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墨書 Inktalez
Hou Polu and the others were utterly shocked as the Xu Zhen placed the iron plate in the fire, clearly doing so intentionally. The Female Slave then followed suit, and if anyone claimed that the two had not known each other before, it would be hard to believe.
"What a wild barbarian!" Even Li Dejiang, who was usually rough and fierce, couldn't help but praise her, though his heart felt a tinge of bitterness at the sight of the petite figure outside the barracks.
After settling down, Li Mingda had been under the close protection of Li Dejiang. This second son of the Li Family was not only remarkably skilled in martial arts but had also spent many years honing his instincts in the wilderness, making him very sensitive to danger. He was quite favored by Li Daozong; however, Li Mingda could not find a sense of security with this brutish man.
Or rather, she could not find the same sense of security that she felt when she was with the Xu Zhen.
When staying beside the Xu Zhen, one could never be sure what would happen next because this person never played by the rules. Sometimes cold-blooded and ruthless, at other times noble enough to risk her life to save others. But regardless of the situation, whenever that damned man's figure appeared before her, she felt a sense of reassurance.
She was well aware of the rifts between her brothers; she could intuitively sense the suffocating atmosphere before a storm. Being perceptive, she had already caught a whiff of conspiracy brewing around her, but she could neither confirm nor accept it all.
Thus, being able to stay in the military camp might not be such a bad thing after all; it only caused her father to suffer daily from the anguish of losing his daughter.
She knew that the Xu Zhen was timid or perhaps overly cautious and liked to weigh every detail. Yet it was precisely this meticulousness that allowed her to survive longer. So when she learned that the Xu Zhen spent every day in the Craft Workshop, whether out of respect for her royal status or due to Young Lady's modesty, she never took the initiative to seek out the Xu Zhen.
Finding military life dull, she had Li Dejiang teach her martial arts. In an era where martial prowess was valued, many women were quick on their feet; even the daughters of princes secretly practiced their skills. These were legacies inherited from their fathers' might and valor, and elders would not oppose it too much.
However, being a noble lady herself, common folk naturally did not dare to casually teach her martial arts. For a mere position as a minor tutor, one could only imagine how much undercurrent swirled in court politics. Only someone like Li Dejiang, who was simple-minded and uncalculating, would foolishly instruct Your Highness.
One day she finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked Li Dejiang to sneak her out for archery practice. Unfortunately, they stumbled upon a chaotic scene at the Military Slave Camp.
By rights, such a lowly place as the Military Slave Camp should not involve Your Highness; Li Dejiang was understandably anxious. However, driven by curiosity typical of a young girl, Li Mingda insisted on going over there and unexpectedly witnessed the Xu Zhen risking her life to save Caesar.
When Caesar branded herself with the iron plate marked by Commander Xu Zhen on her arm, Li Mingda felt an emptiness inside her. She wasn't infatuated nor had any romantic feelings for Xu Zhen; perhaps it was too early for such emotions for her age.
She simply felt indignant as if witnessing her beloved toy being taken away by another girl; she couldn't help but feel displeased with Caesar.
The mature and exotic Enchanting Barbarian Woman's features that could make any man’s blood rush became Li Mingda's most disliked attributes.
The Xu Zhen did not see Li Mingda outside the barracks and was unaware that she had inexplicably become hated due to Tang Dynasty's Xuanwu Gate Incident.
At this moment, there was only one woman in her heart—a respectable woman—Caesar. By placing the iron plate into the flames, she indeed intended to guide Caesar; although there were personal motives behind it, there was also an element of helplessness.
However, when Caesar branded herself on her arm with that iron plate, Xu Zhen's perception of this woman changed significantly. Caesar herself did not want to admit it; at that moment of branding, she might still have harbored resentment towards Xu Zhen. Nevertheless, she understood that she had tied herself to these cunning Tang People.
The Captain received orders for Hou Polu to enlist and thought about sending someone for documentation to take this alluring Barbarian Woman as a concubine. Although he couldn't bring her into the military camp, there were many beautiful official slaves in Military Slave Camp waiting to enter Hou Polu's barracks for their own gain. Once this Barbarian Woman was subdued, given Hou Polu's nature, wouldn't it ultimately benefit these men?
At this moment, he was frozen in place. Although the Tang Code imposed restrictions and had clear rules regarding servants, branding a special mark on one's own servants, while somewhat cruel, was still a relatively common practice. This Barbarian Woman could only be considered a captive and had not officially become a slave, yet she was now branded with the name of the Xu Zhen!
If Hou Polu continued to take Caesar as a slave, regardless of the truth, it would raise suspicions of stealing someone else's servant. Once this spread, he would likely be ridiculed for being a dignified military officer who had to pick up scraps from others' leftovers!
This proud young officer truly valued his reputation. Seeing Caesar's situation, he immediately turned away in anger and coldly remarked, "What’s so special about an uncivilized wild woman? Only wild beasts would dare to command such a she-wolf; they are indeed well-matched!"
Once Hou Polu left, the Captain's authority diminished because Li Dejiang had already stated that the Xu Zhen was also a Captain, and among Captains, she held the highest rank as a Guard Captain. Thus, he had no choice but to lower his head.
The Xu Zhen did not take advantage of the situation; she put away her flying daggers and explained her intentions to Li Dejiang. He promised to help her obtain an official document to grant Caesar formal slave status.
Li Dejiang greatly admired and respected the Xu Zhen's demeanor. After chatting briefly, he left, but just as he stepped out of the camp gate, he muttered under his breath, "Oh no!"
His heart sank because the Princess had already disappeared!
Li Dejiang was indeed an expert tracker and was very familiar with the layout of the military camp. Before long, he found Li Mingda on a grassy slope outside the camp, hugging her knees and gazing into the distance.
The little girl stared blankly towards Chang'an, tears glistening in her eyes. Her emaciated figure was particularly pitiful. Although Li Dejiang was a rough man, this scene touched his heart deeply, and he silently vowed to protect the Princess at all costs!
The Xu Zhen had initially intended to find Li Deqian to go to the mine area in search of Pyrite but unexpectedly encountered Caesar along the way. The trip to the mine had to be postponed as she brought Caesar back to her tent.
Caesar was covered in wounds and her clothes were tattered, resembling livestock with many shameful areas exposed. However, her blue eyes were filled with purity, showing no signs of shame or humiliation.
Without wasting words, the Xu Zhen moved a large quenching wooden trough from the Craft Workshop, cleaned it out, filled it with clean water. Caesar showed no shyness; she stripped off her clothes and lay down in the trough, which quickly turned blood-red.
In her mind, there was no difference between a servant and livestock; whatever her master wanted to do was not excessive. Since she could harden her heart for the sake of saving Rock Master and her people, why should she cherish her own body?
Moreover, she had walked through jungles of swords and blood since childhood. Although nearing thirty and exuding an alluring charm, it was hard for anyone to believe that she remained untouched until now because none of the men who sought to take her purity had survived.
The Xu Zhen did not spare her another glance; she merely leaned against the trough's edge and wiped her flying daggers with her clothing corner as if she found them more appealing than this perfectly ripe Foreigners naked woman.
"Speak."
As Caesar enjoyed her bath, the coolness of the clean water tightened her wounds while washing away dirt and toxins. She felt relaxed and upon hearing Xu Zhen speak, recounted how Moya and her people were forcibly taken by Murong Xiao's tribe.
The Xu Zhen did not express any opinion but walked directly to her bedside. She took out Healing Powder from a small wooden box along with linen bandages and placed a set of clean clothes that carried a fresh scent of sunshine beside her bed before exiting her tent.
Caesar looked at the tall figure projected on the tent wall; she felt somewhat confused yet relieved. She thought this Tang People was cunning like a fox but fierce like a leopard when necessary. At times resilient like an old wolf caught in a trap, there was always an air of inscrutability about him that she had only sensed from Rock Master before.
Caesar was already tall and voluptuous, and after putting on the outfit of Xu Zhen, her voluminous golden hair fell casually over her shoulders. Her skin was as white as snow, with a sharp chin and an oval face, complemented by mysterious blue eyes that exuded an exotic charm. Everything about her left people breathless.
However, Xu Zhen remained unfazed. During her magic show in Las Vegas, she had encountered countless open-minded individuals with golden hair and blue eyes. Although Caesar possessed an extraordinary appearance, it was not enough to fluster Xu Zhen.
With the plan now including the rescue of Rock Master and Caesar People, Xu Zhen knew she had to speed up her efforts.
After a simple meal, Xu Zhen took her new Female Slave to the workshop, where they found Li Deqian. The three of them headed towards the wild mining area outside the camp. Pyrite was something Xu Zhen described as rare and elusive; he could not afford to miss it.
However, shortly after they left the camp, several individuals emerged from Hou Polu's quarters. With solemn expressions, they scanned their surroundings before blending into the camp area. After a series of twists and turns, they departed in different directions.
Xu Zhen was unaware of the movements on Hou Polu's side. She knew he would not give up easily, but Pyrite was too important for her to abandon the search in the mining area. Thus, she brought Li Deqian along—not only as a guide but also as a precaution. Although Li Deqian was weak, his father, Li Jing, was the Duke of Wei and currently the Chief of Military Operations for the Western Sea Road, overseeing the upcoming Tuguhun military campaigns. Even Hou Junji and Li Daozong were merely his deputies.
Xu Zhen did not believe that Hou Polu would be foolish enough to act against her and Li Deqian right after their recent argument. Therefore, she felt confident about this mining trip.
Li Deqian was reluctant to go to the mining area; he was engrossed in crafting the Yuanrong Crossbow with Yan Lide. However, upon seeing the enchanting Caesar beside Xu Zhen, he found himself inexplicably dragged along to the mining area.
Little did they know that a massive storm of death was slowly approaching!
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