The good days didn't last long. War broke out in the Southern Border.
After Lian Qingping's last visit, the peace - making marriage didn't succeed. Moreover, the matter of Jiuyu Xingchen had caused quite a stir there. From time to time, the New Wing people from the border would come to cause trouble, which made both the officials and the common people in the Southern Border complain bitterly.
With the New Year approaching, the Qiemi chieftain who guarded the city in the Southern Border came to the capital to pay tribute. Only the Lin Family Army was left to guard the city. Lin Qiong was well - aware that excessive merits might arouse the emperor's suspicion, so he had continuously reduced the number of the Lin Family Army. As a result, the army was pitifully small. Taking advantage of the New Year, the New Wing State launched a war.
Due to the lack of a marshal and the sneak attack at night, the Southern Border forces had to retreat from two cities in succession.
When this urgent report reached the capital, Gu Weifeng flew into a rage. He immediately appointed Lin Yuan as the young vanguard marshal and Lin Qiong as the marshal, ordering them to rush to the Southern Border immediately.
As the saying goes, provisions must be in place before the army sets out. Lin Yuan had planned to set off on the 13th of February. The supply officers should leave earlier, but when the urgent report was received, it was already the 9th of February. That meant Lin Yuan had to leave in four days.
When Yi Zhici learned this, she was extremely anxious. She first rushed to the Baiyi Pavilion and asked for some materials to embroider a sachet for Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan sighed, "Originally, I didn't plan to return to the Southern Border after coming back to the capital. But unexpectedly, I still have to go back due to a series of coincidences."
Yi Zhici's face was full of reluctance, "But if you go to war, I won't be able to see you for a long time, and it's also very dangerous. Why does the emperor insist on sending you? There are clearly many military generals in the court."
"The Southern Border has always been guarded by my father and me. We know the situation better, so naturally other military generals won't be sent," Lin Yuan kissed Yi Zhici's forehead gently, "But I know exactly how powerful the New Wing State is. I'll be back soon. Don't worry."
Yi Zhici was still unhappy.
But at this moment, she couldn't defy the imperial edict even if she was unhappy. So she embroidered the sachet for Lin Yuan all night until 5:45 pm, concentrating all her attention on the sachet in her hand.
Lin Yuan leaned on the bed with a pout, "Madam, your husband is about to go on a military expedition. Why don't you come and hug your husband more? Why are you so obsessed with that sachet?"
Yi Zhici planned to embroider a pair of lotus flowers, but unfortunately she forgot what they looked like. Finally, she changed to embroidering the Udumbara flower, a flower in Buddhism that symbolized blessing. At this moment, she was outlining the spikes of the Udumbara flower and didn't want to stop now, "You go to sleep first. I'll embroider for a while longer."
"But I'll be leaving in three days," Lin Yuan sighed, "If I don't hug my wife, I'll have no strength. How can I fight in the war then?"
Yi Zhici couldn't help laughing, "How did you fight in the war before you met me? I'll finish this bit. They said that a consecrated sachet could be blessed by the Buddha during the war. If others have it, you should have it too."
Lin Yuan smiled, "The sachet is easy to lose during the war. Don't embroider it anymore."
"Ah? Is it easy to lose?" Yi Zhici suddenly felt deflated, "Ye Cong'an lied to me. What should I do then?"
"Do nothing. Come and go to sleep."
After saying that, he forcefully put the sachet in Yi Zhici's hand on the table, then picked her up horizontally, lowered the bed curtain, and started their nightly activities for the day.
The next day, as soon as Yi Zhici got up, she remembered what Lin Yuan had said about it not being suitable to carry a sachet during the war. If the sachet was not suitable, a sword tassel would work, right?
So Yi Zhici quickly prepared the materials.
Normally, she didn't feel that time passed so fast. But now that the departure date was approaching, Yi Zhici felt that no matter how much she was with Lin Yuan, it was not enough.
What was that poem? How many soldiers could return from the ancient wars? Although she wasn't worried about Lin Yuan's martial arts skills, in a war, who could tell when it would end and when he could come back?
While worrying, Yi Zhici suddenly had an idea.
On the day before the expedition, Yi Zhici tied the sword tassel she had made to Lin Yuan's sword. She had made it very quickly. She tied the tassel with her mutton - fat jade pendant. It was both beautiful and practical.
Then she hugged Lin Yuan and said a lot of sweet words. She knew that Lin Yuan always lacked a sense of security and sometimes wouldn't express his jealousy. But it didn't matter. Even if Lin Yuan didn't say it, she would say it to him.
She kept saying all kinds of sweet words, like "I'll never leave you" and "I only like you". Her mouth was as sweet as honey.
Unusually, Lin Yuan didn't have their nightly activities that night. He just hugged Yi Zhici tightly and stayed awake all night.
Early the next morning, before dawn, while Yi Zhici was still sleeping, Lin Yuan got up. He kissed her forehead but didn't wake her up.
Mu Feng was waiting at the door with the armor and the sword, "Young General, the vanguard army is ready."
"Okay," Lin Yuan nodded, "Don't wake up A Ci. I'll leave quietly. When she wakes up, comfort her. Do you understand?"
Mu Feng replied yes.
Poor Mu Feng was dutifully guarding the door, but he didn't expect that his young mistress was so naughty and unpredictable. Yi Zhici was no longer in the room.
When Lin Yuan just got up, Yi Zhici also opened her eyes. After Lin Yuan went out, Yi Zhici took the packed bag she had prepared earlier and slipped out of the window.
This was the idea that Yi Zhici had come up with after much thought: to go to the Southern Border with Lin Yuan.
She had already told Zhong Qing and Zhong Yi to delay things with Yi Junshi for as long as possible. Relying on her status, she had already managed to get a set of armor for a marching soldier. She put it on and mixed into the vanguard army.