Chapter 65: If the general is really shy, he can just close his eyes. …
Shen Yunchao carried Princess Guang'an in his arms as he rode his horse through the burning Northern Royal Court, his iron hooves crushing the stars on the ground.
She curled up in his black cloak, smelling the familiar scent of agarwood mixed with gunpowder, and in a trance she seemed to have returned to the Lantern Festival three years ago.
At that time, he also wrapped her in fox fur and rode his horse through the colorful trees and flowers on Zhuque Street.
Shen Yunchao raised the whip and whipped the horse's buttocks. The black iron spurs gleamed coldly in the moonlight. The warhorse neighed in pain, and its iron hooves crushed the remaining fire on the ground, leaving the wailing of the Northern Royal Court behind.
Soon, he ran back to the camp filled with the flags of the Great Yan army.
The gilded beast head holding a ring in the central army tent glowed coldly in the moonlight.
Shen Yunchao carried her into a large tent and gently placed her on the carved bed when a series of rapid trumpet sounds suddenly came from outside the tent. The tail end of the trumpet sounds dissipated in the night wind, startling the sound of countless hurried footsteps.
Princess Guang'an looked at Shen Yunchao in panic. Shen Yunchao patted her back soothingly, "Princess, don't be afraid. That's the call for assembly."
It seemed that troops were gathering outside and marching outwards. It went without saying that they were heading for the Northern Royal Court.
Shen Yunchao's shocked eyes swept across Princess Guang'an's white face splattered with scarlet blood, and turned back to ask the two maids standing beside him: "Is the water hot?"
"The water is ready." The two maids quickly agreed, "We can help Her Royal Highness wash up at any time."
Shen Yunchao glanced at Princess Guang'an's messy hair, "Princess, please wash up. I will be on duty outside the tent."
The goose-feather knife on his waist was still dripping with blood. He stood up, bowed, and left the tent.
The two old women then walked up slowly, with pity in their eyes, but they didn't say much.
"Your Highness, please allow me to help you bathe and change your clothes."
The older women among them spoke in a respectful and gentle tone.
Princess Guang'an nodded slightly, but still stood there in a daze, as if she had not yet fully recovered from the shock she had just experienced.
The two old women tiptoed forward, carefully took off her rough northern sheepskin skirt, and untied the prickly animal bone ornaments.
The animal bones made a dull sound when they fell to the ground. Princess Guang'an lowered her eyes and saw that the sheepskin skirt was still stained with some of the Northern Emperor's blood. She immediately felt a chill in her heart and almost vomited.
Upon seeing this, the maids hurriedly wrapped the items in cloth, carried them out of the tent and threw them away before coming in to lead the princess to the prepared bathtub.
The bathtub was an ordinary wooden barrel used in the army. At the moment, it was emitting curls of hot steam, with a few unknown flower petals floating in it, emitting a faint fragrance, which slightly dispelled the slight smell of blood and alcohol that remained in the tent.
Princess Guang'an, with the help of her maid, slowly stepped into the warm bathtub.
The warm water instantly enveloped her exhausted body, and the fear accumulated in her muscles and bones seemed to gradually ease.
She closed her eyes gently and let the two maids use soft towels to gently wipe away the dirt on her body.
The warm water flowed over her skin, as if to wash away the dirty looks, vicious words, and insulting touches of the northerners.
The maids' techniques were gentle and skillful. They didn't hurt the bruises on her body, but they were able to properly clean every inch of her skin.
Princess Guang'an leaned on the edge of the bathtub and let out a long breath.
The noise outside the tent continued, and in the distance, the shouts of fighting and the crisp sounds of weapons clashing could be heard faintly.
The northern royal court, ravaged by war, was in chaos.
However, the fear and despair just now seemed to be soaked and dissolved little by little by warm water, and dissipated in this quiet tent.
She tilted her ear slightly and could hear Shen Yunchao's steady and powerful voice not far outside the tent. He was quietly directing the soldiers to strengthen patrols and dispatch troops.
That voice was like a stabilizing force, making her feel much more at peace.
"Shen Yunchao..."
She recited these three words silently, and a tear flowed from the corner of her eye.
How fortunate she was that at this moment, Shen Yunchao was just a stone's throw away.
The person she thought she would never see again, the savior she dared not hope for in despair, the man she thought about day and night.
No matter how fierce the wind and sand in the north were, they could not blow away the warmth in her heart.
No matter how sharp the enemy's blade was, it could not sever the bond between her and him.
As long as he was there, she had nothing to fear.
The steam rising from the big tent had not yet dissipated. Princess Guang'an was combing her wet hair in front of a bronze mirror after bathing and changing her clothes when she suddenly heard the sound of the tent curtain.
When Shen Yunchao walked in wrapped in sand, the black cloak on his shoulders was soaked with blood, which dripped onto the carpet and left dark red bloodstains.
"Are you hurt?!"
She dropped her silver comb, stood up and ran towards him, her plain gauze skirt sweeping across the velvet carpet.
Shen Yunchao tried to hide his injured left arm in his sleeve, but the wound pulled and he groaned.
Princess Guang'an caught a glimpse of the blood oozing from his shoulder and her eyes suddenly turned red.
"It's just some flesh wounds." He turned his face away, his Adam's apple rolling in patience, "I've sent for the military doctor."
"Let me see!" She took two steps forward and ran so quickly that the new crabapple blossoms in her hair fell on his bloodstained collar. She reached out to tear his collar.
Shen Yunchao's breathing stagnated, and before he could react, she tore open his left lapel.
"Princess, don't do that!" He hurriedly pressed down his collar, his ears turning red, "Men and women should not touch each other..."
"I've already hugged you, and your reputation is long gone, why do you still care about these empty things?"
"Just now in the Northern Territory King's tent, when you carried me and rushed out, why didn't you pay attention to this?"
She stroked his trembling wrist with her fingertips, "If it weren't for you, I'm afraid my body would be cold right now."
Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried horse hooves outside the tent. Shen Yunchao took the opportunity to turn around and leave, but she hugged him tightly from behind.
The body temperature under the white gauze came through the blood-stained clothes, and he suddenly became stiff as iron.
"Princess......"
"Don't move."
She pressed her face against his bloody back, "Let me see your injuries."
Shen Yunchao sighed deeply and finally let her take off her outer robe.
Under the blood-soaked bandage, a three-inch-long knife wound on his sturdy shoulder was bleeding and festering, which was shocking in the dim candlelight.
Princess Guang'an stroked the wound with her fingertips. Shen Yunchao groaned and clenched his teeth.
"Does it hurt?" She burst into tears.
"This is nothing compared to what the princess has endured." He lowered his head, his voice muffled.
"I'll change the medicine for you." Her voice was hoarse as she ordered the maid to get her some medicine for the wound.
The old woman hurriedly took the order. Medicine for wounds was a commonly used item in the army, so she quickly brought over the items needed for changing the dressings and tactfully left.
The dim candlelight flickered, and Princess Guang'an's hand holding the jade bottle trembled slightly.
Shen Yunchao sat upright on a stool, the wound on his left shoulder glowing dark red in the candlelight.
"Tell me if it hurts."
Her soft fingertips brushed across his taut muscles, and the cool smell of the ointment mixed with the smell of blood flowed through the tent.
Shen Yun rolled his Adam's apple, and his black shirt slid down to his elbows, revealing his strong waist and back.
"This injury is nothing."
He turned his face away, but his eyes could not help but fall on her drooping hair.
The collar of her plain gauze skirt was slightly open, revealing the deep red bruises on her collarbone caused by the Northern Emperor's pinching.
Princess Guang'an choked up a little and dipped her fingertips in the ointment and applied it to his shoulder.
"What big talk? When you were holding me in your arms and trying to break through the encirclement in the Northern Territory's tent, I clearly heard you groan three times. I can see that you were injured a long time ago. You must have been in great pain, right?"
Shen Yunchao's whole body stiffened and he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The calluses on his palms brushed against the marks on her wrists, and both of them shuddered.
"Liyue..."
His voice was hoarse, and his cool fingertips stroked the red mark on her collarbone, "The wound on your neck..."
"Apply the medicine."
She applied the ointment to the knife wound on his shoulder, “If General Shen is really shy, you can just close your eyes.”
Shen Yunchao opened his eyes and looked straight into her eyes: "I want to look at you."
Princess Guang'an's breathing paused, and the ointment flowed down the wound, leaving silver marks on her wheat-colored skin.
She suddenly raised her face and gently kissed his slightly open lips.
Shen Yunchao trembled all over and pushed her against the edge of the table, his black shirt sliding down to his waist.
Shen Yunchao's breathing suddenly became heavy.
"Liyue..." His voice was hoarse.
Suddenly, outside the tent, there was a thunderous sound of drumbeats. The sound of the drumbeats became more and more urgent, louder and louder, making people's hearts tremble.
Shen Yunchao suddenly woke up, hurriedly gathered up his clothes, got up and walked out in a hurry.
"Shen Yunchao!"
Princess Guang'an grabbed his blood-stained sleeves, her white gauze skirt fluttering and rustling, "Where are you going?!"
"The remnants of the North have struck back."
He didn't dare to look back, his Adam's apple rolling in the dim candlelight, "I must..."
"You have to leave me behind?"
She threw herself into his arms, her tears soaking the buttons on his lapel.
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito, but every word was clear. "You... dislike me?"
Shen Yunchao's body stiffened, and the wound on his left arm was oozing blood from the pressure he received from her.
Outside the tent, there was the sound of horses galloping past.
Shen Yunchao turned back suddenly and looked at her in disbelief, "How could I dislike you?"
"But I...I have been seen and touched by them..."
Her voice gradually became thinner and she choked up as she said, "I am no longer the pure and innocent Princess Guang'an."
Shen Yunchao's eyes dimmed, he raised his hands and hugged her tightly, holding her hand and kissing her palm deeply.
"Liyue, in my heart, you will always be as pure and bright as when I first saw you."
He bowed his head, looking at her with a firm and fiery gaze, "No matter what you have been through, you will always be the bright and inviolable moon in my heart."
Princess Guang'an could no longer bear it and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
The two looked into each other's eyes, their breaths intertwined.
She saw endless tenderness and desperate persistence in his eyes.
Princess Guang'an slowly closed her eyes and gently pressed her trembling lips against his.
At that moment, it seemed as if thousands of stars fell and millions of years of ice and snow melted.
This kiss is as light as a butterfly's wing, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Shen Yunchao was stunned at first, then responded to her softly, wrapping his arms around her tighter, as if he was trying hard to integrate her into his own bones and blood.
The moonlight is clear and the night wind is quiet.
At this moment, only each other's heartbeat and breathing remain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
