In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

The army that marched to conquer the southwest was vast and mighty.

According to the regulations of the imperial court, the main army's light cavalry could travel more than 100 li a day, while the entire army, carrying supplies, could travel 40 to 50 li a day.

The road to Shu is so difficult that it's hard to even ascend to the heavens.

The mountain roads are rugged, rainy and foggy, and the plank roads are treacherous. The entire journey from Chang'an to the southwestern border takes at least twenty days.

Today is the fourth day at dusk.

Xie Yige's carriage had already followed Cui Yutang from the rear to the central position of the army, where it was protected by layers of guards in the very center.

The Tang dynasty military regulations stipulated that the army must camp during the day and set up camp at night, never marching at night. Therefore, the army had already set up camp and begun cooking, with smoke rising from the mountainside.

As soon as Cui Yutang dismounted, Xie Yige lifted the carriage curtain and waved to him.

He quickly stepped onto the carriage, and as soon as the curtain was drawn, all the noise outside was shut out.

He reached out and touched her soft, rosy cheeks. "Baby, are you tired?"

"I'm not tired sitting in the car." She took out a water pouch and held it to his lips. "Ah—have some water."

Cui Yutang smiled sweetly, took a sip from her hand, and raised his handsome eyebrows slightly.

"Sweet."

"Yes, it's sugar water, it will help you recover your strength quickly." Xie Yige looked at him with a smile.

"Are you worried I won't have the energy tonight?" Cui Yutang revealed a dangerous look.

Xie Yige snorted and raised her chin triumphantly and confidently, "Don't try to fool me, you won't dare to act recklessly on the march."

Xie Yige then fed him a hot partridge meatball and a rice ball with dried shrimp, minced meat, and shredded vegetables.

"tasty."

"Of course, both of these dishes were made by me personally, how could they not be delicious?" she said smugly.

Cui Yutang chuckled softly at her adorable appearance, and his lips curled up even higher as he watched her feed him an endless stream of food.

Ever since he discovered her secret, she no longer hides it.

His Yige is clumsy.

"I'd like to have some tea too."

She fed him another half cup of warm, fragrant tea. As it slid down his throat, it soothed him completely. Cui Yutang was so happy he was practically bubbling with joy. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging high in the air.

"Baby, can I be taken care of by you from now on?" His eyes sparkled, full of longing and anticipation.

Xie Yige ruthlessly shattered his illusions: "You wish. It's only for the Southwest trip."

Just as he was about to embrace her and try to win more special treatment in private, he heard Li Zhige talking to Baoyu.

"Is the Commander-in-Chief here? General Cheng and I would like to invite him to dinner."

Cui Yutang sighed inwardly, her face full of grievance: "Baby, I have to go out for a bit."

"Okay, I'll wait for you." Xie Yige kissed the corner of his lips tenderly.

But he suddenly grabbed the back of her head, forced her lips apart, and kissed her deeply with his tongue, their tongues entwining and making soft, wet sounds.

Outside the car, Li Zhige and Bao Yu could be heard talking continuously.

While Xie Yige was engrossed in his passionate kiss, she would occasionally glance nervously at the curtain, afraid that someone might suddenly lift it.

The train carriage was filled with a tense and restless heartbeat.

"Master." Baoyu waited for a while before calling out softly.

Cui Yutang reluctantly got off the carriage.

His lips were slightly red, and Li Zhige could tell at a glance what they had just done inside, his eyes darkening slightly.

Cui Yutang, however, remained calm and strode towards the campfire. Cheng Chuliang was already waiting there, a pot in front of him, steaming hot soup that wafted out with the aroma of meat carried by the mountain breeze.

The three sat around the pot. Li Zhige took a sip of hot soup, finally suppressing the frustration in his heart. He looked at the rugged mountain path in the distance, his brows slightly furrowed.

"The first three days of marching on the plains near Chang'an were relatively safe, but today the difficulty has increased considerably. The mountain roads of Shu are indeed as famous as they say."

"This is just the beginning," Cui Yutang said calmly, taking a sip of soup. "We haven't even reached the most difficult part yet."

Cheng Chuliang chimed in, "However, our vanguard troops are all cavalry, so they can keep up with the speed. It's just that quite a few of the supply trains in the rear have fallen behind today."

Cui Yutang nodded, then looked at the two men and lowered his voice: "You two will pass down the order to the entire army to be on high alert."

Cheng Chuliang and Li Zhige's expressions also turned serious: "General, is something wrong?"

Cui Yutang took out a note that had just been secretly delivered from his pocket and handed it to the two of them.

"According to military intelligence returned from the southwest, Li Jing, the third son of Prince Rong'an, is a cunning and treacherous man. Now that we have reached the rugged section of the road, it is the perfect time to strike. We must be on guard."

Cheng Chuliang took the book and unfolded it, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. Li Zhige leaned over for a glance, his expression also darkening.

The note contained only a few words: Li Jing has secretly planted people and infiltrated the army; we must be vigilant.

Just as Cheng Chuliang was about to speak, a soldier rushed over to report.

"General! The soldiers in the rear guard are starting to show symptoms of weakness, fatigue, dizziness, chest tightness, and acclimatization problems!"

They couldn't wait a moment longer, and Cui Yutang's expression turned cold.

"Notify the army doctor accompanying the troops to go and check on them. Also, order all the cooks in the rear palace to be gathered together, so I can question them later."

"Yes, Commander."

Cheng Chuliang and Li Zhige quickly followed Cui Yutang to the camp in the rear hall.

Those people had clearly only eaten halfway through their meal; the large pot was still steaming. Along the way, people lay one after another on the ground, clutching their chests—several hundred people in total. The others, who hadn't even had a chance to eat yet, watched their fallen comrades with bated breath.

"What's going on?" Cui Yutang asked a military doctor who was conducting an examination.

The military doctor was frowning and trying to find the right words when he heard a calm female voice coming from afar.

"It is a colorless and odorless miasma-corroding poison powder."

At this moment, Xie Yige, Li Zhiwei, Sang Miao, and others also heard the news and arrived at the scene. The one who spoke was Sang Miao, dressed in red.

"This poison is very cunning, and ordinary doctors cannot detect it. Those who are infected will gradually experience symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, chest tightness, and restless sleep. It looks like the effects of long-distance marching and the invasion of dampness from the Shu Road."

The military doctor was startled. Fortunately, he hadn't spoken, because his conclusion was the latter.

Cui Yutang stared at Sang Miao: "Is there any way to treat her?"

"Among the medicines we have prepared for the march is Gu Yuan Qing Gu Cao (a type of herb), which we can boil into a decoction for them to drink."

Cui Yutang looked at the military doctor: "Go and get it done quickly."

The military doctor received the order and left in a hurry.

Bao Yu walked over: "Master, the kitchen staff in the rear palace have all gathered together. Would you like to go and see them now?"

Cui Yutang's gaze swept over the fallen soldiers again, his eyes cold and menacing. "Let's go."

Cheng Chuliang lowered his voice beside him: "According to military regulations, the cooks and servants accompanying the army usually only check the army's token and do not check their origins in detail. This time, the preparations for the campaign in the southwest were urgent, and there may be quite a few problems with these people."

Cui Yutang didn't reply, but turned to Sang Miao: "Can you identify people who have been in contact with the Gu powder?"

"Although this poison powder is colorless and odorless, and ordinary people cannot smell it, it is not difficult for me."

Cui Yutang nodded and ordered in a deep voice, "Summon all the army's cooks and gather them together for inspection."