After two days of this journey, after dark on the fourth day, we were already less than forty miles away from the port of Malacca.
That night, they still camped in the mountains. After having dinner and checking the wounds, Helena and Zhang Yanling sat by the campfire and talked.
A crescent moon hung diagonally in the sky. Counting the days, it turned out to be the eighth day of the first lunar month. The New Year of the seventh year of Zhengde had long passed.
"Miss Helena, your injury is almost healed. We should be able to arrive at the port of Malacca tomorrow afternoon. You can ride a half-day horse by yourself tomorrow, so that we can arrive at the port half a day early." Zhang Yanling fiddled with a wooden stick.
Road to the bonfire.
Helena wore her long hair loose. The golden curly long hair shone brightly under the firelight. It set off her delicate face and was very charming.
"So fast." Helena said in surprise.
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "You didn't think you were slow before, but now you say it's fast. Are you saying it's fast or slow?"
Helena smiled and said nothing.
"My wound is still a little sore. I don't think I can ride a horse. Tomorrow... I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to carry me on your back. Actually, it doesn't matter if you come early or stay late for half a day. I don't want the wound to recur." Helena said softly.
road.
Zhang Yanling laughed and looked at Helena with piercing eyes, as if he could see through Helena's heart.
"Why are you looking at me? Am I wrong? If I can't walk, won't I become a burden to you?"
Helena was afraid that Zhang Yanling understood what she was thinking. She was reluctant to lie on Zhang Yanling's broad back and feel at ease. For the past two days, Zhang Yanling carried her on horseback and talked to her all the way. They were very harmonious. She felt tired at any time.
Just lie down on his shoulder and sleep without worrying about anything. I have never felt so at ease.
Moreover, the smell of this man is really good. It’s not incense or any other smell. In short, smelling it makes her feel at ease. She almost kissed his neck several times. If she wasn’t afraid that he would think she was too slutty, she would really
will do so.
Helena asked herself that she was a reserved and self-loving woman, but she didn't know how she could have such impulse.
Zhang Yanling withdrew his gaze, and of course he could feel something. The ambiguity between men and women does not need to be explained. It can be understood between a frown and a smile. In the past two days, Zhang Yanling can understand it by talking and laughing.
Such subtle emotional changes.
"Well, there really isn't much difference between one day later and one day earlier. Then I will carry you on horseback tomorrow and let your injury heal for another day. However, you have been eating more and more in the past few days and your body has become heavier. I
It’s quite overwhelming.” Zhang Yanling said with a smile.
Helena said angrily: "Where do I have it? I haven't eaten much."
Zhang Yanling pointed to the shriveled dry food bag and smiled and said: "I brought enough for four people when I set out. Now there is only food for tomorrow. You eat six pieces of bread and three pieces of dried beef for each meal. I have the best food.
The general doesn’t eat as much as you do. And you said you can’t eat it?”
Helena said angrily: "You stingy man, just eat some dry food, and I will pay you back later. Besides, didn't you say that eating more to increase nutrition and replenish physical strength is good for the recovery of injuries? Why did you say that again?
I?"
Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "That's what I said. I'm not stingy. I'm afraid that you'll gain weight. If you gain weight, you won't look good. If you become fat, you won't be able to get married in the future."
Helena glanced sideways at Zhang Yanling and said, "Do I want you to take care of it?"
Zhang Yanling chuckled and said, "It's just a joke. With Miss Helena's appearance and character, aren't there tens of thousands of people vying to marry you in your country of Folangji? The queues will last for dozens of miles."
Helena smiled sweetly and said, "Are you praising me for my beauty?"
Zhang Yanling looked at Helena's face, smiled and nodded: "Of course, Miss Helena is certainly a great beauty."
Helena said: "How does it compare with your wives?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "There is no comparison. To put it bluntly, we have a saying in the Ming Dynasty that 'the plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo are each good at winning'. Each has its own beauty. To put it bluntly, although you are very
Beautiful, but in my heart, my wives and concubines are the most beautiful."
Helena chuckled and said: "I understand. You love them, so even if they are not as good as me, they are still beautiful in your opinion. You have a saying in the Ming Dynasty that 'a poor broom is precious', even a broken broom is...
…”
"Stop, stop, don't use the vocabulary of my Ming Dynasty. What's a broken broom? My wives and concubines are all first-class beauties. In my Ming Dynasty, talking about people's brooms means slandering others. Don't use it indiscriminately." Zhang Yanling interrupted.
road.
Helena giggled, her smile was bright with bright eyes and white teeth, and her eyebrows were like flowers. Her chest was even more undulating, making her dizzy. Zhang Yanling didn't dare to look too much, turned her head and swallowed.
"Young Lord Duke, do you like me a little bit?" Helena asked.
Zhang Yanling turned around and looked at Helena in surprise. This girl actually asked this topic so directly.
"Well, how should I put it? I do like it. But this kind of liking is not that kind of liking. This kind of liking is..." Zhang Yanling scratched his head and said.
Helena interrupted: "If you like it, you like it; if you don't like it, you don't like it. Why go around the bush? What do you like about this kind of thing? You people from the Ming Dynasty just like to beat around the bush. I can tell you clearly that I, Helena, have fallen in love with you."
Zhang Yanling opened her mouth for a long time, not knowing what to say. She felt happy and worried at the same time, a little confused.
"I like you, but I won't marry you. You already have a wife, and I don't like sharing my husband with others. I don't believe that a man's love can be divided among many women. It's unfair to women. But that doesn't stop me.
I like you." Helena continued.
Zhang Yanling patted his chest and said: "Thank God, I have no intention of marrying you. You have your own ideas, and we have our rules. My Ming Dynasty's marriage system is polygamy. I am just an ordinary Ming Dynasty man, and I cannot avoid customs."
Helena said: "Do you want me to tell the truth? In fact, this is just an excuse and a rule set by you men for your philandering. It is us women who are harmed. This is unfair."
Zhang Yanling thought to herself: Darling, this girl is still a female boxer. She can’t be offended.
"I know you don't like to hear these words, but isn't that true? However, if a woman can be protected by a man, it is actually a good thing. After all, in this world, without the protection of a man, it will be very difficult for women.
It’s no one’s fault that the world is like this.” Helena pondered.
Zhang Yanling didn't want to discuss these issues and said with a smile: "Let's not talk about this. I have no intention of marrying you, and you will not marry me. It's just fate that you and I met by chance. After saving your father, you and I will
We part ways. In the future, you will be in your Francoji country and I will be in my Ming Dynasty. We will never meet each other in our lifetime. Why do you have to worry about these things?"
Helena was stunned and suddenly fell silent.
She suddenly realized that she and Zhang Yanling would not be together for long. In a few days, she might never see this man again, which made her mood suddenly become bad.
"Miss Helena, let's discuss how to sneak into the Western District of Maryland tomorrow. My idea is that you don't have to go in with me, I will sneak in with my people, find your father, and rescue him.
If you follow me, I'm afraid you won't be able to move easily." Zhang Yanling coughed and brought the topic back on track.
"No, I want to go together. Otherwise, how could my father be willing to go with you? Besides, I am familiar with the environment and may be able to help." Helena said hurriedly.
Zhang Yanling frowned and said, "Just give me a token or write a note to let your father know that you asked us to rescue him. It's really inconvenient for you to follow me."
Helena said angrily: "You just refuse to let me go. Do you want to leave me behind? Do you hate me?"
Zhang Yanling looked at Helena speechlessly, wondering why she suddenly became angry. When did he make her feel that he hated her? However, based on Zhang Yanling's experience, there is no reason for a woman to lose her temper. The reason is inexplicable. No matter the East or the West
, it should be the same in both the Ming Dynasty and the Folangji Kingdom.
"It's easy to enter the East District, but you need to sneak in to the West District. If necessary, you may have to kill people to force your way in. It's not that I don't want to take you in, but that I can't take care of you if I follow you." Zhang Yanling said.
"You can think of other ways. Aren't you very capable? Didn't you just sneak in last time? You also deceived me." Helena said.
Zhang Yanling scratched his head and was speechless. Breaking in by force was indeed not a good idea. If there was a way to sneak in, it would be fine for Helena to follow. However, judging from the current situation, the security of the Malacca port must be very tight, especially the passage from the East District to the West District.
, must be heavily guarded. Sneaking in without anyone noticing is not easy.
Zhang Yanling breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the moon in the sky. Helena stood up and walked to Zhang Yanling, handed him a water bag, and said softly: "Don't be angry, I'm not making trouble unreasonably. I want to save mine myself."
Father, I won't cause any trouble for you, but
And I can indeed help. I am familiar with the environment and terrain. If my father is still alive, he must be imprisoned in the castle of my manor. The castle of my manor is heavily guarded, but I know where to enter. I went there
What’s helping you is not the randomness of people’s minds.”
Zhang Yanling took the water bag and took a sip, and said in a deep voice: "Aren't I thinking of a way? If I want to sneak in secretly, I must have an opportunity. I swam across last time, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do it this time.
I estimate that at night, the river bank will be heavily guarded. It would be best if we could cross over the bridge."
Helena also frowned and thought, walking gently on the grass in the forest. From time to time, she clasped her hands on her chin, lowered her head and closed her eyes as if praying.
Zhang Yanling squinted at her, and suddenly a thought flashed through his mind.