Chapter 119: To Be Proposed To Before Thousands Of Soldiers

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. And check out other stories too. 

At this moment, Old General Lin had already finished announcing the decree and handing over the marshal’s seal, yet he still had not left.

Even though the Princess had already accepted the decree and left to arrange various matters, he still remained seated in the reception hall of this separate courtyard of the Blood Flame Sect, and no one knew what he was waiting for.

Lin Ziyan, who always cared about her appearance, rushed over upon hearing the news. She had not even had time to fix her hair crown.

The moment she saw Old General Lin, she could not help but call out in a daze, “Father…”

Hearing this, Lin Zhenshi could not help but grip the armrest of the chair tightly. He looked with a stiff face at the person standing at the door.  

Many years had passed since they last met. Compared to when his daughter left home, she had lost her childishness and looked more steady now.  

Her face had not changed much compared to when she was young.  

While he already had white hair.  

The Old General Lin almost could not control the excitement in his heart and wanted to rush forward. But because of many years of resentment, what came out of his mouth was a cold scolding: "Who is your father?"  

Lin Ziyan’s heart stopped, and she finally stopped moving forward, caught in a dilemma.  

He really still would not forgive her...

Before Lin Ziyan could leave sadly, Lin Zimu, who had been silently standing behind the Old General Lin, called out, "Third Sister, come sit quickly! I have something to discuss with you."  

Lin Zimu secretly pointed at the back of the Old General Lin and winked at Lin Ziyan.  

His eager way of calling was as if this place was not the Blood Flame Sect’s territory, but the Lin family’s land.

Seeing his obvious hint, Lin Ziyan finally did not choose to shrink back again. She gathered courage and stepped closer to the old General Lin.  

Just then, a servant brought tea. Lin Ziyan took the tea and knelt at the old General Lin’s feet, respectfully saying, "Father, please drink tea."  

Lin Zhenshi tried hard to control his hand that wanted to take the tea but would not obey him. He sneered, "I do not dare, I do not dare. I am just a crude soldier. How could I be the father of you, an elder of the Demonic Sect? I cannot drink tea offered by an elder of the Demonic Sect."  

Lin Ziyan felt a little bitter in her heart.

Unexpectedly, even after so many years, this person still holds anger in his heart.  

When she was young, she eloped with her father's concubine and was kicked out of the family by her father.  

Since then, the Lin family was no longer her home. In the unstable Jianghu, she found shelter in the Blood Flame Sect, living a life like licking blood on the tip of a knife*.  

*living dangerously 

From then on, her family became the past. Only her beloved and friends from the Demonic Sect were her only warmth, helping her through almost twenty years.  

Over these years, she secretly went to the Lin family many times. Although her father did not stop her from visiting other relatives, he never wanted to meet or recognize her.

And she could only look at her father from afar at most. To talk face to face like this was the first time in many years.  

Her father seemed to have clearly shown by his actions that she chose to walk the road of no return. He said he kicked her out, so he would not take back his words. She should not think to call him father again in this life.  

With a soft sigh, Lin Ziyan felt she should change how she spoke and respectfully called out, "General Lin..."

However, this one word made Old General Lin even angrier.  

He swung his big sleeve and knocked over the tea cup in Lin Ziyan’s hand on the spot.  

The cup broke with a sound. The Blood Flame Sect guards nearby immediately held back their weapons, ready to attack at any moment.  

Sensing the killing intent around, the imperial soldiers standing opposite also became alert and prepared to act.  

Seeing the situation was tense, Lin Zimu quickly stepped forward to help Lin Ziyan, handing her a silk cloth to wipe the hot tea spilled on the back of her hand. At the same time, he glanced at their father and said helplessly,  

“The matter of delivering the decree was enough for me and General Qi to handle. If you really wanted to come to see Third Sister, that is fine, but why are you putting on airs?!

That voice was not loud, but not quiet either. It was clear enough for both Lin Ziyan and Lin Zhenshi to hear.  

Suddenly exposed by Lin Zimu’s sharp words, no matter how angry Lin Zhenshi was, his face still flushed with shame.  

“Bastard! What nonsense are you talking about?!”  

Afraid that this unfilial son would reveal more embarrassing things, Old General Lin swung his sleeve and left on the spot. Before leaving with his guards, he said,  

“I will return to the station first. Tomorrow I will come again to welcome Her Highness. You stay here and be ready to obey Her Highness’s orders anytime.”  

The old man’s fleeing posture made Lin Zimu both laugh and cry.

Fearing that the long-standing estrangement and conflict between the two would worsen because of this after their father left, he did not care about his father's pride and quickly explained to Lin Ziyan.  

"The old man’s temper has grown worse these years. Third sister, do not take it to heart. Actually, deep down, he misses you very much. When he was at the manor, he often secretly took out your portrait to look at... This time he insisted on coming, I guess he wanted to use this chance to make peace with you. But he would not speak to you properly, always saying things to annoy you... You know, he actually wants you to come home and visit, but he cannot lower his pride and does not know how to start..."  

"Do not worry, I understand."  

Lin Ziyan gave a bitter smile. She did not ask more about their father but patted her brother’s shoulder and casually asked, "When are you leaving?"  

How can blood ties be severed just like that?

No matter how angry or full of hate, they still think of each other in their hearts.  

But Lin Ziyan also knew, if not for the war being important and because of that Princess in the house, no matter how much her father missed her, he would never have come to her place by himself.  

“Tomorrow.”  

“Then stay tonight and have dinner with me. It has been a long time. We can catch up and you can tell me about Mother.”  

The afternoon sun was bright.  

The two walked side by side, visiting the garden in the house together.

Lin Ziyan patiently listened to Lin Zimu talk about all the small matters at home, now and then responding with a laugh.  

Though the siblings had lived far apart, there was no awkwardness between them when they met again.  

After talking about some stupid things done by his son Lin Xingyang, Lin Zimu suddenly realized—they were no longer the children they once were, but people in their forties, already halfway old.  

Time had passed. Who would have thought that the little rascal who used to chase after her with a wooden sword would now be a father himself? Maybe in a few more years, he could even be holding a grandson.

Looks like they really have to admit they are getting old now.  

Thinking back to when they were young, and remembering his sister's ambition, Lin Zimu could not help but suggest,  

"Third Sister, there is still a vacant vanguard position under Father’s command. Why not… come with us to the battlefield this time, what do you think?"

Lin Ziyan was stunned for a moment, then gave a soft laugh as she declined, “No, that would not be proper. I am now a person of the Demonic Sect. If I go to the army as a vanguard, I fear I will only bring you unnecessary trouble.”

“But Third Sister, do not forget—even if Father does not acknowledge you, you are still a part of the Lin family. The great merits our family earned more than ten years ago had your share in them too! Now the army is short on manpower. If you could join us in this campaign, would it not be a good chance to realize your old ambition? Let the world see that women too can protect the country and make great achievements!”

“To protect the country and make great achievements…”

Lin Ziyan looked slightly dazed, and could not help recalling a few memories from twenty years ago, back when she was still young.

In her youth, she had once snuck alone into the enemy camp and set fire to their provisions.  

On the bloody battlefield, she had also once taken off an enemy general’s head with a single spear thrust.  

The title of "Death God" bestowed upon the Third Young Miss of the Lin family was one she earned with her own hands on the battlefield.

Back then, among all the siblings, the one their father valued most was her.  

He had personally taught her all kinds of military tactics—formations, troop deployments, and command strategies...

She once thought that in the future, as a woman, she would protect her country, make a name for herself, and live up to the good reputation of the Lin family’s military lineage.  

That was her obsession when she was young, and she worked hard for many years because of it.  

But after that, she chose to leave behind her battle armor for the mortal world and disappear into the Jianghu.

That was her choice. Though it had some regrets, she still had no regrets to this day.  

Thinking of this, Lin Ziyan gave a bitter smile and said, "It is all in the past. Back then, I was young and reckless, not knowing how big the world was. Now, living in the Jianghu, I just want to live well."  

"But..."  

Before Lin Zimu could continue to persuade, Lin Ziyan interrupted him, "Enough with the buts. I have made up my mind. Do not try to change it. The battlefield... is no longer a place for me. Blades have no eyes. On the battlefield, you must be very careful. Take good care of yourself and Father."

Although in front of his soldiers, Lin Zimu was a mighty and awe-inspiring general, and in front of Lin Xingyang, he was a strict and commanding father, yet in front of Lin Ziyan, he was still that obedient younger brother from childhood.

Since his Third Sister did not regret the path she had chosen, he could not force her to walk a road she no longer wished to take.

No matter how unwilling he felt, in the end, he still chose to fall silent and said no more about it.

"Oh? What a coincidence. Third Sister, look—over there, is that Chang'an?"

Following Lin Zimu's voice and looking to the side, Lin Ziyan then noticed those few familiar figures sitting in the lakeside pavilion.

It was not only Chang’an—the Princess and General Qi, who came today, were also there.

Lin Ziyan did not know the past between those few, but Lin Zimu, who had long lived in the capital, had heard quite a few rumors.

Thanks to Lin Xingyang, he had even known early on that the fake Consort seen in the palace back then was actually the Young Master of the Blood Flame Sect.

As for why the Second Princess lived in a separate courtyard of the Blood Flame Sect, others might not know the reason, but he had some idea in his heart.

Now, seeing the three of them gathered together, thinking of how most officials in the capital spoke with such emotion about the feelings between General Qi and the Princess, then recalling that the Young Master’s arrogant temper in the past, Lin Zimu could not help but mutter worriedly, “They are not going to fight, are they…?”

After all, after the Princess had received the imperial decree, she had taken General Qi out alone...

If they happened to bump into each other by chance, it would be hard not to misunderstand, right?

Lin Ziyan halted in her steps. After learning what had happened, she quickly led Lin Zimu to change their path and head toward the pavilion. She had to stop their Young Master from being bullied.

However, once they got closer, Lin Ziyan realized that not only did Young Master Meng not show the slightest hint of grievance as she had imagined, but she was even greeting General Qi with proper manners—clearly the polite demeanor of a host treating a guest with courtesy.

That attitude doesn't look like the kind of jealousy between rivals...

“Since we will be setting out tomorrow, General Qi may as well stay at the residence tonight, to avoid the exhaustion going back and forth. It just so happens we can also host a banquet tonight to welcome General Qi and cleanse the dust of your journey.”

The Young Master’s clothes today had been specially chosen by Meng Muxin for her.

That pale blue robe matched exactly with the Princess’ dress in both color and shade—even the silk ribbon she used to cover her eyes was of the same hue.

With the two of them standing together like that, they looked especially well-matched.

But faced with the Young Master dressed in women’s clothes, Qi Yi could not bring himself to say “Prince Consort,” so he could only politely reply, “Thank you for your kind offer, Miss Meng, but there are many soldiers who have come with me this time. We will just set up camp outside the city. Otherwise, I fear we may disturb everyone…”

“General Qi may rest assured. There are plenty of empty rooms in the residence. You and your soldiers may stay with ease.”

At this moment, the Young Master was leaning naturally against the Princess’ side, holding tightly onto the Princess’ hand.

She gave a slight smile, then continued, “You are Her Highness’ friend, then you are my friend too. It is rare for you to come here. If we do not treat you well, how will I have the face to face Her Highness in the future?”

Though her eyes were covered and she had not looked him in the eye, and her sickly figure seemed as if she might collapse at any moment, the words she spoke carried no hint of weakness. It was as if she were declaring some kind of sovereignty to him. Yet, the courtesy and goodwill in her tone left no flaw for anyone to find fault with.

Qi Yi instinctively looked toward the Princess, truly wanting to ask if this girl had misunderstood something.

Li Qiubai gave a helpless smile, yet the words she spoke clearly showed indulgence.

“She is right. Since that is the case, then stay the night.”

Without waiting for Qi Yi to refuse, Lin Zimu, who had just stepped into the pavilion and witnessed the undercurrent, hurried forward and bowed to express his gratitude.

"Then I will obey your command. I, Lin, would like to thank Young Master Meng for her hospitality on behalf of all the soldiers."

Thus, it became even harder for Qi Yi to refuse.

However, it was the people of the Blood Flame Sect who were worn out by that sudden invitation from the Young Master.

This time, although Lin Zimu and Qi Yi had only come to deliver the imperial decree, their arrival was by no means quiet. They brought along several hundred soldiers in grand formation.

Adding to that were Yu Jin, Yuechu, and the others from the Princess' residence who had originally followed the Princess south from the capital. All of them also moved out from Qingyang Clan, where they had been temporarily staying.

If it were just for an ordinary meal, it would not have been a problem. But if they wanted to prepare a proper banquet for so many people, then they would normally need to make reservations several days in advance just to hire enough chefs to cook. With the Young Master’s sudden idea, wanting to prepare the banquet that very evening—if it were any ordinary household, it truly might not have been possible.

Luckily, there were still many restaurants in Yecheng run by the Blood Flame Sect. Liu Sanniang and Leng Shaoying ran back and forth several times and finally managed to gather enough chefs and ingredients from various restaurants.

Though the banquet was said to be held to welcome and honor Qi Yi, Lin Zimu, and the other soldiers, those close to the Young Master could all guess—it was clearly this child’s way of sending off that Princess.

The banquet was grand and proper in every respect.

The ordinary soldiers outside, unaware of the truth, only thought that the host was hospitable—able to put so much effort even into an ordinary meal. Since the leading generals allowed it, they naturally took it as a well-deserved reward.

But the trusted friends had all gathered in the inner hall. The elders sat at one table, and the younger ones sat at another. Not only were Shu Yao and Shen Lingyun present, even He Changping and Ye Wuyou had come.

It was rare for everyone to be gathered in one place.

It was clearly meant to be a farewell banquet, yet with such a setup, it looked as though the Young Master wanted to introduce the Princess to her close family—telling everyone what the Princess meant to her.

Of course, if the Young Master were not still unwell, this banquet truly would have resembled a wedding feast.

Unfortunately, in her current state, many who cared for her could not bring themselves to feel happy.

As for the person in question, the Young Master Meng only showed her face briefly, took a few bites, and then pulled the Princess back to their room—so she would not have to keep hearing those soft sighs of pity.

Inside the room, the two who were about to part held each other tightly, leaning against the doorframe.

Tonight, the Princess had drunk a few cups of wine, and there was still a faint scent of alcohol on her body.

Leaning against the Princess’ shoulder, Meng Chang’an slowly moved closer to her neck, lightly inhaling that gentle wine fragrance, and whispered, “Elder Brother and Wuyou both promised me—they will go to the battlefield with you and protect you well. Your martial arts are weak, so do not handle everything yourself. If anything comes up, just leave it to the subordinates…”

“Alright.”

Li Qiubai gently stroked the back of the Young Master's neck and also reminded her. “I will leave Yuechu behind to look after you. You must take your medicine, heal properly, and wait for me to return in peace.”

Hearing that, the Young Master let out a soft laugh. As she raised her hand to caress the Princess' cheek, she could not help but tease, “What, leaving a spy to watch over me? Are you afraid I will run away?”

“If I said yes, would you agree?”

“Your Highness has said so. How would I dare to disobey?”

At this moment, the Young Master’s fingertips were lightly tracing from the Princess’ brows downward, inch by inch, gently caressing. From top to bottom, then circling back upward. With her hand, she outlined the Princess’ face, engraving it deep into her heart.

Li Qiubai’s lips curved slightly.

She endured the ticklish sensation on her face, allowing the Young Master to do as she pleased.

Yet the Young Master never tired of it, drawing her features over and over again.

A long time passed—so long that even the Princess could no longer count how many times the Young Master had traced her face. Only then did she finally curl back her fingers with reluctance.

What followed was a warm touch falling upon the Princess’ cheek.

A kiss, light as a dragonfly skimming the water, landed twice on her face. Then, that person had already withdrawn.

Such a chaste kiss—one they had not shared in a long time. If it had been before, they would have long since been driven by desire, kissing each other with fiery passion.

Li Qiubai lowered her gaze, suppressing the sudden surge of impulse in her heart. In a hoarse voice, she asked, “Oh? And what is the meaning of this?”

“That day at the palace banquet, on the way back to Your Highness' residence, I asked you two questions in the carriage. You said if I kissed you twice, you would tell me…”

Li Qiubai was briefly stunned. She thought carefully for a long while before finally recalling what had happened that night when they had left the palace.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. And check out other stories too. 

Back then, the Princess had not yet opened her heart to the Young Master. And the Young Master had not understood the Princess’ flirtations. No matter how much she hinted or tried to seduce her, this person remained unmoved.

So much so that, when the Young Master had curiously asked about her relationship with Qi Yi inside the carriage, the Princess had replied that if she kissed her once, she would answer one question, and if she kissed her twice, she would answer two questions. The Young Master had only thought she was teasing her, and angrily refused.

Thinking of this, Li Qiubai could not help teasing, “But did you not say then that you did not want to know the answer?”

Meng Chang’an now truly regretted it. Why had she not dared to kiss her right then?

“…I want to know now.”

Hearing this, the Princess could not help but laugh even more happily.

Now suddenly bringing up the old matter again—clearly, the Young Master must be feeling jealous today.

“Kissing twice was the price back then. Now, it is no longer that cheap.”

What? It even went up?

The Young Master fumed silently. She really wanted to scold her for being a swindler, yet had no choice but to lean in again, find the spot on the Princess’ cheek, and plant another kiss.

“Is that enough now?”

The Princess was clearly pleased, but what she said sounded just like a rascal: “Of course it is not. Do I look like someone who is that easy to bribe?”

Now the Young Master was truly angry. She bit down on the Princess’ chin in a huff and asked fiercely, “Then what do you want?”

“Hiss…”

Li Qiubai took a sharp breath, but the smile in her voice did not lessen. “I want many things. Can you promise all of them?”

The Young Master bit hard on the Princess’s neck again, snorting coldly. “I will not promise anymore. I do not want to know. You do not have to say it!”

The Princess let the Young Master bite her freely, without dodging. She curled her lips and tightened her hands, pulling the Young Master closer.

“That is my maternal grandfather’s adopted son. Though he is not much older than me, if we talk about seniority, I have to call him ‘uncle’. Do you think there is anything between us?”

"Oh, so the real obstacle between you two is this insurmountable seniority gap... Hmm..." 

Hmm...why do you force someone to shut up when you cannot win the argument?

After that, Young Master Meng, who had been kissed until her legs went weak, could only lean softly against the Princess. She no longer had the heart to ask for any explanation.

The tenderness before parting was always so short-lived.

Even if it was just simply sleeping in each other’s arms, the Young Master still could not bear to sleep the whole night.

The next morning, the Princess stepped out of the Young Master’s room with a pair of dark circles under her eyes.

As she opened the door, she saw that Meng Muxin was already sitting at the stone table outside their room, having morning tea with Zhou Jinyi and Lin Ziyan.

When they came out, the three at the table turned their heads to look over at the same time.

It was Meng Muxin who spoke first.

“Last night, I had wanted to give you a meeting gift, but the two of you slipped away too quickly, so I had no chance to give it. Later on, the lights in your room stayed on all night, and I did not have the heart to disturb you…”

Seeing the Young Master’s face growing redder, and that she had already lowered her head and quietly hidden behind the Princess, Meng Muxin finally stopped talking, leaving her daughter a bit of dignity. She moved her gaze away from the red marks on the Princess’ neck, cleared her throat, and changed her words. “Ahem… So I could only wait until today to give it to you.”

Hearing this, Li Qiubai was momentarily stunned.

On the day they first met, she had thickened her skin and called Meng Muxin “Mother.” At that time, Meng Muxin had readily accepted it and even said she would make up for the change-of-address gift on another day.

The Princess had thought those were just polite words, but unexpectedly, she had truly prepared a meeting gift for her…

Looking at the wooden box personally handed over by Meng Muxin, Li Qiubai felt warmth surge in her heart. She did not keep up any pretense of being reserved, and solemnly replied as she accepted the box, “Then I thank Mother for this.”

Hearing this, Meng Muxin smiled and readily accepted the form of address.

“Hmm, good child. Open it and have a look.”

Li Qiubai had thought that the meeting gift Meng Muxin had prepared would be something like a jade pendant or some other little trinket.

After all, to her, the meeting gift itself was not that important. What mattered was that Meng Muxin could acknowledge the matter between her and Chang’an. This kind of support and attitude was what truly mattered to her.

Therefore, the Princess did not hold much expectation for the gift itself. So when she opened the box and saw that silver token, she was stunned for a moment and did not immediately realize what it was.

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Meng Muxin had already opened her mouth to explain.

“We have several granaries in Yuzhou. With this token, you can send word through the Blood Flame Sect’s base. At the fastest, in three days, at the slowest, within seven days, they can deliver five million shi* of grain to the battlefield.”

*unit of volume esp. for grain = 100 liters, 5M shi = 500M liters

Hearing this, Li Qiubai nearly failed to hold onto the token, and cried out in shock, “Fi… five million shi?”

One shi of grain could feed a single soldier for twenty days. Five million shi of grain could feed a million soldiers for over three months.

At present, the total troops stationed at the frontier, along with all reinforcements, amounted to no more than five hundred thousand men. This grain could feed the tens of thousands of soldiers at the Great Chang’s front line for a full half year!

And such a gift was merely a meeting gift that she had given away casually. Even someone like the Princess, who had seen much of the world, who had always kept her emotions hidden, and who is from the imperial family with rich private holdings, still could not help being shocked.

“What is it? Not enough?”

Meng Muxin guessed wrong and spoke again with some thought, “Let me see… we still have a few granaries in Cangzhou. If it really is not enough, I could gather a few million more shi for you. But Cangzhou is a bit farther from the front lines, and transporting it to the battlefield will not be easy. The time may not be so fast, and trouble may arise along the way…”

The more Li Qiubai listened, the more dazed she became.

Not enough?

How could this possibly not be enough?

Let alone a meeting gift—this would be more than enough even as a betrothal gift...

“No, no…”

Seeing that Meng Muxin was getting more and more serious with her calculations, the Princess no longer dared to accept the gift with such peace of mind like before. She quickly pushed the box back to her. “This gift is too heavy. I cannot accept it. Besides, the imperial court has military provisions. It is not my place to use private grain...”

“There are plenty of corrupt officials in your imperial court. If someone tampers with your military provisions, would you not end up being controlled by others? You must know, when two armies face off, provisions must come first. The battlefield is no child’s play. You absolutely must not suffer any setbacks because of this.”

At the end of her words, Meng Muxin even pretended to sigh in distress, “Or is it that, in truth, Your Highness does not wish to acknowledge me as her mother, and that is why you are being so polite?”

Li Qiubai’s eyes grew hot.

She had never thought that, after the death of her imperial mother, she would still be able to feel this kind of care from a mother in someone else...

“Do not worry, Your Highness. Your mother has plenty of money and grain. You can just accept it with peace of mind. Besides, it may not even be needed. It is only prepared as a backup path for you. Otherwise, if Chang’an stays here worrying about you every day, we would have even more of a headache.”

At the side, Lin Ziyan also stood up and spoke to persuade her. Before the Princess could say anything, she continued, “But, as your godmother, I am not as wealthy as your mother, so I cannot give you much. It just so happens I recently forged three thousand sets of fine steel armor, which have not yet been sent back to the sect. I will treat them as a meeting gift for Your Highness.”

Li Qiubai was stunned on the spot.

Three thousand sets of fine steel armor???

In the army of the Great Chang Dynasty, the ordinary soldiers usually wore simple cloth or leather armor.

Only officers ranked centurion and above were issued iron armor.

And only commanders ranked captain and above could be given specially-made fine armor.

Back then, the Kingdom of Qi’s five thousand fine-armored cavalry had made their name in one battle, relying on those specially-crafted suits of armor. Ordinary blades and swords could hardly harm them, and regular soldiers were even more powerless to fight back. If they encountered that fine-armored cavalry head-on, the outcome was often only suffering losses.

Now, these three thousand sets of fine armor had actually become something she could obtain with ease?

With these, she could fully build a troop no weaker than the Kingdom of Qi’s elite armored cavalry...

“Do not worry, Your Highness. You do not need to trouble yourself to transport them. I already had Zimu bring them over. Just use them with peace of mind.”

Li Qiubai truly did not know whether to laugh or cry. She really wanted to say: You are being far too thoughtful.

However, before the Princess could speak, Zhou Jinyi had already let out a helpless sigh.

“What is wrong with the two of you? One bringing grain, the other bringing armor—someone who does not know better might think you are planning a rebellion.”

Those three thousand suits of armor were originally prepared by Lin Ziyan for the people of the Blood Flame Sect.

The Blood Flame Sect of today was no longer the ruffians of the past.

Over the past ten-plus years, under the leadership of these few, the Blood Flame Sect had already taken on the air of a proper city, and nearly everyone in that “city” was capable of donning armor and going to battle.

They were merely hidden deep in the mountains and forests, away from the eyes of the world.

After all, with the realm in turmoil, though they did not wish to rise in rebellion, they still had to prepare a path of retreat for themselves—lest the fall of the nation one day also become the ruin of their home.

Grain, arms, and wealth—these were the very foundation upon which the Blood Flame Sect survived.

It was fortunate that everyone present here was one of their own. Otherwise, with the scale of what Meng Muxin and Lin Ziyan were giving away, it would surely have provoked suspicion and fear.

Only when she saw that the Princess showed no other emotion besides shock did Zhou Jinyi step forward with a faint smile and speak.

"I am not as vulgar as they are, always giving worldly possessions. What I have prepared for Your Highness is twenty disciples from the Divine Doctors Sect. They are all outstanding talents among the younger generation. They will accompany you as military physicians, and you may command them as you wish. If they are not enough, just send a letter anytime, and I will send you more."

The medical skills of the Divine Doctors Sect's disciples often surpassed even those of the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau.

In the past, people of the martial world never involved themselves in court affairs. For something like this—to have disciples of the Divine Doctors Sect accompany the army as physicians—this was the first time Li Qiubai had ever seen such a thing…

And there were even twenty disciples at once…

The Princess was dumbfounded on the spot by these surprises coming one after another.

Yet the Young Master who had been hiding behind her still felt a bit wronged. She lay against the Princess’ back, groped to press down on the back of her hand, and pulled the wooden box into the Princess' arms. At the same time, she muttered with grievance, “Did Master and Auntie not come? Did they not want to prepare a meeting gift for my Highness…”

One must know, in the entire Blood Flame Sect, the wealthiest were not her mother—but her Master and Auntie.

Lin Ziyan quickly coaxed with a laugh, “Do not worry, since we have given gifts, they surely will not be able to get away. It is just that the two of them seemed to have had a quarrel in the past couple of days. Your Auntie probably has no mood to prepare gifts. I heard she smashed several vases already, so your Master is most likely busy coaxing her. Once Your Highness returns in triumph, we will definitely help you wring a nice gift out of your Master.”

Only then did the Young Master look a bit more satisfied and urged the Princess to quickly accept the gift and give thanks.

Upon hearing that several vases had been smashed, Zhou Jinyi instantly felt guilty.

Fortunately, everyone’s gaze was now fixed on the Princess in battle armor, so no one noticed her guilty expression…

“Your Highness, it is time to depart.”

At the courtyard gate stood Lin Zimu, who had come to urge them along.

Yuechu had already packed the Princess' travel belongings. With red-rimmed eyes, she accompanied the Young Master to send the Princess off to the gates of the residence before handing the luggage over to the personal guards from the Princess’ Manor.

Outside the residence, rows upon rows of soldiers stood in orderly formation on both sides of the road, grand and imposing, quietly waiting for the Princess to arrive.

The line of soldiers stretched endlessly down the road.

Without even looking, just by hearing the rising and falling sound of hooves, the Young Master could tell how huge the force was.

She no longer held tightly to the Princess' hand but quietly pulled her hand away and placed it behind her back, pretending to be relaxed as she said goodbye.

“Go with peace of mind. Do not worry about me. I will stay here and rest well. Waiting for your victorious return.”

Now that she was no longer the “Prince Consort,” she naturally did not dare to be too close to the Princess in front of others.

The Young Master thought the Princess felt the same, but unexpectedly, the Princess ignored everything and turned around in front of the thousands of soldiers to tightly embrace her.

The hard battle armor felt slightly cold.

As she leaned against the armor on the Princess’ body, the Young Master only felt her heart grow soft and warm.

The Princess had not said a word, yet she could still sense just how unwilling she was to part.

“I will wait for you.”

The Young Master lightly tugged at the Princess’ shoulder guard and softly said, “When you return victorious, you must remember to repay me with a firework display.”

“Alright.”

They had clearly agreed to watch another firework display together.

But now, who knows if that wish could still come true.

Sensing the Young Master's hidden sorrow, the Princess did not hesitate and leaned close to her ear, softly whispering all the thoughts and wishes she had held back the night before.

“When I return victorious, let us get married, alright?”

It was the first time in the Young Master’s life that someone had proposed to her, by her ear, in front of thousands of soldiers.

Author's Note:

This chapter is super long, praise me!