Chapter 1, Old Wounds

Han Xu pressed down on his shoulder, and Zhou Zhuo, furious, exclaimed: "Can't you see that I've already taken off half of my clothes?!"

The room was terrifyingly quiet. She secretly lifted the curtain and discovered that the sun had already moved to the west. Her stomach rumbled; she had hardly eaten anything yesterday, and now her stomach was pressed against her back

She pushed her legs back, trying to distance herself from him. The man swallowed hard and scolded the soldier: "You scoundrel, finding something good and not offering it to your superior, actually thinking of keeping it for yourself?"

When the village was slaughtered, Xiangxiang hid in the grass. The men took up their weapons to fight, while the clan leader led the old, young, women, and children to another place. She was not taken away; she had been sold here and still does not understand the Hu language.

Murong Li dressed himself and glanced at the woman on the bed. She was not his Lan Yu. Lan Yu was cheerful and lively. Lan Yu never cried; even when she was hurt or in pain, she always wore a smile.

The sunlight streamed in from outside, carrying a hint of freedom and unease. She noticed a black robe hanging on the clothes rack and took it to wrap around herself. It was clearly not an outfit prepared for her, as it was too loose and too long.

War is simple and brutal, men are flayed and impaled on wooden stakes. She covers her mouth with both hands, trembling. The grass around her also shakes.

A tall man dressed in white robes and black armor arrived. He glanced at the woman in the grass, displaying a similar expression. Xiangxiang was so frightened that she even forgot to cry. General Zhou approached, grabbed Xiangxiang by the shoulder with one hand, and hoisted her onto his shoulder, leaving the village.

Murong Li slowly walked up to her and asked, "Are you very afraid?"

Han Xu glanced at the woman on the bed, her snow-white skin, sparkling big eyes, and small mouth, though she had been quite frightened, still revealed seven or eight parts of beauty. He whispered, "First, I will ask the prince."

Han Xu gazed deeply at him and asked, "Do you know why the prince is like this?"

Murong Li always called out a name—Lan You. The person beneath him sobbed and trembled, and he tightly gripped her shoulders, softly calling out: "Lan You..."

In the midst of the struggle, the soldier on her body was kicked aside like a tattered sack. Xiangxiang, in terror, gathered her clothes and saw another face. The owner of the face was looking down at her from a height, his eyes glinting with an ambiguous expression.

The blue-glazed vessel is also bold; she will pick up a weapon to protect herself. Of course, she is not the blue glaze; there is no longer any blue glaze in this world

Murong Li had just dismounted and returned to the camp, still holding the riding whip in his hand. Without saying a word, he struck Han Xu on the back with the whip. Han Xu let out a muffled groan, swayed his body, and knelt properly again. Murong Li asked, "Is this where you are supposed to be?"

In that year at the White Wolf River, he promised her the title of princess, and she smiled in agreement. However, after his great victory, she leaped into the White Wolf River.

He felt restless in his heart, stood up and walked to Zhou Zhuo's tent, lifting the curtain. Zhou Zhuo vaguely sensed a breeze behind his ear, and suddenly anger surged within him. Just as he was about to scold someone, he saw who it was and nearly knelt down: "Wang, Wang... Your Highness! What is this hobby of yours"

He smiled and said, "Do not be afraid, I do not wish to harm you; I will return you to my brother shortly."

She wanted to go out and tentatively stepped to the door. In front of her stood a clean-looking man, whom she recognized as Han Xu, the man who spoke with Zhou Zhuo yesterday

As he began to torment her fiercely, she screamed in agony. Growing impatient, he reached out to pull her tongue. His nails cut into her mouth, drawing blood, and she dared not scream any longer; she could only endure it.

From this point onward, the wound will never heal, and the pain will persist forever

Han Xu delivered a plate, which contained two pancakes and a piece of roasted meat. Xiangxiang took it, but her robe was too long, and the hem dragged on the ground. She quickly used her other hand to lift the hem.

The two individuals were covered in cold sweat. Han Xu quickly said, "Your Highness, today the brothers have captured a woman. I wanted to ask if you would like to have a taste." As he spoke, he bared his teeth, and I truly admired myself more and more.

The two children exchanged notes, glancing at each other. Murong Li coldly laughed, "If I were to gouge out your eyes, would you be able to see more clearly?"

He lifted the curtain and went outside

Blue glaze

Riding back to the camp, it attracted countless gazes of attention

This place is very close to the water source, but he does not like to approach the White Wolf River. That is his forbidden area

The little soldier scrambled to his feet and ingratiatingly said, "Captain, I didn't really mean to catch this for you..."

Murong Li had exhausted himself throughout the night, and when he woke up the next day, he felt that it had truly been too long since he had been with a woman. The woman beside him was still asleep, and even in her dreams, she was crying. Her long hair spread across the pillow, glossy and dark. He reached out and gently touched her hair

Murong Li shouted: "Get lost!"

As expected, before the words were finished, Murong Li kicked over and shouted: "Get lost!"

He shouted excitedly, and Xiangxiang was knocked to the ground. The soldier sniffed around her, his hands groping indiscriminately. She struggled and cried out, which only made the soldier more excited

Murong Li returned to the camp only in the evening, his expression as cold and hard as steel: "The battle situation!"

Xiangxiang had already trembled into a ball, staring at his blood-stained whip, unable to utter a single word

Zhou Zhuo immediately reported the casualties and the number of enemies killed. Murong Li entered the main tent, bringing with him a gust of urgency: "Summon someone to draft an edict at once, and urgently report to His Majesty!"

She bit her teeth slightly and insisted tremulously, "I... I want to go home..."

Han Xu said: "In the battle of a desperate counterattack, the soldiers fought bravely and finally held on until reinforcements arrived. Just as we were encircling and decisively defeating the enemy forces of Xijing, Lan Yao threw herself into the White Wolf River, and her body was never found. In the harsh winter months, the prince personally searched the river for a full two months, but no one was seen, and no corpse was found. Since then, the prince has never touched a woman again"

Han Xu hummed softly, thought for a long time, and said: "Leave a portion for me"

The long-untouched past was suddenly torn open, and the wound had festered. He met that sorrowful gaze and said: "Take it to my tent."

Only at this moment would he show a hint of tenderness, kissing her lips or forehead

Murong Li approached her in the darkness, his hands calloused from years of archery and martial arts practice. Whenever the candlelight extinguished, those hands would always wander over every inch of her skin.

He stood up and went out, hearing Murong Li coldly say: "No one here will keep you. Once we leave Yilu Mountain, I will send you back home"

In a single day, she had changed places too many times. Xiangxiang huddled under the table in the corner of the tent, a terrified child who only knew how to tremble. Next to her were Murong Li's weapons, yet she had never thought of picking one up. She didn't even dare to run away.

Zhou Zhuo appeared somewhat foolish, then laughed: "Prince? Don't joke around, give it to the prince? Is he going to cook it? hetushu.com com Jinyang City is filled with beautiful women, has he ever sought out a woman?" He patted his friend's shoulder in front of him, "Spare me, he has no need for women at all!"

Han Xuwei was momentarily taken aback, then smiled: "Do you understand what I am saying? He is the Xun King Murong Li of the Great Yan Kingdom! No matter which young lady you are, how could you possibly be wronged by following him?"

Suddenly, this name came to mind again, and it felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. He slowly clenched his teeth, enduring the pain. For so many years, day and night, month after month, year after year, no matter when, this name has always been a wound in his heart

This is the border of Dayan, intersecting with Donghu. It is unknown when a group of foreign tribesmen gathered here, constantly harassing the people of Dayan. This year, the situation has escalated even further, as they have actually massacred border villages, committing arson, murder, and plunder.

Her body was soft, the kind of softness that had no strength at all. As he touched the scars on her delicate skin, his breath gradually became heated, and he asked in a low voice: "How afraid are you?"

Xiangxiang has been scared silly; they will skin people, and those who have been skinned are thrown on the ground, bloodied and twitching. Zhou Zhuo approached and touched her chin. She trembled like a little white rabbit

Zhou Zhuo was taken aback, and then slowly widened his eyes, stammering, "From... from never having heard anyone mention it. What about the prince's concubine?"

Xiangxiang was dragged off her horse by General Zhou and taken directly back to the barracks. The bed was simple, and she curled up in the corner of the bed. General Zhou was removing his armor when someone burst in: "Zhou Zhuo, I heard you brought a woman back?"

The two individuals settled the account, and Zhou Zhuo felt both anxious and delighted. He nudged Han Xu and said, "Now this person is mine."

Her big, fragrant eyes were filled with tears as she softly said: "Sir, please let me go. I am not one of the Tu He tribe. I was taken by them; I am also a person from Yan."

Han Xu fell silent, then said: "No, he wasn't like this before"

A long spear suddenly swept through the grass, and she let out a scream, rising to run. The soldier seemed momentarily stunned, and only after she had taken a few steps did he pounce forward: "Woman! Woman!"

Another general entered, with a fair complexion and a somewhat cultured demeanor. Upon hearing this, he merely smiled: "Who told you to bring it back in broad daylight, without even covering it up?" Zhou Zhuo, filled with anger, retorted: "You go out first; I found it first, so of course, it should come to me first!"

Zhou Zhuo chuckled and eagerly entered his own tent. The Donghu, Tuhe, and Guzhu were all elusive entities, hiding like foxes. After several months in these deep mountains and wilderness, everyone had become quite unrefined.

Murong Li was looking at the woman in the corner of the bed, who was using both hands to protect her chest, a small, soft, and tender figure. Her eyes were quite beautiful, large and round, and when she looked at someone, it seemed as if they were about to overflow with tears.

Han Xu only felt a burning pain on his back, and he lowered his head to say: "This subordinate is guilty, this subordinate accepts the punishment"

She hesitated, but ultimately nodded her head.

Her forehead was covered in sweat, and the tear stains on her face glistened. She dared not nod or shake her head. The tears flowed abundantly, like the breach of the Jinyang Lake. Murong Li waved his sleeve, extinguished the candlelight, and stepped forward to embrace her

Zhou Zhuo inexplicably said: "Why? Hasn't he always been like this?"

Han Xu said: "Eight years ago, the prince had a beloved concubine named Lan You. The prince was very fond of her and took her along during military campaigns. Once, we were besieged by the Western Jing army in Moyang City, and reinforcements were delayed. The strength of the Western Jing forces was more than five times that of our army. As the isolated city became increasingly difficult to defend, everyone was on the verge of collapse. The prince... used his concubine to reward the troops."

More than forty tribal villages, all the able-bodied men have been killed, and the old and young have long since fled from Mount Yilu

Zhou Zhuodun was instantly enraged: "How does everyone know that I brought a woman? Han Xu, get the hell out of here right now!"

The sun had already risen high, and Zhou Zhuo had continued to search for the remnants of Tu He with his soldiers. Han Xu was counting the spoils of war. As soon as Murong Li stepped out, a soldier brought forth clean water.

Zhou Zhuo began to get dressed: "Since you have said it like this, what else can I do?" He glanced at the woman trembling in the corner of the bed and muttered, "He probably wouldn't be interested..." After a moment's thought, he added, "I hope you have this blessing"

Zhou Zhuo fell silent, and Han Xu said almost pleadingly: "Let's keep it for now, who knows... he might find it appealing"

Murong Li was engulfed in flames, and this group of bandits was fleeing in all directions, making them exceedingly difficult to capture. After much effort, he finally located their tribal village where they congregated, and he trampled through like iron hooves, leaving not a single survivor.

When Xiangxiang woke up, there was no one beside her. The clothes from last night had already been torn into rags, and one shoe was lost while escaping, while Zhou Zhuo had dropped the other one when he carried her back. She was unable to get out of bed. She curled up in the blanket, with no one caring for her.

Han Xu poured her a glass of water and said, "From now on, you should follow the prince closely; no one here will harm you"

Han Xu was about to speak again when he suddenly noticed her gaze trembling as she stared behind him, causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end. Without a second thought, he turned around and knelt down: "Your Highness!"

Zhou Zhuo threw his robe on the ground, revealing his strong upper body: "I know, under normal circumstances it wouldn't come to this. However, in this desolate mountain wilderness, one must taste the flavor of meat. You behave obediently, and after we return, I will send you home."

"What?" Zhou Zhuo was baffled, "Has he ever been normal?"

The recruit responded with a sound and quickly prepared the pen and ink. Zhou Zhuo glanced at Han Xu, signaling him to speak quickly. Han Xu felt a bit intimidated and sincerely responded to Zhou Zhuo with his eyes, saying that he did not dare to speak. Zhou Zhuo glared angrily, exclaiming, "Look at your pathetic courage!"

Han Xu asked: "Do they often hit you?"

Her big eyes sparkled, and it seemed she was about to cry: "Zhou ... ... said he would take me home."

Murong Li gazed at her, wondering if that person, many years ago, also trembled in fear like this

The King of Yan was enraged and sent over the evil demon that even Murong Li, this wicked person, would tremble at the sight of. He ordered that they must be driven out completely

The man discarded his long spear and advanced step by step under the terrified gaze of Xiangxiang. Suddenly, someone pressed down on his shoulder. Just as he was about to curse, he turned his head and was rendered speechless: "General Zhou!"

The soldiers all understand

Han Xu sat beside her, watching her eat. She nervously took a bite and glanced at him again, as if he might pounce on her and hit her at any moment

She remained silent, her throat choking with sobs.

Xiangxiang shook her head vigorously as he lunged at her, carrying a faint scent of sweat. She screamed, cried out, and struggled. Zhou Zhuo's tent was not far from Murong Li's, who was currently reading the memorial drafted by the military officer, and the sound pierced directly into his ears

He was still searching around, not yet satisfied.

Han Xu immediately replied, "If you have the guts, then say it!" Zhou Zhuo, feeling dejected, responded, "I also do not dare to say it."

After several months of continuous battles, women have become a rare commodity. Without experiencing such circumstances, one cannot understand what it means for a sow to transform into a beauty like Diao Chan. Just last night, his deputy was hesitantly asking—General, I heard that your horse is a female?