He Yan looked at Yan He in a daze. His mind was blank. At this moment, he did not know how to respond. There was only one thought that kept surging in his mind.
How could it be?
How could it be?
"No … no way." He Yan tried to make his expression look relaxed. "Military Governor Xiao is not such a warm-hearted person."
"I knew you would have this reaction." Yan He was a little impatient. "That's why I've been too lazy to mention this to anyone all these years. No one would believe me anyway."
"However, I can swear on my head that this matter is absolutely true. That year when we were studying in the school, Xiao Huaijin, that lunatic, actually wrote notes to He Rufei every day to teach him swordsmanship." He seemed to be thinking about the past. His eyes were still filled with disbelief. "Every day was simply terrifying."
At that time, he was still young and full of vigor. Before Xiao Huaijin left the mountain, Yan He had taken the first place in the Xianchang School. After Xiao Huaijin entered the Xianchang School, he could only take the second place.
This feeling was actually very infuriating. Either he had never been the first and would always be the second, or he had been the first and would always be the first. However, he had always been the first and then the second, and had never surpassed the first. This was actually very damaging to his confidence. It would make others think that he, Yan He, was no match for Xiao Jue.
They were all geniuses. Who would really submit to the other? Yan He wished that he could spend 12 hours a day studying and the other 12 hours to compete with Xiao Jue. After all, he would gain something from every competition. Know thyself and know thy enemy to be victorious in every battle. Unfortunately, this Second Young Master Xiao was not a patient person. He could even ignore the teacher's words. As for him, he would completely ignore him.
Yan He had challenged him eight to ten times. If Xiao Jue could reply once, he would be in a good mood. Yan He was also arrogant. However, compared to Xiao Jue's calm indifference, he was still slightly inferior.
He was almost angered to death by Xiao Jue.
Therefore, when Yan He was young, he didn't have to worry about food or clothing. His life was smooth sailing. The only adversity he faced was Xiao Jue. At that time, he thought that his only wish in life was to defeat Xiao Jue.
In the Virtuous Prosperity Dojo, the competition for first and second place was so fierce. Similarly, there was no lack of people pursuing the first and second place from the bottom, such as … Lin Shuanghe and He Rufei.
Lin Shuanghe was fine. As a descendant of the Imperial Physician Clan, his ambitions did not lie in this field. It was fine even if he did not excel in civil or military matters. However, the Eldest Young Master of the He Clan was very strange. He Rufei was especially diligent and serious. Even if the improvement was small, he still wanted to try every possibility. Towards such people, Yan He could only look down on them at most, but he could not say that he hated them. For a genius like him to look at mediocre people, there was always a sense of superiority.
However, something changed Yan He's opinion.
The matter of He Rufei practicing swordsmanship at night, he had accidentally discovered it. Rather than saying that Yan He was chasing after He Rufei's footsteps, it was more accurate to say that he was paying attention to Xiao Jue's every move. On a certain night, Yan He saw Xiao Jue sitting in the backyard watching He Rufei practice swordsmanship. He used his clever brain to think for a long time, but could not figure out the reason behind it.
What was Xiao Jue doing? Couldn't sleep and came out to watch the performance? Or did he think that such a clumsy He Rufei would make him laugh? But if that was the case, then it was fine if it was just one or two days, but he came every day. No wonder he was always sleeping in the dojo during the day. So it was because he did not sleep at night?
Xiao Jue practiced swordsmanship with He Rufei every night, but he did not say or do anything. He only drank tea. He Rufei also had a good temperament. Even though he was being watched like a monkey, he did not get angry. He diligently did his own things.
And for some reason, Yan He also came out every day and secretly watched. He only felt that Xiao Jue must be up to something. He definitely would not do such a useless thing. Later on, when Yan He looked back at himself, he only felt that he could not bear to look at himself. If there were other people in the backyard who looked at them, they would probably think that the Xianchang Dojo had raised three lunatics.
But at that time, Yan He only had one thought. He wanted to see what Xiao Jue was up to. In the end, he really did find a clue.
He Rufei's swordsmanship improved day by day.
This was a little strange. He Rufei was in the dojo and the teacher who taught him was also very outstanding. But he did not seem to improve so quickly. And He Rufei who practiced swordsmanship at night was able to fix the especially obvious problems of the previous day. Compared to the beginning, his swordsmanship had improved greatly.
Yan He did not believe that He Rufei had such intelligence. He thought for a long time in his heart. As expected, he caught Xiao Jue who left a note on He Rufei's table.
He opened the letter. It was densely filled with the flaws of last night's swordsmanship and the areas that needed improvement. Yan He said sourly, "You are more meticulous than the teacher in the dojo."
Xiao Jue looked at him coldly and said indifferently, "You follow me every day. Do you want to be like those girls outside?"
Those girls outside were all Xiao Jue's admirers. If they had nothing to do, they would occasionally "pass by" the dojo. After all, Xiao Jue had the most beautiful face in the capital. His indifferent and lazy appearance was very seductive. Many people were mesmerized by him.
Yan He threw the letter on the table and looked at him with disgust, "Who is like those girls?"
Xiao Jue turned to leave. Yan He hurriedly followed him out. He was not satisfied and said, "You practice swordsmanship with him every night in the courtyard just to give him pointers?"
"You've been following me every night just to watch me teach him swordsmanship?" Xiao Jue's reply was perfunctory.
"You are crazy!" Yan He said in disbelief, "You are wasting your time on that kind of person!"
Although he did not like Xiao Jue, he had to admit that Xiao Jue was very talented. Just like how he treated Xiao Jue as a rival, in Yan He's heart, Xiao Jue should also treat him as a rival. He should practice hard every day to maintain his first place. But now, it seemed that not only was he not diligent, he did not care about himself. Instead, he went to watch the last place practice swordsmanship and give him pointers? Yan He found it hard to understand and felt angry. Did this mean that in Xiao Jue's heart, he was not as eye-catching as He Rufei?
What was this!
"Hey, are you listening to me?!" Seeing that Xiao Jue was ignoring him, Yan He was anxious. He walked in front of Xiao Jue, "Why are you wasting your time on that kind of trash?"
"Is that so?" Xiao Jue's beautiful eyes glanced at him. He walked up the rockery and found a place to lie down. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, "I don't think so."
Don't think so? Don't think he is trash?
"You …" Yan He said angrily, "You give him pointers every day, but he only improved a little. There are so many people in the Xian Chang Dojo, why did you choose He Rufei? Do you want to try teaching the last place to first place to satisfy your desire? Then let me tell you, give up! With He Rufei's talent, it is impossible. "
Xiao Jue said, "I am not that bored."
His indifferent attitude made Yan He even angrier. He turned around and walked out, "I am going to tell He Rufei to stop hogging you. Using the first place in the Xian Chang Dojo to teach you to this level, what a joke! "
Xiao Jue's lazy voice came from behind, "Competition."
Yan He stopped in his tracks, "What?"
"In the future, if you want to compete with me, I will agree three times." He did not open his eyes. His eyelashes drooped down, contrasting with his jade-like skin. He leaned against the rockery and pretended to be asleep. He looked like a handsome youth in a painting, "The condition is to keep it a secret."
Yan He stood in the same place, his heart in turmoil. In the end, he could not resist the temptation of Xiao Jue agreeing to compete with him. He gritted his teeth and said, "Two times."
"Deal."
The sunlight shone in the courtyard. It was hot. Yan He sighed and said, "Then, as the price, I will keep it a secret for him and will not tell He Rufei."
Even though many years had passed, Yan He was still angry when he talked about this matter again. If He Rufei had Xiao Jue's swordsmanship, it would have been good. But his improvement was not considered a genius. In Yan He's opinion, it was a waste of Xiao Jue's careful teaching. But Xiao Jue was really patient with He Rufei. Even though he refused to compete with Yan He, he still guided He Rufei wholeheartedly every day.
Yan He did not know where the injustice and jealousy in him came from.
It was probably because he could not stand the fact that a person with mediocre talent was guided by a famous teacher, and he even ruined the teacher's reputation.
"Later on, he made a name for himself," Yan He snorted and said, "But in my opinion, if it was me who had received Xiao Huaijin's guidance, I would definitely be more than that. I originally thought that he did not disappoint me. I did not expect the battle in Hua Yuan to make me speechless. He is still the same as before. I think he should get rid of the title 'General Feihong' as soon as possible. Otherwise, he will become a joke to others. "
"Kid," Yan He raised his eyes to look at the person beside him, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
He Yan was startled. The sun was shining so brightly that her eyes were a little dizzy. She did not know if it was because she was shocked by Yan He's words or something else. She muttered, "I am just … very surprised."
"More than surprised. In the beginning, I thought that Xiao Huaijin had gone crazy," Yan He said sarcastically. "Also, logically speaking, He Rufei owed Xiao Huaijin such a big favor. I thought that their relationship was very good. I did not expect that in these few years, the two of them were not very close. This time, the Rundu is in trouble. Hua Yuan is so close to the Rundu. Xiao Huaijin actually wrote a letter to me and did not contact He Rufei? It seems that Xiao Huaijin has kept this matter a secret until now. He Rufei does not know about it. However, I cannot say for sure. After all, that was a matter from many years ago. The two of them are equally famous now. It is natural that He Rufei would have a dispute. "
Yan He really took the opportunity to smear He Rufei's name. However, He Yan did not have the mind to argue with him. Her eyes were filled with … Back then, her swordsmanship was secretly taught by Xiao Jue?
She had always thought that it was a kind teacher from the Xian Chang Dojo who saw that her swordsmanship was not good enough and secretly taught her. She had always been very grateful for this. If it was not for the He family's incident, she would have been able to see who that teacher was with her own eyes. Not being able to thank him properly had always been a regret in He Yan's heart.
But now, from Yan He's mouth, she learned the unbelievable truth. It was actually Xiao Jue?
If it was Xiao Jue, everything actually made sense. His skills were not inferior to the teachers in the Xian Chang Dojo. He Yan did not think of Xiao Jue only because of Xiao Jue's personality. He was not someone who was willing to help others. Moreover, their relationship could not be considered close.
So at that time, he came to the backyard every night to watch her practice swordsmanship and drink tea. It was not to pass the time … but to give her pointers.
He Yan took a deep breath. Why did she only realize it now?
"What's with your expression?" Yan He frowned. "You look very excited."
"I …" He Yan coughed lightly and said, "I just feel that Military Governor Xiao is really a good person."
"What good person? I think he is sick. This person is good at everything in the academy. Who can tell that his eyesight is so bad? " Yan He patted the dust off his body and stood up. He grabbed the Fangtian Halberd beside him. "He Rufei is not happy to talk about him. Forget it, I am going to continue practicing with the halberd. What about you?"
He Yan's thoughts were in a mess. Naturally, he did not have the mood to watch this person flaunt his skills in front of him. He said, "If that is the case, then I will not disturb Generals Yan. I will return to my room first."
He Yan turned and left.
The sky gradually darkened.
Xiao Jue came out of the hall. Li Kuang wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Because of the Yi Luo incident, he did not have the face to see He Yan. When he saw He Yan, he felt nervous and fearful. He originally thought that it would be better to talk to Xiao Jue. However, compared to the young Mu An Lang, this Right Military Governor was even more difficult to deal with.
He carefully asked about everything that happened in the Rundu these days, including the scarecrow at the city gate tower and the night attack on the enemy camp to burn their provisions. Li Kuang did not take credit for himself. He completely exposed He Yan's idea. As for the women and Yi Luo that were captured, Xiao Jue had already seen them. When Li Kuang repeated the story, this young Military Governor did not seem as agitated as He Yan. Instead, he seemed rather calm. However, that calmness in Li Kuang's eyes made him feel as if he was sitting on pins and needles.
After asking about everything that happened in the Rundu, Li Kuang also knew that they would be returning to Shuo Jing in a few days. Li Kuang's heart let out a big sigh of relief. No matter what, the Rundu problem was solved. Yan He would leave a portion of his troops here. However, those Uto would not dare to come again.
The city was finally defended. However … it was not defended.
Li Kuang understood one thing very clearly. He had lost the hearts of the people.
His position as Military Governor would not last for long.
The tall and burly man sat alone in the room. After a long while, he buried his hands in his palms and silently cried.
This was the punishment he deserved.
The night in the Rundu was very cool.
The heat of the day had completely faded at night. However, because of the famine in the city, there was no light from the plants and trees. There was a sense of desolation that only existed in autumn.
Xiao Jue placed the drink of autumn on the table. Just as he turned around and took off his outer garment, he heard someone knocking on the door. The knocking was polite and respectful.
He paused. "Come in."
The door opened. He Yan stood at the door. He looked at him and asked, "Military Governor, can I come in?"
When he was in the Liang Province Guards, this person never knocked on the door. When he wanted to find someone, he did not even go through the main door to save time. He directly knocked on the door a few times. He did not care if the person on the other side answered. He just treated it as if he had already said hello. Then, he skillfully opened the door and popped his head out from behind the door. He had a bright smile on his face and called out with perfect pronunciation, "Military Governor!"
He had only stayed in the Rundu for a little more than a month, but he had become so obedient. However, there was a hint of politeness that was hard to detect.
Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows slightly. He put down his outer garment and asked calmly, "What's the matter?"
He didn't answer her "yes or no". Anyway, He Yan would come in by himself. As expected, He Yan walked in naturally and closed the door after being obedient for only a moment.
The house looked luxurious. After all, the people in the Rundu relied on the provisions brought by Yan He to survive. Naturally, there were no tea leaves. Xiao Jue picked up the white jade porcelain teapot on the table and poured water into the teacups. He Yan walked over and said, "Let me do it."
She took the teapot from Xiao Jue's hands.
Xiao Jue didn't decline. When he moved, he accidentally touched He Yan's finger. He Yan's heart trembled slightly. He raised his head and looked at the other person. This person's eyes were lowered, and he couldn't see what kind of expression he had. He Yan pretended that nothing had happened. He walked to the other side of the table and slowly poured water.
Xiao Jue had already broken the rules of physical intimacy many times. However, when she was in the Liang Province Guards, there were many inconveniences. She tried her best to ignore this. However, now, she was well aware of many things. She also understood her feelings for Xiao Jue. As the saying goes, one can be unyielding if one has no desires. If one has a guilty conscience, one would feel uncomfortable.
She scolded herself in her heart for being muddle-headed. She tried her best to speak calmly, "Military Governor, Brother Lin said today that we will be returning to the capital together in a few days."
Xiao Jue sat down in front of the table. "You don't want to go back?"
"No." She originally planned to return to the capital. "It's just that why did His Majesty suddenly summon you back to the capital? And Generals Yan? If all of them return to the capital, won't it be dangerous outside? "
These Uto were like tigers watching their prey. Even if His Majesty was worried about the safety of the capital, there was no need to summon all of Da Wei's valiant generals back. If the Uto were to make a comeback at this time, although the possibility was not high, they still had to be prepared.
"We will know when we return." Xiao Jue did not directly answer her question.
That's right. Before returning, it was not good to talk about it. However, she did not really come here for this matter. She just wanted to find a reason to start the conversation.
She handed one of the teacups to Xiao Jue and held the other one in her hand. Holding the warm tea in her hand, the girl lowered her head and took a sip. After a while, she raised her head and looked like she was trying to find something to say. "Military Governor, I met Generals Yan during the day."
Xiao Jue nodded and lowered her head to read. His attitude these days was very strange. He was cold, but he was so calm that he could be called gentle. He was gentle, but he did not take the initiative to talk to He Yan … Of course, he did not take the initiative to cause trouble for He Yan.
He Yan did not understand this subtle sense of distance.
"Generals Yan seems to dislike General Feihong very much." He Yan could only bite the bullet and continue. "I sat with him for a while and listened to him talk. Only then did I know that Military Governor, General Feihong, and Generals Yan are classmates!"
Her pretentious tone made Xiao Jue pause for a moment. After a while, she said, "Stay away from him."
He Yan pushed the teacup forward and looked at her. "I asked Generals Yan why he hated Young Master He so much. Generals Yan told me …" She deliberately dragged her words and looked at Xiao Jue's reaction. "Generals Yan was jealous because you taught General Feihong swordsmanship every night. That's why he hated him for so many years." He Yan held her chin and asked with a puzzled expression, "So Military Governor, do you actually like General Feihong?"
She looked like a curious subordinate who wanted to hear about her superior's story, but her heart was beating very fast. Although Yan He said so, He Yan still wanted to verify it personally. He didn't know if what Yan He said was true, and he didn't know why Xiao Jue did this.
Xiao Jue closed the book and looked at her calmly. "I'm not gay."
"I didn't say you were gay." He Yan said, "What I mean is, do you admire General Feihong a lot? That's why you helped him secretly? Were you really the one who taught him swordsmanship every night? "
Xiao Jue did not say anything. Based on his personality, this was a silent admission.
He Yan suddenly sat up straight. It was hard to describe how she felt at this moment. After a while, she asked, "Why did you teach him?"
Xiao Jue looked up at her. "Why are you asking this?"
He Yan lowered her head and hid the emotions in her eyes. "I just feel that it's not worth it for you. I heard from Generals Yan that when Young Master He was in the Xianchang School, he was not very good at his studies and was very ordinary in both civil and martial arts. I don't know why the Military Governor chose him to teach him swordsmanship. And you did so much, but you didn't tell Young Master He? Does Young Master He still not know that you were the one who helped him that year? You … don't you think it's not worth it for you to do this? "
"It's just a casual act. There's no need to worry." Xiao Jue said calmly, "What does it matter if he knows or not?"
He Yan stared straight at him. She thought to herself, "It does matter. If I knew it was him … if I knew it was him, maybe my feelings for him would have lasted longer. Maybe when Xu Zhiheng appeared, I wouldn't have fallen head over heels for him." She had been lonely for too long. It was Xiao Jue who appeared first … but it was too late for her to fall in love.
Xiao Jue seemed to have noticed her strange expression. He frowned and said, "You …"
"I feel so sorry for the Military Governor." He Yan smiled. "But this Young Master He is too much. Even if the Military Governor hides your achievements and reputation and doesn't want others to know about it. Young Master He doesn't even know how to investigate the kind person who helped him silently? If you just let him be, he should have found out about you earlier. The Military Governor also contributed to his current reputation. "
She was so anxious. Xiao Jue looked at her thoughtfully. He suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, he also tried to find me."
He Yan was stunned.
Under the light, his face was calm and handsome. He seemed to be reminiscing about the past. His beautiful black eyes were deep and there were ripples in them. It almost made people drown.
Actually, Xiao Jue had seen He Rufei look for people without rhyme or reason. Every time she wrote on the notes, He Rufei expressed her gratitude to him. Some were fearful, some were clumsy, and there was even one time when she tried to catch him.
But how could he catch him? He sat on the tree and watched He Rufei walk under the tree. Although he was wearing a mask, he could imagine this person's dejected appearance. It was inexplicably a little pitiful.
He finally relented and agreed to let He Rufei see him. Although the result might not be very happy.
"Once, he and I agreed to meet at the school."
"And then? Did you meet him? "
The elegant man lowered his head and said indifferently, "I'm going."
"But he didn't come that night."
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