Yan Ning took off the jade pendant from her neck and placed it in Fukang'an's hand. "This is my most precious thing. Let it stay by your side in my place."
Fukang'an looked at the jade pendant in his hand. From the side, its color was a dazzling emerald green; from the front, it was white with a translucent, creamy luster. This was a fine piece of jade, priceless. Then, looking at Yan Ning, who was crying her eyes out, he smoothed her jet-black hair. "Why are you crying again? I'll be back with you soon."
Yan Ning nodded, letting Fukang'an lift her onto the horse, and Zhao Xing led the horse forward.
The moonlight tonight mirrored Yan Ning's current state of mind; her lingering emotions were swallowed by the dark forest, the mountains and rivers as cold as night. Though the mountains and passes are finite, her feelings are infinite; there is no end to her longing to meet him. Fukang'an's figure gradually faded into the darkness, becoming scattered specks, imprinted on Yan Ning's heart.
"Zhao Xing, are you tired?" After calming down, Yan Ning realized that Zhao Xing had been leading the horse for a long time.
"I'm not tired. I've been walking since I was a child," Zhao Xing said cheerfully. "Miss, we should be able to reach the county town around dawn. Then, I'll hire a carriage. The general said that you are not well enough to ride a horse for long."
Yan Ning knew that since Fukang'an had asked her to go back, he must have arranged everything for her.
A gentle breeze and an autumn moon; fallen leaves gather and scatter. Zhao Xing drove the carriage, not daring to stop for a moment, traveling day and night with Yan Ning out of Shu.
“Miss Yan Ning, we’ve already left Sichuan. The general said we don’t need to travel any further.” Zhao Xing’s mood relaxed at this moment.
"Alright, then find an inn. We've been traveling for so many days, we and the horses need to get some rest."
"yes!"
After returning to the military camp, Fukang'an ordered his men to guard the military tent where Yan Ning had stayed, saying, "Without my order, Miss Yan Ning is not allowed to come out, and no one is allowed to approach the military tent."
The night was as dark as a painting, the moonlight melancholic, and his battle-worn clothes were covered in frost. Fukang'an picked up the jade pendant that Yan Ning had given him before parting, and felt a pang of sorrow. "When she left, it was as if she was saying goodbye to me." Thinking of this, he suddenly remembered the dream he had.
“Fukang’an, I don’t belong here. I will leave eventually. You must forget me, as if we had never met, and live a good life.”
Although it was a dream, Yan Ning's usual thoughts and words were also strange. Her lies included the capital city, and now that she had returned to the capital alone, even though he had arranged everything for her, her strange words and actions might cause trouble.
This worry made Fukang'an even more eager to end the war as soon as possible. He glanced at the sky, changed into civilian clothes, and prepared to sneak into the enemy camp at night.
Last time, Zhao Xing led the Jianrui Cloud Ladder Battalion to attack the stronghold. Although he lost some soldiers, he destroyed the main defensive bunkers of Senggesang's official stronghold. Fukang'an thought to himself: Zhao Xing has accidentally solved my problem.
When he returned to camp, it was already broad daylight. The guards told Fukang'an that Agui was waiting for him in the military council tent.
"Your subordinate was just about to go find the general," Fukang'an said, kneeling on one knee.
"Where is that witch?" A-Gui asked knowingly.
"They should have already left Sichuan by now," Fukang'an replied after calculating the time.
"You're getting bolder and bolder! Men, bring me the military whip! I, the general, will personally whip your General Fukang'an!" Agui stood up, walked up to Fukang'an, and said angrily.
The entire battalion was forced to stand around the doorway, watching their general being beaten, but everyone knew General Agui's character and none of them dared to plead for him.
Fukang'an's old injuries had not yet healed, and now he had new injuries. He could not support himself and fainted.
"Miss, the capital is just ahead," Zhao Xing said happily to Yan Ning. Although they traveled non-stop during the day, it took them nearly a month to reach the capital.
Yan Ning lifted the window curtain, wanting to peek at the ancient imperial city. What came into view was a three-tiered pavilion-style building, with gray tile and green glazed tile trimmed on the roof, spanning five bays. Zhao Xing said, "This is Yongding Gate of the outer city."
Entering Yongding Gate, one finds a bustling and noisy street. At the end of the street is the front gate of the inner city. Zhao Xing drove his carriage into the inner city through Chongwen Gate, and the street became less noisy than the outer city. Occasionally, a few merchants walked by, and their voices were drowned out by the long cobblestone road.
The sound of a horse's hoof startled the peaceful pedestrians on the road. No matter how Zhao Xing pulled on the reins, he couldn't stop the horse from leaping back and forth, and both Yan Ning and Zhao Xing were thrown to the ground. Zhao Xing quickly got up and helped Yan Ning up, thinking to himself: If Yan Ning had been hurt, the general would have killed me.
"Who are you? Are you out of your mind to disturb Lord He's sedan chair!" Liu Quan shouted at Yan Ning and Zhao Xing. The two looked at the man who spoke; he was wearing a gray robe underneath a rusty brown jacket, and he stood beside an eight-person sedan chair, exuding arrogance.
"A dog that relies on its master's power! And a vicious dog at that!" Zhao Xing retorted angrily.
"What did you say?" Liu Quan said, lunging at Zhao Xing, but Zhao Xing grabbed his hand and kicked him in the stomach. Liu Quan cried out in pain and fell to his knees. Immediately, two more men rushed at him. Zhao Xing punched one of them in the chest, dodged a palm strike from the other, and kicked him to the ground as well. Yan Ning looked at Zhao Xing and sighed inwardly, "Truly, a strong general has no weak soldiers under his command."
"Stop!" Heshen, sitting in the sedan chair, stopped his men from attacking again. "Who are you people?" Yan Ning heard the person in the sedan chair speak, but the person in the sedan chair did not show his face.
Zhao Xing replied, "I am Zhao Xing, a follower of General Fucha Fukang'an."
Heshen narrowed his eyes, "Fukang'an?", a crescent moon curving his lips.
Yan Ning hadn't heard Liu Quan's words clearly, but now that she thought about it, she realized he had mentioned "Lord He," and couldn't help but ask, "Are you Heshen?"
"How dare you! How dare you speak such an insolent word as an adult's name!" Liu Quan warned Yan Ning, but his voice softened after seeing Yan Ning's face clearly.
Heshen had only seen Zhao Xing, who had assaulted someone, but now he noticed the stunningly beautiful woman beside Zhao Xing. "Does this young lady know me?"
"Who wouldn't know the biggest corrupt official in the world?" Yan Ning thought to herself.
"I don't know you, but I've long admired your name, sir." Fearing he might doubt her identity, Yan Ning replied in a refined manner.
"Oh, how can a lowly person like me accept such hospitality from a young lady?" Liu Quan lifted the sedan curtain for Heshen.
Yan Ning watched as the sedan curtain was slowly lifted. The Heshen she knew was a fat man with a round head and fat ears who was ignorant and incompetent. What was the real Heshen like?
When Heshen stepped down from the sedan chair and came into Yan Ning's view, she was already too shocked to speak.
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