Gathering and separation

Author: meow yuanmiao

Gathering and separation

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, wind and snow drifted all over the city, and the green tiles and floor tiles all turned a solid white.

Qin Zhen picked up and put down the embroidered bandage in her hand, frequently looking up at the door and the window.

"Since Madam cares so much, why don't you go and see for yourself?"

Seeing that she was distracted and restless, Aunt Qi added some tea for her, "It's better to go and see for yourself than to worry about waiting for Chu Lan's reply every day."

Qin Zhen put down the embroidery fabric, looked down at the unfinished painting on it, and shook her head, "You don't understand, she doesn't want me to see her like that."

Caressing the uneven embroidery surface, Qin Zhen twisted the thread and added a few stitches, "I'm also afraid to see her."

After a few stitches, she put it down again and sat silently for a while.

"I'm afraid that after seeing her, I won't let her go again."

Taking a deep breath, Qin Zhen held the handkerchief, raised her head and sighed, "If I stop her, she will listen to me. Just like her father, he will never hold me back and will only think of his own ideas."

She seemed to have thought of something interesting, and chuckled, but then lowered her eyes, "I don't want to drag her, and she shouldn't be dragged by me."

She slightly curled her lips and let out a long sigh. She seemed to have figured it out, "That's it. Listening to her news and knowing that she is by my side is enough."

She spoke softly, but her embroidery cloth got wet.

Aunt Qi raised her hand and patted her back to comfort her, then changed the topic, "The arrangements for the stove sacrifice and New Year's Eve have basically been arranged, but there are still a few things that have not been decided on the first day of the new year, which need to be reviewed by Madam in person."

Qin Zhen nodded, and when she looked up again, she was the same as before, with only the corners of her eyes slightly red and her pupils slightly moist. After taking the list from Aunt Qi, she could sit still again.

At least, this year, it can barely be considered a family reunion.

That's what Qin Zhen thought, but things didn't go as planned.

In the fifth year of Qianyuan, on the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, various tribes in the snowy field gathered a large number of soldiers and horses and camped in the hinterland of the snowy field, across the river from Jingcheng. At the same time, they gathered heavy troops at Langkou Pass in the north, with great plans to attack the two cities at the same time.

The battle report from Langkou Pass arrived on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. Due to the heavy snowfall, the battle report from Jingcheng was delivered to Yan Qing on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month.

"Are you going to Jingcheng?"

Guo Jia looked at Yan Qing standing in the yard with his gun drawn, his eyes full of disapproval, "What should I do in the North?"

"There are people guarding the Northland."

Yan Qing walked into the corridor with his gun in hand, stretched his muscles and bones, picked up the tea bowl on the table and drank it all in one gulp. He smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to charge into the battle."

After taking the handkerchief and wiping his sweat, Yan Qing sat down at the table and said, "Jingcheng is located between the three cities. It can learn the latest battle situation as quickly as possible and make arrangements for the three cities as quickly as possible."

"I know."

Guo Jia frowned and still disagreed, "But as soon as you got better, you started to work day and night again, even wearing armor and going into battle. To put it bluntly, I'm afraid that you didn't drive the snowy field away, so you tired yourself first.

Got off."

Yan Qing sneered, picked up the gun and walked back into the courtyard. He danced the spear and stood upright in the courtyard. His brows were calm, the corners of his lips were slightly hooked, and his tone was slightly rising at the end. His voice was a little bit arrogant, but it was very resounding.

, "I have walked out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and I have also climbed up the underworld. I am very familiar with the road in front of the gate of hell. The two gatekeepers have said that they are not planning to accept me yet!"

Looking at the people in the courtyard who were as tall as guns and listening to the ruffian's incoherent words, Guo Jia seemed to have seen the young general she had never seen before, a high-spirited young general in the desert of Western Xinjiang who had not been tricked by the court's dirty calculations.

She couldn't persuade this person, so she could only say, "Take care of him" before leaving.

Yan Qing stood on the horse, bent over and rubbed the top of her hair, and said to her with a chuckle: "Hongzhuang will be left to you. You will be more convincing than me in redressing the case of the Ni family."

After Guo Jia nodded in agreement, Yan Qing straightened up and shouted, "Neon red makeup!"

Hongzhuang stood next to Guo Jia, looking up at Yan Qing, "The general will be here."

"Miss Guo's safety will be left to you."

"The last general takes orders."

Hongzhuang lowered her head to accept the order, but after a moment she raised her head and looked at her, "Take care."

Yan Qing grinned, showing a free and easy smile that he had not seen for a long time. It seemed that he was no longer burdened by trivial things, and he had become the straightforward but cunning and naughty little general who only had to move forward bravely when his father and brother were still alive.

Their heavy gazes fell behind her, and both Hongying and Bailu nodded towards her, silently assuring themselves.

Hongzhuang lowered her eyes and placed her hand on the long sword at her waist.

She should have been by her side, fighting alongside her, and living and dying with her.

Her thumb rubbed the hilt of the sword, her red makeup lowered her eyes to suppress all her emotions.

Yan Qing turned to look at the other person and clasped his fists respectfully, "I would like your help in reorganizing the official system in the North."

"The general's words are serious. As the chief administrator of the Northern Territory, I can do some practical things for the people of the Northern Territory. It is my honor to be able to share the worries of the general and Miss Guo."

Zhang Hongfeng stood with cupped hands and spoke respectfully and politely, but at the end of his words he raised his head and smiled warmly, "Speaking of it, the general and I can be considered cousins. The older brother is not as capable as the younger sister, and can't do anything big, so he can only

I can help you a little bit."

Looking at this cousin whom he had only met a few times, Yan Qing clasped his fists at him again, but instead of being polite and distant as before, there was more joking and casualness between siblings, "Then thank you, cousin Hongfeng."

"Sister Qing, you're welcome."

Zhang Hongfeng also responded with a smile, his joking words mixed with seriousness, "I am at home, so you can relax."

Yan Qing smiled and nodded, looking up at the tower three miles away.

On the top of the city tower, Qin Zhen supported the battlements and looked into the distance.

She didn't go to see Yan Qing when he came back, nor when he left.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare.

The tears scattered into the wind and were blown dry by the cold wind, leaving only the red, swollen and dry eye sockets, filled with loneliness and sadness, imprinted with the mountains in the distance and the people disappearing at the foot of the mountains.

Qing Yi stood aside holding her sleeves, watching Yan Qing walk away, and looked up at Qin Zhen who said nothing. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say, so he could only lower his head and hold her hand.

Sleeves, quietly by her side, just like the many sun and moons when Yan Qing was away.

At the corner of the city tower, Yan Zhongqi stood with his back against the wall and his arms crossed, listening to the silent sounds behind the corner, his eyes fell on the empty space.

Yan Qing did not say goodbye to Qin Zhen before leaving, nor did he discuss it with Qin Mang, but only went to him.

In fact, even if she didn't say it, she would protect Beidi and the people she wanted to protect.

But she said it.

The meaning is different.

Yan Zhongqi raised his eyes and turned to look at the person who had disappeared into the vast expanse of white, thinking about Yan Qing's expression when he was talking to him that day.

Although she smiled and was as lively as a child of her age, with cunning and teasing, the moment she spoke, it made people feel that she would probably never come back.

The word "tuogu" may not describe it accurately, but it's pretty much the same.

That child is almost at peace with himself.
Chapter completed!