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Chapter 144 Sleeping with a Weapon
Guzhen is located on a vital route between Qin and Feng. Every now and then, itinerant merchants and local mountain people would come here to trade goods, gradually forming a miniature market.

With the end of the war, the Later Zhou dynasty began large-scale construction around Guzhen, attracting many laborers and soldiers. The market, which had been interrupted by the war, quickly returned to its former bustling state.

Zuo Ling'er came down the mountain with several boys and girls from the same village. The others took the herbs they collected from the mountains to the market to exchange for things, while Zuo Ling'er came directly to the military camp to find Li Yi.

As dusk fell, several villagers came looking for Zuo Ling'er to go back together. Li Yi had his personal guards send them away, but took it upon himself to keep Zuo Ling'er behind.

Of course, he didn't have any bad intentions or want to force himself on her; he simply wanted to spend more time alone with the girl and cultivate their relationship.

During this time, Zuo Ling'er often came to Li Yi to practice riding and archery, and their relationship progressed rapidly. Li Yi took the opportunity to touch her hand and hug her waist, enjoying himself immensely.

Speaking of which, Zuo Ling'er is only fifteen years old now, which would be the age of junior high school in later generations.

Although in ancient times, many women of this age would not only be able to get married, but also have children.

But Li Yi couldn't help feeling a little guilty... After all, his wife Guo and his second wife Fu were both in their early twenties, and so far, Li Yi had never laid a hand on his teenage wife.

Of course, feeling guilty is one thing, but how to act on it is another, and that doesn't stop him from having feelings for Zuo Ling'er.

Ever since the surprise attack on the Shu army at Qingni Ridge, Li Yi had been thinking about taking Zuo Ling'er to Tokyo. Originally, given his status, he could have used force, but he felt that there was no point in doing so.

A woman is like a beautiful jade, requiring careful care and attention.

If you eat ginseng fruit like Pigsy, swallowing it whole for momentary pleasure, you won't get much taste in the end. What good is a large quantity if you're full?

Especially for a naive and innocent girl like Zuo Ling'er, who exudes a kind of spiritual energy, it would be a waste to simply abuse and torment her, turning her into a walking corpse for the purpose of venting desires.

When Li Yi learned that Zuo Ling'er was willing to go to Tokyo with him, but had to get past her father first, he decided to meet his future "father-in-law".

It does take some effort to do this, but the feeling and immense satisfaction of getting the other person to willingly let you take what you want is hard to describe in words, but it's just so great.

As the saying goes, you must win a woman's body and her heart.

Li Yi does not deny that he felt the urge to possess "beautiful things" when he saw them.

But he wanted to cherish and protect her with all his heart... Call it hypocrisy, promiscuity, or even universal love. Whatever you call it, Li Yi had fallen for Zuo Ling'er.

Of course, if all else fails, Li Yi will have no choice but to resort to force and forcibly take Zuo Ling'er and her father back to Tokyo. But before that, he needs to try his best to appease the little girl and raise her favorability towards him as high as possible, which will greatly reduce her resistance.

Li Yi felt like she was playing a strategy game. The main goal was to increase her favorability rating, but bad events might be triggered during the process, causing her favorability rating to drop, so she had to maintain her progress.

"Nawa and the others came looking for me, why didn't you tell me... It's so dark, how am I supposed to get back by myself?" Zuo Ling'er stood at the entrance of the barracks, looking at the pitch-black sky, and couldn't help but complain.

Li Yi laughed and said, "Who told you to fall asleep in that chair?"

"Why didn't you wake me up? Humph, you must have done it on purpose!"

"That's right, I did it on purpose, I just wanted to keep you here to warm my bed."

Zuo Ling'er was immediately both ashamed and angry. She stomped her foot and said indignantly, "I won't sleep with you! My mother said that a woman can only sleep with her husband after she is married. You are not my husband..."

As she said this, she suddenly covered her mouth, as if she realized something, and her pretty face instantly turned red, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.

"Oh?"

Li Yi's eyes lit up. Zuo Ling'er would occasionally call him "Lang Ge'er". He originally thought it was the ancient pronunciation of "Lang Ge" in Sichuan dialect, just an interjection, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

But judging from Zuo Ling'er's words, does the title "Lang Ge'er" have a special meaning?

Li Yi stared at Zuo Ling'er with a half-smile, "If I'm not your husband, then who is? I remember you calling me that more than once, and you even called me that when you came over today."

"Hmph, nobody's my brother...you're so annoying!"

Zuo Ling'er felt embarrassed and annoyed that her thoughts had been exposed. She felt her heart pounding, but when she saw Li Yi grinning, she immediately huffed and ran into the back bedroom.

Then came the sound of the door slamming shut.

Zuo Ling'er buried her head under the covers and pulled them over her head. After a while, her heart stopped beating so fast and the burning sensation on her face subsided considerably.

At a young age, she was tricked and coaxed by Li Yi, and gradually fell into his gentle trap, developing feelings for him.

It is said that heroes have always found it hard to resist the charms of beautiful women... Does that mean that beautiful women can resist the charms of heroes?
There's no logic to matters of the heart. Whether it's love at first sight or love that grows over time, it's something that can't be accurately described in words.

Zuo Ling'er didn't understand what love was, but she had heard the female elders in the village say that liking someone is a feeling of joy from the bottom of your heart, liking to be with the other person, liking to listen to the other person talk, and liking the other person's every move.

Zuo Ling'er asked herself: Have I really fallen in love with this General Li?
She couldn't help but carefully recall every moment she spent with Li Yi...

The other person's tall and strong physique gave her a sense of security just by looking at him, and he was also very knowledgeable and had seen a lot of things. She heard many things from him that she could not have imagined.

Moreover, Li Yi was different from the warriors she had imagined. The tenderness and gentleness he showed her was a wonderful feeling that Zuo Ling'er had never experienced before.

Zuo Ling'er felt that Li Yi was the second man besides her father who could inspire her admiration.

Especially during the battle at Qingni Ridge, she followed behind and witnessed the entire battle. The domineering aura emanating from the enemy's bones, and the divine might of riding a horse shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun, stirred Zuo Ling'er's heart at that moment.

Perhaps it was around that time that she had already begun to consider going back to Tokyo with him? Of course, she was also reluctant to leave her father, which is why she asked Li Yi to take him with her.

At this moment, Zuo Ling'er belatedly realized that she must have fallen in love with Li Yi... He was handsome and extraordinary, and an invincible general. She could hear stories about his deeds from many people.

Moreover, I feel genuinely happy when I'm with the other person. Isn't that what Nai Niang and the others mean by "liking" someone?
Just then, the bedroom door was gently pushed open, followed by the sound of it closing, as if someone was sneaking in.

Zuo Ling'er knew that it must be Li Yi who came in. She had never seen an outsider dare to enter this room casually before, let alone now that it was late at night and she was alone in the room. Who would dare to come in if they didn't have the guts?
"Are you asleep?" A soft voice called from beside the bed.

Zuo Ling'er quickly closed her eyes, not daring to make a sound. She was too ashamed to face Li Yi, so she could only pretend to be asleep.

To everyone's surprise, Li Yi not only didn't leave, but instead lifted a corner of the blanket and carefully crawled in.

Zuo Ling'er immediately felt a pair of large hands slowly climbing up her waist.

A broad chest pressed against his back, and a faint smell of soap wafted to his nose.

It also carried that familiar scent... just like the smell that Li Yi gave her when he held her in his arms during archery practice.

Summer clothes are thin. Two bodies are pressed tightly together, creating a sensation of skin touching.

Zuo Ling'er clenched her teeth, trying her best not to make a sound; she felt that this was not a good thing.

The other person isn't her husband, so how can she just sleep in the same bed with him?

But she didn't know how to deal with it.

Moreover, she seemed to have little resistance to this feeling, and for a moment she was at a loss, so nervous that her whole body trembled and she was sweating.

As time ticked by, Zuo Ling'er noticed that Li Yi wasn't making any further moves; he was simply holding her waist gently and pressing his chest against her back.

Zuo Ling'er could only comfort herself in her heart, treating this moment as if she were practicing riding and archery. After all, Li Yi had already embraced her; the only difference was that it was on the bed and on horseback.

"Are you pretending to be asleep?" A soft laugh rang in her ears, startling Zuo Ling'er, who was almost asleep, and she immediately woke up.

Li Yi turned Zuo Ling'er's body around and looked into the little girl's eyes, which were slightly trembling with eyelashes. He couldn't help but raise his hand to gently stroke her cheek.

It feels soft and smooth to the touch, like tofu, so delicate it's almost translucent, making it irresistible.

Zuo Ling'er has exquisite and beautiful features. Her porcelain-white and pinkish cheeks are like white jade, her nose is straight and well-defined, her eyebrows are long and slender, and her lips are slightly upturned and glossy.

The most wonderful thing is the tiny cinnabar mole under his left eyelid, like a plum blossom just beginning to bloom on a branch in early spring, falling onto the snow.

I heard that Zuo Ling'er's father was a Han Chinese from the Central Plains, while her mother was just an ordinary mountain woman from the local area.

Li Yi didn't know if this counted as mixed-race, but Zuo Ling'er's charm did have a unique appeal.

"no, do not want……"

Zuo Ling'er finally couldn't help but let out a soft, sweet cry.

She then slowly opened her eyes, just in time to meet Li Yi's gaze.

She lowered her head in embarrassment, her voice trembling as she said, "No, don't bully me..."

Li Yi coughed lightly, his voice slightly hoarse as he said:
"How did I bully you? Just think of it as us practicing riding horses in bed, okay?"

Zuo Ling'er was so anxious she was almost in tears.

She said, feeling wronged, "Then why do you sleep with a weapon on you?"

"Uh... that's for self-defense. You know I've offended a lot of people in the war."

"If someone attacks me in the middle of the night, I will immediately fight them."

Li Yi shifted his body back a little.

Then, without batting an eye, he opened his eyes and began to lie.

Zuo Ling'er, unsuspecting, muttered, "I haven't heard about it yet..."

"You'll get used to it eventually."

As he spoke, Li Yi looked at the pretty and adorable girl in his arms and felt his throat go dry, as if a string in his mind was about to break.

Damn it, let's collect some interest first... Li Yi suddenly lowered his head and leaned closer.

"Ugh—" Zuo Ling'er's eyes widened suddenly, her whole body tensed up, and her mind went blank.

……

On the rugged mountain road, a group of nearly a hundred burly men were riding slowly. Each of them was tall and strong, with a sword, bow, and halberd hanging on both sides of their waists. The dozen or so riders at the front also had long spears slung across their backs.

Although these burly men were not wearing armor, their weapons and equipment, coupled with their superb combat skills, meant they could easily handle even a mob of thousands.

In the era of cold weapons, well-trained professional soldiers were not to be trifled with. Not to mention these were the personal guards protecting their commanders; each one was an elite among elites. While it might be an exaggeration to say one could take on a hundred, one could certainly take on ten.

Li Yi rode on horseback, protected by the crowd. He had one arm around Zuo Ling'er's waist and the other holding the reins to control the direction.

Zuo Ling'er leaned against Li Yi's chest, her cheeks flushed with shyness, but there was also a hint of unease in her eyes.

Li Yi had taken all the advantages she could, leaving only the last line of defense unbroken. Even in her ignorance, she knew what that meant.

What Zuo Ling'er is worried about now is her father's attitude. What if her father is unwilling to go to Tokyo? What should she do then?
The thought of having to choose between her father and Li Yi made Zuo Ling'er feel like crying. The little girl had never experienced anything like this before, and it was truly difficult for her.

Li Yi noticed Zuo Ling'er's emotional fluctuations and reached out to pinch her nose: "Don't worry, I will definitely persuade your father."

"Mmm~" Zuo Ling'er was as docile as a little lamb. This lark soaring in the mountains and forests had finally met the man who could bring her back to her nest.

Li Yi glanced around, but the guards around him kept their eyes straight ahead, all knowingly acting as background figures, hurrying on their way without saying a word.

Half an hour later.

A small village came into view, looking like a paradise nestled in the mountains. Wooden stilted houses were scattered on the terraced slopes, and villagers were busy going about their business on the paths between the fields.

Zuo Ling'er immediately sat up straight, excitedly pointing towards the village: "Brother Lang, do you see that? That's my house on that hillside. Hehe, I planted lots of fairy flowers behind the house. I'll take you to see them later, they're so beautiful..."

Li Yi stared at the direction Zuo Ling'er pointed for a long time, but couldn't see which house she was talking about. As for what the little girl meant by the "demon flower," he was completely clueless.

However, he naturally wouldn't say such discouraging things.

Li Yi nodded seriously and replied, "My Ling'er is very skillful, and the flowers she grows will definitely be as beautiful as yours."

This immediately made Zuo Ling'er giggle, and her eyes sparkled with tears as she looked at Li Yi.

But she quickly lowered her head shyly...

(End of this chapter)