Dou Yu's cousin
The watchtower stands on one side of the military camp gate, with smoke signals and firearms hanging on it, but no soldiers are seen on guard.
Jiang Yan walked swiftly towards the watchtower, and said in a serious tone, "The general has ordered the entire battalion to be summoned. Why are the soldiers on the watchtower not coming down?"
Lang Rong followed closely behind Jiang Yan, puzzled, not having heard clearly what she and Dou Yao had just said.
Hearing Jiang Yan's tone, he immediately suspected that there were enemy spies infiltrating the military camp. His expression turned serious, and his right hand was already on the sword at his waist, ready to capture the enemy spy at any time.
Jiang Yanhui stopped when she reached the foot of the watchtower. Just as Lang Rong was wondering what to do next, a head wearing armor poked its head out from the watchtower and looked down.
Lang Rong squinted and sensed something was wrong.
"Get down!"
Jiang Yan shouted, and a figure slowly climbed down the ladder of the watchtower.
Lang Rong asked incredulously, "What is this?"
The person climbing down the ladder stopped and said to the person below in a conciliatory tone, "I'll get down, but you're not allowed to curse me!"
The wind dispersed most of the sound, but those below the watchtower could still vaguely catch some of it.
Lang Rong's eyes widened in disbelief. "It's a man!!!"
Seeing that Jiang Yan did not answer, the man clung tightly to the ladder in the cold wind, stubbornly remaining motionless, the tassels on his helmet swaying helplessly.
Now that her identity had been exposed, Dou Yu was even less likely to go down easily. She used her numb hands and feet to hook onto the ladder, and her dark eyes peered down to observe the situation.
"Get down here right now!" Dou Yao roared as he rushed down to the watchtower, pointing at the people hanging there. "I'll count to three, and if you don't come down, you can hang them up here to dry!"
Dou Yu pursed her lips, carefully moved her ankle, and shuffled down one step.
The accident happened in an instant. Dou Yu, who was holding onto the ladder, slipped and his hand slipped, causing him to fall backward rapidly.
The three women standing below the observation deck immediately felt their hearts leap into their throats. Falling from that height would mean being unable to get up for ten days or half a month, even if they didn't break any bones. Dou Yu was delicate and fragile; how could she possibly withstand that?
Lang Rong swayed left and right to find a position, and with a big stride, he caught Dou Yu before she fell to the ground, staggering forward two steps due to inertia.
After regaining his footing, Lang Rong quickly looked down to check the injuries of the person in his arms. He met a pair of beautiful eyes that were still in shock. The person instinctively clung to Lang Rong's shoulders, his small face pale, and he was panting heavily to relieve the huge impact.
The question that Lang Rong was about to ask suddenly caught in his throat. The hot blood flowing back from his limbs rushed to his head, and he stood there motionless, his handsome face turning red.
If one felt angry about Dou Yu's infiltration of the military camp, after the harrowing experience, all that remained was worry and lingering fear.
Dou Yao, who had never shown fear in the face of thousands of troops, was now deathly pale. He clutched his chest, unable to utter a complete sentence. His fingertips trembled as he pointed, said nothing, snorted, and turned away.
Dou Yu hurriedly withdrew from Lang Rong's embrace, watching her mother's departing figure, not daring to step forward or argue.
Lang Rong vaguely realized the man's special identity. Unfortunately, this was the first time she had been so intimate with a man in over twenty years of being single. Her mind was stuck like a rusty axle, unable to move. Her mouth asked first, "Um, who are you? What are you doing in the military camp?"
Looking again, Dou Yu's eyes were already filled with tears. She was clenching her hands in fear and anxiety, and frequently turned her head to look for help at Jiang Yanhui, who had resumed her lazy attitude.
Jiang Yan glanced at him indifferently, "Take him to the central command tent."
Unlike the outside, the tent was warm and cozy, with an extra brazier for heating. Dou Yao sat with his back to them, his hair, which was blown about by the wind, revealing his deep displeasure.
Dou Yu took small steps and hid behind Jiang Yan, her swollen, red fingers clutching her sleeve. Her face under the helmet was smeared with soot, but her clear eyes darted around.
Dou Yao was so angry he couldn't speak, Jiang Yan Hui stood with her hands behind her back, unwilling to get involved, and Lang Rong, caught in the middle, took on the responsibility of mediating.
My brain quickly processed the situation, pondering the right words, and just as I was about to speak, a clear male voice said with a "go-for-broke" attitude:
"Mother! I know I was wrong!"
Thump—his knees buckled, and he knelt down on the hard ground.
Then, Dou Yao, who was over fifty years old, suddenly stood up, his face flushed with anger, pacing back and forth. He pointed at Dou Yu, who had his head hanging low, and said, "You are really audacious! You have spoiled me so much that you have no law or order! You even dare to sneak into the military camp without permission! Are you forcing me to deal with you using military law!"
Dou Yu sniffed, his eyes reddening, and stubbornly said, "Mother, it is indeed my fault. I will not disobey if you want to punish me. It's just that Father died early, and you left me alone in the capital. Although my uncles take good care of me, they can never compare to the bond between mother and son. I do not regret coming to find you."
The tent fell silent, and one could faintly hear Dou Yu's soft sobs.
Jiang Yan, who was watching the drama unfold as an observer, received a subtle signal from her aunt and smoothly became the peacemaker.
She lifted her robe, knelt on one knee, and clasped her hands in one fluid motion. Her unusually humble demeanor left the bewildered Lang Rong stunned.
Jiang Yan replied, "General, Dou Yu's behavior violated military regulations, but it also allowed us to discover hidden dangers within the army. We should inquire carefully about the details and seize the loopholes so that his merits and demerits can offset each other."
Dou Yao lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked up at the fourth person in the tent. Lang Rong immediately reacted and followed suit, clasping his hands and kneeling down, echoing, "Yes! If outsiders can infiltrate the army, there must be someone who is slacking off. This is certainly not the first time. We might as well take this opportunity to clean up the inside and outside to eliminate any hidden dangers."
Lang Rong glanced at Dou Yu, who was kneeling on the ground, head bowed and sobbing, and said diplomatically, "Moreover, I think that Young Master Dou is brave and resourceful, and his filial piety is truly rare. A small punishment is enough to teach him a lesson."
Dou Yao sat down, leaning on the table, sighed deeply, and said softly, pressing his forehead, "Go back and copy the 'Men's Rules' ten times to remember this lesson. Don't misbehave in the future!"
Dou Yu, tears welling in her eyes, said stubbornly, "I'm not going back to the capital!"
"Who told you to go back in this freezing weather?" Dou Yao waved his hand wearily. "Go to your cousin's house and wait until winter is over before we talk about it."
Dou Yu's tear-stained face instantly broke into a smile. She turned around and gave Jiang Yanhui, who looked sullen, an extremely ingratiating smile, sweetly calling out, "Cousin, my mom said I can stay at your place~"
Only the three people in the tent knew about Dou Yu's infiltration of the military camp. They knew the truth but did not tell anyone. Jiang Yan first took the disguised Dou Yu back to the Lingzhou Prince's Mansion to settle down, while Lang Rong stayed behind to help Dou Yao root out the corrupt officials in the army.
Dou Yu, dressed as a soldier, would occasionally glance up at her cousin in front of her. Having already gotten the benefit, she dared not ask for anything more and could only pout and quicken her pace to catch up.
The magnificent and imposing military camp lay behind, and the slight commotion dissipated as the distance increased, until the carriage drove out of the vast Gobi Desert and the high-flying flags could no longer be seen.
The airtight carriage blocked out the howling cold wind. Dou Yu removed the headscarf that was covering her forehead, revealing her long, beautiful, black hair that fell smoothly over her shoulders. She bent down and warmed herself by the charcoal stove for a while, then rubbed her aching knees in a spoiled manner.
In the warm and comfortable environment, Dou Yu's tense nerves gradually relaxed. He lifted his collar and sniffed it. A sour smell with sandy undertones almost made him vomit. His furrowed brows couldn't hide his disgust.
Fearing exposure, he dared not take a shower, only wiping himself briefly with a towel late at night. You can imagine how smelly he must have been these past few days.
Dou Yu lifted the curtain and immediately saw the woman riding a tall black horse. Braving the wind, she said, "Cousin, I heard that you have an artificial hot spring in your palace in Lingzhou. Can I go and take a bath? I smell so bad I'm practically stinking."
The woman, her face veiled in black, revealed only a pair of captivating eyes. Her bright pupils resembled the finest Tahitian black pearls, exuding unparalleled elegance.
"no."
The unwavering refusal, coupled with the chilling wind of Lingzhou, added an air of callous indifference.
Dou Yu pursed his lips. He knew his cousin's level of germaphobia, so being rejected was understandable.
He patted the carriage with a sigh, guessing that Jiang Yan would probably abandon it when they got back.
Since she was going to be abandoned sooner or later, Dou Yu lazily lay down on the mat and leisurely dozed off with her legs crossed.
The carriage stopped in front of the Prince's Mansion. Dou Yu, who darted out, startled Aunt Pan, who looked at Jiang Yanhui questioningly.
"Dou Yao's son, Dou Yu, is coming to stay at the manor for a while. Please have someone take good care of him." Jiang Yan looked back at Dou Yu, who was looking at everything with new curiosity, paused, and then added a few more words of advice to Aunt Pan, "Don't let him use the hot spring water."
A note from the author:
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Dou Yu, our adorable little cutie, makes her dazzling debut!
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