Ruyi took off his coat and wore only a plain white undershirt, and opened the placket to reveal the right shoulder.

The arrow wound on the back of the shoulder had healed, and only two pink scars lay on the white and smooth skin like insect cocoons.

Ruyi raised his hand and pressed it, but the scar was still unconscious. But it didn't crack to the touch, and there was nothing unusual about it.

She tried to stretch out her right arm—and sure enough, she still couldn't fully straighten it. In fact, Ruyi had realized earlier that this arrow wound may have hurt the muscles and bones. But she didn't expect that in just one move, Gu Jinglou would be able to detect it.

She stubbornly pressed hard, and suddenly heard Ji Xue outside hurriedly say, "The Second Highness has come down." ”

Ruyi hurriedly pulled up his shirt.

When she heard Xiao Huaishuo's footsteps, she came from behind the screen, and hurriedly stopped, "Don't come in yet—I'm changing clothes." ”

There was a slight pause in the footsteps outside, and after a while, I heard Xiao Huaishuo say, "...... Then I'll wait for you outside. ”

When Ruyi got dressed and came out of the back room, Xiao Huaishuo was sitting under the eaves outside. The shadows under the eaves are cold and lonely, but there is a bright and dazzling spring light outside. He sat at the cutting of light and shadow, looking at the flowers blooming outside, and the scene in his dark eyes was gorgeous.

Hearing the voice, he got up and turned around, his uniform still carrying some wind and dust, dark and cold.

Ruyi said, "Why do you have time to come to me?" ”

Xiao Huaishuo looked her up and down, and suddenly stretched out his hand. Ruyi looked at him puzzled, his eyes were dark, his eyelashes drooped slightly, and there was a dark shadow in his eyes. When he put his finger to her ear, Ruyi suddenly felt extremely discordant. She subconsciously wanted to retreat to avoid it, but Xiao Huaishuo's fingers had stopped behind her ears. With a slight flick of his fingertips, he withdrew his hand.

He showed her the palm of his hand, and there were two broken flowers in the palm of his hand.

Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief inexplicably, she chuckled helplessly, put her ears and temples together, and said, "Thank you - next time you see you, just say it to me." She brought the matter to light up and asked, "Is there something urgent?" ”

Xiao Huaishuo paused and said, "Li Hu has arrived in Cixi." He looked at Ruyi and asked without allowing her to dodge, "Do you understand what that means?" ”

There was a brief blank in Ruyi's mind, and when she came back to her senses, she had already spoken, "Yes." She eased up a little, then gently patted Erlang on the shoulder and said, "Isn't this just an opportunity?" As long as Li Hu is defeated head-on, the rebellion will be put down just around the corner? ”

Xiao Huaishuo said, "I'll kill him." His eyes sank, stared at Ruyi, and said slowly, "It may also die at his hands." ”

This was extremely inauspicious, and Ruyi interrupted him with some annoyance, "Of course, it would be best if you could kill him, and even if you can't, you don't have to rush to fight him to the death - and you don't have to decide the winner in this battle." Say what to die in ......"

Xiao Huaishuo held her hand, his eyes finally softened again, and said, "Do you really feel so?" Even if I kill him—"

Ruyi realized what he was struggling with, and his throat couldn't help but feel a little dry. But she still raised her head and looked directly at Erlang, and said, "You don't have to worry about me. I know that in your opinion, he is my biological father, and I was born to be close to him and towards him. But in my place, all of a sudden, an unrelated person jumped out and killed my adoptive father, killed countless people close to me and knew him, razed the capital where I lived in peace, and stirred up the good world. And this person happens to be my biological father who has never known him in his life. I have never received a single instruction or favor from this man, and I did not even know that this man existed for many years. But when he came out in a heinous manner -- do you think I should have a heart for him? I regard him as a stranger, and I only hope that you will be victorious and kill the rebel as soon as possible. Do you also think that I am rebellious and unkind? ”

She couldn't help but be indignant as she spoke—she had already made her determination clear when she fled Jiankang. She never regretted or wavered.

But others are afraid that they won't believe her.

Xiao Huaishuo hurriedly pressed her shoulder and said, "Don't be angry, I'm glad you think so." ”

He is about to go on a campaign soon, and even if Ruyi is sad in his heart, he will not be angry with him at this time. Only said, "Who is angry with you." He added, "It's just that this person can make a comeback and turn things around after disappearing for twenty years, and his ability must be not small." Although you are smart, after all, you are young and have little experience, so you must be very careful with him. ”

Xiao Huaishuo said, "Don't worry." Although Jiankang City has fallen, as far as I am concerned, the situation at this moment is more than ten times better than before. ”

Ruyi nodded—and so did she. But he still followed him and asked, "What do you say?" ”

Xiao Huaishuo said, "First, the siege of Shouchun has been lifted, and the situation in Huainan is stable. Gu Huai blocked the Western Wei Dynasty in Yongzhou, and the thieves in the Western Frontier could not go south for a while. Beating Li Hu at this moment is like beating a dog behind closed doors. He rarely said a rude sentence, but his voice was full of color, and although Ruyi was in a complicated mood, he couldn't help but smile. Xiao Huaishuo saw that her face was cold, and his eyes softened, and then he said, "Second, I was in the urn in Jiankang that day. There were reinforcements outside the city, but there were none. And today in Nanling, you can attack and retreat, and you can defend, and there is room for vertical and horizontal striking. And Ying, Yang, Jiang, and Xu are all in moderation, and I have all the arms. This alone is a hundred times stronger than it was back then. ”

The defeat of Jinling is not a crime of war. Now the situation is still difficult, he is in the land of four wars, and there are many hidden dangers behind him, but compared to resisting Li Hu in Jinling that day, there is still a world of difference.

Of course, Li Hu's forces now are not the same as when they attacked Jiankang that day. However, after occupying Danyang County, Yanzhou, and Dongyangzhou, South Xuzhou, he also expanded beyond his ability to control it. Now is the time for a decisive battle. If you can get rid of me, Li Hu will get rid of the biggest hidden danger. It can divide and disintegrate the resistance along the river, and possess the land of Wu, which is enough to gain a foothold in the south of the Yangtze River. If I can defeat him, his defeat will be doomed. Xiao Huaishuo's eyelashes drooped and said, "I think it is precisely because he realizes this that he wants to personally lead the troops here." ”

He stared at Ruyi with warm eyes and said, "Sister, you go to Yingzhou." ”

Ruyi said, "Is there something you want me to do?" ”

Xiao Huaishuo shook his head and said, "I'm afraid this war will affect the entire Nanling. If you stay in Nanling, you will be on the front ......line in case the rebels attack," he pointed to his chest and said, "I am afraid that this square inch will be shaken and inaccurate." Yingzhou is far away from the battlefield, and if you go to Yingzhou, you can also avoid my worries. ”

He spoke sincerely, but he couldn't help but feel irritated in his heart. When she was in Jiankang, the Son of Heaven suspected that she was Li Hu's daughter and put her under house arrest in the Ciqiu Palace. Now that she has arrived in Nanling, Xiao Huaishuo said that she was worried about her comfort and made her go to Yingzhou. But there are no eggs under the nest? They have lived and died together, how can she have half a step to escape and retreat? To this day, can't he see her as a partner who can stand side by side?

She said, "I'm not going." ”

Xiao Huaishuo said, "Sister-"

Ruyi interrupted him, "I'll stay in Nanling and won't go anywhere." She said lightly, "You just have to tell the people of the world that I am worried about staying in Nanling, and you can't even fight well." She looked at Xiao Huaishuo squarely and said, "Erlang, I won't talk to you. Although I am a woman, I can do a lot of things since I was a child and grow up, and what is there that I need you to make decisions for me? You personally led the troops to quell the rebellion, so don't I worry about your safety? But have I ever delayed you a little? Did you ever say that you were not allowed to go to the front line? She chuckled, "-Don't be too domineering either." ”

The two sisters hadn't spoken like that for a long time.

But in fact, this is how they get along with each other since childhood --for-tat, but they understand and appreciate each other, and then go their own way.

I don't know when or why this balance was broken. It seems that after Ruyi wakes up again, they can no longer find the right way to get along.

But at this moment, Xiao Huaishuo looked directly at Ruyi's gaze, but found that the things there had never changed from beginning to end. She looked at him as an equal and calmly, and her eyes still flashed with self-righteousness and frankness that made him unconvinced, but could not help but be attracted and convinced.

He lost his mind for a moment. He had deliberately wanted to define his relationship with Ruyi. Because the feelings are too complicated and tangled, he can't sort them out, so he can only grasp the most stubborn desire in his heart and force it to be defined. But at this moment, he looked at her undisguised smile with some sarcasm and annoyance, and suddenly understood something.

He finally laughed too, "You're so ignorant and fearless." Without waiting for Ruyi to open her mouth to refute, he raised his hand and rubbed her hair rudely, motioned for her to enter the house, and said, "You have to stay in Nanling, is there something else to end?" Let's hear it. ”