Xiao Jiuchen thanked him solemnly, exchanged a few polite words with Zhao Zhongliang, and then left with the people from Jiuyou Mountain Stronghold.
After watching the people from Jiuyou Mountain Village walk away, Zhao Zhongliang slowly walked to Yan Hongliang.
He learned that Yan Hongliang and his men were preparing to attack Xiao Jiuchen and his men, and then he inexplicably developed abdominal pain, which allowed Xiao Jiuchen and his men to escape.
When Yan Hongliang saw Zhao Zhongliang treating Xiao Jiuchen with such courtesy, he felt that this was a slap in his face.
He said angrily, "Master Zhao, are you truly not afraid of your own flaws? You are an official appointed by the imperial court, yet you are colluding with bandits. If the imperial court knew about this, I'm afraid you would be held accountable."
Zhao Zhongliang twirled his beard and chuckled.
He originally wanted to take over Jiuyou Mountain Stronghold, but since Xiao Jiuchen was unwilling, he would not force him.
He naturally had his reasons for treating Xiao Jiuchen so courteously.
The first time he saw Xiao Jiuchen, he wanted to kneel down on the spot.
Xiao Jiuchen made him feel as if he was transported back to more than 20 years ago, when he was chosen by the late emperor to be the top scholar in the imperial examination.
Xiao Jiuchen looks so much like the late emperor.
His first meeting with Xiao Jiuchen made him feel like time had gone back.
Xiao Jiuchen's identity made him very curious.
He had already written a letter and sent the news to the capital as soon as possible. He wanted to find out Xiao Jiuchen's identity.
If Xiao Jiuchen's identity is as he guessed, the world will change.
Such a capable person, if he is really...
Zhao Zhongliang suppressed his wild thoughts in time, mounted his horse and went home with a laugh, without paying any attention to Yan Hongliang and the others who were in excruciating pain.
Xiao Jiuchen brought a dozen people from Jiuyou Village and rushed back to the village.
It was already late at night when they returned to the village.
Xiao Jiuchen sent the others back to rest, but then called out to Luo Qingqing.
Luo Qingqing yawned and reluctantly followed Xiao Jiuchen to the back mountain.
Moonlight shone, waterfalls splashed, and Xiao Jiuchen's words came clearly: "Xiao Luoqing, I don't want to deceive myself, and I don't want to hide anything from you. I love you."
Luo Qingqing was stunned.
Luo Qingqing's reaction was within Xiao Jiuchen's expectations.
Any normal man would feel strange when hearing another man say that he loves him.
Xiao Jiuchen continued, "I don't know where this inexplicable feeling of mine started. Maybe it was when you unhesitatingly sucked the poison for me, or maybe it was when we were together every day. I can't figure out where this feeling comes from. But I'm absolutely sure that I really like you. I'm telling you this not because I want a response from you, but because I don't want to deceive myself and I want to be honest with you."
Luo Qingqing listened to Xiao Jiuchen's confession and was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
She asked curiously: "Brother Xiao, what do you like about me?"
Xiao Jiuchen smiled and said, "I don't know. I like being with you and everything we do. When I'm with you, everything I do is particularly interesting."
Luo Qingqing said seriously: "But I am a man."
If news of two men falling in love were to spread, it would certainly cause contempt and uproar from others.
Luo Qingqing asked this question just to confirm Xiao Jiuchen's feelings.
Why does he like her, and how deep is this love?
Xiao Jiuchen's eyes darkened and he asked, "So, you think I'm sick?"
Tonight, Luo Qingqing stood in front of him again, and the strings in his heart that had been quiet for a long time began to tremble again.
Especially when facing the life and death moment tonight, he suddenly realized it.
In his life, he always had more pain than happiness.
The happiness I have with Luo Qingqing is greater than that of the past twenty years.
Life is short, he just wants to make himself happy.
He doesn't care what others think of him.
He only cared about how Luo Qingqing viewed him.
Luo Qingqing didn't answer Xiao Jiuchen's question directly. She changed the subject and asked tentatively, "Brother Xiao, I'm a man. I can't stand by your side openly. If you and I are together, you will attract criticism. You should find a woman."
At this moment, Luo Qingqing inexplicably hoped that Xiao Jiuchen would say that he was not opposed to women.
If Xiao Jiuchen didn't misogyny, she wouldn't mind revealing her identity.
If Xiao Jiuchen liked her as a woman, this would be a good story, right?
Luo Qingqing felt a little reverie in her heart.
Her elder brother Luo Jingxue saved her elder sister-in-law on the way to burn incense, and the two fell in love at first sight.
One was willing to repay the favor with his body, while the other held the woman's hand under an excuse and insisted on taking responsibility.
The two men's reasons were very reasonable, and the two families could not refute them, so they had to happily hold their wedding.
But in fact, both of them have selfish motives, and both want to stay with each other for life.
This is a wonderful story that Luo Qingqing overheard from her elder brother and sister-in-law.
She was now feeling a surge of love and actually hoped that she could also encounter such a fairy-tale love.
She didn't mind that it was Xiao Jiuchen who created such a fairy-tale love with her.
After hearing what Luo Qingqing said, Xiao Jiuchen's expectant eyes dimmed instantly.
He said bitterly, "So, you think, like everyone else, that I shouldn't like you, right?"
Luo Qingqing immediately denied it, "No, I just..."
Luo Qingqing didn't know how to start the rest of the words.
She just wanted to confirm whether he liked her as a person, no matter who she was or what gender she was.
Just as Luo Qingqing was considering how to start, several guards guarding the mountain gate came hurriedly to report.
"Master, Master, there are officials outside looking for you. There's an old man who claims to be the prefect of Tongzhou."
Luo Qingqing and Xiao Jiuchen were both shocked when they heard this.
As soon as they returned to the village, Zhao Zhongliang followed them. Could it be that something big happened?
The two men did not dare to delay and hurried out of the village.
Zhao Zhongliang was not from the village, and it was late at night, so the guards did not dare to let him in.
Zhao Zhongliang and two servants were waiting in a thatched pavilion outside the village.
Seeing Xiao Jiuchen coming, Zhao Zhongliang immediately stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Jiuchen's hand tightly.
His face was full of worry, completely different from the amiable look he had when they met in the evening.
He spoke like an ordinary old man, "Master Xiao, I came to you this time because I have something extremely urgent to discuss with you.
What happened was, after you left at night, I returned to the government office and received a letter asking for help from my good friend Zhang Xian, the prefect of Shanzhou.
The Western Rong Kingdom had already surrounded Yongcheng in Shanzhou, and Shanzhou had simultaneously sent letters for help to several nearby states.
Because we are the closest to Yongcheng, I was the first to receive the news.
The situation in Yongcheng is not optimistic. This time, the Western Rong Kingdom has dispatched 50,000 cavalry, and it seems that they will swallow Yongcheng tonight.
You also know that Yongcheng is the throat of Shanzhou. If Yongcheng is captured, Shanzhou will fall into the hands of the Western Rong Kingdom.
"Master Xiao, I want you to take your people out of the mountains and rescue the people of Yongcheng."
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