After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General

Half a month after Yan Mingting left, there was nothing unusual about the General’s Mansion, but Zhao Yelan was a little busier. He left early and returned late every day, and was often called into the palace to discuss matters about Nanjiang. At the same time, he did not give up searching for Zhao Xu’s trail.

Judging from the current situation, Zhao Xu may have fled to Nanjiang, united with the new king in order to seize power, and then triggered a war with the Xuan Dynasty in an attempt to usurp the throne.

But Zhao Yelan also suspected that Zhao Xu may not have escaped yet and must still be hiding in some corner. He should have been in touch with Nanjiang long ago, but Zhao Xu probably still had eyes and ears in the capital. 

He informed Zhao Xuan of these concerns, and Zhao Xuan replaced the Imperial Guard with a group of loyal people, then searched the officials’ mansions. He cast a wide net, but no one was found.

Zhao Xuan even believed that the person had already fled to Nanjiang, and waited for Yan Mingting to execute these wolf-minded people on the spot.

“The army has been traveling day and night, and has reached the border of Nanjiang.” Zhao Xuan handed him the memorial.

There were only a few concise words on it, reporting the itinerary and the battle plans, but Zhao Yelan looked at it for a long time, as if he wanted to read every stroke forever.

Zhao Xuan snatched the letter from his hand: “If you continue to read, it will be dark.”

Zhao Yelan gave an embarrassed smile.

“Did he not write to you?” Zhao Xuan asked curiously.

“He wrote.”

Naturally, he wrote, but it was different from the solemn tone of this letter. The letters to him were full of Yan Mingting’s distinct personal style.

If he saw any strange flowers or birds on the road, he must describe them in detail, and then include a feather or a flower petal in the letter.

Even though he traveled hard, he would complain for a full page, asking for comfort between the lines. Unlike the short sentence in this letter: “Already at the border.”

Yan Mingting probably wrote letters any time he was free, so Zhao Yelan received one or two letters almost every day. It was as if this person had never traveled far away, and kept nagging in his ear.

He also wrote back, and when he received feathers and flower petals, he sent some freshly dried tea leaves from home.

Yan Mingting mentioned missing him in the letters, so he drew a small portrait of himself. Smiling viciously as he picked up the brush, he drew it half-clothed.

Yan Mingting opened it and almost got a nosebleed, then sent him back some erotic poetry.

When Zhao Yelan received the letter, he couldn’t help but blush slightly, thinking that he was becoming more and more shameless. If this letter were to be stolen, he would be too ashamed to live in this world.

“What are you thinking about? Why are you blushing?” Zhao Xuan asked.

Zhao Yelan returned to his senses: “Your Majesty misunderstands, I just…..feel a little hot. It’s so hot today.”

“It’s raining.” Zhao Xuan pointed to the curtain of rain outside.

“……..”

There was a lot of rain in spring, and when it didn’t stop, Zhao Xuan asked him to stay for a meal. The two people ate and conversed about the current situation, which really reminded them of scenes in their past.

Zhao Xuan noticed that he had been gazing outside at the rain and wet flowers, and asked: “Are you still afraid of the rain?”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback for a moment, and looked away. Many images suddenly appeared in his mind, and finally dispersed like a passing cloud. He shook his head and smiled: “I haven’t thought of my parents when it rains for a long time.”

“Then what are you thinking about?”

Zhao Yelan looked to the side, at the rain-soaked flowers outside the door, thinking of this time last year. He had looked at the withered flowers and plants in the mansion the same way, his heart like ashes, as if the entire world was full of clouds and rain, unable to see a glimmer of light for the future.

“I was wondering when the sun would come out,” Zhao Yelan said with a smile.

“It’s already youshi. Even if the rain stops, the sun won’t come out.”

Zhao Yelan nodded, thinking that his sun had already risen.

After the army entered Nanjiang, there were fewer letters. Firstly because the journey took them far away, and secondly because Yan Mingting became busy.

Yan Mingting did not directly attack Nanjiang, but first went to meet with several other princes in secret. After finding allies, they decided to rescue the former king of Nanjiang together. They were willing to help Nanjiang clean up their internal affairs in the name of assisting them, on the condition that they restore the original friendly relations and make regular pilgrimages.

The common people of Nanjiang were divided into two factions, those who advocated for war and those who advocated for peace. Not long after the civil strife broke out, Yan Mingting entered with the army of the Xuan Dynasty, and the situation became even more severe.

The newly-appointed king and the Eighth Princess of Nanjiang directly led troops to confront Yan Mingting head-on, threatening to drive foreigners and traitors out of Nanjiang. War was imminent.

The terrain in Nanjiang was remote and rugged, which was not conducive to immediate combat. In addition, the Gu poison in Najiang was very powerful, and the Eighth Princess and others dared to usurp the throne and start a war in advance because they had already made sufficient preparations for combat. This battle would not be an easy task.

Before leaving, in order to reassure Zhao Yelan, Yan Mingting said that the battle in Nanjiang would be easy. But he knew that no war was easy.

Zhao Yelan had not received a letter for five days. The last one said that he had reached a cooperation with several Nanjiang princes. Although these people were not very clever, at least they were well-educated and could understand the local environment, so they could give some guidance to the army.

Zhao Yelan estimated the time. They should be in a state of war now, and it was finally no longer peaceful. It was difficult to sleep or eat.

When everything was quiet at night, Xiao Gao heard movement outside and ran out quickly. He found Zhao Yelan running, and hurried to catch up: “My Lord, why haven’t you rested yet, ah?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I just got up to exercise,” Zhao Yelan panted.

He laid in the room for a long time, and when he closed his eyes, he saw Yan Mingting’s figure in battle. He was constantly anxious, and because he couldn’t see it with his own eyes, he was even more anxious. Touching the cold mattress next to the pillow, he felt no drowsiness, so he simply got up and stretched his muscles and bones to make himself stronger.

If this happened again, he must follow in person.

“My Lord, you can’t run like this.” Seeing that he had no strength left to walk but was still struggling to move forward, Xiao Gao persuaded him, “The body also has limits, so be careful of hurting yourself in the end. When the General comes back, he will blame me for not looking after you well.”

When Zhao Yelan heard this, he stopped by the pillar next to him and gasped for breath, asking with a smile: “What will you tell him when he comes back?”

“I’ll tell him that we all missed him and give him all the tanghulu I bought recently,” Xiao Gao said generously.

Zhao Yelan laughed, laughing and laughing, and suddenly coughed again.

“No good, the wind is very cold at night. Please go back to the room quickly, my lord, so as not to catch a cold.” Xiao Gao began to worry about his health again. When the General was here, he didn’t have to worry about these things. The General took good care of his lord, and he hadn’t caught a cold for a long time.

If his lord got sick again while the General was away, he would be blamed!

Xiao Gao took him back to the room in a fluster, then ran to the kitchen to cook medicine. He brought it back to the room and said cautiously: “It’s been raining recently. Just in case, my lord, why not drink some medicine first?”

In fact, Zhao Yelan had just sneezed twice suddenly. He felt that there was nothing wrong with it, but when he looked at the medicine bowl, he still decided to finish it in one gulp. If he really did get sick, it would be bad for Yan Mingting to come back and see him that way.

Three days later, the Imperial court received a letter from the front lines. The current battle was fierce, but they had the upper hand.

Zhao Xuan sent someone to the Imperial Academy to inform Zhao Yelan. After receiving the news, Zhao Yelan heaved a sigh of relief and ate much faster.

Ruan Xian and the others sat around eating and discussing events on the battlefield with him. Although these civil servants usually thought the soldiers were uncouth, at this time, they had to admire them.

Zhao Yelan briefly spoke with them about the current situation, and then hurried to the Ministry of War to make sure the food and fodder were sufficient and inquire if the delivery teams were doing well.

After confirming these things, he returned to the General’s Mansion to ask if there were any letters today, and Housekeeper Qin hastily handed him the letter received that morning.

Quickly opening it, he read the letter word for word with a smile on his face.

“What did the General say in the letter?” Seeing his long-lost smile, Housekeeper Qin surmised that it was good news, and couldn’t help but ask.

“He’s coming back,” Zhao Yelan said.

The report to the Imperial court used conservative words, but his own letter stated that the Eighth Princess’s party was at the end of its strength, and they would be able to return to the Imperial court within a month.

“He’s coming back!” Zhao Yelan repeated again.

“I heard, I heard, this old servant heard.” Housekeep Qin turned around with a smile and told the others the good news.

Zhao Yelan still had to go to the Imperial Academy. He packed the letter and didn’t even sit in a sedan chair, rushing over quickly all the way. As he walked, he suddenly laughed and jogged forward.

At the corner, he accidentally bumped into someone.

“Aiyo, where are you going in such a hurry?” The other party asked.

Upon hearing a familiar voice, Zhao Yelan raised his head to look at Gu Niaoniao and said with a smile: “Yan Mingting is coming back.”

“That’s great, it’s a good thing, ah,” Gu Niaoniao said.

Zhao Yelan nodded and asked her: “Where are you going?”

“Don’t mention it. There’s a difficult guest in the building, and I have to help him find something,” Gu Niaoniao said.

“Do you need my help?”

“No need, I can handle it.” The corners of Gu Niaoniao’s mouth twitched, and she asked again, “When the army returns triumphantly, won’t the emperor come out to greet them in person?”

“He should, to show respect and to reward them.”

“That’s right. Well, I won’t talk anymore, I must go to work.”

Just as Zhao Yelan walked away from her, he heard her call out to him again.

“Zhao Yelan, take care of your health during this time.”

“En.” Seeing that she hesitated to speak, Zhao Yelan asked, “Is there anything else?”

“Also…..a new batch of tea and spices has arrived. Have Xiao Gao come over to pick them up some other day.” Gu Niaoniao smiled. “You know I only give the best things to my friends.”

Zhao Yelan smiled: “Okay, I’ll send someone to pick it up when Yan Mingting returns. I’ve been busy recently.”

“All right.”

Ten days later, the Imperial court received good news from the front lines that the Second Prince and the Eighth Princess had been captured by Yan Mingting and beheaded personally. The old King of Nanjiang was rescued by Yan Mingting and sat on the throne again, signing an agreement to be everlasting friends with the Xuan Dynasty and pay tribute on pilgrimages.

Zhao Yelan wrote the edict together with several scholars, and when it was handed over to the palace, Zhao Xuan jokingly asked him what reward he would seek for Yan Mingting this time.

Zhao Yelan said: “This time, I just ask Your Majesty not to give him another marriage.”

Zhao Xuan frowned slightly and said in embarrassment: “It won’t happen this time.”

Zhao Yelan smiled: “Speaking of which, we must both thank Your Majesty for the marriage contract.”

Smiling helplessly, Zhao Xuan gave him an intent look: “Mengting.”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback. He hadn’t mentioned this name for a long time, so he was startled.

“You’ve never really liked me, have you?”

Zhao Yelan was silent for a moment, and finally raised his head to look into his eyes: “No.”

Zhao Xuan placed his hands behind his back, clenching his fingers hard and then letting go helplessly. Ever since Zhao Yelan stopped hiding his feelings for Yan Mingting, he could more or less see what it looked like when Zhao Yelan really liked someone.

He pretended for a long time, taking it seriously, but when he saw that the other party was sincere, he discovered how ridiculous it was to pretend.

The two were quiet for a long time. Then, Zhao Xuan suddenly smiled: “I’m being selfish, but you’re right not to like me. Because for me, it is absolutely impossible to give up the country just because of marrying a man.”

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth curled up: “En.”

“Only Yan Mingting doesn’t care. He’s clever and you are even moreso, so it’s good for him to marry you.”

“En.” The smile in Zhao Yelan’s eyes deepened. “Your Majesty knows everything.”

As the two talked, they both felt unprecedentedly relaxed. Zhao Xuan had been sitting on the throne for a long time, and was no longer as tense as he was in the early days. Instead, he wanted to return to the most simple state and have one or two close friends, or a close confidant.

“All right, if you have nothing to do, you can go back first. I must go to Concubine Xian for dinner,” Zhao Xuan said.

Zhao Yelan returned to the General’s Mansion and opened the letter he had received today. Yan Mingting wrote that he had found no trace of Zhao Xu at the southern border. There was no choice but to send some people to stay and help the King of Nanjiang deal with follow-up matters while continuing to search the southern border.

And he himself would hurry back.

Lying in bed, Zhao Yelan read the letter several times before folding it and placing it under Yan Mingting’s pillow.

It had been forty-six days since Yan Mingting left, and there were thirty-nine letters stored under the pillow.

Soon, these letters would be replaced by a person.

As he thought of this, a smile appeared in Zhao Yelan’s eyes and he fell asleep on Yan Mingting’s side.

For a normal journey, it would take more than twenty days to get from Nanjiang to Beijing, but if Yan Mingting was on the road day and night, it would be at least half as fast.

Thus, from the eighth day after receiving the letter, Zhao Yelan began to guard the city gate.

He bumped into Li Yucheng several times and was laughed at: “Yo, the husband-watching stone is going to the city gate again!”

Zhao Yelan kicked him in the ass: “Go handle your own business.”

Li Yucheng covered his rump and laughed: “I say, can you pay attention to your appearance in public?”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback, and subconsciously thought he was talking about his reputation. Then he remembered that he only fell asleep in the middle of the night these days, so he must look very haggard.

“Go find Yin Pinglu,” Zhao Yelan ordered.

Afterwards, Li Yucheng stood in the rouge shop, watching Yin Pinglu choose the powder and cream for Zhao Yelan….he had to give a thumbs up.

“In terms of beauty, there is only you, Zhao Yelan.”

Zhao Yelan started to go to bed early and get up early. Every day when he returned from the Imperial Academy, he would go back to the mansion, put on his best clothing, and go to the gate of the city to wait.

After a few such days, everyone in the city knew about it and went to the city gate to see the excitement when they had nothing to do, which turned into a spectacle.

On this day, Zhao Yelan came to the city gate again, and when he heard Li Yucheng calling him, he saw that the fellow had placed a chair beside him.

“Come, I’ve prepared a special seat for you. How tiring it is to stand all day long,” Li Yucheng said.

Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look, then sat down on it grandly.

Li Yucheng handed him a bunch of grapes.

Under the city tower, there were still people shouting: “Zhao-daren, do you want to buy some melon seeds?”

“Zhao-daren, I have sweet candied fruit for sale!”

“Zhao-daren, tanghulu! I’m selling tanghulu, General Yan’s favorite!”

Zhao Yelan: “…….”

The setting sun began to fall toward the west, dyeing half of the sky red, and the common people also set aside their desire to watch the entertainment, going about their own affairs. The streets were full of people coming and going.

At this time, there was the sound of a horse neighing in the distance.

It was Yan Mingting’s sweat-blood horse.

Zhao Yelan suddenly stood up from the chair and looked far away, only to see the figure of a fast horse in the distance, and hurriedly ran down the city wall.

“Aiyo, slow down.” Li Yucheng watched in horror from behind, afraid that he would fall down the city wall. Fortunately, Xiao Gao immediately followed, which made him feel more at ease.

Zhao Yelan hurried outside the gate. Hearing the sound of horseshoes getting closer and closer, he couldn’t help but be overjoyed. His heart was about to leap out, and he tidied his hair and clothes while pretending to be calm.

“How do I look now?” Zhao Yelan asked Li Yucheng.

“Very good.” Li Yucheng nodded vigorously.

Zhao Yelan looked forward again until he saw the sweat-blood horse appear in the center of his vision little by little, but his smile gradually froze.

He frowned slightly and looked at Li Yucheng and Xiao Gao with suspicion, but the two obviously hadn’t expected this to happen, and were even more surprised than him.

Zhao Yelan walked slowly to the horse’s side and looked up at its back. There was nobody on it. Looking at the road ahead, there was no sign of Yan Mingting.

He turned his head to look at the sweat-blood horse and his tone became cold: “Where is your master? Why are you back?”

The horse raised its head and neighed, then leaned its head over and rubbed against him.

“I’m asking you something! Why did you come back by yourself?! Where is your master? Where did you take him?!” Zhao Yelan pushed its head away, his eyes red as he roared hoarsely.