Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 135 Arrival!

Moreover, if viewed from behind the two, only Jiang Lanye's figure could be seen. Song Yi was completely blocked by him, with only a glimpse of her bright pale yellow skirt fluttering in the wind occasionally visible.

Seeing that she insisted, Jiang Lanye didn't say anything more.

After going up the slope, the bumps became noticeably more severe, a sensation she had never experienced before when riding in a carriage.

But she kept quiet and didn't say anything.

My face was completely stiffened by the cold wind, and when I tried to speak, I felt like I could barely open my mouth.

The person in his arms was so quiet that Jiang Lanye felt a little uncomfortable, so he took the initiative to say, "Song Yi, look at the stars in the sky."

Song Yi raised her somewhat stiff neck, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

She had never seen a night with so many stars; the entire dark night sky seemed to be lit up by these stars.

They were in the middle of nowhere, not yet in the city, so it was pitch black all around them. Fortunately, the moon was bright tonight and could illuminate the road ahead.

When will we likely arrive?

Her voice was hoarse, so she couldn't help but raise it.

Jiang Lanye said, "We'll arrive by midnight, and the soldiers following behind will arrive around sunrise."

Song Yi breathed a sigh of relief, instantly feeling hopeful again, and said, "Just two more hours at most, and we'll be there, right?"

Jiang Lanye smiled slightly, "Yes, hold on tight."

As soon as she finished speaking, she was jolted hard again. Song Yi felt her bottom go numb, but she was too embarrassed to say it, so she quickly leaned tightly into Jiang Lanye's arms.

"After we arrive, you should go and rest. I may not be able to come to see you until later."

Once they arrive in Qingzhou, the war will be intense, and Jiang Lanye will definitely be extremely busy, Song Yi replied.

“I know. When you’re almost done with your work, you can have Eunuch Cao come and let me know so I can prepare meals and hot water for you in advance.”

Jiang Lanye didn't want her to do these things, and simply said, "You just need to rest."

Song Yi stopped talking.

The wind whistled past her ears, sand got into her eyes, and she blinked frequently. Rubbing her eyes, she suddenly wanted to turn around and look at Jiang Lanye.

Turning around, he indeed saw Jiang Lanye with bloodshot eyes, but he still didn't blink much, staring intently at the road ahead.

Seeing this, Song Yi said, "Jiang Lanye, once the war is over, you can teach me how to ride a horse."

Jiang Lanye really enjoyed hearing Song Yi talk about her future plans; it made him feel especially at ease.

"If you like, I can teach you, but if you're doing it for other reasons, then forget it."

Jiang Lanye didn't even need to observe Song Yi's expression to guess what she was thinking.

Song Yi immediately said, "I like it."

Actually, Song Yi didn't like it at all. Even with his cloak underneath her, she still felt pain.

Jiang Lanye chuckled softly, "We'll talk about it another day."

An hour later.

Song Yi reached out and rubbed her face, which had become completely stiff. Suddenly, she saw a towering city wall in the darkness ahead. The dark city wall, which should have been quietly lying dormant in the night, was now illuminated by many lit torches.

She saw many soldiers with shields and bows standing on the city wall, and others carrying torches, patrolling back and forth. The shadowy figures added a sense of tension to the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.

Even the sound of horses' hooves seemed to quicken.

Song Yi stared intently at the distant city wall and murmured, "Qingzhou City, we're almost there."

Jiang Lanye looked up, his eyes, as cold as stars, reflecting the flickering torchlight in the distance, making his emotions unreadable.

From a distance, Song Yi felt that the city wall was exceptionally high, and as they got closer and closer, Song Yi couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

She had to crane her neck to barely see the top; standing at the foot of the city wall, she could feel its overwhelming presence. Jiang Lanye's horse shot forward like an arrow into the pitch-black night.

Outside the city gate.

The heavy city gate was pulled open from the inside by several people with a heavy thud.

The soldiers held up torches, and the young general beside them took out his token. Upon seeing this, the crowd looked at Jiang Lanye and immediately knelt down, chanting in unison:

"See Your Majesty!"

The sound was deafening.

Song Yi's ears were ringing, and when he saw so many people in armor, his expression hardened.

Immediately afterwards, a general slowly walked out. His eyes were even sharper than Zuo Sheng's. The moment he saw Jiang Lanye, he was slightly excited and knelt down, saying in a deep voice, "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

This is the General Zhenbei, personally appointed by Jiang Lanye, who has been stationed in Qingzhou for three months.

"Your Majesty, nearly half of the soldiers you led along the way arrived two days ago and have now been deployed to the front lines by your humble servant."

Jiang Lanye nodded slightly and said, "The rest of the people will arrive before dawn."

"Wei Chen understands!"

The General Who Guards the North, named Xie Ling, seeing that Jiang Lanye and his entourage had traveled all night and were exhausted, immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have already ordered a room to be prepared for you. Please rest tonight, and we will meet again tomorrow."

"No need."

Jiang Lanye casually raised his hand to stop him from continuing, saying, "Let's discuss it tonight."

Xie Ling was taken aback for a moment, then immediately agreed.

So the group stepped aside and held torches to guide Jiang Lanye.

Song Yi looked around at the scene without saying a word.

She could feel the serious and solemn atmosphere around her, which made her feel particularly nervous.

Stepping inside, Jiang Lanye dismounted and saw Song Yi looking somewhat dazed. Knowing she was frightened, he said gently:
"Come, let me carry you down."

Xie Ling followed and saw Jiang Lanye carefully lift the woman off the horse, and quietly asked the soldier beside him.

"Is this the Imperial Concubine?"

"Yes, the Imperial Concubine accompanied His Majesty all the way here."

After Song Yi regained his footing, Xie Ling cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said:
"Your humble servant greets Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine. Your Highness has traveled a long and arduous journey and persevered to this point, which is truly admirable. Someone will take you to rest in a moment."

Song Yi was surprised by Xie Ling's respectful attitude towards her, and she immediately said:

"It's alright, you all go about your business. I've brought my maids with me, so there's no need to trouble the general's people. If anyone is going to have a hard time, it's you who are the ones who should be here."

Having dealt with many people throughout his life, Xie Ling could vaguely sense Song Yi's personality as soon as she opened her mouth.

It's surprising that the Empress, living deep within the palace, could endure such hardship along the way and speak so humbly. Now I can understand why His Majesty admires her so much.

So he immediately said to the soldier beside him, "Take the Empress to her room first."

"Yes."

Song Yi looked at Jiang Lanye, winked at him, and said, "Then I won't bother you anymore."

Then he turned and followed the soldier away.

Seeing this, Xie Ling couldn't help but say, "The Imperial Concubine..."

"she's fine."

Jiang Lanye said calmly, "Xie Ling, let's go."

(End of this chapter)