jdhmnovel Chapter 171 His Highness Knows How to Love People
Chapter 171 His Highness Knows How to Love People
Qi Xiao led his men into Fenglin Mountain, and Lu Xiulin sent a centurion to go with them. The centurion was called Tian Chusan, a native of Yuanzhou, and had joined the Dingyuan Army at the age of sixteen. When Bai Liu was there, he was a young soldier who looked up to the great hero from afar. Later, the Dingyuan Army was disbanded, and the generals were transferred elsewhere, and it was not his turn as a young soldier. Up to now, he has been in the Dingyuan Army for seven years, a true veteran, and he is probably more familiar with Fenglin Mountain than Lu Xiulin.
Qi Xiao had no objection to the people Lu Xiulin chose. The three people were divided into three teams and went straight into the forest.
Tang Ling slept until the end of the morning hour. Qing Lan tiptoed into the tent, not daring to wake Tang Ling, but Tang Ling woke up anyway.
"Qinglan, what time is it?"
"Master, are you awake? It's almost Si hour."
Tang Ling touched the empty space beside him. There was no sticky or uncomfortable spot on his body. Qi Xiao had wiped it for him. If his waist had not been in so much pain that it was about to break, he would have thought that what happened in the morning was a dream.
"Has Qi Xiao left?"
"Yes. His Highness ordered that the young master sleep a little longer." Qinglan brought a cup of tea to the bed. "I saw that it was already late, and the young master usually wouldn't sleep so late, so I came in to check on him and brought him a pot of hot tea."
"I'm thirsty indeed." Tang Ling sat up, took the teacup, and slowly drank half of it. She glanced at Qinglan who had brought in a bucket and asked, "Why are you bringing a bucket?"
Qing Lan looked at Tang Ling with a sullen expression and replied, "His Highness said that the young master would have back pain when he woke up, so he asked me to take care of him. There's hot water in the bucket, and he wants to apply a compress to the young master."
Tang Ling almost choked on her tea, coughed twice, and her ears turned red.
"Sir, did he bully you?"
"Ahem... No..."
"Sir, you always protect him."
Tang Ling sighed. How was he going to explain this to Qing Lan? It wasn't Qi Xiao who bullied him; it was he who wanted to be bullied by Qi Xiao?!
"Qinglan, you are still young and don't understand these things..."
"His Highness' birthday is in the spring. I was born at the end of the year. He is at most ten months older than me."
"..."
Tang Ling was momentarily speechless. Age wasn't a good excuse, but the difference between Qinglan and Qi Xiao lay not in age but in their minds and resolve. Qinglan was still a child, overly pampered and protected by Tang Ling, while Qi Xiao was already a man, with the world at his feet.
Even if Tang Ling told Qing Lan these words, how much could he understand? And Tang Ling didn't want him to understand, he didn't need to understand.
"Sir, please stop looking at me like that. I won't ask or say anything more. Can I rub your waist?"
Qinglan dreaded seeing Tang Ling's heavy face. He knew he was clueless and couldn't help with anything the young master was worried about. The Marquis had once told him that when he was with Tang Ling, he didn't need to worry about anything else, didn't need to ask questions, and didn't need to know anything else. He only needed to take good care of her. That was the best thing he could do.
Qi Xiao said that it was his duty to serve him and there was no need for Qi Xiao to say it.
Tang Ling suddenly smiled: "Okay."
It was already much colder at the foot of Fenglin Mountain than outside. Tang Ling was only wearing a single layer of clothing, so she would definitely catch a cold if she got out of bed. Qinglan first moved the charcoal brazier to a place not far from the bed, lit the fire, and then wrung out the hot towel and handed it to her.
"Sir, lie down for a moment."
When Qinglan put the handkerchief on Tang Ling's waist, she saw the kiss mark on his neck. Qinglan pursed her lips and said nothing. She would not ask or say anything. No matter what Qi Xiao did, he would take good care of the young master!
Qinglan rubbed Tang Ling's waist for a long time, making her feel so comfortable that she almost fell asleep again.
Zong Sheng called out from outside the tent, "Is Master Tang awake yet?"
"Qinglan, go and see what's going on."
Qinglan nodded and left the tent to see Zongsheng: "What's wrong?"
"It's getting late. The camp kitchen is about to close. I left a breakfast for you. I'll bring it over. If you're awake, eat it while it's hot."
Qinglan took the food box and nodded to Zongsheng: "Thank you."
"My master is not here, so if you have any instructions, please come to me."
"I understand." Qinglan bowed and saw Zong Sheng off, then turned back to the tent. Tang Ling had already gotten up.
"Sir, please have some breakfast first. Qinglan will comb your hair for you later."
Zong Sheng sent Qi Xiao and Bai Xiqiao away early in the morning, and felt empty afterwards. He had rushed to Fenglin Mountain without stopping for a moment, and now he suddenly had nothing to do, and he felt uncomfortable all over.
"What's on the ground? Are there any mines?" Chi Yue appeared out of nowhere and scared Zong Sheng.
"There are no mines in Fenglin Mountain."
"Then what are you staring at?"
Zongsheng sighed unconsciously.
"Oh, you wanted to stay with His Highness, but His Highness left you behind."
Zong Sheng glanced at Chi Yue and agreed.
"Since you wanted to follow, why didn't you mention it when His Highness gave the order yesterday? If you had mentioned it, His Highness might have taken you with him." Chi Yue walked around from Zong Sheng's left side to his right side. Zong Sheng's expression was actually the same as usual, as indifferent as always, but he could tell that Zong Sheng was unhappy.
"I will do what the master ordered."
"You've followed His Highness since you were a child. You're just as familiar with Fenglin Mountain as His Highness is. Why not just send you? He has to go and suffer the consequences himself."
"..." Chi Yue was absolutely right, but Qi Xiao had decided to go into the mountains on his own, leaving him behind. This inevitably left Zong Sheng feeling disappointed. He had nothing to do in the Dingyuan military camp. He had gone to watch Chen Heng and Lu Xiulin select soldiers. Today's archery exam wasn't anything special. He held no official position in the Dingyuan army, so it wasn't like he could interfere. He was grateful to be allowed to observe, so he returned after a while. He could only bring Tang Ling food.
Chi Yue chuckled: "I think it's good. Your Highness really knows how to care for others."
Zong Sheng was confused and frowned. "Hurting someone? Hurting who? What are you talking about?"
"Love me, what should I do if you follow me?"
Zong Sheng was stunned for a moment, then turned and left.
"Hey, it's just a joke." Chi Yue caught up with Zong Sheng and said with a smile, "Why can't you figure it out? Are you stupid?"
Zong Sheng stopped and looked at Chi Yue: "What do you know? Does the master have something else to tell you?"
Chi Yue shook his head, put his arm around Zong Sheng, pressed his shoulders, and whispered, "Don't you think about whether the soldiers His Highness brought into the mountains were the best soldiers selected by the Dingyuan Army?"
"Yes."
"Will these soldiers have to follow His Highness through life and death?"
"Yes."
"Your Highness has never led an army or fought in a war, so you don't have any military achievements, right?"
Zong Sheng shook his head.
"So, if Your Highness stays in the barracks and enjoys his comforts, treating the soldiers like slaves, how will you ever be able to control them? You know how good Your Highness is, but others don't. Lu Xiulin will go with us to Qi, but he's only the deputy commander. If the soldiers don't have any trust or closeness to their commander, how can we fight? Who would be willing to charge into battle and die for Your Highness? Your Highness must go in person, and from the first day, he must be with the soldiers, eating and drinking with them, sharing their joys and sorrows."