knife

Chapter 43 The Woman Who Was Stolen
Xiao Changche's mansion in Zhenwu City was newly built.

It has only been three years since then.

It was built after Xiao Changche pursued the Northern Yuan Left Wise King for thousands of miles, captured his favorite concubine and returned, his fame reaching the ears of the emperor, who personally wrote an edict to promote him to General of Chariots and Cavalry.

In the three years that Xiao Changche lived in this mansion, the total amount of time he spent there would not exceed one month.

He only stays here for a few days each year when he returns to Zhenwu City to report on his duties.

But quite a few people lived in this mansion.

They were mostly retired soldiers who had been wounded in combat.

These people are now considered Xiao Changche's servants, but in reality, Xiao Changche is the one who pays them to stay.

The people who come here are all homeless, jobless, and unattached. They can no longer stay in the army, so they have nowhere else to go. After their meager disability pensions are used up, they are practically doomed in this place outside the Great Wall.

Xiao Changche naturally couldn't bear to see these people end up like this, so he settled them in this mansion.

Two years ago, Xiao Changche was also annoyed by the relentless assassination attempts of the Left Wise King, so he settled Luo Hua and his son Xiao Qianli in this mansion.

Luo Hua, the favored concubine whom Xiao Changche snatched from the Left Wise King.

Xiao Qianli, naturally, is Xiao Changche's son.

The fact that Luo Hua was alive was an indelible disgrace for the Left Wise King of Northern Yuan, causing him to be ridiculed throughout Northern Yuan. Therefore, this high-ranking and powerful prince of Northern Yuan was determined to get rid of him.

Xiao Changche couldn't keep a woman hidden in the army forever, so he sent her to this mansion in Zhenwu City.

It was already extremely difficult for the Northern Yuan assassins to enter Zhenwu City.

Even if they entered Zhenwu City, assassinating the mother and son in this mansion would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Those wounded veterans ate and drank Xiao Changche's food, and had nothing to do all day but think about how to protect the mother and child.

The Xiao family mansion is now a den of dragons and tigers, or at least a place fraught with danger. Even Xiao Changche, after seeing the arrangements made by these people, sighed that only a master of the Innate level could ignore these setups. Anyone else who came would either lose their life or suffer a humiliating defeat.

When it comes to getting things done, the worst thing is when a group of professionals spend all their time thinking about how to take their expertise to the next level instead of doing anything else.

These disabled veterans are undoubtedly such a group of people.

Xiao Changche's return home today is naturally a big event for everyone in the Xiao family mansion.

Luo Hua, holding Xiao Qianli's hand, led a group of veterans, all dressed in brand-new clothes, standing outside the mansion, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Xiao Changche dismounted, and Xiao Qianli, who was not yet two years old, wobbled and ran towards Xiao Changche with his short legs, stretching out his arms to hug him, calling out "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" all the while, which was enough to melt anyone's heart.

Behind the little guy, Luo Hua smiled as he watched Xiao Changche bend down and pick up the tiny child, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

Xiao Changche nodded to Luo Hua, then turned to a group of wounded veterans and laughed loudly, "You've all worked hard, Lao Jiu. Let's have a few more dishes tonight, and drink until we drop. I brought back some good wine."

As the guards behind Xiao Changche took down jars of wine bearing the mark of Tai'an City from the carriage, the wounded veterans cheered.

The wine in Zhenwu City is almost as bad as urine. The wine sellers are heartless; who knows how much water they add to a pound of wine.

Even such wine cannot be bought casually.

The wine from Tai'an City is strong enough and tastes delicious enough, but it's simply unavailable on the market.

More importantly, even if they were available for sale, these veterans couldn't afford them.

"Looks like you're not looking forward to my return, but rather to the wine I brought back!" Xiao Changche laughed, carrying the child in one arm and holding Luo Hua's hand in the other as he walked into the house. A group of veterans laughed and helped the guards unload the things from the carriage.

The night is getting darker.

The bells on the clock tower, the tallest building in Zhenwu City, were rung.

After the bells rang nine times, it signified the start of the curfew in Zhenwu City.

At this time, apart from the night patrol soldiers, the night watchmen, and those with special passes, anyone else who dared to wander outside would face dire consequences. Fines, imprisonment, beatings, or even having to repair the city walls all depended on the mood of the patrol guards who caught them.

After the nine resounding cries, Zhenwu City fell into silence and darkness.

The Xiao family mansion was naturally bustling with activity.

Several long tables were set up in the spacious hall, and the tables were full of chicken, duck, fish and meat. For the Xiao family mansion, today was the reunion dinner.

Because Xiao Changche spent every real New Year's Day with his soldiers in the army.

So every year when Xiao Changche returned to report on his work, they would have a reunion dinner together at home.

Xiao Changche carried a wine jar and offered a full bowl to each table. He clinked glasses with everyone and drank it all in one gulp. He had an amazing capacity for alcohol; even after drinking several bowls, his face only turned slightly red.

Xiao Changche has a feminine appearance. Li Dachui has always said that this guy would be absolutely stunning if he dressed as a woman. If he saw Xiao Changche now, slightly tipsy, Li Dachui would probably stare at him even more.

However, the veterans in the hall were all long-time followers of Xiao Changche, and having been in such a comfortable environment for so long, they had long since become oblivious to Xiao Changche's unusual behavior.

After toasting, Xiao Changche waved to everyone and headed straight for the inner courtyard. The veterans behind him laughed loudly, and whispers rang out about how a moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and how the general should go about his business while they all wanted to have another young master.

Inner house.

Xiao Changche, carrying a wine jar, pushed open the door and entered.

Inside, the candlelight was bright, and the fire on the ground was burning fiercely, making it very hot. Luo Hua, her robe half-undone and her black hair casually draped over her shoulders, was sitting at the table, where several exquisite dishes were still steaming.

Seeing Xiao Changche enter, Luo Huayuan smiled, stood up and helped Xiao Changche sit down, took the wine jar and filled the cups on the table with wine.

Xiao Changche let out a heavy breath, tilted his head back, and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. He laughed and said, "Only at home, only in front of you, do I dare to be so presumptuous!"

Luo Hua refilled his glass and said softly, "Drink without worry, get drunk without worry, then have a good sleep and relax for a few days!"

After eating a few bites of food and drinking a glass of wine, Xiao Changche finished off the half-jar of wine he had brought in.

Seeing Luo Hua staring intently at him, Xiao Changche couldn't help but sigh, "You've really suffered!"

Luo Hua shook her head, walked up to Xiao Changche, reached out and pulled his head into her arms, saying, "I'm not suffering, you're the one who's truly suffering!"

Xiao Changche buried his head in the other's chest, the alcohol rising in his head, and for a moment he couldn't control himself, sobbing and crying.

The invincible general Xiao Changche, who was renowned throughout the world, actually cried.

“Whenever I think about these days, which you’ve been living for over ten years, I don’t know what to say. How did you get through it?” Luo Hua gently patted the other’s shoulder: “Three years ago, when I saw you, I never imagined that Xiao Changche was you, that you were actually Xiao Changche!”

Xiao Changche raised his head, wiped away the tears on his face, and said, "The hardest part was the first few years. Later, as my official rank rose, things got much better. In addition, my martial arts cultivation also became higher and higher. After a few of those who dared to provoke me died, no one dared to talk nonsense to me anymore."

"It's something that seems impossible, but you actually did it." Luo Hua sat down opposite Xiao Changche and said, "I've known since I was little that you're different from ordinary people."

Xiao Changche rubbed his face and said, "Before I came back, I went to visit my uncle and aunt's graves and told them to wait patiently for a few more years, and I will definitely be able to avenge them."

Luo Hua raised her face slightly, seemingly trying not to let the tears in her eyes fall. After a long while, she said, "Fortunately, you are here to burn paper money and offer incense for them, so that they have someone to worship them. I, this shameless daughter, have no face to go to their graves."

“Once I slaughter all those bastards from the Northern Yuan, you can openly visit their graves and tell them loudly that you haven’t disgraced the Luo family! Besides, where are you shameless? If I hadn’t met you by chance and brought you back, Alatu would probably be a pile of rotten bones by now. That guy keeps sending people to harass us. One day, I’ll skin him alive!”

"We can only rely on you now, but I'm not in a hurry, and neither should you!" Luo Hua said, "We're both still very young, we have plenty of time to plan, let's take it one step at a time."

“How can we not be anxious?” Xiao Changche sighed. “Now that the foundation of the Great Qin is shaken, Linghu Ye’s mind is not on the Northern Yuan at all. He is preparing for war not for the Northern Expedition, but thinking that if there is chaos in the Guanzhong region, he can take the opportunity to go south. If that’s the case, then the area outside the Guanzhong region will become a pawn, and the Northern Expedition will be even more distant.”

"If the Qin Dynasty hadn't been in chaos, Linghu Ye wouldn't have dared to enter the pass, would he?"

"That's for sure! The area outside the pass is desolate. As far as I know, even after all these years of painstaking efforts, Linghu Ye has only managed to save enough money and provisions for three years. This amount is not enough for him to fight for many years. Therefore, if the area inside the pass is not in chaos, he cannot advance with unstoppable momentum and will undoubtedly be defeated!"

If he enters the pass, will you go with him?

“Of course not. But when we are united, we are strong; when we are divided, we are weak. If that day really comes, I am afraid that the two of us will both be severely injured,” Xiao Changche said through gritted teeth.

(End of this chapter)