After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 202 The Crisis of Tingzhou

Lord Zhou naturally didn't say a word more, and after accepting the order, he went to make the arrangements.

The soldiers here have also set up their tents, but how to distribute them has become a problem.

They left in such a hurry that they left some things behind.

Therefore, there were far fewer tents. The soldiers could squeeze in, but it was difficult to divide up the living quarters for Pei Yanzhi and Xiang Ning.

Firstly, no one wanted to live with Pei Yanzhi, or squeeze in with their superior; they just couldn't stand the thought of it.

But we can't let Xiang Ning, a young woman, live with these soldiers.

So in the end, only Lord Zhou could step in and put the two of them together.

After all, Pei Yanzhi's words last time were loaded with meaning, and Lord Zhou could also discern some clues from them.

"That's how it is. We can only trouble you and the young lady to stay for the next two days."

Xiang Ning frowned slightly as she listened to Lord Zhou's words, then turned to look at Pei Yanzhi.

"Okay, let's arrange it this way."

Pei Yanzhi didn't mind and quickly agreed.

He turned his head and met Xiang Ning's gaze.

"Ah Ning doesn't think that I did this on purpose, does she?"

Pei Yanzhi raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiang Ning as he said this.

Xiang Ning pursed her lips, ultimately saying nothing more.

Pei Yanzhi had been with her the whole time, and Xiang Ning also felt that Pei Yanzhi shouldn't have done such a thing.

At this moment, in the soldiers' tent, Chenghua distributed a handful of dried meat to them, saying, "Thank you very much."

The soldiers looked at the dried meat in their hands, somewhat puzzled, and said, "Why did we lie to the adults and say that there weren't enough tents for everyone?"

"You don't understand, do you? Didn't you see how our adults are practically looking right through the girl?"

Another soldier took a bite of jerky and said this with a look that said, "You don't understand."

"Oh~ So Chenghua, you're trying to matchmake the master and that girl? But who is that girl?"

Upon hearing this, the bystanders began to jeer, eager to learn about Pei Yanzhi's past with Xiang Ning from Cheng Hua.

Cheng Hua was taken aback, scratched his head and said, "Well, I'm not sure what to say, but if you win the heart of your beloved in the future, I'll definitely invite everyone to your wedding banquet."

Upon hearing Chenghua's words, the soldiers started jeering even more.

As Cheng Hua stepped out of the encirclement, he happened to meet Pei Yanzhi, who was standing outside the circle.

"Master..."

He called out "Master," and Pei Yanzhi responded with an "Mm."

He thought he was going to be punished by Pei Yanzhi, but instead he heard Pei Yanzhi say "not bad".

"what?"

"well done."

Pei Yanzhi uttered four words, turned and left, and Cheng Hua almost laughed out loud.

He thought his master was indifferent, but he didn't expect that this was also an opportunity for him to spend time with Miss Xiangning.

Night fell slowly, as dark as ink, enveloping the entire camp in tranquility.

The atmosphere inside Pei Yanzhi and Xiang Ning's tent was somewhat subtle.

Xiang Ning lay on the edge of the bed, but she was wide awake, staring at the tent above her head.

Pei Yanzhi sat on the table with official documents in his hand, seemingly focused, but his gaze was actually fixed on Xiang Ning.

Seeing that she didn't dare to move, he lowered his eyes and said, "Get some rest. We need to evacuate Tingzhou tomorrow."

When the garrison of Tingzhou clashes with the men led by Lord Zhou, the territory of Tingzhou will be insecure.

Therefore, sending them back is the best way to ensure their safety. Xiang Ning was taken aback when she heard Pei Yanzhi's words, and then realized that he was talking to her.

"I understand. You should get some rest too."

After hesitating for a moment, Xiang Ning ultimately didn't say the words that asked him to come to bed with her.

These words, once spoken, unexpectedly became an invitation and a sign of concern.

Before long, Pei Yanzhi heard soft breathing. He put down the book in his hand, slowly got up, and quietly walked towards the bed.

Pei Yanzhi tiptoed to the bedside and looked at Xiang Ning's sleeping face.

Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, casting soft shadows on her face.

His eyes were full of tenderness as he gently tucked the blanket around her, afraid of disturbing her.

After doing all this, Pei Yanzhi returned to the table and sat down again.

This time, however, his mind was not on the official documents at all, and his gaze kept drifting towards Xiang Ning.

At midnight, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the camp.

Pei Yanzhi suddenly stood up, gripping the sword at his waist warily.

He quickly stepped out of the tent and saw Lord Zhou running towards him in a panic: "Lord Pei, something terrible has happened! The pursuers from Tingzhou seem to have discovered our trail and are heading this way!"

Pei Yanzhi's face darkened, and he immediately ordered: "All troops, prepare for battle!"

The soldiers sprang into action, picking up their weapons and setting up defensive lines around the camp.

Xiang Ning was also awakened by the noise. She hurriedly tidied her clothes and went out of the tent.

Seeing the soldiers' tense expressions, she felt a sense of unease.

Upon seeing Xiang Ning, Pei Yanzhi immediately stepped forward and said, "A Ning, hide inside the tent and don't come out."

"Take care of yourself, don't worry me."

After giving his instructions, Pei Yanzhi left without looking back.

A moment later, dust billowed in the distance, and the sound of horses' hooves grew closer.

Pei Yanzhi stared intently ahead, the sword in his hand gleaming coldly.

Fortunately, Lord Zhou had already led his men to the front lines. He had already planned to attack Tingzhou first, so they were essentially the vanguard against them.

“Lord Pei, I’ll hold things up here. You can take your men and head back to the capital first. If this battle goes well for me, we’ll meet in the capital.”

Lord Zhou turned back, wiped the blood from his face, and said this to Pei Yanzhi with a smile.

Pei Yanzhi raised his hand and patted his shoulder: "See you in the capital, take care."

After saying this, the two parted ways.

Pei Yanzhi, along with Xiang Ning and a small group of people, hurriedly embarked on their journey back to the capital under the cover of night.

Along the way, the sound of horses' hooves was rapid, and no one dared to relax in the slightest, for fear that the pursuers would catch up again.

However, misfortune never comes singly. Not long after they left, dark clouds suddenly filled the sky, and large raindrops began to pour down.

The road instantly became muddy and difficult for the horses to walk on.

Upon seeing this, Pei Yanzhi frowned, worried that the weather would slow their journey and increase the risk of being overtaken by the enemy.

"Be careful on your feet!" Pei Yanzhi's voice was somewhat muffled in the wind and rain.

Just as everyone was struggling to move forward, a swift-flowing river suddenly appeared ahead.

The river level rose sharply due to the torrential rain, blocking their way.

Pei Yanzhi frowned as he looked at the river in front of him. If he forced his way across the river, he might be in mortal danger, but if he took a detour, it would waste even more time.

"Split up and search for other routes. Whether you find them or not, return to the original location and regroup in half an hour."

If that really doesn't work, then we'll have no choice but to force our way across the river.

(End of this chapter)