AMLFS Chapter 103
by VolareChapter 104: Departure
Early morning at Yangshan Pass, sunlight showered upon the assembled generals and soldiers ready for departure.
Inside the pass, tens of thousands of soldiers under Zhao Fangye of the Ning district stood tall and proud, their eyes firm and spirits high. The armor on their bodies shimmered with a silver glow in the morning light.
Prince Zhao Fangye of the Ning district sat atop his leading warhorse, his expression still stern. Beside him were General Sikou Lanfeng and Feng Zhen, both mounted on their own horses.
The Song family and Sun Shu stood nearby to see them off.
However, the most important person to see off was absent. Lin Rugui looked left and right but couldn’t find Song Huaixi. A question arose in her heart.
On such an important day, Song Huaixi shouldn’t be absent. She turned and called Zhao Lu, who served Song Huaixi, “Zhao Lu, where’s Huaixi? The army is about to depart. Why isn’t he here?”
“Replying to Madam, the Prince Consort is still sleeping.”
“Still sleeping? That child. How could you not wake the Prince Consort on the day the army departs?”
Zhao Lu knew what had happened last night, as she served in the room, “The Prince specifically instructed that the Prince Consort need not be woken.”
Last night, Song Huaixi was exhausted. When Zhao Fangye rose this morning, he didn’t wake him. At this moment, he was sleeping soundly in the main tent.
Seeing that it was Zhao Fangye’s instruction, Lin Rugui didn’t press further. The last time they went to Hanzhou, Song Huaixi had been absent-minded. This time, having to see Zhao Fangye off to the battlefield again, he would surely be heartbroken.
With a soft sigh, Lin Rugui said nothing more, her eyes slightly worried. Song Zigen reached out and embraced his wife, as they both knew what Zhao Fangye’s departure meant.
The victor becomes king, the loser a bandit.
Sun Shu held onto Zhao Fangye’s warhorse, still unwilling. He tried to speak out in plea, “Your Highness…”
This time, the Prince had ordered him to stay in the camp. He had been by Zhao Fangye’s side for so many years; every time Zhao Fangye went to war, he was always by his side.
But this battle, he couldn’t accompany Zhao Fangye to the front lines.
As if seeing through his thoughts, Zhao Fangye’s light-colored eyes lowered slightly, his gaze falling on him, his tone earnest.
“Sun Shu, for so many years, you have been the best deputy general by my side. Setting aside the differences between lord and subject, I have long regarded you as my own brother.”
“Your Highness…” Hearing such words suddenly, Sun Shu was stunned, his chest filled with emotions, unsure of what to say.
“Therefore, I choose to entrust my back to you. Protect Huaixi and his family.” Zhao Fangye paused, then looked towards the main tent.
His tone suddenly softened a little, “Tell him that I will return to fetch him as soon as possible. Tell him not to be sad. Wait for me.”
Sun Shu knelt on the ground with a thud, his voice resounding, “Yes! Your Highness. I swear I will protect the Prince Consort and the Song family’s safety with my life. Please rest assured, Your Highness.”
Satisfied, Zhao Fangye looked at the army behind him and nodded to General Sikou Lanfeng to signal the departure.
“The army departs!” General Sikou Lanfeng’s voice, carried by the rustling autumn wind of the early morning, pierced through the entire Yangshan Pass.
The Song family and Sun Shu watched as the army’s formation gradually disappeared into the Yangshan Pass in the morning light. Only when they could no longer see them did they withdraw their gaze.
Zhao Fangye sat on his warhorse, one hand holding the reins, the other slowly stroking his chest absentmindedly.
Inside his armor, he carried the jade pendant that Song Huaixi had given him when he departed for Hanzhou, a lifelike little rabbit with Song Huaixi’s birthdate engraved on it.
It was his own peace talisman.
As a woman, General Sikou Lanfeng’s thoughts were naturally more delicate than the average person’s. Noticing Zhao Fangye’s expression, she cautiously said, “Will the Prince Consort be very sad and distressed when he finds out he didn’t see you off, Your Highness?”
Lowering his hand from his chest, Zhao Fangye looked ahead and didn’t answer. After a long while, he said, “The reason I didn’t let him come is because I’m afraid to see him sad.”
Hearing this, General Sikou Lanfeng’s heart stirred, and she once again marveled at the affection between the two of them.
Song Huaixi slept until noon before opening his eyes in the blanket. The bed next to him had been cold for a long time. Song Huaixi reached out and touched it, and when he opened his eyes and didn’t see Zhao Fangye, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Zhao Lu heard the movement and walked in with the things for washing up, “Prince Consort, you’re awake? Hurry up and get up, wash, and eat something.”
“Okay. I’m getting up now.” Song Huaixi stretched in the blanket and slowly got up. He let Zhao Lu serve him in dressing and washing up.
After tidying up, Song Huaixi began to eat lunch. It was his favorite pine nut goose oil rolls. Song Huaixi picked one up and tasted it, and it was exactly the same as the taste in the capital, no longer like the ones usually made in the Northwest.
“Eh!” Song Huaixi covered his mouth and chewed, his eyes wide with surprise, “This taste, it’s so delicious!”
Seeing that he liked it, Zhao Lu explained, “This was made by Chef Wang. This is his specialty dish in the Imperial Palace.”
“Chef Wang?” Song Huaixi had no impression of this person, “Who is he?”
“Prince Consort, have you forgotten? It’s the one the Prince brought out of the Imperial Palace back then. Usually, you like to eat his pine nut goose oil rolls the most in the Ning Wang Mansion, don’t you?”
“It’s him!” Now that she mentioned it, Song Huaixi remembered.
“Yes, the Prince specially asked someone to bring him over from the capital. From now on, he will make all of Prince Consort’s food. Prince Consort can order whatever he wants,” Zhao Lu said with a smile.
Song Huaixi felt warm inside when he heard this and ate a few more bites before realizing that it was already noon but Zhao Fangye hadn’t returned yet.
So he asked, “Where’s Zhao Fangye? Isn’t he coming back to eat?”
Zhao Lu, who had been smiling just now, suddenly froze. She secretly regretted it. Why did she have to bring up the Prince? She shouldn’t have mentioned him.
She quickly changed the subject, “Prince Consort, eat some more, you didn’t eat anything this morning. You’ll be hungry.”
Although slow-witted, Song Huaixi was still very sensitive in some matters. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
The matter that Zhao Fangye wanted him to agree to last night suddenly came to his mind, and uneasiness spread in his heart.
He didn’t eat lunch anymore. Song Huaixi put down his chopsticks and hurriedly ran to the tent where Zhao Fangye used to discuss matters.
As he ran, Song Huaixi looked around. He suddenly noticed that there were many fewer tents in the camp, and even the soldiers training had become fewer.
His heart became more and more panicked, and Song Huaixi staggered and almost fell.
When Zhao Lu saw him running, she immediately called Chun Hua to call Madam Song and the others over. The news of the Prince’s departure could no longer be concealed.
To be precise, it had been exposed before it could even be concealed.
After all, Song Huaixi was always around Zhao Fangye. It was impossible to hide it from him.
Just as he arrived outside the tent, Song Huaixi heard a fierce argument inside.
Sun Shu grabbed Liang Xiuzhu and pressed him against the table. Liang Xiuzhu was wearing the uniform of a cook in the army, and his jade-like face had been deliberately smeared black.
At this moment, with his hands pinned behind his back by Sun Shu and pressed against the table, he cursed, “Let me go!!! Why are you arresting me! I’ve completed my mission! I want to go home!!”
Sun Shu was about to say something when the tent was lifted. Song Huaixi, looking like he had lost his soul, rushed in breathlessly.
Automatically ignoring the awkward posture of the two, Song Huaixi asked urgently, “Where’s Zhao Fangye? Where’s General Lanfeng? Where did Deputy General Sun and the others go?”
Sun Shu quickly released Liang Xiuzhu, looked at Song Huaixi, and opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
Liang Xiuzhu, who was lying on the table, seemed to want to make things worse for him on purpose. He got up from the table and said straightforwardly, “The Prince departed for the capital this morning.”
Seeing him say it like that, Sun Shu frowned at him, “You!”
“What!” Liang Xiuzhu glared at him, “The Prince Consort will find out sooner or later, what’s the point of you hiding it?”
After saying that, he walked towards Song Huaixi, who was stunned in place, and said, “Prince Consort, don’t be sad. The Prince was afraid of making you sad, so he didn’t let you come to see him off.”
Seeing that the cat was out of the bag, Sun Shu also came over to comfort him, “The Prince said he would come back to pick you up soon, and told you not to be sad. Wait for him to come back.”