Chapter 123: Urgent Rescue

The sky had already dimmed. Xuan lit a candle, and Kaiming watched him quietly, lost in thought. She closed her eyes. Why did she keep thinking about that time at the post station? Why couldn't she cast aside the memory of that day?

Xuan noticed her expression. "What's wrong?"

"I think... I'm a little tired," she replied, using it as a cover.

"Then get some rest early." He walked over and pulled the door open, looking out at the ink-black sky. "I'll have them bring dinner to your room. I'm going to see Xinbi; he is very worried about you."

"..." She gave a vague response.

Xuan hurried out. Before long, a guard brought in a tray of food as expected. After speaking with Xuan, it was as if fresh blood had been injected into her; she had a goal, and her spirit was revived. She quickly jumped out of bed, finished the food in a few bites, washed up, and went to bed.

Although the knot in her heart regarding the old monk had not fully unraveled, the thought of having Xuan by her side was like a flying tiger gaining wings, and her mood was incredibly relaxed. Once she relaxed, her body felt extreme exhaustion, and she fell into a deep sleep.

She had no dreams throughout the night and woke early with the daylight. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, got up, washed her face, and rinsed her mouth. As she opened the door, she took a deep breath just like the first day she arrived, feeling that even the air was fresher than it had ever been.

She strode out the threshold and immediately saw two people sitting by the stone table and chairs she had seen yesterday. This time, the two were Xiaobi and Xuan. They were talking in low voices, their expressions serious.

A playful urge to tease them arose. She crept closer, intending to give them a fright. When she was three paces away, she heard Xiaobi suddenly say, "The situation is critical now. What do you plan to do?"

Xuan’s fingers tapped lightly on the stone table. He said solemnly, "It’s just that I don’t know if Kaiming would be willing to go and provide emergency aid."

Kaiming was puzzled by what she heard and spoke up, "Why wouldn't I be willing?"

Xiaobi was caught off guard and startled once more. He looked at her with a look of reproach. "Sister, please don't always be so ghostly. You'll scare someone to death!"

Kaiming ignored him, sat down on the stone stool between them, and stared at Xuan. "Why say 'willing or not'? And what emergency aid are we talking about?"

Xuan remained silent, but Xiaobi answered for him. "The Middle Palace and the West Palace are at war. You know that, right, Sister? And you know that the commanding general is General Dayin, right?"

Dayin? Her heart sank. Was Xuan's unusual behavior because of Dayin? She replied sharply, "I know, I know. I was even assigned as Dayin's deputy!"

Xiaobi smiled awkwardly, glancing from Xuan to her. "General Dayin is in trouble this time!"

"Dayin is in trouble?" She felt a bit depressed. So it was because Dayin was in trouble that Xuan was acting this way. She sneered, "Even the valiant General Dayin encounters difficulties?"

Xuan heard the harsh tone in her voice and looked back at her, enduring it. She turned her face away, refusing to look at him.

Seeing this, Xiaobi smiled slightly and said, "The West Palace sent out an unknown general this time. We all thought the Middle Palace's victory was a sure thing, but the West Palace's general suddenly used a bizarre tactic. They caught Dayin off guard from the start. I heard they retreated ten miles and are now in a stalemate!"

Kaiming was curious. "The West Palace general used a bizarre tactic? What kind of tactic?"

Xiaobi said slowly, "The scouts say the West Palace started with a bull formation. Hundreds of bulls charged out of the camp gates with burning straw tied to their tails. The momentum and intensity were incredible. The Middle Palace soldiers had never seen such a tactic and were immediately scattered, losing thousands of men. It’s truly something that kid Zhaoming would think of—tsk tsk!"

Kaiming listened in stunned silence. A fire-lit bull formation? Zhaoming? A flash of lightning in her mind brought back that scene in the South Palace camp—the thin young soldier's roguish smile.

"Bulls are incredibly dull animals. Throughout history, many tactics have used oxen as an example. Tying fire to their tails and using such a massive bull formation as a vanguard at the start would certainly be an unexpected strike."

Wasn't this idea something she had just spouted off casually? How could someone actually use it on the battlefield?

"I'm not a 'little thing,' and I'm not a 'little spy.'"

"I have a name. I'm Zhaoming."

She shivered. He said his name was Zhaoming, Zhaoming of the West Palace.

"Sister, this is what you said. You owe me a favor."

She covered her mouth in surprise. Oh no, she had casually promised someone a favor, and that person was an enemy general from the West Palace.

Xiaobi looked at her strangely. "What's wrong, Sister?"

"No, nothing." She hurriedly covered it up, looking elsewhere. "So, how is Dayin doing now?"

"I heard they sent an urgent letter via carrier pigeon requesting reinforcements from the Middle Palace. The West Palace has deployed all its forces, and Zhaoming's tactics are so strange; I'm afraid Dayin won't be able to hold out," Xiaobi sighed. "It doesn't look good this time."

"What 'doesn't look good'!" Kaiming spat back, unconvinced. "Dai Yuheng is committed to the state strategy; he will certainly send reinforcements. Dayin is resourceful; how could anything happen to her?"

"That is exactly the problem..." Xuan, who had been silent, suddenly interjected in a low voice. "According to reports, the request for reinforcements reached the Middle Palace, but Dai Yuheng has been stalling. Half a day has passed, and he hasn't sent a single soldier; he is completely ignoring the battle with the West Palace..."

"Wait, is he doing this on purpose?" Kaiming blurted out, then hurriedly covered her mouth, glancing at Xuan. No wonder Xuan's complexion was so poor; he was worried about Dayin! And why not? After all, it was a long-standing affection; it was inevitable that he would be concerned.

For some reason, her heart was filled with a sense of loss, and she sighed softly. Is this jealousy? Am I jealous of Dayin? Could it be that I... like Xuan?

This sudden thought was even more shocking to her than Dayin's plight. She hurriedly denied the idea. No, stop thinking nonsense. How could I like Xuan? He loves Dayin. Even if he told me himself that he likes me and is willing to follow me, Dayin always has a place in his heart.

That was Xuan's first love, etched into his bones. Just like a man in a modern marriage, shouldn't a woman be a bit more tolerant of him? She consoled herself: Alright, alright, don't think too much. Xuan is just a deputy, just a subordinate who can help out. I'm not his wife yet; I can't meddle in too much. *Hoo, hah*, she took a long breath in and out.

"...ming..."

"..."

"I've called you two or three times. What's wrong? You look like you've lost your soul," Xiaobi asked curiously.

"It's nothing, nothing." She smiled forcedly. Xuan looked at her, then stood up. "Come with me."

She didn't resist and obediently followed him.

Xuan took her to the dining hall, grabbed a bowl of white porridge with some side dishes, and pulled her to sit at the table. "You must be hungry. There's only this vegetarian food; make do with it!"

She said nothing, lowered her head to stir the porridge, and ate one small spoonful at a time under his gaze.

Xuan watched her eat slowly and suddenly said, "Don't overthink it. My feelings for her are not what you think."

Her hand paused, and she said sluggishly, "What kind do I think?"

Xuan smiled. "Do you think I still have lingering feelings for her?"

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and muttered, "Isn't that the case?"

Xuan tilted his head to look at her, a smile on his lips. "Are you very bothered by my relationship with her?"

She didn't answer and just kept stirring the porridge in the bowl with her chopsticks.

Xuan suddenly leaned closer, teasing, "Are you jealous?"

Kaiming shuddered, and the chopsticks in her hand almost fell into the bowl. She looked up with wide eyes, her mouth agape. "Are you crazy? Talking such nonsense! Am I... am I the type of person who gets jealous?"

Xuan clicked his tongue. "No matter how I look at it, you seem to be jealous."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Her secret was exposed on the spot, her face flushed red. She threw down her chopsticks and shouted, "Nonsense! You're ruining my appetite! I'm not eating!"

Xuan grabbed her sleeve and said seriously, "Kaiming, you don't need to be so bothered by Dayin. The naive period of my youth has passed. Now, for me, she only remains like a family member."

"Like a family member?" She repeated his words blankly.

Xuan nodded and said, "From birth until now, I haven't had many close people around me. My mother passed away early, and my father wouldn't acknowledge me. Besides Xiaobi, only Dayin was closest to me. She treated me like a brother, looking after my needs. I am filled with gratitude toward her. Although that affection didn't successfully evolve into romantic love, the family bond still exists. Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Kaiming didn't know what to say. After a long while, she said awkwardly, "What does it matter if I understand or not?"

"Because you are the only one I acknowledge as my wife!" Xuan said, half-serious and half-joking.

She stood there open-mouthed, meeting his gaze. Her heart gave a thud, and then another. *Oh no*, she thought with secret alarm, facing this man, she was losing her composure.

She stood up quickly. "I... I'm going for a walk." Holding her flushed face, she hurriedly snatched the door open and fled.

That day, they packed their bags and went to bid farewell to Xiaobi with Xuan. Xiaobi said with regret, "I wanted to keep you and Brother here for a longer stay. You're leaving so soon."

Kaiming replied with a smile, "I didn't expect to be parting with Xiaobi so soon either. The Eastern Palace has beautiful mountains and waters. Whenever I can't get by in the Middle Palace anymore, I'll come here to spend my final days. I just don't know if Young Master Xinbi would welcome me?"

Xiaobi's eyes lit up. "It's a deal then. I would welcome you with both hands! And Brother must come too."

Xuan chuckled. "That goes without saying."

Xiaobi's eyes darted between the two, his expression very ambiguous. He pulled Xuan aside and whispered a few words into his ear. Xuan just smiled and didn't answer.

When the two were in the carriage on the road to the river, Kaiming couldn't help but ask what Xiaobi had said to him. Xuan smiled and said, "He asked when we plan to get married."

*Ugh*, she almost choked on her own saliva. Pretending to cough, she quickly turned her face away.