Chapter 81 I'll marry you as soon as I get back
"The main force of the Turks is on the border. If they join forces with the former dynasty's remnants, we will be attacked from both sides." The Emperor sat on the dragon throne with a solemn expression. "Pei Zhi, you take 30,000 imperial guards to the border to contain the Turks' forces and prevent them from getting close to the capital. Ye Wanning, you stay in the capital to guard against the former dynasty's remnants and protect the peace of the capital."
"Your subject obeys the decree!" Pei Zhi bowed and turned to look at Ye Wanning, his eyes filled with reluctance.
After leaving the palace, the two walked to the city gate. Pei Zhi took out a jade pendant from his pocket; it was a piece of warm jade with the character "Pei" engraved on it. He handed the pendant to Ye Wanning: "This was left to me by my mother. Wearing it close to your body will keep you safe. Take this with you, as if I'm by your side. You must take good care of yourself and wait for me to return."
Ye Wanning took the warm jade, feeling its warmth against her skin. She took out the National Protection Token from her waist, snapped it in half, and handed one half to Pei Zhi: "I'm giving you half of the token. If anything happens, it can help you resist the power of the previous dynasty's military token. You must take good care of yourself on the border. My children and I are waiting for you to return in the capital."
Pei Zhi took the half of the token and held it tightly in his hand. He reached out and hugged Ye Wanning, his voice a little hoarse: "I will come back as soon as possible, and we will get married as soon as I return."
Ye Wanning leaned against him, her nose tingling, but she didn't dare to cry—she was afraid that if she cried, Pei Zhi would be distracted. "I'll wait for you. You must stay safe and sound."
Pei Zhi released her and mounted his horse. He pulled on the reins, glanced back at Ye Wanning, his eyes filled with reluctance. "Take good care of yourself, wait for me to come back!" he shouted, flicking the whip, and the horse galloped off.
Ye Wanning stood at the city gate, watching Pei Zhi's figure gradually disappear into the distance until he was no longer visible. She clutched the warm jade in her hand, silently praying in her heart: Pei Zhi, you must come back safely. We still want to watch the fireworks in the capital together, take care of the children together, and live a peaceful life together.
After Pei Zhi left, Ye Wanning made sure the capital's defenses were extremely tight. Every day after inspecting the checkpoints, she would return to Cining Hall to teach the children to read and write. But she still felt uneasy—there were definitely still traitors in the capital who hadn't been caught yet, and they were a major threat.
That evening, Ye Wanning was organizing the military tally and secret letters in her room when suddenly the door was pushed open from the outside, and a dark figure darted in. The person, holding a knife, lunged at the national treasure token in her hand, shouting, "Hand over the token!"
Ye Wanning looked up and, after recognizing who it was, breathed a sigh of relief: "Are you a man of the former crown prince?"
Li Dequan roared viciously, "Enough nonsense! Hand over the token now, or I'll kill you!"
Ye Wanning immediately reached out, and a silver needle from her sleeve shot out with a "whoosh," striking Li Dequan's wrist. He screamed in pain, and the knife in his hand clattered to the ground.
But Li Dequan was clearly prepared. Several men with knives rushed in from outside the door and surrounded Ye Wanning.
"You'll regret it if you don't listen to reason!" Li Dequan rubbed his aching wrist and sneered, "Even if you refuse to hand over the token today, we'll still snatch it!"
The men in black charged towards Ye Wanning, who dodged and fought them. However, her shoulder injury hadn't healed, making her movements difficult, and she quickly fell into a disadvantageous position. One of the men in black seized the opportunity to slash at her arm with a knife. Ye Wanning couldn't dodge, and another bloody gash appeared on her arm.
But she held the national protection token tightly in her arms, refusing to let go no matter what—this token was related to Pei Zhi's safety and the safety of the entire capital, and it must not fall into the hands of others!
Just then, Chun Tao's voice came from outside the door: "Miss! We're here!" Then, a group of guards rushed in, brandishing knives and fighting with the men in black.
Chuntao ran over and helped Ye Wanning up: "Miss, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, don't worry." Ye Wanning shook her head, watching the guards subdue the man in black and pin Li Dequan to the ground before collapsing to the ground herself. She looked at the national token in her arms, her heart filled with lingering fear—if the token had been stolen, Pei Zhi would have been in danger at the border.
She quickly asked Chun Tao to bring her paper and pen, and wrote a letter informing Pei Zhi of the reappearance of the traitor, urging him to be extra careful at the border and not to fall into the trap set by the Turks and former officials of the previous dynasty.
After handing the letter to her guards and ordering them to deliver it to the border as fast as possible, Ye Wanning finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that the days to come would be even more difficult, but she would definitely defend the capital and wait for Pei Zhi to return.
A few days later, in the morning, Ye Wanning was teaching the children to write, specifically the characters for "peace." Just then, a guard rushed into the courtyard, holding a report of victory, excitedly shouting, "Miss! Good news! Victory has arrived from the border! Lord Pei and General Zhenbei, leading the border army, have repelled the vanguard of the Turks and captured a great deal of grain and weapons!"
Ye Wanning's hand holding the brush trembled violently, and the brush fell onto the paper, spreading a large patch of ink. She quickly stood up, strode over to take the good news, but her hands trembled uncontrollably.
After reading the good news, the children surrounded her and asked, "Sister Wanning, is Brother Pei coming back?"
Ye Wanning smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes: "That's wonderful! Brother Pei has won the battle!"
"Soon, Brother Pei will come back to be with us after he defeats the Turkic army." Ye Wanning held Xiaodouzi's hand, patted his little head, and was filled with joy.
That evening, Ye Wanning sat in the courtyard of Ci'an Hall, clutching the warm jade Pei Zhi had given her. The moon was as full as it had been in Hyogo, but the person who would blow on her wounds and talk to her about the future was no longer there.
Chuntao came over carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup and said with a smile, "Miss, you've been staring at the jade pendant for so long. If you miss Lord Pei, why don't you write him a letter? The secret guards are sending grain to the border tomorrow, so you can take it with you."
Ye Wanning took the lotus seed soup, the warmth spreading from her fingertips to her heart. She truly had so much to say to Pei Zhi—she wanted to tell him the children could write the character "Pei" today, she wanted to tell him the capital's defenses had been reinforced, and she especially wanted to tell him how much she missed him. But when she actually held the pen, she didn't know where to begin. A few drops of ink fell onto the paper, and in the end, she wrote only one line: "It's cold at the border, remember to wear more clothes. I'll be waiting for you in the capital." Though few words, every stroke held her deep affection.
She folded the letter and put it in the envelope, then drew a small tiger on it—that was what Pei Zhi had jokingly said to her before, that she was like a little tiger, both fierce and cute.
The next morning, when the guards set off with the letter, Ye Wanning specifically instructed them: "Be sure to deliver the letter to Lord Pei personally, and don't lose it."
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