Chapter 425: Put Me Down, Prepare Water, Undress

The highest-ranking military officer in the camp was Wei Ting. He straightened up, enduring the pain from the wound on his back.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Xijin bandits shot flaming arrows and used falcons to drop embers, intending to burn our army’s provisions. The fire has been extinguished. Two granaries were destroyed, but the other losses to our supplies are not severe."

Zhao Mingyan turned his horse, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

When he turned in Ji Qingwu’s direction, she hurriedly lowered her head.

Ji Qingwu was kneeling at the very edge. Whether intentionally or not, Wei Ting’s body concealed most of her from view.

And the small part that remained was also thoroughly blocked, as Li Chengxun happened to be kneeling in front of her as well.

From above, the cold, detached voice of Emperor Wu Su sounded.

"And what about your injury?"

Ji Qingwu almost thought he was asking her. She sniffled, a pool of tears already welling in her eyes.

From the moment she heard his voice, her body and her mind had been thrown into chaos.

Wei Ting replied, "I am fine. I was just struck by a burning pillar."

Zhao Mingyan glanced at the piece of wood that had been split open by a blade and said, "So careless?"

Wei Ting said, "I was in a rush to extinguish the fire and did not notice."

Zhao Mingyan nodded. "Go and have your wound treated first."

Wei Ting cupped his hands in a salute. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

Zhao Mingyan had already raised his horse whip. "All of you, return and rest for now. In one hour, assemble the generals in my tent for a council."

With that, he spurred his horse and rode past them.

As the CLOP CLOP of hooves faded, Ji Qingwu let out a disappointed sigh.

’It’s only normal that he didn’t recognize me, looking the way I do now,’ she thought. ’Besides, I kept my head down the whole time...’

Ji Qingwu tried to rise with the others, but her knee was injured.

She hadn’t felt the pain while she was constantly running around earlier, but after kneeling for a while, she tried to move and found her knee had grown too stiff to bend.

Suddenly, Mo Ju’s neigh echoed through the air, accompanied by the soldiers’ startled cries.

Ji Qingwu stared in astonishment at the hooves that had suddenly appeared before her. The jet-black hooves were still flecked with dry grass and yellow mud.

She saw the reflection of her disguised face, distorted into ripples on the surface of the stirrup.

"Lift your head."

The voice was as cold as ever.

Emperor Wu Su had returned.

’He recognized me? Just from my outline, hidden behind the others?’ Ji Qingwu couldn’t believe it. Her heart pounded as she raised her head.

Zhao Mingyan had sharply reined his horse around. His Great Cloak billowed like a midnight tide in the swift turn, and the Golden Dragon coiled upon his Xuan Armor appeared right before her eyes.

Their eyes met. A shimmer of moisture glistened in Ji Qingwu’s eyes, which held a multitude of feelings that could not be named or explained.

A large, calloused hand, roughened by the borderland winds and sand, suddenly reached out. Palm up, his fingertips stopped just before the tip of her nose.

"Get on the horse!"

The command seemed to hold a trace of anger.

Ji Qingwu clutched the bag of millet seeds beside her and tried to stand, but she couldn’t put any strength into her knee.

The military camp fell silent. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Emperor Wu Su and the woman.

Sensing its master’s mood, Mo Ju stomped its front hooves restlessly. Splatters of mud landed on Ji Qingwu’s tattered skirt, blooming into dark brown stains.

Seeing her dawdling, Zhao Mingyan suddenly leaned down and seized her wrist.

The moment Ji Qingwu was pulled onto the horse’s back, tears of pain streamed from her eyes.

The warhorse raised its hooves and left the eastern granaries.

Wei Ting’s clenched fist sank into the mud, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Li Chengxun moved to help him up and saw that he was clutching the long headscarf used to bandage his wound tightly in his palm.

Li Chengxun sighed. "General Wei, why must you put yourself through this..."

Mo Ju galloped straight toward the main command tent, and the soldiers along the way hastily moved to either side.

Ji Qingwu’s back was pressed tightly against the coiled dragon on his Xuan Armor. The texture of the dragon scales dug into her, causing a raw pain, so she discreetly shifted her waist forward.

But her movement did not escape the eyes of the man behind her. The horse suddenly accelerated, and she could only fall solidly back into his arms, pressed tightly against the cold, hard Xuan Armor once more.

Ji Qingwu complained endlessly in her heart. Fortunately, they reached the command tent quickly.

Li Yuzong was waiting at the entrance to the tent. He saw the Emperor approaching on horseback from a distance and was shocked to see a woman riding with him.

He rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t mistaken. ’Where did this woman come from?’

Li Yuzong hurried to the horse’s side and said respectfully, "Holy Emperor, you have returned."

Zhao Mingyan swung himself off the horse and tossed the horse whip to him.

"Prepare water."

Hearing this command, Li Yuzong could only stare blankly, holding the horse whip in his hands.

’Prepare water now? In broad daylight?’

He secretly glanced up at the woman on the horse. Her features were plain, and her face was smudged with soot. No matter how he looked at her, she did not seem like someone who would catch the Emperor’s eye.

"What are you waiting for!" Zhao Mingyan snapped coldly.

"Yes, this old servant will go at once." Li Yuzong quickly lowered his head, bowed, and retreated.

Zhao Mingyan turned to find Ji Qingwu still sitting on the horse, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Get down."

Ji Qingwu pressed her lips together and didn’t move.

There were guards stationed in every direction around the main tent. Although they kept their eyes forward, not daring to look directly at His Majesty, Ji Qingwu knew their ears were certainly tuned to the sounds from over here.

The involuntary tears that had streamed down Ji Qingwu’s face when Emperor Wu Su pulled her onto the horse had already dried in the wind.

Because she had also helped fight the fire, her face was smudged with ash, making the tracks of her tears clearly visible.

Her hand clutched the tattered, frayed hem of her skirt. Her voice was as faint as the buzz of a mosquito.

Zhao Mingyan couldn’t hear what she was saying. He only saw that her eyes were slightly red and her face was still streaked with tears, and his heart softened.

He sighed and strode forward.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

Ji Qingwu looked up in astonishment, meeting his deep eyes, and hastily shook her head.

’That’s not what I meant at all.’

She just wanted a mounting block. Given how stiff her knee was, if she tried to dismount by force, she would likely suffer an embarrassing fall in front of everyone.

Ji Qingwu shook her head.

But Zhao Mingyan had no intention of asking for her opinion. He reached out his long arms, grasped her by the waist, and lifted her off the horse.

Ji Qingwu cried out in alarm, instinctively grabbing his collar, but she didn’t forget to bring the bag of millet seeds with her.

Zhao Mingyan’s Xuan Armor was ice-cold, yet it made her cheeks burn. His gaze fell on her scraped and bleeding hands, and the furrow between his brows deepened.

With so many soldiers watching, Ji Qingwu protested in a small voice.

"Put me down..."

Zhao Mingyan turned a deaf ear and strode into the command tent, still carrying her.

In the center of the tent was a massive sandalwood table piled with military reports and maps. Beside it stood a bronze lamp stand, and in one corner was a weapons rack holding a sword and a bow and arrows.

Zhao Mingyan carried her to a soft couch beside the table, and after setting her down, he began to undo her clothes.

Remembering that she was still disguised as Chunhua, Ji Qingwu clutched her collar, hunched her shoulders, and asked, "Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

Mindful of the injuries on her hands, Zhao Mingyan didn’t use force. He stated succinctly, "Take off your clothes."

Even though Ji Qingwu guessed that Emperor Wu Su had most likely recognized her, she still minded the idea of having him strip her clothes off while she wore a stranger’s face.

She pressed down on his right wrist, her gaze flickering as she asked, "Your Majesty, why did you bring this commoner back to your tent?"