Young White Horse: The Poison Sword Master of the Wen Family, Shocking the Apocalypse

Little Hanyi looked up at her parents, blinked her big eyes, stuffed the glutinous rice ball in her hand into her mouth, and said indistinctly:

"Mother cried so ugly... But Father looks quite handsome dressed as a general! It's just that his beard is too long and makes him look sloppy!"

The child's innocent words made Li Xinyue laugh through her tears.

She pushed Lei Mengsha away, wiped the tears from her face, and resumed her usual "tiger mom" demeanor, glaring at him fiercely: "What are you still standing there for? Come in!"

As she spoke, she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the mansion.

Lei Mengsha stumbled as she was pulled, but just grinned foolishly and let her drag him along.

Little Hanyi followed behind, skipping and shouting, "Daddy, hurry up! Mommy made so much delicious food today, if you don't come back soon, I'm going to eat it all!"

After entering the mansion and passing the screen wall, Li Xinyue suddenly let go of her hand, turned around and picked up a broom from the corner of the wall.

That was an ordinary broom made of sorghum stalks, used for sweeping the courtyard on a daily basis.

Lei Mengsha was stunned: "Xin Yue, you..."

"How dare you ask!" Li Xinyue's eyes reddened again, and she raised a broom to hit him. "You're gone for two or three months at a time, and you don't even send a letter! Do you know how worried I was? Do you know that Hanyi talks about his father every day?"

The broom struck the silver armor solidly, making a dull "smack, smack" sound.

Although Li Xinyue is a woman, she is a successor of the Heart Sword technique and possesses considerable strength.

After a few sweeps, the broom made of sorghum stalks couldn't withstand the force and immediately fell apart, with several stalks breaking and ears of grain flying everywhere.

But she didn't care and kept smoking.

One, two, three...

The broom was completely mangled, leaving only a bare handle in her hand. Li Xinyue stopped, panting, and glared at him.

Lei Mengsha neither dodged nor spoke from beginning to end, but simply looked at her quietly, his eyes full of gentle smiles.

Several white marks were left on his trouser leg, marks from being swept with a broom. But compared to the cuts and blows on the battlefield, what was this little pain?

He saw the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, the few gray hairs that had appeared at her temples, and the slight trembling in her hand as she held the broom.

This usually feisty and strong-willed woman is actually more afraid than anyone else.

"Finished fighting?" Lei Mengsha asked softly.

Li Xinyue threw the bare pole on the ground, turned her face away, and said in a muffled voice, "Who wants to hit you? It would dirty my hands."

Lei Meng smiled, stepped forward, and gently hugged her from behind.

Li Xinyue stiffened, but did not break free.

As the night breeze swept through the courtyard, Xiao Hanyi, having already wisely hidden behind a pillar, peeked out half her head, covering her mouth and giggling.

After a long while, Li Xinyue whispered, "Are you hungry? There's some porridge warming in the kitchen."

"Hungry." Lei Mengsha nodded honestly. "I've been eating dry rations in the army for months, and I've been dreaming about your cooking!"

"You're such a jerk!" Li Xinyue scolded, but then turned and pulled him toward the kitchen. "Go change out of this dirty armor first, wash your face, and shave. You look so sloppy, it's annoying to look at you!"

"Yes, yes, my lady, how could I dare disobey your orders..." Lei Mengsha smiled obsequiously, letting her lead him.

Sure enough, there was porridge warming in the kitchen, along with several side dishes—stir-fried seasonal vegetables, pickled cucumbers, and a plate of finely chopped braised meat.

These were all ordinary home-cooked dishes, but for Lei Mengsha, who had been eating military rations for months, they were delicacies.

He sat at the table, and Li Xinyue ladled out some porridge and handed it to him. He took it, not caring that it was hot, and drank it in big gulps.

Li Xinyue sat opposite him, quietly watching him eat, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

After he finished his bowl, she finally spoke: "What exactly happened in the Southwest? I heard Ye Xiaoying almost lost his life, and the Prince of Langya also..."

Lei Mengsha put down his bowl, sighed, and briefly recounted the war in the southwest.

Speaking of the terrifying medicine men of Ironthorn Ridge, speaking of the bloody battle under the walls of Juzhou City, speaking of Xiao Ruofeng being released by Baili Luochen, speaking of the cries heard on Vermilion Bird Street on the way back to the city...

Li Xinyue frowned as she listened, her hands unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes.

“So,” she said slowly, “His Majesty ordered the Prince of Langya to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors and sent all the generals back to their hometowns… to guard against you?”

Lei Mengsha smiled bitterly: "Whether we defend or not is no longer important. With this battle turned out like this, what face do we have left to fight?"

"But it's not entirely your fault!" Li Xinyue exclaimed anxiously. "Who would have thought of such an evil creature as the Medicine Man? Baili Luochen personally took action; how many people in the world could have stopped him? Your Majesty's actions... won't they discourage the generals?"

“Xin Yue.” Lei Mengsha interrupted her, grasping her hand. “Don’t say such things again. Thunder and rain are both imperial favors. Even the Seventh Prince has been locked up in the Prince’s mansion to reflect on his mistakes. I am merely a deputy general under his command…”

Looking at his tired face, Li Xinyue felt a pang of sadness and said nothing more.

She got up and served him another bowl of porridge: "Eat more, you've lost weight!"

Lei Mengsha took the bowl and watched her busy figure, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.

This is home.

There was a hot meal, kind words, people waiting for him to come back, and people worrying about him.

What fame, fortune, military power, and glory can compare to this moment of peace?

After finishing his meal, he washed up and changed his clothes. Lei Mengsha changed into a clean set of casual clothes, shaved, and looked much more refreshed.

When Li Xinyue finished cleaning up the kitchen and returned to the room, she saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing out the window in a daze.

She walked over, gently hugged him from behind, and pressed her face against his back.

"It's good that you're back." She said softly, "From now on... let's live a peaceful life and not go out to fight again, okay?"

Lei Mengsha turned around, pulled her into his arms, and rested his chin on the top of her head: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

The candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the two people onto the wall, where they merged into one.

At this tender moment, the door was suddenly pushed open a crack.

Little Hanyi peeked in, blinking her big eyes, and said, "Daddy, Mommy, are you hugging me? I want a hug too!"

Li Xinyue blushed, hurriedly pushed Lei Mengsha away, and scolded, "You brat, you came in without knocking!"

Little Hanyi ran in with a giggle and jumped into Lei Mengsha's arms: "Daddy, hug me!"

Lei Mengsha laughed and picked her up, lifting her high above his head: "Okay, hug your father's little Hanyi!"

Xiao Hanyi giggled and hugged his neck tightly.

Li Xinyue stood aside, watching the father and daughter play, her eyes full of gentle smiles.

That night, the Lei residence was finally filled with long-lost laughter and joy.

Meanwhile, at the Langya Prince's Mansion.

Xiao Ruofeng sat alone in the study, staring at the bright yellow imperial edict on the table, remaining motionless for a long time.

……