, are like a withered tree blossoming again, their devotion unwavering until death.
"Are you stupid? As long as you're alive, there will always be a chance." That was all he could say to persuade you.
Gongshu Jiruo laughed self-deprecatingly.
“In the past, she was behind me, and I thought there would be plenty of opportunities. Later, she walked alongside me, and I thought there would always be opportunities. From now on, she will only go further and further away and will never look back.”
Hou Feiqing now only wants Gongshu Jiruo to leave with him as soon as possible, and for this he is willing to go against his conscience and coax him into becoming a "mistress" for love.
"Even if you can't become husband and wife, as long as you remain as Gongshu Jiruo, she will always treat you differently. Take a step back and try again. Being a close male friend is also an option."
Gongshu looked at him, puzzled, and repeated, "A confidant?"
"Yes, I'm sure that in this world, only you can rival her in craftsmanship and compete with her in the future. At that time, you will be the one who understands her the most."
Gongshu Jiru had never considered this line of thought before, but now that he thought about it, it suddenly enlightened him, and his lifeless eyes gradually regained their luster.
His advantage is something Yuwen Sheng can never achieve. As long as he remains Gongshu Jiruo, the top craftsman, he will always have a chance.
"Let's go."
He put away the communicator, and his previous listless and suicidal demeanor vanished instantly.
After persuading him, Hou Feiqing looked at Yuwen Sheng on the battlefield and said calmly, "Yuwen Sheng, we... have a long future ahead of us."
——
The Ye army won this battle.
The Ye army invaded on a legitimate pretext, demanding that Hou Feiqing hand over the hidden Kezhu people in exchange for the prisoners of war held by the victor.
They had no choice but to pay, because they were from a foreign tribe, and a barbarian tribe that all seven kingdoms despised. Compared to the Northern Abyss Army, these people's lives were insignificant.
Zheng Quchi also successfully obtained the handbook to remove the "Phoenix Tear" poison from Yuwen Sheng's eldest son, the leader of the Kezhu tribe.
Just to be on the safe side, she still went to the prison to interrogate Chief Kezhu.
This time she was well prepared. She not only told him about their relationship with Beiyuan, but also that the Kezhu tribe was now entirely in her hands. She also told him about the Beiyuan army's great defeat and Pujia Di's death in battle. Sure enough, his psychological defenses collapsed, and he finally gave up resisting and told her everything.
Although there are ways to cure Gu poison, these laymen still lack the skills. Therefore, in order to completely remove the time bomb of "Phoenix Tears" from Yuwen Sheng, he has to stay in Wubao for nearly half a year, and Chief Kezhu will personally remove it for him.
Yuwen Sheng could stay for half a year, but Zheng Quchi could not. The various projects that had been delayed because of her were still ongoing, and she was summoned back to Shengjing by a series of urgent calls.
Before leaving, she instructed Yuwen Sheng: "After the Phoenix Tears are dispelled, return to the capital on your own."
She made a point of mentioning this so that he would understand that the self-punishment of "exile" was enough, and she would no longer hold it against him.
Yuwen Sheng put on the scholar's robes they had first met, the light and smooth fabric with flowing lines. He stood there gracefully, like an immortal: "I will follow your words, Madam."
Looking at his handsome and noble appearance, she couldn't help but think of that "Phoenix Tears" note.
From this, she understood why Yuwen Sheng always wore a mask and never showed his face to the world, because he cared about and kept the secret of "Phoenix Tears" hidden.
The name "Phoenix Tears" might suggest a poignant and moving experience, but in reality, it represents darkness and filth. The process of casting the spell is utterly inhumane, enough to destroy the mind of a normal adult, let alone a child.
After reading the relevant content, she felt her blood rush to her head and her stomach churn.
Just reading the words on it made her feel terrible. She didn't know how Yuwen Sheng, who was so young at the time, managed to survive that period.
No wonder he was world-weary and insane, because he had never been treated fairly in his life, and everything he had experienced was morbid and distorted.
He should be trying to learn to trust her, let go of the past, and accept himself; otherwise, he wouldn't have let her see the contents of "Phoenix Tears'" handwritten note.
She sat in the carriage, lifting a curtain, and sunlight streamed in from the side, casting a golden glow on half of her face. She grinned at him: "Yuwen Sheng, when you come back, I'll give you candy."
He paused slightly upon hearing this, the wind causing the blue sash around his waist to flutter, and he smiled like a flawless white rose in the morning light.
"good."
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