Extra 20 Linglan's past (Part 2)

Extra 20 Linglan's past (Part 2)

On the battlefield, Jiang Qilan wielded a hundred-jin long sword and easily cut down the enemy's horse;

In the kitchen, Jiang Qilan was equally comfortable with a kitchen knife.

The chickens were freshly slaughtered and bled, the fish were freshly fished out of the fish pond, and the pigs and mutton were all tender and fresh that he had entrusted the chefs in the palace kitchen to select.

Jiang Qilan has a little hobby - feeding Cheng Ling.

Every time I prepare delicious food for Cheng Ling and watch her eat it seriously, I feel a strange sense of satisfaction in my heart.

His attitude towards cooking at the moment was as serious as analyzing the enemy's situation on the map before the war.

"Ling'er, it's time to eat!" Jiang Qilan called to her.

Cheng Ling buttoned up the storybook, jumped off the chair, ran to the kitchen, and served the dishes together.

Jiang Qilan cooked four hard dishes, golden chicken, Dongpo pork, steamed lamb, and seabass stew, which were all delicious and delicious.

Cheng Ling was so hungry that his chest pressed against his back. When he was serving the food, his saliva almost flowed into the bowl.

"Wow, how come this chicken is so delicious! It doesn't have any earthy smell at all!" Cheng Ling's eyes widened.

"Because a little white wine was added." Jiang Qilan picked up a chopstick of Dongpo pork for her.

Cheng Ling sighed exaggeratedly while eating.

"Eat slowly, I won't compete with you," Jiang Qilan warned while watching Cheng Ling gobble it up, and then broke off the chicken thighs of the golden chicken and put them in Cheng Ling's bowl.

"Brother Lan, how come we haven't seen you for half a year, and your cooking skills have improved so much? Can you still cook by yourself when you are fighting outside?" Cheng Ling asked after swallowing the tender mutton in his mouth.

I wonder which soldiers are lucky enough to be able to eat the delicacies cooked by Jiang Qilan.

"I have never cooked outside once. If you want to talk about the reason why my cooking skills have become better..." Jiang Qilan turned his head and thought for a while, "I think it should be because of my extraordinary talent!"

"Oh, it seems that what you are good at is not only your cooking skills, but also your narcissism!" Cheng Ling smiled, "Then can you eat meat on a regular basis?"

When marching and fighting outside, the food and clothing expenses should be kept simple.

"Occasionally, we can eat horse meat. We set up a big pot, break the dry hard biscuits into small pieces, throw in the minced horse meat, sprinkle some salt, drink some broth, and eat some dry food. It’s considered a pre-ordered meal.”

"Most of the time I just cook some whole grain porridge and eat some dry food."

"There are also times when the supply of food and grass is insufficient. At that time, we dig up tree roots and eat grass roots."

Cheng Ling stopped his chopsticks.

When Brother Lan came back this time, he seemed to have lost a lot of weight. It was obvious at first glance that he had suffered a lot.

She picked up the chicken drumsticks that Jiang Qilan put in her bowl and put them in his bowl.

"Brother Lan, you eat chicken legs."

Just as Jiang Qilan was about to refuse, Cheng Ling put down his chopsticks and said, "If you don't want to eat, I won't eat either!"

"Okay, okay, I'll eat it!"

Just after taking two bites of the chicken legs, I heard the loud shouts of soldiers coming from outside the door.

"General——"

Jiang Qilan sat upright, put down the chicken legs, and raised his voice: "Come in——"

A soldier pushed open the ajar door and walked in.

In his arms he held a roll of snow-white gauze and a jar filled with green ointment.

He lowered his eyes and said: "General, this is the gauze that Military Doctor Liao sent me to give you. He told you that the wound must be cleaned in time and the herbs and gauze should be replaced. Otherwise, it is not easy to leave the root of the disease."

"What wound!?"

When Cheng Ling heard this, she became anxious. She put down her chopsticks and stood up, looking Jiang Qilan up and down.

Brother Lan was actually injured?

She actually asked the injured Brother Lan to cook for her?

Jiang Qilan glanced at the soldier.

The soldier lowered his head and looked away.

This military doctor Liao deliberately sent soldiers to tell Cheng Ling. Because only Cheng Ling could control him, Cheng Ling must have watched him change gauze and apply ointment.

"Okay, you put the things on the table and I'll change them in a moment."

The soldier clasped his fists and said, "Then I won't disturb the general's rest."

When the soldier closed the door sensibly, Cheng Ling didn't even sit down.

She looked at Jiang Qilan with worry and remorse.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Qilan sighed, "I'm not hiding it from you. The wound is really small and not serious. That means Dr. Liao was too cautious."

But Cheng Ling is not that easy to fool.

She picked up the jar of medicine, opened it and smelled it.

"This is not an ordinary gold sore medicine, it's a bit like an antidote - Brother Lan, where are you injured? What kind of injury?"

Jiang Qilan knew that if she didn't ask clearly, she would not eat this meal: "It was just an arrow in the shoulder, and the arrow was smeared with poison-"

Seeing Cheng Ling's expression change instantly, Jiang Qilan quickly explained: "It's not a powerful poison, and the wound is not deep... The military doctor has already treated it. Just apply herbal medicine regularly to detoxify it."

"I'll change your dressing now." Cheng Ling said and was about to wash his hands.

Jiang Qilan held her back: "Ling'er, listen to me, I won't not take care of my body. It's not time to change the medicine yet. Dr. Liao just wants you to help keep an eye on it."

Cheng Ling frowned.

Jiang Qilan said softly: "Eat the fish, it won't taste good when it's cold."

"Why are you still cooking when you are injured? We can go to a restaurant."

Although the food cooked in the restaurant is not as delicious as Brother Lan’s.

Jiang Qilan said seriously: "Because I want to stay alone with you for a while and don't want so many outsiders to be present."

Cheng Ling blushed slightly.

Jiang Qilan added: "I won't force myself, let alone not pay attention to my body. Eat well and help me change my dressing after eating, okay?"

Cheng Ling hesitated: "I change the dressing quickly."

"The world is big, but eating is the biggest. Eat first, be good——"

Jiang Qilan pinched Cheng Ling's ear.

Cheng Ling picked up the chopsticks.

This time, she kept picking food for Jiang Qilan.

Every time Jiang Qilan wanted to refuse, Cheng Ling would use a vicious look to force him to refuse.

The meal was like a fight - both of them wanted the other to eat good meat.

After the food was eaten, Cheng Ling took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, washed her hands carefully, and picked out the wick of the oil lamp with a lamp stick - so that the light would be brighter.

She twisted the ointment jar and said to Jiang Qilan: "Okay, take off your clothes."

Jiang Qilan didn't hesitate, raised his hand and untied his robe, pulled it down to his waist and abdomen, revealing his naked upper body.

His face was tanned, but below the neck was quite white - he had a tangled scar, which was particularly conspicuous.

It can be said that there is basically no intact skin without scars on his chest and back.

War has left indelible marks on his body.

And his left shoulder to armpit is wrapped with several bandages, which faintly reveal the bitter taste of herbs.

Cheng Ling carefully untied the gauze layer by layer, and used clean white linen cloth dipped in boiled and cooled water to carefully clean the wound. Then she scooped up the herbal ointment with an iron spoon, picked it off with her fingers, and carefully applied it on the wound.

Jiang Qilan did not lie.

This wound is not serious.

It’s just that because the arrowhead is poisoned, the area around the wound is a little red.

After applying a layer, Cheng Ling lowered her head and blew on the wound. When the ointment dried, she applied another layer, and then wrapped it with gauze after it dried again.

Jiang Qilan watched Cheng Ling's movements without blinking.

Cheng Ling's little face was tightly tense, and her expression was serious and serious.

Her slender fingers roamed around the wound.

Pain was mixed with numbness.

The touch was wonderful.

Jiang Qilan hadn't thought about it at first - until she bent down and blew air around the wound.

This time, Jiang Qilan couldn't stand it.

No man could bear this - the girl he put on the tip of his heart was blowing air on his shoulder.

Jiang Qilan's scalp was numb instantly.

All the muscles in his body tensed up involuntarily.

Cheng Ling noticed his stiffness and immediately asked: "Did I hurt you?"

Jiang Qilan didn't say anything.

His dark eyes locked her eyes tightly.

There was a certain desire in his eyes.

It was tacitly understood, and there was no need to say it out loud.

Although Cheng Ling was ignorant about the affairs of men and women, her instinct drove her to get close to her lover.

Cheng Ling bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the place where he was not injured.

Jiang Qilan's breathing became heavy.

His eyes became deeper.

Cheng Ling blushed and looked at Jiang Qilan.

That look was charming and shy, but full of teasing.

Jiang Qilan felt that the string in his head that was stretched tight had broken silently.

He grabbed Cheng Ling's shoulders with both hands, and with a force, he easily lifted her up and put her on his bent long legs.

He kissed her fiercely.

The girl's soft lips were so sweet.

It was more beautiful than he had imagined.

Jiang Qilan felt his chest pounding, and his hands couldn't help but touch her. The touch was simply maddening.

Reason, weakly shouting "Stop——" at the edge of Jiang Qilan's mind

And Cheng Ling, not only did she not refuse, but she tried to seize the initiative in the kiss.

The two secretly competed, kissing and caressing each other.

The girl's round and smooth shoulders were finally exposed to the air.

Jiang Qilan stopped.

No, he couldn't do this.

"Brother Lan?" Unsatisfied with his sudden stop, Cheng Ling lowered her head and kissed his Adam's apple.

"No," Jiang Qilan gently pushed Cheng Ling with his shaking hands, "Sister Ling, I can't... I can't..."

"What does it matter? Brother Lan, you know, I will be yours sooner or later. What difference does it make if it's one day earlier or later?" Cheng Ling bewitched him.

There was an evil voice in Jiang Qilan's mind, also instigating him: "Are you still a man? Your beloved girl has thrown herself into your arms, are you going to push her away?"

The voice of justice was extremely weak: "What if you die, what will happen to Sister Ling? She is a girl, in this chaotic world, innocence is her capital for a good life..."

"Then find a matchmaker tomorrow, marry her in a formal way! Have a wedding night today - who knows what will happen tomorrow? Even if she marries you and you die again, what's the problem? She can still remarry. Think about it, there are so many people who like her... Don't you want to taste her?"

Cheng Ling was kissing the scar on his chest, and the touch was simply eroding.

Jiang Qilan let out a low moan.

His fingers were on the red string of her bellyband at the back of her neck...

Suddenly, there was a sound of horse hooves outside.

Someone got off the horse and then knelt outside the door to report: "Report - Prime Minister Li invites you to the general's mansion for a chat!"

Jiang Qilan's boiling mind calmed down instantly.

- What am I doing?

His sister Ling, at this moment, was like a peeled water chestnut, nestling in his arms.

If no one disturbed him - he would never be able to stop.

"Can we go tomorrow?" Cheng Ling asked softly.

Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were misty, like a little fairy who could charm people.

"That's Prime Minister Li, not someone else. I can only go now." Jiang Qilan pulled her shirt for her.

"Then...will you come back tonight?"

Jiang Qilan kissed her lips and said softly: "After we get married, I will sleep with you in my arms every night...I will come find you tomorrow morning after I finish my work."

The soldier outside shouted again.

Jiang Qilan said loudly to the door: "I'll set off immediately - prepare the horses for me!"

"Then I'm leaving Linger, remember to bolt the doors and windows."

He straightened his clothes, stood at the door and smiled at Cheng Ling, then closed the door and left.

Cheng Ling heard the sound of horse hooves fading away and let out a long sigh of dissatisfaction.

——It’s all damn Prime Minister Li, looking for someone to talk about military affairs in the middle of the night! "

——It's okay, I'll try again tomorrow.

——If it doesn’t work, you can only use force.

Although she couldn't beat Brother Lan, one thing she could guarantee was that Brother Lan would definitely use all his strength on her.

Lange people are really nice, but sometimes they are too rigid.

Does she want Shili Hongzhuang to be useful?

She never wears that kind of clothes.

Prime Minister's Mansion.

"The general has just come back. It's time to reunite with family and friends, but I called you here to discuss matters - it's me, Mr. Li, who is ignorant of current affairs." Prime Minister Li apologized.

"The Prime Minister called so-and-so late at night, why on earth?"

"The monarch is worried about the cavalry of the Northern Kingdom sneaking into Kyoto, and has trouble sleeping day and night. The imperial doctor said that if this continues, the monarch's body may not be able to bear it..."

"So?" Jiang Qilan asked bluntly.

"So, the monarch wants to move the capital in advance, and asks the general to protect the monarch and ministers as they move south. I have asked the gods for divination, and we will set off tomorrow evening."

Jiang Qilan frowned: "In such a hurry? Moving the capital is not a trivial matter. Besides, if the Northern Cavalry really takes action, it will take at least a month to reach Kyoto..."

"But the spies said that the Northern Light Cavalry is very fast and can enter Kyoto in three days and three nights."

Jiang Qilan was dissatisfied: "Are we, the generals and soldiers, all useless? How can we let them break into the Kyoto defense line?"

"In short, this is the order of the monarch. General Lan, the palace will not sleep tonight and will definitely pack the items to be taken away."

Jiang Qilan tried hard not to let the look of contempt show on his face.

"Why, does General Jiang have any objections?" Prime Minister Li obviously saw Jiang Qilan's mood.

"Prime Minister, there is no need to ask me to come to your mansion to discuss this matter at night. We can discuss it with you tomorrow morning. It's not too late -"

Prime Minister Li said meaningfully: "I'm afraid that the little general will talk nonsense in the court. I also want to do it for the little general's sake... Your previous refusal of the monarch's marriage gift has already made the monarch dissatisfied. I just want to mention the little general. Little General The general is one of the few talented generals in my court."

Jiang Qilan nodded slightly: "I thanked the Prime Minister."

"Besides, take the girl you like and take her home as a concubine. Why are you resisting the marriage? The third princess is a good match. I heard that the girl's father was the envoy Cheng Kuan who died in the Battle of the Northwest. daughter?"

Jiang Qilan raised his eyebrows: "Why does the Prime Minister ask this?"

"You gave up the third princess to marry the daughter of a defeated general. How could the monarch not be angry?" Li Cheng asked him instead.

"She is my wife. And I think Ambassador Cheng is also the pride of our soldiers! His defeat did not depend on his ability."

"General Lan, watch your words!" Prime Minister Li said solemnly, "If you want to stand out in the world, you must worry about the eyes of others!"

"I, Jiang Qilan, walk between heaven and earth, with a majestic and upright spirit, why should I be afraid of other people's eyes!"

After speaking, Jiang Qilan cupped his fists and said, "Prime Minister, I will leave without disturbing the Prime Minister's rest."

Prime Minister Li sighed.

*

Early the next morning, Jiang Qilan came to Cheng Ling's house again.

After he returned home last night, he asked people about it and found out one thing: the monarch must move the capital this time. Everyone in the palace did stay up all night to prepare for the upcoming move of the capital.

Jiang Qilan despised the monarch's cowardice from the bottom of his heart.

But he was powerless to change.

"Ling'er," Jiang Qilan opened the door.

Cheng Ling sat by the window, eating snacks and reading a storybook, feeling very comfortable.

"Brother Lan, this book suits my taste very well!" Cheng Ling pointed to the storybook in his hand.

She didn't know yet that she was leaving today.

"Just read it if you like. If you like it, I'll find someone to collect more and send it to you." Jiang Qilan walked to her and sat down.

He didn't know how to speak.

Cheng Ling put down the storybook and looked out the window with a look of fascination: "It would be great if one day I could write my own storybook and have people sing it..."

"When the sea is clear and the world is at peace, I will find someone to print your storybook." Jiang Qilan said, "The stories you made up and told me before are really interesting."

"Really?" Cheng Ling's eyes lit up instantly.

Then when Jiang Qilan goes out to fight again, she won't have to worry about having nothing to do.

"Is there anything else you want to do, Sister Ling?" Jiang Qilan asked.

Cheng Ling was lost in thought.

There are many things she wants to do.

Go for a walk north and south of the Yangtze River and see the grasslands in the north, the Gobi Desert in the west, the flower market in the south, and the sea in the east.

But what she wanted to do most was to fight side by side with Jiang Qilan.

Unfortunately, she can't.

She didn't dare to say it either.

She couldn't cause any more trouble for Jiang Qilan.

As a meritorious general, Jiang Qilan already had enough troubles.

"It's nothing," Cheng Ling shook his head and then changed the subject, "By the way, Prime Minister Li called General Lan to his house late at night to discuss something?"

Jiang Qilan said softly: "Let's talk about the relocation of the capital. The monarch suddenly ordered an urgent relocation of the capital - set off at dusk today."

"Today?" The smile on Cheng Ling's face disappeared without a trace.

She had been looking forward to it for a long time, and finally Brother Lan came back -

"There are so many generals in the court, why do you have to choose?"

Jiang Qilan showed a sarcastic smile: "The monarch is impressed by my combat ability. With me here, he can rest assured on the way. In addition, he can also keep an eye on me..."

Cheng Ling is so smart.

She immediately understood what Jiang Qilan said.

The monarch was afraid of Jiang Qilan.

- The monarch walked out of the palace in Kyoto, like a turtle out of its shell, anyone could bite it.

If Jiang Qilan really wanted to rebel, then he could mobilize the army and horses and take action on the way to the south.

To the outside world, he could say that he encountered robbers - he didn't have to bear the stigma.

But if Jiang Qilan personally escorted and something went wrong, his reputation would be over.

What's more, it would be difficult for him to do anything under the monarch's nose.

"Sister Ling, moving the capital ahead of time is good."

"What are the benefits?"

"When the relocation is completed, I will ask for leave from the monarch and come back to marry you--"

Cheng Ling was unhappy.

Jiang Qilan hugged Cheng Ling in his arms: "I have greeted the housekeeper at home. If you need anything, go to the mansion to find them."

"Don't be afraid to trouble them if you have something. Sooner or later, you will be their mistress."

Everyone in Jiang's house has long treated Cheng Ling as the future wife.

What Cheng Ling didn't know was that Jiang Qilan specifically told the housekeeper that if something happened to him, everything he had would belong to Cheng Ling. Houses, good fields, servants, carriages, horses, money, all given to her.

After speaking, Jiang Qilan took out a bag from his pocket.

"There are some gold leaves in it. Don't restrain yourself and make yourself suffer."

Cheng Ling didn't look at the purse filled with a lot of gold leaves.

She didn't like this kind of purse.

When she saw this kind of purse, she had bad associations.

——There was a fuzzy purse under her closet.

It was left by her father.

"There are still some people I need to visit. I will come back to say goodbye to you before I leave."

Jiang Qilan stood up after saying that.

The monarch moved south so hastily that all the civil and military officials in the court, as well as the relatives and their families, were busy.

Jiang Qilan also needed to arrange the military defense in the city.

Jiang Qilan hurried back to Cheng Ling's home at sunset.

Cheng Ling was not in the lobby.

There was a faint smell of burning in the kitchen. Jiang Qilan cried out inwardly and ran to the kitchen - Cheng Ling was busy pouring water into the pot.

She might have realized that the fire was too strong and the dishes in the pot would burn. In a panic, she dragged the burning firewood out and caught fire with the firewood on the ground.

Jiang Qilan picked up the bucket next to him and put out the open fire on the ground.

On the stove next to him, there was a bucket of rice that was cooked very badly.

The lower layer was burnt, but the upper layer was still wet.

"My dear Ling'er, you are so considerate. I am so hungry that I feel dizzy. Hurry up and serve me some rice. I can set off after I have eaten my fill--"

Jiang Qilan was really hungry after running outside all day.

Cheng Ling said awkwardly: "But... it's all burnt."

"It doesn't matter. This is much better than the food we had when we were in the war--what's more, this is my sister Ling's heartfelt gift, so I have to taste it carefully."

The soldier outside urged: "General, we should set off. The monarch is waiting for you."

"Let the people of the court wait." Jiang Qilan lifted the back of his armor and sat on the stool.

Cheng Ling served the rice and vegetables and placed them on the table.

Jiang Qilan picked up the chopsticks, picked up the rice bowl, and ate it in big mouthfuls.

The vegetables and meat were cut into different sizes, and the salt was not dissolved. Some places were extremely salty, and some places had no taste at all.

But Jiang Qilan said nothing, and ate a bucket of rice and burnt vegetables.

Cheng Ling sat opposite him, looking at him without blinking.

"I'm full."

Jiang Qilan put down his bowl and chopsticks.

Then he stood up.

"Wait for me to come back." Jiang Qilan reached out and rubbed her cheek.

He couldn't delay any longer.

He had to go now.

"Brother Lan... I wish you success--" Cheng Ling threw herself into his arms.

Jiang Qilan patted Cheng Ling on the shoulder, then strode out of the room, threw his cloak, jumped on the horse, and ran towards the sunset.

The sunset was like blood.

*

A month later, the monarch's heavy ceremonial guard finally arrived at the new capital in the south.

Jiang Qilan resigned, he wanted to go back to the old capital.

Back to Cheng Ling.

But the monarch refused to let him go.

He even refused to see him.

Until one day, the envoys from the northern country arrived in the new capital.

The monarch was very happy and called Jiang Qilan to the court.

The monarch pointed to a row of carriages outside.

"Those are the tributes sent by the lords of the Northern Kingdom from thousands of miles away. They asked me for a truce."

Jiang Qilan asked: "With just these tributes, you want to seek peace?"

"Not only that," said the monarch, "the lords of the Northern Kingdom also asked us to retreat 50 miles to the south of our territory... The northern country is bitterly cold, and the people are short of food and clothing. They have no choice but to offend our country repeatedly. As long as they retreat 50 miles, they promise not to offend again in the future."

Jiang Qilan heard this and said with a fierce face: "Monarch, you must not believe the nonsense of the Northern Kingdom! Retreat 50 miles? That means we will retreat our defense line!"

"The Northern Kingdom has never had any credibility."

"They repeatedly offended the border towns."

Jiang Qilan's words aroused the dissatisfaction of many ministers in the court.

They were indeed dissatisfied when the capital was first moved, but when they came to the new capital, they found that the new capital was too comfortable - it was warm and humid, and the nightlife was also very pleasant.

They became more timid.

If you give in fifty miles, just give in fifty miles.

Just stop fighting.

"General Lan, you are determined not to give in, are you afraid that if the world becomes peaceful, you, a general, will have no use for you?"

"General Lan, war wastes people and money. You don't want to stop the war because only war can highlight your power..."

"The Northern Kingdom is full of sincerity, should we also turn it away? In the future, the surrounding countries will also want to follow suit and surrender, but because the Northern Kingdom has hit a wall today, they have given up the idea of ​​surrendering?"

Jiang Qilan was angry. He suppressed his temper, took a step forward, stared at the monarch's face and said, "The so-called war is never tiring of deceit - that is not the North Kingdom's request for peace, but their strategy to attack our country! You must not be deceived!"

The monarch, whose bones were softened by the beauty and wine, could not help but feel even more frightened and apprehensive when he looked at Jiang Qilan, who stood in the center of the court, majestic and majestic like a divine soldier descending from the sky.

"You go down first, and we will discuss the matter of peace later." The monarch closed his eyes and leaned on the couch, "I am tired, General Lan, please go down."

Jiang Qilan took a deep look at the soft-faced monarch sitting on the dragon throne, turned around and left with clasped fists.

There was a lot of discussion in the performance hall.

"General Lan is very prestigious among the people - since ancient times, rebellious officials and traitors have been people like General Lan who are capable and prestigious, and hold military power."

"I heard that General Wenlan wants to invite me to return to the old capital? Doesn't that mean he just wants to rebel?"

"No wonder he has to be willing to cede territory to seek peace. Is he afraid that his territory will become smaller?"

"That's nice to say...it's like giving away the country to others. I think he's just resorting to militarism!"

Of course, there are different voices.

"General Lan is loyal and loyal. He has fought on the battlefield for many years and has no other intention. General Lan is right. Give back fifty miles, and the Daheishan Mountains are the barrier surrounding our country... Giving back fifty miles is equivalent to giving the barrier to the North!"

The quarrel grew louder.

The monarch was so noisy that he had a headache.

Dispersed the ministers.

The envoys from the Northern Kingdom who came to seek peace were all carefully selected by the lords of the Northern Kingdom.

They are good at getting information from all sources.

That night, they learned that Jiang Qilan did not agree to "seek peace" and was at odds with the monarch and his courtiers.

The envoys rolled their eyes and immediately found someone to spread the rumors.

"General Lan wants to establish himself as king."

"General Lan wants to own the land of China and be the monarch of the entire land of China."

"General Lan has a secret friendship with Beiguo, and he is planning to become the king."

"General Lan refused to agree to be the consort of the monarch's third princess precisely because of his ambition."

At the same time, the third princess, who had been dissatisfied with Jiang Qilan for a long time but was rejected by Jiang Qilan without hesitation, became angry and expressed her dissatisfaction to the courtiers' female relatives with added jealousy.

The female relatives all told their husbands and sons in the court not to defend Jiang Qilan.

After repeated exchanges, almost no one in the entire court dared to speak for Jiang Qilan anymore.

The monarch put Jiang Qilan under house arrest in his own mansion.

Jiang Qilan was trapped in his mansion and heard the rumors outside, but he was unable to do anything.

At this time, anything he said seemed like quibbling.

We can only cope with all changes by remaining unchanged.

But the envoys of the Northern Kingdom are so cunning.

They used forged correspondence between Jiang Qilan and the northern lord and submitted it to the monarch.

Lord Long Yan was furious.

The soldiers rushed into Jiang Qilan's mansion and read out the imperial edict: Jiang Qilan had no monarch, disturbed the imperial court, committed treason and collaborated with the enemy, and his body was quartered in the city. Execute immediately.

In the city gate market, the people were pushing and shoving, rushing to see the prisoner General Lan who was quartered on five horses.

They had heard about General Jiang Qilan's reputation - but they didn't know what was true and what was false.

Since the monarch told the court that General Lan was treasonous and collaborating with the enemy, he must have committed a crime.

Ignorant people never consider what is true and what is false.

They believed in the court.

The people threw rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs at him, insulting Jiang Qilan for a crime he had not committed.

At this moment, Jiang Qilan only thought of Cheng Ling

——Sister Ling would be so heartbroken if she knew what happened to me.

Jiang Qilan imagined that his best destination would be to guard his old wife Cheng Ling, with an old dog at his feet, and old wine warming on the stove, and then die in the old house.

If you are unlucky, you may die in battle.

He never expected that his ending would be such a humiliation.

What should Sister Ling do in the future?

She was alone again.

He didn't feel sorry for his country in the slightest, but he really felt sorry for Cheng Ling.

The ropes tied to the five horses were tied to his head, wrists, and ankles.

Jiang Qilan looked at the foggy sky.

Goodbye, Sister Ling.

"Drive!" The five grooms, under the executioner's command, drove the horses at the same time.

At that moment, Jiang Qilan felt no pain in his body.

His heart was filled with guilt for Cheng Ling.

*

Cheng Ling ran to the street and asked the soldiers guarding the city again.

"Brother, is there no news yet?"

It has been two months since Jiang Qilan escorted the monarch's carriage away.

But he never came back.

Not even a letter.

Because they were afraid of revealing the monarch's whereabouts, all letters were forbidden.

—— Especially for generals like Jiang Qilan.

The soldiers guarding the city shook their heads.

"There is no letter over there. You go back and wait, maybe General Lan is on his way back."

Cheng Ling forced a smile, dragged her feet, and walked home.

She had a messy nightmare a few nights ago. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't remember the content of the dream.

Maybe because of the nightmare, she felt uneasy these days.

As soon as she reached the entrance of the alley, she saw the housekeeper of Jiang's house hiding in the shadows, waving at her desperately.

Cheng Ling saw that he looked different, and ran over.

The housekeeper pulled Cheng Ling behind the haystack and stuffed a handful of silver bills into Cheng Ling's hand.

"Miss Cheng, these banknotes are all saved by our general. You should keep them well. Don't tell anyone that I gave them to you." The housekeeper spoke very quickly.

Cheng Ling's heart was beating wildly: "What happened to Brother Lan?"

The housekeeper burst into tears: "Miss Cheng... the young general... he... is going to change... you must take care of yourself, you must take care of yourself! Otherwise, the young general will die with regrets... I beg you, don't do anything stupid!"

The sound of horse hooves rang out on the street.

The housekeeper pushed Cheng Ling into the shadows and strode out.

He was discovered by the soldiers on horseback after walking a few steps.

"The housekeeper of the traitor - arrest him! Send him to the East Market - he is the only servant left in the Jiang family!"

Cheng Ling was stunned by the series of changes.

The soldiers took the housekeeper away.

Die with regrets? Traitor?

Cheng Ling felt that his mind was as messy as a ball of paste.

She staggered as she walked under the sun.

After a while, she realized that she had reached the East Market.

There were crowds of people.

Soldiers escorted some people - Cheng Ling knew them, they were all servants of the Jiang family.

An official held a red-stamped Wen Zong and read to the people:

"The criminal Jiang Qilan, who had no regard for the monarch, deceived the monarch... treason and collusion with the enemy, was torn into pieces by five horses in the downtown of Xindu three days ago! Jiang's soldiers and servants were all arrested and beheaded for public display!"

The housekeeper was pulled out and his head was pressed.

The executioner behind him was wiping his machete, and the blade was wiped clean.

Cheng Ling had a dart in his hand, which was enough to save the housekeeper -

The housekeeper seemed to notice something and raised his head - looking at Cheng Ling in the crowd.

After a moment, he shook his head.

The executioner swung his machete down, and after a disgusting sound, something fell to the ground with a thud.

Cheng Ling's stomach shrank into a ball.

In the next three days, she pieced together the whole story from the notices on the city gate and the chats of the people.

Cheng Ling was extremely angry.

But she felt very powerless in her anger.

Brother Lan was already dead, what was the point of her living?

In Cheng Ling's own house, there were still some old things of Jiang Qilan. She picked up the old things and went to the back mountain to make a tomb.

Thinking about the humiliation Brother Lan suffered before his death, Cheng Ling's heart was like being brushed by a barbed brush, bloody and painful.

Such a proud person was torn into pieces in public...

Cheng Ling's hands trembled, and she didn't light the incense for a long time.

First it was her mother, then her father, her brother, then General Jiang, and finally Jiang Qilan.

Cheng Ling knelt in the loess, tears dripping down in big drops.

Seeking death is a coward's behavior.

But Cheng Ling really didn't know what was the point of her living.

"Help!"

A panicked cry from a woman came from not far away.

The man's lewd laughter was mixed in.

Cheng Ling wiped her tears and rushed towards the sound.

A man dressed in northern clothes was grabbing the arm of a girl who went up the mountain to chop wood, and put his bearded and smelly mouth close to the girl's face.

Cheng Ling pulled out a dart from her waist, grabbed the red tassel at the end of the dart, and pulled it hard.

A dart hit the man's forehead. The man fell down.

"Sister Cheng Ling!" the girl who was chopping wood shouted.

Cheng Ling looked at the young girl in confusion, "Do you know me?"

"I'm Mu Qing. I lived in the alley behind the general's mansion a long time ago..."

"Are you okay?"

"No." Mu Qing shook his head.

Cheng Ling noticed that there was a horse tied to a tree not far away.

Is the northern country moving so fast?

No.

It should be that they heard that the capital was moving south, so they started to prepare for everything that happened later.

"Mu Qing, hurry home. Try not to go into the mountains in the future, the world will be in chaos in the future..."

"I have nowhere to go. The aunt who raised me has passed away. Sister Cheng Ling, can you take me in? I eat very little, and I can wash clothes and cook for you..."

But I don't want to live anymore. Cheng Ling thought. How can I support you?

"Where is your home? I'll take you back." Cheng Ling said, "and give you some money to settle down."

Mu Qing's bright eyes dimmed.

"I don't want Sister Cheng's money."

Then she reported a place name.

She lived very close to Fei Ge's house, who sold straw mats in the market.

Not long ago, Cheng Ling gave medicinal herbs to Fei Ge's wife who gave birth to twins. He might as well entrust Fei Ge's wife to take care of the little girl.

As soon as he reached the alley, Cheng Ling suddenly became alert——

The alley has an unusual flavor.

It smells like blood.

At the other end of the alley, the faint sound of horses neighing could be heard.

Cheng Ling felt bad, so she spread her legs and ran towards Brother Fei's house.

The door to Fei Ge's house is open.

The smell of blood came from Fei Ge's house.

Fei Ge lay on the ground with a large pool of blood on his back, staring at the door of the room.

But he was no longer breathing.

Cheng Ling rushed into the room.

Fei Ge's wife and two newborn children were all lying in a pool of blood.

A heavy-backed figure was rummaging through boxes and cabinets, cursing.

"You don't have any money at home? You are a pauper..."

His words came to an abrupt end as a sharp dagger was pressed against his throat.

"How many cavalry do you have in total?" Cheng Ling asked.

The Northern cavalryman was startled at first, but after realizing that the person behind him was a woman, he instantly became bolder. Women in the south are as soft as water, what is there to be afraid of?

"Little beauty, cooperate honestly and I will let you enjoy the hot and spicy food from now on..."

The dagger immediately pressed a centimeter into the flesh.

"Do you want to die happily and happily, or die hard and painfully with your heart, liver, intestines and stomach bleeding all over the floor?" Cheng Ling asked.

The northern cavalryman felt severe pain in his neck again. .

Only then did he realize that the woman behind him was serious.

"There are eighteen of us cavalry in total - our lord said that when we enter the old capital, we can take whatever we want, sleep with any woman we want, and kill anyone we want -"

Cheng Ling cut his neck cleanly.

Mu Qing stood outside, looking at Cheng Ling's back.

The grief in Cheng Ling's heart was replaced by another emotion of anger.

The monarch does not care for the people...

But she has the ability to protect the people.

——If she stands idly by at this time, is she still worthy of being a human being?

Cheng Ling made up his mind.

If you really want to die, then die in a meaningful way.

She let the enemy soldiers bury Brother Lan with her. If she dies, she cannot let the skills that Brother Lan has taught her over the years be buried!

Mu Qing was observing the situation and said softly: "Sister Cheng Ling, I know about the death of General Lan... please show your condolences and accept the change."

Cheng Ling stood up, rubbed the dagger on his pants, and stared at Mu Qing.

"Although I have never learned boxing or kicking, I can learn it from scratch. I am willing to work with you to slaughter these inhuman bastards in the North!" Mu Qing said seriously.

Cheng Ling spoke: "Mu Qing, find some clothes to cover Brother Fei and the others."

Mu Qing replied crisply: "Yes!"

Cheng Ling found some sickles for cutting wood at Fei Ge's house and pinned them on his lower back——

There are still sixteen cavalrymen doing evil outside, and she wants to find them all!

Eighteen cavalrymen rushed into the old capital - most of the troops in the old capital followed the monarch southward, leaving only a city of unarmed people and old, weak, sick and disabled soldiers.

They were like eighteen hungry wolves rushing into the flock.

Cheng Ling hurriedly hurriedly killed all the remaining sixteen.

That night, Cheng Ling fell asleep soundly.

The first time he killed someone, he killed eighteen people in one kill, but Cheng Ling was not afraid at all, let alone had nightmares.

Later, more and more Northern cavalry poured into the old capital.

The ignorant people spontaneously followed Cheng Ling.

Cheng Ling used the banknotes given to him by Jiang Zhai's housekeeper, which were originally used to buy himself Shili Hongzhuang, to recruit soldiers and horses to train their bravery to fight against the invasion of the Northern Kingdom.

The cowardly and incompetent monarch huddled in the warm, luxuriant south and did not send a single soldier to reinforce the old northern capital.

The monarch abandoned his old capital.

Many village owners and wealthy businessmen raised money to build equipment and weapons for Cheng Ling, and sent military rations to buy horses.

People call Cheng Ling "General Ling".

She is like a god of death who has no sense of pain and no emotions.

No matter how many wounds she has on her body, she will never cry out in pain, let alone stop using her weapon.

She put her own life and death at risk.

What's even more rare is that she has strict military laws, manages the army well, and is familiar with the art of war.

On one occasion, she severely defeated the enemy army in the North with one-tenth of her strength, which made her even more famous.

Mu Qing was her first follower and was always by her side.

Only Mu Qing knew that there was someone living in General Ling's heart.

That man was General Lan who used to protect the people, but was finally cut into pieces by the monarch.

If these things had not happened, they would have been such a happy couple.

Mu Qing sighed.

At first, Mu Qing was the only one hiding behind General Ling.

Nowadays, thousands of people are hiding under the wings of General Ling and seeking refuge.

But who can General Ling hide behind?

It would be nice if General Lan was here.

Mu Qing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead on behalf of Cheng Ling, who had taken the medicine and fell asleep.

The military doctor said that General Ling would be better tomorrow after taking medicine, sleeping, and sweating.

Mu Qing closed the door.

The door closed gently.

Cheng Ling opened his eyes.

The room was dark, with only the oil lamp on the wall emitting a faint yellow light.

It was so painful that she had to bite her back teeth hard.

The roots of my teeth were sore from being bitten.

But Mu Qing was there and Cheng Ling pretended to be asleep.

Otherwise, this little girl will look like she's about to cry again.

Cheng Ling closed her eyes.

Only at this time did she dare to take out Brother Lan, whom she had carefully kept in her heart, and remember him.

His voice, appearance and smile were still vivid in her mind.

"Brother Lan..." Crystal tears slid down her cheeks.

She was so tired.

She was so tired that she just wanted to close her eyes and never wake up again.

She was so tired that she seemed unable to lift the machete anymore.

She was so tired that she could hardly even carry the armor.

But she couldn't retreat.

If she retreated, countless people would be killed or injured.

She stood in front of the people like an indestructible shield.

She would never retreat even if the sword and axe were to hit her.

Later, victory followed victory.

After catching a cold, the monarch fell seriously ill and never got up again.

His second son killed the prince and seized the throne.

The new emperor was quite skillful and much wiser.

After he took office, he did two things.

The first thing was to reorganize the government and clean up the court. The ministers who flattered and served in vain were demoted and their property was confiscated. The silver obtained and the little silver left in the treasury were all sent to the front-line soldiers.

The second thing was to posthumously confer the title of General Zhongwu on Jiang Qilan.

The more they fought, the smoother the battle became.

Although the cavalry of the Northern Kingdom was brave, they were weak in the follow-up. They were short of food and silver, and the population was sparse. They could only pursue a quick victory in the war.

The longer the battle line was stretched, the lower their chances of winning.

Finally, the lord of the Northern Kingdom finally surrendered and knelt down to ask for peace - they promised not to invade again for fifty years, and to offer a thousand cattle and sheep and a hundred war horses every year.

*

Hearing the news, Cheng Ling, who was wiping the two-handed axe, laughed.

First laughed softly, then laughed loudly.

Finally, tears slipped quietly from the corners of her eyes.

Everything was over.

Her mission was over too.

I hope she didn't disgrace the Cheng and Jiang families.

After a month or so of peace, a soldier came to report.

"... General Ling, a blind man came to the city, he is very powerful. He can know the events of the past thousand years." The soldier said, "The people say he is a god who has descended to earth!"

Cheng Ling turned the book over a page.

"Hmm."

The soldier saw Cheng Ling's attitude and knew that she didn't believe it, and he was a little anxious.

"This blind man said that you will... you will..."

Cheng Ling raised her head: "What will happen to me in the future?"

"It is said that you are not destined to be a general, but you have committed many murderous deeds. After death... after death, your soul will be scattered, and you will never be reincarnated again."

"Reincarnation?" Cheng Ling smiled.

She didn't care.

"If you are scattered, then you are scattered. I have nothing to worry about." Cheng Ling said.

"General Ling!" Mu Qing walked in from outside with his eyebrows raised, "What do you mean by no worries? Am I nothing in your heart?"

Cheng Ling smiled bitterly, "Mu Qing, when a person dies, it's like a lamp goes out. What consciousness, memory, are gone. Then what's the point of reincarnation again?"

Mu Qing stamped his feet: "I will never allow this to happen!"

Cheng Ling laughed again: "God made my soul fly away, how can you stop it? Can you be greater than heaven?"

Mu Qing bit her lip and turned away.

She wanted to ask the blind fortune teller how to crack it - however, the blind man's house was deserted.

Mu Qing found a piece of paper on his desk: "Build a temple in the north peak of Hangzhou City, named Huling Temple. Burn incense every day and make offerings continuously. After 800 years, General Ling will pay off his killing karma and can be reincarnated."

Mu Qing spent money to make the story of the blind fortune teller spread widely.

The people regarded Cheng Ling as their savior, so they naturally didn't want to see this happen.

The story spread from one person to ten, and then from ten to a hundred, and gradually spread.

Cheng Ling heard about it, but didn't take it seriously.

She had no worries.

On a warm spring day with peach blossoms in full bloom, Cheng Ling read a book in the corridor. Feeling tired, she lay on a recliner, looking at the newly opened flowers in the corridor and listening to the buzzing of bees flying around.

Is there an afterlife for people?

I don't know.

Cheng Ling thought, if there is an afterlife, she hopes to see her father and brother again and help them solve their problems; if there is an afterlife, she hopes to get to know Brother Lan again and fight side by side with him; it would be best if they could get married and have a few more children; when they are old, they will go to guard the old house, with the old dog lying at their feet, the old cat on their legs, and snuggling to watch the fire in the stove...

Then, let it be.

In the gentle and romantic spring light, Cheng Ling closed her eyes.

She never woke up again.

Until eight hundred years later, an old monk who had traveled all over the country found Old Master Cheng.