Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo with burning eyes.

The others also looked over one after another, wondering what gift Wang Yibo had prepared.

Wang Yibo pondered for a while before saying: "In the study."

As soon as his voice fell, a collision of tables and chairs sounded in his ears. Xiao Zhan hurried to the study, and He Cuizhang and Xiao Gao quickly followed. Zuo Ran looked around, then followed behind curiously.

"......"

After a moment, Wang Yibo walked leisurely to the study and heard Xiao Zhan's joyful voice: "You see, this one looks much better than Bao Lun's portrait!"

A ruler pressed a sheet of rice paper on the table. It was a painting, in which the person's hair was flying as they sat on horseback while shooting wild geese.

"Yes, yes, this painting is very beautiful! So lifelike, just as if he had seen the General hunting with his own eyes!" He Cuizhang spared no effort in his praise, not knowing that Wang Yibo had also entered the hunting grounds with Xiao Zhan.

It suddenly seemed like a secret between the two of them. Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo with a smile as he came in. Their eyes met, and Wang Yibo lowered his head and hurriedly looked away.

"My lord, I want a portrait too," Xiao Gao said expectantly, and made a gesture of drawing a bow. "Do you think my posture is okay?'

Before Wang Yibo could reply to him, Xiao Zhan patted his head: "What do you want, go feed Hongshao."

Xiao Gao went to feed the rabbit with grievances. Xiao Zhan rolled up the painting happily, and then prepared to go out with great enthusiasm.

"General, where are you going?" He Cuizhang called.

"To find someone to frame it," Xiao Zhan said without looking back.

"Wait for me, I'll go too!" He Cuizhang chased after him.

Only Zuo Ran and Wang Yibo were left looking at each other. She smiled shyly and turned to go after them as well. After all, she didn't know Zao Yelan very well.

Hearing the sound of their footsteps gradually fading away, Wang Yibo walked to the desk and opened the lower drawer. There was actually another painting inside.

He unfolded it and took a look. The person in the painting was turning around to wave his hand with a smile on his face. It was the scene of when he had watched Xiao Zhan go to court today, when the other party turned around to wave goodbye to him.

The corners of his mouth curled slightly in a fleeting smile, and he put the painting in the cabinet, storing it together with the luggage that needed to be taken away with him.

In the afternoon, even though Xiao Zhan said that he would not accept guests, many officials still came to visit. However, Xiao Zhan was not in the mansion at this time, so only Wang Yibo could receive them.

He was just about to take a nap when he heard a servant come to report the matter, and he really didn't have the patience to deal with it. He walked to the front hall and gave the officials ugly expressions, and those people found reasons to leave with embarrassment.

"Wait, take everything back," Wang Yibo said coldly.

The group of people took their congratulatory gifts and left in a desperate manner.

He turned around and was about to go back to the room when he heard another guest coming, and waved his hand: "Tell them to go back instead of bringing them in."

"It seems that I have come at an inauspicious time?"

Wang Yibo paused and turned his head to look at Eunuch Gao, who walked in with a smile on his face, and his expression softened slightly. "Eunuch Gao, what is your purpose in coming here?"

"Isn't today General Xiao's birthday? His Majesty specially sent me to give something." After Eunuch Gao spoke, the young eunuchs following behind him respectfully offered congratulatory gifts.

Wang Yibo didn't look at what they were, ordering Xiao Gao to take it all.

Xiao Gao glanced at Eunuch Gao, then went to the storeroom with Housekeeper Qin in silence.

Eunuch Gao looked at his retreating back and smiled with gratification. He told everyone to leave, then took a box from his sleeve and said: "General Xiao will go south tomorrow and will pass Zhizhou. Concubine Xian is very homesick and wants the General to bring something to her family. I hope the General can do her this favor."

"Concubine Xian?"

"Yes, Sun Muyun, the daughter of the Magistrate of the prefecture, has been promoted to concubine Xian," Eunuch Gao said with a smile.

It hadn't been long since she entered the palace, and the speed of promotion couldn't be ignored. It seemed that Sun Muyun was rather easy to like.

"Wang-daren is not an outsider, so I'll just tell you the truth." Eunuch Gao whispered in his ear, "This concubine was promoted due to your blessing."

"When did I do this?"

"When the Emperor summoned all the concubines, he happened to hear her muttering, 'Wang-daren really didn't lie to me.' The Emperor asked why, and she said that Wang-daren once praised the Emperor for being handsome, which made him laugh."

Wang Yibo: "......"

As soon as Eunuch Gao left, Xiao Zhan came back and said: "The painting can be picked up in three days. I won't be here then, so you can pick it up for me."

Wang Yibo was silent for a moment, then nodded and told him about Eunuch Gao's visit. Xiao Zhan was not curious about what the Emperor had given him, but felt strange about Sun Muyun entrusting him with a token: "Although the distance is long, it shouldn't be a problem for her to send a few people back to Zhizhou to bring some tokens, right? Why did she ask me to take it for her?"

"Who are you? You are the famous General Xiao Zhan." The corners of Wang Yibo's mouth twitched. "It turns out that she also has brains. She is likely unaccompanied in the harem, and her status rose too fast, drawing the hatred of others. In addition, her father is far away in Zhizhou. A magistrate can be regarded as a family of status in a local area, but in this harem, she is really not a person with powerful connections. Because of this, she considered the prestige of the General's Mansion and wants you to be her backer."

Xiao Zhan understood: "So I just need to help her deliver this token, and outsiders will know that I have a good relationship with her. If it is for my sake, they will go easy on her?"

Wang Yibo nodded.

"Why is this so troublesome? In your opinion, should I help her deliver it?"

Wang Yibo considered for a moment, then said: "Deliver it. She has a lively temperament and is not too stupid. If she really continues to be favored in the future, it will do no harm. If she loses power, it has nothing to do with you. Anyway, you were just being kind, not meddling in the affairs of the harem."

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Xiao Zhan put the token away.

After dinner in the evening, Xiao Zhan proposed to go out for a walk, and took Wang Yibo out with him together.

There were many more small merchants and hawkers who came out to set up stalls in the night market than in the daytime, and their hawking was constant. The lanterns on both sides of the street were hung high, not only for lighting, but also for the unique scenery of this night.

Wang Yibo walked for a while before unknowingly coming to the tailor shop and walking in.

Xiao Zhan quickly followed, and subconsciously went to look at those colorful clothes. He wondered which ones would be taken away by Wang Yibo, but he didn't expect the other party to pick up the black silk on the other side and give the shopkeeper a meaningful look.

The shopkeeper followed his gaze, understood immediately, and went up to measure Xiao Zhan with a smile.

"The General is so lucky, Wang-daren personally chooses clothes for you. Don't worry, I will sew it up as soon as possible and send it to the house."

Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo, flattered, but seeing that his expression was normal, he could only laugh inwardly and ask: "Can it be made tonight?"

The shopkeeper's smile froze: "Of course not."

"Oh......" Xiao Zhan was a little frustrated. It seemed that he couldn't go out in new clothes.

Hearing this request, Wang Yibo raised his head and looked around. He also chose a ready-made garment, paid for it, and handed it over to him.

Xiao Zhan held the new clothes and walked happily beside him with light steps: "So this is the joy of wearing new clothes on your birthday?"

"Have you never worn new clothes on your birthday?"

Xiao Zhan shook his head. In his memory, his birthdays were almost always spent in the military camp, so there was no room to think of such trivial things.

"What about you?" He asked back.

Wang Yibo seemed to be in a good mood, and actually answered this question: "En, my mother......would give me a new outfit every year."

The family was poor, and there were only these things that could be gifted, such as his father's calligraphy paintings, new clothes, and snacks that could not usually be eaten......these gifts couldn't compare to those of the children of rich and noble families, but they were also things that were normally difficult to obtain.

He looked around and walked swiftly over to an old man, looked at the bunch of tanghulu, and asked, "How many skewers do you want?"

Xiao Zhan: "One skewer is enough." There were still ten skewers given by Xiao Gao back at home.

Wang Yibo bought one and then asked him what else he wanted to eat. Walking a few steps, he looked back and found that the other person was stunned: "Why aren't you moving?"

"I'm not used to you......being like this," Xiao Zhan said. "You didn't do something to offend me, did you?"

"......"

"Just say it straight. I'm in a good mood today and won't fight with you," Xiao Zhan said generously.

Wang Yibo's expression changed several times, and he finally gave him a cold look: "It's just because it's your birthday. The sky and the earth are big, but the birthday star is the biggest."

Xiao Zhan looked into those familiar eyes and relaxed again at once. Walking to his side with a smile, he said: "Then whatever request I make today, will you satisfy me?"

"What else do you want?"

"Let me think about it, ah......" Originally, Xiao Zhan was really serious about taking the opportunity to make some requests, but while he was thinking it over, he became absent-minded and stared at the person in front of him intently.

The two stood under the eaves as the red and yellow lanterns above their heads shone down on their faces. Wang Yibo's fair face reflected a bit of warmth, and in today's clothes, he really couldn't take his eyes off him.

Not only him, but everyone around subconsciously paid more attention to him, although they didn't dare approach.

"Can you promise me one thing......" Xiao Zhan looked at him hesitantly, his eyes sincere.

Wang Yibo looked at the other for a moment, almost burned by his fiery eyes, and seemed to guess what he was going to say. He immediately covered his mouth: "Can't'."

"I haven't said it yet." Xiao Zhan took his hand away. "I want you......"

"No, you don't." Wang Yibo covered his mouth again.

"Wu......I want to say it!" Xiao Zhan pushed his hand away again, and held it down to prevent him from moving.

Wang Yibo closed his eyes tightly, but heard him say: "I want you to move your foot away, you are stepping on me."

"......?"

Wang Yibo opened his eyes blankly and looked down. He had indeed stepped on his foot by accident. Moving his foot away in embarrassment, he walked away without a backward glance.

Xiao Zhan laughed on the spot. In fact, he was almost about to speak his mind just now.

But he was going to head south soon, and the round-trip journey alone would take at least ten days, not to mention the delay in suppressing the bandits and other things, and it should take at least a month to come back.

Now was not a good time. To say those words right before leaving, like a romantic man who could only talk sweetly, he worried that the other party would blame him for having no sense of propriety and be anxious during the days he was gone. Anyway, the future was long, so there was no rush.

However, when he looked over again, Wang Yibo was nowhere to be found.

He quickened his pace and searched around, but he didn't see that figure's back. His expression tightened and he expanded his search area.

No matter how fast Wang Yibo's steps were, it was impossible to be as fast as him. Either he had reached some hidden corner, or......he was taken away.

Thinking that it might be the latter, he frowned and showed a rare bit of hostility, even exerting strength when pushing a passerby aside.

"Have you decided on a date?"

At this time, on the second floor of a pawn shop, a woman in casual clothes held the deed to Wang Yibo's house and hesitantly asked this of the man opposite her.

Just now, Wang Yibo had walked a few steps when he bumped into Gu Niaoniao, who had come out to do errands. He gave her a meaningful look, then they walked into the nearby pawn shop one after the other and went to the second floor to find an empty room, closed the door, and began to talk in low voices.

"Three days from now," Wang Yibo said.

"Okay, I'll get ready."

"See if you can secretly bring Gao Tan out at that time. If it will easily arouse suspicion, just leave him alone and let him find another way to make a living with Eunuch Gao," Wang Yibo said.

"En, I'll try."

Wang Yibo once again thought about what he had left behind for Xiao Zhan. His two most powerful informants had been exposed to him, and if anything needed to be done, they would help him. A birthday gift was also given, and a ten thousand-tael banknote was left in the bedroom. He did everything that should be done, which was already benevolent and dutiful.

"Hey, your jade hairpin has a pretty color," Gu Niaoniao suddenly said. "Is this the hard-to-find accessory you spoke of?"

Wang Yibo subconsciously touched the jade hairpin on his head.

"Where did you get it, will you 'bury' it with you?" Gu Niaoniao eagerly said, "If you find it cumbersome, why not leave it to me? Or do you want to set a price?"

"You're dreaming," Wang Yibo scoffed at her.

Gu Niaoniao shrugged resentfully, took an inadvertent glance out the window, and said: "Is that Xiao Zhan? It seems that he is in a hurry to find someone, could he be looking for you?

Wang Yibo turned his head and looked out the window, and saw Xiao Zhan's anxious figure looking around.

"Go back quickly, lest he find you here," Gu Niaoniao said.

Wang Yibo went downstairs first and lowered his head to quickly walk somewhere else. After finding a secluded place, he stood there silently and waited for the other party to come over.

Unexpectedly, a bright light flashed across the sky at this time, followed by a bang as if the sky had split in two. The crowd suddenly startled, looking up at the sky until big raindrops hit their faces, and then quickened their pace and fled in all directions.

There was no defense against the torrential summer rain. As soon as it came, it would rain heavily for a short while.

Xiao Zhan was even more anxious, calling Wang Yibo's name everywhere. When he was just about to find some nearby officers and soldiers to search for him, he heard a faint voice: "I'm here."

He paused and immediately turned around, running toward the source of the sound. The voice became clearer and clearer, until he saw the person sheltering from the rain under the eaves. When he was about to step forward, he turned around and borrowed an umbrella before returning.

Wang Yibo had originally thought he would ask him where he had been, and had even thought of what to say, but the other put the umbrella over his head and the first thing he said was: "Let's go home."

Wang Yibo looked at him in astonishment.

"You are all wet." Xiao Zhan touched his clothes. "I don't know when the rain will stop, and it's no good to wait here and let the cold enter the body. It's better to go back and soak in hot water now."

Wang Yibo nodded.

There were no sedan chairs or carriages to hire at this time, so they had to return in the rain. The umbrella was fluttering in the storm, and Xiao Zhan firmly held it in one hand over Wang Yibo's head, with the other arm around his shoulders.

"You're soaking wet." Wang Yibo frowned.

"I'm used to it, I won't get sick easily like you," Xiao Zhan said.

As the icy rain poured down on his body, Wang Yibo seemed to have forgotten how much he hated rainy days. He just lowered his head silently, looking at his feet as he walked, as if an invisible force had dispelled the cold.

As soon as the two returned to the mansion, Xiao Zhan urged people to find Yao Muze, who was the closest doctor to the General's Mansion.

The servants rushed to boil hot water, and they went back to their room to change into dry clothes.

When the hot water was ready, Xiao Zhan asked Wang Yibo to take a bath first, and then went out with their wet clothes. It happened that Yao Muze had arrived, so he stopped him and took him to the foyer to wait. While talking and holding the clothes, he accidentally touched Wang Yibo's sachet hanging on his clothes. With a sudden frown, he took off the sachet, opened the inside, and took out a small note.

He calmly asked his servants to entertain the guests, then handed the clothes over to the maids and went to the study to unfold the note. Upon it were two lines of fine characters.

– The cell boss has been found and escorted back to the capital today. What do you want to do with him? In addition, the medicine has been prepared. When are you going to act?

Cell boss? Medicine? What action?

After a while, he put the note into the sachet. Once Wang Yibo finished bathing, he quietly put it back in its original place, secretly took another sachet, and then called Yao Muze in to feel his pulse.

Wang Yibo had already started coughing, but it wasn't too severe. Yao Muze brought medicine and asked his servants to brew it.

When Xiao Zhan sent Yao Muze away, he pulled him into a corner, took out the sachet, and handed it to him while saying in a low voice: "I've always been very sensitive to this stuff and have to sneeze when I smell it. Is there anything wrong with my nose?"

"Is this sweetgrass?" Yao Muze sniffed it, then opened it to sniff it more carefully, and gradually frowned. "Sweetgrass's smell is already particular, but the contents are generally heavy and it doesn't have such a strong scent. I used to go to gather herbs, and it took about eight taels of sweetgrass to achieve this level of smell. There may be other things in this sachet. Can you let me take it back and examine it thoroughly?"

He definitely couldn't directly take it away. Wang Yibo often wore it, so it was easy for him to find out and become suspicious. Xiao Zhan poured some out for him: "Is this enough?"

"It's enough."

Xiao Zhan didn't go to take a bath until he sent this person away, and when the two of them lay down, it was almost midnight.

"There is nothing wrong with your body?" Wang Yibo asked.

"En." In the darkness, Xiao Zhan kept his eyes open, deep in thought.

Wang Yibo became quiet, and just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a rustling sound. He opened his eyes and found that the room was lit up again.

Xiao Zhan went out holding a candle, and when he returned, he moved the blanket on the ground to the bottom of the bed. He sat cross-legged on it to block him in, clinging to the