Chapter 244: Chapter 240: Reunion

The evening sky, like a smear of rouge, was mirrored in the water, only to be shattered by the galloping hooves, scattering like peach blossoms in disarray.

Tang Xiaobai dashed out from the camp, indulging in an unrestrained sprint.

It had been a long time since she could let loose without looking over her shoulder, because at this moment, safety was all around her.

Just a quarter of an hour ago, a rider was spotted near the camp.

A scout.

Tang Ziqian’s scout.

Her brother’s army was just ten miles away.

And they were marching this way!

Ten miles, not even an hour’s journey.

But she felt she couldn’t wait a second longer, mounting her horse in haste, rushing towards the scout’s direction.

She wasn’t the only one who ran out.

Tang Xiaobai sensed someone catching up, glancing back.

A youth in black on a dark horse, his face as fair as jade, with jet-black eyes fixed on her, had already caught up beside her horse.

Tang Xiaobai unconsciously slowed a bit, waiting for him to fully catch up, she shouted at him, “Didn’t you say with a different mount you couldn’t keep up with me?”

Her old mount had been taken by Li Xingyuan. Though the current one was a good horse, it couldn’t compare to the previous one, or to hers.

The last time he’d annoyed her, he’d pretended to be pitiful, claiming he couldn’t catch up with the new mount.

Now he seemed to be doing just fine catching up!

He only smiled slightly when exposed, without making excuses or showing embarrassment.

Tsk! So thick-skinned!

Tang Xiaobai glanced at him, shouted, and sharply accelerated, instantly overtaking him by half a horse’s body.

Then, nothing changed.

No matter how much she tried, Li Mu was only half a horse behind.

Just as Tang Xiaobai’s competitiveness soared, he suddenly slowed down.

Tang Xiaobai instinctively slowed down to look back at him, seeing him sitting upright, he glanced at her then looked ahead.

Ahead, there were heavy footsteps closing in with clinking armor, vibrating her eardrums.

Tang Xiaobai’s eyes suddenly grew damp.

Turning back, gazing in the distance.

Spears like a forest, armors like a mountain.

Amid the woods and hills, a solitary rider emerged.

At first just walking, then gradually beginning to run, faster and faster.

The crimson battle robe stood out in the deepening twilight, as eye-catching as the sun.

Tang Xiaobai stood dazed, watching that figure come closer, the handsome face becoming clearer and clearer.

Even the yelling came through, word for word:

“Tang Xiaobai! Who gave you the damn courage to come here!”

…

“…Grown up now, right? Is this where young ladies like you should be? Just a year older and you think you’re something? Can’t be controlled at home, is it?”

Tang Ziqian vented for half a day, but the little girl in front of him just grinned foolishly at him.

Her smile made his heart ache with both sourness and pain. He sighed, unable to resist messing up her hair, “You—”

“Enough!” His words were interrupted, his hand blocked away.

He didn’t even get to touch a hair of his little sister’s head, and Tang Ziqian’s face darkened as he looked at the suddenly intervening Young Crown Prince, coldly laughing, “How I discipline my sister is none of your business.”

Li Mu gave him a cool glance, saying nothing.

Though it was ostensibly not his business, he interfered anyway, what could Tang Ziqian do about it?

Tang Ziqian didn’t actually want to scold Tang Xiaobai anymore, and since someone volunteered to step in, he didn’t mind: “May I ask why you are here? Has Zhenzhou been pacified? Have the Turkic people been driven out of Yanmen Pass? Are you just having fun running to the Turkic lands with so few people?”

The moment he saw Li Mu, he really wanted to drop everything.

If something happened in the Northwest, Hedong needed to stay stable. Playing what kind of life and death game at such a time?

Bah!

Did he ever have such a relationship with Li Mu?

Having a master with no overarching perspective spells bad luck for anyone involved!

“Ah brother!” Tang Xiaobai herself had no issue being scolded, knowing her brother cared, but she felt a bit sorry to see the Young Master being reprimanded, she held Tang Ziqian, “Ah brother, don’t blame Ah Xiao, the other day we ran into steppe wolves, if Ah Xiao hadn’t arrived—”

“If he hadn’t arrived, just with you few?” Tang Ziqian listened, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

“No, no!” Tang Xiaobai hurriedly explained the situation back then.

Tang Ziqian only then relaxed, still glancing sternly at Li Mu.

This attachment to someone without a big picture…so unlucky to get involved!

Unable to continue scolding the Crown Prince, his glance shifted, landing fiercely on Gu Hui: “…As a cousin, not knowing to dissuade, blindly following…all those books went into a dog’s stomach…”

Although the scolding was harsh, it was just venting in exasperation; Gu Hui listened obediently, occasionally acknowledging “yes,” and that was that.

But after scolding Gu Hui, meeting Xin Yi and Ah Jin, Tang Ziqian’s expression truly darkened: “Defying military orders, what’s the punishment?”

Ah Jin cupped his fists and knelt down: “Subordinate accepts punishment!”

Xin Yi knelt too: “Willing to be punished with Jin Guard!”

Tang Ziqian didn’t even look at them: “Take them away!”

Immediately, personal soldiers came in, taking Ah Jin away.

Because Xin Yi was a woman, no one dared touch her; she just bowed her head and followed out.

Tang Xiaobai, hit by this unexpected development, was a bit bewildered: “Ah brother—”

“Military orders are as heavy as a mountain, they left Liangzhou without permission, they should have known the consequences!” Tang Ziqian said coldly.

That was how it should be said, but—

“Xin Yi isn’t your soldier though…” Tang Xiaobai mumbled.

Tang Ziqian sneered: “She wanted to be punished with them; how could I stop her?”

Tang Xiaobai sighed silently, holding onto Tang Ziqian, “Ah brother, Xin Yi and Ah Jin have had a tough time too…”

Much was said about the events that followed, continuing into the deep night, yet not everything was covered.

Amid the discussions, letters were occasionally sent from the Central Army Tent, dispatched swiftly to various directions.

“Alright, you should go rest! No rush in this moment!” Tang Ziqian, while vigorously writing with his head down, simultaneously spoke to Tang Xiaobai, also asking someone to summon the subordinates and commanders.

Tang Xiaobai, feeling she couldn’t hold on either, got up to take her leave.

“In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Upon hearing this, Tang Ziqian nearly wrote a stroke askew.

Their father and son’s battlefield disappearance was clearly part of someone’s plot, with forces arranging in both Liangzhou and the Capital City, the Northwest military power being crucial, and he planned to spend the night discussing their next steps.

As a prince, was he actually planning to shirk?

Just about to call out to Li Mu, in one glance he saw that Li Mu’s shadow was gone.

Tang Ziqian almost burst out laughing in anger.

Quickly finishing the last letter, tossing aside the brush—

What’s the point of discussing things anyway? Might as well rest too!

Stepping out from behind the book desk, he thought for a moment, then called for a report: “How’s Ah Jin?”

“Already medicated and resting.”

Tang Ziqian hummed in acknowledgment, striding out of the Central Army Tent.

After visiting Ah Jin, he paced around, arriving at another tent.

Standing for a moment, the flap was lifted—

“Young Master?” It was Tao Zi who came out.

“Where is Xin Yi?”

“Inside… inside…” Tao Zi pointed nervously.

Tang Ziqian hummed, not entering.

The tent was small enough that speaking from outside, she could hear within.

“Does Young Master have any instructions?” Xin Yi asked from inside.

Her voice was weak, betraying her injury.

Tang Ziqian was silent for a moment, then said, “Since you have accepted my military law, from this day, you will be under my command, Tang Ziqian.”

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