Chapter 130 From Femme fatale to goddess

Chapter 130 From Femme fatale to goddess

The great victory at Yanmen Pass.

To celebrate the minefield clearance and the initial victory, and even more so to celebrate the recovery of the warhorses, a roaring bonfire was lit in the military camp tonight.

The aroma of roasted whole lamb wafted in the cold wind, and long-lost laughter finally echoed across this desolate land.

Tang Li, wearing a cloak that was no longer pure white and even stained with the smell of smoke, walked among the tents.

If she had dared to walk around like that on the day she arrived, she would have been met with countless pairs of eyes filled with disdain, prying, and even a hint of lewdness.

The whispers and gossip behind people's backs will buzz like flies—

"Look, that woman who's holding us back," "That troublemaker."

But tonight, everything has changed.

"Your Highness!"

As Tang Li approached a bonfire, the dozen or so burly men who had been sitting around drinking and playing drinking games suddenly sprang up as if they had been electrocuted.

They threw down their wine bowls, dusted themselves off, straightened their backs, and solemnly saluted Tang Li.

There was not a trace of contempt or lewdness in his eyes.

Instead, they felt heartfelt respect and gratitude.

"Everyone, please sit down and don't be shy." Tang Li waved her hand with a smile. "We're celebrating tonight, so please eat and drink well."

"Your Majesty..."

A young cavalryman, his face still bearing traces of childhood innocence, blushed and awkwardly stepped forward amidst the shoving and pushing of the crowd.

He nervously rubbed the corner of his clothes, then suddenly pulled a tattered cloth bundle from his pocket and handed it to Tang Li:

“This… I dug this up on the riverbank the other day while I was on patrol. My mother said that this kind of red stone is called agate, and it can ward off evil spirits and bring peace.”

It was an irregularly shaped, unpolished red agate rough. Although it wasn't worth much, it was crystal clear and lovely red under the firelight.

The young soldier lowered his head, his voice choked with emotion:

“I don’t have anything of value. I just want to thank the Empress… for saving my ‘Big Black’ (warhorse). It was the only thing my father left me. If the horse had died, I would have no face to live.”

"And me! Your Majesty, this is a wood carving I made!"

"Your Majesty, this is a wolf fang pendant I made!"

In an instant, the surrounding soldiers gathered around, each holding a variety of gifts that were not expensive but full of heartfelt sentiments.

They are uncouth people who don't understand any profound principles.

All they knew was that this woman had saved their warhorse, which meant she had saved their legs and their lives.

On this battlefield where life and death are intertwined, this is an immense act of kindness.

Looking into those sincere eyes, Tang Li felt a warm current flow through her heart.

She didn't mind the roughness of the stones, nor did she mind the simplicity of the wood carvings.

She stretched out her hands and solemnly accepted the "gifts," her eyes crinkling with a smile:

"It's so beautiful. I really like it."

Thank you.

Looking at the princess's unpretentious and warm smile, these men who had been through countless deaths found their eyes welling up with tears and felt a warmth in their hearts.

...

On the command platform not far away.

Pei Yunjing, dressed in black, stood with his hands behind his back, taking in the entire scene from a high vantage point.

The night breeze ruffled his hair, and a subtle expression appeared on his handsome, aloof face.

"Tsk."

He looked at the petite woman surrounded by a group of rough men, smiling like a flower, and a strange pang of jealousy welled up inside him.

Those bastards, they usually act like mice before a cat when they see him, but they're incredibly attentive to his queen.

Those eyes were so fervent... I really wanted to go down and kick them all.

However, when Pei Yunjing saw the pure respect in the soldiers' eyes, the corners of his tightly pursed lips involuntarily turned up slightly, forming a proud arc.

There was a time when he thought she was just a dodder vine that needed to depend on him for survival.

Delicate, greedy, and afraid of death.

If she were to leave him, she might not be able to survive even a single day.

But now...

Pei Yunjing looked at the gleaming figure in the firelight.

She did not depend on anyone.

In her own way, she took root and blossomed in this cruel battlefield.

She not only saved his life, but she also saved the morale of his troops.

"Tangli..."

Pei Yunjing murmured her name softly, his eyes filled with an intense, unwavering affection.

"You have never been a parasitic plant."

“You are a tree that can stand shoulder to shoulder with me.”

Only a woman like this is worthy of Pei Yunjing.

Only a woman like her is worthy of standing at the pinnacle of power in the Great Sheng Dynasty, overlooking the vast land with him.

Pei Yunjing raised his wine glass and offered a toast to the pear tree in the distance.

Then, he drank it all in one gulp.

...

However, just as peace and celebration were taking place inside Yanmen Pass.

A hundred miles away, at the Northern Rong camp.

There was no campfire here, only a chilling cold and a nauseating stench of blood.

A pitch-black tent stood alone at the edge of the camp, and no soldier dared to approach within ten feet of it.

"Awooo—"

"Awooo—"

Inside the tent, chilling wolf howls echoed, accompanied by the crunching sound of bones being chewed.

The curtain was lifted.

A mysterious figure, whose face was obscured by a large black robe, emerged.

He was carrying a dripping wooden bucket filled with raw, bloody flesh.

At his feet, dozens of enormous snowfield wolves with bloodshot eyes were gathered.

They scrambled for the flesh and blood on the ground, letting out ferocious growls from their throats, clearly having had their most primal killing instincts awakened by drugs and training.

"I heard... there's a woman in Dasheng who can talk to animals?"

The man in black robes put down the wooden bucket, his voice hoarse and grating, like fingernails scraping against stone.

"Can it detoxify? Can it clear landmines?"

"Hehe...that's interesting."

He stretched out a withered, claw-like hand and gently stroked the head of the lead giant wolf.

The ferocious giant wolf actually lay down obediently, letting him stroke it.

"It's nothing but trivial skills."

The man in black robes raised his head, looking towards the direction of Yanmen Pass, his eyes beneath the hood flickering with eerie green flames.

"I'd love to know too..."

"When all the hungry wolves across the mountains and plains go mad to the sound of my flute..."

"Can that so-called 'Horse Goddess' still save her man?"