"Coach Chu!"
A warhorse was galloping towards them from a distance. The young soldier, wearing a short grey-brown military uniform, jumped off the horse and said breathlessly, "Someone is looking for you."
"Looking for me?" Chu Qiao was stunned. She put down her crossbow and jumped down from the arrow platform. She asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"Coach Chu!" The big man with a bright smile shouted while waving his bow and arrow, "Do you want to compete?"
"You even lost your robe to me and you still don't repent. Sooner or later, I will make you lose so much that you have no pants to wear!" The girl turned her head and shouted in a crisp tone. The soldiers of the Cavalry Battalion around suddenly laughed loudly and started to make fun of the big man who was clamoring to compete in archery.
The signalman also laughed along with the others, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and said, "I don't know either, it seems to be from the Imperial Household Department, there are a lot of people."
Chu Qiao's brows slowly furrowed. Who could be looking for her? Didn’t Yan Xun say that the matter of beating the Crown Prince of Tang was over? Who else would come to her as a little archery coach?
"Let's go and take a look." Chu Qiao turned over and jumped onto another warhorse, following the signalman and running towards the central army camp.
From afar, it seemed that the Cavalry Battalion was exceptionally lively today, with golden dragon banners, ceremonial officers in brocade clothes, and graceful women carrying huge golden plates. The stewards of the Imperial Household Department, wearing gorgeous clothes only worn for grand ceremonies, followed respectfully behind. Rows of magnificent boxes were placed in front of the tents, and no one knew what rare treasures were inside them.
Zhao Qi frowned and said to Deputy General Cheng in a deep voice: "Where is the Seventh Prince? Why hasn't he come back yet?"
Deputy General Cheng's forehead was covered with cold sweat. He still had no idea what had happened. He lowered his voice and replied, "It will be soon. I have already sent someone to pass on the message."
"Yeah, that's right. It turns out that there is a unique scenery in this military camp."
A lazy voice sounded beside him. Zhao Qi suddenly felt a headache when he heard it. He turned around and smiled bitterly, "Your Highness, I wonder why you came to my seventh brother's place this time?"
“You’ll know in a moment.” Li Ce was dressed in a bright red brocade robe, his clothes were as red as fire, and the hem was embroidered with several phoenixes and dragons, shining with dazzling golden light. His belt was fragrant, and he was covered with a fiery red fox fur coat. His eyes were as evil as peach blossoms, and he was waving a folding fan desperately in such a cold day. His smug look made people grit their teeth.
Zhao Qi swore that he really couldn't bear it anymore.
For two whole days, he tossed around with the man in front of him. First, he complained that the sleeping place in Sheng Jin Palace was not ventilated. After working hard for half the night, he finally ventilated it. Then he complained that the room was too cold after the ventilation. When he woke up in the morning, he refused to eat because the palace maids were ugly. After he finally found some of the most beautiful ones, he complained that they couldn't recite poems. He was also very picky about meals. Sometimes he complained that the tea was not fresh from the past three days, and sometimes he complained that the soles of the boots of the guards outside were not padded, and that their walking in the outer city would wake him up who was sleeping in the inner city. In short, there are countless varieties and they are endless.
Zhao Qi had almost lost half his life, and he felt that none of the fighting with his many brothers had been as hard as his. He didn't know what new idea he had come up with, and he called a group of people to the military camp without caring about anything.
If before this, he had always suspected that this guy was a hidden master who was pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger, then now, he can be 100% sure that this guy is a pervert and has no reason at all.
"Oh! Here it comes, here it comes!"
Li Ce's eyes suddenly lit up. Before Zhao Qi had time to take a closer look, Li Ce pulled him aside. The man said nervously, "How do you think I look today? Do I smell good? Not tacky, right? Look at my boots. They are made of the finest marten tribute from the Northwest Mohammed King. Are they classy?"
Zhao Qi sighed helplessly and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, it's beautiful."
As soon as she stepped into the camp, Chu Qiao saw Zhao Qi's Green Camp soldiers. She frowned slightly and secretly became cautious.
What exactly happened? Why did Zhao Qi come to find me in person? Could it be that Yan Xun made some mistake?
At this time, she had already approached the crowd, and saw the officials of the Imperial Household Department frowning at her, as if they didn't understand what was going on. She felt a little relieved. If Yan Xun failed, Zhao Qi could just bring the Green Camp Army. Why would he need to bring the Imperial Household Department? Things must not be as bad as I think.
"General Chu Qiao, I pay my respects to the Third..."
"Haha! Let's see where you're going this time!"
A fiery red figure suddenly jumped out from behind her, stretched out his arms and hugged her tightly in his arms. Everyone was stunned for a moment. However, before they could come to their senses, they saw the girl suddenly leap up on the spot like a small beast that had been attacked. She broke free from the opponent's control with one hand, and then used her small grappling hand to move forward. With two crisp clicks, she turned the tables and pinned the attacking man to the ground!
"Who is it?" Chu Qiao shouted coldly and said in a deep voice.
Then, the beloved darling of Emperor Bian Tang raised his head from the ground with all his might, still maintaining his smiling perverted expression, and said happily: "How rude, it's me, don't you recognize me?"
The officials of Daxia were stunned for a moment. They looked at Prince Bian Tang lying on the ground, then turned to look at the Third Prince Zhao Qi with a sullen face, and then looked at the dumbfounded girl Chu Qiao. Everyone was stunned and didn't know what to say.
In contrast, Bian Tang's envoys all had resentful expressions, as if they had known that things would not develop according to common sense.
Zhao Qi was the first to react. He immediately stepped forward and said to Chu Qiao in a stern voice, "How dare you! How dare you be rude to the Crown Prince of Tang? What crime should you be punished for!"
Chu Qiao was startled and quickly let go of his hand. Just as she was about to apologize, she suddenly saw Li Ce roll over and climb up from the ground. He shouted at Zhao Qi in a very imposing manner: "You are so bold! The one I want to marry is her. I have brought all the betrothal gifts. Come on, bring it up!"
Hundreds of huge boxes were carried forward. As soon as they were opened, they were filled with golden and dazzling colors. Everyone couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Chu Qiao stood there, looking at the dumbfounded officials of Daxia, the stunned Prince Zhao Qi, and the triumphant Prince Bian Tang. Finally, she frowned as if she wanted to cry but had no tears.
Who can tell her what is going on?
The cold winter has passed and spring is coming back.
When I opened the window early this morning, I found that most of the snow outside had melted, the ice had melted, the lake had overflowed, the swallows from the south had returned north, and the warblers were singing with clear and pleasant voices.
Yan Xun was in a very good mood today. He had just killed his enemy a few days ago and was in high spirits.
He was wearing a lake green brocade robe with a belt of the same color tied diagonally around his waist. His face was as white as jade, his eyes were like cold stars, and he looked elegant and noble, with a divine aura. At this moment, he was sitting in the pavilion in the middle of the lake drinking tea. A stove of incense was burning faintly. The fragrance was very light, and the smoke rose vertically. There was no wind in the air. The sound of zither came from the distant Donghua Garden. From a distance, the rockery and blue water covered by green looked like an otherworldly painting, without any trace of worldly affairs.
He hadn't felt so relaxed for a long time.
In the afternoon, a horse galloped into Shengjin Palace, instantly shattering this rare tranquility.
"Prince," Ah Jing ran into the pavilion with a few subordinates from Yingge Court, sweating profusely, and shouted to Yan Xun who was walking out of the pavilion, "something bad has happened."
The breeze blew gently, blowing up the corners of Yan Xun's clothes. The man turned around and glanced at Ah Jing indifferently, seeming a little displeased by his recklessness, "Why are you so panicked?"
Yan Xun's voice was calm, with the demeanor of someone who remained calm even when faced with a collapse of Mount Tai. Ah Jing, however, could not imitate his aloof temperament, and said hurriedly, "Prince Bian Tang just went to the Cavalry Battalion and specifically asked to marry the Cavalry Battalion's archery coach!"
"What does Prince Bian Tang's marriage have to do with you and me?" Yan Xun raised his eyebrows slightly, spoke in a leisurely tone, turned around and continued walking forward.
Ah Jing was stunned for a moment, and he looked at several of his companions, and suddenly felt great respect and joy in his heart.
Could it be that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has finally understood that the overall situation should be the most important thing in everything and is no longer bound by his children's personal affairs? Miss Chu and His Highness grew up together and have a special bond. Yet, His Highness the Crown Prince is so calm and not moved at all. What kind of tremendous self-control and self-discipline does this require? What did he give up without anyone knowing for the sake of Datong's beliefs and ideals?
However, before a happy smile spread from his eyes to the corners of his mouth, a gust of wind suddenly blew in front of him. The man who had been calm and composed before grabbed his shoulders tightly with a purple face and said in a stern voice: "What did you say? Which archery coach? Who is he going to marry?"
Ah Jing had a sad face and complained in her heart, "There is only one female archery instructor in the Cavalry Battalion."
“Damn it!”
“Damn it!”
The long wind blew across the sky above Zhenhuang City. At this moment, an angry voice sounded at the same time. Zhao Song rushed out of his residence, jumped on his horse, and galloped towards the cavalry camp in the east of the city at lightning speed!
"Li Ce, the Crown Prince of Bian Tang?"
In the plum garden of Zhuge Mansion, the man in purple robe and black hair slightly frowned and said in a deep voice: "Why is he here to mess up again?"
Zhu Cheng smiled and bent over and said, "Master, he is not trying to make trouble. The Crown Prince Tang has already left the city with Miss Xing'er. He said he was afraid that Emperor Xia would not agree, so he wanted to run back to Bian Tang overnight. The Third Prince failed to dissuade him, but he did not dare to stop him, so he sent someone back to the palace to report."
Zhuge Yue frowned, and suddenly stood up, put on his outer robe, and walked out.
"Master, what are you going to do?"
"Go and have a look."
From afar, only a faint voice floated over. Zhu Cheng could not hear the rest of the words, but Zhuge Yue's figure had already walked away. In an instant, the horse neighed loudly, and the sound of its hooves shattered the tranquility of the plum garden.
Just as Yan Xun and others were rushing to the cavalry camp, Prince Bian Tang's carriage had already left the camp and headed straight towards the city gate.
Li Ce's eyes were smiling like a fox. He had just been beaten up, and his eye sockets were still black, which somewhat dulled his unrivaled elegance. Chu Qiao was tied up and pressed to a corner of the carriage. She was frightened by his gaze, her brows furrowed, her face darkened. But despite her secret hatred, she had to say, "Your Highness, I didn't know your identity that day, so I offended you. Please forgive my mistakes and don't blame me."
Li Ce raised his eyelids, smiled lazily, and answered the question irrelevantly: "So your name is Chu Qiao, how about I call you Xiao Qiao? Or how about I call you Qiao Er?"
Chu Qiao suddenly felt cold, goose bumps all over her body, and she frowned and said, "Chu Qiao is of low status, and her name is not worthy of being remembered by His Highness."