Chapter 383: Gather the troops! Set out at once!

She gazed at the patterns on the tent ceiling, blinked, and wondered why her eyelids felt so heavy.

So tired!

She pushed herself up to sit on the bed.

"Tuan Tuan?" Xiao Yuanhang, guarding beside the bed, could hardly believe his eyes.

"Little one?" Xiao Ran, sitting nearby, nearly fell off his stool.

Xiao Ningxun lunged over: "Tuan Tuan?"

"Miss!" Xiao Er and Lu Qi took two steps to the bedside.

Tuan Tuan turned her head, grinned, opened her arms: "Daddy! Hold me!"

Xiao Yuanhang swept her into his arms, burying his face in her tiny shoulder, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Daddy, are you crying?" Tuan Tuan asked softly.

"No." Xiao Yuanhang mumbled, "Sand got in my eyes."

Tuan Tuan gave an "oh" and obediently let him hold her.

The few by the bed exchanged glances and couldn't help but laugh.

After a while, Xiao Yuanhang finally released his daughter: "Anywhere uncomfortable? After sleeping so long, dizzy? Hungry?"

Tuan Tuan shook her head, then nodded: "Hungry! Really hungry!"

"Wait! Uncle Seven will get you something to eat!" Lu Qi turned and ran.

"Miss!" Xiao Er dropped to one knee beside the bed, the burly man's eyes red-rimmed: "You've finally woken up."

Lu Qi burst out of the big tent, excited: "Miss is awake! Got anything ready to eat? Grab me a portion!"

Outside the tent, a pot instantly boiled over.

"Is the miss awake?"

"The miss is awake!"

Footsteps and cheers instantly mingled into a din.

Moments later, Lu Qi, Zhang Wu'an, Fang Qing, and Li Lao San each held a bowl of food, followed by a group of old soldiers, all crowding in.

The tent instantly filled with towering figures.

"Miss, try it quickly!"

"Miss, eat this! It's a freshly caught rabbit from yesterday, it's nourishing!"

Tuan Tuan had already dressed, been carried by her father to the table side, and smiled gratefully: "Thank you, uncles! You're so kind!"

"The miss is still so well-behaved!"

"Exactly, the miss is the cutest; look how thin she's gotten these days—hurry and eat a few more bites!"

Tuan Tuan was starving, and she began to devour the fragrant food.

"Mmm, this is delicious, that one too!"

The group of men in the big tent stared at her eagerly, wishing she could eat in one sitting all the calories she'd lost these days.

Finally, Tuan Tuan was full; she patted her little belly contentedly: "I still want to eat, but it's bulging here—I can't fit any more."

Everyone burst into laughter: "Miss, eat again next meal! Don't overstuff yourself."

Zhang Wu'an squeezed forward, his dark face smiling eyes-crinkled: "Miss, I carved you a little dragonfly!"

He pulled a rough little toy from his pocket.

It was clearly carved with a dagger, the edges still bearing knife marks, the wings not quite symmetrical.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up instantly: "Uncle Zhang, you're so kind!"

She took the dragonfly, rubbed her two small hands together, and it wobbled into flight, hitting Xiao Er's head before dropping into Lu Qi's arms.

The tent burst into loud laughter.

"Old Zhang, yours isn't any good, Miss—I'll make you one later that's sure to be better than his!"

"Old Zhang, you're capable! This thoughtfulness—I never would have thought of it!"

"Exactly! Miss, I'll make you a more fun one tomorrow!"

Tuan Tuan laughed, dimples deep on her small face: "Great, great! Thank you, uncles!"

"We're off now, Miss—rest well!"

"We'll bring you more good food tonight!"

"Come on! Let's go catch two fish for the miss to make soup!"

The old soldiers chatted and laughed as they retreated.

Xiao Yuanhang looked at his daughter's still-pale little face, heart aching: "Tuan Tuan, are you still tired? Want to sleep a bit more?"

Tuan Tuan shook her head: "Daddy, I have no strength, I don't want to move, nor to sleep."

Xiao Yuanhang lifted her and paced slowly inside the tent: "It's fine, don't move if you don't want to—I'm here."

"Want to go somewhere? Daddy will carry you there!"

Tuan Tuan lay against her father's chest, feeling her little arms and legs all soft, unlike usual.

What's wrong with me?

Why am I so limp, as if I had no bones?

Right! I can use my broken treasure!

Her eyes lit up, and her small hand reached for the embroidered pouch at her waist.

"Tuan Tuan?" Xiao Ningxun tensed instantly—every time his sister opened that embroidered pouch, things were never simple!

Tuan Tuan fumbled for a moment, then pulled out a small grass root, muttering: "Let my strength return!"

But this time, no faint light appeared; the grass root simply fell to the ground.

Xiao Ningxun's eyes widened, and they exchanged a glance with several others.

Huh, why isn't it working?

Could it be that it can't be used on oneself?

She thought for a moment, then took out another small wooden piece.

She said softly, "Let everything on the table fall down!"

She relaxed her grip again, and the wooden piece likewise fell to the ground.

Tuan Tuan pouted, unhappy.

Xiao Yuanhang hurriedly rubbed her cheek: "It's fine; as long as you're well, whether you have those things or not doesn't matter."

"But," Tuan Tuan's little head drooped, "from now on I won't be able to help Dad cure his illness, nor can I help Brother."

"Silly child." Xiao Yuanhang kissed her forehead, "As long as you live well, Dad will be happier than anything! Do you understand?"

Xiao Ningxun hurriedly said: "Right! Tuan Tuan, what importance do those things have? As long as you're well, Brother will be happy."

Xiao Ran also hurriedly echoed: "Exactly, little one, with Ninth Brother around, whether you have those things or not makes no difference at all!"

"Miss, you're just fine this way, not changed at all!"

"Yeah, Lord Master, whether you have those things or not, you're still the Lord Master of Tianji Pavilion! I, Lu Qi, wouldn't acknowledge anyone else!"

Tuan Tuan looked at them, finally nodded and smiled.

Over the next few days, Tuan Tuan guessed that their broken treasure had lost its efficacy because they had been starving for too long, not eating enough.

So she started eating voraciously, each meal making her little belly round.

Xiao Ningxun held back a laugh: "Take it slow, don't rush."

"But I'm anxious." Tuan Tuan looked earnest, "What if villains come? I won't be able to protect Dad—what should I do?"

Inside the tent, silence fell instantly.

Xiao Yuanhang ordered in her presence: triple the guards at the grain and fodder Main Camp, inspect all water supplies daily, and let no slack at night.

Sure enough, Da Xia launched several surprise attacks, all of which were repelled.

Zhang Wu'an dragged a captive and threw him in front of Xiao Yuanhang: "Prince, we've interrogated him—they also want to burn our grain and fodder."

Xiao Yuanhang was cutting fruit for Tuan Tuan without looking up: "Kill him."

"Yes."

Soon, Tuan Tuan's strength returned, and they began running back and forth in the camp.

Zhang Wu'an also whittled her a small wooden horse, Fang Qing wove her a grasshopper from grass, and Li Lao San picked up the prettiest little stone from the riverbank…

This group of iron-blooded warriors who kill like hemp on the battlefield, just like competing, daily make all sorts of toys for Tuan Tuan, accompany her in play, fearing she would be bored.

Xiao Er changed the colored cord in her hair each day—today red, tomorrow blue, the day after purple—causing the soldiers to start a betting pool, guessing each day what color cord she would wear when she went out.

Upon hearing this, Tuan Tuan was overjoyed and loudly announced: "Uncle who guesses correctly, I'll play with you all day!"

This made the veteran soldiers even more enthusiastic.

That day, Tuan Tuan rolled their eyes, had Xiao Er twist all the colored cords together and tie them to their little braid, then swaggered out of the tent.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded—they all lost.

Tuan Tuan clapped their small hands, laughing hehehe.

At the same moment, in Xi Lu, inside the Golden Tent.

Jifeng looked at the letter delivered by the carrier pigeon and slammed the table, rising to his feet.

Da Xia? What audacity! They actually dared to hurt Tuan Tuan?

"Qing Qing! Summon all departments, gather the troops! Depart immediately!"

"Let Da Xia witness our Xilu's sabers and iron cavalry!"

"Yes!"