Marrying a Disabled General and be His Wife

In order to save time, Tan Chuyan and Feng Chilie chose not to use carriages but to ride horses.

Zhaoye and Shuanghan were both excellent horses, capable of covering a thousand miles, enough to reduce the five-day journey to three days, saving two days each time.

The two of them galloped on their horses, with Nama following them flying ahead.

Feng Chilie had originally planned to leave Nama in Jing Kingdom, but the stubborn bird refused to stay behind, so he had no choice but to let it accompany them.

They had thought that the current situation in Qi Kingdom would be better than that in Jing Kingdom, but upon entering the territory of Qi Kingdom, they found the situation to be even worse.

Refugees swayed on both sides of the official road, and occasionally, a decaying corpse floated by in the stream beside it.

Looking at such a scene, Tan Chuyan’s mind suddenly recalled what Feng Chengjian had once said to him: that if one only looked at the world from within a wealthy family, they would never see the corpses on the roadside.

If one day the land beneath their feet no longer belonged to them and was invaded by complete outsiders, how would these generals or the royal family end up? Would they be tortured to death by outsiders, or enslaved and stripped of their rights, ultimately dying in humiliation? No matter which outcome, Tan Chuyan dreaded it.

As long as a person was alive, they should be treated humanely.

Tan Chuyan looked away, clamped his legs hard, and urged Zhaoye to gallop past.

Feng Chilie took one last look at the dying refugees, reached out and touched the money bag at his waist, but did not discard it.

Leaving money bags for these refugees might seem like a noble gesture, but it could actually harm them. When they had nothing, these people might still support each other, but once there was temptation, the delicate balance between them would be broken, leading to conflict over the money bag.

After serving in the army for so many years, Feng Chilie had seen too many situations like this. The best way to truly help these people was not through mercy and charity, but by ensuring peace and prosperity.

In this way, the food that the people worked hard to grow would not be requisitioned as military provisions, their hometowns would not become battlefields, and they would not be displaced.

Feng Chilie followed Tan Chuyan. Their cloaks billowed behind them, and their swords and spears gleamed brightly in the sun.

They knew that Dayong Dynasty and Xiyi would eventually clash.

But whether for themselves or for the thousands of creatures on this vast land, they would stand strong and resolute.

Even if the land was devastated, it was their only home.

.

Tianling Temple was on Lingshan Mountain outside the capital of Qi Kingdom, so they avoided the hassle of entering the city.

However, upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, it was already dusk, and the gate of Tianling Temple had already been closed.

The two sought out a nearby inn and planned to ascend the mountain to seek an audience the next morning.

The road to the inn was bustling, and everyone was talking about the same thing – The flying ship was entering the city!

“Have you heard? Have you heard? The flying ship is entering the city tomorrow!”

“I heard about it! Isn’t everyone coming to see the flying ship?”

“How big do you think the flying ship is? How high can it fly? How could they fly in the air?”

“Who knows, but I have to admit, the Xiyi people are really something. They can actually make ships fly into the sky.”

Tuoba Rou should have arrived in Xiyi by now, considering it had been ten days since she set off from Qi Kingdom. It was perplexing why everyone was anticipating the entry of the flying ship into the city tomorrow.

Tan Chuyan glanced at Feng Chilie, and the two of them led their horses to find an inn.

Due to the overwhelming crowd attracted by the flying ship’s entry into the city, all the rooms in the inn were fully booked, leaving them no choice but to seek accommodation from nearby residents.

They opted not to disturb a wealthy family but instead approached an ordinary household.

The person who answered the door was an elderly man.

The old man’s gray beard grew untamed, contrasting sharply with his dark skin.

Tan Chuyan stepped forward and asked, “Sir, we’re unable to find an inn to stay at. Could we spend the night here?”

The old man scrutinized the two of them with eyes as sharp as a falcon’s. “Are you here to see the flying ship too?”

Tan Chuyan shook his head. “No, we came to Tianling Temple to pay our respects.”

“Visiting at this hour?” The old man grumbled, “Don’t play dumb with me, youngsters. The gates of the temple are closed. Are you here to worship ghosts? Bah! I won’t entertain you!”

With that, the old man moved to shut the door.

Feng Chilie wedged the door open with a long spear, pushed it back open, and remarked, “It seems the uncle isn’t fond of those who come to see the flying ship?”

“Fond? Ha, you’re so eager for novelty,” the old man spat. “I’ve seen how they couldn’t smile when they were driven by the Xiyi people as slaves!”

Rarely had someone seen so clearly. Tan Chuyan couldn’t help but interject, “Don’t worry, uncle. That day will never come again. If the Xiyi people dare to invade, I’ll drive them out like dogs!”

The atmosphere momentarily tensed, and the old man scrutinized them carefully once more. “Are you truly not here to join the revelry?”

“Absolutely not,” Feng Chilie replied with a kind smile. “We’ve heard of the miraculous effects of Tianling Temple and wished to pay our respects before joining the army. However, the journey was long, and we arrived a bit late, missing today’s opening time.”

Despite his year-round demeanor in the military camp, even his friendly smile carried a hint of menace, yet this did not escape the old man’s notice.

Appearing weary from their travels, the old man hesitated briefly, took a step back, and fully opened the door. “In that case, come on in.”

“Thank you,” Tan Chuyan expressed gratitude with a slight bow. Their horses entered the courtyard, followed by Feng Chilie, who smiled again at the old man. “Excuse us.”

The old man shook his head. “Quit that smiling; you’re giving me the creeps.”

Feng Chilie: “…”

Tan Chuyan struggled to stifle his laughter, worried about causing offense.