Chapter 129 Notice
Zhongli He nodded and walked out of the tent with the others. Zhao Xuanxu remained seated motionless, one hand firmly pressed against Wen Yao's knee, his fingers sliding gently across it, his movements delicate and casual, like caressing a finely crafted gem.
As he fumbled with it, Wen Yao sensed something was amiss. The sour, astringent fruit in her mouth suddenly became tasteless, like chewing wax. Her eyes slowly drifted back, and she chewed a few more times before a slender, white hand appeared beside her lips.
"Ayao." Zhao Xuanxu's voice was soft and Wen Xu was considerate: "If it doesn't taste good, spit it out."
Wen Yao felt goosebumps behind her ears, her throat constricted, and she swallowed the crumbs of fruit pulp with a gurgle. Zhao Xuanxu's hand remained motionless at the side of her face, and the gaze he gave her remained motionless.
Good, something is really wrong.
"You seem to be in a bad mood." Wen Yao pressed her boyfriend's hand and squeezed it tightly: "Is there something wrong in Bianliang?"
"Bianliang is fine for now." Most of the time, in front of Wen Yao, Zhao Xuanxu was gentle and affectionate, as harmless as a spring. Only on rare occasions, usually when Wen Yao was injured or disregarded his own safety, would the gentle spring in Zhao Xuanxu's eyes become muddy, heavy, and cold.
He half-smiled, "I'm really in a bad mood because Ayao is hiding something from me. Husband and wife are one, but Ayao doesn't want to tell me about something."
He was close, his breath like clusters of warm flowers constantly falling on Wen Yao's neck: "A few days ago, Ayao went out of the city, and today Yelu Duhan is so cooperative. Ayao, are you still trying to tell me that there is no connection between the two things?"
Zhao Xuanxu was clever enough to guess that Wen Yao had contact with Yelu Anduan. Fortunately, he wasn't a god yet, so he didn't know much.
Wen Yao's heart dropped. He said, "Yes, yes, I did go to Yelu Duhan. It was mainly for revenge. I beat him up and gave him some medicine given by Wang Fu to make him agree to sign a truce with us. The people of this world have suffered for too long. In a war, no matter which side wins, they are the ones who suffer. I don't want Tianshui and Northern Liao to continue fighting."
She knew full well the world was a world of oppression and class divisions, naked and bloody. But when she witnessed with her own eyes the deaths of thousands of men fighting not for the greater good of their country or their own survival, but solely for the selfish desires of their rulers, she felt a genuine desire to call a halt.
Coincidentally, Wen Yao felt that he seemed to have the ability to call a halt, but it was a little dangerous.
She wasn't a conceited person. With extreme composure, she assessed the potential consequences of her decision. Her internal injuries hadn't healed yet, and she'd definitely be injured, perhaps even seriously injured, on this trip to the capital. But she wouldn't die; she was sure she'd be able to return and bring everyone home with her.
This certainty was inexplicable, unbelievable, and without basis. Wen Yao wanted to believe it, but that couldn't be enough to convince Zhao Xuanxu. If she told Zhao Xuanxu what she was going to do, he might not stop her, but he would definitely ask to go with her. The situation was complicated, with various forces intertwined. Zhao Xuanxu was a hands-off boss who disliked working, but he held the power in his hands. He couldn't leave. The border battles couldn't be separated from him. Bianliang was in a state of panic, and Zhang Yun and Baili Cheng couldn't do without him either.
Wen Yao swallowed half of the truth and let Zhao Xuanxu place his fingers on the meridians on her neck, feeling the surging blood and vitality inside. She said, "I won't put myself in danger. No matter what happens, I will come back to you. Don't worry."
Regardless, the successive victories in this battle, including the capture of the Northern Liao prince, severely dampened Northern Liao's arrogance. After some discussion, the generals, not daring to approach Zhao Xuanxu or Zhongli He, who was constantly monitoring the situation in Bianliang City, turned to Wen Yao.
"Hold a celebration banquet?" Wen Yao counted the food Zhang Yun had just brought in and nodded, "Okay, it's time to give everyone something good to eat. Let's do it."
The military celebration banquet was simple: simply slaughtering pigs and sheep to reward meritorious officers, and distributing rice, noodles, and meat soup to reward the soldiers. The food was simple, but the people were prosperous. Bonfires were lit, and the bright yellow flames seemed to reach the heavens amidst the rare joy and noise. A medley of dialects and drinking songs mingled, echoing far and wide across the vast grasslands.
Wen Yao hadn't expected Zhongli He to be the first to get drunk. After all, General Zhongli had grown up among the roughnecks in the military camp, and the army had always drunk strong liquor from large bowls, so he really had a good alcohol tolerance.
But perhaps he was too happy about the two consecutive victories, or perhaps he was excited to return to the frontier, or perhaps it was because Bianliang had undergone tremendous changes in the past year and he had parted ways with the wise leader he had been loyal to in the past. Not long after the celebration banquet began, several empty wine jars piled up beside Zhongli He's legs, and he looked drunk.
Wen Yao was bending over to get some barbecue from the fire when Zhongli He suddenly stood up, holding a jar of wine, and strode towards him. The firelight in front of Wen Yao dimmed, and he looked up at Zhongli He, whose face and neck were red. "Young General Zhongli?"
Zhao Xuanxu, who was leaning against the side and sipping from a wine glass, immediately glanced over, stopped drinking, put down the glass in his hand, and slowly straightened his back.
"Commander Wen." Taking advantage of the alcohol, Zhongli He ignored Zhao Xuanxu's gaze and raised the wine jar to Wen Yao: "I remember the first time we met. I was reckless and acted rashly. I'm really sorry."
"You're welcome." Wen Yao quickly stood up and replied, "We don't know each other unless we fight."
"Commander Wen is a formidable martial artist, the best I've ever met." Ever since he defected from Prince Yong's service, Zhongli He had been brooding over something. Gao Shaoshan approached him, but he didn't understand why. With a jolt of his inner strength, he pushed the man away and continued, "Since Guang Qingyu returned from Yanling, she's mentioned you to Prince Yong several times, urging him to kill you as soon as possible. Guang Qingyu has high standards, a proud temper, and harsh words. Few people hold her in such high regard, and Commander Wen is the first."
Wen Yao choked: "Well... Thank you so much for the compliment, Miss Guang." She hadn't heard the name Guang Qingyu for some time. Zhong Lihe suddenly mentioned it, and Wen Yao was caught off guard. However, she had some guesses in her heart about what Zhong Lihe was going to say next.
As expected, Zhongli He continued, "The world is harsh on women who don't live for the world's sake. Commander Wen is one example, and so is she. She's not unaware that Prince Yong is superficial, but she's been indebted to him and is determined to repay him, remaining faithful to him. She's also a loyal and capable person. If one day the situation is resolved, and she doesn't commit suicide, it would be better to spare her life so she can be used."
He kept these words to himself until now, and only spoke them out after two battles when he was almost familiar with Prince Yan's side. It can be seen that the "two counselors" under Prince Yong once had a good relationship.
Wen Yao smiled, nodded, and said simply: "I also think Miss Guang is interesting. She is a rare talented person." She didn't say anything explicitly, but her tone was admiring.
That's enough.
Zhongli He glanced at Zhao Xuanxu who was sitting behind Wen Yao, raised his hand and drank the remaining wine in the jar, then turned around and returned to his seat.
Wen Yao watched his back and slowly leaned back. She was in high spirits tonight, having drunk a lot of wine. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her eyes dark and radiant, and she looked incredibly clear. Outside the camp, the sound of a Qiang flute drifted softly. She silently counted the beats and the time in her mind. Finally, a fire exploded in the distance, and suddenly a cry was heard.
"Assassin! An assassin has kidnapped Yelu Anduan and escaped!"
The people around them were stunned, their drinking and eating halted. The next second, an arrow shot from nowhere, piercing the campfire in the middle of the tent and shattering it. Sparks scattered, and the surroundings suddenly became dark, leaving only the residual glow of the torches in the surrounding tents and the starlight in the sky.
Wen Yao propped himself up with his arms, pressed his upper body down like a hunting leopard, and tried to jump up and leave.
Before they could divorce, a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.
"Qianying." Zhao Xuanxu pressed Wen Yao's shoulder, his other hand unsheathing a long sword. A cold look lingered between his brows as he said, "Take the men and chase them."
Several dark shadows suddenly flashed past him, heading towards the chaotic scene. Wen Yao thought to himself that this was not good, and instead grasped Zhao Xuanxu's hand: "I'll go over and take a look too. It's most likely the Northern Liao people are here to break into the prison."
"If you have to do everything yourself, what's the point of keeping others around?" Zhao Xuanxu's grip was strangely strong, and his tone was unquestionable: "You stay here."
Ouch.
Wen Yao slowly released his hand, exhaled, and said as if nothing had happened: "Okay, I'll stay."
After a while, the surroundings continued to rain down arrows, and the commotion in the distance continued unabated. Zhongli He, still reeking of alcohol, walked away, grabbed a bucket of water, and poured it over his head. His expression instantly sobered. He saluted Zhao Xuanxu and led his men away to provide support. The others present were also military commanders, undeterred by a few hidden arrows. They immediately drew their swords to block them, glaring in the air, intending to capture these ungrateful assassins and slice them into pieces.
In the chaos, Wen Yao looked up at Zhao Xuanxu.
He had a sharp jawline, a high nose bridge, slightly drooping eyelashes, and furrowed eyebrows, obviously looking angry.
well.
She sighed and said to herself: "What did I promise you?"
"I won't put myself in danger, and I will definitely come back to you."
This was the first time Wen Yao attacked Zhao Xuanxu.
She moved as fast as lightning, lowered her shoulders and broke free from Zhao Xuanxu's hands, then drew her Xingyi sword and collided with the long sword in Zhao Xuanxu's hand, sparks flying everywhere.
The sword in Zhao Xuanxu's hand was of good quality and hadn't broken. However, his expression changed, his pale and gloomy brows rising with anger. With a twist of his wrist, the tip of the sword brushed past the hem of Wen Yao's clothes, tearing off a small piece of cloth and nailing it to the ground.
Wen Yao did not get entangled with him. Amidst the astonished gazes of the people around her, she was like a hawk, pointing her toes and quickly disappearing into the night.
There were indeed assassins in the barracks, and someone had indeed broken into the prison and abducted Yelu Anduan. Their attire revealed them to be Liao, and each possessed extraordinary skills. Qianying and the others engaged them, and while they managed to hold them back, they were unable to do much for a while. Fortunately, Zhongli He and his men arrived, shifting the tide of battle, and the situation quickly tilted in Tianshui's favor.
The leading assassin, holding the half-conscious Yelu Anduan, anxiously raised his sword to block Qianying's attack. Suddenly, a bright white light flashed before his eyes, not only repelling his sword but also deflecting Qianying's.
Here it comes.
His heart dropped instantly, and he looked up to meet a pair of bright black eyes. Wen Yao stood close by, sword in hand.
The assassin glanced at her, grabbed Yelu Anduan, turned around, stepped through the numerous tents, and rushed out. Qian Ying was stabbed away by Wen Yao's sword, and his arm went numb for a moment. When he looked up again, he saw Wen Yao chasing the assassin away. Without time to think about the confusion and strangeness that flashed through his mind, Qian Ying looked at the direction where Wen Yao was chasing the assassin and shouted, "Chase him!"
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