"Spare her life!" A thunderous roar came from afar.
Everyone present was startled!
Qin Huailian shuddered and suddenly looked towards the figure galloping alone on horseback across the snowfield.
Qin Huaiqiu, finding it too slow to lead the troops, finally came alone to take a last look at Qin Huailian.
"Brother..." Qin Huailian's nose twitched. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Sikong Ting's face turn ruthless. He suddenly moved.
Before Qin Huailian could even react, Sikong Ting had moved in front of her. Then he stabbed his long sword straight into Qin Huailian's chest!
"No—!" Qin Huaiqiu and Yazebu cried out in pain almost simultaneously.
Sikong Ting seemed not to hear. He stepped closer to Qin Huailian, tilted the hilt of the sword slightly, and then yanked it out!
"Cough!" Qin Huailian felt a sweet taste in her throat. A large stream of bright red blood gushed out of her mouth. Unexpectedly, Sikong Ting suddenly reached out and covered her mouth. Something cold and round was secretly put into her mouth under the cover of his palm.
"I won't kill you. Go back to your Loulan!" Taking advantage of his body blocking the sight, Sikong Ting leaned close to Qin Huailian's ear and said quickly. Then he stepped back and pushed Qin Huailian into Yazebu's arms as he rushed forward.
Yazebu caught Qin Huailian and anxiously held her in his arms. The next second, he immediately mounted his horse and ordered, "Quickly retreat!"
The Loulan army immediately started to gallop away. Yazebu covered Qin Huailian's chest, where blood was constantly oozing. Looking back, unexpectedly, Sikong Ting didn't order the pursuit.
"Lian'er!" Qin Huaiqiu rushed forward and was about to chase after Yazebu without thinking. But unexpectedly, Sikong Ting leaped onto his horse, hugged Qin Huaiqiu from behind, and pressed his head into his arms. He said quickly and softly, "Qiu'er! Qiu'er! Your sister is fine. I gave her a heart - protecting pill!"
Qin Huaiqiu shuddered and immediately understood the key point.
Seeing that Qin Huaiqiu stopped moving, Sikong Ting looked up at the front. Seeing that the Loulan army had run a certain distance under the previous intimidation, he felt relieved. He shouted at the troops behind him, "What are you still standing there for! Chase them!"
Without Sikong Ting's order, the troops didn't dare to move at first. Now that Sikong Ting suddenly gave the order, they immediately rushed forward. But the Loulan army had already run a distance, and it seemed they couldn't catch up.
Before long, only Qin Huaiqiu and Sikong Ting were left on the entire snowfield.
Sikong Ting hugged him, rested his forehead on Qin Huaiqiu's shoulder, and held him tightly. He let out a sob, as if asking for his forgiveness.
Qin Huaiqiu watched the army gradually disappearing. After his tears dried up, he said in a trembling voice, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for sparing my sister's life..."
"Qiu'er..." Sikong Ting hugged him and murmured, "Don't be like this. Just now all the soldiers were watching, and she had done those things. I... I had no choice but to do so. Only by making others think that I had killed her could I prevent her from leaving any hidden troubles for the Qin family or the Dacheng army."
Qin Huaiqiu let out a bitter smile, raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said softly, "I know... I know... A Ting, thank you."
"Yazebu will cure her. Don't worry." Sikong Ting said, "The heart - protecting pill is very effective. There are only two such pills in the royal family for saving lives. Your sister won't die."
Qin Huaiqiu also tightly grabbed Sikong Ting's hand. He looked up and kissed Sikong Ting, saying, "Sikong Ting, I love you."
Sikong Ting felt a slight pain in his heart. He gently kissed back and said, "I love you too, Qiu'er."
"After the war is completely over, you can go and see your sister."
"Okay." Qin Huaiqiu leaned in Sikong Ting's arms. The two sat on the horse, in the vast snowfield, looking at the endless distance in the distance. It was a place Qin Huaiqiu had never been to, and it was also the place where Qin Huailian was about to go, Loulan.
-
Yazebu galloped on horseback. Qin Huailian in his arms trembled slightly, and coughed up a mouthful or two of blood from time to time. Yazebu had no choice but to hold her even tighter.
He needed to rush back to Loulan as soon as possible to find someone to treat Qin Huailian, otherwise...
Yazebu gritted his teeth tightly. His eyes were almost overflowing with anxiety and grief.
"Cough... cough..."
"Endure it! Qin Huailian, we'll be there soon!" Yazebu said.
Qin Huailian nodded weakly and said with a bitter smile, "Don't worry... Sikong Ting didn't want to... kill me. He gave me a pill."
"What?" Yazebu looked down at her. "Really?"
Qin Huailian nodded and said, "That sword... he didn't stab at a vital part..."
Yazebu stared blankly at her. Suddenly, his nose twitched, and tears instantly fell.
Qin Huailian leaned in his arms. The hot tears dripped on her cheeks, making her shiver all over.
"Why are you crying..." she said.
"Who the hell is crying."
"He really loves your brother very much." Yazebu said.
"I know."
Qin Huailian half - opened her eyes and leaned on his chest without saying a word. The wind whistled past her ears. The horse under them was still galloping. She was getting farther and farther away from the familiar Protector - General's Mansion. The land that had given birth to and raised her, with the people and things she was familiar with, was finally left far behind.
"I... really did a lot of wrong things." Qin Huailian's voice was very soft. The excessive blood loss made her face a little pale. "Father, mother, brother, and countless other people... all became like this because of me."
Yazebu pursed his lips and said nothing.
"I..." Qin Huailian let out a bitter smile. "I probably won't have the face to go back in this lifetime."
"Who said that?" Yazebu said. "Your brother cares about you so much. Didn't you see how he rushed over just now? If you don't go back, I think he will come to find you himself."
Qin Huailian paused and asked softly, "...Really?"
"Really."
"Will he... still be willing to see me?" As Qin Huailian spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
"How could he not?" Yazebu said. "Didn't you see him running over just now?"
Qin Huailian pouted, and two lines of clear tears streamed down. She sobbed, "...Really?"
"Really." Yazebu sighed. "If he doesn't come, I'll even arrest him to see you."
Qin Huailian broke into a smile through her tears and said, "Okay, you said so."
"Yes, I said so."
"Then I'll wait." Qin Huailian said.
"Sure, wait then."
On the snowfield stretching into the distance, Qin Huailian nestled in Yazebu's arms. Finally, a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Since Yazebu met Qin Huailian, he had never seen her smile like this. It was as if she had suddenly let go of all the burdens in her heart. There was no hatred and no scheming. This smile was very relaxed, with the innocence and playfulness that should belong to her age.
Yazebu then realized that she looked very beautiful when she smiled.
On the vast snowfield, a figure whose body was already covered by the snow slowly raised the bow and arrow in his hand. Huyelu's gloomy and venomous eyes were tightly fixed on the two people galloping on horseback in front of the army.
"You look very beautiful when you smile."
"Huh?" Qin Huailian was taken aback.
"I..." Yazebu's face suddenly turned red. "I like it very much..."
"What did you say? The wind is too strong." Qin Huailian frowned and leaned closer.
Yazebu looked down at her, took a deep breath, and said, "I said I like—"
"Whoosh—!"
Time seemed to stop abruptly.
In the last second before Yazebu lost his senses, what he saw was the smiling corner of Qin Huailian's mouth and the blood flower blooming again from her chest.
Qin Huaiqiu seemed to suddenly sense something. He shuddered and suddenly turned back.
"What's wrong?" Sikong Ting was startled. He gently hugged Qin Huaiqiu's waist, stopped the slowly moving horse, and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No... I'm fine. I just suddenly felt a bit uneasy." Qin Huaiqiu shook his head.
"The red gemstone has sent a message. Yuecheng has been pacified. All the Xiongnu troops have been captured. Although Huyelu managed to escape, at least this war is completely over." Sikong Ting sighed. He gently urged the horse, and it started to walk slowly again.
"Yes, it's over." Qin Huaiqiu leaned in Sikong Ting's arms and listened quietly to his heartbeat. "Finally."
Sikong Ting let out a soft laugh on top of his head and said, "General Qin is finally free. Do you want to return to the capital with me?"
Qin Huaiqiu blushed and scolded playfully, "The war has just ended. There are still a lot of things to do. How can you not prioritize?"
"Where did I not prioritize?" Sikong Ting laughed softly and reached out to pinch Qin Huaiqiu's thigh.
"Then tell me, what important things are there in the capital?" Qin Huaiqiu asked.
"Very important things. At that time, you can secretly invite your sister." Sikong Ting smiled.
Qin Huaiqiu was stunned. "What things?"
Sikong Ting hugged him and said, "Marry you."
THE END