Chapter 48 Chapter 48 She is getting married
It was late at night, and Zhao Mucheng was on patrol with his men. He said, "There's chaos on the front lines, and civilians are rushing in and out of the county town. You should be alert when guarding the city gates. You and Xiaowu were chatting there yesterday, and you almost let in a refugee who had sneaked through."
Zhao Mucheng pressed the sword at his waist and reminded them, "This is a special period, so be careful and stay alert. If you two were in the barracks, you would have received a few beatings from the military."
The constable nodded in agreement, but in his heart he felt that Zhao Mucheng was making a big deal out of nothing. The people in the county town were law-abiding, and the occasional influx of refugees would not cause any trouble, so it was not a big deal.
Suddenly, a black shadow flashed past at the alley ahead. A man in black was carrying a young girl on his shoulders. Half of the girl's body was covered with a sack. She seemed to be unconscious and did not resist at all.
"Catch the thief who stole people!" Zhao Mucheng held the sword at his waist and quickly chased after him.
The man in black looked back when he heard the sound and quickened his pace to escape.
Zhao Mucheng was familiar with the county town. When he saw the black-clothed man's escape route, he knew that he was going out of the county town.
When passing the fork in the road, Zhao Mucheng dodged to the right, took a shortcut out of the other side of the street, and blocked the way of the man in black.
Zhao Mucheng drew his sword, and the man in black, carrying Shu Yun, dodged. Unable to use his skills, he moved the man aside.
The two men started fighting. Under the clear moonlight, swords flashed and shadows appeared, and the two figures fought with no clear winner.
The sound of fighting attracted two constables. Seeing that things were not going well, the man in black kicked Zhao Mucheng away and ran over to pick up the unconscious Shuyun. Zhao Mucheng reluctantly got up from the ground and grabbed the man from behind before he could touch the woman on the ground.
The man in black could not reveal his identity, so he held Zhao Mucheng's knife and tried his best to escape from him.
In the dark night, the man in black escaped with injuries, and Zhao Mucheng was also wounded in the arm by a knife.
The constable helped Zhao Mucheng up, "Boss, boss, are you okay?"
Zhao Mucheng: "Chase them! Guard the county exits strictly and bring them out!"
Zhao Mucheng covered his bleeding arm and removed the sack from the woman's head.
It turned out to be... Miss Shen.
Zhao Mucheng tore off a corner of his robe, wrapped it tightly around his bleeding arm, picked up the unconscious Shuyun, and brought her back to the house.
Her two maids were knocked unconscious in the yard and have not woken up yet.
…
The next afternoon, Shuyun woke up slowly.
"The girl is finally awake." Qingshan said happily. Her voice was so loud that it attracted Chuhe who was outside the house.
"Last night..." Shuyun's head was still a little dizzy. She remembered that a man in black broke into the house last night and drugged her.
Qingshan was still terrified when he mentioned it. "There's a thief in the county! He got us all stunned! If County Lieutenant Zhao hadn't encountered her during his night patrol, who knows where the girl would have been taken."
Shuyun's heart suddenly tightened, "Who is that thief?"
Qingshan shook his head. "They haven't been caught yet. I heard they were very powerful. Even County Lieutenant Zhao was injured."
Later, Zhao Mucheng came to visit Shuyun.
Zhao Mucheng helped her time and time again, and Shuyun was very grateful. "Thank you, County Lieutenant Zhao, for saving me last night. County Lieutenant Zhao's injury..."
Shu Yun subconsciously looked at Zhao Mucheng's arm. Zhao Mucheng said, "It's a small matter, not worth mentioning. It's just a minor injury. It won't cause any trouble."
He waved his hand and said, "I am the only county lieutenant in this county. It is my duty to protect the people of this county. By the way, Miss Shen recently discovered that a strange man has been tracking her."
Shuyun thought about it and shook her head.
Zhao Mucheng was puzzled. "That's strange. The man in black last night seemed to have set his sights on Miss Shen a long time ago. His target was clear, and he was obviously heading for Miss Shen."
Shu Yun asked, "Hasn't the thief been caught yet?"
Zhao Mucheng frowned, "No, that's what I'm worried about."
If the thief fails to succeed the first time, he will definitely come again.
That night, Zhao Mucheng held a knife in his arms and stood guard outside Shuyun's bedroom.
The silhouette of a woman was reflected on the window. Zhao Mucheng looked over and said, "Miss Shen, go to sleep peacefully. With this county lieutenant here, the thieves won't dare to act rashly."
Shuyun sat on the couch, looked in the direction where the sound came from, and responded.
She sat there for a while, blew out the candle, and went back to bed.
In a daze, Shuyun was awakened by a loud noise and hurriedly lit the candle on the bedside.
A faint candlelight lit up the room. Zhao Mucheng realized she had been awakened and soothed her, "It's okay. It was a stray cat that came from nowhere and knocked over the flowerpot."
Shuyun breathed a sigh of relief. She left the candle at the head of the bed and went back to lie down inside the bed curtains. But after being awakened, she lost her sleepiness and tossed and turned, staring at the bed curtains.
Gradually, daybreak came and the thieves did not come, so we spent the night peacefully.
Shuyun opened the door and saw Zhao Mucheng sitting on the steps under the eaves. He turned around when he heard the voice, and his eyes were dark.
Zhao Mucheng stood up, the fatigue on his face swept away, and he smiled at her, "Good morning, Miss Shen."
Shu Yun was stunned for a moment, and suddenly a warm feeling arose in her heart, "Good morning, County Lieutenant Zhao."
The maid fetched water, and after the two washed up, Zhao Mucheng made breakfast for Shuyun before going to the county government office to take up his duty.
That night, Zhao Mucheng was still guarding outside the dormitory, and Shuyun left a candle at the head of the bed.
In the middle of the night, the sound of fighting suddenly broke out in the quiet courtyard. Shuyun was startled, got up, put on some clothes, and hid by the window in the dim candlelight. She picked up the vase on the shelf, and if a bad guy broke in, she would smash the vase at him.
The fighting outside became more and more intense. Shuyun's heart was in her throat and her palms were full of cold sweat. After a long time, the noise outside stopped.
Shuyun opened the window a crack and peeked outside. The man in black had been captured by Zhao Mucheng and was lying on the ground. Her heart dropped, and after the tension subsided, her legs suddenly softened.
Putting down the vase, Shuyun left the house carrying the candlestick. Qingshan and Chuhe also came out of the brocade room, lit lanterns and hung them under the eaves.
The constable who was waiting in the house came in and helped Zhao Mucheng.
"Tell the truth, who are you? Who ordered you to do this?" Zhao Mucheng immediately interrogated, removing the mask of the man in black, revealing a strange face.
The man in black did not answer and committed suicide by taking the poison pill hidden under his tongue.
Shuyun and the maids were shocked. Zhao Mucheng had made all kinds of plans, but he had never expected this to happen. He asked the constable to take the body back to the county government office.
The house returned to peace and the rooms were brightly lit with candles.
Chu He brought a basin of water into the house. Shu Yun wrung out a handkerchief and cleaned Zhao Mucheng's wound. The old wound on his arm had cracked and blood was oozing out.
The old wounds had not yet healed and new ones had appeared. Shuyun held the handkerchief and carefully cleaned the bloodstains, avoiding the wounds.
Shuyun took out the hemostatic powder from the medicine box and said, "It will be a little painful when I apply the medicine. Please bear with it, County Lieutenant Zhao."
Zhao Mucheng nodded, indicating that she was fine. Shuyun lowered her head to sprinkle medicine on the wound, stopped the bleeding, and bandaged the wound with white cloth, her movements skillful and fluent.
Zhao Mucheng looked at the serious and skilled woman and said, "I didn't expect Miss Shen to know medical skills."
Shu Yun paused. She used to be afraid of seeing bloody scenes, but later, Xiao Ye was injured and asked her to apply medicine and bandage the wound.
"Practice makes perfect."
Shuyun lowered her head to pack the medicine box, feeling a little depressed.
Zhao Mucheng had already put on his clothes, "The thief is dead, Miss Shen is safe, and you can sleep peacefully from now on."
Shu Yun bowed and said, "Thank you, County Captain Zhao, for guarding outside the house during this time."
Zhao Mucheng hurriedly helped her up, “Miss Shen, you’re too polite.”
Besides, he didn't want Miss Shen to have any mishaps.
"County Lieutenant Zhao has fulfilled his duties. Now that the rebellious bandits are gone, the county is peaceful again."
Their eyes met, Zhao Mucheng looked at Shuyun, her figure reflected in his eyes. Shuyun lowered her head slightly and averted her gaze.
"It's getting late, Miss Chen, you should go to bed early." Zhao Mucheng said goodbye to her and walked a few steps out of the house. He suddenly stopped.
Zhao Mucheng thought for a while. If he didn't tell her today, he didn't know when he would tell her. He suddenly turned around. Shuyun was stunned when she saw him turn around.
"Miss Shen, Zhao is pleased with her." Zhao Mucheng stood outside the house, the candlelight from the lanterns under the eaves reflected on him. His eyes were firm. "I am guarding outside the house because I am worried about Miss Shen's safety, not just to maintain the peace of the county."
Shuyun stood there, feeling a little at a loss.
"I'm sorry, I was abrupt."
Zhao Mucheng felt annoyed and regretful. He shouldn't have been so anxious to complain to her.
He said goodbye to Shuyun and turned to leave.
"I..." Shuyun looked at his back, "I'll think about it and give County Magistrate Zhao a reply."
Zhao Mucheng paused, his steps moving away with unusually brisk steps. He recalled his first encounter with Shuyun. Due to a misunderstanding, he had drawn his sword against her. Zhao Mucheng felt a sense of regret, fearing that he had left a bad impression on her.
He fell in love with Shuyun at first sight.
The maids returned to the brothel. Shuyun lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling of the tent. Her heart was in a mess, like a ball of hemp rope with no beginning or end.
After Shuyun escaped from the capital, she never returned. She wanted to find her parents, forget everything about her relationship with that man, and start a new life. Zhao Mucheng loved her sincerely and ran around for her parents. If he hadn't been there this time, she would have been kidnapped long ago.
Although Shuyun’s current liking for Zhao Mucheng is not as strong as Zhao Mucheng’s admiration for her, she will catch up with him over time.
…
Afterwards, Zhao Mucheng examined the body of the man in black and found that he was a military man. He didn't know who had instructed him to capture Shu Yun and leave.
The man in black came from outside the county town. Zhao Mucheng increased the inspection efforts at the city gate and did not allow any suspicious strangers to enter the county town.
There was constant fighting in Huainan. The imperial army had already recaptured a city in the Huainan fiefdom, but the King of Huainan was still resisting stubbornly.
In the blink of an eye, it was early summer. The thick clothes were put away. As the weather got hotter, there were more mosquitoes.
Shuyun made a mosquito repellent sachet for Zhao Mucheng.
Zhao Mucheng carried the sachet she had given him wherever he went. For several months, he had asked people to inquire about the situation, but there was no such person as Shen Yanzhi among the officials in Nanzhou. He wrote to his former friends in the military camp, asking them to help him find out about him.
Zhao Mucheng wanted to write a letter to his sworn brother, but his sworn brother was at the frontline suppressing a rebellion, so he could only wait until his sworn brother returned to Beijing in triumph and then ask him when he could congratulate him.
On the first day of the lunar year, Shuyun went to the temple to burn incense. She wrote down Xiao Ye's birthday and prayed for his safety, which made her feel more at ease.
After coming out of the temple, Shuyun looked at the newly emerged lotus leaves beside the covered bridge and was delayed on the way back.
Zhao Mucheng was standing at the door of the house holding a fish. Seeing her come back, he smiled and raised the fish in his hand, "Yesterday, I heard Qingshan say that you wanted to eat fish, so I bought a fresh sea bass."
Qingshan ran out and opened the tightly closed door.
"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Zhao to cook today." Shuyun invited Zhao Mucheng into the house.
Zhao Mucheng walked into the house holding Shuyun's hand. After the two of them became engaged, they only held hands.
Zhao Mucheng rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen to cook fish. Shuyun tasted the fruit that Chuhe had washed.
Shu Yun took a sweet fruit and gave it to Zhao Mucheng. He was a little unable to free his hands. Shu Yun fed the fruit into his mouth with a red face, glared at him, turned around and ran away in a hurry.
The aroma of food wafted from afar. Shuyun sat on a stone bench outside the yard, biting a piece of fruit with her head down.
…
In the summer, cicadas chirp and frogs croak, and after a few autumn rains, the summer heat fades away.
After Xiao Ye recaptured a city, his army was unstoppable and captured several cities in succession. The rebels were defeated and fled in panic.
The crown prince led his army to assist, attacked the main tent on the night of September, and beheaded the King of Huainan.
Li Ce fled south under the protection of the confidant of King Huainan. He wanted to capture Shu Yun to threaten Xiao Ye, so he sent several assassins to Nanzhou, but only one of them did not come back. He didn't know who was protecting Shu Yun, so he never succeeded.
Li Ce returned to the palace and took Lin Yunxi with him.
Lin Yunxi slapped Li Ce in the face. "The Li Ce I know is not like this. He only knows how to eat, drink and have fun all day long. He lives a carefree and happy life. Although he is a well-known playboy in the capital, he would not do anything to rebel."
Lin Yunxi advised, "Surrender now and tell His Majesty that it was... the Prince of Huainan who forced you to do this. You know nothing."
"Xi'er, don't be silly. The emperor won't believe it." Li Ce pulled Lin Yunxi out.
"Sir, this is bad. A large group of people is chasing us. It's a huge crowd."
The confidant came to report hurriedly that the way out was blocked, "You can't go out."
"Everyone, go to the secret passage!" Li Ce changed the route and gave the order.
A man suddenly drew his sword and stopped Li Ce. "According to your subordinates, I took her as a hostage to buy time and help the prince escape."
Li Ce frowned and drew his sword, slashing the man's throat. The man clutched his neck and fell into a pool of blood. "This is what will happen to anyone who dares to touch her. Retreat!"
As the sun sets, Li Ce pulls Lin Yunxi towards the secret passage. The sound of armor can be heard behind them, indicating that the imperial troops have entered the palace.
Lin Yunxi suddenly broke free from Li Ce's restraints and said, "Go away."
"I'll be your hostage." Lin Yunxi retreated behind a soldier and said, "Take your prince away. No one else can leave if we delay any longer."
"Let's go together!" Li Ce tried to pull Lin Yunxi, but was stopped by his confidant.
The people that King Huainan left for Li Ce were all his confidants who had followed him for many years. Naturally, they wanted to protect Li Ce. The two of them pulled Li Ce towards the secret passage.
Lin Yunxi looked at the person being dragged away, tears in her eyes, "Li Ce, I like you."
The rebels captured Lin Yunxi, put a knife to her neck, and led her outside.
Xiao Ye led his troops to wipe out the remnants, and Lin Yunxi appeared in front of him as a hostage.
The rebel put his knife against Lin Yunxi's neck and shouted, "Tell them to retreat! Otherwise I will kill her."
Lin Yunxi knew Xiao Ye's temperament and thought he might do what the rebels wanted, so he tried to talk to him and asked, "My Lord, how are my parents?"
"Thinking of my daughter." Xiao Ye said concisely and signaled the archers to get ready with his eyes.
Lin Yunxi asked, "Where's Yun'er? Have you found Yun'er? I miss Yun'er so much."
Xiao Ye frowned and asked pointedly, "Miss Lin, where is Li Ce?"
The rebel tightened his grip on the knife handle, realizing that something was wrong.
With a "whoosh", a sharp arrow shot from the left, and the knife in the rebel's hand fell. The archer hiding in the distance shot another arrow, killing the rebel.
"Search!" Xiao Ye gave an order, and the soldiers rushed into the mansion to search for the remnants.
"Take Miss Lin out and send her back to the capital safely." Xiao Ye gave an order and hurried in to search for her.
After a while, Lin Yunxi just hoped that Li Ce had escaped through the secret passage. She lowered her eyes to look at the knife that fell on the ground, took a breath, and looked back at Xiao Ye's receding back.
"My Lord, please tell my parents that I am unfilial and will repay their kindness in my next life."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yunxi quickly picked up the knife on the ground and committed suicide with it.
At the same time, Xiao Ye realized something was wrong and turned around immediately, but it was too late. Lin Yunxi fell to the ground with blood gushing from his neck.
Xiao Ye strode back.
The blood kept gushing out and he couldn't be saved.
Lin Yunxi gazed at the setting sun and slowly closed her eyes. She had been abducted by Li Ce for over half a year, and even after returning to the capital, she couldn't hold her head up.
Besides, she liked Li Ce, but Li Ce was doomed to die in this rebellion. Instead of letting him leave alone, she would go down and wait for him and accompany him.
Don’t let him suffer so much in the next life, and let him be born into a family where his parents love him.
Later, the sun set, and Li Ce's sun also set.
In mid-September, the Crown Prince and Xiao Ye recovered the Huainan fiefdom and returned to the capital in triumph. The rebel Li Ce escaped and his whereabouts are unknown.
The war subsided, the autumn wind turned cooler, and Zhao Mucheng also received news from his friends.
"Yun'er, there's news about uncle."
Zhao Mucheng told Shuyun the good news. Shuyun's eyes immediately lit up. She poured a glass of water for Zhao Mucheng, who had hurried over, and asked expectantly, "Where are my parents?"
Zhao Mucheng drank some water and said, "After leaving Nanzhou, my uncle went to Duzhou. He was summoned back to the capital by the emperor in March of this spring and is now the Minister of Works. And your brother, I heard, has even been favored by the crown prince."
Shuyun was overjoyed to hear the news about her parents and brother, but she was also filled with mixed feelings.
My parents returned to the capital, and after the war subsided, Xiao Ye also returned to the capital. Shu Yun had escaped from Xiao Ye, and if she went back now...
Zhao Mucheng noticed her strange expression and asked, "Yun'er?"
Shuyun's thoughts were pulled back and she looked blankly at the man who called her.
Zhao Mucheng asked with concern: "What's wrong with you?"
Shu Yun pursed her lips and thought for a while, "Brother Zhao, let's get married and then return to the capital."
Zhao Mucheng was stunned and couldn't believe his ears.
He paused for a moment and looked at Shu Yun. "My parents are both dead, and I grew up in a military camp. But Yun'er got married without telling my parents-in-law..."
Shu Yun abandoned her reserve and said, "Brother Zhao has taken great care of me over the past few months. It's only a matter of time before we get married. I want to get married right where we met."
Zhao Mucheng liked Shuyun, so he was naturally happy. "You shouldn't bring this up. I'll go back and prepare the betrothal gifts and ask a matchmaker to propose marriage."
He left the house, went back to prepare the betrothal gifts, and then picked an auspicious day to propose marriage. His smile never faltered the whole time.
The two of them compared their horoscopes and set the wedding date for mid-November.
Zhao Mucheng: "Yun'er, my parents are both dead. I plan to ask my brother to be the officiant of our wedding."
Shuyun thought that if they got married, when she returned to the capital, she would already be a married woman, and Xiao Ye would stop thinking about her.
The Shen and Xiao families have a feud, and their relationship is destined to have no result.
Shu Yun smiled and agreed, "It would be nice to have an elder to witness it."
After Zhao Mucheng returned, he wrote a letter to his sworn brother in Beijing.
The two brothers have not seen each other since their brother was injured in the battlefield and stayed in Beijing to work.
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