Because we had to take care of Song Taotao, the carriage moved slowly and took more time than when we came. By the time we arrived at Liangzhou Wei, it was already evening.
Shen Han and his companions had already been waiting on the horse path outside the guardhouse. When the carriage stopped, Shen Han breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xiao Jue get off.
They didn't know what Xiao Jue was doing in Liangzhou City, and they didn't receive any letters. They were worried for a few days, fearing that the situation might change. It seemed that the problem had been solved smoothly. Shen Han was about to speak when he heard Liang Ping say, "Why... why is there a girl here?"
Girl? A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl in a pink skirt jumped out from the carriage in front. She was cute and pretty.
Looking at He Yan on the side, she yawned listlessly and looked a little listless. Shen Han was shocked. The governor went to Liangzhou and brought back a girl. Did he decide to cut off ties with He Yan?
But doing this in front of He Yan was too cruel.
As he was thinking, he heard the boy's happy voice coming from behind him: "Uncle, brother, you are finally back!"
It was Cheng Lisu who jumped over like a rabbit, and next to him was Shen Muxue, a beautiful female doctor dressed in white. Cheng Lisu came over and first spoke to Shen Han in dissatisfaction: "Master Shen, why didn't you tell me that my uncle is back? If I hadn't heard it myself, wouldn't I have been able to welcome my uncle?"
"Brother, I see you've returned safely. This trip must have been very smooth. Is that guy from Yuan Baozhen gone? I knew you could do it... Huh?" His originally happy expression broke into pieces when he saw Song Taotao. His tone suddenly became harsh. He jumped up and pointed at Song Taotao and asked, "Second Miss Song, why is she here?"
"What's that expression on your face?" Song Taotao frowned.
"We met Miss Song in Liangzhou City," He Yan said with a smile, "It's also a coincidence that Miss Song will stay in the guardhouse for a while." She did not elaborate on how she met Song Taotao, as she had covered up for Song Taotao.
"Brother," Cheng Lisu looked at him in disbelief, "I asked you to help me hide from Yuan Baozhen so that he wouldn't catch me and marry me. But you brought her directly to me? You are trying to make me suffer!"
"Cheng Lisu," Song Taotao couldn't stand it any longer, so she stood up, put her hands on her waist, and shouted back at him angrily: "Do you think I really want to see you? To be honest, I came to Liangzhou City just to escape from marriage. If I hadn't met Mr. Xiao, I wouldn't have come here. You don't want to marry me, and I don't like you either! A useless young man, you want to be a match for me, I think you are dreaming of marrying Xi Shi - wishful thinking!"
When it comes to eloquence, Cheng Lisu is really no match for Song Taotao. At this moment, he particularly regrets that he did not read more books in his daily life. He can't even find any good sentences to scold others.
"...You slut!" He could only say in a very unimpressive tone.
"That's better than a piece of trash like you." Song Taotao rolled her eyes at him.
The two enemies started quarreling here, and Liang Ping could only step out to be a peacemaker: "Master Cheng, the governor and his men have been traveling for most of the day, and they must be tired now. Let them go back and rest for a while, and then talk after they have dinner, okay?"
Someone came to the stairs, and Cheng Lisu of course wanted to go down, so he said: "I won't bother with you, I feel sorry for my uncle and elder brother!"
Finally, the current situation was temporarily eased.
Shen Muxue, who had been silent the whole time, walked up to Xiao Jue and said, "Second Master, the secret letter that was sent back earlier said that someone was injured, it's..."
These people all looked normal.
Xiao Jue glanced at He Yan, and He Yan said, "It's me!"
Shen Muxue: "...Are you feeling unwell?"
"They are just superficial injuries," He Yan said with a smile, "Please ask Miss Shen to find me some ointments to treat the superficial injuries. The one I used last time is very good."
Hearing this, Song Taotao looked at her in surprise: "Mr. He, are you injured?" Before she saw He Yan was injured, she thought nothing had happened.
Cheng Lisu pulled He Yan away and stared at Song Taotao as if to guard against thieves: "You little bitch, stay away from my brother!"
The two started arguing again.
He Yan: “…”
The energy of young people is really enviable.
When we got back to the guardhouse, we all rested for a while and had our meal. It was already dark.
Shen Han said to Xiao Jue, "I have cleaned the governor's room every day. Today I changed the bedding. The governor can just stay here."
Xiao Jue's love of cleanliness has almost reached the point of obsession, so Shen Han had already made thorough preparations.
Xiao Jue nodded and was about to go in, but He Yan grabbed his sleeve and said, "Wait a minute!"
Is this a secret? Shen Han pondered in his heart. It was not appropriate for an outsider like him to get involved in such a situation, so he said, "Commander-in-chief, if there is nothing else, I will leave first." Without waiting for Xiao Jue to answer, he hurried away.
He Yan pushed Xiao Jue into the house.
Xiao Jue asked coldly: "What's the matter?"
"Have you forgotten what you promised me? You are General Feng Yun, you must keep your word."
"What did I say?" Xiao Jue looked at her calmly.
This person wanted to evade the debt, but failed. He Yan got anxious, "Before I came back, didn't you and I agree to arrange a new room for me? I don't want to live in a shared room, otherwise it will be inconvenient to take a bath and change the medicine."
Before Xiao Jue could answer, another voice rang out, "Isn't it just changing rooms? Why would you need him? I can help you!"
The two turned around and saw Cheng Lisu running over. Cheng Lisu's house and Xiao Jue's house were next to each other, and there was a middle door in the middle, dividing the house into two. Cheng Lisu was forced to copy books on weekdays, and Xiao Jue watched him while reading, so the middle door was not closed. At this moment, Cheng Lisu jumped over from his house, and was simply too enthusiastic.
"Brother, what do you think of my room?"
He Yan: "Hmm?"
"If you think my room is good, I will exchange rooms with you." Young Master Cheng said impatiently, "Let's move tonight. I'll go pack my luggage now! What do you think, brother?"
He Yan was a little confused. Xiao Jue frowned and looked at his nephew who was not used to being on the same page as ordinary people, and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Uncle," Cheng Lisu said with a tearful face, "Who told you to bring that bastard back? I just asked Coach Liang, Song Taotao is temporarily living with Shen Yinu, just a dozen steps away from us. If I live here, won't I have to see her every day? Now I feel dizzy when I see her, so let's not. Since big brother also wants to move to another room, I can just switch with him. When Song Taotao leaves, we will move back."
He Yan: "Okay!"
Xiao Jue: “No.”
Cheng Lisu's dislike for Song Taotao exceeded his respect for his uncle, so he pretended not to hear Xiao Jue's words and happily turned back to pack his things. Xiao Jue said angrily, "Come back here!" He reached out to pick him up, but was stopped by He Yan.
Cheng Lisu took the opportunity to run away, and with a "clang", he closed the middle door.
Xiao Jue: "Cheng Lisu!"
"Be careful not to scare the child by being so fierce." He Yan looked at him with a smile: "Commander, Young Master Cheng has already agreed. It's a matter of mutual consent. Why are you interfering here? What are you saying?"
This means that Xiao Jue is an unreasonable person who is trying to make trouble by hitting a young girl with a stick.
Xiao Jue sneered: "What do you rely on?"
"Just because of me... I am only a red mole away from being the woman the governor loves deeply." He Yan looked at him with a smile on his face.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Xiao Jue looked away in disdain: "Miss He, you don't really want to stay in Liangzhouwei?"
"I have never lied about this matter." He Yan stopped smiling and said seriously, "Not only that, I really want to join the Nine Flags Camp."
"Don't push your luck."
"I always know when to stop." He Yan said, "Commander, I just need a chance to prove myself, to prove that I am not a traitor, and to prove that I am worthy of being accepted as your confidant."
Xiao Jue sneered: "What a boast."
"You don't even give me a chance, isn't that arbitrary?"
"You?" Xiao Jue looked her up and down and said calmly, "How long can you last in Liangzhou?"
"Longer than you think."
"You are a woman."
"I won't be discovered."
"I won't cover up for you."
He Yan smiled when he heard this: "Is this what you wanted to say?"
The second son of Xiao was noble, cold, and unkind. It was impossible for him to cover up the truth for her. But He Yan's skills were indeed outstanding. Xiao Jue was a little hesitant to give up. After all, in Xiao Jue's opinion, whether a man or a woman was not that important. What was important was whether he had the ability, whether he was outstanding enough, and whether he was worth staying.
"If you can't do it, leave." His answer was as ruthless as ever.
"It's a deal," He Yan said, "I will stay here relying on my own abilities, whether I join the Nine Banners Camp or make meritorious contributions, I will make sure that the governor does not worry about me at all."
Xiao Jue stared at her for a while, then raised his eyebrows and asked, "Do you really want to join the Nine Flags Camp?"
"Of course!"
"Okay," Xiao Er Gongzi curled his lips and said, "I'll give you a month to recuperate. After a month, your daily martial arts training will be the same as the martial arts training of the Nine Banners Camp." As if he was afraid that He Yan didn't understand, he added, "The martial arts training of the Nine Banners Camp is three times what you have now."
He Yan: “…”
Xiao Jue, such a cruel man.
"If you can bear it, stay. If you can't bear it, get out of Liangzhou Guard." He stared at He Yan with a smile, his clear eyes deep and shallow, with a hint of mockery: "Miss He, how long can you hold on?"
He Yan gave him a grin with gritted teeth.
"... Governor, there is a long way to go. Just wait and see."
…
After finally settling down the house, He Yan had to go back to the shop to pack up her things and meet her brothers. When she arrived outside the shop, before she went in, Xiao Mai, who was leaning against the door from a distance, spotted her and shouted, "Brother He, you're back!"
Wow, this shout called out to everyone inside. Everyone popped their heads out of the house at once. The brave ones squeezed to He Yan's side and asked him, "He Yan, did you come back with Governor Xiao? How was it? Did you gain anything this time? Was Liangzhou City fun? What did you do?"
"Go, go, don't crowd here," Hong Shan chased them away and asked He Yan to come in. "You're back just in time. Everyone is here. I was just wondering why they haven't arrived yet. Ah He, I see you've lost a little weight this time. Did you suffer any loss?"
"No." He Yan said, and stepped into the house. He found that the house was quite lively. Wang Ba, Jiang Jiao, Huang Xiong and others were all there. Jiang Jiao said, "We heard that Governor Xiao was back. We estimated that you would be here soon, so we waited for you here first."
He Yan sat down on the couch and sighed, "It's good to be back."
The beds at Sun's were soft and fluffy, but when I thought about how many girls were buried in the yard there, I felt it was particularly eerie and scary. Although the beds here were hard and the quilts were thin, people were open-minded and slept soundly.
"Has your relationship with Commander Xiao improved this time?" Huang Xiong asked.
Previously, He Yan was extremely resentful towards Xiao Jue because of the incident in the Vanguard Battalion that pointed out Huang Xiong. This time, when He Yan went to Liangzhou City with Xiao Jue, Hong Shan and the others were afraid that He Yan would not be able to hold back and would fight with Xiao Jue on the way.
"It's okay." He Yan said vaguely.
Wang Ba sneered and said with a gloating look: "He doesn't look that good. If he was really good, why did he come back empty-handed and didn't even give him a reward?"
As they were talking, Cheng Lisu arrived outside, dragging three large suitcases. Standing at the door, he asked He Yan, "Brother He, can I come in?"
"Come in."
When Cheng Lisu came in, he was startled by the crowds of people in the room. He asked, "It's so noisy? Won't it be noisy when I sleep at night?"
Xiao Mai's eyes widened: "What does this mean?"
He Yan smiled and said slowly, "I have made great contributions in Liangzhou this time. The governor is very impressed and decided to let me exchange houses with Master Cheng. Master Cheng will live here, and I will live next door to the governor as a reward."
Everyone was stunned.
"Is what this kid said true?" Wang Ba asked Cheng Lisu.
"Really." Cheng Lisu bowed to the others in a serious manner, "Please take good care of me in the future."
The room was like boiling water, and it immediately became lively. Everyone asked He Yan questions at once.
"What achievements have you made? What big things did you go out to do?"
"You were just given a new room but no other bonus? You were not allowed to join the vanguard camp either?"
"He Yan, are you going to get a promotion? If you get a promotion, can you lead the brothers?"
On one side, He Yan was being embraced by a general who seemed to have won a victory, while on the other side, Shen Han had just learned about Xiao Jue's entire journey to Liangzhou City.
"Sun Xiangfu has been in office in Liangzhou for eight years, and the people are living in misery," Shen Han sighed, "You reap what you sow. He deserves this fate."
He had been in Liangzhou for several years and had heard of the bad deeds of Sun Xiangfu and his son, but he was not an inspector and did not have Xiao Jue's magical powers, so he could only swallow his anger. Now Xiao Jue has uprooted Sun Xiangfu and his son, and made Yuan Baozhen fall into trouble and have no words to express his grievances, which is really gratifying.
"Did the governor find out all about He Yan when he went to Liangzhou?" Shen Han hesitated for a moment, but still asked. He didn't quite understand what the relationship between He Yan and Xiao Jue was like now. If it was good, Xiao Jue was still on guard against He Yan. If it was bad, Cheng Lisu had just told him that He Yan would live in Cheng Lisu's house in the future.
Doesn't that mean he lives next to Xiao Jue? If they weren't close, how could they have come to this?
Could it be that their old love has rekindled? But looking at Xiao Jue's expression, it doesn't seem like that. Shen Han himself has been single for many years, and he really doesn't know anything about love. But he has also heard that love is hard to break, maybe this is the case now?
"I guess so." Xiao Jue said. Actually, what He Yan wrote about his family in the military register was true. He did have a father who was a captain of the city gates, and brothers of similar age. However, it was hard to believe that the young man was a girl.
"Is he...one of us?" Shen Han asked cautiously.
"It's okay to treat him as one of your own for now," Xiao Jue lowered his eyes, "but there's no need to tell him everything."
Shen Han probably had an idea in his mind, so he said, "I understand."
"I have something for you to do," he said.
…
He Yan finally answered his brothers' questions, and when he returned to his room, it was already night.
Xiao Jue didn't like noise, so the place he lived in was quite quiet. When He Yan entered, he was still a little uncomfortable. He suddenly went from a dorm room with more than a dozen people to a room of his own, which made him think he was dreaming. Cheng Lisu was such a particular young master that he didn't forget to light the incense in the room for him before he left.
The faint fragrance lingered around the tip of her nose, making her feel very relaxed. He Yan lay down on the bed and tried it out. It was like lying on a ball of cotton. She immediately felt drowsy. She thought, this is really a time of extravagance and debauchery. Sleeping on this kind of bed, it is not surprising that she would sleep until noon every day.
She glimpsed the middle door again.
The middle door was covered by a beaded curtain. When the curtain was opened, there was a door. Behind the door was Xiao Jue's room. Xiao Jue probably supervised Cheng Lisu's daily homework, but the door was closed at the moment. He Yan tried to push it gently, but it didn't open. He pushed it hard again, but it still didn't move.
Xiao Jue actually locked the door from that end.
He Yan thought to himself, with such strict defense, people who didn't know would think he was the woman, and she was a thief who would sneak into people's rooms at night. Second Master Xiao really couldn't tolerate even the slightest grain of sand in his eyes, was this necessary?
The thoughts of Mr. Xiao II are truly unpredictable.
In the middle of the room was a large wooden barrel filled with hot water. He Yan walked over and put his finger in to test the water temperature. This was probably prepared by Shen Han. They were covered in dust after rushing around today, so it was time to wash properly. At least they didn't have to go to Wulu River to soak in cold water. He Yan was very satisfied. Just as he was about to take off his clothes, he suddenly thought of something and looked at the middle door.
I almost forgot there is a door here.
There were locks on both sides of the middle door. No matter which side was locked, the other side could not be opened unless both sides were opened at the same time. Xiao Jue locked his side, so He Yan had to lock her side as well. Otherwise, if Xiao Jue suddenly came over for some reason in the middle of the shower, wouldn't he see through her completely?
Although the outcome of doing so would most likely be that Mr. Xiao would feel that he had offended his noble eyes and would just walk away in anger.
He Yan locked the middle door, then took a bath and changed her clothes. After changing her clothes, she dragged the water out of the wooden barrel and poured it out. Finally, she returned to the house and sat on the couch.
Shen Muxue had already brought the bandages and placed them on the small table beside the bed. Because of the "pure and chaste only for the fiancée" she said last time, she was too lazy to even help with the medicine this time. He Yan faced the mirror, unwrapped the cloth strip, replaced the medicine inside, and was about to put on a new cloth strip when he saw a jade-colored round box next to it.
The round box was very small, not even as big as a person's palm, and she almost overlooked it. He Yan picked it up and saw that it said "scar removal and skin regeneration". He Yan was stunned for a moment, then shook her head and smiled.
Girls are still considerate, but this is too thoughtful. Shen Muxue is really kind, so considerate to a soldier. He is just an ordinary man, so he is injured. He is not a businessman in a brothel, so why would he care about these things?
He Yan should have thought so too.
But just as she was about to put the box back, suddenly, that night came to her mind again: the red candles were shedding tears, the hibiscus tent was warm, and the warm hand suddenly stiffened when it touched the scar on her back. She was still worrying about how to deceive her husband with the lie she had made up, but the man in front of her blew out the candle as if nothing had happened and avoided the topic.
He was still gentle, but she suddenly felt ashamed. This was more hurtful than any words or looks.
She rubbed the cold ointment on the wound, which was a little painful and itchy. She asked herself in her heart, do you really not care?
No.
She cared about it to death, and even if she had to do it all over again, she would still find it hard to let it go.
He Yan rewrapped the cloth strips, placed the jade box under the pillow, turned off the lights, and lay down on the couch.
The room was quiet and warm. There was no loud snoring from the brothers in the shop, and no legs stretched out to cross her body in the middle of the night. She should have fallen asleep immediately and woke up until dawn, but for some reason, she felt uneasy and had trouble falling asleep.
Maybe she shouldn't have thought about the past.
…
The next morning, He Yan got up at 11:00 a.m. as usual. She now lived at the end of the courtyard where Xiao Jue lived, far away from the other soldiers and the martial arts arena, so she had to go there early. When she went to get the steamed buns and headed to the martial arts arena, she met Shen Han and Liang Ping and their coaches.
He Yan greeted them.
Liang Ping looked at her high-spirited appearance, and felt sour in his heart. He was a coach, but he was not promoted as fast as a soldier. Look, it has only been a short time, and he can live next to the governor. She just went out for a trip, why did the governor look at her differently? Shen Han told them about the matter of Sun Xiangfu and his son, but it was unknown what kind of effort and merit He Yan had made in it.
Liang Ping sighed in his heart, he really wanted to make merit, wanted the governor to look at him differently, and wanted to live next to the governor!
"He Yan, you're here at the right time. I have something to tell you." Shen Han waved at her.
He Yan ran over, and Shen Han looked at her: "The governor told me yesterday that you were injured, and some intense training is temporarily inconvenient for you to participate. For example, you can stop equestrianism and archery. When we practice these few days, you can find some training that suits you." After a pause, he said: "But don't be lazy, come to the martial arts field every day, and don't miss the morning run!"
"I understand!" He Yan said, but in her heart she thought, Xiao Jue was quite kind. Although her injury was only superficial, it was at least on her waist and back. If she continued to train like before, it would be difficult to heal over and over again.
This was how she was in her previous life. She had to lead troops to travel far and wide before her old wounds had healed. The wounds gradually healed and she was left with stubborn old illnesses all over her body. Even though she later regained her body as a girl and was no longer exposed to the wind and sun like before, the wounds would still ache during the rainy season or the cold winter, and it was difficult to relieve the pain.
Patience is not something that can be tolerated, but it would be best if it could be done without being so forced.
She thanked Shen Han and went to the martial arts arena. Today they were practicing swordsmanship, which was doable. He Yan had sparred with Huang Xiong on the martial arts arena before, and everyone knew that she was an excellent swordsman. She had a good personality, and whenever someone asked her a question, she would always answer patiently with a smile, much friendlier than a stern-faced coach. Therefore, whenever the soldiers had any confusion, they would always consult her.
He Yan was being taught swordsmanship by a soldier, when suddenly a crisp voice called her, "Brother He!"
When I turned around, it was Song Taotao.
In Liangzhou Guard, there was only one young girl, Shen Muxue, who was worshipped as a fairy by the people of Liangzhou Guard and no one dared to desecrate her. Now, someone else had come, who looked a little younger than Shen Muxue. Although she was not as beautiful as Shen Muxue, she was more adorable and cute, like a small flower blooming in spring, with branches and vines carrying a delicate fragrance.
She tied her hair into two buns and ran to He Yan with her skirt lifted. She ignored the hot gazes of the soldiers around her and just looked at He Yan and asked, "I heard from Miss Shen yesterday that you were seriously injured. Are you feeling better now?"
He Yan: “…”
When they arrived at Liangzhouwei, Song Taotao lived with Shen Muxue, so no one paid much attention to her. Chiwu and Feinu couldn't just stay with a little girl all day without doing anything. Therefore, they didn't notice when the girl came to the martial arts arena, and she actually saw He Yan at first sight.
He Yan smiled and said, "Thank you Miss Song for your concern. It's just a minor injury."
"How can this be considered a minor injury?" Song Taotao pulled her sleeve and said, "I'll take you to let Miss Shen take a look at it."
Needless to say, He Yan could also feel the timid expressions of the people around him. Liang Ping's face was about to turn blue. What kind of a show is this? Liang Ping has been single for almost thirty years. Who is He Yan showing off to? But he couldn't afford to offend Miss Song, so he could only glare at He Yan and signal He Yan to get Song Taotao out of the way.
He Yan was about to speak when he heard another angry shout: "Second Miss Song, what are you doing here!"
He Yan got a headache when he heard the voice. Cheng Lisu followed Song Taotao like a cat smelling blood. Seeing Song Taotao grabbing He Yan's sleeve, he immediately separated them and said angrily: "Don't get close to my brother He! My brother He already has a fiancée!"
Song Taotao first looked at He Yan in surprise, then saw Cheng Lisu looking at her smugly. After thinking for a moment, she sneered, "So what if she's your fiancée? You can call it quits even if you're engaged. I'm still your fiancée. What's the point?"
Cheng Lisu took a few steps back as if struck by lightning.
The people around were also dumbfounded.
He Yan and Cheng Lisu are sworn brothers, Song Taotao is Cheng Lisu's fiancée, and He Yan is also engaged. However, Song Taotao treats He Yan differently. What a gripping, twists and turns, shocking story!
If there was a hole at this moment, He Yan would have gone in without even looking back.
She protested feebly: "I'm not... I didn't..."
——Digression——
Shen Han: I'm getting addicted to CP every day [Sa Bening takes oxygen.Jpg
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