The monkey stories added a touch of whimsy to the journey, making it even more enjoyable.
After traveling for another two or three days, having covered nearly half the distance, the group sat in the carriage early one morning, feeling drowsy.
"Young Master, there's a lake outside, it's huge!"
Just then, a simple, honest voice came in. Jing Zhe opened the car window and looked out, and saw a large lake in front of them.
Even with stories to hear, sitting in the car for so long inevitably makes one feel tired. So everyone took the opportunity to get out of the car, look at the beautiful scenery by the lake, stretch, and move around.
Standing by the lake and looking out, the entire lake surface is shrouded in a thin layer of mist. Looking into the distance, the lake surface appears to be indistinct and hazy under the mist.
Every now and then, a few egrets would skim across the lake, circling low above the water, seemingly foraging or playing, weaving through the misty air, creating a unique and exquisite scene.
"So beautiful!"
Liu Jinghong arrived at the lakeside and shouted out from the bottom of her heart.
"Hadn't Fifth Sister seen this lake before she came?"
Jing Zhe walked up to her and asked curiously.
Liu Jinghong glanced at him, then pursed her lips and remained silent.
She had indeed passed by this large lake, but only glanced at it at the time, without any particular feeling. Now, however, the people around her had changed, and her state of mind was naturally different.
"Zhe'er, come for a walk with your sister!"
Perhaps knowing that she was about to meet with the emperor's personal guards and that the days she had left to spend with Jing Zhe were numbered, Liu Jinghong said quietly.
"OK!"
Jing Zhe answered and followed behind Liu Jinghong, walking along the embankment.
Su Mochen originally wanted to follow, but after taking a step, he seemed to remember something, bit his lip, and stopped.
He stared blankly at the two figures gradually disappearing into the distance.
...
The road ahead gradually narrowed. With Liu Jinghong's skills, there should be no need to worry, but Jing Zhe still subconsciously reached out to help her.
Liu Jinghong turned to look at him, grinned, then sat down on the spot, dangling her legs over the edge of the embankment. She then waved to Jing Zhe, signaling him to sit down as well.
Jing Zhe took her hand and sat down next to Liu Jinghong, shoulder to shoulder. Like her, he kicked his legs in the air and looked at the shimmering lake, completely at ease.
After being in the carriage for so long, suddenly looking so far away made me feel so much more relaxed.
After sitting for a while, just like when Jing Zhe used to lie on her when they were little, Liu Jinghong unconsciously rested her head on Jing Zhe's shoulder, creating a scene reminiscent of a beautiful woman admiring the lake.
Suddenly, several egrets flapped their wings and took flight from the reeds on the lake, soaring straight into the sky.
Liu Jinghong looked up and said in a low voice with envy, "They are so lucky. They have no constraints and can freely hover in the air."
Jing Zhe leaned over to look and saw that her eyes were full of admiration. Considering her identity and the things she had to do every day, he felt a little sorry for her.
With constant warfare in Liangzhou, she not only had to work hard for it, but also personally lead troops into battle. There were countless battles, large and small, throughout the year, which was tiring and dangerous.
"Fifth Sister, why did you join the army?"
Liu Jinghong tilted her head and glanced at him, then smiled faintly, "I also want to be a civil official!"
But then he spread his hands, saying helplessly, "But besides fighting, I don't know how to do anything else, so I can only be a soldier. My initial thought was that if I had a higher rank, I could be closer to my adoptive parents and Zhe'er, and wouldn't have to worry about retaliation. Alas, I just didn't expect..."
Perhaps thinking of the passing of the Jing couple, Liu Jinghong's face darkened.
"Fifth Sister, although our parents are gone, I am still here! Why don't we resign from this generalship? It's tiring and dangerous; let whoever wants to do it take it!"
Jing Zhe sincerely advised.
Liu Jinghong stood up, looked at the lake, shook his head and smiled, "When I joined the army, my thoughts were simple, but now that I'm in this position, I think about much more than that. The people of Liangzhou need me, and the borders of Anguo need me too. How can I leave?"
Seeing that Jing Zhe remained silent, Liu Jinghong smiled and put her arm around his shoulder: "Besides, I want to get promoted again! Only when I become stronger can I protect Zhe'er!"
Upon hearing this, Jing Zhe wanted to say, "Let me protect you," but his mouth remained slightly open, and he ultimately couldn't bring himself to say it.
He's nothing but a gigolo who wants to curry favor with the powerful in Jingzhou. What right does he have to talk about protecting the dignified General Anguo Jinghong?
From the time he transmigrated until now, both Lu Li and Liu Jinghong have been protecting him. Thinking about it carefully, he felt extremely ashamed.
At that moment, a new ambition suddenly appeared in his mind: I need to become stronger so that I can protect my sisters!
The two sat for a while longer. During this time, just like Lu Li had done the night before, Liu Jinghong told Jing Zhe to be careful when he went to Jingzhou. Finally, she took out a token engraved with the words "Jinghong".
"What's this?"
After examining it for a while, Jing Zhe asked curiously.
"This is the Jinghong Token. Seeing the token is like seeing me. It can be used to command the Jinghong Iron Cavalry!"
After hearing this, Jing Zhe quickly returned it.
"Such an important thing, Fifth Sister, take it back right away!"
Liu Jinghong smiled but did not reach out to take it.
“As long as I’m alive, the Jinghong Iron Cavalry will always obey me, so there’s no use in having this token. You keep this token; if you ever get into trouble in Jingzhou, it might save your life.”
As she spoke, she straightened Jing Zhe's clothes and said softly, "I hope you'll never have to use this token!"
"..."
...
When the two returned, everything seemed normal.
Around noon, the carriage stopped.
Jing Zhe lifted the carriage curtain to look, and saw a large army approaching from the road ahead, clad in golden armor, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.
"Is this the Royal Guard?"
Liu Jinghong nodded, then jumped off the carriage and went to greet him.
The leader of the Imperial Guard was a tall and strong man, about forty years old, whose official rank was Imperial Guard General, a fourth-grade official.
His official title may seem mediocre, but because he spends most of his time in the palace and only obeys the emperor's orders, his actual status is very high. Even the dukes and ministers who come to the palace to see the emperor every day have to give him some face.
But when he saw Liu Jinghong, he jumped off his horse, cupped his hands in a solemn gesture, and said, "This humble official greets General Jinghong!"
Perhaps this stems from awe of the strong.
Liu Jinghong nodded, her face no longer showing the relaxed and gentle expression she had when chatting with Jing Zhe, but instead becoming serious and composed.
"General Sui, there's no need for such formalities!"
Liu Jinghong said, "I'll leave the matter of escorting His Highness back to the palace to you. The border is not peaceful lately, and I need to rush back to Liangzhou now."
"General Jinghong, you are too kind. This is simply my duty! It is you, General Jinghong, who guards the border of Anguo and spares the people from the suffering of war. You are truly admirable!"
Liu Jinghong nodded, whispered a few words to Su Mochen and Jing Zhe, and then rode away.
Watching her dashing figure disappear into the sunlight that met the horizon, Jing Zhe felt a sense of loss he had never experienced before.
————
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