Chapter 217: The Turkic Prince
Marching and fighting were indeed as dull and tasteless as depicted in TV dramas. They hadn't even started fighting yet, just rushed on the road for a few days, and Sun Jiaojiao already couldn't stand it. She couldn't eat well, couldn't sleep well, and her whole body ached.
As The Crown Prince's "personal guard," she could only sleep on a rock-hard camp bed outside The Crown Prince's inner tent every night.
She just didn't know that every night, His Highness the Crown Prince would fish her back into his inner tent, onto his big bed, and hold her through the long night. Then, just before dawn, he would stealthily put her back.
One day, Sun Jiaojiao woke up early to serve The Crown Prince as he got dressed. She saw a patch of drool on his sleeve and was a bit stunned.
A germaphobe... drooled in his sleep and dirtied his clothes?
She really couldn't hold it in. Stifling her laughter, she mocked The Crown Prince: "To think that a celestial figure like Your Highness would also drool in his sleep?!"
After hearing this, The Crown Prince's face darkened, and he didn't give her a pleasant look for the entire day.
She didn't know that it wasn't his drool at all. It was clearly her drool, from her poor sleeping posture, that had stained his sleeve in the middle of the night. She knew even less that because of her poor sleeping posture, she kept kicking off the covers, and His Highness the Crown Prince had spent the entire night tucking the corners of the blanket back in for her.
In the afternoon, a scout came to report that the enemy had an ambush up ahead. The Turkic prince, A'xi'er, was personally leading a full ten thousand troops, lying in wait nearby, just waiting for The Crown Prince's army to arrive so they could spring the trap.
This was Sun Jiaojiao's first time experiencing a war. She looked at His Highness the Crown Prince, curious as to how he would respond.
Proud as The Crown Prince was, he just quirked his eyebrows disdainfully and said, "It's been a few years since I last taught A'xi'er a lesson, and this kid has gotten more and more arrogant. He thinks he can fight this Prince with just ten thousand troops? He must be tired of living. First, make camp. There's no hurry. We'll wait. I'd like to see who's really trapping whom."
Sun Jiaojiao understood every word, but she didn't really understand. She was confused. Why make camp? Weren't they going to fight? Just a few days ago, she heard the strategist complain that their grain and fodder reserves were insufficient this time, urging His Highness the Crown Prince to fight a quick battle and not drag out the war. Why was there suddenly no hurry?
The army made camp on the spot and stayed for a whole week.
Every day, smoke from cooking fires curled up in the camp, and the aroma of rice was constant. It really looked like they were settling in for the long haul. They even sent out a few small teams to hunt wild pheasants in the nearby mountains to "improve His Highness the Crown Prince's diet." The Crown Prince found the wild pheasants too gamey, so they all ended up in Sun Jiaojiao's stomach, filling her belly until it was round.
Another day, night fell. Sun Jiaojiao was keeping watch outside the inner tent, her eyelids heavy as she fought off sleep. Her scalp tingled, and she was about to doze off. Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the outer tent. Someone shouted, "Assassins!"
The Crown Prince was awake in an instant.
His sword was right under his pillow. The Crown Prince grabbed his sword with his right hand, dashed out of the army tent in three great strides, and flew forward with complete confidence, joining the battle.
The moment the group of black-clothed men saw The Crown Prince's face, they all tacitly formed a circle, turning to attack The Crown Prince instead. The Crown Prince was not flustered in the slightest. He calmly addressed the tallest man among the black-clothed figures: "Prince A'xi'er, long time no see. Have you been well?"
The tall, black-clothed man who was called "Prince A'xi'er" snorted coldly and retorted, "Hmph! Cut the crap! Let's just fight! I want to see which is stronger, your sword or my broadsword."
After speaking, he raised his broadsword and charged over.
The two men entered a fighting state. All that could be seen was a white blur of flashing sword and broadsword; nothing was clear, only the continuous ping ping pong of battle and a dazzling, illusory afterimage.
Who knows how long they fought. Finally, The Crown Prince succeeded with a single move, capturing Prince A'xi'er alive.
Prince A'xi'er was furious and ashamed. "A real man should be killed, not captured! What are you tying me up for?"
The Crown Prince smiled coldly. "To catch bandits, first catch the king. I'm leaving you alive as a good hostage. Who knows, maybe one day I'll want to exchange you for someone."
The moment A'xi'er heard the word "hostage," he exploded on the spot. "Villain! Despicable villain!"
The Crown Prince ignored him completely, ordering his subordinates, "Bind him securely and bring him into my tent."
Inside the tent, Sun Jiaojiao was waiting anxiously for The Crown Prince to return. The moment she saw The Crown Prince, her heart settled. But then she saw that behind him was a man with foreign features. She shyly lowered her head, not daring to look. When she curiously raised her head to size up the man, that rare, prominent, high-bridged nose leaped into view, making him unforgettable at a single glance.
"Your Highness, this is..." Sun Jiaojiao asked, stammering.
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