By hearing it, everyone knew immediately it was Mu Qingyu’s voice. The generals and soldiers in the camps were all excited. Firstly, the reinforcement had come. Secondly, the best infanta in West Xia led the troop herself to help them. It was so inspiring.
However, Qin Yunuan felt a little uncomfortable in her heart. She was walking at the end, and Maner was following by her side.
“Madam, you don’t look well,” Maner saw that Qin Yunuan frowned slightly and knew that Qin Yunuan was worrying about something, “Do you want to go back to have a rest?”
“I’m alright,” Qin Yunuan turned her head and said in a low voice. Then she followed Leng Changxi and other people to greet the guest.
The person coming here was definitely Infanta Mu Qingyu. She wore a soft hedgehog armor with a white dress as the base. Her dressing complemented her elegant, graceful temperament. Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail with a few strands of long braided hair hung from her temple, simple but good-looking.
All the officials saluted. Even Leng Changxi bowed his fists and greeted her with a smile.
“Your Highness, thank you for bringing the reinforcement here. It’s a great help to us.”
Mu Qingyu straddled the horse and went off it, raising her white hemline a little. Countless people were fascinated by the smile on her face at once.
“I belong to the leading force. The 200,000 soldiers are still outside the valley. Tomorrow they will all be stationed in the camp.”
Leng Changxi nodded, “That’s the best.”
Qin Yunuan had been silent until Mu Qingyu took the initiative to step forward and greet her with a smile, “Madam Leng, I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Yes,” Qin Yunuan kept her countenance, answering with a smile while looking Mu Qingyu up and down, “You are really cheerful this time.”
“During a battle, of course, I no longer need to obey those doctrines as I did in the past,” while saying, Mu Qingyu went into the military camp naturally and turned back to call Leng Changxi, “General Leng, I’m in urgent need to know the current situation of our army and the arrangement later.”
On her first day here, Mu Qingyu had already tried so hard to discuss the situation in the army with the officials. What a heroine she was!
Qin Yunuan stood outside the camp dully as if she could hear the high-pitched voices of officials inside. They were all saying, “You’re right, Your Highness!” or “What a great idea, Your Highness!”
“Maner, go to find Yuanyang, Leng Shuang, and Ting Xue. I’ve got an important issue to discuss with them,” Qin Yunuan ordered Maner briefly, and then turned to leave the camp. However, their discussing voices seemed to be echoing in her ears. She seldom saw Leng Changxi become so passionate. She knew that this time Leng Changxi was sincere to thank Mu Qingyu for coming to help.
In the evening, Leng Changxi finally returned to the camp in which he and Qin Yunuan stayed. Qin Yunuan hadn’t slept but kept mending the little hole on the boots silently for Leng Changxi. It was a tough way here, and Leng Changxi insisted on doing everything himself. So it was already the second boot worn out by Leng Changxi.
“Changxi,” Qin Yunuan stretched out her hand and handed over the repaired boot, “Have a look.”
However, Leng Changxi put the boot aside indifferently, “I’m so tired now. Today the infanta has told me lots of great strategies. I regret not to have known her before.”
“Is that so?” Qin Yunuan turned to put the boot aside, looking hesitated, “Changxi, I’ve been feeling that the infanta is a little weird.”
“How is she weird?” Leng Changxi didn’t take notice of Qin Yunuan’s words at all, “This time the infanta brings the reinforcements here by persuading many officials in West Xia who are against the war. Everyone has seen the effort she makes. Nuan, I’m not going to blame you, but aren’t you somehow hostile to her?”
“I’m hostile to her?” Qin Yunuan raised her voice so much that even the servant girls passing by and the soldiers on patrol could hear the noise inside, “Why should I be hostile to her? I have nothing to do with her. Why will I look down on her?”
“Because of the ridiculous engagement,” while saying, Leng Changxi stood up, “I know that you are a jealous woman, so I have kept no concubine. Even those servant girls for sex in the past were handed over to you for arrangement. You are the only woman I have, no matter before or after the marriage. Aren’t you satisfied with that?”
It had never occurred to Qin Yunuan that Leng Changxi would talk to her like that, “Changxi? What do you mean? You have never talked to me in such a strict way. You have changed. You’ve become different since Mu Qingyu came. I don’t get it wrong, do I?”
Leng Changxi turned his head away. His high nose cast a vague shadow under the faint light of the oil lamp.
“So I’m right,” Qin Yunuan also stood up and strode out, “In that case, you’d better discuss the way to govern your army with your infanta.”
Lifting the curtain, Qin Yunuan saw that Maner and Ting Xue were standing respectfully outside the curtain, both lowering their heads and daring not to speak. A small servant girl was standing next to them, looking a little strange. Qin Yunuan glanced at the girl. With her head lowered down at once, she said, “I’m Huaner, the servant girl of the infanta. She has brought some unique snacks in West Xia and ordered me to bring some for the general to have a taste.”
Qin Yunuan’s face seemed to become stiffer. However, she still kept her manners. She raised her head proudly, “The general is inside. Just come in.”
After that, she led Maner and Ting Xue directly to a camp beside the wounded battalions for medical women to have a rest. Maner and Ting Xue made a small compartment for Qin Yunuan specially with the white curtain. The bed simply with a mattress and the hard quilt made Maner frown, “Madam, are you really going to rest here tonight?”
“Or what?”
Maner and Ting Xue looked at each other. Ting Xue stepped forward and continued to persuade, “Madam, there is no overnight hatred between couples. There is no more than a misunderstanding between you and the general. Maybe later when the general is not angry anymore, he will send people to invite you back.”
“It’s not a misunderstanding,” Qin Yunuan turned her head to one side so that others could not see her facial expression clearly, “He just no longer cherishes me in his heart.”
“It won’t be,” Maner followed with a few words, “Madam, wait for some more time. Maybe later the general will ask people to plead with you to go back.”
Qin Yunuan didn’t care about it anymore. She flatted the wrinkled mattress herself when the soft voice of a servant girl greeting came from outside, “Is Madam inside?”
“Hey, speak of the devil!” Maner hurried to lift the curtain. However, it was Huaner that stood outside.
Huaner lowered her head, looking much humble, “Madam, the infanta invites you to visit her.”
In the end, the one who came was not who Qin Yunuan expected to be. However, she excited Qin Yunuan.
Maner turned back to look at Qin Yunuan, inquiring about her instruction. Qin Yunuan nodded. Maner told Huaner, “Go to tell the infanta that our madam will dress up before she comes.”
After Mu Qingyu came, Tuoba Wuyu naturally gave up his camp for her to have a rest. After Mu Qingyu stayed in the smelly camp that once belonged to a man, it had changed its style immediately. The plain curtain was hung high, and fragrant incense was burning. There was also a small makeup box and a bronze mirror which was as big as a palm. Although Mu Qingyu dressed like a soldier, she couldn’t abandon those things belonging to a woman.
“Your Highness, Madam Leng has come,” Huaner reported with her head lowered down. Qin Yunuan stood solemnly outside the camp. Mu Qingyu seemed to be having a bath inside. There was the sound of scooping water from time to time. It only became quiet inside after a while. There was a soft voice from Mu Qingyu, “Let Madam Leng come in. It’s so cold outside. Don’t make her sick because of the coldness. I can’t afford it.”
It was she that tried to delay the time and make Qin Yunuan wait. It remained unknown what Mu Qingyu implied.
Qin Yunuan lifted the curtain, and inside the camp, there was Mu Qingyu wearing only a plain dress wrapping her breasts. The camp was filled with moisture. The warm steam made Qin Yunuan’s face, which was a little pale because of the freezing weather, become ruddy at once.
Qin Yunuan curtseyed according to the etiquette, “My greetings, Your Highness.”
“Don’t be so polite,” Even though Qin Yunuan was beside her, Mu Qingyu didn’t seem to intend to put on the coat either. She exposed her white, delicate shoulders naturally, exuding a charming fragrance faintly.
Mu Qingyu said to Qin Yunuan with a bright smile, “The first reason for me to invite you here, Madam Leng, is to apologize.”
“You must be kidding, Your Highness. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I have,” Mu Qingyu turned her head while combing her black hair with the shiny, smooth horn comb, “I had discussed tactics with General Leng for too long in the evening. That was why he returned so late, causing you to quarrel with him and making you jealous. Wasn’t it my fault?”
“That is not the case,” Qin Yunuan nodded slightly, keeping her graceful temperament, “Today the wounded battalion is short of staff, so I have moved here temporarily to solve the urgent problem. As the official wife of Changxi, it’s my responsibility to share his worries. What’s more, I always know that he loves me. Why will I feel jealous?”
“Madam Leng, how magnanimous you are,” Mu Qingyu casually put on a coat which was as thin as a cicada’s wings, appearing more charming and attractive, “So I believe that you will forgive my second fault.” Mu Qingyu turned her head to order Huaner, “Go to bring His Majesty’s decree.”
While saying, Mu Qingyu took over the yellow scroll handed over by Huaner, “In fact, this time I bring not only the reinforcements but also the imperial decree. His Majesty has already given his order. It’s because General Leng is not only the general of Qi but also the official prince of West Xia. If General Leng can give the imperial power of Qi back to who it really belongs, the royal families of Qi and West Xia should befriend each other forever. Therefore, the day when General Leng breaks the defense of the city is also the day when I marry him.”
Qin Yunuan was slightly shocked, seemingly a little dull, “I have never heard of such a decree from His Majesty.”
Mu Qingyu lowered her head and smiled, “Or what? Do the 200,000 soldiers I bring here come for nothing? They are equivalent to my dowry. The person declaring the decree will also be stationed along with the reinforcement. If Leng Changxi refuses to accept the decree, the 200,000 soldiers will go home directly.”
