Chapter 70

The woman, whom Qin Feng secretly praised in his heart, after a few days of rest and nourishment in the Luoying County Yamen, quickly regained her vitality. Her bright eyes, white teeth, black hair, fair skin, slender waist, and beautiful chest made the Luoying County Magistrate's wife, who served her, extremely envious and self-conscious. She sighed inwardly, wondering what kind of man would be worthy of such a heavenly beauty.

Min Ruoxi, however, was not aware of this. She got up early in the morning, quickly washed up, and casually tied her hair into a bun with a hairpin. She then picked up the medicine box and prepared to go to Qin Feng to change his bandages.

"Princess, these tasks can actually be left to the doctor," the magistrate's wife said, somewhat disapprovingly. "You are a noble princess, and it is enough to occasionally change the soldiers' bandages. There's no need to do it all the time."

Min Ruoxi smiled, "Some things are better done by oneself. Thank you for your concern, Madam." She left, and the fat Peng Wu was already waiting outside the door on time.

"Fatso, today we should make the same porridge as last night. Qin Feng praised it highly. We can add some meat now. I asked the doctor, and he said it's fine." Princess Zhao Hua treated the experienced spy captain as a cook, and he did not find it inappropriate at all. He happily went to prepare the meal. As a seasoned spy, reading people's expressions was a necessary skill. Although he had only a brief glimpse, Peng Wu already understood many things. This time, he would definitely not be able to continue as an inner guard, but as long as he clung to the princess, he would surely have a bright future. For now, to cling to the princess, he needed to make the man lying in the room happy.

It wasn't that Peng Wu was opportunistic, but in the political circle, even if you had talent, what if no one appreciated it? When he first joined the inner guard, he was full of enthusiasm and loyalty. But being stationed in Luoying County for seven years, even the best nature would be worn down. Every night, he would have many thoughts, and over the years, he had come to understand many things. Now that the opportunity was in front of him, not seizing it would be foolish.

For example, the princess's attitude towards him had changed greatly. From the formal "Magistrate Peng" to "Peng Wu" and now "Fatso," the change in titles represented the degree of intimacy. In just a few days, he had made the princess call him by a nickname, which made the spy captain very happy.

Min Ruoxi ignored the magistrate's wife's muttering and paid no attention to Peng Wu's small thoughts. In her view, anyone who could make Qin Feng more comfortable and satisfied was a good person and deserved her sincere gratitude, even though the magistrate's wife was somewhat talkative.

"Time to change the bandages!" She pushed open the door, and Qin Feng, who was doing push-ups in his shorts, was startled and fell back with a thud. He quickly pulled the blanket over himself, covering himself tightly. The princess was becoming less and less formal, previously knocking and asking before entering, but now she just pushed the door open.

Seeing Qin Feng's embarrassment, Min Ruoxi laughed heartily, "Qin Feng, what are you doing? I've seen it all before. When you were unconscious, I changed all your bandages and dressed your wounds. I've never seen a man act so shy."

Qin Feng thought to himself, "I'm not shy; I'm just embarrassed in front of you."

"Get up!" She arranged the medicine box and took out the items one by one, placing them in order. Min Ruoxi put her hands on her hips and looked at Qin Feng, "Or I'll pull the blanket off."

Qin Feng had no choice but to sit up, still using the blanket to cover his lower body.

She used scissors to cut off the old bandages, layer by layer, and the room was soon filled with the smell of blood. Min Ruoxi leaned in to examine the wound and said happily, "I can see new tissue forming. You're recovering quickly. The doctor here in Luoying County is quite skilled with external injuries!"

Qin Feng smiled bitterly. The doctor was not incompetent; he was just an ordinary doctor who couldn't see the deeper issues.

"Don't move. I'm going to apply new ointment, and it will hurt a bit," she whispered. Then, a cool sensation spread over the wound, and a soft, delicate hand gently caressed his back. Qin Feng's muscles tensed, and he broke out in a cold sweat. In the army, when he was injured, either his subordinates or Shuchang would apply the medicine and bandage him, and their hands were always quick and efficient, but they didn't care about the pain. Now, the gentle touch, though not painful, made him even more nervous.

After applying the medicine and bandaging the wound, she still kept her hand on his bare back. Min Ruoxi didn't move, and Qin Feng naturally didn't dare to move either. After a moment, she sighed, "How many scars do you have? They overlap, and there's not a single spot without a scar."

"Soldiers are like this," Qin Feng said. "Especially in our Death Corps. If a soldier doesn't have a few scars, he wouldn't even dare to bathe naked. I've been in the Death Corps for six years, so having many scars is normal. They're just flesh wounds, nothing serious. Scars are a soldier's medals. I was arrogant and defiant in the Western Border Army, even defying General Zuo, all because of these scars. If I didn't have them, General Zuo would have beheaded me a hundred times. Unfortunately, General Zuo is gone; he was a good man."

Her fingers lightly traced over the scars, and Min Ruoxi's voice trembled, "In the capital, I often heard stories of heroic deeds, but now that I've experienced it firsthand, I realize the gap between reality and stories is enormous."

Qin Feng turned to look at Min Ruoxi, "War is always brutal. If you don't kill me, I'll kill you. It's not about bravery. On the battlefield, even the most gentle person can be forced to become a butcher. No one wants to live in such a war, but reality is what it is. We have no choice but to fight. And for us in the Death Corps, there's something more."

"I've heard that the Death Corps is made up of the most heinous criminals. How do you manage to control them?" Min Ruoxi asked.

"Most heinous criminals?" Qin Feng smiled. "People are inherently good. Who is truly heinous? Many things are not as they seem. Even if some people deserve death, when they join the army, they can be influenced. In the years I've been in the Death Corps, I've recruited people who have abandoned their heinous pasts. This is why our combat effectiveness has improved, and our death rate has decreased. These people still want to live and return to a normal life. With this desire, they are easier to manage."

"It seems the rumors and reality are indeed very different," Min Ruoxi said.

"Of course. You are a noble princess, and we are dogs rolling in the mud. Our living environments are vastly different, so our perspectives and actions are naturally different," Qin Feng said.

"Don't say that anymore. What kind of dogs? It sounds so unpleasant. To others, I might be a noble princess, but not to you," Min Ruoxi blushed. "Just treat me like an ordinary woman."

"Perhaps now, but not when we return to Dachu!" Qin Feng laughed. "Princess, when I visit your palace, don't let a pack of vicious dogs chase me."

"The palace gates are always open to you. You can come whenever you want. If you don't come, I'll send someone to fetch you!" Min Ruoxi blushed and stood up, picked up the medicine box, and left.

"Fatso will bring you porridge and dishes later. Don't leave anything. Eat it all, and I'll check!"