[Suggested song for this chapter - Selfless, The Strokes]
As the army rushed back towards the capital, Bai Li found himself completely and utterly distracted by Meili's presence in the column of men.
When he turned back to look at her for the fifteenth time, Ju Rong couldn't help himself.
"Commander, I'm worried about your neck. It must be getting sore with all that twisting to gaze at Miss Mei," he teased the man.
Bai Li glared at him.
"Are you looking for a demotion, Lieutenant? I can think of plenty of jobs you could get on with if you have nothing better to do than mocking others. Helping drag that siege engine free, for instance…"
The two men looked back at the cart carrying the siege engine. The huge wagon was some distance behind them. and it had become bogged. Men were shovelling mud from the base of the wheels trying to free it, covering themselves in mud in the process.
