“Good!” A sharp glint flashed in Xin Jiuwei’s eyes. “Tell Manager Li and the others to be extremely careful. Witnesses are of utmost importance and there can be no mistakes! Also, do your best to find and comfort those who have had their legs broken and have been expelled from the canal gang. The money and medical expenses they need will come from my private funds. These people are also living evidence and the will of the people.”
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this," Lin Jingshu replied. "The experienced farmers that Boss Wu sent arrived in Liulin County, Yingzhou yesterday. Your cousin wrote that as soon as they arrived, they were immediately invited to the fields to teach the women, children, and the elderly how to select seeds, cultivate seedlings, and prepare the land. The response has been excellent! With experienced masters on the ground, people's hearts are much more at ease. The farm tools and seeds supplied by the Qi Family Trading Company at reasonable prices have also been distributed, so we've made it in time for spring planting!"
Xin Jiuwei let out a long sigh of relief, the seriousness between her brows finally replaced by a hint of ease: "That's good. Spring plowing is fundamental and cannot be delayed. With my brother-in-law in charge of Yingzhou, my father managing the overall situation, and with these external forces assisting us, the foundation of Yingzhou has been initially stabilized." She picked up a piece of candied plum and put it in her mouth. The sweet and sour taste melted on her tongue, easing the slight discomfort of morning sickness in her throat, and also seemed to ease the fatigue of the past few days.
Three days later, Tongguan.
Banners fluttered, armor gleamed. The triumphant army stood arrayed before the pass, their momentum overwhelming. Xiao Xun, clad in a black dragon-patterned battle robe and a black cloak, sat astride his magnificent black steed. His posture was upright as a pine tree, his face as stern as ever, yet the triumphant spirit of victory and homecoming was undeniable. The frost of the past few days had etched its marks on his handsome face, but only added to his composure and majesty.
Xin Yunzhou followed closely behind, clad in gleaming armor, a sword at his waist, exuding extraordinary martial prowess. Beside him, Xin Kui, now dressed in a crisp blue riding outfit, her left arm secured in a special leather sling, her face still somewhat pale, but her eyes calm and resolute, rode a gentle chestnut mare. Her appearance did not attract many strange glances. Her heroic act of saving her commander at Tongguan Pass had already spread throughout the army, earning her the sincere respect of the soldiers.
"Move out!" Xiao Xun gave the order, his voice not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire army.
The heavy gates slowly swung open with a long, resounding roar. A torrent of iron cavalry, carrying the glory of victory and the longing to return home, embarked on the official road back to the capital. Amidst the swirling dust, the majestic silhouette of Tongguan Pass gradually disappeared into the distance.
The return journey was far from smooth. The army's advance was slow, as they needed to appease the recaptured territories, restore order, and mop up small groups of scattered Rong and Di remnants. Xiao Xun commanded from the central army, strategizing and planning, while Xin Yunzhou frequently led the vanguard to clear paths, scout routes, and provide comprehensive protection. Xin Kui accompanied the army medic, using her superb medical skills and compiled prescriptions to treat wounded soldiers and civilians affected by the war, earning her the reputation of a "female bodhisattva." Although she and Xin Yunzhou could not be together all the time, a glance or a brief brush past each other was filled with unspoken concern and tacit understanding.
That evening, the army set up camp in a recaptured border town. Xin Kui had just finished feeding medicine to a soldier with a fever and stepped out of the makeshift medical tent when she saw Xin Yunzhou's tall figure standing outside in the twilight, seemingly waiting for her.
"Are you tired?" He came up to her, naturally taking the empty medicine bowl from her hand and handing it to his personal guard, his gaze falling on her slightly tired face.
Xin Kui shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her face. "Not tired. I feel at ease knowing I can help." She frowned slightly as she looked at the dust and barely perceptible bloodstain on Xin Yunzhou's armor. "You went to mop up the remnants again? Were you injured?"
"Just a few petty thieves." Xin Yunzhou didn't care at all, and pulled her to a relatively secluded small hill at the edge of the camp. The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them. "Sit down for a while and rest your feet." He took off his cloak and spread it on the ground.
The two sat down side by side, gazing at the distant campfires and the magnificent sunset. After a moment of silence, Xin Yunzhou took out a small object carefully wrapped in oiled paper from his pocket and handed it to Xin Kui.
"For you."
Xin Kui took it with a puzzled look, opened the oil paper, and inside was a jet-black ebony hairpin, its head carved into a lifelike blue phoenix with outstretched wings. The hairpin was polished to an extremely smooth finish, warm to the touch, and the phoenix's feathers were clearly visible, incredibly lifelike.
“This…” Xin Kui looked up in surprise.
"I passed by a town ahead and saw an old craftsman carving wood; his craftsmanship was superb." Xin Yunzhou looked away somewhat awkwardly, his ears turning slightly red. "The Azure Phoenix is an auspicious bird, reborn from the ashes. I think... it's like you." He explained clumsily, "It's nothing valuable, just... a small token of my appreciation. I'll make a better one for you when we get back to the capital."
Xin Kui held the ebony hairpin, still warm from his touch, and felt as if the softest feather had brushed against her heart, a bittersweet warmth spreading through her. This rough man, it seemed, possessed such delicate sentiments. She stroked the phoenix wings on the hairpin, her eyes shimmering with tears, her voice trembling slightly: "It's beautiful… I love it. Better than any gold or jade hairpin." She looked up, giving him a radiant smile in the twilight, like a Udumbara flower suddenly blooming in the darkness, "Yunzhou, thank you."
Xin Yunzhou was momentarily stunned by her radiant smile, and then a tremendous sense of satisfaction and happiness swept over him. He reached out and carefully tucked a stray strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear, his movements as gentle as if handling a rare treasure. His rough fingertips brushed against her delicate earlobe, sending a slight shiver through him.
"Once we return to the capital, I will ask Your Highness and my sister to officiate our wedding." He looked into her eyes, each word spoken with the solemnity of a vow, "I want everyone in the capital to know that you, Xin Kui, are my wife, whom I, Xin Yunzhou, have married with all the proper rites and ceremony! You are the apple of my eye, the apple of my eye, whom I risked my life for! No one will ever look down on you again!"
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