The fiercest soldier of the border army

His outer robe lay limp on the ground, revealing his plain white inner garment underneath.

She had a slender yet well-proportioned figure, smooth shoulders, a slender waist, and skin that shone like jade in the dim light. Her neck was long and graceful, and the hollow of her collarbone seemed capable of holding a drop of moonlight.

She didn't dare look Tang Shun in the eye.

Just stand there.

Her plain white undergarment clung to her body, her shoulders trembling slightly. She was clearly flustered, yet she didn't back down.

The charcoal fire inside the tent was about to go out, and the lamp flame was as small as a bean, making the ash marks on the muddy ground appear and disappear.

Tang Shun stared at her, his gaze sliding down from her collarbone and then suddenly rising again.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice lower and hoarse than when he killed Wu Yong during the day.

Su Shu took a step forward.

The cloth shoes stepped over the edge of the charcoal characters on the ground, leaving half a footprint.

She didn't look into his eyes, but stared at the tightly tied belt around her waist.

"Three times you saved my life." Su Shu's figure trembled slightly. "A person whose family was destroyed and whose life was cut short, I am still alive today, all thanks to the captain."

Tang Shun took a deep breath. "So you took off your clothes?"

She nodded, her movements gentle yet resolute, "I have nothing to repay you with but this pure body."

"I'll give it to the captain tonight, and from now on I'll do your laundry, cook your meals, serve you tea and water, I'll be happy to be a maid."

Tang Shun suddenly looked up.

The flame flickered.

The woman before me was stunningly beautiful; her presence made even the makeshift tent seem more elegant.

But Tang Shun found it absurd.

"You are a noblewoman of the imperial court."

He emphasized those words, his gaze sharp, "Your father is the prime minister, and you are of noble birth. Even if you have fallen on hard times, you are still a noble lady at heart."

"Now you're saying you'll give me, a boorish soldier, as a maid? Who would believe that?"

Su Shu took another step, and the two were now only three feet apart.

She could smell the lingering stench of blood on him, mixed with the smell of dust and rust.

Su Shu's breath hitched, but she didn't stop walking.

As he took his third step, her shadow fell over the tip of his shoe.

"I am no longer a noblewoman."

Su Shu said in a low voice, "My father was dismissed, our mansion was confiscated, and I was removed from the family register. I am no longer a young lady of the Su family. I am just a military prostitute who can only survive by your word."

"I will always remember the kindness that saved my life three times."

Tang Shun's Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes changed.

In the North, women without powerful backers live worse than grass.

She's only able to stand here and speak because he's blocking her way.

But that's precisely why he's even less convinced.

Tang Shun lowered his voice, "Even though you're a courtesan, you're still arrogant at heart, and you look down on everyone else."

"If it's about repaying a debt of gratitude, there are plenty of ways; there's no need for this."

Su Shu finally looked up, her gaze meeting his.

"Not just repaying kindness, but also seeking revenge!"

Su Shu's mood calmed down considerably, and her initial trembling subsided. She took a deep breath and said:

"The Zhao Emperor listened to treacherous officials, dismissed my father, and exiled everyone in the Prime Minister's mansion. I don't hate anyone else; I want him to step down, and I want the Su family to see the light of day again."

For over two hundred years since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, the Zhao imperial family had remained firmly entrenched in the imperial court.

Tang Shun was stunned.

Such harsh words, enough to exterminate nine generations of one's family, would be unthinkable to outsiders, yet now, a woman whom one has only met three times has spoken them so openly.

He was just a squad leader in Beiting, with about twenty men under his command, and they didn't even know how they were going to survive. Yet she dared to openly declare that she would overthrow the royal family.

Tang Shun laughed, but it was a mocking laugh.

"Do you know what my status is in the army? A lowly soldier who was ostracized by his superiors and sent to this godforsaken place, where his life hangs by a thread."

"You're saying I'm going to help you overthrow the Zhao family's empire? Are you out of your mind?"

"I know," Su Shu's voice remained unchanged. "I also know you can't do it, but I still said it, otherwise you wouldn't believe me."

She paused for a moment, then said, "If I can't take revenge, then I'll repay your kindness. Even if I end up with nothing, I'll be content as long as I can stay by your side."

The tent was eerily quiet.

A gust of wind slipped through the curtain gaps, causing the embers to crackle and pop.

Tang Shun stared at her, and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

This is a noblewoman, a noblewoman who has fallen from grace. She was once high above, but has fallen to the mortal world, yet she remains simple-minded.

Tang Shun loosened the hilt of the knife, raised his hand and grabbed a handful of hair, his fingernails scraping against his scalp, making a rustling sound.

He was not afraid of death, nor was he afraid of being accused.

But he was afraid of owing favors, especially to a woman.

Especially this kind of gratitude that comes from someone who is willing to risk their life, go all out, and stake their entire life on it.

He slowly lowered his hand, his eyes darkening.

"Have you ever thought about this?" he asked in a low voice, "My military rank is low; what would you do if I died?"

"I'll die with you," she said without hesitation.

Tang Shun closed his eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, that barrier had shattered.

He no longer asked about status, no longer mentioned social class, and no longer spoke of repaying kindness or not.

All he knew was that this person in front of him would burn him to ashes and then scatter the ashes at his feet.

His tense nerves and battlefield aura crumbled completely in front of the gentle, water-like woman.

At that moment, he forgot about building the city, defending the city, his soldiers, and the people, and he forgot that he was walking on thin ice.

He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against Su Shu's slightly cool cheek.

Su Shu, who had not been treated gently for so long and had never experienced love with anyone, trembled violently.

Her originally clear and gentle voice became slightly off-key, "Captain Tang..."

The candlelight suddenly flickered, its flame dancing and waving as if to add to the festivities.

Tang Shun stepped forward, his tall figure completely enveloping her in his arms. In the small shadow of the tent, they were completely isolated from the outside military affairs and the sounds of the wind.

Their breaths mingled.

Tang Shun's warm breath fell on the woman's eyebrows, eyes, and neck, so hot it made her feel flustered.

Su Shu did not struggle, but bravely looked up at him.

"You shouldn't have come." Tang Shun took a half step back and said in a hoarse voice, "You shouldn't have treated me like this."

"But I'm already here," she said softly.

Tang Shun lowered his head, his nose almost touching her forehead.

He smelled a familiar scent—not cosmetics, but the smell of dried mugwort mixed with the sun-kissed aroma of coarse cloth.

That was the smell she picked up while hanging clothes out to dry at the camp.

All restraint and moderation crumbled bit by bit.

He released one hand and slowly placed it on her shoulder.

My fingertips touched the fabric of the inner garment; it was thin and rough, and underneath was warm skin.

She trembled slightly, but didn't flinch.

His thumb brushed against the hollow of her collarbone, the movement hesitant, as if confirming that this was a real person, not a phantom in a dream.

Then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

The two bodies were pressed together, with no gap between them.

Tang Shun's eyes were deep and his Adam's apple bobbed heavily.

In the simple and shabby military tent, a lone candle flickered, and the small space suddenly became warmer.

Surging desires and repressed passions intertwine into a dense web.

The dusty battlefield, the iron armor and the cold tent, all now transform into a gentle and lingering prairie fire, ambiguous yet burning, scalding the heart.

She leaned against him, her forehead against his chest, and heard his heart pounding like a drum, though she didn't know whose heartbeat it was.

Tang Shun leaned down and pressed his lips against the top of her head.

"Tang...Tang...take me..."

Su Shu murmured softly, as if in a dream.

Her clothes slipped down her fragrant shoulders and onto the ground.

Her skin was as white as snow, and her body had beautiful lines. She was like a fine work of art, presented to Tang Shun...