Chapter 11 : She took the initiative to hold Huo Tan’s arm

The two of them stepped out of the house and indeed found a carriage waiting at the door.

Huo Tan immediately recognized that this was not the Cui family’s carriage but one from the Fang family carriage and horse business in Bo Ling City.

He glanced back at Cui Yunzhao, who looked up at him with a smile and said, “My lord, let’s hurry up. If we return the carriage before noon, we can save half of the fare, which amounts to sixty coins.”

Huo Tan: “…”

He hadn’t expected that the Cui family’s young lady would be so meticulous about her expenses.

Cui Yunzhao, without needing to look at him, knew what he was thinking and said with a smile, “There’s a fixed amount for the dowry. Every coin spent is one less, so of course, we need to be thrifty.”

For some reason, Huo Tan felt a bit displeased hearing this.

“Our home is not so destitute that we need to use your dowry for daily expenses.”

Huo Tan thought for a moment and said, “We’ll discuss the daily living expenses when we return.”

Cui Yunzhao lowered her head, responded softly, but her lips curled into a faint smile.

In her previous life at the Changle Garden, there were many wet nurses who were unwilling to serve in the palace. These wet nurses, with their rich life experiences and years of wandering, had experienced numerous marriages and had endless stories about dealing with men.

Cui Yunzhao had listened to many of these stories and gradually understood many things.

Sometimes, it was necessary to be soft when required and firm when needed.

Huo Tan asked Cui Yunzhao to get into the carriage first while he went to fetch the horse. Then, they set off together.

Today, Li Qing was accompanying Cui Yunzhao. Seeing Li Qing’s calm expression, Cui Yunzhao said, “We’ll be going to the military camp later. Follow me closely and don’t be afraid.”

Li Qing gave her a gentle smile and replied, “Miss, don’t worry. I’m not afraid.”

Only then did Cui Yunzhao lift the carriage curtain to look outside.

She had chosen the smallest carriage from the Fang family’s business, which could seat no more than four people. It was inconvenient to carry extra items, so the carriage was small, making it more convenient to travel within the city.

At that time, many people were poor, and few could afford to rent a carriage. Hence, the carriage and horse business was named as such, but they mainly rented out donkey carts.

The price of a donkey cart was half that of a carriage.

Given Cui Yunzhao’s special status as a member of the Cui family from Bo Ling, she could not use a donkey cart.

In her previous life, she had stayed at the Changle Garden for four years, rarely leaving except to visit Bianjing during the New Year. Now, many years later, returning to her homeland, Cui Yunzhao couldn’t help but feel a pang of homesickness.

Every bit of Bo Ling the grass, the trees, the buildings, and the scenery—were her fondest memories from her youth.

Cui Yunzhao sat by the window, attentively looking outside.

The Scenery

Ouhua Alley was a small lane, mostly inhabited by military officers who had been promoted later. They generally went out a bit later, so most of the officers had already left for their duties.

In the alley, there was only this carriage and a young general standing beside it.

Huo Tan was on horseback, his demeanor suddenly changing.

Through the narrow carriage window, one could see his chiseled profile, as if sculpted by a knife.

This man was naturally handsome, a true gift from the heavens.

His appearance on horseback was so heroic and elegant, exuding an undeniable aura of authority.

Everyone who saw him couldn’t help but call him “Young General.”

As if sensing Cui Yunzhao’s gaze, Huo Tan suddenly turned around and cast a glance at her.

That look had a piercing sharpness. But Cui Yunzhao was not afraid at all.

She smiled faintly at Huo Tan and said, “I’m sorry to trouble you, my lord.”

If it weren’t for the speed of the carriage, Huo Tan would have already galloped ahead and reached the military camp in no time.

Huo Tan shook his head, saying nothing further.

Soon, the carriage left Ouhua Alley.

In an instant, the lively noise of the crowd surged. The transition from the quiet alley to the bustling crowd was almost instantaneous.

Outside Ouhua Alley was the lively Linquan Street, where locals came to buy their daily necessities.

Over time, Linquan Street had become the most prosperous and bustling commercial street in Bo Ling. Due to the lively atmosphere, the carriage slowed down.

Outside the window, shops lined up one after another, colorful banners fluttered, and pedestrians chatted and laughed, enjoying the last bit of warmth of winter. It seemed like a truly prosperous era.

Cui Yunzhao observed the lively scene outside, her lips curving into an uncontainable smile.

A quiet and leisurely life is beautiful, but lively and joyful days are also beautiful.

Cui Yunzhao took a deep breath. At this moment, she truly felt the reality of her rebirth. Those old memories and the scenery of her hometown, which had faded after years of separation, no longer appeared so vividly in her dreams.

Only when seen in person did things truly become real.

Cui Yunzhao watched for a while longer, until her face had become a bit numb from the cold, before she finally covered the carriage curtain again.

She looked no more.

After a while, they arrived at the city gate.

With Huo Tan’s token, they bypassed the queue and exited the city directly.

A moment later, the carriage reached the military camp at Wuli Slope.

Bo Ling was not a major military stronghold, and after so many years of war and turmoil…

Bo Ling, being a place of culture and education, had not been invaded during the years of turmoil. Consequently, the garrison was not very large, and the highest-ranking officer was only a defensive commander.

The Commander of Fulu was also in charge of Bo Ling.

After arranging the carriage and coachman at the entrance of the camp, Cui Yunzhao stepped down from the carriage and quietly stood beside Huo Tan.

Huo Tan could ride within the camp, but he also made sure to settle his own chestnut horse properly.

He accompanied Cui Yunzhao as they walked inside.

After passing two sentry posts at the gate, they entered the orderly Bo Ling military camp.

The Bo Ling military camp occupied the entire Wuli Slope. The terrain varied, with higher areas designated for sentry posts and tents, and lower areas for the martial arts training grounds and soldiers’ quarters. The uneven terrain was covered with tall willow trees, obscuring the view.

There was no dust or coarse men in groups as Cui Yunzhao had remembered. At this moment, the camp was not as noisy as expected. Except for the loud sounds from the training grounds and practice areas, the rest of the camp was very quiet.

Everyone was focused on their tasks, and the camp was well-organized.

Entering such a military camp did not evoke fear but rather a sense of respect.

Huo Tan noticed Cui Yunzhao’s surprise and smiled, saying, “General Lu has two great generals under his command. The most formidable are Inspector Feng Lang and Commander Yuan Dazhou. Commander Yuan is stationed here year-round, and his strict management is why the Wuli Slope military camp is always so orderly.”

Huo Tan briefly explained the situation in the camp and then led Cui Yunzhao through the winding paths until they reached one of the martial arts training grounds.

Even though Cui Yunzhao had a good memory, she couldn’t recall the exact route they had taken because the tents all looked alike. For a newcomer, finding one’s way was a challenge.

This was a permanent military post, so the barracks were made of mud and tiles, more durable and spacious than regular tents.

Cui Yunzhao knew well how to navigate a military camp. She kept her eyes lowered and quietly followed Huo Tan.

Seeing her quiet demeanor and lack of distraction, Huo Tan nodded with approval. His wife was truly exceptionally intelligent.

Some things didn’t need him to say a word, she could understand them instinctively.

In the end, it was thanks to the Cui family’s excellent upbringing that produced such outstanding offspring. By the time they reached the martial arts training ground, Cui Yunzhao was a bit tired.

Although it didn’t feel like they had walked far, it was already past mid-morning, the warmest part of the day.

Sunlight streamed down between the two buildings of the camp, creating a sliver of golden light. Turning a corner revealed a whole new scene.

Dozens of soldiers in groups of four were sweating and sparring on the training ground.

“Ha! Ha! Block!”

The sounds of the martial arts training ground were loud and exciting, stirring up the blood.

Huo Tan did not immediately interrupt them but led Cui Yunzhao to stand at the entrance of the training ground, letting the large willow tree ahead shield their figures.

He stayed silent, and Cui Yunzhao listened quietly.

This was Huo Tan’s way of giving Cui Yunzhao time to gradually take in everything before her.

A breeze brought with it a faint earthy smell, but Cui Yunzhao calmly adjusted the loose strands of hair at her temples, showing no sign of distaste.

Huo Tan watched her and suddenly chuckled.

The women of the Cui family were indeed exceptional.

Cui Yunzhao chose to ignore him and continued to observe the scene before her.

At this moment, Cui Yunzhao was highly focused.

In her previous life, the figure outside the palace had been very vague. She could only roughly determine that the person was over six feet tall, taller by half a head compared to Ning Zi, who had stood beside him in the corridor.

The person’s build should be similar to the soldiers in front of her, but Cui Yunzhao felt that this person seemed somewhat thinner and not as robust.

Just then, there was a sudden commotion ahead.

Cui Yunzhao looked up in surprise and saw faces drenched in sweat.

The soldiers had just finished their practice and were about to take a break when they spotted Huo Tan behind the tree.

As they were about to joke with Huo Tan, their eyes shifted and saw the refined and elegant young lady next to the military officer.

The young lady’s expression was calm, and although she was dressed in practical attire, her demeanor radiated the grace only found in noble families.

The men, who had just been shouting, suddenly fell silent as if their mouths were covered.

They dared not make a sound.

When Cui Yunzhao came back to her senses, she realized that the training ground was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

She sighed helplessly.

Sometimes she found it puzzling. Although most of these soldiers were already married and had children, they became oddly respectful and hesitant in her presence, as if they were afraid to breathe too loudly.

The more they acted this way, the more Cui Yunzhao could sense the distance between her and Huo Tan. It was a chasm created by their respective identities and upbringing.

The soldiers’ increased restraint in her presence was a sign that they had not truly accepted her as one of their own.

It was a mistake.

Cui Yunzhao lowered her eyes and turned her head to look at Huo Tan.

The gentle breeze brushed by, and the young girl’s hair was caught against Huo Tan’s neck, bringing an indescribable sensation of tingling and unease.

Huo Tan suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“My lady, what’s wrong?”

Cui Yunzhao looked at him quietly, and after a moment,

She took the initiative to link her arm with Huo Tan’s.

The sight of them leaning together made the soldiers’ eyes widen.

This…

Why does this Cui family young lady seem so different from the rumors?

She appears quite nice to their military officer.

The men exchanged glances, and then Huo Tan laughed heartily “Aren’t you going to come and meet the military officer’s wife?”