Chapter 72: Heart Matters Like a Boat

  "Come on, Taishi girl, work hard!"

  The shouts were like a tide, wave after wave converging into a massive sound wave that shook the city below, causing people's eyebrows to jump. The man holding the spear had a gloomy expression and coldly said: "Where did this woman come from? She's ruining my big plan!"

  The people around him didn't dare to respond, and the man holding the spear looked up, coldly staring at Tai Shi Lan on the city wall, with a slight stubble of green beard on his chin, and sharp facial features.

  "But it doesn't matter." He said coldly, "She will be dead soon anyway."

  Tai Shi Lan on the city wall heard the shouting, tried to move, his shoulder was in severe pain, and as he moved, his body leaned down, and with a rustling sound, he fell to the ground amidst scattered stones.

  "Be careful!"

  "Hurry! Hurry!" The crowd was so anxious that they clenched their fists, wishing they could rush up and pull Tai Shi Lan down themselves. However, they knew they didn't have the ability to do so, and instead turned to urge Su Ya, who had already climbed close by.

  "See who's faster, you or me!" The man in armor with a spear below shouted coldly, raising his hand alone, the short spear on his hand shining with scattered sunlight.

  Tai Shi suddenly shifted his body sideways and took a step forward, looking as if he was about to take a risk and make a dash for it to join Su Ya.

  "Ah!" The soldiers on the city wall exclaimed in unison.

  Is it possible to get there?

  The man holding a spear under the city wall was also stunned for a moment, and his hand unconsciously shifted, slightly changing the position he had originally calculated.

  "Hiss." The short spear pierced through the air, stabbing into the wind and clouds, and in a flash it arrived at the city gate!

  Tai Shi Lan suddenly pulled his body back in!

  "Bang." The spearhead arrived, stabbing into the wall, sending debris flying everywhere. It was only three inches away from Tai Shi's waist!

  "Good!" The Southern Qi soldiers and civilians on the city wall were overjoyed, cheering uncontrollably, and almost jumped up in excitement.

  The commander's face turned iron-gray as he held his spear under the city wall - Damn that woman! Damn that fake move!

  "Next time you won't be so lucky!" He slapped his hand down, "Spear, come!"

  The attendants beside him handed up three spears again.

  Everyone held their breath - throwing a short spear to the top of the arrow tower, which was nearly three zhang high, was already a miracle. Was he going to come up with three at once?

  "This time see where you run!"

  "Ah!"

  Three spears shot out at the same time, and the snow-white spearheads flashed in the night like shattered scales before reaching mid-air.

  "Shoot arrows! Shoot arrows!" Someone on the city wall shouted loudly, trying to intercept the spear with arrows. However, Taishi's position was at a dead angle, and all the arrows fell to the ground after brushing against the city wall before they could even reach him.

  Three spears suddenly split in mid-air and formed a character, shooting straight at Tai Shi's head, back, and waist!

  This time, the spearman had already made precise calculations before shooting the spear, and had blocked all of Tai Shi Lan's escape routes.

  Tai Shi Lan didn't pretend anymore.

  Nor did she try to scramble in a panic, Su Ya had already appeared, stretching around the corner wall to reach for her hand, but she knew it was too late.

  She stared at the bed frame above her head.

  The bed creaked, tilting halfway out of the platform edge, because the wall was hit and the supporting force was weak, it gradually became a bit unbearable. The angle of the bed's tilt got lower and lower, the big bow at the front was almost touching her fingertips.

  If he could pull down the bed crossbow at this time, the falling bed crossbow would pass over her head and knock down those three spears. If luck was a bit better, maybe one or two Western soldiers could be smashed to death.

  Tai Shi Lan suddenly pulled out a short knife and stabbed it fiercely into a brick seam on the wall that she had been staring at!

  "Bang." A light sound, and the bed creaked downward in an instant.

  Tai Shi Lan's face suddenly changed.

  A large bow fixed on the bed frame suddenly loosened and slid out of the bed body, its heavy arrowhead pointing directly at her heart!

  Before she could even get close enough to use her short spear, she would be killed by a large bow!

  The bowstring slipped and enlarged rapidly under her eyelids, the next second it touched her sternum, and it was a fatal injury of broken bones and tendons.

  She didn't feel scared at all.

  If you're dead, then so be it, maybe next life will be better.

  She had thought many times about what she would be like when facing death, whether she would also scream with fear and cry tears, just like all ordinary people.

  She actually occasionally wants to be an ordinary woman, who can cry and laugh loudly, who can be coquettish and go crazy, but since she was three years old, half of her heart has been empty, and she had to use iron to sew it up. Then the iron and flesh grew together, and it's no longer clear what is true.

  At this moment when death truly arrives, she disappointingly discovers that she is still the same as before.

  Tai Shi Lan sighed inwardly.

  It seemed like there was a fierce commotion below, and it also seemed like a familiar aura was rapidly approaching. She rarely felt dizzy, and narrowed her eyes.

  Flying swallow's long bow, bed crossbow's shadow, dark night sky, blue cloud.

  Blue... clouds.

  It was a person's sleeve, carrying the iron blood and gunpowder smell of a fierce battle, yet still soft as clouds, drifting like clouds, brushing past her cheek with a faint fragrance like rain.

  The cloud flew over and didn't stay by her side, flying towards a higher place.

  Suddenly a loud creaking sound came from the top of the bed, as if someone had heavily trodden on it, and finally everything slid down with a loud crash onto the arrow tower.

  A hand stretched out from under the bed's canopy and grasped the falling longbow.

  The arrowhead stopped at a distance of about an inch from Tai Shi's chest.

  That man dropped his bow and grabbed Tai Shi Lan's hand again.

  Tai Shi Lan raised her head.

  On top of her head, it was still the first time they met at the street corner, in the midst of blooming white lilacs and wisteria flowers, that kind of pure and beautiful face.

  He hung upside down on the edge of the arrow tower, stretched out his hand and tightly grasped her wrist, revealing a warm and clear smile to her.

  Tai Shi Lan's gaze followed his slender and delicate, jade-like wrist up, falling on the tightly clasped palms of their hands, then further up, lingering in his bright and warm eyes that shone like a sunny spring day with rippling water.

  There is a vast and tranquil sea, with the sun shining on the sparkling water for thousands of miles. Every wave reflects the shadows of two people walking hand in hand.

  Tai Shi Lan slowly curved up the corners of his lips and smiled.

  Below, the cheers thundered, and everyone looked up at the high arrow tower where the men and women were holding hands, pressed their hearts and took a deep breath. Su Ya leaned against the wall very close to Tai Shi Lan, her whole body went soft, and she rested her face on the cold city wall.

  Li Fu Zhou exerted a bit of force with his hand and pulled Tai Shi Lan up, when Tai Shi Lan stepped onto the platform, half of her shoulder leaned into his chest due to injury. Li Fu Zhou stretched out his hand to support her, his hands gently holding onto hers, but his body still subconsciously kept some distance from her.

  Tai Shi Lan's eyes drooped slightly, seemingly without any reaction, but she quickly straightened up and separated from his body.

  Su Ya hastily crawled over, stretched out her hand under the stairs to catch Tai Shi Lan, Tai Shi Lan nodded at Li Fu Zhou and whispered: "It's dangerous upstairs, let's go down first." She took Su Ya's hand and broke free from Li Fu Zhou's support.

  Li Fu-zhou was still for a moment, his head bowed as if in thought, or perhaps admiring his own hand. Then he smiled and resumed the gentle calm of a peaceful day, following Tai Shi-lan down from the arrow tower.

  The subtle atmosphere between the two people disappeared at the moment they stepped onto the city wall. Tai Shi Lan was calm, straight, and sharp-eyed, while Li Fu Zhou smiled warmly and politely to everyone.

  At this time, the Western Fan army attacked Tai Shi Lan and lost, and resumed its fierce attack on the city wall. The Southern Qi side was boosted in morale because of Tai Shi Lan's narrow escape from danger, and both sides engaged in another round of fighting for control of the city head, but at this moment, the Western Fan army seemed to have some concerns in the rear, and their offensive was not as fierce as before.

  Tai Shi Lan looked around the city head for a while, first discovering that Long Chao had suddenly disappeared, and ordered someone to find him. The person who came back said that Long Chao went down to help patrol the city, and Tai Shi Lan didn't think much of it either. He then remembered the Western barbarian army's rear **, which he had seen from a high place in the arrow tower earlier, and seemed to have an epiphany. He asked Li Fu Zhou: "Was it you who led people through the enemy formation? A Jianghu person?"

  "They're covering for me." Li Fu Zhou smiled with a hint of apology, "After all, they are people from the jianghu, and generally do not get involved in national disputes. What they can do is to tie up the Western soldiers, so that I can pass through smoothly. You don't know, the entire northern city outside thirty miles has been sealed off by the Western soldiers."

  Tai Shi Lan turned his head to look at him, and under the faint light of dawn, he saw that he was actually in a state of dishevelment. His usually neat blue robe was stained with bloodstains and mud, with half of the collar torn off, and even his temples seemed to have been shaved off a bit. It could be imagined that earlier, he had single-handedly charged through the Western Fan army, experiencing an intense battle.

  The soldiers from all sides cast admiring glances - going alone into the midst of a million troops, though surrounded by thousands and tens of thousands, I go forward with ease. This is what it means to be a hero in this world!

  "It's not apparent that Mr. Li is refined and courteous." Wang Qianzong smiled, "To have such unparalleled martial power and bravery, especially the latter, which is even more rare in times of crisis - Tai Shi young lady is indeed fortunate."

  Li Fu Zhou lowered his eyes and smiled.

  Tai Shi Lan was silent for a moment before saying, "Perhaps."

  Li Fu Zhou seemed to have been slightly shaken. The others were still pondering, and Tai Shi Lan, who was usually concise, had expressed something profound with the fewest words possible. Tai Shi Lan had already changed the subject, "Let's go tidy up the barracks."

  She walked away first, and Li Fu Zhou followed behind her. After taking two steps, she turned back to see Shen Mei Hua, Su Ya Hua, Xun Huan and others still standing in their original positions, smiling with pursed lips, not one of them following.

  Seeing him turn back, Shen Meihua giggled, Su Ya opened her eyes, and Hua Xunhuan waved her hand vigorously, "Go quickly! Go quickly!"

  Li Fu Zhou seemed slightly embarrassed, that calm and composed person's face suspiciously flushed red, then he silently bowed, without saying another word, turned around and walked into the barracks.

  Tai Shi Lan never looked back from start to finish.

  Watching the two enter the guardhouse, Huaxun smiled with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed: "One hero bravely charges into a thousand armies to rescue a beauty, one has a cold face but a warm heart with hidden waves... Ah, spring is over, but peach blossoms are about to bloom."

  "All the good Chinese cabbage has been rooted up by pigs..." Shen Meihua muttered in a voice as low as possible - she was afraid of being beaten up, and also had to admit to herself that it wasn't pigs that had rooted up the good Chinese cabbage.

  Su Ya remained silent, her eyes slightly melancholic.

  There was no one in the room, and those who were there had tactfully slipped away. Tai Shi Lan still seemed completely unaware of what was going on, sat down on a stool and said: "Thank you for saving me."

  Li Fu Zhou leaned against the door and smiled at her, "I thought you wouldn't thank me."

  He smiled peacefully, but his expression was slightly melancholic.

  Tai Shi Lan understood his meaning - being close enough, there was no need to thank him again. Thanking someone ultimately created a distance between them.

  She remained silent, unaccustomed to explaining and unwilling to explain. But suddenly a faint flame of anger rose up from the bottom of her heart.

  It's not like it started with her... If you say there must be something, then it didn't start with her.

  She had subtle emotions, but couldn't resist his broad smile. Such a smile contained everything, yet nothing; everyone was in it, and therefore, no one was in it.

  Also includes her.

  Even if he goes down the martial forest for her, even if he gathers Jianghu fellow travelers for her, even if he risks his life to charge into the enemy's array for her, even if he risks his life to pounce on the arrow tower for her.

  What he did moved people so much that it seemed as if sunlight had suddenly shone into their eyes, and when they looked up again, the sky was vast and wide.

  However, when she really tried to get close, she found that the gentle breeze was still far away in the sky, warmly and broadly blowing over, it was a real warmth, but couldn't be grasped.

  Perhaps he is so good, so good that it creates an illusion, making people think they see a new world, when in fact he is still in his own world - one that seems transparent and clear, but is actually shrouded in mist and fog.

  She can't shrink herself into an inch after all, and takes a step into his vast world.

  The person opposite her, gentle and sincere, but she knew that he was as stubbornly persistent as she was. If it were to be broken, it wouldn't be broken by others, only by herself drawing her sword and bursting out, shattering the heavens and earth.

  She sat silently, her lips tightly pursed. From Li Fu Zhou's angle, he only saw the green and gray on her cheek, which stuck to her delicate skin, but it didn't look dirty, instead, it added a rare charm to her.

  Li Fu Zhou involuntarily walked over, stretched out his finger to gently wipe away the dirt, his fingertips moved lightly and softly, Tai Shi Lan didn't move.

  Li Fu Zhou's hand fell again and landed on her shoulder.

  "Your shoulders have been bruised, and the wound medicine is useless." He said, "I'll give you a massage to activate the blood circulation, and then apply some medicated oil later. You'll recover faster that way." Before Tai Shi Lan could refuse or agree, his fingertips had already begun to press down gently.

  Tai Shi Lan didn't say anything and closed her eyes.

  The air calmed down, and only the sound of two people's breathing could be heard. They were both taking shallow breaths, with strong self-control. At first, they intentionally avoided each other, one advancing and the other retreating. Gradually, however, they became as one, transcending their respective domains, wandering in the other person's breath. Like two flowers that were quietly blooming on the city wall, amidst the smell of gunpowder and iron blood, amidst the cries of killing and the clash of white blades, their fragrance merged.

  It was as if, with her eyes closed, she had severed the most sensitive of sensory organs, and Taishi Lan's other senses became even more acute. She felt his breath on top of her head, rustling her disheveled hair, causing a slight itch that also made her heart flutter slightly. She felt the warmth of his fingertips, a warm current surging into her wound, vast and gentle, where it flowed, her blood vessels seemed to learn to flow smoothly; although she couldn't see him, in her mind's eye, she saw the transparent outline of his four sides, sketching out his slightly lowered body, the beautiful lines of his lower jaw, his long fingers, the dark blue inch by inch fading away from the bruise on his shoulder and back, moving forward, all the way forward...

  She suddenly shuddered.

  Li Fu Zhou's hand also stopped.

  The fingertips slightly lifted, wanting to yield but feeling too obvious in doing so, resulting in a somewhat awkward posture.

  Perhaps both of them had other things on their minds, perhaps Li Fu Zhou was distracted, or perhaps the warmth and distance in this moment of intense fighting was too captivating. Li Fu Zhou pressed down on his opponent's shoulder, and unexpectedly crossed the boundary. It wasn't until this moment that he felt a slight protrusion under his fingers, and suddenly came to his senses.

  Both of them were momentarily stunned, but both were people who controlled their emotions extremely well. After Li Fu Zhou's awkward pause, his hand fell again and landed back on Tai Shi Lan's shoulder.

  However, he was somewhat flustered and when he withdrew his hand, the button on his sleeve got tangled in Tai Shi Lan's hair. Li Fu Zhou went to untangle it, just as Tai Shi Lan also raised her hand to do so.

  The two hands touched together, her fingertips touching his palm.

  Another meal.

  Li Fu Zhou didn't know what he was thinking either, and suddenly grasped that hand.

  Tai Shi Lan was stunned, motionless and speechless.

  Li Fu Zhou stared blankly at the hand in her palm, which was not particularly slender, nor did it resemble a woman who had practiced martial arts for a long time with thick and rough bones. Instead, it was slender and lustrous, with no gaps between the fingers, and the fingernails were not painted with henna or a pale pink color like pearls, but a solid white that felt like jade that had been snowed on, similar to the feeling she gave people.

  His hands weren't very clean, and anyone who had been climbing on the city walls for half a day couldn't keep them clean. The edges of his palms were scratched and bleeding slightly, and he couldn't help but clench them tightly with a hint of pity.

  The emotions at this moment are like being separated by a layer of velvet, holding onto the treasured porcelain that one has always yearned for, yet not knowing if it can truly belong to oneself.

  Tai Shi Lan still didn't move, but suddenly said: "Li Fu Zhou."

  "Call me... Fu Zhou."

  Tai Shi Lan fell silent for a while before speaking again, "Li Fu Zhou, one must be very brave to forget past events."

  Li Fu Zhou's hand trembled slightly, and he suddenly lowered his head to look at Tai Shi Lan. The morning light cast a shadow on her profile, like an unfolded fan, and Tai Shi Lan's quiet and firm side profile was like the elegant lady on the fan.

  Li Fu Zhou ultimately did not insist on his requested title. After a long while, he said in a gentle voice: "There will always be someone with that kind of bravery."

  "Not now?"

  Silence was his answer.

  Tai Shi Lan seemed no longer needed to answer, she quietly turned her face away.

  The sun slowly rose, and the earliest fell on the eastern side of the city's dark sentry house. A piece of brilliant golden light drove away the faint shadow of dawn, falling on her eyebrows and eyes. In this moment, the quiet lady-like figure transformed into a fierce female general under the sky, welcoming the wind.

  This is really her.

  She would never accept uncertainty, a step forward in emotions requires a clear starting line like the Chu River and Han Border.

  Li Fu Zhou stared blankly at her back, seemingly losing himself for half a day, but after a while, he let out a long sigh.

  The two of them stopped talking, maintaining the posture where she sat with her body half-turned, lifting her hand, and he stood behind her, holding her hand and placing it on his chest.

  It seems like it's been a very long time.

  Or just a flash of lightning.

  Tai Shi Lan slowly withdrew his hand.

  Li Fu Zhou's palm slightly retracted, for an instant seeming to want to hold back, but then stiffened and stopped moving.

  Suddenly, a figure flashed at the door, and someone rushed in hastily, saying: "Miss Taishi, are you all right? The young master somehow heard that you were in danger and insisted on bringing me to see you... Hmm? You two?"

  At the door stood Zhao Thirteen, with a piece of Jingdezhen porcelain in his arms. He stared blankly at the two people whose hands had not yet parted, mouth agape. The Jingdezhen porcelain also stared blankly at the two people, mouth agape. A five-spice broad bean hanging from its mouth dropped onto Zhao Thirteen's hand with a plop.

  "You..." Zhao Thirteen said.

  "You...!" Jing Tai's small face turned white, then red, then white again, and she shouted angrily, "**!"

  Zhao Thirteen frowned - wasn't this line supposed to be our National Grandfather's?

  Tai Shi Lan withdrew his hand, stood up, stretched his muscles and bones, nodded, and said: "Indeed much better, thank you." As he walked out, when passing by Zhao Thirteen's side, he casually took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of Jing Tai Blue's mouth, and carelessly tucked the handkerchief into Zhao Thirteen's collar, saying: "Since you're here, don't just stand there, go help on the city wall."

  Zhao Thirteen subconsciously turned around and walked out for a long time before he realized that he had just caught someone in the act? Then he got angry, then he planned to... then what?

  Then nothing happened.

  This woman... doesn't she know what it means to have a guilty conscience?

  Zhao Thirteen carried the little blue up onto the city wall, the child in his arms fully armed, without a small helmet he wrapped an adult's half-body armor around him, and held an iron pot lid in his arms, with a small pot on his head. Shen Mei Hua rolled her eyes - was it necessary to go this far?!

  The shape is comical, but no one laughs, bloody chariots, iron-colored city walls, the massacre of life is fierce, and no one has the heart to take a second look at anything else.

  Jingtai Lan was originally resentful of his mother for abandoning him, but now that he's on the city wall, he's extremely happy. As soon as he sees Tai Shi coming over, he smiles and stretches out his hand to hug him. Just as his hand is halfway out, he suddenly sees a man with a ferocious face full of scars climbing up onto the city wall opposite him, with a strange and eerie smile on his face that's stained with blood, shining brightly in the faint light of the torches on the city wall.

  Jing Tai blue was shocked and trembled, the cry had not yet escaped his lips when he saw a soldier rush forward, with a pitchfork in hand, striking down at the man's spine with a loud "ka" sound, splitting open the white bones and red flesh.

  Jing Tai's mouth was agape, his small face instantly turned pale, and after a long while, his upper and lower teeth collided uncontrollably, making a "click" sound.

  His hand was still stiffly extended, unsure whether to withdraw it or not, when his body suddenly shook and he fell into a warm and familiar embrace.

  Jing Tai Lan immediately buried his head in that embrace, with a hint of refusal and resentment, rubbing hard.

  "What I showed you earlier, it's called Luanshi. In Luanshi, human life is not as valuable as a dog's." Tai Shi Lan's voice sounded above his head, still calm and peaceful, yet somehow, it made one feel a rare sense of pity.

  She gently stroked the child's smooth and soft hair, saying softly: "What you see now is real war, where lives are just numbers."

  Jing Tai Lan didn't lift his head, instead he held her even tighter. He sniffed the fresh blood scent on her soft armor, raised his face and looked at her with big, watery eyes that were slightly inquiring.

  "The emperor's business is to expand the territory." Tai Shi Lan patted him, indicating that he should be at ease, and continued, "Whenever a monarch has accomplished something, after stabilizing the national power, what they think about next is pointing their sword at the world, expanding their territory, leaving behind a legacy for the dynasty's eternity, to establish an eternal foundation. Therefore, there are endless wars, continuous battles, countless civilians displaced, and families torn apart by death."

  She pointed at the bottom of the city wall and then at the top, the blue glaze stopped trembling, turned her head and looked silently.

  "Aren't you afraid of losing me?"

  Jing Tai Lan immediately nodded vigorously.

  "Those old men and children will also be very afraid of losing their sons and fathers." Tai Shi Lan said in a low voice, "Put yourself in their shoes, you must remember."

  "Hmm." Jing Tai Lan sniffled his nose, "Don't fight."

  "No." Ta Shi Lan said coldly, "Those who invade our homes, provoke us without reason, are tyrannical and overbearing, cheat our people, and seize our land must be beaten, and beaten hard. We must beat them until they tremble with fear, until they flee in terror, until they no longer dare to be arrogant and lawless, cheating our parents. Remember, a country that is weak and ineffective in foreign policy cannot protect its citizens either. A country that cannot protect its citizens will eventually fall under the iron hooves of foreign invaders."

  Jingtai Lan listened with a seemingly understanding yet puzzled expression, then suddenly said: "Just like Mr. Li snatching Mami, I can also fight back. A child who cannot protect Mami will eventually lose Mami."

  "You can't even fight," Ta Shi Ran said. "A man who can't defeat all his enemies doesn't deserve to take a woman."

  Zhao Thirteen looked at Tai Shi's calm and serious expression, his arms crossed over his chest, and shivered slightly in the cold wind on the city wall - Master, do you want to practice the family's secret manual a bit deeper?

  Li Fu Zhou happened to be walking over and leaned against the city wall listening to the two people's conversation, smiling slightly.

  I didn't expect Tai Shi Lan to be like this.

  Everyone can see that she is good at war, and the most dazzling treasure in the war. The more chaotic the world is, the more opportunities she has to show her strong and unique qualities, and stand out. But no one thought that such a tough and calm person would not be a war maniac.

  She is sharp, because she encounters the strong and becomes stronger, like a clam, opening her hard shell to resist all prying sea waves, but deep inside, she gently holds a round pearl.

  "Go back." Tai Shi Lan patted Jing Tai Blue's big head, "Practice your skills well, and you'll be able to beat people up in the future."

  Zhao Thirteen brought down the blue glazed tile from the city gate, and the scorching sunlight suddenly swept across his head, sweeping over the arrow tower, and dawn broke.

  The clamor under the city gradually weakened, Taishi Luan turned around and saw that the Xifan soldiers had begun to retreat. The first wave of the siege was over.

  Almost at the moment when the Western soldiers retreated from the city head, all the new recruits fell to the ground, many people numbly issued a daze, and suddenly saw the bloodstains on their sides, the enemy's corpses piled up on the watchtower behind their shoulders, and suddenly began to vomit and cry painfully.

  There were also those who laughed loudly, generally nervous and jumping up and down, wildly cheering victory, but after being patted on the shoulder by a companion, they turned around with tears streaming down their face.

  At this moment, the city head was crazy, and no one came to stop it. Taishi Lan and Li Fu Zhou stood shoulder to shoulder in silence, watching.

  War is so cruel. Forged with blood and death into a steel temperament.

  This is just the first time, a necessary outburst. By the second wave, third wave... after one battle after another, these young civilians who have not seen bloodshed will be able to thrust their weapons into the enemy's heart without batting an eye.

  "They will become elite soldiers." Li Fu Zhou observed the performance of the new recruits around him, accurately pointing out the elites among them.

  Tai Shi Lan said, "War only brings people eternal trauma."

  Li Fu Zhou glanced at her and smiled.

  "Is there something else you're unwilling to say?" Ta Shi Lan asked, "You want to say... Ta Shi Lan doesn't seem like the kind of person who sympathizes with others."

  Li Fu Zhou was silent for a moment before speaking softly: "You are very good in my heart..."

  Tai Shi Lan seemed to have not heard that sentence and continued: "It just so happens that I also have something to say - you don't look like a truly warm person either."

  Li Fu Zhou's hand rested on the cold grey bricks of the city wall, his white hand in stark contrast to the dark bricks. It looked warm, but was actually a warm kind of cold. The sunlight silently slid across his fingertips.

  "Look at the sun," he said, "it will eventually warm up after being out for a long time."

  "There is no eternal daylight, but there is a night that never delays." Taishi Lan gazed at the sunset, narrowing his eyes.

  The two of them stopped talking and quietly watched the Western soldiers retreat. The general who had previously held a spear that almost took Tai Shi Lan's life looked at her fiercely under the big flag, then turned around and retreated into the rear formation.

  Li Fu-zhou fired a signal flare from the city wall to inform the allies outside the city to retreat.

  "We can only wait for the nearby Upper Garrison troops to send reinforcements or the Tianji Army to come and rescue us. The surrounding counties' military strength is insufficient, they can only defend themselves, it's useless to rely on them." Li Fu Zhou said, "At most three days, we can wait for the arrival of reinforcements. Is there enough food in the city?"

  "Missing two meals won't kill you."

  The eyes of the two men did not relax, both knowing that the shortage of food in the city was not the biggest crisis at present. As long as reinforcements could arrive within a few days, people would not starve to death, but the morale, military strength and weakness of the inner city walls were the greatest weaknesses of Beijian. The 3,000 insufficient lower officials' soldiers were scattered among the four city gates, with lax military preparations, loose discipline, and low combat effectiveness. Last night, they relied on the stimulation of new recruits to hold on.

  "I only hope they can adapt quickly and get through this." Li Fu Zhou's hand rested on the city wall, his eyes filled with a faint worry. "The Western barbarians have launched a surprise attack from the mountains, without bringing dry rations, so they must rely on plunder to sustain themselves. Therefore, the upcoming siege will only become more brutal."

  Tai Shi Lan didn't speak, gazing at those green youths, they stopped crying and began to slowly push down the dead bodies on the city wall.

  Huotiger brought people to deliver dry rations, a large basket of coarse flatbread and another large basket of pickled vegetable soup. The vegetables were collected from the peasants' homes. Too many people had crowded into the city, and oil and salt were suddenly in short supply. But without salt, the soldiers would lose their strength, so Taishi Ran ordered that the people be rationed for salt, rice and oil to ensure the soldiers' supplies.

  Tai Shi got up and wanted to go queue, but Li Fu Zhou pulled her back.

  "This is something the man should do."

  Tai Shi Lan raised an eyebrow, didn't think she needed to be taken care of, but didn't refuse either.

  Li Fu Zhou lined up at the back of the queue, and when the soldiers saw him with Tai Shi Lan, they voluntarily wanted to let him go first. Li Fu Zhou smiled and refused, but after a while, he took two pieces of flatbread and soup, which Tai Shi Lan had thought would require him to make two trips. However, Li Fu Zhou placed the bread in his palm, put the bowl on top of it, and held one in each hand, walking steadily over. Shen Mei Hua and others were giggling as they ate, and when Tai Shi Lan saw Li's comical appearance, he couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.

  She decided that even if the bowl wasn't very clean and the pancake might be a bit dirty because of it, she would definitely eat it anyway.

  Who would have thought that he came over, sat down beside her, and handed over the bowl and pancake, making a rustling sound with his palm. It wasn't until then that Tai Shi Lan saw that there was a clean oil paper under the bowl and pancake, separating the bottom of the bowl from the pancake and the distance between the pancake and his palm.

  In the steaming hot air, he smiled, and the salty vegetable soup in that smile smelled fragrant.

  Shen Mei Hua sat far away, nibbling on a pancake and raising an eyebrow, eating and laughing. If it weren't for her deep respect for Tai Shi Lan, she might have already started joking around freely.

  Tai Shi Lan received the soup and pancake, the pancake was rough and couldn't be bitten through with her teeth. She tore the pancake into pieces and soaked them in the soup. The pancake sank to the bottom, and red chunks of meat floated up. Upon closer inspection, they were braised beef.

  Tai Shi Lan raised his eyes to look at Li Fu Zhou, who smiled and said, "When we heard that Bei Yan was surrounded, we were drinking wine. The wine jar hadn't been put away yet when I started arranging the charge. I casually stuffed a piece of beef into my sleeve, thinking that every day in Bei Yan's inner city, grain, rice, and meat are transported from the outer city. With the inner city being surrounded, many civilians entered the city, so food must be scarce. Even if there is some, with your temperament, you would definitely let others eat first. So I brought a piece of beef for you to eat, at least it's something substantial."

  After finishing speaking, he casually drank the clear soup with salted vegetable leaves floating on it and smiled: "The taste is not bad, eat quickly, or it will get cold."

  Tai Shi Lan stared at the bowl of soup in a trance-like state, with the rising steam blocking her gaze.

  A gaze with a hint of bewilderment and nostalgia.

  In the vague memories before the age of three, it seemed that in a winter, when the hole under the Tianqiao Bridge was too cold to bear, her mother would take her to a small stall by the road and drink a bowl of beef noodle soup.

  The hot and sour soup is steaming, with a layer of bright red oil floating on top, sprinkled with brown-red pepper powder and five-spice powder. The color is rich and intense, enticing and tempting. A few pieces of gluten, rice noodles, and chrysanthemum greens float in the broth. She always picks out the rice noodles first to eat, savoring the chewy texture between her teeth, rolling it back and forth like the long, cold days of bitter sweetness.

  The mother generally didn't eat, sitting on one side watching. At that time she was still young and didn't know how to let her, lowering her head and drinking the soup with a gurgling sound, on a cold winter day she broke out in a sweat.

  When the sweat was about to drip down, mother's gray handkerchief was already waiting on one side. She gently wiped her face with it and used her palm to softly grasp and wipe away the beads of sweat from the tip of her nose.

  It's been so many years now.

  No matter how much sweat or tears fall, no one will wipe them away.

  She was lost in thought when a hand suddenly reached out.

  Her fingertips were gentle as she picked up a snow-white handkerchief and lightly wiped away the sweat from her brow.

  She lifted her face, with a complexion warmed by the heat, her eyebrows were even darker and her eyes were clearer, as fresh as a new flower under the morning dew.

  That flower bloomed on the city wall, among the ruins, its beauty was especially stunning because it didn't wither. Li Fu Zhou gazed at it intently, feeling a warmth and shock in his heart at this moment.

  But in an instant, his eyes flashed with the snow of that year, icy and pale, overwhelming everything.

  The corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile, that familiar and intimate, almost perfect smile.

  Tai Shi Lan opened her eyes, seemingly unaware of his sudden change in mood, from the peak of love to the depths of regret. She silently took another bowl and divided the beef soup into two halves, stuffing one half into Li Fu Zhou's hand.

  Li Fu Zhou didn't refuse either. The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder, drinking the soup, and the warm air rose up gently, covering their respective gazes.

  On the same day, Li Jing.

  "It seems like there's no letter from him today." In the study of the Jin State Duke's estate, Rong Chu was reclining on a soft couch, flipping through a stack of documents that his attendant had just brought in.

  "Master Gong," his study manager said in a low voice, "it's also possible that he might be late by one day."

  "I always feel a little uneasy." Rong Chu furrowed his brow, shifted his body, pulled out the thick soft cushion from under his waist and threw it aside.

  The housekeeper hastily ran over, holding the cushion in her hand - Old Lady Guo had repeatedly reminded Master that he must always have a cushion to support his waist, but Master never took it seriously. He had to hold it, just in case Old Lady Guo came to inspect the room again and could quickly stuff it back for Master.

  "You shouldn't have come back." Chong Chu rubbed his brow, looking tired and annoyed. "As soon as I came back, you made a big fuss over nothing, forcing me to rest for an illness that doesn't even exist, it's like being under house arrest. Can't my noble old lady just let me off?"

  The housekeeper lowered his head and smiled, not daring to respond. Rong Chu looked down at himself, then sighed, "Alas, seems like I've gained a bit of weight? Well, being a bit ugly makes me more compatible with that girl."

  The housekeeper rubbed her temples and thought "Who is that girl?" And should she tell the old lady about this important news?

  Rong Chu quickly flipped through the Chinese book in his hand, which was an analysis of recent military trends in the northwest region. His study staff had already written a summary, and on the surface, everything seemed normal.

  The military report in Rong Chu's hands rustled into a line, his hand suddenly stopped, pulled out one to take a closer look, murmured: "Xifan frequently appears and disappears on the west line of Nalan Mountain, Tianji Army is waiting in strict array." He looked at the note from the staff below: "The outer guard thinks that this move may be Xifan's deliberate deception or Xifan will launch a major attack on Tianji's main camp. We think that Xifan barbarians are not good at marching and deploying troops, and their strange and cunning ways must be intended to cross Nalan Mountain in the near future, seize the grasslands below the mountain, and there will be no major battles."

  Rong Chu's eyes narrowed slightly - Nalan Mountain? The Western Garrison of the Tianji Army was fifty miles west, and behind it was the Xifan territory. The north side of Nalan Mountain had a cold climate, while the south side had lush pastures. It was true that Xifan had always tried to seize the southern pasture, but crossing the high mountain was not convenient. Two mountains blocked each other, even if they seized the land, it would be difficult to stay for long. As early as when he guarded the northwest border, Xifan had almost given up on that idea, so why were they suddenly interested in Nalan Mountain again?

  "Nalan Mountain... Nalan Mountain..." Yong Chu's fingers tapped on the table, his fingertips unconsciously drawing a wavy line on the surface... Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he tossed the military report onto the table, stood up, and said, "Prepare my horse, notify the guards in the capital, I'm going out!"

  Digression

  Ah ah ah, the monthly ticket is going to be exploded! Ah ah ah, 360 degrees of prostration and stretching out hands to wail; "Thunderstorm! Rainstorm! Monthly ticket is a scam! Save... my... life..."