His trusted aides were all wiped out?
He Yan's mind went blank for a moment. Then, he was overcome with grief and indignation.
This wasn't an accident at all. This was murder! He Rufei did it on purpose. She was afraid that during the battle in Hua Yuan, he had already given himself away. Perhaps before he was discovered, he had already decided to eliminate the source of the problem. Since the He Family could kill her, who was still related by blood, He Rufei could also use the same method to kill his "trusted aides" who were not related by blood.
Anger made her entire body cold. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes turned red in an instant. She couldn't help but tighten her grip on the branch, and the branch was crushed into two pieces. The sound alarmed the people who were talking. Lin Shuanghe and Shen Han turned around and saw He Yan. Lin Shuanghe asked curiously, "Brother He, why are you here?" He was about to walk forward when He Yan took a step back. He knew that he couldn't speak properly with Lin Shuanghe right now. Instead, he would be discovered. He hurriedly said, "I still have something to do. I'll leave first." He turned around and left.
Lin Shuanghe stopped in place. After a while, he turned around and looked at Shen Han. "… Did you hear Brother He's voice just now? It sounded like he was about to cry, right?"
Shen Han: "… Perhaps Young Master Lin heard wrongly."
Did he hear wrongly? Lin Shuanghe carefully thought back. No matter how he looked at it, he felt that He Yan's voice just now was a bit strange. It sounded like he was about to cry.
At this moment, Xiao Jue and Fei Nu walked in from outside. When they saw Shen Han and Lin Shuanghe standing in the courtyard, they frowned slightly. "Why are you standing here?"
"We came to talk to you about something." Lin Shuanghe asked, "Didn't you see Brother He when you came in?"
"He Yan?" Xiao Jue said calmly, "No." As she spoke, she entered the house.
Shen Han saluted Lin Shuanghe. He still had to go to the martial arts arena. Lin Shuanghe followed Xiao Jue into the house while Fei Nu stood at the side. He closed the door and turned around to look at Xiao Jue who had taken off her cloak. "Huaijin, are you still in a cold war with my Sister He?"
Xiao Jue glanced at him. "I'm not as bored as you."
"Then why did my Little Sister He look like she was about to cry?" Lin Shuanghe muttered to himself, then looked at him. "You should treat my Little Sister He better these few days. I don't know what happened between her and Chu Zilan, but I can tell that she's been in low spirits these days. My Little Sister He has an inferiority complex deep in her heart. She loves Chu Zilan but can't have him. If you continue to be so cold to her, she's still a little girl. It's inevitable that she'll be sad. " Lin Shuanghe winked at Fei Nu, hinting for Fei Nu to follow up with a few words. "Isn't that right, Fei Nu?"
Fei Nu stood straight and pretended not to hear him. He Yan had an inferiority complex in his heart? There was no one more arrogant and conceited than He Yan in the Liang Province Guards. The word 'inferiority complex' had nothing to do with He Yan. He didn't know how Lin Shuanghe could tell.
When Xiao Jue heard this, her expression became even colder. A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of her mouth. "That's Chu Zilan's business."
Lin Shuanghe thought to himself, why are they all so stubborn? Thinking about it carefully, He Yan couldn't be blamed for not believing that Xiao Jue was interested in her. With Xiao Jue's cold and emotionless attitude, even if it was Lin Shuanghe, he would also be suspicious. How was this like liking her? They were more like enemies.
"If you don't have anything else to say, you can leave first," Xiao Jue said. "I have something to say to Fei Nu."
He was going to get down to business. Lin Shuanghe didn't dare to disturb him. He said, "Okay, you guys talk. I'll leave first. I'll come find you later."
After Lin Shuanghe left, Fei Nu locked the door and walked to Xiao Jue's side. "Commander in chief, the battle in Hua Yuan …"
"It's a reenactment of the Battle of Mingshui," Xiao Jue interrupted him.
Fei Nu was silent for a moment. "There doesn't seem to be any problems, but it can't stand up to scrutiny. General Feihong brought 150,000 soldiers and horses. With his past military achievements, it shouldn't have been such a tragic victory. "
"Not only that," the young man leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes slightly. His hand was extremely white as he touched the teacup in front of him. He said lightly, "His trusted lieutenants all died in battle. There's no such coincidence in the world."
General Feihong's trusted aides were all lieutenants who had followed him through bloody battles and killed their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. It wasn't their first time on the battlefield. Although there was a spy, it was still possible to deceive others, but it was still a bit difficult to deceive them. Moreover, with the Battle of Mingshui as a precedent, looking at the Battle of Hua Yuan now, he felt that there were loopholes everywhere.
"Young Master, do you think …"
"Rather than an accident, it's more likely to be silenced," Xiao Jue replied lightly.
Fei Nu was silent. If it was to be silenced, what was the reason for it? For example, in the Battle of Mingshui, Xiao Zhongwu and his trusted aides didn't survive. But now He Rufei was still alive. He Rufei wasn't one of the targets. Then, what secret did He Rufei want to hide? That was why she killed all of her trusted aides.
What was the secret that He Rufei wanted to hide?
Xiao Jue looked down. After a while, he looked up at Fei Nu. "Go and tell Luan Ying, I want to know everything about the Battle of Hua Yuan from beginning to end."
Fei Nu accepted the order and left.
Xiao Jue leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the swaying branches in front of the window. He had been schoolmates with He Rufei. He Rufei was a … very stubborn, simple to the point of stupidity, and a very persistent person. He wasn't surprised that He Rufei later became General Feihong. If a person was particularly persistent in something, then that person would succeed no matter what he did. But Xiao Jue still doubted that He Rufei would kill his trusted aides for many years for some secret.
This wasn't like the He Rufei of the past.
But … nothing was absolute. People's hearts were fickle. Perhaps … He Rufei had changed a long time ago.
He Yan had been sitting by the Wulu River.
It was already late at night. Ever since she heard from Lin Shuanghe that He Rufei's trusted aides had all died in the Battle of Hua Yuan, she had left the crowd. There was no one by the Wulu River, so she could sit here and vent her emotions.
When she was He Rufei's trusted aides, they were all brothers who had survived with her on the battlefield step by step. They had gone through life and death together, so their friendship was deeper than others. He Yan originally thought that even if He Rufei was afraid of his identity being exposed, he would at most stop leading troops to war, or say that he was ill and rarely see his old friends. But He Rufei was more vicious than she thought. He didn't stop until the end and killed all of his lieutenants.
What were they thinking before they died? Maybe someone had noticed that He Rufei was not right, or maybe no one had noticed. Maybe when they died, they didn't expect that they would die in the hands of their trusted generals. They didn't die under the butcher's knife on the battlefield, but died under the ugly and treacherous strife of their own people. How absurd, how unreasonable!
"Pa!" The whip fell heavily on the huge rock in front of her, breaking a corner of the Shi Tou. He Yan fiercely lashed out with the long whip in her hand, as if she wanted to vent all of the grief and anger in her heart. Her voice spread far and wide on the empty riverbank.
She didn't know how much time had passed until the whip struck the huge rock. The colorful tassel hanging on the wooden handle was sent flying. He Yan stopped to catch her breath and looked at her hands. She didn't feel it when she was venting, but now, her hands were full of red marks. She finally felt tired.
She put away the long whip at her waist and walked over to the colorful tassel that had been sent flying to the side. Half of the colorful tassel was in the river, while the other end fell into the Shi Tou. He Yan bent down to pick it up and saw that the small pomegranate flower had been broken in half.
He Yan stared straight at the pomegranate flower that had been broken in half. In an instant, her mind was filled with memories of the past when she celebrated with her brothers in the military camp with a smile. She couldn't help but feel sad. She sat down on the ground and buried her head in her arms. She couldn't help but sob softly.
She rarely shed tears for herself, but now she couldn't pretend that nothing had happened. The son didn't kill Boren, but Boren died because of her. For a moment, guilt, self-blame, sadness, and anger intertwined. Other than crying in pain, she couldn't think of anything else.
In the wilderness, there was only the low sound of the wind. The wind was cold, colder than the snow in the desert.
Someone's footsteps sounded.
At first, it was only light, but later, it stopped a few steps away from her. The cold voice almost blended into the night. He called He Yan by her name.
"He Yan."
He Yan didn't have time to wipe away her beautiful tears. She subconsciously raised her head and turned to look. The young man was wearing brocade clothes and green boots. He was handsome and beautiful. His bright black eyes were fixed on her, and his expression was indifferent.
"… Commander-in-chief." He Yan reached out and wiped away the tears on her face. She said as if nothing had happened, "Why are you here?"
He Yan didn't say anything. His gaze fell on He Yan's palm. He Yan was still holding the colorful tassel in her hand. Half of the tassel was exposed.
After a moment, Xiao Jue looked away and asked, "Why are you crying?"
He Yan's heart shrank. She wanted to find a place where there was no one around to vent. She didn't expect Xiao Jue to come here. What was this? She couldn't tell the truth, but the colorful tassel in her hand reminded her. He Yan thought for a moment and said, "My … my tassel is broken. I was anxious." Afraid that Xiao Jue wouldn't believe her, He Yan opened her palm and showed her the broken pomegranate flower. "Look, it's broken in half. I'm afraid it can't be repaired."
She was still dressed like a teenager. Her eyes were red. The last time she looked like this was when Liu Buwang passed away. He Yan was definitely not a person who would cry because of a colorful tassel. For a moment, Lin Shuanghe's words floated in Xiao Jue's ears.
"My Sister He has an inferiority complex deep in her heart. She loves Chu Zilan but can't get him. You're still a little girl after all. It's inevitable that she'll be sad."
She loves but can't get him?
Yes, as early as the last time Chu Zilan stood her up on Mount Baiyue, she had already seen He Yan's depressed look.
He Yan saw the young man in front of her walk up to her and lean over to look at her. His eyebrows were very beautiful and he was very close to her. He Yan felt inexplicably afraid. The young man's voice was also calm. He said, "Do you like her so much? No matter how sad you are, you still want to persist?"
He Yan widened her eyes slightly.
What did he mean … by that?
He stared at her silently. His eyes were like the night sky in the city, deep and shallow, clear and indifferent.
After a long time, Xiao Jue stood up straight. With her back to him, she said indifferently, "You'll affect the Southern Prefecture soldiers resting nearby."
"Go back."
After saying this, he left without looking back. After he left, He Yan wiped her face with her sleeve, stood up, and looked back at the river in the distance.
She couldn't let He Rufei go on like this.
He Rufei had already lost his mind and would only get worse in the future. There wasn't much time left for her. She probably couldn't stay in the Liang Prefecture Guards forever.
She had to return to Shuo Jing as soon as possible.
He Yan thought so in her heart. But before she could think of a way to return to Shuo Jing, someone left before her. It was Chu Zhao.
On this day, the training in the martial arts field ended. He Yan ate and walked back to her room by herself. These days, because of the battle in Hua Yuan, she felt terrible. Every day, she seemed to have a lot on her mind. No one knew what was wrong with her. He Yan wanted to continue to inquire about He Rufei, but news of He Rufei first reached Xiao Jue, then the instructors, and finally the new soldiers. General Feihong was far away in Hua Yuan. Their daily training was hard and they couldn't just focus on the distance.
She walked back to her courtyard and saw a person sitting at the stone table in front of her door. At first, He Yan thought it was Xiao Jue. But these days, Xiao Jue left early and returned late. He Yan had a hard time meeting him. When she got closer, she saw that it wasn't Xiao Jue, but Chu Zhao.
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. His clothes were thin and light. Because of his thin figure, he wore a green robe with wide sleeves. As he sat in the courtyard, even the simple courtyard seemed to be tainted with an immortal aura. He Yan walked closer and said, "Brother Chu."
"Brother He," Chu Zhao stood up and said with a smile, "I came to find you. You weren't here, so I waited here. I thought you wouldn't come back until late at night. Fortunately, you came back early. "
"Why did you wait outside?" He Yan sat down on the stone bench. "There are mosquitoes everywhere in the summer. You're already thin and weak. If you feed the mosquitoes, you won't have anything left."
Chu Zhao was stunned for a moment. He was amused by her words. He shook his head and took out a small sachet from his sleeve. "Thank you for your concern, Brother He. However, there's a mosquito repellent herb here. If I carry it with me, the mosquitoes won't come near."
The young master of a wealthy family was indeed a young master. He was so particular about the way he did things. No wonder he never had a difficult time.
Chu Zhao placed the sachet on the table and said, "Brother He, I came to find you to say goodbye again. Last time, I left in a hurry and left without saying goodbye. This time, I'll be polite. "
"Goodbye?" He Yan wasn't too surprised. Chu Zhao staying in the Liang Province Guard wasn't a long-term plan. The people of the Liang Province Guard trained bitterly every day. Even if Chu Zhao was a spy or looking for trouble, he wouldn't gain anything by staying here every day. This place was bitter and cold. The young master who lived a life of luxury didn't need to suffer here. Sooner or later, he would have to return to Shuo Jing.
Chu Zhao nodded. "Brother He should already know about the battle in Hua Yuan?"
He Yan didn't expect him to bring up the matter of Hua Yuan. He was startled and immediately replied, "Yes."
"The Uto has already decided to move against Da Wei. The capital can't do without people. Not only me, Military Governor Xiao will also return to Shuo Jing soon. Right now, the Uto is still in Hua Yuan and hasn't gone north of Hua Yuan. I have to go first. After the Uto heads north, the road won't be easy. I'm afraid it won't be easy to return to Shuo Jing then. " Chu Zhao smiled. "Moreover, I originally planned to stay in the Liang Province Guard until the matter of Jiyang was settled before leaving. Now that you've already conferred the title of Mu An Lang, I don't have anything to worry about. "
These words were said in a roundabout way, as if he had stayed in the Liang Province Guard for He Yan's sake. He Yan said, "This one is endlessly grateful for Brother Chu's good intentions. I hope you'll have a smooth journey back to the capital. "
The handsome young man's smile was gentle. He stared deeply at him without saying a word.
He Yan touched his face. "… Is there something on my face?"
Chu Zhao lowered his head and smiled. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "Actually, apart from saying goodbye to Brother He, there's something else I want to discuss with Brother He."
He Yan asked, "What is it?"
"Brother He …" He slowly opened his mouth. "Are you willing to travel with me back to Shuo Jing?"
The surroundings quieted down.
After a while, He Yan said, "Brother Chu, don't joke around. How can I leave with you?"
"Although Brother He is still a member of the Liang Province Guard, in the end, you're still the Mu An Lang conferred by His Majesty. You can be commanded by Military Governor Xiao, but you're not a soldier under Military Governor Xiao. I have His Majesty's personal decree, so I can choose new soldiers from the Liang Province Guard to be my bodyguards. If Brother He is willing, you can travel with me. You don't have to worry about His Majesty blaming you. "
Without waiting for He Yan to speak, he continued, "I know Brother He's concerns. I'm also afraid that Military Governor Xiao won't be happy. However, Brother He, Liang Province has always been bitterly cold. You're … a young man. In this bitterly cold place, it's quite difficult. Sooner or later, you'll have to return to Shuo Jing sooner or later. Since your heart is set on accomplishing something, come with me back to Shuo Jing. I'll let you see His Majesty. There's more than one path to accomplishing something. In particular, the path you chose before is truly very slow. "
Chu Zhao had always been good with words. He always pointed out people's weaknesses. If everyone knew that He Yan wanted to make a name for himself, he would throw out an especially tempting condition.
However, He Yan wasn't willing to go with Chu Zhao. She didn't trust Chu Zhao.
"I don't have any plans to leave the Liang Province Guard," He Yan refused with a smile. "I also don't believe that I have the ability to accomplish something right now."
Chu Zhao stared into her eyes and slowly said, "You don't want to leave the Liang Province Guard because of this, right?"
He Yan was startled. The other party's eyes contained a smile, as if he could see through everything. When her thoughts were seen through, she didn't feel the same embarrassment as when Lin Shuanghe found out. Instead, she felt uncomfortable.
Chu Zhao's sense of propriety was too low.
In reality, He Yan's words were a bit overboard. Chu Zhao had always been cultured and refined, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze. If a normal woman was teased like this, even if they didn't fall deeply in love with him, they would gradually lower their guard. However, the person Chu Zhao first met was He Yan. On the surface, He Yan looked honest and loyal, but deep down, she wasn't someone who easily trusted others. He Rufei's recent matters made her even more sensitive. As a result, whenever Chu Zhao got close, his entire body would become vigilant.
The wind blew past, and the branches above his head swayed slightly. A leaf was blown down, swaying, and landing on He Yan's hair.
"You really," Chu Zhao's lips still held a warm smile. He reached out with one hand, as if to brush away the leaf on He Yan's head. His voice was bewitching. "Have you decided whether you want to leave the Liang Province Guard?"
He Yan: "I …"
Before he could finish speaking, a cold voice cut in. "Didn't you hear her say she doesn't want to?"
He Yan turned around and saw Xiao Jue walking over from the courtyard. He didn't know how long he'd been standing there, or how much he'd heard. In the darkness of the night, his tall and handsome figure walked to He Yan's side, bringing with him the chill of the night.
Could this be considered … being caught red-handed trying to poach someone? He Yan complained incessantly in his heart. How could he encounter Xiao Jue every time something bad happened recently? He was afraid that the misunderstandings would only grow deeper. She retreated behind Xiao Jue and coughed lightly. "Commander, Fourth Young Master Chu came to say goodbye to me. As for traveling together, it was just a joke. How could I leave the Liang Province Guard? That's impossible. "
Xiao Jue looked at her expressionlessly. Suddenly, he reached out and pretended to hit her head. He Yan was startled. In the next moment, his fingertips landed on the leaf above He Yan's head. With a light flick, the leaf slowly fell to the ground.
He Yan stared at the leaf on the ground and cursed in his heart. So he wanted to sweep the leaves for her? Even sweeping the leaves was so murderous. It seemed that whenever Xiao Jue saw her together with Chu Zhao, he would be especially angry.
Fortunately, Chu Zhao was about to leave the Liang Province Guard. He Yan rejoiced in his heart. In the future, there would not be such misunderstandings.
"Go in," Xiao Jue said. "I have something to say to Fourth Young Master Chu."
He Yan was stunned for a moment. He looked at Xiao Jue's expression. Although he was angry, his expression was calm. This person was always calm. No matter how angry he was, he would not beat up Chu Zhao. He Yan did not want to speak up for Chu Zhao. However, according to her education, if she and Xiao Jue beat up Chu Zhao, it was bullying the weak.
It was wrong to bully the weak.
He Yan said carefully, "Is there something that you can't say in front of me? I promise I won't tell anyone. "
If Xiao Jue could not control himself and wanted to hurt someone, she could help stop him.
Xiao Jue tilted his head and glanced at her. With this glance, He Yan did not have any words of persuasion to say. She coughed lightly. "Then I'll go in first. You guys can talk slowly. You must be calm. Fourth Young Master Chu, I'm leaving. "
Chu Zhao did not get angry. He only smiled and picked up the sachet on the table. He handed it to He Yan. "Give this to Brother He. I have many more. If Brother He wears it, you won't have to worry about mosquitoes at night."
One does not hit a smiling person. Under Xiao Jue's knife-like gaze, He Yan did not know what kind of courage he used to accept it. She thought to herself, forget it. It's just this once. In any case, there won't be another chance like this in the future.
After He Yan left, Xiao Jue sat down on the stone bench that He Yan had just sat on.
He did not say anything. He only looked at Chu Zhao indifferently.
Chu Zhao's gentle smile gradually disappeared. After a while, he slowly opened his mouth. "Military Governor Xiao is very protective of his food."
Xiao Jue heard this and laughed. His expression was lazy. His dark eyes were as sharp as lightning. He casually said, "Fourth Young Master Chu, are you admitting that you have the intention to snatch?"
"Why do you use the word 'snatch'?" Chu Zhao's gentle gaze faded for the first time. It was like a beast showing its claws and fangs, cold and fierce. "She is your subordinate, not your woman."
"At least," the young man curled his lips. "She is' mine '."
Chu Zhao did not comment. "But now, how can Military Governor Xiao guarantee that 'yours' will not become 'mine' in the future?"
"If you don't want to live," Under the night sky, the young man's side profile was delicate. A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth. He said sarcastically, "You can try."
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