maidservant

The training camp in the western suburbs was located ten miles outside the city. When the two arrived outside the camp, Yan Lie handed over the token and then placed Yunshan in a tent at the outermost edge.

The tent was very tidy, with only a wooden bed, a set of tables and chairs, some pens and ink, and a shelf. Hanging on the shelf were various weapons, from daggers and spears to bows and arrows, all kinds of weapons for close combat and long-range combat.

"When our general is on night duty, he doesn't like to stay in the main tent of the military camp. He always sets up his own tent here at the outermost edge. He says that this way he can react more promptly if there is any news or disturbance." Yan Lie explained.

"This is... Lin Xiao's tent?" Yun Shan was shocked. Lin Xiao was a second-rank military officer, but this tent was so simple and without any extravagance.
"There are no inscriptions on these weapons?" As a general, Yunshan knew very well that most of them liked to buy themselves several sets of majestic equipment. Armor and sword handles were usually engraved with some auspicious beasts, and the red tassels of spears were often decorated with jade beads.

"The general doesn't like those fancy things. When have you ever seen him wearing any decorations on a normal day?" Yan Lie rolled his eyes. "Except for the pendant he won from me."

Yan Lie once secretly wondered why this man who never liked to wear any jewelry carried his jade pendant with him every day, and even suspected that he had a homosexual tendency.

Every time such speculation came up, Yan Lie wanted to slap himself a few times. He was the only son of the Yan family, and he must not be favored by someone with a homosexual tendency.

"Does your general have any special hobbies?" Yunshan thought to herself. Compared to Lin Xiao's care for herself, she seemed to care less about him.

A mature heart won't develop childish pauperism. Feelings are mutual; no one is born to be favored all the time. Only by giving a sufficient response can a friendship remain deep and lasting.

“He likes to eat grass.”

Yan Lie left this confusing sentence and stepped out of the tent. He just looked up and saw that it was already dark, and the first lamp had just been hung outside the tent.

After all, it was inconvenient for a single man and a single woman to be together, so Yan Lie stayed outside the tent.

Yan Lie possessed the inherent pride of a son of an aristocratic family, yet also carried the righteousness and chivalry of a swashbuckling swordsman. He appeared carefree and uninhibited, but in reality, he was a man of great thoughtfulness.

Yunshan then asked him through the tent, "I heard you got an official position?"

During this campaign to suppress the rebellion, Yan Lie had accompanied Lin Xiao, risking his life for the emperor. At the time, Yan Lie stood in front of the emperor, chipping off the incoming arrows and burying the arrowheads deep in the mud.

Although Yan Lie tried to cover it up, Yun Shan still saw the scar on his ear left by the arrow.

"Centurion, there is a little salary." Yan Lie answered in a flat tone.

"Centurion?" Yunshan was full of doubts. She heard that several other people who killed dozens of rebels or captured rebel generals during the rebellion were promoted to higher positions.

"Don't forget my last name." Yan Lie gave a nonchalant explanation.

Yunshan understood instantly. As expected, clan ties were difficult to ignore in every dynasty.

"Centurion is already very good. Your Majesty has given me a platform for promotion. The road ahead will be brighter."

"You are really different from when you were a child." Yunshan sighed.

After hearing this, Yan Lie outside fell silent and stopped talking.

At this moment, the wind suddenly blew, and the two corners of the tent were lifted up by the wind, like two huge white butterflies, dancing wildly in the wind and rain.

There was a sudden sound of horses stopping.

"What was he like when he was a child?" The familiar voice drifted into the tent through the wind. Yunshan hurriedly tidied her clothes and walked out of the tent.

Just as she opened the curtain, she bumped into Lin Xiao's arms.

After being bumped by her, Lin Xiao still held the two swords in his hands high, and stood there stiffly like a piece of wood, not daring to put down the swords or move freely.

Yunshan raised her head, her eyes wide open, staring at him intently. Their warm breaths lingered, a warmth that even the bitter autumn wind couldn't dissipate. Yan Lie, quick-witted, quickly wrenched the swords from Lin Xiao's hands. This made Lin Xiao even more embarrassed, his hands hanging empty in mid-air, his face burning, unable to utter a single word.

"It's windy at the door, you...you come in." After Yunshan said this, she suddenly realized that this was originally Lin Xiao's own tent.

"Haha, thank you, Mr. Song, for the invitation." Lin Xiao followed her words and took the opportunity to go down the stairs.

"I really haven't had time to go into the city recently. When I learned that you had left the palace, I thought of asking Yan Lie to bring you here. I just wanted to see you." Lin Xiao explained.

"You must have been very busy these days, right?" Yunshan asked with concern.

"It's okay actually, it's just a little troublesome to interrogate them. But the guys under me are quite efficient and they have asked almost all the questions they need to ask." As he said that, Lin Xiao began to untie the armor on his shoulders.

Yunshan subconsciously wanted to help him remove his armor, but Lin Xiao retreated and said, "It's dirty. I can do it myself."

"Have you seen the mansion that His Majesty gave me?" Lin Xiao's tone was full of anticipation.

Yunshan naturally knew that he was waiting for her praise, and she did not hesitate to offer her compliments:

"It's truly wonderful. The location is perfect, the courtyard is just the right size, the old locust tree is full of life, and the octagonal pavilion and fish pond are exquisite."

"I knew you'd like it! From now on, it'll be our own home, okay?"

"Our...own...home?"

These few words, which couldn't be simpler, were so unfamiliar to Yunshan, yet they were exactly what she had always longed for.

"There's one more thing I need to tell you." Lin Xiao paused and continued.

"Your Majesty asked about my lifelong affairs."

"Ah? Is His Majesty going to grant you a marriage?" Yunshan asked almost in tears. Even she herself did not expect that her emotions would be so out of control.

"I hope His Majesty will grant us the marriage, marrying you and me together. With His Majesty's favor, my father will naturally have nothing to say."

Lin Xiao saw Yunshan lowering her head and rubbing her cuffs. After a long and dusty journey on horseback, the hair beside her ears had already drooped down and now hung down to the side of her face, making her look as adorable as a little rabbit caught in the rain.

The more I looked at her, the cuter she seemed. Worried she might overthink things, I continued:

"Yunshan, you are already very remarkable. For a woman in this world to become a sixth-rank female official is extremely rare."

"You are a person of virtuous character, quick-witted and eager to learn. You are extremely intelligent, gentle and kind."

"It's just that this world is too clichéd. Those who think they're clear-headed can't escape the shackles of worldly notions. They prioritize so-called honor and social status, but they overlook a person's most fundamental abilities and the fundamental bond between husband and wife."

"However, I am clear-headed. After so many years of fighting on the battlefield, I know clearly that apart from life and death, everything else is illusory."

"If you are arranged to have a loveless marriage, and live a life of seemingly prosperity but like a quagmire with someone you don't love, disgusted by each other, that is the greatest pain."

"So, I told His Majesty that I only want to marry you in this life."

"You... you really told His Majesty that?! His Majesty... How did His Majesty—" Yunshan stammered, her voice growing weaker and weaker. (End of this chapter)