knife

Chapter 364 You are happy
Surrounded by a group of generals, Xia Che, a doctor from Changchun Valley, examined Xiao Changche's pulse for a while, but his eyes showed an extremely puzzled look. He looked at Xiao Changche and then switched to his other hand.

"Dr. Xia, it's nothing serious. I just used too much force when I fought Wu Zheng and I'm a little exhausted. That guy is quite heavy!" Xiao Changche said impatiently.

Xia Che tugged at a few strands of his long beard with his hand, his face full of disbelief. He accidentally pulled too hard and ripped one of the strands off, immediately wincing in pain.

"Dr. Xia, what's wrong with us?" Xiao Dongwei asked anxiously. He had never seen Xiao Changche faint before; this was the first time. Xia Che's expression only made him more worried.

Xia Che was born in Changchun Valley and was an elder of the same generation as Xiao Cheng and others. He was very skilled in medicine.

Looking at Xiao Dongwei and then at Xiao Changche, Xia Che's face showed a lack of confidence as he said, "Protector, there have been many wounded soldiers these past few days, and I haven't slept much. I'm not in good spirits, so my pulse reading isn't very accurate. Should we call someone else to take a look?"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. If a doctor said this, it must mean the situation was not good. He didn't want to say it directly, so he made excuses and tried to get someone else to take the blame.

There are many military doctors now, but Xia Che is the most skilled one, and the best among all doctors.

"Dr. Xia, what exactly is going on? Stop beating around the bush! If you're not sure, we'll go and ask Valley Master Fu for help!" Xiao Dongwei grabbed Xia Che. "But you must have a general diagnosis, right?"

"Yes, yes!" Xia Che rubbed his temples. "I must not have slept well yesterday and I'm exhausted. Otherwise, how could I have detected the pregnancy pulse for the Protector? This is impossible, impossible."

As soon as these words were spoken, the tent became lively.

A group of mid-level generals burst into laughter, and those who were familiar with Xia Che pointed at him and laughed uncontrollably. The general, a grown man, had actually been found to be pregnant by his pulse. Doctor Xia had really embarrassed himself. This incident could be a source of ridicule for him for the rest of his life. It seemed that he had indeed developed hallucinations from treating so many wounded soldiers these past few days.

Unlike the mid-level generals' wild laughter, the senior generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

Xiao Dongwei looked at Gu Xiaoman, Gu Xiaoman looked at Xia Zhi, and Xia Zhi's gaze was also on them. Then, all three of them turned their eyes to Xiao Changche.

First she was stunned, then embarrassed and annoyed. A blush slowly crept up her fair face, her eyebrows slowly rose, and she bit her lip, glaring at Gu Xiaoman and the others.

Xiao Dongwei was more familiar with Xiao Changche. Seeing that this was a sign that the Protector-General was about to lash out, he immediately turned around and roared at the group of mid-level generals who were still laughing wildly.

"Get out!"

The laughter stopped abruptly, and everyone stared at Xiao Dongwei in surprise. Then, someone who was close by was kicked by Xiao Dongwei on the back of his leg and flew away with a cry. Before Xiao Dongwei could kick again, everyone was already scrambling and jostling each other as they fled in a sorry state.

Two of them moved so in unison that they both got stuck together on the door frame and couldn't get out.

So the two of them each got kicked by Xiao Dongwei.

His comical appearance actually eased Xiao Changche's expression, who was on the verge of exploding, and he finally smiled.

Xiao Dongwei grabbed Xia Che by the collar and sneered, "You quack!"

With a flick of his wrist, Xia Che was also sent flying.

Xia Che landed steadily after flying out, straightened his clothes, shook his wrist, and was full of doubts.

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

He muttered to himself as he drove away.

The remaining people in the room all looked at Xiao Changche. After a long while, Xia Zhi finally said, "A happy pulse? You're pregnant. Is it the young master's child?"

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Xiaoman flicked her finger and gave Xia Zhi a hard knock on the head, making Xia Zhi flinch and turn to glare at Gu Xiaoman angrily.

Where did I say something wrong?
Gu Xiaoman glared at her fiercely. She was so young and naive. If she didn't give her a good beating, she probably would have been beaten up by Xiao Changche like a chicken by now.

Sure enough, Xiao Changche's expression, which had just calmed down, turned cold again.

Xia Zhi turned around and chuckled, "It's true what they say, pregnancy makes you stupid for three years. You knew it was wrong, but you still let the doctor take your pulse. Now you're all better, what are you going to do?"

Gu Xiaoman had a bad feeling. Sure enough, the next moment, a gust of wind rushed towards her face. Xia Zhi shouted and bent her elbow in front of her chest. With a bang, Xia Zhi was sent flying backward, accurately passing through the gate and landing outside.

Unlike Xiao Dongwei, who used a clever technique to throw Xia Che, Xia Zhi landed hard on his buttocks with a loud thud. Inside the house, Gu Xiaoman and Xiao Dongwei both grimaced in surprise.

That guy's got a screw loose!

Gu Xiaoman shook her head.

"I don't know!" Xiao Changche looked at Gu Xiaoman and Xiao Dongwei with some frustration. "What should we do now?"

Xiao Changche is a woman; this fact is currently known only to a very small number of people.

Tiele and Linghuye were also aware of this from the outside.

However, for different reasons, the two did not make the matter public or escalate it.

But the truth will eventually come out, and the longer it went on, the more impossible it became to keep it a secret.

"Why don't we take this opportunity to reveal the truth to the public?" Gu Xiaoman said.

"Won't this destabilize Beiting?" Xiao Dongwei had some doubts. Xiao Changche's reputation in the northern border region over the years was one of the foundations upon which the Beiting Protectorate relied for its survival. He really had no idea what the consequences would be if the truth that she was a woman were revealed, especially since Li Dachui was not currently outside the pass.

"I don't want this baby anymore!" Xiao Changche stared at his abdomen, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"No!" Gu Xiaoman and Xiao Dongwei said in unison to dissuade them.

“Protector, let’s report this matter to Lord Zhou first!” Gu Xiaoman said, “You should go back to Baoping City to recuperate. You were injured in the battle with Wu Zheng this time.”

"Yes, yes, and then please ask Valley Master Fu to take a look. She's pregnant and yet she fought a great battle with Wu Zheng. We mustn't let it affect the fetus, or that would be troublesome!" Xiao Dongwei nodded repeatedly: "This is the most urgent matter."

"The war is not over yet!" Xiao Changche said, frowning.

"Why would the Protector-General need to handle the rest personally?" Gu Xiaoman waved her hands repeatedly. "Dongwei will accompany the Protector-General back. I'll clean up the mess here!"

Xiao Dongwei nodded and said, "This arrangement is the best. The Wu family has already fled Yancheng, the army has basically collapsed, and the remaining troops are no match for us. The Protectorate will soon send officials to restore order and resume production. We don't need you, Protector. It's the right thing for you to go back and take good care of your pregnancy!"

Xiao Changche nodded helplessly, pressing his hand to his abdomen, biting his lip, his expression shifting between anger and joy.

In Changchun Valley, after reading the letter that Qian Jia of Zhiqiu Academy had personally written, sealed, and delivered with the highest level of confidentiality, Zhou Zhi laughed heartily, gesturing wildly, and then let out a long howl, tears streaming down his face. His alternating laughter and tears left everyone in the valley bewildered.

What's the matter?
Chang Jian, Duanmu Miaomiao, and the two Daoist priests Yiming and Liaoran who had just arrived—four innate masters, plus Fu Qingzhu, the world's number one divine physician—were all somewhat bewildered.

"What did the letter say that made Old Man Zhou go crazy like this?" Duanmu Miaomiao asked curiously, as Zhou Zhi was usually very stable emotionally.

All eyes turned to Fu Qingzhu.

Fu Qingzhu and Zhou Zhi are old friends, so he might know some clues.

“If anything could cause Zhou Zhi to lose control of his emotions, it would only be related to one person,” Fu Qingzhu said. “That is He Qingqiu!”

"He Qingqiu?" Liao Ran and Yi Ming, the two Taoist priests who had just arrived, were immediately stunned.

Of course, people like them would know about the famous He Qingqiu.

Chang Jian looked at the two old Taoists and said with a smile, "Old Zhou is He Qingqiu's friend. He Qingqiu has a son named Li Dachui."

"Li Dachui is He Qingqiu's son?" The two old Taoists jumped up this time.

Yiming Laodao had directly dealt with Li Dachui, but he only knew that Li Dachui was the Protector-General of the Beiting Protectorate, a heroic figure with ambitions to conquer the world.

There are many people with ambitions for the world now, so Li Dachui is not an exception. Therefore, Yi Ming is not surprising at all. However, if Li Dachui is He Qingqiu's son, then it would be a completely different story.

Because He Qingqiu's husband was the wife of Li Zemin, the former crown prince of the Great Qin Dynasty.

In short, Li Dachui is the posthumous son of the former Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

Everyone watched as Zhou Zhi moved through the valley like lightning, appearing in the east and west, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right. Sometimes he would shoot straight up into the sky like a cannonball and then crash down like a stone. To outsiders, he looked like a madman.

"This guy's cultivation level has improved!" Liao Ran suddenly exclaimed.

The four masters of innate level nodded in unison.

Finally, Zhou Zhi, having had his fill of madness, appeared before the five of them, waving the letter in his hand and laughing loudly, "Li Dachui has a son! Xiao Changche is pregnant!"

Liaoran and Yiming were petrified once again.

Wasn't Xiao Changche the deputy protector of the Beiting Protectorate and the renowned General of the Cavalry outside the Great Wall?

What does it mean to be pregnant?
"Really?" Fu Qingzhu was also excited.

Chang Jian also had a beaming smile on his face.

Only Duanmu Miaomiao looked at Zhou Zhi with disdain: "Pregnant before marriage, without even a formal status, what are you happy about?"

Zhou Zhi snorted and turned to look at Duanmu Miaomiao: "I think you're itching for a beating!"

"Why don't you give it a try?" Duanmu Miaomiao rolled up her sleeves and glared at him angrily.

Fu Qingzhu stepped forward, blocking the two of them: "On such a joyous occasion, how can we resort to violence? Today we are having a banquet, and whatever you fancy in the valley can be served!"

"Really?" Chang Jian and Zhou Zhi were overjoyed.

"Really!" Fu Qingzhu exclaimed with delight.

"Gentlemen, may I ask what's going on here?" Liao Ran and Yi Ming, both with white hair, peered out at Zhou Zhi.

(End of this chapter)