Chapter 3, Together (Part 2)

Zhao Zhongwen drew the bow himself, aimed at the bullseye, unsure whether he was comforting them or himself: "As long as you grasp the essentials, it's actually not that difficult..." An arrow shot out swiftly, hitting the target precisely.

Meng Tang's gaze swept over each person one by one, and everyone fell silent as if frozen in fear, not daring to breathe, afraid that those eight words would fall upon them. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, turned around, and strode away.

Zhao Zhongwen shook his head: "You will understand after staying for a while, the military is monotonous, and those with such habits are certainly not just one or two people. It cannot be managed; everyone is a man, and he is not bringing in a woman..."

Ziqing then clearly saw that the person called Gongsun Yi was tall, with a fair complexion and no beard. The slightly flared nostrils and the unabashedly lascivious look in his eyes made one feel utterly uncomfortable

Di Su emerged dejectedly from behind Xu Datie, seemingly too lazy to even speak. Ziqing, puzzled, furrowed her brows as she looked at Zhao Zhongwen, unsure whether to inquire about the reason. Only Xu Datie, engrossed in biting into his flatbread, remained untroubled, completely unconcerned about the matter of the ten circles of the halberd.

Zhao Zhongwen was busy pulling Yi Ye back

Zhao Zhongwen smiled and said, "There is no rush at this moment, let's wait until night to write. In the evening, everyone will go to your tent to practice military regulations, drums, and flags, and it will not be too late to write then. By the way... at that time, I would also like to ask you to write a letter home."

Yi Ye gasped in surprise, uncertainly asking: "... Is the horse standing still?"

... how could this be possible ... '' In Yi Ye's understanding, shooting arrows while riding on galloping horses should be something only the Huns are capable of.

Di Su was eating while staring at Zi Qing, watching her silently finish all the food in her hands: two large pancakes the size of Xu Da Tie's palms and a full bowl of white soup, which she swallowed down without even taking a sip of water in between.

The man let out a few lewd laughs, and with his other hand, he shamelessly reached directly between her legs. Yi Ye shouted loudly and lunged forward; although he had no specific technique, he still managed to knock the man back several steps.

Yi Ye stared at Gongsun Yi's back, puzzled: "Is no one taking care of him like this...?"

Zi Qing retreated to Yi Ye's side, grasping him, not wishing for Yi Ye to engage in further debate with this person. He then addressed Gongsun Yi with indifference, saying: "I have no inclination towards male affection, so I kindly ask you to maintain your self-respect."

"Has he ever bullied you?" Ziqing suddenly asked, and Disu, being small in stature, might just...

At noon, Yi Ye was squatting on the ground, happily eating a bowl of minced lamb soup while holding a steaming flatbread in his mouth. He felt even more delighted when he heard Zhao Zhongwen mention that there would be another meal in the evening. However, this joy did not last long, as he soon thought of his parents at home and wondered how they were doing, which made him feel a sense of melancholy.

Zi Qing was at a loss for words, so Yi Ye smiled and answered for her: "Isn't it just a matter of strength? Qing'er chops wood at home all the time, her strength is much greater than that of ordinary people, so she can naturally handle him."

The fist is solidified

He stuffed the pancake that he really couldn't eat into Xu Datie's hands, and the little ghost of the Tie Su people laughed mischievously: "Thinking about your little wife, huh? Last night you were still mumbling in your dreams—Meizhi, Meizhi, the jujubes are ripe, I'll pick some for you to taste." He imitated Zhao Zhongwen's sleep-talking almost perfectly, even pretending to wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth, which made everyone burst into laughter

"Nonsense, when did I ever talk in my sleep?" Zhao Zhongwen was greatly embarrassed

Unbeknownst to when, Di Su had already half-leaned behind Zhao Zhongwen, vigilantly watching the newcomer

Recalling that he had just collided with Gongsun Yi, Yi Ye gasped: "Forty strikes, most likely resulting in serious injury! Truly, may our ancestors bless us, may our ancestors bless us! Fortunately, Qing'er, you intervened quickly, preventing a fight from breaking out"

No

Zhao Zhongwen helplessly patted his shoulder and said: "In any case, from now on, you should keep your distance from him. Fortunately, it did not escalate into a real fight; otherwise, in the military, private disputes, regardless of right or wrong, will result in forty strokes of the rod."

Di Su was looking around, concerned about finding Xu Datie again

Yi Ye was still contemplating how to part ways amicably with the other party, completely unaware that the other side had no intention of giving him a chance to speak. The force of the punch was already upon his cheek, leaving him with no way to evade it.

The gaze of the onlooker fell upon the small patch of skin exposed at the back of her neck, and he licked his lips with a certain relish, leaning forward to reach out and touch. Just as his hand was about to make contact, Yi Ye, who was nearby, playfully kicked Zi Qing with his leg, causing her to roll aside just in time to narrowly avoid that hand

He quietly took a step back, cautiously moving his face away from the fist, and only then did he see that it was Ziqing who had firmly grasped Gongsun Yi's arm, timely blocking this punch for him

Yi Ye still did not quite understand, frowning and saying: "Even so, it should be based on mutual consent; one cannot just forcefully impose oneself like this."

Zi Qing remained silent, focusing intently on supporting the ground. Yi Ye could no longer hold on, turned over and lay down, panting as he said: "Three months, not bad, not bad, if I practice, I might really be able to hit the target."

Any time is fine!" Yi Ye responded readily in the accent of Xu Datie's hometown, "How about we write it later?"

Di Su raised her chin and said: "What do you think?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Xu Datie approaching with a whole stack of arrows and four or five quivers. Gongsun Yi did not wish to linger any longer and smiled at Ziqing, saying, "Let’s not say anything too final. If you ever feel lonely in the army, you can come find me... I will treat you well." As he spoke, he gently touched the wrist that had just been restrained, his eyes roaming up and down Ziqing before he turned and left.

When Yi Yezhiqing is at home, he, like the common people, is accustomed to having only two meals a day. However, in the military, due to the extensive physical exertion during training, soldiers are provided with three meals a day to maintain their strength.

"Why are we being punished? Which military regulation have we violated?" Yi Ye, filled with confusion, eagerly asked as soon as he confirmed that Meng Tang could no longer hear their conversation

She wished she could shut his mouth. Zhao Zhongwen leaned forward, pretending to cover his mouth, while Di Su hid behind Xu Datie, chuckling. However, halfway through her laughter, it suddenly froze on her face, and she lowered her head, not daring to make another sound

The arrow was still trembling slightly. Zi Qing glanced up; although it did not hit the bullseye, it was already quite close. Suddenly, a large shadow blocked her view, and a pair of leather boots came to a halt right in front of her. She did not know who it was, nor did she wish to find out. She was momentarily stunned, and without even looking up to see who had arrived, she lowered her head and continued to strengthen her arms.

The little pony leaped up like a nimble creature, bouncing to Zi Qing's side, joyfully exclaiming: "You are stronger than Tie Zi, how did you do that just now? How did you manage to make him unable to move? Teach me, teach me! Quickly teach me!"

"Ziqing, come over and try the bow again," Zhao Zhongwen called to her

Fully aware that the person before him was the type to kick a tree three times just to see it, Zhao Zhongwen urgently shouted from the side, while pulling Yi Yeziqing back.

Di Su exclaimed in amazement, as he fiercely pinched Ziqing's arm, sighing as he did so: "It's about the same thickness as mine, yet how can the strength be so different! If I had this strength, I would definitely make Gongsun Lang cry out for his father and mother, begging me to spare him."

Qing'er... if we continue to stalemate, we won't gain any advantage. Gongsun Yi relaxed his strength, laughed heartily, and said, "It turns out you still have some strength left, I really couldn't tell. But I prefer you this way, it has more flavor, haha."

This trouble was brought upon oneself, and it almost implicated others as well. Zi Qing smiled bitterly and did not respond

He barely had time to close his eyes, waited for a moment, and there was no sound; after waiting for a snap of the fingers, still no sound; only then did he slowly open his eyes, and he saw a massive fist right in front of him, less than an inch away from himself

Zhao Zhongwen's response was neither humble nor arrogant, as if it had been anticipated long ago

Seeing Zi Qing's jaw slightly tense, it was evident that he was gritting his teeth. Yi Ye was concerned that Zi Qing was putting on a brave front and straining himself, so he tried to ease the situation with a smile, saying: "It was my rashness just now, I hope this brother can forgive me. Since we are all in the military, we should engage in some friendly sparring. Qing'er ... ... "

Seeing the newcomer was rude and uncouth, Ziqing had already risen. At this moment, upon hearing Zhao Zhongwen's voice subtly different, she did not hesitate and immediately walked over. Unexpectedly, a gust of wind sounded by her ear, and the person behind swiftly reached for her shoulder; she slightly turned her body to evade it.

Ziqing's thumb was pressing down on Gongsun Yi's Sanli point on his wrist, causing his arm to feel a wave of soreness and numbness. He glared fiercely at Ziqing, his face flushed red from the exertion, with faint veins visibly bulging on his forehead. The two had been in a stalemate for a moment, and he still could not push his fist forward even an inch.

At this moment, Zhao Zhongwen had just shed his previous calmness and smiled at him, but the smile was extremely stiff and forced. He said in a low voice, "This matter has caused trouble for everyone, and I ask for your understanding."

Gongsun Yi, Tiezi will be back soon, do not come looking for trouble

Upon hearing this, Ziqing lowered her gaze and rubbed her knuckles, seemingly oblivious to the words.

Zhao Zhongwen turned around, directly facing the cold, piercing gaze of Meng Tang.

Yi Ye remained puzzled. Upon seeing Zi Qing gently shake his head at him, and noticing Zhao Zhongwen's expression, he ultimately could not bring himself to ask again

Di Su raised her eyebrows: "Last time it was quite dangerous, fortunately, there was Tiezi around, otherwise he would have succeeded." Therefore, Di Su now almost goes in and out with Xu Datie to ensure safety

This young man is truly quite tender

Di Su shook his head and said: "And then, and then—Mei Zhi, the hair oil you applied smells really good!"

Having long finished his own portion, Xu Datie scratched his neck and looked at Yi Ye, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated. This made Yi Ye think that Xu Datie was interested in the pancake in his hand, prompting him to ask: "... when will you be able to help me write a letter?"

Gongsun Yi steadied himself, completely ignoring Zhao Zhongwen, and strode forward, directly charging at Yi Ye: "You brat, do you dare to push me!" With his left hand clenched into a fist, without even assuming a stance, he rushed towards Yi Ye's face with a fierce momentum

"It is not enough to just hit the target; within three months, you must learn to ride a horse and hit the archery target," Tisu corrected him

The two faced each other, and Zhao Zhongwen remained calm despite Meng Tang's cold and piercing gaze; his eyes showed no sign of fear. After a moment, Meng Tang said coldly: "Holding the spear for ten rounds, the comrades will be punished together"