After the two had eaten and drunk their fill and taken a shower, they lay back in bed and started kissing again.
Having just confirmed their feelings for each other, the two are very close. However, Zhang Yun is not yet of legal age, so he carefully explained to Qin Zheng that for the sake of their health, they cannot do those things yet.
Qin Zheng was deeply shaken by his lecture. He felt even more ashamed when he thought that he had suspected Zhang Yun of lusting after him a few years ago.
Unable to get things done, the two of them hugged each other and talked.
Zhang Yun rested her head on his arm, her hand slipped between his fingers, their fingers intertwined tightly.
This simple, intimate gesture made Qin Zheng's heart pound wildly again.
"Ah Yun, when did you start liking me?" Qin Zheng asked.
Zhang Yun thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled, "Have you ever heard of love at first sight?"
Qin Zheng had accompanied him through his studies for two years, so he had naturally heard about it, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face.
Zhang Yun said, "To be precise, it was after Hong'er made a scene in your room that day that I went in and saw you, and I fell in love with you."
When Qin Zheng heard him say "I've fallen in love with you," he felt both joy and surprise.
He said, "But what happened afterward didn't seem like..."
"Doesn't seem like someone who likes you?" Zhang Yun laughed.
"What do you think 'liking' means? Is it taking advantage of you, seducing you, then locking you up in my harem, feeding you well, making you do nothing, not letting anyone else see you, treating you like a favorite toy, teasing you when I'm happy, and leaving you aside when I'm not?"
Zhang Yun turned her head, cupped his face, and looked him in the eye. "Qin Zheng, I like you. I like you as someone like me, not as an object."
"I respect you and love you, but I don't necessarily want to possess you. After all, liking you is just my wishful thinking."
"If my feelings are reciprocated, I will be overjoyed. But if not, I will not pester you or annoy you. I will keep these feelings in my heart, silently caring for and helping you. Just being by your side, protecting your safety and happiness, is enough for me, because..."
His eyes were filled with deep affection: "If you are well, then it is a sunny day."
Qin Zheng had never heard sweet words from modern people before, and he thought this was a very sincere confession. He was so moved that his heart melted.
From a young age, he understood that if he liked something, he had to get it.
This was the first time he understood what it truly felt like to like someone.
I ask for nothing in return, I don't care about the effort I put in, I just want him to be well.
Being able to stay by his side and watch over him all the time is the greatest happiness.
Now, after hearing Zhang Yun's words and revisiting the moments they shared after meeting him, Qin Zheng realized that he was being loved and cherished by Zhang Yun.
Ah Yun realized that she didn't like seeing him, so she deliberately avoided him.
Afraid that he might overthink things, A-Yun had Zhao Xu tell her that he just wanted to promote her.
Ah Yun wanted him to study and learn to read, but he insisted that he was too lazy to do the homework assigned by the teacher.
Furthermore, he also wanted to match him up with the young princess.
Ah Yun must think that he likes women, and that the best woman in the world is none other than the little princess, which is why he is trying so hard to bring them together.
Qin Zheng couldn't imagine what Zhang Yun, who loved him, was thinking when she taught him how to pursue Zhang Caixing.
Whenever he thought of that day when the princess summoned him and Zhao Xu to inquire about Zhang Yun's preferences for women, and he learned from Zhao Xu that A-Yun already had someone he loved, he felt a pang of sorrow, as if he could wring out sour juice from his heart.
He even had the dark thought of kidnapping Zhang Yun and locking him up in a place where no one knew him, where only he could see and touch him every day.
Not to mention telling A-Yun in person to go and be with other women.
Even if being with this woman was for A-Yun's own good, he couldn't accept it.
For a moment, Qin Zheng panicked.
He thought he loved A-Yun deeply enough, but compared to A-Yun's love for him, he realized it was nothing.
It turns out that his love for A-Yun, like that of ordinary people, was mixed with a strong sense of possessiveness.
But he couldn't let go. He had been kept in the dirtiest and coldest mud since he was a child. A-Yun not only pulled him out of the mud and washed him clean so that he could bask in the sun, but also held him and warmed him with her own body heat.
He had never been loved so deeply, treated as a human being.
Just as a drowning person cannot let go of a lifeline, someone who has tasted warmth cannot accept returning to the mire.
"Ah Yun, I love you. I'll give you my life. Don't leave me, don't abandon me." Qin Zheng suddenly hugged him tightly and buried his head in his chest.
Zhang Yun was slightly taken aback, then smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "Silly boy, what would I do with your life?"
Qin Zheng looked up and met his gaze, his face slowly drawing closer before he kissed him.
They kissed again and again, as if they could never get enough of it.
After a three-day break, Zhang Yun returned to the military camp to continue his arduous training.
However, with someone you love by your side, the arduous practice doesn't feel so bitter.
Everything is the same during the day, but they no longer shower together at night.
After all, even during the day, Qin Zheng stares at him like an unsatisfied dog, drooling. If they were to take a bath together, who could control themselves?
Zhang Yun was also distressed. He was already an adult at heart, and seeing his beloved right in front of him, with mutual affection but unable to have sex, was simply unbearable.
He had just left the Prince's mansion after the New Year, and he still had two months before he turned eighteen.
After three months of training, they have now left the recruit camp. In addition to training, they also have to patrol, perform duties, and practice military formations every day. Their schedule is even fuller than before, and they don't have time to think about those things.
Three more months passed, and Zhang Caiyue finally returned.
Zhang Yun immediately ran to her tent and acted coquettishly and pitifully.
Zhang Caiyue looked at her younger brother, who had grown a lot, and smiled with a sense of relief and tenderness.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival is next month. My mother has written to urge you several times. It's time for you to go back and pay your respects to her on my behalf."
She then pointed to a package and said, “These are the furs I hunted outside the Great Wall. They have been made into cloaks, boots, and aprons. One for each of my mother and sisters. You will take them back with me.”
"What about mine? What about mine?" Zhang Yun asked.
Zhang Caiyue laughed and said, "How could you be left out?"
She took a dagger from the table.
Both the hilt and scabbard were made of gold, and the scabbard was inlaid with gemstones, which shone brightly in the firelight inside the tent. The design of the dagger itself was even more gorgeous and flamboyant, full of exotic style, clearly a rare item from beyond the Great Wall.
“This was seized from a smuggling caravan of Hu people. I remember you liked these the most, sister.”
As he spoke, he took a bow from the weapon rack behind him and handed it to Zhang Yun.
"I heard from Old Jian that you have a great talent for archery. This bow was specially made by a master craftsman when I was learning archery. The bowstring was made from the sinew of a deer I shot on my first hunt. I'm giving it to you."
Zhang Yun took the dagger and bow, playing with them with great delight. "Thank you so much, big sister! I love them so much!"
"Alright, hurry up and pack your things, get ready to go home. Winter is coming soon, and the Hu people are restless. Your elder sister will stay in Guanzhong, so I won't see you off personally."
Zhang Caiyue patted his shoulder and said.
Looking at Zhang Caiyue's captivating smile, and recalling the tragic ending in the original story, Zhang Yun suddenly couldn't help but say to her:
"Elder sister, if one day the Hu army comes to attack and the Yun Kingdom court does not send reinforcements, you must not be foolish enough to hold the pass. You must abandon the pass and run away to save your own life."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Caiyue's expression turned serious, and she said, "What did you say?!"
She suddenly snatched the longbow from Zhang Yun's hand and struck him hard on the back.
"Ouch!" Zhang Yun cried out in pain as he was hit.
"I am guarding this place not for those cowardly officials in the court, but for the millions of people of my Yun Kingdom!"
"Let alone me, anyone sitting here should not mention the word 'escape.' Do you know how many people will die tragically under the swords and how many families will be torn apart once the barbarians enter the pass?"
"I didn't tell you to run away immediately. I said to run away only if you can't hold on anymore. After all, you can't hold on... Ahh! Qin Zheng! Help!"
Zhang Yun dodged Zhang Caiyue's attacks as she rushed out of the tent, grabbed Qin Zheng who was about to come in after hearing the noise, and hid behind him.
"Princess, what's wrong?" Qin Zheng stood in front of him and grabbed the longbow that Zhang Caiyue was swinging.
"Let go of him! I'm going to teach him a lesson today! How could my Northwest Prince's Mansion produce such a spineless coward like you! You're so afraid of death!"
"Do you know that if Luoyan Pass falls and I, as the commander-in-chief, survive, I and the Northwest Prince's Mansion behind me will be condemned for eternity? Even for the sake of the Northwest Prince's Mansion, I cannot be a deserter!"
"Princess, the young prince is too young to understand these things. Please spare him. If you really want to punish him, I am willing to take the punishment in his place." Qin Zheng knelt down in front of her.
Upon seeing this, Zhang Yun immediately knelt down as well, his face contorted with pain, and said, "Sister, I know I was wrong! I will definitely remember your teachings today and will not be a coward who abandons the city and flees, so as not to bring shame to the family."
Zhang Caiyue shook her head with a wry smile, "You... sigh..."
"Get up, why would I punish you?" she said to Qin Zheng.
"That young master..."
Zhang Caiyue waved her hand helplessly, "Alright, alright, no more punishment, no more punishment. Get up, everyone, hurry up and leave, you're in the way."
But in his heart, he thought that his silly younger brother was lucky, because the people around him were all sincerely loyal and devoted to protecting their master.
"Thank you, Sister Xie. Then what about my bow..."
"You still want my bow? No way!" Zhang Caiyue put the bow away with a backhand motion.
"Ah, this..."
Qin Zheng tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear, "Let's go first, the princess is still angry."
Zhang Yun pouted and left with Qin Zheng.
After the two parted ways with Zhang Caiyue, Zhang Yuncai finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"What did you do to anger the princess so much that she wants to hit you?" Qin Zheng asked.
Zhang Yun thought for a moment before saying, "We just have different opinions."
After all, knowing that there was no way to defend it, it was pointless to risk one's life to guard the pass. Holding out for another day or two would not save the people behind them from slaughter.
It would be better to preserve one's useful body and eliminate more barbarians in the future.
Zhang Yun had no intention of being afraid of death. If he could delay for another day, reinforcements would arrive, and he would be willing to risk his life to do so. However, knowing that there would be no reinforcements, he still held on to the death. Although this impressed him greatly, he did not agree with it.
But Zhang Caiyue is that kind of person. Even if you tell her in advance that there are no reinforcements and she will die, she will calmly face death.
Just as she said, even if it wasn't to protect the people behind her, but simply to prevent the Northwest Prince's Mansion and her reputation from being tainted for eternity, it would be enough for her to bravely face death.
This is how the ancients were: fame was more important than fate.
He shook his head, then suddenly went behind Qin Zheng and jumped onto his back.
Qin Zheng quickly reached back and supported his buttocks to prevent him from falling.
Zhang Yun wrapped her legs around his waist, hugged his neck, and leaned against his back, saying, "I don't want to walk anymore, carry me back to the tent!"
Qin Zheng smiled and said, "Okay."
After saying that, she carried him steadily toward the tent where the two of them lived.
After quickly packing his luggage, Zhang Yun went to say goodbye to Zhang Caiyue early the next morning.
Since the servants and guards that Zhang Yun had brought with him had all been sent back, Zhang Caiyue selected fifty of her own personal guards to escort Zhang Yun on his return journey.
They thought the return journey would be peaceful again, but on the tenth day after leaving Luoyan Pass, they were attacked by a large group of refugees who had fled from who-knows-where.
Although Zhang Caiyue's personal guards were all highly skilled, they couldn't withstand the reckless onslaught of the starving refugees.
In addition, these soldiers were unwilling to kill the refugees, after all, they were also citizens of Dayun who had been forced to flee their homes due to natural disasters and man-made calamities.
The group of refugees noticed Zhang Yun's luxurious attire and charged at him like mad dogs.
Someone threw a stone at Zhang Yun's horse, Wuxing Tayue, and the horse immediately bolted away.
Zhang Yun cried out in surprise and nearly fell off his horse.
Qin Zheng reacted quickly, seeing that his horse was startled, he leaped behind him and helped him regain his balance.
But Wu Xing Ta Yue did not stop running just because there was another person on her. She carried the two of them all the way until it was getting dark and her strength was slightly reduced, at which point she slowed down.
Qin Zheng brought Wu Xing Ta Yue to a slow stop. Looking around, he could no longer see any of Zhang Yun's personal guards.
Wuxing Tayue truly lives up to its reputation as a top-tier steed; its reckless running has caused them to stray from their course by who knows how many kilometers.
"There's a farm up ahead, let's go rest for a bit," Qin Zheng said, looking around.
Zhang Yun nodded in agreement.
The farm owner's surname was Chen. Qin Zheng went up to chat with him, but did not mention Zhang Yun's identity. He only said that he was traveling with the young master and had gotten separated from the refugees and guards.
Seeing that the two men were of extraordinary appearance, and that Zhang Yun had a noble demeanor and elegant attire, the family believed their words and let them into the estate.
"There's been a happy occasion at home these past few days, and a lot of people have come. There's only one guest room left, so please make do with the night, young master."
Qin Zheng said it was no problem, took out some silver, and said, "Please prepare some food, a tub for bathing, and hot water for us."
Seeing that Qin Zheng had given a lot of money, the owner of the estate ordered a servant to stay here and wait on his orders.
The food arrived shortly after.
A plate of steamed buns, two vegetable dishes, two pounds of sliced cooked mutton, and a bowl of fish soup—Zhang Yun and Qin Zheng were already starving, and they wolfed down their food.
After the meal, the servants prepared hot water and poured it into the bathtub in the room using a wooden bucket.
As they were leaving, the servant said, "Tonight our young master is getting married. We've hired an opera troupe to perform until midnight. If you two are interested, you can come and have a drink at the wedding."
Since transmigrating, Zhang Yun had never witnessed a real ancient wedding, so he was naturally very interested.
After the servants left, Zhang Yun said while taking off his clothes, "Hurry up and take a shower and change your clothes, let's go join in the fun."
The room was brightly lit with many candles, and Qin Zheng could clearly see Zhang Yun's body as soon as he looked up.
The boy's body was fair and smooth, but not thin. Because of his consistent exercise over the past few months, a thin layer of abdominal muscles could be seen in his abdomen, and his legs were long and well-proportioned, reminiscent of a lithe and beautiful deer.
Qin Zheng swallowed hard, forcing himself to look away.
Zhang Yun quickly took a shower, changed his clothes, and waited for Qin Zheng to finish showering before the two of them left the room together.
Since he hadn't prepared a gift, Qin Zheng took out two gold ingots and handed them to the gatekeeper as a gift.
The two entered the main hall and found a place to stand and watch the ceremony.
When they entered, the newlyweds had already progressed to the wedding ceremony. Watching the bride and groom, dressed in bright red wedding attire, bow to heaven and earth as the officiant chanted, and then being led into the bridal chamber amidst cheers from the crowd.
Zhang Yun suddenly stood on tiptoe and whispered in Qin Zheng's ear, "When the time comes, we'll hold one too, one that's even more beautiful than this one."
Qin Zheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart, put his arm around the man's waist, and led him back to the room.
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