Chapter 53

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

The Xi Wei Empire stood to the west of Da Ye. It was established by Xue Chang, one of the founding Great Generals of Da Ye at that time, in collaboration with the Xi Wei tribes. Xue Chang had then later turned his back against the Xi Wei natives by suppressing them and deeming them as less than livestock. This was the current state of the Xi Wei Empire.

At present, although the country was still called Xi Wei, the one that truly held power was the Xue Clan. As the previous Emperor died early, his successor was the only son he had had, Xue Zhi. And because Xue Zhi was still a child, the previous Emperor had decreed for the Prime Minister, Xue Wu Yi, to be the regent in order to assist the boy.

Mighty as his title, Prime Minister Xue Wu Yi had actually come from a lowly background. He was a beggar whom the Emperor had met by chance and decided to take him in. Later, when the Emperor had discovered that he was a highly gifted individual, he had adopted him as his son. He had also let him take the surname Xue and had ordered for him to be taught.

It was said that before the age of 10, Xue Wu Yi was already capable of debating with the officials in court with his unique political views. By the age of 16, he was inaugurated by the Emperor as the Prime Minister without any objections from the court.

Ten years from the time the late Emperor entrusted his son to him, Xue Wu Yi had taken charge of every aspect of the court with ruthlessness and ingenuity, making Xi Wei the strong and stable country that it currently was.

And, Shang Que, the Commander of the Northern Garrison was his most capable right-hand man.

Having Shang Que mobilize his troops this promptly only showed how much weight Xi Wei had placed in obtaining these two jade mines.

The group gathered in Xiao Zhige’s study while a guard was ordered to watch the door. 

Xiao Zhige began, “How did this get out? You have a spy on your side?”

The smiling Chang Zai Cang’s face was now filled with dread, “I was too lax with the people around me. The spy has been found and I will personally deal with him once this matter is solved!” Only then did Chang Zai Cang look less of a scholar and more like a general.

Xiao Zhige was not surprised, “I will discuss this with the Xi Wei Empire. After that, since you are responsible for the leak, we’ll split it by 8-2, I’ll take 8 and you 2.”

Chang Zai Cang was wide-eyed, “You’re too evil! No way! I have to get at least 4 shares or there’s no deal!”

Xiao Zhige smirked, “I have yet to settle scores with you regarding the fake news you sent me when you were in Yejing.”

“When did I ever send you…” Chang Zai Cang stopped and wondered about his statement. Once he had figured it out, he quickly glanced at An Chang Qing and argued, “It was all for your own good. If I didn’t motivate you, you would never have taken any actions. Come to think of it, shouldn’t you be thanking me instead?”

An Chang Qing listened to their bickering and knew that their conversation had something to do with him. He tried to figure out the details but the two were speaking in codes.

Xiao Zhige said in an assertive tone, “Don’t try to be clever with me. 8-2 or else, you’ll get nothing.”

Chang Zai Cang clicked his tongue and frowned, “Wait wait wait, let me reconsider!”

If anyone else from the Xi Wei Empire had come to fight for the mines, Chang Zai Cang would not have had this headache. But it just had to be Shang Que, the powerhouse of the Xi Wei Garrison. He was a Xi Wei aborigin who was born with incredible strength. No one knew how Xue Wu Yi was able to make this mighty man do all his bidding.

Naturally, Chang Zai Cang was not his opponent. In the whole of Da Ye, other than the young version of the Great General Xia Hou Shang, the person capable of defeating Shang Que was only Xiao Zhige.

Clenching his teeth, Chang Zai Cang made his decision, “8-2 is really not enough to share with my team. 7-3, at least make it 7-3!”

Xiao Zhige’s eyes lit up, “Deal. Tomorrow, I’ll depart with you to Liangzhou.”

Chang Zai Cang, “…” Such a quick reply, was I being duped again?

…..

When the discussion had ended, Chang Zai Cang winked at An Chang Qing several times in want of starting a conversation with him but was caught by Xiao Zhige. He gave him a threatening look and Chang Zai Cang could only give up and leave. Since he was a frequent visitor, he knew his way to the guest room without needing help with directions.

After Chang Zai Cang left, An Chang Qing asked with some concern, “You’re leaving for Liangzhou? Didn’t Dr. Hu say that you have to rest your wounds?”

Xiao Zhige smiled and whispered in his ears, “Don’t worry, there won’t be a fight. I was only trying to scare Chang Zai Cang.”

Chang Zai Cang and Xiao Zhige were under the command of Xia Hou Shang and the two had known each other for a long time. Chang Zai Cang was quite talented at leading his men and this had allowed Liangzhou to stay safe and secure. However, Xiao Zhige knew that he had a fatal weakness – Chang Zai Cang did not have a lot of guts, he preferred stability and seldom took risks.

He knew that he couldn’t win Shang Que in a fight and rushed to Xiao Zhige for help but he never considered that Shang Que might not even want to engage in battle.

Da Ye and Xi Wei had been on friendly terms all these years, they would not risk war over a jade mine. As far as he could tell, the Xi Wei government may seem steady but in fact, it was about to get turbulent. Xue Wu Yi had taken control over the court for so long but the young Xi Wei Emperor was also coming of age, it was high time that he would get involved in the matters of the court. Over the years, the royal family who had been waiting patiently to regain power were also aiming for Xue Wu Yi’s downfall. And during his reign, Xue Wu Yi had also made many enemies by ruining their ill-gotten gains with his iron-fisted regulations. 

As such, Xue Wu Yi would definitely not risk stirring up a hornet’s nest at this juncture. Sending Shang Que was probably just a scare tactic.

Listening to his explanation, An Chang Qing was in awe. Xiao Zhige was truly insightful. 

He then remembered something and asked, “Wangye has spoken about me with General Chang?”

Xiao Zhige did not expect the topic to change so suddenly and almost blurted out a ‘yes’. He looked back at An Chang Qing and asked, “Why do you ask?”

An Chang Qing had been with Xiao Zhige for this long so he naturally knew that since he did not deny it, then it must’ve been true.

“Wangye just have to tell me if you’ve spoken about me or not.”

Xiao Zhige glanced at him and thought about how he had promised not to keep anything from him. His Adam’s apple rolled twice and he nodded awkwardly, “Yes.”

Without waiting for An Chang Qing to ask, Xiao Zhige sighed and went on to explain, “When Chang Zai Cang was stationed in Yejing, I told him to watch over the An Manor and send me news of you.”

“Didn’t you ask me where the misunderstanding I had of you and Li Hai Yun comes from? It was Chang Zai Cang who told me.”

“…” There was some information to digest and An Chang Qing did not know which to be surprised at first.

After deliberating, he stammered, “Then… you’ve known me long before? How…”

Xiao Zhige saw An Chang Qing’s ears turning a shade redder and his lips arced with glee. He reached out to touch his earlobe and thought about where to begin, “It should be when I was around nine. You were about seven at the time, probably still too small to remember.”

An Chang Qing looked at him speaking in earnest and frowned, he had no memories of Xiao Zhige before this.

Xiao Zhige continued, “That autumn during the Emperor’s birthday, he organized a hunting expedition in the Spring Mountain outer palace. The Crown Prince had stayed behind and on a rare chance, I was allowed to go. It was there that I met you.”

At that time, Xiao Zhige’s mother was still around. Although he was not favored, he was still a child pampered by his mother. He happened to see the young An Chang Qing’s round little jaded face and liked it very much.

The ministers’ children that attended were mostly around his younger brother’s age but they had obviously learned the art of flattery. Only An Chang Qing was indifferent and stayed in one place, not trying to draw attention or give out pretentious praises. Xiao Zhige found him extremely cute.

Xiao Zhige saw him sitting by himself and went to talk to him. Only then did he find out that An Chang Qing was Minister An’s third son. Everyone knew of the Minister’s capable eldest son and mischievous second son but very few knew the existence of his third son.

Xiao Zhige could tell that he was a little timid so he gave him a piece of pastry.

Two weeks into the expedition, An Chang Qing had often come to find him. At a certain point, An Chang Qing was late and Xiao Zhige went to find him. It was then that he saw him being bullied by the second young master An and several other young masters. The Third Prince was also watching with excitement.

The young An Chang Qing had cowered into a ball, seemingly adept in dealing with this type of situation. Even in the face of insults and abuse, he still kept his head low and stayed small, looking pitiful and helpless.

Xiao Zhige was furious. He rushed over and fought with them. In the end, even the Third Prince joined the fight. Although Xiao Zhige had been practicing martial arts, his body was still that of a boy’s. When the brawl was over, Xiao Zhige had countless bruises and scratches on his body.

Later, Xiao Zhige brought An Chang Qing back to his room and asked him angrily why he did not fight back or hide.

The small An Chang Qing then gave him a serious answer, “If you hide or retaliate this time, the next time will be more severe.”

Xiao Zhige did not understand his words back then but he made him a promise: When he returned to the palace, he would ask his father to let An Chang Qing become his reading companion so he could prevent him from getting bullied.

At that time, he only thought that since An Chang Qing was also not favored, it shouldn’t be too hard to get approval. However, fate is always inconsistent and many things never go according to one’s wishes.

Upon his return, before he had the chance to speak to his father, the Empress had told him that his mother had committed suicide.

After that came years of struggles and extraordinary hardships. Without his mother’s protection, Xiao Zhige realized that his life would only turn arduous. And he finally understood what An Chang Qing had said to him: ‘If you hide or retaliate this time, the next time will be more severe.’

Xiao Zhige had to grow up fast. In order to break away from the Empress and Crown Prince’s control, by the age of twelve, Xiao Zhige requested for his enrolment into the military.

When he returned many years later and remembered his oath, he found that An Chang Qing had already forgotten this childish promise. But Xiao Zhige still felt guilty for not being able to keep his promise.

Afterwards, he could only try to pay attention to his news every now and then. Once he knew that An Chang Qing was having a hard time at the An Manor, it was then that he requested Chang Zai Cang’s help.

Later, in order to hamper suspicions in the palace, he announced that he did not like women and asked the Empress Dowager to decree for their marriage.

“… That’s all there is. I saw that you have forgotten so I did not bring it up.”

An Chang Qing widened his eyes. He recalled that in the winters, when their allowance was skimmed, every few days, someone would leave a basket of charcoal in their yard; whenever he went to refill his mother’s prescriptions without enough money, the store clerk would always charge him less…

After he grew up and found out that the pharmacy was under Madame Li’s name, he had thought that it was Madame Li being kind to them.

As it turned out, it was all thanks to Xiao Zhige’s attentiveness towards him.

An Chang Qing scoured his brains to remember Xiao Zhige in his childhood but it was no use. In the winter when he had turned ten, he had jumped into an ice cold pond to save his sister who had been pushed in. The incident had caused him to subsequently suffer from a severe fever. After he had recovered, he seemed to have forgotten many things.

“I’m sorry…” An Chang Qing said forlorn yet longingly, “I can’t remember…”

Chapter 52

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

An Chang Qing said those strong words with gnashing teeth but his red eyes and nose simply did not match his words. He reminded Xiao Zhige of a little silver fox that he had encountered while hunting. After being cornered, the small animal was also trying to seem brave by bearing its teeth this way.

Xiao Zhige smiled unconsciously. He patted his back gently as though smoothing out the ruffled fur of the frightened silver fox. He softly reassured him, “En, this will not happen again.”

An Chang Qing’s strained body gradually relaxed under Xiao Zhige’s consolation. He rested his head on his shoulder and said in a muffled voice, “I understand that certain military affairs cannot be disclosed even to family members but you cannot hide the severity of the matter from me.”

“I will not hide anything from you again. In the future, whatever you want to know, I will tell you everything.”

Thinking back, Xiao Zhige was truly regretful that he did not let An Chang Qing know. Initially, it was to keep him from worrying but what if he had returned a few days later and Yanzhou’s defense was broken? With An Chang Qing’s stubbornness, he would not have abandoned Yanzhou and fled.

Xiao Zhige knew that the person in his arms may seem delicate but his claws were actually quite sharp.

An Chang Qing let Xiao Zhige hug him a little longer before leaving his embrace to resume combing his hair.

As his fingers swept past, Xiao Zhige suddenly grabbed his wrist. He looked at the blisters on his hand and frowned, “What happened?”

On the tender pair of hands were patches of blisters. Some of which had already popped, leaving a layer of dried skin and some new ones which had just begun to form. The fair-skinned hands had turned rugged with uneven patches of marred skin.

Seeing An Chang Qing pulling back his hand, Xiao Zhige did not ask further and said, “The bubbles have to be pricked before we can apply medicine.”

“Pricking the bubbles is painful. And applying medicine is inconvenient when I have to use my hands. Plus, it’s nothing serious.”

Xiao Zhige’s face turned black and An Chang Qing knew he was losing the fight. He said reluctantly, “I’ll do it later.”

“I’ll help you.”

Since An Chang Qing’s hand was injured, Xiao Zhige did not have the heart to let him continue to comb his hair either. He called Chen Su to help him dress and they both went to see Hu Shi Fei.

When they returned from Hu Shi Fei’s place, they saw Qi Wei and Tie Hu talking to Chen Su in the courtyard.

Once the war was over, Qi Wei was quite jubilant. Knowing that Xiao Zhige was wounded, he quickly brought Tie Hu to visit.

“What are you doing here?” Xiao Zhige narrowed his eyes and looked at them unpleasantly.

“We heard that you were injured so we came to visit,” Qi Wei was oblivious to the hostility in Xiao Zhige’s tone and babbled on with ignorance. He also did not forget to speak up for his good brother, “Xie Ling said that he had something urgent to do and could not come. I say, the war is over, what’s there that’s so urgent?”

Xiao Zhige smiled, “Xie Ling is right.”

Eh? Qi Wei was baffled.

Xiao Zhige slowly explained, “It seems that you can afford to be idle. Don’t you know that the soldiers have begun to work on the fields? Since you have nothing to do, go help them out.”

Qi Wei, “Ha?”

Xiao Zhige continued, “Whoever else is free is required to go.”

Qi Wei, “…”

Qi Wei continued to stare dumbfounded at Xiao Zhige and An Chang Qing’s back as they entered the house. He turned to ask Tie Hu, “Did we do anything to offend the General?”

Tie Hu scratched his head and answered, “I don’t think so.”

Qi Wei gritted his teeth and said angrily, “It must be Xie Ling’s fault. He did this to us!”

Tie Hu frankly stated, “Xie Ling clearly told us not to come. You’re the one who insisted on coming.” You even dragged me along!

Qi Wei was stumped and couldn’t retort his words. He glared at Tie Hu and said, “We can’t fight among ourselves. We’re brothers who stick together during difficult times! If we have to do farmwork, we can’t single out Xie Ling!”

Listening to the two making noise outside the door, An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige questioningly, “Why did you send Qi Wei and Tie Hu to do farmwork?”

“It’s already a lenient punishment,” Xiao Zhige replied, “As a Vice Commander, despite not being able to hold back the Beidi army like he promised, he went on to believe the enemies’ words and couldn’t even stabilize the soldiers’ morale, causing you, as a Wangfei, to have to do his job for him and be exposed to danger. Tell me, shouldn’t he be punished?”

An Chang Qing contemplated his words and, although he felt it was indeed reasonable, he couldn’t help but think that there was something else. However, since it was not his problem, he simply cast the matter aside.

…..

After the failed attempt on conquering Yanzhou, Hu Yan Xun and his brothers returned to the Beidi Imperial City. Upon arrival, Hu Yan Xun immediately turned on Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi. Hu Yan Xun was a powerful warrior who was supported by the people. After the Emperor’s death, it was expected that he would take over the throne and cast his nephews out.

Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi refused to be ruled by Hu Yan Xun and left the city with their troops. The Beidi army since then was divided by half, crippling their military strength, drastically lowering the probability of attacking Da Ye.

When this news reached Yanzhou, three days had passed. 

Xiao Zhige‘s wound had also begun to heal gradually. Although he was still not permitted to do strenuous activities, he could still deal with the post-war problems as a tactitian.

The soldiers who had died in the war would have to have their bodies identified. Those with relatives in Yanzhou could let them claim their bodies while those without could only be cremated. Their families from afar would be informed of their deaths, supplemented with their pensions.

In addition to clearing up the battlefield, there was also the farmwork.

The winter this year was particularly long and on top of the delay caused by the war, they had missed the window for planting wheat. To minimize the losses, they could only try to sow the land on time to plant corn and other available crops.

With this arrangement, another five days had passed.

Because An Chang Qing had injured his hands, Xiao Zhige refused to let him do anything while he kept himself busy with work as though he did not have any injuries of his own.

An Chang Qing argued, “My wounds are a lot lighter than yours.”

Xiao Zhige frowned and disagreed, “My skin is tougher than yours, this small wound is nothing.”

“Then mine is nothing as well!” An Chang Qing refuted, feeling as though he was a handicap for not being able to do anything.

Xiao Zhige tried to coax him, “Bear with it for just a few more days.”

Seeing his gentle and caring disposition, An Chang Qing was won over and continued to stay indoors to recuperate.

Qi Wei, who had just come back from the fields, looked towards the General’s Manor and realized something. He exclaimed, “I finally know why the General made us do farmwork!”

Tie Hu went along and asked, “Why?”

Qi Wei answered with a miserable look, “It must be because we did not stop Wangfei from going to the battlefield! The General is clearly abusing his position to get revenge!”

Xie Ling looked at him as though he was looking at an idiot and said, “You only realized this now after we’ve been breaking our backs in the fields for four days?”

Qi Wei, “…” That’s right, so what now?

…..

After another few days, An Chang Qing’s hands were completely healed and he had regained his freedom.

He was about to work on his jade crafting when Tie Hu came to deliver a message, stating that someone from Liangzhou had come to visit.

Behind Tie Hu stood a gentleman of slender build. Standing next to Tie Hu, he simply resembled a weak scholar.

Xiao Zhige was currently busy in the study. An Chang Qing did not know the visitor nor the reason for his arrival and could only direct them to Xiao Zhige, “Wangye is in the study. Please take the guest to him.”

The man observed An Chang Qing briefly before coming forward and greeted, “Is this Sire Wangfei? Liangzhou’s General, Chang Zai Chang, greets Wangfei.”

Hm? Hearing his tone of familiarity, An Chang Qing was puzzled, “General Chang knows of me?”

Chang Zai Chang smiled, “I’ve only heard of you from a long time ago but we’ve never actually met. Wangye often spoke about you…”

“Chang Zai Chang!” 

Xiao Zhige had just come from the study when he heard Chang Zai Chang spewing such a sentence. He quickly called out to stop him.

Chang Zai Chang gave An Chang Qing a confounded look and immediately stopped talking. He turned to greet Xiao Zhige instead.

“What are you doing here?” Xiao Zhige took a quick glance at An Chang Qing before speaking to Chang Zai Chang, “A General absent from his post without permission. Careful not to get reported to the Imperial Court.”

Chang Zai Chang’s face turned bitter, “It’s all because of the letter you wrote to me in regards to the jade mine that I have to come here personally.”

With the manner in which they were conversing, it seemed they were quite close. An Chang Qing wanted to ask Chang Zai Chang about his previous words but hearing about the jade mine, An Chang Qing decided to leave it for another time.

Xiao Zhige was also taken aback at the mention of the jade mine. He had sent the letter before the covert siege against the Beidi court and had not received a response from Liangzhou. Since then, the matter had been put off.

“Something happened?”

“After receiving your letter, I sent people out to secretly scout the area. As it happens, there was a landslide some time ago, causing a large chunk of earth to break off from the mountain. The jade pieces that the locals collect are probably from the fragments that fell during the landslide.”

The inhabitants nearby did not know the value of the jade; thinking that since it was available abundantly, it must not have been of worth. 

“I wanted to bring in troops to occupy the mountains first but somehow, the regent of Xi Wei got wind of this news and had Shang Que mobilize his troops to the border. I couldn’t reply to you sooner because I was occupied with confronting Shang Que.”

The Xi Wei Empire claimed that since the mine is closer to Xi Wei, it should be theirs. But such a lucrative find, there was no way Chang Zai Chang was going to back down since they were the ones to discover it first.

As such, the two armies were currently at loggerheads and the situation was turning critical.

Chang Zai Chang dared not act rashly and came to Yanzhou to discuss countermeasures with Xiao Zhige.

---

Hey there, thank you for reading.

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I especially love the MC’s personality and how it stays true to the title: he is batshit crazy and incredibly unpredictable. Plotwise, imho, it’s quite good if you’re not bored with the reincarnation and OP MC trope. Actually, this is only my second martial arts manhwa so I’m not sure how it compares to others but I’m quite sure it’ll be able to force a few chuckles out of you. If you like the eccentricities of Gintama, you’ll definitely love this one. Check it out if you’re interested and if you like it, please support the author/artist any way you can.

Chapter 51

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

The towering body of the man was wrapped over An Chang Qing’s back as his head rested on his shoulder. The warmth from his breath brushed his skin, ensuring An Chang Qing with a sense of comfort that his Wangye had returned safely.

Finally his clenched fist loosened. Seeing that others were looking their way and hesitating whether they should approach, An Chang Qing nudged Xiao Zhige, “Let go of me. Let’s go back first.”

But Xiao Zhige stood unflinching behind him, breathing lightly – he had fallen asleep in this state.

An Chang Qing turned to look at him and found that the man’s face had lost considerable weight with vividly visible dark shades under his closed eyes. 

Maybe because Xiao Zhige had finally returned, the anger and grievances that had accumulated over the past few days completely subsided, giving way to feelings of heartache and tenderness towards the man. His heart softened and although he did not want to, he still had to wake him up, “Wangye, please wake up. You can sleep back at the manor.”

Xiao Zhige rubbed his cheek against his neck and mumbled faintly.

Qi Wei and the others suggested, “Why don’t we help carry the General back?”

An Chang Qing shook his head. He grabbed Xiao Zhige’s arm and wrapped it over his shoulder, speaking to him softly, “Don’t sleep here, let me take you back.”

Xiao Zhige seemed to sense his intention and hummed softly. He leaned in and let An Chang Qing guide him home.

Qi Wei watched from behind with envy. He mumbled, “When will I be able to find such a loving and good-looking partner? Why is the General so lucky?”

“I advise you not to go near the General’s place the next few days unless you want to court unwanted misfortune¹. Since the Beidi army has withdrawn, there are countless matters to attend to. Let’s deal with them and wait a few days before visiting the General,” Xie Ling warned as he recalled the sight of Wangfei turning his back in anger. For now, the General has just returned but who could tell how Wangfei would vent his anger after.

Qi Wei gave Xie Ling a puzzled look and asked Tie Hu, “Old Tie, what could Xie Ling possibly mean?”

Tie Hu scratched his head and replied, “How should I know?”

An Chang Qing supported Xiao Zhige the whole way back to the manor. People on the street had wanted to give him a hand but were all rejected by him.

Once they reached their room, An Chang Qing instructed Chen Su to prepare a hot bath while he undressed Xiao Zhige.

Where on earth did he go that caused his shiny armor to be smudged with blood and dirt, his shoes to be soaking wet, and his white inner gown to be soiled with black and yellow stains?

An Chang Qing carefully checked the injury on his left shoulder and found that the gash on his shoulder had reopened. It was covered with dried blood which had glued his garment onto his wound. When An Chang Qing was trying his gentlest to pull off his garment, he found that the cloth had assimilated with the man’s flesh, causing him to let out soft grunts in pain.

An Chang Qing dared not make any rash movements and could only use scissors to remove the rest of his inner gown. He then covered him with a blanket.

Xiao Zhige remained unconscious no matter what An Chang Qing did to him.

Seeing his battered body filled with untreated wounds, An Chang Qing untied his hair and laid him back in bed while he personally got up to get the doctor.

Not long after An Chang Qing left, Chen Su returned with the hot water. When he took it to the bedside, he felt a piercing gaze. In fear, he turned his head to find Xiao Zhige’s cold eyes staring at him.

“General,” Chen Su shrank back and greeted in a squeaky voice.

Xiao Zhige looked back at him unfeelingly without any other response. Chen Su’s scalp was turning numb by his stare. He quickly placed the water basin down and hurriedly fled. At the same time, An Chang Qing had just returned with Hu Shifei when he saw Chen Su rushing out as if he had seen a ghost.

“What happened?”

Chen Su replied, “The General is awake.”

An Chang Qing was delighted. He rushed and found that Xiao Zhige had indeed opened his eyes. He called out ‘Wangye’ but Xiao Zhige only looked at him for a few seconds before closing his eyes and breathing steadily again.

Hu Shifei, who had come to Yanzhou together with Tie Hu, had been helping out in the barracks since his arrival. Once he heard that Xiao Zhige had returned, he gathered his equipment and wanted to pay him a visit when he happened to bump into An Chang Qing who had come to look for him.

After giving Xiao Zhige a checkup, Hu Shifei explained, “He’s just suffering from exhaustion. But this wound had been left untreated for too long. We have to remove the fabric and treat it soon before it becomes infected and destroys his meridians.”

An Chang Qing was terribly frightened, “Please do it quick.”

Hu Shifei looked at Xiao Zhige’s grime covered body coughed lightly, “Once the wound is treated, it should not be disturbed. Why doesn’t Wangfei have someone clean up Wangye and change the bedding first. I will return to dress his wounds once that’s done.”

An Chang Qing agreed. He told Chen Su to accompany Hu Shifei to the yard while he stayed and helped Xiao Zhige wipe his body clean. An Chang Qing was meticulous and gentle in his every move to avoid the fresh injuries, making sure that Xiao Zhige was not hurting. After using two buckets of water, Xiao Zhige was finally cleaned and An Chang Qing could proceed with changing the bed sheets.

Maybe because An Chang Qing was by his side, this time around, Xiao Zhige did not wake up.

Hu Shifei was then invited in. He had prepared a bottle of wine and a small heated knife. He then soaked a piece of clean gauze with alcohol and placed it over the wound on Xiao Zhige’s left shoulder.

Xiao Zhige grunted as blue veins popped on his neck and forehead.

An Chang Qing was heartbroken when he saw this but Hu Shifei calmly instructed him, “Please hold him down and do not let him make any sudden movements.”

An Chang Qing removed his socks, got onto bed and used his whole body to restrain Xiao Zhige.

Hu Shifei began cleaning the wound with alcohol before slowly removing the rotten flesh with a pair of scissors.

As the dead flesh which had blended with the fabric were being dug out, bright red blood began spilling out from the fresh wound. Riddled with pain, Xiao Zhige’s body would occasionally twitch and he would let out a low groan. An Chang Qing was too grief-stricken to look, and could only hold him tightly with his eyes closed.

Fortunately, the procedure was done relatively quickly thanks to Hu Shifei’s swift and precise skills. He wiped off the blood stains and spread medicine over the wound before bandaging it with clean gauze. 

At this point, both An Chang Qing and Xiao Zhige were sweating profusely. An Chang Qing heaved a sigh and said softly, “Thank you Dr. Hu.”

Hu Shifei waved his hand, “Wangfei don’t have to thank me. Do not let Wangye do anything to agitate the wound. It’ll take time for it to heal. I will come to help change Wangye’s dressing everyday. Please let him have a good rest for today.”

After Hu Shifei left, An Chang Qing took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off of Xiao Zhige’s forehead.

Maybe because the pain had subsided, the frown on his face had lifted as he rested peacefully.

An Chang Qing took off his outer gown and sat beside the sleeping Xiao Zhige. He pinched his nose and said, “I’ll let you off for now. We’ll settle this later.”

Seeing no reaction from Xiao Zhige, An Chang Qing snorted and went on to cover him with the blanket. He hesitated briefly but still decided to slip into the blanket and slept in his arms.

The next day, An Chang Qing was woken up by the bright sunlight.

He rubbed his face against the warm chest before opening his eyes to find that Xiao Zhige was looking at him.

Xiao Zhige had his head lowered and his downcast eyes had been gazing at him for some time now.

An Chang Qing let go of his grip and rubbed his eyes, “What time is it?”

“It’s almost noon.” Xiao Zhige answered.

“That late? Why didn’t Wangye wake me? What about lunch?”

“I’m not hungry. I wanted to look at you a little longer.”

When he was trapped in Mnt. Er Gui with neither food nor a way out, all he could think of was An Chang Qing. What was An Chang Qing doing now back in Yanzhou?; Does An Chang Qing know that he was no longer in the city? If he did not return, would An Chang Qing be mad at him?

But he did promise him that he would return so no matter how hard it gets, he had to pull through. If he is not around, there will be no one to coax his Nuo Nuo when he’s unhappy.

An Chang Qing was starting to turn hot under his gaze. He ran out barefooted and called for food to be brought up.

Xiao Zhige’s eyes continued to be glued to his back, reluctant to let him leave.

Considering Xiao Zhige’s injuries, An Chang Qing had ordered the kitchen to prepare porridge and light side dishes that are easy to digest. The meal was served on a small table next to the bed. Xiao Zhige got up and wore his outer gown before sitting to eat with An Chang Qing.

After finishing the food, An Chang Qing let the servants clear the table and leave the room. He then picked up the comb and helped Xiao Zhige comb his hair.

Xiao Zhige, with his back against An Chang Qing, asked, “How were your days when I was away?”

An Chang Qing’s hands paused briefly. He continued to brush Xiao Zhige’s hair while answering wryly, “When Wangye was away, I ate and slept very well. What is there that could ruin my day?”

An Chang Qing said so but his tone was filled with grievances.

Xiao Zhige remembered seeing him last night – he had come down from the city wall in body armor. It was during a battle and standing on top of these walls was extremely dangerous. He shouldn’t have been there.

“What were you doing up on the city wall yesterday?” Xiao Zhige asked in a serious voice.

“I went to beat the war drum.” An Chang Qing retold Xiao Zhige everything, “The Beidi army announced that you were dead. I did not believe it and neither could I allow the soldiers and civilians to believe it.”

Xiao Zhige’s brows knit together and he scolded sternly, “How could you! What if something happened…”

An Chang Qing cut him off and said, “You risked your life to siege the Beidi Court, it is only right that I and the soldiers do what we can to wait for your return. As long as you come back, I will be fine.” 

Xiao Zhige was lost for words as he looked at An Chang Qing who looked back at him firmly with unspoken anger in his eyes.

Xiao Zhige could no longer say what he had intended to. He sighed and took him into his arms and apologized, “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have kept it from you.”

An Chang Qing sniffed and shamelessly buried his face into his chest, “You didn’t know how scared I was!”

All he could do was to blindly have faith in Xiao Zhige’s promise, the promise that he would return. He not only had to convince himself but also the soldiers and people of Yanzhou that Xiao Zhige would return. 

“I’m sorry…” Xiao Zhige kissed him lightly on his forehead and cheek. He hugged him tighter and said, “I promise, there will not be a next time.”

An Chang Qing looked up from his embrace with red eyes and nose and strictly stated, “If there’s a next time, you’re on your own!”

---

1↪The phrase used here is 池鱼之殃(chí yú zhī yāng): trouble for the fish in a moat, meaning to be struck with disaster not of one’s making

Chapter 50.2

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

On the battlefield outside Yanzhou’s city gate, Hu Yan Xun was fighting against the Yanzhou army when a messenger eagle swooped down to deliver the news of the King’s and Crown Prince’s death. A smile spread across his face. He was about to order a retreat and head back to the Beidi Imperial City when he saw Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi marching towards him.

Coming closer, Hu Yan Xun saw that there were civilians and women mixed in the group. He grimaced and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Xiao Zhige broke into the Palace and killed both our father and brother!” Hu Yan Ah Te replied, “But he has doomed himself by entering Mt.Er Gui. I have brought our whole family here and we will fight to conquer Yanzhou!”

Hu Yan Xun’s eyes brightened. He patted Hu Yan Ah Te and announced, “Xiao Zhige is dead! Take down Yanzhou to avenge the King!”

The Beidi soldiers shouted in unison as they raised Xiao Zhige’s black flag and marched forward.

Yanzhou soldiers guarding the city looked at each other in shock.

The lieutenants were also informed of the news from outside the city gates.

Qi Wei gritted his teeth and said, “That’s impossible! How could anything happen to the General!”

Xie Ling was pale with doubt, “But we failed to stop Hu Yan Ah Te.”

Back when Hu Yan Ah Te was leading his troops back to the Beidi Imperial City, Xie Ling had tried to intercept but did not make it in time. Their plan had been discovered earlier than expected, causing Hu Yan Ah Te to depart before they could overturn the situation.

If Xiao Zhige had fought with Hu Yan Ah Te’s troops, the odds were against them.

“Those bastards are just spouting nonsense!” Tie Hu pounded the table, “Can the General be defeated this easily? Even if he had died in their hands, do you think that they would only parade his flag and not his corpse?”

Tie Hu’s loud words effectively raised the mood in the war room. The lieutenants looked at each other and regained their faith, “That’s right! The General has never been defeated before! We cannot be the one to ruin our troops’ morale!”

After speaking, the group went on to lead their soldiers to defend the city.

…..

The words proclaiming Xiao Zhige’s death would certainly reach the people of Yanzhou. In the beginning, many had laughed it off as they had absolute confidence that Xiao Zhige was invincible.

But as time passed…

One day, two days, three days… ten days.

The Beidi army remained on the offensive and continued to gain momentum but Xiao Zhige still did not show up. Eventually, the news of Xiao Zhige’s flag being broken was leaked, shaking the citizens’ firm belief. Afraid, shops that usually stayed open throughout the day had their doors shut tight and no one left their houses unnecessarily.

Even the militia were affected to some extent. While Beidi’s troops were invigorated, Yanzhou’s battalion was starting to get worn-out. When it rains, it pours. At the same time, the army’s food supply was also diminishing fast. If this battle dragged on, Yanzhou would have to face the possibility of a food shortage again.

Qi Wei and the other lieutenants were equally anxious. Scouts were sent out without delay but Xiao Zhige with his army of 5000 were nowhere to be found.

An Chang Qing only found out about this news on the fifth day as Zhou He Lan had given strict orders to keep it from him. Because An Chang Qing had stayed in the manor this whole time, it was quite easy to do so. 

However, when his mood had finally lifted and he had wanted to go for a walk outside the manor, Chen Su had tried his best to stop him.

An Chang Qing was utterly puzzled at his adamant behavior so despite Chen Su’s opposition, he opened the gate and left. To his dismay, what greeted him was an empty street, scarce of people. It took a while before he managed to spot a woman passing by. She looked at him with sympathy in her eyes and tried to comfort him with words.

The sense of dread swept over An Chang Qing and he immediately headed for the military camp.

The soldiers guarding the war room saw his arrival and dared not obstruct him. Rushing in, An Chang Qing saw that Qi Wei was in the middle of admonishing two soldiers, “Give them thirty strokes each! See if you dare to disclose military information again!”

After giving out the punishment, Qi Wei looked over and saw An Chang Qing. His expression changed from being shocked to troubled. Just as he was figuring out what to say, he heard An Chang Qing’s calm voice, “What happened to Wangye?”

Qi Wei was at a loss for words and dared not answer . 

An Chang Qing pushed him aside and walked in, “Where’s Tie Hu? Tell him to come see me.”

Tie Hu and the other lieutenants saw him come in but none dared to speak. In the end, Tie Hu stepped up and said, “The Beidi soldiers hung up the General’s battle flag and claimed that he was dead. But Tie Hu refuses to believe it! Wangfei, you shouldn’t either!”

An Chang Qing pressed on and eventually understood the situation.

He bit his lips but remembering Xiao Zhige’s words promising that he would return, An Chang Qing calmed himself and said, “Unless I see his corpse, I refuse to believe it. Since Wangye said that he will come back then he will definitely come back!”

“You all have been with him longer than I had, you should be very clear that Wangye will not be defeated so easily!”

The lieutenants were all rattled. After many days hearing their enemies shouting out Xiao Zhige’s demise coupled with the lack of news, their confidence had begun to falter. However, An Chang Qing’s words just now had brought back the unwavering faith they had in the indomitable Northern Warlord.

“We must do all we can to defend Yanzhou and wait for Wangye’s return!”

Tie Hu slammed his fist and yelled, “That’s right! We have to defend Yanzhou with our lives! If Yanzhou is lost while the General is away, we will not be able to face him even in death!”

The rest of the lieutenants bowed to An Chang Qing and said with conviction, “We will defend Yanzhou to the death!”

An Chang Qing cusped his hands and responded, “I will accompany you and wait for Wangye’s victorious return.”

…..

Along the high wall of Yanzhou’s city gates, black flags were embroidered in gold with the word ‘ge’. Qi Wei, Tie Hu, and Xie Ling each stood in front of their platoons, ready to fight against the Beidi army.

An Chang Qing climbed up the city wall and faced the malefic Beidi army. He then took over the drumstick and pounded with all his might against the giant war drum. As the beat resonated on the battlefield, he shouted, “I am An Chang Qing, the Northern Warlord’s Wangfei! Soldiers of Yanzhou, listen up! Your General has left to siege the Beidi Imperial City! He has killed their king and crown prince and is on his way back to Yanzhou! Do not let the enemy trick you!”

“I will stay and defend Yanzhou with you until the General returns triumphant!”

The war drum continued to beat vigorously. The disheartened soldiers looked at Wangfei’s figure on the city wall and their fighting spirit was reignited!

“Fight for Yanzhou! The General will return to us!” Yanzhou’s soldiers shouted with might and vitality. 

The city gates opened and the two sides charged forth.

Thanks to An Chang Qing, the army’s morale had heightened. An Chang Qing had also decided to throw himself in the lot with the soldiers, willing to share the same fate with them. Disregarding the danger, he would climb the city every day to initiate the battle.

And so five days more had gone by. Qi Wei was fidgeting in the war room as he reported, “There are not enough grains. We have also borrowed all we can from Liangzhou and Chenzhou.”

Xie Ling said, “What about Suzhou? Can they at least lend us some manpower?”

“Shen Tu Xu is a coward. He dares not send troops without His Majesty’s approval.” Tie Hu replied. 

The report had been sent out but there was still no respond from Yejing.

An Chang Qing sat at the head seat and asked, “How much grains do we have left?”

Qi Wei replied, “Only 5000 buckets left.”

An Chang Qing contemplated and remembered something, “I once read about this method in a book. Thoroughly cook the grains in water then steam it twice before drying it in the sun. Doing so, we can get 2 buckets of dried food for one bucket of grains. It’s just that I’ve never been able to verify this.”

Qi Wei was delighted, “I’ll have someone test it out!”

The group followed him out and immediately called for a bucket of rice to be cooked according to An Chang Qing’s methods. Everyone waited in anticipation for half a day. When the grains went through the final stage of dehydration, it had indeed increased in volume. The one bucket initially used to hold the grains could now only store half the quantity.

Qi Wei was overjoyed, “Gather up and make more!”

An Chang Qing said, “Now that war is at our front door, why don’t we let the regular folks help with this?”

Everyone felt that this was reasonable. They sent out requests for volunteers and very soon, almost every citizen gathered around boiling pots that had been set up along the streets to assist with processing the grains into dried food.

This had temporarily provided enough food to sustain the army a little longer.

Qi Wei and the other lieutenants were relieved. Seeing An Chang Qing looking haggard, they tried to persuade him to get some rest back at the manor.

An Chang Qing shook his head, “As I’ve said before, I will accompany everyone till the end.”

That evening, the Beidi army launched another attack. An Chang Qing once again stood on the city wall to beat the war drum as the two armies crossed swords.

This battle dragged on for a long time. An Chang Qing was afflicted by the pain in his arms but he persisted.

Below the wall, someone suddenly yelled, “The General is back! The General is back!”

An Chang Qing was bewildered. He dropped the drumstick in his hand and rushed over to look down. A tall, familiar figure surrounded by soldiers was riding towards the city.

His eyes burned as he hurried back to beat the drum once more, “The General has returned! Yanzhou is saved!”

“Yanzhou is saved!”

The people echoed his words and took to the streets shouting happily.

Xiao Zhige instinctively cast his eyes upwards at the city wall. He then raised his spear and commanded, “Attack!”

The soldiers charged forth with bloodlust behind the black battle flag which fluttered vibrantly against the wind.

Hu Yan Xun saw Xiao Zhige’s sudden return and knew the battle was lost. He looked at the two brothers and sneered bitterly, “Didn’t you say that Xiao Zhige was dead?”

After speaking, he swung his hand and ordered for the soldiers to retreat.

Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi looked at each other with dismay. Seeing that Yanzhou’s soldiers were advancing on them, they could only pull back.

Xiao Zhige waited in front of the city gate for the Beidi army to gain some distance before entering the city gates with the soldiers.

After massive gates had closed behind him, Xiao Zhige got off his horse and walked a few steps when he saw An Chang Qing coming down the stairs.

An Chang Qing was wearing ill-fitting armor and on his face was a speck of blood from somewhere. He looked at Xiao Zhige with swollen eyes and pursed lips.

Xiao Zhige stepped forward to touch him but An Chang Qing dodged his hand and turned to leave.

“Nuo Nuo,” Xiao Zhige called out and grabbed his hand. His body wobbled forward and hugged An Chang Qing from behind. Resting his head on An Chang Qing’s shoulder, he said, “Let me hold you for a while.”

An Chang Qing’s fingers were clenched but his legs stood still.

Chapter 50.1

Edited and proofread by KitKat

The battle outside Yanzhou was fought for two consecutive days. Soldiers from either side refused to cede. Swords and spears crossed as blood spilled over the battlefield, dyeing the land scarlet. In the aftermath of the siege, the corpses that were left outside the city looked like they were floating on a red sea.

An Chang Qing sat on the roof of the manor, awaiting the coming dawn. 

Impending Xiao Zhige’s return, An Chang Qing couldn’t help but worry. Only under Zhou He Lan’s persuasion and his declining health was he willing to rest up back in his room.

The following day, An Chang Qing woke up to the sound of murderous calls from outside the city. The Beidi army had begun their second siege. That day, An Chang Qing stayed inside the manor and concentrated on crafting the piece of purple jade. This was the only thing he could do to keep himself from worrying. 

When the rough surface of the purple jade was polished, the inner luster of the gem revealed itself. An Chang Qing observed it in his palm and finally decided to craft it into a personal seal for Xiao Zhige.

The rugged jadite was slowly carved into shape but Xiao Zhige still had yet to return. An Chang Qing routinely stopped working in the evenings, heeding Xiao Zhige’s instruction to not overwork his eyes in the dark.

The denizens of Yanzhou seemed to go on with their daily lives but they were not null of the influence from the war outside the city gates. A heavy air hung over the city and the people couldn’t help but cast worried looks towards the city gate from time to time.

And so, the second day came and went. At midnight, there was a knock on the Generals’ Manor gates.

An Chang Qing got up immediately. He randomly grabbed at a piece of garment and hurriedly put it on as he rushed out. Getting close to the gate, An Chang Qing eagerly called out ‘Wangye’, thinking that Xiao Zhige had returned.

When the gates opened, Tie Hu’s towering body came into sight. He scratched his head and saluted, “Wangfei, Tie Hu has arrived with the remaining rations.”

An Chang Qing was disappointed. He looked down briefly before raising his head and smiled, “Thank you for the hard work.”

…..

The following morning, Qi Wei brought his men to check up on the newly delivered supplies. The grains they previously received from An Chang Qing were almost depleted and Tie Hu had arrived in the nick of time.

Qi Wei’s face was beaming, he patted Tie Hu’s shoulder and exclaimed, “My good brother!”

Tie Hu grabbed Qi Wei’s back collar and pulled him away, “Get to work. These supplies were all thanks to Wangfei’s efforts. I’m only obeying orders to deliver them!”

Qi Wei adjusted his collar and turned to An Chang Qing. He bowed and said, “I thank you on behalf of Yahzhou’s troops!”

An Chang Qing smiled and told him he did not have to be so formal. He then hesitated before asking, “Is Wangye at the barracks? Does he need anything? I can have it sent over.”

Qi Wei’s smile slightly froze and he quickly covered it up, “There is no shortage of anything. Wangye is currently on military duty and does not have time to return for the time being.”

An Chang Qing did not miss the small change in his expression. He continued to question, “Is that so? But when Wangye left, he told me that he will not be in the city for a few days.”

“The General even told you that?” Qi Wei was taken aback and quickly comforted An Chang Qing, “Big brother-in-law, please do not worry. The General will return safely.”

“So the General has really left Yanzhou?” An Chang Qing had deceived Qi Wei to get the truth. His heart sank as he remembered the words Xiao Zhige had said to him before he left- ‘I will definitely return’. Now that he thought about it, there wasn’t a need for such strong-willed words had it been a battle just surrounding Yanzhou.

Putting aside his uneasiness, An Chang Qing tried to ask in a calm voice, “What exactly did Wangye leave to do?”

Qi Wei was in shock that the gentle and good-natured Wangfei was able to dupe him with words. Qi Wei contemplated through plausible excuses but fearing that An Chang Qing might still be able to detect any trace of lies, he simply knelt and pleaded, “I am bound by military orders, please forgive me for I am unable to disclose it to Wangfei!”

An Chang Qing looked at him for a long time and finally gave in. He only asked, “Is it dangerous?”

“This…” Qi Wei hesitated, “There is danger involved but the General commandeers his troops like the God of War, he will claim victory!”

Qi Wei’s words of encouragement were now meaningless. An Chang Qing’s face remained pale as he feebly responded, “I understand.”

An Chang Qing returned to his room but he could no longer sleep with ease.

…..

On the fourth day, the weather had turned particularly scorching. After three days of fighting, momentum on both sides was dwindling. 

An eagle circling the sky descended into the Beidi’s camp.

Hu Yan Ah Te took the message attached to the eagle’s foot. His face changed drastically after reading the message, “The Imperial City is under attack. Xiao Zhige had led his troops to raid the Palace. Father has ordered for us to return with haste!”

Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi were both the King’s sons. The two looked at Hu Yan Xun anxiously and ordered, “Retreat! And prepare to return to the Palace!”

However, Hu Yan Xun’s eyes lit up at this moment, “Xiao Zhige is now absent. We can take this chance to seize Yanzhou. Once it’s been occupied, we can welcome our father and brother here, making Yanzhou the new Imperial City!”

“You don’t want to pull out?” Hu Yan Ah Te asked in shock.

Hu Yan Xun grit his teeth and said, “This is our best chance!”

Hu Yan Ah Te looked at Hu Yan Xun with cold eyes and said to Hu Yan Zhi, “Brother! Let’s go by ourselves!” 

Hu Yan Zhi complied and they both ordered for their soldiers to pull out and headed straight for the northern desert.

…..

“Reporting! Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi have led their troops into the northern desert!”

Xie Ling jumped up and said, “Send troops to stop them!”

The scout replied, “But Hu Yan Xun’s troops are still stationed outside the city!”

Qi Wei slammed his fists on the table, “Ignore Hu Yan Xun! We have to stop them! How many did they bring with them?”

“Around ten thousand soldiers.”

The Beidi army had 50,000 soldiers. Hu Yan Ah Te and Hu Yan Zhi took 10,000 with them; there still remained 40,000 soldiers right outside Yanzhou.

Xie Ling bit his teeth and demanded, “No matter what, we have to stop them!”

…..

Xiao Zhige had arrived at the Imperial City with 5000 elite soldiers at the fastest speed. 

The Beidi Imperial City was located in an oasis deep within the northern desert. However, due to the majority of the soldiers having been deployed to Yanzhou, the city’s defense had been drastically weakened. In less than two days, Xiao Zhige had managed to break through their first line of defense and was now charging towards the Palace.

In the Imperial Court, servants could be seen scuttering in all directions but the Emperor and Crown Prince were nowhere to be found.

The three warrior princes were all fighting in Yanzhou while the Emperor and Crown Prince looked over the Imperial Court and yet, they had disappeared once the Palace had been besieged.

Xiao Zhige continued to search for them and on the fifth day, he discovered a hidden passageway in the Emperor’s bedroom which led directly to the outside. He followed the path and eventually found the Emperor and his son in hiding.

They had fled in panic and only had over a dozen guards with them. The soldiers were able to subjugate them easily and proceeded to chop off their heads.

This battle had gone smoother than he had anticipated, instinctually giving rise to a sense of danger in Xiao Zhige’s heart. Signaling at the direction of the Royal Court, Xiao Zhige urged his men to prepare for the trip back to Yanzhou.

After riding away for ten miles, there was a slight tremor and a dust cloud was kicking up in front of them. 

The scout ran up and reported, “It’s the Beidi army! They’re catching up with soldiers at least two times that of ours!”

Xiao Zhige immediately knew that part of the Beidi troops in Yanzhou had split up. At present, they are too far from Yanzhou. Furthermore, their strength had been drained after the raid. They would not stand a chance against the incoming enemy. He quickly surveyed the surrounding terrain and noticed a twisting path along an ominous looking mountain range.

Xiao Zhige waved his hand and commanded, “Through there!”

When Hu Yan Ah Te managed to catch up, he found that the horseshoe prints were heading into the mountains. He stopped his soldiers and bursted out, “They have dared to enter Mt.Er Gui! Let it be known that they will never be able to come out alive!”

Hu Yan Ah Te sent out a scouting team to survey the area. Mt.Er Gui was a forbidden area in the northern desert. Even the locals most familiar with the land dared not enter. The terrain itself was a complex maze with trails laced with poisonous organisms and hidden quicksands. It is said that once you enter, there is no getting out alive.

After a while, the scouting team returned with two soldiers less. They carried a black battle flag with the word ‘Ge’ in gold – the flag representing Xiao Zhige’s troops.

“We did not find any sign of the enemy. They must’ve gone deeper into the mountains.”

Hu Yan Ah Te’s face lightened up, “Xiao Zhige will surely die! My father and brother will be avenged!”

“Soldiers! We will charge back to Yanzhou and make it our new Imperial City!” Hu Yan Ah Te proclaimed and the ten thousand soldiers immediately cheered. They carried the broken ‘Ge’ flag and marched for Yanzhou.

Chapter 49

Edited and proofread by KitKat

When Xiao Zhige and An Chang Qing returned to the General’s Manor, Zhou He Lan had managed to invite a craftsman back.

Yanzhou was not a prosperous land. Even the rich lived frugal lives. As such, there were only two jewelry stores and their products were mostly gold and silver with small pieces of jade inlaid for design.

After inquiring one by one, Zhou He Lan was able to find an old craftsman with decent skills to bring back.

The old craftsman took a long time to carefully study the emerald stones and concluded, “There’s no mistake, this is jade. But some are of a pure color and translucency while the rest are of poor qualities, these cannot be sold for much.”

He then separated the dozen or so stones into two piles; the larger pile was the inferior jade and the other consisted of clear and flawless Imperial-grade jade. But even so, the few pieces of precious stones could still be sold for lucrative sums in Yejing.

The business-minded Zhou He Lan who had always been calm was starting to get excited.

By the time An Chang Qing and Xiao Zhige came back, Zhou He Lan had arranged a place to rest for the old craftsman. Seeing them, he reported the findings. 

An Chang Qing fiddled with the jade pieces, feeling like a pie had suddenly dropped from the sky. He looked at Xiao Zhige with bright, sparkling eyes.

Xiao Zhige considered briefly and asked Zhou He Lan if he remembered the location of the mountain range with the jade mine so he could have Chang Zai Chang send troops to survey the land.

Zhou He Lan searched his memories and came up with a rough location. He drew a topographic map and described the shape of the mountain range. Xiao Zhige then personally wrote a letter and placed his private seal on it before having it sent to Liangzhou with speed.

Liangzhou was right next to Yanzhou and a round trip would take only three days. Xiao Zhige informed An Chang Qing, “We should receive a reply in three days.”

However, on the third day, there was still no reply from Chang Zai Chang. Even the messenger had not returned. A scout came to report that Hu Yan Xun’s army, which Xiao Zhige had previously driven back, had regrouped and was preparing for an attack.

Xiao Zhige gathered his lieutenants to discuss the countermeasures. At present, although the food crisis had been temporarily resolved, it would not last for long. In addition, the spring harvest was approaching. During this time, the soldiers were also responsible for assisting the farmers with plowing the fields in between battles. If this war was dragged out, the Beidi people could afford to feed their army through any means necessary but Yanzhou could not force its citizens to do the same.

“We have to make a quick decision,” Xiao Zhige said authoritatively.

“But Hu Yan Xun will not withdraw easily this time,” Qi Wei noted solemnly, “Our spies reported that the Beidi territories had suffered too heavily from the snow disaster. Their sheeps and cattle were killed by the cold and more recently, they lost their spring harvest due to crop infections. This all-out battle against Yanzhou was them fighting with their backs against the river.¹ If they cannot conquer Yanzhou, as the supreme commander, Hu Yan Xun will be condemned by the Beidi Court.”

Otherwise, Hu Yan Xun would not have continued to join the subsequent battles after his loss of an arm and the defeat at Hongya. Like a cornered beast, even in death, he had to at least take a bite of Yanzhou.

Xiao Zhige pondered extensively before placing his finger on the Beidi Court on the map. “For this decisive battle, Hu Yan Xun will deploy majority of the remaining troops, leaving the Imperial City loosely guarded. Why don’t we use this opportunity to pull the rug from under his feet and destroy our enemies at the root?”

The Beidi Imperial Court lied deep in the northern desert surrounded by labyrinthine terrains. A rash attack could result in an ambush and subsequent annihilation. However, with their main troops having been deployed, this was a golden opportunity to fell the Beidi Empire in one swoop.

“It’s too risky,” Xie Ling, who had always been cautious, disagreed, “To do this without Hu Yan Xun’s notice, we can only deploy a small platoon. But with such a small number, we don’t know if we can overpower the remaining Beidi soldiers. And if Hu Yan Xun discovers the ruse and leads his troops back, they will have to deal with enemies at both the front and rear.”

The other lieutenants nodded in agreement.

Xiao Zhige spoke up after a long silence, “I’ll personally lead the ambush team.”

Qi Wei immediately objected, “General, you can’t take this risk. If anything happens to you, Yanzhou will lose its morale.”

After all these years, it can be said that Xiao Zhige is Yanzhou’s indispensable pillar. As long as he was here, the soldiers and civilians were willing to grit their teeth and defend this land. He was like the sky over Yanzhou and if he fell, the city was lost.

This was simply too risky.

The other lieutenants were in agreement with Qi Wei, believing that Xiao Zhige shouldn’t be the one to go.

Xiao Zhige paced two steps and pointed to the Beidi Court, “They are in the midst of an internal strife and with the city empty of troops, we can easily wipe them out with an army of 5000.”

He thought briefly and continued, “Moreover, Hu Yan Xun had always been in disunity with the Beidi Emperor. Only punishment awaits should he return in defeat. But if the Emperor was killed, he can easily stage a takeover.”

The Supreme Commander Hu Yan Xun was the younger brother of the Beidi Emperor. As Hu Yan Xun was courageous and had achieved many meritorious exploits, he was well-liked by the people but hated by the Emperor. 

“With this maneuver, we could bring about the downfall of the Beidi people and years of peace for Yanzhou,” Xiao Zhige looked at the lieutenants determinedly, “Would you like to take this gamble?”

A long silence followed. 

Disrupting the Beidi monarchy and bringing peace to Yanzhou; to the lieutenants who had been stationed here for many years, this was undoubtedly a great temptation. 

After a long pause, Qi Wei was the first to speak, “A gamble it is! But the General can’t go! I’ll go! My life for the head of the Beidi King, it’s worth it!”

“Old Qi is too rash and not fit for a covert operation! Let me do it!” Xie Ling objected.

The rest of the lieutenants followed and volunteered themselves to lead the ambush.

Xiao Zhige raised his hand to quieten the room and said in a n indisputable tone, “I’ll lead. I’m the most familiar with the terrains of the northern desert.”

The lieutenants wanted to oppose but did not know how to back their words because all these years, the battles they had fought were along the edge of the northern desert. Only Xiao Zhige who had fought further north was most familiar with the layout.

Seeing that they had ceded, Xiao Zhige discussed his plan, “Hu Yan Xun will attack the city tonight. I will show up briefly on the battlefield then have Qi Wei take over while I leave with our men through Amugu Path. You only need to stall Hu Yan Xun for five days for me to take over the Beidi Imperial Court.”

The lieutenants looked at each other and finally declared, “We will not fail you!”

…..

After having arranged everything at the barracks, Xiao Zhige returned to the General’s Manor.

An Chang Qing was still awake in the bedroom. He was polishing a rare piece of dark purple jade. This piece was of the highest quality and An Chang Qing had taken a liking to it at first sight. He had borrowed some tools from the old craftsman to personally chisel the stone.

In his previous life, being idle in the mansion, he had picked up crafting jade as a hobby. However, as it was self-taught and he only had basic tools and materials on hand, he could only craft simple designs. Seeing the beautiful piece of unpolished jade, his hands were itching again. He borrowed the tools from the craftsman to personally craft the jade.

“Nuo Nuo even knows jade crafting?” Xiao Zhige was surprised but frowned when he saw the wound on his finger, “Why not have the craftsman do it?”

An Chang Qing vaguely replied that he had done some reading and said, “I want to do it myself.”

He actually wanted to make something for Xiao Zhige but at the moment, he still had nothing to show and did not want to let him know yet.

Hearing that An Chang Qing wanted to try, Xiao Zhige did not intend to spoil his interest and could only sigh. He then took out a jar of salve and applied it on An Chang Qing’s fingers, “Be careful with it next time.” 

An Chang Qing wrinkled his nose and moaned, “I know. I’ve only started today so I wasn’t careful.”

Xiao Zhige finished applying the medicine and began tidying up the tools, “Doing it at night is harmful to your eyes. In the future, work on it during the day.”

An Chang Qing obediently replied with an ‘oh’. Seeing that he did not argue, Xiao Zhige’s eyes relaxed.

The two took turns to bathe in the side room before snuggling into bed together. After returning from the barracks, Xiao Zhige’s mood had seemed a little gloomy. An Chang Qing was leaning against his chest when he saw the ‘川’ between his brows. He reached and smoothed out his forehead, “Why are you frowning?”

The ambush on the Beidi’s Court was a top secret mission, Xiao Zhige was not allowed to disclose it to anyone. Moreover, he also did not want An Chang Qing to worry and simply left out the details, “Hu Yan Xun will lead his troops to attack the city tonight.”

“You have to leave for the war again?” An Chang Qing sat up and looked at him with worries in his eyes.

“Um, I will lead my troops to fight them back.”

Having stayed in Yanzhou for the past few days, An Chang Qing was influenced by the people’s absolute trust in Xiao Zhige’s abilities. His concern was somewhat lifted, “I will wait here for your victorious return.”

Xiao Zhige held his hand and smiled, “Um, I will definitely return.”

An Chang Qing nodded thinking that this was going to be another regular battle, not noticing the conviction in his words.

…

Because Hu Yan Xun might be attacking the city this night, the pair did not get any sleep. The city was cloaked in darkness while troops were being deployed for the upcoming battle.

At roughly 1 in the morning, scouts reported that Hu Yan Xun’s troop was already ten miles from the city.

Xiao Zhige put on his armor and said goodbye to An Chang Qing.

An Chang Qing watched Xiao Zhige leave. He did not go back to sleep but asked for a ladder and climbed to the rooftop to look around.

Lights began to lit up one by one in the barracks as the war horn tore through the night. The civilians woke and illuminated their houses, filling the streets with light. Footsteps could be heard rushing from all directions in the General’s Manor. 

At the yin hour (寅时 3-5a.m), the preparations for the upcoming battle was completed. Hu Yan Xun’s army charged forth and the sound of fighting roared from outside the city.

An Chang Qing stretched his neck to look into the distance but all he could see were tiny heads reflected by the flickering lights.

…..

As the battle outside the city raged on, Xiao Zhige had stealthily led 5000 armored soldiers to Changri county, bypassing the front battlefield and deep into the hinterlands of the desert where the Beidi Imperial City lay.

---

1 背水一战 Fighting with one’s back against the river: Meaning being forced to fight and win or die.

Chapter 48

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

Li An Ming was deeply baffled by his words. He was speechless for a long time but when he finally straightened his thoughts, he couldn’t help but agree. At the moment, besides the Emperor, there was still the Crown Prince; not to mention the Third Prince and the Emperor’s beloved Shu Guifei. No matter who was thrown out of the game, it would still not be Xiao Zhige’s turn to take the throne.

The Da Ye Empire had been in decline for many years now and even if the First Emperor was reborned, he could not bring it back to its former glory with a court full of disharmonious and corrupt officials.

Li An Ming heaved a long sigh. He bowed low and said, “In the future… If Wangye ever needs my service, Li An Ming is at your disposal.”

Xiao Zhige nodded politely, “Minister Li, please take care.”

After Li An Ming left, Xiao Zhige stood by the window engrossed in thoughts.

When An Chang Qing arrived, he met with Li An Ming who saluted him respectfully before leaving. An Chang Qing was surprised but his attention was immediately shifted to Xiao Zhige standing by the window with his back facing the door. Sturdy and silent, a resemblance of the lonely emperor from his previous life.

An Chang Qing worriedly called out, “Wangye.”

Xiao Zhige turned back towards the source of the voice and upon seeing An Chang Qing, the gloom from before dissipated. His eyes softened as he took big strides forward as he questioned, “Why did you come here at this hour? How was your breakfast? I’ve changed the cook. His skills were said to be quite good.”

“I’ve eaten. There’s nothing to do back at the manor so I went out for a walk.” An Chang Qing replied, “Wangye was discussing matters with Minister Li just now?”

Xiao Zhige did not hide anything from An Chang Qing. He briefly explained his plans while walking him to the city’s high walls. 

An Chang Qing frowned after hearing his words, “So you knew from the beginning that His Majesty will not send any support? And that he will have Minister Li come to Yanzhou to investigate?”

Xiao Zhige responded with an ‘en’ and continued, “I sent the censor officer’s head back simply to scare the Crown Prince. As for the Taifu Temple’s secretary, with the treasury empty, His Majesty is sure to demand an investigation. Currently, there are only a handful of people that he can trust and seeing that Li An Ming was also the Imperial Censor, it was inevitable that His Majesty deployed him for this task.”

An Chang Qing followed his line of thought and deduced, “Minister Li dared not expose the two Princes so he will coordinate with your plan and report back to His Majesty accordingly. Even if His Majesty could overlook the involvement of the two Princes, he would still hold the Taifu Temple accountable. At that time, to mitigate this matter, Shu Guifei and the Third Prince will have to cough up the gold to pay for the grains. But for all this to play out, it’s going to take weeks. In the meantime, what will happen to the food shortage in Yanzhou?”

Xiao Zhige looked at An Chang Qing with appreciation, “It seems Nuo Nuo’s reading up on warfare wasn’t for naught. I’ve sent people to borrow grains from Chang Zai Chang of Liangzhou and Zhou Ji of Chenzhou.”

“Did they agree?”

“This is one instance of the slip between the lips and the cup,” Xiao Zhige sighed, “The Third Prince and Taifu Temple are more daring than I imagined. They not only embezzled from YanZhou’s granary but also from those of Liangzhou and Chenzhou as well. When Chang Zai Chang and Zhou Ji received my message, they were prepared to lend us a hand but found that their grains were also mixed with sand. Their reports should have reached Yejing by now.”

Xiao Zhige looked at An Chang Qing and smiled, “It’s thanks to Nuo Nuo that the food crisis in Yanzhou did not turn for the worse.”

“But… what if I wasn’t around?” An Chang Qing clenched his fists as he recalled the past.

In his last life, he did not do anything. Xiao Zhige underestimated the Third Prince’s avarice and Yanzhou had nowhere to turn to for grains, resulting in an arduous battle with heavy casualties.

Xiao Zhige stood on top of the walls and looked down at the numerous stone prisons outside the city. He said with conviction, “I will keep defending this city. Even if we have to eat the flesh and drink the blood of our enemies, as long as Yanzhou still stands, the people will remain safe.”

After speaking, he turned to look at An Chang Qing. Seeing the concern in his eyes, Xiao Zhige realized that what he just said had been too grim. He softened his tone and said gently, “That was just a worse case scenario. Hasn’t the situation been alleviated already?”

That’s right. Yanzhou’s situation had improved.

This time around, he was here.

An Chang Qing reached for Xiao Zhige’s hand. He looked at him and slowly considered the words he wanted to say: “In fact, after you sent the urgent request from Yanzhou, I had another dream.” 

Using another way to relay the secrets from his past, he said, “I dreamed that Yanzhou would face a very difficult time due to the food shortage. The civilians had given away all their food in order to sustain the army and many had then starved to death. The soldiers had fought for over a month and had barely pushed back the Beidi army. After this battle, Yanzhou suffered heavy casualties.”

Xiao Zhige frowned, “That’s why you thought of ways to send food over?”

An Chang Qing nodded and continued, “Afterwards, on the way to Yanzhou, I had another dream…

After the hard-earned victory in Yanzhou came the Empress Dowager’s birthday. To show his filial piety, His Majesty increased taxes and sanctioned forced labor, plunging the people into poverty. Starting with Suzhou, distressed civilians began to revolt. After that, uprisings spread across the country and soldiers were deployed to suppress them. For three years, the Da Ye Empire didn’t know any peace. It was only until His Majesty turned seriously ill that you were called back to Yejing.”

An Chang Qing did not know the minor details and could only tell him the major events that had happened, “The Crown Prince had lost his right to the throne and Shu Guifei’s party had come into power. However, when the Third Prince went on an expedition on behalf of His Majesty, he was assassinated by the rebel army. When His Majesty heard this news, his condition worsened and he died a few days later, leaving you to take over the throne…”

After he finished speaking, An Chang Qing looked at Xiao Zhige with unease.

Xiao Zhige’s expression had turned grim. He sighed and asked, “What happened after my enthronement?”

After hesitating briefly, An Chang Qing replied, “After you ascended the throne, you sentenced numerous courtiers to death and continued to wage war, fueling the people’s resentment. Later…later, the abolished Crown Prince joined hands with Zhu An Liang and Shi Le Zheng and besieged Yejing under the cause of ‘slaying the tyrant to return peace to the land’. They allied with the rebel forces and you… you lost the battle and died.”

Fearing that Xiao Zhige would not believe him, An Chang Qing stated with emphasis, “So far, everything that happened in my dreams have come true!”

Xiao Zhige shook his head and said, “It’s not that I don’t believe you but haven’t you noticed? In all these dreams, you were not there.”

An Chang Qing was taken aback. He was speechless as he stared at Xiao Zhige with widened eyes.

That’s right. In his previous life, he did not partake in any of this; that was why he was not there.

Xiao Zhige looked at him and said, “If I had not married you, I will probably end up like what you have dreamed. Defeating the princes and Shu Guifei and forcing father to pass the throne to me. However the situation now is quite different.”

His eyes were filled with tenderness as he said, “A family man has to be dependable and plan for the sake of his family.”

An Chang Qing’s mouth gaped due to the surprise. He asked with much confusion, “So you won’t fight for the throne?”

“I have to.” Xiao Zhige’s eyes sharpened and he spoke with adherence, “Whether it’s the Crown Prince or the Third Prince, whoever would take over the throne, none of them will let us live. To protect ourselves, we have to have a higher standing.”

“So what should we do?”

Xiao Zhige stroke An Chang Qing’s cheek and whispered in his ears, “His Majesty, along with this country, won’t be able to last much longer.”

An Chang Qing looked at him with wide opened eyes.

Xiao Zhige continued, “What your dreams foretell might come true but the circumstances are ever changing. Just like what happened in Yanzhou this time, didn’t you change the outcome? That’s why you don’t have to take what happened in the dreams too seriously.”

An Chang Qing’s brows eased up. He tilted his head and rested it on Xiao Zhige’s shoulder, mumbling, “Wangye wasn’t this good at comforting others before…”

Xiao Zhige adjusted his position and secured him in place, allowing An Chang Qing to sit more comfortably, “We all learn with time.”

An Chang Qing smiled. He thought of what Xiao Zhige had just said and asked, “If that’s the case… It won’t be long before we have to return to Yejing?”

“It might not be that soon.” Xiao Zhige said, “We have to solve the external problems before we can deal with the internal ones. The war in Yanzhou this time will last for another two to three months. The Beidi army has incurred heavy losses this time and Hu Yan Xun will not be able to answer the Beidi court if he retreats now.

“Then I have an idea,” Having cheered up after hearing that he did not have to return to Yejing soon, An Chang Qing went on to tell Xiao Zhige everything he had learned on the street.

“If Xi Wei jade is the same as those of Da Ye, we can purchase them at a low price from Liangzhou and sell them in Yejing at higher prices!”

Xiao Zhige rarely paid attention to these little things on the street. To think that An Chang Qing had made this discovery, having only arrived in Yanzhou for a short time. 

He contemplated and said, “If the craftsman concluded that they’re the same, I’ll write a letter to Chang Zai Chang in Liangzhou to get him to cooperate with you. We can have the jade transported back to Yejing and further south to sell for a high profit.”

Over the years, having suffered from both internal and external threats, the Da Ye Empire had stopped trading with the neighboring countries of Xi Wei and Yu Ze. However, since the three nations shared borders, their citizens were allowed to interact. If these emerald stones from Xi Wei were indeed jade, then finding a way to procure them cheaply from the Xi Wei Empire or even sending troops to occupy unclaimed jade mines along the border and then selling them to the southern states would prove to be a lucrative business.

Xiao Zhige already had a plan thought out. He looked at An Chang Qing tenderly, “I always felt that Nuo Nuo is like a blessing sent to me by the heavens.”

Ever since they got married, there had not been a time when he had felt any anger. In the half year that they were together, it was the happiest he had felt in twenty years.

“When did Wangye learn to make such flowery speeches?” An Chang Qing looked at him with amusement.

Xiao Zhige smiled at him helplessly, “It’s not some flowery speech. It’s words from my heart.”

An Chang Qing pursed his lips and tried to restrain his smile but his joy was still exposed through his phoenix eyes. Like a child being praised, he tilted his head and looked at Xiao Zhige, “Then I will continue to bless Wangye with good fortune.”

“En,” Xiao Zhige smiled with him as he led him down the city walls, “My future is all up to Nuo Nuo.”

Chapter 47

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

That evening, An Chang Qing finally had a good night’s sleep. For the past few days on the road he was constantly thinking about the situation in Yanzhou. On top of that, whenever he dreamt of his previous life, his mind would tense up, causing him to wake up in the middle of the night.

It was not until he met Xiao Zhige and was reassured that everything would be fine that An Chang Qing could finally rest his mind.

With his hands and feet warmed inside Xiao Zhige’s embrace, An Chang Qing listened to the powerful heartbeat that he was used to and fell into a deep slumber.

By the time he woke up the next morning, it was already the si¹ hour. The area next to him had already cooled. Xiao Zhige must have left some time ago. He did not know when but his hands and feet had been wrapped with warmers. No wonder he wasn’t woken up due to the cold.

After stretching his back, An Chang Qing went to get changed. He was capable of taking care of himself even without Anfu. He took a copper basin to fetch some water to wash up. Just as he opened the door, he saw a young soldier standing guard right outside. 

When the soldier saw An Chang Qing coming out with a basin, he hurriedly said, “Please allow me. According to the General’s specific orders all the toiletries have already been prepared in the side room.”

The young soldier began to fear that he could not complete his assigned tasks and said nervously, “The General said that before the manor can find suitable servants, it will be my duty to serve Wangfei!”

Seeing that the soldier was still fairly young but trying desperately to repeat Xiao Zhige’s straight-faced instructions to the T, An Chang Qing couldn’t help but chuckle. He began walking towards the rear room while chatting with him, “What’s your name? Are you even old enough to join the army? Have you been to the battlefield?”

“My name is Chen Su. I’m already fourteen this year.” The little soldier blushed seeing An Chang Qing’s friendly expression and continued proudly, “I’ve fought in a battle before and managed to kill two Beidi soldiers!” 

An Chang Qing was slightly perplexed. Chen Su looked small and his face was rounded with fleshy cheeks. Clearly he was still a developing child but An Chang Qing did not expect him capable of killing enemies on the battlefield. On the contrary, children his age in Yejing would be studying in school instead.

However, thinking back to what Xiao Zhige had told him, since the people of Yanzhou were under constant threat of a Beidi invasion, it was imminent that he was able to defend himself.

Seeing the child’s boastful spirit, An Chang Qing praised, “Is that so? That’s pretty awesome.”

Chen Su was slightly embarrassed when he was praised. He scratched his head and said, “But when the General saw me, he said that I was too young. I have to wait till I’m older to go on the battlefield. Hence, I was transferred to guard the General’s manor.”

An Chang Qing remembered how he had thought that the soldiers guarding the manor all seemed a little too young. Apparently, Xiao Zhige had specially transferred them to this post. His eyes bent as he discovered another one of Xiao Zhige’s good qualities.

After cleaning up, Chen Su served An Chang Qing a bowl of porridge together with a few side dishes. Although it still looked simple, the taste was a lot more refined. It seemed like it had been cooked by another chef.

An Chang Qing’s heart was sweetened to the core. He finished all the porridge and side dishes before asking for Xiao Zhige’s whereabouts.

Chen Su answered with uncertainty, “Usually at this time, the General will probably be at the barracks.”

An Chang Qing contemplated and felt that Xiao Zhige would be busy and decided to visit him after. He went to look for Zhou He Lan before heading out.

His trip to Yanzhou was decided in haste with him leaving Anfu behind in Yejing. Anfu would travel with Tie Hu after, while he and Zhou He Lan had departed for Yanzhou prior.

The two left the General’s manor without bringing along any guards. Walking on the main road, Zhou He Lan noted that Yanzhou was very different from Yejing but similar to the Xi Wei Empire.

The people on the streets had mostly seen An Chang Qing the day before. Those who recognized him greeted him warmly and An Chang Qing reciprocated with a kind smile.

Along the way, An Chang Qing found that many shops were selling items at incredibly low prices. This included jewelries, various kinds of ointment, etc. 

An Chang Qing randomly picked up an emerald green stone with an irregular shape and a lustrous shine. He asked for the price and found that it was only thirty wen². 

“That cheap?” An Chang Qing asked in surprise. Although he did not know much about jade, he could tell that the quality of this stone was no worse than the jade pieces sold in Yejing’s jewelry stores. 

“There’s a large supply of these so it’s not worth much.” The peddler continued, “The merchants brought these back from the Xi Wei Empire. They do look beautiful but being this plentiful, the price can’t go any higher.”

“The Xi Wei Empire?”

“A lot of merchants would take goods from Liangzhou and do business along the border. After they had sold everything, they would do some trading with the Xi Wei Empire and bring their goods back.”

“This does look like Xi Wei jade.” Zhou He Lan studied the stones and said, “I’ve seen them before.”

Seeing that An Chang Qing looking puzzled, Zhou He Lan explained, “When I came to Yejing with my mother, we took the route from Liangzhou. There is an abundance of these stones in the mountains along the junction between Xi Wei and Liangzhou. Since they are easily accessible, they aren’t valuable. Only the poorer folks would gather them from the mountains and after a simple polishing, would turn them into beautiful jewelry.”

“Are Xi Wei jade any different from Yejing jade?” An Chang Qing asked.

Zhou He Lan considered and shook his head, “I do not understand jade but looking at it, I do not see a big difference.”

An Chang Qing thought it over and decided to buy all of the store’s stones. He then told Zhou He Lan to bring them back to the General’s manor and seek out a craftsman proficient in jade. Zhou He Lan immediately understood An Chang Qing’s objective and left with the stones in high spirits. 

An Chang Qing continued to tour the city until much later. When he thought that Xiao Zhige should already be free, he headed for the barracks.

…..

At the military camp, Xiao Zhige sent everyone out before handing Li An Ming the written testimonies of the censor officer and those involved.

Li An Ming was known for his impartiality and righteousness. Emperor An Qing’s decision in appointing Li An Ming to investigate this case was within Xiao Zhige’s speculation. He had long assembled all the evidence and had only been waiting for Li An Ming to take the bait.

As expected, after reading the stack of evidence in his hands, Li An Ming’s expression  gradually turned morbid. 

“This…”

Xiao Zhige gave Li An Ming a dejected look and said, “The censor officer is the Crown Prince’s man. He acted under His Royal Highness’ command to burn the grains. But the grains with pebbles mixed in from Taifu Temple was the work of someone else. The newly wedded bride of the Taifu Temple secretary hails from Shu Guifei’s family.”

“The Third Prince conspired with the secretary of Taifu Temple while the Crown Prince used His Majesty to place the censor officer into my camp. It’s reasonable to say that they both wanted me to fail, wouldn’t Minister Li agree?”

Li An Ming turned pale, “Wangye wanted to speak to me in private not because you intended to expose the two Princes…”

If Xiao Zhige had wanted to expose the two Princes, he wouldn’t have killed everyone involved. Furthermore, he could’ve simply sent the evidence straight to Yejing instead of waiting for him in Yanzhou.

Xiao Zhige scoffed and turned his back to Li An Ming, “What would I gain from exposing the two Princes?”

Li An Ming thought thoroughly and said, “If the Third Prince and Crown Prince were to fall… amongst His Majesty’s sons, there’ll only be Wangye left. It’s a fine opportunity for Wangye to fight for the throne.”

“If Minister Li can think of this, so can my father and the rest of the court.” Xiao Zhige looked into the distance and continued, “After I expose their crimes, who do you think His Majesty will side with, the two sons that he favors or me?”

Based on Li An Ming’s understanding of Emperor An Qing, he knew that the Emperor would choose to cover for the Third and Crown Prince. One was the eldest son supported by the Empress and Empress Dowager, and the other, his beloved youngest son. Even if they made a mistake, in Emperor An Qing’s eyes, everything could be forgiven.

Moreover, this matter involved the ill-favored Northern Warlord. If this matter was brought to light, the bigger possibility was Emperor An Qing thinking that Xiao Zhige had fabricated the evidence to frame his brothers in order to claim the throne.

And if Li An Ming were to return with the evidence and pursue the case, he would be suspected of siding with Xiao Zhige and ultimately be persecuted by the other two Princes.

Li An Ming thought of the head that was urgently sent back to Yejing and realized that Xiao Zhige had surmised this from the beginning. After this realization, he felt another layer of fear towards Xiao Zhige. Everyone said that the Northern Warlord could read the battlefield like an open book but what they did not know was that he could do the same towards the person sitting on the dragon throne.

Li An Ming looked up at Xiao Zhige’s dignified posture by the window with his hand behind his back. He thought of the portrait of the First Emperor and could vaguely sense his legacy in Xiao Zhige.

“I understand Wangye’s intentions.” Li An Ming bowed, “I know what I should report to His Majesty.”

He straightened his back and added, “This is also to repay Wangye for the letter from before.”

Back then, to bring down Marquis Wu, Xiao Zhige had suggested that An Chang Qing anonymously send Li An Ming a secret letter detailing the crimes committed by the Wu Manor. With Li An Ming’s help, the Wu Manor had been destroyed in one fell swoop, leaving Wu Juan Shu no room to turn around and Li An Ming had also had the chance to avenge his daughter.

Li An Ming had always remembered this debt. He tried to figure out who the sender was but could never be sure. Now he was ascertained that it had indeed been Xiao Zhige.

Xiao Zhige did not deny it either. He said, “I’ll have to trouble Minister Li then.”

Li An Ming cupped his hands and smiled. He turned to leave but before exiting, he couldn’t help but inquire, “In a time where the country is deteriorating and monarchs and leaders do not have the people at heart, has Wangye ever thought… of taking over the throne?”

Li An Ming had always been a neutral party. Whether it was the offer from the Crown Prince or Shu Guifei, he remained loyal only to the Emperor. An ideal he hoped would benefit the people of Da Ye. 

A leader should think of his people and in turn, the people should be mindful for their leader.³

But the reality was that the court was filled with crafty and calculating officials stepping on each others’ tails whenever they could. Even as the Imperial Censor himself, he still had to tread carefully everyday to figure out his king’s and colleagues’ intentions.

Emperor An Qing was muddle-headed and prodigal; The Crown Prince was only obsessed with power and disregarded the people; The Third Prince’s immaturity had caused him to be a puppet under Shu Guifei’s control.

This land that the First Emperor had fought for had once been an impenetrable iron wall. Now, it was a barren bucket with leaking holes. 

Only the infamous Northern Warlord left behind in the shadows had been doing his part to protect the people.

Li An Ming couldn’t hold back his thoughts and had to ask. Unexpectedly, his treasonable words did not garner any reaction from Xiao Zhige.

He simply glanced at Li An Ming and said lightly, “Since the country is falling apart, instead of taking over, why not let it rise again from the ashes?”

---

¹ ↪ 巳时 9-11 a.m.

² ↪ copper coins³ ↪ 居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君. From the heights of his temple, one should consider the worries of his people, the people of jiang hu should be mindful of their leaders. Meaning as an official, one should think of the welfare of the common people and in return, the people will do their part to help the country.

Chapter 46

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

After bandaging his wound and putting on his garb, Xiao Zhige looked completely fine, as though he was void of injuries. If An Chang Qing had not seen the long gash with his own eyes, he would not have noticed that the man was carrying an injury.

An Chang Qing looked at him with distress and anger, “You’re a General, why do you still have to go to the battlefield when you’re this badly hurt?”

Xiao Zhige rubbed his head and smiled, “On the battlefield, swords and spears are blind. Who doesn’t carry an injury or two on them? As long as your arms and legs are still intact, it is not a fatal injury.”

Seeing that he was still worried, Xiao Zhige added, “You should’ve seen the Supreme Commander of the Beidi army. I’ve torn off his arm but to boost morale, he has continued to lead his troops into battle. I went head to head with him a few days ago, it’s a pity I couldn’t bring back his head. Otherwise, there would’ve been more ‘lanterns’ at the front gate.”

An Chang Qing was taken aback, “Lanterns?”

Xiao Zhige was worried of scaring An Chang Qing and rephrased his words carefully, “The Beidi army have committed many heinous crimes over the years. The soldiers together with the civilians of Yanzhou have a life-and-death grudge against them.” 

Over the years, there had been over a hundred heads hung outside the city gates. Whenever a battle culminated, the heads would be sent to a stone hut outside the city with the captured Beidi soldiers to intimidate the enemy forces. Accumulated over the years, there were now a countless number of such places spread across the battlefield.

An Chang Qing was astounded upon hearing this. He had never left Yejing in his previous life and whatever he had heard of the war were all word of mouth. Now that he had heard Xiao Zhige speak about it with such indifference, he came to realize that what he knew was only scratching the surface of the cruelties of war.

Between these two armies, neither will rest till the other has been eliminated.

To intimidate a ruthless opponent, one has to be willing to outdo their ruthlessness. An Chang Qing thought of the things he had heard in his previous life. Numerous scholars had criticized Xiao Zhige for his bloodthirst in killing the Beidi captives but had they lived in Yanzhou even if it was only for a short time, they would have come to hate them as well.

“What about when we fall into the hands of the Beidi people?”

“The Beidi people have much more cold-blooded means than us.” Xiao Zhige fiddled with An Chang Qing’s hand and said, “Any captives would be branded and kept together with the livestock. The men will be forced into hard labor while the women are left for the soldiers to enjoy at will. And if there is a shortage of food, they will be slaughtered…”

Xiao Zhige sighed and looked at An Chang Qing, “This is why I did not want you to come to Yanzhou.”

Yanzhou’s border had always been a warzone. It was afflicted with sandstorms in spring and summer and bitter weather in fall and winter. There were no peaceful days. Everyone was constantly on alert because a battle could break out at any time. Everything in this place was not what Xiao Zhige wanted An Chang Qing to experience.

However, An Chang Qing only smiled and shook his head, “I’m not afraid.”

“I might not be used to it in the beginning but I can adapt.” An Chang Qing raised his head and said, “I’m not some pampered young master.”

A surge of tenderness filled Xiao Zhige’ eyes. He felt An Chang Qing’s hand that seemed to be skinnier and said, “But I don’t want you to have to face any hardships.”

Xiao Zhige’s words were sincere and serious while his tone was soft as snow. An Chang Qing met his gaze but had to look away shyly, mumbling to himself: why does it seem like after being apart for a month, this person had suddenly learned how to sweet talk?

An Chang Qing’s ears turned slightly red. He cleared his throat and said, “It’s fine, I don’t feel the hardship.”

He then looked at Xiao Zhige and grumbled, “Now I know the truths behind the rumors in Yejing. How dare those people spin such tales without having a toothache!”

Xiao Zhige smiled, “There’s no need to get upset over someone else’s opinions. Now, let’s go get something to eat.”

Since he had turned down eating with his subordinates, Xiao Zhige called a chef to the General’s Manor to make porridge and some side dishes for An Chang Qing. 

The cook worked for the military kitchen and was used to cooking in large quantities. His skill in making small dishes was average. Fortunately, the dishes were simple and since An Chang Qing and Xiao Zhige had been chatting up till now, they were both beginning to feel hungry. 

An Chang Qing filled his stomach with a whole bowl of porridge, leaving the side dishes for Xiao Zhige to finish.

After they had their dinner, the sky was still bright. Thinking that the air was still warm, Xiao Zhige decided to let An Chang Qing do some shopping from the streets.

The street was still crowded and there were long queues of people waiting with sacks in their hands.

“What are they doing?”

“Queuing for rice.” Xiao Zhige explained, “During the food shortage, the people had donated all the rice and meat in their house to feed the soldiers. It was not easy taking food from civilians but we were at our wit’s end. So we registered every household that had donated and promised to return the grains once the rations arrived.”

Although food was still scarce, they could not continue to let the people starve. Therefore, a portion of the newly delivered grains had been allocated to the civilians.

An Chang Qing was impressed by the smiling faces of the Yanzhou people, “The people here don’t seem to be affected by the war.”

“En, they’re used to it. As long as the gates still stand, they can live on.”

The people of Yanzhou are like the grass that grew there, tough and resilient. As long as the roots are still there, it will continue to strive.

Although he had only been here for less than a day, An Chang Qing had already grown fond of the place.

An Chang Qing strolled along the streets and found that there were not only people queuing for rice but also vendors with goods that he had never seen before.

Xiao Zhige led him to a stall with clam shells on display.

“Do you have more?”

“Yes.” The stall owner looked at An Chang Qing curiously before taking out a bag of goods from under the table. He placed the items neatly and said courteously, “These jars contain the highest quality lamb oil. Wangfei, feel free to pick any of them.”

“You know me?” An Chang Qing was surprised. This was the first time he had left the General’s Manor, how did the peddler know that he was the Wangfei?

The peddler smiled and said, “Everyone already knows. It was Lieutenant Qi who spread the word. He told us that Wangfei had personally delivered the grains to us and that Wangfei is very good-looking. So I knew that the person who could stand next to the General and be as handsome as yourself could only be Wangfei.”

After all, in the many years that Xiao Zhige had been in Yanzhou, he had earned the admiration of countless misses and bachelorettes. Although he had always had a grim look on his face, there were still many who were daring enough to pursue him. However, none were successful.

All these years, no one had seen the General browse the streets and yet, the moment that Wangfei had arrived, he was seen strolling with someone by his side. Who else could it be if not his Wangfei?

An Chang Qing pursed his lips and squinted at Xiao Zhige. He then turned back to the porcelain jars and asked curiously, “What is lamb oil used for?”

The young peddler began to promote enthusiastically. It turns out that not only was Yanzhou surrounded by sand and powerful winds, it also had very low humidity. Especially in winter when the air was particularly dry, it could easily damage the skin. This was why in every household, they would store a special kind of lamb oil to protect the skin. Ordinary people would use low-grade oil stored in shells and only the rich would use top-grade oils stored in porcelain jars.

“You’re from Yejing and must not be used to this climate. You should apply this everyday to protect your skin.”

An Chang Qing had to agree that the air in Yanzhou was indeed dry. He picked up a jar and asked the peddler for the price.

The peddler immediately waved his hands and said, “Wangfei had sent us food from thousands of miles away, this is a great benevolence to us. This lamb oil is not worth much, please take it if you like.”

An Chang Qing naturally could not accept the handout. From what he could tell, the people of Yanzhou were not doing well themselves. In the end, he still insisted on paying.

After buying the lamb oil, An Chang Qing went on to purchase little trinkets from other stores. Xiao Zhige did not let him carry the items and instead, carried them for him. For someone who did not know who Xiao Zhige was, he would’ve thought that he was An Chang Qing’s servant.

The people looked at them with good-intentioned curiosity as they have never seen their General act that way.

Even the ladies who had previously called him a male vixen for robbing them of Xiao Zhige were now singing his praises. After they knew that Wangfei had provided Yanzhou with food, all they could see was a handsome young gongzi who was very pleasing to the eyes. Some even blushed and claimed that if they were Xiao Zhige, they would’ve picked Wangfei as well.

…..

After shopping, the couple returned to the General’s Manor under the curious stares of bystanders. 

At the door, Xiao Zhige suddenly stopped and spoke coldly, “Get lost!”

An Chang Qing was starting to ponder when he saw a few figures coming out from behind the wall. One of them An Chang Qing was familiar with – it was Lieutenant General Qi whom he had spoken to. The other three were towering men of muscular build. They were probably the other lieutenants under Xiao Zhige’s command.

Seeing the four of them looking at him cordially, An Chang Qing hesitated before smiling back at them awkwardly.

As though his smile was the signal, the four men immediately sprang forward with Qi Wei leading the way. They stood in line and saluted with big smiles, “Greetings to Wangfei!”

After the salutation, Qi Wei corrected, “Wangfei sounds too unfamiliar! It should be ‘big brother-in-law’!”

With that, the group saluted An Chang Qing once again, “Greetings to big brother-in-law!”

Xiao Zhige stood at one side with a charred black face, “What are you lot doing here? Leaving your post without permission! Go back and give yourselves thirty paddles each.”

Qi Wei shrunk back and pleaded for mercy, “Please don’t. We were only worried that our big brother-in-law was not accustomed to Yanzhou so we came especially to deliver these.” Qi Wei frantically gestured for the soldiers to bring up an ox cart piled with loads of items. An Chang Qing could even see a six-legged ornamental heater.

Xiao Zhige’s face eased up considerably. He waved with impatience and said, “We’ll take the items. You can leave now.”

Qi Wei dared not taunt the tiger any longer. He pulled back his neck and said, “If brother-in-law needs anything else, you can always tell us!”

Before An Chang Qing could respond, Xiao Zhige took up the whip from the carriage and hurled towards them. The band howled and quickly scurried away.

“They’ve brought so many things for us, shouldn’t we at least keep them for tea?” An Chang Qing looked at the cart full of things and felt a little guilty. Although it was nothing expensive, they were all practical items.

Xiao Zhige still had a gloomy expression on his face, “They just wanted an excuse to skip work. You can ignore them.”

In addition to the newly delivered grains, they had also managed to push back Hu Yan Xun’s army. This was why those lieutenants were beginning to feel relaxed and began looking for trouble. Xiao Zhige told himself that he should probably increase their workload. 

Hiding his intentions from An Chang Qing, he spoke to him without a change in expression, “Let’s have someone move these inside. We’ll keep whatever that is usable.”

An Chang Qing responded with an ‘en’ and followed him in.

…..

After they had arranged the items, it was time to rest.

Since An Chang Qing had bathed in the morning, he only took a quick wash. 

Xiao Zhige had just changed his bandage and was sitting on the bed, fiddling with the porcelain jar of lamb oil.

When he saw An Chang Qing coming out from the bathroom, he patted on the space next to him and said, “Come here.”

An Chang Qing climbed onto the bed and squeezed into the blanket. Although spring had come, the cold was still quite intense at night. He rubbed his hands while his feet were wrapped around Xiao Zhige’s leg, trying to take in the warmth. 

Xiao Zhige squeezed his hand and observed it under the candle light, “It’d gotten coarse.”

He then opened the porcelain jar, scraped out a portion of lamb oil, and rubbed it on An Chang Qing’s hand. He carefully massaged from each finger to his palm. When the lamb oil had melted and soothed An Chang Qing’s skin, his frown finally loosened.

An Chang Qing used the hand that had been applied with the lamb oil to caress Xiao Zhige’s face. He smiled and said, “Why are you only doing it for me? Why don’t you use it on yourself?”

“I’m used to the dryness. There’s no need.”

As he spoke, he pulled An Chang Qing’s feet out from under the quilt. The skin on it was whiter than his hands. The toes were round and tender but patches of dry skin were beginning to form at the soles. If left unattended, it would eventually chap. 

Xiao Zhige dug a large chunk of lamb oil and started massaging his feet, “Let’s buy a few more jars of lamb oil next time.”

An Chang Qing ‘hm’ softly. He wiggled his toes and said, “Will Wangye apply it for me every day?”

An Chang Qing was only teasing him but unexpectedly, Xiao Zhige responded without hesitation, “En, I will continue to apply it for you everyday.”

Chapter 45

Edited and Proofread by KitKat

Qi Wei brought along a few soldiers to welcome An Chang Qing’s group into the city.

The travel-worn An Chang Qing was then invited to rest at the General’s Manor together with the Imperial Supervisor.

The General’s Manor was void of habitants. There were no servants and hence, the soldier who had led them in had to take over and served tea to the guests.

An Chang Qing thought that he could meet Xiao Zhige once he reached Yanzhou but the person was nowhere to be found. He asked the attending soldier, “Is Wangye not in the city?”

The soldier replied, “The General has left the city!”

An Chang Qing grimaced and asked, “When will he return?”

“I do not know.”

Seeing that he could not get any other information from the soldier, An Chang Qing decided to wait till he met the vice lieutenant for further enquiries. 

An Chang Qing and the Imperial Supervisor finished their tea, only then did Qi Wei come in.

Due to what happened to the previous batch of grains, Qi Wei had personally gone to check on the newly delivered batch. When he found that there were only 20,000 buckets, he was slightly riled.

They had requested 100,000 buckets but only 20,000 were delivered. Just how long could 20,000 buckets sustain an army?

The previous excitement turned into indignation. Qi Wei saw the disappointment in his subordinates and flung his hand, “Let me ask what’s going on!”

Facing the two head figures, Qi Wei knew to show his respect. He bowed and lowered his voice to ask, “Two sirs, if the grain count is correct, 20,000 buckets is far from enough to support the entire army through the war.”

The Imperial Supervisor looked briefly at An Chang Qing before answering sternly, “This is a donation from Wangfei. Your request had reached His Majesty. His Majesty had decreed that an investigation be carried out on the arson case and if confirmed to be legitimate, the court will make up for the lacking quantity.”

Qi Wei had not registered which Wangfei he was referring to when he heard that the arson was to be investigated. In a moment, his anger flared up, “The evidence is clear as day, what is there to investigate?! By the time you’re done with the investigation and the grains are delivered, the soldiers of Yanzhou will have long starved to death!”

“Qi Wei!” A majestic male voice came from behind. 

Xiao Zhige heard about the arrival of the provisions the moment he returned. Without even taking off his armor, he immediately went to the General’s Manor. When he arrived and heard Qi Wei’s exchange with the Imperial Supervisor, Li An Ming, Xiao Zhige hurriedly blocked his words. 

He handed his spear to the soldier at the door and strode in. 

“Minister Li, investigate if you must, but this…”

Xiao Zhige’s words were stuck in his throat the moment he saw the person sitting next to Li An Ming. 

It took him a while to find his voice to ask, “Why are you here?”

An Chang Qing had been staring at the door ever since he heard his voice. Because there were people around, he had to suppress his excitement and keep himself from standing up.

The other person had lost a lot of weight and looked much rougher than before. Maybe because he had just returned from the battlefield, his armor was still stained with dried blood. Coming closer, one could even smell the scent of blood.

This was the first time that An Chang Qing had seen Xiao Zhige with this rugged appearance. However, his eyes were still sharp and dignified. This is the General guarding over the Da Ye Empire –  his General.

An Chang Qing slowly blinked. Speaking with a dry throat, his voice was cracking, “I heard that Yanzhou is in need of food so I came to send it to you. There are 40,000 buckets but 20,000 will come a little slower. Tie Hu is currently escorting them here.”

Xiao Zhige immediately understood what he meant. Regarding Emperor An Qing’s response, Xiao Zhige had long predicted the backlash, otherwise, he would not have sent his men to Liangzhou and Chenzhou to borrow grains. What he did not expect was that his Wangfei, who was supposed to wait for his return in the safety of the Wang Manor, had amassed the grains and personally delivered it to him all the way to Yanzhou. 

He carefully studied An Chang Qing and found that the bones on his face were a lot more visible. The dark round eyes also had dark circles under them. This must be due to the tedious trip delivering the grains to him. 

After his throat rolled several times, Xiao Zhige finally found his voice, “M, Minister Li, please have a rest first. Regarding the arson and the food supply, we will discuss it tomorrow.”

Qi Wei was not appeased, “But the rations…”

“The rations are here. Let everyone have a good meal first,” Xiao Zhige commanded with impatience and annoyance, “Qi Wei, have someone lead Minister Li to his room.”

Qi Wei eyed his Commander who seemed quite off ever since he entered the room. However, he did not dare to misbehave and obediently invited Minister Li out. Li An Ming knew that the couple had much to say to each other and did not fancy himself to be an eyesore. He saluted and left with Qi Wei.

Seeing that no one was around, Xiao Zhige stepped forward and reached out to touch him. But when he saw the bloody marks on his hand, he realized that he had just come from the battlefield. He took back his hand with forbearance and could only look at An Chang Qing with tender eyes, “It’s been hard on you.”

“En.” An Chang Qing initially did not feel the hardship before but when he heard his words, he shriveled his lips in grievance.

On the water, when he couldn’t eat and sleep due to seasickness, he did not feel aggrieved; on land when the carriage traversed on the arduous road causing his bones to almost break whenever there was a bump on the road, he did not feel aggrieved…

But once he saw the person who had constantly occupied his thoughts for the past few days, his feelings simply took over. He pouted and threw himself into Xiao Zhige’ arms. His voice cracked as he complained, “It’s all your fault for not letting me come with you. I couldn’t sleep not knowing whether the news you sent back was true or not…”

Xiao Zhige hugged him tightly and rubbed his chin against his hair. He spoke in a hoarse voice, “En, it’s my fault. From now on, I won’t let you leave my side.” 

An Chang Qing sniffed and was about to wipe his tears on his Xiao Zhige’s sleeves when he was overwhelmed by the pungent smell of blood. He grumbled with dissatisfaction, “Your body reeks.”

Even though he said so, he still held tightly onto Xiao Zhige and refused to let go.

Xiao Zhige said with some helplessness, “I haven’t taken a bath for nearly six days. I’m covered in dirt.”

An Chang Qing hummed and hugged him even tighter, “I don’t mind.”

Xiao Zhige’s hand landed on his back and gently comforted him.

The pair hugged for a long time, trying to patch the gap during their time of separation, before they parted reluctantly. An Chang Qing’s eyes were pinkish as his face brimmed with shyness, “Where is your room? I’ll settle in and tell you about Yejing later.”

Thinking about Yejing, An Chang Qing’s mood dampened a little. He creased his brows and said, “I really couldn’t get any more food. With this much, I’m not sure how long you can last.”

Xiao Zhige had long predicted this outcome and hence, was not worried. He grabbed his shoulders and led him out. “Let’s not talk about this for now. Let’s go back to our room and let you have a change of clothes first. Have you eaten? I’ll have someone make porridge for you.” Xiao Zhige said with some guilt, “There’s a food shortage and not much is left in the General’s Manor…”

“I’m not hungry. Porridge is fine.”

The pair chatted as they walked side by side. As they reached the door, Qi Wei was waiting for them with a look of excitement and curiosity. Seeing them both, Qi Wei smiled and greeted in a flattering voice, “General, Wangfei.”

Before, he was too occupied to consider which Wangfei Minister Li was talking about. After he had exited and conversed a few more words with Li An Ming, he came to realize that the fair-skinned and good-looking gongzi was actually their General’s Wangfei!

Although everyone knew that their General had married a little brother-in-law back in Yejing, no one had managed to have a good look at that person. Only now did he know that their Wangfei was not only beautiful but had also brought rations for them.

He’s their savior!

So after the big-mouth lieutenant Qi had spread this to the entire platoon, he was voted to be the representative to invite the General and his Wangfei for dinner. Now that the food had arrived, they could at least have a better meal worthy of these esteemed guests.

But of course, the most important thing was to get a glimpse of Wangfei!

Looking at his subordinate, Xiao Zhige’s face immediately darkened, “Didn’t I tell you to help Minister Li settle down? There’s something else?”

Qi Wei was baffled by the quick change in his attitude. He shrunk back and braced himself, “Now that food has arrived and we had just won another battle, we brothers had asked the kitchen to cook up a scrumptious meal specially for General and Wangfei…”

“Not going.” Xiao Zhige turned him down with no hesitation, “Go ahead and enjoy yourselves but drinking is forbidden.”

Qi Wei was reluctant but Xiao Zhige no longer bothered with him. He turned and led An Chang Qing to the back court.

The General’s Manor was a run down place left over from previous generations. It covered a large area but due to the lack of maintenance and inhabitants, only the house Xiao Zhige lived in was in good condition.

There also weren’t any servants, only a few soldiers to guard the place.

When Xiao Zhige was living alone, a place to rest his head had seemed adequate. He tended to spend most of his time at the barracks anyway. Now that An Chang Qing was here, he felt that the place seemed to lack many things.

But a war was currently in motion, it was improbable to have anything done in a short period of time.

Knowing that An Chang Qing loved cleanliness, Xiao Zhige personally brought in the bathtub, drew the hot water, and tested the temperature. “There’s no heater in the room. You should wash quickly in case you catch a cold. When this battle is over, we’ll buy whatever you need. Please bear with it for now.”

An Chang Qing did not think anything of it. After all, he did not come here to live a comfortable life. Seeing Xiao Zhige’s guilty look, he frowned and said, “Is Wangye not going to wash?”

Xiao Zhige immediately froze. He spoke as naturally as he could, “I’ll bathe outside.”

An Chang Qing remembered that he had used up the hot water and the new batch was still being heated. Washing outside would mean that it was mostly cold water. He said with some embarrassment, “Why don’t Wangye bathe with me?”

Xiao Zhige almost stumbled when he was turning to leave. He said with his back facing An Chang Qing, “My body is full of blood stains, this much water is not enough for me to wash them off.”

He then quickly fled out the door, not even stopping when An Chang Qing called for him.

…..

An Chang Qing washed up quickly and put on clean clothes before going out to look for Xiao Zhige.

After asking the guard stationed in the yard, he learned that Xiao Zhige had gone to the bedroom. The bedroom was only two rooms away from the bathroom and An Chang Qing had managed to find it with ease. When he entered, he saw that Xiao Zhige had taken off his armor and was buttoning up his inner shirt with rigid movements.

“Wangye?” 

Hearing An Chang Qing’s voice, Xiao Zhige hurriedly put on his coat and turned around, “Done bathing so soon? The kitchen has not finished preparing the porridge yet.”

“What happened to your shoulder?” 

An Chang Qing noticed the blood seeping through his clothes and his forehead creased up. He worriedly strode over and tried to undo his coat.

Xiao Zhige held back his hand, “Don’t look. It’s just a small wound.”

“Let me see,” An Chang Qing stared at him stubbornly.

Xiao Zhige could never go against An Chang Qing. He sighed and released his hand, “It’s not a serious injury, don’t worry.”

An Chang Qing carefully undid his shirt and saw a large gaping wound stretching from his left shoulder all the way to his chest. The wound was so deep that his bone was visible and just a little longer, it would’ve reached the heart!

“Why didn’t you see the doctor?” An Chang Qing bit his lips hard in order to hold back the sour, scorching sensation in his eyes. 

“I did,” Xiao Zhige responded, “It’s only a flesh wound. It looks scary on the outside but I have no internal injuries. Applying medicine daily will help with the bleeding.”

An Chang Qing glared at him, “Where’s the medicine? You were about to put it on just now, weren’t you?”

Xiao Zhige had no choice but to respond with an ‘en’ and took out the medicine bottle from the bed head, “I was about to apply it when you came.”

An Chang Qing took the medicine bottle and drew a deep breath, “Don’t move. Let me apply it for you.”

He then gently administered the medicine onto the open wound. Although Xiao Zhige did not make a sound, the blue veins on his neck were starting to show. An Chang Qing tried to work as quickly as he could. After the application, he blew gently over the wound before dressing it up.

---

TN: Just to clarify, the Imperial Supervisor Li An Ming is the same person from the episode regarding Marquis Wu. He was actually called something else in the previous chapters. I will change it to Li An Ming to avoid confusion.