A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Southern Xinjiang was once a desolate land. Duan Fufeng's previous king of Southern Xinjiang, who was also Yinling's father, was an upright but incompetent man.

He was used to taking things easy and would not intervene in anything unless it was a critical moment. This personality led him to raise his only daughter into a spoiled and willful older sister, and also caused bandits to roam the southern border, making ordinary people almost afraid to travel far for fear of being robbed and killed.

After that great battle, Yinling's father died, and Duan Fufeng was dragged down from the position of Crown Prince by Duan Yanxi and his mother, and was forced to take over this mess.

He arrived at Lingyun Mansion all alone, without even a servant by his side, only two guards who had followed him since childhood.

At that time, Yinling was still in Pingzhou, and the Prince's mansion had nothing she needed. Duan Fufeng started recruiting soldiers out of his own pocket, gradually expanding his army.

In his second year in the southern border region, Duan Yanxi sent him three people: the first was the late emperor's concubine, his nominal adoptive mother; the second was Yinling, his betrothed since childhood; and the third was his old steward, Duan Wen.

The three men, ostensibly there to help him, were actually sent to monitor him. Yinling, being a free spirit, had been out of Duan Yanxi's control since arriving in the southern border region, while the other two continued to act as Duan Yanxi's spies.

When Li Deming was first selected by Duan Fufeng, he was just an ordinary soldier. Duan Fufeng valued his calmness and execution ability, chose him as his personal bodyguard, and promoted him personally.

Therefore, he witnessed firsthand how Duan Fufeng grew from a boy burdened with hatred into the respected King of Southern Xinjiang he is today.

Many people initially thought that he was just a pretty face with no substance, given that he was a man who was so handsome, had lost a battle, and was stripped of his title as crown prince.

Only Li Deming knew how much he had suffered back then to single-handedly transform Southern Xinjiang into what it is today.

In the first few years after his arrival, he was in a particularly bad mood due to persecution. After gathering his troops, he immediately began to eradicate the mountain bandits in the southern border region. At that time, bandits roamed everywhere, and the area was mostly desolate mountains and wilderness, with only Lingyun Prefecture being somewhat decent.

Duan Fufeng led 10,000 soldiers, whom he had personally recruited at his own expense, and spent three full years wiping out all the mountain bandits within his territory. Afterward, he spent several more years building several great cities that would later become famous throughout the land.

The captured bandits were either killed or hung on the city wall as a warning to others, while the survivors were taken into the army to help fight, and were never given rations for nothing.

Once the situation stabilized, he had nearly 100,000 men under his command, becoming a force to be reckoned with.

He himself was repeatedly injured in the years of fighting, and several times he was on the verge of death and almost did not survive.

At this point, Li Deming paused, turned his head slightly, and asked Wutong, "Do you know why the Prince recognized your abilities at first sight and insisted on promoting you to Zhenwu General?"

The sycamore tree shook its head.

She initially thought Duan Fufeng was teasing her, but looking at his later actions, it seemed that wasn't the case.

Li Deming said, "He didn't care about you at first, but after hearing that you had wiped out several bandit groups on the border without lifting a finger, he started to look at you differently. The prince made his fortune by suppressing bandits and knows how difficult it is. Since you have such abilities, it can't be explained by luck alone."

"So that's how it is..." Wutong looked at Duan Fufeng, who was motionless in front of her, and recalled the scene when she returned to the palace. She realized that it was indeed from that time that Duan Fufeng's attitude towards her changed.

"She recalled the past as if it were just yesterday. However, countless days have already passed, and no matter how much she misses it, it can only remain a memory."

Her nose felt a little sore, and she lowered her head, not wanting Li Deming to notice anything.

Li Deming tested the temperature of the medicine and, finding it to be about right, said to her, "Your Majesty, could you please lend a hand?"

Wutong quickly rubbed the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, stood up, and asked, "What should we do?"

Li Deming instructed her to lift Duan Fufeng's head, pinch his chin, and make him open his lips.

Duan Fufeng's skin was more delicate, smooth and fair than that of many women, but upon closer inspection, there were a few faint red marks on it, probably left from the battle.

Wutong's gaze fell on his neck. Although she couldn't see the body under his clothes, she recalled several hideous scars.

No one can climb to a high position easily; this was true for her, and it was also true for Duan Fufeng.

Li Deming spooned the medicine down Duan Fufeng's throat, the dark brown liquid dripping down his unconscious lips, making his skin appear as white as porcelain and highlighting his prominent Adam's apple.

The medicine was about to drip down her neck, and Wutong instinctively wiped it with her sleeve.

Li Deming handed her a handkerchief. "Use this."

Wutong took the snow-white handkerchief and carefully wiped Duan Fufeng clean. After wiping him, she felt it was too intimate and quickly let go, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.

Li Deming summoned a guard and handed him the bowl of medicine. The guard turned and left. Wutong also wanted to go out, but heard Li Deming say in a low voice:

"I don't know if the prince will ever wake up again. If he doesn't, there's something I must tell you on his behalf."

Wutong stopped by the door, unable to muster the courage to turn around, and asked softly with her back to him, "What is it?"

"He really loves you."

In an instant, it felt like I'd been punched in the nose, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Wutong gripped the door frame, biting her lip hard, without making a sound.

Li Deming couldn't see her face, so he looked down at Duan Fufeng and continued, "There's something you don't know. After you disappeared from the palace, the prince returned to the Southern Frontier. Instead of staying in his own bedroom, he moved to the courtyard where you used to live and even summoned Duan Bailiu and Duan Qiyi to serve him."

Wutong took a deep breath, trying her best to hide her sob in her voice.

"If he truly cares about me, why doesn't he come to me? Stop telling me these childish lies; I won't believe him."

"Of course he searched for you. He sent out almost everyone he could from the Prince's Palace. But you disappeared so suddenly that there was no trace of you. We sent troops to search for a long time until we heard that there was a war in Dongqi and a strange siege machine on the battlefield. As soon as the Prince heard that, he was sure it was you, so he began to gather troops to help you."

"No way, you must be lying to me..."

Hearing her pained voice, Li Deming took a few steps forward and said earnestly, "If I, Li, have uttered even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning. Your Majesty, I know you still blame the Prince for what happened back then, and feel that he has wronged you. But after all, he didn't know he would love you in the future, did he? If I still hold any weight in your eyes, then I implore you here to give the Prince a chance to start over."

1 = Lao Qu said