The night was as cold as water, the moon was already high in the sky, the military camp fell into silence, and the light in the tent was dim.
Yu Miaomiao turned around and found that the bed made by Li Qingyan on the ground was empty.
She put on her coat, opened the curtain and came outside the tent.
The general was wearing thin clothes and looked up at the moon in the sky thoughtfully. He looked a little different from his usual high-spirited look, but seemed... lonely.
"General...be careful of catching a cold." She took out the black cloak for him from the shelf and put it on Li Qingyan's shoulders.
Li Qingyan felt the warmth on his shoulders, raised his hand to take the cloak, wrapped it tightly around himself, and said softly: "Can you sit with me for a while?"
Yu Miaomiao held up her skirt and sat down:
"What is the general thinking? Pingnan is going well, and the Northern Expedition is about to be put on the agenda. The general should be happy."
Li Qingyan smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Yu Miaomiao just sat next to him and looked up at the night sky quietly.
The chirping of insects and birds was like the tinkling of spring water, submerging into the silent night.
"I just remembered what happened in the past. The Northern Expedition is actually an obsession of mine." Li Qingyan said lightly, "That's all, let's not talk about this...Did I see you when the Emperor came up a few days ago?"
Li Qingyan heard Meng Xing say that the emperor came and sat for a while.
In fact, Li Qingyan was the prince's young master appointed by the late emperor, and taught Xiao Su martial arts for a period of time, so it was reasonable for Xiao Su to join the military camp after he ascended the throne.
But he still felt a little strange why he came just when he was about to leave.
Yu Miaomiao shook her head: "No."
...
Qingteng Temple is the largest temple in the capital. It is located in a quiet place with few people living nearby.
The sky near Qingteng Temple was hazy, like splashing ink, and a distant bell came from afar. The bell sounded melodious, and the sound of dripping water droplets rang in my ears.
The wheels of the carriage made a gurgling sound as they ran over the water stains on the ground, and a carriage drove on the road against the wind.
At this time, Yu Miaomiao was sitting alone in the carriage, holding a teacup in her hand and looking at the reflection in the water.
Although the water surface would distort the image of people, she could still see her own face from such a close distance.
The face of the girl in the water was gray and without any color at all. She looked similar to her original face and facial features, but her overall appearance and temperament were still a bit different. If you didn't look carefully, you could still easily deceive people.
Yu Miaomiao wiped her cheeks with her hands, and her fingers were covered with very thick earthy yellow powder.
She also wore a veil. She might see Xiao Su today, so she couldn't let him recognize her.
Originally, she wanted to escape from the capital and live her life smoothly.
However, he was almost caught when he was leaving the city, and he finally managed to get out of the city relying on Li Qingyan.
Li Qingyan doubted her.
A combination of circumstances led to the current situation.
Fortunately, Li Qingyan agreed to give her shelter.
Li Qingyan was originally the ultimate winner in this world, and would prevent Xiao Su's counter-rebellion from succeeding. With Li Qingyan's protection, it was an extra layer of protection.
The greater the risk, the greater the reward.
She's pretty okay with it.
It wasn't until she heard the sound of rainwater hitting the stone slabs along the eaves that Yu Miaomiao realized she had arrived.
"Miaomiao, we're here." Li Qingyan opened the green curtain from the outside and said softly.
He was dressed in brocade clothes, and his strong lines were softened by the warmth on his face.
Yu Miaomiao held Li Qingyan's arm and got out of the car with her skirt in hand.
There are many people in Qingteng Temple, and there are many places selling incense at the entrance. Many people carry incense in baskets and hurriedly come to offer incense with their own wishes.
There are towering ancient trees in the temple, the gray bricks are covered with green moss, and the faint sound of monks chanting sutras can be heard beside the ancient Buddha with green lanterns.
Li Qingyan knelt on the futon and prayed seriously in his heart. He respectfully offered three sticks of incense to Guanyin Bodhisattva, and put a lot of heavy gold and silver treasures into the merit box.
Li Qingyan came over and asked, "I hope we can get married smoothly and live happily. I don't know what Miaomiao prayed for just now."
"General, your wish won't work if you say it." Yu Miaomiao softly stopped him, feeling a little uneasy in her heart.
Li Qingyan smiled softly, touched her head gently, took out a golden hairpin with ruby beads from his arms, and put it sincerely in Yu Miaomiao's hand:
"Miaomiao, this is an heirloom of our family. I will give it to the future matron of our Li family now."
Yu Miaomiao held it in her hand and felt the weight of the golden hairpin in her hand.
I don’t know why there was a lot of noise outside, and there were monks running quickly past the door.
Li Qingyan and Yu Miaomiao looked at each other, neither knowing what was happening.
The two of them walked outside together, and when they stood at the door, they noticed the huge team in the distance.
On the zigzag road in the distance, a team from the palace was already approaching in a mighty manner.
And sitting on the chariot in the center was a handsome man, but he was wearing a bright yellow python robe that looked more royal than that night.
Even though she was prepared in her heart, Yu Miaomiao's mind went blank.
But that person seemed to have noticed her instantly!
The man's eyes were long, narrow and deep like cold pools, as if he could see through everything.
This sudden exchange of glances made her heart beat like a drum. She quickly lowered her head and took two steps back, trying to hide behind the door. She held on to Li Qingyan with her right hand weakly.
That person was exactly the person she wanted to get rid of day and night.
Li Qingyan noticed something was wrong with her, so in order to comfort her, he put his warm and broad hand on the back of her hand.
Yu Miaomiao endured the complicated emotions. She touched the thick powder on her face and felt a little sense of security. She called Li Qingyan softly: "General."
Li Qingyan thought she was just a little nervous facing the royal family, so she patted Yu Miaomiao's back gently: "Miaomiao, don't be afraid, I will protect you."
Other people in the temple also came out to kneel down and worship the emperor.
Yu Miaomiao looked a little lost in thought, and followed Li Qingyan obediently to kneel on both sides of the road.
Vast crowds of people passed in front of them one after another, and the sound of dense footsteps made her scalp tingle.
Yu Miaomiao lowered her head and could only see shadows flashing on the ground one after another.
When the man's chariot passed in front of her, she held her breath and her heart almost lifted.
She didn't know how long she had been kneeling. It wasn't until the general called her several times that she realized she was still kneeling on the ground.
"Miaomiao, what's wrong with you?" Li Qingyan helped her up.
Yu Miaomiao had been kneeling for a long time, and her legs were numb. She rubbed her legs and reluctantly stood up from the ground, supporting Li Qingyan to prevent her from falling.
