Chapter 1

Do your best to search, and if you truly cannot find it, then let each person follow their own fate

Sitting beside her, Li Ting asked Li Shuang: "Sister, have you recently brought a child home?"

Li Shuang remained unmoved: "Talking about this is pointless. If you truly care about me, then don't come here to hold me back. Just go home and let your father arrange a marriage for you, help him build some connections, and ensure that his position as a general is more secure. That way, I will be safer over here"

When the child touched the back of her hand in such a manner, Li Shuang did not feel offended; instead, she found it amusing

Li Shuang ignored him

For a child, any possibility is astonishing

Li Shuangqing coughed softly, quietly hiding the book under the table, and then raised her head, with a serious expression, asking: "What happened?"

As she reached the entrance of the tent, the camp curtain was suddenly lifted with a "whoosh".

When in dire straits, change arises. This year, the Western tribes are suffering from famine, and it is likely that a great battle is about to ensue

She cast a glance at the scattered food on the ground and asked the child: "Are you afraid that someone might poison your food?"

The child stood barefoot on the ground, gazing up at her with wide eyes, filled with her and the setting sun.

The child emitted a clear and distinct sound, akin to a "pop" striking the captain's face. The captain turned his head and glanced at him, gritted his teeth, and stepped aside without saying another word

Li Shuang was engrossed in watching when she noticed her index finger, which had been bitten by a child, and at that moment, she heard the heavy sound of footsteps approaching from outside.

I did not go to see him; instead, I found a squad leader to take care of him. The squad leader ordered two privates to go over. I heard that he overturned the food that was sent to him and even beat up the two privates, injuring them quite badly. Given my temperament, I would have dealt with such an ingrate directly, but after all, he was picked up by the general

"Is it special? Did you perhaps become my master after sucking my blood while I was unconscious?" She said this jokingly, but it left the child momentarily stunned, staring up at her in a daze

Li Ting swallowed hard, and suddenly fell silent like an eggplant struck by frost, as if he had lost all desire to eat, merely poking at the rice with his chopsticks

I know that my sister will not ignore me! The young man smiled brightly, his two eyes curved like crescent moons, momentarily adding a touch of warmth to the cold wilderness, making it difficult for the dawn frost to ignite any anger.

... ...

Li Shuang smirked coldly, letting out a disdainful laugh: "Kid, have you forgotten your sister's temper after not being beaten by me for a few years?"

The sounds outside ceased, and seeing the child sitting quietly on the bed without moving, the soldiers also withdrew.

The twilight pierced the child's eyes like a sharp object, causing his heartbeat to suddenly falter, his body stiffened, and his steps halted, preventing him from grasping Li Shuang's hem.

Li Shuang laughed upon hearing this: "Do I even need to use poison to kill you? With all these knives in the room, which one wouldn't be able to stab you to death?" As she spoke, Li Shuang casually drew a soldier's knife beside her. While everyone was still in shock, she swung the large knife forward. Seeing this bold and sweeping move, everyone turned pale with fear, thinking that the general, who valued military supplies, was about to chop this child down.

It is already quite good for you to stay for a month

Because if he did not realize that Li Shuang would not kill him, then he must have no fear in his heart

Hmm, I can smell your scent

So enticing that it led him to become addicted

This, however, is also the shock of others. Li Shuang only squatted down in front of him, looking him in the eye with a calm gaze: "I do not know what you have experienced before, but here and now, no one owes you anything, nor does anyone wish to harm you. I brought you back out of a sense of moral obligation. Now that you have spilled your lunch, you will have no lunch today. Military rations are precious, and as a form of punishment, you will also have no dinner tonight. Here, no one is given any special treatment." Now that you have spilled your lunch, you will have no lunch today. Military rations are precious, and as a form of punishment, you will also have no dinner tonight. Here, no one is given any special treatment.

The broadsword slipped from his hand and promptly returned to the soldier's scabbard.

In the afternoon, Li Shuang practiced military drills at the training ground

In the process of expansion

Li Shuang was raised as a little boy by her family since childhood. She excelled in martial arts and marksmanship, surpassing many young masters. She retained few feminine traits, with the exception of her fondness for reading storybooks, which perfectly aligned with her interests. Whether it was the scandalous tales circulating in the streets, the past affairs of romantic scholars, the entanglements of chivalrous heroes, or the strange anecdotes of deities and ghosts, she did not discriminate and could enjoy them all with great delight

His body ... ...

Li Shuang was momentarily taken aback, then smiled: "Your insight is quite impressive; you can sense that there are people outside even in the tent."

In the evening, Li Shuang returned to the camp. As she passed by the children's tent, her footsteps hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to go inside and take a look at the child. After all, she had also been picked up in such a manner during her childhood. It was difficult for her not to project her own emotions onto such a child and pay a little more attention.

Li Shuangsu has always preferred gentleness over harshness. Seeing him like this, she found herself unable to express her anger. She could only stubbornly retort, "You are being willful, and the old man will indulge you. If anything happens here, I will not take responsibility for you"

The child took the candy but did not eat it. Li Shuang originally wanted to say a few more words to him, but then she heard Qin Lan's voice from outside: "Have you seen the general?"

Sister, your strength has increased even more than before

The sergeant in the room turned to look at her and hurriedly made way for her, bowing in respect

Li Shuang stepped out and directly greeted Qin Lan: "I am here, what is the matter?"

Fine, go find your own camp.

Having entered the main business, dinner had already been served. The meals in the military camp were simple, with each person at a small table, quietly eating for a while. Suddenly, Luo Teng lifted the curtain and entered: "General." He saluted, brushed off the snow that had fallen on him, and stepped forward to say: "General, the young man you brought back is missing."

Sister, you are being unreasonable

Li Shuang was taken aback upon hearing this: "Gone? How could it be gone?"

With just a glance, Li Shuang could tell that this child's past experiences must have been anything but simple

As Li Shuang entered the small tent, she was momentarily taken aback. She saw that the child was bound tightly with ropes, wrapped up like a zongzi, and thrown onto the bed, leaving only his head exposed for breathing. The food on the ground was in disarray, trampled and scattered, and a room full of people surrounded him, each still bearing a hint of vigilance, suggesting just how much trouble this child had caused earlier.

The captain could only lament: "General, you have no idea how formidable this child is..."

Li Shuang increasingly found it interesting: "What do you think I taste like?"

Li Shuang thought that he was just being temperamental, and she did not indulge him. She continued to eat contentedly on her own, not expecting that after a while, Li Ting would call out to her again: "Elder sister."

Li Shuang stood up, turned around, and exited the tent. The child instinctively reached out to tug at the hem of her garment, not wanting her to leave. However, at that moment, Li Shuang had already lifted the curtain of the tent, and the light of the setting sun streamed in at an angle.

The captain scratched his head and said, "General, this child seems to be mute; he hasn't said a word just now..."

Hmm. Li Shuang responded, but her thoughts were not on this matter. She observed the weather outside the camp and thought that this winter had started to snow heavily so early, which was excessively cold. The various cities within the Great Jin Dynasty had supplies of rice from Jiangnan to supplement their needs... However, the Western Rong people would likely find it increasingly difficult to survive in this cold.

At the moment when the atmosphere in the camp was awkward, Li Shuang suddenly felt a movement in her hair by her ear, as if a gust of wind from outside had blown in from behind.

Li Ting quickly shook his head: "No, no, I won't try." He looked at Li Shuang, feigning a pitiful and wronged expression, "Sister, I miss you. Look, you haven't been home for two or three years."

Roteng sneered: "What are you still looking for, General? In my opinion, this is just a wretched wolf cub, unworthy of raising. If he wants to run, let him run; it saves us rations. This year is cold, and we have no surplus food to feed idle people."

If it can be said that Li Shuang's flamboyant moves were quite terrifying, then in the face of Li Shuang's bold strike, this child did not evade or dodge, nor did he even blink, which can only be described as a shocking act

I feel that it is you outside" he said

This statement is remarkably direct, yet Qin Lan in the tent is a trusted confidant of Li Shuang for many years; he merely lowers his head to eat, resembling an old monk, as if he has not heard a thing

Upon hearing these words, Li Shuang's entire body stiffened slightly, and she fell silent.

Li Shuang raised her eyebrows slightly and amusingly squatted down, saying, "Oh? How did you sense that? You really have a wolf's nose to smell the scent, don't you?"

The two parties were unharmed, while the soldier gripping the scabbard was drenched in sweat.

The child continued to stare at her intently

Seeing Li Shuang's firm attitude, Li Ting immediately became anxious: "Father said I can stay until I want to leave! He is the supreme commander of the world's armies, you must listen to him"

A special fragrance of blood

A red flame pattern began to slowly emerge from his collar, creeping up his neck and cheeks until it spread to the corners of his eyes

Today, perhaps no one has explained clearly to you that this place is the Changfeng Camp of the garrison in Lucheng, the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty. I am Li Shuang, the commander of the Changfeng Camp. If you trust me, find a time to tell me about your background. If you have relatives or parents, I will take you to see them. If you do not, I can help you find a family in Lucheng to adopt you. Take your time to think it over, and when you have made up your mind, come to find me.

At the entrance of the Changfeng Camp, the crimson carriage came to a halt. The young gentleman, dressed in a fox fur coat, evaded the hands of the servants who came to assist him and jumped down from the carriage by himself. He took a deep breath

The heavy curtain hung down, concealing the child's figure within the tent. No one noticed that inside the tent, which blocked the setting sun's light, the child pressed his hand against his chest and slowly knelt on one knee. His breathing began to quicken, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead

She looked around and brought him into the tent, pulling a piece of candy from her sleeve. She placed it in the child's palm and said, "Eat it quietly. I have issued a military order prohibiting anyone from bringing you food. If others find out, it would be a slap in my face."

"You want me to return to Beijing because you think it is difficult and dangerous in the frontier, right?" He paused and said, "Do you know that when you were in the frontier, my father and I were just as worried about you."

Li Shuang did not pay much attention to his momentary daze; she simply looked at the child's frail hand and suddenly felt a pang of compassion. Thinking of her own childhood, she was momentarily moved by a sense of pity.

Li Ting. "Li Shuang said calmly while eating, 'In the northern region, you are only allowed to stay for a maximum of one month. After one month, I will send a small team to escort you back to the capital.'

Li Ting, driven to a dead end, found himself at a loss for words. He gritted his teeth and said, "I will go back, and my sister will accompany me."

Li Shuang turned back to glance at the camp outside, then turned around and rubbed the child's head

"You haven't married yet, so how can you expect me to marry!" Despite his warm words, Li Ting was furious, "I know why you don't want to return to the capital; it's because you're afraid of seeing the Crown Prince, isn't it? Just because the Crown Prince has married someone, you plan to avoid him and never return to the capital from now on!"

In the quiet of the tent, the child looked down at the rope that had been cut by a sharp blade, grasping one in his hand and feeling it—this was the rope she had severed. How was it that even the rope she had cut seemed to carry her scent

The soldiers had lunch in the barracks and were standing at ease. Although Li Shuang was worried that winter was approaching, with the cold weather and insufficient supplies in the Western Rong, he feared they might invade various places along the borders of the Great Jin to seize grain. However, worry was just worry; there was still more than a month until the real harsh winter, and there was not much to do in the barracks.

"Indeed, it is unreasonable; what do you intend to do about it?"

Li Shuang's gaze sharpened, and without a word, she threw the chopsticks in her hand straight behind her

Li Shuang finished speaking and turned to leave. The captain hurriedly followed her, and soon her voice could be heard from the tent: "You big men, tying up a child like this, is this how you treat someone from the Changfeng Camp?"

However, after the sound of "swish," the hemp rope binding the child was completely severed by Li Shuang with a large knife, with both force and distance being precise to the slightest degree, not harming a single hair on the child.

"Which scoundrel is it!" Qin Lan shouted, and immediately soldiers surged into the tent, illuminating the area outside with bright flames, yet there was no one to be found outside.

Li Ting : `` ... ... ''

He muttered a phrase, which did not elicit any sympathy from Li Shuang, but instead provoked a cold snort from her: "I can be even stronger, do you want to give it a try?"

He wanted to run towards Li Shuang, but before he could take two steps, Li Shuang had already walked in front of him and flicked his forehead with her middle finger, making a crisp and loud sound. The young man winced in pain, gritting his teeth, and took two sharp breaths, rubbing his forehead vigorously.

No one had yet noticed her intentions. When Qin Lan turned around to take a look, she discovered that the place where Li Shuang had thrown her chopsticks had, at some unknown time, been cut open by someone from the outside, providing a perfect spot for someone to watch and spy.

When Li Shuang's figure appeared outside the tent, the child's gaze was already fixed intently on her. At that moment, with no obstructions, the child stared unabashedly into her eyes, the complex emotions hidden within not resembling the expressions typically displayed by a child

Li Shuang, feeling idle, picked up a small storybook from a stack of military records

Alright, alright. Qin Lan stepped forward to mediate, "General, it is cold outside; it would be better to let the young master sit inside the tent first."

Li Ting's eyes widened immediately upon hearing this: "Why! I have been traveling for more than half a month, and I have just arrived... you want me to stay for a month..."

Roteng received the order and departed

In the distance, the sound of hurried footsteps approached, belonging to a person clad in military armor. The handsome young master looked up and immediately a radiant smile appeared on his face: "Sister."

Qin Lan put down the bowl with a serious expression and reprimanded, "Young Master, the General is stationed at Changfeng Camp to protect the great mountains and the state. How can you speak such words that misinterpret the General's intentions?"

The desolation of the northern frontier can only be alleviated by these few storybooks she brought from the capital

Li Shuang furrowed her brows. Just as Luo Teng lifted the curtain, she saw that the sky outside had turned completely dark, and heavy snow was still falling. A child running out of the military camp would surely struggle to endure the cold: "Send someone to search outside the camp again"

Roteng did not knock on the door; he lifted the curtain and stormed in, saying: "General! I told you today that we shouldn't have brought that little brat back! As soon as he wakes up, someone comes to complain to me!"

Li Shuang nodded: "Hmm, I will go take a look"

"You will not be subject to orders from outside; this is the Changfeng Camp, and I have the final say." Li Shuang's tone carried an unyielding and domineering authority. She cast him a sidelong glance and added, "If you talk back again, I will send you away tomorrow."

Yes

Special ... ...

Li Shuang found it amusing: "What is this for?"

I..." Li Ting's lips moved slightly as he cautiously glanced at Li Shuang, realizing that his words had been too harsh, and he immediately fell silent

The child lowered his head and glanced at her hand, where Li Shuang's index finger was still wrapped in white bandages. The taste of her blood lingered in his mouth, still vivid. He reached out his hand and gently touched the back of her hand; the moment his fingertips made contact with her skin, it felt as if he had been electrocuted, a wave of tingling coursing through him, as if something was writhing at the tip of his heart, itching to break free.

The young master's carriage has arrived. Qin Lan responded while leading Li Shuang to walk quickly away.

Not long ago, soldiers passing by his tent heard strange noises and went in to take a look, but he was no longer there. Now everyone has been searching the camp for a while, yet no one has been seen.